Module NDS-2001:
Dental Public Health
Dental Public Health 2023-24
NDS-2001
2023-24
School of Health Sciences
Module - Semester 1 & 2
20 credits
Module Organiser:
Bev Littlemore
Overview
Building on the oral health promotion and prevention covered in year 1, during this module students will be taught the importance of their wider responsibility to the community to better understand the links between social, cultural and environmental factors that may contribute to health and illness. They will be introduced to critical appraisal, research and aspects of behavioural science and communication that relate to the practice of dental hygiene.
Dental services • Measures taken to safeguard dental public health • Historical and current scientific data related to the epidemiology of oral and dental health • Designing, planning and funding research • Research ethics • Qualitative questionnaires • Conducting a literature review • Interpreting a research paper • Interpreting statistics • Evidence based dentistry • Health needs assessment • Clinical Governance and audit • Overcoming barriers to dental care • Race and ethnicity • Health promotion • Water fluoridation • Screening • Psychological models used to describe health behaviour. • Communication skills
Assessment Strategy
Graded percentage range.
70% Distinction 60-69% Merit 40-59% Pass <40% Fail
Students must pass all components of the assessments at the minimum threshold of 40% to pass the module.
Learning Outcomes
- Analyse the evidence base for the current epidemiology of oral and dental health and the prevalence of specific dental conditions including statistical data, Interpret and evaluate research papers.
- Demonstrate knowledge and critical understanding of the principles of health promotion, and be able to evaluate critically the appropriateness of different strategies.
- Demonstrate knowledge and critical understanding of the principles of prevention, including screening, and be able to analyse the benefit of these approaches to health.
- Describe the principles of planning oral health care for communities to meet needs and demands
- Discuss the ways in which social, cultural, environmental and economic factors influence the distribution of health and disease and access to health care
- Explain the dental and wider healthcare systems dental professionals work within including health policy and organisation, delivery of healthcare and equity
Assessment method
Essay
Assessment type
Summative
Description
Critical evaluation of research papers
Weighting
30%
Assessment method
Exam (Centrally Scheduled)
Assessment type
Summative
Description
Written examination - MCQs and SAQs
Weighting
70%