Unit information: Orthodontics Year 3 in 2025/26

Unit name	Orthodontics Year 3
Unit code	ORDSM0017
Credit points	60
Level of study	M/7
Teaching block(s)	Academic Year (weeks 1 - 52)
Unit director	Dr. Haworth
Open unit status	Not open
Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units)	None
Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units)	None
Units you may not take alongside this one	None
School/department	Bristol Dental School
Faculty	Faculty of Health Sciences

Unit Information

This unit is in the third year of a programme which aims to provide a higher degree in orthodontics for dental graduates and prepare students for the Orthodontic Dental Specialty Fellowship exam (DSFE), an intercollegiate exam organised by the the Royal Colleges of Surgeons.

Your learning on this unit

An overview of content

This unit forms the third year of a three year programme which aims to provide a higher degree in orthodontics for dental graduates and prepare students for the Orthodontic Dental Specialty Fellowship exam (DSFE), an intercollegiate exam organised by the Royal Colleges of Surgeons.

How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit

Students will gain a theoretical grounding in the scientific basis underlying growth and development of the facial complex, as well as gaining an understanding of the principles and clinical skills relevant to evidence-based clinical orthodontic practice

Learning Outcomes

Learning Outcomes are based on the helical themes from the specialty curriculum for orthodontics of the General Dental Council.

• Understand the development and growth of the face, dentition and occlusion.
• Gain the principles of diagnosis, treatment planning and delivery of orthodontic care for patients with a range of malocclusions, including crowding, impacted teeth, supernumerary teeth, missing teeth, protruding teeth, reverse bite, crossbite, deep bite and open bite.
• Have an understanding of diagnosis, treatment planning and delivery of orthodontic care for patients with clefts of the palate and/or lip, craniofacial disorders and multidisciplinary treatment for patients with missing teeth, impacted teeth or those requiring orthognathic surgery.
• Participate in research and evidence-based orthodontic practice and understand the management and delivery of orthodontic care in the primary care settings.
• Additionally in the third year there is an emphasis on developing skills ready for independent orthodontic practice, as well as developing generic professional skills, including leadership, teamwork and the recognition of the importance of patient safety, quality improvement and clinical governance.

How you will learn

1. Web based VLE - clinical tips videos and audio lectures delivered asynchronously and viewable multiple times
2. Guided, internet-based, independent study for each module using the VLE comprising interactive modules on both the University of Bristol and National BOS web platforms
3. Weekly small group discussion of VLE modules with internal and external teaching staff
4. Regular (usually weekly) case-based discussions
5. Weekly chair side clinical teaching – diagnosis, treatment planning and supervised treatment of patients
6. Independent research and review of current literature in specialised field
7. Journal club presentation of contemporary articles and cases under treatment

How you will be assessed

Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):

Formative assessments are carefully designed to prepare students for the summative assessments undertaken in the programme.

• 2 Oral Diagnostic Tests
• 13 Work Based Assessments – competencies
• 1 Multi-source feedback with review by Training Programme Director and Educational Supervisor

This programme also prepares students for the Orthodontic Dental Specialty Fellowship exam (DSFE), an intercollegiate exam organised by the Royal Colleges of Surgeons in the third year. The DSFE examinations are not part of the assessment for DDS programme and therefore not compulsory, however students are encouraged to sit them. The DSFE examinations take the form of:

• Single best answer examination - Part 1 DSFE Orthodontics, Royal College of Surgeons
• Viva examination - Part 2 DSFE Orthodontics, Royal College of Surgeons

Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):

• Single Best Answer examination (must pass)
• DDS final examination - Presentation of 2 completed/ treated cases (must pass)

When assessment does not go to plan

Individualised feedback is provided and re-sit opportunities provided as appropriate

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. ORDSM0017).

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 assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.

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.