Equipped with 59 Planmeca Compact iSim simulation units and three Planmeca Compact i Classic dental units for live demonstrations, the skills laboratory provides dental students with a trailblazing learning environment for the training of basic clinical procedures. For many students, visiting the skills laboratory and using the simulation units for the first time remains a memorable highlight of their training for years to come.
Navigating traditional and digital dentistry
Four years ago, the dental curriculum of the University of Helsinki was revised to include courses on digital dentistry.
“With the curriculum update, we wanted to ensure our department can keep up with the latest technological developments in dentistry. With our digital dentistry curriculum, we are now teaching digital workflows and offering digital implant planning and clear aligner courses,” said Dr Antti Kämppi, university lecturer and vice head of the dental undergraduate programme at the university.
In Finland, the duration of dentistry studies has been determined for all universities by a government decree. Accordingly, the studies span five and a half years, leading to a Licentiate in Dentistry degree, which is equivalent to the degree of Doctor of Dental Science. Five of those years are dedicated to theoretical and clinical studies at the university, followed by six months of practical training at a dental practice.
The challenge faced by the University of Helsinki—balancing traditional and digital methods in dentistry within a fixed time frame—mirrors that of dental universities worldwide. The digital revolution affects not only prosthetics but also other areas of dentistry. For example, it is already common to use automated devices for root canal treatment instead of hand instrumentation. For dental schools, it is necessary to cover both.
According to Dr Kämppi, the university would like to extend the dental curriculum by six months in order to focus on the latest technologies and future technological developments. However, since this is not possible, it has had to find other ways to keep up with the development of digital dentistry.
This means, for example, incorporating software in the preclinical learning environment. Planmeca Romexis software is available at every simulation unit, which allows students to view radiographic images directly at their units. This streamlines the teaching of different dental specialties utilising radiology. Students also learn to capture intra-oral images with two Planmeca ProX intra-oral imaging simulation units. The captured images are then available at any workstation.
Six Planmeca Emerald S intra-oral scanners are also actively used in the teaching of digital workflows. In addition, the scanners combined with Romexis software have proved useful for self-evaluation.
“Our students can prep a tooth, scan it with Planmeca Emerald S and analyse the preparation in Romexis, comparing their results with an example preparation. The students can always discuss their performance with a teacher, too, but ideally, Romexis helps them analyse the scans by themselves and spot the areas in which tissue still needs to be removed,” explained Dr Kämppi.
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