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)

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
  • Presidents of the American Academy of Oral Medicine
  • Examiners for the American Board of Oral Medicine
  • Renowned clinicians and researchers worldwide

Academic Pathways

Residents may choose from three academic tracks:

  1. Certificate Only
  2. Certificate + MSOB (Master of Science in Oral Biology)
  3. Certificate + DScD (Doctor of Science in Dentistry)

Graduate Medical Education (GME) funding is available for eligible trainees during the first two years of clinical training. (Ref: HUP GME)

Clinical Training Sites & Rotations

Residents gain hands-on experience across Penn’s diverse clinical sites:

University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine

  • Oral Medicine Clinic
  • Personalized Care Clinic
  • Main Clinic

Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP)

  • Perelman Center for Advanced Medicine (PCAM)
  • Penn Medicine Radnor

Core clerkships include:

  • Hospital Consultation Service – oral care for hospitalized patients, pre-surgical, radiation, and chemotherapy evaluations
  • Pain Clinic – management of chronic orofacial pain using anesthetics, physical therapy, and medications
  • Anesthesia – pre-operative assessment, IV access, airway management, anesthesia monitoring
  • Dermatology – diagnosis and treatment of dermatopathology
  • Internal Medicine – patient care, history-taking, physical exams, and lab medicine
  • Neuroradiology – interpretation of head & neck CT, MRI, and vascular imaging
  • Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery – management of TMJ disorders, tumors, orthognathic, dentoalveolar, and reconstructive cases
  • Otorhinolaryngology (ENT) – evaluation of ear, sinus, and salivary gland disorders
  • Phlebotomy – venipuncture and blood collection training
  • Rheumatology – autoimmune and musculoskeletal diseases relevant to Oral Medicine

Didactic Education

A robust academic curriculum supports clinical training through courses, conferences, and interdisciplinary seminars:

  1. Division of Advanced Dental Education (DADE) Core Curriculum
  2. Comprehensive Patient Evaluation: History & Physical Exam training
  3. Gary Cohen Conference
  4. V.J. Brightman Conference Series, including:
    • Internal Medicine: systemic disease and its oral health implications, lab testing, and case-based learning
    • Oral & Maxillofacial Radiology: radiation biology, imaging modalities, interpretation skills
    • Oral Mucosal & Salivary Gland Diseases: diagnosis and management of acute, recurrent, and chronic conditions
    • Orofacial Pain: temporomandibular dysfunction, neuralgias, headache disorders, imaging, and treatment
    • Pharmacology: medication management, pharmacologic treatment approaches, drug effects on oral health
    • Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology: histopathologic interpretation, clinicopathologic cases, microscopy training
  5. Clinical Practice in Oral Medicine (Supplemental Course)
    • Blended learning approach combining expert lectures, literature reviews, statistical analysis, and clinical sessions
    • Emphasis on interprofessional, evidence-based patient care

Research Opportunities

Residents are encouraged to advance the specialty through research with access to:

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

Projects are tailored to align with each resident’s academic and professional interests.

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