The Department of Oral Diagnostics is one of the youngest clinics of the Faculty of Dentistry. The Independent Section of Radiology was established in 2003 at Mikszáth Kálmán Square, followed by the Section of Oral Diagnostics in 2007, coinciding with the Faculty’s move to its new building.
Since 2011, the integrated unit located on the third floor has been actively involved in a wide range of dental diagnostic activities, emergency care, and primary dental treatment. With a highly trained professional team experienced in several fields of dentistry, the Department provides high-level dental diagnostics requiring broad knowledge and expertise. The co-location of dental diagnostics and emergency care enables new patients and emergency cases to be treated in one place. After the initial diagnosis, patients are either treated on site or referred to a specialized clinic for further care.
The Department also has a dento-alveolar surgical profile, and its qualified medical team performs implantology using modern techniques and methods. The Department of Radiology is equipped with two panoramic X-ray machines, five intraoral X-ray devices, and digital intraoral sensors that enable the digitization of images. All computers are equipped with a PACS X-ray system connected to every clinic, allowing immediate access to patient images, faster patient administration, and support for research activities. Three-dimensional CBCT significantly improves the quality of dental diagnostics, and 3D technology is also highly valuable in the planning of dental implantology. The Section of Oral Medicine provides specialist consultations every morning for patients with or without referral. The Department works in close cooperation with partner clinics, ensuring continuous communication.
Among the subjects taught at the Department, Oral Diagnostics is an integrative course offered in the fifth semester, consisting of 14 theoretical and 28 practical hours. Its aim is to familiarize students with the application areas and clinical use of diagnostic procedures known previously or acquired during the course. The Oral Medicine course is part of the ninth-semester curriculum as a weekly lecture, while its practical component is integrated into the fifth-semester Oral Diagnostics practice with 14 hours, focusing on the early recognition and diagnosis of oral lesions. General and Dental Radiology is a two-semester subject comprising 14 theoretical and 42 practical hours. During the course, students acquire the fundamentals of pathological and clinical radiodiagnostics and general radiological knowledge, and they learn normal radiographic anatomy, the recognition of pathological radiographic findings, and the radiological aspects of dental procedures. Radiology training is preceded by the one-semester Radiation Protection course. Successful completion provides students with an official certificate that allows them to take X-ray images of their own patients independently—unique in the country. Elective courses cover specialized topics such as oral cancer. In collaboration with the Faculties of Medicine and Pharmacy, the Department also coordinates the course “Instruments of Nanotechnology.” We have developed a training network that meets the expectations and needs of 21st-century dental students. The application of 3D diagnostics and new chairside technologies opens new perspectives in education.
Staff members of the Department regularly publish in national and international dental journals. The Department also plays a significant role in research as the host of the Materials Science Research Institute (MSRI), which actively participates in international collaborative projects, including the rational design of dental materials, in cooperation with partners such as the Universities of London and Cambridge, the University of Toronto, and the University of Hong Kong.