Dental General Practice Residency

Residents' salaries are established annually. Dental jackets, scrubs and laundry services are furnished by the medical center. Residents are eligible to enroll in medical and life insurance programs, as well as the Thrift Savings Plan. They are allowed fifteen days of annual leave for vacation and other personal business, such as board examinations and interviews. In addition, official leave may be approved to attend professional meetings and continuing education courses. Any tuition or travel costs are the responsibility of the resident. Annual and official leave is granted at the discretion of the Chief, Dental Service, contingent upon of patient care needs. Leave must be requested at least 45 days in advance except in cases of emergency.

The dental clinic was built in 2009 and consists of 19 conventional operatories.  Five of the operatories are used by dental hygiene students to treat patients.  All operatories are equipped with computers and digital radiography.  Our staff includes six full-time staff dentists, four dental residents, twelve dental assistants, five dental lab technicians and three hygienists.

All dentists, including residents, are considered available and responsible for the care and welfare of their patient's 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. The residents normally are on duty from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on weekdays and for such other periods as may be necessary for the care of patients, academic course work and staff meetings.

Residents are on call every fourth week via a VA issued pager.  Staff is available for consultation on after hours calls.

All applicants should meet the following requirements:

1. Be a citizen of the United States and a graduate of a dental school accredited by the American Dental Association.
    
2. Meet the licensure requirements necessary to be licensed to practice in a state or territory of the United States, or in the District of Columbia.

The VA Salt Lake City Healthcare System is committed to a program of equal opportunity.  Selection of residents is made without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, age or sexual orientation.

Candidates interested in the program apply through the Postdoctoral Application Support Service of the American Association of Dental Schools (PASS).  In addition, applicants are required to submit directly to the program an official copy of their undergraduate transcripts and a 2 x 2 self photo.

Following receipt of these items, selected applicants will be invited for a personal interview.  Applicants will not be considered for admission without an interview.  An evaluation of all application materials and the personal interview will determine which applicants will be selected for admission to the program.

This program no longer participates in the Postdoctoral Dental Matching Program (the “Match”). Acceptance offers to competitive candidates will be made throughout the interview process until all available positions are filled.

This program is a participant in the Postdoctoral Application Support Service of the American Association of Dental Schools (PASS). To initiate your application to any of the programs participating in PASS, send for an application packet at the following address:

PASS
1625 Massachusetts Ave N.W. Suite 600
Washington, D.C.  20036-2212

Phone: 800-353-2237 or
202-667-1887

Website: http://www.adea.org

1. To provide training and experience in comprehensive, multidisciplinary healthcare at a level of skill and complexity beyond that accomplished in predoctoral training for a variety of patients, including patients with special needs.
2. To develop effective and competent practitioners.
3. To develop general dentists who are able to manage the oral health needs of ambulatory and nonambulatory patients in a hospital setting.
4. To provide opportunities and encourage dental residents to participate in community service.

1. Improve the resident’s ability to act as the primary oral health care provider within the scope of their training.
2. Improve the resident’s ability to provide emergency oral health care.
3. Improve the resident’s ability to provide multidisciplinary comprehensive oral health care.
4. Improve resident’s ability to obtain informed consent.
5. Improve the resident’s ability to function effectively within interdisciplinary health care teams, including consultation and referral.
6. Improve the resident’s ability to provide patient-focused care that is coordinated by the general practitioner.
7. Improve the resident’s ability to direct health promotion and disease prevention activities.
8. Improve the resident’s ability to use advanced dental treatment modalities as defined by the program.
9. Improve the resident’s ability to assess, diagnose and plan for the provision of multidisciplinary oral health care for a wide variety of patients including patients with special needs and the medically compromised.
10. Improve the resident’s ability to manage the delivery of patient-focused oral health care.
11. Improve the resident’s ability to restore single teeth beyond a level of that accomplished in predoctoral training, with state of the art materials and methods.
12. Improve the resident’s ability to restore/replace teeth with fixed prosthodontics beyond the level of that accomplished in predoctoral training, using state of the art materials and methods.
13. Improve the resident’s ability to replace teeth with removable prosthodontics beyond the level of that accomplished in predoctoral training, using state of the art materials and methods.
14. Improve the resident’s ability to diagnose, treat and manage periodontal disease beyond the level of that accomplished in predoctoral training.
15. Improve the resident’s ability to perform oral surgery of the hard and soft tissues at a level beyond that accomplished in predoctoral training.
16. Improve the resident’s ability to provide endodontic treatment beyond the level of that accomplished in predoctoral training using state of the art material and methods.
17. Improve the resident’s ability to evaluate and treat dental emergencies at a level beyond that accomplished in predoctoral training.
18. Improve the resident’s ability to provide pain and anxiety control utilizing behavioral and pharmacological techniques at a level beyond that accomplished in predoctoral training.
19. To provide training to ensure the resident is able to manage medical emergencies.
20. To provide training to ensure the resident is able to manage dental implants.
21. To provide training to ensure the resident is able to manage oral mucosal diseases.
22. To provide training to ensure the resident is able to manage temporomandibular disorder and orofacial pain.
23. To provide training to ensure the resident is able to manage occlusal disorders.
24. To provide training to ensure the resident is able to perform thorough physical evaluation and medical assessment.
25. To provide training to prepare resident for practice management.
26. To provide training to ensure the resident is able to manage inpatients and same-day surgery patients.
27. To provide resident with experience in critical review of relevant scientific literature.
28. To provide training to improve the resident’s ability to demonstrate the application of the principles of ethical reasoning, ethical decision making and professional responsibility as they pertain to the academic environment, research, patient care, and practice management.