The Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at VCU School of Dentistry recently moved into a newly renovated space on the third floor of Dental Building One. The new clinic consolidates the VCU Cosmetic Care and Facial Surgery clinics previously on the first and second floors into a larger space more conducive to patient care and education.  

“We have seen a significant increase in demand over the last several years,” says Omar Abubaker, D.M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at VCU School of Dentistry. “Not only will this new space accommodate an increase in patient volume, it brings all of our services together in a more patient-friendly environment that better facilitates the education of our residents and the expansion of our faculty.”

Previously, the Oral Facial Surgery Clinic was on the second floor of the Lyons Building, while the Cosmetic and Facial Surgery clinic was on the first floor of Dental Building One. The nine new operatories in the new clinic provide enough space to consolidate all services under one roof. This is not only easier for patients to navigate, it also creates a safer environment. The larger rooms allow more space for the equipment and lighting needed for complex procedures and also let the clinical team move around more freely. Further, faculty do not have to travel between floors, allowing them to supervise residents engaged in both cosmetic and surgical cases.  

“It’s a much more welcoming environment, both for the patients and our team members,” says Cecilia Moncure, practice manager for VCU Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. “The waiting area is larger and more comfortable, better accommodating patients and their family members. But we also have an improved front desk for our patient care coordinators, a beautiful new resident workroom with updated technology and also a nice break room for our team members.”

“The added space helps in so many ways,” says Chief Resident Soheil Rostami, D.D.S. “We can perform more complex and longer surgeries in the larger rooms, which allows us to better record and report on our cosmetic and surgical cases. The bigger resident room provides more opportunities for collaboration and gives us the ability to do lectures and presentations without going outside of the clinic.”

The move also allowed for the expansion of other services. A new Oral Pain Clinic, the only one in the region, is now located on the first floor of Dental Building One. The former Oral Facial Surgery Clinic on the second floor is now an Emergency Clinic, providing more access for members of the community experiencing dental emergencies.

“We’re excited to be operating in our new space. This is a monumental change and advancement for oral surgery services at the school and the health system,” said Abubaker.