New periodontology graduate program - a first for Alberta

Patients coming to the School of Dentistry's dental clinic will now be able to receive treatment from periodontology residents thanks to the newly created Periodontology Graduate program.

A first for Alberta, the new program will have a masters and doctoral stream available for dentists to enroll in. With his first four graduate students starting in September, professor and head of the periodontology division Liran Levin says that adding this new program will also benefit both patients and undergraduate students.

"From the patient-care perspective, this is a very important step for the school," says Levin, "Patients will now be able to have specialty-level periodontology treatment right in the dental school clinic."

The graduate program streams are designed for current dentists who want to specialize in this field. Using the latest techniques for diagnosing and treating periodontal disease, residents will treat complex and advanced cases, along with being specifically trained in periodontal (gum) surgeries, the placement and repair of dental implants, and bone-related surgeries.

"Until now a dentist had who wanted to specialize in periodontology had to go somewhere else and train. This will be a great learning opportunity for our current undergraduate students as well. They will learn how to treat advanced periodontal disease alongside and in collaboration with a specialist," says Levin. "As well as shadow complex cases of periodontal surgeries, bone grafting, implant placement, treating peri-implant diseases and more."

Levin says he is looking forward to collaborating and building relationships with community dentists. "Dentists will be able to refer patients to us and our residents will work in collaboration with them on periodontology and dental implant cases," he says.