Oral Trauma Informed Care (HLSC 210)

This course is an industry training continuing education course for the dental office including dentists, dental hygienists, dental therapists, dental receptionists and dental assistants.

• Module 1: Fear and anxiety as they relate to the dental office.
• Module 2: Adverse childhood experiences in the dental office, childhood abuse that affect dental experiences.
• Module 3: Adult victims of intimate partner violence and abuse and how the history of violence affects dental experiences.
• Module 4: Exploring personal fears to understand empathy, working through fearful patient case studies and proposing management strategies, creating dental office policies on how to approach patients with dental fear and anxiety.

Students will:

• be able to list and describe various types of trauma that may affect a client in a dental practice setting.
• recognize signs of dental fear and dental anxiety.
• relate the 3 pillars of trauma informed care to the dental practice setting.
• discuss challenges to the provision trauma-informed dental care.
• explore Adverse Childhood Experiences in clients’ history of dental treatment.
• be able to recognize behavioural expressions related to dental ACEs.
• develop strategies for assisting clients overcome the fears and anxieties that accompany dental ACEs.
• be able to explain how sexual and physical abuse may manifest in fear and anxiety in receiving dental treatment.
• develop strategies for assisting clients overcome the fears and anxieties that may manifest as a result of previous physical and sexual abuse.
• explore their own fears and anxieties from life experiences to better relate and empathize with clients.
• analyze dental scenarios to develop strategies for future experiences.
• collaborate to develop and design assessment tools and policies/procedures that may be integrated into their own practice settings to create trauma-informed practices that address the specific needs of clients. 

None

Online and self-paced course in Blackboard

Due to the nature of an online delivery, students will be expected to be proficient in computer skills including email, adding attachments, navigating the internet etc. Resources for getting started with Blackboard are available online to become comfortable in the Blackboard environment.

Currently working in the field of oral health care

Registration is easy: simply call CE Registration at 604-527-5472 and quote the CRN (below) for the session you are interested in. Payment of the tuition fee must accompany registration.

Instructions on how to access your course materials will be emailed to you by the Program Assistant prior to the start date.

Course Dates:  14 Sep - 05 Nov 2026

Course Fee:  $191.00

CRN:  31075

Must attend one Zoom sessions.  Instructor will connect at the start of the course to discuss a date. 

8 Continuing Education  Points

Category 1 - College of Dental Hygienists  of Nova Scotia 

Category 2  - Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario