| Unit name | The Dentist in Society 2 |
|---|---|
| Unit code | DENT30401 |
| Credit points | 0 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Waylen |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | Bristol Dental School |
| Faculty | Faculty of Health Sciences |
The Teaching Unit comprises 2 Elements: 1. Dental Public Health 2. Law and Ethics.
The Dentist in Society 2 and The Dentist in Society 1 are two units, which together comprise the vertically integrated theme of Social Dentistry, taught throughout the BDS programme. The Unit of The Dentist in Society 2 is primarily taught in the clinical part of the programme and builds on themes initially developed in The Dentist in Society 1, taught in the second pre-clinical year of the programme. The Element of Law and Ethics is taught in year 3 and lectures given during the clinical course serve to build on the communication skills and obligations of the state and practitioner. The course sets out to satisfy the General Dental Council's requirement for the undergraduate to be given instruction in law and ethics and the need to instil in the individual practitioner the growing importance of ethics through their period of study, postgraduate vocational training and further into their working lives. It serves the secondary purpose of providing a link between the undergraduate course and the business side of general dental practice. The Element of Dental Public Health is taught in year 4 and is concerned with the science and art of preventing oral disease, promoting oral health and improving the quality of life through the organised efforts of society. This approach to improving oral health is focused at the level of populations and communities as opposed to individuals and is primarily a non-clinical activity but involves close work with clinicians. A knowledge of the principles and range of activity of public health helps to complete the clinical picture for clinicians, to promote a greater understanding of the determinants of health and to gain an understanding of the ways in which dental services contribute to society, government policies and oral health.
