Few people appreciate the broad potential benefits of dental care as well as George Jenkins, DMD. Jenkins’ childhood dentist not only fixed his teeth, but also inspired him to pursue a career in dentistry. As associate dean for access, equity, and inclusion at Columbia’s College of Dental Medicine, Jenkins’ goal is to create more dentists from diverse backgrounds. We spoke to Jenkins about dental care, the significance of serving the underserved, and toothbrushes. Read more.

Nearly 1 in 10 dentists nationwide was trained at the NYU College of Dentistry, but that’s not the only outsized impact it has. It’s a major safety-net provider too, with around 300,000 patient visits a year. Dr. Charles Bertolami, the school’s dean since 2007, also considers its $12 million oral health center that opened in 2019 for individuals with disabilities to be one of the college’s greatest accomplishments. Congratulations to Dr. Bertolami for his recognition in City & State’s 50 Over 50 List. Read more.

In the summer of 2021, as the program has run every year since TCDM’s inception, eight students joined research teams studying topics including the role of the microbiome in post-traumatic stress disorder, Lyme disease testing, and pulmonary hypertension, as well as various other scholarly research topics. “Participating in research is a great way for students to learn how to critically evaluate medical literature, a skill that will benefit them in private practice,” Dr. Salomon Amar, Vice Dean of Research, says. Each year, First-year dental students elect to forgo their only summer off throughout dental to participate in the program. Read more.

Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of the Sciences (PNAS), the study by Nigel Bunnett, PhD, and collaborators illustrates how a protease-activated receptor entering cells leads to pain and inflammation — and how blocking it holds promise for treating colitis. Read more.

Published in Nature Communications, the study led by Nigel Bunnett, PhD, illustrates how pain is signaled from within Schwann cells and finds several ways to block this signaling, providing potential targets for new migraine treatments. Read more.

Dr. Murray Rosenthal said the time he spent at Eastman Dental Center shaped his whole dental life. That is why he recently donated $100,000 to Eastman Institute for Oral Health, a gift that not only helps future residents, but also honors the love story of his parents, who met at the Dental Dispensary in the 1930’s. “My time at Eastman was the best education I ever received,” said Dr. Rosenthal, a 1964 AEGD alum, born and raised in Brighton, NY. “I was there during the Bibby and Buonocore years –a time that was so rich with ideas and scientific discoveries.” Read more.