Dental Education News: May 2021
Highlights
Eastman Institute For Oral Health, University of Rochester: EIOH Awarded $6M to Study Novel Approach Against Severe Tooth Decay

University of Rochester Medical Center’s Eastman Institute for Oral Health has been awarded $6 million to continue the fight against severe tooth decay among children, which is alarmingly prevalent among minority and indigenous U.S. children. It is difficult to treat effectively and often recurs following treatment. The standard of care for severe tooth decay (Severe Early Childhood Caries) in very young children revolves around treatment in a surgical operating suite under general anesthesia, followed by application of 5% topical fluoride varnish, family counseling regarding feeding behaviors and oral hygiene instruction. However, these interventions have had only limited success. Tooth decay is the single most common chronic childhood disease. Read more.
Columbia University College of Dental Medicine: How Columbia is Getting Patients Back into the Dentist Chair

Last March, as the COVID-19 pandemic surged, the American Dental Association recommended putting all non-emergency dental care—including elective procedures and regular checkups—on hold to prevent the spread of the virus. By summer, scientists were confident that tiny airborne droplets called aerosols were the main mode of transmission for SARS-CoV-2. Further, the aerosols could be spread by infected individuals with or without symptoms. But how do you make a dental clinic—where most procedures, including routine cleanings, root canals, and surgical procedures, generate aerosols—safe for patients and providers? Read more.
Education & Training
NYU College of Dentistry’s Dr. Robert Glickman Discusses Technology in Dental Education with Dental Products Report

Dental Products Report talked about technology adoption in dental schools with NYU School of Dentistry Associate Dean Clinical Affairs and Hospital Relations, and Chair and Professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Robert S. Glickman, DMD. Read more.
Oral Health Care Access
Touro College of Dental Medicine at New York Medical College: La Casita de la Salud Expands Services to Offer Medical and Dental Care in Westchester

Since 2005 La Casita de la Salud, the New York Medical College (NYMC) student-run clinic located in East Harlem, has been bridging the gap in health care disparities by providing quality, culturally-competent care regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, nationality or ability to pay. That gap just got a bit smaller with the opening of a second student-run clinic. The new La Casita de la Salud, located at 19 Skyline Drive on the NYMC campus, is a joint venture between NYMC’s Family Health Center and Touro Dental Health, the state-of-the-art, 115-chair dental health facility of the Touro College of Dental Medicine (TCDM) at NYMC, and will offer free medical and dental care to uninsured adults. Read more.
University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine: Dental Professor Helps Provide Free Care, Fuel and Supplies for Thousands of Syrian Refugees Throughout Pandemic

A global pandemic could not deter UB professor Othman Shibly from delivering supplies and oral health care to Syrians who have become refugees or been displaced by the ongoing war in Syria. Through the UB Global Miles for Smiles program, Shibly, DDS, clinical professor in the UB School of Dental Medicine, traveled to Lebanon from April 2-11 to deliver critical oral health care and medical supplies, and to train community health care workers to provide dental care. Read more.
Student News
Columbia University College of Dental Medicine: Meet the Dental Students Boosting COVID-19 Vaccination Efforts at Columbia

When the Fort Washington Armory opened as a COVID-19 vaccination site in January 2021, Carly Galitz and Jennifer Shahar, both third-year DDS students at the Columbia University College of Dental Medicine (CDM), were among its first volunteer vaccinators. “It was such an eye-opening experience,” said Shahar, and it was in part what motivated them to become “vaccine champions”—members of the Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC) committed to educating others about COVID-19 and promoting vaccination. Read more.
Research
NYU College of Dentistry: New Study from NYU Dentistry’s Dr. Angela Kamer Shows Imbalance in Gum Bacteria is Linked to Alzheimer’s Disease Biomarker

Older adults with more harmful than healthy bacteria in their gums are more likely to have evidence for amyloid beta—a key biomarker for Alzheimer’s disease—in their cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), according to new research from NYU College of Dentistry and Weill Cornell Medicine. However, this imbalance in oral bacteria was not associated with another Alzheimer’s biomarker called tau. Read more.
NYU College of Dentistry’s Dr. Brian Schmidt Discusses the Mission of the NYU Oral Cancer Center in Dentistry Today

Oral cancer is an ominous diagnosis. Its symptoms are debilitating, and five-year survival after diagnosis is approximately 60%. Improvements in oral cancer treatment can only be achieved through well-funded, meticulously designed, clinical and translational research.Dr. Brian Schmidt founded the New York University Oral Cancer Center (NYUOCC) to address the daunting clinical challenges posed by oral cancer. Read more.
Awards & Grants
University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine: Forensic Dentist Mary Bush Honored by American Academy of Forensic Sciences

University at Buffalo forensic dentist Mary Bush has received the 2021 Reidar F. Sognnaes Award of Excellence in Forensic Odontology from the American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS). She is the first woman to receive the honor. The annual award – named in memory of Reidar F. Sognnaes, a distinguished forensic scientist and scholar of oral pathology – recognizes an individual who has made significant achievements and contributions to forensic odontology. Read more.
More News
Eastman Institute For Oral Health, University of Rochester: Fauci Advisor Cites Eastman Institute for Oral Health Research

World-renowned scientist Linsey Marr, PhD, one of Dr. Anthony Fauci’s advisors, recently cited Eastman Institute for Oral Health research in her lecture about the role of aerosols in the transmission of Covid-19. Dr. Marr is one of fewer than 12 worldwide experts on aerosol transmission of viruses, and one of only a few in America, according to an article in the Virginia Tech Daily. Her expertise quickly became sought after worldwide. Read more.