Course Objectives

Upon completion of this program the resident will: 

Medical/Patient Management:

Recognize the risk for medical problems through medical history and clinical examination and take appropriate preventive actions.
Initiate appropriate medical consultation or referral to clarify any question(s) related to the patient’s systemic health.
Obtain a complete and accurate patient history from patients or their legal representatives.
Use local anesthesia techniques in clinical procedures for control of pain and anxiety.
Have increased knowledge in oral diagnosis, oral pathology, oral radiology, and oral medicine.
Become familiar with common types of medical emergencies encountered in the dental setting.
Have increased knowledge on medically complex cases and special needs patient management.

Discuss findings, diagnosis, prognosis, risks and benefits, phasing and sequencing of treatment, time requirements, estimated fees and payment responsibilities of each treatment option with the patient, parent or legal guardian.
Obtain written informed consent for all presented treatment plans, optimum or alternative(s), and all dental procedures accepted or denied by the patient prior to the delivery of dental treatment.
Be able to treatment plan cases more advanced than those found in the undergraduate curriculum and properly assess treatment outcomes.
Be competent in utilizing appropriate methods for the assessment, diagnosis, treatment planning, and application of digital technologies for the dental rehabilitation of resident’s patient pools.

Use the evidence-based dentistry approach to integrate the resident’s clinical expertise, the patients’ needs and preferences, and the most current, clinically relevant evidence to aid in the decision-making process for patient care.
Use caries management by risk assessment (CAMBRA) as a standard of care to identify the cause of caries through individual patient risk assessment. Then, managing those risk factors through preventative therapeutic management, patient behavioral changes and minimally invasive care.
Plan for appropriate caries recall schedule based on each patient’s caries risk.
Utilize caries prevention strategies including fluoride application, tooth brushing, flossing, nutrition counseling and early caries detection.
Educate patients and/or caregivers concerning patients’ risk factors and risk reduction strategies needed to prevent oral disease, as well as provide patients with instruction on individualized self-care methods and dietary counseling to maximize oral health.
Understand the role of and determine when to restore carious dental lesions versus applying minimally invasive techniques and perform conservative, biomechanically sound tooth preparations.
Select, manipulate, and place restorative materials to establish anatomical form, function and esthetics.

Be knowledgeable and experienced in the diagnosis and treatment of periodontal diseases.
Diagnose and determine the need for non-surgical and surgical periodontal treatment and perform these treatments under supervision.
Understand the periodontal-restorative interface including diagnosis of supracrestal tissue attachment violation and incorporate functional and/or esthetic crown lengthening procedures.
Understand the indications for various surgical interventions in the treatment of periodontal disease; perform and/or observe localized periodontal surgery (e.g., flap for debridement, gingivectomy).
Evaluate the results of periodontal therapy and establish/monitor a periodontal maintenance program.

Perform thorough endodontic evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment planning, properly employing various clinical and radiographic diagnostic modalities and using current AAE diagnostic terminology.
Perform non-surgical root canal therapy on anterior, premolar, and molar teeth.
Perform vital pulp therapy procedures including direct/indirect pulp capping, pulpotomy and pulpectomy, and understand the indications/contraindications and techniques for vital pulp therapy.
Be familiar with surgical endodontic procedures such as apicoectomies, salvage endodontics, and intentional reimplantation.

Understand the role of occlusion in providing prosthodontic care, including occlusal assessment, the proper use of various articulators, selection of occlusal schemes, diagnostic wax-ups and static and functional occlusal records.
Diagnose and manage occlusal disorders / abnormalities.
Apply digital technologies to assessment, diagnosis, and treatment planning.
Assess, diagnose, treatment plan, and deliver digitally scanned and designed fixed and removable prostheses for dentate, partially edentulous, and completely edentulous patients.
Perform appropriate tooth preparations for digitally and/or conventionally designed prostheses.
Select appropriate restorative materials for digitally and/or conventionally designed and fabricated fixed and removable prostheses.
Perform the procedures using the proper sequence of steps needed to fabricate an acceptable prosthesis.

Apply the surgical and restorative procedures of endosseous oral implantology.
Diagnose and determine the need for implant placement and analyze and interpret CBCT.
Design, plan, and select appropriate implant size for placement.
Fabricate and print proper surgical guide.
Restore implants using different techniques based on implant types, locations, and type of restorations.

Perform a thorough pre-operative assessment including appropriate consultations, medical risk assessment, pre-medication, and incorporating various modifications to treatment, as necessary.
Understand the indications, contraindications, and procedures for surgical extraction of erupted, partially, and fully impacted third molars.
Become confident in routine and complicated extractions, and familiar with osseous recontouring, biopsy and treatment aspects of trauma.
Perform post-surgical follow-up including diagnosis and treatment of post-operative complications.
Become familiar with basic suturing indications, materials, and techniques.

Recognize the presence and/or oral manifestations of systemic diseases and how these conditions and their treatments may affect the delivery of dental care.
Develop an understanding of the evaluation, diagnosis, treatment planning and management of patients who present with temporomandibular disorders and orofacial pain.
Fabricate and maintain an occlusal splint.
Describe features that support the differential diagnosis for an oral lesion, defect or deformity based on clinical history, physical findings, and radiographic images.

Be familiar with practice management procedures, patient appointment control, and the basic business skills of the everyday operation necessary to run a solo or small group dental practice.
Be able to direct and work with dental auxiliary personnel in a comprehensive preventive dentistry program.
Understand principles of professional ethics, jurisprudence, and risk management.

Maintain levels of expertise in the rapidly changing area of dental materials.
Learn limitations, advantages and disadvantages of each dental biomaterial used in patient care.
Be competent in the directions for use and clinical protocols for all chosen materials.