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Course Descriptions
The Behavioral Science course introduces first-year students to the behavioral aspects of dental health care delivery in practice. Students learn that the mind-body connection is inseparable, and that the psycho-physiological and psychosocial experiences of the dental patient must be considered in all dentist-patient interaction. The overall goal of the course is to sensitize the student to the professional, interpersonal and sociocultural issues that challenge today's dental practice.
The goal of Dental Biochemistry and Nutrition is to permit students to understand human biochemistry in health and disease. The student must become familiar with the basic biochemical pathways. Self-study, computer-aided instruction, and review of central metabolic pathways and the structures of important metabolites are crucial since this basic information underlies discussions of biochemical regulation throughout the course. Some emphasis is given to nutritional concerns in dental disease and treatment. The role of clinical chemistry in oral diagnosis is introduced.
Dental Ethics (back to top)
This course consists of 15 hours of classroom lecture and discussion. Dental Ethics is designed to heighten students' awareness of the importance of ethical issues as they relate to dentistry. Specifically, this course will require students to consider a moral perspective in clinical decision-making and to engage in the analysis of ethics. It will challenge students to identify their own personal standard of ethics, to become well versed with the ADA ethics code, and to learn to apply dental ethics to clinical case material. This course aspires to further enhance the students' professional identity as well as the students' ability to manage difficult cases.
This course enables students to understand the American legal system and its role and application to the practice of dentistry as one of the licensed health professions. Students develop an appreciation of the legal and ethical responsibilities in fulfilling their obligations to patients, the profession, and the community.
The dental materials courses present the basic science of physical, chemical, and biological properties of materials commonly used in dental practice, such as composite resins, bonding systems, metal alloys, porcelains, cements, impression materials, and materials for dental implantology. Consideration of these materials includes selection of materials for specific clinical situations, evaluation of new materials, and the relationship of materials properties to clinical performance. Application of dental materials knowledge is provided in advanced restorative lecture courses, Restorative Dentistry I-IV laboratories, and in comprehensive clinical patient care.
Dental Public Health (back to top)
The goals of the Dental Public Health course are to ensure that students use epidemiological indices to describe the prevalence and incidence of dental diseases in a specified population; evaluate scientific literature in terms of study design, sampling, and data analysis methods; plan, implement and evaluate community-based preventive dental programs for target populations; and apply motivational and instructional techniques regarding patient dental education through community field experiences.
This course is designed to impart a foundation level of knowledge for creating functional dental records, collecting pertinent medical/dental findings, establishment of proper diagnosis and development of a sequential treatment plan. Lectures and clinical experience develop competencies of comprehensive care. Such competencies include clinical data gathering, diagnosis, planning and sequential treatment, and clinical decision-making.
Dentistry for Persons with Disabilities
Dentistry for Persons with Disabilities integrates principles of clinical management with behavioral and communication skills in the care and management of special populations, such as the mentally and physically challenged, elderly patients and the homebound. The course builds upon skills developed in the first three years of predoctoral dental education.
Endodontology (back to top)
This course of study, frequently referred to as "root canal therapy," includes a review of the pathology, diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the dental pulp and periapical tissues. The student learns to relieve pain in emergencies, and later, to perform comprehensive endodontic treatment on single-rooted and multi-rooted teeth.
This course helps students learn about how cells and tissues in the body are organized. A major emphasis is on how the organization of these cells and tissues results in the different functions of the organ systems. A significant part of the course deals specifically with the oral cavity and the structures relevant to the tooth and its environs.
As the population ages the dentist will be called upon to provide up-to-date and comprehensive dental care to this age group. Special concerns such as poor healing, multiple medications, degenerative diseases and psychological frailties pose challenges for the practicing dentist. This course is designed to help students prepare for the evaluation and management of the elderly patient. The course stresses the need for compassion and understanding as well as the medical and dental aspects of providing emergency and comprehensive dental care.
Gross Anatomy (back to top)
This course is designed to provide dental students with an in-depth knowledge and appreciation of the structure and function of the human body, with particular emphasis on the head and neck region. Students learn the fundamental principles of gross anatomy, acquire skills of critical judgment, and develop an ability to use anatomical knowledge and principles to help solve clinical problems.
Introduction to Clinical Dentistry
The overall intent of the Introduction to Clinical Dentistry course is to aid students in their transition from the pre-clinical laboratory setting to the clinical environment. Through scheduled rotations in various clinics and the assistance of upperclassmen, the student will be provided with the opportunity to observe clinical procedures along with experiencing other parts of clinical life, including the familiarization with clinic protocol, departmental paperwork, and issues of patient management.
Introduction to Orthodontic Specialty
This didactic course exposes the student to the practice of orthodontics. Also included in the course are presentations of orthodontic armamentarium for orthodontic tooth movement in a general dental practice setting. This course is designed to enable the student to interact with the orthodontic specialist and the patient.
Introduction to Periodontology (back to top)
This lecture series examines the structural biology of the periodontium in health and disease, with consideration of clinical, histologic, biochemical, microbiologic and immunologic features. An overview of gingivitis and periodontitis as specific microbial infections in susceptible human hosts also is provided.
Local Anesthesia and Pain Control
This comprehensive, multidisciplinary course is dedicated to the understanding of pain and its management. Instruction includes training in local anesthesia and nitrous oxide administration. Lecture topics include pain transmission, neurotransmitters, theories of pain perception, and treatment procedures for patients suffering from acute or chronic pain. Consideration is given to the use of drugs, biofeedback, hypnosis, and surgery for treatment of pain.
Provided by faculty of the School of Medicine, this course deals with disease processes, emphasizing those with oral and maxillofacial manifestations. Emphasis is placed on early detection of disease and on cases where joint patient management between the dentist and physician is appropriate.
The purpose of the Oral Medicine curriculum is to teach the dental student how to medically evaluate the dental patient and to manage the dental patient with medical problems. Additionally, the program is designed to teach the procedures for a comprehensive examination of the head, neck, and oral cavity and to recognize oral diseases and variation of normal.
Microbiology (back to top)
A comprehensive course is presented in basic fundamentals of microbiology and immunology, including structure, growth and metabolism, and genetics. Material is also included on the effect of chemical and physical agents on microorganisms. The second part of the course deals primarily with the nature and function of the immune system and organisms of medical and dental significance. Emphasis is on principles that deal with the nature of virulence and mechanisms of host defense. Specific pathogenic organisms are used to demonstrate principles of infectious diseases. Organisms of specific and oral significance are stressed as they relate to dental decay, periodontal and periapical disease, as well as principles of asepsis in dental practice.
Neuroanatomy for the undergraduate dental student provides a foundation of fundamental knowledge from which the student may develop an appreciation of the nervous system in both health and disease. The student will acquire a general understanding of structure and function of the nervous system.
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Instruction in Oral Surgery focuses on evaluation and treatment of diseases and conditions affecting the head and neck area. Topics include exodontia, head and neck pathology, implantology, and minor surgical procedures such as biopsies. Students participate in a hospital rotation where they become familiar with hospital protocol and observe major maxillofacial procedures.
Oralfacial Growth and Development (back to top)
This course introduces the student to concepts and principles of oralfacial growth and development and malocclusion. During this course the student will be exposed to diagnostic and treatment planning procedures. In the preclinical laboratories, orthodontic appliances will be fabricated.
Students receive instruction regarding the clinical features, etiology, pathogenesis, treatment and prognosis of diseases and developmental abnormalities that commonly affect the oral and maxillofacial complex. When appropriate, the radiographic and histologic features of pathologic processes are discussed. Students are taught to formulate appropriate clinical and radiographic differential diagnosis for soft and hard tissue abnormalities of the oral and perioral region. Students receive instruction in the management of patients with common oral mucosal diseases. Indications for patient referral to medical or dental specialists for diagnostic evaluation or disease management are presented. Critical thinking is emphasized in case-based, small-group modules.
Instruction includes fundamentals of radiation biology, image projection, radiation hygiene, intraoral and extraoral radiologic techniques (including temporomandibular joint radiography), processing procedure, anatomic landmarks, interpretation of radiographs, correlation of radiographic findings with other diagnostic techniques, and the radiographic manifestations of systemic disease.
Orthodontic Considerations In General Dentistry (back to top)
This didactic course introduces the student to concepts of orthodontic treatment in young and adult patients. The distinction between "orthodontic tooth movement" and "orthodontic treatment" is made. Adjunctive orthodontics and the role of tooth movement in general dental practice are emphasized. Interactions between specialties and sequencing of treatment are accentuated. This course allows the student to make the transition from preclinical to clinical activities on orthodontics.
Orthodontic Management of Developmental Deformities
This preclinical course introduces the student to clinical techniques of management of disturbances in the growth and development of craniofacial complex. During this course, common developmental deformities will be discussed and the possible appliance systems to correct these conditions will be fabricated.
The purpose of the orthodontics sequence of courses is to qualify the general practitioner for preventive, interceptive, and limited corrective orthodontics.
Study is made of morphologic, physiologic, and chemical alteration in the human body in response to injury and disease. Organ systems are studied in detail to establish a sound foundation for clinical practice. A significant part of the coursework involves microscopic study of tissue specimens.
Pediatric Dentistry (back to top)
Pediatric Dentistry is an age-defined specialty that provides both primary and comprehensive preventive and therapeutic oral health care for infants, children, and adolescents, including those with special health care needs. In order to educate students in dentistry for children, Pediatric Dentistry courses build on and modify didactic foundations introduced in restorative dentistry, orthodontics, periodontics, endodontics, and other dental disciplines. Students are taught behavior guidance of children based on principles of psychological and emotional development. Evidence-based dentistry and the relationship between basic medical/dental sciences and clinical sciences are important areas of focus. Pediatric Dentistry courses are designed to prepare students to become general dentists who can provide good comprehensive care for children.
The primary philosophy in the Department of Pediatric Dentistry is care of the child, not simply care of the child’s teeth.
Periodontal Therapy and Treatment Planning
A lecture series covering periodontal diagnosis and classification, periodontal examination and disease activity assessment, periodontal treatment planning, non-surgical periodontal therapy, various types of periodontal surgical techniques, dental implants, periodontal surgical wound healing and periodontal maintenance.
Periodontology deals with the supporting structures of the teeth in health and disease. The objectives of the course are to provide the student with the knowledge and skills to manage periodontal problems in general practice, to correlate periodontology with other branches of dentistry, to demonstrate utilization and treatment planning of implants, and to encourage interest in research and further study.
Pharmacology (back to top)
This course provides a basic knowledge of general principles of drug action and the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of several drug classes, with discussion of importance to the practice of dentistry. Course content is based on guidelines from the Section of Pharmacology and Therapeutics as approved by the AADS Council and structured after the Yagiela, Neidle and Dowd's Pharmacology and Therapeutics for Dentistry , a nationally recognized textbook in pharmacology written specifically for dental students. The course begins with a discussion of basic principles of pharmacology, followed by lectures on specific drug classifications. Each lecturer will cover mechanisms of drug action, pharmacokinetic properties, therapeutic uses and effects, adverse reactions, and importance to dentistry.
The Dental Physiology Course has been designed to give students a general understanding of human physiology. Thus, at the end of the course, students should be able to recognize and understand normal human physiologic mechanisms. This allows students to better appreciate pathophysiologic and pharmacologic processes in their patients.
Practice Management (back to top)
The program in practice management is designed to teach the fundamentals of developing and running a successful dental practice. The course is taught by dentists and practice management consultants to insure that up-to-date and practical material is presented. Special subject areas of concentration are used in preparing students for residency programs, fees, and third-party payment, collections, associateships and partnerships, hiring, and retaining a five-star dental team. The classes are taught in a relaxed atmosphere for maximum student enjoyment and learning. The overall goal is to make the information as relevant to the student today as it will be in the future.
This is a preclinical technique course in which each student will perform various non-surgical endodontic techniques on a series of extracted human teeth. The techniques will be taught with the aid of lectures, tapes, assigned reading in textbooks and demonstrations.
The course presents core concepts of preventive dentistry, including demographics, demographic trends, tooth brushing, dental flossing, fluoride and mouth rinses.
Principles of Periodontology I (back to top)
A lecture series covering fundamental aspects of periodontal diagnosis, non-surgical periodontal instrumentation, plaque control, periodontal maintenance care, periodontal prognosis, periodontal treatment planning, the role of occlusion in periodontics, periodontal/orthodontic interrelationships, microbiology in periodontics, the impact of aging on the periodontium, use of locally applied and systemically administered antimicrobial agents in periodontal therapy, and periodontal management of medically compromised patients. 
Principles of Periodontology II
A lecture series covering periodontal parameters of care, periodontal wound healing, fundamental aspects of various types of resective and regenerative forms of periodontal surgery, an introduction to dental implantology and peri-implant disease, potential systemic health risks of periodontal diseases, and an introduction to fundamentals of patient care in the Predoctoral Periodontology Clinic.
The Restorative Dentistry curriculum consists of a sequence of lecture, laboratory and clinical experiences designed to achieve competence in operative dentistry, fixed prosthodontics, and removable prosthodontics within comprehensive patient care. A sequence of four lecture and laboratory courses (Restorative Dentistry I-IV) offered during the fall and spring semesters of the freshman and sophomore years provides foundation knowledge and skills in a carefully sequenced progression. Dental Anatomy includes morphology of the deciduous and permanent teeth, and their functional relationships and the influence of occlusion on many phases of general dental practice. Operative
Dentistry includes restoration of carious lesions and defects of single teeth including cavity design and instrumentation, and use of restorative materials such as resin composite, amalgam, and gold. Caries risk assessment and management protocols are an important component of the curriculum. The Dent Sim computer-controlled training simulator provides on-demand evaluation and feedback in developing operative skills. Fixed Prosthodontics includes restoration of severely damaged teeth and the replacement of missing teeth with fixed restorations. The curriculum includes concepts and skills in diagnosis and treatment planning of these restorations as well as design principles and technical skills. In Removable Prosthodontics, missing teeth are replaced with removable restorations, such as complete dentures and various removable partial dentures. The curriculum includes full consideration of examination, diagnosis, treatment planning, restoration design, technical skills, laboratory procedures and clinical experience necessary to attain competency in this area. Advanced lectures, laboratory, and clinical experience in the junior and senior years address topics, such as dental implant treatment planning and restoration, various techniques in aesthetic dentistry, cariology, overdentures and precision attachments, and maxillofacial prosthodontics.