PENN dental medicine journal: Advancing precision dentistry with dental microscopes

Advancing precision dentistry: Restorative microscopy courses bringing the precision of high-powered magnification, illumination to restorative care.

PENN DENTAL MEDICINE JOURNAL | Fall 2023: Vol. 20, No. 1
University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine

Penn Dental Medicine is leading the way in restorative microscopy, an initiative spearheaded by Dr. Alan Atlas, who developed the courses and has been training students and faculty alike on using the microscopes in restorative care.
Since 2017, Atlas has been teaching fourth-year students to use microscopy to refine crown restorations as they rotate through the endodontics clinic. Last year, after what he describes as a highly collaborative development process with other faculty, administrators, and staff over the past several years, the restorative microscopy courses were officially added to the curriculum. Atlas believes they are the only curriculum-based courses in restorative microscopy being taught at any dental school worldwide. Starting this academic year, the next step of this initiative is moving forward with the introduction of microscopes within the School’s restorative clinics, making them available for patient care.