Dental Classes and International Dental Classes
Adopted by Faculty Council February 6, 2003

The clinical dental program of the UCSF School of Dentistry is dedicated to the delivery of comprehensive care to the many patients presenting for treatment at the Student Dental Practice on Parnassus Avenue and its satellite clinics. Clinical courses complement the didactic curriculum throughout the four years of education, and provide patient care experiences for a range of dental needs from simple to advanced in complexity. The goal of the clinical program is to produce competent new graduate dentists who have developed a satisfactory level of professional demeanor, patient management skills, diagnostic and technical excellence, and the ability to assess outcomes of care for child, adult, and geriatric patients.

The faculty have defined and approved 16 competencies that each student must demonstrate in order to graduate. These statements represent broad levels of academic and clinical achievement, measured by specific faculty evaluations and written and clinical examinations at various times during the academic program. These fundamental competencies, in the mind of the faculty, prepare the graduate for success with licensing examinations and the practice of general dentistry.

UCSF School of Dentistry Clinical Competency Statements

The UCSF School of Dentistry graduate is competent to:

1. Demonstrate ethical and professional behavior in interactions with patients and colleagues.

2. Follow universal infection control guidelines in all clinical procedures.

3. Evaluate medical status of patients and determine their ability to tolerate treatment.

4. Communicate with and educate patients in ways that are both knowledgeable and effective.

5. Determine need for, order, obtain, and interpret appropriate radiographs and apply oral and maxillofacial radiology safely and effectively.

6. Evaluate, diagnose, and develop treatment and/or referral plans appropriate to the unique characteristics of each patient.

7. Develop appropriate differential diagnoses and diagnostic plans for management of oral diseases of the dentition, jaw, oral mucosa, and salivary glands, and treat and refer as necessary.

8. Diagnose the dental disease of child and adolescent patients and provide prevention, monitoring, treatment, and referral as necessary.

9. Provide adult caries management including prevention and appropriate intracoronal and extracoronal restoration.

10. Diagnose endodontic disease and provide systematic evaluation, case selection, non-surgical treatment, and referral as necessary.

11. Diagnose periodontal disease and provide systematic evaluation, non-surgical treatment, and referral as necessary.

12. Diagnose malocclusions and provide monitoring, treatment, and referral as necessary.

13. Diagnose partial edentulism and provide fixed or removable prostheses, and referral as necessary.

14. Diagnose the indications for dentoalveolar surgery and provide treatment and referral as necessary.

15. Provide appropriate level of pain and anxiety control in comprehensive dental care.

16. Assess the outcomes of comprehensive dental care in the student dental practice.