2020 Volume 36 Issue 3 Pages 150-160
Abstract The Department of Oral Health (formerly known as the Department of Preventive Dentistry) at Hiroshima University Hospital mainly provides preventive treatments, and does not provide conservative or prosthetic treatments requiring dental laboratory techniques. However, the department has taken part in the clinical education program for oral engineering students (a dental technician training course) by a request of Oral Health Sciences, School of Dentistry, Hiroshima University, since 2010.
The present curriculum of the course is as follows :
1. Preparation and cleaning of dental treatment equipment, and training on treatment assistance without touching patientsʼoral cavity.
2. Examination of dental formula, and understanding distinction between dental prostheses in oral cavity.
3. One student memorizes the structure of the denture and explains it verbally, while the other student draws the denture based on the explanation.
4. Experience of an elderly person using the simulation apparatus.
5. Peer tooth brushing execise, and so on.
As a result, the students were able to distinguish dental prostheses in oral cavity and to understand the basic structure of the denture at the end of the education program, though they could hardly do it at the beginning. Therefore, the education program served a total review of dental anatomy carving and fabricating dental prostheses.
The students talked with the patients many times and helped dentists and dental hygienists who treated patients during the education program. These activities increased their understanding of patients and other occupations. After the course, the students had more clarity about their choice to join the School of Dentistry.
