Columbia University College of Dental Medicine Dean Receives Shils-Meskin Award for Innovation in Dental Education

Christian S. Stohler, DMD, DrMedDent, dean of the Columbia University College of Dental Medicine, was honored at the 2023 Shils Entrepreneurial Fund Annual Awards held on October 17 at the University of Pennsylvania. Dean Stohler received the Shils-Meskin Award, which recognizes innovation in dental education. Read more.

NYU College of Dentistry: Welcoming Veterans—From All Five Boroughs 

Veterans from all five boroughs have something to smile about this Veterans Day. The Bronx VA has joined NYU College of Dentistry’s Veterans Oral Care Access Resource (VOCARE), part of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ VETSmile program. VETSmile is a pilot program that is designed to improve dental care access for veterans who are not eligible for dental care through the VA by partnering with community providers like NYU. NYU Dentistry’s partnership began with the VA New York Harbor Healthcare System, welcoming veterans referred by VA hospitals in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island. Read more.

NYU College of Dentistry Advances Aesthetic Dentistry Programs with Alumnus Dr. Michael Apa 

In the 20 years since his graduation from NYU, Dr. Apa has helped to transform the evolving field of aesthetic dentistry and distinguished himself as one of its leaders. Now, Dr. Apa is “making the most” of his achievements by investing in the dentists of tomorrow and enhancing the College’s programs in aesthetic dentistry. Read more.

Student News

Touro College of Dental Medicine at New York Medical College Alum Heads to Harvard to Pursue Prosthodontics

Oliver Viera (Touro College of Dental Medicine, 2023), shares why he pursued the profession of his mother and grandfather, the career highs he hopes to experience as a prosthodontist and why it’s critical to seize every possible opportunity in dental school. Oliver offers invaluable advice for other students aiming to match into Ivy League residencies. Read more.

NYU College of Dentistry: PG Prosthodontics Students Receive Major Awards at Recent ACP Meeting

At the 2023 annual meeting of the American College of Prosthodontists (ACP), NYU postgraduate prosthodontics students Dr. Jamie Progebin and Dr. Kankshinee Shah received second place for their presentation titled “An In Vitro Comparison of Fracture Load in One-Piece Milled, Two-Piece Milled, and Conventionally Processed Complete Dentures.” Their mentor was Dr. Mijin Choi, clinical associate professor of prosthodontics. Read more.

Touro College of Dental Medicine at New York Medical College: Behind Every Surgery is a Life You Change

The patient showed up to Nassau University Medical Center’s trauma center in severe pain. He couldn’t eat, talk, or smile; he was barely holding down his job because of the pain in his jaw. Before he came to Nassau University Medical Center (NUMC), he had visited dentists and doctors all over the state and had been misdiagnosed; several of his teeth had been unnecessarily removed. He was assigned to Jessica Li, a third-year resident in oral and maxillofacial surgery, and a member of the inaugural graduating class of Touro College of Dental Medicine. Read more.

University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine Study: Special Mouth Rinse and Brushes Can Help Treat Gum Disease Among Diabetes Patients

Individuals with Type 2 diabetes being treated for periodontitis may benefit from using an antimicrobial mouth rinse and interdental cleaners to clean between teeth as part of their at-home oral care routine. This was a key finding in a recent study conducted by Patricia Diaz, DDS, PhD, SUNY Empire Innovation Professor at the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine and director of UB’s Microbiome Center. Read more.

Columbia University College of Dental Medicine: Karim El Kholy Publishes Research on Link Between Oral Health and Cardiovascular Disease

Karim El Kholy, DDS, associate professor of dental medicine at the Columbia University College of Dental Medicine, is among a team of researchers that has linked periodontal inflammation to adverse cardiovascular events, according to research published in the Journal of Periodontology and the Journal of American College of Cardiology Imaging. Read more.

Faculty News

University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine: Director of UB’s Microbiome Center Named Sunstar Robert J. Genco Endowed Chair in Dental School

Patricia Diaz, DDS, MS, PhD, SUNY Empire Innovation Professor at the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine and director of UB’s Microbiome Center, has been appointed the Sunstar Robert J. Genco Endowed Chair. Marcelo Araujo, DDS, MS, PhD, dean of the School of Dental Medicine, officially named Diaz to the chair during the Buffalo Niagara Dental Meeting on Nov. 2 at the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center. Read more.

Columbia University College of Dental Medicine: Luiz Pimenta Inducted into International College of Dentists

Luiz A. Pimenta, DDS, MS, PhD, MBA, professor of dental medicine and interim director of the division of prosthodontics at Columbia University College of Dental Medicine, was inducted into the International College of Dentists (ICD) USA Section on October 6, during the group’s 2023 annual meeting, which took place in Orlando, FL. Read more.

Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine: Leskiv Joins Department of Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry

Khrystyna Leskiv, DDS, has been appointed clinical assistant professor in the Department of Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry and director of the dental student education program in pediatric dentistry. She will begin her tenure on January 1, 2024. Dr. Leskiv joins Stony Brook after having served as the associate director of the Pediatric Dentistry Advanced Education Program at BronxCare Health System in New York City, where she also held the role of attending faculty member since 2017. Additionally, Dr. Leskiv spent a few years in private practice. Read more.

More News

Eastman Institute For Oral Health, University of Rochester: In the Lobby of a Cancer Center: Unexpected Blessings

One evening well after 5 p.m., Harley Bowman was sitting alone in the Wilmot Cancer Center lobby. He had his cancer surgically removed a couple weeks earlier and just finished his first meeting with his radiation oncologist. He was waiting for his wife to pick him up. Coincidentally, she was at a different cancer center for an appointment after her cancer surgery, and was running late. Read more.