Paediatrics (PEK_006)
About Study Course
Objective
The aim of the study course is to provide students with knowledge on the child’s growth and development, the most common illnesses from birth to the age of 18 years related to oral health and that are connected to dentistry, develop the necessary skills and attitude for the everyday work with children in dentistry.
Prerequisites
1. Disciplines of humanitarian and social sciences, which develop the student’s critically creative thinking skills, the understanding of the human as a living being and its place in society.
2. Foreign languages (English, Latin).
3. Preclinical disciplines: human anatomy, physiology, call and medical biology, microbiology, genetics, medical and bio-physics, medical chemistry, histology, pharmacology.
4. Medical terminology in English and Latin.
Learning outcomes
After successful completion of the course, the students will be able to:
1. Define childhood periods and describe the normal characteristics and pathology of each of them.
2. Assess the growth and development of a child, to identify the abnormalities and explain their causes.
3. Describe the principles of nutrition in children according to age, to evaluate the role of nutrition in the growth and development of a child, especially the effects of a healthy oral cavity.
4. Describe the causes of disturbances in metabolism of vitamins and minerals, and their subsequent impact on the development of face, jaw, and teeth.
5. Name the most common chronic nutritional disorders in children and their clinical manifestations.
6. Describe the structural and functional peculiarities of the skin and subcutaneous tissue, to describe the manifestations of allergies in different organ systems, especially in the oral cavity.
7. Outline the clinical manifestations and treatment of acute respiratory illnesses, haemorrhagic syndrome, uropoietic disorders, and rheumatological illnesses, especially in the context of the health of the oral cavity; to define the principles of emergency treatment in dentistry.
8. Describe the most common infectious diseases in children, their incubation periods, clinical characteristics, principles of treatment, and the appropriate actions to be taken by a dentist in case of an infectious disease.
9. Know the immunization schedule of the Republic of Latvia, and to describe the role of vaccination in healthcare.
After a successful completion of the course, the students will be able to:
1. Formulate key words of the topics of interest, and to find information on childhood illnesses in textbooks and online databases.
2. Find a successful form of communication with the patient (appropriate to the age) and the parents, in order to perform physical examination of the child.
3. Apply appropriate tools on evaluation of the child’s growth and development, to recognize and explain the abnormalities in the findings.
4. Evaluate the child’s nutrition according to the age group, to recognize possible deviations, and make corrections if necessary.
5. Collect a purposeful medical history in case of most common childhood illnesses, to evaluate the condition of the patient, formulate the key problems and suggest solutions as possible in accordance to the student’s own competencies, and to refer the patient to a paediatrician for further investigation.
6. Recognize the signs of the studied childhood illnesses in the oral cavity of the patient, to suggest principles of treatment and prevention.
A result of the completion of the study course, the acquired competencies will allow the students to:
1. Perform and independent analysis of the health problems of a child’s teeth and oral cavity related to most common childhood illnesses, including those requiring integration of preclinical sciences and previous knowledge in clinical medicine, to provide goal-oriented solutions.
2. Integrate their knowledge and skills in the diagnostic process, with a purpose to evaluate the condition of the oral cavity and teeth as a characteristic of the child’s general health, to contribute to the development of an individual health care plan for a child, together with other specialists.
3. Formulate decisions on a child’s health and provide augmented explanation to the parents, to provide a holistic approach to the child’s health.
4. Respond to paediatric emergency situations according to principles of evidence-based medicine.
Study course planning
| Study programme | Study semester | Program level | Study course category | Lecturers | Schedule |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dentistry, SSNSFz | 8 | Master’s | Required | Ieva Roģe-Gurecka, Jana Pavāre, Emīlija Zeltiņa, Jete Danefelde, Agita Strazdiņa |
| Study programme | Study semester | Program level | Study course category | Lecturers | Schedule |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dentistry, SSNSF | 8 | Master’s | Required | Jana Pavāre | |
| Dentistry, ZF | 8 | Master’s | Required |
