Discover Dentistry

Excellent course! It doesn't assume any prior knowledge, so is accessible to everyone (though a little background understanding of basic science and a bit of biology/human biology is helpful, but not essential).

I found it really interesting and learnt a lot about dentistry, the history of dentistry, what the dentist is saying to the dental nurse while examining your mouth means, how dentures and other prosthetics are made, dental public health...and more!

I decided to take the course over the summer between modules on the degree I'm doing elsewhere (health sciences), which doesn't cover the mouth/teeth in any great detail, so thought it would be a good course to "fill in the gaps", but like I said, the course doesn't expect you to have any prior knowledge, and the format is great - you can dip in and out of it over the week of study whenever it suits you. There are even a couple of practicals and home experiments you can try as well, using common household products. The quizzes/tests in it are just to check your understanding, you can have as many goes at them as you like, and as it's not a course that's marked, there's no pressure.

If you've ever wondered what the dentist is saying to the dental nurse while examining your mouth means, about the tools dentists use, how dentistry's evolved (and where it's going in the future!), this is the course for you. I enjoyed it and found it fascinating in equal measure!

I am doing this course to, primarily, help me to gain a better insight into the realms of dentistry and what dentists do. It has been an interesting and eye-opener journey. The many facets of dentistry and the practice of the profession in various specialities (13 of them) have shed clearer light as to who does what and how best to meet patients needs albeit there are layers of overlap. This cannot be helped but hopefully, patients would benefit.

In this kind of evolutionary technology and growth development in dental practices, it`s always good practice to share ` GOOD` experiences with one another, amongst the professionals and other similar related / associated kinds of work, why not share with members of Multi-disciplinary team such as medical profession, oral surgeons of course, Dental Specialists, Health Visitors, School Nurses, Teachers and others. Education and sharing, of utmost importance towards the growth of Dentistry.

Unfortunately, in this modern `rat race` although, there are not many dentists in this category, there are some who are more interested in what they earn and have in their pockets, and how many patients they can see daily, trying to rush through seeing as many patients as possible, as though to meet a certain target!! at the expense of patients. Perhaps, dentistry is being regarded as a kind of `business` instead of what it`s meant to be ie helping patients in need of care to their teeth/oral hygiene, to receive appropriate and effective treatment.!!

Use of Mercury in amalgam should be discouraged, because of its toxicity. Yes, fluoridation of water or other means are great successes in alleviating tooth decay /other associated problems.

Finally, there is a view, certainly, amongst the youngsters, that Dentistry is mainly to do with looking after teeth and the mouth ( oral cavity)!! Obviously, this is not the case. Strongly recommend to help students /or potential dental students, spending time in dental practice, gain confidence and understanding as to what a Dentist does - not just looking/treating teeth!! Above all, treat the potential students with care and make them feel wanted.
Thank you to Dr, Christopher Stokes and THe TEAM Well done

The discover dentistry course has been incredibly beneficial to me. I've found it very informative and enjoyed taking part in all the activities. The simulations provided a realistic experience to an online classroom and benefitted greatly. I found it interesting to hear from other students in discussion and research water Fluoridation- Discovering how other countries do dentistry differently is fascinating. I really felt like I was doing my own research paper and gathering up the facts to make a conclusive argument. The kitchen experiments were easy to do and educational. Looking at the different areas to specialise in after dentistry gave me lots to think about. Even discussing the future of dentistry reminded me that it is a forever-changing profession.