Department of Oral and Craniofacial Sciences

Department of Oral & Craniofacial Sciences

Overview of the Department

The Department of Oral and Craniofacial Sciences was initially set up in July 1994 as the Department of Oral Biology with Professor Dr Zubaidah Hj Abdul Rahim as the first Head of Department. The main role of this Department is to provide basic science teaching to dental undergraduates and bridge knowledge between basic medical and dental sciences.

Oral biology is a multi-discipline field that includes oral anatomy and histology, oral physiology, oral biochemistry and oral microbiology. Sound knowledge in these subjects enables bridging of basic sciences in dental scenarios and applications. In the current integrated curriculum approach, the Department lead and coordinate the teaching of basic medical sciences to the Year 1 students that also involves the Physiology, Anatomy and Molecular Medicine departments from the Faculty of Medicine. The Department also offers postgraduate programme by research leading to PhD or a Master in Dental Science (MDSc). The Department supports the Faculty by providing teaching and training in research that includes proposal writing, grant application, research methodologies and supervision of research projects. Mission To support the Faculty by providing a high standard of basic science teaching and research in order to prepare graduates towards a holistic approach in clinical problem solving related to the needs of the dental profession. Vision To produce graduates who are competent to apply knowledge and able to relate their understanding of the structures, functions, chemical composition, development, metabolic pathway of the oral tissues and environment of the oral cavity to the study and practice of dentistry.

Head of Department

Dr Adyani Azizah Abd Halim
(Head of Department)