Resident Training Program

Dental Anesthesia Training Program

The dental anesthesia residency program at Stony Brook was developed with several objectives in mind. Our main objective was, and is, to train dentists to provide the full spectrum of sedation and anesthesia services to children, adults and patients with special needs in the ambulatory and inpatient setting for dental procedures. Another objective is to train educators and researchers in the field of dental anesthesiology.

In order to accomplish these objectives, we looked at how dental anesthesiology is being practiced throughout the United States and how this practice may change in the next several decades. We also looked at the accreditation requirements designated by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) and then reviewed the current programs in the country to learn how they were training their residents. We consulted with Dr. Peter Glass, Chairman of the Stony Brook University Department of Anesthesiology, Dr. Ellen Steinberg, Program Director within the department through June 2008 and Dr. Christopher Gallagher and Dr. Joy Schabel, the current Program Directors, about their experiences educating anesthesiologists and asked for their recommendations for educating dentist anesthesiologists. Other members of the Stony Brook Department of Anesthesiology also provided very helpful suggestions.

Stony Brook University has a Clinical Skills Center with pediatric and adult simulators. These simulators are used to introduce new skills and to refresh skills already learned to achieve clinical proficiency in all aspects of anesthesia delivery and placement of invasive lines. The clinical training during this initial orientation period consists of a faculty to resident ratio of 1:1 to 1:2.

During their dental rotation, the residents will accompany dentist anesthesiologists and administer sedation and general anesthesia in the office-based setting. They will participate in the anesthetic administration of pediatric and adult patients for general dental care, endodontic, oral and maxillofacial, and periodontal procedures using an open airway and entotracheal/nasotracheal intubation. As mentioned earlier, during this rotation, the resident will also provide sedation and anesthesia services at the Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine.

The dental anesthesia residents are required to attend all Grand Rounds, lectures and departmental meetings. In addition, they are required to take all in-service training examinations. Following the orientation period, the dental anesthesia residents will take emergency call and respond to codes within the medical center.

The residents receive 4 weeks of vacation per year and are salaried at the PGY equivalent salary for Stony Brook University residents.

Evaluation of resident training and resident evaluation of the program and faculty is an important aspect of all dental and medical residency-training programs at the Stony Brook University Medical Center including the Stony Brook Department of Anesthesiology. Stony Brook University Medical Center uses New Innovations, a resident management program, for evaluation purposes and for residents to log cases. Wherever you have access to the Internet, you are capable of looking at your cases, including: the type of anesthesia administered, surgery performed, airway management, ASA status, invasive lines placed, special needs status, patient age, attending and complications.

We recommend that you click on the link to the Stony Brook University Department of Anesthesiology to find out more about the Department of Anesthesiology in general and its training and research capabilities.

Thank you for your interest in the Stony Brook Dental Anesthesia Residency Program. If you have specific questions regarding the residency program, please E-mail one of the other faculty members or me. Good luck as you become more involved in dental anesthesiology.

Ralph Epstein, DDS
Program Director
ralph.epstein@stonybrook.edu