Overview
This unit will be the first in the Bachelor of Oral Health course to prepare you for employment as a registered dental practitioner in oral health therapy. It will introduce you to knowledge, skills and attitudes required for clinical work in a dental surgery and health promotion activities in the community. It will also provide an orientation into the oral health therapy profession itself. On completion of this unit , you should be able to identify the dentition for children and adults; features of normal occlusion, tooth structure and periodontium; understand the basic disease processes and prevention of common oral diseases; recognize dental diseases and oral pathology on radiographs; demonstrate the principles of workplace health and safety, record management and practice management; and the legislative framework for members of the dental team; communicate oral health information; identify dental instruments and equipment and develop relevant interpersonal / team communication skills and professional attitudes and ethical behaviors. You are required to complete 32 hours of clinical placement (unless you have recognition of prior learning such as a Certificate III in Dental Assisting), fulfill the Clinical Requirements Prior to Placement which include immunization for Hep B etc. and attend a compulsory residential school.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
Condition: Students must be enrolled in CB29 Oral Health Course to enrol in this unit.
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 1 - 2018
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes – in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Residential Schools
This unit has a Compulsory Residential School for distance mode students and the details are:
Click here to see your Residential School Timetable.
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University’s Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback – Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from Unit evaluations and email feedback.
Students would like more time to complete the clinical placement as the mandatory checks take a long time to complete
The difficulties in completing the mandatory checks by week 7 are understood by the teaching team. It is essential that students begin the tasks listed in the mandatory checks at the start of term as some of the processes, such as hepatitis B immunizations, may take weeks to complete. If students delay making a start on the mandatory checks, the date they are eligible to commence clinical placement moves later into the term. In some cases it has meant that students complete their placement after the examination period. An added difficulty to the late completion of the clinical placement and finalizing grades at the end of term, is a reflective journal assignment which must be submitted after the clinical placement. Attempts to contact the students via email before term 1 commenced in the last two years has had minimal impact on student numbers completing the mandatory checks on time. In 2018 we will review the methods of communication with first year students. We will review the reflective journal assignment with the aim of replacing the assignment with an assessment due earlier in the term.
Feedback from Unit Evaluations
Students would like more consistency between the lecture notes and recorded lectures. Students advised there were occasions when advice was given on the final examination that was not mentioned in the lecture notes.
Consistency between lecture notes and lecture recordings will be checked in particular regarding advice on the final written exam.
Feedback from Unit evaluations
Students enjoyed the Residential school. They felt it assisted their learning and was a great experience overall.. They enjoyed the practical tasks and talks from presenters in the dental profession and industry. They benefited from meeting other students in the same cohort as well as second and third year students.
The residential school will remain as an essential part of this unit.
- Describe tooth structure, periodontal tissue and dentition for children and adults, and describe and recognise stages of development in occlusion and malocclusion.
- Examine and differentiate the pathogenesis and prevention of common oral diseases including the role of diet and nutrition.
- Detect and describe dental diseases and oral pathology on radiographs.
- Demonstrate and review the principles of workplace health and safety, record management and practice management.
- Categorise, assemble and demonstrate dental instruments and equipment.
- Explain the legislative framework for members of the dental team.
- Communicate information regarding oral health in oral and written forms.
- Satisfy the requirements of an evolving dental practitioner utilising appropriate interpersonal / team communication skills, professional attitudes and ethical behaviours.
The learning outcomes of this unit are part of the overall learning outcomes for each unit in the BOralHlth course at CQUniversity form part of the documentation which as been submitted to the Australian Dental Council for review for accreditation as a new course.
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | |
| 1 - Presentation - 20% | ||||||||
| 2 - Portfolio - 20% | ||||||||
| 3 - On-campus Activity - 0% | ||||||||
| 4 - Examination - 60% | ||||||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | |
| 1 - Communication | ||||||||
| 2 - Problem Solving | ||||||||
| 3 - Critical Thinking | ||||||||
| 4 - Information Literacy | ||||||||
| 5 - Team Work | ||||||||
| 6 - Information Technology Competence | ||||||||
| 7 - Cross Cultural Competence | ||||||||
| 8 - Ethical practice | ||||||||
| 9 - Social Innovation | ||||||||
| 10 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | ||||||||
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
| Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | |
| 1 - Presentation - 20% | ||||||||||
| 2 - Portfolio - 20% | ||||||||||
| 3 - On-campus Activity - 0% | ||||||||||
| 4 - Examination - 60% | ||||||||||
Textbooks
Modern Dental Assisting
Edition: 12 (2018)
Authors: Doni L. Bird and Debbie S. Robinson
Elsevier
St Louis St Louis , Missouri , USA
ISBN: 978-0-323-43030-2
Binding: Hardcover
Additional Textbook Information
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing styles below:
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
c.m.fay@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
Introduction to Oral Health Therapy:
- Introduction to Oral Health Therapy as a career
- Dental Therapy, Dental Hygiene and Oral Health Therapy
- Members of the Dental Healthcare Team.
Chapter
Bird and Robinson (2018) Chapters 1 and 3.
Tsang (2010) Chapters 1 and 2 Course resources online (CRO).
Relevant Australian content resources on Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
The Legislative Framework for Members of the Dental Healthcare team:
- The Australian context
- Dental Ethics
- Dentistry and the Law.
Chapter
Bird and Robinson(2018) Chapters 4 and 5.
Relevant Australian content resources on Moodle
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Introduction to Oral Anatomy and the Dentitions:
- Introduction to the bones and landmarks of the skull
- Surface anatomy of the head and neck
- Introduction to anatomical features of the oral cavity
- The primary and Permanent Dentitions
- Basic tooth morphology, structure and function
- Nomenclature and Notation
- Introduction to Occlusion and Malocclusion.
Chapter
Bird and Robinson (2018) Part 2 Chapters 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Work Place Health and Safety:
- Introduction to infection control
- Workplace Health and Safety Regulations and Recommendations
- Health and Safety Risks and Hazards.
Chapter
Bird and Robinson (2018) Part 4 and 5.
Relevant Australian content resources on Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
- Functional areas in the typical dental practice
- Operation and features of the dental chair, including overhead light , dental unit , evacuation system and self-contained water systems
- Basis grasps for dental instruments and use of a finger rest (fulcrum)
- Operating zones
- Hand instruments used in a basic set up for examination and restorative procedures
- Dental Hand pieces; features and maintenance
- Basic Bur types
- Instruments and equipment used in oral evacuation, moisture control and rubber dam
- Basic Instruments and equipment used in local anaesthesia.
- Dental material for restorative, preventative, laboratory and miscellaneous uses.
Chapter
Bird and Robinson (2018) Part 7 and 9.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Compulsory Residential School 19th-21st April 2018 at Rockhampton Campus:
- ORAL Presentations
- Simulation laboratory exercises
- Hand hygiene and PPE
- Practice OSCE
- Presentations on use of equipment.
- Presentations by dental professional associations.
Chapter
Bird and Robinson (2018) Parts 4, 5 and 7.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Three day Residential School at Rockhampton Campus.
A 5-minute Oral Presentation. Due: Week 6 Friday (20 Apr 2018) 12:00 pm AEST
On-Campus Activity Due: Week 6 Friday (20 Apr 2018) 5:00 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Introduction to Dental Caries:
- What is dental caries and what causes it
- Plaque
- The tooth surface
- Fermentable carbohydrates
- The caries process
- Simple classifications of dental caries (by site, stage, activity and patient's age)
- The role of saliva, diet and oral hygiene
- Introduction to diagnosis and detection
- Introduction to methods of prevention.
Chapter
Bird and Robinson (2018) Chapter 13.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Introduction to Periodontal Disease:
- What is periodontal disease and what causes it
- Introduction of terms used in the study of pathology
- Anatomy of the periodontal tissue structure and appearance of normal healthy tissue
- Plaque and Calculus
- Diagnosis of periodontal diseases including measurements, recordings and radiographs
- Classification of periodontal diseases
- Risk factors
- How is periodontal disease prevented and treated.
Chapter
Bird and Robinson (2018) Chapter 14.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Introduction to Dental Examination Procedures:
- Medical and dental histories
- Extra-Oral and Intra-Oral clinical examination
- Examination of the teeth
- Periodontal charting
- Radiographic examination
- Documenting the dental examination (including tooth diagrams).
- Caries Risk Assessment and early caries detection
- Further diagnostic procedures.
Chapter
Bird and Robinson (2018) Chapter 26 and 28.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Record Management and Communication in the Dental Office:
- The components of a patient’s dental record.
- Informed consent
- Confidentiality
- Guidelines for the management of dental records in Australia
- Verbal communication
- Non-verbal communication
- Listening skills
- Communication with colleagues
- Communicating with patients.
Chapter
Bird and Robinson (2018) Chapter 26 and 61.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Practice Management:
- Practice management and the role of a Practice Manager
- Appointment scheduling and the appointment book
- Recall programs
- Patient billing
- Provider Numbers
- Australian Schedule of Dental Services (Item Numbers)
- Structured Professional Relationship.
Chapter
Bird and Robinson (2018) Chapter 62 and 63.
Relevant Australian content resources on Moodle.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Completion of Clinical Placement and Revision Week:
Chapter
Bird and Robinson(2018) Chapter 33 Delivering Dental Care.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Revision
Examination period begins 7th June
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Final written examination period concludes 15th June.
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Clinical attire for the placement and residential school: All students must wear name tag, CQU oral health polo, trousers and low-heeled closed-in shoes, protective eye-wear, have their hair tied back and wear no jewellery on their hands or arms. In the surgery and for the clinical placement, students are required to wear an outer protective garment such as a theatre gown or clinic coat. All garments must be freshly laundered and ironed. In the simulation laboratory, a clinic coat is required to be worn over the oral health polo.
Students must abide by workplace health and safety and infection control policies and guidelines during the clinical placement. All mandatory requirements for clinical practice must be met before commencing the clinical placement.
The clinical placement for this course is compulsory, however students maybe exempt from the Clinical Placement with Recognition of Prior Learning ( RPL is given for students with Certificate III or IV in Dental Assisting).
1 Presentation
During Residential School in week 6, you and a partner will be asked to present a five minute talk. To prepare for this assessment, you will research a selected topic, and create a short concise power point presentation.You must choose from a list of topics listed on the Moodle site which relate to the roles and responsibilities of an Oral Health Therapist in a variety of dental practices.
Your presentation will describe one type of general or specialty dental practice. In your description you will explain the dental treatment provided and the patients treated in this type of practice. You will describe the different roles and interactions of the dental team members. Specifically, you will describe the role of the OHT and procedures performed by the OHT. Your talk should include the legislation applicable to this practice, the requirements for registration and education of the OHT, practice management issues (such as eligibility for CDBS, Veterans Affairs, Health Care etc), opportunities for employment and job satisfaction.
Week 6 Friday (20 Apr 2018) 12:00 pm AEST
The oral presentations will be held on the last day of the Residential School. Saturday 21st April 2018.
Week 8 Friday (4 May 2018)
Students will receive feedback on the oral presentations by Friday Week 8
The presentation will be assessed on the following criteria:
- Content. The Presentation contains accurate information and is supported by references. 45%
- Communication. The mode of delivery is appropriate for the audience with use of effective visual aids and clear and audible speech. 40%
- Organization. The information must be presented in a logical sequence. 15%
Marking Criteria and Rubric are included in the Oral Presentation Assessment page on Moodle
- Examine and differentiate the pathogenesis and prevention of common oral diseases including the role of diet and nutrition.
- Explain the legislative framework for members of the dental team.
- Communicate information regarding oral health in oral and written forms.
- Satisfy the requirements of an evolving dental practitioner utilising appropriate interpersonal / team communication skills, professional attitudes and ethical behaviours.
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Team Work
- Information Technology Competence
2 Portfolio
In this porfolio you are asked to compile necessary documents and evidence as you would in your working career. There are three parts to your first year portfolio:
- Evidence of completed Mandatory Checks, which must be completed prior to Clinical Placement.
- A record of your 32 hour Clinical Placement, including Student Self-Assessment, Supervisors record of attendance and feedback. Please note: You may be exempt from this placement if you have a Certificate II or IV in Dental Assisting or equivalent qualifications. In this situation you should apply for recognition of prior learning (RPL). The details can be found on the Moodle site for this unit. However you must complete the mandatory requirements and reflective journal as part of this portfolio assessment.
- A Reflective Journal. You are asked to write 600 words on how your experience in the Clinical Placement (or as a Certificate III or IV Dental Assistant) will inform your practice as a student and Oral Health Therapist in the future. Further information on writing a Reflective Journal is included on Moodle in the assessment page.
Exam Week Friday (15 June 2018) 5:00 pm AEST
Mandatory Checks are due by Week 9 Friday 11th May 2018. These Checks must be complete (relevant forms completed and submitted and immunizations complete or in progress).Attendance Record of the Student Placement, Student Self-Assessment, Supervisors comments and the reflective journal are due on the last week of exams. However, the due date will be extended for students completing the clinical practicum after the examination period to 29th June. Unit Coordinator approval is required for this extension. Please be aware that if you complete the placement after the examination period and fail the final examination you will not be eligible for a supplementary examination.
Exam Week Friday (15 June 2018)
Feedback on the reflective journal will be given one week after the journal has been submitted online.
1. Mandatory Checks must be completed to pass this unit and continue in the Oral Health program. This is a pass/fail assessment. Submission of Mandatory Checks are via SONIA.
2. 32 hours Clinical Placement is a pass/ fail assessment and must be completed in order to pass this unit. The Student Self-Assessment and Record of Attendance and Supervisors comments must be completed submitted online when the placement has been completed.
3. The Reflective Journal comprises 20% of your overall grade and 100% of this assessment mark. You will be assessed on structure or organisation of your thoughts, correct spelling and grammar awareness of your personal and professional growth during the period of your clinical work experience. There is a 600 word limit. Submit your journal online via Turn It In. In the case of students with an exemption to clinical placement (Certificate III or IV Dental Assisting), students are advised to submit the journal as early as possible in the term.
- Demonstrate and review the principles of workplace health and safety, record management and practice management.
- Communicate information regarding oral health in oral and written forms.
- Satisfy the requirements of an evolving dental practitioner utilising appropriate interpersonal / team communication skills, professional attitudes and ethical behaviours.
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Team Work
- Information Technology Competence
3 On-campus Activity
Practical and written exercises will be undertaken at the Compulsory Residential School in the Oral Health Simulation Laboratory. At this residential school, you will be tested on the operation of the dental simulation units and the performance of a number of practical tasks and written exercises. You must complete all the tasks and have a peer and supervisor assess your work. You will be expected to write reflective comments and strategies for improvement.
All written and practical exercises and marking criteria are included in the Workbook. The Workbook will also provide you a place to record Self and Peer Evaluation, Student Reflective Practice, Grades and a place to sign-off the task with the Supervisor. You will use similar workbooks in all Oral Health courses with a practical component. The process of self and peer evaluation, marking criteria and the reflective practice are similar for all pre-clinical and clinical procedures in the Bachelor of Oral Health program.
A printed and bound copy of the Workbook will be provided for you at Residential school. It is also available on Moodle. Information about the compulsory Residential School can be found on Moodle in Week 6.
Week 6 Friday (20 Apr 2018) 5:00 pm AEST
The workbook should be submitted on the second last day of the Residential School.
Week 8 Friday (4 May 2018)
The workbook will be returned to the students on the last day of residential school. Workbook results will be available by Week 8 Friday 5th May
The Practical and Written exercises are a Pass/Fail assessment, however each exercise is graded and you must gain at least 50% to pass this assessment. The workbooks will be collected at the completion of the simulation laboratory sessions at residential school.
You will be instructed and assessed on:
1. Hand washing technique.
2. Personal protective equipment.
3. Ergonomic posture and position of the simulator manikin.
4. Identification of dental instruments and accessory items for examination restoration and hygiene therapy.
5. Attachment of rotary instruments.
6. Methods of isolation and maintaining a dry field using high volume evacuator, cotton rolls and mouth rinse on the simulation units.
7. Conduct a short experiment on the properties of a dental restorative material.
8. Identification of anatomical landmarks on the face and oral cavity of your peers.
9. Tooth and surface identification on charts.
10. Function and maintenance of hand pieces.
- Describe tooth structure, periodontal tissue and dentition for children and adults, and describe and recognise stages of development in occlusion and malocclusion.
- Examine and differentiate the pathogenesis and prevention of common oral diseases including the role of diet and nutrition.
- Detect and describe dental diseases and oral pathology on radiographs.
- Demonstrate and review the principles of workplace health and safety, record management and practice management.
- Categorise, assemble and demonstrate dental instruments and equipment.
- Satisfy the requirements of an evolving dental practitioner utilising appropriate interpersonal / team communication skills, professional attitudes and ethical behaviours.
- Cross Cultural Competence
Examination
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
