Program Overview

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Introduction to the Prosthodontics Program

The Advanced Specialty Education Program in Prosthodontics at the Indiana University School of Dentistry is designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to diagnose, plan treatment, and provide comprehensive care for patients using an evidence-based, multidisciplinary approach.

Program Overview

The three-year program, accredited by the American Dental Association's Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA), offers extensive didactic, clinical, and laboratory training in:

• Fixed and removable prosthodontics
• Esthetic dentistry
• Implant dentistry (including surgical placement)
• Digital CAD/CAM dentistry
• Maxillofacial prosthetics
• Partial and full mouth rehabilitation

Program Details

Upon completion of the program, students will earn a Master of Science in Dentistry degree and a clinical certificate in prosthodontics, qualifying them to take the American Board of Prosthodontics certifying exams.

About the Master of Science in Dentistry Degree Program

The Master of Science in Dentistry (M.S.D.) degree and a clinical certificate are awarded upon completion of required didactic and clinical coursework, oral and written qualifying exams, and a research project culminating in a thesis or journal manuscript. This is a combined degree/certificate program; the school does not offer the option to earn only a clinical certificate.

Curriculum

Students must complete the graduate courses listed, including:

• A minimum of 6 credit hours in a minor concentration (dental materials for the prosthodontics major)
• A total of 6 credit hours in research

First Year

• Summer:
  • R955 Oral Biology (2.5 credit hours)
  • G948 Advanced Radiography (2 credit hours)
  • G941 Advanced Fixed Prosthodontic Technique (3 credit hours)
  • R929 Advanced Complete Denture Technique (3 credit hours)
  • R949 Advanced Head & Neck Anatomy (Audit)
  • CPR Certification
• Fall:
  • G907 Oral Pathology Conference (1 credit hour)
  • G910 Seminar: Basic & Clinical Sciences Seminar (1 credit hour)
  • G910 Biostatistics (1 credit hour)
  • G912 Specification & Test Methods in Dental Materials (2 credit hours)
  • G914 Advanced Complete Denture Theory (1 credit hour)
  • G917 Maxillofacial Prosthetics Theory (1 credit hour)
  • G923 Research (AR) (1 credit hour)
  • G942 Theories of Occlusion (1 credit hour)
  • R923 Maxillofacial Prosthetics Seminar (1 credit hour)
  • R930 Prosthodontics Literature Review (1 credit hour)
  • R931 Advanced Fixed Partial Prosthodontics Seminar and Lab I (3 credit hours)
  • R933 Clinical Prosthodontic Seminar (3 credit hours)
  • R946 Prosthodontics Patient Presentation Seminar (1 credit hour)
  • R941 Fundamentals of Implant Dentistry (1 credit hour)
  • R963 Dental Implantology (1 credit hour)
  • R965 Advanced Clinical Prosthodontics (AR)
  • R980 Research Methodology (1 credit hour)
• Spring:
  • G910 Seminar: Basic & Clinical Sciences Seminar (1 credit hour)
  • G910 Seminar: Perio/Pros Interrelationships (1 credit hour)
  • G911 Dental Materials Sciences & Engineering (2 credit hours)
  • G913 Clinical Application of Dental Materials (2 credit hours)
  • G914 Advanced Complete Denture Theory (1 credit hour)
  • G917 Maxillofacial Prosthetics Theory (1 credit hour)
  • G944 Principles of Gnathology (1 credit hour)
  • R923 Maxillofacial Prosthetics Seminar (1 credit hour)
  • R930 Prosthodontics Literature Review (1 credit hour)
  • R933 Clinical Prosthodontics Seminar (3 credit hours)
  • R963 Dental Implantology (1 credit hour)
  • R965 Advanced Clinical Prosthodontics (AR)
  • R946 Prosthodontic Patient Presentation Seminar (1 credit hour)
  • G909 Oral Pathology Conference (1 credit hour)

Second Year

• Summer:
  • G938 Advanced Removable Partial Prosthodontics Technique (3 credit hours)
  • R928 Advanced Maxillofacial Prosthetics Technique (2 credit hours)
  • ACLS Certification
• Fall:
  • G916 Special Problems in Complete Denture Design (1 credit hour)
  • G923 Research (AR)
  • R923 Maxillofacial Prosthetics Seminar (1 credit hour)
  • R930 Prosthodontic Literature Review (1 credit hour)
  • R946 Prosthodontic Patient Presentation Seminar (1 credit hour)
  • G910 Implant Treatment Planning Seminar (1 credit hour)
  • G910 Multidisciplinary Seminar (1 credit hour)
  • R963 Dental Implantology (1 credit hour)
  • R921 Clinical Maxillofacial Prosthetics (AR)
  • R965 Advanced Clinical Prosthodontics (AR)
• Spring:
  • G916 Special Problems in Complete Denture Design (1 credit hour)
  • G923 Research (AR)
  • R923 Maxillofacial Prosthetics Seminar (1 credit hour)
  • R930 Prosthodontic Literature Review (1 credit hour)
  • R943 Temporomandibular Dysfunction Clinic (1 credit hour)
  • R946 Prosthodontic Patient Presentation Seminar (1 credit hour)
  • G910 Multidisciplinary Seminar (1 credit hour)
  • G910 Implant Treatment Planning Seminar (1 credit hour)
  • G910 Perio/Pros Interrelationships (1 credit hour)
  • R963 Dental Implantology (1 credit hour)
  • R921 Clinical Maxillofacial Prosthetics (AR)
  • R965 Advanced Clinical Prosthodontics (AR)

Third Year

• Summer:
  • G923 Research (1 credit hour)
  • R965 Advanced Clinical Prosthodontics (1 credit hour)
  • CPR Certification
• Fall:
  • G923 Research (1 credit hour)
  • G910 Multidisciplinary Seminar (1 credit hour)
  • G910 Implant Treatment Planning Seminar (1 credit hour)
  • R930 Prosthodontic Literature Review (1 credit hour)
  • R946 Prosthodontic Patient Presentation Seminar (1 credit hour)
  • R923 Maxillofacial Prosthetics Seminar (1 credit hour)
  • R965 Advanced Clinical Prosthodontics (1 credit hour)
• Spring:
  • G923 Research (1 credit hour)
  • G910 Multidisciplinary Seminar (1 credit hour)
  • G910 Implant Treatment Planning Seminar (1 credit hour)
  • R930 Prosthodontic Literature Review (1 credit hour)
  • R946 Prosthodontic Patient Presentation Seminar (1 credit hour)
  • R923 Maxillofacial Prosthetics Seminar (1 credit hour)
  • R965 Advanced Clinical Prosthodontics (1 credit hour)

Core Competencies

Upon successful completion of the program, students will demonstrate competency in:

• Clinical skills and knowledge
• Critical thinking
• Effective communication

Clinical Skills and Knowledge

Students will be able to:

• Diagnose, plan treatment for, and rehabilitate dentate, partially edentulous, and completely edentulous patients
• Demonstrate competency in a wide variety of treatment modalities
• Be competent in all aspects of the restoration of dental implants
• Be competent in all aspects of occlusion and the prosthodontic management of TMD/TMJ disorders and/or orofacial pain
• Describe the relationship between material characteristics and clinical performance of dental biomaterials

Critical Thinking

Students will be able to:

• Draw upon evidence-based research to select and justify appropriate treatment methods and biomaterials
• Formulate hypotheses and design the necessary experiments for a given procedure or material evaluation scenario

Effective Communication

Students will be able to:

• Present appropriate treatment plans to patients and referring dentists in oral and written reports
• Provide evidence-based agreements on research findings in oral and written reports
• Provide patient education and oral hygiene instructions to patients based upon clinical findings and upon current prosthodontic literature

Admission Criteria

To be eligible to apply to the M.S.D. program in prosthodontics, applicants must:

• Hold a D.D.S. or D.M.D. degree from an accredited U.S. or Canadian dental school
• Be in the upper third of their dental school graduating class
• Demonstrate proficiency in the English language (minimum score of 79 on the TOEFL iBT, 6.5 on the IELTS, or 120 on the Duolingo English Test for non-native English speakers)

Application Process

Applications are submitted through the American Dental Education Association Postdoctoral Application Support Service (ADEA PASS) and the Postdoctoral Dental Matching Program (the Match). The application deadline is October 1 each year.

Costs and Financial Aid

M.S.D. students pay an annual flat rate for tuition, which varies based on residency classification. Other costs include university fees and instrument rental or purchase. Federal student loans are available to qualified students, and a limited number of small scholarships are awarded by academic departments.