Special Patient Care and Maxillofacial Prosthetics
The Section of Special Patient Care and Maxillofacial Prosthetics is composed of two postgraduate programs: General Practice Residency (GPR) and Maxillofacial Prosthetics. The GPR program provides hospital dentistry services that integrate medicine and dentistry to provide comprehensive care to patients with intellectual disabilities, complex medical conditions, psychiatric disorders, or physical disabilities. Maxillofacial prosthetics is a specialty of dentistry devoted to the oral and facial rehabilitation of patients with head and neck cancer, trauma, or congenital anomalies. The postgraduate program provides residents with advanced training in diagnosing and supportive treatment of patients with maxillofacial defects.
Chair:
Dr. Eric Sung, Professor of Clinical Dentistry. Momentum Endowed Chair in Special Patient Care.
Full-time Faculty:
Teaching
The primary focus of the Section of Special Patient Care & Maxillofacial Prosthodontics is to instruct students and residents in the role of dentistry for the medically compromised patient, either in an out-patient setting or in a hospital setting. Students and residents are also trained to manage and treat patients with cancer of the oral cavity, and become aware of treatment options and outcomes.
The Section of Special Patient Care participates in three (3) teaching programs:
Pre-doctoral training – This includes courses on oral and systemic diseases, special patient care rotation, and head and neck cancer and maxillofacial prosthodontics.
Research
With the goal of improved patient care, faculty members and residents of the Section of Special Patient Care & Maxillofacial Prosthodontics conduct basic, clinical, and translational research focused on the dental treatment of medically complex patients. Research foci span the areas of dental materials, medical and dental therapeutics for a variety of oral conditions, and clinical outcomes, among others. The Section is rapidly expanding its research capacity and is seeking further development of institutional and private-sector funding to support these projects.
Patient Care
The Special Patient Care (Hospital Dentistry) clinic provides comprehensive dental care for patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities, complex medical conditions, physical disabilities, and those who are dental phobic. The Maxillofacial Prosthetics clinic provides restoration of acquired or congenital oral and facial defects and implant prosthodontics. Dental services are provided in both our outpatient clinic and inpatient in conjunction with the UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center.
Volunteer Opportunities
The Special Patient Care & Maxillofacial Prosthodontics has a number of volunteer faculty who have given their valuable time throughout the years to the teaching activities of the Section. The clinical expertise they bring to the program are invaluable. The Section is very grateful for our volunteer faculty, and appreciates and welcomes the interest of volunteer dentists.
Contact Us
Victoria Sandoval, Management Services Officer
Phone: (310) 206-8515
vsandoval@dentistry.ucla.edu