RACADIO, Innah Ma. Therese C.

30
2A – MT May 2, 2018

KEY ASPECTS OF LEARNING AND TEACHING IN DENTISTRY

A. INTRODUCTION
Dentistry involves the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases, injuries, and malformations
of the teeth, jaws, and mouth and the making and insertion of false teeth. In the Philippines, schools
provide high quality education for the practice of dentistry as a health service profession. The degree program
for dentistry (Doctor of Dental Medicine) is designed to prepare students for becoming registered or licensed
dentists, and aims to produce graduates who are scientifically knowledgeable, technically capable and
socially sensitive in the maintenance and care of oral health.

B. OBJECTIVES
1. To define dentistry and understand the process to becoming a registered or licensed dentist.
2. To enumerate the goals of Philippine dental education.
3. To determine the key aspects of learning and teaching in dentistry.
4. To discuss and recognize the different skills needed in order to be a successful practitioner of dentistry.

C. DISCUSSION
Dental medicine is a profession. A graduate of dental medicine who passes the Dental Board Examination
is called a Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) or a Licensed Dentist. It takes six years for a person to complete
the dentistry program in the Philippines.

Dental education shall produce graduates who are adept in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of oral
diseases. The goal of the Philippine Dental Education is to produce graduates who:
 Are competent to provide comprehensive dental treatment,
 Are sensitive to the social and moral climate of the Filipino people,
 Are research-oriented, and,
 Can assume leadership roles in the national and global community

There are two (2) phases of the program – pre-dentistry and dentistry proper. The first phase of the program,
pre-dentistry, is the first two years, and students are required to take up general education courses and
health-related subjects. The second phase, dentistry proper, takes up the next four years; two years
dedicated to taking up basic medical and dental science-related courses, and the last two years are for
clinical training.
In order to produce competent individuals, dentistry educators must take responsibility for the development
of their students. At the end of the program, students must be globally competitive, and that is only possible
if these teachers have trained their students to have the following skills:
 Memorization skills – there are a lot of information to be memorized, so retention and concentration
skills must be really developed
 Good manual dexterity – manual dexterity to execute the gross and fine motor movements are
required to provide the utmost dental care for the patients
 Detail-oriented – during internship, students are trained to work with small tools in tight spaces, and
must learn how to properly use light sources in order to navigate through the oral cavity
 Problem-solving skills – the ability to observe, diagnose abnormalities and determine the best
treatments
 Clinical efficiency – the ability to use medical instruments and perform medical and surgical
procedures efficiently and safely
 Patient care skills – the ability to understand and take care of patients with different oral problems
and needs
 Good people skills – dentists will be providing dental care for people of all ages, so it is vital to know
how to put patients at ease and deal with their cases sympathetically
 Observational skills – ability to accurately observe a patient and acquire visual, auditory and tactile
information
 Organization – the ability to classify and arrange instruments according to use and purpose

D. CONCLUSION
Dentistry, just like any healthcare profession, takes tenacity, persistence, and grit. A student will constantly
face challenges while learning in this field, thus, it is important for educators to inspire their students through
meaningful learning. Mentors must also take responsibility for their students’ development by honing
important skills that will be utilized in this profession, such as problem-solving skills and being detail-oriented.
It will take some time to peak in this profession, but great sources of motivation will enable learners to come
through and become competent, sensitive, & research-oriented dentists, and pioneering leaders of dentistry.

E. REFERENCES
 Way2Philippines Education (no date). Doctor of Dental Medicine. Retrieved April 29, 2018, from
http://way2philippines.co/medical-courses/doctor-of-dental-medicine/
 The Technical Committee for Dental Education – CHED (no date). Sample Outcomes-based Curriculum
for the Doctor of Dental Medicine Education. Retrieved April 29, 2018, from http://ched.gov.ph/wp-
content/uploads/2017/10/Sample-Curricula-Doctor-of-Dental-Medicine.pdf
 QUIZ

# 1. What do you call a graduate of dental medicine who passes the Dental Board Examination?

Answer: Doctor of Dental Medicine.

#s 2 – 5. What is the goal of Philippine dental education?

Answers: To produce students who are (2) competent, (3) sensitive, (4) research-oriented, and (5) can
assume leadership roles.

#s 6 – 7. What are the two (2) phases of the dentistry program?

Answers: (6) pre-dentistry, and (7) dentistry proper.

# 8. The ability to use medical instruments and perform medical and surgical procedures efficiently and safely.

Answer: Clinical efficiency.

# 9. The ability to accurately observe a patient and acquire visual, auditory, and tactile information.

Answer: Observational skills.

# 10. The ability to understand and take care of patients with different oral problems and needs.

Answer: Patient care skills.