I was recently made aware of a great free course delivered by the University of Sheffield Dental School for anyone interesting in learning more about dentistry. Keen to find out more, I signed up for the course and have just completed week two. The course is delivered online over six weeks and each module takes 2-3 hours to complete.
Week one concentrated on thinking about how dentistry is portrayed in the media and the history of dentistry. The second week looked at tooth anatomy, morphology, clinical staff, procedures and charting. The course is delivered through online videos, articles, activities and knowledge checks and has been enjoyable to undertake. There is an active forum for students where questions are raised and comments made about experiences of dentistry.
The full course content covered is as follows:
- The public perception of dentistry in modern societies.
- Definition of dental team roles, including the dentist, nurse, hygienist/therapist, dental technician and practice manager.
- Key aspects of tooth anatomy, morphology, development and disease.
- How to carry out dental charting and the systems used in different countries.
- Dental specialisms, including dental pathology and radiography, paediatric dentistry, endodontics, periodontics and oral surgery.
- The types and properties of dental materials.
- Design and manufacture of dental restorations and prostheses and how they have changed over time.
- Dental public health and the morals and ethics of dental treatment.
- Exploring the latest research in dentistry at The University of Sheffield.
If you are interested in joining the course, you can find out more details here
