Section of Periodontics
Periodontics is the discipline of dentistry that prevents and treats periodontal diseases and other conditions through non-surgical and surgical procedures. The surgical placement of dental implants to replace missing teeth and augmentation procedures for implant sites are also within the scope of therapy provided by dental professionals in the field of periodontics.
Chair:
Dr. Flavia Queiroz Pirih, Associate Professor. Tarrson Family Endowed Chair in Periodontics
Teaching
The Section of Periodontics has comprehensive educational programs in Periodontics with courses for dental students, residents, international preceptors, and practicing dentists throughout the world.
- Pre-Doctoral Program - This program provides lectures, seminars, preclinical laboratory experiences and clinical teaching throughout the four-year dental curriculum. Students are exposed to a wide range of patients with periodontal conditions and they get extensive clinical experience in periodontal diagnosis, treatment planning and non-surgical and surgical periodontal procedures.
Research
Faculty members in the section of Periodontics are engaged in several areas of periodontal research. A main area of interest has been the development of new surgical techniques to regenerate periodontal tissues around diseased teeth and to regenerate bone in order to facilitate placement of dental implants. Another area of research has been to understand the role of bacteria, the microbiome and probiotics/bateriocins, the immune system and genetics in periodontal and peri-implant disease and to translate this information into effective preventive and therapeutic strategies. More recently, we have started to investigate the ability to utilize saliva to diagnose various forms of periodontal diseases. Additionally, our group has had interest in research to understand the observed association between periodontal infection and systemic health problems such as metabolic diseases, including diabetes, gastrointestinal and liver diseases, heart and lung diseases, stroke, Alzheimer's disease and low-birth-weight premature births.
Links to Research Labs:
Patient Care
Our patient care responsibilities include supervising periodontal services provided by dental students in the General (pre-doctoral) Clinic and resident dentists in the Postgraduate Periodontics and Implant Surgery Clinic.
Our faculty members provide state-of-the-art clinical care in a private practice setting involving non-surgical periodontal therapy, periodontal surgery and implant surgery at the UCLA Faculty Group Dental Practice.
Support
Please consider making a donation to the UCLA School of Dentistry's Section of Periodontics Fund for Excellence to support the Symposium and other perio-centric teaching and learning activities.
Contact Us
Leslie Zamudio, Administrative Assistant
Phone: (310) 825-5543
lzamudio@dentistry.ucla.edu