Association for Dental Education in Europe

Learning together to improve oral health and quality of life

Development of Indirect Restorations and Removable Prosthodontics Curriculum Guidelines for Dental Undergraduate Students

Thursday, 21st August 2025 - 16:00 to 17:30
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Timezone: 

Dublin (IST, UTC+1)

Venue: 

McNabb Auditorium TCDBS

Session type: 
Type 2: Organised, planned and delivered by a subgroup, special interest group, community of practice of ADEE
Development of Indirect Restorations and Removable Prosthodontics Curriculum Guidelines for Dental Undergraduate Students
Session synopsis: 

Background: Prosthodontics teaching comprises a large portion of Dental Undergraduate teaching both in the UK, Europe and internationally. As the prevalence of tooth tissue loss and tooth loss remains high in many populations, there is a sustained need to provide dental students with a systematic and evidence based education in prosthodontics. Despite there being European curriculum guidelines for undergraduate education in other fields, none exist for Prosthodontics. In 2023 the British Society of Prosthodontics (BSSPD) formed a task force to work with the Association of Dental Education in Europe (ADEE) to develop Indirect Restorations and Removable Prosthodontics Curriculum Guidance for Dental Undergraduate Students.

Methodology: Indirect Restorations and Removable Prosthodontics curriculum guidance was written following the ADEE Graduating European Dentist (GED) curriculum, to ensure a behaviour-based learning outcome approach was used. Four Capability Domains were developed: 1) Knowledge of the scientific and evidence-base; 2) General Prosthodontic learning outcomes; 3) Indirect restorations; and 4) Removable Prosthodontics. The domains include 97 proposed learning outcomes (LOs), which are subdivided into Clinical, Supporting and Fundamental LOs.  A Delphi-style survey was conducted with the aim to establish how clear, how important and how difficult each LO of the proposed curriculum was perceived to be. An initial survey round was completed an expert opinion was gained at the 2024 BSSPD conference. Amendments to the survey were made based on the original responses and expert opinion. A second round of the survey was performed and expert opinion was gained at the 2025 BSSPD conference to conclude the Delphi-style process.

Results: Agreement on how clear, how important and how difficult each LO is was achieved. All (100%) of the LOs were classified as ‘clear’; none were classified ‘less clear’ or ‘not clear’. 92 (94.8%) of the LOs were classified as ‘essential’, 5 (5.2%) were classified as ‘important’; none were classified as ‘aspirational’. 78 (80.4%) of the LOs were classified as ‘easier to teach’, 19 (19.6%) were classified as ‘more difficult’; none were classified as ‘much more difficult’. Comments collected from the Delphi-style survey were reviewed at the 2024 and 2025 BSSPD conference meetings, discussed and necessary amendments were made to achieve full agreement on all LOs. 

Conclusion: The Delphi-style process achieved agreement for every LO in each domain with agreement regarding how clear, how important and how difficult each LO was for the Indirect Restorations and Removable Prosthodontics Curriculum Guidelines.

Chair: 

Elizabeth King

Specialist in Restorative Dentistry
University of Bristol

Elizabeth King is a Specialist in Restorative Dentistry practicing in Bristol and Bath. She balances her time between her roles as Consultant Senior Lecturer for the University of Bristol, Consultant in Restorative Dentistry at the Royal United Hospitals Bath and private dental practitioner in Bath. One her of her main roles is Programme Director of the Dental Implantology MSc at the University of Bristol Dental School. She completed her specialist training in South Wales which encompassed periodontology, endodontology, prosthodontics and dental implants along with multi-disciplinary management of head and neck oncology, cleft lip and palate, hypodontia and dental trauma. Her main areas of clinical interest are hypodontia, tooth wear, dental implants and fixed and removable prosthodontics. Her real passion is dental education, from day-to-day teaching up to strategic planning and implementation. She is proud parent of two young children who keep her busy outside of work.

Elizabeth King is a Specialist in Restorative Dentistry practicing in Bristol and Bath. She balances her time between her roles as Consultant Senior Lecturer for the University of Bristol, Consultant in Restorative Dentistry at the Royal United Hospitals Bath and private dental practitioner in Bath. She is the current Programme Director of the Dental Implantology MSc at the University of Bristol. She completed her specialist training in South Wales which encompassed periodontology, endodontology, prosthodontics and dental implants along with multi-disciplinary management of head and neck oncology, cleft, hypodontia and dental trauma. Her main area of clinical interest are hypodontia, tooth wear, dental implants and fixed and removable prosthodontics.

Speakers: 

Barry A. Quinn

Vice Dean for Scholarship & Staff Development | Chair in Restorative Dentistry and Dental Education
University of Liverpool, School of Dentistry, UK

Professor Barry F.A. Quinn is the Vice Dean for Scholarship and Staff Development and Chair in Restorative Dentistry and Dental Education at the University of Liverpool. He is an internationally recognised leader in dental education and research, with an extensive portfolio of senior roles in national and international organisations.

Barry currently serves as Secretary General of the Association for Dental Education in Europe (ADEE), President of the Royal Society of Medicine’s Odontology Section, and President of the IADR Prosthodontic Group. He has previously held presidencies of the British Alliance for Researchers in Dental Education and Scholarship (BARDES) and the Education Research Group of the International Association for Dental Research (IADR).

He has also contributed to the work of UNESCO, IFIP, and the General Dental Council (GDC), particularly in areas of quality assurance and professional standards. Barry’s contributions to dental education have been widely recognised. In 2023, he was awarded a National Teaching Fellowship—only the 12th UK dental professional to receive this honour in the award’s history. His research spans interprofessional education and haptic virtual reality surgical simulation training, and has earned accolades such as the Medical Futures Award and ADEE’s Mature and Interprofessional Educator Awards.

He is the author of over 200 abstracts and publications, and remains committed to advancing excellence, innovation, and collaboration in dental education and scholarship.