Oral Pathology Lab approaches 100 years of excellence in diagnosis, detection and discovery

4 individuals working in oral pathology lab.

Operating quietly behind the scenes, one lab is doing its part to support the school, patients, dental and medical providers and research throughout the school and beyond.

Founded in the 1930s, the Oral Pathology Laboratory at the School of Dentistry accepts specimens from clinicians and researchers, with the goal of reviewing and providing diagnoses on microscopic evaluation of tissue samples. In addition to diagnoses, the pathologists discuss available treatment modalities as needed.

Two men working in oral pathology lab.

In its nearly 100 years of existence, the Oral Pathology Lab has grown significantly. Today, it is one of the largest oral pathology labs in the country, providing consultation to oral health providers across all specialties.

To put it simply, “practitioners in different disciplines send us biopsies. We examine them, provide diagnoses and support the practitioners in the care of their patients,” according to Ioannis Koutlas, DDS, MS, director of the lab and associate professor of oral and maxillofacial pathology.

Koutlas and his team work quickly and efficiently to receive and examine specimens, approximately 96% of which come from outside the University. They also provide expert opinions and consultations to medical pathology colleagues, as well as using the tissue they study to advance the specialty through research. 

The lab is the first specialty oral pathology lab in the country housed in a dental school to be accredited by the College of American Pathologists, further solidifying their standards for excellence and best practices in diagnosis, operations and care.

Koutlas, who has been part of the lab for more than 35 years and its director since 2013, is passionate about the impact the lab’s work has on real people.

Man looking through microscope

“The major diseases of the mouth are caries and periodontal disease, but after those come all kinds of other diseases individuals can carry in the mouth,” he explained. “This ranges from mild diseases and benign conditions to malignant tumors in the soft tissues and in the bone. Our lab has the expertise as dentists with a background in medical pathology to make diagnoses in these cases.

This is a rare and essential skill—the ability to speak the same language as an oral health care provider while also holding expertise in pathology. The lab’s specialization in oral pathology allows them to understand and provide insight into diseases of the mouth in a way medical providers, general pathologists and dentists alone may not be able to.

“We have an understanding with the dental community that they might not feel with medical providers who are less involved with the mouth,” explained Koutlas. “We may be a small specialty, but we provide our services to professionals across all dental disciplines.”

As the lab approaches 100 years of service, Koutlas hopes to see it continue to grow—aiming for a goal of 8,000 or more specimens reviewed by the time he retires. But most of all, he is proud of the work he and his team have done and continue to do.

 “I believe strongly in the academic environment of this pathology laboratory,” he said. “We are part of the School of Dentistry, and have the opportunity to promote progress in patient care as well as expand the scope of the specialty through scholarly activities.”