Introduction to Clerkship in Dentistry

At the end of this course, students should be able to: 1. identify the nuances and commonly used terms in dentistry; 2. discuss the roles and expectations of a dentist, including clinical, academic and ethical; and 241 3. identify commonly used equipment, instruments and some procedures in which they are used.

History and state of dentistry in Nigeria and the relevance of dentistry to health in Nigeria. Different practice options in dentistry, private, government and group practices. Different specialties in dentistry. Exposure to different dental operatories, types, equipment, rationale and staffing. Discuss principles of clerkship and the deductive process by which diagnoses are made. Ethical principles of dentistry, the future of a dentist, tooth notations in dentistry, common terms in dentistry, introduction to the dental operatory and the dental laboratories. Manpower types in dentistry. Nuances in different specialties. Orthodontics (ortho). Paediatric dentistry (Paedo). Oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMFS). Periodontology (Perio). Restorative dentistry (CONS/PROS). Prognostication in dentistry (ODS, CONS).