Unit information: Health sciences: Dental Biomaterials in 2013/14

Unit name	Health sciences: Dental Biomaterials
Unit code	ORDS20007
Credit points	10
Level of study	I/5
Teaching block(s)	Academic Year (weeks 1 - 52)
Unit director	Professor. Barbour
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	None
Co-requisites	None
School/department	Bristol Dental School
Faculty	Faculty of Health Sciences

Description including Unit Aims

Year 2 One element - Dental Biomaterials

Biomaterials are central to many processes in modern dentistry, and it is essential that dental students and qualified dentists have a thorough knowledge and understanding of both modern dental biomaterials, and the principles which lie behind the development and use of these and future biomaterials.

Aims:

• To produce a graduate who has the ability to select and handle biomaterials in a safe, cost effective and clinically appropriate manner.
• To produce a graduate who can evaluate current and future biomaterials in the light of a sound knowledge of basic materials and biomaterials science.
• To produce a graduate who can obtain appropriate information about biomaterials and communicate relevant information to peers, patients and the lay public.

Intended Learning Outcomes

Students should be able to:

• Discuss the mechanical, physical, chemical and biological properties of some common dental biomaterials, and relate these to the likely clinical performance of these materials.
• Describe the composition of some common dental biomaterials and the chemical reactions they undergo during clinical processes, and relate these to the clinical applications and limitations of these biomaterials.
• Describe and explain the most common reasons for failure of dental biomaterials, including adverse reactions that can occur between different materials.
• Explain the science behind the different storage, handling, working, and disposal methods for different dental biomaterials.
• Critically evaluate manufacturers’ claims for existing and new dental biomaterials.

Teaching Information

Interactive lectures with live eAssessment and eLectures (8 each) Giant tutorials (2).

Laboratory practical sessions assessed by written reports (4) eTutorials (12).

Problem-based learning team project (8 weeks) assessed by oral presentation.

Assessment Information

Summative:

End-of-element eAssessment examination. 60 min, range of question types. 70% of total Unit mark.

Four written reports on practical sessions. There is no word limit but a proforma is used to create the report, and detailed guidelines and the teachers’ marking guidelines are made available to the students in the interests of transparency. 20% of total Unit mark.

Problem-based learning project. Students work throughout term as a team of 4/5 to create an oral presentation on a subject. The presentation is given a team mark by the teacher and then marks are distributed among the students by the students themselves, hence it is part teacher assessed, part peer assessed. 10% of total Unit mark.

Formative:

Weekly 10 min progress tests using question styles and subject matter similar to that used in the exam.

Live eAssessments during interactive lectures using Turning Point eVoting handsets.

Reading and References

The recommended text is: Richard van Noort, Introduction to Dental Materials, Elsevier Publishing. 2nd or 3rd edition acceptable. 4th edition will be a significant improvement and is due out late 2012.