What do I need to know for the LDS Exam?
In general, when taking the LDS, The Society is looking for the following attributes of candidates:
- Have had a broad academic and dental education and be able to function in all areas of clinical dentistry
- Be trained in biomedical science
- Be able to work together with other dental and healthcare professionals in the healthcare system
- Have good communication skills
- Be prepared to undertake continuing professional development supporting the concept of life-long learning and be able to practice evidence-based dentistry
LDS Exam Syllabus
The core topics of the LDS Exam Syllabus included :
Professionalism
a) Professional attitude and behaviour
b) Ethics and jurisprudence
Interpersonal, Communication and Social Skills
a) Communication
Knowledge Base, Information and Information literacy
a) Application of basic biological, medical, technical and clinical sciences
b) Acquiring and using information
Clinical Information Gathering
a) Obtaining and recording a comprehensive history of the patient's medical, oral and dental state
Diagnosis and Treatment Planning
a) Decision-making, clinical reasoning and judgement
b) Education of patients and management of comprehensive primary care
c) Oral medicine management
d) Periodontal management
e) Caries and endodontic management
f) Surgical procedures
g) Pain and anxiety management
h) Restorative/prosthodontic management
i) Orthodontic management
j) Emergency treatment
Health Promotion
a) Improving the oral health of individuals, families and groups in the community
The best books and resources for the LDS exam include...
- This website!
- Anatomy and Physiology - Human Anatomy and Physiology by EN Marieb and KD Hoehn.
- Head and Neck Anatomy - The Anatomical Basis of Dentistry 3rd ed by Bernard Liebgott
- Oral Anatomy, Histology and Embryology - Oral Anatomy, Histology and Embryology by BKB Berkovitz, GR Holland, BJ Moxham
- Human Health and Disease - Essentials of Microbiology for Dental Students 2nd ed. 2005 by J Bagg, TW MacFarlane, IR Poxton and AJ Smith
- Oral Pathology / Medicine / Microbiology - Cawson's Essentials of Oral Pathology and Oral Medicine 8th ed. 2008 by RA Cawson and EW Odell
- Periodontology - A Clinical Guide to Periodontology by RM Palmer and PF Floyd
- Conservative Dentistry / Prosthodontics and Cariology - Pickard's Manual of Operative Dentistry by EAM Kidd, BGN Smith and TF Watson
- Dental Materials - Introduction to Dental Materials 3rd ed. by R van Noort
- Law and Ethics - Medicine Patients and the Law by M Brazier
- Communication Skills and Psychology - Essential Skills for Dentists by PA Mossey
- Endodontology - Harty's Endodontics in Clinical Practice by FJ Harty
- Pharmacology - Rang and Dale's Pharmacology by Rang and Dale
- Preventive and Community Dentistry - The Prevention of Oral Disease by J Murray
- Children's Dentistry - Paediatric Dentistry by RR Welbury, MS Duggal and M-T Hosey
- Orthodontics - Handbook of orthodontics by MT Cobourne
The books above have helped, in part, form the questions on this website.