Paediatric Dentistry

Course detail Description

This is a modern course that aims to facilitate reflective learning, clinical judgments, critical analysis, evidence-based practice and excellent, empathetic clinical care. The didactic course is predominantly seminar based. A tutor will facilitate the seminars but they are student led with approximately 50 seminars over the two years of the course. This means that the students will be expected to present the topic and to critically appraise the literature in the subject area and present this both in writing and verbally. This approach supports the development of inquisitive thinking, deep learning and helps develop judgment.

There will be a programme of lectures in selected topics.

Year 1 students will benefit from a programme of required lectures and seminars where they will join postgraduate students from other disciplines.

Year 2 students will have a lecture programme focused on the management of medically compromised children and the clinical aspects of dental anomalies.

Students will have an average of six clinical sessions each week throughout the two year course. Three or four of these will be for personal patient treatment. The other sessions will include trauma clinics/A&E/multidisciplinary clinics, operative treatment under sedation and general anaesthesia, and weekly consultant clinics.

Students are expected to undertake a research project. This can be laboratory or clinically based. The dissertation accounts for 33.3% of the course and it is hoped that the projects will be presented at national and international conferences and be suitable for publication in a peer-reviewed journal.

Overseas students may have the opportunity to undertake supervised clinical practice for a further (third) year by taking a Postgraduate Certificate in Advanced Clinical Dental Practice (60 credits). Details are available on request. This will typically involve 900 hours of clinical practice and 600 hours of non-clinical academic training. Candidates will be invited to apply and will only be eligible on passing the MSc Paediatric Dentistry at first attempt and achieving at least a Merit in the Paediatric Dentistry Clinical module (Part 3).

Our course is one of the best established in the UK. You will work hard, and we hope you will have fun here as well and have a memorable life experience.

Our aim is to develop you to the forefront of Paediatric Dentistry, as clinicians, teachers and future leaders. The clinical activity is predominantly based at St Thomas’ Hospital, Waterloo, with seminars and clinics at Guy’s Hospital, London Bridge and at King’s College Hospital, located in Denmark Hill.

We will develop your:

• Proficiency in the clinical skills required of a paediatric dentist.
• Knowledge and understanding of relevant communication skills.
• Self-motivation and capacity to learn and think critically and analytically.
• Ability to analyse and evaluate scientific evidence.
• Knowledge and understanding of paediatric dentistry at a high level.
• Understanding of a broad range of research methods.
• Dental research skills.

Assessment

The Science of Paediatric Dentistry and Clinical Paediatric Dentistry modules will both be assessed through unseen written exams. For your Paediatric Dentistry Clinical module, we will assess you through coursework, clinical and oral exams and essays. Your Paediatric Dentistry Research module will be assessed through a dissertation and oral exams.

Teaching

The following table will give you an idea of what a typical year might look like as you progress through your studies. Standard university term times do not apply to this course. You will receive a leave allowance for each academic year with full details provided on enrolment. Typically, one credit equates to 10 hours of work.

The study time and assessment methods detailed above are typical and give you a good indication of what to expect. However, they may change if the course modules change.

Lectures, seminars and feedback (hours)

Self-study/research (hours)

Supervised clinical practice(hours)

Year 1

270

350

1143

Year 2

270

350

1143

Entry to the programme is strictly dependent upon occupational health clearance that you are able to conduct exposure prone procedures (EPPs) before you start clinical work. This will assess your hepatitis B surface antigen and hepatitis C antibody status, HIV and TB status following the completion of a health questionnaire and a further health check before or at enrolment.

If offered a place on the course, overseas students are advised to be tested locally and send the results of these checks with the questionnaire, prior to a separate full test in the UK at the College's Occupational Health Department before term begins. All offers of a place on a programme are made subject to a satisfactory criminal conviction disclosure. If you are from overseas or have never lived in the UK before, you should contact the relevant authorities in your home country to arrange for the equivalent check to be conducted and/or a certificate of good conduct to be issued.

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Structure

• Year 1
• Year 2

Year 1

Courses are divided into modules. You will normally take modules totalling 180 credits

Required modules

You are required to take:

• Science of Paediatric Dentistry (30 credits)
• Clinical Paediatric Dentistry (30 credits)
• Paediatric Dentistry Clinical (60 credits)
• Paediatric Dentistry Research (60 credits)

King’s College London reviews the modules offered on a regular basis to provide up-to-date, innovative and relevant programmes of study. Therefore, modules offered may change. We suggest you keep an eye on the course finder on our website for updates.

• Part 1: Science of Paediatric Dentistry

• Part 2: Clinical Paediatric Dentistry

• Part 3: Paediatric Dentistry Clinical

• Part 4: Paediatric Dentistry Research

continued in year 2

Year 2 Required Modules

continued from year 1

• Part 1: Science of Paediatric Dentistry

• Part 2: Clinical Paediatric Dentistry

• Part 3: Paediatric Dentistry Clinical

• Part 4: Paediatric Dentistry Research

There are no optional modules.