Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

In our department, we diagnose and treat inflammation of the oral, jaw, and facial areas (often secondary to dental caries and periodontal disease), injuries (from sports and traffic accidents, etc.), cysts (often related to the teeth), tumors (benign and malignant), temporomandibular joint (including dislocations), neurological disorders (such as trigeminal neuralgia and glossodynia), and salivary gland disorders (including xerostomia), and we are also responsible for perioperative oral function management for patients undergoing cancer or heart surgery, anti-cancer drug treatment, and other procedures at our hospital.

We always keep in mind that we must accurately grasp the phenomena we encounter in clinical practice, fundamentally analyze their mechanisms, and apply them to treatment. Using histopathological, immunohistochemical, and molecular biology techniques, we are focusing on three pillars of research: (1) analysis of the development of oral cancer, salivary gland cancer, and odontogenic tumors; (2) analysis of the mechanisms of resistance to anticancer drugs and radiation in oral cancer and salivary gland cancer; and (3) analysis of osteoclast differentiation in the bone microenvironment, with a view to application to the development and treatment of drug-related osteonecrosis of the jaw, such as bisphosphonates.

We have been involved in the introduction of insurance coverage for perioperative oral function management, and in formulating guidelines related to oral infections in Japan, such as prevention of surgical site infections in dental and oral surgery, treatment of oral candidiasis, and prevention of the spread of COVID-19 in oral surgery. Utilizing these clinical achievements, we are promoting joint research both within and outside the university to clarify the involvement of microorganisms in (1), (2), and (3) above.