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Course Description and Requirements Course Description and Requirements
Course Rationale
While American dental education has been around for 150 years, much of the technology used by modern
students expect has been around for less than a decade. Until typewriters, mimeograph, and ditto machines
came into use, faculty lectured and, perhaps, drew diagrams on chalkboards. Students sat in lecture halls
taking notes and copying diagrams. In histology and pathology laboratories, students peered down
microscopes and copied viewed images into drawing books. By the 1950s projected Kodachrome slides
began to replace chalkboard diagrams and mimeographed handouts sometimes were added. In the 1970s,
the addition of dry (Xerox) copying machines and mini tape recorders made it possible for students to
record lectures and publish class notes. During the 80s, personal computers and word processing
software made student class note publication more efcient. More recently, students post published notes
on class web sites. Some students have even attempted photographing lecture illustrations for web site
uploading. Many, if not most, faculty augment their lectures with PowerPoint visuals; some make these
PowerPoint lectures available to their students.
Today, students have the resources to create or assemble their own learning materials. These student-
generated activities suggest that contemporary students desire, and are capable of, independent learning.
USCs problem based DDS program is a dramatic example of the trend toward independent learning.
Accordingly, in PTHL 312abc learning materials are made available for independent learning. PTHL
312abc is not a standard passive lecture course. Students are issued a text-like reader and associated
learning guides and are required to learn from these and additional learning materials assembled in the
course web site. The School of Dentistry and the University have computer terminals in many locations
available for use by dental hygiene students. Among these are the Wilson Dental Library, Caf� 84
Laboratory, and the Leavey Library. Students may also access these materials from personally owned
computers in dormitories or home.
Course Goals
Basic biologic features, microscopic features and clinical features of diseases will be presented as readings
and images. The student will learn How the clinical appearance of disease depends on biologic and microscopic features. How recognition, categorization, and treatment of disease depends upon understanding of
principles of biology gained by study at the gross, microscopic, and molecular levels. How to recognize radiographic and mucosal lesions. How to classify radiographic and mucosal lesions and how to proceed to arriving at a precise
diagnosis of such lesions. How to assess a dental patient's overall health status and How to modify dental treatment depending on the outcome of the assessment. How to identify medically compromised patients through obtaining a health history and
conducting appropriate physical and soft tissue examinations. How to evaluate the risk a medically compromised patient poses during various dental treatment
procedures. How dental treatment of medically compromised patients should be modied to provide effective
and safe care. The basic features of common systemic diseases, how to identify patients aficted by them, and How their dental treatment should be modied to provide effective and safe care.
Learning objectives are included in the learning guides created for each topic. Examinations will be based
on those objectives and upon the workbook items in the learning guides.

PTHL 312abc: Medicine and Pathology
USC School of Dentistry
-1-
Dental Hygiene Program Overview
312a -- This course will cover disease processes underling most disorders. The student will have the
opportunity to learn the basic biologic processes common to many diseases in preparation for learning
about specic diseases that may be encountered in dental practice. This is a 14-hour, 1 unit course with one
examination.
312b --In the second segment, students will learn about diseases affecting the oral cavity. Readings and
study of clinical images will be important features of this course. It is a 28-hour, 3 unit course with 2
examinations.
312c --In the nal segment, the student will learn to identify, evaluate, and modify dental therapy for
medically complex patients. Review of important systemic diseases that may pose dental treatment risks
will consume a signicant part of the course. It is a 28-hour, 2 unit course with 2 examinations.
Learning Materials
All learning materials for PTHL312abc are made available to students. These include a textbook-like
reader, learning guides, and web site(s).
Reading Text
The reading text for the courses is a reader developed by Dr. Crawford. This reader will be provided in
printed form; however, web and PDF versions have been created as well. The web version contains all
relevant images and color versions of many diagrams. The PDF version is virtually the same as the
distributed printed version. It may be printed if replacement of the distributed versions is needed. Errors
(usually typographical) have crept into the reader; when discovered the corrections are immediately
available in the web and PDF versions.
Learning Guides
Workbook-like learning guides have been created for each topic. They include the following elements: Learning objectives Required denitions Workbook items
Examinations will be based, to large degree, on the required denitions, the learning objectives, and the
workbook responses.
Learning Images
Several hundred images have been assembled for use in the courses. These are found in the course web
Site. Some of these images will be included in course examinations.
The web images are organized by diseases and by topics. They may be accessed in two ways: Home Page --> Course (e.g. PTHL 312a) --> Topic (e.g., History and Scope of Pathology)
--> Images --> Image Topic (e.g. History of Pathology). Home Page --> Course (e.g. PTHL 312a) --> Topic (e.g., History and Scope of Pathology)
--> Reader --> View text with imbedded images.
In addition to the topic-related images, 36 conditions have been assembled into a sub-site entitled Three-
Dozen Conditions Dental Hygienists Should Know. This sub-site can be accessed from the home page.
Clicking on a thumbnail image or disease name, will access descriptions used in PTHL 312b topics.
Questions built around the three-dozen images will be part of 312b and 312c examinations. While this
sub-site serves to reinforce important oral and maxillofacial pathology conditions to current students, it is
also available to graduates.

PTHL 312abc: Medicine and Pathology
USC School of Dentistry
-2-
Dental Hygiene Program Learning Aids
In addition to the homework assignments, two other learning aids are available in the course web site. Sample examination questions Denition ash cards
The sample examination questions include multiple choice, ll-in, and short-answer questions with
commented correct and (with multiple-choice questions) incorrect answers. The question comments inform
students why an answer was correct or incorrect.
The denition ash cards give students the opportunity to test themselves on the required denitions by
viewing a term without its denition and by clicking on the term reveal its denition. Similarly, students
can view a list of denitions and click to reveal associated terms.
Web Site
A course web site is available for PTHL 312abc. The home page can be accessed at http://www.usc.edu/
hsc/dental/PTHL312abc/. This page can be located by entering the above URL in the browser window.
Detailed instructions about the use of this site will be presented during the rst class period.
Course Information
Information about the courseannouncements, schedules, this course syllabus, and examination scores
can be accessed through home page links. The announcement section will be the ofcial bulletin board
for the course. Students need to check with this section often to learn of changes in the schedule,
examination times, and other important course information. Changes in schedules and/or examinations will
be done in consultation with a designated class representative.
PTHL 312a, PTHL 312b, and PTHL 312c
These sections contain the web-based course materials. When entering one of the courses, an index page
will appear listing the topics required for the course. Clicking on a topic will reveal an index listing links to
the course materials described above.
About this site
This section contains information a