
MSc Restorative Dental Science
Delivered by the Peninsula Dental School for registered dental practitioners, our MSc in Restorative Dental Science will help you perform advanced restorative treatments with increased skill and confidence.
Course details
Delivery
online, part-time
Duration
2 years
Start dates
January, May and September
Next welcome week
19 September 2022
Next course start date
26 September 2022
Total fees
£24,995 (flexible payments available)
Application deadline
12 September 2022
Course overview
Watch our video Q&A with Course Leader Mr Timothy O'Brien to discover key benefits of the course:
Restorative dentistry incorporates the mono-specialist disciplines of endodontics, periodontics, prosthodontics, and implant dentistry.
Our programme is designed to provide busy dental practitioners like yourself with the opportunity to study in a flexible manner, so you can continue your clinical work and learn at the times that suit you best.
You will receive the expert support needed to elevate the quality of your practice, and the chance to apply your newly acquired techniques and knowledge to your own patients in real time.
During your time on the course, you’ll master how to perform more proficient case assessments, diagnoses, and treatment planning. Of course, we’ll also equip you with the techniques and knowledge needed to perform more clinically advanced treatments of patients requiring restorative dentistry.
"You can begin to employ the techniques that you learn on your own patients from the outset, putting into practice what you've learnt in the modules as you undertake them."
Mr Timothy O'Brien, Course Leader
What you’ll study
Created by restorative dentistry specialists with vast experience in postgraduate education and assessment, this course will teach you how to conduct complex restorative treatments that are underpinned by a strong evidence base.
As you develop your knowledge of the theories and concepts behind the practice, you’ll gain the expertise needed to bring an added dimension of understanding and analysis to your work.
You will:
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explore dental issues and procedures with increasing complexity, while learning how to perform them safely and with confidence
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develop an in-depth understanding of your own work and how to critically evaluate your own decision making
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dive into deeper development of your practice, including key competencies for future career advancement.
Why study an MSc in Restorative Dental Science?
As a practising dentist, you will already understand that your line of work is a constant learning curve. With new methods, best practices and technologies continuing to shape the field of dental science, it’s more important than ever for dentists to enhance their skillset to adapt to the rapidly-evolving environment in which they work. Find out more about how this online Masters can advance your career:
Module overview
You’ll explore the basic science underpinning common disease processes relevant to restorative dentistry, which affect the teeth/hard tissues, and the materials used to restore/replace dental tissues which have been affected.
The focus of this module is the diagnosis and management of caries and tooth surface loss, including the use of direct restorations.
This module focuses on the diagnosis and management of periodontal and endodontic pathology. You’ll gain a deeper understanding of the principles behind the prevention of and treatment for endodontic and periodontal pathology, including the role of surgical intervention.
In this module, you’ll learn more about the principles of restoring teeth using indirect restorations, and the replacement of missing teeth using different types of prosthesis.
Your dissertation will help you develop your evidence-based dentistry skills through the completion of an evidence synthesis project. You will design, plan, and undertake a review of the evidence relevant to your chosen field of study.
Are you interested?
Entry requirements
If your application is successful, your place will then be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
You should have a Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) or equivalent.
We would also like you to have a GCSE (or equivalent) in Maths or English at C Grade or above.
This programme requires you to be actively practising dentistry, so we will make sure you’re also meeting the requirement(s) of your relevant regulator for indemnity/insurance.
We also require candidates to be competent in English. If English isn’t your first language, we’ll ask that you meet an IELTS of 7 (with a minimum of 6.5 in each element) or equivalent in a secure English language test.
We recommend that all students have access to their own technology to access their programme including the right hardware (for example, a laptop), software and connectivity (for example, broadband).
As the online programme will be using the University of Plymouth’s digital learning environment, applicants will be made aware of the technical and connectivity requirements, which are outlined here.
Careers and opportunities
An MSc in Restorative Dental Science showcases your continued commitment to learning and honing your professional skills. You’ll be able to demonstrate a deep understanding of the anatomy and physiology of the oral hard and soft tissues relevant to restorative dentistry.
You’ll also be able to showcase an in-depth understanding of the aetiology and diagnosis of common diseases of the oral hard and soft tissues. Finally, you’ll have a critical and systematic understanding of the behavioural, clinical and technical procedures involved in the management of patients requiring restorative dentistry.
These abilities will not only equip you for future promotions and career opportunities in wider areas of dentistry, but also help you provide quality care for your patients.
As an online student and after you graduate, you’ll have access to the Peninsula Dental School Alumni+ Dentistry Network. Through this network, you can connect to current students, academic staff and alumni worldwide and get updates on the latest online and in-person events and career development opportunities.
The Peninsula Dental School
The School is committed to three core aims: outstanding clinical education; strong social engagement; and world class research. Staff are committed to addressing today’s most challenging healthcare issues and helping dental practitioners apply what they learn immediately in a clinical setting.
The School is part of the Plymouth Institute of Health and Care Research (PIHR), bringing together academics from Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing, Psychology and other health-related disciplines.
The PIHR conducts world-leading research into areas such as: Transformation in life course, ageing, methodologies, e-health, technology and interventions in health, social care, lifestyle, health and wellbeing.
How the online programme is delivered
This course teaches you advanced restorative techniques, underpinned by a rigorous appraisal of the evidence base, so that you gain the skills to practise critically and effectively in your own dental practice. This is a hands-on course and you will be encouraged to apply your learning to your clinical work, throughout your studies.
As well as seminars, tutorials, and self-directed learning in context, the programme also includes interactive application of the learning to real-life clinical dilemmas.
The MSc in Restorative Dental Science runs over two years. We recommend you dedicate a minimum of one day a week to your studies, but this can be split across evenings or weekends to suit you. The programme consists of five modules using a variety of learning techniques depending on the academic subject matter, such as:





How you’ll be assessed
You’ll be evaluated based on your ability to case assess, diagnose, create treatment plans and appropriately manage patients requiring restorative dentistry in the primary care setting. This will involve a variety of assessments, culminating in a final research dissertation.
You will not need to do any written exams. Your theoretical understanding will be assessed by multiple choice questions.
Important information regarding access to patients
Please be aware of the following:
- You will need access to adult patients, requiring Restorative Dental care, throughout the course
- These patients will need to consent to the use of anonymised images and radiographs of them being used by you, as part of your coursework
- Not only will this help you to put your new knowledge straight into practice, but you will need this clinical activity in order to complete the assignments.
The course uses a mixture of assessment types which require access to patients, including:
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Case reports; detailed reports of one or more patients, including photographs and radiographs
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Reflective logbooks; a "diary" of clinical work, including short descriptions and a selection of photographs and radiographs.
It is important that you ensure that you retain access to patients for this purpose throughout the course, across the full range of restorative dentistry (periodontology, endodontics and prosthodontics) and that they consent to the use of their anonymised records for this purpose.
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