LSUOMSAA History & Legacy
The LSU Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMS) residency program in New Orleans program finds its roots as the second oldest OMS residency in the country. Charity Hospital in New Orleans administered the program from the 1930s to 1972. In 1972 the newly founded LSU School of Dentistry absorbed the Charity OMS program. John N. Kent DDS, FACD, FICD became the first LSU OMS department head, July 1973, serving 34 years. He also served as the OMS department head at the medical school in Shreveport from 1978-2003.
The following faculty have served as LSU OMS department heads in New Orleans since the School of Dentistry opened: John N. Kent, DDS, FACD, FICD, 1973-2002. Michael S. Block, 2002-2003. John N. Kent, 2003-2008. Likith Reddy, DDS, MD, FACS, 2008-2012. Daniel Spagnoli, DDS, PhD, 2012 – 2014. John P. Neary, DDS, MD, FACS, 2014-2017, Mark Welch, DDS, 2017 – 2019. Robert M. Laughlin, DMD, 2019 -2022. Peter Park, DMD, MD, 2022-2023. John N. Kent III, DMD, 2023. Jeffrey N. James DDS, MD, MBA, FACS, FAACS, 2023 to present.
Residency Program Directors at LSU OMS in New Orleans were John N. Kent, DDS, FACD, FICD, 1973-1979, Michael Zide, DDS, 1979-1984, and Dale Misiek, DMD, 1984-1998. From 1998-2005 Tom Teenier, DDS, MD; Michael Block, DMD; Alexander Pazoki, DDS, MD; John Stover, DDS, MD, PhD; and Randall Wilk, DDS, MD, PhD each served 1-2 years as program directors. They were followed by Jon Perenack, DDS, MD, 2005-2014; Mark Welch, DDS, 2014-2017; Dane St. John DMD, MD, 2018; Robert M. Laughlin, DMD 2019 to 2020; Dale Misiek, DMD 2020 – 2023; Jeffrey N. James DDS, MD, MBA, FACS, FAACS, 2023 to present.
Advancing and strengthening the goals of OMS residency education for improved patient care and surgical scope has been the hallmark of LSU OMS. The LSU OMS residency on Dr. Kent’s arrival in 1973 was three years in length which included anesthesia, medicine, and neurosurgery. The residency became four years in 1978, which included a full year of surgery and surgical specialties. In 1989 the LSU OMS residency became a 6-year OMS – MD program with advanced standing in medical school. The residency program maintained its traditional 4 years of OMS training with general surgery, neurosurgery and surgical specialties, anesthesia and medicine. For over two decades a significant number of LSU OMS graduates have obtained one or two-years fellowship training in craniofacial surgery, cosmetic surgery, reconstruction with microvascular surgery, and cancer. Nine of our residents obtained a PhD during 1987 – 1998.
The residents have received their education at Charity Hospital of New Orleans, Ochsner Foundation Hospital, VA, Earl K. Long Hospital in Baton Rouge, University OMS in Charlotte, NC and several metropolitan private hospitals in the three cities. In 2005 Charity Hospital was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina and medical education was transferred to the Interim University Hospital (ILH) in New Orleans. In December 2012, it was announced that LSU Health Systems would transfer the management of ILH to Louisiana Children’s Medical Center (LCMC), a non-profit corporation that manages Children’s Hospital and Touro Infirmary. The plan also called for LCMC Health to acquire University Medical Center Management Corporation (UMCMC), a nonprofit corporation originally established to manage and operate the University Medical Center Hospital, a $1.1 billion facility that opened on August 1, 2015. The LSU OMS service has significant clinic and operating facilities in the new University Medical Center Hospital with patient care space among the largest in the country.
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons trained at LSU enjoy many and varied professional successes. Over 95% are board certified and practice in 40 states. Many have become full or part time educators, research contributors, book authors, and dozens are ABOMS board examiners and officers of OMS, Dental and Medical organizations and institutions. Our graduates have assumed top leadership positions with American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, State Dental and State Board Examination Organizations. Ronald Marks, DDS served as President of AAOMS, John Kent, DDS served as President of ABOMS, and Eric Geist, DDS, FACS, has served as President of both AAOMS and ABOMS.
LSU OMS established the first $1,000,000 chair, The James R. Peltier Chair, in the LSU Medical Center. Significant research by the faculty has generated nearly $10 million in funding through NIH, NIDCR, State, Peltier Chair, and private sources. Michael S. Block, DDS has served nearly 3 decades as Director of Research. The full and part time faculty and those in private practice have contributions in over 30 textbooks and 500 journal publications.
The LSU Comprehensive Review Course in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery over the past 50 years has educated nearly 50% of all OMS in America preparing for OMS Board Examination and Certification. Our Advanced Cosmetic Maxillofacial Surgery Course has been given for nearly 20 years. Many “first ever” courses have been given in a variety of maxillofacial and dental reconstruction topics. The Jack Kent Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Foundation serves as the sponsor for these continuing education programs and contributes to the LSU OMS residency and dental school.
Our LSU Faculty and all LSU Graduates are proud of the pioneering contributions to our specialties’ wide scope of surgical privileges. That scope includes research and technical advances in Orthognathic/Craniofacial Surgery, TM Joint and Facial Bone Reconstruction, Facial Cosmetic Surgery and Dental Implants.
