Unit information: Health sciences: Dental Biomaterials in 2016/17

Unit name	Health sciences: Dental Biomaterials
Unit code	ORDS20007
Credit points	10
Level of study	I/5
Teaching block(s)	Academic Year (weeks 1 - 52)
Unit director	Professor. Barbour
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	None
Co-requisites	None
School/department	Bristol Dental School
Faculty	Faculty of Health Sciences

Description including Unit Aims

Year 2 One element - Dental Biomaterials

Biomaterials are central to many processes in modern dentistry, and it is essential that dental students and qualified dentists have a thorough knowledge and understanding of both modern dental biomaterials, and the principles which lie behind the development and use of these and future biomaterials.

Aims:

• To produce a graduate who has the ability to select and handle biomaterials in a safe, cost effective and clinically appropriate manner.

• To produce a graduate who can evaluate current and future biomaterials in the light of a sound knowledge of basic materials and biomaterials science.

• To produce a graduate who can obtain appropriate information about biomaterials and communicate relevant information to peers, patients and the lay public.

Intended Learning Outcomes

Students should be able to:

• Discuss the mechanical, physical, chemical and biological properties of some common dental biomaterials, and relate these to the likely clinical performance of these materials

• Describe the composition of some common dental biomaterials and the chemical reactions they undergo during clinical processes, and relate these to the clinical applications and limitations of these biomaterials

• Describe and explain the most common reasons for failure of dental biomaterials, including adverse reactions that can occur between different materials

• Explain the science behind the different storage, handling, working, and disposal methods for different dental biomaterials

• Critically evaluate manufacturers’ claims for existing and new dental biomaterials.

Teaching Information

• Interactive lectures with live eAssessment and eLectures (8 each)

• Giant tutorials (2)

• Laboratory practical sessions assessed by written reports (4)

• eTutorials (12)

• Problem-based learning team project (8 weeks) assessed by oral presentation

Assessment Information

Summative:

• End-of-element eAssessment examination. 60min, range of question types. 70% of total Unit mark.

• Four written reports on practical sessions. There is no word limit but a proforma is used to create the report, and detailed guidelines and the teachers’ marking guidelines are made available to the students in the interests of transparency. 20% of total Unit mark.

• Problem-based learning project. Students work throughout term as a team of 4/5 to create an oral presentation on a subject. The presentation is given a team mark by the teacher and then marks are distributed among the students by the students themselves, hence it is part teacher assessed, part peer assessed. 10% of total Unit mark.

Formative:

• Weekly 10 min progress tests using question styles and subject matter similar to that used in the exam.

• Live eAssessments during interactive lectures using Turning Point eVoting handsets.

Reading and References

van Noort R. Introduction to dental materials. 4th ed. Elsevier Mosby; 2013. ISBN 9780723436591.