NYU College of Dentistry: Pandemic Dental Office Closures Linked to Increased Burden on ERs from Kids With Dental Issues

A recent study from NYU College of Dentistry reveals that dental office closures early in the COVID-19 pandemic led to a 62% increase in emergency room visits for dental related issues among children covered by Medicaid. The findings highlight the challenges faced in accessing dental care during public health crises, especially children, and emphasizes the need for better emergency dental services and improved access to care. Read more.

University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine’s Dian Chin Kit-Wells Puts Heart and Passion into Treatment of Patients With Disabilities

When the megahit “Let It Go” was released in 2013 as part of the animated movie “Frozen,” Meelin Dian Chin Kit-Wells knew she had found the perfect song to sing to patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) who are feeling anxious. “Nothing banishes anxiety like ‘Let It Go,’” says Chin Kit-Wells, clinical associate professor in the Department of Pediatric and Community Dentistry, School of Dental Medicine, who also treats adults and children with IDD at a Buffalo clinic on Saturdays. “I love to sing to my patients. Everything from the ABCs to Disney tunes.” Read more.

Oral Health Care Access

University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine Partners With TeamSmile, SUNY Erie and Bills to Offer Free Dental Care to Underserved Kids

The University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine is partnering with TeamSmile and the SUNY Erie Dental Hygiene program to provide a half-day of free dental care to students from eight area elementary schools on Friday, April 4, at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park. This is UB’s third year to partner with TeamSmile, a Kansas City, Missouri-based nonprofit organization that pairs oral health professionals with athletic organizations to provide dental care to underserved children in communities across the country. Read more.

Student News

Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine: PhD Student’s Research Takes First Place at National Endodontics Meeting

Abdel Hameed Mahmoud, DDS, a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) student in the Department of Oral Biology and Pathology at Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine (SDM), earned first place for his research poster at the American Association of Endodontists (AAE) annual meeting in Boston, Massachusetts, last week. Mahmoud’s research, titled “An Innovative Injectable Retrievable and Sustainable Drug Delivery System for Endodontic Therapy”, showcased a new thermo-reversible hydrogel that, combined with calcium hydroxide and salicylic acid, effectively eradicates E. faecalis biofilm, and improves intracanal delivery and retrievability in endodontic cases. His work was selected from a pool of more than 160 presenters at the specialty’s largest conference. Read more.

Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine’s Radiology Residency Program Bringing Artificial Intelligence to New Heights

Mina Mahdian, DDS, MDSc, is helping to lay the foundation for artificial intelligence in dentistry — step by step, study by study. As the world of AI expands and accelerates at a blistering pace, the director of the Advanced Education Program in Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology at Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine understands that the precision, diligence and patience that she and her colleagues demonstrate now, are crucial to supporting all the developments that follow. Read more.

Eastman Institute For Oral Health, University of Rochester: Hormonal Changes in Pregnancy Linked to Higher Cavity Risk, Study Finds

A new study has revealed a significant link between hormone levels in pregnant women and their risk of developing cavities. Researchers from the Eastman Institute for Oral Health, part of the University of Rochester Medical Center, found that the elevation of certain hormones in saliva is associated with higher levels of cavity-causing bacteria. Read more.

Faculty News

Columbia University College of Dental Medicine’s Dean Mitchell Receives Gies Award for Achievement

Dennis Mitchell, DDS, MPH, the interim dean of the Columbia University College of Dental Medicine, has received the ADEAGies Foundation Award for Eminence in Achievement. In announcing the award, the Foundation cited Dr. Mitchell’s extraordinary stewardship of academic achievement, his advancement of interprofessional education in the allied dental community, his development of innovative academic programs, and his focus on paving diverse and inclusive pathways to generate future leaders in health care education. Read more.

NYU College of Dentistry: Dr. Leila Jahangiri Edits Dental Clinics of North America’s Updates in Prosthodontics; Contributing Authors Include Several Faculty Members

Hot off the press this month is Updates in Prosthodontics, published by Elsevier Science Direct and edited by Dr. Leila Jahangiri, Ira E. Klein Professor and Chair of the Department of Prosthodontics at NYU College of Dentistry. Several NYU Dentistry faculty members are among the contributing authors: Dr. Marjan Moghadam, clinical associate professor of prosthodontics; Dr. Steve Pigliacelli, adjunct instructor of prosthodontics; Dr. Denise Trochesset, clinical professor and chair of the Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology, Radiology and Medicine; Dr. Sonam Khurana, clinical assistant professor of oral & maxillofacial pathology, radiology and medicine; Dr. Analia Veitz-Keenan, clinical professor of oral & maxillofacial pathology, radiology and medicine; and Dr. Paul Zhivago, clinical associate professor of prosthodontics. Read more.

University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine Names Brett Chiquet as Chair of Pediatric and Community Dentistry

Brett T. Chiquet, DDS, PhD, has been named professor and chair of the Department of Pediatric and Community Dentistry at the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine, effective March 27. Chiquet will lead the department which, in addition to educating the next generation of pediatric dentists, delivers community outreach programs that provide Western New York children and adolescents with a foundation for good oral health. Read more.

More News

NYU College of Dentistry PROHmotion Blog: “How Dentists Can Help Rebuild Public Trust” 

The latest NYU Dentistry PROHmotion blog post explores the importance of dentistry operating as a moral community — one that is grounded in ethical principles and dedicated to serving the needs of our patients and society at large — to rebuild public trust in a time of heightened skepticism. Read more.

Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine Joins BigMouth Dental Data Repository Network

Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine has agreed to become a part of the BigMouthDental Data Repository, joining 17 other member dental schools and institutions that combine to contribute over six million patient records to the BigMouth database. The collaboration will enable students, residents and faculty to utilize the data source to advance their research, answer clinical questions, and treat and serve patients better. Read more.