Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine: New Mobile Dental Care Center to Improve Smiles — and Lives — on Long Island

Ushering in a new chapter in pediatric dentistry outreach, Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine (SDM) held a special ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new Mobile Dental Care Center (MDCC). Its creation resulted from a $750,000 grant from the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation to continue the school’s commitment to delivering comprehensive dental care and oral health education to underserved youth throughout Long Island. Read more.

Columbia University College of Dental Medicine: Student Wins Top Basic Science Award at National Research Symposium

Third-year Columbia University College of Dental Medicine student Harsh Chheda has been recognized with one of the nation’s top student research honors, earning the Most Outstanding Presentation in Basic Science Research at the 30th Hinman Student Research Symposium, held October 31–November 2 in Memphis, Tennessee. His project, “Periodontal Ligament Regeneration with CRISPR Activation and Pluripotent Stem Cells,” was selected from among research presentations delivered by students representing dental schools across the United States and Canada. Read more.

Oral Health Care Access

Eastman Institute For Oral Health, University of Rochester: ‘This Has to Change’ — A Mother’s Quest on Behalf of People with Disabilities

Kathy Caruso still remembers the day her son Nicholas lost five teeth — teeth that never should have been lost. “If he had been able to get regular x-rays, cleanings and fillings under sedation in an operating room setting, it wouldn’t have happened,” she said. “But because of his special needs, we have struggled his whole life to find good dental care for him.” Read more.

Touro College of Dental Medicine at New York Medical College: 8th Annual Smiles for Veterans served Veterans in both New York and New Mexico on Veterans’ Day

On November 11, Touro Dental Health’s dental clinics in Hawthorne, New York, and Albuquerque, New Mexico, invited veterans to participate in its annual Smiles for Veterans event. Each year, the event provides free dental care to veterans, including dental exams, x-rays, and cleanings. The day also included lunch for the veterans being treated.

Throughout November, Touro Dental Health continued to offer these services to veterans, military personnel, and their families. In all, more than 25 veterans underwent treatment on Veterans Day, and over 100 received care throughout the month. This is Touro’s way of thanking our Veterans for their service—not just on Veterans Day, but every day.

“Each year, Smiles for Veterans gives our students and faculty an opportunity to give back to those who have served our country,” said Ronnie Myers, Dean of the Touro College of Dental Medicine. “Providing compassionate, high-quality dental care to Veterans is a privilege we do not take lightly. This event reflects Touro’s ongoing commitment to giving back and ensuring that every member of our community has access to the care they deserve.”

Education

Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine Inspires Next Generation of Academics

As part of its continued commitment to help address the dental school faculty shortage across the United States, the Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine celebrated its third annual Dental Educators Day event on the South Campus on October 6. Dental Educators Day festivities are held during the first week of each October. Read more.

NYU College of Dentistry: PG Prosthodontics Students Receive Awards at Professional Meetings

Three PG Prosthodontics Class of 2026 students recently were recognized for their presentations at professional meetings. Dr. Juan Aguilera received second place at the American College of Prosthodontics annual meeting for his presentation titled “Accuracy and Precision of an AI program for Locating Maxillomandibular Relationships in Digital Scans.” His mentor was Dr. Mijin Choi. Dr. Yara Bakain received first prize at the New York Section of the American College of Prosthodontists meeting for her presentation titled “Comparison of Torque Values Between Angulated and Axial Abutment Screws: An In-Vitro Study.” Her mentors were Dr. Mijin Choi and Dr. Lukasz Witek. Dr. Sohaib Alnatsheh received third place at the New York Section of the American College of Prosthodontists meeting for his presentation titled “Custom Socket Seal Abutment for Guided Emergence Profile Contouring: A Novel Presurgical Digital Design Technique.” His mentor was Dr. Mijin Choi. Read more.

Columbia University College of Dental Medicine Launches New Master’s Degree Program

The Columbia University College of Dental Medicine has launched a new research-focused degree program, the Master of Science in Oral Sciences. The program is designed for U.S. and internationally trained dentists, as well as individuals who hold undergraduate degrees in the biological sciences and have an interest in scientific inquiry into the biological foundations of oral and craniofacial health. Read more.

Faculty News

Eastman Institute For Oral Health, University of Rochester: UR’s School of Medicine & Dentistry Names Jin Xiao Associate Dean for Oral Health Education

Eastman Institute for Oral Health Professor Jin Xiao, DDS, PhD, has been appointed associate dean for Oral Health Education at the University of Rochester’s School of Medicine and Dentistry. Xiao will oversee oral health education in clinical care and research, support educational innovation and advancement for translational researchers. Read more.

Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine: Kurtz Elected President of American College of Prosthodontists

Kenneth S. Kurtz, DDS, clinical professor in the Department of Prosthodontics and Digital Technology at Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine, was elected president of the American College of Prosthodontists (ACP) at the organization’s annual meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana, last month. “I am honored to lead the college at this point in time, as there are a number of important issues at present to address,” he said, noting a restructuring of the organization’s Education Foundation Board of Directors as well as a change in the American Board of Prosthodontists certification examination process. Read more.

More News

NYU College of Dentistry Students Participate in Global Health Care Leaders Program in Florence, Italy

As part of the NYU Dentistry Global Health Care Leaders program, a cohort of D4 students traveled to the NYU Global Academic Center in Florence, Italy, in November and engaged with governmental, professional, and industry leaders to explore complex issues comparing dentistry as it is practiced, financed, and regulated in the United States and Europe. Read more.

University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine: Study Tracks Evolution of Human Saliva Back to Primates

Saliva is a bodily fluid most of us take for granted despite the significant roles it plays: aiding in digestion, maintaining strong teeth and defending against oral disease. However, the evolution of human saliva has been largely unknown — until now, thanks to two University at Buffalo faculty members and two graduate students. Read more.

NYU College of Dentistry PROHmotion Blog: “From Mercury to Microplastics: A Wake-up Call for Dentistry”

The latest NYU Dentistry PROHmotion blog post addresses the harms to human and environmental health inherent in a plastics-filled world and the need to accelerate our efforts to develop a new paradigm of dental practice. Read more.