Üsküdar Üniversitesi has launched the first ever “Aesthetic Morphology and Material” course in Turkey. Pointing out the importance of the course, which started at the Faculty of Dentistry, Prof. Dr. İbrahim Berk Bellaz stated that the university is a pioneer in this field. Prof. Dr. Emine Berika İpekbayrak, stating that making teeth is a design, emphasized the important role of art in dental education and said, “This education will be beneficial in establishing relationships and empathy with patients.” Prof. Dr. İpekbayrak said, “In free design, we can create the sculpture of our dreams with our inner feelings and give it a surreal form. However, dental design cannot be done this way. There are certain norms in this field. After theoretically covering those norms, we reinforce the course by providing practical training.”
Üsküdar Üniversitesi Faculty of Dentistry aims to be a pioneer in dental education with the training and courses it provides. The "Aesthetic Morphology and Material" course has been offered for the first time in Turkey.
Prof. Dr. İbrahim Berk Bellaz: “Learning tooth morphology is like sculpting”
Prof. Dr. İbrahim Berk Bellaz, Vice Dean of Üsküdar Üniversitesi Faculty of Dentistry, stated that they are offering the Aesthetic Morphology and Material course for the first time in Turkey and expressed great satisfaction in pioneering this field.
Prof. Dr. Bellaz, emphasizing the need to move beyond the traditional education system, said, “The curriculum of the course was developed with the vision of past instructors. It would not be right to consider this field as a single course, as it constitutes only a small part of the art domain. Dentistry has been taught with the same system for many years. The classical approach to education is not sufficient today. There are serious deficiencies in following contemporary trends, visual three-dimensional perception, spatial awareness, and its development through motivation. The purpose of this course, which will fill a significant gap in the field of art, is not to provide students with a hobby. The main goal is the application of art in dentistry, the perception of three-dimensional and spatial dimensions, and the development of motivational ability. We plan to conduct this course in collaboration with our instructors who are expert sculptors. Because learning tooth morphology is like sculpting.”
Prof. Dr. İbrahim Berk Bellaz: “They will take the same board course as the Faculty of Medicine”
Prof. Dr. İbrahim Berk Bellaz stated that dental students will apply treatment more successfully when they take board courses, saying, “Dentists have serious responsibilities towards patients as physicians. However, I can say that in a modern era like the 21st century, we are ethically living in the Middle Ages. Therefore, ethical values need to be raised and applied. To close this gap, we have implemented the Ethics and Deontology course. Furthermore, our students take all the board courses that the Faculty of Medicine takes, one-to-one as Dentistry students. If these trainings are not taken, deficiencies arise in the field of medicine. Our students, in light of these trainings, will develop better treatment methods when they start treatment in the clinic.”
Prof. Dr. Emine Berika İpekbayrak: “We worked with clay for the first time”
Prof. Dr. Emine Berika İpekbayrak, a faculty member at Üsküdar Üniversitesi Faculty of Dentistry, spoke about her observations on students and the morphology course: “In studies conducted in this field, a tooth is usually carved out of soap. However, we worked with clay for the first time. I personally supervise the morphology application in class. But at this point, I need to remind my students of the difference between free design and dental design. Because in free design, we can create the sculpture of our dreams with our inner feelings and give it a surreal form, but a tooth is not like that. We don't have the possibility of creating a tooth from our imagination because there are certain norms in this field. After theoretically covering those norms, we also provide practical training. Especially when working in three dimensions, they will learn to pay attention and distinguish between looking and seeing, as they need to examine the object from all angles. All the work we have done so far has been quite successful.”
Prof. Dr. Emine Berika İpekbayrak: “This education will be beneficial in establishing relationships and empathy with patients”
Prof. Dr. Emine Berika İpekbayrak, who provides education on the necessity of art to dental students, said, “Modern art is a type of art that is misunderstood by most people. The reason for this is usually the lack of any background in art. However, after this education, our students will gain knowledge in areas such as rhythm, form, balance, volume, space, light, shadow, placement, and pattern. After this course, understanding works of art will become easier, and their interest in this field will increase. People usually visit stores, not museums, during their international trips. However, thanks to the awareness gained from this course, visiting a museum, exploring an art gallery, or the archaeological sites of a city will become more appealing. Furthermore, it will be very beneficial in patient relationships and empathy, as it will develop different ways of thinking.”
Students of Üsküdar Üniversitesi Faculty of Dentistry also shared their thoughts on the "Aesthetic Morphology and Material" course.
Furkan Efe Kaya: “Thanks to this course, we will achieve perfect treatment more easily”
Furkan Efe Kaya, a first-year student at Üsküdar Üniversitesi Faculty of Dentistry, stated that the course changed his perspective: “I hadn’t received any education in art until I started my studies at Üsküdar Üniversitesi. When it was announced that this training would be provided here, I had some doubts about whether it would be effective, but after attending the first class, I realized that it was actually a very well-thought-out idea. I realized that by paying careful attention to details when making teeth and working in dentistry in the future, and by focusing on particulars, I would actually get closer to perfection. I think this is very beneficial, and it also allows us to gain a different perspective on teeth and life. Perhaps we will think in ways we couldn’t before and do more beautiful work than we could before. For this reason, I thank everyone who contributed.”
Buket Selvi: “I chose Üsküdar Üniversitesi because of this course”
Buket Selvi, a first-year Dentistry student, said, “We were told during preference days that an art education would be provided. For this reason, I specifically chose Üsküdar Üniversitesi. I made this choice thinking that artistic dexterity is very important in Dentistry and that this course would provide an aesthetic contribution, moving us a step forward in this field.”
Reporter: Ebranur Özdemir