The Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology & Microbiology (OMFP) was established in 2014 at S. Nijalingappa Institute of Dental Sciences & Research, with a dedicated focus on training undergraduate BDS students in the fundamental concepts related to the etiology, diagnosis, and effects of diseases affecting the oral and maxillofacial region.

A core principle of our department is the understanding that recognizing pathology begins with knowing what is normal. This philosophy forms the foundation of Dental Anatomy and Oral Histology (DAOH), a subject managed by the department and taught during the first year of BDS. Here, students are introduced to the microscopic and macroscopic structure of the oral cavity, laying the groundwork for the clinical knowledge they will build in later years.

In the third year of BDS, the department provides in-depth training in Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, aiming to develop the students’ diagnostic capabilities and clinical correlation skills. Students learn to identify, describe, and interpret pathological changes in the head and neck region, using both didactic lectures and practical laboratory sessions.

The department organizes the academic calendar through a well-structured combination of:

• Didactic lectures

• Practical and microscopy-based sessions

• Interactive case discussions

• Histopathology slide analysis

This ensures that students are not only well-prepared for university examinations but are also equipped to apply paraclinical knowledge to clinical scenarios in their advanced years of dental education.

As aptly stated by the legendary physician Sir William Osler,
“As is our Pathology, so is our Medicine. What the Pathologist thinks today, the Physician does tomorrow.”
This guiding quote reflects the vision of our department: to inspire future clinicians to ground their practice in a thorough understanding of pathology and its significance in patient care.