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Teaching Anatomical Sciences to Dental Students

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Teaching Anatomy

Abstract

Dentistry is a surgical science, and future practitioners require a foundation rooted in relevant anatomical subjects. Dental gross anatomy courses inevitably focus on head and neck anatomy, but some thoracic and abdominal anatomy are also needed. A foundation in histology will provide a necessary introduction to specialized dental tissues. Similarly, an introductory embryology course will inform the basis for detailed study of development of the head and neck. Neuroanatomy is required for understanding pain and control of jaw movements, other somatic sensations, central connections of the cranial nerves, and the relationship of the brain to the cranial exterior. Anatomical sciences are traditionally introduced early in dental curricula; the clear links with other clinical courses necessitate much stronger vertical integration and a need to revisit clinically relevant foundational anatomy. Clinical exemplification when anatomy is first taught will stress the importance of these subjects, scaffolding learning within a framework of relevance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Medical Education and School of Dental Sciences, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

    Stephen McHanwell

  2. Faculty of Medical Sciences, School of Dental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

    Joanna Matthan

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  1. Stephen McHanwell
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  2. Joanna Matthan
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Correspondence to Stephen McHanwell .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macao Special Administrative Region, China

    Lap Ki Chan

  2. Department of Clinical Anatomy, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, Rochester, MN, USA

    Wojciech Pawlina

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McHanwell, S., Matthan, J. (2020). Teaching Anatomical Sciences to Dental Students. In: Chan, L.K., Pawlina, W. (eds) Teaching Anatomy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-43283-6_48

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