Course coordinator
Dr Luna Velasco
Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 1, 2026 (23/02/2026 - 20/06/2026)
- Study level
- Postgraduate Coursework
- Location
- Herston
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 4
- Administrative campus
- Herston
- Coordinating unit
- Dentistry School
Through further experience in general dental practice this course develops the skills, knowledge and understanding acquired for general dental practice. Emphasis is on the advancement of skills in the delivery of oral care for adults through preventive oral, simple periodontal and general restorative care but with integration of removable prosthetics. Students will consolidate skills and attain competence in general oral examination, recognition and diagnosis of common dental and oral conditions, and comprehensive oral care planning for simple general dental needs. To support their understanding and clinical skills in these areas students will explore aspects of dental pharmacology and therapeutics, oral surgery, dentomaxillofacial radiology, complex restorative, periodontics, and oral medicine.
Course requirements
Prerequisites
You'll need to complete the following courses before enrolling in this one:
DENT7212
Incompatible
You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:
DENT3071, DENT3060, DENT3061, DENT3070
Restrictions
Restricted to students in the DDM program only.
Course contact
Lecturer
Dr Martin Leung
Course staff
Lecturer
Dr Luna Velasco
Dr Jessica Zachar
Dr Sheng Quach
Dr Sepanta Hosseinpour
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Additional timetable information
Clinic group/partner allocations will be published on the Blackboard course site.
Aims and outcomes
This course aims to develop skills in history taking, assessment, recognition, diagnosis, treatment planning and aspects of management for a range of dental, oral, facial and masticatory conditions commonly managed within the dental specialties including removable prosthodontics, endodontics, and orthodontics.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Efficiently conduct a general oral examination (including periodontal screening) and accurately diagnose common conditions of the periodontium and dental hard tissues, with minimal support.
LO2.
Apply clinical reasoning and clinical judgement skills to facilitate multidisciplinary dental treatment planning, whilst accounting for individual patient's expectations and needs.
LO3.
Design, implement and adapt oral care plans and preventive care programs to manage healthy and compromised individuals diagnosed with dental caries, non-carious tooth loss.
LO4.
Manage the relative roles of aetiological factors (medical, systemic and local) and thereby carry out a patient-specific risk assessment.
LO5.
Demonstrate proficiency in selection and handling of dental materials for moderate-large intra-coronal restorations, applying the principles of minimum intervention to cavity preparations.
LO6.
Debride teeth efficiently and effectively for patients with mild-moderate periodontal disease (PSR < 4).
LO7.
Demonstrate effective, accurate and responsible verbal and written communication, including electronic patient records, with patients, carers, clinical and supervisory staff and peers.
LO8.
Relate the principles of sterilisation, disinfection and prevention of cross-infection to consistently maintain a safe working environment.
LO9.
Reflect critically on experiential learning, feedback and how evidence-based practice is applied in clinical environments.
LO10.
Safely perform a simple dental extraction, with appropriate local anaesthesia and instruments, subsequently formulating a post-operative care plan.
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Examination, Practical/ Demonstration | Assessment Item 1- Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) | 20% |
2/04/2026 12:00 pm
This will occur during your Thursday morning (9-12pm) pre-clinic session. |
| Practical/ Demonstration |
Assessment Item 2- Anterior and Molar Endodontics Practical Competency
|
30% Must Pass |
30/04/2026 5:00 pm 28/05/2026 5:00 pm
This will occur during your Thursday afternoon (1-4pm) pre-clinic sessions. |
| Portfolio |
Assessment Item 3- Pre-clinical Endodontic Portfolio and Reflections
|
Pass/Fail, Must Pass |
29/05/2026 5:00 pm |
| Presentation |
Assessment Item 4- Care Planning Clinical Case Presentation
|
20% Pass/Fail, Must Pass |
29/05/2026 5:00 pm
There will be given a Blackboard submission link on your course site to submit your presentation PRIOR to the case presentation/viva component held on a separate day. |
| Practical/ Demonstration |
Assessment Item 5- Clinical Practice Performance Portfolio
|
Pass/Fail, Must Pass |
Daily, weekly, mid-semester and end of semester submissions. Week 1 - Week 13 |
| Examination |
Assessment Item 6- End of Semester Examination
|
30% Must Pass |
End of Semester Exam Period 6/06/2026 - 20/06/2026 |
A hurdle is an assessment requirement that must be satisfied in order to receive a specific grade for the course. Check the assessment details for more information about hurdle requirements.
Assessment details
Assessment Item 1- Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE)
- Mode
- Activity/ Performance, Written
- Category
- Examination, Practical/ Demonstration
- Weight
- 20%
- Due date
2/04/2026 12:00 pm
This will occur during your Thursday morning (9-12pm) pre-clinic session.
Task description
A pre-clinic-based OSCE examination consisting of a series of stations. At each station either a practical task or a stimulus will be provided. You will need to either the demonstrate a practical task or answer a series of short answer questions related to the provided stimulus.
For assessment specifics, see the provided task sheet on Blackboard.
Exam details
| Planning time | no planning time minutes |
|---|---|
| Duration | 60 minutes |
| Calculator options | No calculators permitted |
| Open/closed book | Closed book examination - no written materials permitted |
| Exam platform | Paper based |
| Invigilation | Invigilated in person |
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You may be able to defer this exam.
Assessment Item 2- Anterior and Molar Endodontics Practical Competency
- Hurdle
- Mode
- Activity/ Performance
- Category
- Practical/ Demonstration
- Weight
- 30% Must Pass
- Due date
30/04/2026 5:00 pm
28/05/2026 5:00 pm
This will occur during your Thursday afternoon (1-4pm) pre-clinic sessions.
- Learning outcomes
- L05
Task description
Students are required to complete endodontic treatment on:
- One anterior tooth (15%), and
- One posterior tooth (15%).
This is a Must Pass assessment item.
To achieve an overall pass for this assessment, students must:
- Achieve a minimum of 60% of the total mark (i.e., 24 out of 40) for each component (anterior and posterior), and
- Achieve at least 60% in each individual section (Access, Length Determination, Instrumentation, and Obturation), and
- Demonstrate competency across all critical criteria as outlined in the marking rubric.
Failure to achieve 60% overall or failure to achieve 60% in any individual section, or failure of any critical criterion, will result in an overall fail for that component.
A re-sit opportunity is available for students who do not achieve a passing standard on their first attempt.
- The maximum overall mark awarded following a re-sit will be capped at 60% of the total assessment mark.
- Students may be required to repeat either the entire assessment or only the failed component(s), at the discretion of the examiner.
- To pass the assessment following a re-sit, students must meet the minimum competency standard in all required components.
For full assessment details, please refer to the task sheet available on Blackboard.
Hurdle requirements
Must pass.Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You may be able to defer this exam.
Assessment Item 3- Pre-clinical Endodontic Portfolio and Reflections
- Hurdle
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Portfolio
- Weight
- Pass/Fail, Must Pass
- Due date
29/05/2026 5:00 pm
- Other conditions
- Secure.
- Learning outcomes
- L07, L09
Task description
You are required to provide an portfolio of all the pre-clinical exercises completed during your pre-clinical Endodontics module. A 500-word reflection is required at the end of your portfolio. This should be submitted in the Microsoft PowerPoint format via Blackboard submission link.
For assessment specifics, see the provided task sheet on Blackboard.
Hurdle requirements
Must pass.Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 2 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
A maximum extension of 2 calendar days is available for this assessment item.
Assessment Item 4- Care Planning Clinical Case Presentation
- Hurdle
- Mode
- Oral, Written
- Category
- Presentation
- Weight
- 20% Pass/Fail, Must Pass
- Due date
29/05/2026 5:00 pm
There will be given a Blackboard submission link on your course site to submit your presentation PRIOR to the case presentation/viva component held on a separate day.
- Other conditions
- Secure.
Task description
You are required to submit a case presentation demonstrating your examination, diagnosis, patient management and treatment planning for a de-identified patient, seen during summer semester and/or this semester in the patient-clinic. You will be given a PowerPoint template to use as a framework for your presentation to be submitted via Blackboard prior to your in-person presentation.
You will need to present a summary of your submitted case to a panel of examiners (no more than 5 minutes) that outlines your key findings, diagnoses and aspects of treatment planning. Following your presentation, you will be asked questions about your case for a further 10 to 15 minutes.
This case presentation will be recorded and retained as per university policy. The recording will be stored in a secure manner and will only be accessed if required for the purposes of moderation of marking; provision of feedback to the student; and/or re-marking following a successful re-mark application.
For assessment specifics and your presentation roster, see the provided task sheet on Blackboard.
Hurdle requirements
Must pass.Submission guidelines
Submission is via Blackboard submission link and in-person on the scheduled assessment day.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to defer this exam.
Assessment Item 5- Clinical Practice Performance Portfolio
- Hurdle
- Mode
- Product/ Artefact/ Multimedia
- Category
- Practical/ Demonstration
- Weight
- Pass/Fail, Must Pass
- Due date
Daily, weekly, mid-semester and end of semester submissions. Week 1 - Week 13
Task description
For further information, including instructions for each part and specific due dates, please see the Blackboard Task Sheet for this assessment item.
In this task, students are required to complete and submit a Clinical Practice Portfolio over the course of the semester, in order to document clinical performance within the patient clinic. Students must complete the portfolio for ALL clinical, dental assisting, fail to attend, and observational sessions.
To achieve a pass, the following conditions must be met in 3 components a, b and c:
a) Course-specific session sign-off forms
DUE: Submitted at the completion of each timetabled clinical session to the nominated Clinical Educator.
EXTENSIONS: You cannot apply for an extension for submission of the course-specific session sign-off forms.
LATE SUBMISSION: A late or non-submission will result in the session being recorded as a 0= Expectations Not Met (ENM).
TASK DESCRIPTION: These forms are essential for tracking performance and must be completed at the end of every AM or PM session where you see a patient. If no patient was seen, submit the Dental Assisting/FTA form.
Your session form is submitted to, and assessed by, your Clinical Educator and includes:
1. Clinical performance
2. Discipline-specific performance (only if you performed relevant procedures)
3. Fitness to practise (must pass)
Student marking expectations for each semester are calibrated to your year and stage in the DMD program. You are not being marked against the performance of a fully qualified dentist, but rather according to where you should be for your level of clinical training. Clinical educators will adjust their marking expectations accordingly as you progress throughout the program.
Session mark: Fitness to practise is a must pass item, assessed as EM or ENM only. If you receive an ENM in this category, you will receive an ENM as your session mark.
For example: Each session will be awarded a mark:
0 = Expectations Not Met (ENM)
2 = Developing (D)
3 = Expectations Met (EM)
4 = Above Expectations (AE)
Overall Semester Mark: The proportion of all course-specific session scores will be calculated at the end of the semester giving the ‘Overall Mark’ as a percentage. At the completion of the semester the total session scores will be added together, divided by the total number of sessions. i.e .e.g. Six sessions with Expectations met and one with Expectations not met (3+3+3+3+3+3+0) = 18, 18 divided by (4 by 7) = 64.3% overall semester grade.
Minimum performance requirement: An “Overall Semester Mark” for the Semester will be awarded using the following values:
Fail (F) = <63%
Pass (P) = 63-100%
Students who receive three (3) or more ENM marks for the course-specific sign off sessions will be awarded an overall fail for the assessment item.
b) Mid-semester portfolio review and case tallies
DUE: Submit the two components to your Course Coordinator by 5pm Friday prior to the mid-semester break via ePortfolio.
EXTENSIONS: An extension may be applied for this component of the assessment task.
LATE SUBMISSION: A late or non-submission will result in 100% penalty of the mark and therefore a fail for the assessment task.
TASK DESCRIPTION: This task helps to reflect on clinical progress, feedback integration, and future growth.
The component includes two parts:
1. Case tallies for the semester AND a de-identified Patient Management System Treatment Report uploaded, and
2. A Mid-semester Reflection and Feedback Form.
c) End-of-semester portfolio review and case tallies
DUE: Submit the two components to your Course Coordinator by 5pm Friday of the last week of the Semester via ePortfolio.
EXTENSIONS: An extension may be applied for this component of the assessment task.
LATE SUBMISSION: A late or non-submission will result in 100% penalty of the mark and therefore a fail for the assessment task.
TASK DESCRIPTION: This task helps to reflect on clinical progress, feedback integration, and future growth.
The component includes two parts:
1. Case tallies for the semester AND a de-identified Patient Management System Treatment Report uploaded, and
2. An End-of-semester Reflection and Feedback Form.
Minimum performance requirement: Any minimum number of case requirements will be provided on your course Blackboard site.
SUPPLEMENTARY ASSESSMENT: In accordance with PPL Assessment Procedure Section 3 Part J, supplementary assessment will NOT be available for clinical practice performance (portfolio) as professional competencies are developed through practicums delivered over an extended number of weeks throughout the Semester. There is NO resubmission or resit option available for this assessment.
For assessment specifics, see the provided task sheet on Blackboard.
Hurdle requirements
Must pass.Submission guidelines
Submissions occur via ePortfolio submission links on the course Blackboard site.
The session submissions must be submitted at the end of each patient session, prior to leaving the patient clinic.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 2 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
A maximum extension of 2 calendar days is available for this assessment item.
Late submission
You will receive a mark of 0 if this assessment is submitted late.
Assessment Item 6- End of Semester Examination
- Hurdle
- In-person
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Examination
- Weight
- 30% Must Pass
- Due date
End of Semester Exam Period
6/06/2026 - 20/06/2026
- Other conditions
- Secure.
Task description
The end of semester examination (must pass) will take place during the examination period and will consist of a range of multiple choice, short-answer questions and long-answer questions from all modules within this course.
Further guidance on this assessment item will be given in semester.
Hurdle requirements
Must pass.Exam details
| Planning time | 10 minutes |
|---|---|
| Duration | 120 minutes |
| Calculator options | No calculators permitted |
| Open/closed book | Closed book examination - no written materials permitted |
| Exam platform | Inspera |
| Invigilation | Invigilated in person |
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You may be able to defer this exam.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Cut off Percent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) | 0 - 19 |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Attains an overall mark of less than 20%. |
| 2 (Fail) | 20 - 44 |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Attains an overall mark of at least 20% but less than 45% OR has failed two or more hurdle requirements. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) | 45 - 49 |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes Course grade description: Attains an overall mark of at least 45% but less than 50% OR attains the overall pass mark BUT has failed one hurdle requirement. |
| 4 (Pass) | 50 - 64 |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Attains an overall mark of at least 50% but less than 65% AND has passed all hurdle requirements. |
| 5 (Credit) | 65 - 74 |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Attains an overall mark of at least 65% but less than 75% AND has passed all hurdle requirements. |
| 6 (Distinction) | 75 - 84 |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Attains an overall marks of 75% but less than 85% AND has passed all hurdle requirements. |
| 7 (High Distinction) | 85 - 100 |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Attains an overall mark of at least 85% AND has passed all hurdle requirements. |
Additional course grading information
Percentage marks will be rounded to the nearest whole number i.e. 84.4% will round down to 84% and 84.5% will round up to 85%. This will apply to all grade cutoffs apart from a grade of 4. The minimum pass mark is 50% and a pass cannot be achieved with 49.5%.
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is not available for some items in this course.
In accordance with PPL Assessment Procedure Section 3 Part J, Supplementary assessment is not available for the Clinical Practice Performance Portfolio as assessment is based on the successful development of practical competencies over a 13-week practicum.
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Multiple weeks From Week 1 To Week 13 |
Not Timetabled |
Blackboard learning modules |
Lecture |
Lectures |
|
Practical |
Pre-clinical laboratory activities |
|
Clinical Hours |
Clinical practice |
|
Tutorial |
Tutorials Learning outcomes: L02, L03, L04, L07 |
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments for Students Policy and Procedure
- AI for Assessment Guide
- Recording of Teaching Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.
You'll also need to be aware of the following policies and procedures while completing this course:
- Working with Children Policy
- Occupational Health and Safety in the Laboratory Guideline
- Fitness to Practise Policy
- Vaccinations and Immunisation Procedure
- Work Integrated Learning and Work Experience Policy
School guidelines
Your school has additional guidelines you'll need to follow for this course: