Dental Therapy MSc

You develop your understanding of current legal issues relating to accountability and the requirements of continued professional registration and the need to maintain competence and practice. Existing professional dental knowledge will be developed to introduce you to the role of dental therapists and the wider multidisciplinary team in the promotion of health and prevention of disease. You explore a number of key areas to widen your knowledge base including ethical principles, expectations, regulations and professional issues in the practice of dentistry, communication skills, professionalism and reflection. You consider your current and future learning needs and reflect on your current practice in relation to maintaining excellent standards of care in your clinical practice.

Work-based learning will form part of this module. You undertake a minimum of 14 hours per week in either general dental practice and / or community dental services. All placements for work-based learning will be audited through Teesside University processes and the clinical educators will be prepared for their role of facilitating and assessing your learning through regular online workshops for the clinical educators promoting standardisation across the environments. Clinical skills logbooks will be supplied to record clinical activity and all clinical activity will be recorded by the Teesside University’s electronic system used across the dental portfolio.

You develop the foundation knowledge and skills required to provide comprehensive oral care to the child and adolescent patient groups whilst developing your autonomy to effectively plan and manage the care of your patients.

The module is delivered via online and onsite learning. Onsite content is delivered a a four-week block to enable you to integrate knowledge of deciduous tooth morphology, pulpal physiology and clinical radiology with cavity design, restorative techniques and dental materials. Child behavioural management techniques, treatment planning skills and the evaluation of patient risk assessment tools are implemented, to achieve positive patient behaviour change and successful restorative and preventive outcomes.

Many of the skills will be delivered within the phantom head skills laboratory with classroom-based activities to support the development of underpinning theory. In the simulation laboratory setting, management for the primary and young permanent dentition will be central to your clinical skills development. You focus on foundation knowledge of the development of the human dentition, dental caries within the child and adolescent patient group and behavioural management techniques. Adolescent patient groups will be explored in relation to occlusion and orthodontic management and children with disabilities and those who are medically compromised will also be explored. You attend regular study/clinical skills development days throughout the year of approximately six days per month. Practical skills will be assessed via objective structured clinical examination prior to undertaking any paediatric procedures on patients.

You gain the necessary knowledge and skills to design and manage a primary or secondary research, audit or evaluation project relevant to your practice. This provides preparation for your dissertation. You develop skills in project design and management; primary and secondary research methods; audit and evaluation methods. You explore research governance and ethics, which prepares you for applying for ethical approval/release.

Develop your knowledge and understanding of healthcare, statutory and professional policies, considering their impact on patient care and service delivery. You explore personal and professional development, evidencing this in an e-portfolio. Demonstrate critical reflection and action planning, ensuring that you are prepared for the demands and expectations of your future role in healthcare.

You develop the foundation knowledge and skills requirements to manage disease relating to restorative dentistry, via online and onsite learning. Onsite content is delivered as a four-week block to enable you to learn the requirements of initial restorative clinical practice procedures, delivered within the phantom head skills laboratory with classroom-based activities to support the development of underpinning theory. In the simulation laboratory setting, operative dentistry techniques that restore form, function and aesthetics to teeth with the purpose of contributing to both oral and general health will be central to clinical skills development. Emphasis will be placed on the basic principles of cavity and restoration design alongside the appropriate selection and application of direct restorative materials.

Classroom-based activities focus on foundation knowledge and skills to manage dental diseases such as dental caries and non-carious tooth surface loss. You attend regular study/clinical skills development days throughout the year of approximately six days per month. Practical skills will be assessed via objective structured clinical examination assessments prior to undertaking any restorative procedures on patients.

Here you consolidate and develop further skills and knowledge from previous modules. More specifically you synthesise learning as you apply your research-related knowledge to identify a researchable problem, plan and execute a study. You use a range of different methodologies for your study, such as quantitative, qualitative or systematic review.