Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery is part of the Section of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Dental Anesthesiology (visit Dental Anesthesiology page) and is made up of a team of academic surgeons committed to excellence in clinical care, education, and scientific research. Beyond providing the highest quality of patient care in a compassionate manner, our mission is to train the next generation of leaders in our specialty, and to advance clinical practice through innovative basic and clinical research.
Chair:
Dr. Wayne Ozaki, Clinical Professor
Full-time Faculty:
Teaching
Predoctoral Program exposes students to the specialty and helps them develop the knowledge, skills and values to become competent in performing minor oral surgery. The educational program rests on two central elements: a rigorous didactic program that combines lectures with small-group learning, and a clinical program that imparts proficiency in the basics of oral surgical practice. Beyond core surgical competencies, students completing the program will come away with a good understanding of the evaluation, diagnosis and perioperative management of the surgical patient. The strength of our program lies in the breadth and depth of expertise of the participating faculty and their shared passion for education. The blending of critical thinking and a humanistic approach to patient care with the latest techniques of surgical practice is a pervasive theme throughout our curriculum.
Postdoctoral/Residency Program is a six-year training program leading to the M.D. degree and the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery residency certificate. The program includes three years as a resident on the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Service, two years as a full-time student at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, and one year as an intern/resident on the General Surgery Service of the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center.
Internship Program is a one-year internship position and is intended for dentists who are interested in gaining an additional year of education and experience in oral and maxillofacial surgery beyond that which is taught during dental school. This is an excellent program for those dentists interested in becoming oral and maxillofacial surgeons, but who desire additional experience prior to beginning a formal residency training program. The oral and maxillofacial surgery intern receives similar education and training as that of a resident in the first year of the six year program, with similar responsibilities. The intern also receives the salary and benefits of a first year resident. However, this one year program cannot be counted toward completion of a formal certificate program.
Research
Research activities focus on wound healing and facial injury and reconstruction. Faculty members are involved in a variety of studies that range from modulating wound healing at the cellular level to interventions targeting the behavioral and psychosocial antecedents of facial injury. The research programs are funded primarily through the National Institutes of Health. In addition, our faculty serve on key committees of national and international research organizations, provide editorial services to specialty journals, and function as ad hoc reviewers for the National Institutes of Health Extramural Funding Programs.
Patient Care
Patient care activities for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery are provided at the student, resident, and faculty level. The scope of services includes the removal of non-salvageable teeth as well as impacted wisdom teeth. Surgical procedures to assist patients receiving orthodontic care are performed as well. The resident and faculty doctors place dental implants and do related surgeries to rebuild deficient ridges or gum tissue as needed. Also available are services for the management of traumatic injuries to the teeth and jaws in addition to the treatment and reconstruction of pathologic conditions of the mouth and jaws including biopsies. The doctors perform consultations for jaw surgeries to correct bite problems, temporomandibular joint problems that require surgical intervention, and bone and gum infections.
We operate a fully equipped Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Clinic for the provision of care to patients requiring surgery. The clinic offers a full spectrum of anesthesia depending on patient needs and desires. More extensive clinical activities are provided by staff surgeons in the outpatient clinics as well as the main and outpatient operating rooms of the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center.
Contact Us
Kristina Etchison, Academic Division Administrator
Phone: (310) 825-3241
ketchison@dentistry.ucla.edu
For patient inquiries
Phone: (310) 825-0834