Introduction to Biomedical Foundations is a general survey course covering the fundamentals of anatomy, histology, pharmacology, and cellular communication in the human. The information will prepare the student for the required rigorous 18-month collective of courses called Biomedical Foundations.
Learning Objectives
The student who successfully completes this course will be able to:
Explain fundamental concepts of human cellular communication.
Explain general principles of the ligand/receptor complex.
Explain general concepts of action potentials.
Explain fundamental concepts of the study of human structures on a microscopic level (histology).
Identify major human structures by their microscopic appearance.
Explain how the microscopically identified structures will typically function in the human body.
Explain fundamental concepts of pharmacology.
Discuss major pharmacologic principles of human medicine.
Explain fundamental concepts of human anatomy.
Identify major anatomical structures in the human.
Initiate the development of presentation skills used in clinical health care.
Course Director: Bruce Silverstein Credits: 4 Quarters/Yr of Program: Spring / 1
Course Overview
This course will give students an integrated understanding of the respiratory and renal systems of the body. Students will follow how oxygen and nutrients move from the environment to the tissues, and how waste products of metabolism follow the opposite path, examining the coordinated roles of the lungs and kidneys in the control and regulation of these processes and the maintenance of homeostasis. Students will consider physiology and disease processes at the level of the organ system, with a focus on the physiology and pathophysiology of the lungs and kidneys. Understanding these systems is key to understanding human health and disease for the practice of general dentistry.
Learning Objectives
The student who successfully completes this course will be able to:
1. Describe the external and internal morphology of the kidneys and lungs.
2. Use anatomical specimens, medical imaging, and living adults to explain key anatomical relationships between the kidneys, lungs, major blood vessels, and the structures and landmarks that surround them.
3. Describe the normal physiology of the renal and respiratory systems.
4. Delineate the role of the renal and respiratory systems in maintaining homeostasis including sodium and water regulation, electrolyte balance, and acid-base balance.
5. Identify connections between pathophysiologic and histopathologic abnormalities and the major disease processes affecting the kidneys and lungs.
6. Interpret clinical, laboratory, radiographic, and histopathologic data to identify the major disease processes affecting the renal and respiratory systems.
7. Identify the etiology, epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical features, diagnostic features, prevention, treatment, and prognosis of major diseases and conditions of the pulmonary and renal systems, including implications for the practice of dental medicine.
8. Outline a treatment approach, including pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic measures, for the major disease processes affecting the lungs and kidneys.
9. Relate the mechanism of action for major classes of drugs to the pathophysiology of the major diseases of the kidneys and lungs.
10. Interpret clinical and other diagnostic information, recognizing the side effects and primary toxicities of the major classes of drugs used to treat diseases of the kidneys and lungs.
11. Describe how pulmonary and renal diseases affect the oral cavity and the provision of dental care.
This course is an overview of head-and-neck anatomy geared toward dental students. Through lectures and lab sessions, students will learn the structures of the head-and-neck region and the relationship of that part of the body with body systems. Through interactions with faculty and each other, students will learn to use correct anatomical language necessary to communicate with patients and other professionals
Learning Objectives
The student who successfully completes this course will be able to:
1. Identify the gross anatomic structures found within the head-and-neck region from a three dimensional aspect.
2. Explain the anatomical systems as they apply to the head-and-neck region and the rest of the body.
3. Relate head-and-neck anatomical structures to clinical situations.
4. Practice the appropriate anatomical language necessary to communicate with colleagues and other health care professionals.
This course is a continuation of Foundations of Dental Medicine 1 and 2, focusing on additional core skills necessary in dentistry. Students will practice multiple interviewing techniques and dive deeper into the care of patients with disabilities. They will also learn appropriate methods of obtaining consent from and communicating with people with cognitive, sensory, and/or other communication impairments. The course structure includes workshops, clinic, case studies, and guest lectures.
Learning Objectives
The student who successfully completes this course will be able to:
1. Discuss classifications of human function, disability and health using a biopsychosocial framework (WHO ICF).
2. Assess the dental implications and potential facilitation techniques for patients with developmental disabilities.
3. Outline the appropriate consent process when providing care for people with communication and cognitive or sensory impairments.
4. Demonstrate advanced interviewing techniques.
5. Identify appropriate methods of communication for people with cognitive, sensory, and/or other communication impairments.
6. Use principles of metacognition to self-assess in major course areas: disability, communication, and performance of head-and-neck examinations.
Course Director: Elizabeth Garcia Credits: 4 Quarters/Yr of Program: Autumn / 2
Course Overview
This course covers biomedical foundational information about the human lifespan from conception until death. Students will learn biological processes governing normal human development, reproduction, and aging, as well as common disease processes and pathology. Dental practice relevancy will be emphasized when applicable.
Learning Objectives
The student who successfully completes this course will be able to:
1. Summarize the physiologic changes that occur with pregnancy.
2. Compare general physiology principles, common pathologies, and common pharmacologic interventions to the physiological changes of pregnancy.
3. Identify the normal anatomy and physiology of the reproductive systems.
4. Generate an overview of the complex hormonal and anatomical systems which allow for human reproduction.
5. Create an overview of human reproduction from gamete to embryo, as well as an overview of the pregnancy process.
6. Characterize normal embryonic, fetal, and childhood growth and development as well as reproductive maturity, aging, and end-of-life processes and common deviations that can occur in this typical lifecycle.
7. Discuss common pathologies of the reproductive systems.
8. Describe the natural processes of aging, death, and dying, from the health practitioners’ viewpoint.
9. Reflect on the relationship of dental management within the arc of the human lifecycle.
Students will study the structure and function of the human nervous system and its observable behavior ranging from reflexes to sensorimotor, cognitive, and social behavior. Learning is integrated in lectures, small groups, laboratory settings, and directed self-learning formats.
Learning Objectives
The student who successfully completes this course will be able to:
1.Describe the structure, function, and physiology of the nervous system. 2.Classify the criteria for psychiatric diagnoses as defined in DSM-V in discussions of clinical dental care. 3.Apply pathophysiological mechanisms, clinical findings, risk factors, and differential diagnoses of neurological diseases and disorders to discussions of clinical dental care. 4.Describe the major pathologies of the central and peripheral nervous systems.
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.
Course Director: Bruce Silverstein Credits: 5 Quarters/Yr of Program: Spring / 1
Course Overview
This lecture course provides a comprehensive overview of the gastrointestinal (including the liver) and endocrine systems. Understanding these systems is key to understanding human health and disease for the practice of general dentistry. Students explore relevant anatomy, histology, pathophysiology, and pharmacology. They learn how energy metabolism, nutrition, obesity, and diabetes fit into these systems.
Learning Objectives
The student who successfully completes this course will be able to:
1. Describe the normal physiologic functions of the major endocrine and gastrointestinal organs.
2. Describe the hormonal feedback mechanisms of the endocrine and gastrointestinal systems that result in normal function.
3. Relate altered hormonal feedback mechanisms to disease processes in the endocrine and gastrointestinal systems.
4. Describe the pathologic processes that lead to disease in the endocrine and gastrointestinal organ systems.
5. Describe the etiology of the major diseases that affect the gastrointestinal tract, the liver, and the endocrine system.
6. Describe the clinical manifestations of the major diseases that affect the gastrointestinal tract, the liver, and the endocrine system and their oral components.
7. Relate knowledge of the cellular structures of the tissues and organs to their normal function in the endocrine and gastrointestinal systems.
Course Director: David Dean Credits: 4 Quarters/Yr of Program: Winter / 1
Course Overview
This overview of hematology, oncology, and autoimmunity addresses the biology of bone marrow, blood, and the immune system while introducing the multidisciplinary fields of rheumatology and cancer medicine. Emphasis is on oral manifestations of autoimmune diseases, head-and-neck cancers, and the oral complications of cancer therapy.
Learning Objectives
The student who successfully completes this course will be able to:
1. Describe the development, physiologic features, and clinical significance of all blood cell lineages.
2. Provide preoperative medical assessment and perioperative dental treatment plans for patients with benign and malignant hematologic disorders.
3. Describe the physiologic features and clinical significance of the innate and adaptive immune systems.
4. Describe the epidemiology, clinical characteristics, and expected natural history of common immune-mediated systemic disorders.
5. Provide preoperative medical assessment and perioperative dental treatment plans for patients with systemic autoimmune disorders.
6. Outline the physiologic steps in hemostasis and the clinical implications of altered hemostasis.
7. Provide preoperative medical assessment and perioperative dental treatment plans for patients with hemostatic and thrombotic disorders.
8. Describe the physiologic features, clinical manifestations, and impacts of cancer and cancer therapy.
9. Provide diagnostic assessment and perioperative dental treatment plans for patients with known or suspected oral premalignant lesions, oral cancer, and oropharyngeal cancer.
This course is a continuation of DENTFN 512. It further didactically develops skills forming the basis of patient-centered communication and the development of a diagnosis and care plan. These skills include developing rapport, eliciting problem and medical histories, assessing the impact of illness, performing a physical examination, forming a problem list, and documenting and communicating with the care team. Students continue to learn the practice of professional reflection. This quarter will focus on case simulations that require utilization of acquired skills.
Learning Objectives
The student who successfully completes this course will be able to:
1. Correctly sequence the steps of the diagnostic process.
2. Practice skills needed to assess patients’ needs.
3. Compile the information obtained from a written patient case into a case presentation.
4. Integrate a patient’s history and exam information into a problem list.
5. Explain how to use appropriate communication skills when presenting treatment options or sharing serious information with patients.
6. Reflect upon ethical practice in patient care.
7. Identify concepts related to cultural humility to historically excluded diverse populations.
8. Design a practice of personal wellness and self-reflection.
9. Summarize the process of critically reviewing scientific literature.
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.
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.
Course Director: Bruce Silverstein Credits: 4 Quarters/Yr of Program: Winter / 1
Course Overview
This course will give students an integrated knowledge of the body’s circulatory system. They will study the complete cardiovascular system with a focus on the physiology and pathophysiology of disease states. A firm foundation in this system is key to recognizing the synergy of human health and disease with the practice of general dentistry.
Learning Objectives
The student who successfully completes this course will be able to:
1. Describe how cardiac diseases affect the oral cavity and the provision of dental care.
2. Describe the external and internal morphology of the heart and the aorta and its major branch vessels.
3. Use anatomical specimens, medical imaging, and living adults to explain key anatomical relationships between the heart and major blood vessels, and the structures and landmarks that surround them.
4. Describe the normal physiology of the cardiovascular system.
5. Identify connections between pathophysiologic and histopathologic abnormalities and the major disease processes affecting the heart and vascular system.
6. Interpret clinical, laboratory, radiographic, and histopathologic data to identify the major disease processes affecting the cardiovascular system.
7. Identify the etiology, epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical features, diagnostic features, prevention, treatment and prognosis of major diseases and conditions of the cardiac systems, including implications for the practice of dental medicine.
8. Outline a treatment approach, including pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic measures, for the major disease processes affecting the heart and vascular system.
9. Relate the mechanism of action for major classes of drugs to the pathophysiology of the major diseases of the heart and blood vessels.
10. Interpret clinical and other diagnostic information, recognizing the side effects and primary toxicities of the major classes of drugs used to treat diseases of the heart and blood vessels.
11. Recognize a cardiac emergency in a dental patient.
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.
This course promotes the didactic development of clinical skills that form the basis of patient-centered communication, history-taking and physical assessment, and medical record documentation. Students learn interactively through classroom lecture sessions, small group discussions, group work, and case activities. They also develop culturally-appropriate basic skills through an e-learning program.
Learning Objectives
The student who successfully completes this course will be able to:
1. List the components of a comprehensive medical/dental/behavioral history.
2. Utilize patient-centered communication skills for eliciting and exchanging information, identifying health priorities, and making decisions about treatment.
3. Identify social and cultural contributors to individual patients’ health and health behaviors.
4. Adapt the interview to the clinical setting and to patients’ needs across the life cycle, with a focus on geriatric and adolescent patients.
5. Describe the importance and techniques of communicating effectively with patients in a culturally-sensitive manner with recognition of the impact of implicit biases.
6. Explain the need for eliciting an accurate substance-use history during a dental examination.
7. Accurately and completely document a patient’s history and exam in a standard and organized manner.
8. Develop a practice of professional reflection.
9. Utilize the principles of patient autonomy and minimizing harm to analyze selected cases of patient-dentist interactions.
10. Describe concepts related to health inequities for people from historically excluded groups.
11. Describe principles of cultural humility to health care.
Students will analyze critical concepts of microbiology and immunology, in both health and disease, using content-specific language. By the completion of this course, they will be able to interpret the manifestations of host-immune and pathogen responses in common infections of global health that impact dentistry. Classes will include large-group lectures and small-group discussions of case-based studies.
Learning Objectives
The student who successfully completes this course will be able to:
1. Analyze common diagnostic results of infectious and immune-mediated diseases.
2. Analyze factors that contribute to the expanding impact of infectious diseases on interdependent health communities locally and globally.
3. Apply evidence-based approaches to the management and prevention of infectious and immune-mediated diseases.
4. Describe the characteristics of antimicrobials, their mechanisms of action, mechanisms of resistance, and adverse effects including allergy.
5. Compare normal innate and adaptive immune mechanisms used to recognize, control, and clear pathogens.
6. Apply the clinical features, cells, and soluble mediators of inflammation to an explanation of beneficial and deleterious inflammatory responses.
7. Compare normal and abnormal immune mechanisms that mediate tolerance, autoimmunity, and allergy.
8. Relate the macroscopic and microscopic anatomy of the lymphoid system to how cells and proteins of the immune system traffic and interact in the lymphoid system to generate an immune response.
This course covers a broad range of topics in molecular and cellular biology, including cell basics, enzymes, protein/carbohydrate/lipid metabolism, and cancer. Students will learn how various diseases are caused and regulated at molecular and cellular levels. Successful completion of this course will help students assess what cellular changes are responsible for diseases and how to intervene in diseases that are of importance in dentistry.
Learning Objectives
The student who successfully completes this course will be able to:
1. Describe the central dogma of molecular biology and the informational roles DNA, RNA, and protein play in disease development.
2. Illustrate carbohydrate, protein, and lipid metabolism, and how each metabolic regulation leads to certain physiological outcomes.
3. Explain the functions of DNA methylation, covalent histone modifications, and non-coding RNAs in producing epigenetic effects and outcomes of specific epigenetic changes on gene expression.
4. Differentiate how defects in DNA repair pathways lead to specific syndromes and how these defects could be remedied.
5. Assess aspects of cancer pathophysiology and how each leads to a projected outcome.
6. Analyze the cell injury, inflammation, and repair processes and how each contributes to homeostasis in health and disease.
This course introduces incoming students to clinical dentistry. They will learn from lectures and didactic activities to gather and manage fundamental clinical data and information necessary for dental clinic procedures. In addition, students will learn about the following complementary topics: basic tooth morphology using waxing techniques; cultural competency; and cultural humility and ableism.
Learning Objectives
The student who successfully completes this course will be able to:
1. Clinical Dentistry–Explain aseptic procedures in a clinical setting.
2. Clinical Dentistry–Apply correct dental anatomy terminology to a simulated dental examination.
3. Clinical Dentistry—Write a treatment note in SOAP format, incorporating the components of the dental record and the ethical and medical/legal implications of proper treatment notes.
4. Clinical Dentistry–Illustrate how to take a medical history and input this information into a dental record.
5. Clinical Dentistry–Identify the training requirements and duties of each member of the dental healthcare team.
6. Clinical Dentistry–Assess the effectiveness of oral hygiene techniques.
7. Clinical Dentistry–Describe methods for the prevention of dental trauma.
8. Clinical Dentistry–Apply principles of nutrition and oral health to nutritional self-assessment and dietary planning in patient simulations.
9. Clinical Dentistry—Identify factors affecting caries risk including salivary flow and access to fluoride.
10. Clinical Dentistry–Describe career-path options for dentists.
11. Clinical Dentistry–Demonstrate professional and ethical conduct.
12. Clinical Dentistry–Identify signs of impairment or psychological stress in self or colleagues, the avenues for help, and the professional responsibilities for reporting.
13. Cultural Competency–Recognize how cultural differences impact communication with patients from diverse populations.
14. Cultural Competency–Create an overview of health care disparities associated with oral health.
15. Cultural Competency–Outline strategies for providing culturally and linguistically appropriate services in oral health care settings.
16. Cultural Competency–Outline best practices for culturally and linguistically appropriate communication.
17. Cultural Humility–Critically self-reflect on growth as a culturally humble healthcare provider.
18. Cultural Humility–Outline strategies for addressing power imbalances in clinical settings.
19. Cultural Humility–Produce examples of how cultural humility extends beyond the patient-provider relationship.
20. Cultural Ableism–Produce examples of how ableism can manifest in medical settings.
21. Cultural Ableism–Describe models of disability, including medical, social, and biopsychosocial models.
22. Cultural Ableism–Outline best practices for improving cultural humility with patients with disabilities.
23. Dental Anatomy–Reproduce basic tooth morphology through waxing techniques.
24. Dental Anatomy–Discuss the components of tooth morphology.
25. Dental Anatomy–Correctly utilize waxing instruments.
26. Dental Anatomy–Discuss the relationship between a sound dentition and dental health.
