Faculty of Dentistry

Our vision, at the faculty of dentistry, is to set the standard of excellence in creating the future of dental education, research and practice.

1902

Established

Programs offered

390

Registered Students

Dean's

Message

Welcome to the faculty of Dentistry at Al Quds University. Our faculty was established in 2000 to localize the study of dental medicine in Palestine, and since that time around one thousand students have been graduated with a Bachelor Degree in Dental Surgery (BDS). I am pleased to say that a good number of graduates have finished their postgraduate training at renowned centers across the globe.

Our young energetic teaching staff has been continuously working to attain a curriculum that reflects their vision for training tomorrow’s leaders in oral health care. We have recently implemented our new curriculum that is innovative and dynamic.

We also have an outreach program that involves students as well as teaching staff going to various cities and villages that do not have easy access to dental care. In order to overcome the obstacles that the community faces, check points and closures we aim at developing this outreach program by adding a mobile dental clinic that will offer basic dental treatment for those who lack access to basic dental care.

As Dean, it’s my privilege to steward dental school mission. I’m increasingly finding that our success in undergraduate medical and dental education requires the continuous utilization of quality improvement approach to address different problems, as well as, integration of team learning, and state-of-the art innovations in dental education. Our everyday challenge is to weave all of these elements into a distinctive and excellent undergraduate experience. Our final success depends on the involvement of anyone and everyone with an interest and an ability to contribute.

Dentistry is a constantly developing field and we aim at always keeping up with this development as well as maintaining a high level patient management protocol that meets the best international levels in all fields of dentistry.
I’m confident that the Faculty of Dentistry at Al-Quds University will continue to graduate dentists who by virtue of their diverse training, caring attitude and clinical experience will be leaders in the profession of dentistry.

Prof. Mohammad H. Abu Yunis

Dean of the Faculty of Dentistry

Faculty of Dentistry

Our vision, at the faculty of dentistry, is to set the standard of excellence in creating the future of dental education, research and practice. The mission of our Dental Faculty is to foster leaders in dental care education and to provide the community with highly qualified and multidisciplinary skillful dentists through continuous development of its curriculum to meet the advancement in medicine and dentistry worldwide.

The Faculty of Dentistry at AQU was established in 2000 being the first dental faculty ever established in Palestine. We provide Bachelor degree in dental surgery (BDS) for our students whose curriculum is distributed over five academic years. Currently, the faculty includes more than 830 dental students. Our BDS program is implemented within the University’s main campus in Abudees in addition to the educational buildings (Al-Abraj) where training within the clinical settings take place (about 1km from campus). Our students pass through preclinical & clinical stages during which they gain all expected knowledge and training to become highly skilled and qualified dentists who can achieve the intended goals in their future careers.

Our graduates have been achieving remarkable high scores in national as well as international examinations and profession’s license accreditation. Many of them have completed higher studies in various worldwide Universities and are now serving the Palestinian community with high standards of care and professional expertise.

The faculty has recently celebrated the inauguration of its Continuing Dental Education Center which will have its own prints on promoting the dental profession locally through the collective work of its highly qualified dental academics in addition to the exceedingly experienced and competent dental colleagues who have already joined in to participate in conducting various professional courses. In addition, Dental School has started the process of specialty accreditation by PMC in different fields of dentistry after meeting all human and technical requirements. High specialization programs in Orthodontics, Prosthodontic s, and Endodontics are expected to be launched in the academic year 2021-2022.

Offered Programs

Faculty of Dentistry Bachelor Programs

Bachelor’s Degree in Dentistry

Academic Staff

Dr. Fahed Habash coordinated and taught oral pathology course for the third year dental students, oral medicine course for fourth year students, oral medicine course for fifth year dental students and part of the course of oral surgery for fourth year dental students.

He is also the major supervisor at the oral medicine clinics and in addition to that he also supervises and teaches students at the oral surgery clinics.

Dr. Fahed Habash was awarded a BDS in dentistry from the University of Jordan in 1995 then awarded an M,Med.

Sc in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery/Oral Medicine from Queen’s University of Belfast,UK, in 1997.

He also holda a Higher Specialty degree in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery from Jordan and Palestine (Palestenian Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery).

Dr. Fahed published leading research papers in oral cancer innervations “The innervation patterns in oral cancer using the general neuronal marker protein gene product 9.5 (PGP9.5)” which was published in 2011.

He is preparing to publish a new article on Prevalence of Oral Lesions in Dental Patients of Al-Quds University Oral Medicine & Diagnosis Clinic.

Dr. Fahed Habash is an Assistant Professor and consultant at Maxillofacial Surgery and Oral Medicine Department.

He is the First Head of Basic Science Department at AL-Quds University from 2002 until 2003 then he founded and managed Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department at AL-Quds University in 2003 and he became the head of this department until 2005.

After that Dr. Habash established the Oral Medicine and Oral Diagnosis Department at AL-Quds University in 2006.

Between 2010-2013 he appointed again as Head of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department
then Head of oral Medicine Department between 2013 until 2016.

Dr. Habash has always served as a Member of the Dental Faculty Council at Al-Quds University from 2002 until 2018.

Dr. Habash was elected as Head of Dental Association Council/ Ramallah (2000-2004). He was also a member of the Ramallah Municipality council, elected (2005- 2012).

Dr. Habash was a Member of the Administrative Board of Palestinian Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, elected (2006-2012).

Furthermore he was elected as Deputy Mayor of Ramallah Municipality (2008-2012) and became Vice president of the Board of Jerusalem Water Undertaking (2010-2011).

Recently he was elected as a member of the Administrative Board of Palestinian Association of Dental Implantology (2016-2018).

On coming back to Palestine in 2003, Dr Abu Yunis has actively participated in the establishment of the Dental School at Al-Quds University and the graduation of the first class in 2005.

After that, Dr Abu Yunis has been appointed as the head of the Maxillofacial Department for four years since 2006 until he was posted as the Dean of the Dental School in 2009, which had expanded the possibilities for him to work hard and develope all the academic and adminstrative aspects of the dental school during three years of continous serious efforts base on team work spirit and collective performance.

In the period 2012-2017, and besides being the head of Maxillofacial Surgery Department, he worked as a member of the General secretariat of the University Councils and obtained more academic and adminstrative experiance during this period.

Dr Abu Yunis is also an active member of the Palestenian Medical Councel since 2006, and he has particpated in many of its committees as the Higher Scientific Committee, Specialized Committee of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Internship Committee and the Specialized Committee for Hospital Evaluation.

He was also appointed as amember of high certificate accreditation committee at the Ministry of Higher Education between 2014-2016. In addition, he is a member of the Examination Committee of Maxillofacial Surgery at Arab Board for Medical Specialities as a represntative of Al-Quds University and Palestine.

Regarding community services and social work, Dr Abu Yunis is an active member of Palestenian and Jordanian Dental Associasions, and he was elected as the secretary general and vice-president of the Palestenian Society of Maxillofacial Surgeons for five years and vice-president of the Cleft Lip and Palate Society for two years.

In addition, Dr Abu Yunis is a well-known speaker and active member of scientific committies in various local and international conferences.

As an Associate Proffessor in Maxillofacial Surgery, Dr Abu Yunis teaches several clinical courses in Anesthesia, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Oral Medicine, and Medical Problems in Dentistry for dental students.

And he has more than ten published articles in different fields of maxillofacial surgery, oral medicine, and implantology.

Dr Mudar S.Kamal is an assistant professor assigned to the School of Dentistry at Al-Quds University in Jerusalem.

He is currently the head of the department of Fixed and Removable Prosthodontics and Conservative Dentistry.

Dr. Kamal is also a clinical supervisor of fixed and removable prosthodontics at Al-Quds University clinical teaching clinics.

Dr Mudar Kamal is currently a member of the school board, and has worked hand in hand with his colleagues in various administrative and academic committees since he was assigned to the school in 2004.

Working as a team, Dr. mudar and his colleagues have worked to develop the schools’ curriculum and polices which had its greatest impact on its development and reputation nationally, regionally and in several countries over the world.

Dr. Mudar Kamal is a member of the specialty committee of the Fixed and Removable Prosthodontics section at the Palestinian medical council / the Palestinian board Examination. He is also a member of the advisory committee of the Palestinian Association of Dental Implantology PADI, and a member of the establishment committee of the Palestinian Academy of Orofacial Pain and Dental Sleep Medicine.

DR. Kamal has always believed in the importance of community service and has contributed in establishing professional and legal regulations governing the practice of dentistry in Palestine.

Raising the professional level of Palestinian dentists has always been a goal.

Since 2004 Dr. Mudar has been working exclusively in the field of fixed and removable prosthodontics, and working in teams with other specialties to treat patients suffering complex and complicated tooth loss cases.

Dr. Mudar Kamal is interested in Dental implantology and practiced the interest on every level (advanced mainly).

He is also interested in the new era of digital dentistry, and has adopted the digital work flow protocols in his work. He is also interested in the scientific and applied aspects of dental occlusion.

And he is hoping to expand his knowledge and clinical skills in the field of Maxillofacial prosthodontics and rehabilitation.

I was born in East Jerusalem – Palestine in 1963. Jerusalem; the small city that is surrounded by massive struggles and greed, tearing at the hope of those who dream of world justice.

I graduated from Collége Des Fréres Secondary School Bethlehem in 1981 full filing all educational requirements to continue my dental education in Romania.

I got my DDS degree in 1987 from Cluj Napoca, and the Ph.D. in 2002 from Carol Davila Bucharest, Romania.

I started my professional life in the private sector that gave me the opportunity to feel the needs of the patients and increased my awareness to the need for well-trained and well-educated dentists.

This experience has extended my horizon and made me discover interests in the academia.

It was an excellent opportunity to work on investing minds and growing souls committed to the welfare of the patients, by developing my professional competence through continuing education to provide high quality of treatment plan to meet the patient’s desires.

To use implants as replacement to maintain fixed prosthesis possibilities, as well to solve the factors which form obstacles to implement the treatment plan of fixed prosthesis like bone atrophy, and through using Polymer material PDLLA for bone regeneration.

The journey to meet the need and desires of the patients led me to the pertinence in advanced minimal invasive dentistry, which encouraged me to attend and to be a member of the global family of the PST seminar to gain the skills which create and augment gingiva, to obtain root coverage, to eliminate sensitivity and to prevent root caries, utilizing minimal incision.

In addition to the above I realized the importance of laser applications.

I work on developing my knowledge and skills in the use of laser in dentistry.

I always believe that the well-being of humankind is the most important goal, and all people individually and collectively must work together side by side to achieve that goal the welfare of humanity to maintain good health education as well justice to reach the high standard of quality of life.

This belief has drawn the map for my professional life and paved the ways toward international scientific and educational cooperation in the dental field to provide opportunities for dental students as well dentists for developing skills and experience to provide high-quality medical services.

In 2011, I attended the Dental Leaders Program SDL 5 under the umbrella of the Global Child Dental Fund, Kings College London, and Harvard School of Dental Medicine.

I was a member of the establishment and recently elected the vice president of the Alliance for Oral Health across Borders.

I firmly believe that real and successful Dentistry is in prevention .

Dr Ra’ed Abu Hantash is currently an Assistant Dean of faculty of Dentistry- Al Quds University.

He joined the university in 2004.

He is a member of the faculty Council since 2005.

He is the Head of scientific committee in the faculty, and he is a member of department of prosthodontics and Conservatives dentistry.

He was the founder and the Head Department of Prosthodontics and Conservative Dentistry between 2007-2011.

Dr Ra’ed Abu Hantash is a member of the High Scientific Committee in the Palestinian Medical Council and Fixed and Removable Prosthodontics committee.

He is a lecturer in the basic Implantology Course of the Palestinian Implant Society and Continous Learning Center of the AL Quds university (EDUEMEDIC).

Dr Abu Hanatsh hold the Jordanian Board in Fixed and Removable Prosthodontics and Palestinian Medical Council Certificate in 2005, Master degree in Prosthodontics from Jordan University of Science and Technology in 2004, and the Bachelor Degree in 1998.

He is a member of Royal College of Surgeons – Dublin in 2005.

Publications :

Relationship between dental impacts on living, satisfaction with the dentition and personality profiles among a Palestinian population.Younis A, Al-Omiri MK, Hantash RO, Alrabab, Ah MDar –Odeh N,Abu Hammad O,Khraisat A. Odontostomatol Trop.2012 Jun, 35 (138) : 21-30.
Habesh F, Abu Hantash R, Abu Younis M. (2011) Innervation pattern of oral squamous cell carcinoma using neural protein gene product (9.5).An Immunocytochemical study.Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology.
Abu Hantash RO, Abu Younis MH, Aker MM.(2014) Dental Anexiety and Fear among Medical Field Students at Al Quds University .British Journal of Medicine and Medical Research, 4(12), 2312-2321.
H.Kamal, R.O. Abu Hantash, D.Q. Taani , M.M . Hammad (2014) the prevalence of Dentine Hypersenstivity and Gingival Recession among Jordanian patients at JUST Dental teaching center. Open journal of Stomatology, 4, 497-506. http: //dx.doi.org/ojst.2014.411067.
Khateeb E.T, Kamal M.S, Kadamani A.M, Abu Hantash R.O. and Arqoup M.M .(2016) Utilizing an innovative digital software to grade preclinical crown preparation exercise. European Journal of Dental Education. http://doi:10.111/ eje.12204.
Abu Younis M. and Abu Hantash R. (2018). Immediate Implant Loading in Osteoporotic Patients. Mini Review. Open Access of Dental Science, Volume 3, Issue 4.

Dr. Darwish has joined the preventive dentistry & periodontology department at the faculty of dentistry at AQU in 2008.

Ever since, she has been teaching preventive dentistry and community dentistry courses (both theory & clinical) for 3rd & 5th year dental students respectively.

She is also a clinical supervisor of local anesthesia clinics at AQU teaching clinics.

Throughout her academic career, Dr. Darwish has been an active member in various academic committees at the faculty.

She’s also been coordinating the ILO’s for the dental faculty & has also worked, along with other colleagues, within the University’s academic development committee.

Currently, she’s the head of quality assurance committee at the faculty.

Dr. Darwish is a member in the Palestinian & Jordanian Dental Associations & she’s an affiliated member in the American Dental Association.

Dr. Rana has given lectures at many scientific days and conferences in Palestine and within the MOH dental internship program since 2003.

Moreover, Dr. Darwish has worked as a dental education officer at the International Medical Education Trust (IMET2000-Pal) where she used to organize scientific days & workshops in various dentistry fields.

Focusing on a life-long learning career & professional development, Dr. Darwish is well involved in continuous education through participating in various national & international conferences & hands-on workshops in addition to online courses.

Since 2008, Dr. Rana has been representing AQU in various local and national community services & activities which are being performed on annual basis in collaboration with various Palestinian institutions that deal with students, impoverished children, elderly patients, orphans and special needs patients including blind & deaf children in addition to mental patients.

Dr. Darwish always supervises &carries out community field visits for dental students to plant the seeds of community contribution in future dentists.

Dr. Darwish holds a Masters Degree in Community & Public Health from Birzeit University 2002 and a Bachelor Degree in Dentistry DDS from Jordan University of Science & Technology.

Dr. Darwish research interests include community and preventive dentistry, occupational health mainly infection control in dental settings, environmental health and dental education.

Publications:

Assessment of amalgam waste management in dental clinics in Ramallah and Al-Bireh cities, published in the International Journal of Environmental Health Research
Evaluation of dental waste management in two cities in Palestine, published in the Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal.
Oral School Health Guidelines Booklet (Co-author). Published in 2003 by the Palestinian Ministry of Health- Oral Health Administration Department.
Assessment of oral health and medical findings among thalassemic patients (In Progress)
Dental students’ perceptions and knowledge of infection control procedures dental clinics (In Progress)