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Several residents and students of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Sciences (OMFS) recently attended the 94^th Annual Meeting of the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons in San Diego to present their research.

Dentistry student Danny Pond gave a presentation on Investigation into the Potential Sources of Delay in the Management of Patients with Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma. Under the supervision of Dr. Chad Robertson and Dr. Curtis Gregoire, Danny examined the chart records of patients diagnosed with oral squamous cell carcinoma to determine timeframes associated with various stages of patient care, from symptom onset through to surgery.

The research concluded that delays in patient management were related to, patients delaying visits to a health care professional, recognition of signs and symptoms of oral cancer by health care professionals and unclear referral letters.

OMFS graduate student Dr. Susan Bourque presented her research on Effect of Maxillomandibular Advancement Surgery on Blood Pressure in Patients With Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Initial findings of this long-term study show that patients who undergo jaw surgery to treat sleep apnea show an improvement in their Body Mass Index but no change in blood pressure six months after surgery. Dr. Bourques research is supervised by Dr. Reginald Goodday.

Dr. Clayton Davis, also an OMFS graduate student, presented The Incidence of Postoperative Infection Following Orthognathic Surgery Using Three Standard Perioperative Antimicrobial Protocols. Working with Dr. Curtis Gregoire, Dr. Davis conducted a chart review and found that the rate of infection following surgery varied by the type of antimicrobial used. A future study is planned to investigate this further.

Danny Pond was supported by the Faculty of Dentistry Summer Research Program. Both Danny Pond and Dr. Susan Bourque were the recipients of a Faculty of Dentistry Student Research Travel Award.