The School of Dental Sciences at Newcastle University has been enhanced with the opening of its new Dental Clinical Simulation Facilities, allowing students to train with cutting-edge equipment to keep them up to date with the latest technology in their field.

Funded by Newcastle University and the Office for Students, the £5.5 million unit is set to transform the learning and experience of students, dental clinicians and patients.

‘Benefits to education and research’

The facilities include traditional dental simulation with new ‘phantom heads’, enhanced training in dental prosthetics, an x-ray department, and a postgraduate simulation suite with operating microscopes for learning key techniques in advanced non-surgical and surgical dentistry.

Newcastle University’s School of Dental Sciences works in collaboration with the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the new facility is a prime example of their close partnership. 

Professor Chris Day, Vice Chancellor and President of Newcastle University, said: “The equipment and technology that has been installed is at the cutting edge of dental science and we are excited to start using the new unit.

“Combined with the expertise and professionalism of our NHS dental technicians, nurses and clinical colleagues, these facilities will contribute significantly to current and future generations of dental students and the patients they go on to treat.

“We are very fortunate to work closely with Newcastle Hospitals as our partnership brings benefits not only to education and research but also, critically, for the services we provide to patients from across the North of England and beyond.”

The facility will prepare graduates for an increasingly digital workplace. Students will benefit from enhancements in audio visual equipment, with the ability for patient treatments to be streamed live from a demonstration dental surgery into their seminar room.

Each year, around 30,000 patients are treated by Newcastle University students at the Dental Hospital based at the Royal Victoria Infirmary and clinics in the city’s Arthur’s Hill, Byker and Kenton.

There is also an award-winning dental outreach scheme, called Brush Up, that sees student volunteers work with local schools and community groups to provide important oral health and dietary advice.

Professor Chris Vernazza, Interim Head of School of Dental Sciences at Newcastle University, said: “I’m delighted at the opening of the Dental Clinical Simulation Facilities, which will allow our students to train with the best equipment to prepare them for their careers.

“The unit enables us to offer new and more flexible education opportunities in oral health for the benefit of patients.

“We are particularly proud of the new digital equipment, including operating microscopes, mouth scanners and 3D printing that mean our graduates are well equipped for the future of oral health care.”

‘Excellence in patient care, education and training’

The Dental Clinical Simulation Facilities is the latest University estates project to have completed on time and on budget.

Dr Simon Stone, Senior Clinical Lecturer and Honorary Consultant in Endodontics, who led the project, said: “Like many professions, dentistry is making more and more use of digital technologies.

“We have created a place where technology allows students to observe live dental surgeries remotely. They can practice dental procedures on digital and physical simulators, and they can also work with digital manufacturing techniques to make dental restorations such as crowns, veneers and bridges.

“Everybody involved in this project has worked together to not only deliver these new facilities on time, and on budget, but also to complete the work without disrupting the other dental clinics and laboratories in the building.”

The project was completed by Robertson Construction with GSS Architecture and Identity Consult, under the guidance of Newcastle University and the Newcastle Hospitals estates teams.

Sir Jim Mackey, Chief Executive of Newcastle Hospitals, said: “Newcastle Dental Hospital has a long-standing history of excellence in patient care, education, and training, along with a global reputation for research that positively impacts oral health.

“This modern facility will help to train the next generation of dentists in the latest techniques and treatments, which will greatly benefit our patients.

“This project is thanks to a well-established partnership between Newcastle Hospitals and Newcastle University’s School of Dentistry. My thanks go to everyone involved in making this possible and providing the best care to our patients.”