The Section of Endodontics at UCLA provides education, research, and patient care in all areas of Endodontics. The specialty of endodontics is particularly concerned with the etiology, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases and injuries of the pulp and associated periradicular tissues, i.e. toothache. The Section of Endodontics provides educational programs with state of the art knowledge and technical expertise for pre-doctoral students, postgraduate residency students, preceptor students, and continuing education participants. Through our teaching programs, we provide patient care services relating to root canal treatment and pulpal diseases.

• Teaching Programs
• Courses Taught
• Research Activities
• Patient Care
• Volunteer Opportunities
• Alumni

Teaching Programs

Pre-doctoral Endodontic Program
This program leads students from an understanding of pulpal biology through pulpal pathology and microbiology, to the concepts and technical procedures needed for the diagnosis and treatment of endodontic disease, and finally to integrate this knowledge to provide comprehensive patient care. The pre-doctoral program includes lecture courses, technical courses and clinical training in endodontics. Didactic and technical courses are offered to 2nd, 3rd, and 4th year dental students, complementing and transitioning into clinical endodontic training for the 3rd and 4th year students. An elective course, the Endodontic Study Club, is offered to those students especially interested in endodontics.

Postgraduate Endodontic Program
This two-year residency program, directed by Dr. Nadia Chugal, trains endodontic specialists. It integrates the scientific basis for endodontics with current standards of specialty patient care. Although the program primarily focuses upon endodontic patient care, training in clinical endodontic research and in the teaching of clinical endodontics are also covered by the program. The program is integrated with the multi-specialty comprehensive care environment provided by the UCLA School of Dentistry and the UCLA Medical Center. Didactic courses are offered through lectures, literature review seminars, and treatment planning conferences throughout the duration of the program. Residents undertake the full range of endodontic patient care under faculty supervision using state of the art techniques and facilities.

Preceptorship Endodontic Program
This program is offered to domestic and internationally trained dentists who have chosen to pursue extended knowledge and skills in endodontics. The students are mainly engaged in didactic courses, seminars, and in endodontic technique courses, along with the postgraduate residents.

Continuing Endodontic Education
Continuing Endodontic Education is offered to practicing general practitioners, notably by the UCLA Endodontic Continuum, directed by Dr. Bernice Ko. The endodontic faculty also make many presentations to local, national, and international scientific dental meetings.

Courses Taught

Residency Courses

Research Activities

The faculty members of the Section of Endodontics are involved in the following areas of research: Immunology, bioengineering, biological materials, cancer research, aging research, microbiology, and clinical outcomes. All of the full-time faculty members in the Section of Endodontics hold Ph.D. degrees and run research programs funded by National Institutes of Health. Also, postgraduate residency students conduct original research projects as part of their graduation requirements. Our recent postgraduate students have received research funding from the American Association of Endodontists and made presentations at major meetings. One recent resident, Dr. Mo Kang, was awarded the Edward H. Hatton Award from the International Association for Dental Research, the World's premier prize for young dental researchers. Our faculty members also offer numerous research opportunities for undergraduate students and visiting faculty members.

Patient Care

Endodontic care is primarily provided by pre-doctoral students and postgraduate residency students in the Weichman Endodontic Clinic on the third floor of the UCLA Dental Center under faculty supervision.

The patient care services in our clinic include all aspects of endodontic therapy, including root canal treatment, retreatment, post removal, apexification, apexogenesis, internal bleaching, perforation repair, apicoectomy, other endodontic surgical procedures, and emergency care. Patients are admitted to our teaching clinic on a referral basis. This clinic may be contacted at (310) 825-4348.

Our faculty members also provide root canal therapy and all aspects of specialist endodontic care at the Faculty Group Dental Practice in the UCLA Medical Plaza 100 Building (310 794-5750).

Volunteer Opportunities

The Section of Endodontics welcomes volunteers in clinical activities as well as in the other educational and academic activities of the Section, including clinical teaching, lectures, seminars, course preparation and organization, research, and service. Interested individuals may contact Ms. Maxcine Young at (310) 825-5248.

Alumni

The UCLA Endodontic Alumni Association for the graduates of our postgraduate residency specialty program has recently been founded. It is led by Dr. John Buoncristiani, a member of the program's first graduating class. For more information about this association, please contact Dr. Buoncristiani via email at endo5@pacbell.net.