Department of
Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
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Welcome to Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
The Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department of the College of Medicine, University of Lagos started as an Oral Surgery unit in 1966 and was managed by Professor Fox-Taylor a British Oral Surgeon. In 1969, the then Dr. J. O. Akinosi was appointed as Senior Lecturer and l Department, thus making the Department the Premier Academic Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in Sub-Saharan Africa. The pioneer Professors in the Department were Professors J. O. Akinosi and A. L. Nwoku.
The Department presently has 9 academic staff including 5 on the professorial cadre. The Department trains student both in the undergraduate and the postgraduate level. Academic activities in the Department include weekly morning journal club on Tuesdays and seminars on Wednesdays which are specially designed to meet the academic needs of the Dental students, Resident doctors and the academic staff.
The Department has attracted a number of grants from both local and international agencies. The local agencies include the University CRC Grant, Tetfund, the Central Bank and Lagos State Government of Nigeria. Internationally, the Smile Train and the NIH.
The Department has trained many prominent and famous Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons amongst whom are Dr. Ayo Kekere-Ekun, Professor Odusanya, Professor Jelili Akinwande, Dr. Emil Abdulai, Dr. O.V. Ogunbanjo, Professor Akin Ladeinde, Professor Gbenga Ogunlewe, Dr. Sunday Oluseye, Professor Godwin Arotiba, Prof. Wasiu Adeyemo, Prof. Olalekan Gbotolorun etc.
Prof. O. JAMES
Head of Department (HOD)
Our Vision
To be the topmost academic department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in Sub-Sahara Africa with regards to teaching, learning, research, patient care and service to community.
Our Mission
To produce competent dental surgeons who will provide dento-alveolar surgery services at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels of health care delivery 1 Nigeria and other parts of the world.
To produce dental surgeons who will provide leadership for the Dental team in dento-alveolar surgery.
To produce dental surgeons who will be capable of completing specialist training and research in oral and maxillofacial surgery anywhere in the world.
To produce dental surgeons who will engage in life-long learning in oral surgery.
To produce dental graduate who will be leaders of the dental profession nationally and internationally.
About the Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
The school of Dental Sciences had a modest beginning as a single Department of Dental Surgery headed by Professor J. W. Fox-Taylor a British Oral Surgeon in 1966.
Three units were created within the Department in line with the then available staff; namely Unit of Preventive Dentistry, Restorative Dentistry and the Unit of Oral Surgery. Oral Surgery Unit was managed by Professor Fox-Taylor until the appointment of Dr. J. O. Akinosi as Senior Lecturer in September, 1969. The following year, the three units were upgraded to full Departments thus the Department of Oral Surgery and Pathology were formed. The Department is therefore the premier academic Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The Department of Oral Surgery and Pathology grew initially rather slowly with the appointment of Dr. H. A. Mosadomi as registrar and later as Lecturer II in the Department. Following the graduation of the first set of our home grown dental surgeons in 1971, recruitment of much needed additional staff became easier.
The initial Dental building had six oral surgery units, a demonstration and teaching clinic and a well-equipped operating theatre. Dr. A. L. Nwoku joined the Department in 1973 and he brought in the continental approach to Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. He was doubly qualified and had received his training in Switzerland and Germany. Cases of clefts of lip and palate were now added to the list of patients that were managed in the Department as well as orthodontic cases requiring surgery. The Department was consequently and appropriately renamed The Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in 1974. Dr. J. O. Akinosi was appointed the first Associate Professor and acting head of the Department in 1974 and Professor and Head of Department in 1976.
The Department has trained may prominent and famous oral and maxillofacial surgeons amongst whom are Dr. Ayo Kekere-Ekun, Professor Odusanya, Professor Jelili Akinwande, Dr. Emil Abdulai, Dr.. O. V. Ogunbanjo, Professor Akin Ladeinde, Professor Gbenga Ogunlewe, Dr. Sunday Oluseye, Professor Godwin Arotiba, Prof. Wasiu Adeyemo and many others
Programmes
Take a significant step in your career journey by investing in your professional development through our faculty’s specialized certificate programs, designed to provide you with in-depth knowledge and practical skills in a focused area of study.
Undergraduate Programmes
PostgraduateProgrammes
Student Opportunities
Discover the exciting opportunities awaiting students within this department. Here, you can explore pathways for intellectual growth, engage in stimulating learning experiences, and lay the foundation for future academic and professional success in a specific field of study.
