The Faculty of Dentistry, Hasanuddin University (UNHAS), sent eight undergraduate dental students to participate in the 2026 Enrichment Program at the Faculty of Dentistry, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Malaysia, from 13 to 24 July 2026. The Program provided participants with valuable opportunities to broaden their academic knowledge, strengthen their clinical competencies, and gain broader international perspectives on dental education, clinical practice, and healthcare systems.
Eight undergraduate dental students participated in the two-week Program: Nadjwa Aulia Irmanto, Yaumil Khairiyah Burhan, Anggun Melati, Junira Mutiarani, Mutia Afifah Zahra, Ingrid Angriani, Zharfa Adina Amani, and Mukhlisah A. Namsum. Throughout the Program, the students were supervised and coordinated by Dr Nurul Ain Ramlan, who served as the Program supervisor at the Faculty of Dentistry, UiTM.
The Program officially commenced with a welcoming session led by Prof. Dr Mas Suryalis Ahmad, Dean of the Faculty of Dentistry, UiTM. During the opening ceremony, participants were introduced to the Faculty of Dentistry and the overall enrichment Program. This was followed by a Faculty Tour, where they explored various academic and clinical facilities, including the mobile dental clinic, regular dental clinics, departmental laboratories, lecture rooms, and the faculty cafeteria. They were also introduced to the Dental Surgery Assistant Diploma Program offered at UiTM and Universiti Malaya (UM), and had the opportunity to observe the fabrication process of removable dentures in the prosthodontic laboratory.
Throughout the Program, students attended a series of academic lectures and seminars delivered by faculty members from different dental disciplines. Topics included Tooth Anomalies, presented by Dr Vinesh, which discussed developmental abnormalities affecting the number, size, shape, and structure of teeth, along with their diagnosis and management. They also attended Clinical Guidelines I & II, delivered by Dr Noor Nazahiah, focusing on the application of Dental Health Education (DHE), caries risk assessment, preventive treatment planning, and smoking cessation management using the 4As approach.
Participants also joined the Oral Wellness by Colgate Program, conducted by UiTM dentists, which emphasised evidence-based preventive dentistry. The session covered caries prevention, periodontal disease prevention, dentine hypersensitivity management, caries risk assessment, fluoride and stannous fluoride applications, Pro-Argin technology, and live demonstrations of fluoride varnish and desensitising toothpaste application. Through this activity, students gained a deeper understanding of the importance of prevention, patient education, and early risk assessment in maintaining oral health.
To strengthen practical knowledge, they attended a Denture Review session conducted by Dr Joshua Ong Ee Xin, where they learned about post-insertion denture evaluation, patient adaptation, common denture-related complaints, and clinical management. They also participated in a Suturing in Periodontology session, which introduced periodontal suturing principles, suture materials, and techniques, followed by hands-on practice using banana peel as a simulation model.
Clinical exposure was a central component of the enrichment Program. During observation sessions at the Citrine Polyclinic, supervised by Dr Syed Bazil and Prof. Dr Aida Nur Ashikin, students observed fourth-year dental students managing various clinical cases, including restorative dentistry, root canal treatment, removable dentures, scaling, pulp therapy, stainless steel crown placement, tooth extraction, oral hygiene motivation and instruction, and periodontal care. These sessions provided valuable insights into UiTM’s clinical education system and patient management approach.
Additionally, students attended observation sessions at the Outpatient Clinic and Oral Surgery (OS) Clinic, where they learned about the diagnosis and management of Medication-Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaw (MRONJ), including its risk factors, clinical characteristics, diagnosis, and management in oral surgery practice.
In addition to clinical learning, the cohort joined the Research Lab & Pre-Clinical Tour, guided by Pn. Norashikin Salleh, where they explored UiTM’s research facilities. They visited several specialised laboratories, including the Research Lab Extraction, DNA/RNA Molecular Laboratory, Chemical Laboratory, Tissue Culture Laboratory, Animal Dental Unit, and Clinical Diagnostic Laboratory. Through this activity, participants gained insight into modern research equipment and laboratory techniques used in molecular biology, histopathology, cell culture, and biomedical research.
Beyond academic and clinical activities, the Program provided opportunities for intercultural exchange and professional networking with students and academic staff from UiTM. Through lectures, laboratory visits, clinical observations, and discussions with lecturers and clinicians, students gained valuable insights into Malaysia’s dental education system while improving their communication skills, teamwork, and global perspectives as future dental professionals.
The enrichment Program concluded with a closing session, where participants reflected on the knowledge, clinical experiences, and cultural insights gained throughout the two-week initiative. The delegation expressed its sincere appreciation to the Faculty of Dentistry, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), for its warm hospitality, excellent academic environment, and meaningful learning opportunities.
The successful implementation of the 2026 Enrichment Program reflects the continued commitment of the Faculty of Dentistry, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Malaysia, and the Faculty of Dentistry, UNHAS, to promoting international collaboration, academic excellence, and the development of globally competent dental professionals prepared to meet the challenges of modern dentistry.
