Oral & Maxillofacial Radiology program
- Thread starter Mega
- Start date
One of our Deans (Dr. Dale Miles, Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs and Faculty Development) was at the University of Kentucky College of Dentistry as the head of their Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, prior to coming to Arizona.
In the brief conversations I've had with him, he's relayed that MOST oral radiologists have stand-alone practices where other practitioners refer out radiographs for them to exam. Obviously, these referalls only occur in cases that are extremely rare.
Dr. Miles has pointed out to me a group of Oral Radiologists in Southern California that apparently obtain referalls from all dentists in a large working area. This is the only way they can sustain their business.
Certainly Oral Radiology is an exciting field, but I don't envision it being anything like our physician counterparts in the near future. *Ideally* physicians WOULD consult an Oral Radiologist if they had a treatment in the oral/head/neck area, but currently regular diagnostic radiologists who have specialized in neuroanatomy are quite easily able to perform this function.
Also, that won't happen until hospitals are willing to staff Oral Radiologists. Currently, most oral rads (there aren't a lot) are on staff at dental schools.
Dr. Miles noted, when he taught us our Rads course, that the ADA recognized how vast and enormous the field of radiology is, and that was their motivating factor behind creating the specialty for it.
Oral Radiology and Oral Pathology (the two newest ADA specialties) are certainly VERY exciting fields, but it will take a while for them to find their niche in the dental world. Currently they are almost solely academic positions.
In the brief conversations I've had with him, he's relayed that MOST oral radiologists have stand-alone practices where other practitioners refer out radiographs for them to exam. Obviously, these referalls only occur in cases that are extremely rare.
Dr. Miles has pointed out to me a group of Oral Radiologists in Southern California that apparently obtain referalls from all dentists in a large working area. This is the only way they can sustain their business.
Certainly Oral Radiology is an exciting field, but I don't envision it being anything like our physician counterparts in the near future. *Ideally* physicians WOULD consult an Oral Radiologist if they had a treatment in the oral/head/neck area, but currently regular diagnostic radiologists who have specialized in neuroanatomy are quite easily able to perform this function.
Also, that won't happen until hospitals are willing to staff Oral Radiologists. Currently, most oral rads (there aren't a lot) are on staff at dental schools.
Dr. Miles noted, when he taught us our Rads course, that the ADA recognized how vast and enormous the field of radiology is, and that was their motivating factor behind creating the specialty for it.
Oral Radiology and Oral Pathology (the two newest ADA specialties) are certainly VERY exciting fields, but it will take a while for them to find their niche in the dental world. Currently they are almost solely academic positions.
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