The Role of a Dentist

Dentists are health care professionals who provide preventive and restorative treatments for problems that affect the mouth and teeth. They help people maintain and improve their oral health, quality of life and appearance. Dentists receive a great deal of personal satisfaction by providing an essential community health service treating everyone "the healthy, the ill, the young, the elderly, the disadvantaged and those with special needs. Research suggests an increasing number of links between oral diseases and other health concerns. Dentists are often the first health care providers to recognize and identify a number of illnesses" including cancer and cardiovascular problems. Tomorrow s dentists will be on the cutting edge of advanced technology, making the practice of dentistry even more challenging and rewarding.

Professional Outlook

Dentistry offers many rewarding career options that combine science and technology while helping people enhance and maintain their oral health. The job outlook is favorable and exceptional career opportunities exist for all new dentists. Large numbers of dentists are projected to retire in the next 20 years, and new dentists will be needed in private practice, hospitals, and military, as teachers and researchers and in public health dentistry. Increasing numbers of mature adults are maintaining their teeth longer and, as a result, there is an increased demand for cosmetic services such as bonding and whitening. Advancements in dental technology such as digital radiography, laser systems and informatics will allow dentists to provide more effective treatments. New information about the relationship of oral health to general health makes dentistry an important health profession for the future.

Curriculum

Our curriculum will be patient-centered; our learning environment will be student-centered. Our students will be treated as members of the profession from the very first day of school, with all the rights, privileges and, most importantly, responsibilities of any professional. Their highest priority will be the patient. Our graduates will be men and women who can gather and analyze information in a systematic fashion in order to provide patient-centered, evidence-based care. They will be technically competent practitioners who will get a head start on developing their skills in state-of-the art simulation clinics. Students will gain extensive clinical experience on campus and in various community-based settings. Our graduates will be life-long learners who are comfortable working in collaboration with other health care professionals to provide comprehensive care to a culturally diverse group of patients; including the very young, medically compromised, and ever growing population of mature adults. The curriculum will incorporate business, practice management, leadership and communication skills to enable them to be successful in their profession and in their communities. More importantly, our graduates will be good people, and proud to be graduates of Western University of Health Sciences.

DMD Curriculum by Class Year*

First Year, Fall Term
The Molecular and Cellular Basis of Medicine (9.5 credit hours)
Gross Anatomy (8.5 credit hours)
Head and Neck Anatomy (3.5 credit hours)
The Healthcare Provider and Society I (2.0 credit hours)
Essentials of Clinical Dentistry I (3.5 credit hours)
Clinical Service Learning & Community Dentistry I (1.0 credit hour)
Essentials of Clinical Medicine for the Dental Student I (2.5 credit hours)

First Year, Spring Term
Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology I (3.0 credit hours)
Neuroscience System (11.5 credit hours)
Musculoskeletal System (5.0 credit hours)
Introduction to Disease, Immunity and Therapeutics (7.5 credit hours)
Essentials of Clinical Dentistry II (10.0 credit hours)
Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry (5.5 credit hours)
Blood and Lymphatic System (4.0 credit hours)
Essentials of Clinical Medicine for the Dental Student II (2.5 credit hours)
Integrated Case-Based Learning I (1.0 credit hour)

Second Year, Fall Term
Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology II (3.0 credit hours)
The Healthcare Provider and Society II (3.0 credit hours)
Cardiovascular System (8.5 credit hours)
Renal System (4.5 credit hours)
Respiratory System (8.5 credit hours)
Endocrine System (5.5 credit hours)
Essentials of Clinical Dentistry III (12.0 credit hours)
Clinical Service Learning & Community Dentistry II (3.0 credit hours)
Essentials of Clinical Medicine for the Dental Student III (2.5 credit hours)
Integrated Case-Based Learning II (1.0 credit hour)

Second Year, Spring Term
Dermal System (3.0 credit hours)
Reproductive System (6.0 credit hours)
Gastrointestinal System (6.0 credit hours)
Essentials of Clinical Dentistry IV (12.0 credit hours)
Clinical Service Learning & Community Dentistry III (3.0 credit hours)
Geriatrics (1.5 credit hours)
Pediatrics (2.5 credit hours)
Essentials of Clinical Medicine for the Dental Student IV (2.5 credit hours)
Integrated Case-Based Learning III (1.0 credit hour)

Third Year, Summer Term
Clinical Comprehensive Care Dentistry I (10.0 credit hours)
Essentials of Clinical Dentistry V (6.0 credit hours)
Clinical Service Learning & Community Dentistry IV (2.0 credit hours)

Third Year, Fall Term
Clinical Comprehensive Care Dentistry II (12.0 credit hours)
Advanced Practice Management I (1.5 credit hours)
Essentials of Clinical Dentistry VI: Advanced Seminars (1.5 credit hours)
Clinical Service Learning & Community Dentistry V (1.0 credit hour)

Third Year, Spring Term
Clinical Comprehensive Care Dentistry III (12.0 credit hours)
Advanced Practice Management II (1.5 credit hours)
Clinical Diagnostic, Oral Medicine and Pathology (2.0 credit hours)
Clinical Periodontics (2.0 credit hours)
Clinical Restorative Dentistry (including Operative, Fixed- and Removable- Prosthodontics) (2.0 credit hours)
Clinical Endodontics (2.0 credit hours)
Clinical Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (including Pain Management and Sedation) (2.0 credit hours)
Clinical Pediatric Dentistry (2.0 credit hours)
Clinical Orthodontics (2.0 credit hours)
Essentials of Clinical Dentistry VII: Advanced Seminars (1.5 credit hours)
Clinical Service Learning & Community Dentistry VI (1.0 credit hour)

Fourth Year, Summer Term
Clinical Comprehensive Care Dentistry IV (9 credit hours)
Advanced Practice Management III (1.5 credit hours)
Essentials of Clinical Dentistry VIII: Advanced Seminars (1.0 credit hour)
Clinical Service Learning & Community Dentistry VII (4.0 credit hours)

Fourth Year, Fall Term
Clinical Comprehensive Care Dentistry V (9.0 credit hours)
Ethics and Jurisprudence (1.5 credit hours)
Clinical Diagnostic, Oral Medicine and Pathology (2.0 credit hours)
Clinical Periodontics (2.0 credit hours)
Clinical Restorative Dentistry (including Operative, Fixed- and Removable- Prosthodontics) (2.0 credit hours)
Clinical Endodontics (2.0 credit hours)
Clinical Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (including Pain Management and Sedation) (2.0 credit hours)
Clinical Pediatric Dentistry (2.0 credit hours)
Clinical Orthodontics (2.0 credit hours)
Essentials of Clinical Dentistry IX: Advanced Seminars (1.0 credit hour)
Clinical Service Learning & Community Dentistry VIII (4.0 credit hours)

Fourth Year, Spring Term
Essentials of Clinical Dentistry X: Advanced Seminars (1.0 credit hour)
Clinical Service Learning & Community Dentistry IX (15.0 credit hours)

*Subject to Change

We have flexibility

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email links aamsler@westernu.edu    Ann Amsler