Common Course Outline

Catalog Description

Course Description

Dental Communication has five major components. The first component addresses skills for success as a student and a dental assistant. The second component introduces the student to the dental profession, the delivery of dental care, dental team members, and dental ethics and jurisprudence. The third component focuses on the basics of effective verbal and nonverbal communications and patient and organizational communications. The fourth component provides content in understanding patient behavior, psychology and learning theories. The final component addresses therapeutic communications to meet the diverse needs of dental patients. This course is to be taken the first year of the two-year option.

Date Last Revised (Month, year)

March, 2024

Outline of Major Content Areas

1. Part 1: Personal Skills for Success
2. Part 2: Introduction to Dentistry
3. Part 3: Communication Skills
4. Part 4: Understanding Patient Behavior, Psychology and Learning Theories
5. Part 5: Therapeutic Communications to Meet Patient Needs

Learning Outcomes (General)

The student will be able to:

1. Develop effective study skills; enhance personal thinking and reasoning skills.
2. Employ effective goal setting and time management, and stress management skills.
3. Identify personal and professional characteristics for success.
4. Demonstrate professional dental assistant traits.
5. Describe the historical evolution of dentistry and define general and specialty dental practices.
6. List and describe options of dental care delivery.
7. Describe the general functions/educational requirements/credentialling/licensing of the dentist, dental
8. assistant, dental hygienist, dental therapist, dental lab technician, dental supply person, detail person, and dental equipment technician.
9. Describe the function and structure of the professional dental organizations.
10. Define terms related to dental ethics and jurisprudence.
11. Differentiate ethical/non-ethical professional behavior.
12. Describe and differentiate criminal and civil law, and state regulations of dentistry.
13. Describe dental auxiliary expanded functions and their levels of supervision.
14. Describe laws relating to standard of dental care and responsibilities to the dental patient.
15. Describe effective strategies for dental risk management.
16. Identify and interpret various forms of nonverbal communication and verbal communication.
17. Describe and employ effective listening techniques, and barriers to effective listening.
18. Develop an effective speech outline and prepare and deliver an effective three-to-five-minute speech.
19. Describe correct sentence structure/grammar/punctuation and usage.
20. Describe and simulate effective patient communication techniques.
21. Describe organizational leadership and communication models.
22. Describe characteristics of work groups and teams.
23. Describe effective counseling, confrontation, conflict resolution and problem-solving skills.
24. Describe objective and subjective patient fears.
25. Describe psychological development learning theory and social learning theories throughout history.
26. Describe abuse-reporting requirements for dental professionals and issues relating to sexual harassment.
27. Discuss email, cell phone, social media etiquette.

Learning Outcomes (MnTC)

NA

Methods for Evaluation of Student Learning

Methods may include but are not limited to:

• Weekly quizzes.
• Written assignments.
• A prepared speech on a dental topic.
• Classroom and small group discussion assignments.
• A team project to develop an informative presentation.
• Comprehensive Final Examination.

RCTC Core Outcome(s)

This course contributes to meeting the following RCTC Core Outcome(s):

Communication

Students will communicate appropriately for their respective audiences.

Special Information (if any)

None