Advanced Education in General Dentistry

Administration

  • Dan Nathanson, DMD, MSD
    Chair, Department of Restorative Sciences and Biomaterials
  • John Ictech-Cassis, DMD
    Program Director

Required Curriculum

The advanced education in general dentistry program, which begins on July 1 and continues for 12 months to June 30, is an educational program leading to a Certificate of Advanced graduate Study (CAGS). The program offers patient care, didactic and hospital experience at the postdoctoral level and enhances the new graduate’s competence and confidence as a dental practitioner. The purpose of the AEGD program is to prepare the resident to enter a private practice setting. The program is set up to resemble a private practice. The residents treat the patients in a very comprehensive way while interacting with specialists. Therefore the resident is the main coordinator of the patient’s full dental treatment. They coordinate referrals, consultations and treatment planning. Through expert guidance, the program increases the resident’s management abilities, clinical judgment, and patient care skills. The program benefits from the school’s unique position as the largest postdoctoral training facility in the country. Stipends are offered to a limited number of qualified students.

Boston University has a special commitment to superior patient care programs. One manifestation of this commitment is an excellent and experienced faculty working intensively with residents on a one-to-one basis. The faculty comprises a group of prosthodontists, periodontists, endodontists, pedodontists, orthodontists and general dentists. Oral Surgeons are also on site to provide support during rotations and during surgical procedures done on the clinic floor. The establishment of a university-wide employee dental health plan and the opening of a second dental health care facility help ensure an optimum patient load.

The program’s main areas of development are:

  1. General Dentistry
  2. Resident Education
  3. Patient Care
  4. Community Service

Proficiencies and Competencies

The AEGD program is based on a series of proficiencies and competencies. The program uses clinical goals to fulfill the proficiency and competency requirements.

Graduates will be proficient in patient assessment and diagnosis; planning and providing comprehensive multidisciplinary oral health care including the clear communication of treatment plan to patients; obtaining informed consent; restoration of teeth; the replacement of teeth using fixed and removable appliances; periodontal therapy; pulpal therapy; hard/soft tissue surgery; treatment of medical and dental emergencies; medical risk management; requesting and responding to requests for consultations from physicians and other health care providers; diagnosis,treatment planning and progress and outcomes of patient treatment. Throughout the program the residents will perform a good number of restorative procedures- such as crown and bridge, endodontic treatments, oral surgeries, periodontal surgeries and partial and complete dentures. They will also assist with the surgical placement of implants and perform the restoration of all implants. We provide treatment in all phases of General Dentistry. The program enhances these clinical and diagnostic skills by being exposed to the large patient pool available in the program.

Graduates will be competent in the management of pain and anxiety in delivering outpatient care using behavioral and pharmacological modalities beyond local anesthesia (sedation, pain and anxiety control); principles of practice management; the review of relevant scientific literature; evaluating patient total health needs integrating biomedical science concepts with clinical dentistry to provide a diagnosis that takes into consideration the patient’s overall biological and psychosocial needs; self assessment skills; monitoring effectively and evaluating their own work to improve quality and quantity of performance and supervising and evaluating the work of dental auxiliaries to improve quality and quantity of their performance. The residents will also have the ability to interact with and enjoy an ample ratio of Patient Coordinators to help them to learn the basic principles of Practice Management.

Clinical Rotations

Residents will participate in clinical rotations in pediatrics, geriatrics, oral surgery, and orthodontics.

Stipend

Stipends are awarded to most AEGD residents trained in the United States or Canada. International residents are given stipends based on availability. Applicants are notified as early as their first interview whether they qualify for a stipend position. The stipend is approximately $25,000. Tuition is not charged to residents in the AEGD program.

Benefits

Personal days

Residents will be given a maximum of eight personal days. 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 during which the school is closed.

Winter Intersession

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

Instruments

All supplies and materials are provided for residents during their year in the Dental Health Center. It is recommended that residents purchase an intraoral camera for case documentation.

Clinic Schedule

Residents are scheduled in the clinic five days a week for a total of 40 hours. Residents are currently required to work four days from 9 am–5 pm and one day from 11 am–7 pm. This schedule is subject to change. Classes are held either before clinic from 8 am–9 am or after clinic from 5:30 pm–7 pm.

Application Process Guidelines

Applicants will be reviewed by the Director and the Chairman and they will decide whether the candidate will be selected for interview.

The applicant, if selected for interview, will meet with the Program Director and the Chairman of the Department for interview.

The qualifications that the program is looking for include the following:

  • High GPA
  • High Class Standing
  • 4 Letters of Recommendation including a letter from the Dean of your Dental School and 3 letters from clinical faculty
  • Clinical Grades
  • Past Clinical Experience
  • Board Scores are encouraged but not required

Curriculum

First Semester:

Pre-Clinical Restorative Seminar

Second Semester: