NZ Dental Hygiene REX study plan

Map the New Zealand dental hygiene scope of practice against the HPCA Act, including which tasks require dentist referral or prescription and where the scope boundary sits for whitening, local anaesthetic and radiography

Explain informed consent as a process under the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers' Rights, distinguishing informed consent from signed consent and identifying the three elements of capacity, information and voluntariness

Define the gingival indices used in NZ practice (BPE, plaque and bleeding scores, CAL) and state the probing depths and codes that trigger referral

Describe the pathogenesis of plaque-induced periodontal disease from dysbiosis to tissue destruction, naming the host and bacterial factors that modify progression

Apply the Privacy Act 2020 and Health Information Privacy Code to two scenarios: sharing radiographs with a specialist and disclosing records to a family member

Classify periodontal disease using the current staging and grading framework, assigning stage from CAL and bone loss and grade from progression and risk factors for six case vignettes

Select and justify the appropriate instrument (sickle, universal curette, area-specific Gracey, ultrasonic tip) for a named site and deposit type

Demonstrate correct adaptation, angulation and stroke direction for subgingival debridement on a typodont, recording angulation errors and correcting them

Plan a full-mouth or quadrant root debridement sequence for a patient with generalised pocketing, including appointment spacing and re-evaluation timing

Explain the evidence for full-mouth disinfection versus quadrant debridement and state when adjunctive antimicrobials are indicated

Interpret periodontal maintenance intervals using risk-based recall, justifying a 3, 4 or 6 month interval for four patient profiles

Identify local and systemic risk factors (smoking, diabetes, medication-induced gingival overgrowth, occlusal trauma) and state the periodontal implication of each

Perform sharpening of curettes to a verified edge and describe the test methods used to confirm sharpness

Explain the rationale, contraindications and technique for supragingival polishing, including selection of prophylaxis paste and avoidance of cementum removal

Describe when and how to refer to a periodontist, including the information a referral must contain

Apply standard precautions and transmission-based precautions to dental settings, stating the correct sequence for donning and doffing PPE and the hand hygiene moments relevant to clinical care

Explain reprocessing of reusable instruments from point of use through cleaning, inspection, packaging, sterilisation and storage, including validation and load release criteria

Describe the New Zealand requirements for radiographic justification, optimisation and limitation of dose, and the operator and prescriber responsibilities under the Radiation Safety Act

Interpret bitewing and periapical images for caries, bone level, calculus and periapical pathology within scope, and identify when findings must be referred

Evaluate a provided written infection control scenario and identify each breach with the corrective action

Describe the eruption chronology and key histological stages of tooth development, and relate enamel and dentine structure to caries progression and restoration margins

Explain salivary composition and flow in protecting against caries, and the effect of xerostomia-inducing medications on caries risk

Conduct a structured caries risk assessment using diet, fluoride exposure, plaque, saliva, medical history and past caries experience, assigning a low, moderate or high category

Compare fluoride vehicles (toothpaste, varnish, gel, water) by concentration, indication, evidence and safety considerations including fluorosis risk in children

Explain the mechanism and indications for fissure sealants, including when to seal, when to monitor and when not to seal

Distinguish normal oral mucosal variants from pathological lesions and list the red flag features that mandate referral

Describe the clinical presentation and referral urgency for potentially malignant disorders, oral candidiasis, recurrent aphthous ulceration, lichen planus and oral squamous cell carcinoma

Perform a systematic extraoral and intraoral examination sequence, naming the structures examined and the findings recorded at each step

Explain the dental hygiene role in recognising oral manifestations of systemic disease and medication effects, including MRONJ risk and mucosal changes

State the New Zealand referral pathway and timeframes for suspected oral malignancy

Apply behaviour change techniques such as motivational interviewing, agenda setting and elicit-provide-elicit to a plaque control consultation, demonstrating at least three techniques in a recorded role-play

Design a patient education session for a high caries risk patient that matches health literacy level and includes a written take-home plan

Explain cultural safety and Te Tiriti o Waitangi obligations in oral health care, and describe how to adapt care for Maori and Pacific patients and whanau-centred decision making

Plan a community oral health initiative for a high-need group, naming the need assessment, partners, outcome measures and evaluation method

Describe the dental hygiene contribution to oral health promotion at population level, including water fluoridation advocacy and school-based programmes

Synthesise all domains by working through eight integrated case scenarios that each cross at least three domains, writing the assessment, diagnosis, plan and referral decision

Audit personal weak areas from weeks 1 to 7 and rewrite condensed summary notes for the three lowest-scoring topics

Complete two timed mixed-domain practice papers under exam conditions and review every incorrect answer to its source principle

Rehearse the scope, consent, privacy and cultural safety decisions until each can be stated accurately without notes