Eastman Institute For Oral Health, University of Rochester: EIOH Awarded $3.1 Million to Advance AI-Powered Oral Disease Detection

Eastman Institute for Oral Health researchers have received a five-year, $3.1 million grant to develop an artificial intelligence-powered platform designed to transform oral healthcare delivery from a clinic-dependent, treatment-focused model to a prevention-oriented, cost-effective oral healthcare system outside of traditional dental clinics. Read more.

Columbia University College of Dental Medicine: National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research Awards R21 Grant for Children’s Health Study

Dr. Christie Custodio-Lumsden, assistant professor of nutrition sciences (in dental medicine) at Columbia University College of Dental Medicine, has received an R21 grant from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) for “Adolescent Health and Early-life Dietary Exposome (AHEAD): Developing a Metabolomic-based Index of Healthy Eating to Predict Children’s Health Trajectories.” The study will investigate how dietary exposures during childhood and adolescence may help shape both oral and systemic health over time. Read more.

Dental Education

Touro College of Dental Medicine at New York Medical College: How Real Experiences Prepare Students for Dental School

The newest class at Touro College of Dental Medicine, the Class of 2030, includes students from a range of academic and personal backgrounds, including graduates of Yale University, the University at Buffalo, Brooklyn College, the College of Staten Island and Touro’s New York School of Career and Applied Studies. They arrived with experience in dental offices, engineering courses and community health settings, and with different ideas about the kind of work they may eventually pursue. Read more.

Advancing Oral Health Through Research

On August 10, 2026, Columbia University College of Dental Medicine welcomed 12 students in the inaugural cohort of its new Master of Science in Oral Sciences program. The one-year graduate degree is designed to provide students with a rigorous foundation in oral and craniofacial sciences while developing the research skills needed to investigate important questions in oral health. Read more.

Welcoming DDS Class of 2030 at White Coat Ceremony

On August 3, 2026, Columbia University College of Dental Medicine welcomed the DDS Class of 2030 during its annual White Coat Ceremony. The 92-member class was selected from nearly 2,000 applicants and represents 22 states, three countries, and 58 colleges and universities. Students entered with an average GPA of 3.84 and an average Dental Admission Test (DAT) score of 26, placing them among the nation’s most accomplished incoming dental students. Read more.

Research

NYU College of Dentistry: Study Shows Benefits of Scheduling Dental Care During Prenatal Visits

Published in the American Journal of Public Health: New research from NYU Dentistry and NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue found that scheduling a dental appointment during prenatal visits significantly increased the likelihood that pregnant patients would receive dental care during pregnancy. Patients who had an appointment scheduled before leaving their prenatal visit were 2.6 times more likely to see a dentist than those who did not.

The study highlights the potential of integrating oral health into prenatal care, particularly for vulnerable populations who face greater barriers to dental care. “This suggests that immediately scheduled dental appointments can be an effective way to increase dental care utilization during pregnancy, without needing to hire extra staff,” said Shulamite Huang, assistant professor of epidemiology and health promotion at NYU College of Dentistry. Read more.

University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine: New Study Explores why Females Experience More Side Effects From Head and Neck Cancer Radiation

Radiation used to treat cancers of the head and neck leaves nearly every patient with painful inflammation and mouth ulcers. In roughly a third to more than half — depending on the dose and on whether chemotherapy is included — the damage becomes severe enough to interfere with eating, drinking or the treatment itself. Female patients seem to get the worst of it. The reasons why remain unknown, according to a researcher in the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine. Read more.

Awards, Grants, & Faculty News

Eastman Institute For Oral Health, University of Rochester: EIOH Receives Grant to Reduce Barriers to Dental Care

The University of Rochester Medicine Eastman Institute for Oral Health has secured a $225,400 grant from the New York State Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) to help close one of the most persistent gaps in healthcare. Oral healthcare is the number one unmet health need among people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) due to a shortage of trained providers, transportation obstacles and decreasing Medicaid participation across the state. Read more.

NYU College of Dentistry: Dr. Richard W. Valachovic Named Chair of the NYU Dentistry Department of General Dentistry and Comprehensive Care

Richard W. Valachovic, DMD, MPH, MSc, has been named Chair of the Department of General Dentistry and Comprehensive Care, effective July 1, 2026. Dr. Valachovic joined the College as a clinical professor in 2019, serves as the co-executive director of its Center for Oral Health Policy and Management, and for the past year has served as interim chair of the Department. Read more.

University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine: 24 UB Faculty, Staff Receive SUNY Chancellor’s Awards

This year, 24 UB faculty and staff members have received SUNY Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence. The Chancellor’s Awards acknowledge and provide system-wide recognition for consistently superior professional achievement and the ongoing pursuit of excellence in six categories: Faculty Service, Librarianship, Professional Service, Scholarship and Creative Activities, Teaching, and Adjunct Teaching. Read more.

More News

NYU College of Dentistry PROHmotion Blog: The GLP-1/Oral Health Connection

The latest NYU Dentistry PROHmotion blog post addresses the oral health side effects of GLP-1 use and how dental professionals can counsel patients to manage those side effects. Read more.