Advanced Implantology

Curriculum

The basic curriculum is augmented by the availability of graduate and predoctoral dental courses, which may be audited by the qualified preceptor, allowing each participant to customize his/her experience. Preceptors will find a very dynamic form of education that does not focus on the dogmatic lecture hall presentation, but instead follows a more intimate seminar-type atmosphere that encourages a cutting-edge exchange of ideas. The education attained is limited only by the participant’s willingness to seek out the experiences he/she desires.

A seasonal breakdown of the focus areas of the curriculum has been established. However, as implantology is an extremely dynamic and rapidly changing field, literally each week and even every day will bring new material to the participants.

This precludes the course administrator’s ability to provide exact expectations of what and when specific topics will be covered. It is felt that a real-time, patient-based treatment experience should drive the education, as is found with the prosthodontic surgical treatment planning conferences. These conferences provide an exciting opportunity to discuss the formulation of patient treatment plans with world-renowned authorities and allow a real-time evaluation and debate over the merits of the treatment modalities employed. Preceptors will also have the opportunity to photograph selected cases in progress to provide a personal record of the current treatment techniques utilized.

An additional feature of this program is the unique opportunity it provides its participants to interact with a broad spectrum of researchers in the Weintraub Center for Reconstructive Biotechnology. Innovative research on biology, gene therapy, cellular response to biomaterials, and evaluation of outcomes of prosthodontic research is ongoing in the center. The research enterprise at the UCLA School of Dentistry provides an innovative, collaborative environment where our preceptors can conduct research under the mentorship from leaders in the field. All preceptors are required to be involved in a research project during their training on impactful topics, including CAD/CAM, dental materials, bioengineering, bone biology, and prosthodontics.