Oral Biology

Personnel

• Dr S Nel: Senior lecturer and Stomatologist  (course coordinator (dental students) and lecturer in all undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Oral Biology).
• Dr C Davidson: Senior lecturer and Stomatologist (course coordinator (oral hygiene students) and lecturer in all undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Oral Biology). 

Courses

• Oral Biology (MDB 171): A one-year examination course for first year oral hygiene students (BOH I)
• Oral Biology (MDB 270): A one-year examination course for second year dental students (BChD II)
• Oral Biology (MDB 710): A semester course, compulsory for the postgraduate diploma in various disciplines of Dentistry (PGDipDent)
• Oral Biology (MDB 800). A semester course which is a compulsory basic subject for the different speciality (MChD) degrees in Dentistry
• MSc (Oral Biology)(ODO 800)
• PhD (Oral Biology) 

Course content

Oral Biology provides a thorough knowledge of the development, structure and functions of the oral cavity and associated structures. This includes the facial bones, tooth development and movements, dental hard tissues, temporomandibular joint and salivary glands. The clinical relevance and application of these structures provides the foundational knowledge for the clinical subjects. This module forms part of the undergraduate curriculum for a Bachelor degree in Dentistry (BChD) and a Bachelor degree in Oral Hygiene (BOH) degrees.

At a postgraduate level, the  foundational undergraduate knowledge is expanded with the inclsion of the most recent advancements in the field by means of clinically relevant articles. This course is streamlined to align with the respective postgraduate courses depending on their requirements.