Goals and Objectives by Dental Discipline
Listed below are the specific educational goals and objectives for each area. They describe what
residents are expected to be able to do upon completion of the program. Following this list are the
major methods that will be used to achieve the specific goals and objectives.
Planning and providing multidisciplinary comprehensive care and oral disease prevention
1. Integrate multiple disciplines into an individualized, comprehensive, sequenced treatment
plan using diagnostic, risk assessment and prognostic information for patients with complex
needs.
2. Develop and carry out dental treatment plans for special needs patients in a manner that
considers and integrates those patients’ medical, psychological and social needs.
3. Provide primary dental care as part of an inter-professional health care team.
4. Diagnose and manage oral manifestations of systemic disease.
Obtaining informed consent
5. Explain and discuss with patients, parents, or guardians of patients who lack decisional
capacity, findings, diagnoses, treatment options, realistic treatment expectations, patient
responsibilities, time requirements, sequence of treatment, estimated fees, and payment
responsibilities, in order to establish therapeutic alliance between the patient and/or parent or
guardian, and care provider.
Promoting oral and systemic health and disease prevention
6. Use accepted behavioral and prevention strategies such as oral hygiene instruction, nutritional
education, and pharmacologic intervention to help patients maintain and improve their oral
and systemic health.
Diagnosis and Treatment Planning
7. Obtain and interpret a patient’s chief complaint, history of present illness, medical, dental,
family, cultural, and social histories, and review of systems.
8. Develop a comprehensive or limited diagnosis and treatment plan incorporating historical,
laboratory, radiographic and clinical findings to include patients with complex needs.
Medical risk assessment
9. Obtain and interpret appropriate laboratory and radiographic data and obtain additional
diagnostic information through consultation with other health care providers.
10. Identify needs and make referrals to appropriate health care providers for the treatment of
physiologic, psychological and social problems presented by dental patients.
Documentation, information management and quality improvement
11. Maintain a patient record system that facilitates the retrieval and analysis of the process and
outcomes of patient treatment.
12. Evaluate scientific literature and use information in the literature in making evidence-based
professional decisions.
13. Demonstrate knowledge of appropriate digital photographic principles and techniques.
14. Understand the components and function of a comprehensive quality improvement program.
Restoration of teeth
15. Restore single teeth using a functionally acceptable range of materials and methods.
16. Restore endodontically treated teeth.
17. Appreciate the relationship between periodontics and esthetic dentistry.
Replacement of teeth
18. Treat patients with missing teeth requiring removable and/or fixed prostheses.
Implant Placement and Restoration
19. Manage patients with missing teeth using uncomplicated dental implant restorations.
Periodontal Therapy
20. Understand the indications and contraindications for periodontal flap surgery, periodontal
plastic surgery, and other techniques.
21. Perform atraumatic periodontal surgery concentrating on gentle flap management and
suturing.
22. Diagnose and manage periodontal emergencies.
Endodontic therapy
23. Diagnose and treat pain of pulpal origin, to include performing uncomplicated, non-surgical
endodontic therapy.
24. Recognize and manage endodontic complications and emergencies.
Oral Maxillofacial Surgery and Pathology
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
Perform surgical and nonsurgical extraction of erupted teeth.
Perform uncomplicated pre-prosthetic surgery.
Recognize and manage the complications of intraoral surgical treatment.
Extract uncomplicated impacted wisdom teeth.
Diagnose and manage common oral mucosal diseases.
Treatment of dental emergencies
30. Diagnose and manage dental emergencies, performing uncomplicated or reversible
techniques where indicated.
31. Provide initial treatment and then manage patients with extra-oral and complex oral-facial
emergencies and infections.
Treatment of medical emergencies
32. Anticipate, diagnose and provide initial treatment and follow-up management for medical
emergencies that may occur during dental treatment.
Sedation, pain and anxiety control
33. Evaluate the need for use of behavioral and/or pharmacologic modalities in management of
pain and anxiety based upon psychosocial factors and anticipated clinical procedures.
34. Prevent, recognize, and manage complications related to the use and interactions of drugs
used to control pain and anxiety.
Temporomandibular Dysfunction and Occlusion.
35. Diagnose and manage a patient's malocclusion.
36. Understand, diagnose, and non-surgically treat uncomplicated temporomandibular disorders.
Ethical Practice
37. Understand, articulate and discuss ethical principles and models.
38. Use principle-based decision making in responding to simulated and real-life patient-care
scenarios.
Practice management
39. Understand basic business principles and necessary decisions of running a dental practice.
40. Use and implement principles of business management, managed care, peer review, and
alternative health care delivery systems in the practice of dentistry.
41. Practice and promote the principles of jurisprudence and ethics in the practice of dentistry
and in relationships with patients, personnel and colleagues.
42. Effective management of allied dental personnel including clinical and support staff.
Leadership
43. Develop an understanding of the importance, theories, and models of leadership.