Publications > Academic Bulletin > Dr. Anthony S. Mecca Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

Dr. Anthony S. Mecca Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

Chair: Robert S. Glickman, D.M.D., Professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

Mission: The mission of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery is to train clinicians and scientists to advance current knowledge in the field, to encourage the discovery of improved therapies and to serve the public by providing quality surgical care.

Overview
The Anthony S. Mecca Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery dates back to 1867, when the first organized course in oral surgery was offered by what was then known as the New York College of Dentistry. The course consisted of didactic lectures supplemented by cadaver operations and weekly clinics. As the specialty of oral and maxillofacial surgery evolved, so too did the department. By 1915 daily clinics in diagnosis and treatment of surgical conditions including impactions, neoplasms, fractures, and infections were taught. Later, classes in local anesthesia, nitrous oxide, general anesthesia, and patient assessment were added. Many surgeons responsible for the changing face of the specialty were also leaders of the Anthony S. Mecca Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at NYU—among them Drs. Leo Winter, Harry Seldin, and William Harrigan. The oral and maxillofacial surgery faculty at NYU today embraces the traditions of the past while contributing to the future development of the specialty.

Curriculum
The didactic curriculum in oral and maxillofacial surgery focuses on surgical application of the basic biomedical sciences. This is accomplished via a series of lectures in the second and third years and augmented by small group seminars and case discussions scheduled during the assigned clinical rotations in the third year.
Second Year
The second-year lecture series in oral and maxillofacial surgery occurs as part of the Survey of Dental Specialties course. An introduction to the basic principles of the discipline including techniques of administration of local anesthesia, basic exodontias armamentarium and technique, fundamental surgical principles including asepsis, wound healing and hemostasis, complex exodontias, management of dentoalveolar infections, management of soft tissue and dentoalveolar injuries, prevention and management of surgical complications, and surgical considerations in management of the cleft lip/palate patient are all addressed in a multidisciplinary case-based format. A series of bench lab exercises in local anesthesia technique, flap design and suture technique, and vital signs and management of medical emergencies complement this lecture series.

Third Year
The third-year didactic course in advanced oral and maxillofacial surgery focuses on more advanced surgical topics including impactions, preprosthetic surgery, implants, bone grafts and reconstructive surgery, management of benign and malignant lesions of the jaws, temporomandibular joint surgery, orthognathic surgery and correction of dentofacial anomalies, mandibular and midface trauma management. This core of lectures is supplemented by daily small group seminars and complex case discussion sessions, which are scheduled during the clinical rotation in oral and maxillofacial surgery.

The third-year clinical course in oral and maxillofacial surgery consists of two one-week rotations during which the students are fully immersed in all of the activities of the department including performing exodontias procedures, surgical consultations, and postoperative evaluations; assisting complex dentoalveolar surgical cases; and assisting or observing sedation cases and operating room cases at the College and at affiliate hospitals. Students attend weekly departmental rounds and daily small group seminars. The emphasis is placed on total perioperative patient management skills in addition to clinical surgical experiences.

Fourth Year
The fourth-year clinical course in oral and maxillofacial surgery consists of a one-week OMS hospital rotation assignment during which the student hones skills in dentoalveolar surgery and gains additional exposure to complex major oral and maxillofacial procedures including ambulatory anesthesia cases and operating room assisting and observation. The students participate in all service activities including rounds, lectures, seminars, and clinical assignments. Students are also assigned to sessions in the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Clinic where they gain experience in the management of oral surgery emergencies.

The Honors Program in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery accepts two senior students each year. These students are assigned faculty mentors on a rotating basis to ensure exposure to all activities within the department. Students spend one half-day per week in the clinic where they are assigned advanced dentoalveolar cases. In addition they attend resident lectures and seminars and/or cases on a rotating basis. The students also work with faculty mentors on research projects or case reports and abstracts suitable for presentation.

Basic Life Support and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation
Training in basic life support and cardiopulmonary resuscitation occurs biannually to ensure that all students are certified according to the standards of the American Heart Association. Basic life support training includes recognition of early warning signs and appropriate entry into the emergency medical system. The students are taught recognition of and appropriate intervention for respiratory arrest, cardiac arrest, and foreign body airway obstruction in the conscious and unconscious individual. This training is supplemented by lectures on management of common medical emergencies and review of the NYUCD medical emergency protocol during the third-year OMS clinical course.