Postgraduate Certificate in Dental Therapy (Advanced Clinical Practice)

Dental Therapists and Oral Health Therapists are registered dental practitioners who provide a range of diagnostic, preventive and restorative dental services in collaboration with dentists (much as nurses work with doctors). Both Dental Therapists and Oral Health Therapists provide dental therapy services. Dental therapy practice has traditionally been limited to people of under 26 years of age. Recently, legislation governing the practice of dental therapy has removed that age limit enabling dental therapy practice with people of all ages. There is significant demand for the provision of dental therapy services for adults, particularly in the public sector.

The Dental Board of　Australia (responsible for registration of dental practitioners in Australia) has determined that completion of a university-based educational program would qualify practising dental therapists and oral health therapists to expand service provision to patients of all ages within the scope of dental therapy practice.

The proposed course is a Postgraduate Certificate in Dental Therapy (Advanced Clinical Practice), with entry limited to Australian Dental Board registered dental and oral health therapists.

The course comprises three subjects: 2 x 12.5 points and 1 x 25 points. Delivery mode will be via intensive coursework and clinical training. Some coursework delivery will be presented on-line.

On completion of this course, students will

· have in-depth knowledge and skills in primary, secondary and tertiary oral health care (including oral examination, diagnosis and treatment planning, and clinical therapeutic skills) in order to practise those aspects of dental therapy permitted by the legislation governing dentistry in Australia, for people of all ages.

· Be able to to recognise the limits of their scope of practice and be able to consult with and refer to other practitioners in their referral network as appropriate.

· Provide oral health care that protects and respects people’s dignity, autonomy, cultural and social values

· Critically examine, synthesize and evaluate knowledge of their practice and apply it to a broader patient group

All subjects are required to be attempted in the same semester as the course is only offered full-time.

The structure of the program is in blocks and concentrated weekly commitments on site to make it attractive and enable participation for people who wish to maintain existing employment. We feel the integration of clinical and didactic elements are important to skill development for the participants which can be evaluated over subsequent deliveries. There are also practical issues about clinical chair capacity at present which have been considered in the structural aspects of delivery mode and which may be resolved over time.

Enrolment into this course will require

· current registration with the Dental Board of Australia as a dental therapist or oral health therapist.

and two years full time (or equivalent) practice experience.

1. The Selection Committee will evaluate the applicant’s ability to pursue the course successfully using the following criteria;

· current registration or demonstrated eligibility for immediate registration as a Dental Therapist or Oral Health Therapist with the Dental Board of Australia, and,

· of a minimum of 2 years of documented practice experience and practice in dental therapy within the past 5 years; and

· the applicant’s performance in all undergraduate or postgraduate study that may have been undertaken.

The Selection Committee may give some preference to applicants with evidence of previous management of patients aged 18 to 24 years.

2. The Selection Committee may conduct interviews and tests and may call for referee reports or employer references to elucidate any of the matters referred to above.

PC-DENTHRP welcomes applications from students with disabilities. It is University and degree policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student’s participation in the degree.

For the purposes of considering requests for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this course are articulated in the Course Overview, Objectives and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this course are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and the Disability Liaison Unit:

http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/