Dentistry in Australia

The Master of Dental Public Health focuses on the prevention of oral diseases and improving oral health at a population level, particularly among vulnerable populations.

Learning opportunities are aimed at developing practical skills experience in dental public health; through problem identification, designing and implementing public health interventions, and policy analysis and development.

Students from this course will graduate with advanced skills in oral health surveillance, policy development, community-based disease prevention, health promotion, research and optimisation of oral health services and delivery.

Graduates from this course will need to have developed skills in evaluation and research in order to meet the competencies of a specialist in this area. Students who complete this program will be strongly placed to progress to study at PhD level to further their research training.

Who should study this course?

This course benefits registered dentists in Australia seeking specialist recognition as well as those who are seeking a premier education in dental public health, such as:

• other dental practitioners (e.g., oral health therapist, dental hygienist)
• international dentists
• non-dentally qualified individuals working in oral health/public health.

The Master of Dental Public Health is the only accredited program in Australia leading dentists who meet the standards for general registration to register as a specialist dentist in the specialty of Public Health Dentistry (Community Dentistry).

To ensure students have a foundational understanding of public health principles, a prerequisite for entry into this course is for applicants to hold a Master of Public Health degree (MPH) or equivalent.  

Launch your career in dentistry with this five-year industry Honours course.

While undertaking La Trobe's Bachelor of Dental Science (Honours) you'll learn about oral health in rural and ageing populations and develop hands-on skills in clinical placements across regional Victoria. You'll treat patients under the supervision of experienced clinicians and participate in community-based oral health promotion programs. You can also complete a community-based project or research project, which can lead to PhD entry.

You'll learn:

• Preclinical oral health
  • Develop knowledge in restorative, preventive and periodontal procedures. On completion, you'll be competent in preclinical skills including dental materials, infection control, OH&S, instrumentation and dental procedures.
• Medicine for dentistry
  • Learn to take a comprehensive medical history and understand its role in safe dental health care. The implications of therapeutic drugs used in managing medical conditions will also be covered.
• Clinical practice
  • Discover how to apply diagnosis, treatment planning and technical skills to the management of patients in a clinical setting.
• Prosthodontics
  • Learn the principles of fixed prosthodontics through lectures, tutorials and laboratory sessions and apply them in practice during your clinical placement.

The qualification awarded on graduation is recognised in the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) as Level 8.