Undergraduate and Postgraduate Orthodontics in Australia

Abstract

Undergraduate orthodontic education in Australian university dental schools reflects a strong British influence. The Australian Dental Council is now responsible for undergraduate course accreditation and the development of a more distinctly Australian model might be expected, although not in isolation from the traditional British and American influences. Postgraduate specialty training has been more directly influenced by the North American dental schools, and specialist registers in the states and territories reflect that influence. The Australian Dental Council will commence accreditation of postgraduate specialty courses in 1999.

Quality systems in dentistry Part 2. Quality Assurance and Improvement (QA/I) tools that have implications for dentistry

“…Accreditation is a status that is gained primarily by an organisation (rather than an individual) after a voluntary process of meeting the particular standards that are defined by various accreditation organisations 5,6,16,23,37,[46][47][48] . 'Accreditation process requires applicable standards for each level of care, practice or optimal method and assessment of the quality of the key systems and processes that organizations must comply' 46 .…”

“…Process of accreditation of dental schools, specialty training programmes and continuing professional development (e.g. formal accreditation of CE courses) differ among countries 24,47,48 . In most cases, for accreditation of dental schools periodical self-assessment and external evaluation to identify deficiencies and their correction are essential and assessment of validity and reliability of accreditation standards is crucial 6 .…”

Global issues with orthodontic education: a personal viewpoint

“…4 In Australia, all 5 dental schools offer Masters in Orthodontics and their respective degrees are recognized for 'specialist registration' by the Australian Dental Council. 3 The Dental Council of India does not have a specialist register, but discussions are being held in this direction.…”

“…In Australia, too, the full-time faculty is greatly supported by visiting and part-time orthodontic teachers who make a significant contribution to the supervision of clinical cases. 3 In India, while the number of new dental colleges mushrooms, the Dental Council does not permit the association of part-time instructors; this means that new graduate orthodontic departments have a shortage of experienced full-time teachers. Part-time instructors can both fill this void and supplement the work of the full-time faculty.…”