Studying online
There are now 2 possible online modes for units:
Units with modes Online timetabled and Online flexible are available for any student to self-enrol and study online.
Click on an offering mode for more details.
Unit Overview
- Description
This unit provides students with knowledge and understanding of managing patients with special needs, orofacial pain and mental health as they relate to dentistry.
- Credit
- 6 points
- Offering
Availability Location Mode Not available in 2025 UWA (Perth) Face to face - Outcomes
Students are able to (1) describe the different manifestations of orofacial pain; describe the pathophysiology of orofacial pain; describe the different evidence-based therapeutic options for orofacial pain with consideration of their potential advantages and disadvantages and (2) present psychiatric differential diagnosis of relevance to orofacial disease; define features of depression and risk factors for suicide; explain the basic use of antidepressants in the management of orofacial disease; describe structure of liaison services to psychiatry and explain the role of clinical psychologists in managing mental health; describe the dental care for gerontologic patients; describe the dental care for patients with psychiatric disease; describe the dental care for patients with physical/neurological/ intellectual disability; describe the dental care for medically compromised patients; perform appropriate restorative dentistry in patients with special needs; perform appropriate periodontal treatment in patients with special needs; perform appropriate endodontic treatment in patients with special needs; undertake appropriate patient management in the field of oral medicine; and perform minor oral surgery in patients with special needs.
- Assessment
Indicative assessments in this unit are as follows: (1) MCQ (orofacial pain written examination) and (2) SAQ [special needs dentistry (20 per cent) and mental health modules (20 per cent)]. Further information is available in the unit outline.
To pass this unit, a student must: (a) achieve an overall mark of 50 per cent or higher for the unit; and (b) achieve the requisite requirements(s) or a mark of 50 per cent or greater, whichever is higher and specified in the unit outline, for the MCQ (orofacial pain written examination) component.
Student may be offered supplementary assessment in this unit if they meet the eligibility criteria.
- Unit Coordinator(s)
- Clinical Associate Professor Ramesh Balasubramaniam
- Unit rules
- Prerequisites
- DENT5301 Microbiology, Oral Pathology and Oral Medicine
and DENT5302 Research Design, Statistics and Dental Public Health
and DENT5303 Complex Oral Rehabilitation 1
and DENT5304 Child and Adolescent Comprehensive Oral Care 1 and Orthodontics - Co-requisites
- DENT5306 Introduction to Dental Practice, Maxillofacial Infections and Trauma.
DENT5307 Complex Oral Rehabilitation 2.
DENT5308 Child and Adolescent Comprehensive Oral Care 2 and Research
Approved quota: 70—domestic (50) and international (20). For school leavers—rural (3), Metropolitan Pathway (3), Indigenous (3), high academic achievement (5), international (3). For graduates—rural (2), Metropolitan Pathway (2), Indigenous (2), international (3), graduates (30). - Contact hours
- Unit hours: 46 hours (includes lectures and practicals)
- The availability of units in Semester 1, 2, etc. was correct at the time of publication but may be subject to change.
- All students are responsible for identifying when they need assistance to improve their academic learning, research, English language and numeracy skills; seeking out the services and resources available to help them; and applying what they learn. Students are encouraged to register for free online support through GETSmart; to help themselves to the extensive range of resources on UWA's STUDYSmarter website; and to participate in WRITESmart and (ma+hs)Smart drop-ins and workshops.
- Visit the Essential Textbooks website to see if any textbooks are required for this Unit. The website is updated regularly so content may change. Students are recommended to purchase Essential Textbooks, but a limited number of copies of all Essential Textbooks are held in the Library in print, and as an ebook where possible. Recommended readings for the unit can be accessed in Unit Readings directly through the Learning Management System (LMS).
- Contact hours provide an indication of the type and extent of in-class activities this unit may contain. The total amount of student work (including contact hours, assessment time, and self-study) will approximate 150 hours per 6 credit points.
Face to face
Predominantly face-to-face. On campus attendance required to complete this unit. May have accompanying resources online.
Online flexible
100% Online Unit. NO campus face-to-face attendance is required to complete this unit. All study requirements are online only. Unit is asynchronous delivery, with NO requirement for students to participate online at specific times.
Online timetabled
100% Online Unit. NO campus face-to-face attendance is required to complete this unit. All study requirements are online only. Unit includes some synchronous components, with a requirement for students to participate online at specific times.
Online Restricted
Not available for self-enrolment. Students access this mode by contacting their student office through AskUWA. 100% Online Unit.
NO campus face-to-face attendance. All study and assessment requirements are online only. Unit includes some timetabled activities, with a requirement for students to participate online at specific times. In exceptional cases (noted in the Handbook) students may be required to participate in face-to-face laboratory classes when a return to UWA’s Crawley campus becomes possible in order to be awarded a final grade.
External
No attendance or regular contact is required, and all study requirements are completed either via correspondence and/or online submission.
Off-campus
Regular attendance is not required, but student attends the institution face to face on an agreed schedule for purposes of supervision and/or instruction.
Multi-mode
Multiple modes of delivery. Unit includes a mix of online and on-campus study requirements. On campus attendance for some activities is required to complete this unit.