Top dental technology helps students get teeth into program
Published on 23 April, 2012
CQUniversity's Oral Health students are learning with dental equipment and instruments that are the envy of some dental practitioners.
As 18 of the 26 students who attended a recent residential school are dental assistants, they could see straight away that attention to detail and high quality performance will be hallmarks of the Bachelor of Oral Health.
LINK also to CQUni's new Oral Health degree praised for 'filling a gap'
Rockhampton Campus now has a purpose-fitted oral health laboratory of 15 A-dec simulation units with Columbia manikins and teeth models.
These units simulate a dental chair with a patient laying in it. The unit can be raised and lowered, with the simulated patient placed in a seated or reclined position. The manikin head can also be rotated to the left or right, and with the chin tilted up or down. This simulates the normal operating position when the student is working on a tooth in the upper right or the lower left quadrant of the mouth.
The handpieces attached to the simulation units are the latest fibre-optic high-speed air turbine, low-speed rotary and prophylaxis handpieces from NSK Oceania. The high-speed air turbine handpiece is the result of sophisticated engineering and design - it rotates at over 400,000 rpm.
A NSK Care3Plus handpiece cleaning system is also fitted to the simulation laboratory so that the three different handpieces can be maintained at regular intervals to ensure high performance and longer life.
A complex air compressor and evacuation system has been installed below the oral health simulation laboratory to power the simulation units, air turbine high-speed handpieces and triplex syringe as well as to supply the suction for the saliva ejector and high volume evacuator (HVE).
Nordent instruments complete the dental equipment in the simulation laboratory. The examination, hygiene and restorative instruments are hand-made, with a life-long warranty. Each Nordent instrument is customised to include ‘CQUniversity' engraving as well as colour-coded blue and green rubber rings.
No expense has been spared - the simulation units, manikin heads and teeth models, and handpieces are the latest technology from some of the world's most respected and trusted dental supply companies.