Periodontics

Course description

The DClinDent is suited to all dentists who wish to pursue specialist training in one of the restorative mono-specialities and wish to prepare for the speciality membership examinations in endodontics, periodontology and prosthodontics of the Faculty of Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd).

This is a three-year full-time clinical taught postgraduate course delivered by specialists.  All three monospecialites run simultaneously with a common first year for all students across the three disciplines.  This enables a strong multi-disciplinary grounding across all aspects of restorative dentistry.  The second and third years are speciality-specific (Periodontics) and you will study and develop your knowledge and skills in close collaboration and interaction with students in the other two specialities.  This model fosters a broad learning experience, beyond that of your chosen speciality. A 1:4 clinical tutor-student ratio supports excellent clinical teaching, feedback/reflection and mentoring.

You’ll have the opportunity to acquire knowledge and critical awareness of the issues that determine successful outcomes, informed by the latest research in restorative dentistry, in accordance with the requirements of the UK’s GDC specialist curricula. We’ll foster your ability to make sound judgements in complex and unpredictable situations, so you can plan and implement tasks at a professional level. You’ll learn how to communicate clearly and professionally to specialist and non-specialist audiences

Distinct and carefully mapped opportunities to work and interact with colleagues in the other two restorative disciplines and other hospital trainees will give doctorate students the opportunity to develop their skills in a multidisciplinary environment.

The first year of the course gives you a solid grounding in endodontic, periodontal and prosthodontic treatments. You’ll develop your clinical skills in our first-rate facilities and attend treatment planning clinics with course tutors. You’ll also carry out the literature review component of the research project.

In the second and third years, you’ll treat patients and focus on your specialism of periodontics. You’ll carry out the experimental component of the research project and complete a thesis of publication standard.

The University of Sheffield has a memorandum of agreement with RCSEd on conjoint examinations in periodontics. This memorandum recognises this three-year programme as providing sufficient equivalence that the RCSEd will permit registered candidates to sit the Membership Examination in Periodontics. If successful, they will be granted the RCSEd Membership in Periodontics (the “MPerio RCSEd”) and the DClinDent (Periodontics) from the University of Sheffield.  

Modules

Core modules

Year 1

• Principles of Periodontal Treatment
• Principles of Endodontic Treatment
• Principles of Conservative Dentistry
• Management of the Partially Dentate Patient
• Research Project: Literature Review
• Clinical Practice Programme: New Patient I

Year 2

• Research Methods in Clinical Dentistry
• Principles of Clinical Management
• Clinical Practice Programme: New Patient II
• Research Project: Experimental Work Data Collection
• Clinical Practice Programme: Treatment of Own Patients
• Speciality Programme in Periodontics

Year 3

• Clinical Practice Programme: New Patient 3
• Research Project: Completion and Write Up
• Clinical Practice Programme: Treatment of Own Patients
• Speciality Programme in Periodontics

Duration

3 years full-time

Assessment

• Competency-based continuous clinical assessments
• Formal examinations
• Oral presentations
• Written assignments
• Research project

Entry requirements

A university-accredited degree in dental surgery that enables the practice of dentistry and a minimum of two years of post-qualification experience in any sphere of restorative dentistry, including general dental practice.

You must also meet our health and Disclosure and Barring Service requirements for clinical courses.

Overall IELTS score of 7.0 with a minimum of 6.5 in each component, or equivalent.