Advanced Education in Endodontic Training Program
Program Overview - The Fort Eisenhower Advanced Education in Endodontics Training Program is a 24 month training program designed to provide selected officers in the US Army extensive training in endodontics. Residents can expect to spend 50% of their time in the clinic using modern, top of the line equipment. In addition to gaining clinical experience, residents are provided opportunities to teach and to conduct highly respected research. During the two years, residents also participate in multiple courses and seminars to enhance their understanding of the sciences related to the specialty.
Upon successful completion of training, residents will be awarded certificates of completion and the skill identifier 63E9C by the Office of The Surgeon General of the US Army. In addition to receiving a certificate in Endodontics, residents will have completed the requirements to receive a Master’s Degree in Oral Biology from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. The program is fully accredited by the Council on Accreditation of the American Dental Association and its graduates are recognized as qualified to take the examination of the American Board of Endodontics.
Purpose of the Program - The purpose of this program is to train selected dental officers in all aspects of Endodontics and prepare them for successful completion of the American Board of Endodontics Board Certification process. The resident will learn the background sciences and develop the clinical experience necessary to select those techniques which meet the biological, physiological, and mechanical requirements for oral rehabilitation. The clinical aspect will require patience, persistence, and precision. Collaboration with other clinical specialties is also emphasized. The didactic phase will be presented through formal courses, staff lectures, consultant visits, hospital conferences, library research, literature reviews and seminars.
Program Objectives - The primary objectives of the Advanced Education in Endodontics Training Program are:
- To produce educationally qualified endodontic specialists in accordance with the standards for advanced education programs in endodontics that will successfully meet the criteria set by the American Board of Endodontics
- To establish a sound biological basis for the clinical practice of endodontics
- To develop an endodontic specialist who will be able to make independent decisions based on a thorough understanding of the total health care needs of the patient
- To graduate specialists well founded in research principles, scientific literature and teaching so they may contribute to the growth of the specialty of endodontics and dentistry in general
- To train endodontic specialists who will be able to effectively administer an endodontic service at their assigned duty stations following completion of the program.
- To prepare graduates to be mentors in the endodontic phase of one and two-year advanced education programs in general dentistry programs and to identify future mentors for the endodontic residency program.
- To prepare graduates to function in a combat environment as dental officers, medical surgical assistants or triage officers.
Scope of Training
Didactic Courses and Lectures - All residents can expect to spend at least 35% of their time attending courses, lectures, and conferences focusing on basic sciences, oral pathology, clinical pathology, oral histology, medically compromised patients, and practice administration. A majority of the time will be devoted to seminars concentrating in topical and current literature specific to endodontics. Monthly case presentations by each resident will offer residents the ability to discuss treatment rationale supported by evidence based literature. Residents are provided opportunities to demonstrate their knowledge during oral and written examinations, quizzes on selected texts, and comprehensive midterm and final written and oral exams each year.
Clinical Activities - Residents will be exposed to a wide variety of clinical cases, to include nonsurgical treatment, nonsurgical retreatment, periradicular surgery, hemisection, transplantation, replantation, root resections, perforation repair, apexification/appexogenesis, pediatric endodontics, , bleaching of discolored teeth, decompression, tooth extrusion, and a variety of other categories of treatment as recognized by the American Association of Endodontists.
Research - All first year residents will develop a research proposal during the first half of the year and submit their proposal through the US Army’s Internal Review Board. Once approved, the resident will complete the research and prepare a manuscript suitable for submission to a peer reviewed scientific journal. All residents are expected to present their research at the annual American Association of Endodontists conference.
Teaching - Residents will be provided multiple opportunities to teach. Residents can expect to provide formal lectures, hands on teaching experiences, and informal lectures to the Army community and to the students at the Dental College of Georgia at Augusta University.
All four programs are fully accredited by the Council on Accreditation of the American Dental Association and the programs' graduates are recognized as qualified to challenge the American Board examination in their respective specialty.
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