Pediatric Dentistry MS/Certificate Program
Welcome to the Pediatric Dentistry Residency Program
Our residency program is a partnership between The Ohio State University College of Dentistry and Nationwide Children’s Hospital, one of the largest freestanding children’s hospitals in the United States. The program emphasizes behavioral management, dental trauma, sedation and general anesthesia, medically compromised patients, advocacy, research, hospital protocols, and four-handed dentistry. We have assembled a comprehensive folder of information about our program to help you learn more.
Degree Granted
MS plus certificate or MS-MPH plus certificate
Students Accepted
8
Program Length
24 months
Application Deadline
September 1
More About Our Program
All prospective residents must hold a DDS, DMD or equivalent degree from a CODA-accredited dental school. Admission criteria are applied equally to all applicants regardless of race, sex, color, national origin or religion.
Applicants must utilize the Postdoctoral Application Support Service (PASS) administered by the American Dental Education Association and the Postdoctoral Dental Matching Program (MATCH).
Your clinical experiences will include primary care pediatric dentistry primarily at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, where you will be assigned your own dental assistant.
Sedation and general anesthesia experiences will occur at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.
The residency program also provides dental care opportunities with children who have special health care needs, in either the clinic settings or main operating room suites. Orthodontics treatment is provided under the guidance of attending faculty orthodontists.
Pediatric Dentistry
- Comprehensive Care Clinic
- Dental Surgery Center
- Main Operating Room
- Sedation Clinic
- Trauma Clinic
- Ortho Clinic
- Emergency Clinic
- Special Health Care Clinic
- Baby Clinic
- Periodontics Clinic
- Center for Developmental Disabilities
Medical Rotations
- Pediatric Medicine
- Anesthesia
- Hematology/Oncology
- Cardiology
- Craniofacial Clinic
- Otolaryngology
- Complex Care
- Behavioral Health
- Emergency Medicine
- Pulmonology
- Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders
Our residency program offers a well-balanced didactic and clinical curriculum, with learning opportunities in all aspects of pediatric dentistry and community oral health. It is aimed at the successful completion of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry certification process. Elective rotations and continuing education opportunities are provided throughout the program.
Pediatric Dentistry
- Pediatric Dentistry Overview
- Behavior Management
- Pulp Biology and Traumatology
- Sedation
- Restorative
- Cariology and Periodontology
- Children with Special Health Care Needs
- Dental Public Health and Child Advocacy
- Contemporary Issues Seminars
Graduate & Other Courses
- Statistics
- Research Design
- Growth & Development
- Orthodontic Treatment Planning
- Craniofacial Anomalies
- Oral Pathology
- Practice Management
Teaching
Clinical and didactic teaching opportunities include teaching co-residents, dental students, allied health staff, and medical trainees.
Research
In addition to earning a certificate in pediatric dentistry, our residents are required to prepare and successfully defend a master’s thesis and submit a publishable form to appropriate peer-reviewed journals. Research training, funds and time for this are incorporated in the curriculum. Our program is known for its resident research, having captured numerous awards with the guidance of world-renowned Pediatric Dentistry faculty.
The relationship between Nationwide Children’s Hospital and The Ohio State University provides many benefits to the pediatric dental resident. You will enjoy employee status at Children’s with a GME-funded housestaff salary. As a graduate student, you can also take advantage of the resources and services of one of the largest universities in the United States, and your tuition and fees are waived.
See more information for residents and fellows at Nationwide Children's Hospital.
Our Division was awarded a 5-year (2020-2025) HRSA grant which provided many exciting implications for our training program, including:
- School-based mobile dental program through Nationwide Children’s Hospital
- An integrated 26-month MS-MPH degree program
- Patient simulations
- Teledentistry
- Interdisciplinary public health curriculum
- Enhanced program diversity
We can support one resident per incoming class for the combined MS-MPH degree track. The MPH-Program for Experienced Professionals is online through the College of Public Health. If you are interested in population health management and leadership on top of pediatric dentistry, please send a supplemental letter of interest to Dr. Hammersmith at hammersmith.19@osu.edu by September 1.
Additional program requirements
PASS application: yes
National Matching Service: yes
International students accepted: See details on PASS
Fulfills requirements for certification by the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry
Students in a clinical residency program can pursue a PhD program as an alternative to the MS degree program. You must be accepted by both the specialty program and the Oral Biology PhD program.
Questions? Contact Us
The Pediatric Dentistry Residency Program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation and has been granted the accreditation status of “approval without reporting requirements”. The Commission is a specialized accrediting body recognized by the United States Department of Education. The Commission on Dental Accreditation can be contacted at (312) 440-4653 or at 211 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611-2678. The Commission’s web address is: coda.ada.org.
Ohio State academic programs are designed to prepare students to sit for applicable licensure or certification in Ohio. If you plan to pursue licensure or certification in a state other than Ohio, please review state educational requirements for licensure and certification and state licensing board contact information at odee.osu.edu/students/state-authorization#licensure. Click on the link for State Dental Boards.