Leonard Bruce Kaban

Dr. Leonard Bruce Kaban

Walter C. Guralnick Distinguished Professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Leonard Bruce Kaban

Dr. Leonard Kaban is internationally recognized for his accomplishments in the fields of craniofacial deformities. Deformities such as hemifacial microsomia-pediatric oral and maxillofacial surgery, jaw tumors in children, and minimally invasive surgical techniques for maxillofacial surgery.

He served as chief of oral and maxillofacial surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital and Walter C. Guralnick professor and head of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine for 22 years, recently stepping down in 2015.

Dr. Kaban attended Queens College of the City University of New York, then received his DMD from the Harvard School of Dental Medicine and his MD from Harvard Medical School. He is a diplomate of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons and the American Board of Medical Examiners and is a fellow of both the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons and the American College of Surgeons.

As speaker and visiting professor, Dr. Kaban has crisscrossed the globe, presenting at professional meetings in Australia, Britain, Iceland, South Africa, Switzerland, and Vietnam, among others. He is particularly known for treatment of children with craniofacial abnormalities and for an innovative protocol for the treatment of giant cell tumors of the jaw. His scientific research includes the development of distraction osteogenesis techniques for mandibular advancement and tissue engineering using autologous mesenchymal stem cells.

Because the nature of oral and maxillofacial surgery touches so many children, Dr. Kaban's research interests work hand-in-hand with his clinical practice. His approach is to use biomedical engineering, computer-assisted techniques, and tissue engineering to refine the art of facial reconstruction for congenital and acquired facial deformities. He works avidly to reduce the surgical trauma, enhance the quality of healing, and improve the outcomes of facial surgery. He has also been working on the biology of giant cell tumors of bone in an effort to develop medical therapies for these aggressive jaw lesions in children.

Dr. Kaban is the recipient of many honors and awards, including the Harvard School of Dental Medicine Distinguished Alumni Award, AAOMS Research Recognition Award, Donald Osborn Outstanding Educator Award, and the Harvard Medical School Award for Mentoring Women Faculty. He is also the author or coauthor of more than 200 scientific publications and five books, including the text Pediatric Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.

Fields of Interest

Dr. Kaban's clinical interests include craniofacial surgery, distraction osteogenesis, maxillofacial trauma, orthognathic surgery, pediatric oral and maxillofacial surgery, temporomandibular joint surgery, hemifacial microsomia, and giant cell tumors of the jaw.

Contact Information

p: 617/724-1646

Department or Program

Alphabetical listing