Dental Instruments and Procedures Syllabus

DE 291: Dental Instruments and Procedures

This course presents an in-depth study of the many varied hand instruments, mechanical instruments, and the various procedures used in dentistry. In addition to the equipment used, this class will include learning the techniques and steps used in many procedures. Areas covered will include the principles of four-handed dental practices, the proper transferring of instruments, the use of the high-speed evacuation system, and the use and care of dental handpieces and all other equipment. The different dental specialties will also be included.

Credits 4
Course Objectives

Course Objectives: When the course is completed you will be able to:

  • utilize the proper equipment and the techniques of four-handed dentistry.
  • employ the principles of work simplification.
  • use the correct techniques of one-handed instrument transfer.
  • identify the proper positions for the dentist and dental assistant.
  • use correct high volume evacuation techniques.
  • use and maintain the various types of dental hand pieces.
  • identify the numerous types and uses of dental burs.
  • apply and remove a dental dam and explain its use.
  • prepare a syringe properly.
  • explain the various types of anesthesia used in the dental office, the preparation of each type, and the equipment required.
  • recognize and select correct hand instruments for the respective operation at hand.
  • identify the other pieces of equipment, disposables, and instruments including infection control.
  • dispose of or care for each instrument properly.
  • specify five of the most frequently used dental  procedures, the order of steps performed, and the instruments used.
  • recognize six of the most commonly-found dental specialties and what procedures are performed.
  • Sterilize all dental instruments in the appropriate order        
  • Transfer any dental instrument with the dentist
  • Use all dental instruments with the proper procedure on patients
Instructional Materials

Dental Instrument Guide, Phinney and Halstead, Second Edition.

Course Policies

Incomplete Policy: Students will not be given an incomplete grade in the course without sound reason and documented evidence as described in the Student Handbook. In any case, for a student to receive an incomplete, he or she must be passing the course.

Instructor Requirements

  • The Dental Assisting major requires that you make a 74% or better in this class to complete the program successfully.
  • There will be one make-up test. All other missed tests will be counted as zeros; there will be NO exceptions.
  • You are expected to be in class for the ENTIRE class period.
  • NO children allowed EVER in class. If you bring a child to class, you will be asked to leave.
  • Beepers must be on “vibrate”mode.
  • Cell phones must be turned off.

​​​​​​​Student Evaluation:

Students’ grades will be determined by their average grade in each of the following areas:

Lab Performance 50%
Weekly Test

50%

 Grade Scale:                            

Letter Grade Percentage
A 90-100
B 80-89
C 70-79
D 60-69
F 59-below
Course Outline

(tentative and subject to change)

Week

Subject Matter

Assignment

One

Chapter 3 Basic Instruments, Evacuation and Air- Water Syringe

 

TBA

Two

Chapter 4 Topical and Local Anesthetic and Nitrous Oxide Sedation

 

TBA

Three

Chapter 5 Dental Dam

 

TBA

Four

Chapter 6 Dental Unit and Hand Pieces

 

TBA

Five

Chapter 7 Burs, Stone and Discs

 

TBA

Six

Chapter 10 Amalgam Instruments

 

TBA

Seven

Chapter 11 Composite Instruments and Equipment

 

TBA

Eight

 

Chapter 12 Endodontic Instruments

TBA

Nine

Chapter 13 Oral Maxillofacial Surgery Instruments

TBA

Ten

 

Chapter 17 Fixed Prosthodontic Instruments

Review for Final

TBA

Eleven

Final on All Instrument Trays and Accessories

 

Final Exam

Communication

Emails will be responded to no later than 48 hours or by the end of business on Monday for mail received over the weekend.

College Policies

Academic Honesty Policy
The college has a firm policy against academic dishonesty, including cheating or plagiarism. Students guilty of academic dishonesty will be administratively dropped from the course with a grade of ‘F’ and subject to disciplinary action, which may include suspension and dismissal. 

Please refer to the Academic Honesty Policy for detailed information.

Late Assignment Policy

Meeting deadlines, being dependable, and applying appropriate time management are all foundational elements of professional behavior. These same attributes are also required while participating in college courses because the skills, knowledge, and student learning outcomes must be obtained in a specific order and within a certain amount of time.

We at HJC understand that sometimes students encounter circumstances that make it difficult to always meet the required course deadlines. This Late Work Policy is in place to accommodate that. In all circumstances, whenever possible, contact your instructor when you anticipate that you will be submitting work late.

The deadlines for most courses typically follow the pattern below, but it is your responsibility to confirm this and be aware if there are any assignments that may have different deadlines for one reason or another.

The first post in each Discussion Board is usually due on the Wednesday night of each module/week.

Most other assignments are due by 11:59 pm on Sunday evening of each module/week.

  • All assignments must be submitted by the required due date.
  • Missing assignments due to absence must be submitted within 1 week of return.
  • Late submissions of assignments will result in a reduction of 10% of the total points possible per day (e.g., 1 day late = -10%, 2 days late = 20%, etc.) up to one week. Anything over 1 week late will result in a grade of 0.
  • To receive full credit for late work, students must provide documentation for an excused absence, or it will be subject to the same treatment as any other late work. Documentation examples include court documents, hospitalization, etc.

Instructors may also choose to deduct less points at their discretion.

If for some reason a student temporarily loses the ability to connect to Canvas due to technical issues it is the student’s obligation to submit assignments by the original due dates. Temporary remedies can be connecting via a public WiFi spot, using school facilities to connect, or use of private networks through friends and family.

In extreme cases, when none of these solutions are available, the student may contact their instructors through other means and ask permission to submit their work directly, in a method that can be received by the instructor. Under no circumstances can methods of delivery outside of Canvas be used without explicit instructor permission. (If this ever happens the instructor should somehow note it).

Minimum Technology Requirements

Having access to a reliable desktop or laptop is required for HJC online courses. This requirement ensures students have the essential technologies to complete online courses successfully. Mobile devices, such as mobile phones and tablets may be utilized as additional tools to assist with completing online courses.

Online video conferences and calls are often the best way for instructors to assist students in many situations. A web camera and microphone are necessary for successful online conferences. 

Safari and Chrome: Office 365 is designed to work with the current version of the Safari and Chrome browsers. Microsoft Edge: Office 365 is designed to work with the latest version of the Microsoft Edge browser.

Internet Explorer: Office 365 is designed to work with Internet Explorer 11. We recommend that you upgrade to Internet Explorer 11 if you are using an earlier version. Office might continue to work with versions of Internet Explorer other than Internet Explorer 11, but Office can’t provide any guarantees.

Firefox: Most Office 365 apps are designed to work with the current version of Firefox.

Some courses may have additional technology requirements beyond those listed here. Additional requirements will be listed in your Canvas course room.

Basic Office 365 apps are free and available to students with their HJC Outlook account. For additional questions and help with the required technologies, please contact help@hjc.edu

Minimum Technical Skills Requirements

 To complete online courses successfully, you must be able to perform the following basic technical skills before starting the class

  • Use the learning management system, Canvas
  • Use HJC email with attachments
  • Download, save, and upload files in Canvas

For additional questions regarding the required technologies, please contact help@hjc.edu

Technology Support
To be a successful online learner, certain technologies are necessary.  Please keep in mind that certain classes may have additional technical requirements. You should be able to find additional technical requirements in your syllabus or your canvas course room. If you have any questions about the technology requirement, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at 304-697-7550 or support@hjc.edu

Accessibility Information
Huntington Junior College is committed to full compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. For additional information, please access accessibility policy. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us at 304-697-7550 or pjustice@hjc.edu if you have any additional questions.

Copyright Policy
As an institution of higher education, Huntington Junior College strongly believes in intellectual property. As such, Huntington Junior College respects intellectual property and has made it a priority to ensure all employees and students respect the copyrights of others. If you have any questions about our copyright policy, please access the copyright policy

Privacy Policy
The college understands the importance of protecting your information and privacy. Our Privacy Policy provides additional information on the Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act.

Other Student Success Services
Please access Student Success page for other student success services information, such as financial aid, lab hours, parking, library, transcripts, and career services on the college

If you need to speak with a person regarding any college policies and guidelines, please don't hesitate to get in touch with the college at 304-697-7550 

This information is standard for each course but specifics may vary based on the delivery method of the course you are taking. Please follow the information provided by your instructor.

This syllabus is subject to change.