Program: Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics Certificate - University of Pittsburgh

Requirements

Goals are to provide excellent education in the specialty of orthodontics, provide high-quality clinical care, and conduct research designed to advance knowledge of the specialty. The curriculum reflects this mission and provides residents with necessary knowledge and experience to enter the specialty well prepared for practice. The curriculum is based upon a solid foundation of scientific principles and methods that residents may use as a rational framework for understanding treatment and evaluating future changes. The application of basic and clinical scientific knowledge to the practice of orthodontics is the fundamental tenet of the curriculum. Successful completion of the program enables graduates to participate in the American Board of Orthodontics certifying examination.

The Orthodontic Program is made up of complementary components designed to produce well-rounded orthodontists. The components are as follows:

Clinical training, which prepares the resident for specialty board certification
Education from a broad curriculum that provides residents with greater insight on the nature of orthodontics
Research, which enriches the profession and develops critical thinking

The curriculum for the Orthodontic Program is designed to be taught on the postdoctoral level. The path of study followed by the residents comprises a core curriculum of graduate level basic sciences followed by a broad course of study in craniofacial biology, clinical sciences, and orthodontic techniques. A significant portion of the curriculum is devoted to clinical orthodontics, allowing the resident to attain proficiency developed through a broad and diverse experience in patient care. Conferences involving growth and development, dental statistics, occlusion and malocclusion, development of the dentition, dentofacial abnormalities, biomechanical orthodontics, genetics, bone biology, cephalometrics, diagnosis and treatment planning, evidence-based care, oral physiology, surgical orthodontics, practice management, and orthodontic technique provides an excellent foundation in the basic and clinical sciences. Orthodontic conferences and literature review sessions provide opportunities for critical analysis of historical and current literature, with application to contemporary orthodontic principles in case diagnosis and treatment planning.

Scholarly activity in the form of basic or clinical research is a fundamental component of the curriculum. Residents design, implement, and complete a research project that provides new knowledge of the specialty and allows residents to develop the ability to apply the scientific method.