2.59803 CLINICAL DENTAL PRACTICE - I
This Strand provides the culmination of Clinical Dental Practice experience for the Dental Degree. It will be expected that the student is already proficient in General Clinical Dentistry, and in Diagnosis. Treatment Planning, the Management of Treatment programs including the provision of Primary Care. However, this year will involve increasingly difficult cases involving Fixed and Removable Prosthetics and Endodontics, and will include working with severely medically compromised patients as well as some who are physically or mentally disabled. Some practice in the construction of removable Orthodontic appliances will be provided, and students will be required to spend some time in an Operating Theatre where General Anaesthesia is being used for Oral Surgical procedures.
During the second Semester, students will be required to undertake a field placement, preferable in a rural area clinic where a Dental Officer is currently stationed, in order to become more fully aware of the nature of the oral and general health problems that are present, and how these are managed.
Course hours: Fifteen hours per week
Assessment: continuous assessment 60%, final exam 40%
Towards the middle f first Semester, students will be expected to nominate two elective subjects in which they wish to gain extra experience. These may include two of the following:
1. Hospital Dentistry - this would involve extra experience dealing with some of the more complex medically compromised patient teaching cases which present to the hospital, and have urgent dental work to be carried out.
2. Special Care Dentistry - (relates more to dental management of the severely disabled patients).
3. Practice Management - Learning how to organize patients and manage staff in a large clinic setting
4. Research experience - This may take the form of a literature review on a selected topic relating to Dentistry or Medicine, or work experience with a Medical or Dental Research Project in PNG or a neighbouring country (at the student's expense)
5. Community Oral Health Projects - May involve undertaking an Oral Health Survey of a particular sub-group within the population.
6. Students may propose other topics which are considered to augment their capabilities as a Dentist.
Course hours: Three hours per week
NB: Students will be expected, on graduation, to work under supervision of an experienced Dentist in an allocated Government Dental Clinic or in an accredited Private Practice for two years, prior to full registration with the Medical Board.