Oral Medicine is that branch of dentistry which deals with the study of oral and maxillofacial diseases, oral manifestations of systemic diseases, oral diseases causing systemic diseases, their diagnosis by modern scientific methods and their medical management. It is a branch which is a bridge for medical science and dentistry.
Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology is that branch of dentistry which deals with the study of radiation including x rays as applicable to oral diseases, radiographic techniques to take radiographs of oral and maxillofacial region, radiographic interpretation to diagnose various diseases and finally radiotherapy for oral lesion particularly for oral cancer.
UG Curriculum:
The department of oral medicine and radiology is situated in the ground floor near the main entrance with a clinical section, a radiology section, and record room and offices for the faculty. The department is well equipped with 15 dental chairs. Radiovisography (RVG), Dental X-ray units, CBCT with lateral ceph and clinical lab incorporated for various investigations.
The undergraduate training programme commences in the third year with lectures and clinical exercises and continues to the final year first term for a total duration of 18 months. During their one-month clinical posting in each academic year, students have the opportunity of taking the history, examining the patient, and arriving at a diagnosis of common oral diseases with the aid of radiographs and other investigations, thereby planning suitable treatment for the patient.
Role of Oral Medicine and Radiology expert in dental sciences:
- Teaching Oral and Maxillofacial diseases, Oral manifestations of systemic diseases and Oral diseases causing Systemic diseases, emphasizing more on clinical aspects.
- Imparting the modern scientific methods to diagnose oral and maxillofacial diseases and training the students with clinical orientation of the disease.
- Teaching the basic concepts of radiation, newer advances of maxillofacial imaging and radiographic interpretation.
- Teaching the drugs and various other therapeutic modalities applicable to oral and maxillofacial diseases and impart the concepts of follow up of patients.
- Emphasizing the need to manage medically compromised patients and the procedure to do the same.
- Teaching and demonstrating the role of oral cavity in systemic diseases and prevention of these diseases, particularly oral foci of infection.
- Updating the scientific knowledge through journals and books teaching the current concepts of oral medicine and radiology with dedicated service of conducting the research in the specialty.
- Creating public awareness and propagating oral medicine message to public such as ill effects of tobacco usage pan and gutka chewing, particularly in oral cancer, as well as oral manifestations of HIV/AIDS.
- Conducting the research and imparting teaching in the field of Forensic Odontology, law and justice.