Skip to content
Predoctoral Course Catalog

DENTCL 620

Dental Curriculum Threads

Introduction to Clinical Practice

Course Director: Sangeetha Nedunchezhian and Andy Marashi
Credits: 15
Quarters/Yr of Program: Summer / 3

Course Overview

Students gain an operational knowledge of the dental clinic at the novice level. This course introduces clinical care in multiple disciplines and promotes person-centered comprehensive care with an emphasis on treatment planning. Students learn to perform a comprehensive dental exam and design a treatment plan in the proper phasing order and sequence.

Learning Objectives

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

  1. Practice patient care in a patient-centered manner within the scope of general dentistry to patients in all stages of life.
  2. Provide patient care in a safe and ethical manner considering patient respect, comfort, and safety.
  3. Practice dentistry in accordance with UWSOD policies and procedures.
  4. Complete a comprehensive patient examination from welcoming and interviewing the patient to recording patient history and data.
  5. Order appropriate diagnostic casts, records, tests, and radiographic images.
  6. Interpret findings from appropriate diagnostic casts, records, tests, and radiographic images.
  7. Communicate effectively with other health care professionals using appropriately composed consultations and referrals.
  8. Determine the prognosis of conditions and treatments by formulating an appropriate problem list and risk assessment for each patient.
  9. Compose a properly phased and sequenced treatment plan based on objective findings, evidence-based recommendations, and the patient’s considerations.
  10. Obtain appropriate informed patient consent and faculty approval.
  11. Explain the rationale for the phasing and sequencing of the treatment plan.
  12. Explain post-treatment assessments and their role in quality assurance.
  13. Plan an effective maintenance phase of treatment with an emphasis on the importance of follow-through by the patient and the treatment team.
  14. Document all patient-care activities accurately in axiUm.
  15. Explain the epidemiology of dental care-related fear and anxiety, common etiological pathways, and foundational psychological considerations for case conceptualization.
  16. Describe basic evidence-based approaches for the assessment and non-pharmacological management of dental-care-related fear and anxiety.

UWSOD Competencies: C-01, C-10, CE-02, CE-03, C-03, CE-06, C-02, C-09, CE-07, C-06, C-05, C-11, C-30, C-12, C-13, C-31, C-16, C-29, C-17, C-07, CE-04, C-14, C-28, C-04, C-08, C-15, C-18, C-24, C-25, C-26, C-19, C-20, C-21, C-22, C-23, C-27, CE-05

Date last updated: 2024-07-08