Program Rotations

The General Practice Residency Program at RUSH is essentially divided into two 6-month blocks of time. Roughly six months is spent on the dental rotation, providing ambulatory care to hospital patients as well as private patients of record. The other six months is spent in off-service rotations which include two months in Anesthesiology, and one month each in Plastic and Reconstructive surgery and Otolaryngology. One month is spent on rotation with the Oral Surgery Department at John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County.

Logistically, the rotations are roughly divided into three month blocks, with the two residents alternating between the Dental Service and the hospital rotations. In this way, one resident is always available for dental care in the ambulatory care area (located in the private facilities of The Dental Group, Suite 717 Professional Building 1).

Educational Experiences

Educational experiences are a combination of instruction and demonstrations by the attending staff and performance by the resident under the supervision of the attending staff. It is the goal that the residents will gradually develop excellent skills to perform the procedures with minimal or no direct supervision. Some additional experiences are primarily to gain understanding, appreciation and learn to communicate better with patients, health care professionals and vendors. An example of this is the opportunity to rotate on the Plastic Surgery service. We are not working toward performing plastic surgery, but to learn what plastic surgeons do and how to work well with them.

Operative Dentistry

Residents will receive instruction and demonstration utilizing esthetic materials and various matrix systems for direct filling and repair of teeth utilizing indirect techniques with porcelain or gold and CAD/CAM restorations. The goal is to share those with the residents the variety of materials and techniques that attending staff have experienced. The objective is that residents will embrace new techniques and materials and develop enhanced skills and efficiency.

Replacement of Teeth

We offer instruction and demonstration of a full range of services to replace teeth: Removable Full Denture, Removable Partial Denture, Fixed Partial Denture, Dental Implants. Many incoming residents have limited experience in providing these services but are strong on theory. Residency is a good opportunity to gain experience and apply the knowledge already gained but also to explore the experiences and knowledge of the attending staff. Our goal is to provide the opportunity for the residents to gain confidence and provide these services in an efficient manner.

Periodontal Therapy

Residents will have the experience of working with hygienists and specialists to provide services of: Laser curettage and Debridement, Local Chemical Application, Guided Tissue Regeneration, Bone Grafting and Socket Preservation, Crown Lengthening, Soft Tissue Management. Attending staff will provide instruction, demonstration and assistance. Periodontal disease, being one of the most ubiquitous maladies of mankind and not likely to be conquered in the dental life time of residents, it behooves us to develop skills to contain and ameliorate this disease. The goal is that residents will have a complete background of services related to management of periodontal disease and those who have the desire and aptitude can attain skills to provide these services. The objective is that residents will provide periodontal services commensurate with their skills.

Endodontic Therapy

Residents will receive a review of diagnosis and case selection, and will experience working with apex locator, Mechanized debridement, chemical debridement, and obturation and temporization and stabilization. The attending will demonstrate on extracted teeth, the resident will begin work on extracted teeth and subsequently work on live patients to enhance skills. The goal is that the resident will provide endodontic therapy utilizing mechanical techniques in a safe and efficient manner. The objective is that the resident will has sufficient skill to provide endodontic service with minimal or no supervision on multirooted teeth.

Oral Surgery

Rush offers a significant experience in oral surgery. We do not have an oral surgery residency to compete with for these cases. We have several patients who need teeth removed at our ambulatory care facility and also offer a one- month rotation at John H. Stroger Jr. County Hospital on the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery service. Attending staff offer instruction, demonstration and assistance in learning hands-on the art and science of oral surgery which include: Diagnosis and Case Selection, Utilization of advanced instruments Atraumatic removal of teeth, Removal of multirooted teeth, Removal of 3rd molars, Flap design, preparation and suturing, Post Operative Wound Care, and Preprosthetic surgery. We have one half-day a week dedicated to working with the staff oral surgeon and other attending staff with broad oral surgery experience. Not all residents will become proficient at oral surgery, but each will have the opportunity to enhance skills already obtained. The objective is to help the resident become as capable has possible at oral surgery and discover which teeth are amenable to management and which ones to refer.

Dental Emergencies

Dental emergencies in the medical center and community we serve are referred to the resident. Most are managed during the day, but some require emergent treatment off hours. The attending staff offers instruction, demonstration and assistance with management of dental emergencies that include: Management of traumatized teeth, management of fractures of the jaws, management of infections, and management of acute pain. The goal is to provide the resident with experience in a variety of emergency situations and become proficient at managing the emergency from beginning to end and develop knowledge and skill sufficient to do so without supervision.

Pain and Anxiety Control

Strong emphasis is placed on pain and anxiety control ranging from General Anesthesia, Intravenous Sedation, Oral anxiety medication, Nitrous Oxide, Fear and Anxiety abatement techniques. Residents receive two months of instruction and experience with the Anesthesia department and administer to patients in the Operating Room on this rotation. Dental attending staff also provide instruction and demonstration of local anesthesia techniques and anxiety management protocols. The goal is for the resident to become completely comfortable operating under general anesthesia in the operating room, be completely knowledgeable regarding the role of the anesthesiologist and other OR staff, be able to determine which patients are candidates for general anesthesia and which are amenable to treatment with Anxiety protocol as out-patients.

Pediatric Dental Care

We have an active pediatric component with ambulatory and in hospital treatment. Residents are encouraged to participate in the care of pediatric patients under the supervision of Pediatric attendings. Residents frequently encounter pediatric patients and may confer with the staff pediatric dentists as to management. Pediatric attendings provide instruction, demonstration and assistance as needed. Residents are encouraged to participate in care of pediatric patients and also to learn what role they want to take in the management or referral of pediatric patients. Residents attend and help with treatment of pediatric patients in the operating room. It is the goal that residents will have sufficient opportunity to care for pediatric patients, commensurate with their skill and interest, and to enhance the residents skills in management of pediatric patients with emphasis on the operating room. Those resident interested in a more significant pediatric experience should let us know at the onset of the program and we will endeavor to provide it.

Geriatric Dental Care

Residents will engage in the management of the aging population by direct patient care under the supervision assistance of the attending staff. Emphasis is placed on familiarity with medical condition, medication, disabilities and prognosis. The goal is that the residents will become completely confident in the management of geriatric patients with minimal supervision.

Medically Compromised Patients

Rush is a tertiary care hospital and attracts patients with significant medical conditions that require residents to confer with a variety of physicians and adjuvant services. Residents will provide first-hand contact and management as well as delivery of dental services along with the supervision of the attending staff. The goal is that the residents will develop sufficient knowledge, experience and skills to manage medically complicated patient with minimal supervision in an efficient, safe and delicate manner.

Orthodontic Care

Residents learn the fundamentals of orthodontic treatment utilizing dentech simulations, placing bands and brackets, utilizing wire and force systems associated with straight wire technique. Removable orthodontic and orthopedic appliances are also demonstrated. Residents will observe cases in active treatment and are encouraged to manage patients. The goal is to familiarize residents with orthodontic concepts, dental and facial esthetics, treatment planning, treatment modalities and instrumentation.

Head and Neck Pain Management

Residents will be instructed on diagnosis and management of head and neck pain. Residents will observe treatment and are encouraged to manage patients. The goal is for residents to be familiar with the diagnosis and management of head and neck pain patients and to learn the skills necessary to manage these patients and selected cases.

Aesthetic Dentistry

Aesthetic dentistry is broad in scope and encompasses all of the disciplines of dentistry. Esthetics is considered in all treatment planning. There is an emphasis on repair and reconstruction with esthetic materials and techniques. CAD/CAM construction of individual restorations is presented. Custom porcelain build up and staining are demonstrated and residents may develop these skills. The goal is that residents will assimilate all the knowledge and experience from other disciplines and be able to apply them in treatment planning to enhance the esthetic outcome of treatment.

Plastics and Reconstructive Surgery

Residents will rotate on the Plastics and Reconstructive Surgery Department service and function as one of their residents. The educational experience will include seeing patients in the ambulatory setting and accompanying the Plastics service to the OR and rounds, observing and participating as an assistant surgeon. Residents will participate in history and physical examinations, ordering and interpretation of laboratory results and images and consult with other services.

Goals include the development of skills in the management of children with craniofacial deformities and the prevention of dental disease in this population. An understanding of orthodontics, craniofacial growth and development and nutrition will also be gained from each resident's plastics and reconstruction experience. Residents will obtain and interpret a patient's chief complaint, history of present illness, medical, dental, family and cultural background, social histories, and review of systems. Residents will also obtain and interpret appropriate laboratory and radiographic data and additional diagnostic information through consultation with other health care providers. The goal is to be able to perform a history and physical examination and collect other data (historical, laboratory, radiographic, and clinical) to establish a diagnosis and formulate a risk assessment. The objective is for the resident to be come familiar with plastic surgery, manage hospital inpatients, work in the operating room as an assistant surgeon, learn and practice suturing and wound management, learn and practice the process of history and physical examination, admission and discharge.

Otolaryngology (ENT)

Dental residents will function as a member of the house staff of the Department of Otolaryngology and Bronchoesophagology (ENT) The educational experience will include working with ENT patients in the ambulatory setting and as inpatients. Resident will participate in clinic, OR, rounds and seminars and history and physical examination as the ENT residents do.

The goals is to allow residents to develop and refine skills in the clinical assessment of the head and neck region, understand the pathophysiology of common disease states in the head and neck region and increase their knowledge of disease processes and current treatment modalities. Residents will obtain and interpret a patient's chief complaint, history of present illness, medical, dental, family and cultural background, social histories, and review of systems, as well as obtain and interpret appropriate laboratory and radiographic data and additional diagnostic information through consultation with other health care providers. They will develop skills performing a history and physical examination and ordering, collecting and reviewing other data (historical, laboratory, radiographic, and clinical) to establish a diagnosis and risk assessment by participating in clinic and OR as an assistant surgeon.