Written specifically for dental hygienists, this textbook provides an overview of public health beyond the traditional view of community dental hygiene and offers a thorough presentation of the roles and responsibilities of the dental hygienist in public health. The competencies covered are based on the American Dental Education Association Competencies for Entry into the Profession of Dental Hygiene, and provide guiding principles to assure that students are prepared for the National Board Exam and dental hygiene practice. Content includes the full range of concepts, issues, and methods used in practice, as well as factors affecting the oral health of various patient populations and development of public policy in response to a population's needs. In this engaging and comprehensive book you'll find: discussions by noted experts in public health dentistry on topics of epidemiology, biostatistics, ethics, health promotion, and education; a module format specifically designed to allow for flexibility in depth of content and teaching styles, where each module centers on a core content area of public health; learning activities included in each chapter require students to think critically and apply their skills, and help reinforce understanding of key topics; and sample review questions and study approaches in Chapter 18 to help students prepare for board exams.