INTRODUCTION
The Nigerian Navy School of Health Sciences Offa was established to train middle level manpower for Naval Medical Services. Presently, the school runs 7 medical professional courses in Pharmacy, Medical Laboratory Science and Environmental Health. Others include Health Information Management, Physiotherapy and Radiography at Technician and Diploma level. Recently, the Commandant of the School in person of Captain ID Nuruddeen conceived and established the Dental Therapy Department with the aim of training Dental Therapists at National Diploma (ND) and Higher National Diploma (HND) level. Therefore the Dental Therapists Registration Board of Nigeria (DTRBN) was invited to assess the department for accreditation.
The Dental Therapy curriculum includes instructive, laboratory and clinical practice sufficient to graduate competent clinicians who are capable of practicing contemporary dental therapy procedures. The Programme is design to give the students an opportunity to learn and be grounded in the Dental Therapy training, thereby making them relevant in the NN and Tri-Service Hospitals and the country in general.Furthermore, the visit of the Dental Therapists Registration Board of Nigeria (DTRBN) team from 27-28 Jul 16 was quite successful. During this period several observations were made and the school with the support of the NHQ effected changes accordingly. Consequently, the report of the assessment team was forwarded to the school on the 4 Aug 16 indicating an official approval by the Board to admit and commence the training of Dental Therapist at ND leading to HND level with effect from 2016/2017 academic session. Accordingly, the pioneer students of the department were admitted in October 2016. Also, the DTRBN visit was followed by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) after an advisory visit in December 2017. Efforts are currently in place to invite the DTRBN and NBTE for full accreditation and award of HND for the Dental programme in the school.
The Dental Therapy department in the school now offers a unique programme, which provides quality educational experiences for undergraduate Dental Therapy Students. ThisProgramme is design to give the students an opportunity to learn and develop in a friendly, caring and professional environment.This would enable the students upon graduation to launch themselves into the responsibilities of a working life with confidence and competence.On completion, the students would be awarded an HND degree in Dental Therapy. This would be followed by a professional examination to be conducted by the DTRBN which will lead to registration and license to practice as a professional dental therapist.
The course is currently been ran within the school and the admission is opened only to NN personnel who have successfully passed the NN Medical Basic Course. They must have also met up with the requirements of the DTRBN for indexing. There are also future plans to accommodate other members of the Armed Forces and Security Agencies as well as civilians.
The duration of the DentalTherapy Course isa straight 4 years. This will be followed immediately with a one year internship and a mandatory one year NYSC for civilians while military personnel will be exempted from the NYSCprogramme. The programme is designed to encompass new topics obtainable in the modern training of dental therapistas enshrined in the approved curriculum by the DTRBN and NBTE.During the 4 years, the students are scheduled to proceed for practical attachment inDental Clinic/Hospital.
It is important to note that 5 phantom heads had been provided while efforts for the provision of additional dental chairs are on-going, also the school anatomy laboratory which is equipped with the labeled skeletal structure aids in the teaching of human anatomy and anatomy of the head and neck in the school. Also, the school Library has aided in the training of the students.The department as well has qualified/trained personnel and staff with experience in accordance to the DTRBN requirement adequate enough to tutor the 10 students in the department. Currently, the department has a total of 10 students, 5 each in ND I and ND II.
The basic requirement for fresh students who are desirous to studying Dental therapy as a course is a minimum of 5 credits in basic science subjects in not more than 2 sittings in either of NECO/WAEC/GCE. Also, students are expected to have paseed the Joint Admission Matriculation Examination (JAMB). This requirement was proscribed by the NBTE for the purpose of maintaining the standard of the awarding of HND in DentalTherapy Certificate after 4 years of the course.
