Simulated patients recline on freestanding dental units, much like those in a dentist's office. Like most North American dental schools, Western educates students pre-clinically using plastic replicas of upper and lower teeth mounted in a hinged rubber mold to simulate the patient. Today, all that is changing - especially at The University of Western Ontario. A-dec Inc. In addition to undergraduate training, the Simulated Treatment Facility will also be an invaluable part of Western's Continuing Education programs. The role of the School of Dentistry is to provide its graduates with the necessary knowledge base and clinical skills to develop personal qualities which will permit them to practise independently in a competent and ethical manner.
Education is a primary thrust and excellence is a clear goal.
Implicit in the concept of excellence is that scholarship is an essential and fundamental factor and that high quality service is an essential and supporting component. This is a commitment to leadership. It has just established a world class preclinical and continuing education teaching facility, the Simulation Clinic. Treatment in its clinics is patient-centred. This means that the patient's needs and desires drive the treatment rather than a preconceived notion of how many of what types of procedures a student needs to perform while in school.