Home

SDM Programs Esthetic, Digital & Operative Dentistry CAGS in Esthetic, Digital & Operative Dentistry

Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study (CAGS) in Esthetic, Digital & Operative Dentistry

The Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study (CAGS) in Esthetic, Digital & Operative Dentistry program offers advanced education in the conceptual, biological, and practical components of operative, esthetic, and digital dentistry.

The program includes training in basic sciences, biomaterials, lecture presentation, research methods, and the clinical aspects of restorative dentistry. Initial activities include lectures, seminars, and preclinical training with special emphasis on resin and porcelain systems.

The clinical component of the program emphasizes diagnosis and treatment planning, periodontal health, esthetic dentistry, and conventional and implant restorative procedures. Students will also have the opportunity to utilize the latest technology of CAD/CAM units and restorations. The program includes didactic and laboratory experiences that incorporate digital diagnostic and treatment planning techniques to provide comprehensive clinical treatment.

Graduates of this program will be well positioned to become leaders in the continued development and integration of digital techniques as a routine aspect of comprehensive patient care.

The Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study (CAGS) in Esthetic, Digital & Operative Dentistry requires a minimum of 24 months of full-time enrollment.

*The advanced Esthetic, Digital & Operative Dentistry program is not an ADA-recognized specialty.

Learning Outcomes

Students will be proficient in:

Esthetic, digital, and operative dentistry.
Patient assessment, diagnosis, comprehensive treatment planning, patient management, and evaluation of progress and outcomes of treatment.
The design and fabrication of CAD/CAM, fixed, and removable restoratives.
The replacement of teeth using fixed and dental implants.
Surgical placement planning for implants and fabrication of surgical guides.
The integration of basic scientific concepts and clinical dentistry to provide a diagnosis that considers patients’ biological and psychosocial needs, including those of patients who are medically compromised and/or have special needs.
The promotion of oral and systemic health and disease prevention.
The application of ethical reasoning and decisionmaking, and professional responsibility, related to academia, research, patient care, and practice management.
The review of relevant scientific literature.
Requesting, and responding to requests for, consultations from physicians and other healthcare providers.

Curriculum

Didactic Requirements (38.50 units)

SDM EN 820 Endodontics and Pulpal Therapy for the General Practitioner
SDM OP 803 Seminar: Operative Dentistry
SDM OP 806 Digital Dentistry in Prosthodontics and Restorative Science
SDM OP 835 Advanced Laboratory CAD/CAM Restoration
SDM OP 915 Literature Review: Esthetic, Digital, and Operative Dentistry
SDM OP 916 Literature Review–Esthetic, Digital, and Operative Dentistry
SDM OS 761 Medical Concerns of the Dental Patient
SDM OS 828 Anxiety and Pain Control
SDM OS 831 Head and Neck Anatomy
SDM PA 801 Oral Pathology
SDM PE 764 Current Concepts in Periodontology
SDM PE 827 Applied Dental Pharmacology
SDM PH 763 Bioethics and Law
SDM PR 761 Occlusion
SDM PR 804 Case Presentation and Patient Care Conference
SDM PR 810 Case Presentation and Patient Care Conference
SDM PR 812 Prosthodontic Seminar and Literature Review
SDM PR 825 Postdoctoral Biomaterials
SDM PR 828 Esthetic Dentistry
SDM PR 844 Implantology Literature Review
SDM PR 845 Implantology Topics
SDM PR 852 Implantology Topics for the General Practitioner

Preclinical and Clinical Requirements (18.25 units)

SDM OP 807 Preclinical Technique
SDM OP 912 Clinical Esthetic, Digital, and Operative Dentistry I
SDM OP 913 Clinical Esthetic, Digital, and Operative Dentistry II
SDM PR 750 Preclinical Restorative

Completion is not tracked by unit accumulation but by successful completion of individual courses and duration requirements.

Combined CAGS with Master of Science in Dentistry (MSD) or Doctor of Science in Dentistry (DScD)

Students enrolled in a combined program must successfully complete the requirements for both the CAGS and either the MSD or DScD:

The combined CAGS with Master of Science in Dentistry (MSD) requires a minimum of 36 months of full-time enrollment.
The combined CAGS with Doctor of Science in Dentistry (DScD) requires a minimum of 60 months of full-time enrollment.

The MSD or DScD program includes a research project, thesis and defense, or dissertation and defense. Research may be conducted before or after the clinical CAGS program, based on recommendations from the department chair and/or program director. Additional coursework may be assigned at the discretion of the research advisor and department chair.

Completion is not tracked by unit accumulation but by successful completion of individual courses and duration requirements.

Benefits

Personal Days

Students will be given a maximum of ten (10) personal days. These may be used for board exams, interviews, religious holidays, etc. There are no sick days. If a student is out due to illness, personal days will be deducted.

Holidays

There are 12 University-recognized holidays during which the school is closed.

Winter Intersession

Between the first and second terms there is an approximate two-week vacation for students. This usually begins mid-December and lasts until the first week of January.

Clinic Schedule

The clinic is open Monday through Friday from 9 am to 5 pm and Monday through Thursday 5 pm to 7 pm. Students are scheduled in the clinic for a total of 40 hours with a rotating evening schedule. Students are currently required to work four days from 9 am to 5 pm and one day from 11 am to 7 pm. This schedule is subject to change. A student’s assigned clinic schedule will be influenced by academic classes, which can be scheduled before clinic hours (8–9 am), during clinic hours, or after clinic hours (until 7:30 pm).

Application Process Guidelines

Applicants will be reviewed by the director and the chairperson, who will decide whether the candidate will be selected for interview.

The applicant, if selected for interview, will meet with the program director and the chairperson of the department for interview.

All applications must be received by December 1 of the previous calendar year. All applications must be submitted through PASS.

The qualifications that the program is looking for include the following:

High GPA
High class standing
Four letters of recommendation including a letter from the dean of your dental school and three letters from clinical faculty
Clinical grades
Past clinical experience
Board scores are encouraged but not required

Additional Information

English Proficiency Requirement for International Applicants: TOEFL

International applicants must be proficient in the English language. Applicants whose first language is not English must submit a recent TOEFL score (TOEFL scores must be no more than two years old).

English Proficiency Requirements for Massachusetts Limited License

For Massachusetts licensure, if the student’s dental degree is from a school where instruction (written or oral) was in a language other than English, documentation of a TOEFL score or the Academic Format International English Language Testing System (IELTS) score must be submitted with the license application. The minimum Academic Format IELTS score acceptable for licensure in Massachusetts is 7.0. English proficiency requirements for licensure are different from Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine requirements. Results from IELTS will be considered for Massachusetts licensure, but IELTS is not accepted for program admissions consideration. The TOEFL is required for Boston University admissions consideration.

Higher TOEFL scores are required to obtain a Massachusetts Limited License than for admission. A Massachusetts Limited License is necessary for rotations at affiliated sites.

For Massachusetts licensure, the minimum overall TOEFL score is 90 on the internet-based exam (iBT), or 577 on the paper-based exam (TOEFL PBT). Furthermore, if a student has achieved an overall score of 90 but one of the TOEFL sections is deficient, the student will need to retake the TOEFL.

For licensure, the minimum overall iBT score is 90 and the minimum scores on the iBT sections are:

25 Written
24 Spoken
21 Reading
17 Listening

US Social Security Number

If accepted into the Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study in Esthetic, Digital, and Operative Dentistry, you must obtain a US Social Security number prior to the start of the program.

Boston University Academics

Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study (CAGS) in Esthetic, Digital & Operative Dentistry

Contact

Learning Outcomes

Curriculum

Didactic Requirements (38.50 units)

Preclinical and Clinical Requirements (18.25 units)

Combined CAGS with Master of Science in Dentistry (MSD) or Doctor of Science in Dentistry (DScD)

Benefits

Personal Days

Holidays

Winter Intersession

Clinic Schedule

Application Process Guidelines

Additional Information

English Proficiency Requirement for International Applicants: TOEFL

English Proficiency Requirements for Massachusetts Limited License

US Social Security Number

Beyond the Bulletin

Terms of Use

Accreditation

Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study (CAGS) in Esthetic, Digital & Operative Dentistry

Contact

Learning Outcomes

Curriculum

Didactic Requirements (38.50 units)

Preclinical and Clinical Requirements (18.25 units)

Combined CAGS with Master of Science in Dentistry (MSD) or Doctor of Science in Dentistry (DScD)

Benefits

Personal Days

Holidays

Winter Intersession

Clinic Schedule

Application Process Guidelines

Additional Information

English Proficiency Requirement for International Applicants: TOEFL

English Proficiency Requirements for Massachusetts Limited License

US Social Security Number

Related Bulletin Pages

Beyond the Bulletin

Terms of Use

related websites

Accreditation