ORAL AND MAXILLOFACIAL PATHOLOGY AND ORAL MICROBIOLOGY
INTRODUCTION
The specialty of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology and Oral Microbiology basically deals with the oral and Para oral structures, its anatomy, histology, physiology, embryology, and the pathology associated with them. Masters in this subject can acclaim great heights in dentistry be it practice, academics or research. An Oral Pathologist plays an important role in diagnosing diseases of the oral and maxillofacial regions; also deals with oral microbiology and forensic odontology.
HISTORY
The Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology and Oral Microbiology at KLE VK Institute of Dental Sciences began in the year 1985-86 with the inception of the institute. The Department was privileged to be guided by Late Dr H M Dholakia, senior-most & first recognized guide of Oral Pathology in India, and Dr. M V Lele, a distinguished and able administrator and also former Joint Director of Medical Education & research for the state of Maharashtra. Further on, the department has made tremendous progress in academics and research; making its mark at the national and International level under the leadership of Dr. Alka D Kale, a renowned and well recognized Oral Pathologist along with other proficient faculty of the department. The undergraduate course began in the year 1985 and got recognition in 1990. The post-graduate course in the Department of Oral Pathology was started in the year 1990 and was recognized by the year 1992. A multitude of post-graduates and Ph.D. scholars have passed from the department till date.
UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM
The undergraduate program taught in the Ist year BDS basically deals with knowledge related to the oral and Para oral structures, its anatomy, histology, physiology, embryology while that in IIIrd year constitutes the pathology associated with these subjects and their clinicopathlogic interpretations as well as nuances of forensic odontology. Teaching and learning for undergraduate training include didactic lectures, demonstrations, practicals, interactive sessions, group activities, seminars and tutorials. Assessment is done through yearly observation of student work-records, Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs), and Objective Structured Practical Examination (OSPE) apart from written and practical examinations. Innovative teaching learning methodologies have also been adopted which include blended learning, integrated teaching, case-based learning as well as digital classroom enabled teaching.
POSTGRADUATE PROGRAM
Postgraduates are trained extensively in academic activities from an understanding of basics to most advanced aspects of oral pathology through seminars, journal clubs and interdepartmental scientific discussions.They also receive comprehensive training in laboratory techniques of histopathology, cytology, immunohistochemistry, hematology, oral microbiology and forensic odontology. The postgraduate students are actively involved in research work for the purpose of dissertation writing, minor projects and scientific presentation at various platforms. These research works have won numerous national and international awards. Postgraduate students also participate in interdepartmental and clinicopathological meets & student exchange programs through Indian association of oral maxillofacial pathology.
PhD PROGRAMME
The Department has a dedicated Ph.D program under the aegis of KLE Academy of Higher Education And Research, recognized by the University Grants Commission and MHRD. The program is committed to promote and support high-quality research in an intellectually stimulating and inspirational environment to address the scientific challenges in basic oral molecular pathology and oral microbiology. The department has well-equipped histopathology, molecular biology, and microbiology laboratory facilities, and qualified guides to carry out research work. Three staff members from the department are recognized PhD guides.
ALLIED COURSES
The Department renders teaching and skill training programmes for diploma courses ie for Dental hygienists and Dental mechanics through paramedical board, where the students are trained for understanding the basics of dental anatomy and oral histology and skills related to tooth carving.
ENRICHMENT PROGRAM FOR INTERNS
The Department offers an enrichment program entitled “Hematological Interpretations” which aims to make interns training program in clinical pathology effective to develop independent capabilities in a student to learn and apply the knowledge of hematology through interpretation of test results in identifying blood disorders and their diagnosis. The prescribed syllabus is covered in the form of Didactic lectures, Demonstrations, Case based learning and Evidence based learning.
 Dr. Deepa Mane |
 Dr. Alka Kale |
 Dr. Seema Hallikerimath |
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 Dr. Veena Naik |
 Dr. Punnya Angadi |
 Dr. Pushpak Shah |
 Dr. Manjula |
 Dr. Shweta Kumbhojkar |
 Dr. Chetan Belaldavar |
 Dr Sneha. A. Ajari |
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RESEARCH AND PUBLICATIONS
This is a research-oriented department that aims to keep pace with changes and advancement in the field of oral sciences. This is through research projects undertaken by the faculty and postgraduates in thrust areas like Oral pre-cancer, cancer, saliva and forensic odontology, which has led to national and international acclaims. The department boasts of around 300 publications in the thrust areas.
AWARDS & ACHIEVEMENTS
The staff and students have represented the Department at National & International platforms.
INFRASTRUCTURE
The Department is fortified with latest equipment’s that supports routine undergraduate and post graduate teaching and research projects.
Undergraduate Laboratory: A spacious hall that can accommodate 100 students at a time with facility made for group discussions and demonstrations is available. Binocular microscopes, an ICT enabled classroom and display monitors aid teaching-learning.
Postgraduate Laboratory: Has state of art equipment like a pentahead multi-viewing microscope with the monitor, stereomicroscope, research microscope and a collection of more than10,000 slides of diagnosed cases.
Clinical Pathology Laboratory: serves to support the diagnosis of disease by clinical evaluation & hematological investigations. It is also aided by chair side microbiological and histopathological procedures.
Histopathology Laboratory: is equipped with instruments that aid in tissue preparation for microscopic evaluation. The histopathology & histochemistry setup is well supported by trained technicians. Various special staining procedures are done in the department along with routine H&E stain that helps in day to day biopsy reporting to arrive at appropriate diagnosis.
Microbiology Laboratory: The department has a fully functional microbiology laboratory for aerobic and anaerobic cultures. Microbiological assessment for various bacterial and fungal infections from samples of the oral cavity, periapical areas and other body fluids is done apart from routine testing of water samples.
Forensic Odontology Laboratory:The department has been a pioneer in having a separate well equipped section of forensic odontology and is well recognized for putting forth Indian Dental formula for pulp-tooth area ratio for age assessment being used in real life scenarios. The Faculty, undergraduate & post graduate students take up research projects & have several national and international publications in forensic odontology.
Immunohistochemistry Laboratory: The laboratory has the latest equipment needed for immunohistochemical analysis which is an advanced molecular technique involving visualization of proteins and other antigens in tissue samples for diagnostic and research purpose.
Department Museum: The museum enhances the learning process for the students and serves as educational material. It is well-equipped with Dental anatomy, Oral histology, Oral Pathology and Forensic Odontology study models, depicting the morphology of normal teeth and the associated anomalies. Skull models of different species for comparative anatomy are also displayed.
Reporting Room: The reporting room has advanced microscopes i.e Penta-head microscope with attached camera and display monitor for postgraduate discussions. A research microscope (attachments of dark ground, phase contrast fluorescent and polarizing microscopy), a digital image analysis software for advanced research and exhaustive archival collection of microscopic slides are available for reference and exploration.
Department Library: The department library has an exhaustive collection of around 700 books which include titles of renowned authors related to the discipline and serves as a knowledge repository for the undergraduate, postgraduates as well as the faculty. Additionally, the library also houses national and international journals and has wonderfully archived the postgraduate dissertations and Ph.D thesis from the inception of department. Numerous e-resources form an important part of the library.
Departmental Archives: The archives maintained since the inception, represent the heart of the department and encompass archival bound records of all cases reported till date. The tissue blocks and more than 10,000 microscopic slides are stored in slide cabinets that serve as a treasure for teaching and research work.
Equipment: Research Microscope, Stereo Microscope, Penta-Headmicroscopeattached with camera and Immunohistochemistry antigen retrieval apparatus and Heamto-analyzer.
HIGHLIGHTS
Investigation modalities
The mainstay of the department involves patient care through histopathological investigations i.e Biopsy reporting of head and neck specimens. The department undertakes routine hematological investigations and blood glucose estimation using haematological analyzer. Chair side procedures like Exfoliative Cytology, Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology (FNAC) and microbiological investigations are performed. Medico-legal investigations are carried out through forensic odontology.
Events organized
30th IAOMP National Conference
Department of Oral Pathology Organized 30th IAOMP National Conference on 3rd, 4th and 5th November 2023. Conference was inaugurated by Dr Sharanprakash Patil, Hon’ble minister for Medical Education and Skill development, Govt. of Karnataka, Bengaluru and was presided over by Dr Prabhakar Kore Chairman KLE Society, and Chancellor, KLE Academy of Higher Education & Research, Belagavi. The guests of honour were Dr Nitin Gangane, Hon’ble Vice-Chancellor, KLE Academy of Higher Education & Research, Belagavi, Dr V. I. Patil, Board of Management, KLE Society, Belagavi.
A total of 600 delegates registered and attended the conference.
Oral Health challenges during chronic diseases: Prevention and treatment using functional food and nutraceuticals – 4th May2022, Number of Delegates – 45
Department of Oral Pathology Organized Alumni guest lecture series through virtual mode. Dr Sangeeta Palaskar, 1st Batch Alumni of the department, delivered a guest lecture on “Oral Health challenges during chronic diseases: Prevention and treatment using functional food and nutraceuticals”. A total of 45 delegates attended the program.
Faculty development Program – 21st April 2022 , Number of Delegates – 30
Department of Oral Pathology Organized faculty development programe. The chief guest was Dr Sheetal Harkuni, Professor from JNMC. Faculty were sensitized regarding the importance of feedback and the significance and protocol of feedback analysis.
The 3rd National & 13th Regional Slide Seminar was conducted on 22nd February 2022 by virtual mode. This National slide seminar was dedicated to the memory of Late Dr H.M Dholakia whose Birth anniversary is celebrated every year as National Oral Pathologist Day on 25th February. Dr.R.S Puranik, our renowned guest speaker presented numerous challenging cases with clinicopathologic co-relation and immunohistochemical investigations. The interactive session provided clarity to all postgraduate students to advance their knowledge and help them to confidently diagnose simple cases as well as complicated cases. The event was attended by 381 Delegates from various colleges from all over the country as well as international delegates from Muscat, Malaysia, Jeddah, Buraidah, etc.
Department of Oral Pathology along with the Department of Dental Education of KLE VK Institute of Dental Sciences organized the 12th Regional Slide Seminar on 8th February 2021 on “Anatomy of pandemic- New frontiers & Challenges”. The eminent guest speaker was Dr. Atanu Basu, Deputy Director & Head, Electron Microscopy and Pathology Group, NIV, Pune. The slide seminar was conducted by Dr. Veena Naik, Professor, Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology, KLE VKIDS, Belagavi.
The slide seminar was conducted virtually through the GoTo Meeting platform. Approximate 250 delegates participated in the event including staff, interns & Postgraduates students. Several interesting cases were discussed and take-home messages were put forward in diagnosing histopathology.
Regional Histopathology slide seminar conducted annually since last 12 years is a much awaited event attended by Staff and Postgraduates from dental colleges of Karnataka, Maharashtra, Goa etc. . Eminent speakers are invited for the slide seminar, which represents an academic platform for rendering information, interaction on rare cases and recent advances in the field of Oral Pathology.
Organized By
| Sl No | Name of the Event | Level | Theme /Topic | Date (DD/MM/YY) | Number of Delegates |
| 1 | 7th Regional Slide Seminar | Regional | August 2015 | 70 | |
| 2 | 2nd National and 8th Regional Slide Seminar | National | Oral Soft tissue Tumors | 19th August 2016 | 80 |
| 3 | 2nd National and 8th Regional Slide Seminar – Workshop on Cell Culture | National | Cell Culture | 20th August 2016 | 30 |
| 4 | XV National triple O Symposium | National | 16th to 18th February 2017 | 400 | |
| 5 | Effective Communication and Learning skills | Regional | 2nd August 2017 | 100 | |
| 6 | 9th Regional Slide Seminar | Regional | 11th August 2017 | 80 | |
| 7 | XXI Scientific Convention | Regional | 22, 23 and 24 February 2018 | 300 | |
| 8 | National service Scheme – Youth Day Celebration | Regional | 12th January 2018 | 100 | |
| 9 | 10th Regional Slide seminar | Regional | August 2018 | 70 | |
| 10 | 11th Regional Slide seminar | Regional | 21st Jan 2020 | 60 | |
| 11 | World Environment Day | Regional | 5th Jun 2020 | 80 |
Social Outreach Activities
The faculty and students participate in extension and social outreach programs with both government (NSS, Youth Red cross) & nongovernmental organizations.
- Hemoglobin estimation and blood grouping.
- Tobacco awareness program (Ill-effects of tobacco).
- Oral Cancer screening.
COLLABORATIONS
Department has collaborations with Institutes and Centers to facilitate academic and research activities.
| Sl No. | Name of the Partnering Institution |
| 1 | Government Dental College, Nagpur |
| 2 | Bharthi Vidyapeeth Dental College, Pune |
| 3 | P.M.N.M Dental College and Hospital, Bagalkot |
| 4 | Belgaum Cancer Hospital, Belagavi |
| 5 | Karnataka Cancer Hospital, Hubli |
| 6 | KLE’s Dr Prabhakar Kore Hospital and Research Center |
| 7 | KLE’s Dr Prabhakar Kore Basic Science Research Center (BSRC) |
ALUMNI
Dr. Praveen Arany, BDS, MDS, MMSc, PhD: An Alumnus of Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, completed a joint PhD-Residency program at Harvard University as a Harvard Presidential Scholar. He has two certificates in clinical translational research from Harvard Medical School and National Institute of Health. He pursued postdoctoral fellowships at Indian Institute of Sciences, Bangalore; National Cancer Institute, Bethesda and Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences & Wyss Institute, Cambridge. Following his training, he was an Assistant Clinical Investigator at National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda.
Dr. Praveen AranyDr. Shrinivas Vanaki, BDS, MDS: An alumnus of the Department, Batch (1993), is currently the Principal and Professor, PMNM Dental College & Hospital, Bagalkot.
Dr. Shrinivas VanakiDr. Simarpreet Sandhu, BDS, MDS: She is the Secretary for Asian Society of Oral Pathology and also working as a Professor & Head, Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology and Oral Microbiology at Genesis institute of Dental College and Hospital, Ferozpur, Punjab.
Dr. Simarpreet SandhuTESTIMONIALS
After receiving my bachelor’s degree from Govt. Dental College, Bengaluru, I joined KLE Dental College to pursue my Masters in Oral Pathology and Microbiology in the year 1998. I was exposed to a world class educational campus in the making. Learning under luminaries in the field like Dr. H.M. Dholakia, Dr. Lele and Dr. Alka Kale was a superb experience. Their strong foundation and fundamentals helped me get deeply grounded in the subject. Exposure to knowledgeable staff, large volume of patients, a unique variety of cases gave me a strong edge to be a competent clinician and also a successful academician.
KLE Dental College being part of a large integrated campus of medical college and various additional institutions gave us an unrestricted access to mentoring from allied professors, labs, patients and events such as seminars and conferences of the medical field. The integrated campus enabled us students to pursue high quality research with access to cases, mentorship and material. Our faculty helped us pursue thesis in cutting edge areas in collaboration with renowned labs in Bengaluru, Mumbai and even the US. This also led us to publish quality research documents in renowned international journals.
The world class infrastructure which has further improved over the years like the “state of art” research center, well stocked library, quality student residential accommodation, on campus sport facilities, auditoriums and restaurants etc; added to a great campus vibe which ensured overall development of students. The international student exchange program and visits from world renowned faculty for seminars etc; added layers to our learning. I still, constantly engage with faculty from the alma mater for information on developments and case insights in the field of Oral Pathology.
My recent pursuit to enable my child to pursue education in the medical field took me to the campus and I was truly impressed by the infrastructure that has been constantly added over the years. It is a modern educational hub clubbed with the great Belgaum weather.
The international student mix, the world class campus facility, the safe environment and the well connected city of Belgaum make the institution a great choice for students, faculty and staff and parents alike. Wishing the institution great success in years to come.
Dr. Shobha B.V, MDS- Batch of 2000I consider myself extremely fortunate to be a part of Department of Oral Pathology, KLE VKIDS. The KLE VKIDS has got one of the best infrastructural facilities and brilliant faculty. And they have been a great contributor to the development of my skills and personality. The department gives a great opportunity for students to broaden their knowledge not only to practice oral pathology but it encourages the students to become sound researchers and prepares them for academic career. The approachable attitude of the professors and their willingness to always offer a helping hand has made me feel a part of the KLEVKIDS family. The three years spent here were splendid and have helped me to grow better professionally and personally. I highly recommend the college and department as it has been instrumental in shaping several accomplished practitioners and excellent academicians.
Dr Uma Datar, MDS- Batch 2010“What your mind doesn’t know, your eyes cannot see” these were the words of my mentor and my guide Prof. (Dr.) Alka D. Kale. Being the proud alumnus of Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology and Oral Microbiology, VK KLE’s Institute of Dental Sciences, Belgaum, my post-graduate journey was highly enriching and cheerful, and the profound memories of which I shall cherish throughout my life.
What I am today, I owe all to my Mentors. They sculptured me by providing me with adequate professional, administrative and interpersonal skills that have helped me to become a competent and responsible professional citizen.
KLE’s shines as an acclaimed Institute and a coveted temple of learning which welcomes ‘one-and-all’ irrespective of cast, color, culture, ethnic background and social status. The Institute provides an unbiased student-centric joyful learning atmosphere that promotes and nurtures intellectual curiosity, pursuit of knowledge, logical & critical thinking, academic freedom as well as high moral and ethical values.
A few years ago, I had the good fortune of visiting my Alma Mater for an “Alumni Meet”, and I was amazed to witness the scenic beauty of KLE’s campus and numerous holistic developments in all facets. I am deeply grateful and blessed to receive utmost love, joy, comfort, unconditioned support and constant motivation from ‘MY KLE FAMILY’
Prof. (Dr.) Kunal Sah, MDS-Batch 2003Wonderful place, wonderful campus and wonderful people. Yes that’s the Belgaum, KLE and the staff that I experienced. It was really a blessing that I got the opportunity to spend the best 3 years of my life at this institute. Up-to-date with all technologies, the best part was the teachers who were always encouraging and supportive of our ideas. These 3 years truly made a difference to my life and gave me a new perspective towards Dentistry. To all the new aspirants, guys you’ll always cherish this place. All the best.
Dr Uday Puranik , MDS- Batch 2010It gives me immense gratification to say with pride that I have completed both my graduation and post-graduation degree in the Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology from KLE’S V.K. Institute of Dental Sciences, Belagavi.
KLE University holds a plethora of opportunities for the students. The milieu of the college is energetic and drives innovation in students. The campus is filled with positive energy and exuberance which inspire students to be better versions of themselves. The scenic beauty and greenery around the campus help students to relax and nurture positive vibes. The lectures and classes are not only constrained to academic and theoretical knowledge, but also teach valuable lessons in life. The optimistic staff and faculty members with their exquisite way of teaching encourage students to learn more and motivate them to strive for excellence. The relationship between faculties and students is very cordial, which gave me an opportunity to excel in my area of interest. The well equipped infrastructure of the college with an array of advanced facilities has profound impact on the quality training of the students.
My 8 years of experience here were splendid and has helped me to grow better both professionally and personally. I strongly believe that the supportive environment and strong leadership has equipped me with the courage to face challenges, take risks and confront various obstacles in life.
With heartfelt gratitude I would like to thank all the faculties and staff members for making me a “Better Person” by truly empowering me as a professional.
Dr Ramyani Sinha, MDS- Batch 2015