The residency program is organized to provide a graduated educational experience with increasing responsibility over the year. The training program consists of formal teaching and clinical experiences on assigned rotations.

The primary care concept of health care delivery with the team approach involving other health professionals and specialists in dentistry is stressed.

The program provides an essential service in the hospital, supplying services to such diverse departments as:

• Cardiovascular surgery
• Orthopedic surgery
• Hematology oncology
• Organ transplant
• Otolaryngology (with emphasis on patients with head & neck cancer)
• Radiation oncology
• Others with essential consultation services and delivery to dental care to those patients who are severely compromised

Patients are cared for in two primary locations: the main hospital dental clinic and the operating room. In addition, some patients are seen on the inpatient floor when the patient's condition warrants it.

In the Hospital Dentistry Clinic and while on the Oral Surgery rotation, residents will gain experience in a wide variety of dental procedures on predominantly adult patients, with an emphasis on direct restorations, endodontics, fixed and removable prosthodontics, simple and surgical tooth extractions, and implant planning, placement, and restoration. Residents will also gain extensive experience in utilizing digital workflows for prosthodontic cases.

In addition to the clinical work, the program is enhanced by monthly conferences, didactic courses, and journal club reviewing current literature.

As one of the largest university hospitals in the United States, University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics offers excellent educational and clinical opportunities for the resident.

1. To gain additional experience in providing comprehensive dental care to a variety of inpatient and outpatient populations in various hospital settings, such as the dental clinic, hospital wards, emergency and operating rooms.
2. To gain experience in providing dental treatment to medically complex patients.
3. Provide didactic and clinical experiences that enhance a resident’s diagnostic and treatment planning skills to meet the comprehensive dental needs of the patient, functioning as the primary care provider.
4. To gain proficiency in medical risk management, as it relates to dental treatment through development of history taking and physical diagnosis skills.
5. Educate the resident in different patient management techniques to competently select and utilize appropriate means of pain and anxiety control including oral and inhalation techniques.
6. Instill in the residents how they can provide community service byarranging and managing pre-operative and post-operative care for patients requiring treatment in the operating room setting.
7. To increase skills and knowledge in the management of medical emergencies and achieve certification in Advanced Cardiac Life Support skills.
8. To treat residents to function as a member of a multidisciplinary healthcare team and communicate with other health care professional team, for treating medically compromised patients.
9. To understand hospital administration, organization and delivery of care.
10. To increase resident’s ability to retrieve and critically review scientific literature.
11. To communicate and work effectively with all other healthcare professionals regarding care of patients.

Call for the residents is at-home call, and is every third weekday night and every third weekend. Primary call is taken by the E.R. staff and physicians, but in cases of trauma, infection, etc., the resident will be expected to come in to the E.R. to see the patient. In addition, phone calls to the hospital are triaged through the hospital's Integrated Call Center, so often times the residents will not have to answer unnecessary questions from patients. In addition, the GPR may be called in to assist with an Oral Surgery procedure, either in the E.R., clinic, or the operating room. 

Upon completion of the program, the resident will receive a certificate. The General Dentistry Residency Program is designed to prepare the general dentist to provide a wide range of comprehensive dental services to all types of patients, with an emphasis on the medically and physically compromised.

This program will cost $0 if completed within normal time. There may be additional costs for living expenses. These costs were accurate at the time of posting, but may have changed

Costs: There is no tuition cost for students; they are paid a stipend for the residency.

Alison Uhl, DDS

General Practice Residency Director
Hospital Dentistry Institute - 51371 PFP
University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics
200 Hawkins Drive
Iowa City, IA 52242
alison-uhl@uiowa.edu

Bassel Hanna, D.M.D.
University of Louisville School of Dentistry, 2024
University of South Florida-Tampa, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

L. Jake Kazma, D.D.S.
University of Iowa College of Dentistry, 2024
University of Iowa, Interdepartmental Studies-Health Science Track

Krishna Shah, D.D.S.
Marquette University School of Dentistry, 2024
Marquette University, Biological Sciences

David G. Gratton, DDS
Prosthodontics
Associate Professor