New dental training programme set to launch in Jamaica
The University of Technology (UTech) and Canadian dental firm, Marmicon Smiles Solution, have announced a new dental programme, which will provide clinical training for 180 dental students, hygienists and dental assistants.
The new clinical attachment programme will be launched in the next two years and will allow students already on dental programmes at the School of Oral Health Sciences on Arthur Wint Drive in Kingston, to gain practical experience and develop clinical skills.
There is currently a severe shortage of dentists in Jamaica and a high proportion of the population do not see a dentist on a regular basis; at the moment there is 1 dentist to every 17,000 patients in the private sector and 1 to 62,000 patients in the public sector. Recent figures have revealed that only 10 percent of children see a dentist every year and only 10-15 percent of adults can afford private dental care.
Professor Winston Davidson, head of the School of Public Health and Health Technology at UTech, said that the clinical attachment programme will make a huge difference to oral healthcare in Jamaica in the future. The training programme will allow students to learn important clinical skills and also develop communication skills and practical expertise. Students on the attachment programme will be sent to clinics all over the island, meaning that residents in all areas should benfit from the launch of the programme.
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a pleasant good day to you. i was wondering if there is a different application for the dentistry course and do i have to wear uniform.