Diploma Programme in Dental Medicine

We place particular emphasis on practical skills from the outset. The study programme starts with a group of lectures entitled “Introduction to Dental, Oral and Maxillofacial Medicine”, followed by a four-week course of practical classes in the Propaedeutic Lab (50 places) and a three-day internship in the Phantom Room (74 places). In the second semester, students complete the “Professional Familiarisation” practical class. Following an introduction to clinical dentistry, materials science and practice hygiene, students commence this course on campus before undertaking placements at dental practices. From the fifth semester onwards, students work intensively in the Phantom Room (74 places) to introduce them to clinical care for their future patients. This work continues in various areas of dentistry until students are sufficiently prepared for clinical practice and ready to begin treating patients.

Clinical training takes place at the DPU Dental Clinic in Krems, which features around 50 dental chairs, a surgical suite and a futuristic digital practice. Surgical procedures are screened live in the lecture hall and modern imaging techniques are available for diagnostics. Under the supervision of a professional clinical team, the dentists in training (candidati med. dent.) provide diagnosis-based and case-oriented care throughout the DPU Dental Clinic to a diverse spectrum of patients. In addition to fulfilling the general clinical specifications, our dentists in training can also render additional services. During their integrated treatment course at DPU, each student places an average of six implants and makes extensive use of CAD/CAM technology to treat their patients. Prosthetics for patients of the DPU Dental Clinic in Krems are manufactured by dental technicians at DPU’s in-house commercial laboratory and through cooperation with partner labs. This enables dentists in training to focus on diagnosing and treating their patients during the clinical portion of their studies. This is accompanied by training on topics such as radiation protection, sterile goods supplies and first aid in a dental setting (Advanced Dental Life Support® – ADLS). Supplementing the integrated treatment course, weekly case reviews and clinical knowledge circles – on the building blocks of knowledge and taking the form of study clubs – translate theory into practice, supervised by the professor responsible for teaching and the senior physicians.

In addition to comprehensive training in medical fundamentals, the study programme consistently focuses on a dentist’s overall responsibility. This is based on close links and collaboration between different disciplines. It means exploring subject areas in the biosciences and in human medicine, while concentrating on the specific challenges of dentistry. Theoretical knowledge in these areas is supplemented by placements in medical institutions.

We help students to answer their inner calling to a human-centred healthcare profession, while keeping up with technical advances. Seminars on topics such as ethics, integrity, mindfulness and resilience give our students the opportunity to shape their individual abilities and develop their skills for the benefit of their future patients. This holistic perspective, a preventive approach to medicine extending to salutogenesis, is an important element of the programme.

Our teaching staff and students engage in an open and lively exchange of views. Despite the stringent professional requirements, students at DPU benefit from an informal atmosphere. Mutual consideration and learning as a community take the place of ego-driven competition and motivate our students to achieve excellence. Students are integrated into working groups and research groups suited to their talents and compete for awards with students from other institutions. We publicise our students’ outstanding achievements on the international stage. The university’s reputation and the quality of its teaching ultimately shape its graduates’ future achievements, their passion for dentistry and life long-learning, and their professional success. Graduates can continue their studies at DPU through courses to obtain the title of Academic Expert (Akademischer Expert), postgraduate programmes to obtain the title of Master of Science (Continuing Education) (MSc) (CE) and a scientific doctoral programme in Dentistry (PhD). DPU also holds the “venia docendi” in Dentristry, which means it can host and assess habilitation candidates and award the title of Privatdozent (Priv. Doz.) – which is required to independently represent an academic field in university-level teaching and research.