Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences

Dentistry

As personal appearance, speech and general health assumes greater importance to individuals, they are demanding higher levels of professional care. This can include orthodontic treatment, replacement of missing teeth, the treatment of gum disease, discoloured and damaged teeth.

You will study basic medical sciences, medical chemistry, physiology, biophysics, biomorphology and oral health and disease.

Later, some of the subjects are continued and histology, biochemistry and microbiology are introduced.

There is gradual progression towards dental subjects until the final level of the course in which you will spend most of your time working in clinical supervised out-placements.

The course makes full use of the excellent facilities at the Oral Health Centre of WA.

Please note: there are additional admission requirements for this course for domestic and International students

Educational Qualifications

Structure

In the first year of the five-year course, students study basic medical sciences, medical chemistry, physiology, biology and biophysics, as well as operative and clinical dentistry. In the second year, subjects such as microbiology, immunology, prosthodontics, craniofacial development and patient psychology are introduced. Students focus on their own oral health care before they are responsible for patient oral health care. Students undertake some preliminary clinical treatment of their student colleagues and work on models to develop their clinical skills. After the successful completion of pre-clinical training in the third year students begin treating patients. Once students are rostered into clinical sessions they are required to treat a wide range of patients. During the course there is a gradual increase in focus on dental subjects and practical skills until, in the final year of the course, students spend most of their time working in clinical, supervised positions at the Oral Health Centre of WA, working in outplacements including rural settings, or taking elective options.

Career Opportunities

The majority of dentists are self-employed in general dental practice.

There are also opportunities for graduates to become academics undertaking teaching and research in the University sector while others choose to undertake further training to become specialists in areas such as Orthodontics, Endodontics, Periodontics, Prosthodontics (restorative), Paedodontics or Oral and Maxillofacial surgery.