Intro to Professional Dental Practice

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2012:

121 hours in total: 73 contact, 48 non-contact

None.

None.

None.

N/A.

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Description, Subject Objectives and Assessment Requirements of this entry.

The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the disability support scheme can be found at the Disability Liaison Unit website: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/

This subject has the following components: Current Issues in Health Care, Population Oral Health, Law and Ethics, Communication Skills and Behavioural Science. Student learning will include patient centred oral health care practice.

On completion of this subject, the student will be able to:

1. discuss the range of oral health care needs of individuals and groups within the community and the diversity of the methods needed to provide them;
2. comprehend the range of patients' socioeconomic and demographic backgrounds, together with variations in community health;
3. analyse the importance of inter-professional team relationships in the provision of oral health care and be able to relate to the "patient centred" health care model;
4. comprehend the dynamics of the patient/health professional relationship and the implications of behaviour in the delivery of dental care;
5. identify the common clinical activities undertaken by oral health care providers and the risks and hazards to the oral health care worker;
6. comprehend the biological, behavioural and ethical principles during the delivery of clinical dental services.
7. demonstrate skills required for communication, counselling and patient management;
8. apply epidemiological principles to solve dental public health problems.

1. 1 x 2 hour written exam on Current Issues in Health Care and Communication Skills, Law and Ethics in Dentistry and Behavioural Science at the end of Teaching Block 2 (50%);
2. 1 x 1000 word assignment on Current Issues in Health Care - to be submitted at the end of Teaching Block 2 (20%);
3. 1 x 1000 word assignment on Population Oral Health - to be submitted at the end of Teaching Block 2 (20%)
4. Continuing assessment in communication skills - 1 x 1000 word on-line assignment to be submitted during Semester 1 and ongong formative feedback (10%).

Burt BA, Eklund SA (eds) 2005 Dentistry, Dental Practice and the Community 6th ed, Saunders Elsevier

McIlwraith JB, Madden B Health Care and the Law, 5th ed, Thompson Reuters

Mostofsky DI, Forgione AG, Giddon DB (eds) 2006 Behavioural Dentistry, Wiley-Blackwell

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

Students should be able to:

1. access new knowledge from different sources, analyse and interpret it in a critical manner;
2. develop skills in effective communication with teaching staff and peers;
3. develop effective organisational skills and time management;
4. develop skills in team work;
5. identify and address their own learning needs;
6. develop skills in professional communication.