Program Director: Takako I. Tanaka, contact

Preparing Future Leaders in Oral Medicine

The Oral Medicine Residency Program at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine equips residents with the expertise to diagnose and manage complex conditions affecting the oral and maxillofacial regions, including:

  • Oral mucosal diseases
  • Orofacial pain and neurosensory disorders
  • Salivary gland diseases
  • Dental care for medically complex patients

As one of the nation’s leading programs, Penn Oral Medicine is fully accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) and offers comprehensive clinical and academic training in the specialty. Ref: AAOM Website.

Oral Medicine Certificate (2 years), DScD and certificate (5 years), MSOB and Certificate (3 years)
Clinical Certificate Track: certificate only (2 years)
Number of residents accepted: up to 5 per year

GME (Graduate Medical Education) funding is available for the graduates from either U.S. or Canadian dental schools during their initial two years of clinical training.

A Legacy of Excellence

Since the 1950s, Penn Dental Medicine has been at the forefront of Oral Medicine education. Established in the early 1960s, the residency program has produced graduates who have become:

  • Program directors across the U.S. and internationally
  • Senior leaders in dental education
  • Examiners for the American Board of Oral Medicine

Renowned clinicians and researchers worldwide

Clinical Training Sites & Rotations

Residents gain invaluable hands-on experience at multiple clinical sites.

  1. The University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine
  • Oral Medicine Clinics within the University of Pennsylvania Health System
  • Oral Medicine Clinic at Penn Dental Medicine
  • Personalized Care Clinic at Penn Dental Medicine
  • Main Clinic at Penn Dental Medicine
  1. Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP)
    Ranked consistently among the nation’s top hospitals, HUP hosts the Division of Oral Medicine within the Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine (PCAM) and Penn Medicine Radnor. Facilities include consultation and surgical rooms, a dental laboratory, and dedicated offices for residents and faculty.

Residents undertake tailored core clerkships such as:

  • Hospital Consultation Service: Oral care for hospitalized patients and pre-surgical, radiation, and chemotherapy evaluations
  • Anesthesia/Pain Clinic: Management of chronic orofacial pain using anesthetics, physical therapy, and medications
  • Anesthesia: Pre-operative assessment, IV access, airway management, and anesthesia monitoring
  • Dermatology: Diagnosis and treatment of dermatopathology
  • Internal Medicine: Comprehensive patient care, including history-taking, physical exams, and lab medicine
  • Neuroradiology: Interpretation of head and neck CT, MRI, and vascular imaging
  • Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery: Surgical management of TMJ disorders, tumors, orthognathic, dentoalveolar, and reconstructive cases
  • Otorhinolaryngology: Evaluation of ear, sinus, and salivary gland disorders
  • Phlebotomy: Venipuncture and blood collection training
  • Rheumatology: Exposure to autoimmune and musculoskeletal diseases relevant to Oral Medicine

Didactic Education

A robust academic foundation supports clinical expertise through:

Division of Advanced Dental Education Core Curriculum

OMFS History & Physical Exam

  1. Gary Cohen Conference
  • Update residents on current advances in oral medicine
  • Provide exposure to related medical and dental specialties—oral surgery, anesthesia (pain management), dermatology, rheumatology—through expert faculty lectures

V.J. Brightman Conference:

  1. Internal Medicine
  • Highlight the importance of thorough medical history-taking and physical exams
  • Review major internal medicine conditions (cardiovascular, neurologic, immunologic, endocrine)
  • Understand systemic disease impacts on oral health and dental care
  • Cover principles, indications, and interpretation of laboratory tests (hematology, chemistry, liver enzymes, hepatitis, coagulation, autoimmune markers)
  • Emphasize the role of lab testing in oral medicine practice
  1. Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology
  • Understand radiation biology fundamentals
  • Study imaging modalities including plain radiography, CT, MRI, and their clinical applications
  • Develop interpretation skills for radiologic studies
  1. Oral Mucosal and Salivary Gland Diseases
  • Evaluate medical history relevant to oral mucosal disorders
  • Diagnose and manage acute oral lesions (e.g., herpetic gingivostomatitis, varicella-zoster, erythema multiforme, blood disorder ulcers)
  • Manage recurrent lesions (aphthous stomatitis, herpes simplex, Behçet’s disease)
  • Understand chronic lesions (pemphigus, bullous pemphigoid, mucous membrane pemphigoid, erosive lichen planus)
  1. Orofacial Pain
  • Understand etiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, imaging, and treatment of temporomandibular dysfunction
  • Diagnose and manage atypical and non-odontogenic facial pain including temporomandibular joint disorders
  • Diagnose and manage neuralgias and headache disorders: clinical features and management
  1. Pharmacology:
  • Understand pharmacologic approaches to oral mucosal diseases, orofacial pain, chemosensory disorders, and salivary gland conditions
  • Understand medication effects on oral health and implications for dental treatment
  1. Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology
  • Learn histopathologic interpretation and disease pathophysiology
  • Analyze clinicopathologic cases to enhance diagnosis and patient care skills
  • Participate in virtual or in-person microscopy sessions to apply histopathologic knowledge

Clinical Practice in Oral Medicine (Supplemental Course)

  • This course utilizes a blended learning approach, combining guest lectures from Penn Medicine and Penn Dental experts, literature reviews, statistical analysis, and hands-on clinical sessions. The emphasis is on interprofessional, evidence-based patient care.
  • Curriculum Goals:
    • Develop clinical expertise in oral medicine
    • Promote collaboration across healthcare disciplines
    • Integrate evidence-based practices into clinical decision-making
    • Foster active, participatory learning
    • Support residents’ growth in interprofessional patient care and research project development
  • The interactive, in-person sessions are held every Friday morning.

Academic Pathways

Residents pursuing the academic track (2-year certificate program) can earn advanced degrees alongside their specialty certificate:

These programs offer extensive research opportunities across Penn Dental Medicine and the University of Pennsylvania, cultivating clinical expertise and academic leadership.

Research Opportunities

Residents benefit from:

  • Access to state-of-the-art laboratories
  • Interdisciplinary collaborations
  • Mentorship by leading clinical and basic science researchers

Residents are encouraged to pursue research projects aligned with their interests to advance the field of Oral Medicine.

Graduate Medical Education (GME) Funding

GME funding supports residents who are graduates of U.S. or Canadian dental schools during their first two clinical training years.  Ref: HUP GME

Learn More