Texas A & M College of Dentistry
SETTING LOFTY GOALS
Reddy takes the helm in oral and maxillofacial surgery
Dr . Likith V . Reddy by Kathleen Green Pothier
Dr . Likith V . Reddy was recently named department head of oral and maxillofacial surgery at Texas A & M University College of Dentistry . He is clinical professor and program director , as well as medical student clerkship director in surgery for Texas A & M University College of Medicine . Reddy specializes in adult and pediatric cranio-maxillofacial surgery .
He previously chaired the COVID-19 task force that enabled the College of Dentistry to slowly and safely reopen in set phases . Reddy is now positioned to take on bigger plans within his own department .
“ The reason I think I was offered the role was to see how we can refresh some of the things within the department and move forward in a newer direction ,” he says . “ We want to become the nation ’ s leading public academic department of oral and maxillofacial surgery and the leader in providing cutting-edge surgical and rehabilitative services in the maxillofacial , head and neck region . These are very ambitious goals .”
So far , Reddy ’ s signature accomplishments at the college have included expanding surgical collaboration beyond Baylor University Medical Center to two more Dallas hospitals : Methodist Dallas Medical Center and Children ’ s Health . The number of applicants to the OMS residency increased four-fold in the six years that he has been program director , making the residency one of the most competitive programs in the nation .
Before joining Texas A & M ’ s dental school in 2012 , Reddy played an integral role in helping Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center School of Dentistry in New Orleans recover after Hurricane Katrina . As its department head in oral and maxillofacial surgery at the time , he was instrumental in cataloging every square inch of each practice space after the school was flooded with 20 feet of water .
Reddy earned his dental degree from Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine in Cleveland . He obtained his medical degree , general surgery internship and residency in oral and maxillofacial surgery from UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas . He is a fellow of the American College of Surgery and a diplomate in oral and maxillofacial surgery .
He helped develop transorbital keyhole access via upper blepharoplasty incision at Mayfield Clinic in Cincinnati . The minimally invasive technique , widely used in neurosurgery , is used to access intracranial tumors and aneurysms . Reddy also specializes in complex facial injuries and reconstruction and has more than $ 1 million in research grants in craniofacial reconstruction .
Reddy replaces Dr . Robert G . Triplett , who led the department as interim head after Dr . David Grogan retired in August 2019 .
Texas A & M College of Dentistry ( formerly Baylor College of Dentistry ) in Dallas is a part of Texas A & M University and Texas A & M Health Science Center . Founded in 1905 , the College of Dentistry is a nationally recognized center for oral health sciences education , research , specialized patient care and continuing dental education . Learn more at dentistryinsider . tamhsc . edu or follow @ TAMUdental .
Kathleen Green Pothier is communications coordinator at Texas A & M College of Dentistry . She previously worked at Positively Proofed , where she wrote and edited content for corporate clients , publications and motivational speakers . She also was a writer and editor at The Dallas Morning News , Houston Post and Beaumont Enterprise . Pothier has a journalism degree from the University of Nebraska .
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