Eastman Institute For Oral Health, University of Rochester: Patients With Special Needs and Complex Conditions: Addressing the Need and Provider Shortage

For the many people in New York State living with a developmental disability or a chronic health condition, accessing dental care can be a huge struggle. Many dentists lack the training and facilities to treat these patients effectively. Since 2021, there have been three Upstate New York oral health safety net provider closures resulting in a dramatic decrease in services for patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities and medically complex conditions. Read more.

NYU College of Dentistry: Multi-Center Study Shows SDF is a “Gamechanger”

According to a large clinical trial funded by the National Institutes of Health, SDF can stop tooth decay in young children. The preliminary results, published in Pediatric Dentistry, showed that 54% of cavities stopped progressing after SDF treatment, compared to 21% of those treated with a placebo. “The impact of this study could be tremendous, causing a change in the standard of care for the management of tooth decay in young children. We hope that access to this simple treatment could also help in reducing oral health disparities,” said Dr. Amr M. Moursi, professor and chair of the Department of Pediatric Dentistry and principal investigator at the NYU study site. Read more.

Touro College of Dental Medicine at New York Medical College: Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons Offers Advice on Building a Successful Career

Eric Wachs, D.M.D., is the Director of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and an associate professor of dental medicine at Touro College of Dental Medicine. Dr. Wachs has practiced as an oral and maxillofacial surgeon in Tarrytown, in Westchester County, New York, for more than thirty years and was a part of the founding faculty of the College, the first new dental school in New York in over 50 years. Read more.

Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine Promotes Discovery at Annual Research Symposium

Continuing its tradition of promoting discovery and providing insights that advance the field of dentistry, Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine held its annual Research Symposium on March 28, with more than 40 dental students, master’s students and residents presenting their findings at the Student Activities Center on Stony Brook University’s West Campus. Read more.

Awards & Grants

NYU College of Dentistry: Dr. Farnaz Shamsi Receives AHA Career Development Award to Study the Mechanism of Brown Fat Aging

Dr. Farnaz Shamsi, assistant professor of molecular pathobiology at NYU Dentistry, has been awarded a three-year grant in the amount of $231,000 by the American Heart Association (AHA) for research to identify the mechanisms for brown fat aging, addressing a critical knowledge gap in metabolic aging that is of paramount importance for human health in the coming century. Brown adipose tissue, also known as brown fat, is a special type of fat that breaks down sugar and fat molecules to produce heat to maintain body temperature – keeping the body warm in cold. Read more.

Columbia University College of Dental Medicine Research Team Awarded $39M to Develop a Living Knee Replacement

Two members of the faculty of the Columbia University College of Dental Medicine are among a team of Columbia researchers that has received a $38.95 million award to develop a living knee replacement from biomaterials and human stem cells, including a patient’s own cells. Chang Lee, PhD , who is one of the project’s co-PIs, and Mildred Embree, DMD will assist in the development of NOVAJoint, a biocompatible, low-cost, patient-specific knee joint replacement, as a therapy for osteoarthritis, which is a common and irreversible condition where bones and cartilage break down, and often involves debilitating pain and loss of functional movement. Read more.

NYU College of Dentistry PROHmotion Blog: Does Dental Education Need a “Fail Forward” Mindset?

Researchers from NYU and Penn are using smartphones and virtual reality, and the principles of cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness, to help people face their fear of going to the dentist—all from the comfort and privacy of home. “These technologies empower patients via strategies to manage their thoughts, feelings, and behavior at their next dental appointment,” says Richard Heyman, a clinical psychologist, co-director of the NYU Dentistry Family Translational Research Group, and a principal investigator of the dental fear research. Read more.

Faculty

Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine: Associate Dean Appointed to ADEA Leadership Position

Dolores Cannella, MA, PhD, associate dean for education at Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine, has been elected as secretary of the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) Section on Academic Affairs. The announcement came at the ADEA Annual Meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana, in March. Read more.

More News

Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine: Renowned Leader in Oral and Craniofacial Research to Deliver Convocation Address

Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine is pleased to announce that Christopher H. Fox, DMD, DMSc, chief executive officer of the International Association for Dental Research (IADR) and the American Association for Dental, Oral and Craniofacial Research (AADOCR), will deliver the keynote address for the 2024 SDM Convocation Ceremony. Read more.