Questions about Prostho Residency Programs

[RMM19]

Hi all,

I am a younger, pankey-trained dentist planning on applying to prosthodontic residency so that I can practice comprehensive dentistry at the highest level possible.

I had a few questions. I know that prostho programs can be extremely different with regards to philosophies, lab requirements, patient care, etc so I am curious to know which programs are known to produce the best clinicians and have a strong emphasis on gnathology/occlusion, TMD, implants and esthetics. The MSD is not that important to me, but I would like to be prepared for boards if I decide to take them. Ideally, Id like to go to a program that provides a teaching stipend/other scholarship to offset the cost of tuition a bit. Unfortunately, going the military route is not an option.

The programs I am considering so far are UW, OSU, Mich, Iowa, Maryland, LSU, UT/Baylor, UTHSSA, UCSF, UCLA, Montefiore, Tenn, UNC, UCONN.

Any input regarding other programs that I may be missing and should consider, or additional info/experiences with any of the listed programs would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance and best of luck to everyone on your journeys through dentistry.

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[DrRam121]

I will be starting prosth at UIC this summer so I can give you a little information about their program. Tuition is 30k/year but they pay you 20% of collection for your work, so that helps offset the cost and maybe cover it. They strongly encourage you to complete the masters. On faculty they have 2 former presidents of the ACP and the program chair is currently on the board of examiners for the prosth boards.

They place a decent # of implants 60-80 for prosth and work with OS and Perio for the other implants. Lab wise, you can send out a good bit of work, but you're supposed to make your first 20 crowns.


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[RMM19]

Thanks DrRam121. I thought I read somewhere that UIC only accepts IL residents. Is that correct?

Best wishes as you enter the program.

 

[DrRam121]

Absolutely not. I grew up in NC and went to school at Temple. I have had no connections to Illinois until now. Of the 10 incoming residents (yes 10), only 2 went to UIC dental school.


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[Mackchops]

Hi all,

I am a younger, pankey-trained dentist planning on applying to prosthodontic residency so that I can practice comprehensive dentistry at the highest level possible.

I had a few questions. I know that prostho programs can be extremely different with regards to philosophies, lab requirements, patient care, etc so I am curious to know which programs are known to produce the best clinicians and have a strong emphasis on gnathology/occlusion, TMD, implants and esthetics. The MSD is not that important to me, but I would like to be prepared for boards if I decide to take them. Ideally, Id like to go to a program that provides a teaching stipend/other scholarship to offset the cost of tuition a bit. Unfortunately, going the military route is not an option.

The programs I am considering so far are UW, OSU, Mich, Iowa, Maryland, LSU, UT/Baylor, UTHSSA, UCSF, UCLA, Montefiore, Tenn, UNC, UCONN.

Any input regarding other programs that I may be missing and should consider, or additional info/experiences with any of the listed programs would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance and best of luck to everyone on your journeys through dentistry.

I've been mostly satisfied with UTHSCSA so far as I finish up my first year. We're a gnathology-based program but other occlusal philosophies are openly discussed and utilized. You will, however, get a strong background in occlusion and instrumentation - we have Stewarts, TMJs, Denar D5a's, etc and a few different pantographs including a CADIAX unit (it's an older model though), blue fox, and a few others. We have a Tek-Scan. Boards are heavily encouraged with mock boards each semester. We have lit review once a week for half a day on a three-year rotation, and journal club (current lit) once a week for an hour. Also once a week are interdisciplinary seminars where perio, endo, ortho, pros, all get together to present/discuss cases. We teach predoc one half day a week and the rest of the time is in clinic. One of the big strengths of our program is our patient population and the range of procedures we get to complete - I have 4 or 5 double jaw rehabs going right now, a few on the back burner, and a bunch more single arches. Third years tell me they've done around 200 units of fixed each. Countless dentures, over dentures, hybrids, etc and OMS is placing zygomatics, pterygoids, etc. Another strength is how closely we work with the other specialties - there's always a pros resident in perio or oms working on a big case. We have a 3-shape, procera scanner, and i-tero is on the way. There are lab requirements that you have to complete then you can send cases to in-house (we have two fixed and one removable techs) or out-of-house labs - although you're "encouraged" to do one rehab yourself and most residents do most of the lab work themselves anyway. The only thing we don't do ourselves is cast frames - although I just CADed one in 3-shape and had it SLMed in titanium which was pretty cool. There are 3 or so residents per year plus a few perio-pros residents and it's a great group of brilliant people - everyone works hard and stays late so it's good that we all get along - I stayed past 9 everyday this week and until 2am one day and I wasn't the last to leave. They're in the process of building a new school which is slated to open in 2015 which will be nice since our facility, while clean is quite old. I would say that some things I would like to see improved on is implant placement - residents place as many as we want but rarely more than 30-40 - some only a few. There's an implant clinic, but the doc running things over there only likes BioHorizons and places everything guided - so nice to do but not much variety of experience. But she's very excited to work with pros residents. Pure esthetic cases are hard to come by and we don't have an in-house ceramist. We do very little with TMD although OSA is huge and we have a maxillofacial pros clinic where you can do as much as you want - mostly obturators but some really neat stuff comes through too. We get a stipend that covers tuition (although it's paid monthly and we have to pay tuition by semester).

I interviewed at Monte and was very impressed. A smaller program than UTHSCSA (only 1 resident per year) and very resident-run didactics. The faculty are amazing. Facilities are gorgeous. One of the main reasons I elected to go to UTHSCSA instead of Monte was because I thought Monte was a little too surgically driven. All implants that come through the clinic are seen and treated by oral surgery before pros ever gets a chance to to see them. Little/no prosthodontic planning. Plus the pros residents place a minimum of 60 implants - some over 200. But it's apples and oranges with UTHSCSA - one's a dental school and one's a hospital. The stipend at Monte would have been nice (60k/yr) but you're expected to produce for that. Another cool thing they were doing when I was there were the PNAM appliances on cleft infants. We don't have a cleft center to work with in San Antonio.

Ultimately I chose UTHSCSA because I thought it would prepare me to be a great prosthodontist and a leader in the field. Monte would train me to be a better private practice prosthodontist right out, but I wanted a more didactic background - I have my whole career to work on my speed and practice management skills. Both great programs though - just very different.

Hope that helps. Let me know if you have any other questions! Good luck.

 

[nbdeprep2011]

Hey Mackchops,

Thanks for the info. Am thinking of UTHSCSA Pros too. I am also looking at the Pros residency at UCSF. What are the main differences between the two?
You mentioned that UTHSCSA has a lot of fixed and removable work, not a lot of implant placements. Is it very different at UCSF? I want to pursue a max-fax prosthetic fellowship in the future, so am interested in rehab cases too.I guess they do more of max-fax related rehabs at UCSF. Does the UCSF residency have lesser of didatic component and more of lab and clinical work?

Am just trying to figure which prog will better suit my interests. It would be great if you/ anyone else in this forum could help me with my doubts.

Thanks again.

 

[Mackchops]

Hey Mackchops,

Thanks for the info. Am thinking of UTHSCSA Pros too. I am also looking at the Pros residency at UCSF. What are the main differences between the two?
You mentioned that UTHSCSA has a lot of fixed and removable work, not a lot of implant placements. Is it very different at UCSF? I want to pursue a max-fax prosthetic fellowship in the future, so am interested in rehab cases too.I guess they do more of max-fax related rehabs at UCSF. Does the UCSF residency have lesser of didatic component and more of lab and clinical work?

Am just trying to figure which prog will better suit my interests. It would be great if you/ anyone else in this forum could help me with my doubts.

Thanks again.

Really, I know very little about UCSF - I didn't apply there. I've heard that both the UC programs don't let residents place implants (I don't know how that's changed with the accreditation standards requiring surgical placement experience during residency). Our maxillofacial experience is whatever you want it to be - i've only done one case so far but it's not the area I'm most interested in. Other residents have done a lot more. We have plenty of fixed and removable work which includes the restoration of a ton of implants - but we don't place a huge amount. I think I remember the graduating 3rd years saying they've placed 30-40 each? I have no idea what UCSF has for a didactic curriculum or lab work.

If you're dead-set on doing a maxillofacial fellowship down the line, I would recommend a program that gives you a strong removable background. I interviewed at the VA in Houston and they do a bunch of maxillofacial stuff there and they also spend some time at M.D. Anderson. Might be a good one to check out - they only take 1 resident per year.

 

[nbdeprep2011]

Yup.Thanks.Good to hear that UTHSCSA has max-fax exposure too. Will look into the VA Houston residency too.

 

[dmdluffy]

I really liked the prosth facilities at UIC when I had a chance to see them last year. Seems like a great program in a great city.

 

[jhdaws]

I'm not familiar with most of the programs you mentioned. I spent some time at Memphis, UNC, and Louisville. Most programs are open to you coming to visit to learn more about the program. I would encourage you to do so. Each program is going to have a little something different to offer and it depends on what kind of experience you want to have. I do agree with Mackchops about where you should consider if your interest is Maxillofacial. I believe that several programs could give you the opportunity to get Maxillofacial experience during your residency if they are affiliated with a hospital or cancer center.