Postdoctoral Education Programs
In addition to the D.M.D. and the D.M.D./Ph.D. programs, the College of Dental Medicine offers postdoctoral education programs in advanced education in general dentistry, oral and maxillofacial surgery, pediatric dentistry, and periodontics. Inquiries regarding postdoctoral programs should be addressed to the appropriate program director in the College of Dental Medicine: Dr. Jon Rampton, Advanced Education in General Dentistry; Dr. Durwood Bach, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery; Dr. Ronald Bell, Pediatric Dentistry; Dr. John Sanders, Periodontics.

Advanced Education in General Dentistry
The Advanced Education in General Dentistry Residency is a twelve-month program encompassing extensive clinical experience in multidisciplinary comprehensive patient care.

Clinical areas include fixed and removable prosthodontics, endodontics, periodontics, dentoalveolar surgery, restorative dentistry, orthodontics and pediatric dentistry. Emphasis is placed on the diagnosis and treatment planning of complex cases as well as the provision and coordination of the necessary care for each patient.

Didactic instruction is provided in the clinical areas as well as oral pathology, oral medicine, preventive dentistry, geriatrics, practice management and basic sciences. Residents participate actively in clinical pathological conferences, journal clubs, literature reviews and treatment planning seminars.

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
The Oral Maxillofacial Surgery Residency Program is a 48-month program, clinically oriented and designed to train clinicians in all aspects of oral and maxillofacial surgery. Following the completion of this training, residents are fully certified and competent in all aspects and are eligible for certification by the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.

Residents are involved in 18 months of training on medical and surgical services within the hospital: 6 months of general anesthesia, 4 months of general surgery, 3 months of neurosurgery, 3 months of internal medicine with 1 month otolaryngology, 1 month of emergency room training.  Additional elective medical rotations are available. General anesthesia training is performed within the first year of residency training. Following this training, residents gain extensive experience in ambulatory anesthesia throughout the remainder of their residency program.

Residents participate in didactic and clinical teaching throughout their four years of training. Oral pathology lectures are held weekly and 4 hours each week are devoted to didactic seminars on a variety of subjects relative to oral and maxillofacial surgery, patient care, CPC’s or systems reviews. A number of outstanding guest lecturers are scheduled throughout the year. Residents are exposed to the full scope of dental implantology during their training. They receive intensive training in several dental implant systems. They gain intensive experience and training in surgical techniques to augment the atrophied alveolus prior to implant placement. Treatment planning is emphasized utilizing restorative dentists, prosthodontists and other allied dental services. The oral and maxillofacial surgery service is staffed by four oral surgeons on a full-time basis and six on a part-time basis.

Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics
The Postgraduate Program in Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics provides carefully selected dentists with the knowledge and skills necessary to conduct an ethical, patient-centered, evidence-based practice in the specialty of orthodontics. The program offers a curriculum designed to foster individual resident strengths and talents and to take full advantage of the integrated research, education, and practice resources of the MUSC Medical Center. Recognizing the evolving nature of contemporary orthodontic practice, the PG Orthodontic Program strives to provide a full range of clinical experiences in orthodontic diagnosis, treatment planning, and biomechanical management of malocclusion across the age and dentitional spectrums of children, adolescents and adults. The clinical resources of the College of Dental Medicine and MUSC Medical Center will enhance program experiences to include management of craniofacial anomalies, orthognathic surgical care, and coordinated restorative - prosthetic treatments. The clinical experiences will be supported by a structured didactic and laboratory curriculum designed to provide an in-depth, critical, and scholarly appraisal of the specialties knowledge base.

The program will provide an intellectually stimulating environment where small class size and a strong faculty of practicing orthodontic specialists, scientific investigators and educators unite to promote the scientific and humanitarian practice of orthodontics. The program strives to produce knowledgeable and compassionate practitioners who have the skills and desire for lifelong learning and who will play a leadership role in specialty governance, education, research, and community activity. A certificate in Orthodontics and a Master of Dental Science (MSD) degree will be awarded upon successful completion of the thirty-four (34) month program. Satisfactory completion of all program requirements will qualify the postgraduate student for examination and Diplomate certification by the American Board of Orthodontics.

Pediatric Dentistry
The two-year, hospital-based residency program, centered at the MUSC Children’s Hospital, offers a balanced clinical and didactic curriculum covering the full range of advanced infant, child and adolescent dental care. Extensive clinical experiences in pediatric dental care, supported by an in-depth and scholarly appraisal of pediatric dentistry, are provided.

The first year of the program provides a two-month off-service rotation in pediatrics and a two month rotation through anesthesia. Clinical pediatric dental care takes place seven half-days per week, with extensive experience in behavior management, conscious sedation, hospital dentistry, pediatric medicine, general anesthesia and care of medically and physically compromised patients. The orthodontic management of occlusion through integrated diagnostic treatment planning and biomechanical applications is approached with a clinical involvement of one full day per week for both first- and second-year residents. These clinical experiences are supported by a half-day per week seminar schedule.

An overview of the program is as follows:

Treatment planning conferences for pediatric dental and orthodonic cases take place weekly. Residents also spend four hours a week in scheduled lectures/seminars on varied topics including orthodontic therapies, cephalometrics, growth and development, biomedical core, oral pathology, clinical dentistry, advanced pediatric dental seminar, current literature review, and ABPD literature review. A craniofacial anomalies clinic takes place once a month.

Special Features
The residency program includes extensive training in behavior management, conscious sedation, practice management, a craniofacial anomalies rotation, weekly clinical involvement in the orthodontic management of occlusion, and significant experience in operating room/general anesthesia dental care.

Periodontics
The Graduate Periodontics Program is designed to develop dental specialists with a sound academic background on which to base clinical treatment, research, and teaching.  A structured curriculum in the biomedical or health-related professions is provided to allow the student to pursue a Master of Science in Dentistry degree. Additional emphasis is placed on training clinicians competent in all aspects of periodontology so they will be eligible for certification by the American Board of Periodontology.

The duration of the periodontics residency program is approximately 36 months. All students must complete a degree program. In addition to the individual degree requirements, the program provides a broad experience in clinical periodontics and allied medical and dental subjects. Intensive training is provided in advanced regenerative techniques, aesthetic periodontal surgery, ridge preservation and augmentation, and the surgical placement and maintenance of dental implants. Literature review and treatment planning seminars provide a rationale for therapy based on current literature. Students develop and complete a research project and participate in both didactic and clinical teaching.

Continuing Education
The college also offers postgraduate courses designed to provide practicing dentists with opportunities in continuing education and instruction in new methods and techniques of their profession. For course information, call (843)792-2144.

Dental medicine graduates interested in enhancing their careers may apply to the master of science and doctor of philosophy degree programs offered by the College of Graduate Studies. For detailed program and admission information, see the College of Graduate Studies section of this Bulletin.