Periodontology Curriculum and Courses

Note: Postgraduate Periodontology courses are designated PPER. 600-level courses are Postgrad Periodontology course without CGHS credit. 800-level courses carry CGHS credit.

• PPER 800 – MDS (Periodontology) Research & Manuscript: This course provides postgraduate students with the experience of engaging in research in dental and related sciences, and to pursue a Masters of Dental Science (MDS) degree in the UTHSC College of Graduate Health Sciences. Involvement in this course is arranged to meet individual student needs. Time commitment will average 4-hours per week during each semester of pursuit. Students work with advisors experienced in research methodology and scientific writing. Research mentorship is provided by faculty members gathered to satisfy the needs of the student and the research project being pursued. Student activities include topic-specific review of literature, research protocol development, hands-on research, data acquisition, statistical analysis and interpretation of experimental results, drawing conclusions, and publication of outcomes. Public defense of the research effort and submission of a manuscript to a professional journal in accordance with regulation established by the College of Graduate Health Sciences are required. Research, public defense, and manuscript submission accomplished during this course are in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Dental Science degree awarded by the UTHSC, College of Graduate Health Sciences. [Course Director: Dr. Sidney Stein; MDS Credit Hours: Variable; Offered: Spring & Fall]
  
  
• PPER 810 – Classic Periodontology Literature Review: This seminar is conducted regularly throughout the first two years of the residency program under the direction of the postgraduate periodontics staff. The purpose of this seminar is exposure to classic and current concepts in various subject areas, as well as written and verbal evaluation of the literature reviewed. [Course Director: Dr. Vrushali Abhyankar; MDS Credit Hours: 4; Offered: Fall and Spring]
  
  
• PPER 811 – Contemporary Evidence-Based Periodontology Journal Club: This seminar is conducted regularly throughout the three year residency period. Major journals devoted to periodontics are reviewed selectively. Selected articles are also reviewed from other major journals. The purpose of this seminar is to provide experience in reading, abstracting and evaluating the most recently published ideas and concepts in the field of periodontics. [Course Director: Dr. Anastasios Karydis; MDS Credit Hours: 2; Offered: Fall and Spring]
  
  
• PPER 812 – Conscious Sedation in Dentistry: This course aims to provide periodontal residents with the knowledge and clinical skills to: a) Provide minimal sedation with the use of oral medications and/or nitrous oxide, to alleviate anxiety and control pain without inducing detrimental physiological or psychological side effects. b) Select and safely administer effective intravenous moderate conscious sedation in an outpatient dental setting. The course, which includes Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support training/certification is offered during the Spring Semester of the first year of periodontal residency. [Course Director: Dr. Paul Bland; MDS Credit Hours: 4; Offered: Spring]
  
  
• PPER 814 – Research in Periodontal Pathobiology: This course will provide each first-year periodontal resident with the opportunity to engage in periodontally related research for 3 hours per week during the summer/fall semester. Student activities will include the following: critical verbal and written evaluation of research paradigms derived from the periodontal literature; development of appropriate strategies for performing thematic literature searches using on-line sources; and composing and critiquing a research protocol.  Direction for future research, as well as ongoing projects, will be discussed. [Course Director: Dr. Sidney Stein; MDS Credit Hours: 3; Offered: Fall]
  
  
• PPER 815 – Orthodontics-Periodontics Seminar: This seminar course is conducted by members of the Orthodontics and Periodontology faculties. Included are lectures on the interrelationships of orthodontic and periodontic approaches to common treatment situations. Emphasis is placed on the basic science mechanisms underlying periodontic and orthodontic therapies. Selected literature of common interest to the students of Orthodontics and Periodontics is reviewed. Graduate students present cases for diagnosis and treatment planning as well as cases treated in an interdisciplinary manner. The purpose of this seminar is to encourage greater interaction and understanding between orthodontist and periodontist, including the identification of patients to be treated jointly by graduate students in orthodontics and periodontics. [Course Director: Dr. Ayman Al-Dayeh; MDS Credit Hours: 1; Offered: Fall]
  
  
• PPER 622 – Lectures in Periodontal Surgery: This twenty-four hour lecture course is devoted to the indications, advantages, limitations and contraindications, as well as the technical approach to the management of periodontal diseases and conditions using standard periodontal surgical procedures. [Course Director: TBD; MDS Credit Hours: NA; Offered: Fall]
  
  
• PPER 625 – UTHSC Periodontics Case Presentation Seminar: This seminar is conducted by the postgraduate and undergraduate faculty, during the three year residency, on a regular basis. The purpose of this seminar is to allow the resident to present all relevant findings, to formulate one or more approaches to treatment, and the evaluation of therapeutic results before a critical and knowledgeable audience. [Course Director: TBD; MDS Credit Hours: NA; Offered: Fall and Spring]
  
  
• PPER 626 – UTHSC Clinical Periodontics: Approximately fifty percent of the resident’s clinical time is spent in the University of Tennessee Health Science Center dental school postgraduate periodontics clinic where advanced experience is gained in the management of all types of periodontal treatment situations. Emphasis is given to detailed case workup, analysis of all dental and periodontal problems, providing experience in a wide variety of approaches to periodontal treatment, clinical and photographic documentation of all treatment procedures performed and a careful evaluation of post-treatment results, including maintenance therapy for all patients treated in the postgraduate periodontics clinic. Experience is gained in the treatment planning, placement and maintenance of dental implants, as well as various approaches to anxiety control and sedation. [Course Director: TBD; MDS Credit Hours: NA; Offered: Fall and Spring]
  
  
• PPER 632 – VAMC Clinical Periodontics: Approximately one third of the resident’s clinical time is spent at the Veterans Administration Hospital Dental Clinic in the first two years of the residency program. This time commitment will be reduced in the third year of the program. Experience is gained in the treatment of all types of periodontal conditions. Emphasis is placed on evaluation and management of periodontal conditions in the medically compromised patient. Experience is also gained in the use of intravenous sedation techniques. [Course Director: Dr. Jeffery Wingo; MDS Credit Hours: NA; Offered: Fall and Spring]
  
  
• PPER 633 – VAMC General Anesthesia Rotation: This is a variable rotation period during which the resident gains experience in intravenous sedation and general anesthesia for all types of operations performed by general surgery. Supervision is by staff anesthesiologists. Didactic presentations by the anesthesiology staff include medicine, technology, pharmacy, physiology and physical diagnosis. [Course Director: Dr. TBD; MDS Credit Hours: NA; Offered: Spring]
  
  
• PPER 636 – Advanced Implant Dentistry: This seminar provides a detailed look at modern dental implant therapy using topic-oriented presentations, treatment planning presentations, and treatment follow-up discussions provided by both faculty members and residents. Current advances in the field of dental implant therapy are highlighted. Topics covered include, the rationale for implant therapy, indications, pre-surgical implant site development, surgical implant placement, implant restorative procedures, pre- and post-surgical radiographic assessment, dental implant maintenance, outcomes assessment, and management of complications. The review of important topics and current literature related to implant therapy is incorporated whenever possible. Residency programs in Periodontics, Oral Surgery, Prosthodontics, and Advanced Education in General Dentistry are involved. [Course Director: Dr. Cimara Ferreira; MDS Credit Hours: NA; Offered: Spring]
  
  
• PPER 638 – Practice Management: This seminar and demonstration course is designed to prepare the student for all phases of the “business” of periodontics as well as the responsibility of being a professional. This course essentially covers the management of private practice (office location and layout, staff policies and procedures, office forms, bookkeeping systems, case presentation, ethics, etc.), office visitations (observing the activities of community periodontists and their auxiliary personnel) and the relationship of the specialist to other professionals. Guest lecturers (lawyer, accountant, banker, investment counselor, insurance agent, estate planner, and representatives of organized dentistry) also provide information concerning business and ethics. The course is supplemented with guest lectures by practicing periodontists from various geographical areas. [Course Director: Dr. TBD; MDS Credit Hours: NA; Offered: Fall and Spring]