This five day program brings students and teachers together for actual teaching experiences, and also involves role-playing exercises designed to build observational awareness, problem solving, and communication skills in many areas of restorative dentistry. There will be five students (previous students of Dr. Duggan) and five teachers in the program. Each day there will be two four-hour blocks wherein students do preparations to be evaluated later by the teachers in the program, while Dr. Duggan works with the 5 teachers using manikins with pre-prepared teeth as well as videos designed to mimic clinical situations that may be encountered.

Whether the teacher is working with an actual student or a typodont or a simulated situation by video, the goal is for the teacher to explain what they observe, clearly, so a student will be certain of the nature of any problems AND when students or manikins are involved SHOW HOW to modify the preparation so it would work clinically. The goal is to initiate a modification so the student will continue it to completion using the same positioning and view as the teacher.

During the course Dr. Duggan will use a POV camera system so that everyone can SEE what he SEES and clearly relate to any comments he makes. Teachers who are working with students – taking turns – will wear a POV camera as well. This camera system is based on 4.0 power Zeiss loupes and the camera looks down the same visual axis with the same field of view, same magnification, and a working distance of approximately 11 inches.

Every student and fellow teachers will see exactly what is being seen and taught in every case.
For each prep check/correct session Dr. Duggan will illustrate an effective communication with a student/manikin and then each teacher will take a turn. Dr. Duggan will illustrate a typical modification method to improve a preparation, as if bringing it to a clinically acceptable standard, and then each teacher will take a turn doing the same.

Overall – each teacher will experience many situations similar to what they will encounter in the dental school clinical teaching environment – and refine their skills in negotiating the situation for the best outcome for the patient and student.

The Typical Daily Schedule

Block 1 – Part 1 (first two hours):
Students: Assigned preparations in manikin
Teachers: Role playing with Dr. Duggan – Appropriate modes of communication, using pre-prepared, restored typodont teeth, or videos
Block 1 – Part 2 (Second two hours):
Teachers: Dr. Duggan Illustrates prep check/correct methods. Teachers check/correct student preparations with the students in the manikin for whatever preparations or restorations are being studied.

Communication verbally and through modification sequence and skill will be assessed. Alterations in the approach will be made for better results.

Block 2 – Part 1 (first two hours):
Students: Assigned preparations in manikin
Teachers: Role playing – clarifying basic principles of evaluation, problem solving, and restoration
Block 2 – Part 2 (second two hours):
Teachers: Teachers check/correct student preparations with the students in the manikin.
Communications skills assessed. Alterations in approach made.

Restorative dentistry areas covered in the five days will include direct amalgam and composite preparations and restorations, ceramometal crowns, all ceramic crowns, and gold crowns.