Prosthodontics and Operative

Division of Prosthodontics

Division Head, Nopsaran Chaimattayompol, DMD, MPH

The Division of Prosthodontics is responsible for educating predoctoral students to be competent in treatment and management of patients whom require comprehensive diagnosis, treatment plan and sequence of treatment in general prosthodontic therapy commonly found in general dental practices. The Division's curriculum includes the following:

• Biomaterial Sciences
• Occlusion
• Fixed Prosthodontics
• Removable Partial Dentures
• Complete Dentures
• Implant Prosthodontics

Educational Program

The Division of Prosthodontics has 13 full-time and 4 part-time faculty who are trained prosthodontists, and 22 part-time faculty who are general dentists with extensive clinical skills and knowledge in prosthodontics, advanced restorative and esthetic dentistry.

Our dental education programs are extensively involved in the following areas:

• Didactic
• Preclinical
• Clinical
• Workshops
• Seminars
• Small group discussion/demonstration
• Laboratory
• Diagnosis and treatment planning sessions

The curriculum is centered in biologic diseases, treatment modalities in prosthodontics which include (fixed, removable partial denture, complete denture, implant prosthodontics and esthetic dentistry) and its delivery within the limitation of available biomaterial support, and patient management. Our programs stimulate students to apply knowledge gained from other courses for preclinical problem solving during their preclinical studies as well as clinical problem solving throughout their clinical junior and senior years.

Our division also provides care for patients who suffer from missing teeth with the state-of-the-art implant supported fixed prosthesis and two-implants assisted complete overdenture. Predoctoral students will have a great opportunity to perform diagnosis and treatment planning, sequence of treatment, assisting surgeon during implant surgery, performing implant prosthodontic therapy under close faculty supervision and post-treatment recare program in implant dentistry.

Our program's central location is a key contributor to the unlimited number of patients we attract. In addition to convenient access, it is located adjacent to Tufts-New England Medical Center, a major Tufts University Medical School affiliation.

See the list of Prosthodontics Faculty.

Courses, Seminars and Workshops

Biomaterial
Preclinical Fixed Prosthodontics
Preclinical Removable Prosthodontics I (Complete Denture)
Preclinical Removable Prosthodontics II (Removable Partial Denture)
Preclinical Implant Dentistry
Occlusion
Prosthodontics and Operative Dentistry
Porcelain Esthetic Dentistry Seminar
Manikin Fixed Partial Denture Workshop
Interdisciplinary Seminar
Postgraduate Prosthodontics Workshop
Clinic
Prosthodontic Seminar
Form and Function Workshop
Research Activities

Biomaterial

Course Director: Dr. Ekaterini Antonellou

Course Duration: Freshman and sophomore year

The Biomaterial Course is designed to provide background knowledge of biomaterials science and technology relevant to dentistry. It will consist of a series of lectures on dental biomaterials including their structure, physico-chemical and mechanical properties. It will also focus on applications in dentistry, advantages and disadvantages and material evaluation and selection. In an effort to present biomaterials as an applied science, the course will be presented over two academic years.

back to top

Preclinical Fixed Prosthodontics

Course Director: Dr. Ekaterini Antonellou

Course Duration: Twice a week from September to April.

Presented in year two of Preclinical Studies, the course involves a detailed study of Fixed Prosthodontic techniques for the first year student.

The course includes preparation and restoration of teeth needing full coverage i.e., crowns and replacement of missing teeth with Fixed Prosthesis i.e., bridges utilizing All Ceramic and Porcelain/Metal restorations.

Treatment and Restoration of Endodontically treated teeth is emphasized in the latter part of the course based on proven evidence-based information.

Students learn to write laboratory prescriptions prior to sending cases out to a professional laboratory for processing.

back to top

Preclinical Removable Prosthodontics I (Complete Denture)

Course Director: Dr. David Hern

Course Duration: Meets once a week from January to March.

This is the second year dental student's introductory course into the fabrication and adjustment of complete dentures.

The first lecture/slide presentation at each session describes in detail, the Tufts University School of Dental Medicine's (TUSDM) complete denture technique. The second lecture/slide presentation describes the procedures for which the student will be responsible at that laboratory session.

The mandatory sessions include the construction of custom edentulous trays, bite registration rims and bases and the esthetic and functional placement of denture teeth. An all session lecture/slide presentation at the conclusion of the course covers all of the accessory phases of complete denture Prosthodontics. The course then blends into the Preclinical Implantology Course wherein the students will convert their denture project into an implant retained complete mandibular denture.

back to top

Preclinical Removable Prosthodontics II (Removable Partial Denture)

Course Directors: Luis DelCastillo

Course Duration: Sophomore year from May to August.

This course provides fundamental foundation knowledge in Removable Partial Denture via simulated patient care model. The art and science of RPD, evidence in dentistry and patients' quality of life related to the use of this type of therapy. Advanced RPD is also presented at the end of the lecture series.

back to top

Preclinical Implant Dentistry

Course Directors: Ali Muftu

Course Duration: Sophomore year from May to August.

This course provides fundamental and foundation knowledge relevant to simple surgical and prosthodontic procedures for today's implant dentistry. Emphasis is placed on

1. Single tooth implant replacement, short span implant supported fixed partial denture and two-implant assisted complete overdenture and implant-assisted removable partial dentures
2. Laboratory and clinical techniques about these services.

back to top

Occlusion

Course Director: Dr. Kiho Kang

Course Duration: Junior year

This course provides fundamental and foundation knowledge relevant to the craniofacial complex. It aims to educate students to be able to apply dental/gross/macro/micro anatomy and basic physiology to its application in the craniofacial and masticatory complex.

back to top

Prosthodontics and Operative Dentistry

Course Director: Marcelo Suzuki

Course Duration: Junior year

This course provides a series of lectures of the advancement in restorative sciences, all phases of prosthodontics and implant dentistry. In addition, the evidence-based dentistry and diagnosis and treatment planning session is incorporated.

back to top

Porcelain Esthetic Dentistry Seminar

Course Director: Ali Muftu

Course Duration: Junior year

The Porcelain Esthetic Dentistry Seminar is designed to introduce to the predoctoral students the nature of light, color and the interaction between light and matter. The workshop has several objectives: To help students understand and handle concepts of the optical properties of color (i.e., hue, chrome, value, opalescence, fluorescence, transparence, translucence and iridescence; to introduce the importance of visualizing and recognizing surface texture and superficial gloss on shade selection; to understand the applications of Low Fusing Porcelain Systems (Exposure to a correction of a proximal contact); and to expose the predoctoral student to shade alteration using external staining.

back to top

Manikin Fixed Partial Denture Workshop

Course Director: Dr. Ekaterini Antonellou

Course Duration: Junior year

This workshop and competency examination aims to provide an overview and encourages students to practice in preparation for the future licensing exam.

back to top

Interdisciplinary Seminar

Course Directors: Drs. Stephen Hsu and Philip Koralishn

Course Duration: Junior year from April to August.

In this seminar, a series of patient cases are used to develop an interactive diagnosis, treatment planning and prognosis discussion between multi-disciplinary faculty (i.e., Orthodontics, Periodontology, Oral Pathology, Endodontics, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, and Prosthodontics) and 15 students. At least four to six faculty are present at each session and three to four patient cases are illustrated by slides, radiographs, casts and/or prosthetic devices. Students are routinely called on to answer questions and express their clinical judgment.

The objective of the seminar is to provide an environment for students to integrate knowledge from many subject specialties for the most appropriate diagnosis and treatment plan. The course aims to teach students to diagnose and develop a treatment plan for medically compromised patients with multiple dental needs. It presents different patient cases and change scenarios (labs, x-rays) where the student learns to think "on their feet". Students will learn how treatment would change with a different medical or social history. The student learns how to integrate the medical, social, economic and behavioral (patient desires) discipline into a treatment plan. Emphasis is placed on critical thinking and patient management. Additionally, students are educated on drug interactions and appropriate use of pharmacologic agents related to patients' treatment. They also learn "case-based presentations" for national and state examinations.

back to top

Postgraduate Prosthodontics Workshop

Course Director: Dr. Hiroshi Hirayama

Course Duration: Junior year - two three-hour sessions

The primary goal of Postgraduate Prosthodontic Rotation is to expose predoctoral students to an advanced level of prosthodontics. The objective is to introduce the complexity of prosthodontic treatment and familiarize students with comprehensive treatment planning. The workshop helps students to be able to identify advanced cases that should be treated by prosthodontists and also encourages them to seek further prosthodontic training. Attendance is mandatory at both sessions for predoctoral students to complete rotation assignment.

back to top

Clinic

Course Director: Dr. Nopsaran Chaimattayompol

Course Duration: Junior and senior year

The goal of the Pre-doctoral Clinical Prosthodontic Program is to educate the pre-doctoral students to apply the fundamental knowledge in each phase of prosthodontics for clinical practice, patient management and education. The students must complete specific requirements for complete dentures, removable partial dentures, fixed prosthodontics and implant dentistry. The students must also fulfill a competency requirement for each of the prosthodontic disciplines.

back to top

Prosthodontic Seminar

Course Director: Dr. Darryl Lung

Course Duration: Junior year

The goal of this course is to develop in each student an understanding of the history of implant dentistry. The student will also be introduced to the concept of osseointegration and develop an understanding of the scientific basis of implant-host relations and interactions. Students will be instructed how to include implants into their overall patient diagnosis and treatment plan, what surgical techniques should be used, how the normal healing process proceeds, and how to succeed in basic fixed and removable prosthodontic techniques for implants. Students will be encouraged to seek further courses to gain more expertise, to follow rapidly expanding research, to consider the limitations of implants, and to identify and treat an implant patient while at TUSDM to gain familiarity with the procedure.

The outcome of the seminar is that each student will understand the history of implant dentistry, osseointegration, implant diagnosis and treatment planning, the surgical technique, fixed and removable prosthodontic techniques and temporization procedures.

Topics Covered:

• History of Dental Implants
• Patient Selection/Diagnosis and Treatment Planning
• Surgical Stents
• Complete Denture Prosthodontics
• Bleaching
• Crowns and Fixed Partial Dentures
• Osseointegration, Anatomical Considerations/CT Scans
• Surgical Techniques
• Single Tooth Implant Crowns
• Removable Dentures
• Adhesive Dentistry
• Tissue Retraction/Impression Making
• Overdenture Attachments
• Esthetics
• Troubleshooting
• Radiation/Chemotherapy in Head and Neck Cancer Patients, and Acquired Maxillofacial Defects

back to top

Form and Function Workshop

Course Director: Dr. Hiroshi Hirayama

Course Duration: Junior year

This workshop consists of two parts. The first part consists of lecture regarding the anterior tooth form, which relates to esthetics and anterior guidance. It also covers the poster tooth form, which relates to the posterior occlusal morphology and teeth contact. The second part contains a course of wax-up demonstrations using Redi-Form Wax-Up wax shells. The aims of this course are making the student recognize forms by using line angle and point angle to build an outline of tooth form, recognize the relationship between interproximal teeth contacts and embrasure spaces, and apply formation concept to actual diagnostic wax-ups. By attending this workshop, the student should be able to reduce their wax-up bench time from three hours to one-half hour.

back to top

Research Activities

Faculty members in the division engage in biomaterial research, testing dental products, dental technology, basic science, clinical science, dental education and oral health service research.

back to top

Part-Time Clinical Faculty Opportunities

Our division is currently seeking experienced dentists and/or alumni who would like to volunteer their time to teach in didactic, preclinical and/or clinical program. For more detailed information, please contact Dr. Nopsaran Chaimattayompol at nopsaran.chaimattayompol@tufts.edu or call (617) 636-0866.

Prosthodontics Faculty

Inna Amirian, D.M.D.
Clinical Instructor

Ekaterini Antonellou, D.M.D., M.S.
Associate Professor

Nancy Arbree, D.D.S., M.S.
Professor

Martin L. Barrett, D.M.D.
Assistant Clinical Professor

Abhayjit Bedi, D.M.D.
Associate Clinical Professor

Nathan S. Birnbaum, D.D.S., CAGS
Associate Clinical Professor

Nopsaran Chaimattayompol, D.M.D., M.P.H.
Clinical Professor

Michael Chang, D.M.D.
Clinical Instructor

Robert Chapman, D.M.D.
Professor
Emeritus

Luis Del Castillo, D.D.S.
Assistant Professor

Malek Esrawi, D.D.S., D.M.D.
Assistant Clinical Professor

Donna Finocchiaro, D.M.D.
Assistant Clinical Professor

Carolina Frangie, D.D.S., CAGS
Instructor

Hamasat Gheddaf-Dam, D.M.D.
Assistant Professor

David M. Hern, D.M.D.
Professor

Stephen S. Hsu, D.M.D.
Associate Clinical Professor

Yin Hsu, D.M.D., M.P.H.
Assistant Clinical Professor

Nitin B. Khankari, B.D.S., M.S.
Assistant Professor

Samer Georges Khayat, D.D.S.
Assistant Professor

Philip J. Koralishn, D.D.S., FAGD
Associate Clinical Professor

Meng-Chieh Lee,
Clinical Instructor

Richard Y. Liu, D.M.D., M.M.S.C
Clinical Instructor

Darryl J. Lung, D.M.D.
Assistant Clinical Professor

Ronald I. Maitland, D.M.D.
Adjunct Professor

Pamela Marie Maragliano, D.M.D.
Clinical Instructor

Joseph Massad, D.D.S.
Adjunct Associate Professor

Ali Muftu, D.M.D., M.S., Ph.D.
Associate Professor

Dongwoo Park, D.M.D., M.S.
Associate Professor

Jong il Park,
Instructor

Arnold Rosen, D.D.S.
Adjunct Associate Professor

Richard Rothstein, D.M.D., FAGD
Clinical Instructor

Amit Sachedeo, B.D.S., M.S., D.M.Sc.
Assistant Professor

Yun Saksena, D.M.D., M.M.S.
Associate Clinical Professor

Allen Schneider, D.D.S.
Adjunct Instructor

Jose Camilo Segura, D.M.D.
Associate Clinical Professor

Kyung Won Seo, D.M.D.
Clinical Instructor

Huda Stipho, D. B.D.S., M.Sc.
Associate Professor

Marcelo Suzuki, D.D.S.
Assistant Professor

Henry Talberth, D.M.D.
Clinical Instructor

Kevin Toomey, D.M.D.
Clinical Instructor

Vasiliki Tsakalelli, D.M.D., M.Sc.
Assistant Professor

Roland E. Vanaria, D.D.S.
Assistant Clinical Professor

Jamie Lee Wong, D.M.D.
Assistant Clinical Professor

Tae-Ho Yoon, D.D.S.
Assistant Professor