Surgical & Diagnostic Sciences
The Department of Diagnostic and Surgical Sciences is supporting the mission of the ÏòÈÕ¿ûÊÓƵ School of Dentistry (MUSoD) which is excellence in education, research and service, resulting in the provision of high-quality oral health care in the fields of endodontics, oral surgery, periodontics and oral pathology. The department strives to achieve the vision of the MUSoD to be recognized as a premier academic oral health center.
The diagnostic and surgical sciences that are represented in the department include endodontics, periodontics, oral- and maxillofacial surgery, oral- and maxillofacial pathology, oral radiology and oral medicine. The faculty in the department are involved in didactic and clinical teaching for predoctoral and graduate students in order to pursue academic excellence in an inclusive environment.
The faculty of the department perform interdisciplinary research to improve oral health and oral-health related quality of life that also impacts our patient’s well-being and general health. Findings of the research projects are presented at national and international conferences as well as published in peer-reviewed journals or text books. Therefore, the research findings may not only benefit our own patient pool, but also the local, national and global community.
All faculty and staff are committed to clinical excellence. All faculty received additional training in their respective specialties in order to deliver high-quality oral health care.
Department Chair
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Dr. Arndt Guentsch graduated and received his training in Periodontics in Germany. He earned a Dr.med.dent. (D.M.D) in 2001 and a Ph.D in 2011 from the Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena in Germany as well as a Masters degree in Health Business Administration (M.H.B.A.) in 2013 from the Friedrich-Alexander-University Nuremberg. Dr. Guentsch is board certified from the German Society of Periodontology and an active member of the American Academy of Periodontology. 
His passion is to combine clinic and research. Dr. Guentsch authored over 100 publications, more than 50 of them were published in peer-reviewed journals. (Read more)
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Associated Post-doctoral Programs
Faculty of the Department of Surgical Sciences are actively involved in:
Advanced Educational Program in Periodontics
The periodontal master's is completed in three years and requires direct patient care during the duration of the program. A student in the periodontics program must complete a minimum of 50 credit hours of course work, including 12 credit hours of clinical practice and six credit hours of thesis work. The remaining credits will be from courses assigned by the course director which are specific to periodontology. (Read more)
Advanced Educational Program in Endodontics
The graduate program is 24 months long with an emphasis on high-quality clinical training. First-year residents immediately start treating patients in the graduate clinic at the beginning of the program and continue throughout the two years. Clinical faculty members have vast experience in clinical endodontics and provide coverage in the graduate clinic. (Read more)
Associated Pre-doctoral Programs
Predoctoral Program in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
During the rotation in pre-doctoral Program in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery the predoctoral dental students will be able to perform different techniques in local anesthesia, assist and perform extractions and surgical extractions of teeth, assist faculty in surgical extractions of wisdom teeth and pre-prosthetic surgeries.  Also, in this rotation, predoctoral dental students will be able to fulfill all requirements towards Nitrous Oxide sedation certification.
Predoctoral Program in Periodontics
The predoctoral program in periodontology is a well-rounded program comprising of extensive preclinical laboratory experience, didactic courses, non-surgical and surgical clinical experiences, board reviews, various competency examinations and clinical rounds. Clinical experience is obtained by working with periodontal and dental hygiene faculty as well as periodontal residents. In the comprehensive care clinics, students are exposed to an interdisciplinary approach and formulating a comprehensive treatment plan. Students are case managers for the surgical cases and coordinate the surgical procedures with the residents. Further, they assist with implant surgeries and restore them as well.
Predoctoral Program in Endodontics
The predoctoral program in Endodontics is basic all-inclusive program comprised of an extensive preclinical laboratory experience, didactic courses, non-surgical experiences, board reviews, various competency examinations, and clinical treatment of endodontic cases. There is also the opportunity to assist and experience Micro-Surgical Endodontic procedures with the graduate students. Clinical experience is obtained by working with endodontic faculty as well as endodontic residents. In the Endodontic clinic, students are exposed to the terminology, diagnosis, and treatment of pulpal disease. Students become the case managers for their own non-complicated endodontic therapy cases.
Predoctoral Program in Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology
The predoctoral program in Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology has a broad scope inclusive of developmental anomalies, infections including HIV and AIDS, cyst and tumors of all soft and hard tissue of the jaw bones and surrounding tissue including salivary glands, pathological discolorations, precancer, oral cancer and HPV associated oropharyngeal cancer, metastatic tumors, immune-mediated disorders, and oral manifestations of systemic disease. These disease conditions are presented and discussed via the medium of succinct PowerPoints. Essential discussion is directed towards the clinical features. The program also intends to demonstrate the relationship between the basic sciences, clinical signs and symptoms, and morphological and radiographic presentation, as applicable, of these lesions. Other highlights of the program include instruction on the formulation of an acceptable differential diagnosis, selection of proper management including recognition of when a biopsy is required and recognition of salient histopathological features that influence the final diagnosis, treatment outcome including the prognosis. The learning experience will be supplemented by chairside consults with board-certified maxillofacial pathology faculty.
Predoctoral Program in Oral Radiology and Oral Medicine
Full-Time Faculty
Endodontics
- Dr. Joseph Gaffney
- Dr. Lance Hashimoto
- Dr. Mohamed Ibrahim
- Dr. Stephanie Sidow
Oral- and Maxillofacial Surgery
- Dr. Luis Almeida
- Dr. Ufuk Tatli
Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology
Oral Medicine and Oral Radiology
- Dr. Manal Hamdan
- Dr. Yasser Khaled
Periodontics
- Dr. Arndt Guentsch
- Dr. Moawia Kassab
- Dr. Vrisiis Kofina
- Dr. Al Kwon
- Ms. Janice Moll
- Dr. Marina Protopopova
- Dr. Swati Rawal