Course Syllabus
Dent (……)
(3 credit hours: 1 theory/ 2 practical)
1st year Dental Technology
Arab American University
Faculty of dentistry
Department of
1
First Semester
Course information
Course Title
Course Code
Coordinator
Lecture instructor
E-mail
Dental Morphology
Dr. Luma Alwaisi
Dr. Luma Alwaisi
Luma.Alwaisi@aaup.edu
Course description
This is one of the extended courses provided by the Department of Dentistry for undergraduate
1st year students in the Diploma Degree in dental technology during the first and second
semester.
The course has two components, lectures and corresponding practical training in laboratories.
The lecture topics in first semester cover detailed dental macroscopic anatomy of maxillary
and mandibular anterior teeth and the basic principles of dental occlusion. Each lecture covers
one of the permanent teeth and there is a separate lecture for dental occlusion. The first two
lectures present introduction to dental anatomy and the dental notation systems and the last
lectures introduce the fundamentals of dental occlusion for anterior teeth.
The practical sessions focus on developing the skills of carving different teeth out of wax
blocks. This practice is assumed to help students recalling the details of tooth morphology and
improving their manual skills. The latter is significant to have been developed before
upgrading to 2nd year. The sessions also include practicing on dental notation, occlusion as
well as skills of tooth identification. By the completion of the practical sessions, each student
has to hand in for assessment the laboratory book containing the completed duties that they
have been asked to execute.
Text Book
Title
Author(s)
Publisher
Year
Edition
Wheeler’s Dental Anatomy, Physiology and Occlusion
Ash, M. M. & Nelson, S.
Saunders Elsevier, St. Louis, Mo. c2010.
2010
9th
2
Assessment
Midterm exam (MCQ)
Homework / Quiz
Final exam (MCQ)
Total
Theory
10
5
15
30
Laboratory
25
5
40
70
Total grade
100
Course Objective
1.
2.
3.
4.
To learn basic terminology related to dental morphology.
To practice on using different dental notation systems.
To learn the detailed anatomy of all permanent teeth.
To learn the different traits used to tell different teeth apart leading to developing skills
of tooth identification.
To acquire manual skills of tooth carving.
To identify the normal variation in dental anatomy
To acquire the detailed knowledge of functional and static interaction of teeth in
occlusion.
To identify the significance of learning dental morphology and principles of occlusion
for restorative, prosthetic clinical practice.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Teaching methods
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Classroom lectures
Demonstrations
Tests and exams
Review for exams
Textbook reading assignments
3
Learning outcome
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to
Related Objective(s)
Practice on using different dental notation
systems for both dentitions and to understand the
basic terminology in dental anatomy
Learn the detailed anatomy of all permanent
anterior teeth and their occlusion.
Learn the different traits used to tell different
teeth apart leading to developing skills of tooth
identification.
Carve any permanent anterior tooth on wax
blocks
Know the different external anatomical features
and landmarks on teeth and their functions
Acquire the basic principles of dental occlusion
and how it can be simply applied in clinical
dentistry
Reference
Wheeler’s Dental
Anatomy, Physiology and
Occlusion
Lecture notes
Handed Demo
Wheeler’s Dental
Anatomy, Physiology and
Occlusion
Handed Demo
Kraus' Dental Anatomy
and Occlusion
Lecture notes
Handed Demo
Practical tutorials
Handed Demo
Wheeler’s Dental
Anatomy, Physiology and
Occlusion
Practical tutorials
Handed Dimo
Wheeler’s Dental
Anatomy, Physiology and
Occlusion
Useful Resources
1. Jordan, R. E. Abrams, L. Kraus, B. T. (1992). Kraus’ Dental Anatomy and Occlusion.
2nd Edition. Mosby.
2. Craig, P (2005) Handbook of Human Dental Anatomy. The University of Melbourne.
3. Craig, P (2005). The Teeth and Jaws of Animals (Comparative Oral Anatomy). The
University of Melbourne.
4. Lecture notes
5. Demonstrations on Dental Anatomy and Tooth carving. (to be handed)
4
Course Content
Week
Lecture Title
1
Introduction to the course
2
Introduction to dental anatomy
Practical Sessions
--------*Introduction to the lab
*Teeth Identification
3
4
Tooth numbering systems
*Basic terminology
(Notation system)
*land mark Identification
Basic vocabulary
*Dental notation
*Dental notation (practice)
5
Land mark of tooth surface
*practicing teeth Identification
*Introduction to wax carving
6
Permanent maxillary central
incisor
*Anatomy of maxillary central incisor
(drawing and carving)
7
Permanent maxillary lateral
incisor
*Anatomy of maxillary lateral incisor
(drawing and carving )
8
Permanent maxillary canine
*Anatomy of maxillary canine (drawing and
carving )
9
Midterm exam
10
Permanent mandibular central
incisor
*Anatomy of mandibular central incisor
(drawing and carving)
11
Permanent mandibular lateral
incisor
*Anatomy of mandibular lateral incisor
(drawing and carving)
12
Permanent mandibular canine
*Anatomy of mandibular canine (drawing and
carving)
13
Dental Occlusion
14
Catch up and revision
15
Final exam
Midterm practical exam
Dental occlusion
*wax-up maxillary central and lateral incisors
Final practical exam
5
Additional Notes
Attendance:
Students must attend 100% of all scheduled classes and labs. Class participation is required.
Should an absence be necessary, student should contact the course instructor by e-mail
immediately. Work missed can ONLY make up with an excused absence.
- No make-up exams or quizzes will be given for unexcused absences
- Late arrivals to class are unexcused absences
- All course make-ups, test, and so forth, must be completed within 14 days from the
date of the excused absence.
Practical component:
Section Day Time
Lab.
Practical training will take place in
1
Mon 8 – 12 pm
Biochemistry Lab. (M4-L2) on Mondays
and Wednesdays. Students are divided into 4
2
Mon 12 – 4 pm
practical sections according to the following
M4 – L2
table:
3
Wed 8 – 12 pm
4
Wed
12 – 4 pm
During the practical training, students of a given section will be divided into groups, each
group will be occupying a pre-determined bench in the lab. and instructed to remain at the
allocated location to carry out the practical duties for the full duration of the course. It is
important to know that students are not allowed to switch groups, laboratories or sections in
the practical part of this course.
At the beginning of each practical session, students will be introduced to the practical duties
that they have to carry out on that day. This is followed by a detailed demonstration on casts,
tooth models and natural teeth. Once introduction and demonstration are finished, student
should commence their practical duties under supervision that may include:
 Tracing assigning teeth to their suitable notation in different notation systems
 Sketching tooth models, jaw models and occlusion curves
 Carving teeth out of wax blocks
 Answering given questions / quizzes
 Making comments after Demo watching.
 Identifying teeth
6
Tools and materials needed for the practical component:
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A mechanical pencil, an eraser and a ruler together with the Practical Book. The Practical
Book should have alternating blank and lined A4 sheets
A graph-paper book with pre-sketched outlines of all aspects of permanent teeth. The
book is available at
A blank graph-paper book for sketching outlines of teeth aspects with additional sheets
for helping in tooth carving. The book is available at
Paper adhesive tape, soft tooth brush, retractable blade (‫ (مشرط‬and pair of scissors
Le Crone carver and a wax knife
12 colored wax carving blocks (the extra ones will be available in case the main ones
have failed)
Natural and plastic teeth (it is advisable that students start collecting natural teeth at the
beginning of the course) to be used as reference for anatomy and carving and for tooth
identification.
Student instructor relationship
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Students are instructed to frequently access the uploaded handouts, recourses and extra
learning materials on the e-learning link on the University's website.
e-learning will also allow for mentor-student interaction through online evaluation in the
form of tutorials, assignments and quizzes.
Students will be able to view the outcomes of their evaluation uploaded on e-learning.
This includes the results the quizzes and the midterm practical exams.
It is strongly recommended that the instructor is contacted either personally in his office
within the frames of the office hours provided or through email / e-learning. Contacting
the instructors on their private mobile phones is prohibited and will unintentionally ruin
the lecturer-student relationship.
7