DENT 7272B - Specialist Clinical Special Needs Dentistry I Part 2

North Terrace Campus - Semester 1 - 2020

Special Needs Dentistry is that part of Dentistry concerned with the oral health of people adversely affected by intellectual disability, medical, physical or psychiatric issues. The University of Adelaide's postgraduate Doctor of Clinical Dentistry program in Special Needs Dentistry is of three years duration and leads to the degree of Doctor of Clinical Dentistry. This is a specific program plan designed to lead to a specialist registration in the field of Special Needs Dentistry. The course comprises a mix of coursework, clinical work, action/clinical research, research training and a research project and is designed to conform to the educational requirements of the Board of Studies in Special Needs Dentistry of the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons.

  • General Course Information
    Course Details
    Course Code DENT 7272B
    Course Specialist Clinical Special Needs Dentistry I Part 2
    Coordinating Unit Dental
    Term Semester 1
    Level Postgraduate Coursework
    Location/s North Terrace Campus
    Units 18
    Contact Up to 19 hours per week
    Available for Study Abroad and Exchange N
    Prerequisites DENT 7272A in previous Semester
    Restrictions Doctor of Clinical Dentistry only
    Course Description Special Needs Dentistry is that part of Dentistry concerned with the oral health of people adversely affected by intellectual disability, medical, physical or psychiatric issues. The University of Adelaide's postgraduate Doctor of Clinical Dentistry program in Special Needs Dentistry is of three years duration and leads to the degree of Doctor of Clinical Dentistry. This is a specific program plan designed to lead to a specialist registration in the field of Special Needs Dentistry. The course comprises a mix of coursework, clinical work, action/clinical research, research training and a research project and is designed to conform to the educational requirements of the Board of Studies in Special Needs Dentistry of the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons.
    Course Staff

    Course Coordinator: Ms Sharon Liberali

    Program Director
    Associate Professor Sharon Liberali (Special Needs Specialist)

    Academic Staff
    Professor Lindsay Richards (Prosthodontist)
    A/Professor Paul Sambrook (Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon)
    Professor Richard Logan (Oral Pathologist)
    Prof Sam Gue (Paediatric Specialist)
    Dr Andrew Cheng (Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon)

    Contributing Staff
    Dr Mark Gryst (Visiting Consultant/Special Needs Specialist)
    Dr Dymphna Cudmore (Clinical Leader/Dentist–Aged Care/SRF)
    Dr Mira Holowiecki (Clinical Leader/Dentist – TQEH)
    Ms Margie Steffens (Senior SND Hygienist – SRF/Homeless)
    Ms Claire McNally (Senior SND Hygienist – Med Compromised)
    Course Timetable

    The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

  • Learning Outcomes
    Course Learning Outcomes
    The learning outcomes for the year are to provide students with the skills and knowledge to progress into the higher years of the course.
    1. Development of the necessary advanced clinical skills expected of a specialist in Special Needs Dentistry
    2. Appreciation of the scientific basis for successful clinical specialist practice
    3. Development of scientific and research methodology relating to clinical specialist practice
    4. Development research skills related to clinical specialist practice

    Ultimately, the learning outcome is to provide students with the abilities to practice independent clinical special needs dentistry
    University Graduate Attributes

    This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

    University Graduate Attribute Course Learning Outcome(s)
    Deep discipline knowledge
    • informed and infused by cutting edge research, scaffolded throughout their program of studies
    • acquired from personal interaction with research active educators, from year 1
    • accredited or validated against national or international standards (for relevant programs)
    1,3
    Critical thinking and problem solving
    • steeped in research methods and rigor
    • based on empirical evidence and the scientific approach to knowledge development
    • demonstrated through appropriate and relevant assessment
    1,2,3
    Teamwork and communication skills
    • developed from, with, and via the SGDE
    • honed through assessment and practice throughout the program of studies
    • encouraged and valued in all aspects of learning
    1,3
    Career and leadership readiness
    • technology savvy
    • professional and, where relevant, fully accredited
    • forward thinking and well informed
    • tested and validated by work based experiences
    1,2,3,4
    Intercultural and ethical competency
    • adept at operating in other cultures
    • comfortable with different nationalities and social contexts
    • able to determine and contribute to desirable social outcomes
    • demonstrated by study abroad or with an understanding of indigenous knowledges
    1
    Self-awareness and emotional intelligence
    • a capacity for self-reflection and a willingness to engage in self-appraisal
    • open to objective and constructive feedback from supervisors and peers
    • able to negotiate difficult social situations, defuse conflict and engage positively in purposeful debate
    1,2
  • Learning Resources
    Required Resources
    Textbooks, scientific journal, website, Eleanor Harrold Library, University of Adelaide Library, MyUni, access to materials to undertake research, Adelaide Dental Hospital Special Needs Unit, The Queen Elizabeth Special Needs Dental Unit , Royal Adelaide Hospital including Theatre complex, Women’s and Children’s Hospital Dental Unit and Community Dental clinics of SA Dental Service.
    Recommended Resources
    Recommended resources for the course are a high level of commitment and dedication to special needs dentistry.
    Online Learning
    Minimal online learning is applicable to this course.
  • Learning & Teaching Activities
    Learning & Teaching Modes
    The University of Adelaide's postgraduate program in Special Needs Dentistry is a three-year full time course that provides advanced study and training in all areas of this specialty. At the completion of the program Graduates will be prepared for specialty practice in the public and private sector, or academia and research.

    The curriculum is conducted over three years (six semesters, two 24 week semesters per year in accord with the University calendar). Postgraduate Students attend the course continuously throughout each year. Typically about two weeks of leave are available during the period when the Adelaide Dental Hospital is partially closed over the Christmas/New Year period.

    While clinics and research projects continue in the inter-semester breaks, the lecture/seminar program is limited to the semesters. The structure of the current program is comprised of didactic, clinical and research components, delivered over the three-year full time course of study. In accord with national and international benchmarks, the distribution of these components during each year is approximately two-third course work (50% clinical experience, 17% didactic instruction) and one-thirds research-type activities, with evidence-based learning underpinning the acquisition of knowledge.

    Candidates must attend research seminars, training courses and meetings, coursework seminars, clinical sessions and other relevant courses as required by the Program Director. Candidates will be expected to maintain a logbook of clinical cases treated throughout their candidature that summarises the clinical work performed in the principal subject areas for presentation to the examiners at interim and final clinical examinations.

    Candidates must also complete research training, specified research activites and a minor research project.
    The program is divided into two principal components:
    1. Structured Program • Research methods, experimental design and ethics • Coursework • Clinical experience • Professional development
    2. Research • Research seminars • Research training • Research project

    STRUCTURED PROGRAM
    Research methods, experimental design and ethics This course is presented in a series of seminars during the first six months of the program. It consists of a series of lectures, seminars and workshops that provide an introduction to research literature, research methods, critical thought, management of research data, ethics and other relevant topics required to undertake research.

    Coursework:
    Course work includes clinical teaching, assigned reading for weekly seminars, student prepared guided assignments/essays, case reports and on-line lectures to enable students to gain knowledge in the areas of patient examination, diagnosis, treatment planning, and management in Special Needs Dentistry, and a range of Special Needs Dentistry techniques. The seminars are conducted in a journal club format with a primary focus on current literature but the foundational evidence base is also incorporated so that topics of interest may be explored in depth.
    The list of seminar topics is specifically designed to provide a focus for further guided study using problem based learning to encourage students to develop skills that enable a critical assessment of the evidence base, the clinical practice of Special Needs Dentistry.

    Students will also have an opportunity to participate in a range of interdisciplinary seminars with post-graduate students enrolled at the University of Adelaide in other Dental specialty training programs, as well as those enrolled in Medicine and Allied Health programs.

    There is also an opportunity to participate in monthly or bi-monthly seminars (8 per academic year) with post-graduate students enrolled in specialist training programs in Special Needs Dentistry at the University of Sydney, University of Queensland and the University of Melbourne.

    Clinical Teaching:
    Clinical experience is provided in the Special Needs Unit, Adelaide Dental Hospital (ADH) under the supervision of staff of the University of Adelaide and SA Dental Service, as well as other major teaching hospitals where Special Needs Dental Units exist including The Queen Elizabeth Hospital (TQEH), and Women’s and Children’s Hospital (WCH). Clinical experience may also occur at community dental clinics of the SA Dental Service, and other locations including supported residential facilities and the at Common Ground complex as part of the University of Adelaide’s community outreach program.

    Advanced Clinical Practice I, II and III, held in Years 1-3, are the specialist clinical training courses of the DClinDent program in Special Needs Dentistry. These courses have both theoretical and clinical components, and are designed to foster the development of advanced clinical skills in the full scope of Special Needs Dentistry that are required for practice at specialist level. As students gain experience and competence they are expected to manage a wider range of individuals with special needs at a specialist standard, including treatment using sedation or general anaesthesia as appropriate.
    All students are rostered to a minimum of five clinical sessions per week, with interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary patient care forming part of the clinical experience. Students will interface with medical and surgical units of the Royal Adelaide Hospital and The Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

    All students are required to participate in one undergraduate clinical teaching session per week and to attend clinical meetings. Students will adopt a holistic approach to the delivery of patient care, and take responsibility for identifying, implementing and monitoring their own learning goals as they work across these different clinical environments. Undertaking clinical work across different facilities is compulsory for successful completion of the program, and an essential part of Special Needs Dentistry.

    Professional Development:
    Participation in continuing education courses The ANZ Academy of Special Needs Dentistry is the representative specialist body for specialists in SND, and therefore postgraduate students (who have a class of membership) are encouraged to become Student Members. Students will be encouraged to attend international SND meetings and, where appropriate, present clinical and research reports at conferences including those organized by the Australian and New Zealand Academy of Special Needs Dentistry (ANZASND), Australian Society of Special Care Dentistry (ASSCID), New Zealand Society of Hospital and Community Dentistry (NZSHCD), International Association of Disability and Oral Health (iADH), and Special Care Dental Association (SCDA).

    RESEARCH
    Research Training and Research Project
    This component of the program is designed to provide training in the developmental and practical elements of biomedical research. It is based on the philosophy of research as the basis of biomedical science. Students will be asked to evaluate published, current and future research as the basis of clinical practice with the expectation of research forming the platform for life-long learning.
    Workload

    The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

    Please refer to MyUni.
    Learning Activities Summary
    Please refer to MyUni.
    Specific Course Requirements
    To be advised by course co-ordinator on commencement.
  • Assessment

    The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

    1. Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
    2. Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
    3. Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
    4. Assessment must maintain academic standards.

    Assessment Summary
    Please refer to MyUni.
    Assessment Related Requirements
    To be advised by course co-ordinator on commencement.
    Assessment Detail
    Details will be posted on MyUni.
    Submission
    Please refer to MyUni.
    Course Grading

    Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

    GS8 (Coursework Grade Scheme)
    Grade Description
    CN Continuing
    FNS Fail No Submission
    NFE No Formal Examination
    F Fail
    NGP Non Graded Pass
    P Pass
    C Credit
    D Distinction
    HD High Distinction
    RP Result Pending

    Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

    Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

    Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

  • Student Feedback

    The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

    SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.

  • Student Support
  • Policies & Guidelines
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