Faculty Spotlight

Tim Fagan, D.D.S., M.S.

A longtime faculty member at the college in the Division of Pediatric Dentistry, Dr. Tim Fagan, was named the Division Head of Pediatric Dentistry this past winter. Dr. Fagan has served as a part-time faculty member at the college for 30 years and has been in private practice for 33 years as a pediatric dentist in Enid.

“The Division of Pediatric Dentistry at the OU College of Dentistry has always maintained a great reputation for producing graduating dental students who score high on the Pediatric Dental section of the National Board Exam,” Dr. Fagan said. “I certainly want to continue that trend, while at the same time, increase the amount of hands-on skills and experiences that the students obtain clinically while in school so they feel competent and comfortable treating the dental needs of children in our state.”

In addition to providing pediatric care, Dr. Fagan is a respected teacher and mentor to his students. He was honored with the Outstanding Achievement for Part-Time Faculty Award in 2014, the Dental Alumnus of the Year Award in 2015, and the Dan E. Brannin Award for Professionalism and Ethics, Oklahoma Dental Association, in 2017.

Dr. Fagan, who earned his D.D.S. degree from the OU College of Dentistry in 1981, completed a General Practice in Residency in Dentistry at the University of Missouri at Kansas City School of Dentistry from 1981 to 1982. He then specialized in pediatric dentistry, while earning his master’s of science degree, from the University of Iowa College of Dentistry from 1982-1984.

He has served as the president of the Oklahoma Dental Association, Oklahoma Association of Pediatric Dentists, and the Southwestern Society of Pediatric Dentistry, and is a member of multiple professional organizations, including the American Dental Association and American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.

“I have been extremely blessed in my career in dentistry and working at the dental school is one way of giving back for the blessings I have received” Dr. Fagan said. “And having attended OU as an undergraduate and for dental school, I’m a Sooner through and through!”

Paul S. Tiwana, D.D.S., M.S., M.D., F.A.C.S.

Last fall, the college welcomed nationally-recognized craniomaxillofacial surgeon and Reichmann-Staples Professor, Dr. Paul S. Tiwana, to the team. He serves as the new Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department Chair and Professor of Surgery for the college. He is also dually appointed as a Professor of Surgery in the College of Medicine. Dr. Tiwana joined the OU family after nearly a decade at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, where he was a Professor of Surgery.

“The vision of Dean Cohlmia and Dr. Steven Sullivan definitely caught my attention,” Dr. Tiwana said. “They both have a big, engaged visions for the future of the program and I couldn’t wait to both endorse it and contribute to it.”

Educated in both dentistry (Northwestern University), and medicine (The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill), Dr, Tiwana completed his residency in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery and internship in General Surgery at the University of North Carolina Hospitals. While at UNC he also earned a Research Master of Science degree in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, and subsequently completed fellowship training in Pediatric Cleft & Craniofacial Surgery at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C.

For Dr. Tiwana, success is in the most exacting details. The work he does and instructs others in doing requires precision and expert execution. As a fellowship-trained surgical specialist, Dr. Tiwana’s practice is focused on the correction of congenital, developmental and acquired surgical problems of the mouth, jaws, face, and skull from infancy through adulthood. This includes the management of patients requiring orthognathic surgery, pediatric cleft and craniofacial surgery, craniomaxillofacial trauma, and maxillofacial cosmetic surgery.

His knowledge of each specialty has given him the opportunity to speak to multiple organizations, almost too many to count, and the chance to author numerous articles and academic textbooks, including the internationally acclaimed textbook Atlas of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.

“One of my main focuses as the new Chair is to further engage ourselves in the OUHSC campus and the community by providing more diverse procedures and care for our patients than ever before,” Dr. Tiwana said. “Right now, we are addressing the changes we hope to see for the program and I’m excited to bring a broader scope of the specialty to the college.”