School of Dentistry

Department of Diagnostic Sciences

The Department of Diagnostic Sciences serves the people and dental profession of the state of Louisiana and surrounding areas by providing teaching, scholarly activity, and patient care through the diagnosis and management of disorders and abnormalities of the oral and maxillofacial region. Students learn to generate a differential oral diagnosis, develop logical treatment plan alternatives based on the patient's health and needs, and adhere to proper infection control techniques.

Faculty members are also devoted to teaching management of medically-compromised patients in the aging population and teaching students to achieve proficiency in obtaining and evaluating a pertinent medical and dental history. Students also learn proper techniques for performing a thorough head-and-neck and oral examination, and diagnosis and management of oral lesions and craniofacial pain.

Instruction in selecting, exposing, and interpreting intraoral and extraoral x-ray images is provided to students and residents as well as providing certification in digital and conventional radiology for dental assistants. The division serves other departments and the public by providing conebeam CT scans, extraoral and intraoral images, continuing education courses, and consultation services.

The program in Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology promotes the highest standards in education, research, and practice of its specialty. It is uniquely situated in the curriculum between the basic and clinical sciences and provides didactic instruction to dental students, dental hygiene students, postgraduate students and residents. The Oral Pathology Biopsy Service offers support to the dental school clinics, dental profession, and public by processing and interpreting over 2,000 oral biopsies each year.

All faculty members actively participate in clinic consultations throughout the school and to outside dental professionals. They also teach in continuing education courses. The faculty provides interdisciplinary consultation and education to medical residents, faculty, and pathologists. Additionally, the division's forensic odontology services aid law enforcement in the identification of human remains.

View rosters of full-time and part-time faculty members in the Department of Diagnostic Sciences.