Advanced Education in General Dentistry

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The University of Pittsburgh’s Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) Program was established in 1989. The one-year long program is fully accredited, enrolls two students per year, and begins on July 1 of each year. We welcomeg students from diverse backgrounds. Residents for the 2016-17 program year are alumni of the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine.

The program follows the School of Dental Medicine’s academic calendar and daily schedule, including patient appointments on Tuesday evenings. There are no weekend rotations, but a 24-hour on call schedule is maintained for the School of Dental Medicine. There is a roughly, two-week break at the end of December and approximately 10 paid holidays and 10 paid days off during the one-year residency.

The AEGD resident participates with the other post graduate residents at the School of Dental Medicine in the required post graduate core curriculum plus they both attend and present at seminars held in the school. AEGD Residents are encouraged to document patient cases using the fully equipped digital camera maintained in the AEGD clinic. The didactic program constitutes approximately 15% of the total experience. There is a rotation through the Implant Center which provides both clinical and didactic experience in the placement and restoration of dental implants. AEGD Residents rotate through the Center for Patients with Special Needs to provide treatment to patients using a variety of behavioral and pharmacological techniques. In conjunction with the School’s Department of Anesthesiology, residents treat patients using intravenous sedation, nitrous oxide and/or general anesthesia. Residents receive the instruction to become eligible for an Anesthesia Restricted Permit II, allowing them to administer nitrous oxide in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Program Goals

The Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) program at the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine provides training to the recent graduate in clinical dentistry and applied basic science beyond the pre-doctoral level, and it refines and enhances those skills necessary for the generalist to provide comprehensive patient care for all population groups. It is also designed to instill confidence in the new dentist to allow him/her to become a leader in the general dental community.

The over all goals of the program are:

Enhance the resident’s competence and confidence in the various clinical disciplines, which are integral components of general dentistry.
Enhance the resident’s clinical judgment and develop general dentists with a broad knowledge of dental medicine and related interdisciplinary subjects.
Enhance the resident’s ability to interact with all health practitioners involved in comprehensive patient treatment - both medical consultations and appropriate consultations and referrals to dental specialists.
Enhance the resident’s understanding of and provide experience in practice administration, including communication skills, practice management, psychological aspects of patient management, risk management and quality assurance activities
Prepare the residents to become general dentists to practice, teach, and be involved in academic presentations in general dentistry.
Develop general dentists who will have a thorough knowledge of the basic and clinical aspects of general dentistry and who will also have the skills and abilities to treat patients who present complex and unusual treatment needs.
Understand the oral health needs of communities and engage in community service through the provision of treatment to patients with special needs and underserved populations.
Develop General Dentists that demonstrate principles of ethical reasoning, ethical decision-making, and professional responsibility as they pertain to the academic environment, research, patient care, and practice management.

Detailed information about requirements and application for hte program are available at dental.pitt.edu/aegd

The advanced education in general dentistry program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA). The Commission is a specialized accrediting body recognized by the United States Department of Education. The Commission on Dental Accreditation can be contacted at 312-440-4653, or at 211 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60611. The Commission’s web address is http://www.ada.org/100.aspx. The Commission on Dental Accreditation has accredited the postdoctoral program in advanced education in general dentistry. However, this education area is not one of the American Dental Association (ADA) recognized dental specialty areas. Therefore, dentists graduating from this program cannot announce that they are specialists, as recognized by the American Dental Association.

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