PGDip Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (Dental Specialties)

Course descriptionOur Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery course is designed for dentists who wish to advance their knowledge of this clinical specialty at postgraduate level.This specialty is concerned with the diagnosis and management of diseases, injuries and defects affecting the mouth, jaws, face and neck.The specialist clinical component of the course will give you an understanding of the scientific basis of oral and maxillofacial surgery, with particular emphasis on current theories relevant to the diagnosis, treatment planning and clinical management of patients. The course will also emphasise the evidence base supporting clinical surgical practice.You will observe a wide range of surgery, including facial trauma, implant and reconstructive, cancer and reconstructive, salivary gland and orthognathic surgery, as well as participating in dentoalveolar surgery.The course also covers the design, data collection, and simple analysis and interpretation of clinical research projects, and culminates in the MSc dissertation. You will learn how to identify, formulate and implement a specific research project in line with the research themes of pain and anxiety control, surgical implantology, or oral cancer and health services research.AimsThe course aims to provide dental practitioners with the knowledge and skills to undertake minor oral surgery in the context of a wider knowledge of oral and maxillofacial surgery.Teaching and learningOur teaching and learning methods are designed to encourage you to take responsibility for your own learning and to integrate work with formal educational activities.We will provide the core text book for the course. This book, Master Dentistry Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Radiology, Pathology and Oral Medicine (ISBN ), has been authored by University staff Coulthard, Horner, Sloan and Theaker.Career opportunitiesThis course will prepare you for a future career in clinical practice, teaching or research.Some graduates return to established surgical practice, while others go on to the next step in their training and pursue specialist clinical training and appropriate clinical examinations in oral surgery.Graduates may find their advanced knowledge a good foundation for oral surgery or oral and maxillofacial surgery practice. Some graduates proceed to undertake higher research degrees such as a PhD.