Dental Medicine (General Practice Dentistry) Residency

Program Goals and Objectives

Goals:

• Assess, diagnose, and formulate a treatment plan for each assigned patient
• Provide emergency and multidisciplinary patient-focused, comprehensive oral health care in a safe and efficient manner for a wide variety of patients, including those with complex medical needs and other special needs
• Direct health promotion and disease prevention activities
• Provide oral health care in the Operating Room setting
• Function effectively with interdisciplinary health care team, including nurses and physicians, including in the OR
• Become familiar with the basics of anesthesia, including monitoring

Objectives:

• Restore single teeth in the primary and permanent dentition with a wide variety of materials and methods
• Treat patients with missing teeth requiring removable restorations and fixed restorations, including crowns, bridges, and implant restorations
• Diagnose and treat periodontal and oral mucosal disease using surgical and/or non-surgical procedures
• Diagnose and treat pain of pulpal origin and follow through with appropriate endodontic therapy on anterior and posterior teeth in the permanent dentition and pediatric pulpal therapy
• Evaluate and manage a patient with maxillofacial trauma, including trauma to dentoalveolar structures and acute oral and maxillofacial conditions in both the clinic and emergency department
• Perform simple and surgical extractions
• Diagnose, treatment plan and manage the concept of restoratively-driven implant placement
• Evaluate and manage a patient with TMD/oro-facial pain, utilizing appropriate imaging, diagnostic procedures and pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic treatment
• Accurately prescribe analgesics, antibiotics, and antifungals as they relate to dental disease
• Obtain informed consent for dental treatment by discussing with the patients/parents/guardians risks and benefits, alternatives and possible consequences of refusing the proposed diagnostic or treatment plan

Clinical Experience

The General Practice Residency Program is intended to combine comprehensive and episodic dental care by residents, attending staff and dental auxiliaries with the educational process of the program. When assigned to the general dentistry service, residents work in Loyola University Medical Center's Oral Health Center where they are exposed to the practice of general dentistry, pediatric dentistry, periodontics, endodontics, prosthodontics, and special care dentistry.

Our clinic treats a large number of patients with special needs and many of these patients require treatment in the operating room setting under general anesthesia. Our GPR residents will finish our program with a great OR dentistry experience as they treat dental cases in the OR setting at least once per week. Residents interact with an auxiliary staff composed of chair-side assistants and dental hygienists to treat patients in a group setting, working hand-in-hand with our oral surgery department every day, as well. The Oral Health Center has a business office which manages billing, collections, patient scheduling, arrival and departure. The center also employs an office manager to promote the clinics efficiency and productivity. The residents also provide bedside care to hospital patients who require dental clearance for a wide variety of surgeries and procedures, consultation from different services regarding oral diagnostic findings, or emergency dental treatment.

At the beginning of the residency, Basic Life Support and Advanced Cardiac Life Support certifications are completed by all new house-staff. Residents also complete a two month Physical Diagnosis (H&P) class to learn how to document history and physical examinations and write hospital consultations. The GPR residents take twenty-four hour emergency call for the hospital as well. During call shifts, residents serve as a consultant for the emergency room and also the various inpatient services. As a first responder, residents work closely with the oral surgery residents during facial trauma call.

Rotations

In addition to gaining valuable private practice experience at the Oral Health Center, rotations are also completed in the following areas to create a broader spectrum of experiences and enhance the education of the resident:

• Anesthesiology: a two-week rotation at the modern ambulatory surgery center at Loyola University Medical Center. During this rotation, residents attend weekly lectures with anesthesia residents. Residents shadow anesthesiology residents to observe and actively participate in general anesthesia for patients undergoing surgery. Residents gain experience in starting intravenous lines (IV), placing laryngeal mask airways (LMAs), and intubating patients. 
   
• Emergency Medicine: a two-week rotation in Loyola University Medical Center's emergency department. Residents see emergency room patients, take histories and perform physical examinations, write ER notes, and suture lacerations. Working with the ER team, residents treat all levels of patients including trauma care. 
   
• Internal Medicine: a two-week rotation at Loyola University Medical Center. Residents join one of the general medicine teams on the hospital floors. During this rotation, further experience is gained with the management of patients whom have been admitted for hospital care. Residents complete daily rounds, charting, and writing orders for patients with complex medical problems. Pharmacological and surgical interventions are planned and discussed during rounds. Taking patient histories and performing physical examinations is also an important part of this rotation. 
   
• Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital: each GPR resident rotates for 4-months through the dental clinic of Edward Hines Jr. Veterans Administration Hospital. Residents provide care for U.S veterans who require a great deal of fixed and removable prosthetics work, and the residents provide a wide variety of dental procedures within the scope of general dentistry and oral surgery. There is an in-house dental laboratory where much of the laboratory work is completed. While the residents are completing their rotation at the VA hospital, they evenly split their time between the GPR (General Dentistry) clinic and the oral surgery clinic. While working in the GPR clinic, they perform all procedures within the scope of general dentistry. While working in the oral surgery clinic, the residents gain a great amount of experience with surgical extractions, tori removal and pre-prosthetic surgeries, implant placement, biopsies and they accompany one of our oral surgeons to the operating room as well.

Facilities

Loyola University Medical Center

Loyola University Medical Center (formerly Foster G. McGaw Hospital), is a teaching, tertiary care facility with 523 licensed beds. It has been nationally recognized for is contribution to the study and treatment of cardiovascular disease, perinatal and neonatal disorders, cancer and burn injuries.

Oral Health Center

The Oral Health Center is inside the 234,000-square-foot Maguire Center and is home to numerous departments including neurosurgery, otolaryngolgy, psychiatry and the Oral Health Center. The center functions as the outpatient treatment facility for Dental Medicine and Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery.

Emergency Department at Loyola University Medical Center

The state-of-the-art Emergency Department combines combines advanced treatment and patient monitoring systems with the expertise of highly trained emergency medicine professionals. Loyola University Medical Center is the only Level 1 adult and pediatric trauma center for Region 8 of the state of Illinois trauma network.

Loyola Outpatient Center

The Loyola Outpatient Center is a 224,000-square-foot ambulatory center that was opened to patients in June 2003. The building has provided expanded ambulatory services for fourteen clinical departments, doubled the amount of ambulatory surgery and radiation oncology space and added space to diagnostic radiology and women's health services.

Faculty

The Loyola General Practice Residency is fortunate to have many dedicated part-time faculty members who participate in the residency-training. 

Martin Hogan, DDS

Assistant Professor of Surgery Section of Dental Medicine 
Director of General Practice Dentistry Residency Program 

Anna Szpaderska, DDS, PhD

Assistant Professor Surgery Section of Dental Medicine

Margaret Miller, DDS

Assistant Professor of Surgery Section of Dental Medicine

Pedodontics/Orthodontic

• Joseph Tylka, DDS

General Dentistry

• Jeffrey Bonk, DDS
• Matthew Zielinski, DDS
• Lisa Black, DDS

Oral Health Center Staff

The Loyola Oral Health Center provides all dental services including general dentistry for adults and children, dental hygiene, oral surgery, and orthodontics.

There is a dentist and an oral surgeon on call 24 hours a day to handle emergencies.

The Loyola Oral Health Center works closely with Loyola's Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center and many other departments at the Medical Center to provide oral healthcare to patients with special needs.

The Loyola Oral Health Center is located in newly renovated, 12,000-square-foot facility that features sophisticated equipment and comfortable surroundings. The 19 patient care rooms include: eight rooms that are dedicated to general dentistry, four rooms to oral surgery, two units to recovery and four units to dental hygiene.

Admissions Requirements

To apply for the program, an applicant must fulfill the following requirements:

• Must have graduated from an ADA accredited dental school in the US, or a Canadian dental school.
• Must be proficient in the English language.
• Must have passed Part I, National Dental Board Examination. Candidate must pass Part II of the NDBE before enrollment into the program.

Admission Criteria

Generally, applicants from advanced education programs are considered on the basis of the following criteria:

• Completed application
• Grade point average
• Class standing
• Transcript/pattern of academic achievement
• National board scores
• Experience and Training
• Recommendations
• Personal interview

Applications

Applications are due at the Loyola University Medical Center, Oral Health Center no later than October 1st to be considered for the class that begins the following July. Applicants must complete the application through the PASS program.

Please note that you do not have to mail any supplemental documents into the program directly.

The PASS application is entirely a web-based application performed online. All documents can be upload to the PASS website for review.

PASS can be accessed using the link below.

Postdoctoral Application Support Services (PASS) 
American Dental Education Association 1400 K Street NW, Suite 1100 
Washington, DC 20005 
202.289.8702 PASS fax # 
202.289.8123 PASS customer service 
800.353.2237 toll-free customer service 
Email: pass@adea.org 
Website: www.adea.org/PASS

Off-campus Seminars and Lectures

There are numerous opportunities to attend evening presentations and lectures. Residents can earn CE credits at these seminars. See residents in action at an Implant Seminar.

Chicago's Midwinter Meeting

In February, residents present a research topic at a table clinic during Chicago's Midwinter meeting. At the program start, residents will choose a topic of interest and complete research during the year.

Community Service

Residents have the opportunity to participate in an elementary school oral hygiene instruction program throughout the year. There are also volunteer opportunities with the Special Olympics.

Valquiria De Laurenzio

Hometown- Miami, FL
Dental school- Tufts University 
Karaoke Song – Misery Business by Paramore
Favorite blizzard topping - Oreo
If you weren't a dentist, you would be – Veterinarian 
Favorite musical artist – Bad Bunny 
Ideal Sunday in 10 words or less- Park date with my dog and a good book 
Favorite show – The Challenge 
 

Donya Farzam  

Hometown- Charleston, SC
Dental school- Medical University of South Carolina College of Dental Medicine
Karaoke Song - 7 things by Miley Cyrus
Favorite blizzard topping - Oreo
If you weren't a dentist, you would be – Wedding Photographer 
Favorite musical artist – The Brook & The Bluff
Ideal Sunday in 10 words or less- Relaxed morning, matcha & walk my pup, sunset beach, family dinner 
Favorite show – Criminal Minds
 

Caitlin Gordon

Home town-  Austin, MN
Dental school-  University of Minnesota
Karaoke Song – I Gotta Feeling by Black Eyed Peas 
Favorite blizzard topping – Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup
If you weren't a dentist, you would be – House Fixer Upper
Favorite musical artist – Kacey Musgraves
Ideal Sunday in 10 words or less- Workout, lake day, dinner/games with friends and family 
Favorite show – Love Island 

Abby Puckett

Hometown- Traverse City, MI
Dental school- University of Michigan 
Karaoke Song – Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield
Favorite blizzard topping – Oreos
If you weren't a dentist, you would be – Sports Journalist 
Favorite musical artists – Taylor Swift
Ideal Sunday in 10 words or less- Walk, coffee, Detroit lions, call my family, look for rocks
Favorite show –  Survivor 
 

Audrey Smit

Home town- Atlanta, GA
Dental school- BU GSDM
Karaoke Song –Defying Gravity 
Favorite blizzard topping – Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough 
If you weren't a dentist, you would be – a party planner or a teacher
Favorite musical artist – Taylor Swift
Ideal Sunday in 10 words or less- coffee and walk then football
Favorite show – New Girl
 

Mady Swanstrom

Home town- Omaha, Nebraska
Dental school- Marquette University School of Dentistry  
Karaoke Song -  Sunday Morning by Maroon 5
Favorite blizzard topping – Cookie Dough 
If you weren't a dentist, you would be – Interior Designer  
Favorite musical artist – Drake 
Ideal Sunday in 10 words or less- Antique shopping and walk outside 
Favorite show – Game of Thrones  

Contact the Program

Jessica Castaneda

Residency Education Coordinator
jessica.castaneda@lumc.edu