Outline

Overview

Dental disease remains prevalent in Australia. The AIHW reports that in 2010, 55% of 6 year olds; 48% of 12 year olds in their deciduous and permanent dentitions, respectively. The burden of this disease is significant and falls inequitably on those who are the most socially disadvantaged and those least able to access expensive treatment. The most ethical and cost-effective manner of addressing oral disease is through preventative dental care. This unit of study will permit post-graduate students to gain an understanding of the factors that place an individual at risk of dental disease, including dental caries, oral cancer and periodontal disease. Students will examine the impact of such disease through a public health lens. Students will also learn the theoretical basis for preventative dental care and how this knowledge may be applied for population-level effect. Particular emphasis will be placed on the Australian context, whilst acknoweldging global epidemiological trends. The ability to source and identify high-quality information is key to the practice of public health. As such, students will learn how to search and critically analyse the dental evidence base in order to identify robust material. The course may also be suitable for other MPH and MIPH students who wish to obtain an understanding of oral health disease prevention and oral health promotion. Teaching in this topic will draw on the expertise of public health academics and clinical oral health professionals.

Unit details and rules

Unit code	DENT5013
Academic unit	Discipline of Population Oral Health
Credit points	6
Prohibitions ?	None
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	No

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Woosung Sohn, woosung.sohn@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Assignment	Critical Review of a Paper Providing a critical review of a scholarly paper addressing prevention.	40%	Week 04	1,000 - 1,500 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Health promotion program assignment Development of an oral health promotion strategy in a given scenario	60%	Week 10	4,000 words
Outcomes assessed:
= hurdle task ?

Assessment summary

Health promotion program assignment: This assessment requires students to use the knowledge acquired in the unit to develop a protocol that describes a health promotion intervention that addresses a population-level issue in a given community. Students may select, in conjunction with the unit coordinator, a relevant and appropriate population to design anintervention to target. Students should present a protocol that embodies the principles discussed as part of the learning sessions.
Critical Review of a Paper: Students will be asked to provide a critique on a paper that addresses the philosophy and/or practice of prevention in oral health. Students will be required to present their critique in a scholarly manner.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100	Work is of a very high quality and meets a standard to be publishable in a peer-reviewed journal. Ideas are presented clearly and concisely, underpinned by scientific rigour. Content of assignment submission demonstrates a deep understanding of the subject matter and an ability to synthesise complex arguments and analysis. Presentation of writing is of an exceptional standard; no or few errors in spelling, grammar or syntax structure. Work is of an ideal length (10% within word limits)
Distinction	75 - 84	Work is of a high quality and needs minor revisions to be of publishable standard in a peer-reviewed journal. Ideas are presented clearly and concisely, underpinned by scientific rigour. Candidate demonstrates understanding of complex concepts within work. No substantial errors or omissions. Presentation of writing is of a very good standard; minor, correctable errors in spelling, grammar or syntax structure.
Credit	65 - 74	Work is of a high quality and needs major revisions to be of publishable standard in a peer-reviewed journal. Ideas are presented in a manner which interferes with their impact, although they are still underpinned by scientific rigour. Small omissions present in scientific basis of arguements. Complex concepts appear to be understood well, although clarity of expression is non-ideal Presentation of writing is acceptable. Some significant and yet correctable errors in spelling, grammar and syntax structure.
Pass	50 - 64	Work is of acceptable quality although needs major revisions to be of publishable standard in a peer-reviewed journal. Ideas are disordered but still intelligible. Scientific basis is clear, but poorly presented. References are mostly correct. Basic appreciation for complex concepts in public health dentistry. Clarity of expression needs work. Extensive corrections of spelling, grammar and syntax structure required.
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

Students will lose 5% for every 24 hour period their assessment is late by. Assessment that are submitted more than 5 days late will be marked as fail.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Learning support

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity
Week 01	Introduction to prevention philosophies and approaches.	Seminar (3 hr)
Week 02	The use of water fluoridation as a population-level oral health preventive intervention.	Seminar (3 hr)
Week 03	Developing community-based preventive oral health strategies	Seminar (3 hr)
Week 04	Health promotion and social marketing - how can social marketing be used to enhance community health?	Seminar (3 hr)
Week 05	The impact of the social determinants of health upon preventive health strategies	Seminar (3 hr)
Week 06	Dealing with industry influences: the commercial determinants of health	Seminar (3 hr)
Week 07	Journal Club - utilising community engagement in oral health	Seminar (3 hr)
Week 08	Using healthy policy for prevention	Seminar (3 hr)
Week 09	Interprofessional prevention strategies in oral health	Seminar (3 hr)
Week 10	Journal Club - Holistic Prevention in Dentistry	Seminar (3 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance: Attendance is a professional responsibility required of all students admitted to academic programs within the Sydney Dental School. All programs in the Sydney Dental School have a 90% attendance policy, for all compulsory components of Units of Study, as detailed in the Faculty of Dentistry Attendance Provisions 2015. This includes all clinical and practical sessions. The course requirements cannot be satisfied if more than 10% of any section of a course is missed for any reason.
Professionalism: Students in all Sydney Dental School programs are subject to the Faculty of Medicine and Health Professionalism Requirements 2019 and the Faculty of Medicine and Health Professionalism Provisions 2019. Professionalism is an essential component of developing competency to practice. It is important for students to demonstrate professional behaviour in all contexts and environments. In accordance with these local provisions: candidates who demonstrate serious or repeated unprofessional behaviour may be required to show cause as to why their enrolment should be continued. Failure to show cause may result in exclusion from the course.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

LO1. demonstrate understanding of how fluorides may be used in a variety of clinical and public health contexts to prevent dental caries. This includes the ability to articulate the limits of clinical prevention
LO2. create and present a population-level health promotion strategy for preventing dental disease in a given population
LO3. apply the common risk factor approach to present an interprofessional strategy to improve oral and general health outcomes
LO4. demonstrate knowledge of social marketing techniques and how these are applicable in the context of oral health
LO5. critically consider the social determinants of oral health and how these may impact upon preventative efforts against dental diseases
LO6. demonstrate knowledge of the principles of the commercial determinants of health through exploring the activities of industries that negatively impact oral and general health
LO7. critique how the dental profession itself may contribute to disparities and deficiencies in oral health.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1	Depth of disciplinary expertise Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.
GQ2	Critical thinking and problem solving Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.
GQ3	Oral and written communication Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.
GQ4	Information and digital literacy Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.
GQ5	Inventiveness Generating novel ideas and solutions.
GQ6	Cultural competence Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.
GQ7	Interdisciplinary effectiveness Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.
GQ8	Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.
GQ9	Influence Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes	Graduate qualities
Learning outcomes

Alignment with Competency standards

Outcomes	Competency standards
	Public Health Dentistry - 1.a. recognising the personal limitations and scope of the specialty and knowing when to refer or seek advice appropriately 1.c. providing patient-centred care, including selecting and prioritising treatment options that are compassionate and respectful of patients’ best interests, dignity and choices and which seek to improve community oral health 1.d. understanding and applying the moral, cultural, ethical principles and legal responsibilities involved in the provision of specialist dental care to individual patients, to communities and populations 2.a. identifying and understanding a patient’s, or their parent’s, guardian’s or carer’s expectations, desires and attitudes when planning and delivering specialist treatment 2.b. communicating effectively with patients, their families, relatives and carers in a manner that takes into account factors such as their age, intellectual development, social and cultural background 2.e. interpreting and communicating knowledge, skills and ideas. 3.a. critically evaluating scientific research and literature, products and techniques to inform evidence-based specialist practice, and 4.1.b. the scientific basis of dentistry including the relevant biological, medical and psychosocial sciences 4.1.c. development, anatomy, physiology and pathology of hard and soft tissues of the head and neck 4.2.a. the epidemiology of oral health and disease 4.2.b. the principles of oral health service delivery 4.2.c. the principles of public health research oral disease prevention at a population level, and 4.2.d. the analysis of oral health needs and services in community and public health settings. 5.1.a. applying decision-making, clinical reasoning and judgement to develop a comprehensive diagnosis and treatment plan by interpreting and correlating findings from the history, clinical examinations, imaging and other diagnostic tests 5.2.a. designing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating population oral health programs, and
	Public Health Dentistry - 1.a. recognising the personal limitations and scope of the specialty and knowing when to refer or seek advice appropriately 1.b. practising with personal and professional integrity, honesty and trustworthiness 1.c. providing patient-centred care, including selecting and prioritising treatment options that are compassionate and respectful of patients’ best interests, dignity and choices and which seek to improve community oral health 1.d. understanding and applying the moral, cultural, ethical principles and legal responsibilities involved in the provision of specialist dental care to individual patients, to communities and populations 1.e. displaying appropriate professional behaviour and communication towards all members of the dental team and referring health practitioner/s 1.g. demonstrating specialist professional growth and development through research and learning 1.h. supporting the professional development and education for all members of the dental and/or health community, and 1.i. demonstrating leadership in the profession. 2.c. use of technological and telecommunication aids in planning and delivering specialist treatment 2.d. communicating effectively in all forms of health and legal reporting, and 2.e. interpreting and communicating knowledge, skills and ideas. 3.a. critically evaluating scientific research and literature, products and techniques to inform evidence-based specialist practice, and 4.1.b. the scientific basis of dentistry including the relevant biological, medical and psychosocial sciences 4.1.c. development, anatomy, physiology and pathology of hard and soft tissues of the head and neck 4.1.d. the range of investigative, technical and clinical procedures, and 4.2.b. the principles of oral health service delivery 4.2.c. the principles of public health research oral disease prevention at a population level, and 4.2.d. the analysis of oral health needs and services in community and public health settings. 5.1.a. applying decision-making, clinical reasoning and judgement to develop a comprehensive diagnosis and treatment plan by interpreting and correlating findings from the history, clinical examinations, imaging and other diagnostic tests 5.2.a. designing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating population oral health programs, and 5.2.b. writing reports.
	Public Health Dentistry - 1.a. recognising the personal limitations and scope of the specialty and knowing when to refer or seek advice appropriately 1.c. providing patient-centred care, including selecting and prioritising treatment options that are compassionate and respectful of patients’ best interests, dignity and choices and which seek to improve community oral health 1.e. displaying appropriate professional behaviour and communication towards all members of the dental team and referring health practitioner/s 1.g. demonstrating specialist professional growth and development through research and learning 1.h. supporting the professional development and education for all members of the dental and/or health community, and 1.i. demonstrating leadership in the profession. 2.b. communicating effectively with patients, their families, relatives and carers in a manner that takes into account factors such as their age, intellectual development, social and cultural background 2.c. use of technological and telecommunication aids in planning and delivering specialist treatment 2.d. communicating effectively in all forms of health and legal reporting, and 3.a. critically evaluating scientific research and literature, products and techniques to inform evidence-based specialist practice, and 4.1.b. the scientific basis of dentistry including the relevant biological, medical and psychosocial sciences 4.2.a. the epidemiology of oral health and disease 4.2.b. the principles of oral health service delivery 4.2.c. the principles of public health research oral disease prevention at a population level, and 4.2.d. the analysis of oral health needs and services in community and public health settings. 5.2.a. designing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating population oral health programs, and 5.2.b. writing reports.
	Public Health Dentistry - 1.a. recognising the personal limitations and scope of the specialty and knowing when to refer or seek advice appropriately 1.c. providing patient-centred care, including selecting and prioritising treatment options that are compassionate and respectful of patients’ best interests, dignity and choices and which seek to improve community oral health 1.d. understanding and applying the moral, cultural, ethical principles and legal responsibilities involved in the provision of specialist dental care to individual patients, to communities and populations 1.f. understanding and applying legislation including that related to record-keeping 1.i. demonstrating leadership in the profession. 2.b. communicating effectively with patients, their families, relatives and carers in a manner that takes into account factors such as their age, intellectual development, social and cultural background 2.c. use of technological and telecommunication aids in planning and delivering specialist treatment 2.d. communicating effectively in all forms of health and legal reporting, and 2.e. interpreting and communicating knowledge, skills and ideas. 4.1.a. historical and contemporary literature 4.1.b. the scientific basis of dentistry including the relevant biological, medical and psychosocial sciences 4.2.b. the principles of oral health service delivery 5.2.a. designing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating population oral health programs, and 5.2.b. writing reports.
	Public Health Dentistry - 1.a. recognising the personal limitations and scope of the specialty and knowing when to refer or seek advice appropriately 1.c. providing patient-centred care, including selecting and prioritising treatment options that are compassionate and respectful of patients’ best interests, dignity and choices and which seek to improve community oral health 1.d. understanding and applying the moral, cultural, ethical principles and legal responsibilities involved in the provision of specialist dental care to individual patients, to communities and populations 1.e. displaying appropriate professional behaviour and communication towards all members of the dental team and referring health practitioner/s 2.a. identifying and understanding a patient’s, or their parent’s, guardian’s or carer’s expectations, desires and attitudes when planning and delivering specialist treatment 2.b. communicating effectively with patients, their families, relatives and carers in a manner that takes into account factors such as their age, intellectual development, social and cultural background 4.1.b. the scientific basis of dentistry including the relevant biological, medical and psychosocial sciences
	Public Health Dentistry - 1.b. practising with personal and professional integrity, honesty and trustworthiness 1.e. displaying appropriate professional behaviour and communication towards all members of the dental team and referring health practitioner/s 1.h. supporting the professional development and education for all members of the dental and/or health community, and 1.i. demonstrating leadership in the profession. 2.b. communicating effectively with patients, their families, relatives and carers in a manner that takes into account factors such as their age, intellectual development, social and cultural background 3.a. critically evaluating scientific research and literature, products and techniques to inform evidence-based specialist practice, and 3.b. synthesising complex information, problems, concepts and theories. 4.1.a. historical and contemporary literature 4.2.c. the principles of public health research oral disease prevention at a population level, and 4.2.d. the analysis of oral health needs and services in community and public health settings. 5.1.a. applying decision-making, clinical reasoning and judgement to develop a comprehensive diagnosis and treatment plan by interpreting and correlating findings from the history, clinical examinations, imaging and other diagnostic tests 5.1.b. managing complex cases, including compromised patients with multidisciplinary management, and 5.1.c. managing complications. 5.2.a. designing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating population oral health programs, and 5.2.b. writing reports.
	Public Health Dentistry - 1.b. practising with personal and professional integrity, honesty and trustworthiness 1.c. providing patient-centred care, including selecting and prioritising treatment options that are compassionate and respectful of patients’ best interests, dignity and choices and which seek to improve community oral health 1.d. understanding and applying the moral, cultural, ethical principles and legal responsibilities involved in the provision of specialist dental care to individual patients, to communities and populations 1.e. displaying appropriate professional behaviour and communication towards all members of the dental team and referring health practitioner/s 1.f. understanding and applying legislation including that related to record-keeping 1.g. demonstrating specialist professional growth and development through research and learning 1.i. demonstrating leadership in the profession. 4.1.e. management and treatment planning with multidisciplinary engagement for complex cases, including compromised patients. 4.2.a. the epidemiology of oral health and disease 4.2.b. the principles of oral health service delivery 4.2.c. the principles of public health research oral disease prevention at a population level, and 4.2.d. the analysis of oral health needs and services in community and public health settings. 5.1.a. applying decision-making, clinical reasoning and judgement to develop a comprehensive diagnosis and treatment plan by interpreting and correlating findings from the history, clinical examinations, imaging and other diagnostic tests 5.1.b. managing complex cases, including compromised patients with multidisciplinary management, and 5.1.c. managing complications. 5.2.a. designing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating population oral health programs, and 5.2.b. writing reports.

Responding to student feedback

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

No changes have been made since this unit was last offered

Additional information

Work, health and safety

Students must comply with work health and safety, infection control and dress standard policies of all laboratories, placement sites and Local Health Districts (LHDs).

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Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Alignment with Competency standards

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Work, health and safety

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

DENT5013: Preventative Dentistry

Semester 2, 2021 [Normal day] - Remote

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Alignment with Competency standards

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Work, health and safety

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect