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Department of Periodontology and Oral Implantology
Thomas E. Rams, DDS, MHS, Chair
Periodontology is the study of the specialty area in dentistry which encompasses the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the supporting and surrounding tissues of teeth, or their substitutes, and maintenance of the health, function and esthetics of these structures and tissues. The Department of Periodontology faculty at The Maurice H. Kornberg School of Dentistry is comprised of experienced, diverse and internationally-renowned clinicians and researchers originating from a wide range of countries, educational backgrounds, and diagnostic/treatment philosophies in Periodontology.
The mission of the Department of Periodontology at The Maurice H. Kornberg School of Dentistry is to provide excellence and innovation in education, patient care and scientific discovery in the field of Periodontology. To meet these objectives, the Department's primary goals are to:
- provide educational programs to train predoctoral dental students, graduate students and dental professionals in present-day knowledge and clinical practice skills pertaining to diagnosis, treatment and prevention of human periodontal diseases, as well as training in placement and maintenance of endosseous dental implants
- advance understanding of the interrelationships between fundamental concepts in Periodontology and other oral health disciplines
- provide periodontal health care services and education to the community and dental profession
- encourage and undertake clinical and laboratory research on the epidemiology, etiology and treatment of human periodontal and peri-implant diseases
- foster collaborative, interdisciplinary educational and investigative activities with intramural and extramural programs/institutions
- serve as the primary academic base within the School of Dentistry and Temple University for teaching and scientific expertise on the core discipline of Periodontology
Educational Areas of Study
The Department of Periodontology at The Maurice H. Kornberg School of Dentistry prepares graduate and predoctoral students, as well as practicing dental professionals, for excellence in clinical practice, teaching and research in Periodontology and surgical Implant Dentistry through lectures, demonstrations, laboratory exercises, seminars, literature reviews, individual tutoring, on-line computer learning modules, supervised clinical patient care requirements, competency evaluations, and written/oral examinations. The Department of Periodontology offers a Graduate Specialty Program in Periodontology including a Master of Science (MS) degree in Oral Biology, predoctoral instruction in the School of Dentistry's Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) Program, and periodic Continuing Education programs.
Research
Research aimed at improving diagnosis, treatment and prevention of human periodontal and peri-implant diseases is an important focus of faculty and graduate students in the Department of Periodontology and Oral Implantology.
Ongoing research on the microbiological etiology and anti-infective treatment of human periodontitis and infectious peri-implant complications is being conducted by the Department's Oral Microbiology Testing Service (OMTS) Laboratory, under the direction of Dr. Thomas E. Rams, which is one of only three such state and federally-licensed clinical periodontal microbiology reference laboratories in the United States.
The Periodontal Diagnostics Research Laboratory, under the direction of Dr. Jasim M. Albandar, is focused on conduct and analysis of human epidemiological studies of periodontal diseases in various population groups, and elucidation of associated risk factors that may be applicable in improving preventive and therapeutic strategies for clinicians.
Other recent department faculty research studies involve the evaluation of a chairside diagnostic strip for periodontal diagnosis, the association and management of oral osteonecrosis in patients taking systemic bisphosphonate medications, and longitudinal evaluation of the protective effect of high levels of species-specific serum IgG antibodies to the major periodontal pathogens Porphyromonas gingivalis and Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans in treated periodontitis patients remaining culture-positive for the organisms in their subgingival dental plaque microbiota.
All graduate periodontology specialty students enrolled in the clinical specialty postgraduate certificate program are concurrently required to engage in original research activities in order to successfully complete a research thesis-based Master of Science in Oral Biology degree prior to their graduation.
Faculty - Department of Periodontology and Oral Implantology(back to top)
Jasim M. Albandar, Professor
Harvey Allen, Associate Professor
Burton E. Balkin, Professor
George H. Beck, Assistant Professor
Judy Bendit, Instructor
Milita G. Borguet, Associate Professor
Diana Bronstein, Instructor
I. Stephen Brown, Professor
Belinda Brown-Joseph, Associate Professor
C.Stephen Caldwell, Assistant Professor
Susan M. Chialastri, Associate Professor
James A. Craig, Professor
Robert A. Delie, Assistant Professor
Walter E. Dimmitt, Assistant Professor
Jay R. Friedman, Assistant Professor
Benjamin F. Hammond, Professor
H. Ray Hazen, Assistant Professor
David L. Hoexter, Professor
Kenneth W. M. Judy, Professor
Christopher E. Kazor, Associate Professor
Paul H. Keyes, Professor
Ahmed H. Khocht, Associate Professor
Robert Levine, Professor
Mark G. Marinbach, Assistant Professor
Carl E. Misch, Professor
Lynn P. Mortilla, Instructor
Andrew Mramor, Assistant Professor
Myron Nevins, Professor
Blake Nicolucci, Associate Professor
Lawrence R. Page, Professor
Ady Palti, Professor
Beth Patton, Instructor
Thomas E. Rams, Professor
Randolph R. Resnik, Professor
Edwin Scher, Professor
Mark K. Setter, Assistant Professor
Jon B. Suzuki, Professor
James P. Torosian, Associate Professor
James Vito, Professor
Natalie Wong, Assistant Professor
Theresa C. Wyszynski, Instructor
Michael Zampelli, Associate Professor