DH 270 - Pharmacology

Credit Hours: 2

An overview of pharmacological principles will include drug absorption, bio-availability, metabolism and excretion, toxicity and side effects, routes of administration and placebo effect. Drug categories covered include anti-infectives, autonomic drugs, analgesics, anesthetics, anti-anxiety drugs, anti-plaque agents, anticonvulsants, antihistamines and cardiovascular medications. Additional topics will include prescription writing, alcohol and drug abuse and drugs for emergency use. The impact of various drugs and drug combinations on the management of dental hygiene patients will be stressed. Minimum passing grade is “C-.”

Course Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

demonstrate a basic knowledge of pharmacology as it relates to dental patient management;
discuss the principles of pharmacodynamics, including drug interrelationships;
understand the physiology of body systems and the effects of various medications;
describe the pharmacology of various drug categories and how they are used to treat various disease conditions;
describe the immediate treatment for medical/dental emergencies which may be encountered by personnel in the dental office; and
interpret and understand medical case histories relative to dental treatment.

Prerequisites: All required fall, second-year courses in the Dental Hygiene curriculum must be passed.
Corequisites: All required final-semester courses in the Dental Hygiene curriculum.
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