Advanced Education in General Dentistry Courses

The didactic curriculum for both the one- and two-year dental residency programs consist of required and elective course work.

Advanced Endodontics

Advanced concepts of endodontic therapy
Enhance skills in diagnosing endodontic problems
Biology and anatomy of the root canal system
Proper use of dental materials in endodontic therapy.
The patient population in the general dentistry program allows the resident to receive significant training in this clinical area. Each resident is expected to perform the endodontic therapy when indicated for assigned patients. In addition, the faculty member in endodontics is available weekly for consultation and assistance. A three-day course is given pre-clinically to allow the resident to become competent in endodontic techniques prior to clinical encounters.

Advanced Oral Pathology

Current working knowledge of the pathogenesis and expression of selected abnormalities and disease affecting the oral, head and neck region
Correlation of basic pathologic changes with clinical findings, changes and symptomatology
Methodical approach to clinical diagnosis of orofacial abnormalities and the formulation of a differential diagnosis
Clinicopathologic correlation will be used to help participants further develop methodical approaches to differential diagnosis and patient work-up.

Biology of the Periodontium

Advanced concepts in periodontology related to anatomy and physiology, etiology, pathogenesis, therapy, regeneration techniques, prevention, and study design.

Biostatistics

Methodologies for summarizing evidence, planning research, interpreting data and achieving efficiency.
Concepts and techniques in summarizing and displaying data in order to obtain relevant information.
Randomness and chance variation, and the concept of probability as a quantification of chance or amount of uncertainty.
Usage of confidence interval and its derivation under normal distribution
Concept of formal statistical test of hypothesis
Concept of causal inference and the need of randomization in an experiment in order to establish causality
Rationale of decomposing means into main effects and interactions when there are more than one factor, understand the partitioning of variability via sums of squares and the formal assessment of factor effects via f-test, the concept of correlation as a measure of association, and the linear regression procedure, and should understand the concept of contingency table, and the chi square test of association between two categorical variables.
Participant should understand the meaning of effect size, and the relationship: test of significance = effect size* sample size, and should understand the procedure of Binomial Effect Size Display for interpreting the practical importance of an effect size, and understand the rationale of meta-analysis, a formal quantitative procedure for literature synthesis.

Case Presentations and Treatment Planning

Each resident will give a formal case presentation at weekly seminar sessions.

Clinical Cariology

Scientific principles of the caries process related to the practice of clinical dentistry.

Control of Pain and Anxiety in Dentistry

Three-day course in the use of local anesthetic techniques of pain control in dental practice, the administration of nitrous oxide analgesia, the selection and use of analgesics in perioperative pain control
Complex biopsychosocial issues involved in pain and anxiety response
Legal issues surrounding administration of conscious sedation.

Basic Dental Implantology Course

Familiarize new graduate students with basic biologic and technical aspects of osseointegrated implants.

Esthetic Dentistry

Enhance knowledge and skills in adhesive dentistry.
Treatment planning of complex restorative cases with cosmetic restorations
Restoring and sealing porcelain veneers, direct bonding, placing posterior direct bonded composite restorations,splinting teeth and fabricate fiber reinforced bridges, fabricating and place bonded post and cores and preparing and delivering posterior porcelain restorations.

Ethics Seminar

Complexity of the ethical, moral, and legal considerations that influence clinical decision-making in dentistry.
Series of four workshops for forums that occur over a two-year period.
Sessions will consist of a case presentation that outlines a relevant clinical problem with ethical implications. Participants will engage in the discussion of the ethical, moral and legal issues that surround the problem. Professionals in the community will be recruited to participate and serve as a discussion panel.

General Practice Presentation Seminar

Conducting a literature review on a particular dental topic.
Develop critical judgment when reading dental research articles.
Prepare a well organized oral report based upon divergent literature citations.
Develop experience in speaking before a group.
Acquire detailed knowledge about a particular area of dentistry.

Craniofacial Growth and Development

Complexity of the growth processes in the craniofacial region.
Current concepts and research in this field and their clinical implications. Many of the lectures will be given by guest faculty of institutions outside of the Rochester area.

Head and Neck Anatomy

Gross and cross-sectional anatomy, standard, and sectional (CT and MRI) radiographic images and common development anomalies.

Instructional Design

Basics of instructional design, development, and evaluation
Srategies of instructional design as they apply to the creation and presentation of instruction

Introduction to Dental Epidemiology

Principles and methods of epidemiology
Conduct a simple epidemiologic study and to critically assess the dental epidemiologic literature.
Epidemiologic methods used to identify individuals at high risk to oral diseases of current public health importance.

Literature Review

With faculty mentor resident will review current literature and moderate discussion on selected topics.

Oral Implantology

Historical overview of the developments of dental implants, the histopathology at the tissue-implant interface, treatment planning from the surgical and prosthetic perspectives using diagnostic imaging and surgical guides, site preparation using different types of grafting techniques, the various implant components and when to use them, functional and esthetic prosthetic considerations, complications that can occur and how to handle them, an ability to provide long term maintenance both from the biologic and mechanical viewpoint.

Orthodontics for the General Dentist

Basic diagnosis, treatment planning and mechanotherapy of orthodontics
Understand which cases are appropriate to treat and which cases to refer to a specialist
Includes a rotation in the UREDC orthodontic department for one week

Pediatric Dentistry

Management and treatment of dental conditions as presented in a pediatric patient
Behavioral management techniques
Appropriately administer local anesthetics to the pediatric patient
Diagnosing need for placement of stainless steel crowns
Preventive therapy for a pediatric patient.

Periodontology Seminar

Etiology, signs and symptoms of acute periodontal abscesses, perio-endo infections, ANUG, AHGS, acute gingivitis and acute periodontitis
Diagnose and record periodontal disease by case type and to learn about instrumentation
Anatomical and physiological basis for the etiology of periodontal disease and its management
Local systematic factors which initiate and effect the course of periodontal disease
Differences between trauma from occlusal and periodontal adaption to occlusal force
Theories regarding the additive effects of inflammation and occlusal loading
Rudiments of scaling, root planing, plaque control instructions, patient education and motivation
Systematic and topical antimicrobial therapy as an adjunct to comprehensive periodontal treatment
Relationship between endodontic, orthodontic, oral surgical, restorative and prosthodontic procedures and periodontal status
Indications and contraindications for periodontal flaps
Basic flap design and management
Indications and contraindications of synthetic, heterogeneous and autogenous bone grafts
Guided tissue regeneration

Physical Diagnosis Course

Obtain patient histories, perform a basic physical evaluation and assess the overall health status of patients.

Practice Management

Participants will become familiar with all aspects of dental practice

Pre-Clinical Endodontics

Concepts of endodontic therapy
Access, diagnose, clean and shape and obturate a root canal system
Understand when treatment of RCS should be referred.

Pre-Clinical Oral Surgery

Policy for oral surgery, familiarity with instrumentation, use appropriate surgical technique to minimize trauma to soft and neurological tissue, obtain basic skills for proper suturing technique and properly use surgical instruments.

Pre-Clinical Course in Operative Dentistry

Materials in the clinic, equipment and devices, concepts of cavity design and pulp protection.

Pre-Clinical Course in Periodontology

Appropriate use for all periodontal examination and surgical instruments
Complete a comprehensive periodontal examination
Analyze results from a comprehensive periodontal examination,complete chart documentation used for a periodontal examination
Principles of periodontal disease and its treatment.

Pre-Clinical Course in Prosthodontics

Primary considerations in treatment planning, complete dentures, and the general principles for removable partial denture design.
Proper placement of rest preparations and guide planes on teeth in removable partial denture fabrication
Principles of tooth preparation for porcelain-fused-to-metal and full-cast crowns.
Handling alginate, zinc phosphate and polycarboxylate cements, dental stone and plaster.
Principles of endodontic tooth treatment planning and restoration and the basic principles of post, pin and core placement for endodontically treated teeth.

Advanced Prosthodontics

Comprehensive didactic background in clinical prosthodontics, directly relevant to clinical procedures

Research Design Course

Basics of research design with framework for development of a research protocol. This framework will serve to foster critical thinking regarding published studies as well as guide students in their own research project.
Basic concepts in research design related to: development of research questions, selection of a study design, strengths and weaknesses of different study designs, causal inference, issues that relate to bias, measurement and ethical issues.

Research Seminar

Prepare and present a research protocol and research results
Facilitate and encourage continuous progress of a research project
Stimulate critical evaluation of research protocols and results.

Research Workshop

To understand the requirements for research and research related aspects in the 2-year AEGD program, to select a research topic and a mentor and to develop an initial concept of a research question.

Scientific Basis of Safe Dental Practice

Understand the risks of many of the materials, equipment and procedures performed in a dental office, be knowledgeable of means to prevent and reduce their potential harm.

Special Care I - Medically Compromised Patients

Diagnosis and dental treatment planning for patients who have medical problems including: hypertension and ischemic heart disease, pregnancy, bone marrow transplantation and chemotherapy, diabetes, adrenal gland disorders and corticosteroid therapy, bleeding disorders, infective endocarditis, renal dialysis and end stage renal disease, head and neck radiation, HIV/AIDS, and psychiatric disorders.

Special Care II - Geriatrics

Concepts pertinent to geriatric dentistry related to: theories of aging, demographics, and their relevance to future dental practice, changes with age in the areas of nutrition, medicine, psychiatry, pharmacology, and mental health.

Special Care III- Developmentally Disabled

Case management for patients with developmental disabilities
Common birth defects, legal and ethical issues, genetic developmental disabilities, craniofacial deformities, outpatient sedation as a management modality for the DD dental patient, managing the developmentally disabled child and developmentally disabled adult in the dental office

Temporomandibular Joint Disorders

Morphology and physiology of the normal and abnormal temporomandibular joint
Basic physiology of the muscles of mastication
Osteogenesis and pathoses of the jaw bones and temporomandibular joint
Diagnostic skills for limited neurological evaluation as well as ear, nose and throat examinations
Differentially diagnose basic forms of headache in the head and neck area
Components of clinical examination of patients with facial pain

TMJ Student Presentation Seminar Series

Identify the critical steps in the understanding of TMJ disorders
TMJ anatomy in health and disease
Differential diagnosis of other head and neck pains and headache
Evaluate various treatment modalities in the management of TMJ pain and dysfunction.

Research

The University of Rochester Eastman Dental Center provides an excellent opportunity for people to participate in research activities. In the two-year program, research is required. In the one-year program, if a resident had designated that research was a major area of interest, and this did not conflict with other interests, research time will be scheduled as an elective.

Summer Lecture Series

Introduce the teaching faculty, convey specific information about certain aspects of the program and clinic operations, and give an overview of the scope and format for the didactic courses and clinical rotations offered during the program year.
The Summer Lecture Series includes: infection control, patient relations, quality assurance, chart documentation, standards of care in radiology, oral pathology, oral surgery, periodontology, pediatric dentistry, geriatric dentistry, temporomandibular joint disorder, orthodontics, preventive dentistry, dental emergency care, medical emergency care, developmentally disabled patients, xerostomia, intra-oral photography, prescription writing, case presentation, dental laboratory relations, treatment planning, library services, and behavioral sciences. In addition, the Summer Lecture Series will include a course in Physical Diagnosis.

Learn More