Components
1. Lectures and practical courses — lectures, seminars, and practical exercises delivered at suitable venues by appointed educational bodies. All training sessions are compulsory.
2. Workplace-based training — approximately one clinical session per week of supervised clinical learning and observation, supported by appointed specialist trainers.
3. Continuous assessment — every 6 months, focusing on theoretical components (typically short-answer/structured formats).
4. Essential reading — recommended English and Chinese literature lists form part of the theoretical course requirements.
5. Continuing Dental Education (CDE) — minimum 10 hours per annum (≥30 hours across the programme) from reputable national/international bodies in Orthodontics or related Clinical Dental Sciences.
1. Concepts of physical growth and development — 3 h
• Early stages of growth and development
• Later stages of growth and development
2. Biological, skeletal, dental age; stages of sexual development; adolescent growth spurt and its relevance to craniofacial growth — 1 h
3. Normal growth and development of face and jaws — 1 h
4. Normal development of teeth (deciduous and permanent); leeway/primate space; abnormalities in number/size/position; orthodontic consequences — 1 h
5. Tissue response to orthodontic force; bone remodelling; biological responses to force application — 1 h
6. Tooth eruption / root resorption — 1 h
7. Orthodontics: general principles and aetiology — 1 h
8. Treatment need: assessment, indices, application — 1 h
9. Ethics, informed consent — 1 h
10. Patient communication in orthodontic treatment (motivation, cooperation, psychosocial impact) — 3 h
11. Orthodontic clinical examination — 1 h
12. Supplementary investigation (e.g., imaging modalities) — 1 h
13. Lateral cephalometry and its development — 1 h
14. 2-D lateral cephalometric analyses and clinical applications — 1 h
15. Application of 3-D imaging in clinical orthodontics — 1 h
16. 3-D cephalometric analyses and clinical applications — 2 h
17. Study model examination and analyses — 1 h
18. Digital setup in orthodontic examination — 1 h
19. Classification of malocclusion and diagnosis; problem list; diagnosis and treatment planning — 2 h
20. Consideration of treatment alternatives — 2 h
21. Biomechanical basis of orthodontic therapy — 1 h
22. Mechanical principles in orthodontic force control — 2 h
23. Mechanical properties and orthodontic materials — 1 h
24. Myofunctional therapy — 2 h
25. Orthodontics and temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMD) — 2 h
26. Condylar trauma and orthodontic treatment — 2 h
27. Adenoid hypertrophy and management — 1 h
28. Design of orthodontic appliances and mechanical characteristics — 1 h
29. Functional appliances — 1 h
30. Fixed labial appliances — 1 h
31. Fixed lingual appliances — 1 h
32. “Invisible” aligners — 1 h
33. Bonding agents; orthodontic wires/sequencing/instruments; expanders; intra-oral laser applications — 1 h
34. Dental impression materials; intra-oral scanning — 1 h
35. Stage I treatment goals — 2 h
• Alignment
• Correction of reverse bite
• Assisted eruption of impacted teeth
• Overjet and overbite reduction
36. Stage II treatment goals — —
• Correction of buccal segment relationships
• Space closure of extraction sites
37. Stage III treatment goals — —
• Finishing adjustments, bracket repositioning, vertical control of canines
• Development of final occlusion and aesthetics
38. Retention — 2 h
• Indications and principles; removable, fixed, and active retainers
• Orthodontic relapse of dental crowding — current understanding and research
39. Treatment of Class I malocclusion in children — 1 h40. Treatment of Class I malocclusion in adolescents — 1 h
41. Class I malocclusion — comprehensive orthodontic treatment — 1 h
42. Bimaxillary protrusion — orthodontic management — 1 h
43. Bimaxillary protrusion — combined orthodontic/orthognathic treatment — 1 h
44. Bimaxillary protrusion — periodontal concerns and strategies — 2 h
45. Interceptive treatment of Class II in children — 1 h
46. Orthopaedic treatment of Class II in adolescents — 2 h
47. High-angle Class II — orthodontic treatment — 2 h
48. Low-angle Class II — orthodontic treatment — 2 h
49. High-angle Class II — combined orthodontic/orthognathic treatment — 2 h
50. Low-angle Class II — combined orthodontic/orthognathic treatment — 2 h
51. Class II with TMD — orthodontic treatment — 2 h
52. Class II with TMD — combined orthodontic/orthognathic care — 2 h
53. Interceptive treatment of Class III in children — 1 h
54. Orthopaedic treatment of Class III in adolescents — 2 h
55. Class III — orthodontic treatment — 2 h
56. Class III — combined orthodontic/orthognathic treatment — 2 h
57. Asymmetry — treatment in children — 1 h
58. Asymmetry — treatment in adolescents — 1 h
59. Open bite — treatment in children — 1 h
60. Open bite — treatment in adolescents — 1 h
61. “Invisible” orthodontics — 2 h
62. Individualised lingual orthodontics — 2 h
63. Orthodontic practice / infection control — 1 h
64. Growth and treatment analysis — 1 h
65. Risks of orthodontic treatment and their management — 1 h
– Prof. Fraser McDonald — Growth in orthodontics; Functional appliances; Fixed appliance mechanics; Biology of tooth movement; Root resorption; Diagnosis and treatment planning; Dental materials.
– Prof. Dirk Bister — Functional appliances; Lateral cephalometry; Management of fractured teeth.
– Dr. Toby Gillgrass — Cleft lip and palate in orthodontics; Biomechanics; Growth and development; Stability and retention.
– Dr. John Scholey — Lower incisor extraction in Class III cases.
– Dr. Richard Cure — Class III orthodontics; Class II Division 1 orthodontics; Hypodontia; Adult orthodontics.
– Prof. Peter Ngan — Early and timely orthodontic treatment; Management of transverse discrepancies with TADs; Growth and development in Class II treatment; Early orthopaedic management of Class III; Borderline extraction cases; Can we speed up tooth movement?; Treatment of extraction and missing-tooth cases with aligners; Impacted maxillary canines; Interdisciplinary management of complex adult malocclusions.
– Prof. Fang Bing — TMJ and orthodontics; TMD and imaging; Clear aligners: principles and practice.
– Prof. He Hong — Sleep apnoea and its orthodontic implications.
– Prof. James Chow / Prof. Piet Haers — Orthognathic surgery; Cleft palate repair; Radiographic imaging.
– Prof. Pan Xiaogang — Aligners to treat increased vertical dimension; Aligners to treat reduced vertical dimension.
– Dr. Romeo Jacob — Loop mechanics and wire bending.
– Dr. Cordia Lam — Basic principles of clear aligner treatment.
Note: The programme may invite additional guest lecturers. Schedules are confirmed annually.
