Students begin to function as full-time comprehensive dental practitioners during their third year. Didactic courses provide a deeper and more sophisticated foundation of knowledge in the dental specialty disciplines. Among these is the multidisciplinary course which combines the knowledge base from every specialty department and discipline to create a fully integrated understanding. The bulk of the third year is spent providing comprehensive patient care in their assigned PCU group, including rotations in various specialty clinics. Beginning in second semester students are assigned 20% of their clinical hours in community based settings where they deliver comprehensive dental care in partnership with students and faculty from other professional schools at Penn. Additional didactic instruction in the third year consists of the bi-weekly treatment planning seminars which explore case documentation and presentation and the use of scientific literature.
Third-Year Courses
The Differential Diagnosis course is a seminar-based course designed to give the dental student an understanding of the diagnosis and differentiation of diseases pertaining to the head and neck as well as interpreting histologic, radiographic and laboratory investigations.
Seminars expand students’ foundation knowledge in health promotion and disease prevention activities with patients in the clinics at the Penn Dental Medicine.
Seminars expand students’ foundation knowledge in health promotion and disease prevention activities with patients in the clinics at the Penn Dental Medicine.
This course builds on the DENT 6162 course and expands the knowledge, skills and attitudes that dental students need to develop as professional dental care providers for success in dental practice. Six hours of lecture and four hours of seminar comprise the course, that includes the following topics: concepts of professionalism, developing career goals; diagnosis and treatment planning; delivery of dental care; responsible and professional social media; telehealth applications; overview of dental insurance, CDT and coding; concepts of leadership and mentorship, and application process for residency and employment positions. Concepts of risk management are discussed for each of the six course lectures to emphasize the importance of ethical and legal responsibilities in dental practice.
The Endodontic Clinic trains predoctoral students to become competent in basic endodontic procedures on vital and non-vital teeth. This includes instruction in diagnosis, treatment planning, treatment/obturation, post-endodontic restoration and related entities (bleaching of non-vital teeth, treatment of traumatic injuries, etc.).
The Endodontic Clinic trains predoctoral students to become competent in basic endodontic procedures on vital and non-vital teeth. This includes instruction in diagnosis, treatment planning, treatment/obturation, post-endodontic restoration and related entities (bleaching of non-vital teeth, treatment of traumatic injuries, etc.).
The purpose of this lecture-based course is to give students a foundation for understanding disorders which directly affect the oral and para-oral structures as well as common medical disorders and how to alter dental treatment in patients with complex medical conditions.
Students are assigned rotations in the Radiology Clinic during which they take radiographs on newly admitted patients who are sent to Radiology from the Comprehensive Care Center.
Students are assigned rotations in the Radiology Clinic during which they take radiographs on newly admitted patients who are sent to Radiology from the Comprehensive Care Center.
Students are assigned rotations in the Radiology Clinic during which they take radiographs on newly admitted patients who are sent to Radiology from the Comprehensive Care Center.
The Medically Complex, Infectious Diseases and Special Disability Patient Care Clinical course consists of ~4 half day rotations. Attendance is required to pass this course. The student’s clinical rotation experience will include one or more of the following: Admission Care, Informed Consent, Medical Consult Requests, Patient Care.
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The Medically Complex, Infectious Diseases and Special Disability Patient Care Clinical course consists of ~4 half day rotations. Attendance is required to pass this course. The student’s clinical rotation experience will include one or more of the following: Admission Care, Informed Consent, Medical Consult Requests, Patient Care.
This lecture-based course is designed to give the student exposure to all aspects of the wide and varied scope of oral and maxillofacial surgery. The course also promotes the integration of the basic sciences and medicine into the daily practice of oral and maxillofacial surgery and dentistry.
The course is designed to give the students an introduction to oral surgery and the exposure to prevention, recognition and management of medical emergencies. Occupational health hazards will also be discussed.
Students perform uncomplicated exodontia and minor pre-prosthetic surgical procedures that are approved by the clinical instructors, assist the instructors in complicated surgical procedures, and observe the administration of intravenous sedation and general anesthesia.
Students perform uncomplicated exodontia and minor pre-prosthetic surgical procedures that are approved by the clinical instructors, assist the instructors in complicated surgical procedures, and observe the administration of intravenous sedation and general anesthesia.
Students perform uncomplicated exodontia and minor pre-prosthetic surgical procedures that are approved by the clinical instructors, assist the instructors in complicated surgical procedures, and observe the administration of intravenous sedation and general anesthesia.
The main objective of this seminar-based course is to ensure that students develop the ability to understand biomedical, behavioral and dental sciences and apply such information in a problem-solving context for the comprehensive treatment planning and management of their patients. Principles of practice management will be weaved throughout all the clinical cases.
The main objective of this seminar-based course is to ensure that students develop the ability to understand biomedical, behavioral and dental sciences and apply such information in a problem-solving context for the comprehensive treatment planning and management of their patients. Principles of practice management will be weaved throughout all the clinical cases.
The lecture-based course provides the student with experience in early orthodontic treatment of malocclusions arising in a normally developing craniofacial complex. Management of these problems aims at providing an unimpeded eruption and alignment of the permanent dentition. Other topics include biological and mechanical principles of tooth movement as well as corrective orthodontics.
Through clinical rotations, the student is exposed to patients with malocclusions that arise in a normally developing craniofacial complex. Management of these problems aims at providing an unimpeded eruption and alignment of the permanent dentition. Students are enrolled in either the Fall or Spring semester, not both.
This lecture and laboratory course introduces students to the concepts and techniques of pediatric dentistry. It provides the basis for beginning clinical experiences with pediatric patients. This course provides the concepts, techniques, and psychomotor skills necessary to provide comprehensive dental care to pediatric patients.
This clinical course exposes the student to many components of pediatric dentistry, including but not limited to diagnosis, prevention, restorative dentistry, pulp therapy, management of the developing occlusion, behavior guidance, and care of special children. Penn Dental Medicine competency statements, as they apply to children, adolescents, and special needs patients are the focus. Competency examinations for this course relate to obtaining informed consent and to practicing in an ethical manner.
This clinical course exposes the student to many components of pediatric dentistry, including but not limited to diagnosis, prevention, restorative dentistry, pulp therapy, management of the developing occlusion, behavior guidance, and care of special children. Penn Dental Medicine competency statements, as they apply to children, adolescents, and special needs patients are the focus. Competency examinations for this course relate to obtaining informed consent and to practicing in an ethical manner.
This clinical course exposes the student to many components of pediatric dentistry, including but not limited to diagnosis, prevention, restorative dentistry, pulp therapy, management of the developing occlusion, behavior guidance, and care of special children. Penn Dental Medicine competency statements, as they apply to children, adolescents, and special needs patients are the focus. Competency examinations for this course relate to obtaining informed consent and to practicing in an ethical manner.
This lecture-based course is designed to acquaint the student practitioner with the fundamentals of periodontal surgery necessary for the comprehensive practice of general dentistry. A major emphasis will be directed towards an understanding of the normal periodontium and a correlation of the events in the histopathology of inflammation, trauma and wound healing to afford the student a biological basis for dental practice.
The Periodontics Clinic provides third-year students the opportunity to treat patients with differences of severity in existing periodontal disease. Students will obtain clinical experiences and comprehensive understanding of the tissues of the periodontium and the fundamental principles underlying the prevention and treatment of diseases that afflict the periodontal tissues.
The Periodontics Clinic provides third-year students the opportunity to treat patients with differences of severity in existing periodontal disease. Students will obtain clinical experiences and comprehensive understanding of the tissues of the periodontium and the fundamental principles underlying the prevention and treatment of diseases that afflict the periodontal tissues.
The Periodontics Clinic provides third-year students the opportunity to treat patients with differences of severity in existing periodontal disease. Students will obtain clinical experiences and comprehensive understanding of the tissues of the periodontium and the fundamental principles underlying the prevention and treatment of diseases that afflict the periodontal tissues.
A combination of lectures, seminars and laboratory exercises provide the dental student with a fundamental understanding of the partially edentulous condition. Topics covered include classification, diagnosis, treatment planning and treatment of partially edentulous patients with RPDs. This course is designed to provide students with the terminology, concepts and principles necessary for case selection, design, construction of, and patient therapy with conventional RPDs. Upon completion of this course, students will have the necessary didactic knowledge to successfully understand and treat removable partial denture cases in conjunction with the clinical faculty during their fourth year.
This course is designed to introduce second year students to the current concepts and principles that comprise a modern perception of esthetics. Students will learn the diagnostic process, indications, contra-indications and limitations of modern materials along with techniques utilized in esthetic restorations. Students will perform and understand the techniques and procedures necessary for the completion of cases involving basic esthetic modalities utilized effectively in practice such as porcelain veneers, diastema closures, CAD/CAM technology, inlays and onlays.
During the fall semester, the first module, operative and esthetic dentistry, reviews basic principles of cavity preparation and restorative materials and relates these principles to more advanced and complex applications. Several basic and advanced esthetic dentistry procedures are also presented. A second module, fixed prosthodontics, in addition to providing a review of the principles of this discipline, includes presentations on cad-cam and laser technology, advanced techniques for the construction of provisional restorations, use of attachments in all fixed and combination fixed and removable prosthesis, and occlusal and esthetic concepts.
In the spring, the third module, removable prosthodontics, is a continuation of the second-year course on removable partial prosthesis. Clinically relevant topics from the fitting of the prosthesis framework through insertion and post insertion care of the prosthesis are presented. In addition, predoctoral students are exposed to the concepts and techniques related to tooth supported complete dentures and the crown and sleeve coping prosthesis in this module. The fourth module, implant dentistry, will present an approach to the biological and scientific basis for implantology, patient evaluation including diagnosis, treatment planning, and implant selection, implant surgery and post-surgical care, implant prosthodontics procedures, and maintenance protocols. The fifth module will present the student with advanced clinical cases focused on restorative dentistry.
Comprehensive care is defined as the overall patient care delivery system that includes all dental services, including emergency care, treatment planning, general dentistry, specialty care, and maintenance programs. The delivery of such care revolves around the Primary Care Unit (PCU) Program. Within each unit, third- and fourth-year students perform examination and diagnostic procedures, comprehensive treatment planning, all restorative dental procedures, fixed and removable prosthodontic procedures, including implant supported restorations, non-surgical periodontal procedures, and maintenance therapy. The PCU program goal is to produce a practitioner who can integrate basic science knowledge with clinical proficiency in all phases of general dentistry, based on the concept of recognition and treatment of oral disease.
Comprehensive care is defined as the overall patient care delivery system that includes all dental services, including emergency care, treatment planning, general dentistry, specialty care, and maintenance programs. The delivery of such care revolves around the Primary Care Unit (PCU) Program. Within each unit, third- and fourth-year students perform examination and diagnostic procedures, comprehensive treatment planning, all restorative dental procedures, fixed and removable prosthodontic procedures, including implant supported restorations, non-surgical periodontal procedures, and maintenance therapy. The PCU program goal is to produce a practitioner who can integrate basic science knowledge with clinical proficiency in all phases of general dentistry, based on the concept of recognition and treatment of oral disease.
Comprehensive care is defined as the overall patient care delivery system that includes all dental services, including emergency care, treatment planning, general dentistry, specialty care, and maintenance programs. The delivery of such care revolves around the Primary Care Unit (PCU) Program. Within each unit, third- and fourth-year students perform examination and diagnostic procedures, comprehensive treatment planning, all restorative dental procedures, fixed and removable prosthodontic procedures, including implant supported restorations, non-surgical periodontal procedures, and maintenance therapy. The PCU program goal is to produce a practitioner who can integrate basic science knowledge with clinical proficiency in all phases of general dentistry, based on the concept of recognition and treatment of oral disease.
The seminar is an open forum discussion in which students make case presentations after which the diagnosis, treatment plan, and therapy are analyzed and evaluated. Initially, the PCU leader may present cases in order to establish the proper method of case presentation; thereafter, it is the student’s responsibility to present thoroughly documented cases which include photographic slides of pretreatment, a complete dental and medical evaluation, study models, radiographs, and other pertinent data.
The use of enhanced magnification with loupes is a widely accepted standard practice to perform restorative dentistry. The dental operating microscope can provide superior visual performance. For the endodontic specialty, the dental microscope has demonstrated significantly higher success rates compared to loupes. The success of endodontic therapy utilizing the dental microscope suggests that the dental clinician may achieve better outcomes with microscope implementation in restorative dentistry. This introductory course will provide each participant the ability to learn essential restorative microscope utilization techniques in combination with dental loupes for optimal precision dentistry.
The Selectives Program expands the dimensions of the predoctoral curriculum by allowing students to individualize their education to reflect some of their professional and personal interests and study areas that fall outside the core curriculum. The Selectives Program includes didactic, clinical, community dental health service, and research opportunities, many of which occur in small group seminars or individualized settings that promote close student-faculty interactions.