By the end of the MDS-EN program, graduate should be able to:

1. Implement basic and complex clinical/ practical procedures relevant to endodontics.
2. Critically discuss and interpret concepts, theories and contemporary knowledge relevant to endodontics.
3. Integrate different dental disciplines to produce good endodontic outcomes.
4. Design a research experiment efficiently, analyze results, and draw conclusions.
5. Apply professional and ethical attributes in consort with efficient practice management
6. Work in harmony with peers, support staff and teachers.
7. Implement professional skills and attitudes appropriate to a dentist aiming to establishing service to the community.
8. Critically analyze and develop evidence based responses and independent practice.
9. Collect and present information to a variety of audiences.

By the end of the program, the trainee should be able to:

1. Know the importance of to take a full medical and dental history of the patient suffering from endodontic problems related to pulp and the periapical area.
2. Know how to perform a careful and thorough clinical endodontic examination and know identify diseases and conditions of the pulp and periapical region.
3. Know how to interpret clinical, radiological and other special results needed in endodontic diagnostics
4. Know how to discuss endodontic problems with other dental, medical and surgical specialties in a multidisciplinary forum.
5. Know treatment of all kind of endodontic cases, endodontic surgical treatment and knows using endodontic operating microscope
6. Know how to manage trauma cases, regenerative endodontic techniques
7. Know how to manage post-operative problems and complications and pain
8. Able to take a full medical and dental history of the patient suffering from a condition in the oral, and dental area during the endodontic examination and can provide a careful and thorough clinical examination of the teeth which need endodontic treatment.
9. Schedule alternative treatment plans and discuss endodontic problems with other dental, medical and surgical specialties in a multidisciplinary forum.
10. treat and perform all kind of endodontic cases treatment also manage and perform endodontic surgical treatment while able to use endodontic operating microscope
11. Manage trauma cases and performs regenerative endodontic techniques
12. Manage post-operative problems and complications and pain and able to manage dental infections
13. Provide comprehensive medical, dental and endodontic examination
14. Assess and prepare patients endodontic and endodontic surgical procedures and treatments
15. Responsibly treat all sorts of endodontic problems.
16. Provide comprehensive management of the medically compromised endodontic patients.
17. Understand the comprehensive management of microbiological management of endodontic abscess and infections
18. Understand the role of the TMJ and occlusion and relation with endodontic cases.
19. Play the role as a leader in an oral and maxillofacial team and interactions with other dental, medical and surgical teams.
20. Take a full medical, dental and endodontic history of the patient suffering from an endodontically suffering tooth and can perform a careful and thorough clinical and radiograp-hical examination of the tooth, which requires endodontic treatment.
21. Identify diseases and conditions of the pulp and periapical area and oral environment and can interpret clinical, radiological and other special results needed in endodontic diagnosis.
22. Discuss endodontic problems with other medical and surgical specialties in a multidisciplinary forum.
23. Manage facial pain related endodontics and dento-alveolar infections in the field of endodontics.
24. Provide comprehensive management (surgical and non-surgical) of all kind of endodontic diseases and problems
25. Provide comprehensive management of the medically compromised endodontic patients.
26. Play the role as a leader in endodontic and dental team and interactions with other dental, medical and surgical teams.
27. Discuss medical, endodontic and restorative treatment options with other medical and dental specialties in a multidisciplinary forum and can manage learning tasks independently and professionally.
28. Take active leadership in a multidisciplinary team and can self-evaluate and take responsibility for contributing to professional practice and undertake regular professional development and/or further learning
29. Contribute to and observe ethical standard

Program Structure & Requirements

The program begins with basic medical sciences and relevant dental sciences courses that help build a core knowledge that enable the trainee to proceed for further endodontic education and training. Clinical experience includes non-surgical and surgical endodontic cases in different levels also use of dental operating microscope. Multidisciplinary team work and quality patient-care outcome in a safe environment remain as the main philosophy of training. The program has an overall 60% clinical component and 40% research, in the form of a short investigation leading to a thesis and theory component. Trainees shall also participate in relevant continuing professional development activities held at College of Dental Medicine, which are accredited by Royal College of Surgeons of England.

 

Academic Courses and Study Plan

Course List and Hour Distribution (All Courses Are Compulsory)

 
Contact Hours

The learning contact hours shown in these syllabi are hours spent during the five routine academic days from Sunday to Thursday.


Research project

The academic courses in Research Methodology I and II prepare the trainees in their research project work. Trainees are encouraged to embark onto a research project very early in their program. They will be well guided throughout the research activities through courses in Research Project I to IV in association with their appointed supervisor.  This course would enable them adopt an inquisitive mind and continue practice evidence-based medicine. Trainees must submit a thesis and publish a scientific paper which is directly related to their project.

The College of Dental Medicine support the trainees in its three multidisciplinary research clusters as follows:

• Dental Biomaterials and Biomimetics Research Group
  
• Wound Healing and Oral Diagnostic Research Group
  
• Oral Biofilm in Health and disease

Special Admission Requirements

1. A BDS degree from University of Sharjah or an equivalent qualification, with a GPA of 3.0 or above.  Candidates with GPA of between 2.5 and 2.9 may be given consideration.
2. A minimum of one-year post qualification work experience
3. English Language requirements: A minimum of 550 on paper based TOEFL or 6.0 on IELTS or its equivalence.
4. Applicants must attend an interview session and may be required to sit for a written and/or practical test.

Course Description

Pre-Clinical Endodontics
Clinical anatomy of the pulp chamber – the pulp chamber in different tooth groups, root canals and their number, configuration, shape, the apical foramen – special features, isolation of the operative field in endodontics – goals and purpose. Basic instruments and materials for isolation – types, characteristics, working techniques. Isolation of teeth with destroyed crowns – methods for approaching the problem. Endodontic access – goals. The endodontic access cavity in different tooth groups. Endodontic access – accessing the pulp cavity in the different teeth groups; stages, instruments. Contents of the pulp chamber. Removal of the contents, instruments. Accessing the root canal orifices in different tooth groups. Types of instruments for scouting of the root canals – description. Types of endodontic instruments for cleaning and shaping of the root canals – classification, standardization of the instruments. Hand instruments with for cleaning and shaping of the root canals – types, description, indications, working technique. Engine-driven endodontic instruments – characteristics, working techniques, advantages and disadvantages. Establishing of the working length – methods, critical analysis. Conventional technique for cleaning and shaping of the root canal system. Characteristics of the prepared root canal. Obturation of the root canal system – goals and conditions. Root canal filling materials – requirements, types. Root canal filling materials – soft non-setting pastes. Root canal filling materials – setting pastes. Hard root canal filling materials. Methods for root canal obturation with pastes – types, advantages and disadvantages will be thought and in the lab on extracted human teeth all practices will be completed prior to clinical trainings and all basics will be reviewed practically and the standardization of the students will be ensured.

This foundation course also covers clinical anatomy of the basic structures special features and isolation of the operative field in endodontics. Basic and engine-driven instruments and materials for isolation are also covered. Students will learn how to use operating microscope and exercise using the benchtop microscope in line to preparing the students to the clinics is the part of the course, improving their motor and visual skills is also one of the aim. During the preparation to the clinical applications, students will be prepared about differential diagnosis with short reminder lectures.

 

Clinical Endodontics (I-VI)
Clinical Endodontic Procedures and applications in simple and complex cases every level. Scopes the current best practices in endodontic diagnosis and treatment. Training updated and competent endodontists, who are sufficient, leader and innovative for endo treatment, able to explain the procedures and the philosophy and objectives for the scope of endodontics including vital pulp therapy, surgical and nonsurgical endodontics, traumatic dental injuries, intra-coronal bleaching (walking bleach), restoration of endodontically treated teeth, and post and core removal, retreatment and other clinical entities.

 

Seminar in Endodontics (I-VI)
Students will learn cutting edge information from the literature and will be able to review and correlate basic and endodontic science with clinical applications. Students will link didactic concept with practice and clinics based on the contemporary and updated sources and to be able to discuss the information and knowledge which given under the frame of the seminar sessions. During the seminar session where the class meets with the instructor, critical thinking is encouraged by reviewing in detail and analyzing the study designs, methods and materials along with the discussion and conclusion sections.

 

Investigation Leading to Thesis (I-II)
Find out a research topic, which leads student to research and his/her thesis to complete during the program and mentoring the students in the field of research towards to MSE thesis. This course is designed to introduce graduate students to critical thinking, research methodology related their research topic, and evidenced-based practice skills. Topics include basic assumptions and concepts of evidence-based practice, clinical and biomedical research, writing skills, and critical thinking.

 

Current literature Review (I-VI)
This seminar provides exposure to contemporary and cutting edge, as well as current scientific literature in various subject areas associated with endodontics as well as related sciences. Also time to time old and historically important literature will be reviewed related to the topics as essential and core literature. Periodic and critical abstracting of this literature is accomplished by seminar attendees in order to maintain a database of condensed, topic-oriented summaries. The knowledge of current professional literature is essential for its evidence-based value and helps to developing theoretical and practical patient management skills of the candidates. This course deals with literature review in Endodontics and related fields.

 

Case Presentation and Treatment planning (I-VI)
In this course, selected endodontic cases (at the beginning) and treatment plans of patients will be presented by the candidates, and critiqued by group. Later every and each case of the students will be reviewed throughout the 6 semesters of the program also the follow ups. The case presentations will help demonstrate acquired skills and knowledge in all phases of the history taking, examination, consultation and diagnosis, leading up to and including, treatment planning. Also, as much as the cases completed the results and outcomes will be shown by the students and will be discussed.

 

Advanced Treatment planning
In this course students will learn to plan and systematic approaches to treatment planning to their endodontic cases also by consulting with other related disciplines in order to determine restorability etc. treatment finalization systems in endodontics from diagnosis to complete the severe cases clinically.

 

Introduction to Basic Sciences in Dentistry
This foundation course in basic medical sciences shall be presented in an integrated manner covering growth and development, human anatomy and physiology, biochemistry and genetics and clinical pharmacology and therapeutics. It provides the students with advance understanding of development, structure and function of the oral tissues. Aspects of basic medical sciences shall help students focus on the development, structure and function of the tissues forming the oral cavity.

 

Pulp Biology
To review the latest developments in the field of pulp biology, particularly those elements of specific interest to clinical endodontists, whilst highlighting the importance of maintaining pulp vitality for healing capacity, however pulp biology is crucial for understanding pain and pain mechanism in daily routine, structure of pulp and the effect of these components to biologic life and reactions of the pulp and healing capacity and mechanisms in the pulp. In this course, students will learn basics of pulp biology for to be a fundament for "Advanced Biology of Dental pulp for Endodontist.

 

Research methodology & Biostatistic

Research methodology

This course will provide an opportunity for students to advance their understanding of research through critical exploration of research language, ethics, and approaches. The course introduces the language of research, ethical principles and challenges, and the elements of the research process within quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods approaches. Participants will use these theoretical underpinnings to begin to critically review literature relevant to their field of interests and determine how research findings are useful in forming their understanding of their clinical work and patient care.

 

Biostatistics
This didactic course is offered to all graduate students during the first year. It is given in a manner which progressively combines basic with intermediate level statistical concepts, definitions and methods commonly applied to research and data analysis. Topics covered include variables, frequency distributions, sampling, measure of central tendency, variance, and measure of dispersion, various statistical tests, analysis and probability. The course also includes introduction to computer application in dental sciences.

 

Advanced Biology of the Dental Pulp for Endodontist
Pulp anatomy and characterization of pulpal cells and their functions, their relations with daily clinical cases in the meaning of pain, infection, healing, immune reactions, defense mechanisms of the pulp, ultrastructure and biochemical events in the pulpal system, circulation and lymphatics of the pulp, dentinal tubules and the osmotic events in the pulp-dentin complex, pain theories and physiological effects on the pulp and their pathological transitions will be reviewed.

 

Surgical Endodontics
Essential concepts and current information necessary for a thorough knowledge of surgical endodontics. This course will describe surgical anatomy, principles of surgical soft and hard-tissue management, root-end management, guided tissue regeneration, surgical patient care before, during and after the procedures, dental materials, equipment and procedures to provide endodontic surgical procedures and recall.

 

Advanced Root Canal Preparation Techniques
Advanced preparation techniques and their philosophy i.e. apical to coronal and coronal to apical approaches, standardized, step-back, circumferential, anti-curvature, balanced force, pressure less crown down, double flare etc root canal preparation techniques manually and engine-driven systems, current concepts and new root canal preparation techniques and systems will be learned.

 

Advanced Root Canal Obturation Techniques
In this course different root canal obturation techniques i.e. lateral and vertical compaction, continuous wave, warm lateral, injection techniques, thermo-mechanical, carrier based, chemo-plasticized, custom cone, pastes, apical barrier and apexification techniques will be learned and also the new technologies related obturation of the root canals.

 

Pulp and Periapical Pathology
In this course pulpal and periapical pathologies, situations, diseases and their etiology, pathogenesis, and patho-physiology, biological relations, classifications, their treatment and clinical approach alternatives will be thought.



Endodontic Microbiology
In this course microbial flora of pulp and periapical tissues and the microbiologic relations of endodontic and periapical diseases, flare ups, poly-microbial infections in endodontics, smear-layer, biofilms in root canals will be thought

 

Pre-Clinical and Clinical Teaching in Undergraduate Program (I-VI)
Students will improve their teaching skills while teaching to undergraduate students and will be able to see more cases during their clinical teaching hours under the instruction of their instructors.

 

Pharmacology and Medicine in Clinical Endodontics
In this course, Endodontic Pharmacology and Medicine will be thought. Materials, solutions and medicine which used in endodontics to disinfect and sterilize the root canals and analgesics and anti-inflammatory and antibiotics which used to treat abscess and infections also the anesthetic solutions which used in endodontic approaches will be learned, their interactions, side-effects and problem solving related them also other related medicine and pharmacological topics will be learned.

 

Retreatment Methodologies
In this course indications and removal of obturation materials (i.e. gutta-percha, carrier based obturators, silver points, paste fillers) and removal of posts) will be thought. Rotary files, chemicals and solvents, ultrasonics, heat, hand-files, even laser use or their combination are used for removal of the previous obturation material. Solid material i.e. silver points or posts can be removed with ultrasonics and their vibration or other mechanical techniques or in combination with other sets like "Post Removal Systems". Methodology and strategies and the instruments of endodontic retreatment also will be thought.

 

Procedural Errors and Management
Teaching separated instrument removal and intra-canal perforation repairs in endodontic treatment. In many cases which require endodontic retreatment the separated instruments can be seen radiographically and many procedural errors clinically from the previous root canal treatment initiation. Perforations, zipping, ledges, elbows, apical transportations are seen many times during the endodontic re-treatments and treatments from the previous root canal treatment, also blockings in the root canals are other restricting and limiting factors. Repair of perforations are necessary also the blockings (calcifications) and the blocking objects must be tried to open and/or passed through or removed as much as possible. The objective of the course is improving the knowledge and theoretical information of the students in this topic.

 

Post Endodontic Restorations
Some teeth after root canal treatment has great structural loss and to be able to restore them post endodontic restorations are crucial. To be able to restore them cast and prefabricated post materials, ceramic, glass, zirconium and fiber posts and posting procedures, luting materials, post types and their comparison and how to preserve the teeth after root canal treatment and restore will be learned.

 

Regenerative Endodontics
The traditional concept of replacing diseased tooth/pulp tissues by inert materials (restoration) is being challenged by recent advances in pulp biology leading to regenerative strategies aiming at the generation of new vital tissue. New tissue formation in the pulp chamber can be observed after adequate infection control and the formation of a blood clot. However, differentiation of true odontoblasts is still more speculative, and the approach is largely limited to immature teeth with open apices. A more systematic approach may be provided by the adoption of the tissue engineering concepts of using matrices, suitable (stem) cells, and signaling molecules to direct tissue events. With these tools, pulp like constructs have already been generated in experimental animals. However, a number of challenges still remain for clinical translation of pulp regeneration (eg, the cell source [resident vs nonresident stem cells, the latter associated with cell-free approaches], mechanisms of odontoblast differentiation, the pulp environment, the role of infection and inflammation, dentin pretreatment to release fossilized signaling molecules from dentin, and the provision of suitable matrices). Transition as a process, defined by moving from one form of "normal" to another, is based not only on the progress of science but also on achieving change to established treatment concepts in daily practice. However, it is clear that the significant recent achievements in pulp biology are providing an exciting platform from which clinical translation of dental pulp regeneration can advance. In that course students will learn about the regenerative methods and the horizons we can go in that field based on the literature.

 

Geriatric Endodontics
We can define the population of the 21st century as "aging society". Especially in recent a few decades the life expectancy and the percentage of older population are increasing impressively in the world. To provide elder people good quality endodontic therapy to ensure them a better quality of oral health and overall to improve their life quality by saving their teeth with successful root canal therapy (RCT) is recently gaining importance in "gerodontology". "Geroendodontics" is becoming one of the trendy topics and a promising sub-branch of endodontics. Working with the increasing number of the individuals of "aging society" brings new challenges in clinical applications and approaches during daily routine of an endodontist. Besides the clinical aspects the demographic, social and economic points of the subject are also crucial to emphasize. The purpose of this course to emphasize and introduce demographic data about aging societies, background about geriatrics, physiological and histological changes in the pulp, teeth and mouth of older people, special clinical approaches to geriatric groups in endodontics, discussing about clinical challenges, clinical problems and their solving in elderly, treatment outcomes, potential clinical risks, discussing the effects of their general health problems to their endodontic therapy, case selection, treatment planning and the clinical strategies, patient-doctor-family (and/or social workers, institutes) collaboration and coordination in line of the treatment of geriatric patients.

 

Endo-Perio Relations
Pulpal-periodontal tissues interactions, endodontic-periodontic interrelationships, clinical considerations and treatment approaches, dento-alveolar unit and related that close interaction between pulp and periodontium etiology and treatment of endo-perio cases and the clinical manifestations will be learned.

 

Laser Use in Endodontics
Complete elimination of previous root canal filling material and debris from the root canal wall is essential for a successful retreatment in endodontics. Hand or mechanical instrumentation and sometimes subsonic and ultrasonic devices are used for endodontic treatments and retreatment. There are different methods nowadays available maybe less risky and safer and should be learned and become familiar. Lasers are introduced for this purposes also and they may have some advantages in comparing with the conventional techniques i.e. less risk of fracture and cracks on the dentinal walls, less clinical time and more efficient removal of the obturation materials from the root canals. In this course students will learn about laser use in endodontics, safety measures and related topics.

 

Imaging Techniques in Endodontics
The lecture-seminar format of teaching the course allows complementing didactic lectures or seminar topics with clinico-radiographic materials and radiological interpretations. The course provides the opportunity to refresh and add to their knowledge of radiation physics, radiation biology, hazards and protection, advanced imaging techniques and diagnostic oral radiology thereby enhancing clinical competence in their different specialties but mainly. Radiographic, CBCT and related imaging techniques which used in endodontics, endodontic radiology will be learned also reading endo related entities in the radiographs will be learned.

 

Multidisciplinary Treatment Planning I-II
In this course cases, special cases needing a complex periodontal-restorative and implant treatment, will be critically discussed by the group of all graduate students and instructors. The treatment will be coordinated so that the graduate students of different programs treat a patient according to the discussed and approved treatment plan.

 

Research Project (I-IV)
In this course, students are expected to search for a suitable research topic, and identify a suitable supervisor to take them through the research project. They shall be guided to perform a literature survey and identify key areas and research gaps in a particular clinical or science area.

The course enables students to generate research hypothesis and further introduce them to write a research proposal. They will also learn to request for relevant human ethics and animal ethics approval, and perform a preliminary research proposal presentation.

Graduate students are expected to work independently under the supervision and mentorship of their adviser once a well-designed research protocol of the student is approved. Original academic and independent critical approach, clear thinking, intellectual curiosity, thoroughness and accuracy in details are attributes which a graduate student should demonstrate in carrying out a research for the Master's degree thesis defense.

The student is assisted in achieving the above by the complementary roles of the specialty program director, the graduate committee of the Department and the approved research supervisor. The College of Graduate Studies has detailed the prescribed guidelines for the presentation of research prospectus and defense of thesis. A graduate student must comply with these guidelines.

 

Evaluation of the Cases During the Program
By evaluating and reviewing the cases during (throughout) the Master program (clinical cases during the 6 semesters of 3 years) understanding and evaluating the student performance and progress. All of cases which the students completed during the program will be evaluated with the students one by one before graduation and depending on the performance and progress evaluations and advisory comments will be given.

 

Research presentation (Presentation of the Master Thesis)
During this period of time students will present their research work as a kind of mock of thesis dissertation and necessary critiques and changes will be done. Research project will be ready for final dissertation jury. (at the end MDSE thesis dissertation will be completed and following the presentation in front of the jury necessary defense of the critics will be responded.

 

Research

Research is a critical component of the endodontic education and training.

The students shall be introduced to the concepts of research, creativity and innovations during the program. It begins with the series of lectures and discussions on Research Methodology and followed by Biostatistics. This shall help develop student's skills on literature survey, understanding various study designs and critical appraisal of the scientific journal articles, analyzing scientific data and exploring research gaps, and finally building research hypothesis.

Classes on "scientific writing" shall support students in creative writing, enabling them to project their ideas in a systematic evidenced-based manner.

Students then develop their Research Proposal at the beginning of Second Year, get it approved by the relevant Research Ethics Committee and begin their experiment or field work, later part of Semester three. They are expected to spend 6 to 9 months in data collection and analysis and spend the later part of semester 5 in their writing-up. At this stage, students are expected to have produced a poster abstract or an oral presentation at a Scientific Meeting. The thesis must be completed and submitted by the middle of Semester 6 for evaluation by external examiners. At this final stage, students are expected to have written a manuscript for publication in a scientific or professional journal. The thesis defense will be done at the end Semester 6 in conjunction with the Final Exit Examination.