Pediatric Dentistry

Division Overview

The Division of Pediatric Dentistry is dedicated to providing education and clinical care in all aspects of dentistry for children and adolescents. We also provide comprehensive oral health care to the special needs population from birth to age 18. Emphasis is placed on normal and abnormal oral and craniofacial development with a focus on prevention and control of the disease processes.

Academic Program

The Division of Pediatric Dentistry offers a 24-month program leading to a Certificate of Proficiency in Pediatric Dentistry. The program enrolls five residents each year beginning July 1. The certificate program can be extended and combined with programs leading to a graduate degree (Masters or Ph.D. degree). Strong clinical and research based faculty members prepare residents for academic, hospital or private practice careers.

Strengths of the Pediatric Dentistry programs include:

  • Extensive clinical experience in a children’s hospital and community health center setting treating healthy, medically compromised, and developmentally disabled infants, children, and adolescents.
  • A strong didactic program with flexibility to accommodate specific professional goals.
  • Strong emphasis on interceptive orthodontic treatment planning and execution.
  • Experience working on and with members of a craniofacial team.
  • Emphasis on leadership training for academic careers, hospital practice, or private practice.
  • An active and diverse faculty research program.

Program Goals, Objectives and Description

The 24 month certificate program is designed to prepare students for patient care in a private practice or hospital setting. Residents are expected to develop the knowledge base and skills needed to provide oral health care and developmental guidance to healthy, medically compromised, and developmentally disabled children, and to acquire the ability to interact effectively with other health care providers.

Curriculum and Requirements

The residency program is a 24-month program primarily based at the School of Dental Medicine and the Connecticut Children's Medical Center. Academic course work occupies approximately 20 percent of the resident's time and includes the following courses, seminars and rotations:

Interdepartmental Didactics
Advanced Oral Histology, Functional Oral Anatomy, Sedation, Oral Microbiology, Biomaterials, Biostatistics, Advanced Oral Pathology, Craniofacial Growth and Development, Multidisciplinary Conference and Combined Orthodontic Pediatric Dentistry Mixed Dentition Seminar

Intradepartmental Didactics
Introduction to Pediatric Dentistry, Behavior Management, Hospital Dentistry, Case Presentation, Journal Club and Board Review, Interceptive Orthodontics and Data Base Analysis, Advanced Pediatric Dentistry Seminar, and Case Review Seminar

Clinical Rotations
Pediatrics, Anesthesia, Chief Resident, Hospital Resident, Craniofacial Team, and Emergency Room Rotation.

The residents provide after hour emergency coverage on a rotating basis for the Connecticut Children's Medical Center and the John Dempsey Hospital. Second year residents also teach in the undergraduate clinic on a rotating basis.

Requirements

Each resident is required to submit a research paper suitable for publication and prepare comprehensive documented cases treated during their residency program. Upon completion of all program requirements, the resident receives a Certificate in Pediatric Dentistry and meets the eligibility requirements for the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry examination process.

Resources

The Pediatric Dentistry program includes several facilities for clinical training including the Pediatric Dentistry Clinic at Connecticut Children's Medical Center in Hartford, John Dempsey Hospital at UConn Health in Farmington, and Kane Street Dental Clinic in West Hartford.

The faculty of the Pediatric Dentistry program includes program director, assistant program director, five additional full-time faculty, and a large complement of part-time faculty.

Admissions

Admission Requirements

The Pediatric Dentistry program is open to graduates of accredited U.S. or foreign dental schools. Candidates must possess a D.D.S. or D.M.D. degree (or equivalent) prior to beginning the program. Applicants who do not use English as a primary language must take the TOEFL examination and must score in excess of 550 for the paper-based exam or 215 for the computer-based exam.

IELTS: PASS does not accept the original IELTS.  If you have taken the IELTS and not the TOEFL, you must send an ORIGINAL, paper, current test score to UConn Health.  See the following link to determine if you qualify for a score waiver: Language Proficiency Policy.pdf.

The Department of Pediatric Dentistry participates in the Postdoctoral Application Support Service (PASS) and the Postdoctoral Dental Matching Program.

Application materials can be requested by writing to:

American Dental Education Association (ADEA)
Postdoctoral Application Support Service (PASS)
1400 K Street
N Suite 1100B
Washington, DC 20005-2403
Email: csrpass@adea.org
eForm Inquiry Email: passeforms@adea.org
Phone: 1-800-353-2237 or 202-289-8123
Fax: 202-289-8702
Website: http://www.adea.org/PASSapp/

All applicants are required to register with:

National Matching Services
20 Holly Street, Suite 301
Toronto, Ontario
Canada, M4S 3B1
Phone: 416-977-3431
Fax: 416-977-5020
Email: matchinfo@natmatch.com
Website: www.natmatch.com

Application Deadline

The application deadline is October 1 of the year preceding July 1 matriculation.

Application requirements include the following:

Mail Application Fee
Attn: Carmen Vazquez
Division of Pediatric Dentistry
UConn School of Dental Medicine
263 Farmington Avenue, MC 1610
Farmington, CT 06030

Stipends and Benefits

Residents in the Pediatric Dentistry Certificate program receive an annual salary. Tuition and clinic fees are waived.

*Obtaining a badge from UConn Health is mandatory and required in order to be enrolled. This process includes a full background check. Badges are subject to approval from UConn Police and the Risk Management Office. 

Information About the Residency Program
Dr. Bina Katechia
Postgraduate Program Director
Division of Pediatric Dentistry
UConn School of Dental Medicine
263 Farmington Avenue, MC 1610
Farmington CT 06030
Phone: 860-523-3759
Fax: 860-523-3791

Additional Opportunities

 

Additional Programs

The certificate program can be extended and combined with graduate programs leading to an advanced degree. (Masters or Ph.D. degree).

Certificate of Proficiency in Pediatric Dentistry and a Master of Dental Science

A 36-month program leading to a Certificate of Proficiency in Pediatric Dentistry and a Master of Dental Science degree is available for clinicians who wish to pursue careers in clinical dentistry, teaching and research. This program maintains the strong 24-months clinical experience.

Certificate of Proficiency in Pediatric Dentistry and a Ph.D. degree in Biomedical Sciences

A 60-84-month program leading to a Certificate of Proficiency in Pediatric Dentistry and a Ph.D. degree in Biomedical Sciences is available for clinicians who wish to pursue careers in teaching and independent research. The program length varies depending on the research background and progress of the candidate and maintains the strong 24-months clinical experience.

Pediatric Dentistry Certificate and Masters of Public Health Program

The UConn-HRSA Training Program at the UConn School of Dental Medicine is a dual training program that is designed to prepare pediatric dental residents with the skills necessary to apply public health principles to oral health problems. The combined certificate program is designed to produce skilled dental health professionals equipped with a broad knowledge of health problems and health delivery. Graduates of the program will be capable of assuming leadership roles in community dental health promotion, oral health disease prevention, and dental health research programs.

The program provides a comprehensive training in Pediatric Dentistry and Public Health that draws upon the strong curriculum of the School of Dental Medicine and excellent and diverse research faculty in the Graduate Program of Public Health.

All trainees supported by the HRSA training grant must be U.S. citizens or permanent U.S. residents. Trainees receive a stipend and financial support covering the cost of tuition, health insurance, and limited research-related expenses and travel.

Admissions
Applicants interested in the dual degree program must apply for the Pediatric Dentistry Certificate program at UConn Health and therefore should follow the requirements listed for Admissions to the Pediatric Dentistry program. Applicants should indicate their interest in the combined program in their personal statement. In addition, they should submit a separate letter of interest in the combined training addressed to Dr. Bina Katechia as early as possible so that an interview for MPH program can be arranged. The applicant should extend their stay in CT for this interview.

Admission to the Combined Pediatric Dentistry/MPH program is contingent on acceptance into the pediatric residency through the Match program as announced in late January. After being accepted to Pediatric Dentistry, the applicant will be invited to apply to the Masters in Public Health (MPH) program. For admission to public health, applicants must demonstrate a strong academic record, background and/or experience relevant to public health, well-articulated career goals relevant to public health, and a commitment to the health of the community. A complete application includes official transcripts, a personal statement documenting interest in public health, and three letters of recommendation (preferably at least one academic letter). Applicants can submit their DAT scores (in lieu of the GRE score) with their application. Please review the full instructions for the MPH application.

Application Deadline: March 1 (for students who have Matched to the Pediatric Dental Program) for matriculation in the following fall semester.

Coursework
During the three-year program students will balance their time between pediatric dental training and public health coursework. MPH coursework will include core public health courses and electives of the student’s choice. A practicum and thesis will be required for completion of the program.

 

 

Faculty

Professor and Division Chair
Mina Mina, D.M.D., M.S.D., Ph.D.

Professor
Yu-Hsiung Wang, D.D.S., Ph.D.

Professor Emeriti
Tryfon Beazoglou, Ph.D.
Arthur Hand, D.D.S.

Associate Professor In-Residence
Bina Katechia, B.D.S., M.Sc. 

Assistant Professor In-Residence
Katherine Fleming, D.D.S. 
Rosa Pelaez-Shelton, D.D.S., M.D.S

Assistant Clinical Professors
Moises Salas, D.D.S.

Associate Clinical Professors
Jorge Rabat, D.D.S.
Gary Schulman, M.Arch, D.M.D.

Assistant Clinical Instructors
Monica Cipes, D.M.D., M.S.D.
Ira Greene, D.D.S.

Contact Information

Division of Pediatric Dentistry
UConn School of Dental Medicine
263 Farmington Avenue, MC 1610
Farmington, CT 06030
Phone: 860-679-2180
Fax: 860-679-4078
Email: cvazquez@uchc.edu