College receives CT unit accreditation

seal_dentalctColorThe University of Florida College of Dentistry Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Diagnostic Sciences was granted accreditation for CT-Dental in the area of Dental/Maxillofacial by the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC) on April 21, the first dental school in the nation to receive this accreditation.

“I am very proud of this achievement and am grateful for the leadership efforts of Madhu Nair who is chair of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Diagnostic Sciences, and our staff and colleagues from the UF College of Medicine who worked together with disciplined dedication in the pursuit of excellence in Dental CT,” said Isabel Garcia, D.D.S., M.P.H., dean of the UF College of Dentistry.

UF College of Medicine collaborators on this project include Manuel Arreola, Ph.D.; Jeffrey Bennett, M.D.; and Anthony Mancuso, M.D., chair of the UF Department of Radiology.

Dentists, including specialists such as oral and maxillofacial surgeons, are increasingly utilizing Computed Tomography (CT) scanners to obtain three-dimensional images to evaluate and treatment plan for complex dental implant procedures. Through the use of CT images, dentists are able to view details including the location of nerves and sinuses and realize conditions such as cysts and polyps before performing surgery, often allowing for avoidance of serious complications.

Accreditation by the IAC means that the UF Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology

has undergone a thorough review of its operational and technical components by a panel of experts. The IAC grants accreditation only to those facilities that are found to be providing quality patient care, in compliance with national standards through a comprehensive application process including detailed case study review.