Students typically complete the requirements of the PhD program in PhD 5 or PhD 6. Students must complete the requirements of the PhD program by the end of PhD 7. This includes required courses (12 credits), complementary courses (6-12 credits), a required comprehensive exam, research, and the writing and defense of a thesis. In total, students take 18-24 credits. Required courses are taken during the first 2 years of the program (PhD 1 and PhD 2). Complementary courses can be taken at any time during the program.
All students must complete a mandatory Academic Integrity Tutorial by the end of their first semester. The Tutorial can be accessed through MINERVA’s student menu. If students do not complete the Tutorial, they will not be able to register for the following term.
For Fast-track applicants, all mandatory and complementary courses will be transferred from MSc to PhD.
McGill students who have completed any of the mandatory PhD courses during the MSc must choose field relevant elective courses to fill these requirements. Kindly inform the faculty graduate studies office of the substitute course to receive approval.
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Oral Health Sciences
Offered by:Dental Med & Oral Health Sci
Degree:Doctor of Philosophy
Program Requirement:
The Ph.D. in Oral Health Sciences provides training for health science researchers in advanced research in oral health problems. It will build upon an approach to scholarly knowledge that embraces discipline specific training in tandem with an understanding on one’s position in research and possibilities for collaboration.
Thesis
A thesis for the doctoral degree must constitute original scholarship and must be a distinct contribution to knowledge. It must show familiarity with previous work in the field and must demonstrate ability to plan and carry out research, organize results, and defend the approach and conclusions in a scholarly manner. The research presented must meet current standards of the discipline; as well, the thesis must clearly demonstrate how the research advances knowledge in the field. Finally, the thesis must be written in compliance with norms for academic and scholarly expression and for publication in the public domain.
Required Courses (9 Credits)
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DENT 663
Principles of Health Research
1 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Dentistry: Research topics and methodology, including critical thinking and evaluating evidence, scientific responsibilities, academic integrity, scientific writing, and publishing basics.
Offered by: Dental Med & Oral Health Sci
- Restriction(s): Not open to students who have taken DENT 563.
- Terms
- Instructors
- Mari Tuulia Kaartinen, Andrea Quaiattini
-
DENT 664
Health Research Communications
1 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Dentistry: Practical training in written and oral communication skills for biomedical sciences and oral health research.
Offered by: Dental Med & Oral Health Sci
- Prerequisite(s): DENT 663 or permission of the instructor.
- Restriction(s): Not open to students who have taken DENT 564.
- Students will participate in a series of lectures and workshops to develop and practice scientific writing and oral communication skills.
- Terms
- Instructors
- Marc O Martel, Pascaline Kengne Talla
-
DENT 665
Lrdship & Mgmt Skills in Res
1 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Dentistry: Introduction to leadership theory, models and practice, as well as the development of project and time management skills, resource allocation, team and consensus building.
Offered by: Dental Med & Oral Health Sci
- Restriction(s): Only open to students enrolled in the MSc Dental Sciences (Thesis), MSc Dental Sciences (Non-Thesis) or the Faculty of Dentistry's PhD program, or with permission of instructor.
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year
-
DENT 671D1
Advanced Research Seminar
1 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Dentistry: Topics in current research in Oral Health Sciences.
Offered by: Dental Med & Oral Health Sci
-
-
DENT 700
Comprehensive Exam Skills
1 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Dentistry: Preparation for the written and oral comprehensive exam by formulating research proposals, conducting literature reviews and developing an oral presentation on the thesis topic. Emphasis will be placed on small group peer-to-peer feedback and mock examinations.
Offered by: Dental Med & Oral Health Sci
- Restriction: Only open to students enrolled in the Faculty of Dentistry Ph.D. program.
- Terms
- Instructors
- Mari Tuulia Kaartinen
- Mari Tuulia Kaartinen
-
DENT 701
PhD Comprehensive Examination
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Dentistry: The comprehensive exam will consist of two parts: the first part (written) will demonstrate the candidate's skills in writing a research proposal. The second part (oral) will confirm that the candidate understands all aspects of the protocol.
Offered by: Dental Med & Oral Health Sci
- Terms
- Instructors
- Mari Tuulia Kaartinen
- Mari Tuulia Kaartinen
-
DENT 786
Foundations in Oral Health Sci
6 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Dentistry: Overview of foundational ideas in oral health science. Focus on philosophy of science (for basic science, clinical and patient care, community, population and public health).Exploration of the knowledge production cycle (e.g., from basic science to bedside care to population health, and back). Research methodologies and methods, theoretical and conceptual frameworks, knowledge translation and research ethics.
Offered by: Dental Med & Oral Health Sci
- Restriction(s): Open to students enrolled in the Faculty of Dentistry's Ph.D. in Oral Health Sciences. Other students require permission of the instructors.
- Terms
- Instructors
- Etienne Vachon-Presseau, Elizabeth Zimmermann
Complementary Courses (6-12 credits)
* 6-12 credits from the following:
-
DENT 504
Biomaterials & Bioperformance
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Dentistry: Biological and synthetic biomaterials, medical devices, and the issues related to their bioperformance. The physicochemical characteristics of biomaterials in relation to their biocompatibility and sterilization.
Offered by: Dental Med & Oral Health Sci
- Restrictions: Graduate and final year undergraduates from physical, biological, medical and dental sciences, and engineering.
-
DENT 610
Intro to Craniofacial Research
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Dentistry: Conducting craniofacial research projects using animal models, including molecular genetics as well as methodologies commonly used in a laboratory performing craniofacial research, generating and analyzing animal models, and performing comparative studies of multiple craniofacial anomalies in humans and animal models.
Offered by: Dental Med & Oral Health Sci
- Restriction(s): Registration priority will be given to students enrolled in a graduate program in Dentistry. Students from other departments may register with permission from the instructor.
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year
-
DENT 654
Mechanisms&Management of Pain
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Dentistry: Presentation of the neurobiology of pain and analgesia, clinical pain conditions, basic and applied research methods in the study of pain, and the theory and practice of pain management. The course is designed for graduate students interested in pain mechanisms and clinical residents interested in pain management.
Offered by: Dental Med & Oral Health Sci
- Restriction: Open to all health professionals
- Terms
- Instructors
- Marc O Martel, Ana Miriam Velly
-
DENT 669
Extracellular Matrix Biology
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Dentistry: Advanced topics on extracellular matrix biology with emphasis on matrix molecules and their effects on cell communication, tissue structure and integrity.
Offered by: Dental Med & Oral Health Sci
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year
-
DENT 672
Applied Mix Meth in Health Res
1 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Dentistry: Exploration of how to write a mixed methods research protocol or manuscript and some more advanced mixed methods data analysis applications.
Offered by: Dental Med & Oral Health Sci
- Prerequisite: Permission of instructor if graduate student is outside the Faculty.
- Note: Contact hours: Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Faculty of Dentistry: 514-398-7203, extensions 096455 & 00059); language of instruction: English.
- Restriction(s): Not open to students who have taken or are taking FMED 672. Only open to graduate students in the Faculty of Dentistry.
- Only open to students who have had prior graduate training in quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods research.
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year
-
DENT 681
Readings in Dent&Health Res 1
1 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Dentistry: Advanced readings in student's area of research.
Offered by: Dental Med & Oral Health Sci
- Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructors.
- Restriction(s): Open to students enrolled in a graduate program at the Faculty of Dentistry. In some circumstances, it may be opened to students from another Faculty.
- Terms
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year
-
DENT 682
Readings in Dent&Health Res 2
2 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Dentistry: Advanced readings in student's area of research.
Offered by: Dental Med & Oral Health Sci
- Terms
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year
-
DENT 683
Readings in Dent&Health Res 3
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Dentistry: Advanced readings in student's area of research.
Offered by: Dental Med & Oral Health Sci
- Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructors.
- Restriction(s): Open to students enrolled in a graduate program at the Faculty of Dentistry. In some circumstances, it may be opened to students from another Faculty.
- Terms
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year
-
DENT 685
Theory of Dental Public Health
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Dentistry: Theory and principles of public health, as applied to the concepts and determinants of oral health and disease, oral disease prevention and health promotion, dental care delivery systems and professional issues related to dental care delivery.
Offered by: Dental Med & Oral Health Sci
- Restriction(s): Only open to graduate students enrolled in the Faculty of Dentistry
- Terms
- Instructors
- Paul J Allison, Christophe Bedos
-
DENT 688
Bone Mechanobiology
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Dentistry: Foundational theories in mechanobiology in the context of skeletal tissues (namely, bone, growth plate cartilage, and periodontal tissues). Brief introduction to structure-
function relations in bone, mechanical strain, and fluid flow. Emphasis is placed on the concepts of bone adaptation to biomechanical loading patterns, mechanobiology at the tissue level and mechanotransduction at the cellular level. Research
methodologies and applications to disease are discussed.
Offered by: Dental Med & Oral Health Sci
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year
-
DENT 706
Adv Sem: Qualitative Hlth Res
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Dentistry: Advanced examination of qualitative research in health disciplines include an in-depth discussion of dominant qualitative research methodologies - particularly grounded theory, phenomenology/hermeneutics and ethnography - as well as a review of data collection techniques. Each qualitative methodology and technique will be examined from the perspective of a) their underlying philosophical paradigms (i.e.,epistemological and ontological premises), as well as b) their pertinence to health phenomena.
Offered by: Dental Med & Oral Health Sci
- Priority will be given to Dental students enrolled in the Ad Hoc Ph.D. program.
- Prerequisite(s): Students must have completed at least 1 qualitative research course prior to enrolling in this course AND permission of instructors.
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year
* The number of Complementary credits each student must take is determined with their supervisor, depending on the student's background.
Note: Courses at the 500 level or higher in other departments can be chosen in consultation with their supervisors and the program director.
Comprehensive Exam (DENT 700 and DENT 701)
The Comprehensive Exam is a formal evaluation of the doctoral student’s ability to proceed to the PhD ‘candidacy’ level. It aims to assess the extent to which the doctoral student has mastered the foundational concepts related to theoretical, methodological, experimental, practical, and/or clinical issues involved in conducting research pertinent to the student’s area of research. It measures the student’s readiness for advanced doctoral study. Evidence of mastery, as well as steady progress, provide the student and the student’s Advisory Committee the confidence to proceed with the doctoral program.
The examination is composed of two steps based on the research proposal: 1) the Written Proposal and 2) the Oral Comprehensive Exam (OCE). The Written Proposal describes the student's PhD project and should be approximately 20 pages. The Written Proposal will be submitted to the Examination Committee 2 weeks prior to the actual OCE. The Oral Comprehensive Exam is a 20-25 minute presentation based on the proposal followed by a 60-minute closed question period with the Examination Committee.
Note: Students may retake the comprehensive exam 1 time. If a student fails this exam a second time, they will be withdrawn from the program.
