Department of Comprehensive Dentistry (CMPD)

The General Practice Residency program affords an opportunity for a recent dental school graduate to obtain advanced education and training in comprehensive general dentistry within both an ambulatory and a hospital environment. This one-year residency program is specifically designed to enhance the resident's abilities and confidence in fully treating the total patient while familiarizing themselves with other aspects of the hospital health service as they work in close relationship with other members of the health care team. The development of high professional standards in ethics, attitudes and performance is stressed. 

General Practice Residency Program Information

Education in pediatric dentistry is provided throughout the DMD program curriculum. We also offer an advanced education program training pediatric residents. 

Pediatric Dentistry Patient Information

Pediatric Dentistry Residency Program Information

The division of Operative Dentistry at ULSD works hard to assure that our graduates will excel in the profession of dentistry and be life long learners who can provide comprehensive general dental treatment to their patients. The Division of Operative Dentistry at ULSD is committed to graduating students who are competent in improving the oral health of the population by: 

1. Adopting an evidence based curriculum that teaches students diagnosis, prevention and early intervention in treatment of dental caries. 
2. Providing a professional educational clinical environment to deliver simple and complex operative treatments to the pediatric, adult and geriatric patients. 
3. Introducing the most current dental material and technologies when providing treatment to the public.

DMD 2nd Year

The Preclinical Treatment Planning course provides foundation knowledge in comprehensive treatment planning, prognosis and informed consent. Patient assessment techniques are introduced that build on the foundation knowledge that students have obtained in previous didactic and preclinical courses. These techniques illustrate how to determine the patient's chief complaint, how to identify and manage urgent treatment needs, and provide a treatment environment that allows free communication between provider and patient. Techniques are introduced to:

1. Analyze the results of diagnostic data collection in order to arrive at a definitive diagnosis.
2. Utilize data from the assessment and diagnosis to develop a sequential plan of treatment, addressing urgency of treatment needs and acknowledgment of the patient's chief concerns.
3. Develop a prognosis of treatment choices with a consideration of the patient's dental values and motivation based on patient assessment data such as caries risk and oral hygiene skills.
4. Provide an environment for the patient to provide informed consent. Methods are presented to illustrate to the patient the nature and severity of their disease, the causative factors leading to their disease, the alternatives to treatment, possible complications of treatment and the risks and benefits of treatment choices.

DMD 3rd and 4th Year

Synthesis of treatment modalities for direct patient care with emphasis on collation of all pertinent facts. Patient management and case presentation techniques are utilized in a primary care setting.

DMD 2nd Year

This course consists of lectures twice a week to cover the basic principles of Removable Partial Denture (RPD) diagnosis and treatment planning. It also covers RPD components, classification, biomechanics and design.

DMD 3rd and 4th Year

Students demonstrate progressive proficiency in clinical application of foundational knowledge in treatment planning, designing and delivering removable partial dentures. Students implement preclinical laboratory techniques while delivering patient care. Students are exposed to both formative and summative experiences as part of the clinical curriculum. Students are immersed in both non-patient and patient based formative assessments honing their critical thinking and self-assessment skills. Students are challenged on a summative competency assessment during the D4 examination without assistance.

The Department of Comprehensive Dentistry is committed to supporting the mission of the University and the School of Dentistry through teaching, research, service, faculty practice and patient-centered care. Our primary mission in the scholarship of teaching is to provide students with high quality didactic, preclinical and clinical instruction that is contemporary based on the most current literature available. The primary mission will be met through continuous faculty development and calibration on all assessment standards for evaluating student competence.

Our primary goal is go produce a competent, beginning general dentist through crucial formative and/or summative assessments in all areas of general dentistry to include pediatric and adult patients.

• The graduate will be competent in using critical thinking skills during the comprehensive care of all patients regardless of age.
• The graduate will be competent in providing preventive dentistry services to improve overall oral health of all patients regardless of age.
• The graduate will be competent in providing quality dental care to a diverse population of patients.
• The graduate will be competent in demonstrating professional behaviors consistent with the legal and ethical expectations of the profession and the public.
• The graduate will be competent in formulating treatment plans with emphasis on the collation of all pertinent facts and provision of choices for alternative treatment plans.
• The graduate will be competent in reviewing patient medical information and knowing the proper referral for hospital based care.
• The graduate will be competent in utilizing the principles of operative dentistry to remove defective tooth structure and restore teeth to acceptable form, function and esthetics.
• The graduate will be competent in selecting and using the appropriate dental materials to restore prepared tooth structure through evidence-based literature.
• The graduate will be competent in the basic principles of fixed and removable prosthodontics and understand referring to specialists when indicated.
• The graduate will be competent in applying business and economic concepts to dental practice management decisions.