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UW School of Dentistry

course-department: ohs

Oral Health Sciences

OHS 650

Dental Curriculum Threads

Community Dentistry: Longview Clinic – Elective

Course Director: Donald Chi
Credits: 1
Quarters/Yr of Program: Summer, Autumn, Winter, Spring / 1, 2, 3, 4 and Residents

Course Overview

This course will give dental students and residents the opportunity to provide evidence-based, culturally competent dental care in underserved communities.

Learning Objectives

  1. To identify and understand the barriers to dental care and optimal oral health within vulnerable patient populations
  2. To take a complete social and behavioral health history from patients seeking dental care
  3. To apply critical thinking skills in developing evidence-based treatment plans and options for patients with limited financial resources
  4. To provide culturally competent dental care services to vulnerable patient populations

To provide culturally competent dental care services to vulnerable patient populations

Date last updated: 2018-05-24

OHS 550

Directed Studies in Oral Health Sciences – SURF/Research Elective

Credits: variable (25 max)
Faculty: various faculty

This is an independent study course in which meeting times and projects are arranged directly with faculty members.

OHS 550 is directed toward students who have completed a SURF program summer research fellowship and wish to obtain additional course credit subsequent to quarter(s) after they have completed their SURF project. After completion of their SURF project students may continue in that particular area of research pursued earlier, or complete a publication quality manuscript under the faculty mentor’s supervision.

DENTFN 533

Dental Curriculum Threads

Oral Histology & Embryology 2

Course Director: Tracy Popowics (Seattle) & Judd Case (RIDE Spokane)
Credits: 3
Quarters/Yr of Program: Spring/1

Course Overview

In this second course in oral histology and embryology, dental students continue to study the development, microscopic and submicroscopic structure, and functional aspects of hard and soft oral tissues. Included are the embryonic development of the head and neck; morphodifferentiation of face and oral structures; and relationships between development and structure, and structure and function in the histology or ultrastructure of oral tissues. This knowledge is foundational to a deep understanding of human disease.

Learning Objectives

The student who successfully completes this course will be able to:

1. Describe the biological principles and details of the development, structure, and function of oral tissues.
2. Describe the normal structures of the oral tissues in preparation for courses in oral pathology and oral medicine.
3. Explain the basis for rational therapy through the application of basic science principles to the diagnosis and treatment of clinical problems.

UWSOD Competencies: C-01, C-03, CE-02, CE-03

Date last updated: 2024-03-09

DENTFN 523

Dental Curriculum Threads

Oral Histology & Embryology 1

Course Director: Tracy Popowics
Credits: 3
Quarters/Yr of Program: Winter / 1

Course Overview

Students learn about the development, microscopic and submicroscopic structure, and functional aspects of hard and soft oral tissues. They gain an understanding of the embryonic development of head and neck, morphodifferentiation of facial and oral structures, relationships between development and structure, and structure and function in the histology or ultrastructure of oral tissues. This knowledge is foundational to a deep understanding of human disease.

Learning Objectives

The student who successfully completes this course will be able to:

1. Describe the biological principles and details of the development, structure, and function of oral tissues.
2. Describe the normal structures of the oral tissues in preparation for courses in oral pathology and oral medicine.
3. Explain the basis for rational therapy through the application of basic science principles in the diagnosis and treatment of clinical problems.

UWSOD Competencies: C-01, C-03, CE-02

Date last updated: 2024-01-02

DENTFN 521

Dental Curriculum Threads

Introduction to Dental Public Health

Course Director: Donald Chi
Credits: 2
Quarters/Yr of Program: Winter / 1

Course Overview

This course guides students through the process of developing critical thinking skills and addressing public health problems in dentistry. Students will critically evaluate a real-world dental public health case involving behavioral, social, ethical, and cultural elements; work collaboratively with group members to identify resources and gather information to develop a comprehensive understanding of the problem; develop hypotheses regarding the nature and complexity of the problem; prioritize goals and objectives relevant to the problem; and develop a feasible, evidence-based solution. The course will culminate in a final in-class group presentation.

Learning Objectives

The student who successfully completes this course will be able to:

1. Assess dental public health principles and problems in the United States and Washington State, including how oral health problems affect vulnerable subgroups and communities.
2. Analyze public health problems with dental, medical, behavioral, social, ethical, cultural, and community aspects.
3. Formulate a plan for seeking information on various aspects of a public health problem, consistent with good clinical practice and being a continual learner.
4. Articulate alternative points of view about a public health problem involving dentistry.
5. Evaluate different models of oral health care financing, management, and delivery.
6. Apply the principles of behavioral and social science that pertain to population-centered oral health care to the promotion, improvement, and maintenance of population oral health.
7. Demonstrate basic information search skills to help analyze public health problems.
8. Coherently and professionally articulate creative and feasible solutions to a dental public health problem.
9. Recognize the role of lifelong learning and self-assessment in maintaining clinical and professional skills.

UWSOD Competencies: C-01, C-10, CE-03, C-03, CE-06, C-02, C-11, C-04, C-08, C-15

Date last updated: 2024-01-02

DENTFN 513

Dental Curriculum Threads

Oral Microbiology

Course Director: Jeffrey McLean & Kristopher Kerns
Credits: 2
Quarters/Yr of Program: Autumn / 1

Course Overview

Dental caries and periodontal diseases are the most common microbial-based diseases that dentists treat every day; therefore, future dentists must have a strong understanding of the basic microbiology behind the etiology of these diseases. This lecture course will cover many aspects of oral microbiology including oral ecology, the human microbiome, and the relationship of bacteria to human health and disease.

Learning Objectives

The student who successfully completes this course will be able to:

1. Discuss the basic scientific rationale for the practice of microbiology in dentistry regarding the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of oral diseases.
2. Explain the basic functions of the human innate and adaptive immune responses as they pertain to the oral cavity.
3. Describe the principles of bacterial genetic variation and the types of techniques used to assess taxonomic/genomic diversity and their applications in dentistry.
4. Explain the basis of oral bacterial virulence factors and bacterial immune evasion associated with oral diseases.
5. Describe the bacteriological etiology and pathogenic mechanisms involved in the two major plaque-related diseases, caries and periodontal disease.
6. Describe the principles of clinical asepsis.

UWSOD Competencies: C-03

Date last updated: 2024-10-11