Endodontic Residency

Program Overview

University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine has the unique honor of being the birthplace of modern endodontics with Dr. Louis Grossman, the father of modern endodontics, having established the Penn Dental Medicine endodontic program.

The two-year program is designed to provide postdoctoral students with advanced training in endodontics, and upon its successful completion, students are issued a certificate by the University and are eligible for the specialty Board of Endodontics.

Students interested in obtaining a Master of Science degree have the opportunity of applying for the optional 3-year program. The MS program requires completion of a research thesis in clinical or basic sciences.

Approved by the American Dental Association, the program has a strong clinical component - approximately 50 percent of the time is spent in the clinic. Students are exposed to the many facets of modern clinical endodontics with an emphasis on the utilization of the microscope in all types of procedures, including emergency treatment, complex conservative treatment, microsurgery, pediatric endodontics, and the treatment of traumatic injuries to teeth. In addition, residents must conduct and prepare for publication an independent research project.

In addition to the core basic science courses required for all postdoctoral students, the endodontic department arranges further basic science courses related to the specialty.

Clinical seminars, planned reading seminars, and an extensive guest lecture series are also part of the research experience. An effort is made to involve students in ongoing clinical and basic research projects and to make the research experience as meaningful as possible in the limited time available. The program accepts eight students each year.

The department also offers courses at the Microscope Training Center.