This course covers advanced prosthodontic skills in two crucial settings: real clinical environments and pre-clinical simulation settings.
In the real clinical setting, the focus includes ergonomics, charting, clinical photography, aesthetic analysis, extended functional analyses, and treatment planning. Emphasis is placed on integrating digital tools such as Digital Smile Design (DSD), Photoshop, 3Shape, Planmeca, Exocad, Cerec (Sirona), CBCT, and MRI into diagnosis and treatment. The course also addresses the use of face bow (conventional and digital), semi- and fully-adjustable articulators, the implementation of DC-TMD protocols and digital occlusal analyses. Additionally, safety, patient communication, and infection control are key components of the syllabus.
In the pre-clinical simulation settings, students will first master the use of the microscope and perform endodontic treatments. They will also learn post and core techniques using both conventional and digital approaches, addressing perforations with strategies for prevention and repair. The course includes diagnostic wax-ups for anterior teeth, extra-coronal and intra-coronal tooth preparations, and the fabrication of crowns and bridges using conventional and CAD/CAM technology. Students will gain experience in removable prosthodontics, complete and partial dentures, and practice dental implantology, including planning, placement, and suturing techniques. Finally, they will work on maxillofacial prostheses.
Above all, the course emphasizes reflective and self-directed learning as a means to cultivate professional independence and lifelong development.