Postgraduate Program in Periodontology - Certificate

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Degree Offered: Certificate
Program Leadership:
Guo-Hao (Alex) Lin, DDS, MS, Program Director
Admissions Inquiries:
Brennan Crilly, Assistant Director, Admissions and Outreach

Program Description

The Postgraduate Program in Periodontology is a three-year course of study which culminates in a postgraduate certificate in periodontology. Students simultaneously complete a master’s in oral and craniofacial sciences.

Admission Requirements

To be eligible for admission to the Postgraduate Program in Periodontology, you must meet the following requirements:

  • Hold a DDS or DMD degree or equivalent by the start of the program.
  • Applicants must Pass the National Board Dental Examination (NBDE), Part 1 or Integrated National Board Exam (INBDE) by the application deadline if you are currently in dental school. Applicants that have completed dental school must Pass and submit NBDE Parts 1 and 2 or INBDE by application deadline. Matched applicants must Pass and submit NBDE Part 2 results by the start of the program if the NBDE Part 1/2 exam was taken.
  • Take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), if your native language is not English and you have not completed at least one year of college or university-level studies in the United States. Scores/results must be within two years of the opening of the application cycle: Minimum TOEFL score accepted is 90 or higher on the internet-based test (iBT).

Learn more about the Periodontology Program admissions.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Clinical objectives for a specialty certificate.
    1. Given a clinic patient, the student will:
      1. Be able to take a thorough medical/dental history and perform a complete and accurate oral examination.
      2. Formulate a diagnosis, prognosis, and comprehensive treatment plan. The treatment plan must utilize currently accepted therapeutic procedures.
      3. Provide moderate sedation to patients who may require additional relief of anxiety, discomfort, and/or pain.
      4. Write and describe orally a rationale for the indicated periodontal therapy.
    2. Provide moderate sedation to patients who may require additional relief of anxiety, discomfort, and/or pain.
  2. Given a patient with problems other than periodontal, the student will:
    1. Recognize pathology of the head and neck and make referrals for the appropriate treatment when indicated.
    2. Consult and work effectively with other health professionals. Prior to consultation, the student should write a description of the problems to be evaluated.
    3. Incorporate information derived from consultations into treatment plans.
  3. Given clinic patients, the student must deliver appropriate periodontal therapy to the satisfaction of the clinical instructors.
  4. Given treated clinic patients, the student will evaluate whether treatment was successful or not, to the satisfaction of the clinical instructors.
  5. The student will submit complete documentation for all patients receiving complex periodontal therapy, including a narrative summary, diagnostic casts, and clinical photographs.
  6. The student must be able to state what is known about the etiology and pathogenesis of periodontal diseases, using modern concepts of microbiology, immunology, and pathology. The student should be able to apply this knowledge to the periodontal management of patients.
  • Didactic periodontology objectives for certificate.

    ​The student must:
    1. Be able to critically evaluate the dental literature and write a literature review paper, based on a topic agreed upon with the course instructor.
    2. Successfully complete all course requirements for registered courses with a grade of “P” or “C” or better.
    3. Conduct a research project of sufficient depth and importance that the written report will be suitable for submission to a refereed professional journal for publication.

Additional Information

Program Faculty