Advanced Dentistry and Oral Surgery

Overview

Programs in advanced dentistry and oral surgery teach students how to repair injuries, research dental problems, and promote dental health. They also study how the materials used in dentistry affect people.

Advanced dentistry and oral surgery programs include topics such as:

• History of dentistry
• Dental practice management
• Dental ethics
• Advanced restorative dentistry
• Oral medicine
• Oral radiology
• Maxillofacial surgery
• Diagnosing, treating, and preventing gum disease

Concentrations

In advanced dentistry and oral surgery programs, students may be able to specialize in:

• Orthodontics
• Periodontics
• Pediatric dentistry
• Prosthodontics
• Dental Public Health
• Endodontics
• Oral pathology
• Pedodontics
• Prosthodontics

Schools

Students need to graduate from a dental school prior to entering this program.

Many universities and specialized dental schools offer advanced dentistry and oral surgery programs. Students can earn a postdoctoral certificate, a master’s degree, a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), or a Doctor of Medicine (MD) in the case of oral surgery. These programs vary in length depending on the specialization and type of degree. Typically they take at least two to three years after dental school.

See schools that offer this program.

Graduate Admissions

Admission to graduate programs is competitive. You need either a Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) or a Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) degree, good grades, and good letters of recommendation. You should be a licensed dentist and should submit your scores on the following tests:

• Graduate Record Exam (GRE) General
• National Dental Board Exams

You may also need to complete a personal interview.

Typical Course Work

Graduate Program Courses

Postdoctoral programs in oral surgery typically include courses in the following subjects:

• Advanced Orthodontic Technique
• Applied Psychology in Orthodontics
• Case Analysis
• Cephalometrics
• Cleft Palate Surgery
• Clinical Epidemiology and Study Design
• Clinical Orthodontics
• Clinical Stomatology
• Craniofacial Anatomy
• Dentoalveolar Surgery
• EKG Interpretation
• General Anesthesia
• Head and Neck Anatomy
• Implants
• Maxillofacial Infections
• Methodology and Problems in Clinical Research
• Microsurgery Course
• Neural Basis of Oral and Facial Function
• Occlusal Development
• Oral Pathology
• Oral Radiology
• Orofacial Biology
• Orthodontic Techniques
• Orthognathic Surgery
• Physical Diagnosis
• Practice Management and Risk Management
• Preprosthetic Surgery
• Surgical Orthodontic Seminar

In most cases, you won't take all of these courses. Your curriculum will depend on your chosen specialty.

Many programs that lead to a master's or doctoral degree emphasize research and require participation in "journal clubs." You meet your colleagues and faculty members at regularly scheduled times to discuss current dental research described in academic journals. Each session, you or one of your colleagues present and analyze the research summarized in a recent article. Whoever does this also has to lead a discussion on the research design and findings.

Requirements for graduate degree candidates typically include:

• Required courses
• Comprehensive written and oral exams
• Thesis (master's degree only)
• Dissertation and dissertation defense (doctoral degree only)

Many of these programs also include clinical practicum's in their curriculum. These are hands-on opportunities to apply your advanced dental knowledge and clinical skills to chairside treatment of patients. A dentist experienced in the specialization that you're practicing supervises you and offers instruction where necessary.

Things to Know

After completing an advanced dentistry or oral surgery program, you can take a board certification exam.

Schools

King-Snohomish Area

University of Washington - Seattle

• Dentistry--Endodontics
• Dentistry--Oral Biology
• Dentistry--Oral Medicine
• Dentistry--Oral Pathology
• Dentistry--Orthodontics
• Dentistry--Pediatric Dentistry
• Dentistry--Periodontics
• Dentistry--Prosthodontics