research reports in oral and maxillofacial surgery

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

• View all journals

Oral surgery articles from across Nature Portfolio

Related subjects.

• Coronectomy
• Dentoalveolar surgery
• Pedicle grafts
• Third molar removal

Latest Research and Reviews

Risk of post-operative bleeding after dentoalveolar surgery in patients taking anticoagulants: a cohort study using the common data model

• Joo-Yeon Lee
• Seung-Hyun Park
• Jae-Kook Cha

Diagnostic reliability and accuracy of the hydraulic contrast lift protocol in the radiographic detection of sinus lift and perforation: ex vivo randomized split-mouth study in an ovine model

• Mohamed A. Youssef
• Nadine von Krockow
• Jacqueline A. Pfaff

Soft tissue expansion using self-inflating osmotic hydrogel expanders prior to bone augmentation: healing and complications. Evidence-based review

• Adam Gade Ellesøe
• Rawand Shado
• Haidar Hassan

Comparing short implants to standard dental implants: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials with extended follow-up

• Hamid Kermanshah
• Abbasali Keshtkar
• Tahereh Bitaraf

The practices and beliefs of dental professionals regarding the management of patients taking anticoagulant and antiplatelet drugs

• Niamh Kelly
• Laura Beaton
• Linda Young

Deep learning model for analyzing the relationship between mandibular third molar and inferior alveolar nerve in panoramic radiography

• Shintaro Sukegawa
• Futa Tanaka
• Yoshihiko Furuki

News and Comment

Dental autotransplantation: a viable solution for preserving oral health and function.

• Carlos Fernando Mourão
• Rodrigo Resende

Systematic review of literature: functional outcomes of implant-prosthetic treatment in patients with surgical resection for oral cavity tumors

A selection of abstracts of clinically relevant papers from other journals. The abstracts on this page have been chosen and edited by John R. Radford.

My experience in an oral and maxillofacial post as a profoundly deaf dental core trainee

Effect of hypnosis during administration of local anesthesia in six- to 16-year-old children.

Oral health figures are a 'national scandal'

The gender pay gap in surgery, quick links.

• Explore articles by subject
• Guide to authors
• Editorial policies

Following the trend in maxillofacial surgery literature

Affiliations.

• 1 Maxillofacial Surgery Department, Christchurch Hospital, Canterbury District Health Board, New Zealand. Electronic address: [email protected].
• 2 Maxillofacial Surgery Department, Christchurch Hospital, Canterbury District Health Board, New Zealand.
• 3 Maxillofacial Surgery Department, Ipswich Hospital, Ipswich, Queensland, Australia.
• PMID: 33863595
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bjoms.2020.12.006

Evidence-based medicine relies on the integration of high-quality research with clinical expertise and patient values. The hierarchy of evidence allows the clinician to assign value to research based on the methodological quality of the study design and its applicability to the clinical question. Improvements in the quality of research in oral and maxillofacial surgery aim to strengthen evidence-based medicine and patient care. Analysis of the trends in maxillofacial surgery publications can identify the strengths and weaknesses of the current body of research, and direct researchers to areas that require improvement. The aim of this study was to review the proportion of the types of articles published in the British Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (BJOMS) and the International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (IJOMS) between January 2010 and December 2019. These data were compared with a previously published review that summarised the proportion published in 2000 - 2009. The topics chosen for meta-analysis and the number of qualitative studies were also summarised. In total, 4931 articles were reviewed over the 10-year period. Compared with the previous 10 years, there was an increase in randomised controlled trials and meta-analyses, and a reduction in case series and case reports. Implantology and dentoalveolar surgery were the most common topics chosen for meta-analysis. Overall, the trend in the maxillofacial literature is towards a higher quality body of research.

Keywords: evidence; methodology; quality; research.

Copyright © 2020 The British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Publication types

• Meta-Analysis
• Bibliometrics*
• Research Design
• Surgery, Oral*

An official website of the United States government

The .gov means it’s official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

• Publications
• Account settings

Preview improvements coming to the PMC website in October 2024. Learn More or Try it out now .

• Advanced Search
• Journal List
• HHS Author Manuscripts

Advances in Tissue Engineering and Implications for Oral and Maxillofacial Reconstruction

Caitlyn m. mcgue.

Department of oral and maxillofacial surgery at the Loma Linda University School of Dentistry

Victoria A. Mañón

Department of oral and maxillofacial surgery at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Dentistry

Chi T. Viet

Department of oral and maxillofacial surgery at the Loma Linda University School of Dentistry.

Background:

Reconstructive surgery in the oral and maxillofacial region poses many challenges due to the complexity of the facial skeleton and the presence of composite defects involving soft tissue, bone and nerve defects.

Current methods of reconstruction include autologous grafting techniques with local or regional rotational flaps or microvascular free flaps, allografts, xenografts and prosthetic devices.

Tissue engineering therapies utilizing stem cells provide promise for enhancing the current reconstructive options.

Conclusions:

This article is a review on tissue engineering strategies applicable to specialists who treat oral and maxillofacial defects.

Practical implications:

We review advancements in hard tissue regeneration for dental rehabilitation, soft tissue engineering, nerve regeneration and innovative strategies for reconstruction of major defects.

The goal for reconstructive surgery is the restoration of form, function and aesthetics. Dental and medical specialties are faced with many challenges when considering reconstruction of maxillofacial defects due to congenital deformities, trauma and benign or malignant pathology. The maxillofacial area plays a significant role in how patients define themselves and how they relate to others. Their facial appearance is an integral part of their identity, and their ability to display emotion, converse and eat are all controlled by the complex anatomic features in the facial skeleton. This article highlights current practices in soft and hard tissue reconstruction in the maxillofacial region and discusses advances in tissue regeneration research that have significant implications for the future of reconstructive surgery.

Many factors must be considered when deciding on the reconstructive method, including the size of the defect, the types of tissue missing, the vascular pattern present, the availability of tissue for transfer and patient and surgeon preference. 1 The current gold standard for small hard tissue defects involves nonvascularized autologous tissue transfers. Autologous block bone grafts can be harvested from the iliac crest or from intraoral sites including the mandibular ramus or symphysis. 2 Small soft tissue defects can be reconstructed with local rotational flaps. For large soft tissue or composite (both soft and hard tissue) defects, vascularized grafts (i.e., free tissue transfer) are utilized with predictable success. A large study on reconstruction with microvascular free flaps demonstrated a 95% success rate. 3 As for nerve tissue reconstruction for motor or sensory defects, autologous nerve grafts have traditionally been considered the standard of care. However, advancements in microneurosurgery have created additional surgical options including allografts, xenografts or a combination of multiple grafting modalities. Finally, there are nonsurgical restorative options for major soft and hard tissue defects, such as prosthetic devices. FIGURE 1 provides an overview of the different reconstructive options currently available for hard and soft tissue defects.

Schematic summarizing current options for reconstructive treatment modalities.

Autologous tissue transfer is unfortunately associated with multiple disadvantages. Vascularized free flap transfer is often complicated by scarring, poor color and size matching and longer surgical time. 4 A second surgical site leads to donor site morbidity such as pain and neurosensory disturbances as well as longer surgical procedures and recovery time. 2 Free flap transfers are also restricted due to limited availability of competent donor sites. 5 Because most grafts lack adequate innervation, there is also often loss of motor function and sensation. 6

Tissue engineering is defined as “an interdisciplinary field that applies the principles of engineering and the life sciences toward the development of biological substitutes that restore, maintain or improve tissue function.” 7 Tissue engineering is an attractive alternative to the current surgical options discussed previously and relies on stem cell research. Stem cells are capable of self-renewal and differentiation to a more specialized cell type. They can be classified into three different groups based on this differentiation potential. Totipotent stem cells are able to form an entire embryo, including the extraembryonic tissues. Pluripotent stem cells can differentiate into any of the three germ cell layers (endoderm, mesoderm, ectoderm). A special type of pluripotent stem cell is “induced” pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) that can be generated directly from adult cells. Unipotent or progenitor stem cells are limited to one defined cell type. 8

Possible applications of tissue engineering in oral and maxillofacial surgery include hard tissue regeneration for dental rehabilitation, soft tissue engineering, nerve regeneration and the reconstruction of major defects, with the possibility of eventual organoid fabrication and utilization ( FIGURE 2 ). We will discuss some of the challenges and advances in tissue engineering for each of these categories. The purpose of this article is to provide a succinct overview of several recent advances in tissue engineering in oral maxillofacial surgery for dentists across multiple specialties.

Diagram demonstrating potential areas for utilization of stem cell therapies including hard and soft tissue engineering, nerve regeneration and reconstruction of major defects using bioreactors and eventual organoids.

Hard Tissue Engineering

The restoration of bony defects continues to remain a challenge in dental rehabilitation. While autogenous grafts have been shown to be successful in repairing some of these defects, the associated donor site morbidity has encouraged research into other more innovative options. Some studies have demonstrated improved clinical outcomes with the use of stem cells and tissue engineering. Bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMDSCs) and adipose derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) have been shown to induce improved bone formation in animal and human models when compared to no treatment or acellular management strategies. 5 Rickert et al. utilized a split-mouth design to compare implant stability in maxillary sinuses augmented with Bio-Oss treated with mesenchymal stem cells to Bio-Oss treated with autogenous bone. The authors found mesenchymal stem cells induced bone comparable to that of autogenous bone. 9 Osteocel, which contains mesenchymal stem cells seeded on demineralized freeze-dried bone allograft, has been used for sinus grafting and implant site development.

A systematic review by Al-Moraissi et al. reported no significant increase in bone formation between tissue-engineered bone using mesenchymal stem cells and conventional bone grafts at three to four months, but a statistically significant increase in bone in the tissue-engineered bone group at six months. Additionally, there was no difference found in residual graft particles, connective tissue, bone gained or implant failure rate. 10

Stem cells also hold promise for implant therapies and peri-implant defects. A study on the efficacy of adipose-derived stem cell-impregnated scaffolds in dogs demonstrated a significant increase in bone regeneration in peri-implant marginal gaps when used at the time of implant placement. 11 In a clinical trial of 11 patients using BMDSCs combined with biphasic calcium phosphate granules for horizontal ridge augmentation, there were significant increases in alveolar width and volume sufficient for the placement of implants in all patients. 12 However, studies by Rickert et al. reported decreased implant survival compared to autologous grafting techniques with survival rates of 91% and 100%, respectively, within the first 12 months. 13 Furthermore, a systematic review of the literature of stem cell use in maxillary sinus augmentation by Niño-Sandoval et al. showed that stem cells, when compared to other graft types, did not lead to a significant difference in multiple outcome measures including implant survival rate, bone height, marginal bone loss following implant placement or new bone formation. 14

Alveolar clefts are another type of hard tissue defect that could benefit from stem cell therapy. Alveolar clefts are formed when there is improper fusion of the maxillary prominences during the fifth and sixth weeks of gestation. 15 Tissue engineering may eventually offer an alternative to autologous bone grafts to limit morbidity associated with the donor surgical site. Preclinical studies in animal models provided promising results regarding the use of stem cells to augment bone formation across alveolar clefts. 16 Zhang et al. showed that mesenchymal stem cells combined with a beta-tricalcium phosphate scaffold were as effective in bone generation as autologous bone in a dog model and allowed for adequate bony support for orthodontic movement. 17

While clinical trials are lacking, many case reports have demonstrated efficacy of stem cells in bone formation in alveolar clefts in humans. 16 The incorporation of mesenchymal stem cells not only improved bone formation but also allowed for tooth eruption in multiple case studies. 18 , 19 Further studies confirmed the usefulness of stem cells in improving alveolar cleft defects to allow for orthodontic tooth movement. 20 , 21 While most studies have not provided long-term follow-up, Chai et al. showed that bone formed utilizing BMDSCs and demineralized bone matrix was maintained for up to three years. 22 Although many of the studies using stem cells for the regeneration of bone in alveolar clefts have been promising, one randomized control trial in patients with horizontal alveolar bone deficiencies demonstrated that stem cells had limited efficacy in larger alveolar defects. 2

While artificial transplant materials such as hydroxyapatite or beta-tricalcium phosphate are another alternative to autografts, their use has been limited due to mixed clinical outcomes, especially in studies involving orthodontic movement. 23 A study in dog models demonstrated significantly improved bone formation when stem cells were added to carbonated hydroxyapatite (CAP) versus CAP alone with improved radio-opacity in the experimental sites. They also demonstrated significantly greater numbers of capillary vessels on the experimental side, implying that stem cells may also improve vascularity in the newly formed bone, posing a promising adjunct to artificial transplant materials. 24

While the current literature shows much promise for the use of stem cells as an alternative therapy for bone augmentation and improvement of hard tissue defects, there are major variations in reports of their success rates. Additionally, autologous grafts still demonstrate superiority compared to stem cell-engineered grafts, although this finding varies from study to study. 25 There is a need for further studies and optimization of stem cell protocols and therapies before they become a widely used treatment in dental rehabilitation and alveolar clefts.

Soft Tissue Engineering

Innovations in tissue engineering have produced the ability to create different tissue types such as skin, mucosa, bone and cartilage. 26 Autologous-engineered skin substitute grafts have been used widely in burn victims, especially in those patients who have limited healthy skin sites for autologous grafting. 27 However, skin is a complex structure composed of epidermis, dermis, vascular plexus, melanocytes and hair follicles. Currently, no engineered substrates can truly replicate this complexity. 28 Comparatively, oral mucosal equivalents have also been fabricated using tissue engineering. Izumi et al. reported enhanced maturation of the submucosal layer and vascular ingrowth using a tissue-engineered oral mucosa construct in patients with premalignant or cancerous lesions when compared to AlloDerm alone. 29

Soft tissue constructs composed of different tissue types have remained more elusive. Mucocutaneous human tissue constructs have been fabricated to replicate tissues with a mucocutaneous junction, such as the vermilion of the lip. 30 Kim et al. further developed a mucocutaneous construct in vitro that was then grafted over the latissimus dorsi muscle in rats in an attempt to create a prelaminated musculocutaneous flap for lip reconstruction. This served to develop a mature trilaminar flap that could then be harvested and placed into the defect site. 26 These constructs hold promise for the ability to restore complex soft tissue defects with better function and aesthetics than current options allow.

Tissue engineering has also been evaluated for its possible therapeutic effects in gingival defects. The utilization of stem cell therapy may help overcome limitations of free gingival and connective tissue grafts, such as donor site morbidity and limited tissue for grafting. 31 One study of five patients with missing keratinized mucosa or mucogingival defects showed a gain of keratinized gingival width, but no significant change in probing depths. 32 A systematic review by Gaubys et al. reported that stem cell therapy had the ability to enhance periodontal ligament and cementum regeneration. 33 A more recent study evaluated the ability of a stem cell impregnated membrane to improve gingival recession when compared to membrane alone; however, the differences in gingival recession and keratinized gingiva remained nonsignificant between the treatment groups. The only significant finding was improved root coverage in the stem cell impregnated membrane group. 34

Although soft tissue engineering modalities hold potential for regeneration and reconstruction of soft tissue defects in the oral and maxillofacial region, clinical studies focused on soft tissue engineering are limited when compared to the literature on hard tissue engineering. Well-designed clinical trials are needed to develop efficacious and viable treatment options that utilize stem cell therapies.

Nerve Regeneration

Dysfunction of the trigeminal or facial nerve following injury or disease of the maxillofacial region is significantly distressing and debilitating for patients. It can lead to paresthesia or dysesthesia, dysgeusia, paralysis of the muscles of facial expression, inability to chew and maintain lip and cheek competence and altered speech patterns. In cases of trigeminal nerve injury, the inferior alveolar nerve is most frequently affected, followed by the lingual and infraorbital nerves. 35 Initial treatment options for trigeminal nerve injury without indications for immediate surgical intervention are often pharmacological, using medications such as NSAIDs or antiepileptic drugs like gabapentin or carbamazepine. Other options such as local and regional anesthesia have also been used. Low-level laser therapy has also demonstrated efficacy, but the effect is decreased with time from injury. 36 , 37

Microneurosurgical repair with end to-end anastomosis or grafting procedures are explored in circumstances where nonsurgical options are ineffective. However, neurorrhaphy can be challenging in cases of inferior alveolar nerve injury due to a limited ability to advance the nerve across a gap without tension. Grafting procedures include the use of both allogenic or autologous nerve grafts. 38 One commercial decellularized allogenic nerve graft is available, which is heavily marketed among surgical specialists who perform sensory or motor nerve repair. Studies using allogenic nerve graft show some success in the repair of nerve defects and reinnervation of distal targets with the allograft comparable to that seen with autografts. But the effect is diminished in longer gaps when utilization of an allograft would be most beneficial. 39 , 40

Cell-based therapies pose a promising alternative treatment option that would minimize some of the disadvantages associated with autologous nerve grafts, such as donor site morbidity, neuroma formation and limited length of available grafts. 39 Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells can differentiate into myelinating cells and support nerve fiber regeneration. 41 ADSCs have also been shown to physically engraft and myelinate regenerating axons and are comparable to BMDSC in in vivo studies. 42

BMDSCs can be induced to express neural stem cell markers. Studies utilizing pre-differentiated stem cell transplantation showed they accelerated regeneration of transected axons and achieved improved myelination that was comparable to the results observed after Schwann cell transplantation. 43 , 44 However, contrasting studies showed primary Schwann cells were significantly better than BMDSCs and ADSC-loaded conduits at promoting distal stump sprouting. 42

De Carvalho Raimundo et al. demonstrated improved whisker movement and eyelid closure in rats following nerve injury with a 5 mm gap when stem cells were injected into the polyethylene conduit connecting the two segments. The study also demonstrated improved nerve fiber area and myelin sheath thickness in the stem cell groups. 45 Another study by Choi et al. compared the effectiveness of nerve repair in a 15 mm defect in rabbits between a vein conduit with BMDSCs to a vein conduit alone. The vein conduit filled with BMDSCs demonstrated superiority in axon formation, the number of nerve fibers generated and the diameter of the nerve fibers. 46

Stem cells also play a role through other supporting measures for nerve regeneration. They can secrete a variety of growth factors, such as nerve growth factor, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, vascular endothelial growth factor and glial cell-derived neurotrophic factors, that act as neurotrophic molecules to help provide a beneficial microenvironment for neural cell survival and neurogenesis. Additionally, they synthesize myelin proteins that serve to enhance myelination and function of the regenerated nerves. 47

While many of the current in vitro and in vivo studies provide promising results for the use of tissue engineering in nerve regeneration, few clinical trials have been conducted.

Reconstruction of Major Defects

Microvascular reconstruction of large defects in the oral and maxillofacial regions is the current standard of care for restoration of form and function, as it provides the most predictable results. It allows for the regeneration of both hard and soft tissue and carries its own blood supply, which is crucial in defects where a sufficiently vascularized tissue envelope may not be feasible due to lack of adequate healthy tissue, such as in traumatic or oncologic defects. Despite the improvements osteocutaneous flaps provide, donor site morbidity, limited tissue availability and compromised aesthetics due to mismatch in tissue color and dimension prove to be challenging ( FIGURE 3 ).

The panoramic radiograph is of a patient with ameloblastoma of the left posterior mandible ( 3A ). The patient is treated with the “Jaw in a Day” technique, in which the patient undergoes a mandibulectomy (here, with osteotomies through tooth No. 19 anteriorly and the sigmoid notch posteriorly to achieve clear tumor margins), with fibula microvascular free flap reconstruction, where dental implants are also placed in the fibula and a prosthesis is cemented to the dental implants ( 3B ). This entire fibula, implant and prosthesis construct (shown in this picture, while still connected by the vascular pedicle in the leg) is transferred to the mandible defect and microvascular surgery is performed to connect the fibula pedicle with an artery and vein in the patient’s neck. This technique allows for immediate reconstruction of hard and soft tissue defects and missing teeth in one surgery, efficiently restoring the patient’s form and function after tumor ablation. The picture shows the immediate postoperative occlusion after microvascular reconstruction ( 3C ), the final implant-supported restorations ( 3D ), ( E ) final periapical radiograph ( 3E ) and final frontal occlusion( 3F ). This case was performed by Dr. Chi T. Viet (microvascular surgery), Dr. Alan Herford (tumor resection) and Dr. Jui Min Su (prosthodontics) at Loma Linda University.

Tissue engineering may provide an alternative for the repair of these large defects. However, there are significant challenges that need to be addressed before this becomes a viable treatment option. Large tissue-engineered constructs created in vitro have a limited vascular supply that is unable to support the constructs and prevents their utilization in clinical settings. 48 One method to overcome this problem is the use of in vivo bioreactors composed of nondegradable custom-shaped chambers filled with either osteoconductive or osteoinductive materials. Allowing the graft to mature in vivo generates a tissue-engineered vascularized graft that can then be harvested and transferred with a vascular pedicle for reconstruction ( FIGURE 2 ). 49

Kasper et al. summarized the case reports of five different prefabricated vascularized free flap approaches in patients. While all the reports demonstrated bone formation within the in vivo bioreactor chambers, two out of five of the constructs failed or required significant revisions. 49 Cheng et al. designed a prefabricated bone graft that was transferred to a mandible that had deficient bony dimensions for implant placement following fibula free flap. The transferred tissue was able to maintain dental implants at 16 months, although the patient eventually died of hepatocellular carcinoma before the implants could be restored. 50

Two other case reports described restoration of large mandibular defects (angle-to-angle and parasymphysis-to-retromolar region) that were restored using tissue-engineered constructs utilizing in vivo bioreactors. The first study by Orringer et al. in 1990 created a mandibular-shaped polyurethane tray packed with autograft from the iliac crest combined with human bone morphogenetic protein (BMP). The prefabricated graft was used to restore the mandible and lower lip. 51 In the second case report, Warnke et al. used a titanium mesh scaffold filled with mineral bone blocks coated with BMP and augmented with bone marrow aspirate from the iliac crest. The graft was implanted into the latissimus dorsi muscle for seven weeks, then harvested with a vascular pedicle containing the thoracodorsal artery and vein and transplanted to the area of defect. The case report only described up until postoperative week four at which time the patient recovered some masticatory ability, even though he remained edentulous at that time. 52

These studies lead to questions about the possible fabrication of organoids for the maxillofacial region. Organoids are “self-organizing 3D structures grown from stem cells that mimic the in vivo architecture and multilineage differentiation of the original tissue in mammals.” 53 Various studies have demonstrated that organoids can be produced from multiple different types of stem cells including embryonic, adult and patient-derived pluripotent stem cells. It is theorized that these organoids could be utilized for cancer research, drug screening and eventually reconstruction. 54 However, at this time none have been transplanted into patients. Furthermore, while there are lingual and salivary gland organoids, there are no mandibular or bony organoid constructs. 55 , 56

While the development of prefabricated flaps and organoids presents exciting possibilities for the future of reconstructive and regenerative medicine, there is still significant preclinical research to be performed before we could even begin to plan clinical trials. Organoids could represent an alternative to the in vivo bioreactor approach, but there are still few applications for the oral and maxillofacial surgeon. Ultimately, the goal is to produce viable constructs for large multitissue maxillofacial defects that would abolish the need for vascularized free flaps altogether.

Conclusions

Despite the promise that stem cell therapy holds, it is not without limitations. Tissue engineering still requires the harvesting of autologous bone cells, which has associated donor site morbidity; however, the collection procedures are less invasive and traumatic than autograft harvesting. 14 , 47 Obtaining stem cells may or may not require general anesthesia or sedation, depending on the selected site for cell collection.

Prefabricated flaps also still require multiple staged procedures for the implantation of the construct and eventual transfer. Additionally, because the grafts utilizing an in vivo bioreactor are buried beneath the skin as they mature, they are not visible for observation and rely on alternative modalities such as Doppler ultrasound to monitor their maturation. 26 Currently, stem cell therapies are inefficient, as they require culturing and expansion, especially in grafts requiring vascularity and perfusion. 6 This extended treatment timeline is impractical in patients who have large oncologic defects, as they will need to be reconstructed with a reliable vascularized graft prior to adjuvant radiation and chemotherapy.

There is also concern for tumorigenic potential of stem cells because they share many characteristics with cancer cells. 17 Both have long life spans with abilities to self-renew and replicate for long periods of time. 57 For example, in one study of a rat model with sciatic nerve injury transplanted with neural stem cells, 25% developed large neuroblastoma-like tumors. 58 The degree of differentiation of the stem cell may play an important role in determining the true risk of malignant transformation. 57

Tissue engineering using stem cell therapies represents an innovative step forward in regenerative medicine. As we continue to search for ideal methods to restore form, function and aesthetics in the maxillofacial region, there is much hope that these treatment modalities will provide viable alternatives to the current restorative options. Currently, there are limited publications regarding the utilization of tissue engineering in patients, especially for complex soft tissue constructs. Furthermore, there are many variations in protocols used with no consensus on the optimal harvesting and isolation techniques. 14 There are also few studies evaluating long-term stability of tissue-engineered constructs. 16 These limitations highlight the importance of focused and thoughtful research in tissue engineering to optimize and standardize protocols before stem cells can be used routinely in clinical practice.

C.E. CREDIT QUESTIONS

November 2021 continuing education worksheet.

This worksheet provides readers an opportunity to review C.E. questions for the article “Advances in Tissue Engineering and Implications for Oral and Maxillofacial Reconstruction” before taking the C.E. test online. You must first be registered at cdapresents360.com . To take the test online, please click here. This activity counts as 1.0 of Core C.E.

• Multiple options for competent donor sites
• Poor color and size matching of vascularized free flap
• Pain and neurosensory disturbances at donor site
• Longer recovery time
• Pluripotent
• Unipotent or progenitor
• An induced pluripotent (iPSC)
• Implant survival rate
• Bone height
• New bone formation
• All of the above
• Secrete nerve growth factor
• Secrete vascular endothelial growth factor
• Regenerate transected axons
• Synthesize myelin proteins
• They can be produced from multiple different types of stem cells.
• They are currently being utilized for cancer research.
• There are salivary gland organoids.
• There are not yet bony organoids.
• A promising method for overcoming the lack of vascularity of large, in vitro-created tissue-engineered constructs is to instead allow the tissue to mature in vivo bioreactors filled with bone conductive or inductive materials.
• Augmenting bone formation across alveolar clefts
• Improving the vascularity of newly formed bone
• Superiority to autologous grafts
• Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells
• Bone-derived mesenchymal stem cells
• Nerve-derived mesenchymal stem cells
• Donor site morbidity
• Neuroma formation
• Limited length of available grafts
• None of the above
• Though reviews are mixed, autologous grafts still demonstrate superiority compared to stem cell-engineered grafts. Hence, there is a need for further studies and optimization of stem cell protocols and therapies before they become a widely used treatment in dental rehabilitation and alveolar clefts.

Conflict of Interest Disclosure: None reported.

Contributor Information

Caitlyn M. McGue, Department of oral and maxillofacial surgery at the Loma Linda University School of Dentistry.

Victoria A. Mañón, Department of oral and maxillofacial surgery at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Dentistry.

Chi T. Viet, Department of oral and maxillofacial surgery at the Loma Linda University School of Dentistry.

• Frontiers in Veterinary Science
• Veterinary Dentistry and Oromaxillofacial Surgery
• Research Topics

Recent Advances in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

Total Downloads

Total Views and Downloads

About this Research Topic

Over the past decade, veterinary oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMFS) has experienced a trajectory of advances spanning various fields including maxillofacial trauma, surgical oncology, and regenerative approaches to reconstruction. As a sub-specialty, we have seen exceptional change in the movement of new ...

Keywords : Oral and maxillofacial, surgery, reconstruction, computed tomography, surgical oncology, trauma

Important Note : All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

Topic Editors

Topic coordinators, recent articles, submission deadlines.

Submission closed.

Participating Journals

Total views.

• Demographics

No records found

total views article views downloads topic views

Top countries

Top referring sites, about frontiers research topics.

With their unique mixes of varied contributions from Original Research to Review Articles, Research Topics unify the most influential researchers, the latest key findings and historical advances in a hot research area! Find out more on how to host your own Frontiers Research Topic or contribute to one as an author.

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery for the Clinician pp 927–935 Cite as

Research and Publishing in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

• George Dimitroulis 6  
• Open Access
• First Online: 15 February 2021

123k Accesses

We have all been too quick to make up our minds and too slow to change them. In Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, our opinions are slaves to our prior experience. Ignorant confidence is what defined early Surgery as there was a distinct lack of interest in proving and promoting what was effective. The “God complex” among early Surgeons meant that what they thought was true did not need scientific evidence. It is only in more recent times that Surgical practice has embraced evidence to guard against rumour, bias, misconceptions and misunderstandings. Indeed, just in the last few decades we have witnessed the gradual evolution of Surgery from eminence-based practice, the idea that senior experienced Surgeons held all the knowledge, to evidence-based practice, where fair tests are employed to compare one treatment against the other in order to find what works best. History has taught us that clinical research leads to reforms in the practice of Surgery while basic research leads to revolutions in Medicine.

You have full access to this open access chapter,  Download chapter PDF

1 Introduction

Like in most other scientific disciplines, Surgical research is used to confirm facts, reaffirm the results of previous work, solve existing problems and ultimately develop new ideas of practical value. If you can understand more, you can make better decisions rather than blind guesses which is the hallmark of successful clinical practice. Judgements, predictions and plans are based on the latest available information and should be constantly updated in the light of new information derived from good research. The late British Economist John Maynard Keynes once said “when the facts change, I change my mind”. So too, a good Surgeon must be open to new ideas and techniques which are essential to the progress and evolution of each surgical specialty, as change is only possible when key opinion leaders lead the charge.

Essentially, the greatest discoveries in Surgery are those that force us to rethink our beliefs about human disorders and our role in managing it. Research builds our core knowledge, and the most useful knowledge is one that changes the behaviour and practice of Surgeons. The simple idea of washing your hands before handling patients met with immense resistance from the established medical community in the nineteenth century until the scientific evidence supporting microbial infection became too overwhelming to ignore. Knowledge increases your ability to predict the outcomes, and the knowledge of bacterial infections was one of the greatest breakthroughs in modern medicine that significantly reduced the mortality and morbidity of even the simplest of surgical procedures. Research has been pivotal to the success of surgery over the last two centuries and will continue to be an integral part of all future progress, especially in the rapidly expanding field of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.

Progress doesn’t occur in a vacuum; it almost always builds on existing ideas with a series of incremental improvements. That is why most research is used to develop further knowledge on a topic by reaffirming the results, theories and problems of past work in the field. Occasionally, when trying to solve an existing problem, research may lead to the discovery of new problems, ideas and theories which makes the science of Surgery a dynamic process of knowledge acquisition that has no endpoint.

2 The Science of Research

The word Science comes from the Latin “scienta” which means knowledge or skill. Science is about new ideas and testing these in the most transparent way. What launched the Scientific revolution was the realization that we do not have the answers to their most important questions. To find the answers, experiments are what people devised when they weren’t sure of the truth. Ignorance is the starting point of all science, and curiosity about the world around us is what drives science. The more that is unknown, the greater the opportunity to discover, and that is how research has become an essential tool of discovery.

The word Research is derived from an old French term referring to seeking or searching. Research is all about the ability to test, reproduce, quantify and falsify an idea before it can be fully accepted as scientific fact. In research we learn more from the unexpected results than from those we anticipate. Understanding the research process helps generate new research questions. The trick is to ensure the right methods are used to answer the right questions. For example, when we are seeking verification, we must ask ourselves “Did I build the system right?”, while if we want to validate something, we then ask “Did I build the right system?”.

Scientific research is a systematic way of explaining things by collecting evidence which make practical applications possible. The goal of research is not only to yield new knowledge but also to make us better understand existing issues or topics. There are three main forms of Research; Exploratory research helps to identify a problem, while Constructive research proposes solutions to the problem. The third is Empirical research which tests the feasibility of the solution using either qualitative or quantitative methods. Qualitative research collects data in the form of words, images and video which is largely confined to the social sciences but may also have applications in Surgical techniques. The difference between quantitative (numbers) and qualitative (descriptions) research is well summarized by the famous scientist, Albert Einstein, who once said that “Not everything that matters can be measured, and not everything that can be measured matters”. The world cannot be understood without numbers, and equally, it cannot be understood with numbers alone.

In Surgery, quantitative research is most often used to establish the existence of causal relationships between variables by collecting and analysing numerical data. By relying on random sampling, the quantitative research method allows for experimental, correlational and descriptive (i.e. survey) results that are easy to summarize, compare and generalize using statistics to determine the relationship between variables. For example, if the research question is about best mandibular reconstruction following tumour resection, the patients may be randomly assigned to different groups, each representing a different mode of reconstruction. If this is not feasible, the researcher may collect data related to the patient’s demographics and situational characteristics to statistically control for their influence on the degree of morbidity following their particular mandibular reconstruction. Often the intent of the surgical research is to generalize from the study participants to a larger population which will require the researcher to employ probability sampling to select the study participants.

3 The Scientific Research Method (Table 45.1 )

Scientific research follows a structured process. Successful research is only possible when asking the right questions, engaging in the right observations, running the right experiments and networking with the right people to elicit ideas and feedback. The core principle of science and research are precision and transparency—being clear about your methods and honest with your results. Transparency is what gives science credibility. World-changing ideas and technology were built from a protracted process of trial and error. Experiments are designed to show what does work and what doesn’t. It is by testing that we gain access to the feedback that drives progress. Formal research has a well-established pathway that follows the basic steps set out below.

3.1 Observation

Many people simply watch the world around them (on autopilot). Few people observe. An astute observer will see the problem only when they’re not vested in the way things have been. Their ability to imagine how things should be is what drives change and progress. The hardest part of solving a problem is seeing it, and many surgeons blindly follow procedures that do more harm than good for the patient because they have failed to question the surgical technique they have been taught. In surgery, very few surgeons have ever asked the pivotal question—“Is there a better way?” Curiosity and an open mind is what drives progress, and unfortunately, most surgeons have achieved their chosen profession by not rocking the boat and adhering to conventional practices.

Many of the things we accept as objective truths are themselves assumptions based on uncertainty, even in the world of Surgery. No surgical concept or technique has an absolute and permanent value. Time, experience and better experimental tools give rise to new ideas that supplant the old ideas. In other words, all existing surgical ideas and techniques are sooner or later supplanted by new ideas and techniques which means surgery is a never ending marvel of evolution.

Before embarking on any kind of research, the first step is to look for any idea or technique that has not been adequately explained or supported by evidence. When looking to a topic or issue as a potential subject for research, the hierarchy of deliberation begins with (1) “Where is the evidence?”, (2) “How sound is the evidence?” and (3) “Has the evidence been properly interpreted?”. Once you have selected the appropriate subject or topic you would like to explore, the next step is to find out what the literature has to say and look for gaps in the existing knowledge.

3.2 Literature Review

All the world’s information is now at our fingertips, and to access scientific publications is a matter of a few keystrokes. Search engines like Google Scholar and PubMed have opened up a whole new digital world of scientific literature that even the largest University libraries could never hope to subscribe to. Access to the world’s scientific literature has never been simpler than it is today, and subscriptions to University libraries also allow students digital access to a wide range of local and international journals.

Once the research topic has been selected, a thorough review of the literature is required to establish what is already known. It is best to begin with the most recent peer-reviewed articles on the topic which will often summarize the existing body of knowledge. Meta-analysis papers, especially those that follow the PRISMA guidelines, are becoming more common, and these papers can form the foundation of your research topic. Good journal papers will commonly highlight the gaps in our knowledge, the weakness in the current evidence available, and what further research is required that will conveniently point you in the right direction.

3.3 Purpose of Research

Once you have gathered all the pertinent information from the literature review, the next step is to crystalize in your own mind why you are embarking on this research. The flaws or holes in previous research are identified so that the gaps in the literature will provide justification for the new research being proposed. Look for clues in the literature where there may be a deficiency in the evidence surrounding published statements, particularly those that make generalizations that are not adequately backed by evidence. Indeed, many Cochrane reviews have consistently concluded that the vast majority of clinical papers fail to provide the level of evidence required to make any firm conclusions. The aim or purpose of the research is pivotal to the whole project as it dictates the methodology required to adequately address the aims. It is also the main driver in funding applications and recruiting study participants.

3.4 Hypothesis

Science grows with every new piece of evidence with the hypothesis as the compass that directs the inquiries. Scientific theories have to make testable predictions that can be validated in experiments. Science is not just about confirmation; it is also about falsification. If a theory cannot be tested, then it’s logically impossible to ever falsify it. Karl Popper said “if it is not falsifiable, it’s not scientific”. If a theory cannot be tested with experiments, then it falls in the realm of religion or philosophy or pure speculation. Questions that generate the greatest emotional response are a great indicator of challenging the way things are.

The gap in the literature creates a research question which is otherwise referred to as the Hypothesis. The Hypothesis is a prediction which is set out as a statement that defines the relationship between two or more variables. In research, it is the hypothesis that is being tested as to whether it is true or false. If the hypothesis turns out to be consistent with the observations, then it is said to be supported rather than proven as it is still subject to further scrutiny. But if it is rejected, then support is claimed for an alternative hypothesis. The Null hypothesis is when there is no relationship between the variables being investigated.

3.5 Define the Variables

In the hypothesis statement, there will be two or more variables that will be the focus of the study. The study is designed to establish the relationship between the variables. However, before commencing the study, the variables must be clearly defined so that there is no doubt as to what each variable represents. Without clear definitions of the variables, studies cannot be repeated and hence impossible to validate.

3.6 Data Collection

What isn’t measured can’t be managed. Without data, we cannot make informed decisions. We gather data to collect information that becomes knowledge which is finally displayed as wisdom. Data has to be collected, processed and analysed for it to become information which can be used to make better decisions. Ultimately, the answer is only as good as the quality of the data fed into it.

Apart from field studies such as surveys and clinical audits, OMF Surgeons also conduct experiments that involve laboratory controlled conditions, often by recruiting the resources of other medical specialities such as pathology, microbiology, radiology, biochemistry, pharmacology and haematology. Data collection is easiest when data points can be quantified or represented with numerical figures. Even descriptive surveys can be quantified provided the responses can be listed on a sliding scale ranging from good to bad, high to low or positive to negative. A typical example is the visual analogue scale used by OMF Surgery researchers to quantify pain scales, chewing ability and quality of life outcomes before and after jaw surgery.

In Medicine, randomized trials where the patients and experimenters are blinded are least vulnerable to bias than observational studies, which are most prone to bias. Unfortunately, randomized trials are more expensive than observational studies and require a lot more manpower and resources to properly execute. In surgery, we most commonly rely on observational studies as the best evidence we have to go on for two reasons. Firstly, control groups with which to compare treatment outcomes, unlike a placebo sugar drug, are rare as it is ethically impossible to undertake sham operations. And secondly, it is practically impossible to blind surgeons and patients when it comes to evaluating surgical procedures. Evidence in the field of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery therefore relies largely on observational studies derived from surveys and clinical audits of case series.

3.7 Data Analysis

Data science is about understanding the world by spotting patterns and predicting how one variable will affect another. While our instincts may give us a reasonable sense of how the world works, we need data to sharpen the picture as we can be easily blinded by our own experiences and prejudices.

Data shows us there is more to OMF Surgery than we think we see. Good data science can often demonstrate counterintuitive results—what you least expected to see. Selection biases are distortions of the results introduced either by the data collecting tools or by the method of data accumulation.

Statistics is a valuable tool that helps determine whether the results you have found are likely to be due to a chance rather than a true finding. Make sure the data is collected on an Excel spreadsheet, and work out what level of confidence you will accept as statistically significant which, in clinical research, is often the 95% confidence level (i.e. P value <0.05). In statistics, the smaller the sample, the lower the likelihood that it would mirror the broader population. Large samples yield more precise results, while small samples are more susceptible to extreme results. As sample sizes get larger, the statistical calculations from that sample get more precise. Small differences (1%) between two populations being measured require bigger sample numbers than large differences (25%) for the true value to emerge. This is called the power calculation which is an important measure to consider before embarking on any study. Statistics is a complex affair and beyond the scope of this chapter, so the services of an expert statistician may well be useful when it comes to crunching the data.

3.8 Data Interpretation

Information is interpreted by different people in different ways. People can look at the same set of facts and disagree. Data can be manipulated to support any argument. You don’t always need a ton of data to find important insights. What you need is the right data. Numbers can be seductive. We can grow fixated with them, and in doing so, we can lose sight of more important considerations. When looking at data, it is not the raw crunching power you have that matters most, but what you do with it that is most important. Behind every statistic there is a certain set of assumptions and prejudices. Minds crave certainty, and when they don’t find it, they impose it so we must keep an open mind when the data does not yield the results we expected to see.

3.9 Test or Revision of Hypothesis

Your judgement call about how the results support your hypothesis is essential to your conclusions. If the data does not support your hypothesis, then it is essential to state an alternate hypothesis that fits with what has been observed. The scientific method is tailor-made for cherry picking because of its hypotheses and caveats and refusal to embrace certainty. Even in Science, certainty still relies on the assumptions, interpretations and theories of researchers based on what they see. Nothing is definite, for doubt is an essential operating principle of science. This means that doubt still has a place in all scientific proofs, so that all evidence is provisional and not final. In other words, what you have ascertained in your research is not definite proof but rather tacit support for an idea.

3.10 Conclusions and Recommendations

The conclusion is a summary of the entire experiment or study that simply states the outcomes observed which must be clear, concise and to the point. Any ambiguity should be highlighted and recommendations made as to how future studies should be conducted to minimize the uncertainty. It may simply be a numbers game where more patients are required, or additional groups such as control patients which may provide a clearer outcome. For example, the effectiveness of Botox in Myofascial Pain (TMD) can never be properly evaluated if there are no control groups (i.e. that have normal saline injected) with which to compare.

The conclusion is the most sought after piece of information that others will first look at when reviewing your research. Although it sounds rather obvious, the conclusion(s) must be supported by the data; otherwise, the research makes no sense. The onus is on the researcher to make sure the conclusions also fulfil the goals and aims of the study. Recommendations based on the conclusions are essential in providing a practical guide to surgical practice. Research is what drives clinical advances in Surgery, and the change in behaviour of Surgeons can only be achieved with evidence.

3.11 Reporting/Communicating/Publishing Findings

Research is useless if it is not shared with the outside world. All humanity is now connected by digital technology which has rendered distance, time and costs irrelevant to the distribution and exchange of ideas. The digital world has made recording, storage and dissemination of information, research and ideas virtually free with costless reproduction and instantaneous global distribution. Reporting and publishing research findings is described in detail in Sect. 5 .

4 Constraints in Surgical Research

Cultures that fail to encourage questioning also fail to come up with new ideas. Great institutions should teach us how to ask hard questions and where to look for answers. Knowing all the answers does not distinguish someone’s intelligence—rather, the ability to ask the right questions and linking the unconnected is the mark of a true genius. Generally, it is considered a weakness and a sign of vulnerability for clinicians to appear unsure. Confidence in medicine is valued over uncertainty, but science is all about uncertainty which drives progress. If we knew it all, there would not be a need for research.

Nothing is as powerful as an idea whose time has come. New ideas are what drive behavioural change and innovation. A new behaviour needs social approval before others are likely to pick up the habit as their own. Only the curious, who are open to learning, have a much greater chance of creating a truly novel solution. Unfortunately, originality is not always embraced by the surgical profession who are generally conservative by nature.

It is much easier for Surgeons to accept familiar ideas than totally original ones because if the ideas are too original, then it may be too hard for the Surgeon to accept or understand. The goal is to push the envelope, not to tear the envelope. Radical ideas are best presented in a way that is less shocking and more appealing to mainstream surgical practice by planting the seeds of a simple idea before revealing the larger idea. If you want your ideas to be accepted by your peers, make your ideas more appealing by connecting it with other ideas that are already understood by your colleagues. Other constraints related to research involve ethics, funding and bias which are discussed below.

There has been a push in recent years by institutions and clinical journals to have all animal and human research activities sanctioned by appropriate ethics review boards or panels attached to hospitals or Universities. Without ethics approval or clearance, it may be impossible to conduct even the simplest of clinical studies, including basic surveys. Some Journals now request a copy of the ethics clearance letter before the paper can even be put out to review.

Unlike pharmaceutical research, the level of evidence in clinical surgery is hampered by the fact that control subjects are often missing because you cannot ethically perform sham operations in humans. Therefore, when designing surgical experiments, consider whether animal, laboratory or cadaver studies may be useful instead. Otherwise, you are limited to clinical audits which provide useful information which may not be scientifically valid. For example, a hospital which boasts 100% survival of its patients achieves this by turning away the sickest patients. Or a hospital which has the worst outcomes may well be a tertiary referral centre that only treats the most complex of cases that other hospitals turn away. So, while clinical audits provide a snapshot of the Hospital Unit’s activities, it tells us very little else as far as science, progress and innovation is concerned.

We must be suspicious of therapeutic claims that have not been properly tested. Equally, we must be even more suspicious of research results that cannot be replicated. Many people are driven by a deep human desire for recognition and affirmation of work well done. Sometimes it is possible to build an academic career by sounding clever, rather than being clever. Most academics chase large numbers of trivial publications instead of investing their energies in new frontiers. In other words, why search for something new when you can collect rents on everything that has already been done. Sadly, there are small numbers of academics and researchers who have built their careers on falsification and plagiarism. The desire for recognition and the need for promotion when combined with the pressure to publish can tip some academics, clinicians and scientists towards fraudulent activities where data is made up and text is plagiarized in order to churn out the maximum number of “scientific” papers. In science and surgery, reputation takes many years of hard dedication to build up and an instant to destroy when you’re suspected of scientific fraud.

4.2 Funding

Scientists have an innate desire to innovate, share, collaborate and be recognized for it regardless of the financial incentives. Hence, good research requires funding from external sources. Unfortunately, the spirit of open scientific enquiry can sometimes be hijacked by the combination of self-interest and money, especially when industry offer to bankroll the study. Industry rely on profitable enterprises which grow shareholder value. Scientific support behind a product is perhaps the ultimate value-adding marketing tool, so industry are always looking out for research that shows positive outcomes related to their products. Furthermore, industry never leave anything to chance so they want control of scientific research through financial rewards to various research institutions. By directly funding research, industry have control over what is published (i.e. the positive results) and what stays buried in a locked cupboard (i.e. the negative results).

Therefore, the most respectable research is that which is funded by government or not-for-profit organizations such as Medical Societies and disease interest groups like the Heart Foundation or the Cancer Council and so on. Funding from non-industry groups are much more competitive as there is always a limited amount of money available for research so applications must be of high quality. Furthermore, the non-industry funding bodies give free reign to the scientists on how the data is used and published. Industry funding, on the other hand, have simpler applications but more control of the data which remains their property. Most importantly, industry insist on the final veto on whether or not the results are published.

4.3 Confirmation Bias

Confirmation bias is one of the shortcomings of science because the human mind is bad at seeing things it did not expect to see and a bit too eager to see what it expected to see. It is basically seeing what you want to see and ignoring everything else. In essence, confirmation bias is when you filter reality through biases by eagerly accepting evidence that confirms what you believe and ignoring evidence that refutes or challenges what you believe. Once we adopt a particular hypothesis or interpretation, we find it difficult to see things any other way. People will accept any explanation as long as it fits with their own understanding of the facts.

4.4 Cognitive Dissonance

Cognitive dissonance is another impediment to scientific progress that affects many people. It is simply a feeling of discomfort that people experience when presented with information that is inconsistent with their beliefs. When we are confronted with evidence that challenges our deeply held beliefs, we are more likely to reframe the evidence than we are to alter our beliefs. In most cases, instead of acknowledging an error in judgement, people tend to reformulate their views in a way that justifies their old opinions. We simply invent new reasons, new justifications, or new explanations or ignore it altogether. Some people go to absurd lengths to justify their beliefs or judgement even when confronted with clear contrary evidence. The more committed we are to a certain opinion, the less likely we are to relinquish it, even when confronted with massive or overwhelming contradictory evidence. As an example, the introduction of microvascular venous couplers in microsurgery was developed by those who could see the obvious benefits of speed and patency of the anastomosis, and yet was resisted by those who felt the skill of micro-suturing tiny veins would be lost, regardless of the benefits of reduced thrombosis and improved flap survival.

5 Publishing

Research cannot thrive without publishing. All research projects are conceived with publication as the end game. The excessively competitive field of research creates a tendency to rush to conclusions and publish results that have not been properly validated. Valid conclusions can only be drawn from reproducible data sets because results that initially look promising aren’t always repeatable. It is little wonder that remarkably few published breakthroughs have ever led to any useful treatments.

There are numerous media that researchers can use to propagate their experimental findings which are discussed below.

5.1 Electronic Media

Digital technology has not only transformed but has revolutionized the way we live. The merger of the personal computer and the Internet allowed networking to blossom on a massive scale, and so surgeons and scientist are not wholly reliant on print media to propagate their ideas. Websites like ResearchGate encourage scientists and clinicians to upload their research, both published and unpublished, onto a digital platform for all to see and to foster collaboration between research groups across the world.

Digital media platforms like YouTube are fast becoming a quick, easy and virtually cost-free way of publishing your novel ideas and surgical techniques on the Internet for all to see. More and more Surgeons are bypassing the heavily fortified realm of print media for the highly accessible digital media which not only offers a global audience but also facilitates immediate upload of content with virtually no delay. The disadvantage is of course the lack of scrutiny which suggests the content has not been vetted by experts. Hence, the scientific value of the video post is virtually zero. While you may have a wide audience, it may not necessarily be the people you want to impress.

5.2 Magazines

Glossy magazines that specifically target general medical/dental practitioners are supported by lots of industry advertising which is interspersed with clinical articles that have not been peer-reviewed, but rather submitted on the invitation of the magazine editor. The articles, which often have more clinical pictures than text, are written by clinicians and academics as a general interest piece that provides the reader with an update of what is current clinical practice that is aimed at the non-specialist practicing clinician. Authors are generally paid for their contributions. These articles are of little value to the specialist trainee or clinician wanting to find out more about their own specialty.

5.3 Textbooks

Textbooks contain information that is current practice and accepted by the profession. Unfortunately, by the time a textbook is commissioned, written, published and finally released, the information is often about 2 years out of date. Therefore, the strength of textbooks is in the basic principle of surgical practice, and the weakness lies in the distinct lack of new information. Digital technology is gradually changing the need for printed textbooks as students are gravitating to knowledge that is presented in discrete digital packages with hyperlinks that cross-reference important concepts similar to “Wikipedia”. While university and hospital libraries still purchase textbooks for student consumption, today’s students are finding the expense of textbooks prohibitive and so seek other means of accessing surgical information and knowledge through the Internet, which is often up to date as long as they know what to look for and are able to critically evaluate the credibility of the information source.

5.4 Peer-Reviewed Journals

There are over 1 million academic papers published every year in over 24,000 academic journals where gaps in our knowledge are discussed and new experiments are conducted that might resolve these gaps. Unfortunately, published scientific papers tend to be biased towards reporting positive results. Negative results do not make headlines so they are rarely published. Publication in a journal is not a mark of truth but merely that the research has passed a certain standard that warrants entering the formal literature and further discussion.

Scientific journals sell scholarship back to the same universities whose scientists had produced, written, peer reviewed and edited largely for free. Hence the cost of producing scientific journals is kept as low as possible in order to facilitate as wide a distribution as possible. Unlike magazines, peer-reviewed journals with few exceptions keep industry advertising to a minimum as they are supposed to be impartial to avoid conflict of interest when reporting studies that may conflict with the interests of a big advertiser.

Peer-reviewed journals are the platform we use to announce new discoveries, to comment on or criticize the discovery of others and to synthesize and seek to build consensus about what is known. In Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, case reports and technical notes account for about one-third of journal publications, while less than one in ten are randomized control (Level 2 evidence) or non-randomized control (Level 3 evidence) studies (Table 45.2 ). Because of the difficulty in performing high-level randomized control trials in surgery, Surgeons are more accepting of lower-level evidence which is based on observation. Indeed, it is unlikely to extract any high-level evidence research from surgical departments who rely on surgical trainees for their research output.

All journals subscribe to the IMRD layout which means all submissions must have an Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion sections. The introduction builds the case for why you pursued the line of research and the final sentence is always the statement of the aim(s) of your study. The Methods section describes how the study was performed in terms of setting (e.g. Hospital or Laboratory), subjects (i.e. animals or humans), recruitment (e.g. inclusion/exclusion criteria), data collection (e.g. Surveys, measurements), variables being compared (experimental vs. control) and data analysis (statistics used) (Table 45.3 ). The Results section simply states the summary of the outcomes as depicted in the tables and graphs, while the Discussion critically analyses and compares the results in light of what has already been previously published on the topic. The discussion must include references that both agree and disagree with your findings so that a balanced argument can be presented which will add weight to the study. The final paragraph in the discussion is a summary of the research results with mention of any practical clinical applications that may arise from the study.

Authors must keep in mind that originality and a clear message are essential in getting their papers published in the highly competitive world of scientific journal publishing (Table 45.4 ). The high impact factor journals generally attract articles with high evidence levels so it is imperative to select a journal that caters to the subject and evidence levels of your particular study to avoid rejection and delays in publication of your paper. Original contributions that add new information to the existing body of knowledge are more likely to be considered for publication. However, wild or fanciful ideas are unlikely to garner support from journal editors who are looking for papers that lend respectability to their journal.

Unlike works of fiction, good scientific communication is based on clear and concise wording with short titles and tightly controlled sentences that describe complex ideas in the simplest language possible. Poor grammar, emotive language and long-winded descriptive wording must be avoided so that the ideas being conveyed are not buried in a convoluted tangle of discourse (Table 45.5 ). When evaluating the importance and relevance of published articles, surgeons and scientists look for the facts, not fancy prose.

To improve the acceptability of your paper for publication in a peer-reviewed journal, there are general guidelines available online that help you set out your paper in a format that is recognized and accepted throughout the world (Table 45.6 ). By following the guidelines, you improve the chances of your paper being accepted for publication. For instance, if you want to submit an observational case cohort study, then the “STROBE” statement will guide you in how to properly format your paper. If it is a case report then it is worth checking out the “SCARE” guidelines. Alternatively, if you want to undertake a systematic review of a topic, the “PRISMA” statement is essential.

6 Conclusion

In Surgery there is no greater accomplishment than being the first to successfully implement a successful treatment that changes the history of medicine. However, the person with the first idea is usually not the one recognized by history. Credit often goes to the person who convinces the world, not to the one with the original idea, because the credibility of all new ideas requires convincing evidence. If you make a claim about something, you provide the evidence, or at least a reference to the evidence that backs your claim. Research is the essential tool that builds the evidence which provides a better understanding of how and why things worked or failed. Good surgical practice must be based on evidence.

Surgical innovation is a constant work in progress because any new ideas or techniques are quickly supplanted by an even better ideas and techniques. Gaps in the literature are what fuel research, and the journey of discovery is paved with potholes that need to be filled. To paraphrase the great scientist Sir Isaac Newton, if you want to see further than anyone else has seen before, you need to stand on the shoulders of giants. Your voyage of discovery begins once you have secured your footing on the shoulders of the surgeons and scientists who have gone before you, so you can see the path they have built for you to follow.

Further Reading

Dimitroulis G. EDITORIAL – Getting published in peer-reviewed journals. Int J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2011;40:1342–5.

Article   CAS   PubMed   Google Scholar  

Dimitroulis G. EDITORIAL – Research – why bother? Int J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2011;40:1346.

Hardicre J. An overview of research ethics and learning from the past. Br J Nurs. 2014;23:483–6.

Article   PubMed   Google Scholar  

Knottnerus JA, Tugwell P. EDITORIAL – Evidence-based medicine: achievements and prospects. J Clin Epidemiol. 2017;84:1–2.

Lau SL, Samman N. Levels of evidence and journal impact factor in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery. Int J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2007;36:1–5.

Mohan M, Shetty D, Shetty T, Pandyak K. Rising from plagiarising. J Maxillofac Oral Surg. 2015;14:538–40.

Sollaci LB, Pereira MG. The introduction, methods, results, discussion (IMRAD) structure: a fifty year survey. J Med Libr Assoc. 2004;92:364–7.

PubMed   PubMed Central   Google Scholar  

Szklo M. Impact factor: good reasons for concern. Epidemiology. 2008;19:369.

Download references

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

Maxillofacial Unit, St. Vincent’s Hospital – University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia

George Dimitroulis

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and affiliations.

Bhagwan Mahaveer Jain hospital, Bangalore, India

Krishnamurthy Bonanthaya

Associate Professor, SRM Dental College, Ramapuram, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

Elavenil Panneerselvam

Ananthapuri Hospitals & Research Institute, Kerala Institute of Medical Sciences, Trivandrum, Kerala, India

Suvy Manuel

Department of Maxillofacial Plastic Surgery, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden

Vinay V. Kumar

Associate Professor, Department of Dentistry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India

Rights and permissions

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ), which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

The images or other third party material in this chapter are included in the chapter's Creative Commons license, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the chapter's Creative Commons license and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder.

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2021 The Author(s)

About this chapter

Cite this chapter.

Dimitroulis, G. (2021). Research and Publishing in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. In: Bonanthaya, K., Panneerselvam, E., Manuel, S., Kumar, V.V., Rai, A. (eds) Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery for the Clinician. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-1346-6_45

Download citation

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-1346-6_45

Published : 15 February 2021

Publisher Name : Springer, Singapore

Print ISBN : 978-981-15-1345-9

Online ISBN : 978-981-15-1346-6

eBook Packages : Medicine Medicine (R0)

Share this chapter

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

• Publish with us

Policies and ethics

• Find a journal
• Track your research

Memphis Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Group

“we are here to serve and not to be served” located in memphis, tennessee, the wisdom tooth center.

We are extremely excited to announce the Grand Opening of The Wisdom Tooth Center, located at the same location as Memphis Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Group off of Poplar Avenue in Memphis, TN. Our focus will be all things Wisdom Teeth. Call us today to schedule your appointment.

Welcome to Memphis Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Group

At Memphis Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Group, we provide the highest level of surgical care to every patient. Our experienced and professional staff offers a full range of oral and maxillofacial surgical procedures at both of our locations in Memphis, TN. While in our care, we commit to keeping you comfortable and informed, striving to make every visit as painless, stress-free, and relaxing as possible.

Our staff takes the time to carefully address your surgical needs and answer any questions you have about your care. Our doctor provides anesthesia during all surgical procedures to keep your surgery painless in a safe, warm, and caring environment. We want you to feel at ease and safe while in our professional care!

Wisdom Teeth

Dental implants.

Kind Quality Care in a Safe Environment

Quality is a subjective word. What is quality when it comes to oral surgery? Does it mean the best materials, latest technologies, or most innovative treatments? At Memphis Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Group PLLC, it’s all of that, but more importantly, it’s an oral surgeon and team you can trust. Whether you are interested in learning more about dental implants to restore your smile or need the help of an experienced emergency dentist near you, you’ll feel comfortable and welcome in our offices located in Memphis, TN. Our team will never recommend a treatment we wouldn’t use for our own family members.

We Are Here to Serve

Our goal is to bring to the community the highest level of specialty care available and to provide the highest level of personalized service for each of our patients and referring sources in the professional and dental community. Simply put we want to be recognized as the best at all we do. We realized that a visit to the oral surgeon’s office is by nature a very stressful event.

However, we feel that this stress can be greatly reduced simply by treating people the way we would like to be treated ourselves. This process starts with the initial phone contact and continues until the treatment is completed and financial obligations met.

Office Locations

East memphis office.

6584 Poplar Avenue, Suite 101,  Memphis, TN 38138

Methodist South (Hospital Office)

1251 Wesley Meadows, Memphis, TN 38116

Patient Reviews

The staff was friendly and knowledgeable! This was my first visit and they got us in and out very quickly. The…

The staff was friendly and knowledgeable! This was my first visit and they got us in and out very quickly. The professionalism was refreshing and comforting. We had a pleasant experience. I highly recommend the practice.

A+ across the board! The reception was kind, timely, and informed (there were some crossed wires with my insurance that…

A+ across the board! The reception was kind, timely, and informed (there were some crossed wires with my insurance that were very quickly resolved) Dr. Meekins was very kind, welcoming, and made me feel comfortable (I am always a bit nervous about dental work). He also was very informative on the work that was being done and answered all my questions making the whole process very transparent and easy to understand. The nurses were also very kind, kept me aware of what they were going to do and what they were doing. Today was my first real oral surgery, and I couldn't be happier with the team and results!

Although I was late they got me in at a reasonable time and allowed me to get all my paperwork done. Very friendly and…

Although I was late they got me in at a reasonable time and allowed me to get all my paperwork done. Very friendly and professional even though I had walked in late, which probably caused them to be held back on time. Still got my X-rays done although we had trouble getting them sent over from my family dentist. Really enjoyed the company and conversation! Overall was a fantastic experience even with it being my first time getting my teeth pulled! Highly recommended!!!

Everyone at the office was efficient and professional. We were in and out quickly and the dentist answered all of our…

Everyone at the office was efficient and professional. We were in and out quickly and the dentist answered all of our questions. The staff was friendly when you checked in and they were patient as well. We had a great experience.

My son had a great experience getting his wisdom teeth out. Thank you for taking good care of him.

My experience was top-notch from start to finish. It’s been five hours since my procedure, and there has been zero…

My experience was top-notch from start to finish. It’s been five hours since my procedure, and there has been zero pain or discomfort. Dr. Joseph Majekodunmi and staff were extremely professional and courteous from start to finish. Thank you! I appreciate all that was done for my care.

Staff and Dr. Meekins provided excellent service. Explained in detail the procedure that is forthcoming.

The whole staff was very nice, helpful, and respectful. Got All four wisdom teeth removed in one day. The doctor made…

The whole staff was very nice, helpful, and respectful. Got All four wisdom teeth removed in one day. The doctor made sure and was at ease about how he thought I would recover and He was absolutely right. I would definitely recommend them.

I cannot say enough about how good my experience at this facility was. The office was well decorated to make it feel…

I cannot say enough about how good my experience at this facility was. The office was well decorated to make it feel comfortable and safe. The staff was exceptionally nice, smart, and helpful. The doctor was exceptionally caring, knowledgeable, and friendly. Even the music playing was excellent!

Best dentistry in town. I really enjoyed my visit. They made me feel comfortable and the dental treatment was the best…

Best dentistry in town. I really enjoyed my visit. They made me feel comfortable and the dental treatment was the best by far. To the staffing and dentist, and dentist assistants Thank you very much from the bottom of my heart. You guys rock!!!

Great people and great service. Listened and gave me a course of action that I can handle. I would highly recommend…

Great people and great service. Listened and gave me a course of action that I can handle. I would highly recommend them to anyone!!

Great Experience from all the Staff every one was great and friendly and Dr. Majek explained everything thoroughly to…

Great Experience from all the Staff every one was great and friendly and Dr. Majek explained everything thoroughly to me...

• First Name * Required
• Last Name * Required
• Email * Required
• Phone * Required

Resume drop-in hours are: Monday/Wednesday:  11am-4pm Tuesday/Thursday:  12-4pm Friday:  12-2pm

• Schedule an Appointment
• Undergraduate Students
• Graduate Students
• Faculty & Staff
• Prospective Students
• Parents & Families
• Career Champions
• African Heritage
• Asian, Pacific Islander Heritage
• First Generation
• Indigenous/Native American Heritage
• International
• LatinX Heritage
• Non-Traditional Student
• Students with Disabilities
• Undocumented
• Arts, Media, Marketing & Communications
• Business Management & Administration
• Education, Training, Non-profit & Social Justice
• Finance & Accounting
• International Affairs
• Health Sciences
• Human Services
• Information Technology, Systems, and Computer-Related Fields
• Languages & Cultures
• Law, Government, Policy & Public Administration
• Sustainability
• Undecided/Exploring
• Explore Your Interests, Majors and Careers
• Create a Resume / Cover Letter
• Prepare for an Interview/Negotiate an Offer
• Networking/Career Fairs
• Search for a Job / Internship
• Apply to Graduate School
• Community Service
• Center for Leadership and Service
• Internships for Academic Credit
• Study Abroad
• May 2020 Outcome Data
• May 2021 Outcome Data
• May 2022 Outcome Data
• Access Handshake

Ventura County Community College District

Assistant/Associate Professor, DCG-Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

• Share This: Share Assistant/Associate Professor, DCG-Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery on Facebook Share Assistant/Associate Professor, DCG-Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery on LinkedIn Share Assistant/Associate Professor, DCG-Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery on X

Job ID: 271187

Location: Augusta University

Full/Part Time: Full Time

Regular/Temporary:

Job Summary

Job ID 271187

Position # 40032236

Dental College of Georgia (DCG), Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery (OMFS), at Augusta University (AU) is currently seeking a faculty member at the rank of Assistant Professor or Associate Professor. The faculty member will report directly to the Chair of the Department of OMFS. Teaching responsibilities include presentation of didactic and clinical education to postgraduate OMFS residents. Clinical responsibilities include supervision and evaluation of OMFS residents and predoctoral patient care experiences. This faculty member will be required to obtain and maintain privileges for direct care delivery and supervision of residents at Augusta State Medical Prison, Charlie Norwood Veterans Medical Center, and Augusta University Medical Center. Responsibilities will include participation in trauma and general OMFS call rotations. This position is not considered to be on tenure track.

Responsibilities

Teaching / Instruction

Evaluate Oral Maxillofacial Surgery residents and undergraduate students, patient and education encounters/experiences. Present didactic and clinical education information to students, faculty and peers in multiple venues as it pertains to Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.

Clinical / Patient Care

Practice of Oral Maxillofacial Surgery in clinical/hospital setting including coverage of hospital call.

Public and professional service.

Research / Scholarship

Professional development activities. Continuing education and presentation preparation. Research development.

Required Qualifications

U.S. DDS/DMD degree from an ADA accredited dental school (or foreign equivalent) with advance training in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. Individual must be an American Board eligible Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon with the knowledge and capabilities to diagnose and practice the comprehensive scope of OMFS procedures.

ABOMS (American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery) eligible and eligible for licensure by the Georgia Board of Dentistry and anesthesia permit.

Experience equivalent to three years or more of private practice.

Assistant Professor – Early level career as a faculty member with background, education, and training consistent with the following position requirements.

Associate Professor – Mid level career faculty member with at least five years at the rank of Assistant Professor with background, education, and training consistent with the following position requirements.

Required faculty employment qualifications for all USG institutions and all academic ranks within these institutions shall be:

– Consistent with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)’s requirements for institutional accreditation;

– Evidence of ability as a teacher;

– Evidence of activity as a scholar and ability in all other duties assigned;

– Successful experience (which will necessarily be waived for those just entering the academic profession who meet all other requirements); and,

– Desirable personal qualities judged on the basis of personal interview, complete biographical data, and recommendations.

Preferred Qualifications

Additional Preferred Qualifications

Strong interest in research and scholarship in the specialty of OMFS.

Preferred Educational Qualifications

Graduate of a CODA-accredited OMFS/MD combined program.

Preferred Experience

Experience in dental education that includes teaching, research, scholarship, and college/institutional/professional committee service.

Shift/Salary/Benefits

This position is fiscal year based and works year-round.

The intended work commitment or full-time equivalent (FTE) for this position is 1.0 and considered full-time.

Assistant Professor- Salary and compensation is commensurate with education, experience, and achievements. The salary is subject to availability of funds.

Associate Professor- Salary and compensation is commensurate with education, experience, and achievements. The salary is subject to availability of funds.

Comprehensive benefits include medical, dental, vision, 13 paid holidays, vacation leave, sick leave, generous retirement plans, tuition waiver, wellness options, and much more!

Also, our full-time employees who have been employed with us successfully for more than 6 months can be considered for the Tuition Assistance Program.

Rank and salary are determined at the time of hire and are based on a variety of factors including but not limited to experience, education, credentials, specialty, training, etc. while also considering internal equity and market data.

Advancement through the faculty ranks at Augusta University is only through the annual Promotion and Tenure process in which faculty may apply if eligible (typically five-year increments). For more information on ranks, please review the Augusta University Promotion and Tenure Website:

https://www.augusta.edu/faculty-affairs/promotionandtenure.php

College/Department Information

The Dental College of Georgia at Augusta University, we provide dental education to the next generation of professionals by offering hands-on education through innovative research, patient care, and service. Join other dental providers to improve the oral health of Georgia and beyond. The DCG was founded to provide the people of Georgia with quality dental care by educating students in dentistry. As a patient, you have the option to receive treatment in one of our three different practice models consisting of student clinics, resident care, or in the faculty practice. All dental treatments can be completed by the specialists in our facility. We also serve patients in more than 20 clinics across Georgia.

Augusta University is Georgia’s innovation center for education and health care, training the next generation of innovators, leaders, and healthcare providers in classrooms and clinics on four campuses in Augusta and locations across the state. More than10,500 students choose Augusta for educational opportunities at the center of Georgia’s cybersecurity hub and experiential learning that blends arts and application, humanities, and the health sciences. Augusta is home to Georgia’s only public academic health center, where groundbreaking research is creating a healthier, more prosperous Georgia, and world-class clinicians are bringing the medicine of tomorrow to patient care today.

Our https://www.augusta.edu/about/mission.php make Augusta University an institution like no other. We are part of the https://www.usg.edu/strategic_plan/.

Our Health Sciences Campus:

1120 15th Street, Augusta, GA 30912

Conditions of Employment

All selected candidates are required to successfully pass a Background Check review prior to starting with Augusta University.

If applicable for the specific position based on the duties: the candidate will also need to have a credit check completed for Positions of Trust and or approved departmental Purchase Card usage.

Motor vehicle reports are required for positions that are required to drive an Augusta University vehicle.

For Faculty Hires: Final candidates will be required to provide proof of completed academic degree(s) as well as post-secondary coursework in the form of original transcript(s). Those candidates trained by a foreign institution will also be required to provide an educational/credential evaluation.

All employees are responsible for ensuring the confidentiality, availability, and integrity of sensitive [patient, student, employee, financial, business, etc.] information by exercising sound judgment and adhering to cybersecurity and privacy policies during their employment and beyond.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Augusta University is proud to be an equal opportunity employer welcoming applicants from underrepresented groups, including individuals with disabilities and veterans.

How To Apply

To be considered an applicant for this position, you must apply online at https://www.augusta.edu/hr/jobs/#job-portals.

Please upload your Curriculum Vitae, Research Statement, Professional References, etc., as one document.

Other Information

This position is also responsible for promoting a customer-friendly environment and providing superior service to our patients, students, faculty, and employees. “Augusta University is a patient-and family-centered care institution, where employees partner every day with patients and families for success.”

Augusta University is a tobacco-free environment, and the use of any tobacco products on any part of the campus, both inside and outside, is strictly prohibited.

To apply, visit https://apptrkr.com/5195436

Copyright ©2024 Jobelephant.com Inc. All rights reserved.

jeid-f8b48e7f06055d429c18041929c4dbbc

• English Swedish Norwegian Finnish Danish German English French Dutch

Quick facts

• Recruitment

Categories:

• Clinical Research Associate

Apply by: 2024-05-19

Clinical Research Position in Paediatric Oral and Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery University Hospital Basel

Applicants are invited for a 1-year full-time research position in paediatric craniofacial malformations at the Clinic for Oral and Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery, University Hospital Basel. The starting date can be 1.2.2025 or by arrangement.

Your position Research position with clinical involvement as part of a Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) project “Learning-based 3D Infant Face and Head Model for Medical Applications”. You will be part of the  Facial and Cranial Anomalies Research Group  led by Prof. Dr. Dr. Andreas Müller PhD, MHBA, in affiliation with the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Department of Clinical Research. The project is in close collaboration with the Computer Graphics Laboratory at ETH Zürich (Prof. Barbara Solenthaler PhD) who develops a fully virtual infant face and head model. The project will cover several aspects from validating the model in clinical and surgical setting to conducting clinical research using the model. Upon meeting the requirements for enrolment at the Medical Faculty, the opportunity to pursue a  doctorate in medicine or dentistry  is supported. The overall aim of the project is development of an algorithm to generate individualised reference morphology in treatment of infants with craniofacial malformations based on multimodal clinical data. Your tasks

• Extraction and registration of data from medical records
• Pre-processing and analysis of 3D images and clinical records
• Evaluation of the model for studying paediatric craniofacial anomalies
• Engagement in clinical practice in paediatric oral and maxillofacial surgery

Your profile

• You have completed your master's degree in medicine or dentistry
• Experience with and affinity for 3D image analysis tools
• Have interest in paediatric patients
• Enjoy working in a dynamic multidisciplinary and multicultural team

We offer you

• Participation in an interdisciplinary research project and an international team
• Experience in interdisciplinary clinical routine both at the University Hospital Basel and the University Children's Hospital Basel
• Salary according to the SNF doctoral student standards

Application / Contact For more information on the research group Facial and Cranial Anomalies, please visit  https://mueller.medizin.unibas.ch/en/ . Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Please submit the following documents to Yoriko Lill ( [email protected] ):

• Motivation letter
• Names and contact information (email or phone) of 2-3 referees

www.unibas.ch

More jobs from University of Basel

Similar jobs.

Senior Administrative Assistant, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.

Job Posting for Senior Administrative Assistant, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

With over 75 years of excellence in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, UT Southwestern is committed to excellence, innovation, teamwork, and compassion. At UT Southwestern, we invest in you with opportunities for career growth and development that align with your future goals and help to provide security for you and your family. Our highly competitive benefits package offers healthcare, PTO and paid holidays, on-site childcare, wage, merit increases and so much more that are all available on the day you start work. UT Southwestern is honored to be a Veteran Friendly work environment that is home to approximately 800 veterans. We value your integrity, dedication, and the commitment you've made to our country. We're proud to support your next mission. Ranked by Forbes as one of the Top 10 National Employers, we invite you to be a part of the UT Southwestern team where you'll discover teamwork, professionalism, and consistent opportunities for growth.

UT Southwestern Medical Center is hiring for a Senior Administrative Assistant, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.

Provide administrative support to 5-6 faculty members of Division of Oral Maxillofacial Surgery by the following duties: coordinate meetings and travel arrangements for conference attendance, coordinates re-credentialing; maintaining, calendars, licensures. academic allotment tracking spreadsheet, society memberships and compliance to governing bodies. Submission of Travel and expense reimbursements, IDRs and Payment requests. Manage correspondences, order supplies, and Division Call schedules.

• High school graduation or GED and three (3) years related secretarial/administrative experience
• May consider higher education completed in lieu of minimum requirements
• Relieves supervisor of variety of administrative duties, which involve thorough understanding of functions, programs, and policies of organization; may coordinate day to day operations of office; makes recommendations for changes to procedures
• Prepares or assists in preparation of grant applications, grant budgets, manuscripts, book chapters, etc.; ensures proper format, grammar, and completeness
• Functions as liaison with other departments, including Human Resources, Telecommunications, Physical Plant, Purchasing, and Accounting; prepares on line and paper documents as needed
• Completes and coordinates complex projects and reports as assigned by supervisor, which may require significant contact with other departments and outside organizations and use of various computer software applications
• Composes and/or types letters, memorandums, and other non routine and moderately complex correspondence, which does not require attention of supervisor
• Maintains sub-ledgers and ledgers for various accounts, including reviewing expenditures and encumbrances, reconciling accounts, and ensuring appropriate use of funds
• Plans and coordinates projects, such as meetings, appointments, conferences, seminars, and workshops; arranges for meeting facilities, hotel accommodation, transportation, refreshments, luncheons, banquets, receptions, etc.; develops and arranges printing of brochures; handles finances for program, including determination of charge to sponsoring department; establishes registration fees; processes all vouchers relating to event
• Takes, transcribes, and distributes minutes for meetings
• May transcribe dictation of medical or scientific terminology; ensures correct format, grammar, punctuation, and spelling
• Performs other duties as assigned

To learn more about the benefits UT Southwestern offers, visit

This position is security-sensitive and subject to Texas Education Code *51.215, which authorizes UT Southwestern to obtain criminal history record information. UT Southwestern Medical Center is committed to an educational and working environment that provides equal opportunity to all members of the University community. As an equal opportunity employer, UT Southwestern prohibits unlawful discrimination, including discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, disability, genetic information, citizenship status, or veteran status.

To learn more, please visit:

Apply for this job

Receive alerts for other Senior Administrative Assistant, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. job openings

Report this Job

Sign up to receive alerts about other jobs with skills like those required for the Senior Administrative Assistant, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. .

Click the checkbox next to the jobs that you are interested in.

Administrative Support Skill

• Student Services Specialist Income Estimation: $39,036 - $49,695
• Merchandising Coordinator Income Estimation: $41,111 - $51,634

Business Communications Skill

• Receptionist II Income Estimation: $40,604 - $49,561
• Administrative Assistant I Income Estimation: $41,630 - $52,913

Job openings at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

Not the job you're looking for here are some other senior administrative assistant, oral and maxillofacial surgery. jobs in the dallas, tx area that may be a better fit., we don't have any other senior administrative assistant, oral and maxillofacial surgery. jobs in the dallas, tx area right now..

UT Southwestern Medical Center , Dallas, TX

Surgical Assistant

Texas Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery , Dallas, TX