Advanced Dental Anesthesiology

Advanced Dental Anesthesiology Residency Program

• Program Overview
• Curriculum
• Competency and Proficiency Requirements
• Admissions Requirements
• Application Procedure
• Interviews
• Decisions Process
• Contact Information

Program Overview

Christine L. Quinn, DDS, MS
Program Director

A new 2-year Advanced Dental Anesthesiology Residency Program is offered at the UCLA School of Dentistry in conjunction with the Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center. The didactic and clinical training program meets the standards set forth in the Commission on Dental Accreditation and fulfills the eligibility requirements for the American Dental Board of Anesthesiology and the National Dental Board of Anesthesiology.

Didactic instruction includes the core curriculum taught by the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center Department of Anesthesiology to the first-year medical anesthesiology residents, grand rounds, and literature reviews (which are also open to interested faculty, students, and community dentist anesthesiologists). While at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica UCLA Medical Center, and Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, the resident will function full time at a CA I/II level with call responsibilities as appropriate for medical anesthesiology residents of similar clinical experience. In addition, residents must successfully complete a course in advanced cardiac life support. A 2-day national collaborative anesthesia review course in dental anesthesiology is taken in the fall of each year. During the second year, each resident attends the annual scientific meetings of the American Society of Dentist Anesthesiologists and the American Dental Society of Anesthesiology.

Clinical experiences during the first year include a variety of medical cases at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center and Santa Monica UCLA Medical Center, in which the resident functions as a medical anesthesia resident and is responsible for preoperative evaluation, anesthesia delivery, and postoperative follow-up of patients during regular operating hours and while on evening and weekend call. While on rotation at the UCLA School of Dentistry, the resident provides all forms of anesthesia for dentistry in a variety of environments, including the dental school, surgical center, and private office environments. The patients treated during this 6-month rotation are from all categories of patients requiring anesthesia services for their dental treatment, including pediatric, special needs, and phobic patients, as well as patients undergoing extensive oral surgical procedures. The last 2 months of the program are spent on rotation with the Orofacial Pain service at the UCLA School of Dentistry and the Emergency Department at Santa Monica UCLA Medical Center.

It is expected that each resident will perform at least 1,000 cases during the 26-month training program. Residents will also participate in a bimonthly literature review that will include practicing dentist anesthesiologists in the greater Los Angeles area. The dental resident will be expected to complete a research project or other creative endeavor of sufficient rigor to be published in a refereed journal and to become involved in the teaching of pre-doctoral and graduate dental students. Each resident will give several lectures on topics pertaining to anxiety and pain control and will provide related laboratory and clinical assistance for dental students and other residents.

Graduates of this program are eligible for membership in the American Society of Dentist Anesthesiologists and may achieve diplomate status after examination by the American Dental Board of Anesthesiology.

This program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association and affiliated with the Santa Monica UCLA Medical Center.

Length of Program: 26 months

Number of Slots: 2

Financial Arrangement: A salary

Curriculum

The Advanced Dental Anesthesiology Residency Program includes 17 months of experience in medical anesthesia; 1-month rotations in cardiology, emergency medicine, and orofacial pain; and 6 months of clinical training in anesthesia for dentistry. Each resident will also be expected to complete a research project or other creative endeavor.

Residents can expect the following schedule during their tenure in the program:

First Year

Second Year

Third Year

Competency and Proficiency Requirements

Upon the completion of training, the resident shall be proficient in:

1.  performing a thorough preanesthetic evaluation integrating medical history, physical evaluation, airway evaluation, risk assessment, and obtaining informed consent/assent.

2.  formulating an anesthetic plan that is tailored to the surgical, medical, and psychological needs of the dental patient.

3.  performing the clinical skills necessary for the provision of safe and effective anesthesia care for dentistry, with special emphasis placed on:

• management of the fearful and/or uncooperative patient.
• management of open airway anesthesia.
• intubation of the difficult airway.
• flexibility to provide anesthesia care in a variety of settings.

4.  managing medical emergencies that may occur in the perioperative period.

5.  communicating effectively with patients, their families, and other health professionals.

6.  managing acute orofacial pain through local anesthesia and postoperative analgesics.

Upon completion of training, the resident shall be competent in:
1.  reviewing and evaluating the scientific literature and applying this evidence base to clinical practice.

Upon completion of training, the resident shall be familiar with:
1.  the diagnosis and management of chronic orofacial pain.

Admissions Requirements

• DDS/DMD from an ADA-accredited program
• National Board Dental Examination, Part I
• US Citizen or Permanent Resident, or Citizen of Canada

Application Procedure

Applicants must:

• Submit primary materials through the Postdoctoral Application Support Service (PASS). Please visit the ADEA PASS webpage for more information.
• Submit the official undergraduate transcripts directly to the Student Affairs Office:

• Participate in the Postdoctoral Dental Matching Program (Match) for pediatric dentistry programs.

Incomplete files will not be considered.

PASS Application Deadline: September 16

UCLA Supplemental Application Deadline (undergraduate transcripts): September 16

Interviews

Selected candidates will be invited to interview. If you have been selected, you will be contacted by telephone and/or email.

Timing of Interviews: October-November

Approximate Number of Candidates Selected for Interviews: 10

Decisions Process

The admissions committee considers the following criteria in its decisions:

• Academic achievement
• Performance on NBDE
• Knowledge of, interest in, and /or potential for residency training in dental anesthesia
• Potential for leadership, training, and research in dental anesthesia
• Content of recommendation letters (2 PPI and 2 PEF are required)
• Content of personal statement
• Interview performance

Applicants will be notified of acceptance through the Match service. To find out when results will be available, please consult the Match service.

Contact Information