Entry requirementsEntry requirements: All applicants will be required to provide evidence of their primary dental qualification from a recognised institution and acceptable levels of literacy in English. The School also requires applicants to have at least two years' experience in general professional practice. Candidates should have full membership of the General Dental Council (UK) and should currently be working in practice in the UK, full or part time, as patients will need to be brought in for treatment.
Dental implantology is concerned with the replacement of missing teeth and supporting oral tissues with dental implants. These implants are inserted into the jawbones and support a dental prosthesis and are retained because of the intimacy of bone growth onto their surface. This programme aims to provide dental practitioners with a broad dental-implant experience.
Module details
The programme consists of assessed course units:
-Implant Basic Sciences
-Basic Implant Surgical and Restorative Techniques
-Patient Treatment Planning
-Advanced Implant Surgical and Restorative Techniques
-Bone Augmentation
The PG Diploma programme includes a Research Methods and Statistics course unit. The MSc programme includes a research project and dissertation.
Course content for year 1
Semester one (2 compulsory course units)
Implant Basic Sciences (15 credits)
Enables participants to understand the basic sciences that underpin the clinical management of dental implants including head and neck anatomy, bone physiology, choice of anaesthesia, preoperative and postoperative care where appropriate to implant clinical practice. It also features a 3-day placement at the University of Lille, France.
Basic Implant Surgical and Restorative Techniques parts 1 and 2 (30 credits)
Enables participants to acquire the fundamental knowledge and practical skills to place and restore dental implants in selected patients requiring a removable implant borne prostheses.
Semester two (2 compulsory course units)
Basic Implant Surgical and Restorative Techniques part 2 (30 credits)
This course unit, worth 30 credits, is taught over semesters one and two.
Patient Treatment Planning (15 credits)
Enables participants to acquire the knowledge and skills to determine an appropriate treatment plan via the arrangement of further investigations including radiological imaging, and implant positioning aids. The unit also includes long-term maintenance, complications and medico-legal aspects.
60 credits - Award of Dental Implantology PG Certificate
Advanced Implant Surgical and Restorative Techniques (15 credits)
Enables participants to acquire broader surgical techniques to place dental implants, to manage soft tissues and provide fixed crowns or bridge restorations. This course unit includes a two-day placement at the University of Goteborg, Sweden, led by Professor Torsten Jemt, Chairman of the Branemark Clinic.
Course content for year 2
Semester one (2 compulsory course units)
Research Methods (30 credits)
This course unit is aimed at developing participants who are competent in the design, data collection, simple analysis and interpretation of clinical or clinically related research projects. The latter may include basic-science projects in areas such as genetics, microbiology or biomaterials.
Bone Augmentation (15 credits)
This course unit enables participants to acquire the knowledge and practical skills to undertake simple bone augmentation techniques. This includes soft-tissue grafting, autogenous bone grafts, allografts, xenografts, alloplastic graft materials, guided bone regeneration, bone promoting molecules and platelet rich plasma, and various surgical techniques (onlay grafts, inlay grafts, ridge expansion, distraction osteogenesis, zygomatic implants).
120 credits - Award of Dental Implantology PG Diploma
Semester two (including the summer research and writing period)
Research project and dissertation (60 credits)
For MSc students only. Students have a supervisor who will discuss the choice of research project and give advice and guidance throughout. Dissertation areas include the writing of a systematic review in any field of implant dentistry or lab-based research projects.