Program Overview
The DClinDent in Orthodontics is a three-year program designed to equip dental graduates with the knowledge and skills to become specialist orthodontists. The program focuses on developing evidence-based and critical approaches to diagnosing and managing orthodontic conditions, and includes a significant portion of hands-on clinical experience. Graduates are eligible to sit for the Membership in Orthodontics examination and become licensed specialist orthodontists.
Program Outline
Degree Overview:
The DClinDent in Orthodontics is a three-year full-time program designed to equip dental graduates with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to become specialist orthodontists. The program aims to enable graduates to independently treat a wide range of malocclusions using comprehensive treatment strategies tailored to individual patients. The program focuses on developing evidence-based and critical approaches essential for working in the field of orthodontics. Students will learn to diagnose and manage most conditions related to orthodontics, understand the role of orthodontics in developing comprehensive treatment plans, and enhance their critical appraisal skills by evaluating dental literature. A significant portion of the program involves hands-on clinical experience with patients allocated to students for management in the Orthodontic Department of the Charles Clifford Dental Hospital or other affiliated clinical centers. Students will also participate in joint clinics with other specialties, such as Restorative Dentistry, Oral Surgery/Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, and Paediatric Dentistry.
Outline:
The program is structured over three years, with a combination of lectures, tutorials, seminars, clinical training, and reflective, personal learning.
First Year:
- Clinical Orthodontic Practice Programme I (90 credits): This module provides clinical experience to develop key skills required of a specialist in orthodontics, including diagnosis, treatment planning, and management of patients with moderate occlusal anomalies. Students will learn to obtain accurate orthodontic records, communicate with patients and their parents about orthodontic treatment, adjust orthodontic appliances, and monitor treatment progress.
- Principles of Clinical Management (15 credits): This module introduces the basic concepts of clinical management of a patient, including clinical governance, cross-infection control, and radiology.
- Systematic Reviews and Evidence Synthesis: Principles Online (15 credits): This unit enables students to understand the principles of systematic review, covering defining characteristics, application, searching for and selecting relevant evidence, quality assessment of primary research articles, bias identification, and evidence synthesis principles.
- Research Methods in Clinical Dentistry (15 credits): This unit introduces students to patient-centred research methods, including evidence-based dentistry, critical appraisal, research governance and ethics, quantitative and qualitative research methods, and statistical appraisal of research reports.
- Introduction to Statistics and Critical Appraisal (15 credits): This unit introduces students to basic concepts and techniques in statistics, such as hypothesis testing and confidence interval estimation. Students will learn simple statistical methods and the principles behind advanced methods like regression.
Second Year:
- Principles of Clinical Orthodontics II (30 credits): This module introduces students to more complex aspects of specialist orthodontic care, including the biomechanics and monitoring of orthodontic treatment, orthodontic retention, inter-disciplinary management of patients, and aspects of managing a specialist orthodontic practice.
- Orthodontic Case Studies (30 credits): This module enables students to gain a deep understanding of orthodontic treatment planning and monitoring the progress of orthodontic treatment.
- Clinical Orthodontic Practice Programme II (90 credits): This module provides further clinical experience to develop key skills in orthodontics, including diagnosis, treatment planning, and management of patients with moderate-to-severe occlusal anomalies. Students will become competent in obtaining accurate orthodontic records, communicating with patients and their parents, adjusting appliances, monitoring treatment progress, and understanding the principles of clinical orthodontic problem solving and treatment planning.
- Research Project Literature Review (30 credits): This unit introduces students to background reading and critical appraisal of the literature related to their chosen research project.
Third Year:
- Clinical Orthodontic Practice Programme III (90 credits): This module provides clinical experience to achieve the key skills of a specialist in orthodontics, including diagnosis, treatment planning, and management of patients with moderate-to-severe occlusal anomalies. Students will become proficient in all tasks necessary for successful completion of specialist orthodontic treatment, including obtaining accurate records, communicating with patients, adjusting appliances, monitoring treatment progress, and clinical orthodontic problem solving and treatment planning.
- Orthodontic Thesis (90 credits): This unit introduces students to the aspects of a research project involving data collection, analysis, interpretation, and reporting in the form of a thesis.
Assessment:
Students are assessed through a combination of written examinations, short answer examinations, clinical oral examinations, and their thesis.
Teaching:
The program is taught through a variety of methods, including lectures, tutorials, seminars, clinical training, and reflective, personal learning. Students will participate in experiential clinical learning, computer-based learning, and case-based discussions.
Careers:
Upon successful completion of the DClinDent program in Orthodontics, graduates will be awarded the DClinDent (Orthodontics) and will be eligible to sit the Membership in Orthodontics (MOrth) specialist membership examination from the Royal College of Surgeons of England and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow or the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. The program includes all the features of the UK Specialist Curriculum and Specialist Training Programme in Orthodontics approved by the UK General Dental Council. Completion of specialist training in the UK is marked by successful completion of one of the Membership examinations of the Royal College of Surgeons (MOrth) or their agreed equivalent.
Other:
The content of the program is reviewed annually to ensure it is up-to-date and relevant. Individual modules may be updated or withdrawn in response to research discoveries, funding changes, professional accreditation requirements, student or employer feedback, review outcomes, and variations in staff or student numbers. Students will be informed of any changes in good time.
Entry Requirements:
- A university-accredited degree in dental surgery that enables the practice of dentistry and a minimum of two years post-qualification experience in general dental practice.
- An MFDS, MJDF or equivalent is also required.
International Qualifications:
- We also consider a wide range of international qualifications: Entry requirements for international students
Language Proficiency Requirements:
- Overall IELTS score of 7.0 with a minimum of 6.5 in each component, or equivalent.
