Rate My Professor Ajith Polonowita

Dr. Ajith Polonowita serves as Senior Professional Practice Fellow and Head of Discipline of Oral Medicine in the Department of Oral Diagnostic and Surgical Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Otago. He earned his Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) from the University of Otago in 1983 and Master of Dental Science (MDSc) in Oral Medicine and Oral Pathology from the University of Melbourne in 2001. A registered specialist in Oral Medicine in both Australia and New Zealand, he holds fellowships including Membership of the Royal Australian College of Dental Surgeons (MRACDS, 2008), Fellow of the Oral Medicine Academy of Australasia (FOMAA), Fellow of the International College of Dentists (FICD), and FSX. His career encompasses roles as house surgeon in a New Zealand maxillofacial unit, clinical tutor at the University of Otago School of Dentistry, Academic Lead and subject coordinator in Oral Medicine and Oral Pathology at La Trobe University, Lead Consultant in Oral Medicine at Christchurch Hospital, Consultant in Oral Medicine at Bendigo Base Hospital, and director of AD Polonowita Pty and PAG Dental Ltd. He has contributed to accreditation as a set member for the Australian Dental Council, examiner for the University of Otago, and served as past Vice President of the Oral Medicine Society of Australia and New Zealand.

Polonowita's research specializations include temporomandibular disorders (TMD) and management, oral dysaesthesia, chronic orofacial pain, oral ulcerative and erosive lesions, blistering lesions, oral lichen planus, halitosis, burning mouth syndrome, immune-mediated conditions, teledentistry, oral medicine emergencies, and related histopathology and clinical management. Notable publications feature 'Distinguishing chronic pain from mechanical factors in chronic TMD: A narrative review' (Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand, 2025, with B. Moore, G. Guan, L. Mei), 'Patient perceptions of the service provision at an academic oral medicine clinic' (New Zealand Dental Journal, 2025, with Y.K. Lin, L. Mei, P. Narsinh, D. Tong, G. Guan), 'Histopathology of non-infective stomatitis' (Oral histology and oral histopathology: A practical guide for dental students and a companion to pathologists, 2025, with N.A. Firth), 'Erosive and Ulcerative Lesions' (2026), 'Halitosis in oral lichen planus patients' (2024), and 'Exploring the link between burning mouth syndrome and human herpesvirus-6B: a narrative review on pathogenesis' (2024, with O. Wang, L. Mei, G. Guan). He participates in the Board of Studies Oral Medicine for the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons (RACDS), Equivalence Committee for Oral Medicine with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA), and serves as editorial referee for the New Zealand Medical Journal, New Zealand Dental Journal, Oral Surgery, Journal of Clinical Medicine, BMC Oral Health, Biomolecules, and Journal of Cancer Research.