Odontological Care

The group of study fields: Health Sciences
Field of study program: Oral Care
Code of study program: 6531GX029
Type of study program: Undergraduate (college higher education) study programme
Cycle of study program: Professional Bachelor degree

Language of study program: Lithuanian, English (for ERASMUS+ only)
Credits and form of study program: 180 credits, full-time (3 years)

Odontological Care – Your Path to a Dynamic Career in the Dental Team

If you are interested in dentistry, want to work with patients, assist a dentist, and become an important part of a dental team, the Odontological Care study programme could be your choice. The programme is delivered by the Faculty of Medicine. Upon completion of the studies, you will be awarded a Professional Bachelor’s degree in Health Sciences and the qualification of a dental assistant. The demand for these specialists remains high in Lithuania and other European Union countries.

Why choose this programme?

Studies oriented towards modern dental practice. The programme continuously updates teaching and assessment methods and integrates evidence-based practice. Studies are organised in a full-time format, and practical sessions are conducted in small groups, allowing better opportunities to combine studies with work.

Learning in a dental team. During your studies, you will learn to work in a team together with oral hygiene students, developing teamwork skills essential for real dental practice.

Modern assisting methods. You will learn to apply contemporary assisting techniques, including four-handed dentistry (assisting a dentist or dental hygienist) and six-handed dentistry, where two dental assistants work simultaneously with a dentist.

Real practical experience. Practical skills are developed in simulation classrooms. During your studies, you will also complete professional placements in dental clinics in Utena, Vilnius, Rokiškis, Visaginas, and other cities.

Social responsibility and community engagement. Students participate in social projects, educating the public on proper oral care and contributing to the improvement of oral health.

International opportunities. Students have the opportunity to study and undertake placements abroad, for example in Germany, Latvia, and other countries.

Career opportunities. After graduation, you will be able to work in healthcare institutions licensed to provide dental care services. Dental assistants are needed in dental clinics and practices of all levels. During your studies, you will acquire competencies to assist dentists of various specialisations and dental hygienists, participate in the prevention of dental diseases, contribute to the organisation of clinical work, and continuously develop your professional skills.

Further studies. After completing the Professional Bachelor’s degree in Health Sciences, you may continue your studies at higher education institutions in Lithuania and abroad.

The aim of the study programme is to prepare high quality dental assistants that are able to assist the dentist or odontology specialist, independently perform intra-oral procedures without exceeding limits of their competence, to ensure care and prevention of dental health, teach to healthy lifestyle and promote the prestige of the profession.

Expected learning outcomes are:

Knowledge and ability to apply it. A graduate:

1. is aware of the national and international health monitoring policy, normative documents, which regulate the place of work, environment and safety at work and is aware of the limits of professional activity and responsibility;

2. is able to integrate knowledge of biomedical science forming perception of human growth, development and health, and knowledge of dental care practice

Research skills. A graduate:

3. is able to collect, interpret and store the applied research data necessary for oral health and care and to apply the research results to solve the particular oral care problems and makes suggestions to the colleagues;

Special abilities. A graduate:

4. is able to assure control of infections, and follows the requirements of normative documents regulating the job of dental assistant;

5. is able to use the dental equipment, devices, instruments and materials for their intended purpose;

6. is able to recognise oral and dental diseases and applies different diagnostic methods for different groups of patients;

7. is able to fill in the professional documentation, collects the patient’s life and health anamnesis, and evaluates main vital parameters;

8. is able to assist dental practitioners, specialised dental practitioners or dental hygienists performing various procedures of dental treatment;

9. is able to operate dental X-ray and diagnostic machines;

10. is able to recognise the cases dangerous to life, to respond to them appropriately, and to provide the necessary medical aid;

11. is able to teach the patients the rules of healthy life style, rational nutrition, oral care, and to teach them to be responsible for own health;

12. is able to plan, coordinate and control the organisational processes of the institution providing dental services (registration of patients and employees’ activities, their coordination, advertising, supply of aids, etc.), and applies modern information technologies

Social skills. A graduate:

13. is able to communicate and cooperate efficiently with health care and other specialists and the patients, creating the full-rate relationships and solving the oral health problems and to create new ideas;

14. is able to express own thoughts in writing and orally, to communicate in the professional environment of oral care specialist in Lithuanian and at least one foreign language;

Personal abilities. A graduate:

15. is able to assess critically own professional practice, is able to solve the problems independently, and to act in particular clinically defined situation using the practical skills;

16. is able to collect and systemise information, to use the advanced technologies and information systems in practical activities, and to handle the confidential information properly.

Study subjects (modules), practical training:

Full-time study

1 year	1 semester		2 semester
	Subject	Credits	Subject	Credits
	Professional Environment	6	Safety of Human	3
	Professional Language	6	Basics of Biochemistry, Immunology & Genetics	3
	Anatomy, Physiology & Pathology	6	Dental Health & Prevention of Dental Diseases	6
	Communication & Medicine Psychology	3	Pharmacology & Phytotherapy	3
	Infection Control in Dentistry	9	Introduction into Clinical Dentistry	6
			Work with Odontological Equipment & Materials Practice	9

2 year	3 semester		4 semester
	Subject	Credits	Subject	Credits
	Improving & Education of Community Health	6	Dental Diseases & Analgesia	6
	Basics of Clinical Subjects	6	Dental Radiology	6
	Quality Management & Administration of Dental Care Facilities	6	Applied Research Methodology	6
	First Medical Aid	3	Optional Subject	3
	Alternative Elective Subject: Foreign language (English, German, French, Norwegian)	3	Dental Treatment Methods Practice	6
	Optional Subject	3	Nursing Practice	3
	Optional Subject	3

3 year	5 semester		6 semester
	Subject	Credits	Dalykas	Credits
	Dental Surgery & Assisting during Implantation	9	Endodontics	3
	Prosthetic Dentistry	6	Children's Dental Aid	3
	Fundamentals of Odontological Care Graduate Thesis Preparation	3	Periodontology	6
	Dental Assistant’ Activities Practice	12	Final Practice & Supervision	9
			Final Exam	3
			Professional Bachelor Graduate Thesis	6

Freely chosen subjects are selected from the List of Freely Chosen Subjects and their descriptions.

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