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UW School of Dentistry

course-department: pedo

Pediatric Denstistry/Orthodontics

DENTCP 684

Dental Curriculum Threads

Pediatric Dentistry Clinic

Course Director(s): Anna Forsyth
Credits: 3 (Earned over three quarters)
Quarters/Yr of Program: Autumn, Winter, Spring / 3

Course Overview

Students develop foundational skills in preventing, diagnosing, and planning treatment for pediatric dental patients. The course focuses on delivering comprehensive care at a beginner level, within the scope of general dentistry.

Learning Objectives

The student who successfully completes this course will be able to:

  1. Diagnose treatment needs for pediatric patients.
  2. Demonstrate charting medical and dental information relevant to pediatric patient care.
  3. Prescribe radiographic images of pediatric patients following AAPD guidelines.
  4. Interpret radiographic images of pediatric patients.
  5. Practice caries risk assessment according to AAPD guidelines.
  6. Provide individualized patient anticipatory guidance according to AAPD guidelines.
  7. Provide non-pharmacologic behavior management for pediatric patients following the AAPD guidelines.
  8. Demonstrate diagnosis and treatment planning of dental care for pediatric patients with special care needs.
  9. Complete accurate and timely chart documentation and record-keeping.

UWSOD Competencies: C-06, C-04, C-15, C-07, C-14, C-12, C-13, C-11, C-3

Date last updated: 2026-10-06

PEDO 652

Pediatric Dentistry Off-Site Clinical Rotation

Credits: 3
Course Directors: Rachel Greene
Quarters/Yr of Program: Summer, Autumn, Winter, Spring / 4

Course Overview

2-week clinical rotation at the Sea Mar White Center Dental Clinic, during which students treat pediatric patients under supervision by a calibrated pediatric dentist. Participants will increase the number and diversity of pediatric dental procedures performed, practice four-handed dentistry in a pediatric community health setting, and be exposed to a diverse population of underserved pediatric patients.

Learning Objectives

  1. Perform pediatric dental care.
  2. Demonstrate high standards of professionalism with patients, colleagues, staff and the community.
  3. Utilize effective 4-handed dentistry in a pediatric setting.
  4. Describe public health models for pediatric dental care.
  5. Describe challenges in providing care to pediatric patients in an underserved community.

Last updated: 2022-12-14

PEDO 655

Peer Mentor – Pediatric Dentistry – Selective

Course Director: Various
Selective # of Credits: 1
Quarters/Yr of Program: Spring / 4

Course Overview

Fourth-year dental students participate as peer mentors, guiding second-year dental students through simulation exercises on pediatric typodonts. Opportunity for fourth-year students to serve as mentors and enhance their own knowledge of pediatric restorative dentistry.

Learning Objectives

At the end of the course, students will be able to:

  1. Demonstrate use of rubber dam isolation.
  2. Demonstrate sealant application.
  3. Demonstrate pediatric restorative techniques: composite, SSC.
  4. Demonstrate pulpotomy on primary molar.
  5. Provide constructive feedback on learners’ clinical skills.
  6. Demonstrate professional and ethical teaching behavior.
  7. Perform calibrated preclinical project grading according to establish rubrics.

Date last updated: 2022-12-14

PEDO 651

Medically Complex Pediatric Patient Care – Selective

Course Director: Anna Forsyth
Credits: 1
Quarters/Yr of Program: Summer / 4

Course Overview

Elevates clinical management skills for pediatric dental patients with special healthcare needs. Students assist, observe, and provide clinical care to pediatric patients with medically complex conditions.

Learning Objectives

At the completion of this course, students will be able to:

  1. Perform basic Review of Systems for a dental patient.
  2. Modify dental treatment plans according to individualized patient special healthcare needs.
  3. Describe clinical features of patients with trisomy 21, autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, and congenital cardiac malformations.
  4. Identify patients requiring infective endocarditis prophylaxis.
  5. Prescribe infective endocarditis prophylaxis for pediatric patients.
  6. Describe the use of patient stabilization according to AAPD best practice guidelines.

Date last updated: 2022-12-14

DENTPC 586

Dental Curriculum Threads

Introduction to Pediatric Dentistry

Course Director: Travis Nelson
Credits: 2
Quarters/Yr of Program: Spring / 2

Course Overview

Using lectures and laboratory sessions, this course introduces students to the main clinical aspects of pediatric dentistry. By the end of the course, students will have a basic understanding of pediatric dentistry and be ready to provide clinical pediatric dental care in the pediatric dentistry clerkship.

Learning Objectives

At the end of the course, students will be able to:

  1. Describe the role of pediatric dentistry in the overall well-being of children.
  2. Identify the types of behavior guidance in pediatric dentistry.
  3. Describe effective communication with families, including professional awareness of diversity and cultural competency.
  4. Describe care modifications and accommodations used to provide dental care for children with special healthcare needs.
  5. Explain the risk factors for early childhood caries.
  6. Describe current guidelines for fluoride therapy.
  7. Describe the evidence-based use of pit and fissure sealants.
  8. Describe the chronology of the development of human dentition.
  9. Describe the concepts for the use of space maintenance.
  10. Demonstrate basic concepts of cavity preparation in the primary dentition.
  11. Describe indications for rubber dam utilization in pediatric dentistry.
  12. Describe the restorative dental materials in pediatric dentistry.
  13. Describe the indications for use of stainless-steel-crown procedures in primary teeth.
  14. Explain the use of pulp therapy in the primary dentition.
  15. Determine how to use local anesthesia safely for pediatric patients.
  16. Explain prevention and treatment of traumatic injuries in the primary dentition.
  17. Demonstrate the technique of preparing a stainless-steel crown.
  18. Demonstrate clinical preparation of primary molar pulpotomy. 19. Calculate dosages of medications used in dentistry for pediatric patients.

UWSOD Competencies: C-10, CE-02, C-03, CE-06, C-06, C-05, C-11, C-30, C-12, C-13, C-31, C-16, C-17, C-04, C-08, C-15, C-18, C-26, C-19, C-23, C-27

Date last updated: 2025-03-11