This course will provide the licensed dental hygienist with coursework on administering local anesthesia. The course meets the requirements of the North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners and consists of 16 hours of didactic instruction and 8 hours of clinical instruction.
The didactic instruction of this course is completed through self-paced online modules covering physiology, pharmacology, medical emergencies, systemic complications, equipment, block and infiltration techniques, and legal issues. The online modules will use a combination of module notes, online video presentations, textbook readings, review questions, and practice tests.
The didactic instruction must be completed before the course's clinical instruction date. A competency examination will be given at the beginning of the clinical component. The participant must score a grade of 80 or higher to continue into the clinical component of this course.
The clinical instruction of this course will cover bony and oral structures related to administering local anesthesia, armamentarium, and maxillary and mandibular injection techniques. Each participant will serve as an operator and as a patient. Before administering a local anesthetic to a peer patient, needle placement will be practiced in various ways. Over the course of the clinical instruction, the attending hygienist will be required to administer 12 mandibular blocks and 12 infiltrations on anesthesia manikins and peer patients. The participant must achieve clinical competency to be granted a certificate stating they have met the requirements of the local anesthesia course.
- Instructor: Foster