Skip to main content
Unit outline_

DENT5102: Dental Health Services, Systems and Policy

Semester 1, 2023 [Online] - Westmead, Sydney

This unit of study provides students with an appreciation of the role and scope of oral health services within the Australian health care system by offering both foundational and applied knowledge required for analysis and evaluation of oral health service delivery. On the completion of this unit of study, students will understand the underpinning principles that contextualise primary oral health care; identify and articulate the socioeconomic and socio-political determinants that impact on the delivery and management of oral health services; and to critically evaluate the appropriateness of existing and proposed oral health services and programs for different population groups.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit Discipline of Population Oral Health
Credit points 6
Prerequisites
? 
None
Corequisites
? 
None
Prohibitions
? 
None
Assumed knowledge
? 

Comprehensive knowledge in all aspects of General Dentistry, particularly in Restorative Dentistry and Oral Rehabilitation

Available to study abroad and exchange students

No

Teaching staff

Coordinator Woosung Sohn, woosung.sohn@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s) Arash Ghanbarzadegan, arash.ghanbarzadegan@sydney.edu.au
Bradley Christian, bradley.christian@sydney.edu.au
Type Description Weight Due Length
Assignment Providing detailed professional advice regarding the oral health workforce
This assignment is for you to write a professional advice report in a blog
40% Week 07
Due date: 05 Apr 2023 at 23:59
1500 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6
Assignment Critique payment system
This assignment is to write a critical review summary.
60% Week 12
Due date: 03 May 2023 at 23:59
1500-2000 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

 

As a general guide, a high distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

  • Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
  • After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

WK Topic Learning activity Learning outcomes
Week 02 Australia's Oral Health Infrastructure - Surveying the landscape and identifying challenges and opportunities Seminar (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO6
Week 04 Dental Payment Systems Seminar (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6
Week 05 Health insurance and oral health care utilisation Seminar (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6
Week 07 The oral health workforce Seminar (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO5 LO6
Week 10 Interprofessional engagement in oral healthcare Seminar (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6
Week 12 The role of the professional associations in public health practice Seminar (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO5 LO6
Week 13 Oral health care inequality - helped or exacerbated by oral health systems? Seminar (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6
Week 14 (STUVAC) Filling the gap - Indigenous oral healthcare in Australia Seminar (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5 LO6

Attendance and class requirements

  • Attendance: Attendance is a professional responsibility required of all students admitted to academic programs within the Sydney Dental School. All programs in the Sydney Dental School have a 90% attendance policy, for all compulsory components of Units of Study, as detailed in the Faculty of Dentistry Attendance Provisions 2015. This includes all clinical and practical sessions. The course requirements cannot be satisfied if more than 10% of any section of a course is missed for any reason.
  • Professionalism: Students in all Sydney Dental School programs are subject to theFaculty of Medicine and Health Professionalism Requirements 2019 and the Faculty of Medicine and Health Professionalism Provisions 2019. Professionalism is an essential component of developing competency to practice. It is important for students to demonstrate professional behaviour in all contexts and environments. In accordance with these local provisions: candidates who demonstrate serious or repeated unprofessional behaviour may be required to show cause as to why their enrolment should be continued. Failure to show cause may result in exclusion from the course.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

  • LO1. demonstrate how health policy is developed and implemented by government and professional associations
  • LO2. critically consider how health professional regulation in Australia impacts upon health policy and the dental workforce
  • LO3. demonstrate knowledge of different payment systems in dentistry and how these affect the provision of dentistry and services
  • LO4. consider the impact of private health insurance on dentistry, considering this from both a global and an Australian perspective
  • LO5. demonstrate understanding of consumer factors in the provision of dental health services and why consumer-engagement is crucial to the provision of appropriate and culturally competent care
  • LO6. critically discuss different components of dental health services provision, including private, public and corporate care models.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1 Depth of disciplinary expertise

Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.

GQ2 Critical thinking and problem solving

Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.

GQ3 Oral and written communication

Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.

GQ4 Information and digital literacy

Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.

GQ5 Inventiveness

Generating novel ideas and solutions.

GQ6 Cultural competence

Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.

GQ7 Interdisciplinary effectiveness

Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.

GQ8 Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity

An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.

GQ9 Influence

Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes Graduate qualities
GQ1 GQ2 GQ3 GQ4 GQ5 GQ6 GQ7 GQ8 GQ9

Alignment with Competency standards

Outcomes Competency standards
LO1
Public Health Dentistry - DBA
1.a. recognising the personal limitations and scope of the specialty and knowing when to refer or seek advice appropriately
1.b. practising with personal and professional integrity, honesty and trustworthiness
1.c. providing patient-centred care, including selecting and prioritising treatment options that are compassionate and respectful of patients’ best interests, dignity and choices and which seek to improve community oral health
1.d. understanding and applying the moral, cultural, ethical principles and legal responsibilities involved in the provision of specialist dental care to individual patients, to communities and populations
1.e. displaying appropriate professional behaviour and communication towards all members of the dental team and referring health practitioner/s
1.f. understanding and applying legislation including that related to record-keeping
1.h. supporting the professional development and education for all members of the dental and/or health community, and
1.i. demonstrating leadership in the profession.
2.c. use of technological and telecommunication aids in planning and delivering specialist treatment
2.d. communicating effectively in all forms of health and legal reporting, and
2.e. interpreting and communicating knowledge, skills and ideas.
3.a. critically evaluating scientific research and literature, products and techniques to inform evidence-based specialist practice, and
4.1.a. historical and contemporary literature
4.1.b. the scientific basis of dentistry including the relevant biological, medical and psychosocial sciences
4.1.e. management and treatment planning with multidisciplinary engagement for complex cases, including compromised patients.
4.2.a. the epidemiology of oral health and disease
4.2.b. the principles of oral health service delivery
4.2.c. the principles of public health research oral disease prevention at a population level, and
4.2.d. the analysis of oral health needs and services in community and public health settings.
5.2.b. writing reports.
LO2
Public Health Dentistry - DBA
1.a. recognising the personal limitations and scope of the specialty and knowing when to refer or seek advice appropriately
1.c. providing patient-centred care, including selecting and prioritising treatment options that are compassionate and respectful of patients’ best interests, dignity and choices and which seek to improve community oral health
1.d. understanding and applying the moral, cultural, ethical principles and legal responsibilities involved in the provision of specialist dental care to individual patients, to communities and populations
1.f. understanding and applying legislation including that related to record-keeping
1.i. demonstrating leadership in the profession.
3.a. critically evaluating scientific research and literature, products and techniques to inform evidence-based specialist practice, and
3.b. synthesising complex information, problems, concepts and theories.
4.1.a. historical and contemporary literature
4.1.b. the scientific basis of dentistry including the relevant biological, medical and psychosocial sciences
4.1.c. development, anatomy, physiology and pathology of hard and soft tissues of the head and neck
4.1.d. the range of investigative, technical and clinical procedures, and
4.2.b. the principles of oral health service delivery
4.2.c. the principles of public health research oral disease prevention at a population level, and
5.2.b. writing reports.
LO3
Public Health Dentistry - DBA
1.b. practising with personal and professional integrity, honesty and trustworthiness
1.e. displaying appropriate professional behaviour and communication towards all members of the dental team and referring health practitioner/s
1.f. understanding and applying legislation including that related to record-keeping
1.g. demonstrating specialist professional growth and development through research and learning
1.h. supporting the professional development and education for all members of the dental and/or health community, and
1.i. demonstrating leadership in the profession.
2.c. use of technological and telecommunication aids in planning and delivering specialist treatment
2.d. communicating effectively in all forms of health and legal reporting, and
2.e. interpreting and communicating knowledge, skills and ideas.
5.1.c. managing complications.
5.2.a. designing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating population oral health programs, and
LO4
Public Health Dentistry - DBA
1.b. practising with personal and professional integrity, honesty and trustworthiness
1.c. providing patient-centred care, including selecting and prioritising treatment options that are compassionate and respectful of patients’ best interests, dignity and choices and which seek to improve community oral health
1.d. understanding and applying the moral, cultural, ethical principles and legal responsibilities involved in the provision of specialist dental care to individual patients, to communities and populations
1.e. displaying appropriate professional behaviour and communication towards all members of the dental team and referring health practitioner/s
1.f. understanding and applying legislation including that related to record-keeping
2.a. identifying and understanding a patient’s, or their parent’s, guardian’s or carer’s expectations, desires and attitudes when planning and delivering specialist treatment
2.b. communicating effectively with patients, their families, relatives and carers in a manner that takes into account factors such as their age, intellectual development, social and cultural background
2.c. use of technological and telecommunication aids in planning and delivering specialist treatment
2.d. communicating effectively in all forms of health and legal reporting, and
2.e. interpreting and communicating knowledge, skills and ideas.
3.b. synthesising complex information, problems, concepts and theories.
4.1.d. the range of investigative, technical and clinical procedures, and
4.1.e. management and treatment planning with multidisciplinary engagement for complex cases, including compromised patients.
4.2.a. the epidemiology of oral health and disease
4.2.b. the principles of oral health service delivery
4.2.c. the principles of public health research oral disease prevention at a population level, and
4.2.d. the analysis of oral health needs and services in community and public health settings.
5.1.c. managing complications.
5.2.b. writing reports.
LO5
Public Health Dentistry - DBA
1.a. recognising the personal limitations and scope of the specialty and knowing when to refer or seek advice appropriately
1.b. practising with personal and professional integrity, honesty and trustworthiness
1.c. providing patient-centred care, including selecting and prioritising treatment options that are compassionate and respectful of patients’ best interests, dignity and choices and which seek to improve community oral health
1.d. understanding and applying the moral, cultural, ethical principles and legal responsibilities involved in the provision of specialist dental care to individual patients, to communities and populations
1.e. displaying appropriate professional behaviour and communication towards all members of the dental team and referring health practitioner/s
1.f. understanding and applying legislation including that related to record-keeping
1.g. demonstrating specialist professional growth and development through research and learning
1.h. supporting the professional development and education for all members of the dental and/or health community, and
2.a. identifying and understanding a patient’s, or their parent’s, guardian’s or carer’s expectations, desires and attitudes when planning and delivering specialist treatment
2.b. communicating effectively with patients, their families, relatives and carers in a manner that takes into account factors such as their age, intellectual development, social and cultural background
2.c. use of technological and telecommunication aids in planning and delivering specialist treatment
2.d. communicating effectively in all forms of health and legal reporting, and
2.e. interpreting and communicating knowledge, skills and ideas.
4.1.b. the scientific basis of dentistry including the relevant biological, medical and psychosocial sciences
4.2.a. the epidemiology of oral health and disease
4.2.b. the principles of oral health service delivery
4.2.c. the principles of public health research oral disease prevention at a population level, and
4.2.d. the analysis of oral health needs and services in community and public health settings.
5.1.a. applying decision-making, clinical reasoning and judgement to develop a comprehensive diagnosis and treatment plan by interpreting and correlating findings from the history, clinical examinations, imaging and other diagnostic tests
5.1.b. managing complex cases, including compromised patients with multidisciplinary management, and
LO6
Public Health Dentistry - DBA
1.a. recognising the personal limitations and scope of the specialty and knowing when to refer or seek advice appropriately
1.b. practising with personal and professional integrity, honesty and trustworthiness
1.c. providing patient-centred care, including selecting and prioritising treatment options that are compassionate and respectful of patients’ best interests, dignity and choices and which seek to improve community oral health
1.d. understanding and applying the moral, cultural, ethical principles and legal responsibilities involved in the provision of specialist dental care to individual patients, to communities and populations
1.e. displaying appropriate professional behaviour and communication towards all members of the dental team and referring health practitioner/s
1.f. understanding and applying legislation including that related to record-keeping
1.g. demonstrating specialist professional growth and development through research and learning
1.h. supporting the professional development and education for all members of the dental and/or health community, and
1.i. demonstrating leadership in the profession.
2.a. identifying and understanding a patient’s, or their parent’s, guardian’s or carer’s expectations, desires and attitudes when planning and delivering specialist treatment
2.b. communicating effectively with patients, their families, relatives and carers in a manner that takes into account factors such as their age, intellectual development, social and cultural background
2.c. use of technological and telecommunication aids in planning and delivering specialist treatment
2.d. communicating effectively in all forms of health and legal reporting, and
2.e. interpreting and communicating knowledge, skills and ideas.
4.2.b. the principles of oral health service delivery
5.2.b. writing reports.

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

This is the first time this unit has been offered.

Work, health and safety

Students must comply with work health and safety, infection control and dress standard policies of all laboratories, placement sites and Local Health Districts (LHDs).

 

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.