About us

Discover Dentistry is a free online course, exploring the basic principles of the provision of dental care through video, reading, activities and discussion.

Over the six weeks of the course, students are expected to commit about three hours each week. Successful completion of the quizzes and activities will award a Statement of Accomplishment, which can be used to evidence that you have been engaged in the course.

The course is a MOOC (massive, open, online course) so you’ll get the chance to interact and learn with thousands of students.

Discover Dentistry is open to anyone, and is international. Throughout the course you will be able to interact with other students on the course, and also with the teachers. There will be opportunities to complete activities and share your results. Make new online friends, or learn with your classmates as study-buddies by following each other’s progress through the course.

Discover Dentistry has been designed to be interactive and fun. There are no long articles to read, we won’t bombard you with unnecessary jargon, and assessments are brief and will provide you with feedback about what you have got right or wrong.

We’ll teach you about the role of dentistry in society, about the mouth and teeth, oral disease, restoring teeth, dental public health, the big issues in dentistry and showcase the latest dental research.

Our aim is to encourage students from any background to consider studying a dental career, and so the course has been designed to cover many of the topics that could be asked in a university interview and to help you get the most out of any work-experience you might do as you prepare your application.

Credits

The University of Sheffield Massive Open Online Courses project

Marie Kinsey, University Academic Lead for Massive Open Online Courses

Anna Symington, Project Support Manager for Massive Open Online Courses

Layla Croll, Production Manager for Massive Open Online Courses

Robert Lapworth, Media Content Creation for Massive Open Online Courses

For being in Discover Dentistry

Dr Christopher Stokes, Concept, Lead Educator, Course Development, Script Writer

Dr Adrian Jowett, Dentist (Slo-mo Checkup)

Sarah Hayward, Dental Nurse (Slo-mo Checkup)

Dr Tony Johnson, Dental Technician (How Dentures Are Made)

Jill Rushforth, Dental Hygienist (Brush Like a Pro)

Sandra Zijlstra-Shaw, Dentist (Periodontics, Archive)

Dr Simon Northeast, Dentist (Restorative)

Professor Nicolas Martin, Dentist (Endodontics)

Professor Helen Rodd, Dentist (Paediatrics)

Dr Philip Benson, Dentist (Orthodontics)

Ghazala Ahmad-Mear, Dentist (Oral Surgery)

Professor Peter Robinson, Dentist (Dental Public Health)

Professor Paula Farthing, Oral Pathologist

Alison Patrick, Law and Ethics

Dr Barry Gibson, Medical Sociologist

Dr Simon Whawell, Microbiologist

Professor Paul Hatton, Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering

Professor Ric van Noort, Dental Materials

Dr Lynne Bingle, Cellular Biologist

Dave Tynan, Patient Actor (Slo-mo Checkup)

For helping Discover Dentistry get to your screen

Paul Jinks, Concept, Course Development, Learning Technologist

Ashley Towers, Concept, Course Development, Technical Advisor

Navdeep Hundal, Learning Technologist

David Nuttall for always cheerfully answering our frequent requests to borrow dental stuff

Hazel Garton for loan of dental instruments and kit

Ash Self, Medical School TV Studio

Humanstudio, Discover Dentistry website

Discover Dentistry project steering group (if not already listed)

Professor Paul Speight, steering group Chair, Dean of School of Clinical Dentistry

Anthea Tucker, Medicine, Dentistry and Health Faculty Liaison Librarian

Leon Mallet, Social Media and Marketing

Julie Askew, Outreach and Access

David Broomby, Outreach and Access

Patrice Panella, Corporate Information and Computing Services