Читать книгу The Veterinary Dental Patient: A Multidisciplinary Approach - Группа авторов - Страница 49

This chapter was written for several reasons. First, to highlight the importance of education to the proper development of veterinary dentistry. Second, to present the current situation, which is plagued by a lack of systemic solutions, leading to low competence among veterinary graduates in the field of dentistry. And third, to discuss the requirement to provide efficient veterinary dental education.

Dentistry is part of the clinical sciences: a vast field of veterinary science based on practical learning and training.

In clinical disciplines, students should acquire skills based on the model of Miller’s pyramid of clinical competence (Miller 1990), from the knows, to the knows how, to the shows how, to the does. At the base of this pyramid is fact gathering, progressing to an upper level of interpretation and application, followed by demonstration of learning, and finally performance integrated into practice (Figure 3.1).

There are several aspects and fields of veterinary dental education in which Miller’s principles are applied. Teaching at university or college (addressed to future veterinarians or nurses) is key to achieving graduate competence. Continuous professional development (CPD) helps in the development and extension of skills. Finally, public education improves awareness of the importance of oral health among pet owners.