Postdoctoral Program Description
The Advanced Education Program in Periodontics at The Ohio
State University College of Dentistry is a 36-month program that
provides training in four areas: didactic, clinical, research and
teaching. The program is fully accredited by the Commission
on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association and
provides advanced clinical specialty training in periodontology at
the graduate level, which fulfills requirements for eligibility
to the American Board of Periodontology. The program accepts
only highly qualified students. All students must participate in
research leading to a Master's degree. The Certificate in
Periodontics is awarded upon completion of all program requirements
and only after all Master's degree requirements have been completed.
In addition, a combined certificate/Ph.D. program is available to
highly qualified individuals anticipating a full-time career in
academic teaching and research.
The training program commences annually in July and is a minimum of
three years in duration. Original research leading to
submission and defense of an approved thesis or dissertation is a
general requirement for a graduate degree which is coupled with
award of the clinical certificate denoting completion of advanced
clinical specialty training.
The program of study for the clinical component of specialty
training consists of didactic courses and seminars, clinical
management of patients with periodontal disorders, and teaching
experiences. Core courses consist of periodontal anatomy, oral
pathology, clinical periodontal conferences (case reviews including
diagnosis, treatment planning and therapy), and periodontal
literature reviews. Interdisciplinary courses and seminars also are
conducted in oral histology, biostatistics, analgesia and conscious
sedation, orofacial pain management, endodontic-periodontic,
prosthetic-periodontic relationships, implantology, and practice
management. The clinical training focuses on the diagnosis and
therapy of diseases and conditions affecting the tooth-supporting
tissues, and on implant surgery. The clinical experiences of
students include the full spectrum of periodontal treatment
modalities: conventional non-surgical and surgical periodontal
therapy, periodontal plastic surgery, soft and hard tissue
regenerative procedures, advanced surgical techniques (guided bone
regeneration, block grafts, sinus augmentation), and implant
surgery.
Comprehensive periodontal health care is performed in the
advanced education clinics at The Ohio State University College of
Dentistry. Students are provided the opportunity to integrate
periodontal therapy with other clinical disciplines, to practice
conscious sedation measures for pain control, to include inhalation
analgesia and intravenous sedation, and also to manage emergencies,
thereby experiencing complete management in the oral health needs of
their assigned patients.
Experiences in clinical and didactic teaching are provided through
opportunities to participate in pre-doctoral didactic and clinical
courses in Periodontology at the College of Dentistry.
Qualified residents may be offered a $6,000 per year teaching grant.
These grants are annually renewable depending on availability of
funds and on positive teaching outcomes as reviewed annually by the
Division Chair and Program Director. It is renewable to a maximum of
three years for combined program candidates.
Additional details
about The Ohio State University program are available from the
American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) website. The AAP webpage
for The Ohio State University program provides current information
on curriculum, requirements, stipends, etc., and can be accessed at:
http://www.perio.org/education/OH-OSU.htm
Interested
candidates are strongly encouraged to visit the program prior to the
application deadline. A visit will allow prospective applicants to
meet and interact with current residents and faculty, and to obtain
firsthand knowledge about the attributes of the program. Such a
visit may be informal and last from one to a few days, or it may be
formal (see externship section) and last up to two weeks. Visits,
whether formal or informal, must be prearranged by contacting the
Program Director.
