Our Mission: Comprehensive Care for All

The Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) and the General Practice Residency (GPR) Programs, sponsored by St. Vincent Charity Medical Center, in cooperation with the Cleveland Dental Institute (CDI), are one-year (GPR) or two-year (AEGD) programs dedicated to teaching General Dentists. The AEGD program is focused on advancing techniques and skill sets that provide our graduates with the ability to offer a higher standard of care to their patients. The GPR was developed for recent graduates of U.S. Dental Schools and seeks to provide advanced training in the practice of General Dentistry with an emphasis on treating patients with complicated medical histories and developmental disabilities. In either program, our graduates are poised to bridge the gap between medicine and dentistry by helping both healthy and medically compromised patients to receive the best oral care possible.

Because of our unique mission, CDI focuses on training Residents to cultivate their knowledge and skill sets by providing advanced training in comprehensive treatment planning, implantology, periodontology, sleep medicine, orthodontics, pediatric dentistry, endodontics, and oral surgery. Our Residents are also taught critical thinking skills and literature analysis to improve decision-making in the changing world of dental medicine. Residents will also learn valuable practice management and work/life balance skills so that they become successful in their careers and in their lives.

Residents in our programs are expected to perform treatment in the CDI clinics and in the hospital operating room to provide care for the diverse populations we serve. During the year, Residents participate in rotations at the hospital in Internal Medicine, Addiction Medicine, Anesthesia, and Emergency Medicine. Our residents have the option to obtain a Sedation License, which is a valuable adjunct to comprehensive patient care. Additionally, residents' education is advanced through using state-of-the-art technology and systems that provide them with superior knowledge of how to render safe and effective patient care.

Upon completion of the residency, Doctors will have the knowledge and skill to practice in a safe, comprehensive, and compassionate way toward all who need oral care. Our small class sizes provide a suitable environment for growth and support. Our culture aims to provide Residents with an individualized experience in a team format so that learning and growth of the participants is always at the forefront of all that we do. Our motto is "We work together...we learn together,"

Welcome to your residency experience! We genuinely hope that you will look at the time spent with us as some of the most valuable in your career. We are here to help you succeed and look forward to being a part of your success.

The program emphasizes the skills needed to properly diagnose, treatment plan, and treat patients of many different backgrounds. Patients include those with complex medical histories, special needs, as well as a wide range of dental needs.

Residents will train in all aspects of modern dental procedures, using state of the art equipment and techniques including CEREC technology, clinical microscope, and 3D imaging, and will complete the requirements for Certification in IV Sedation.  The program is multi-disciplinary, and Residents will have the opportunity to work side by side with faculty specialists in all disciplines of practice. Our focus is on excellence in dental care and service. The educational experience will also include rotating through the Operating Room, and Internal Medicine departments at St. Vincent Charity Medical Center, the program Sponsor.

The didactic portion of the program will will include implant dentistry, radiology, oral surgery, pathology, temporo-mandibular disorders, I.V. Sedation in Ohio, and CAD CAM Technologies. Practice management, and business tools that the resident will need to begin their careers are explored in great detail.

The program is two years mandatory, which will differ in both curriculum and requirements. Whereas the first year emphasizes the introduction of the student to comprehensive care, treatment planning, and quality care in a closely supervised setting, the second year will allow the opportunity to explore more advanced procedures and complex cases, again, under close supervision. A certificate of completion will be granted following the successful completion of the 2nd year.

Examples of treatment performed in The AEGD program include implant placement and restoration, advanced crown and bridge and aesthetic restorations, removable full and partial dentures, endodontic treatment, periodontal treatment, simple and complex oral surgery, pedodontic care, management of orthodontic cases, and radiology. Students will leave the program ready to begin their careers, and achieve success as practicing dentists.

1. • Effectively and safely manage the emergency, episodic, apprehensive, and comprehensive needs of patients.
2. • Satisfy requirements for the Certification in IV Sedation.
3. • Confidently and competently coordinate and provide care for patient with special needs including those who are indigent, medically challenged, developmentally disabled, or otherwise would not have access to regular dental care.
4. • Apply Principles of Professionalism and Ethics in all matters of daily practice;
5. • Value the importance of Continuing Dental Education and professional growth in their trajectory as a professional.
6. • Demonstrate effective leadership and management of Dental Team personnel with an emphasis on Team collaboration, development, and constructive Team assessment.

Our residents, upon completion of the residency year will be able to do the following:

• • Act as a primary care provider for individuals and groups of patients. This includes: providing emergency and multidisciplinary comprehensive oral health care; providing patient focused care that is safe, effective, and timely as coordinated by the general practitioner; and directing health promotion and disease prevention activities.
• • Plan and provide multidisciplinary oral health care for a wide variety of patients including those who present with special needs, complex medical histories, high levels of pain and anxiety, and those who would otherwise have limited access to care.
• • Manage the delivery of oral health care by applying concepts of patient and practice management and quality improvement that are responsive to a dynamic health care environment.
• • Function effectively and efficiently in multiple health care environments within interdisciplinary health care teams.
• • Apply scientific principles to learning and oral health care. This includes using critical thinking, evidence or outcomes-based clinical decision-making, and technology-based information retrieval systems.
• • Utilize the values of professional ethics, lifelong learning, patient-centered care, adaptability, and acceptance of cultural diversity in professional practice.
• • Understand the oral health needs of communities and engage in community service.

1. • Demonstrate their progressive confidence, competency, efficiency, and technical knowledge in all aspects of General Dentistry and advanced dental treatment;
2. • Recognize, diagnose, coordinate, and provide the treatment of dental emergencies and oral disease in a patient-centered manner;
3. • Demonstrate effective and efficient use of the dental team and resources in the provision of timely, cost effective dental treatment with an emphasis on disease risk assessment and prevention.