New Dental Education Move

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29906, 21 August 1962, Page 12

New Dental Education Move

(Neto Zealand Press Association)

DUNEDIN. August 20. A new patient-centred curriculum which will begin a new trend in dental educatio.. throughout the world was drawn up by a committee at Geneva recently Sir John Walsh, dean of the University of Otago Dental School, was chairman of the committee. Sir John Walsh had been invited by the World Health Organisation to be a member of the expert committee on dental education These members were drawn from an expert pane! of dental health apnointed by WHO In the past Sir John Walsh said after his return to Dunedin on Sunday, the dental curriculum was centred on subjects and deoartments of these subjects The new trend was to a patient-centred curriculum.

“We must prepare students for the conununities in which

they live.” he said. This involved the study of the humanities and social sciences

“The new idea Is teaching centred round the needs of the patient and the community "I think this country has probably the finest system for the control of effects of dental diseases in the world “But the next step is for the profession to get the support of the public in a nationwide move to reduce the incidence of and prevent dental disease "I believe that within 10 years, with the support of adolescents today their children will grow up without dental decay,’’ he said The support of people in the ase group between teens and 25 to 30 years was essential "It's their children we want—not them.”

“The last generation was one of false dentures. The current one has a mouth full

of amalgam The next will be virtually free of dental decay.” Sir John Walsh said This could only be done in a profession trained In terms of patients and people and the combination of many arts The WHO had defined these: they involved everything from political science to a knowledge of the cultural forces in the country. “It is not unfair to say that New Zealand is already making a beginning in this field.

“The report from the committee meeting at Geneva will be discussed by our own faculty “We are now organised tn fill holer on a national basis —but this is not good enough It is only control. We must move on to prevention ” Sir John Walsh said that to do this a dentist must be educated to take a professional responsibility not only in terms of patients but of the community.