Unit information: Integrated Clinical Practice - Year 3 in 2024/25

Unit name	Integrated Clinical Practice - Year 3
Unit code	ORDS30011
Credit points	60
Level of study	H/6
Teaching block(s)	Academic Year (weeks 1 - 52)
Unit director	Mr. Evans
Open unit status	Not open
Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units)	N/A
Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units)	N/A
Units you may not take alongside this one	N/A
School/department	Bristol Dental School
Faculty	Faculty of Health Sciences

Unit Information

Subject areas:

1. Comprehensive oral care
2. Preventive Dentistry
3. Paediatric Dentistry
4. Special Care Dentistry
5. Dental Implantology
6. Dental Radiology/radiographic diagnostic interpretation

Aims:

This unit provides the students with the knowledge, skills and experience to practise as a safe beginner within the permitted range of practical procedures of a Dental Hygienist/Therapist as specified by the General Dental Council. Students gain a valuable learning experiences from their hospital, outreach and community based training, providing the opportunity to develop all their acquired skills with a more comprehensive patient base. This includes the treatment and management of the medically compromised individuals, patients with disabilities and paediatric patients.

Students will develop their skills through further reflective practice of their clinical skills, and via the application of knowledge obtained from clinical practice.

To develop sound team working and development of leadership skills with a holistic approach to dental clinical management.

Your learning on this unit

Intended Learning Outcomes

1. To enable students to broaden their clinical experience in dealing with a variety of patients from different social and, cultural and ethnic backgrounds who present with a range of medical histories and individual needs
2. To provide comprehensive dental care for patients who are medically compromised and those patients with physical or learning disabilities, mental health problems and those who require domiciliary care
3. Have knowledge of the principles and problems involved in the provision of domiciliary dental care and the role of the dental hygienist and dental therapist within this environment
4. To allow the student to gain clinical experiences from a variety of patient groups based in outreach settings, with a strong emphasis on paediatric care and treatment of the older adult
5. To enable the students with the opportunity to demonstrate competency in the range of duties permitted by the General Dental Council to be undertaken by Dental Hygienists and Therapists
6. Be competent at managing medically compromised patients and have an understanding of the limitations of their clinical role
7. Be competent in the preventive care of dental implant-supported structures and familiar with implant-retained crowns, bridges and removable prostheses
8. To assess and manage caries and tooth-wear in all patients
9. Be competent in the comprehensive dental management of the child patient and have knowledge of the specific problems associated with the restoration of teeth in the child patient
10. Be competent at completing a range of procedures in restorative dentistry in permanent and primary dentition, pulpotomies on primary teeth, and placement of pre-formed metal crowns on primary teeth
11. To prescribe, take and analyse diagnostic radiographs within scope of practice
12. Have knowledge of the principles of treatment planning for adults and children and the reasons for referral to secondary care
13. To be able to comprehensively explain the risks, indications and complications of dental extractions
14. Be familiar with the management of trauma in the primary and permanent dentition and a knowledge of the removal of visible primary tooth roots
15. Be competent at interpreting complex treatment plans in restorative dentistry; develop skills in providing comprehensive preventive and restorative oral care.
16. To further develop a rounded professional who will work well as part of a dental team always putting the interests of patients first at all times
17. Have an understanding of the pharmacological and non-pharmacological methods of managing the anxious patient
18. Be competent at managing fear and anxiety with behavioural techniques and empathise with a patient in stressful situations
19. Be competent at communicating with patients, their families and carers, other members of the dental team and other health care professionals and organisation

How you will learn

Teaching methods include:

• Lectures
• Clinical Practice (Work based learning)
• Placement (SBCH & CBT)
• Continuous Clinical Assessment logbook/portfolio (CCA) including Reflective Practice

How you will be assessed

Summative assessment

There are two parts to the unit summative assessment:

1. Case presentation of a completed restorative patient treatment

• Students will present an adult patient (not present) for whom they have carried out a comprehensive treatment plan. This will include discussing pre and post intra oral clinical photographs, associated radiographs and dental indices. The student will participate in a face to face discussion with two examiners who will examine the student in their understanding of the treatment provided, alternative treatment options and ongoing patient management.
• 50% of unit total

2. Unseen patient case scenario

• Students will be assessed on an unseen adult patient in a structured oral examination. Students will be required to carry out tasks e.g. interpret detailed dental charts, interpret a diet diary, interpret radiographs, discuss the proposed treatment plan or alternatives and discuss the patient management.
• 50% of unit total

Students must pass each assessment. To pass each assessment students must achieve a minimum mark of 40%.

Formative assessment and progression to graduation

Students must satisfy all engagement requirements and successfully complete all 'must pass' assessments, as set out in the student progression requirements for Year 3 in the BSc Assessment Handbook.

Satisfactory and appropriate engagement with the programme will be determined by the Progress Committee which will normally meet termly. The committee will monitor engagement against the engagement and progression criteria, review performance in formative and 'must pass' assessments and monitor levels of professionalism.

A student who has not demonstrated satisfactory and appropriate engagement with the programme, nor reached a satisfactory level of professionalism (as determined by level of engagement and any other evidence relating to professionalism presented to the Progress Committee) will not be permitted to sit the End of Year 3 Summative Assessments and thus will not be able be progress to graduation.

In accordance with university regulations, students will be permitted two attempts at summative assessments in Year 3. Dependent on exceptional circumstances, a student may be permitted a second attempt at Year 3 or otherwise will be required to withdraw from the programme.

Resources

If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.

If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. ORDS30011).

How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks, independent learning and assessment activity.

See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.

Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit. The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.