Course overview
This course introduces students to clinical practice of an oral health practitioner and provides a foundation for patient management and oral health practice as a career. Students will work through a range of clinical and simulation based exercises centred on the provision of patient care, clinical skills and knowledge. Students work in a collaborative environment and learning will be supported by independent study and discussion of findings in class and in small tutorial groups. Topics include infection control, workplace health and safety, dental records, preventive dentistry and the management of common dental diseases, development of manual dexterity skills and applied dental clinical practice and radiography.
Course learning outcomes
- Develop professional attitudes and behaviours; respect for colleagues, staff and empathy for your patient whilst working as part of a collaborative team
- Develop accurate and critical self-evaluation skills by completing a self-monitoring feedback form at the end of each clinic session using specific criteria, to identify strengths, areas that require improvement and to identify strategies to implement in order to improve your performance for the next session
- Develop the ability to work safely and effectively in the clinic and simulation clinic, and work with a dental assistant as part of a collaborative team whilst undertaking various clinical and simulation activities; applying Standard Precautions and maintaining appropriate patient and operator positions
- Develop diagnostic skills and apply developing knowledge; using appropriate dental terminology, during clinical and simulation activities; identify normal oral soft, periodontal and hard tissues, the individual variation that can occur and identification of how these tissues can be altered under the influence of common oral diseases; the use and interpretation of dental radiographs, diagnostic casts and dietary histories as adjunctive diagnostic aids
- Develop an understanding of the role of preventive dentistry in the management of common dental problems; dental caries, gingivitis, tooth wear and dental trauma and be able to implement various preventive measures clinically
- Develop safe and effective manual dexterity skills; using correct instrument grasps, finger rests and indirect vision, whilst performing a range of simulated and clinical exercises; soft, periodontal and hard tissue charting, alginate impression making, topical fluoride application, prophylaxis, simple scaling, rubber dam and fissure sealant (on natural manikins only) application on manikins and your colleagues