Orthodontics and Periodontics, Certificate
The Orthodontics and Periodontics program features a Clinical Track and an Academic Track. Applicants to this joint program must be accepted by both the Periodontics and Orthodontic admissions committees.
Clinical Track
In this track, the first year provides a comprehensive background in periodontics through extensive literature reviews, seminars, and clinical practice. Selected periodontal cases are continued into the second year, which focuses on formal training in orthodontics, orthodontic preclinical laboratories, and the beginning of clinical training in several multi-band techniques. The third and fourth years consist primarily of orthodontic seminars, clinical practice of periodontics and orthodontics, and evaluation of post-treatment periodontal cases. Third- and fourth-year students also do limited teaching. Graduates in this program are fully certified and board eligible in both periodontics and orthodontics. The four-year track will develop skilled clinicians who will be able to practice and teach in a clinical setting.
Duration of program: 48 months
Academic Track
The five-year program is designed to prepare students for full-time academia as dental educators and highly trained clinicians in periodontics and orthodontics. This program is planned in cooperation with a research preceptor and leads to a Master of Science in Oral Biology. The five years are planned and balanced by the Departments of Periodontics and Orthodontics and the research preceptor, so students can undertake clinical research while also being trained as a clinician. The clinical portion of the program is similar to the four-year track. Students will also have courses in the Graduate School of Education and have teaching responsibilities the fourth and fifth years.
Duration of program: 60 months
For more information: https://www.dental.upenn.edu/academic_programs_admissions/graduate_dental_education_programs/perio_ortho_residency_program
This degree requires a minimum of 250 Credit Hours.
Curriculum
All Dental Medicine certificate students share a common core of required courses throughout the first year. In addition, students complete additional courses specific to their particular program.
Program Requirements (Certificate Only)
- Core Graduate Dental Education Courses (Year 1 only)
- Program Specific Courses (Years 1 - 4 Didactic & Clinical)
- Literature Review (Years 1 - 4)
- Case Presentations (Years 1 - 4)
- Program Seminars (Years 1 - 4)
- Clinical Rotations (Years 1 - 4)
Students in the Orthodontics and Periodontics program are required to complete all requirements for both programs. These requirements can be found here:
Orthodontics: https://catalog.upenn.edu/graduate/programs/orthodontics-certificate/
Periodontics: https://catalog.upenn.edu/graduate/programs/periodontics-certificate/
These requirements are completed in the first three years. Beginning in PGY4, students take additional clinical rotations.
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Course List Code Title Course Units PGY4 Fall Clinical Periodontics VII Clinical Orthodontic Training V Spring Clinical Periodontics VIII Clinical Orthodontic Training VI PGY5 (Academic Tract Only) Fall Clinical Periodontics IX Clinical Orthodontic Training VII Spring Clinical Periodontics X Clinical Orthodontic Training VIII
Core Graduate Dental Education Courses
| Code | Title | Course Units |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | ||
| Fall | ||
| DADE 9330 | Ethics, Professionalism and Jurisprudence | 1-3 |
| DADE 9340 | Evidence-based clinical practice | 1.75-3 |
| DADE 9350 | Oral and systemic diseases | 3.75-5 |
| Spring | ||
| DADE 9360 | Oral infection and immunity | 4-6 |
| DADE 9370 | Conservative and regenerative clinical practice | 2-5 |
| DADE 9380 | Vulnerable populations across the lifespan | 1.5-3.5 |
Master of Science in Oral Biology
The School of Dental Medicine also offers a Master of Science in Oral Biology (MSOB). Enrollment in the MSOB program is limited to individuals concurrently registered in one of the postgraduate specialty training (certificate) programs. Candidates receive the MSOB degree after completion of both their specialty training and the Master’s curriculum, which consists of didactic, seminar, and research practicum courses. The MSOB program is comprised of two tracks designed for outstanding students who are interested in either integrating research or structured evidence-based learning into their post-graduate education.
Depending on the track selected, research activities or a systematic literature review form the core of the MSOB program. Students are expected to participate in a clinical or basic science research project of sufficient scope and intensity or a formally structured and critically evaluated literature review focused on an important oral health-related research or clinical question. A thesis composed of an in-depth review of the relevant literature along with a manuscript reporting the results of the research or a systematic review is required for graduation for the research and evidence-based learning tracks respectively.
| Code | Title | Course Units |
|---|---|---|
| Additional MSOB Course Requirements | ||
DENT 9960 | ||
DENT 9970 | ||
For more information: https://www.dental.upenn.edu/academic_programs_admissions/graduate_dental_education_programs/masters_of_science_in_oral_biology
The degree and major requirements displayed are intended as a guide for students entering in the Fall of 2025 and later. Students should consult with their academic program regarding final certifications and requirements for graduation.