Orthodontics and Periodontics, Certificate

The Orthodontics and Periodontics program features a Clinical Track and an Academic Track. Applicants to this joint program must be accepted by both the Periodontics and Orthodontic admissions committees. 

Clinical Track

In this track, the first year provides a comprehensive background in periodontics through extensive literature reviews, seminars, and clinical practice. Selected periodontal cases are continued into the second year, which focuses on formal training in orthodontics, orthodontic preclinical laboratories, and the beginning of clinical training in several multi-band techniques. The third and fourth years consist primarily of orthodontic seminars, clinical practice of periodontics and orthodontics, and evaluation of post-treatment periodontal cases. Third- and fourth-year students also do limited teaching. Graduates in this program are fully certified and board eligible in both periodontics and orthodontics. The four-year track will develop skilled clinicians who will be able to practice and teach in a clinical setting.

Duration of program: 48 months

Academic Track

The five-year program is designed to prepare students for full-time academia as dental educators and highly trained clinicians in periodontics and orthodontics. This program is planned in cooperation with a research preceptor and leads to a Master of Science in Oral Biology. The five years are planned and balanced by the Departments of Periodontics and Orthodontics and the research preceptor, so students can undertake clinical research while also being trained as a clinician. The clinical portion of the program is similar to the four-year track. Students will also have courses in the Graduate School of Education and have teaching responsibilities the fourth and fifth years.

Duration of program: 60 months


This degree requires a minimum of 250 Credit Hours.

Curriculum

All Dental Medicine certificate students share a common core of required courses throughout the first year. In addition, students complete additional courses specific to their particular program. 

Program Requirements (Certificate Only)

Core Graduate Dental Education Courses

Year 1
Fall
DADE 9330Ethics, Professionalism and Jurisprudence1-3
DADE 9340Evidence-based clinical practice1.75-3
DADE 9350Oral and systemic diseases3.75-5
Spring
DADE 9360Oral infection and immunity4-6
DADE 9370Conservative and regenerative clinical practice2-5
DADE 9380Vulnerable populations across the lifespan1.5-3.5

Master of Science in Oral Biology

The School of Dental Medicine also offers a Master of Science in Oral Biology (MSOB). Enrollment in the MSOB program is limited to individuals concurrently registered in one of the postgraduate specialty training (certificate) programs. Candidates receive the MSOB degree after completion of both their specialty training and the Master’s curriculum, which consists of didactic, seminar, and research practicum courses. The MSOB program is comprised of two tracks designed for outstanding students who are interested in either integrating research or structured evidence-based learning into their post-graduate education.

Depending on the track selected, research activities or a systematic literature review form the core of the MSOB program. Students are expected to participate in a clinical or basic science research project of sufficient scope and intensity or a formally structured and critically evaluated literature review focused on an important oral health-related research or clinical question. A thesis composed of an in-depth review of the relevant literature along with a manuscript reporting the results of the research or a systematic review is required for graduation for the research and evidence-based learning tracks respectively.

Additional MSOB Course Requirements
Intro To Statistics
Systematic Reviews

The degree and major requirements displayed are intended as a guide for students entering in the Fall of 2024 and later. Students should consult with their academic program regarding final certifications and requirements for graduation.