Course Director:
Joan I. Gluch, RDH, PhD Director, Community Health
Adjunct Associate Professor
Gluchj {at} pobox.uvenn(.)edu

Course Co-Director:
Judith Buchanan, PhD, DMD
Associate Dean, Academic Affairs
Jbuchana {at} pobox.upenn(.)edu

Department of Community Oral Health
220 S. 40th St., 2nd floor, Rm. 201-B
215 898-8429
Office Hours: By Appointment

Course Faculty: Judith Zack Bendit, RDH, BS
Mary Frances Cummings, RDH, BS
Jill Klischies, RDH, BS
Kathleen Davis, RDH, BS

Credit Units: 3.00

Course Description

This course is designed to provide all entering first year dental students with the introduction and overview of basic concepts in health promotion and community health. Thirty four hours of lecture, twelve hours in clinic, six hours in seminar and six hours in community activities are provided so that students will gain the necessary knowledge and skill regarding the philosophy, modalities, rationale and evaluation of oral health promotion and disease prevention activities in community and public health.

Course topics include personal wellness theory and practice; etiology and prevention of dental caries and periodontal disease and health promotion assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of community oral health programs.

A philosophy of wellness emphasizes health promotion and disease prevention as an integral component of dental practice. Students are encouraged to develop wellness practices to maximize personal health status as well as assist patients in completing wellness activities in the context of Health Promotion. Students complete 6 hours of community service learning requirements within this course.

Course Objectives

At the end of the course lectures, assigned readings, community and clinical activities the student will:

1. Articulate a philosophy of wellness through the routine inclusion of health promotion and disease prevention activities in the context of dental care and community oral health.

2. Assess, plan, implement, and evaluate a plan of personal oral health promotion care, and care with a student partner with the assistance of a faculty member.

3. Develop the basic knowledge, skill and attitude necessary for safe clinical practice, including infection control procedures, health evaluation of patients, and professional practice behaviors.

4. Describe the interrelationship of diet and nutrition with oral health and general health status. Complete a personal diet analysis and implement recommended changes. Participate in a diet analysis with a student partner and make recommendations for changes to maximize oral health and general health status.

5. Explain the multi-factorial etiology of dental caries. 'Describe the role of fluoride, sealants, nutritional counseling and oral hygiene in preventing decay.

6. Explain the etiology of periodontal diseases. Describe the role of oral hygiene, chemotherapeutic agents, and professional care in preventing periodontal diseases.

7. Explain the program-planning model of community activity, and describe and critique current approaches to oral health promotion and disease prevention with community groups.

8. Defend the positive benefits of community oral health programs, specifically water fluoridation, school health programs and smoking and spit tobacco cessation programs. Critique the arguments of the opponents of these programs with substantiated research claims.

9. Describe and critique preventive modalities for the prevention of caries and periodontal disease for individual patients that are appropriate, individualized and justified with a research base.

10. Develop, implement and evaluate school based oral health educational programs.

Competencies

During this course, students gain foundation knowledge related to the following competency expectations for the new graduate of UPSDM:

1. Participate in improving the oral health of individuals, families, and groups in the community.

2. Continuously monitor therapeutic outcomes and re-evaluate and modify initial diagnoses or therapy of current and future clinical protocols.

3. Discuss etiologies, treatment alternatives, and prognoses with patients and educate them so they can participate in the management of their own care including preventive care.

4. Implement and manage preventive oral health practices.

Required Textbooks

Burt, B and Eklund S. Dentistry, Dental Practice and Community, 4th ed. Philadelphia: WB Saunders, 1999.

Supplemental readings as necessary

Course Requirements

The final grade is determined as follows:

The Department of Community Oral Health supports and defends the Ethical Code of the School of Dental Medicine. All examinations are proctored, and all students are expected to adhere to the guidelines outlined by the Office of Academic Affairs regarding security procedures during examinations. In addition, all papers submitted by students are evaluated to determine any evidence of cheating, which includes plagiarism, inappropriate collusion among students or submission of papers from other sources, including parts or full papers from the Internet and previously submitted papers. When faculty suspect cheating has occurred, they will document their findings, meet with students, and submit the information to the SDM Ethical Board. If the student is found guilty, penalties will be determined by the Department of Community Oral Health, the SDM Ethical Board and SDM administration.

Attendance at lectures, clinic, community activities and seminars is mandatory. All absencesmust be reported to the Office of Academic Affairs, 215-898-8781 PRIOR to the start of the lecture or assignment. Students can leave voice mail messages during off hours. Students with excused absences from the Office of Academic Affairs will be permitted to complete an alternate in-class assignment and/or complete the session at a time scheduled with faculty members. Due dates or projects are firm, no extensions will be provided without an excused absence from Academic Affairs. Late submission of any requirement will result in a grade deduction on that assignment. All assignments are to be turned in at the class/seminar, or at the Department of Community Oral Health, 201-B Hamilton Village between the hours of 9 am and 5 pm.

Guidelines for written assignments are attached and also will be distributed in class. Assignments and quizzes will be graded based on a numerical scale from 0 to 100 based on guidelines for each assignment.

If a student does not attend a class and misses the class assignment at that session, a grade of zero is recorded for each missing assignment. Students with unexcused absences of two or more lectures that do not have class assignments will have their final grade reduced with half a letter grade (i.e. from a B to a C+). Each additional unexcused missed lecture will further reduce the final grade with half a letter grade per missed lecture. All cell phones must be turned off during lectures and examinations.

The School of Dental Medicine grading criteria will be used to determine letter grades for this course. These grading criteria are as follows:

Students must complete course and faculty evaluations before the final grades will be released by the Office of Academic Affairs.

Clinic

Students are expected to arrive promptly in clinic at 7:50 AM ready for that day's activity. Students should report to their assigned group and will follow directions for activities during the session as outlined in this course syllabus. During the first four clinical sessions, students must wear a clinical gown. Students are expected to dress professionally for clinic, and dress code requirements prohibit jeans, sneakers, sandals and shorts. In addition to the required clinical sessions, students must complete a minimum of two (2) hours observing clinical activity with either a third or fourth year dental student, or a dental hygiene student from Harcum College. Students will be required to submit verification ' of their attendance. The purpose and structure of the observational session is designed to help students understand and critique preventive and educational activities with patients. Specific expectations for the observational session and a verification form are included in this syllabus. Specific expectations for each clinic session are included in more detail on subsequent pages of this syllabus. Students must attend all clinic sessions in order to receive a grade for this course.

Clinic groups and assignments will be distributed in class.

Class Assignments

Periodically throughout the course, students will complete class assignments that will comprise 20% of the final grade. Some class assignments are planned activities and some will be given without prior notice in class. Students who do not complete class assignments will not be permitted to make up the assignment unless they have an excused absence from the Office of Academic Affairs. Incomplete assignments will receive a grade of zero.

1. During the class session on 10/22/03, each clinical group will complete a ten-minute presentation on one aspect of health and wellness.

Each student is required to hand in a one page typed paper on the day of the presentation that summarizes the key points of the topic that the group will present related to the health and wellness component. This paper counts as a class assignment. Each group will select from one of four students who will complete the presentation for the group on 10/22/03. These students will earn extra credit of two points added to the final grade of their Fall Examination.

2. Students must complete the SDM Clinical Nutritional Counseling Form and bring this form to the third clinical session which is scheduled either 10/03/03 or 10/10/03. The purpose of this assignment is to allow students to analyze their current diet and to make recommendations to improve their level of wellness through dietary changes. In addition, students' use of this form provides them with practical experience for completing nutrition assessment with patients in clinic. For the diet analysis, students are required to submit an SDM Food Intake Analysis Form which is included in the description of the clinical session and in their patient chart. Students must record their diet for five days, and should complete the analysis section on the reverse side of the form. Students will be graded on their thoroughness and accuracy of form completion and analysis, and the grade counts as a class assignment.

Weekly Schedule