Taking stock: passing the torch, who has the light? Reflections about teaching orthodontics at the occasion of the retirement of Prof. Lysle E. Johnston, Jr PhD.
In the Marburg (Germany) 5-year dental curriculum, students enter the orthodontic department in the middle of their third year. Our teaching is student-centered and problem-solving oriented. From day 1 our students are trained to diagnose in three separate levels of development i.e. (i) craniofacial growth, (ii) development of the dentition and (iii) maturation of function. These three levels are kept separate throughout patient examination and up to the strategic treatment planning phase. The examination is performed with the help of three checklists, one for the facial morphology, one for the dentition and one for function. The three resulting problem lists then undergo reduction by selecting one 'key problem' for each level. Next, for every key problem three 'standard solutions' are offered, not in the form of appliances but as vectors that can modify growth. Finally, in a strategic planning phase, one treatment option from each of the three levels is selected and combined in a single, be it hypothetical, treatment plan. Parallel to these, students are exposed to treatment mechanics through the presentation of selected orthodontically treated patients. In our experience the advantage of this diagnostic procedure lies in the structured organization that serves as a GPS system for student and teacher and enables them a clear communication about where they are and what has to be done. By design, treatment options have taken priority over treatment mechanics. We are confident that our students, equipped with real life diagnostic skills, are well prepared for their orthodontic future.
Dibbets
J M H
JM
Department of Orthodontics, Philipps University, Marburg, Germany. dibbets@staff.uni-marburg.de
D003479:Curriculum; D003766:Dental Occlusion; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008310:Malocclusion / Q000175:diagnosis; D008445:Maxillofacial Development; D009805:Odontogenesis; D009970:Orthodontics / Q000193:education*; D010347:Patient Care Planning; D018794:Problem-Based Learning; D013663:Teaching