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Orthodontics
School of Clinical Dentistry,
Faculty of Health
Course description
This course is for dentists who want to specialise in orthodontics and develop the knowledge, skills, experience and confidence to treat a wide range of malocclusions. After completing the course, you will be eligible to sit the Membership in Orthodontics (MOrth) exam with the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, or the bi-collegiate MOrth exam with the Royal College of Surgeons of England and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow.
In the first year, you will study the fundamentals of orthodontics, including the causes of common malocclusion, how to diagnose them, and the principles of different orthodontic treatments. You will develop new practical skills in clinical training sessions, attend consultant clinics and case discussions, and study the latest advances in digital dentistry and dental manufacturing.
A large part of the course involves managing patients allocated to you from the Charles Clifford Dental Hospital, next door to the University of Sheffield’s dental school, or from another clinical centre you are attached to.
You will start to work with moderate-to-severe occlusal anomalies in the second year. By the end of the third year, you will have the skills to complete orthodontic treatments independently and successfully – from obtaining orthodontic records, adjusting appliances and monitoring the progress of treatments.
Because dental specialists work in a multidisciplinary environment, there will be opportunities to work with students and trainees from other areas. You will learn how to communicate clearly and professionally with specialists and non-specialists.
You will work on your research project throughout the course, starting with research methods and statistics training in the first year. In the second year, you will complete a literature review and in the third year, you will produce a thesis of a standard that could be submitted to a scientific journal.
Accreditation
Candidates who are awarded the University of Sheffield’s DClinDent Orthodontics qualification will be eligible to sit the Membership in Orthodontics (MOrth) exam with the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, or the bi-collegiate MOrth exam with the Royal College of Surgeons of England and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow.
Modules
- Clinical Orthodontic Practice Programme I
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This module will provide the clinical experience to start developing the key skills required of a specialist in orthodontics, including the diagnosis, treatment planning and management of patients with moderate occlusal anomalies. By the end of the module the student will know how to obtain accurate orthodontic records and communicate with patients and their parents about orthodontic treatment. The student will display some expertise in clinical orthodontic problem solving and treatment planning, adjusting orthodontic appliances and monitoring of orthodontic treatment progress.
90 credits - Principles of Clinical Orthodontic Practice I
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This unit aims to develop a student¿s fundamental knowledge and understanding of specialist orthodontic practice, including the diagnosis and aetiology of common malocclusions, the importance of facial growth, cephalometric analysis and principles of orthodontic treatment planning and mechanics.
30 credits - Principles of Clinical Management
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This module introduces the basic concepts of clinical management of a patient including clinical governance, cross-infection control and radiology.
15 credits - Introduction to Digital Dentistry and Dental Manufacturing
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Digital and advanced manufacturing technologies are now having a significant impact on clinical dentistry, so much so that the ongoing changes could now be considered revolutionary. There is therefore a need to educate dentists and dental technologists in subjects related to this rapidly evolving field, starting with the underpinning basic science and engineering concepts, and then examining their practical application in ways that include intra-oral scanning and advanced manufacturing techniques. This module will provide the student with both (i) insight into the existing 3D scanning and manufacturing technologies used in general healthcare applications, highlighting both traditional and innovative methodologies, and (ii) in-depth knowledge and understanding related to 3D scanning and manufacturing in dentistry.
15 credits - Research Methods in Clinical Dentistry
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Research methods are a key part of clinical dentistry. This unit will aim to introduce students to patient-centred research methods and will include evidence-based dentistry, critical appraisal, research governance and ethics, quantitative and qualitative research methods, statistical appraisal of research reports.
15 credits - Introduction to Statistics and Critical Appraisal
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The unit introduces students to basic concepts and techniques such as hypothesis testing and confidence interval estimation in statistics. Students will learn some simple statistical methods and the principles behind some advanced methods such as regression. It will equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary to understand and critically appraise statistics in research literature.The course is not aimed at 'doers' of statistics, that is, students who are going to design their own studies to collect and analyse their own data. It will not teach you how to analyse, present and report your own data.
15 credits
- Principles of Clinical Orthodontics II
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The aim of this module is to introduce the student to the more complex issues of specialist orthodontic care including the biomechanics and monitoring of orthodontic treatment, orthodontic retention and inter-disciplinary management of patients, as well as aspects of managing a specialist orthodontic practice.
30 credits - Orthodontic Case Studies
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This module will enable the student to have a deep understanding of orthodontic treatment planning and monitoring of the progress of orthodontic treatment.
30 credits - Clinical Orthodontic Practice Programme II
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This module will provide the clinical experience to further develop the key skills of a specialist in orthodontics, including diagnosis, treatment planning and management of patients with moderate-to-severe occlusal anomalies. By the end of the module the student will be competent at obtaining accurate orthodontic records, communicating with patients and their parents about orthodontic treatment, adjusting orthodontic appliances and monitoring of orthodontic treatment progress. The student will understand the principles of clinical orthodontic problem solving and treatment planning.
90 credits - Research Project Literature Review
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Research is key to the practice of clinical dentistry. This unit will introduce students to the background reading and critical appraisal of the literature related to their chosen project.
30 credits
- Clinical Orthodontic Practice Programme III
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This module will provide the clinical experience to achieve the key skills of a specialist in orthodontics, including the diagnosis, treatment planning and management of patients with moderate-to-severe occlusal anomalies. By the end of the module the student will be proficient at all the tasks necessary for the successful completion of specialist orthodontic treatment, including obtaining accurate orthodontic records, communicating with patients and their parents about orthodontic treatment, adjusting orthodontic appliances, monitoring of orthodontic treatment progress, as well as clinical orthodontic problem solving and treatment planning.
90 credits - Orthodontic Thesis
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This unit will introduce students to the aspects of a research project involving data collection, analysis, interpretation and reporting in the form of a thesis.
90 credits
The content of our courses is reviewed annually to make sure it's up-to-date and relevant. Individual modules are occasionally updated or withdrawn. This is in response to discoveries through our world-leading research; funding changes; professional accreditation requirements; student or employer feedback; outcomes of reviews; and variations in staff or student numbers. In the event of any change we'll consult and inform students in good time and take reasonable steps to minimise disruption.
Open days
An open day gives you the best opportunity to hear first-hand from our current students and staff about our courses.
Duration
3 years full-time
Teaching
You will learn through lectures, tutorials, seminars, demonstrations, clinical skills laboratory sessions, case-based discussions and extensive practical clinical experience.
Your studies are scheduled for a minimum of 40 hours a week, 40 weeks a year, for a total of 4,800 hours over three years. You will have a minimum of 16 clinical treatment hours each week.
Assessment
You will be assessed through written, short answer examinations, clinical oral examinations, and your thesis.
Your career
This programme includes all the features of the UK Specialist Curriculum and Specialist Training Programme in Orthodontics approved by the UK General Dental Council. It is a three-year programme, which is usually sufficient for recognition of specialist status. Completion of specialist training in the UK is marked by successful completion of one of the Membership examinations of the Royal College of Surgeons (MOrth) or their agreed equivalent.
Throughout the course, students are encouraged to develop a sense of professional interest and enquiry, which they can maintain throughout their careers via Continuing Professional Development.
Entry requirements
A university-accredited degree in dental surgery that enables the practice of dentistry.
English language requirements
IELTS 7 (with 6.5 in each component) or University equivalent.
Other requirements
- You should have Membership of the Faculty of Dental Surgery (MFDS) or Membership of the Joint Dental Faculties (MJDS)
- You should have at least two years of post-qualification experience in any sphere of dentistry, including general dental practice.
- You must also meet our health and Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) requirements for clinical courses.
Application process
Applicants must include the following in their application:
- Degree certificate and transcript.
- Two up-to-date references.
- Curriculum vitae (CV).
- Supporting statement outlining why they want to study the course.
- English Language Qualification.
See our supporting documents webpage for more information on the documents we require.
We do not issue conditional offers for this programme, so only applications submitted with all the necessary supporting documentation will be considered.
The deadline for your application to be considered in the first round of shortlisting is 15 December 2024. Any applications received after this date will only be considered if places become available and another round of shortlisting is required.
Application timeline for 2025 entry
Applications open: 15 September 2024
Application deadline: 15 December 2024
Applications received after this date will only be considered in the event that another round of shortlisting is required
Shortlisted applicants will be invited to attend an online interview. These will take place in late January/early February 2025.
You should expect to receive a decision by late February 2025.
Offer holders must accept their offer and pay a £5,000 fee deposit within four weeks of receiving their offer letter. Otherwise, the offer will be withdrawn.
If you have any questions about entry requirements, please contact the school/department.
Fees and funding
Alumni discount
Save up to £2,500 on your course fees
Are you a Sheffield graduate? You could save up to £2,500 on your postgraduate taught course fees, subject to eligibility.
Apply
You can apply now using our Postgraduate Online Application Form. It's a quick and easy process.
Contact
dentalpgtadmissions@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 215 9318 or +44 114 215 9319
Any supervisors and research areas listed are indicative and may change before the start of the course.
Recognition of professional qualifications: from 1 January 2021, in order to have any UK professional qualifications recognised for work in an EU country across a number of regulated and other professions you need to apply to the host country for recognition. Read information from the UK government and the EU Regulated Professions Database.