Joseph A. Perrone, DMD, MD

Meet Oral Surgeon Dr. Perrone

Early Life

Dr. Perrone grew up in Southern New Jersey with three sisters and his parents. His mother was an engineer and his father was a general dentist. Growing up, he always loved going to the dental office because it meant extra time with Dad. It wasn’t until high school, however, that he began to consider dentistry as a career. When one of his sisters underwent jaw repositioning surgery (orthognathic surgery), he was able to see first-hand the tremendous and positive impact it had on her life. This extended well beyond the correction of her bite to include improved confidence, self-esteem, life satisfaction, and overall happiness. The change was amazing, and it was something that Dr. Perrone wanted to be able to provide for other people in similar situations.

Dr. Perrone soon found himself spending more and more time in his father’s dental office. Dentistry was intriguing and combined the scientific nature of a health profession with the artistic freedom to create beautiful smiles. Dr. Perrone wanted to further explore and learn about helping people with true skeletal deformities, so he decided to spend the summer in an Oral Surgeon’s office. One summer was enough to convince him to apply to dental school.

A life of learning

After 4 years at Muhlenberg College, Dr. Perrone was accepted into the #1 ranked dental school in the country, the University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine. There he excelled both academically and clinically. He spent as much clinical time as he could in the oral surgery department. After being invited into the OR as a 3rd year dental student to repair a jaw fracture, he was sold.

Awards

Dr. Perrone graduated dental school with a multitude of awards, including the American Academy of Oral Medicine Award, Oral and Maxillofacial Diagnostic Sciences award, The Quintessence Award of Academic Achievement, The Pierre Fauchard Academy Award, The Donald Greiner, D.D.S. Award, the James E. Kennedy Award, the J. and E. Greenberg Award, and the Dental Dean’s Merit award. Dr. Perrone was voted as one of Connecticut Magazine’s Top Docs in 2020.

Soon, Dr. Perrone relocated to Pittsburgh for both residency and medical school at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. There he excelled and completed his medical school clerkships with honors and provided excellent surgical care to his patients. Dr. Perrone eventually became Chief Resident his 6th and final year of residency. After completing residency training, Dr. Perrone moved back to Connecticut to join Milford & Derby Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery.  He currently maintains privileges at both Milford Hospital and Yale New Haven Hospital, where he is a clinical attending with the oral and maxillofacial surgery residency.

Commitment to excellence

When Dr. Perrone was a child of only 13, his grandfather (who was a Brigadier General in the USAF) started giving him flying lessons. He soloed an airplane for the first time on his 16th birthday with his parents and grandfather watching. Unfortunately, due to changes in FAA regulations surrounding the September 11th attacks, he was unable to finish his pilot training prior to leaving for college. He then went to dental school, medical school, residency, and got married along the way. It was not until his grandfather was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer that he got back into flying. Prior to his passing, his grandfather arranged for his small 2-seat airplane to be delivered to Dr. Perrone. In his grandfather’s memory, he finished his pilot training, and now enjoys short trips with the family and sharing the world of general aviation with his sons, and anyone else who shows an interest in flying.

One of the things that Dr. Perrone enjoys about flying is the requirement to perform at a high level each and every time you set foot into the airplane. Like surgery, attention to detail is paramount, and consequences for complacency are high. Dr. Perrone has been able to use lessons learned from his flight training to improve his performance as a surgeon, and vice versa. Each and every surgical case is an opportunity to improve and to strive for perfection, as each and every flight provides an opportunity to learn and to sharpen your skills. Both of these accomplishments have required a tremendous amount of dedication, hard work and professionalism, and Dr. Perrone brings that attitude to work with him every day.

Life at home

Dr. Perrone has many interests outside of surgery. Most importantly, he is a dedicated and loving father and husband. He has two young boys who he spends as much time with as possible. He and his family make numerous trips to Rhode Island to visit his in-laws and enjoy the RI beaches. Dr. Perrone enjoys playing golf with friends and family. Most recently, he has enjoyed sharing his love of the game with his sons.

Education

• Muhlenberg College: BS Biology
• University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine: DMD
• University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine: MD
• University of Pittsburgh Medical Center: Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Certificate

Professional Memberships

• Milford Dental Society
• Connecticut State Dental Society
• American Dental Society
• American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
• Connecticut Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons