Paul Mullasseril Named Dean of the OU College of Dentistry

Paul Mullasseril Named Dean of the OU College of Dentistry

OKLAHOMA CITY – The University of Oklahoma announced today the appointment of Paul M. Mullasseril, D.D.S., M.S., as dean of the College of Dentistry, pending OU Board of Regents’ approval.

Mullasseril currently serves the College of Dentistry as assistant dean for clinical and preclinical education and is director of OU Health Dentistry, the college’s faculty practice clinic. He will be the fifth dean of the college, replacing Raymond A. Cohlmia, D.D.S., who was named executive director of the American Dental Association earlier this year.

“We are thrilled to announce Dr. Paul Mullasseril as the new dean of the College of Dentistry,” said OU President Joseph Harroz Jr. “His experience as an educator and clinician, combined with his leadership in organized dentistry, make him an excellent choice to the lead the college. I am confident in his ability to build upon the college’s reputation as one of the top dental programs in the country.”

Born in Mumbai, Mullasseril grew up in India and completed his dental education at the University of Bombay in 1988. Mullasseril began his post-doctoral training in maxillofacial prosthetics at OU, graduating in 1994. Afterward, he completed a fellowship at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston in 1996.

In 1998, Mullasseril joined the faculty in the Department of Removable Prosthetics at the OU College of Dentistry and served as director of the Department of Maxillofacial Prosthetics from 2002 to 2008. In 2008, he moved his family to Spokane, Washington, to accept a position at Eastern Washington University. However, within a few years, Mullasseril and his family moved back to Oklahoma and resumed work at the College of Dentistry. When asked about the reason for returning to Oklahoma and OU, he stated Oklahoma felt more like home.

In 2011, he was appointed chair of the Department of Restorative Dentistry at the college, and in 2012, he was appointed director of the faculty practice dental clinic. In 2015, he was named assistant dean for clinical and preclinical education. Additionally, he currently holds the Connie and Herbert T. Shillingburg, D.D.S., Professorship of Fixed Prosthodontics.

“I am very humbled and delighted to accept this role, as the OU College of Dentistry has had a significant impact upon my life and career,” Mullasseril said. “I am looking forward to working with university leadership and the College of Dentistry’s outstanding faculty and staff as we remain committed to providing our students with a superior, hands-on clinical education, preparing them to excel as clinicians, patient advocates and leaders within the profession. Further, it is my goal to expand the access of high-quality dental care at an affordable cost to the people of Oklahoma.”

Mullasseril served as president of the Oklahoma Dental Association from 2020 to 2021. During his presidency, he focused on further developing the relationship between the dental community and the college. He also worked closely with state legislators on developing legislation that will benefit the oral health and well-being of the citizens of Oklahoma.

Additionally, in collaboration with the ODA and the Dale Graham Veterans Foundation in Norman, Mullasseril coordinated the first-ever clinic at the college to provide free dental treatment to selected Oklahoma veterans, which was held in March 2021. The veterans clinic is a project close to Mullasseril’s heart, as he served in the United States Army Reserve from 2001 to 2009, earning the rank of major.

Mullasseril received the Outstanding Full-Time Faculty Award from the OU Health Sciences Center Student Council in both 2000 and 2011. He has served as a consultant and key opinion leader for Imtec Corp., as well as Park Dental Research and 3M Corp. In addition, he has presented dental continuing education nationally and internationally on the topics of removable prosthetics and implant dentistry.

Mullasseril is a member of the American Dental Association, Oklahoma Dental Association, Oklahoma County Dental Society, Pierre Fauchard Academy, American College of Dentists, International College of Dentists, American Dental Education Association, Academy of Maxillofacial Prosthetics, and Academy of Osseointegration.

“Dr. Mullasseril has a vision for OU to lead dental health care across Oklahoma, including our new expansion in Tulsa to improve oral health outcomes,” said Jason R. Sanders, M.D., MBA, senior vice president and provost of the OU Health Sciences Center. “His expertise, enthusiasm and relationship with the dental community will bring success in priorities such as patient access, student experience, advanced technology research and continuing dental education. Dr. Mullasseril will lead the entire College of Dentistry in interprofessional strategic initiatives across the OU Health Sciences Center and OU Health.”

During his time at the College of Dentistry, Mullasseril has worked with various colleges and centers across campus to create pipeline programs that allow comprehensive treatment plans for patients in need of dental care before further medical care can be administered.

Mullasseril resides in Oklahoma City with his family. His wife, Dr. Anaita Mullasseril, is an orthodontist in Shawnee, Oklahoma. He has two children, Anoushka and Dan. Anoushka is a second-year medical student at the OU College of Medicine; and Dan is a third-year student at Rice University in Houston.

###

About the University of Oklahoma
Founded in 1890, the University of Oklahoma is a public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. OU serves the educational, cultural, economic and health care needs of the state, region and nation. For more information visit www.ou.edu.

About the College of Dentistry
The OU College of Dentistry is home to the state’s only doctor of dental surgery program and baccalaureate degree program in dental hygiene. More than 60 percent of the state of Oklahoma’s dentists are graduates of the OU College of Dentistry. The college provides general dental care and specialty care to Oklahomans through student, resident and faculty practice clinics. The OU College of Dentistry has established a reputation of training its students to provide the highest quality of clinical care available.