Explore the intricate world of oral microbiology, where you’ll unravel the microscopic mysteries essential to advancing oral health and disease prevention.

he Department of Bio-clinical Sciences (Faculty of Dentistry) offers a Master of Science program in Oral Microbiology. The program, which is thesis based, aims to provide the student with a fundamental knowledge in oral microbiology among dentists and graduates from other disciplines. Advances in the understanding of oral microbiota and oral microbehost interactions lead to improved possibilities to reduce the burden of dental diseases. The program only offers thesis option.

Vision

The program opens the way for establishing a nidus and center of Oral Microbiology in Kuwait University that will serve as expertise resource locally and internationally.

Mission

The mission of the MSc program in Oral Microbiology is to enhance the knowledge of oral microbiology among dentists and graduates from various disciplines. Advances in understanding oral microbiota and host-microbe interactions holds promise for mitigating the prevalence of dental diseases.

Educational Objectives

• The principal objective of the MSc in Oral Microbiology program is to train aspiring professionals who, upon completion, can serve as academic teachers and pursue advanced studies as scientists specializing in this field.
• To build up understanding of ethics, loyalty, accuracy and objectivity in scientific work
• To equip with tools and methods how to effectively acquire knowledge, to develop skills for critical scientific reading and writing, to learn data handling and analysis as well as preparation of written and verbal research reports
• To stimulate intellectual curiosity and to promote analytical and deductive reasoning skills
• To provide a basis to study Oral Microbiology by offering courses on General Microbiology, Molecular Biology and Infection & Immunity through collaboration with Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine.
• To provide knowledge of the specific characteristics of oral ecosystem, of oral microbiology in health and disease, to gain insight into bacterial community-based lifestyle in the oral cavity and strategies of bacterial pathogenesis
• To provide knowledge of the global and local epidemiology of oral diseases, of their contribution to systemic diseases and the pathogenic background mechanisms involved

Student Learning Outcomes

• To gain an understanding of the oral ecosystem, encompassing the diverse bacteria and yeasts residing within the human oral cavity, their interactions within polymicrobial communities such as dental plaque biofilms, and various microbiological and molecular biological techniques utilized for their investigation. This comprehension of oral microbiology is fundamental for elucidating the involvement of oral microbiota in both health and disease states.
• To attain theoretical knowledge and comprehension of oral microbial epidemiology concerning oral health and disease, particularly focusing on dental and mucosal infections.
• To acquire understanding of antimicrobial resistance patterns and mechanisms within oral microbiota.
• Obtaining knowledge of host defense strategies and host-microbe interactions within the oral cavity.
• Understanding the virulence factors and mechanisms contributing to the onset of diverse dental diseases and oral infections.
• Familiarization with the connections between oral infections and systemic diseases.
• Gaining insight into the distribution of oral infectious diseases spanning from the global scale down to the individual level.
• By understanding the scope of a diverse range of scientific journals, the students may develop proficiency in critical reading and analysis of scientific literature. Further, they may acquire skills in preparing both oral and written scientific presentations.