This evidence-based course is built on the academic content delivered in the BOH curriculum and is designed to refine and develop your orthodontic skills to meet the needs of orthodontic practice and the standards required by the Dental Board of Australia. The course comprises a combination of online lectures and practical work incorporating supported clinical experience and small group work. The course is delivered by University of Melbourne Dental School academic staff, specialist orthodontists, and oral health orthodontic practitioners drawing on the latest evidence and experience to grow your understanding, knowledge and practice confidence. Learn in a world class academic environment with practitioners from a range of settings around Australia and develop your own community of practice.

Practice Experience required:

For those who have not worked in orthodontic practice prior to undertaking this course, we recommend that you arrange to spend a day observing in a practice both before and after the course. This is to support your learning and to provide a basic understanding of a range of orthodontic procedures and how an Oral Health Therapist, Dental Hygienist or Dental Therapist fits into an orthodontic team.

If you are currently employed in an orthodontic practice and have past and current experience with day-to-day orthodontic activities that are part of the scope of practice, this will provide the required background knowledge.

Course objectives:

To provide a course of education and training that will enable dental therapists, hygienists and oral health therapists to support orthodontists and dentists in the provision of orthodontic treatment and preventive services.

Learning outcomes: 

• Identify the information required by patients undergoing orthodontic treatment
• Appropriately use orthodontic instruments and equipment
• Take clinical photographs, use contemporary technologies for scanning and other records for orthodontic purposes
• Place and remove separators
• Remove brackets and other appliances and related accessory materials used in orthodontic treatment/therapy including clear orthodontic aligners
• Place and fix arch wires
• Select and prepare bands for cementation
• Re-cement loose bands and brackets
• Remove orthodontic cement and materials after band and bracket removal
• Placement and maintenance of aligners
• Prescribe preventive modalities to protect and promote oral health during orthodontic treatment
• Provide patients with accurate information relating to the care and maintenance of teeth and fixed and/or removable orthodontic appliances
• Identify and refer conditions requiring management by an orthodontist or other dental professional

Program Delivery

• Pre-reading material will be supplied including refresher material on occlusion and malocclusion and their classifications

• Online web lectures via the Melbourne Dental School’s Learning Management System, Canvas.
• A short MCQ (multiple choice questions) to cement your knowledge on the lecture topics. An additional one hour of Scientific CPD is awarded.
• Seminar Session (webinar) for follow up questions and discussion with the presenters.
• Hands-on Clinical sessions to be held at the Melbourne Dental Clinic, 1st Floor, 723 Swanston Street, Carlton Vic 3053 – demonstrations and hands-on exercises on scanning, separator placement, photography, arch wire fixation and removal, bracket placement and re-bonding, placement and removal of bonded retainers and aligners, removal of separators, de-bonding brackets and cement removal, fitting of orthodontic bands and a panel discussion.

IMPORTANT: Please note, the online content for this program, must be completed in full before attending the face-to-face hands-on sessions at the Melbourne Dental School.

Please note: Participants enrolling in this program must hold a current licence to practice within Australia.

CPD Credit: 21.5 hours of Scientific CPD

For enquiries, contact: mds-cpd@unimelb.edu.au

Course Presenters:

Check out a full profile on the presenters.

Dr Samar Amari

Associate Professor Julie Satur

Dr Hong Jin Chan

Dr Braydon Patterson