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.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Discipline of Population Oral Health
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	None
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	None
Assumed knowledge ?	Comprehensive knowledge in all aspects of General Dentistry, particularly in Restorative Dentistry and Oral Rehabilitation
Available to study abroad and exchange students	No

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Woosung Sohn, woosung.sohn@sydney.edu.au
Tutor(s)	Woosung Sohn, woosung.sohn@sydney.edu.au
	Arash Ghanbarzadegan, arash.ghanbarzadegan@sydney.edu.au
	Bradley Christian, bradley.christian@sydney.edu.au

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length
Assignment	Critical review of evidence Providing a critical review of a scholarly paper addressing prevention.	40%	Week 06 Due date: 08 Sep 2023 at 23:59	1500 words
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Health Promotion Program Planning Development of an oral health promotion strategy in a given scenario	60%	Week 11 Due date: 20 Oct 2023 at 23:59	2000-2500 words
Outcomes assessed:
= hurdle task ?

Assessment summary

Health Promotion Program Planning: 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 an intervention to target. Students should present a protocol that embodies the principles discussed as part of the learning sessions.

Critical Review of Evidence: 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.

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 be penalised by 5% for each 24 hour period assessments are late by. Assessments that are more than 5 days late will achieve a fail grade.

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.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

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 03	The use of water fluoridation as a population-level oral health preventive intervention.	Seminar (3 hr)
Week 05	Developing community-based preventive oral health strategies	Seminar (3 hr)
Week 06	Journal Club - Consumer engagement for oral health empowerment	Seminar (3 hr)
Week 07	Dealing with industry influences: the commercial determinants of health	Seminar (3 hr)
Week 09	Using healthy policy for prevention	Seminar (3 hr)
Week 11	Health promotion and social marketing - how can social marketing be used to enhance community health?	Seminar (3 hr)
Week 13	Interprofessional prevention strategies in oral health	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 theFaculty 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.

Required readings

N/A

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.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.b. writing reports.
	Public Health Dentistry - 1. Professionalism - A graduate specialist is expected to be competent in the following, as relevant to the specialty: 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.

This is the first time this unit has been offered.

Additional information

N/A

Additional costs

N/A

Site visit guidelines

N/A

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).

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.

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

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Alignment with Competency standards

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Additional costs

Site visit guidelines

Work, health and safety

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

DENT5103: Oral Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

Semester 2, 2023 [Normal day] - Westmead, Sydney

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

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Alignment with Competency standards

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Additional costs

Site visit guidelines

Work, health and safety

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect