Oral Pathology and Oral Radiology
ORAL PATHOLOGY
The Department of Oral Pathology offers courses at undergraduate and post-graduate level. The discipline of oral pathology links the training in basic science with the applications in clinical dentistry. Oral pathology covers the diverse spectrum of disease processes affecting oral structures and tissues. The courses offer an in-depth penetration into the pathology of the oral cavity including teeth, peridontium, oral mucosa, tongue, jaws, salivary glands, temporo-mandibular joint and maxillary sinus. The students are trained to correlate the clinical appearance of the disease with their underlying histopathological features. Many of the general syndromes can have oral manifestations characteristic enough to lead to diagnosis of the underlying syndrome. The students are trained to understand the possibilities of molecular pathology in diagnostics of syndroma. Good skills in oral pathology and oral radiology form the basis for correct diagnosis in Dentistry and proper treatment of oral diseases.
The objective of the courses in oral pathology is to teach the graduate and post-graduate students the scientific basis for understanding the etiology and pathogenesis, as well as the practical skills needed in diagnosis and management of oral and maxillo-facial diseases.
The courses consist of lectures, lecture reviews, differential diagnosties, demonstrations and clinical-pathological case conferences in small groups. Training in laboratory work is also given. Flexibility in the program structure both in oral pathology and radiology allows the students to tailor their training toward personal career goals.
ORAL RADIOLOGY
The Department of Oral Radiology provides the teaching and training courses for undergraduate and postgraduate dentists necessary in modern dental care. The courses also include an introduction to research techniques. The students are expected to develop clinical and academic skills in imaging methods, radiation biology, diagnosis and management of oral and maxillo-facial diseases. The lectures and seminars also cover the EU directives and the following orders: 423/2000 of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, ST 1.7/17/2003 of Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority on medical use of irradiation. This special course is given both graduate students and dentists under specialist education to meet the needs for an obligatory 0.5 study week every 5th year. The imaging comprises both soft and hard tissues of the head and neck region. The teaching includes the complex use of intra-oral and panoramic imaging, multi-directional tomographic imaging, micro-computerized tomography, designed specifically for the head and neck region, MRI, ultrasonography and scintigraphy. Widespread skills in oral radiology are essential in dentistry because the majority of, e.g. cariology and parodontology diagnostics is based on examinations carried out by imaging methods.
Teaching and training in oral radiology provides the students with a profound understanding of the biological effects of radiation, the means to reduce total radiation doses, and the skills to produce optimal images. All this know-how is necessary for optimal imaging, which is the prerequisite for correct diagnosis. For correct diagnosis, a good knowledge of the normal radio-anatomy is also needed.
Current training is focused mainly on digital imaging, because the traditional radiological diagnosis based on conventional films is rapidly becoming obsolete. Teaching is given in the form of lectures, seminars, case demonstrations and conferences, where the diagnostic skills of the students arepractised under the personal guidance of the expert tutors.
PERSONNEL OF THE ORAL PATHOLOGY AND ORAL RADIOLOGY DEPARTMENT
Professor Stina Syrjänen, DDS, PhD; tel. +358-2-333 8349
stina.syrjanen@utu.fi
Assistant Professor Eva Ahlfors, Docent, PhD; tel. +358-2-333 8211 (from 1 May, 2006)
eva.ahlfors@utu.fi
Assistant Professor Tapio Tammisalo, DDS, PhD; tel. +358-2-333 8307
tapio.tammisalo@tyks.fi
Clinical Instructor Esko Peltonen, DDS; tel. +358-2-333 8307, esko.peltonen@utu.fi
Department Secretary Annikki Vaisto, tel. +358-2-333 8336
annikki.vaisto@utu.fi
Senior Scientist Marina Merne, DDS, PhD; tel. +358-40-558 3188
marina.merne@fimnet.fi
Senior Scientist Merja Ruutu, MSc, PhD; tel. +358-2-333 8238
merja.ruutu@utu.fi
Senior Scientist Marjut Rintala, MD, PhD tel. +358-50-64 497
marjut.rintala@tyks.fi
Graduate Students
Riikka Mattila, DDS; tel. +358-2-333 8306
riikka.mattila@utu.fi
Panu Peitsaro, DDS; tel. +358-40-702 2538
panu.peitsaro@helsinki.fi
Satu-Maria Kulmala, MD; tel. +358-50-599 6387
saanku@utu.fi
Marja Järvenkylä, BcM; tel. +358-44-593 2451
marja.jarvenkyla@utu.fi
Ilkka Kari, MD; tel. +358 40 592 9260, ilanka@utu.fi
Jaana Willberg, DDS; tel. +358-2-333 8238, jaana.willberg@utu.fi
Lilli Wideman, DDS; tel. +358-2-333 8331, lilli.wideman@utu.fi
Aaro Turunen, BD; tel. +358-45-634 6244, aaro.turunen@utu.fi
Other Members of the Department
Post Graduate Student in Radiology Tero Ellilä, DDS,tel. +358-2-333 8307
tero.ellila@tyks.fi
Technician Marja-Riitta Uola, tel. +358-2-333 8333
mruola@utu.fi
Technician Tatjana Petskova, tel. +358-2-333 8655
tatpet@utu.fi
Nurse in Radiology Kirsti Timonen, tel. +358-2-333 8269
kirsti.timonen@tyks.fi
Contact information
Professor Stina Syrjänen
Institute of Dentistry and MediCity Research Laboratory
Faculty of Medicine, University of Turku
Lemminkäisenkatu 2, FI-20520 Turku, Finland
Phone: +358-2-333 8349
Fax: +358-2-333 8399
stina.syrjanen@utu.fi