Department of Oral Medicine & Radiology

Oral Medicine is the specialty of Dentistry that sits at the interface between dentistry and medicine. The skills and activities of the department are well refined to provide an important and unique specialist service to patient, for the clinical care of all the ailments including chronic clinical problems in the oro facial region. Oral Medicine deals with three inter-related aspects, viz: clinical care of patients, learning and teaching and research. This specialty primarily deals with the diagnosis and non- surgical management of oral and maxillofacial disorders and also addresses the dental needs of medically compromised patients. Hence clinical scope of oral medicine is very extensive and functions in close liaison with the several specialties of medicine.

Learning and teaching becomes the integral part of oral medicine. The teaching faculty as well as the specialists update the information regarding the subject from time to time as part of lifelong learning by attending / participating in CDE programmes, symposiums, conferences (national / international) and also through periodicals. Oral medicine forms core component of under graduate dental students curriculum, the teaching faculty are actively involved in the teaching of under graduate students commencing from 3rd B.D.S. Post graduate courses also will be offered in this subject to those who are wishing to develop their knowledge of oral medicine.

Sound diagnosis and treatment is based on research and scientific evidence. Oral medicine specialty highly advocates the research activities aiming to greater understanding of clinical conditions addressed in this department, and also how best these clinical conditions be managed to improve the patient care.

Oral & Maxillofacial imageology (Radiology) section is housed in the restricted (isolated) area, radiation protection measures have been taken care of and it is easily accessed by the patients. This section functions as part of Oral Medicine and Radiology department. Radiology section is well equipped with different types of X-ray machines and other accessory equipments to address the needs of regular day today cases requiring radiographs in the orofacial region. Since this college and hospital is tied up with the 500 bedded hospital having radiology dept with advanced imaging facilities, the cases requiring advanced imaging facilities which includes CT Scan, Denta scan, ultrasound and others can avail benefit from the Sharda hospital. Imaging of orofacial region helps in the diagnosis of diseases in that specific region and aids in planning dental treatment.

The system practiced in India is such that all patients who visit the dental college and hospital, in their first visit they will be seen in the dept of Oral Medicine which is having sufficient space and required equipment to examine all the patients and also to carry out the chair side investigation. All The patients are examined thoroughly for their dental and other oral complaints and also for the presentation of diseases, which patient are not aware of and there by detecting the diseases early and treatment can be initiated immediately to cure the disease. The preventive measures are also instituted to those who are predisposed to develop some of the diseases because of the habits and any other reasons (family history, etc).

To top it all Oral Medicine and Radiology department is centre for interdisciplinary specialists team work and thereby placing the oral health within the context of overall health of an individual.