Module manager: Louise Laverty
Email: L.K.Laverty@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun) View Timetable
Year running 2025/26
Must meet the entrance requirements for the MSc Dental Public Health programme
DSUR5130M Principles of Dental Public Health
This module is not approved as an Elective
This module will provide you with the knowledge and understanding of the scientific basis which underpins the specialty of dental public health. You will explore current issues in Dental Public Health in the UK and internationally within a multi-disciplinary approach. You will develop the skills to critically think about the concepts, theories and methods employed in the speciality and use these skills to critically appraise and evaluate evidence and advocate for others. As part of this module, you will also explore areas of psychology and sociology, in order to understand how individual behaviours, and determinants of health inform effective population health improvement strategies. The principle taught aspects of the module mirror the theoretical elements of the specialty curriculum for dental public health in the UK.
This module will:
- equip students with the knowledge to identify the scientific basis which underpins the specialty of dental public health enabling them to present as subject experts in dental public health, focussing on the promotion of health and the prevention and control of dental diseases at a community and population level.
- develop skills to critically evaluate the concepts, theories and methods employed in the speciality and apply these skills to advocate for others.
- equip students with the knowledge to be able to explain the influence of lifestyle behaviours on oral and general health including inequalities in oral health.
- develop the skills to be able to recognise the oral health needs and demands of populations including how to evaluate various methods of prevention within oral health promotion for health improvement.
On successful completion of the module students will be able to:
1. apply theoretical knowledge of population oral health to instigate improvement in oral health inequalities
2. appraise the theory that underpins the science of behaviour approaches in relation to population health.
3. identify methods to measure and critically evaluate population oral and general health needs and demands.
4. evaluate evidence-based approaches to the prevention of oral diseases in a given population.
5. describe the principles of planning and evaluating oral and healthcare services and health promotion programmes.
Skills Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module students will have:
1. Work ready Skills and Academic skills to demonstrate effective communication in presentations by spoken, written and electronic means to support collaborative working within the field of dental public health.
2. Sustainability Skills to apply critical thinking to review tools in oral health promotion and improvement, and critically appraise theories and inequalities in oral health and how they apply to practice.
3. Technical Skills to identify appropriate health services research methods and appraise how political agendas influence oral health.
The module will cover the following areas of population health, and psychology and sociology applied to health and oral health:
- Principles of the population health approach.
- Definitions of health, determinants of health and inequalities in health.
- Basic principles of epidemiology including demographic and social trends in oral health.
- The role of health promotion to deliver health gain.
- Health promotion and approaches to prevention at a population level.
- Factors that influence oral health care for communities to meet needs and demands, including the barriers and challenges of oral health.
- Psychology and sociology applied to dentistry, health and Illness across the lifespan.
- Psychological and sociological concepts and theoretical frameworks of Behaviour change.
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lecture | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Lecture | 7 | 1 | 7 |
| Lecture | 7 | 1.5 | 10.5 |
| Seminar | 3 | 3 | 9 |
| Seminar | 8 | 3.5 | 28 |
| Tutorial | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Independent online learning hours | 15 | ||
| Private study hours | 374.5 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 60.5 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 450 | ||
A formative feedback session will be held prior to summative assessment submission / presentation. The session will include a short critical appraisal task, where students can actively engage and work together in groups to practise their critical appraisal skills whilst debating dental public health related topics. The session will be in the format of a journal club session where a paper will be chosen by the module team. Students will be asked to prepare a short overview of the task they have undertaken (with support of a critical appraisal tool e.g., CASP), and present their findings to the students in groups. Feedback and support will then be provided by staff. Peer feedback in the form of a discussion will be facilitated by staff.
The students are also given the opportunity to review the learning objectives and ask for further guidance where they feel they may need additional support.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | Dental Public Health formal live presentation | 50 |
| Coursework | Coursework & Presentation (Groupwork) - Formative Feedback Task Session. | 0 |
| Coursework | Critical Appraisal assignment | 50 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 100 | |
Coursework Both elements of the module assessment must be passed independently. In the event of failure of one component, the module mark will be capped at 50 on successful resit of a similar type to the original assessment. Formative Presentation Groupwork (Feedback task): A short critical appraisal task (in groups) where students can practise their critical appraisal skills, discuss underpinning science of behaviour and link these to their knowledge of dental public health. This will be in a journal club format with the paper chosen by the module team. Students will prepare a short overview and present their findings to the staff member and other students in groups. Critical Appraisal assignment (up to 3000-word structured essay format): Assignment based around the critical appraisal of a chosen paper, which will demonstrate students’ underpinning knowledge of Dental Public Health and different approaches to prevention. Assessment Presentation: presentation up to 30 minutes (including presentation and subsequent discussion). The presentation and discussion will be based on the approaches to measure and evaluate population health needs and the promotion and provision of healthcare. This provides a meaningful and authentic opportunity to actively communicate and engage with an audience.
Check the module area in Minerva for your reading list
Last updated: 30/04/2026
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