Mini Residency in Pediatric Dentistry: Solving the Challenges of Treating Infants, Children and Adolescents in Your Everyday Practice - April 2027

Meet Our Course Director

Daniela Rodrigues P. Silva, DDS, MS
Dr. Silva is an Adjunct Professor in the Section of Pediatric Dentistry for UCLA’s School of Dentistry in Los Angeles, California; and for the School of Dentistry at the Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, in Brazil.

Dr. Silva is originally from Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil and earned her DDS degree at the Federal University of Goiás in 1986. She completed her first residency in Pediatric Dentistry at the University of Castelo Branco, São Paulo, Brazil in 1989. Dr. Silva owned a pediatric dentistry private practice in Goiânia, Brazil, from 1987 to 2000 and had a part-time faculty position in the Department of Pediatric Dentistry at the School of Dentistry of Anápolis, Goiás, Brazil from 1990-2000. There she was awarded the “Teacher of the Year” for 3 consecutive years. In 2000, she moved to US and completed a Certificate and Master’s Degree in Pediatric Dentistry at the University of Michigan. Dr. Silva joined the University of Florida College of Dentistry in August 2004 and was the Residency Program Director for the Gainesville and the Naples programs until July 2011. She then joined the UCLA School of Dentistry as a Clinical Professor and became the Dr. Thomas Barber Endowed Chair and Residency Program Director in the Section of Pediatric Dentistry until June 2024, when she retired from UCLA. 

Today, Dr. Silva remains active as an adjunct professor at UCLA School of Dentistry in the Section of Pediatric Dentistry; she is a faculty member at the post-graduate program in Pediatric Dentistry at the School of Dentistry at Federal University of Goiás, Brazil, and at the residency program at the Brazilian Dentistry Association, Goiás Chapter.

Dr. Silva has been practicing pediatric dentistry for the last 38 years and loves her moments with her pediatric patients. Dr. Silva lectures innumerous CE courses in Pediatric Dentistry nationally and internationally; and those courses always receive superb evaluations. She is a Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry and served as Vice-Chair and Chair of the Oral Clinical Exam from 2019-2025. 

Meet our Instructor

Melanie Yuen, DMD
Dr. Yuen is the Assistant Program Director in the Advanced Education Pediatric Dentistry program at Hennepin Healthcare in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She completed her dental degree at Harvard University, general practice certificate at Mass General/Brigham and Women’s/Harvard-wide program, and pediatric dentistry certificate at the University of Minnesota. 

She is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and a Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry. Her research interests are in pulp therapy and the age one dental visit. 

Disclosure Summary

It is the policy of the University of Minnesota Office of Continuing Dental Education to ensure balance, independence, objectivity and scientific rigor in all of its sponsored educational activities. All participating speakers, course directors, and planning committee members are required to disclose to the program audience any financial relationships related to the subject matter of this program. Relationships of spouse/partner with proprietary entities producing health care goods or services should be disclosed if they are of a nature that may influence the objectivity of the individual in a position to control the content of the CDE activity. Disclosure information is reviewed in advance in order to manage and resolve any possible conflicts of interest. Specific disclosure information for each speaker, course director, and planning committee member will be shared with the audience prior to the speaker’s presentation.

Neither the speakers or the Continuing Dental Education Staff members have anything to disclose.