UWA Handbook 2027

Unit Overview

Description

This is the second-year clinical practice unit in Oral Medicine in the Doctor of Clinical Dentistry course. The unit is taken over two semesters and parts 1 and 2 must be completed to fulfil the requirements of the unit. It provides clinical experience in oral medicine to expose the student to further aspects of the discipline at the specialist level. The case mix is selected to match the student's level of experience and expertise. There is some rotation to clinical units outside the Oral Health Centre of Western Australia (OHCWA). Diagnostic histopathology is continued by means of studying selected cases. Students are required to manage all relevant aspects of the oral medicine cases referred to OHCWA. They spend 50 per cent of their time in this work. Completion of a logbook of cases seen on clinic and in the laboratory is mandatory.

Professional Behaviour Requirements - Please refer to the Dental School Handbook regarding requirements and consequences of non-compliance, which can delay course progression and/or graduation, depending on circumstances.

Credit

12 points

Offering
(see Timetable)

Availability	Location	Mode
Non-standard teaching period	UWA (Perth)	On-campus

The timetable for this teaching period is not currently available. Please see the Important Dates page for the timetable release date and other key date information.

Outcomes

Students are able to (1) demonstrate autonomous specialist practice with personal and professional integrity, recognising the boundaries of the specialty and referring or seeking advice appropriately.; (2) provide patient-centred specialist care that is compassionate and respectful of patients' best interests, dignity, and choices, incorporating awareness of moral, cultural, ethical, and legal responsibilities including the obligation to obtain and document valid informed consent.; (3) apply relevant legislation to specialist dental practice including obligations related to record-keeping.; (4) demonstrate leadership in supporting the professional development of the dental team and broader health community.; (5) identify and interpret patient, parent, guardian, and carer expectations, preferences, and attitudes to inform specialist treatment planning and delivery, and support valid informed consent through clear communication of options, risks, benefits, and alternatives.; (6) communicate effectively with patients, families, and carers across a range of ages, intellectual development levels, and social and cultural backgrounds, utilising appropriate technological and telecommunication aids.; (7) produce clear and accurate health and legal reports, and interpret and communicate specialist knowledge and skills to dental and non-dental audiences.; (8) apply expert clinical reasoning and judgement to develop comprehensive diagnosis and treatment plans by interpreting and correlating findings from patient history, clinical examination, imaging, and diagnostic investigations.; (9) manage complex cases, including medically compromised patients, with appropriate multidisciplinary engagement.; (10) anticipate, recognise, and manage complications arising in the context of specialist dental practice.; (11) collaborate effectively with relevant dental and health professionals to foster interprofessional practice in the planning and delivery of specialist dental care.; (12) integrate culturally safe practices into specialist dental care, demonstrating critical awareness, respect for and responsiveness to the oral health needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and other diverse patient populations.; (13) independently evaluate and formulate evidence-based management strategies for oral mucosal and soft tissue conditions of the oral and maxillofacial region, integrating clinical findings to justify diagnosis and adapt non-surgical treatment approaches.; (14) critically appraise and formulate evidence-based management strategies for the oral and maxillofacial manifestations of systemic diseases and disorders, synthesising medical and dental findings to justify and adapt specialist management; (15) independently evaluate and formulate evidence-based management strategies for disorders of the major and minor salivary glands, integrating diagnostic findings to justify treatment decisions.; (16) critically appraise and formulate evidence-based management strategies for disorders of the temporomandibular joint and masticatory apparatus, synthesising clinical findings to justify and adapt treatment within specialist oral medicine practice.; and (17) independently evaluate and formulate evidence-based management strategies for orofacial pain conditions, integrating clinical findings to justify diagnosis and adapt treatment within the scope of specialist oral medicine practice..

Assessment

Indicative assessments in this unit are as follows: (1) objective structured clinical examination (OSCE); (2) log book; (3) case based discussion (unseencase) and viva voc; and (4) professional behaviour assessment. Further information is available in the unit outline.

To pass this unit, a student must: (a) achieve an overall mark of 50 per cent or higher for the unit; and (b) achieve the requisite requirements(s) or a mark of 50 per cent or greater, whichever is higher and specified in the unit outline, for the objective structured clinical examination (OSCE), log book, case based discussion (unseencase) and viva voc, and professional behaviour assessment components.

Student may be offered supplementary assessment in this unit if they meet the eligibility criteria.

Unit Coordinator(s)

Associate Professor Bobby Joseph

Unit rules

Prerequisites

Successful completion of

Unit(s) DENT6819 Oral Medicine Clinical Practice I Part 1 (ID 2953)
and Unit(s) DENT6820 Oral Medicine Clinical Practice I Part 2 (ID 2954)

Co-requisites

Enrolment in

6 points Unit(s) DENT6815 Oral MedicineTheory II Part 1
and 6 points Unit(s) DENT6852 Oral Medicine Research Dissertation

Contact hours

clinics/labs: 18 hours per week for 45 weeks

Texts

Please refer to LMS for list.

Journals

Head and Neck Journal

Journal of Oral Pathology and Medicine

Oral Oncology

Oral Disease

Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology, Endodontics

Pain

Journal of Pain

Journal of Oral & Facial pain and Headache

Journal of Oral Rehabilitation 

Headache

Journal of Dental Sleep Medicine

Sleep

Other journals as advised during the course and as relevant to clinical and laboratory cases. Note: students will often need to read medical and general pathology journals also.