Bachelor of Dental Technology / Bachelor of Dental Prosthetics - (Dual Degree) Griffith University - Gold Coast Campus, Australia

This double degree is ideal for those students who are interested in developing hands-on practical skills in designing and making dentures, crowns and bridges, combined with diagnosing, designing and fitting removable dentures directly to patients. For secondary school leavers, it will provide opportunities for specialisation and more opportunities for employment upon graduation.

Students graduate with two qualifications to be able to work as both a Dental Technologist/Technician and Dental Prosthetist.

Dental Technologists (or Dental Technicians as they are often referred to) are highly skilled members of the dental team. They combine art and science skills to construct custom-made dental devices such as dentures, crowns, bridges and orthodontic appliances to replace, restore and correct defects that may affect our facial appearance and the ability to use our teeth properly. They generally work behind the scenes in laboratories and not directly on patients.

Dental Prosthetists work independently in a clinical setting to diagnose and treat patients requiring removable partial or full dentures.

The first three years will be spent developing highly specialised hand skills, finishing with a professional practice course where students work alongside dentistry students on "real-life real-time" patient cases. The final fourth year builds on the previous years with a focus on developing clinical knowledge and skills to diagnose, fabricate, make and fit dentures directly to patients.

A number of key benefits set Griffith's Dental Prosthetist education apart from that at other teaching institutions. Students develop advanced critical analytical skills to solve difficult technical and clinical situations. They learn in an inter-professional environment from experienced Dental Prosthetists and specialists in fields such as:

• Oral Pathology
• Pharmacology
• Radiology
• Prosthodontics

Dental Prosthetic students practice alongside Dentistry students to develop communication and collaboration skills in individual cases. This may include, for example, inserting and monitoring immediate dentures or witnessing a variety of complex dental procedures. This process is managed through the Team-Based Treatment Planning Process which develops patient referral skills.