Biomolecular sciences in the dental curriculum – broadening the base to increase the relevance

Although the increasing importance of biochemistry and allied subjects in the dental curriculum in the post-genomic era is well recognised, there is considerable difficulty in motivating students and convincing them of the need for this. Students simply want to get on with dentistry (DentEd Report, 2001). In a revised integrated interdisciplinary first year Biomolecular Science course introduced in Glasgow last session, the subjects covered now include crystals and restorations, cells and molecules, biophysical chemistry and radiation, carbohydrates, fats and proteins, cell metabolism, molecular biology, microbial biochemistry, antimicrobial agents, immunochemistry, nutrition, cell signalling, biochemistry of human tissues and clinical biochemistry. This broad approach enables this course to increasingly underpin much of the later curriculum including oral biology, oral pathology, materials science, restorative dentistry, oral medicine and public health as well as demonstrating to the students the relevance to dentistry. Although this approach is quite well received, limitations include staff with the appropriate interests and expertise as well as relevant course texts. Further integration with clinical subjects is also required. The developments which face dentists in the 21st century arising from the human genome project will be on a scale similar to those arising from the advent of IT. This approach may go some way to better equipping them for this.