The objective of the course is to familiarise students with the necessary contents in the area of health promotion, aetiopathogenesis, prevention and prophylaxis of oral diseases, as well as with the role and responsibility of the dental hygienist in ensuring good oral health of individuals and the community.
Students must master the basic knowledge about providing oral healthcare to children with developmental disabilities and about prosthetic rehabilitation of children during the deciduous, mixed and permanent dentition stage. This also includes knowledge about implementing the most common methods of caries prevention and monitoring and directing dentofacial growth using interceptive orthodontic appliances and procedures.
Introduction, public health aspects of oral diseases, definition, subject matter and objective of preventive dentistry
Oral disease prevention strategies
Biological protection mechanisms in the oral cavity
Aetiology of dental caries
Aetiology of parodontopathy
Role of dental plaque or biofilm (oral microorganisms) and saliva in the aetiology of oral diseases
Nutrition and oral health Analysis of nutrition, vitamins, diets (vegetarian, organic, vitamin, etc.), proteins, fats, carbohydrates
Specificities of nutrition, groups at a high-risk of oral diseases – early childhood caries
- eating disorders, hypertension
Diagnosing the risk of oral diseases
Dental protection programs Types of programs, planning, implementation
Evaluation, school dental care Content, organisation, implementation,
evaluation
Dental care classes (learning) Dental learning program
(state, regional, local) - basic principles - public needs and acceptance
- preparation of audiovisual materials, use of written materials
Dental care classes (learning) - teaching methodology (knowledge
transfer) (subject matter and objectives) - preparing tests for evaluating knowledge before and after
healthcare classes - communication (preparation of letters, verbal and
written contacts, etc.) - motivation
Fluorides and oral health – basic knowledge about fluorine – toxicology – use of
fluorides in caries prevention and treatment
Caries prophylaxis Fissure sealants Interceptive orthopaedics
Epidemiology of oral diseases, indices for monitoring oral diseases
Pedodontics:
Basics, objectives, tasks and specificities of paediatric dentistry Paediatric dentistry
as a branch of dentistry. Main objectives of paediatric dentistry Importance of preserving
the health of children’s oral cavity and teeth National pathology of oral and tooth diseases in
preschool children, school children and adolescents
Child in the dental office (role and tasks of the dental hygienist). Child's behaviour
in the dental office Classification of children by age and behaviour; psychological
types of children Child’s first visit to the dentist Admission of children, the dental hygienist's and staff attitude
Cooperation with parents, accompanying persons, teachers, etc.
Dental documents, records, dental examination
Dental examinations (general, first, check-up, targeted) General patient assessment (stature,
age, speech) Medical history (therapy, issues, current illnesses, medical history,
family medical history) Examination of the oral cavity, breath, lips, buccal mucosa,
gingivae, tongue and the sublingual region, palate, saliva, teeth) Dental
documents
Orofacial system growth and development Prenatal development Postnatal development
Tooth development (odontogenesis), initiation, proliferation, histodifferentiation and
morphodifferentiation, apposition, eruption, root resorption stage
Formation of enamel (amelogenesis), dentine (dentinogenesis), tooth root, pulp and
alveolar crest Development of permanent teeth and dental lamina
Tooth eruption. Tooth eruption stages (pre-eruptive, eruptive, post-eruptive)
Eruption mechanism Root resorption of deciduous teeth Chronology of the development and eruption of
deciduous and permanent teeth
Irregularities in tooth development. Irregularities in tooth eruption General disorders in
tooth eruption Local disorders in tooth eruption Delayed tooth eruption
Disorders during root resorption of deciduous teeth Abnormal number of teeth
Abnormal size, shape, position and colour of teeth Abnormal teeth structure
(general and local factors, intoxication) Abnormal teeth structure
caused by hereditary factors (amelogenesis imperfecta,
dentinogenesis imperfecta, dentin dysplasia) Idiopathic irregularities
in tooth structure
Dental caries in children and adolescents (early childhood caries); caries in deciduous teeth
Therapy Specificities of caries of deciduous and permanent teeth in children (structure,
tissue thickness, histological characteristics) Enamel, dentine, cemental caries
Diseases of the deciduous and permanent tooth pulp in children; Aetiology: Causes,
microbiological, chemical, physical, pathogenic Indications for treating
dental pulp diseases: general health condition, motivation, oral status, tooth type,
disease type
Materials for dental fillings in paediatric dentistry Characteristics of materials used for
dental fillings Characteristics of materials used for dental fillings for children Substances for
toilet of the cavity. Materials for temporary cavity fillings, bases
Diseases of the periodontal and soft tissues in children; Characteristics and specificity of
oral soft tissues and teeth in children of various age Oral mucosa injuries: mechanical,
thermal, chemical Morphological changes in the lips: change of colour,
surface texture, size Oral mucosal pigmentation
Tongue diseases Primary diseases, developmental anomalies of the tongue
Viral and fungal infections; Viral infections (stomatitis herpetica, h.s.
recidivans, herpes zoster, varicella, parotitis epidemica, herpangina, rubeola,
morbilli, recurrent aphthous stomatitis, AIDS)
Fungal infections: moniliasis and actinomycosis
Working with children with special needs; Specificities of disabled children,
aetiology, mental disability, medical disability Oral health status
in disabled children Dental healthcare for disabled
children: physical disabilities, communication disorders (speech disorders,
deafness, blindness, cerebral palsy, autism) Sedation and treatment of
children with special needs under general anaesthesia
Dental trauma in children; Aetiology of dental traumas in children: cause, manner and means
of trauma occurrence, psychological type of the person suffering a trauma, predisposing
factors, ecological factors, place of trauma occurrence Epidemiology of
dental trauma in children, trauma frequency with regard to sex, dentition
Classification of traumas
Oral surgeries Specificities of oral surgeries in children
Preparing children for an oral surgery Consent of parents, doctors and
relevant specialists
Emergencies Odontogenic infections in children, anaphylactic shock, local
allergic reactions, acute asthma attack, syncope, collapse, hysterical fit,
epileptic seizure, airway obstruction, hypoglycaemia, hypo- and hyperventilation syndrome.
PRACTICAL CLASSES:
Introductory exercise (workplace preparation)
Admission of children, preparation, relationship with children and parents, scheduling appointments
Teamwork. Participation of hygienists in a dental examination, keeping
dental documents
Characteristics of deciduous dentition (identifying deciduous and permanent teeth)
Irregular tooth development
Diseases of dental hard tissue in children and adolescents
Complications of caries, diseases of the dental pulp in children and young people
Diseases of the periodontium in children
Diseases of dental soft tissue in children
Viral and fungal diseases in children
Acute odontogenic infections in children and adolescents
Tooth extraction and oral surgeries in children
Injuries to soft and hard oral tissues in children
Emergencies in paediatric dentistry
Dental materials in paediatric dentistry
Assigned reading:
- Keros J. i suradnici. Uvod u stomatologiju.Stomatološki fakultet u Zagrebu, 2008
- Topić B., Tahmišćija H. Stomatološka propedeutika, Stomatološki fakultet Univerziteta u Sarajevu, Sarajevo - Zagreb, 2002.
- Olga Lulić Dukić, Pedodoncija- Klinički pristup, Naklada Slap, 2005
- Jurić H. (ur.). Dječja dentalna medicina. Jastrebarsko: Naklada Slap. 2016.
Further reading:
- Zarevski P, Škrinjarić I, Vranić A: Psihologija za stomatologe. Jastrebarsko: Naklada Slap, 2005.
- Hraste – Gržić, Uvod u stomatologiju, Opća i socijalna stomatologija, Medicinski fakultet Rijeka, 2006.