Course Description: Master of Science in Pediatric Dentistry ( MPD)

Courses Descriptions

Dental Basic Sciences Growth (MPD601)

This foundation course provides students the required knowledge in normal development and potential abnormalities in growth of the craniofacial and dentoalveolar complex in specific and somatic growth in general. The role of cell biology and genetics in health and disease will also be presented in this course enhancing student’s ability to diagnose craniofacial aberrations and treatment plan for malocclusion of the dental arches and the face. The course will discuss the complexity of the caries process and its epidemiology, etiology with emphasis on the role of prevention in the management of dental caries and periodontal disease in childhood and adolescence including children with special health care needs.

Behavior Sciences - Anxiety & Pain control (MPD602)

The course will provide in-depth knowledge about the psychology of pain, principles of biological psychology – theories of child development, age and stages, social influences on behavior. It will enable students to identify the normal and abnormal behaviour patterns in children/adolescents. It will also present the proper guidelines for conduction of inhalation sedation including facility, personnel and equipment.  The techniques of safe and effective delivery of inhalation sedation along with management of complications and emergencies will be discussed in depth. Other sedation techniques will be discussed.  The course will also describe the facilities for the delivery of general anesthesia and the delivery of comprehensive restorative care and exodontias for children and adolescents under general anesthesia.

Fundamentals of Pediatric Dentistry (MPD603)

This course includes a preclinical component covering the fundament aspects of pediatric dentistry practice. It will reinforce the basic knowledge developed during undergraduate course, and facilitate continued development as the student performs routine pediatric dentistry procedures. During the first month, students must successfully complete and get certified in the pediatric advanced life support course run by American Heart Association.

Biostatistics (MPD605)

This course is comprised of lectures designed to aid the student to expand their knowledge of the basic principles of statistics as it applies to the understanding and interpretation of the dental literature. The emphasis of this course is on the application of statistical tests commonly employed in health research and the interpretation of their results.  This enables the student to critically evaluate dental and medical research and analyze results of his/her own research project.

Research Methodology (MPD606)

The course considers the nature of scientific knowledge and investigates various processes involved in research. Both the quantitative and qualitative approaches will be studied. The course covers the sources of knowledge, the scientific method in research, and the ethics of research. The important steps in planning a research project and measurement tools necessary for conducting a research project will be covered. The course also discusses the considerations involved in writing a research report and critical appraisal of the literature.

Dental Traumatology (MPD607)

This course provides knowledge in the etiology, types, investigation and management of dentoalveolar, intraoral and perioral soft tissue injuries in primary and permanent teeth. It will also enable students to recognize and treat anomalies of the developing permanent teeth that may arise from injury to the primary dentition. The course will also discuss maxillofacial injuries in the same age group.  Emphasis will be placed on the multidisciplinary approach to the management of these conditions.

Oral Pathology and Oral Medicine in Children (MPD608)

In this course, the diagnosis and management of mucosal, soft and hard tissue pathologies in oral maxillofacial area will be discussed. It includes fibro-osseous lesions, developmental disturbances affecting the jaws and teeth, odontogenic tumors, cysts of the oral and paraoral region, bacterial, viral and mycotic infections, benign tumors and tumor-like lesions, white lesions, pigmented lesions, vesiculo-bullous diseases, hematologic, endocrine, and metabolic disorders. The course will also discuss examination, diagnosis and management of oral manifestations of systemic disease related to cardiac disease, malignant disorders, bleeding disorders etc. The course will also emphasize on the signs, symptoms and presentations suggestive of child abuse and neglect and process of child protection.

Bioethics and Law (MPD609)

This course will provide the student with the required knowledge and understanding of models of applied ethics, legislation – laws and rules that apply to practice pediatric dentistry internationally and in UAE. Ethical conduct in practice management including proper delivery of information to patients and obtaining proper consent for treatment will also be discussed.  Personal and professional development as part of the delivery of proper dental services will be emphasized. Knowledge about doctor-patient relationship, the dentist and the community, and ethical conduct in science would also be imparted.

Orthodontics for Pediatric Dentists (MPD610)

Orthodontics for Pediatric Dentists is an intensive didactic course on the presentation and features of malocclusion and abnormalities of tooth position and eruption.  The course will provide knowledge about the use of appliances in interceptive orthodontics and space maintenance. Emphasis is placed on applications of growth and development principles to clinical treatment, cephalometrics, diagnosis and treatment planning and the evaluation of the normal and abnormal conditions in the primary, early mixed and late mixed dentitions.

Pediatric Dentistry Literature review (MPD611)

This course is comprised of review done by the student under the supervision of teaching staff to expand their knowledge in different aspects of pediatric dental journal experimental literature that will be useful in the clinical applications. This course is designed to give the student the chance to carry out the basic principles for literature searching and guides students regarding the methodology of information collection. The students will also learn the proper scientific way of writing a review paper and they will develop an understanding of how evidence-based research literature is structured and analyzed. Students are assigned journals/articles/chapters to abstract and present to the group. These presentations are followed by an in-depth group discussion on that particular topic in pediatric dentistry. During this course, students read and discuss advanced literature publishing techniques such as meta – analysis and systematic reviews in classic and current literature that is recommended for appropriate preparation for the Membership Examination of the Royal College of Surgeons UK. Residents will develop an understanding of how evidence-based research literature is structured and analyzed with insight into research protocol writing.

Clinical Anesthesia and Hospital Pediatric Dentistry (MPD701)

This course expands the knowledge of students in understanding of all aspects of the delivery of general anesthesia in the operating room. The basic principles of general anesthesia are introduced and the pre- and post-operative evaluation of the surgical patient is stressed. General anesthesia is provided by residents during dental and medical surgical cases in a clinical treatment setting appropriate for sufficient patient monitoring. The course will also describe the facilities for the delivery of general anesthesia and the delivery of care for children and adolescents under general anesthesia in a hospital set up.

Advanced Seminars in Pediatric Dentistry – I (MPD702)

This course comprises of series of seminars based on intensive and comprehensive readings in the journal literature covering all facets pertaining to the science and practice of related to Pediatric Dentistry. This course will also covers different topics in pediatric dentistry such as growth & development, orthodontics and behavior management techniques in management of pediatric dental patients. Current literature related to prevention, orofacial anomalies and traumatic injuries will also be covered. College may choose from a variety of formats for specific seminars, including lectures, discussions, and practical exercises.

Research Proposal (MPD704)

The research proposal forms an extremely important component of the course since it will bring together many aspects of the skills and knowledge acquired during the course. All students will undertake an individual project, the topic being concerned with their chosen specialty. Topics investigated may be chosen by the student or suggested by the staff. The area of research will need to be agreed with the supervising staff before commencement of the project. The research need not be on an original topic but should increase information in the chosen area. It must be conducted according to the accepted methods of scientific investigation, and be presented bound in the agreed University format, by the end of the course.

Clinical Pediatric Medicine (MPD705)

The primary goal is to acquire knowledge and skills to function as health care providers within the hospital setting. Second year residents rotate for one month in clinical pediatrics in order to gain exposure to the practice of pediatric medicine and gain knowledge and experience in the management of healthy and sick children, adolescents, and those with special health care needs.

Advanced Seminar in Pediatric Dentistry – II (MPD706)

In-depth reviews of the current literature related to Pediatric Dentistry are the focus of this course. All residents read and abstract each article; on a rotating basis, each second year resident presents a review of an article assigned with critical evaluation of the current and seminal literature. Topics include pulp therapy, restorative dentistry in children, pharmacology, conscious sedation, soft tissues and hard tissues pathological conditions as well as dental management of children with special health care needs.

Clinical Pediatric Dentistry Training – I, II, III, IV, V and VI (MPD604, MPD612, MPD703, MPD707, MPD801, MPD803)

This course is the clinical course that encompasses the scope of clinical pediatric dentistry. During the first year of the program, students are closely supervised while developing skills in diagnosis, radiographic technique, treatment planning, preventive and restorative dentistry, space management, trauma management and non-pharmacologic behavior management. During the second and third year as individual clinical skills develop, students’ progress to manage children with more complex special health care needs, including in-patients, operating room patients and patients undergoing conscious sedation procedures. Students gain extensive experience in the team management approach to patient care while interacting and coordinating with other medical departments within the hospitals and with outside clinics and practitioners. This course will also develops competency in interceptive orthodontic clinical training which will consists of diagnosis, record taking, treatment planning in the primary and mixed dentitions using removable or simple fixed appliances.  It will include treatment of malocclusions, and to render appropriate orthodontic treatment or refer.

During this clinical training period over 3 years, students will present minimum of 6 completed cases with the sequence of records illustrated by photographs, radiographs and models as appropriate. They should indicate management and treatment success over a minimum period of follow up of 12 months.

As Clinical Pediatric Dentistry V and VI are culminating and final year clinical training courses, qualitative assessments of the students will be performed as capstone. This will enable students to put into practice the knowledge and skills that they acquired from these courses to develop real life clinical solutions. Capstone in Clinical Pediatric Dentistry V will be assessed through sedation and general anesthesia rotations evaluation and case based discussion (CBD) for grand rounds while capstone for Clinical Pediatric Dentistry VI will be evaluated through student own self-assessment and instructor-evaluated clinical portfolio.

Thesis Preparation I, II, III and Submission (MPD708,  MPD802, MPD804)

This is a general guide to the format which may be modified in consultation with the Head of Department and project supervisor. This course does not have formal didactic structure.