Curriculum Outline
DIDACTIC
Structured didactic sessions occur Tuesday through Friday from 7:00-8:30am and include residents and full-time faculty of the department. The program’s didactics provide at a postdoctoral level, a comprehensive series of lectures, seminars, boot camps, workshops, literature reviews and journal club presentations, that support the daily clinical training.
Didactics emphasize Hospital Dentistry, Treatment Planning Seminars and Patient Care Conferences. Lecture series cover Conservative Dentistry, Endodontics, Fixed Prosthodontics, Removable Prosthodontics, Periodontics, Medically Compromised Dentistry, Conscious Sedation, Implantology, Practice Management topics and Coding, and Dental Ethics lectures, in addition to operating room dentistry.
Interdisciplinary resident presentations allow for residents in both years to learn from each other and get on-their-feet experience in presenting cases and public speaking. Residents also may access continuing education courses and national conferences.
The didactic sessions for second year include more advanced topics than the first year, especially TMJ problems, Implants, and dealing with RCT complications and Redos.
Hands-on sessions are also provided and include rotary endodontic instrumentation, suturing techniques, and implantology.
CLINICAL
The clinical phase of the program comprises the bulk of the curriculum. It includes assignments in the general dental practice at MetroHealth’s main campus with 14 operatories, as well as community-based clinics 2-8 operatories.
The clinical training during the first year includes rotations through anesthesiology, the emergency department, pre-surgical evaluation. Second year residents by virtue of their extensive clinical experience during the first year, rise to the level of an advanced trainee seeking and performing more complicated cases with a higher level of autonomy.
The clinical rotations of second year residents include Oral surgery, Pediatric dentistry, and ENT. In addition, the Operating Room schedule allows residents of both years to treat patients under general anesthesia on monthly basis.
The on-call assignments expose the residents to a great experience while dealing with urgent and trauma cases.
At the completion of the program, residents are well-trained hospital dentists. They have a command of general dentistry and are confident of their abilities while recognizing their skill set. The program provides them with a solid basis for future professional development in general dentistry or further specialty training.
Dental GPR PGY-1 Goals and Objectives
- To provide each resident with a wide variety of clinical experiences, beyond the level of pre-doctoral education within the scope of General Dentistry. These experiences will include all phases of Oral Health Care Delivery with an emphasis on multidisciplinary comprehensive oral health care under the supervision of an attending dentist.
- To have each resident obtain a broad experience and function effectively in the dental management and treatment of a diverse patient spectrum to include medically compromised under general anesthesia, geriatric, handicapped, and other special needs patients in a hospital setting.
- To enable each resident to participate as effective members of interdisciplinary health care teams in the assessment of needs and delivery of care to various communities, with special emphasis on the underserved population.
- To enable each resident to understand the importance of professional ethics, the necessity of life-long learning and continued education for the health care provider.
- To provide each resident with didactic information and clinical guidance designed to improve their skills in clinical sciences, behavioral management, personnel management, and quality assurance.
Dental GPR PGY-2 Goals and Objectives
- To enable residents to perform more complicated cases with a higher level of autonomy
- Master molar rotary endodontics
- To provide residents opportunities to elect a concentrated training in any of the dental subspecialties
- To provide teaching and mentorship opportunities of PGY-1 Dental residents
- To provide a month-long rotation in Oral Surgery clinic and OR, where residents train to
- Preform initial treatment of extra-oral facial pain
- Manage oral mucosa disease, including performing biopsies when indicated
- Manage TMD and oral facial pain
- To provide a month-long rotation in Pediatric clinic and OR, where residents train to
- Provide dental treatment plan to kids
- Perform pediatric pulpal care
- Provide stainless steel crowns treatment
- Restore primary teeth with a variety of materials and methods
- To provide a two-week rotation in ENT where residents train to
- Obtain and interpret clinical and other diagnostic data from other healthcare providers
- Use the services of clinical, medical and pathological laboratories
- Perform initial treatment of extra-oral facial trauma
- Assist with Orthognathic surgery including, if scheduled, benign oral oncologic (tumors and cysts) surgery
- If scheduled, assist with surgical placement of endosteal implants
