Periodontics
About the Department
The Department of Periodontics at Texas A&M University School of Dentistry provides instruction in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the supporting and surrounding tissues of the teeth to dental and dental hygiene students and postdoctoral/graduate students.
Departmental faculty assigned to undergraduate teaching provide students with the knowledge and clinical skills to diagnose and treat patients with periodontal disease. This is accomplished through didactic and pre-clinical instruction, followed by clinical treatment of a cross-section of patients with gingivitis and chronic periodontitis.
Areas of Instruction include:
- Periodontal anatomy
- Etiology – pathogenesis and host-response in periodontal disease
- Periodontal diagnosis, treatment planning and prognosis
- Periodontal instrumentation
- Periodontal surgical techniques
- Clinical crown lengthening
- Periodontal medicine
- Periodontal maintenance
- Referral of patients to the periodontal specialist.
Advanced Training
The Advanced Training Program in Periodontics was started in 1955 and accounts for many specialty leaders among alumni. Graduate students who successfully complete the three-year curriculum and defend a master’s or doctoral thesis research, are awarded a certificate in periodontics.
Areas of Excellence
The Department of Periodontics hosts not only undergraduate and graduate programs, but also highlights international programs with South Korea and Mexico, includes a Stomatology Center, and provides a home for the clinical, transitional, and basic research programs of the Center for Craniofacial Research and Diagnosis.
The International Program offers one-year and two-year international fellowships for visiting clinical scholars to receive instruction in periodontics (first year) and prosthodontics (second year).
The Clinical Center for Stomatology provides a world-class opportunity for the study and management of a diverse group of stomatological disorders, including salivary dysfunction, lichen planus, and other malfunctions of the oral mucosa.
The Center for Craniofacial Research and Diagnosis is an umbrella for a number of research activities related to healthy and diseased periodontal tissues and other areas of research in the oro-facial region.
Current programs focus on periodontal development and regeneration and are funded by the National Institute for Dental and Craniofacial Research. Clinical and translational programs focus on minimally invasive surgery, peri-implantitis, and alveolar ridge augmentation.
Other areas of research in the Center focus on periodontal evolution, tooth enamel, and temporo-mandibular joint disorders.
Department Affiliations
The department is also affiliated with Baylor University Medical Center and includes a rotation for Dermatology residents at the Stomatology Center.