Predoctoral Clinical Education/Patient Care
The clinical education program is designed to fulfill competency-based criteria by providing each student with a broad background of clinical experience based on the philosophy of prevention and comprehensive patient care. Although the need for the treatment of existing disease is of paramount importance, the clinical program stresses long-term complete dental care founded on preventing the occurrence or recurrence of disease. Each student provides patient care with faculty supervision in the School of Dentistry’s clinics in a manner similar to practitioners in a general practice in the community.
Clinical areas for predoctoral instruction are designated primarily for general practice teams. Clinical instruction is accomplished using dentist-directors, general dentists and specialists providing interdepartmental instruction for the student, and the highest level of dental care for the patient. The clinical program functions year round to provide continuity of patient care.