Australian Dental Mini Residency

The Australian Dental Mini Residency was founded in 2014 in response to meeting such talented and hardworking young dentists as part of the Australian Dental Graduate of the Year Award. We wanted to do more to give back to the profession and to train and mentor these impressive recent dental graduates. The initial cohort of 6 has now expanded to over 50 young dentists taking part in the program.

The Australian Dental Mini Residency is a lecture and practical, hands-on based series of workshops held at our training facility in Caloundra on the Sunshine Coast. The aim of the Australian Dental Mini Residency is to educate recent graduate dentists on the essential aspects of general practice dentistry to try to grow them into the best possible general dentists. There are five lectures spread throughout the year, each focussing on a different foundational aspect of general practice dentistry and each building on the previous lecture. The University of Queensland completed a research study to validate the learning experience of these recent dental graduates and to our knowledge the Australian Dental Graduates Mini Residency is the only evidence based formal mentoring program available to dentists in Australia.

A summary of the lectures held at our training facility in Caloundra on the Sunshine Coast is included below.

LECTURE 1: The first lecture focuses on caries removal (lectures and hands on), class II composite resin restorations (lectures and hands on), rubber Dam (lecture), extractions (lecture on basic and surgical techniques), and a systematised approach to crown preparations (lectures and hands on)

LECTURE 2: The second lecture focuses on treatment planning. We cover single tooth treatment planning, cantilever bridges, dahl appliance, shortened dental arch, aesthetics and full mouth treatment planning. We find this a particularly rewarding day as for most people it completely transforms their approach to treatment planning making a huge positive effect on their dental careers.

LECTURE 3: The third lecture focuses on communication with patients. Without positive rapport and positive, mutually trusting relationships with our patients we would not be able to help anyone achieve better oral health.

LECTURE 4: The third lecture focuses on root canal therapy best practice (lectures and hands on), dental implants (lectures and hands on restorative), and porcelain veneers.