Restorative Dentistry: Operative Dentistry - Curriculum and Courses
Yaman and Dennison - Program Co-Directors; Carpenter, Fasbinder, Staff.Restorative Dentistry - Curriculum
Courses leading to the Master of Science degree are offered to graduates in dentistry who desire an advanced educational experience in clinical restorative dentistry. The program is designed to enhance both the breadth and depth of fundamental restorative principles and to correlate the oral sciences with clinical practice. Its major objective is to develop teachers and practitioners who have broad knowledge in the biological sciences which are basic to debilitative oral disease processes and functional disturbances. Graduates should demonstrate capability in diagnosis, treatment planning, and rendering comprehensive restorative care. Courses are required in restorative dentistry, periodontics, occlusion, biomaterials, dental education, and the core curriculum.
The two or three year structure of the restorative program is flexible to accommodate the needs and abilities of prospective students. The first year will provide advanced clinical experience in restorative procedures plus didactic emphasis on underlying principles of cariology, periodontics, esthetics and biomaterials. The second year will involve continued clinical experience and elective opportunities in related clinical areas and dental education with a teaching commitment at the pre-doctoral level and an introduction to research design and methodology. The third year will involve an intense research experience and lead to an advanced degree.
The Master of Science degree requires a minimum of 36 hours of credit, of which a maximum of eight hours is gained through clinical practice. A significant number of elective courses are included in the program to provide for the special needs of individual students. Completion of the degree program requires an independent investigation pertinent to cariology or the underlying principles of restorative dentistry be reported in a thesis. The program requires a minimum of two academic years and one spring half-term for the full-time students. New students begin in the fall term.
A typical graduate program in restorative dentistry (first and second years) follows:
First Term (Fall)
Periodontics 786. Periodontal Therapy
Restorative Dentistry 742. Clinical Restorative Dentistry (Operative)
Biostatistics 503. Introduction to Biostatistics
Restorative Dentistry 746. Principles of Operative Dentistry
Dentistry Education 608. Biomaterials
Dentistry Education 610. Scientific Communication
Second Terin (Winter)
Oral Biology 679. Cariology
Restorative Dentistry 742. Clinical Restorative Dentistry (Operative)
Restorative Dentistry 745. Esthetic Restorative Procedures
Restorative Dentistry 747. Clinical Eval. in Restorative Dentistry
Restorative Dentistry 749. Esthetic Restorative Laboratory
Restorative Dentistry 871. Concepts of Occlusion
Spring Half-Term
Restorative Dentistry 742. Clinical Restorative Dentistry (Operative)
Restorative Dentistry 744. Seminar in Operative Dentistry
Dentistry Education 884. Caries Diagnosis and Management
Third Term (Fall)
Restorative Dentistry 742. Clinical Restorative Dentistry (Operative)
Restorative Dentistry 743. Investigation Leading to Thesis
Prosthodontics 739. Clinical Crown and Bridge
Oral Diagnosis 662. Radiology
Dentistry Education 561. Mineralized Tissues
Fourth Term (Winter)
Restorative Dentistry 742. Clinical Restorative Dentistry (Operative)
Restorative Dentistry 743. Investigation Leading to Thesis
Restorative Dentistry 748 . Special Topics in Operative Dentistry
Restorative Dentistry 866. Functional Disturbances of the Masticatory System
Restorative Dentistry - Course Descriptions
742. Clinical Restorative Dentistry.
743. Investigation Leading to Thesis.
744. Seminar in Operative Dentistry. Reading assignments, discussion, and evaluation of certain biological and physical concepts fundamental to restorative practices.
745. Esthetic Restorative Procedures. Factors are presented which require consideration in treatment planning for the esthetic restoration. Discussions include the clinical methods employed in the various restorative procedures - porcelain inlay, porcelain and acrylic jacket crowns, and gold-supported esthetic crowns.
746. Principles of Cariology and Operative Dentistry. A critical appraisal of the procedures for caries risk assessment and tooth restoration and cohesive gold is made through reading references and discussion. Related clinical and laboratory sessions are held in addition to a seminar.
747. Clinical Evaluation in Restorative Dentistry. Evaluation methods and clinical criteria are discussed as they relate to clinical research in restorative materials and clinical instruction.
748. Special Topic or Project in Operative Dentistry. A special project on an advanced subject directly related to operative dentistry is pursued. A project protocol is prepared, the investigation carried out, and a suitable report of the findings is submitted.
749. Esthetic Restorative Laboratory. Fabrication of porcelain and gold-supported porcelain and plastic restorations stress the relationship to proper clinic procedures. Clinical evaluation is made of resulting shade buttons and restorations.
880. Investigation Leading to Thesis (Occlusion).
881. Occlusion and Orthodontics. A seminar course dealing with current concepts of occlusal function and dysfunction as they apply to the goals of orthodontic treatment. Emphasis is placed upon the theoretical aspects of pre- and post-treatment methods of analysis and functional occlusion.
883. Conservative Esthetic Principles and Restorative Techniques. Seminars are combined with laboratory and conservative procedures experience to provide a background for using resin restorative materials to improve esthetic appearance. Laminate veneers and posterior restorations will be constructed both directly and indirectly along with posterior restorations to optimize esthetic treatment.
884. Caries Diagnosis and Management. This course includes lectures, patient-based exercises, class discussion, and debates. The objectives of this course are to critically review and discuss the current scientific evidence on the diagnosis on incipient carious lesions, noncavitated pits and fissures, cavitated carious lesions, recurrent carious lesions, and root caries. By the end of the course students should be able to discuss the current methods of caries diagnosis and their limitations; evaluate new systems for diagnosis of incipient and non-cavitated carious lesions; analyze and critique dental caries management protocols; understand the concepts of clinical decision making, evidence-based dental practice, and develop decision trees for management of different types of carious lesions; and identify areas for further research.