The Preclinical Laboratory provides an advanced practical training and research infrastructure where students studying dentistry and dental prosthetic technology develop their clinical skills and manual dexterity before entering the clinical phase. The laboratory is equipped with modern simulation technologies and dental production units.
What is the Preclinical Laboratory? / What is its Purpose?
Primary Purpose: The primary purpose of the Preclinical Laboratory is to enable students enrolled in the Oral and Dental Health and Dental Prosthetics programs to acquire the professional knowledge and manual skills they need through hands-on training before progressing to the clinical stage. The laboratory aims to equip students with the practical skills necessary to provide fully competent assistance to dentists and independently carry out all stages of dental prosthetic procedures.
Key Features: The laboratory has a large capacity that allows up to 100 students to work simultaneously and independently. Training is conducted using modern tools, materials, and equipment that comply with international standards and are appropriate for human health. Comprehensive occupational health and safety measures exceeding standard requirements are implemented during all activities to ensure the highest level of student health and safety.
Academic Contribution: Operating within our University's Health Campus, this unit enables students to combine the medical knowledge acquired in theoretical courses with three-dimensional dental simulations and technical production processes. One of the laboratory's key academic advantages is that instructors' demonstrations can be followed by each student on a dedicated screen at their individual workstation, facilitating a more effective and accelerated learning process.
Equipment and Technical Infrastructure Available in the Laboratory
Key Features: The Preclinical Laboratory provides students with equipment from leading and internationally recognized brands that meet the highest standards in dental education and technology. The technical infrastructure and equipment provided independently for each student workstation include:
- Phantom (Robot) Patient Simulation Systems: Artificial patient simulators on which instructors perform clinical procedures, with the demonstrations simultaneously transmitted to all student screens.
- Individual Student Workstations and Dedicated Screens: Dedicated monitor and workstation systems provided for each of the 100 students, enabling them to follow the instructor's demonstrations live and perform hands-on practice simultaneously.
- Casting Units: Specialized laboratory units where the metal frameworks and alloys used in dental prostheses are shaped and processed at high temperatures.
- Finishing Units: Dental micromotor and bur stations used for surface finishing, grinding, adjustment, and fitting of fabricated prostheses.
- Prosthesis Fabrication Units: Integrated workstations where acrylic, porcelain, and orthodontic materials are processed and all stages of dental prosthesis fabrication can be carried out from start to finish.
Research and Practical Application Areas
The practical training and technical studies conducted in the laboratory cover the following areas of specialization required by modern dental technologies:
- Preclinical Dental Assisting Practices: Simulation of coordinated chairside assistance and material preparation procedures that Oral and Dental Health students will perform while assisting dentists in clinical settings.
- Fixed and Removable Dental Prosthesis Studies: Practical training in all stages of fabricating partial, complete, and fixed dental prostheses in the laboratory to restore lost tooth structures.
- Maxillofacial Prosthetics Applications: Technical laboratory procedures for the fabrication of specialized prostheses aimed at restoring tissue and structural defects in the maxillofacial region.
- Orthodontic Appliance Fabrication: Laboratory-based shaping and fabrication of orthodontic appliances, plates, and protective devices used in the treatment of dental and jaw anomalies.
- Casting and Dental Metallurgy Applications: The molding, casting, and metal-processing procedures carried out in accordance with the technical requirements of dental casting and metallurgy.
Benefits for Students and the Industry
- Enhanced Visual and Hands-On Learning Experience: By continuously observing the instructor's procedures on the robotic patient through their individual screens, students can develop their fine motor skills more effectively and accurately.
- Simultaneous Production Skills: Through the simultaneous use of casting, finishing, and prosthesis fabrication units, students gain practical industry experience by taking part in all stages of transforming a prosthesis from raw materials into a finished product.
- Safe Working Culture Based on Industry Standards: By training in an environment where occupational health and safety measures are implemented at the highest level, students develop strong compliance with laboratory safety procedures that will support them in their professional careers.
