A purpose-built simulation clinic at the University of Sydney is giving dentistry students hands-on experience with the same dental equipment they will encounter in practice. The facility lets students build technical skill, clinical judgement and confidence before treating real patients.
Inside the clinic, drills whirr and instruments clang as students practice procedures such as fillings and crowns. Modern tools — including wand-like intraoral cameras and digital radiography software — are integrated into training.
Vending machines supply plastic teeth, some with simulated cavities and others designed for complex restorations or root-canal practice. Students mount these teeth in mannequin heads before moving on to live patients.
“Even for nerds like me, working on plastic teeth in a rubber human head catches you off guard,” said third-year Doctor of Dental Medicine student Samer Rihani. “Everything is so detailed and realistic.” By week four of their first year, students are already using drills in the clinic, pairing theory with visual, hands-on practice.
The clinic’s technology mirrors private-practice tools. Samer said intraoral cameras—described as wands with magnification—have helped him spot lesions more reliably and made him “more cautious and thorough.” Teaching also emphasises patient comfort, medical history and treatment planning from the start.
Peer-to-peer learning is central to the program. Students come from diverse backgrounds—public health, engineering, music—and often learn from one another. “Sometimes I’ll look over and think, ‘Wow, they’re doing better than I am,’ and we’ll talk it through together,” Samer said. That collaboration, he added, builds confidence and clinical reasoning.
Clinic Manager Eve Wolstonecroft oversees daily operations, including stocking the vending machines with appropriate practice teeth. She said a dedicated space allows concurrent sessions, multidisciplinary support and consistent access to professional-grade equipment.
The clinic supports more than 500 students across the postgraduate Doctor of Dental Medicine and the undergraduate Bachelor of Oral Health programs. Instructors use cameras, microscopes, 3D models and scanners to accommodate different learning styles and tailor feedback.
Faculty also address practical challenges such as dexterity and equipment design. “Left-handed setups are rare in dentistry,” said teaching lead Dr Elvis Trinh, a Sydney Dental School alumnus. His experience allows him to mentor students who struggle with tools not designed for left-handed clinicians.
From the second year, students begin treating patients weekly at Sydney Dental Hospital and Westmead Hospital under supervision, providing free care. Those clinical encounters, staff say, give students a real-world context for their simulation work.
For Samer, the work is personal. He recalls finishing a smile makeover that moved a patient to tears—and himself. “He cried when he saw the result. I cried too,” he said. Next week he plans to fit a full denture for a patient who updates him on her cats during appointments. “These moments stick with you forever,” he added.
