A Report of Orthodontic Undergraduate Education in Two Dental Schools: Toronto, Canada and Liverpool, England

Abstract

The undergraduate orthodontic courses at Toronto and Liverpool are compared. Each course comprises more than 250 hours of teaching and within that, more than 100 hours involve clinical tuition. Both courses contain laboratory modules for the teaching of removable and fixed appliance technique. Undergraduates treat their own patients with both simple and complex appliances, within their clinical training period which extends over at least 2 years. Liverpool undergraduates treat more patients per student than their counterparts in Toronto (P<0·05). During the third year of study, the clinical experience of the Liverpool students (P<0·001) is made up of a greater proportion of patients treated with removable appliances. In both centres, senior students treat patients with a greater preponderance of fixed appliance techniques and two-arch treatments.