Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Oral Medicine

The Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Oral Medicine aims to be a modern education and research centre in oral and maxillofacial surgery and oral medicine and contribute to the sustainable development the field.

Main activities

• Undergraduate education in oral and maxillofacial surgery and oral medicine in accordance with accredited study programmes at RSU;
• Post-graduate education in oral and maxillofacial surgery and oral medicine in accordance with residency and continuing medical education programmes;
• The implementation of doctoral study programmes;
• Organising student and medical resident research;
• Scientific research in oral and maxillofacial surgery and oral medicine through participation in internationally funded research, publicly funded research, and research supported by various grants;
• Cooperation with other structural units at RSU, domestic and international institutions, and non-governmental organisations
  • Collaborating with structural units specialising in oral medicine and oral and maxillofacial surgery;
• Raising public awareness on disease prevention and treatment.

Areas of Research

• Biomaterials
• Implantology
• Congenital facial clefts and deformities
• Orthognathic surgery
• Oncostomatology:
  • Early pre-cancer diagnosis in the oral cavity
  • Diagnosis and treatment of melanoma
• Salivary gland pathology:
  • Study of biochemical parameters in saliva
• Obstructive sleep apnoea
• Application of natural products to treat and improve oral mucosal integrity
• Prevention of pain syndrome in the maxillofacial area

Current Doctoral Research

• Effect of autologous mesenchymal cells on the integration of biphasic calcium phosphate bioceramic material in the jaws of rabbits with experimental osteoporosis (Aleksandrs Grišuļonoks)
• Results of implantation of biphasic calcium phosphate bioceramic materials for maxillary alveolar bone reinforcement (Vadims Kļimecs)
• Evaluation of the efficacy of platelet-rich fibrin in contour defect modelling in orthognathic surgery (Lana Mičko)
• Role of HHV-7 and EBV in the pathogenesis of aphthous stomatitis and oral lichen ruber (Džagriti Kakare)
• Gene and gene-protein studies in tissues affected by various clefts (Mārtiņš Vaivads)
• Evaluation of 3D printed hydroxyapatite implants for the treatment of maxillary hypoplasia in patients with Angle III dysgnathia (Mārtiņš Lauskis)
• Success rates of autotransplantations of third molars with unformed roots for the replacement of tooth row defects (Miks Lejnieks)
• Morphological changes in facial cleft-affected supporting tissues and in the course of tissue regeneration (Dace Buile)
• Early diagnosis of signs of malignancy in saliva and oral cancer tissues (Madara Dzudzilo)
• Efficacy of clonazepam and capsaicin in the treatment of burning mouth syndrome (Viktors Jankovskis)

Study and Research Collaborations

Local

• Baltic Biomaterials Centre of Excellence
• RSU Institute of Anatomy and Anthropology
• RSU Department of Pathology
• Experimental Animal Laboratory
• RTU Biomaterials Innovations and Development Centre
• RSU Institute of Stomatology
• Pauls Stradiņš Clinical University Hospital
• Oncology Centre of Latvia
• Children’s Clinical University Hospital

International

• Vilnius University (Lithuania)
• Kaunas University (Lithuania)
• University of Tartu (Estonia)
• University of Oslo (Norway)
• University of Turku (Finland)
• Malmö University (Sweden)
• University of Rostock (Germany)
• University of Gothenburg (Germany)
• University of Clermont (France)
• Paris Cité University (France)
• Cardiff University (Great Britain)
• Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (Great Britain)
• University of Sheffield (Great Britain)
• European University of Madrid (Spain)
• University of Barcelona (Spain)
• Semmelweis University (Hungary)
• Brescia University (Italy)

Implementation of BBCE Project

The Baltic Biomaterials Centre of Excellence (BBCE) is a project funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 programme for research and innovation with the aim of implementing a full biomaterials development cycle, from material development in the laboratory to clinical application.

This scientific capacity building project brings together internationally renowned research institutions and industry representatives:

• Riga Technical University (RTU),
• the Latvian Institute of Organic Synthesis (LIOS),
• Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU),
• the RSU Institute of Stomatology,
• the AO Research Institute Davos, Switzerland,
• the Institute of Biomaterials of the Friedrich Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany.

The project's main research focus is producing individual implants for bone tissue regeneration, their acquisition, and evaluation.

Study directions that are implemented at the RSU Institute of Stomatology: new 3D technologies – individual planning, 3D printing.

Research currently being carried out by the department’s lecturers and doctoral students within the BBCE project at the Institute of Stomatology

• Tooth autotransplantation using 3D printed replicas (Miks Lejnieks);
• Antimicrobial properties of PRF, evaluation of PRF efficacy in orthognathic surgery (Lana Mičko);
• 3D planning of orbital floor or multiple facial fracture surgery (Ieva Bāgante);
• 3D printed ceramic implants for reconstructive surgery of the cheekbones (Mārtiņš Lauskis).