Dentistry

Overview

Overview

Dentists help prevent oral diseases and diagnose and treat oral conditions. Dentists have many roles; they can have family-based general dental practices, they may work in hospitals or community clinics with patients who are medically or socially disadvantaged, or they may undertake further postgraduate study and specialise in areas as diverse as paediatric dentistry to forensic dentistry and oral surgery.

Dentistry at University of Otago is a challenging profession that combines a high degree of manual dexterity and precision with a thorough understanding of craniofacial biology, anatomy, pathology, biomaterials, and excellent communication skills. As a dentist, you are the leader of the oral health team and can diagnose and carry out treatment planned for each patient’s oral needs.

If you are considering a career as a dentist, you can look forward to a health profession that provides considerable variety and lifelong learning as you work to maintain your practising standards.

As a graduate there are opportunities for full- or part-time work in New Zealand or overseas, in private general or specialist practice, academic careers, or hospital- or defence-based practice.

Dentistry teaches you:

• The scientific foundations in anatomy, physiology, oral biology, and biomaterials.
• About public health dentistry and how to develop your communication skills.
• Clinical skills, first in simulation classes and laboratories, and then in patient sessions.
• About a wide range of clinical dental disciplines including prosthodontics and clinical cariology, endodontics, periodontics, paediatric dentistry, orthodontics, oral medicine, oral surgery, oral pathology, and special needs dentistry.
• Otago has one of the most up-to-date dental facilities in the world.