Dental students please answer Do you get to study "organic chemistry" in dentistry?

FluffyCherry

18

And what sort of chemistry and biology are covered in dentistry that has been already taken in A levels?

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 1

toothfairy1

7

The course content will vary from university to university. Retained A Level knowledge is useful, but not essential, as it is usually retaught at a higher level. Supplementary A Level refresher lectures are also sometimes provided.
In first year dentistry, we covered;
As aspects of cell biology - structure/function/signalling/mutation/technology
Physiology - cell physiology (action potentials etc), the cardiovascular system, the respiratory system, and the gastrointestinal system.
Anatomy of head and neck, and also of the heart, lungs, GI system, and brain.
Basic Introduction to Dentistry - including tooth structure and morphology.
Neurobiology.

Cell Biology and the Physiology courses are the ones covered briefly at A Level, however at university, they are taught from scratch again. Hope this helps!

Reply 2

Supermanxxxxxx

5

Original post by toothfairy1

The course content will vary from university to university. Retained A Level knowledge is useful, but not essential, as it is usually retaught at a higher level. Supplementary A Level refresher lectures are also sometimes provided.
In first year dentistry, we covered;
As aspects of cell biology - structure/function/signalling/mutation/technology
Physiology - cell physiology (action potentials etc), the cardiovascular system, the respiratory system, and the gastrointestinal system.
Anatomy of head and neck, and also of the heart, lungs, GI system, and brain.
Basic Introduction to Dentistry - including tooth structure and morphology.
Neurobiology.

Cell Biology and the Physiology courses are the ones covered briefly at A Level, however at university, they are taught from scratch again. Hope this helps!

Hey do you have any links to any books that you were given as I want to read ahead

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 3

toothfairy1

7

Original post by Supermanxxxxxx

Hey do you have any links to any books that you were given as I want to read ahead

Posted from TSR Mobile

We were told that background reading wasn't necessary, you could pass your exams just based off lectures, but I thought that Essential Cell Biology by Alberts, and also Silverthorne Physiology were very good. Aside from that I watched a lot of anatomyzone videos on youtube

Reply 4

Kartace

16

Original post by FluffyCherry

And what sort of chemistry and biology are covered in dentistry that has been already taken in A levels?

In the UK the answer is that no you don't really cover organic chemistry, at least not in the same way as A level, you won't be using skeletal formula and working out reaction mechanisms etc. You'll need to understand the concepts of organic chemistry with respect to biochemical processes etc. but don't expect it to be anything like A level really, it's much more human biology based.

Dental materials are almost exclusively inorganic compounds so any work you do on them will involve an understand of inorganic chemistry but you'll learn all that in uni.

As for the guy who want to read ahead...don't bother. Enjoy your summer, while you still can! I don't even get a summer this year. I'm back in clinics already.