CAGS in Post-Graduate Operative & Esthetic Dentistry

The 24-month Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study (CAGS) program offers advanced education in the conceptual, biological, and practical components of operative and esthetic dentistry. Specifically intended for students pursuing teaching careers, the program includes training in basic sciences, biomaterials, lecture presentation, research methods, and the clinical aspects of restorative dentistry.

Initial activities include lectures, seminars, and preclinical training with special emphasis on resin and porcelain systems.

The clinical component of the program includes patient care. Particular emphasis is placed on diagnosis and treatment planning, on the significance of periodontal health, esthetic dentistry, and on conventional and implant restorative procedures. Students will also have the opportunity to utilize the latest technology of CAD-CAM units and restorations.

The program provides an opportunity to develop the academic and clinical skills required to participate in a dental school faculty.

Curriculum

Year 1

• SDM PR 750 Preclinical Restorative (1 cr, 1st sem.)
• SDM OP 803 Seminar: Operative Dentistry (1 cr, 1st and 2nd sem.)
• SDM OP 807 Preclinical Technique (1 cr, 1st sem.)
• SDM OP 912 Clinical Operative Dentistry I (6 cr, 2nd sem.)
• SDM OS 761 Medical Concerns of the Dental Patient (2 cr, 1st and 2nd sem.)
• SDM OS 828 Anxiety and Pain Control (1 cr, 2nd sem.)
• SDM OS 831 Head and Neck Anatomy (1 cr, 1st sem.)
• SDM PA 801 Oral Pathology (2 cr, 2nd sem.)
• SDM PE 764 Current Concepts in Periodontology (1 cr, 1st sem.)
• SDM PE 827 Applied Dental Pharmacology (1 cr, 2nd sem.)
• SDM PH 763 Bioethics and Law (1 cr, 1st sem.)
• SDM PR 761 Occlusion (2 cr, 1st sem.)
• SDM PR 812 Prosthodontics Seminar and Literature Review (1 cr, 1st sem.)
• SDM PR 825 Postdoctoral Biomaterials (4 cr, 1st and 2nd sem.)
• SDM PR 828 Esthetic Dentistry (2 cr, 2nd sem.)
• SDM PR 844 Implantology Literature Review (2 cr, 1st and 2nd sem.)
• SDM PR 845 Implantology Topics (2 cr, 1st and 2nd sem.)
• SDM EN 820 Endodontics and Pulpal Therapy for the General Practitioner (1 cr, 1st sem.)
• SDM PH 803 Biostatistics (2 cr, 1st and 2nd sem.)
• SDM OP 916 Literature Review–Operative Dentistry (1 cr, 2nd sem.)

Year 2

• SDM OP 913 Clinical Operative Dentistry II (20 cr, 3rd and 4th sem.)
• SDM PR 813 Literature Review in General Dentistry (1 cr, 1st and 2nd sem.)
• SDM PR 810 Case Presentation and Patient Care Conference (1 cr, 2nd sem.)

Tuition

Tuition for the operative dentistry program is the same for all postgraduate programs. Financial information is available from our website.

Benefits

Personal days

Students are given a maximum of 10 personal days per year. These may be used for board exams, interviews, religious holidays, etc. There are no sick days. If a resident is out due to illness, personal days will be deducted.

Holidays

There are 12 University-recognized holidays in which the School and all clinics are closed.

Winter Intersession

Between the fall and spring semesters there is an approximately two-week vacation time for residents. This usually begins mid-December and lasts until the first week of January.

Instruments

All supplies and materials must be purchased through the Boston University Dental School Supply Store. Please see the financial information web page for operative program instrument kit costs. It is recommended that residents also purchase an intraoral camera for case documentation. Scrubs and lab coats will also be ordered through the Supply Store.

Clinic Schedule

A typical schedule is as follows:

Students are scheduled in the clinic or in preclinical exercises five days a week for a total of 40 hours.

During the first semester of the first year, emphasis is placed on the preclinical exercises and biomedical science classes. Students are in preclinical exercises from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day. Classes are held either before clinic from 8 to 9 a.m. or after clinic from 5:30 to 7 p.m.

Starting the second semester of the first year, the actual clinic hours increase and students are scheduled in the clinic from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. four days a week and one day from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Classes are held either before clinic from 8 to 9 a.m. or after clinic from 5:30 to 7 p.m.

Additional Information

English proficiency requirement for International Applicants: TOEFL

International applicants must be proficient in the English language. Applicants whose first language is not English must submit a recent TOEFL score (TOEFL scores must be no more than two years old).

English proficiency requirements for Massachusetts Limited License

For Massachusetts licensure, if the student’s dental degree is from a school where instruction (written or oral) was in a language other than English, documentation of a TOEFL score or the Academic Format International English Language Testing System (IELTS) score must be submitted with the license application. The minimum Academic Format IELTS score acceptable for licensure in Massachusetts is 7.0. English proficiency requirements for licensure are different from Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine requirements. Results from IELTS will be considered for Massachusetts licensure, but IELTS is not accepted for program admissions consideration. The TOEFL is required for Boston University admissions consideration.

Higher TOEFL scores are required to obtain a Massachusetts Limited License than for admission. A Massachusetts Limited License is necessary for rotations at affiliated sites.

For Massachusetts licensure, the minimum overall TOEFL score is 90 on the internet-based exam (iBT), or 577 on the paper-based exam (TOEFL PBT). Furthermore, if a student has achieved an overall score of 90 but one of the TOEFL sections is deficient, the student will need to retake the TOEFL.

For licensure, the minimum overall iBT score is 90 and the minimum scores on the iBT sections are:

• 25 Written
• 24 Spoken
• 21 Reading
• 17 Listening

U.S. Social Security Number

If accepted into PGOE (Post Graduate Operative and Esthetic Dentistry), you must obtain a U.S. Social Security number prior to the start of the program.

If you have questions about the application process, please contact:
PGOE Administration
romaa@bu.edu
617-638-4636