| Program Director: | Michael Milano, DMD Associate Professor |
| Program administrative support contact: | Leigh Flanders |
| Department phone: | (706) 721-9073 |
| Department fax: | (706) 723-0219 |
| Program length: | 24 months |
| No. of residents accepted: | 4/yr |
| PASS participant: | Yes |
| MATCH participant: | Yes |
| DMD/DDS: | Applicants must have a DMD/DDS from a dental school that is accredited by the American Dental Association (ADA) Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) by the program start date. |
| Accreditation status: | The program in pediatric dentistry is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation and has been granted the accreditation status of “approval without reporting requirements”. 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. The Commission’s web address is: http://www.ada.org/en/coda. The Commission on Dental Accreditation has accredited the program in pediatric dentistry. However, accreditation of the program does not in itself constitute recognition of any dental specialty status. |
| Beginning date: | July 1 each year |
| National Boards: | Applicants must have successfully passed the INBDE - Integrated National Boards Examination or both NBDE Parts 1 and 2 of the National Board Dental Examination by the program MATCH date. |
| State Licensure: | Residents are required to be eligible for state licensure by program start date. |
Dentists graduated from American Dental Association (ADA) Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) accredited Dental Schools are eligible for admission to the Pediatric Dentistry Residency Program.
We only consider candidates who are U.S. Citizens or Permanent Residents.
Applications for the Advanced Education Program are received through the PASS program. Application materials are reviewed and candidates with the highest qualifications are selected for an interview. Applicants born outside the United States and whose native language is not English must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language, the Internet-based version of TOEFL (iBT TOEFL). Minimum scores are 100, and 26 in the speaking component. No candidates are admitted to the program without a personal interview. Non-discriminatory policies are followed in selecting the applicants.
See the Augusta University Catalog for more information.
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 health care 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.
Program goals include enabling residents to:
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,
(s)he must pay tuition for courses taken through the College of Graduate Studies.
Interested candidates are referred to the current Augusta University Catalog for specific information regarding Graduate School tuition and fees. 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 approximately $50,000, and for second-year
residents approximately $52,000. Stipends are provided by the Augusta 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. The department
provides film and processing for clinically-relevant photographs.
Benefits:
The Dental College of Georgia provides malpractice insurance coverage for residents
while providing patient care at Augusta University. This insurance does not cover
any outside dental practice. Residents are eligible for health care insurance if they
pay a monthly co-premium. Residents may be eligible for other Augusta University benefits
if they so elect.
Leave:
Residents are entitled to Augusta University employee holidays, though assignments
for emergency coverage must be maintained. Residents may be entitled to up to 12 days
annual leave, up to 10 days of professional leave, up to 5 days of educational 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, Augusta University Health
System, and Children's Hospital of Georgia, 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 Dental College of Georgia uses a paperless record
system (AxiUm). Panoramic and cephalometric equipment is located in the dental radiology
area on the first floor.
Residents have shared office space within the department. 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 two full-time dental assistants and a clinic receptionist. 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.
Teaching Experience:
Second‑year residents spend one half‑day per week teaching in the dental student program
clinic under faculty supervision. Residents also participate in teaching the laboratory
portion of the preclinical pediatric dentistry course for junior dental students. Several
seminars are structured around resident presentations.
Research:
Residents are required to complete a research project under faculty guidance. These
projects may be clinical or laboratory data collection studies, or, in limited situations,
may take the form of case reports and/or comprehensive literature reviews. One half-day
per week is provided throughout the program for completion of the research project.
Didactic Curriculum:
The curriculum is a semester-based, two‑year cycle of seminar and lectures courses
designed to prepare residents for careers in clinical practice and teaching in the
specialty. Several seminar courses are held jointly with other departments (orthodontics,
endodontics, periodontics). Residents in pediatric dentistry also participate in
the core basic science and clinical science sequences established for all advanced
education programs in the Dental College of Georgia. Approximately 15% of the residents'
time is devoted to didactic activities.
Clinical Curriculum:
Clinical activities take place in The Dental College. The Dental College and Augusta
University Medical Center, patients are treated in the Pediatric Dentistry Clinic.
Each resident also treats patients in the Orthodontic Clinic under the supervision
of faculty from that department. Rotations are described below. Approximately 70%
of the residents' time is devoted to clinical activities.
CPR:
The Dental College of Georgia offers a CPR course for all residents shortly after
the program begins. First-year residents are required to participate; participation
for second-year residents is optional, but encouraged. First-year residents also
participate in the Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) course.
Rotations:
Residents spend one month during the first semester of the first year in a general
anesthesia rotation. A two-week rotation in pediatrics is provided in the second semester
of the first year. Residents participate in an emergency coverage rotation that includes
evening and weekend coverage by pager. Residents are assigned to attend the monthly
Cleft Palate Board staffing with a faculty member. Second-year residents participate
in the monthly meeting of the Hemophilia Team at Augusta University. Additional rotations
may be available depending on resident interest. Additionally, each resident participates
in training in Waycross, GA three times a year.
Orthodontic Experience:
Residents spend the first 6 weeks of their program attending orientation seminars
with orthodontic residents in that department. Pediatric dentistry residents are
assigned orthodontic patients by the director of the orthodontic program, and they
treat those patients in the Orthodontic Clinic under his supervision. Patients requiring
interceptive procedures are also treated in the pediatric dentistry clinic.
Outside Practice:
Outside practice opportunities are possible under the moonlighting guidelines that
ensure that the resident’s performance in the program is not jeopardized. Residents
wishing to practice outside the school must be licensed in the state and have their
own liability insurance.
The Graduate School 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 an in-depth original research project leading to a defended thesis. If the applicant desires to concurrently pursue a Master of Science in Oral Biology degree with the specialty program, the program length could be approximately 6-12 months longer. Tuition is charged on a per hour basis for the graduate courses taken. The applicant must be accepted by The Graduate School and the Department of Oral Biology. Application to the graduate program is made after acceptance to the certificate program.
This information is currently being updated.
Augusta University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity educational institution that prohibits discrimination on the basis of age, disability, gender, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, or status as a Vietnam War Era veteran.
