Health Sciences Bulletin

School Of Dental Medicine

  • General Dentistry

    General Dentistry

    Department of General Dentistry 

    Chair: Ying Gu, DDS, PhD

    The Department of General Dentistry teaches the primary care aspect of dentistry, which includes the knowledge and skills to comprehensively diagnose, treat and manage a patient’s overall oral health needs. It encompasses the predoctoral divisions of Behavioral Sciences and Practice Management, Operative Dentistry and Dental Materials, and Dentistry for Patients with Special Needs (Special Needs Dental Care). The department also offers a comprehensive General Practice Residency (GPR) program as well as the Special Needs Dental Care Fellowship Program.

    DEPARTMENT OF GENERAL DENTISTRY PRE-DOCTORAL PROGRAM

    The Division of Operative Dentistry and Dental Materials educates students in the restorative principles and techniques of dentistry, beginning in year one.   The course Dental Morphology and Occlusion, provides foundational knowledge, providing the building blocks for education in Cariology, Operative Dentistry, and Dental Materials.  During the first-year, students engage in pre-clinical courses, which incorporate a digital curriculum (CAD/CAM dentistry).  Students become competent in operating a digital scanner and CAD/CAM software, and to self-evaluate the quality of their wax-ups, preparations and restorations. Introduction to clinical patient care also begins in year 1 with students performing initial evaluative procedures such as medical and dental histories, and head and neck exams for patients in the Dental Care Center. In year 2, students advance to more complex procedures, providing preventive and restorative treatments for their patients. During the third and fourth years, having established familiarity with patient management in the clinical environment, students progress to more complex treatment modalities including prosthetics and implant dentistry, developing expertise necessary for the practice of dentistry. The third year students provide patient care supervised by general dentists and specialists. Fourth year students provide patient care in a format similar to private practice under the guidance of general practitioners with specialists available when the complexity of the case warrants. 

    Housed within the Division of Behavioral Sciences and Practice Management, is the Patient, the Foundation, Community and Health Care Systems and Practice Development. The Patient develops and builds upon the students’ foundation for clinical diagnosis
    and treatment planning skills, and explores doctor/patient communication strategies with interactive exercises and simulated clinical experiences.
    Ethical dilemmas are explored in the Foundations of Professional Development whereby students engage in interactive lectures and panel
    discussions, exploring factors impacting the patient-doctor relationship and ethical decision making. Community epidemiology of oral
    disease. The Practice Development conveys the business of dentistry, including health care systems, of establishing a dental office
    and the legal and regulatory concepts related to providing oral health care.

    Dentistry for Patients with Special Needs educates our students in the management of patients with complex medical needs and disabilities. Within this division, year 4 students receive comprehensive instruction on the evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of individuals with developmental disabilities and geriatric patients with complex medical needs.  Students practice in small groups, maximizing student/teacher interaction.

    DEPARTMENT OF GENERAL DENTISTRY  PROGRAMS

    The programs in the Department of General Dentistry are the General Practice Residency Program (GPR) and the Special Needs Dental Care (SNDC) Fellowship Program.  The GPR program provides an in-depth experience in the treatment of advanced oral health needs, including prosthetics and implant dentistry.  The SNDC program provides an in-depth experience in the treatment and management of adult patients with developmental disabilities, providing patient care in both an ambulatory and hospital setting.  

  • Hospital Dentistry & Dental Anesthesiology

    HOSPITAL DENTISTRY AND DENTAL ANESTHESIOLOGY

    Department of Hospital Dentistry & Dental Anesthesiology 

    Chief of Service: Michael Proothi, DMD, MD, FACS

    The Department of Hospital Dentistry and Dental Anesthesiology was established in September 2000 to facilitate experiences in the dental management of hospital inpatients and outpatients for predoctoral and postdoctoral students. The department actively collaborates with the other departments to provide instruction in the management of patients in a hospital setting and in various pain management techniques.

  • Oral Biology & Pathology

    ORAL BIOLOGY AND PATHOLOGY

    • Interim Chair: Stephen Walker, MSc, PhD

      The Department of Oral Biology and Pathology acts as a bridge between the traditional basic sciences and the clinical sciences related to oral health. The department has made a major commitment to the development of new diagnostic technology and approaches for use in the preservation of the oral tissue and management of oral disease. It is one of the leading departments in the University in technology development and transfer to clinical practice. 
    • Within the predoctoral dental curriculum, the department offers approximately 300 hours of didactic instruction relevant to the understanding of biological and molecular processes involved in oral diseases. The department is responsible for instruction to dental students in the body of basic biological and molecular processes involved in oral disease. During the first three years of the predoctoral program, the subject matter deals with the biology of embryological development of the face and oral cavity, oral mineralized tissues, dental supporting tissues, oral microbiota, salivary glands and their products, oral and other mucous membranes, and the various sensory and oral motor systems of the mouth. The sequencing of the units is designed to obtain maximum integration between concurrently offered basic science and clinical courses. 
    • The department has developed a unique course in translational and clinical oral biology in the third and fourth years of the dental program. Translational Oral Biology is an area of applied science that has been developed over a period of 35 years at the Stony Brook University School of Dental Medicine, where it exists as an important and unique component of the dental curriculum. It has been built on a growing foundation of oral and medically related biological science with focus on clinical application and patient care.
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    • The Translational Oral Biology curriculum for dental students is given in the third year and is presently comprised of four sections. Section one deals with the nature and fundamentals of technology and knowledge transfer. Section two focuses on the fundamentals and specifics of newly developed and emerging diagnostic devices and techniques. Section three deals with the underlying basis and specifics of a range of new and emerging therapeutics and therapies. The fourth and last part deals with protocols to manage specific diseases where newly discovered and perfected diagnostic and therapeutic entities can be applied and integrated into clinical practice. This course also offers basic and practical experience in clinical laboratory methods and familiarizes students with investigative clinical procedures used in the diagnosis and monitoring of the effectiveness of treatment of a patient.

    • The department also offers graduate studies leading to a PhD in Oral Biology and Pathology or to a MS in Biomedical Science (Track in Oral Biology and Pathology). Both the PhD and MS can be obtained as part of combined DDS/PhD or DDS/MS programs. The MS in Biomedical Science (Track in Oral Biology and Pathology) may also be obtained as part of combined degree programs leading to an Advanced Certificate in Endodontics/MS, and Advanced Certificate in Orthodontics/MS, or an Advanced Certificate in Periodontics/MS. These programs are granted through Stony Brook University’s Graduate School. The main function of these programs are to train oral biology educators and researchers to staff dental and medical schools, dental research institutes, dental and medical industrial laboratories, and to provide relevant basic science training for dentists and physicians taking post-doctoral specialty training. The course work consists of an in-depth exposure to knowledge, directly and indirectly related to oral biology and its related sciences, and is coupled with appropriate individual research, tutorial and thesis programs.

  • Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery

    ORAL AND MAXILLOFACIAL SURGERY

    • Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery 

      Chair: Allan J. Kucine, DDS Vice Chair

      The goal of the predoctoral teaching program in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery is to prepare dental students to be competent in performing minor oral surgical procedures and to be able to manage more complex cases. Students receive instruction and acquire abilities in the manipulation of soft and hard tissues (e.g., removal of erupted teeth, flap procedures, alveoloplasty and suturing techniques). In addition, dental students have the opportunity to gain experience in performing more advanced surgical procedures. The program provides insight into the management of complex problems such as facial bone fractures, impacted teeth, salivary gland diseases, tumors and developmental abnormalities. The oral and maxillofacial surgery curriculum includes instruction in patient evaluation, pain and anxiety control, and the management of medical emergencies. 
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    • The department includes the Division of Oral Pathology, which strives to teach our dental students how to diagnose and manage various lesions and diseases of the oral cavity. this includes an emphasis on proper and thorough oral examinations and cancer screenings, diagnosis of lesions on a clinical and microscopic level and the appropriate treatment of these entities.
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    • The department also includes the Division of Dental Anesthesiology, which provides didactic instruction in pain control to our dental students, as well as sedation and general anesthesia didactic and clinical training to residents in our advanced dental education programs in general dentistry, pediatric dentistry, periodontics, and prosthodontics. In addition, the Division of Dental Anesthesiology has 12 residents in a 36-month CODA accredited dental anesthesiology residency program.
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    • The Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, in partnership with Northwell Health, also supports both a 6-year MD-integrated and 4-year certificate-only advanced education program in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. This program is designed to prepare the trainee with sufficient didactic and clinical education to meet the requirements of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and to be prepared for a career in clinical practice. Residents are also encouraged to develop skills in teaching and research which will be useful for an academic career.
  • Orthodontics & Pediatric Dentistry

    ORTHODONTICS AND PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY

    • Department of Orthodontics & Pediatric Dentistry 

      Interim Chair: Kimberly Patterson, DDS, MS

      The predoctoral curriculum of the Department of Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry begins in the first quarter of the second year. Initially, the student is introduced to the preventive aspects of dental care for children. Prevention is especially stressed including the use of systemic and topical fluorides, occlusal sealant application and diet modification. Restorative care and appliance therapy for children is also taught with equal emphasis placed upon the technical aspects of treatment and treatment rationale. The development of occlusion from the prenatal period through adolescence is presented, and what constitutes a normal occlusion is described. Students learn to recognize malocclusion, identify the concomitant etiologic factors and are taught to prevent, intercept or treat minor problems of occlusion. The didactic program continues in the third year with emphasis on behavior management in children, orthodontic considerations for the adult patient and review of the literature. Clinical sessions in children’s dentistry are conducted in the student’s second and third years. The department offers selectives to fourth-year students both at the school and at affiliated institutions. In addition, a fourth year clinical program in dental care for the developmentally disabled is provided.

  • Periodontics and Endodontics

    Periodontics and Endodontics

    Department of Periodontics and Endodontics 

    Chair: Vincent J. Iacono, DMD

    The Department of Periodontics and Endodontics includes the Divisions of Periodontics and Endodontics. They have both comprehensive didactic and clinical instruction at both the predoctoral and postdoctoral levels. The predoctoral periodontics program presents basic knowledge and skills to dental students that are essential to the prevention and treatment of diseases and conditions affecting supporting structures around teeth and their substitutes (i.e., dental implants). The educational format is through a series of lecture, seminars, demonstrations and class assignments within eleven (11) courses. Upon completion of this program, the student is capable of differentiating a healthy from diseased periodontium. A thorough knowledge of all local etiologic factors responsible for periodontal disease and methods of preventing its onset is stressed. Utilizing this knowledge and experience, the dental student is exposed to the full scope of periodontal specialty care and trained to competently evaluate, treatment plan and manage patients with gingivitis and stage I-IV periodontitis.

    The predoctoral Endodontics program includes four (4) courses for the education of the dental students in the morphology, physiology and pathology of the human dental pulp and periadicular tissues. Predoctoral instruction includes the biology of the normal pulp and the etiology, diagnosis, prevention and treatment of diseases and injuries of the pulp and associated periadicular conditions. 

    The postdoctoral programs are accredited by the Commission of Dental Accreditation (CODA) for the Advanced Dental Education Program in Periodontics and Endodontics. Each program leads to a certificate in its respective specialty. 

  • Prosthodontics & Digital Technology

    Prosthodontics and digital technology

    Department of Prosthodontics & Digital Technology 

    Interim Chair: Dan Colosi, DDS, PhD

    The Department of Prosthodontics is the branch of dentistry that deals with the restoration and maintenance of oral function by the replacement of missing teeth and other oral structures by artificial devices. Oral and maxillofacial radiology is the specialty of dentistry that deals with the acquisition and interpretation of radiographic imaging studies performed for diagnosis or treatment guidance for conditions affecting the maxillofacial region. The Department of Prosthodontics & Digital Technology is focused on the alliance between dental biomaterials, the specialty of prosthodontics, diagnostic imaging and the new digital technologies in the dental profession. The Department of Prosthodontics & Digital Technology combines faculty from diverse backgrounds from the clinical specialty areas to the basic sciences. Prosthodontic education is typically structured in fixed prosthodontic, removable prosthodontic, and implant prosthodontic courses. These courses are taught primarily in the second through fourth years of dental school. The predoctoral curriculum in diagnostic imaging comprises didactic and clinical education in fundamental notions of radiographic imaging, conventional and advanced maxillofacial imaging techniques, and diagnostic image interpretation. These courses are taught in the first through fourth years of dental school. The department has also established an advanced education program leading to a specialty certificate in Prosthodontics which will include experience in Maxillofacial Prosthodontics and Implantology. Faculty members within the Department of Prosthodontics & Digital Technology interface and actively collaborate with other academic departments within the School of Dental Medicine, as well as the School of Medicine surgical specialties of Otolaryngology and Plastic Surgery.  The department has established an advanced education program in Oral & Maxillofacial Radiology.

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