The first year of the program concentrates on the core sciences and on introducing the clinical experience. Students are also taught conservative operative dentistry to learn the basics of cavity control. In addition, students first interact with patients at the end of the first year by participating in the school s recall service, which handles the patient population s periodic cleanings and exams. Part of being a dentist is patient management. Beginning the second year, students are assigned their own pool of patients and are responsible for treating them on a timely basis.
Patients are screened, a treatment plan is generated, and care is given until the plan is complete.
The student is responsible for scheduling appointments with their patients and making sure the patients return as needed for check-ups. New dental procedures are learned each semester with the student able to use these techniques in the clinics the following semester assuming a passing grade is earned. With each subsequent semester, the student is allowed more available time in clinic for scheduling patients and must complete a quota of each of the different procedures before being allowed to graduate. At the end of the third year, students participate in two extramural rotations one in a hospital and one in a community setting. Upon completion of the four years and passing all required Board Exams, the candidate may practice general dentistry.