Bachelor [Dental Technology (Ordinary Degree)] From Trinity College Dublin

Dental technicians work in a laboratory which is usually remote from the dental clinic. Dental technicians work to the prescription of a dentist; they perform the laboratory aspects of dentistry ? fabricating crowns and bridges, dentures, maxillofacial and orthodontic appliances, which are intended for use by the patient. Dental technicians have good manual dexterity skills and are required to work with different materials for the fabrication of the various appliances. Dental technology is changing with more emphasis on the use of CAD (Computer Aided Design)/CAM (Computer Aided Manufacturing) in the laboratory. The restoration of dental implants has also become more commonly part of the daily routine of a dental technician.

Dental Technology at Trinity is a three-year ordinary degree programme. Most of the teaching takes place in the Dublin Dental University Hospital (DDUH). The main aim of the course is to educate and train students to become part of the dental team for the planning, designing and fabrication of intra-oral appliances. Dental

Technology is divided into four main areas ? fixed prosthodontics, complete denture technology, removable denture technology and orthodontic technology. In the Junior Freshman (first) and Senior Freshman (second) years, a Dental Technology student will spend much of their time (6-8 x 3 hour sessions per week) in the DDUH teaching laboratory. The course is very much hands-on right from the start. Student numbers are small (6), which facilitates practical training of this nature. There is a strong emphasis on student integration with Dental Science students and some modules are integrated accordingly.

In the Junior Sophister (third) year, students are assigned to the production laboratory for experience in providing a service to patients. This offers a competitive advantage over graduates from many other universities. Liaison with the Dental Science students and clinical staff is encouraged and students are advised to spend time in the clinic to observe their complete work in situ. There is the opportunity for students to be placed in external laboratories and there is a possibility of Erasmus exchange in this year too. Students will be busy throughout the year preparing a dissertation, which is presented at the end of the year in addition to a case portfolio of the practical work which the student has carried out over the course of the year.