The Department of Periodontics offers comprehensive didactic and clinical education in periodontology at both predoctoral and postdoctoral levels, along with continuing dental education for practicing dentists and hygienists. Instruction is tailored to students’ competency levels and covers a broad spectrum of clinical areas, including periodontal examination, diagnosis, treatment planning, case presentation, and therapies for both healthy and medically compromised patients. Didactic coursework includes key subjects such as periodontal pathology, epidemiology, microbiology, immunology, cell biology, wound healing, dental implantology, periodontal surgery, conscious sedation, and pain control.
In addition to its educational programs, the Department has a strong research component. Faculty members are actively involved in both basic and applied sciences research and serve on graduate committees across campus, being integral to the Graduate School faculty. Research focuses on a variety of topics, including cellular and humoral immunity in periodontal disease, microbiology and immunology related to health, gingivitis, periodontitis, peri-implant disease risk assessment, implant procedures and outcomes, periodontal diagnostics, and HIV infection in the periodontium. Graduate students are encouraged to engage in research projects to enhance their understanding of research methodologies and complete their MSD degree requirements through the Department of Oral Health Sciences.