M.S. and Certificate in Orthodontics

The goals of the Advanced Education Program in Orthodontics are to:

• To educate and train orthodontic residents to become highly proficient orthodontists who serve their patients and society with the utmost professionalism, reflecting positively on themselves, their training institution, and the orthodontic profession.
• To prepare orthodontic residents for potential academic careers in the field of orthodontics through comprehensive education and training.

Upon completion of this program, the graduate will have attained the following competencies:

• Administering patient-centered care tailored to effectively address malocclusion and promote optimal oral health.
• Demonstrating expertise in biomedical, dental, clinical, and epidemiological sciences, and applying this knowledge to both patient care and research endeavors.
• Conducting comprehensive assessments and evaluations of their patient cohort, rigorously evaluating and integrating scientific evidence.
• Exhibiting proficiency in interpersonal communication and patient behavior management, resulting in positive clinical outcomes.
• Demonstrating a commitment to upholding professional responsibilities, adhering to ethical principles, and displaying sensitivity to a diverse patient population.
• Engaging in collaborative efforts with other disciplines to deliver optimal patient care.
• Conducting research with a foundation in sound methodology.

The program in orthodontics is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation and has been granted the accreditation status of accredited without reporting requirements. The Commission is a specialized accrediting body recognized by the United States Department of Education. The Commission on Dental Accreditation can be contacted at (312) 440-4653 or at 211 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611. The Commission’s web address is www.ada.org/en/coda.

The 36-month program provides sufficient time for residents to complete the required Masters of Science degree in Orthodontics. It is mandatory for each resident to take and pass the written American Board of Orthodontics examination (Part II). Residents are also required to submit 6 completed cases in the American Board of Orthodontics (ABO) format for grading.  Completing the Part III clinical ABO examination while not required, is highly recommended. 

At all times, the faculty will place the quality of the education provided to the residents above all other considerations. The Department continually evaluates the program in both formative and summative ways. Each resident will be required to complete certain projects, which will count toward the grade he/she receives. They will also be required to treat a minimum number of patients and to present the records of these patients to a group consisting of faculty and fellow residents.

Travel opportunities for courses offered outside of the department's curriculum are encouraged and in some cases, required.  To broaden the learning experience, a medical teaching model is expected, whereby first, second, and third year residents work in teams in conjunction with the faculty.

Teaching is a required element for the program and helps many of our graduates prepare for full- and part-time teaching roles following graduation. Residents spend at least 3 hours per week (on a rotating basis) teaching the basics of orthodontics to junior and senior dental students.

Each resident must provide his or her own camera for use during the program. We would strongly advise you to purchase a suitable dental camera and learn how to use it in a clinical situation prior to beginning this orthodontic course.  

Record keeping is a legal requirement in all clinical disciplines and in this respect orthodontics is no different. Residents are required to document their work with each patient. 

The school monitors the infection control practices of students, faculty and staff.  Students, faculty and staff are required annually to complete mandatory infection control and compliance training via online course modules. 

Summer Orientation

The summer program is used to establish a solid foundation in the skills that residents will use throughout their program and career.  The first portion of the experience is a one-week technique course taught at an affiliated Orthodontics laboratory. The course consists of study model fabrication, laboratory appliance fabrication, 3D technology, diagnostic setups and development of other clinical skills. The second portion is the standard edgewise and multi-loop edgewise typodont course. This course prepares residents for the Tweed Technique course that they attend at the Tweed Foundation in Tucson, AZ.  Both experiences assure that, regardless of the varied orthodontic experiences obtained in their individual dental educations, each resident becomes similarly equipped prior to beginning the formal portion of their first year. At the conclusion of the summer program, residents participate in dental photography, impression, diagnosis and treatment planning, computer and internet technology and other clinically relevant seminars to prepare them for beginning clinical care.

First Year

The first year curriculum focuses primarily on foundational didactic courses and clinical experiences and secondarily on exposure to research topics and methodology. Approximately ten clinically relevant didactic courses are provided in the first year including clinical Cephalometrics, Growth and Development, and Biomechanics. The students also register for specific core courses to fulfill requirements of the Graduate School. Additionally, these courses are designed to prepare a clinician who has a sound foundation in biomedical sciences and who can continue to evolve and integrate novel findings in practice after graduation.  The students also begin their initial teaching experience serving as teaching assistants within the third year dental student laboratory course.

Second Year

The second year curriculum focuses on developing greater depth, breadth, and sophistication in didactic knowledge and clinical experience. Additionally, it is expected that students provide a progressively increased contribution to classes, such as ABO case presentations, Journal review, ABO review, Case transfer class, Aligner therapy, and Orthognathic surgery. This format requires that the students have a detailed knowledge and understanding in order to present the material, enhancing active learning and improving presentation skills.

Third Year

The overall objectives of the third year are to synthesize and refine the concepts learned on the principles and clinical practice of orthodontics and help develop a mature, competent and confident orthodontist.  As a reflection of their growing confidence and maturity, the students are expected to facilitate in leading class discussions and provide critiques of points that are raised. In addition to continuing to participate and present cases, the students make every attempt to complete as many cases as possible to the highest possible level. Each student must complete and defend a thesis in partial fulfillment of the Master’s program.  It is the current goal of the department that all residents be prepared to take the ABO Phase III clinical examination upon program completion.

Outline of the core and orthodontic curriculums

* Offered every other year

The UBSDM orthodontic clinic fills a number of educational and therapeutic functions:

• Provides the Western New York public with high-quality orthodontic care according to the standards demanded by the American Board of Orthodontics
• Enables orthodontic patients to receive treatment by the residents in the Orthodontic Department under the care of highly skilled specialist orthodontists
• Gives the residents a valuable opportunity to apply the latest treatment techniques while also providing the patients under their care with treatment that is of the highest caliber

The clinical course of instruction is designed to satisfy all of the requirements that make the orthodontic residents eligible for certification as specialist and diplomate with the American Board of Orthodontics.  The postgraduate residents admitted to the UBSDM orthodontic program are expected to demonstrate a high level of clinic proficiency and professionalism of the highest standard.

Each resident is assigned to one operatory. Operatories are situated so that a senior, junior, and first-year resident work in close proximity in order to facilitate the learning experience. Each resident starts a minimum of 50-55 cases during the first year of the program and accept over 25 transfer cases during their second and third year. The program director evenly distributes cases to residents based on type and complexity, and each case is assigned to a faculty member to oversee diagnosis, treatment planning, and efficient comprehensive care.

Residents are trained in the full spectrum of contemporary techniques with an emphasis on diagnosis and treatment planning. Among the techniques available are pre-adjusted edgewise appliances (both 0.018 and 0.022 slot size), removable appliances, customized lingual appliances, orthopedic appliances, in-office clear aligners, and temporary anchorage devices. Residents receive annual laser certification and have access to a Diode laser to perform routine procedures within the orthodontic clinic.

Residents gain in depth knowledge and become competent in treatment planning complex cases with multidisciplinary approaches in collaboration with multiple advanced education programs.

Twenty-one operatories equipped with a dental chair, high- and low-speed handpiece connections enable the department to have each resident assigned to a specific operatory. Much of the daily equipment and supplies are located within individual operatories for greater patient care efficiency.

To keep abreast of technology advancements, the clinic utilizes digital 3D intraoral scanning, 3D printing, soft tissue diode lasers, and cone-beam computed tomography. Also, a 3D dental benchtop scanner of study models for clinical and research purposes is available within the department.

A full-function orthodontic clinical laboratory, including an area for model fabrication and trimming room, is located near the clinic.

All residents are required to perform an approved, hypothesis-driven Master's research project and submit their work to the Graduate School in order to graduate with a Master of Science degree in Orthodontics. 

Residents in the program are eligible to apply for research travel awards.  The Dr. John J. Cunat Scholarship award supports travel for orthodontics residents presenting their work at national meetings.

The following theses were successfully defended by the Class of 2023:

2022-2023

Greater Buffalo Association of Orthodontists Resident Award
Ronald Lowe (1st)
Erik Gompers (2nd)
Laura Shim (3rd)

College of Diplomates of the ABO Resident Case Display, Honorable Mention
Erik Gompers

William W. Feagans Clinical Postgraduate Scholarship
Laura Shim

AAO Foundation Research Aid Award
John Baker
Ozge Colak

ADEA Section On Orthodontics Award
Ronald Lowe

NESO Resident Research Award
Elizabeth Lukens

WNY Dental Group Award
Ryan Koch

2021-2022

Greater Buffalo Association of Orthodontists Resident Award
Lubomyr Ravlyk (1^st)
M. Hussain Alzainal (2^nd)
Sukaynah Alawami (3^rd)

Finalist, William Proffit Resident Scholar AAO Award
Kimberly Fluger

Feagans Clinical Postgraduate Scholarship Award
Lubomyr Ravlyk

AAO Foundation Research Aid Award
Fatemah Husain
Ronald Lowe

125^th SDM Anniversary Essay Award
Fatemah Husain

WNY Dental Group Award
Lubomyr Ravlyk

2020-2021

Greater Buffalo Association of Orthodontists Resident Award
Afra Saleh (1st)
Mihai Urichianu (2nd)
Abdullah Albawardi (3rd)

AAO Foundation Research Aid Award
Kimberly Fluger

Feagans Clinical Postgraduate Scholarship Award
Mihai Urichianu

William Proffit Resident Scholar AAO Award
Moufida Abufarwa

2019-2020

Feagans Clinical Postgraduate Scholarship Award
Lamia Binhuwaishel
Stephanie Colaiacovo

WNY Dental Group Award
Al-Shaheen Youssef

125^th SDM Anniversary Essay Award
Lubomyr Ravlyk

2018-2019

Feagans Clinical Postgraduate Scholarship Award
Al-Shaheen Youssef

125^th SDM Anniversary Essay Award
Stephanie Colaiacovo

2017-2018

Feagans Clinical Postgraduate Scholarship Award
Kevin Kurtzner
Sarah Kaplan

2016-2017

Feagans Clinical Postgraduate Scholarship Award
Kevin Manzella
Paige Riddle

NESO Resident Research Award 
Khaled Taha

Sigma Xi/UB Chapter UB Graduate Student Research Award
Paige Riddle

2015-2016

Charley Schultz Resident Scholar AAO Award
Huiyan Guan

The Advanced Education overview page provides information about the Cost of Attendance.

The University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine Orthodontics Program accepts application materials through the American Dental Education Association, Postgraduate Application Support Service (PASS). This service enables applicants to send an original copy of most application materials to PASS for distribution to all the programs that the applicant selects. The department also participates in the Postdoctoral Dental Matching program (MATCH).

• Three Professional Evaluation Forms (PEFs) from academic faculty
• One Institutional Evaluation Form (IEF) (Dean’s letter if graduated from a dental school in US or Canada)
• Send forms to ADEA PASS (do not send directly to the school)

• Unofficial DDS transcripts or foreign equivalent; internationally trained candidates must provide a supplemental ECE or WES to accompany the transcript
  
• Send to ADEA PASS (do not send directly to the school)

• Report on the ADEA PASS Application
• An official score report is not required; a copy is sufficient
• Do NOT send score report directly to the school

In addition to the requirements listed above, please provide the following information on the ADEA PASS Application: