Mission Statement

Our Mission

Oral Health Sciences UGent stands for high quality, research-based education for future oral health professionals, with the aim of delivering well-trained oral health professionals and specialists to society. In addition, the Clinic for Dental, Oral and Maxillofacial Diseases provides comprehensive, clinical and multidisciplinary oral care tailored to each patient in a cross-expertise approach.

Our Vision

The policy should be framed within a larger, encompassing framework, focusing on these two goals. Given that education is inextricably linked to healthcare, it means that this mission and vision are overarching for both the Department of Oral Health Sciences at UGent and the Clinic for Dental, Oral and Maxillofacial Diseases at UZ Gent. Hence, the goals below and their operationalisation should always be seen in the light of this connection.

• Education– Training for immediately available dentists

The ambition is to train our students to become well-trained oral physicians, either general dentists or specialists. This education is evidence-based and based on our own research findings wherever possible. Students are given the practical experience of dentists in the field and are given the opportunity to fine-tune their skills at an early stage through online feedback mechanisms.

• Services – Patient-centred care clinic for Dental, Oral and Maxillofacial Diseases- cross-expertise

All policy choices, ranging from clinic infrastructure to student curriculum, are invariably made with the interests of the patient in mind. Both staff and students are aware that there is a human being around the mouth, always with its own story. The aim is to create a dynamic and cross-expertise clinic, focused on teamwork. Through a transversal organisational structure, different areas of expertise will be able to be applied in patient treatment plans.

• Research– Conducting epidemiological, clinical and translational research in the field of Oral Health Sciences