Rate My Professor Jesslyn Praganta

Dr. Jesslyn Praganta serves as a Senior Professional Practice Fellow and Oral Surgeon in the Department of Oral Diagnostic and Surgical Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, Health Sciences Division, at the University of Otago. She earned her Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) with merit from the University of Otago in 2012, followed by a Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Dentistry (PGDipClinDent) in Oral Surgery and a Doctor of Clinical Dentistry (DClinDent) in Oral Surgery from the same university in 2022. Her doctoral research focused on the clinical effects of advanced platelet-rich fibrin (A-PRF) on postoperative outcomes following third molar surgery. This single-blinded, randomized controlled split-mouth trial, conducted at the University of Otago Oral Surgery clinic from November 2020 to July 2021, compared A-PRF to gelatin dressings in managing pain and swelling after mandibular third molar extractions. The study involved 70 patients aged 16 to 40 and utilized visual analog scale for pain and stereophotogrammetry for swelling measurements over seven days, concluding no statistically significant differences between the interventions.

Praganta contributes to teaching part-time in the undergraduate and postgraduate oral surgery programmes at the University of Otago. Her research specializations encompass oral surgery outcomes, platelet-rich fibrin applications, implant dentistry, and related clinical advancements. Key publications include her lead-authored article, 'Effect of Advanced Platelet-Rich Fibrin (A-PRF) on Postoperative Level of Pain and Swelling Following Third Molar Surgery,' published in the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in 2024, co-authored with Harsha De Silva, Rohana De Silva, Darryl C. Tong, and W. Murray Thomson. She also published a reply to correspondence on the topic in 2024 and contributed to 'Familial aggregation of keratinising desquamative squamous metaplasia in the urinary tract' in 2023. In 2022, she received second place in the DClinDent presentation awards at the Sir John Walsh Research Institute Research Day for her work on A-PRF effects in third molar surgery, supervised by Associate Professor Harsha De Silva. Additionally, she holds specialist registration in Oral Surgery in New Zealand.