Dental Therapy

Background

The department of Dental Therapy offers a unique programme which provides quality educational experiences for undergraduate Dental Therapy Students. This course is now firmly established and was offered for the first time in 1955. This undergraduate programme is designed to foster student growth, promote development of critical and ethical judgement, and encourage life-long learning.

The Programme is rapidly evolving to give the students an opportunity to learn and develop in a friendly, caring and professional environment from which to launch themselves into the responsibilities of a working life with confidence and competence.

Aims of the Programme

The purpose of the Diploma in Dental Therapy programme is to produce caring, knowledgeable, competent and skilful graduates who are able, on qualification:

  1. To demonstrate subject knowledge and understanding and demonstrate the clinical skills and competencies to enable them to practice dental therapy.
  2. To accept professional responsibility for their role in the effective and safe care of patients.
  3. To recognize their obligation to practice in the best interests of patients at all times.
  4. To develop a questioning, scientific, and self-critical approach to the practice of dentistry.
  5. To foster the intellectual skills required for future personal and professional development.
  6. To develop an understanding of audit and clinical governance.
  7. To be able to work effectively as part of the dental team.

Contacts

For further queries you may contact the department of dental therapy via email:

admin@fedsdtten.edu.ng

Search for:

Quick Links

WHO IS A DENTAL THERAPIST

A Dental Therapist is a member of the dental team who provides preventive and restorative dental care for children and adults. He must have been trained in an accredited institution for a period of 4-5 years and have done a mandatory 1 year internship and national youth service and is registered and licensed by the Dental Therapists Registration Board of Nigeria.

ABOUT DENTAL THERAPY DEPARTMENT

The department of Dental Therapy offers a unique programme which provides quality educational experiences for undergraduate Dental Therapy Students. This course formally started the Higher National Diploma (HND) programme in 1998, after it was fully accredited by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE). This undergraduate programme is designed to foster student’s growth, promote development of critical and ethical judgment, and encourage life-long learning. The programme is rapidly evolving to give the students an opportunity to learn and develop in a friendly, caring and professional environment from which to launch themselves into the responsibilities of a work life with confidence and competence.

Objectives of the programme

The objective of the Programme in Dental Therapy is to produce caring, knowledgeable, competent and skillful graduates who are able, on qualification:

  1. To complement the work of the dentist in dental clinics.
  2. To offer advice on dental care
  3. To carry out oral debridement’s on the teeth.
  4. To carry out public enlightenment campaigns on dental care.
  5. To carry out non major and routine dental treatment.
  6. To demonstrate subject knowledge and understanding and demonstrate the clinical skills and competencies to enable them to practice dental therapy.
  7. To accept professional responsibilities for their role in the effective and safe care of patients.
  8. To recognize their obligation to practice in the best interests of patients at all times.
  9. To develop a questioning, scientific, and self-critical approach to the practice of dentistry.
  10. To foster the intellectual skills required for future personal and    professional development.
  11. To develop an understanding of audit and clinical governance.
  12. To carry out dental health campaigns and promotion,
  13. To be able to work effectively as part of the dental team.

Admission Requirements

Admission is through Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB). Prospective Students must have obtained Five Credit Pass at O/Level GCE/SSCE, NECO or its equivalent in Mathematics, English Language, Physics, Chemistry and Biology.

CAREER PROSPECTS

There are wide ranges of career opportunities within the Dental Therapy profession. Dental Therapists can work as;

  • ADMINISTRATOR/MANAGER

You can work as administrators/Managers in establishments that promote oral health education, e.g. LEVER BROTHERS PLC, UAC NIGERIA etc.

  • EDUCATOR

You can be employed as educators in schools right from the primary to the tertiary level. (at the tertiary level, they require additional qualifications such as MSc, PhD, etc).

  • RESEARCHER

You can be into full time researcher in the private sector or work in partnership with others to collect data on a particular oral disease or oral health needs. As researchers they can generate grants for local and foreign organizations for the promotion of oral health. Foreign organizations such as BILL and MELINDA GATES foundation, Pro-Health etc, are known to collect data on oral health and provide basic oral health needs for people.

  • CONSUMER ADVOCATES

They can also work as consumer advocates; companies like GLAXO, SMITH KLIME (GSK) can employ you to promote their oral health products and at the same time generate feedback from the consumers for quality services.

  • PUBLIC HEALTH DENTAL EDUCATOR

You can reach out to general populace by educating and providing basic treatments and collect feedback from schools, communities, maternity clinics etc

  • DENTAL CLINICS

A dental Therapist can work in the federal, state or private dental clinics by carrying out oral debridement’s, application of fissure sealants, fluoride application etc.

  • WORK IN INTERNATIONAL AGENCIES

They also work with international organizations such as the UNICEF, United Nations, World Health Organization, USAID, UNESCO etc.

These international bodies employ dental personnel so that they can provide oral health care services for internally Displaced Persons (IDP), physically challenged etc in Nigeria.

  • AS STAFF IN THE REGULATORY BODIES

You can also work with the Dental Therapists Registration Board of Nigeria, as administrators, clinicians/ oral health educators and researchers.

  • PRIMARY HEALTH CARE CENTERS

You can work in the communities mostly at the Primary Health Care (PHC) centers, as oral health care provider.