Postgraduate study in Pediatric Dentistry at Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine in clinical affiliation with Cleveland’s University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital and MetroHealth Hospital Systems is an intense and rewarding clinical and didactic educational experience.
Our two-year post-doctoral residency program follows closely the principles and policies as outlined in the Guidelines for Advanced Education in Pediatric Dentistry prepared by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry. It is fully accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation. Successful completion results in a certificate of specialty education in pediatric dentistry which qualifies the resident for examination by the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry. There is also an option for students to receive the M.S.D. Students who elect to complete the Master's program pay full tuition. The M.S.D. program is open to non-U.S. citizens and foreign-trained dentists. Foreign-trained dentists MUST complete a CODA accredited G.P.R. or A.E.G.D. before applying to the program.
Our purpose is to train the specialist as a qualified practitioner, consultant and advocate for complete dental treatment of children, adolescents and young adults including individuals with special health care needs.
The acquired skills prepare the pediatric dental resident to prevent, diagnose, and treat common and unusual oral problems that might arise during physical, psychological, behavioral and social development of the individuals under our care. As such, significant training time is devoted to developing an approach to care through an understanding of physical, psychological, behavioral, and social development.
Our program offers a balanced clinical and didactic curriculum in advanced management oral health care for infant, child, adolescent, young adult, and individuals with special health care needs.
The pediatric dentistry curriculum is designed to have the resident play an integral role in the health care of children, side by side with his/her medical colleagues, and to prepare the resident for successful entry into the contemporary practice setting while providing the foundation for future growth in the field.
Facilities
- CWRU School of Dental Medicine Cornell Pediatric Dentistry Clinic
- CWRU School of Dental Medicine Ambulatory Surgery Center
- University Hospitals Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital
- University Hospitals Rainbow Center for Women and Children Dental Clinic
- Metro Health Systems Hospital
- MetroHealth Systems Ohio City Family Dentistry Clinic
- Northeast Head Start Programs
- Ronald McDonald Care Mobile
Program Strengths
The CWRU School of Dental Medicine patient care facilities include the Bill and Chloe Cornell Pediatric Dentistry Clinic and the outpatient Ambulatory Surgery Unit. Residents have the opportunity to treat complex pediatric patients under sedation and in our state-of-the-art outpatient clinical facility. Additionally, phase I and II orthodontic training is provided through assigned orthodontic faculty. The clinic has nine operatories, two of which are closed with nitrous oxide. The operatories have ADEC units with piezo, air-driven and Bien-Air electric handpiece capabilities. The clinic is also equipped with digital charting and radiograph systems to meet the needs of contemporary dentistry. The resident is also granted teaching privileges at the Cornell Dental Clinic. Residents supervise the undergraduate DMD students, help them to understand children’s dental growth and development, the art and science of treatment plans, and teach them behavior guidance. They also instruct and grade dental students on their clinical procedures. The rotation in Cornell Clinic is a rewarding experience and residents play an integral part in achieving providing pleasant dental service for children.
University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital is a primary and tertiary care center for pediatric health care in Northeast Ohio. Consequently, the outpatient clinic offers comprehensive clinical experience in management of medically compromised patients. Additionally, extensive opportunities are available for the management of traumatic dental injuries. Residents have numerous experiences in the use of advanced behavior guidance techniques: oral sedation, intravenous sedation, and comprehensive dental restorations under general anesthesia. The use of diode and carbon dioxide (CO2) lasers allow residents to provide soft tissue management and complete hard tissue procedures, while decreasing pain, aiding hemostasis, and increasing efficiency and enhancing the overall dental experience for patients. The pediatric dentistry team also participates in the hospital’s craniofacial clinic and residents get a great deal of clinical experiences in interceptive, phase I, and phase II orthodontics.
University Hospitals Rainbow Center for Women and Children Dental Clinic is a community dental clinic conveniently located on RTA Healthline (Cleveland bus transit system). The center provides an easy access to care for the Greater Cleveland community. The center also host pediatric and OB/GYN clinics. Residents will join faculty and staff, alongside medical counterparts, to perform preventive and restorative treatment to children and young pregnant women in this state-of-the-art facility. The clinic has six operatories, three of which are equipped with nitrous oxide. The clinic is equipped with digital dental charting, digital imaging, intraoral camera, CO2 laser to provide residents the most up-to-date treatment experiences.
MetroHealth Systems Hospital has an unwavering commitment and history of providing medical and dental care to the community of Northeast Ohio. Residents at MetroHealth will experience community care in the newly built Ohio City Family Dentistry clinic. This new clinic has a total of eighteen operatories. Five of the operatories in the clinic are dedicated to treating pediatric patients and three of them are closed rooms with nitrous oxide availability. The clinic is fully equipped with new technology such as digital imaging, CBCT, CO2 laser, CEREC CAD-CAM, a dental microscope, intra oral cameras. Residents also have the opportunity to treat patients in our surgery centers, where we provide comprehensive treatment under general anesthesia
In summary, a large population base of dentally and medically compromised children provides ample dental experience in all aspects of pediatric dentistry. Our residents are also involved in our community outreach initiatives. The Ronald McDonald Care Mobile travels to areas around the region to provide comprehensive care to children with limited access to oral health services. Young children throughout the area participating in the Head Start program benefit from our resident doctors bringing the required dental examination to the facility or home-based program.
The diverse backgrounds and expertise of the clinical faculty allow for excellent clinical training in behavior guidance, preventive dentistry, trauma management, community dentistry, interceptive and complete orthodontics, oral and intravenous sedation, soft/hard-tissue laser certification, vast operating room/ sedation experience, as well as those aspects of pediatric dental care considered to be traditional pediatric dentistry.