Department Prosthetic Dentistry

Patient treatment course

Patient treatment is considered of high importance in the clinical part of the dental education. Nearly all patients of the Department of Prosthetic Dentistry require extensive functional and restorative treatment, which often includes endodontic, periodontal and oral surgical measures. Patients selected for the student course are often referred to other clinical departments (Restorative Dentistry & Periodontology, Oral Surgery and Prosthetic Dentistry) to receive pre-treatment. This provides the students with a theoretical basis (though not the practical treatment) of an inter-disciplinary course of treatment.
This has led to the introduction of an “Integrated Treatment Course” in the winter-semester of 1997/98. Through intimate collaboration between the respective departments (Restorative Dentistry & Periodontology, Prosthetic Dentistry and Oral Surgery clinics), a clinical- and prevention-oriented learning concept was pursued, aiming to provide a basis for the implementation of problem-oriented learning (POL). This integrated course model ensures a comprehensive oral diagnosis, through which the patients could be integrated, according to their chief complaint, into the corresponding clinical courses. The student will see the patient through to the definitive treatment plan, and, if possible, carry out all the necessary treatment steps themselves under the supervision of experienced dentists. Owing to the tight-meshed patient control carried out by the students and the dental supervising personnel, the intended plan for patient compliance can be accommodated. The students can monitor the effects of the treatment, from a preventative and restorative viewpoint, over a long period, thereby enabling them to plan the definitive treatment in accordance with the current treatment progress and to better appreciate the impact of patient cooperation on the outcome of the treatment.