University of the Western Cape, Faculty of Dentistry

University of the Western Cape
Faculty of Dentistry
Motto Respice Prospice
Established 1973
Chancellor Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu
Dean Dean: Prof Y Osman
Location Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
Campus Main, Tygerberg, Mitchell's Plain
Affiliations WHO, IADR, AfDEA, AAU, ACU, CHEC, HESA, IAU
Website http://www.uwc.ac.za/dentistry

The Faculty of Dentistry at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) is the largest dental school in Africa. Located in Cape Town, South Africa, UWC School of Dentistry offers the BChD (DDS) Degree, diplomas in dental hygiene, and several post-graduate MChD, MSC degrees. The Faculty strives to be a leading academic oral health training institution locally, internationally and in the Southern African Region; playing a prominent role in the advancement of oral health in South Africa and Africa in association with the WHO.

Contents

Location

The University of the Western Cape’s Faculty of Dentistry is located in Cape Town, South Africa. Main campus and Tygerberg Hospital’s Oral Health Center are accessible by both the N1 and N2 roads, 30 minutes from central Cape Town. The Faculty of Dentistry is located over three campuses, and training is undertaken on the Oral Health Provincial Teaching Platform, including the Groote Schuur and Red Cross Children’s Hospitals.

Campuses and Facilities

Main Campus

The University of the Western Cape’s main campus is situated in Bellville in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Subjects such as public health, physics and chemistry in the dental degree are typically taught on main campus.

Tygerberg Hospital Campus

The Tygerberg Campus and Oral Health Center is located at and beside Tygerberg Hospital in Belville, Cape Town, roughly 8 kilometers from main campus. The Tygerberg Campus is a principal teaching hospital. The office of the Dean is located here.

Mitchell’s Plain Campus

The Deputy Dean and administrative staff for Postgraduate and Research Affairs in the Faculty of Dentistry are based at the Mitchell’s Plain Campus, situated approximately 20 kilometers from the main campus in the residential suburb of Mitchell’s Plain. The Mitchell’s Plain campus at the Melomed Center is a principal teaching hospital, with the state of the art virtual-patient lab.


Groote Schuur Hospital

Groote Schuur Hospital, home of the world’s first heart transplant, is located in the center of Cape Town, and trains dental students in several disciplines namely oral and maxillofacial surgery, general surgery, internal medicine, etc.

Red Cross Children’s Hospital

Red Cross Children’s Hospital is a specialist pediatric referral hospital, training students from the University of Cape Town’s medical school, University of the Western Cape’s Dental School, and the University of Stellenbosch. The hospital is located in Rondebosch, Cape Town, in the vicinity of Groote Schuur Hospital.

History

The Faculty of Dentistry as it exists today inherits a rich history from both the University of the Western Cape and the University of Stellenbosch, drawing from the extensive academic backgrounds of both. In 1962 the University of Stellenbosch received approval to establish a Faculty of Dentistry and the site at Tygerberg hospital was approved by the state. In 1971, foundations for the building were laid and provision was made for a fourth storey: the future home of UWC Faculty of Dentistry, a unique situation housing two faculties of dentistry under one roof. The first Dean of Dentistry at UWC, serving from the University of Stellenbosch, Prof HS Breytenbach, commenced duty on July 1, 1974. The symbiotic relationship between the two sister faculties continued up to 1992 when UWC moved to its new premises at Mitchell’s Plein. During this time, former president Nelson Mandela was a regular visitor for dental care to the Oral and Dental Teaching Hospital at Tygerberg during his stay at Robben Island Prison. Later, in 2004, the faculties of dentistry at UWC and Stellenbosch universities merged to form the combined Faculty of Dentistry at the University of the Western Cape as we know today.

Degrees and Diplomas

The UWC Faculty of Dentistry 2011 yearbook is available at: [1]

Diplomas

Diploma in Oral Health (DiplOH)

Postgraduate Diploma in Dentistry (PDD):

Syllabi for MSC Degree

Syllabi for Specialist MChD Degree

Notable Alumni and Staff members

Contact Information

International tel: +27 21 937 3000

International fax: +27 21 931 2287

Private Bag X1 Tygerberg Cape Town, South Africa 7505

UWC Dentistry Departments Contact Website

News

External links