North Texas Dentistry Volume 8 Issue 1 NTD 2018 ISSUE 1 DE | Page 10

Pre-Op Lesion
Post-Op Tongue Up
Post-Op Frontal
Heather went to her dentist with a sore on her tongue that wouldn’t heal. After a few days of watchful waiting, the sore had not
resolved, so she was referred to an oral and maxillofacial surgeon. The surgeon did not find the sore to be suspicious on examination,
but removed it and performed a routine biopsy, which was positive for squamous cell carcinoma. He referred her to Dr. Kang, who
ordered MRI studies to determine the extent of the lesion, then performed a partial glossectomy and free flap reconstruction from
tissue in her arm. She did not receive radiation or chemotherapy. Heather is getting used to her “new normal” after OT, PT, and
speech therapy, and recently celebrated the two-year milestone without recurrence of the cancer.
After Implants
Pre-Op Lesion
Post-Op Frontal
Brandon found a small lump in his mouth. His dentist thought it was an abscess and attempted to drain it. Over the next 18 months, he saw several other doctors
before he was finally referred to Dr. Kang. He required a sub-total mandibulectomy and reconstruction with a fibula free flap. Often fibula flaps are placed in the
maxilla or mandible with disregard for dental anatomy. As an OMS-Head & Neck Surgeon, Dr.Kang’s focus is achieving excellent facial aesthetics while keeping in
mind future prosthodontics reconstruction. The vascularized fibula flap has healed well and mismatched dental implants were placed gratis for the patient. The
prosthodontic restoration was completed nicely by Dr. Bruce Barbash.
Tongue cancer: requiring partial glossectomy, ipsilateral neck dissection, and flap reconstruction. Defects such as this benefit from more complex reconstruction
as seen in the middle photograph. Although more difficult, experienced OMS-Head & Neck surgeons such as Dr. Kang, are able to use more advanced techniques
to achieve a better functional outcome with minimal incisions.
Dr. Kang furthered his studies by completing his General Surgery internship at UT Southwestern, and then his Oral and Maxillofacial
Surgery training at Parkland Hospital in Dallas, known globally as one of the most prestigious training programs in the field. Upon fin-
ishing his residency training, Dr. Kang pursued additional subspecialty Fellowship training in Head and Neck Oncologic Surgery and
Microvascular Reconstructive Surgery at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. After receiving his certificate in Head and Neck On-
cologic Surgery and certificate in Super Microsurgery, he returned to Dallas and became an Assistant Professor in the Department of
Surgery Texas A&M College of Medicine, and Assistant Professor in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Texas A&M
College of Dentistry.
In 2015, Dr. Kang was awarded the prestigious Faculty Educator Development Award (FEDA) by the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS),
and in 2017, Dr. Kang became one of the first in the United States to achieve a Certificate in Added Qualification (CAQ) in Head & Neck Oncologic Surgery and Mi-
crovascular Surgery by the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (ABOMS). This makes him one of the few in the country, and the only surgeon in Dallas,
board certified as an OMS-Head & Neck Surgeon.
After leaving Texas A&M in 2016, he became Medical Director of Head & Neck Surgery and began to focus his practice on the treatment of the entire head and neck
with a focus on oral cancer. In 2017-2018, Dr. Kang began a Fellowship program, training future oral and maxillofacial surgeons in oncologic surgery. He continues to
teach dental and medical students, general surgery residents and OMS residents. He continues to lecture nationally and internationally, and is a peer reviewer for the
Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (JOMS) in the categories of oncology, reconstructive surgery, and trauma.
10 NORTH TEXAS DENTISTRY | www.northtexasdentistry.com
Dr. David R. Kang was born in Chicago, but raised in Portland, Oregon. He attended Lincoln High School and continued his
education at the University of Oregon. There he majored in Biology with a minor in Chemistry. Following undergraduate studies, he
moved to Boston, where he completed a Masters degree in Anatomy and Physiology. Remaining in the northeast, he began dental
school at Columbia University where he immediately found interest in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. While in dental school, Dr. Kang
was exposed to Head & Neck Oncologic Surgery and immediately realized he had found his calling. On completing dental school, he
moved to Dallas, Texas to begin medical school and residency training.