About the Program
The Advanced Education Program in Pediatric Dentistry will provide dentists the guidance, experience, and models necessary to begin delivery of proficient primary and specialty oral healthcare to infants, children, and adolescents, including those with special needs. Residents will learn current scientifically supported techniques and philosophies, and teaching will be conducted in a collegial atmosphere conducive to resident‑faculty interaction. Graduates will be defined by the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry as educationally qualified. The program strives to instill in each resident the desire to become lifelong learners in the specialty.
In support of the mission of the Dental College of Georgia, Pediatric Dentistry’s mission is to educate dentists in order to improve overall health and to reduce the burden of illness in society through the discovery and application of knowledge that embraces craniofacial health and disease prevention.
Upon successful completion of this program a student will be able to:
- provide evidence-based, comprehensive oral healthcare to infants, children, adolescents, and older individuals with special care needs;
- provide dental services to patients under general anesthesia in an operating room setting;
- provide dental services to patients under conscious sedation, and
- qualify for the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry certification examination.
Admission Requirements
Please see the Dental College of Georgia website for specific admissions information:
http://www.gru.edu/dentalmedicine/adved/peds.php
The College of Graduate Studies offers a Master of Science in Oral Biology degree which may be taken in conjunction with the certificate curriculum. This joint program gives the student more extensive experience in research and basic science education and requires and in-depth original research project leading to a defended thesis. Tuition is charged on a per credit hour bases for the graduate courses taken. The applicant must be accepted by the College of Graduate Studies and the Department of Oral Biology. Application to the graduate program is made after acceptance to the certificate program.
A Ph.D. in Oral Biology may also be pursued concurrently with specialty training.
We only accept candidates who are U.S. Citizens or Permanent Residents.
Program Fees, Stipends, and Benefits
Tuition: There is no tuition associated with the certificate program in pediatric dentistry. If the resident is enrolled in the Master of Science in Oral Biology degree program, he/she must pay tuition for courses taken through the College of Graduate Studies. No texts are required, though we encourage residents to consider purchasing a standard text in pediatric dentistry. Residents may also wish to invest in texts on sedation, emergency management, pediatrics, or other topics.
Stipends: The current stipend for first-year residents is about $24,000, and for second-year residents about $28,000. Stipends are provided by the university Health System and other sources, and are not controlled by the department budget. Thus, no guarantee of stipends or stipend level can be made by the department. Augusta, Georgia is a beautiful city with a low cost of living. This makes it ideal for residency training from a financial standpoint.
Equipment: All supplies and equipment associated with the clinical program are provided by the institution. A clinic camera is provided for resident use. The program, however, encourages residents to consider purchasing their own camera for clinical photography.
Benefits: The Dental College of Georgia provides malpractice insurance coverage for residents while providing patient care. This insurance does not cover any outside dental practice. Residents are eligible for healthcare insurance if they pay a monthly co-premium.
Leave: Residents are entitled to employee holidays, though assignments for emergency coverage must be maintained. Residents may be entitled to up to 12 days annual leave, and 5 days of professional leave, at the discretion of the Program Director. 12 Days of medical leave are also granted to residents as outlined in the Dental College of Georgia Leave Policy for Dental Residents.
The Facilities
Pediatric dental patients of the Dental College of Georgia and Health System are treated in the Pediatric Dentistry Clinic (on the second floor of the Dental College of Georgia). The clinic houses 16 operatories, of which 6 are assigned for resident use. Intraoral radiographic equipment is located in two of the resident operatories and in a third room dedicated to radiography. All radiographs are digital and the university uses a paperless record system (AxiUm). Panoramic and cephalometric equipment is located in the dental radiology area.
Residents have shared office space within the clinic. Computers are available in each office, as well as in the faculty office area. Residents are given e-mail accounts with fax capability, and access to the internet. Departmental printers are networked.
The clinic employs five full-time dental assistants and two clinic receptionists. Residents are assigned a dental assistant for all clinic sessions.
Operating room facilities are located in the Children’s Hospital of Georgia. We schedule cases every Friday. Most of the OR cases are ambulatory, but inpatient procedures are scheduled as necessary. We also “piggyback” cases with other services throughout the year.
The Dental College of Georgia moved into a new state-of-the-art facility in July, 2011.
Department Information
Program Director: Tara Schafer, DMD
Department Phone: 706-721-9073
Accreditation: The Advanced Education program in Pediatric Dentistry is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation and have been granted the accreditation status of approved. 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 60611-2678. The Commission’s web address is http://www.ada.org/en/coda.
Gainful Employment Link
Gainful Employment Disclosure
Pediatric Dentistry Residency Program
ONET Code: 29-1021.00 Dentists, General
CIP Code: 60.0106
OPEID: 01579
CIP Program Description: A residency training program that prepares dentists to provide primary oral health care to infants, children, and adolescents, including patients with medical, physical or mental disabilities, and to treat a wide variety of dental problems for these patients.
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