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Eastman Institute for Oral Health / Educational Programs / Continuing Education / Oral Medicine Conference

2026 Oral Medicine Conference

Integrating Medicine and Dentistry - the Oral Medicine Perspective


(Basic Laser Safety training included)

May 1, 2026

Gathering Location

Class of '62 Auditorium
University of Rochester Medical Center
601 Elmwood Ave. Room G-9425
Rochester, NY 14620

Map to the Class of '62 Auditorium

*Multiple rooms will be utilized for different activities throughout the day.
*Location is subject to change. Any changes will be posted here on the website.

Learning Objectives

  • Explore laser applications for performing biopsies and extractions
  • Understand ways that lasers can facilitate treatment in medically complex patients
  • Recognize the cellular and molecular pathways in which laser may relieve pain 
  • Review principles of safe use of lasers in dentistry and oral medicine
  • Evaluate implications of cancer therapy on dental treatment planning
  • Understand possible impacts of cancer therapies on oral health
  • Reflect on the current status of oral medicine in the United States
  • Increase awareness of professional opportunities in oral medicine in the United States
  • Explore principles of managing emerging oral toxicities
  • Become familiar with recent oral medicine innovations
  • Examine ways that oral medicine care can significantly influence patient health outcomes
  • Practice techniques and understand considerations for performing oral tissue biopsies

Educational Objectives

  • An overview of contemporary oral medicine for the general practitioner with emphasis on oral complications that arise in cancer patients. Key topics will include laser applications in biopsies and extractions, the mechanism of action of laser for pain modulation (basic science), dental clearance prior to cancer therapy, the impacts of radiotherapy to the head and neck and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation on oral health, Oral Medicine in the US, management of emerging oral toxicities due to immunotherapy and targeted-therapy, innovations in oral medicine, and transformative clinical cases.
  • Likewise, the conference will provide a review about principles of safe laser usage in the dental practice. The course will allow participants to take an exam for Basic Laser Safety.

Conference Chair

Sharon Elad, DMD MSc
Professor and Chair, Division of Oral Medicine
Principal Consultant, Hospital Dentistry
Eastman Institute for Oral Health
University of Rochester Medical Center
Rochester, NY

Meet the Speakers

Nathaniel Treister, DMD, MSc
Associate Surgeon and Division Chief, Division of Oral Medicine and Dentistry
Clinical Director, Oral Medicine and Oral Oncology
Brigham and Women's Cancer Center
Boston, MA

Judith Raber-Durlacher, DDS, PhD
Volunteer and former Associate Professor, Department of Oral Medicine
Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA)
Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Scott Benjamin, DDS
Associate Professor of Clinical Dentistry
Eastman Institute for Oral Health
University of Rochester Medical Center
Rochester, NY

Praveen Arany, BDS MDS MMSc PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Oral Biology
School of Dental Medicine
University at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY

Sharon Elad, DMD MSc
Professor and Chair, Division of Oral Medicine 
Principal Consultant, Hospital Dentistry
Eastman Institute for Oral Health
University of Rochester Medical Center
Rochester, NY

Past Oral Medicine Conferences

Join us as we celebrate the Oral Medicine Department at UR Medical Center.