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Special Opportunities

Research
Dental and oral health research will eventually lead to vital changes not only in dental practice but also in the education of students who, subsequently, will possess advanced skills and biomedical understanding of complex treatments. Therefore, the administration is committed to, and strongly supports, research efforts by both faculty and students and will spearhead activities designed to develop collaborative studies with other campus schools, such as medicine, public health, and pharmacy.

Various levels of involvement are possible while working with faculty in a wide range of areas of basic or clinical research: cleft palate, preventive dentistry, dental caries, behavioral science, educational research, geriatric dentistry, pharmacology, periodontics, cranial growth and development, orthodontics, implantology, cosmetic dentistry, facial pain, and oral cancer. Throughout the year, the School of Dental Medicine funds travel for research presentations by students at many national meetings. Additionally, federal funds are available through some sponsored grants for minority student research and educational training.

Oral Pathology Biopsy Service
The Department of Diagnostic Sciences operates a surgical pathology laboratory for the microscopic examination and diagnosis of tissues removed from oral and perioral structures. The laboratory processes specimens submitted by the school's various clinical disciplines and makes its facilities available to private dental practitioners. This service, with its specific orientation toward diseases of the mouth and contiguous anatomical sites, is the only one of its kind in Western Pennsylvania.

Dental Fears Clinic
This patient service addresses emotional problems that interfere with acceptance of dental care. Removal of psychological barriers to dental treatment is an important goal of this service, which is provided by the clinical faculty of the Department of Behavioral Science. The clinic's establishment augments pharmacological approaches and adds new dimensions to the school's clinical endeavors.





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