Fariba S. Younai, D.D.S.

Dr. Fariba Younai is a professor of clinical dentistry in the Section of Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology, and Orofacial Pain, also serving as chair of the Division of Diagnostic and Surgical Sciences. She joined the UCLA School of Dentistry faculty in 1997, and in 2023 became holder of the Bob and Marion Wilson Endowed Chair.

Dr. Younai obtained her dental degree from the School of Dental Medicine at State University of New York at Stony Brook in 1985. After completing her training in Hospital Dentistry at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New York, she joined the faculty of New York University (NYU) College of Dentistry in the Division of Basic Sciences. There, she was appointed as an Assistant Professor (1990-1996) and then an Associate Professor of Basic Sciences (1996-1997) and served as the Director of Hospital Dentistry, Special Patient Care, and Oral Medicine from 1990 to 1997.

Dr. Younai’s teaching portfolio includes courses that focus on the interplay between systemic diseases and oral health, oral mucosal and salivary gland diseases and their pharmacological management, and patient assessment. She chairs and teaches in several courses in the predoctoral curriculum in the Oral and Systemic Diseases Track. 

Additional Information

Courses Taught

• Systems 1, Cardiovascular, Respiratory & Renal Systems (OSD102). Co-Chair and Lecturer
• Systems 2 (OSD105), Gastrointestinal& Endocrine Systems. Lecturer
• Systems 5 (OSD107), Hematopoietic & Immune Systems. Lecturer
• Oral & Systemic Diseases 1 (OSD201), Chair and Lecturer
• Oral and Systemic Diseases 2, (OSD202). Lecturer
• Oral and Systemic Diseases 3, (OSD203). Lecturer
• Oral Medicine - Therapeutics (OSD3030). Chair and Lecturer
• Dental Issues and Systemic Diseases (AS119). Chair and Lecturer
• Dental Ergonomics (OSD303). Chair
• Multidisciplinary Treatment Planning and Care (IDS203 and IDS303)
• Patient Assessment clinical course (CL403.27). Chair

Research & Interests

Dr. Younai's research interests are focused on oral health issues in HIV infection. She is currently the Primary Investigator of two contracts awarded by the LA County Division of HIV and STD Programs focusing on the provision of oral health care to HIV positive patients. She is also the Co-Investigator and the Dental Director of a HRSA-funded training grant supporting AIDS Education and Training Centers in the Pacific region (CA, AZ, NV, HI).  Some of her previous collaborations have included projects such as: Health Costs and Services Utilization Study HCSUS, Oral Health/Care Disparities in HIV Minority Populations, Intraoral Effects of Methamphetamine Use, Oral Health and Local Immune Status of HIV Positive African American Women, Role of Oral environment in HIV Transmission, and Oral Health Delivery to Women, Adolescents and Children at Risk for HIV Infection. Dr. Younai is a faculty of the American Academy of HIV Medicine and has developed the oral health curriculum for physicians specializing in HIV Medicine. As a faculty of the Pacific AIDS Education and Training Centers, she is actively involved in developing and conducting clinical training programs for community HIV/AIDS care providers and has written the Oral Health chapter for the National HIV Curriculum through the University of Washington, Infectious Diseases Department. From 2002 to 2016, she served as a Commissioner for the Los Angeles County Commission on HIV and has co-chaired the Commission’s Standards of Care Committee. In that capacity, she played an active role in the development of the County’s Continuum of HIV Care and the Treatment and Prevention Standards for the Ryan White-funded providers of the core medical and supportive services in Los Angeles.

Dr. Younai has contributed to the development of several dental treatment guidelines for HIV positive patients including the guidelines developed by the American Dental Association, the New York State AIDS Institute and the Pacific/Western States. Dr. Younai is a recipient of a number of awards including the 1997 NYU Harry Strusser Memorial Award, the 2009 UCLA Academic Senate Distinguished Teaching Award, the 2013 Recognition Awards from the LA County Mental Health Task Force and the Pacific AIDS Education and Training Center, as well as several Student Teaching awards. She holds the Bob and Marion Wilson Endowed Chair for her outstanding contributions to the discipline of Oral Medicine, dedication to research and community service, and commitment to academic excellence.

Patient Care Activities
Dr. Younai has an Oral Medicine Practice in the UCLA Orofacial Pain and Oral Medicine Faculty Practice. In her practice, she provides comprehensive evaluation and management of a wide range of oral soft tissue diseases such as mucocutaneous and immunologic disorders, premalignant conditions, and salivary gland diseases.