DH 180 - Dental Radiography II

Credit Hours: 1

This course is a continuation of Dental Radiography I (DH 120). The fundamentals of dental radiography are explored in greater depth. Lectures will cover regulatory requirements, radiation physics and biology, radiographic interpretation, extra-oral imaging and patient management. Supplemental techniques will be discussed and include extra-oral radiography, digital imaging, special needs patients and quality assurance methods. Minimum passing grade is “C-.”

Course Outcomes
At the completion of the course, the student should be able to demonstrate competency in the following areas

discuss the importance of patient management skills and patient education for the acquisition of dental films;
understand the legal issues related to dental radiology;
incorporate factors identified in patient’s medial/dental history, clinical assessment, and guidelines established by the FDA for prescribing dental radiographs to meet the individual radiographic need of patients;
discuss the rationale for infection control and the importance of it for dental radiography;
explain the basic physics and characteristic of radiation and x-radiation;
describe the production of dental x-rays, including the components of the dental x-ray machine and how it functions;
define radiographic image quality and discuss factors that influence image quality;
uderstand radiation biology and the effects of radiation on living tissues;
explain procedures and management of pediatric and special needs patients; and
differentiate auxiliary radiographic techniques and the rational for using them in dentistry.

Prerequisites: All required first-semester courses in the Dental Hygiene curriculum must be passed.
Corequisites: All required second-semester courses in the Dental Hygiene curriculum.
Concurrent Registration: DH 181
S (N)