Master of Science in Advanced Dentistry (Endodontics)
The Master of Science in Advanced dentistry aims to train a general dentist to become a highly qualified practitioner who can competently and autonomously practise this special competence within dentistry within a general dental and medical perspective and in a broad social context.
What
Preclinical skills are practised in years 1 and 2, the clinical internship is spread over years 1, 2 and 3. The master's thesis is part of the curriculum in years 2 and 3. The theoretical training covers both basic biological principles and highly applied specific topics related to physiology and pathology of the dental pulp and periradicular tissues, taught by both external lecturers and in-house staff. In preclinical training, technical skills are trained and new techniques taught. Advanced mechanical preparation techniques, alternative obturation methods, basic endodontic re-treatment techniques are covered, as well as the use of the operating microscope and application of ultrasonics. Finally, endodontic surgical techniques involving soft and hard tissues are also taught preclinically. During clinical training, endodontics is put into practice at the clinic of the University Hospital. Throughout this course, simple therapies are started and built up to increasingly complex operations, under the supervision of qualified endodontists. In all this, the best available scientific evidence remains the guiding principle. Both preclinical and clinical activities are monitored on a regular basis and adjusted where necessary. Joint case presentations and literature reviews are part of the curriculum. The master's programme is based 80% attendance. The weekly schedule includes a number of fixed clinic days, teaching moments and moments to process learning material or perform research in the context of the master's thesis. Because of the scientific basis of the course, a master's thesis on an original scientific subject is part of the programme; for this purpose, a link can be made with existing research lines of the department. At the end of the programme, there is a final clinical examination conducted by an international examiner associated with a foreign training centre.
For whom
The admission requirements depend on your prior education (type of degree, country of issue etc.) or additional experience.
Quality Assurance
At Ghent University, we strive to educate people who dare to think about the challenges of tomorrow. For that purpose, we provide education that is embedded in six strategic objectives: Think Broadly, Keep Researching, Cultivate Talent, Contribute, Extend Horizons, Opt for Quality.
Ghent University continuously focuses on quality assurance and quality culture. The Ghent University's quality assurance system offers information on each study programme’s unique selling points, and on its strengths and weaknesses with regard to quality assurance.
More information:
Unique Selling Points
- Evidence-based education. Teaching is provided by professors who are active in scientific research and integrate recent findings into both theoretical and clinical teaching, featuring literature seminars and multidisciplinary patient discussions.
- Excellent teaching staff quality. In addition to their strong involvement in scientific research, professors also actively practice in clinical specialties. This dual role enables them to provide, in an integrated manner, high-quality theoretical and clinical education. Our training coordinators boast extensive national and international networks within their field, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of global curricula and required competencies.
- Strong link between theoretical and practical education. Dental specialists-in-training acquire new techniques and skills in a preclinical setting, allowing them to perform at an advanced level. Both our preclinical facilities and dental clinic at Ghent University Hospital, where the majority of internships take place, are equipped with state-of-the-art technology.
- Inclusion of external and international stakeholders. The programme strongly focuses on the engagement of various stakeholders, including dentist-specialists-in-training, lecturers, and because of the strong connection with Ghent University Hospital, representatives from the field, alumni,.... Regular vision and return days, along with consultations with basic training, ensure alignment with external and international perspectives.
Strengths
- Striving for future-proof competencies such as interdisciplinary collaboration and multiperspectivism. Regular multidiscplinary meetings facilitate collaborative efforts among dental specialists-in-training from various majors, as they work alongside team members to create integrated multidisciplinary patient treatment plans. These sessions are supervised by lecturers from the four graduate programmes.
- Optimal alignment with the bachelor/master dentistry programme. The core team of professors actively participates in both basic and advanced training, ensuring a harmonious alignment of content between the two programmes.
- Development of high-level academic competencies with room for experimental research. Each dental specialist-in-training develops a master's thesis around a research question related to the specialization. The majority of these master theses are based on own experimental research and result in contributions to international congresses or scientific publications.
- Embedding external, international perspectives. 3 of the 4 graduate programmes are internationally accredited, guaranteeing external quality monitoring. International experts are invited to give lectures and are part of the assessment commission of the final clinical exam and master's thesis. Alumni return days further enrich the programme by providing valuable insights and feedback from the broader field.
Challenges
- Enhance communication, internship organization and information provision. Streamlining communication, organization, and information provision is pivotal for maintaining continuity and diversity in patient care; and requires a good coordination with internal (Ghent University Hospital) and external internships. This makes planning, organization and communication to dental specialists-in-training challenging.
- The training programme is perceived as intensive by dental specialists-in-training. While efforts are made to monitor and manage the workload, maintaining a realistic level is crucial. However, the master-after-master's programme expects a higher degree of independence compared to basic training programme.
This study programme is accredited by the Accreditation Organization of the Netherlands and Flanders (Dutch: NVAO). Accreditation was extended following the positive outcome of the institutional review in 2022. Programme quality was validated by a quality review, i.e. a screening of the Education Monitor by the Education Quality Board. The Quality Assurance Resolution (in Dutch) can be found here.
This information was last updated on 14/02/2024.
In case of questions or suggestions with regard to the publicly available information, please contact the study programme