Birtan Tolga Yilmaz, DDS, MSc, is a clinician-scientist in periodontology. His work runs in a loop between the clinic, the classroom and the lab: he treats patients, teaches hands-on periodontal surgery, and develops new regenerative materials to bring back to the chair.

 

At the Harvard Dental Center, the patient clinic of Harvard School of Dental Medicine, he treats patients with periodontal microsurgery, periodontal plastic and reconstructive surgery, regenerative therapies for gum and bone, and dental implant placement. He is also a Doctor of Medical Sciences (DMSc) candidate in Oral Biology at Harvard School of Dental Medicine, mentored by Dean William V. Giannobile. As a visiting student at MIT's Institute for Medical Engineering & Science (IMES), working with Professor Elazer R. Edelman, he develops biomaterials for periodontal and soft tissue regeneration. He teaches hands-on courses in periodontal soft tissue management, including a full-day course at the 2024 FDI World Dental Congress.

 

He earned his DDS from Ege University in 2015, completed specialty training in periodontology at Hacettepe University in 2019, and received a master's degree in dental biomaterials from Dokuz Eylül University in 2025.

 

His research has appeared in the Journal of Periodontology, Journal of Periodontal Research, Clinical Oral Investigations and Clinical Oral Implants Research. It has earned two IADR travel awards in 2026 and the Turkish Medical Oncology Association research award. He reviews for journals including JADA, Oral Diseases and Lasers in Medical Science.