Surgical Prosthodontics

[PassionateDentist]

Hi There,

I am very interested in Surgical Prosthodontics. Does anyone know which Pros programs incorporate a heavy surgical emphasis? Thank you.

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[BellaNella]

UTHSC (Memphis, TN) definitely has a heavy surgical emphasis. I was looking for a pros program that wasn't surgically heavy so that is the only surgically heavy program that I visited. I am pretty sure that UConn and UIC also do a lot of surgeries.

UTHSCSA, USC, UCLA definitely do not.

 

[PassionateDentist]

UTHSC (Memphis, TN) definitely has a heavy surgical emphasis. I was looking for a pros program that wasn't surgically heavy so that is the only surgically heavy program that I visited. I am pretty sure that UConn and UIC also do a lot of surgeries.

UTHSCSA, USC, UCLA definitely do not.

Thank you man. I will reach out to those residents. Are you not interested in doing your own surgeries as a Pros?

 

[BellaNella]

Thank you man. I will reach out to those residents. Are you not interested in doing your own surgeries as a Pros?

My reasoning behind not going to a surgical prosthodontic program was that I did not want the surgery to overshadow the prosthodontic education I was to receive. One of the faculty at Tennessee told me that he estimates that the residency is at least 30% surgery and they even have faculty that are periodontists to teach the surgery. I was just afraid of ending up being an ok surgeon and an ok prosthodontist rather than truly being a specialist. Prosthodontics is still a lot to learn in three years and I think by focusing on surgery, it may detract from that time.

I know some past/present pros residents that did GPR or AEGDs before doing pros at UTHSCSA (getting surgical experience from the GPR/AEGD) and pros residents that are doing Perio afterwards. Although way more time consuming, that is the route I prefer for myself.

Aside from that, Tennessee has a very impressive program and I had a difficult time choosing between UTHSCSA and Tennessee. It is very well organized and the program director is amazing. I really like that they have faculty that are periodontists to teach surgery to the residents. Definitely check them out!

 

[PassionateDentist]

My reasoning behind not going to a surgical prosthodontic program was that I did not want the surgery to overshadow the prosthodontic education I was to receive. One of the faculty at Tennessee told me that he estimates that the residency is at least 30% surgery and they even have faculty that are periodontists to teach the surgery. I was just afraid of ending up being an ok surgeon and an ok prosthodontist rather than truly being a specialist. Prosthodontics is still a lot to learn in three years and I think by focusing on surgery, it may detract from that time.

I know some past/present pros residents that did GPR or AEGDs before doing pros at UTHSCSA (getting surgical experience from the GPR/AEGD) and pros residents that are doing Perio afterwards. Although way more time consuming, that is the route I prefer for myself.

Aside from that, Tennessee has a very impressive program and I had a difficult time choosing between UTHSCSA and Tennessee. It is very well organized and the program director is amazing. I really like that they have faculty that are periodontists to teach surgery to the residents. Definitely check them out!

Super valuable insight my man. Thank you. While I certainly see your point, if surgery is important to the clinician, I think a surgical-heavy program can be VERY valuable. I doubt the program would leave valuable Pros info out...but rather the resident may have to work slightly harder during residency to make up for it?

I'm actually doing two VA GPRS where surgery is a heavy emphasis, but I'm thinking it's important to learn surgery IN THE CONTEXT of complex pros, which only a surgical-heavy pros program can offer.

Now, to decide whether to go right away or practice for a few years and pay off some loans...

 

[BellaNella]

Super valuable insight my man. Thank you. While I certainly see your point, if surgery is important to the clinician, I think a surgical-heavy program can be VERY valuable. I doubt the program would leave valuable Pros info out...but rather the resident may have to work slightly harder during residency to make up for it?

I'm actually doing two VA GPRS where surgery is a heavy emphasis, but I'm thinking it's important to learn surgery IN THE CONTEXT of complex pros, which only a surgical-heavy pros program can offer.

Now, to decide whether to go right away or practice for a few years and pay off some loans...

I definitely understand your point of view as well and think it is just a matter of preference. I wish you the best of luck with your decisions!

 

[Mackchops]

Super valuable insight my man. Thank you. While I certainly see your point, if surgery is important to the clinician, I think a surgical-heavy program can be VERY valuable. I doubt the program would leave valuable Pros info out...but rather the resident may have to work slightly harder during residency to make up for it?

I'm actually doing two VA GPRS where surgery is a heavy emphasis, but I'm thinking it's important to learn surgery IN THE CONTEXT of complex pros, which only a surgical-heavy pros program can offer.

Now, to decide whether to go right away or practice for a few years and pay off some loans...

Wow, this is a hot issue in our little world, isn't it? Place a few screws in someone's jaw and call yourself a "surgeon". But the real trick is knowing where those screws need to go. With precision. While there's still a mouth-full of broken teeth that need to be extracted. In an altered vertical situation. If you spend 30% of your very limited residency experience learning the fine art of drilling screws into jawbones (yawn...), that's 30% less opportunities to learn where the screws need to go - which, ironically, is the entirety of the argument for why prosthodontists should learn how to place implants to begin with...

Would you go to a surgical program that allocated 30% of its curriculum to making temporaries? Why not? Wouldn't it be valuable to learn provisionalization IN THE CONTEXT of complex surgery?

 

[knife]

Agree with everything mackchops has said...

 

[knife]

Having said that, we do a lot of surgery in Maryland. UConn does a good amount of surgery, too. That's as far as i know in the Northeast. This will all change in the next few years. Which will make for an interesting change in the greater scope of things taught in these programs.

At the end of the day, you want to go to a program that will give you the OPTION to do a lot of surgery if that's what you choose. If not, then you shouldn't HAVE to do all the surgery if you want to focus on other things (remo, fixed, implant-prostheses, combinations of all, etc.)

 

[toothman48384]

UConn is a very surgical program to say the least- in a good way - this is the trend we should be moving as prosthodontists! This doesn't mean that the fixed and removable education is lacking by any means. (As a recent grad) Surgical placement of dental implants is MUCH more than just drilling a screw into bone in the right depth and angulation, anyone can learn that at a GPR. If youre placing implants you must know how to manage complications, bony augmentation , proper alveoplasty and soft tissue management etc. These are the questions you should be asking if you are interested in implant dentistry. Theres no cookie cutter answer for you. No program is perfect, however it all depends on the individual and what you want. I was interested in surgical placement of dental implants, proper treatment planning and a good education on fixed and remo which is why I chose UConn. A good place to start is to see what the program directors and faculty publish. If their publications have alot to do with surgery, they likely have a surgical heavy program. If they publsih on dentures you'll probably be shadowing other specialist programs as they direct your surgical treatment. Also, PROS, PERIO and OMFS at get along unlike a majority of universities IMHO its important that wherever you go- you have at least this. Maryland, CHicago, and some west coast programs are good. If you are interested in implant sx only Loma Linda has a world class implant 1yr fellowship program with some top guns in the field, but I hear its pretty expensive.

 

[Faux]

Anyone have any more updates or input on surgical focus programs?

 

[eastcoast2021]

Which west coast schools tend to be more surgical heavy?

 

[prosthaholicDDS]

I would love to know the answer for the same question, which west coast schools tend to be more surgical heavy? LLU, UCSF ?