David Grant USAF Medical Center - Advanced Education in General Dentistry

Located in the Arthur J. Sachsel Dental Clinic at David Grant USAF Medical Center is a dental residency program recognized by civilian and military dentists alike for its long history of excellence. This past summer marked the 48th dental residency graduating class from DGMC. The program began in 1964 with two residents and has since grown to six. Many of the graduates have assumed critical leadership roles in the Air Force Dental Corps in teaching and commander positions.

Air Force AEGD residencies are aggressively sought after, as the demand for postgraduate training exceeds available residency positions. Upon completion of four years of dental school, graduates are fully licensed to practice dentistry. Most graduates, however, recognize the need for an optional fifth year of training in an AEGD program.

The Air Force has consistently had some of the finest programs in the country, thus attracting strong applicants, with most residents graduating in the top 25 percent of their dental school class. Those selected are commissioned and promoted to the rank of captain upon entering the Air Force. In exchange for the one year of educational experience, residents agree to serve an additional three years of active duty, upon graduation.

The Travis AEGD program is designed to expand the scope and depth of the dentist's knowledge and skills in order to enable the general dentist to provide comprehensive patient care to a wide range of population groups. The program is freestanding, with all training conducted at the DGMC. Over the one year of intense training residents will work with specialists in operative dentistry, pediatric dentistry, orthodontics, prosthodontics, periodontics, endodontics and oral/maxillofacial surgery.

Travis Air Force Base is one of the few bases with an Oral and Maxillofacial Pathologist and Hospital dentist on teaching staff. Although noted as a strong clinical program, numerous public speaking opportunities are available. One such opportunity is presentation of Table Clinics, which are presented at the local dental society meeting as well as a national meeting in Anaheim, California.

The DGMC program has long been recognized for its' excellence by the American Dental Association Commission for Dental Accreditation. AEGD accreditation visits occur every seven years. The recent site evaluation in 2005 had "no recommendations" and accommodations for the quality of the teaching staff and program documentation. Fewer than 15 percent of evaluated programs achieve this success.