Tag: College of Dental Medicine

College of Dental Medicine Holds Inaugural Research Day

NSU College of Dental Medicine’s inaugural Research Day took place on June 6 and 7, 2023, An annual event that showcased the outstanding research conducted by our graduate/postgraduate students and faculty. The objective of this event was to increase awareness of the exciting and diverse research and development activities taking place by many members of our community. 

There were 43 presenters who made this event a success by way of sharing their creative and scholarly activities.

Special thanks to the Organization Committee members Dr. Sibel Antonson, Mark Cayabyab, Alireza Heideri, and Dr. William Parker. We thank Dean Steven Kaltman for his vision and support to make this event a success.

There were nine sessions composed of oral and poster presentations, and eight CE credits were also provided at the conclusion of this two half-day event.

The keynote speaker was Professor Frederick Rueggeberg, DDS, MS, retired professor emeritus from the Department of Restorative Sciences at the Dental College of Georgia At Augusta University. His presentation title was “From Poster to Publication – Pathway Guidelines.”

The event concluded with the awards ceremony.  The recipients of the 2023 awards will also receive $1,500 travel grant to present their projects at a scientific meetings.

Below were the award recipients.

  • Outstanding Faculty Research Presentation: Alireza Heidari, Ph.D. (Oral Science & Translational Research Department)
  • Outstanding Post Doctoral Research Presentation: Satoru Shindo, DDS, PhD – (Oral Science & Translational Research Department)
  • Outstanding Post Graduate Research Presentation: Nicole Etcheverry, DMD (Pediatric Dentistry Resident)

Posted 07/02/23

Hispanic Dental Association Recognizes Faculty, Students

Congratulations to NSU College of Dental Medicine faculty and students for their recognition at the 2023 Hispanic Dental Association Annual Meeting in San Antonio, Texas June 9-10, 2023.

Dr. Alexander Bendayan, Chair, Department of Prosthodontics at NSU College of Dental Medicine and President of Florida Chapter for Hispanic Dental Association Dr Elias Moron started the Hispanic Dental Association Leadership Program.

Also Dr. Elias Moron was recognized for his contributions to the research community and the Hispanic Dental Association. He Presented with a group of researchers the whitepaper labeled: “Oral Health Status, utilization of dental services and workforce of US Hispanics” . He also served as a judge for the student poster competition during the annual meeting.

Dr. Moron,  additionally, received an award for speaking at the Hispanic Dental Association “Sirviendo Nuestras Sonrisas Hispanas” as one of the most valued contributors to the Hispanic Dental Association.

Moreover, NSU College of Dental Medicine Students presented a poster titled “The New Face of Hispanic Leadership: The role of dental students in serving the South Florida underserved population.”

Posted 06/18/23

Dental Missions Visit Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico

NSU College of Dental Medicine started off the summer semester with a tremendous outreach to several communities and potential new collaborations.

In late April 2023, Mark Schweizer, Assistant Dean for Community Programs and Public Health visited the Dominican Republic to see the wonderful work being done by One Smile led by our own IDG, Christopher Garcia who has provided more than 17 missions through his organization.

They were also joined by IDG students, Nelson Carrillo, Rafael Castro, Pranayan Chakma, Jay Shah, Christopher Basily, Alexandra Izaguirre, Dayli Vidal, and Kenia Marmol, traveling to the remote area outside of Santa Domingo to treat children from underserved communities and provided food and medical screenings.

Schweizer also met with the Dean of Unibe Dental school to explore potential for educational and clinical programs.

The love continued when the Kiran Patel College of Health Care Sciences joined the College of Dental Medicine in Utuado, Puerto Rico in May 2023. Students from NSU Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Dental Medicine provided care to hundreds of patients at the Cassao Community Clinic.

Schweizer and Dr. Norberto Coerezza led students Jim Skaff, Mary Wick, Christopher Garcia (IDG), Shekhar Gill-Uppal, Austin Jackson, and William Thornton. The community was so gracious of the care we provided, and we plan on returning in October. The exchange and connection between the students and patients were just amazing.

Posted 05/21/23

Regional Teams Serve the Underserved in Puerto Rico

Under the leadership of Vanessa Blanco, director of NSU’s Puerto Rico Campus, along with an amazing team of faculty and students from NSU College of Dental Medicine Davie and Clearwater, and NSU Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy from the Tampa Bay Regional Campus, underserved communities in Puerto Rico received much needed health care service.

May 1-6, 2023, NSU’s team shared its energy, talent, and compassion with the municipalities of Utuado, Cabo Rojo, and Yauco and the communities of Ponce Playa, Ponce Tibes, Ponce Tives, Ponce La Lula, and Ponce Jaime Drew. This year was special as we provided care to 368 patients and received recognition from the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico and the mayor of Cabo Rojo.

Our first collaboration occurred in 2018 during the inauguration of the COSSAO Clinic. COVID kept us away for a few years, but this year we were represented by a total of 32 faculty students, and the NSU Puerto Rico Campus Director. Also, we had tremendous collaboration from 60 organizations including the Puerto Rico Department of Health, six community leaders and 29 resident volunteers. This October we will expand this Puerto Rico outreach by including other disciplines from the Health Professions Division.

This amazing trip can be summed up by the words of Dr. Mark Schweizer, Assistant Dean of Community Programs and Public Health at the College of Dental Medicine: “As educators and health professionals our goal and the goal of NSU is to provide experiences and memories that will not only change the lives of the patients, but the lives of our future health professionals.”

The entire team thanks Vanessa Blanco for not only her incredible organizational skills, but her heart.

Like they say “FINS UP!”

Posted 05/21/23

National Study Focuses on Oral Health of Hispanics

Dr. Elías Morón presenting in 2023 national Oral Health Conference.

With the great support from CareQuest Institute of Oral Health and the Hispanic Dental Association, Part 1 of the white paper “Addressing the Oral Health Needs of Hispanics in the U.S.: An Exploration of Oral Health Status, Dental Needs, Utilization of Dental Services, and Workforce” has been published.

Dr. Elías Morón, D.D.S., M.P.H., M.H.L., M.H.S.M., was one of the principal investigators of this project and he was representing Nova Southeastern University College of Dental Medicine and the Hispanic Dental Association at symposiums for the 2023 National Oral Health Conference (NOHC)  on April 19, 2023, in Orlando, Florida.

This white paper:

  • Provides an overview of the current data in several oral health areas related to Hispanics.
  • Shows important trends in oral health status and utilization of dental services.
  • Shows diversity trends in dental education and dental workforce influencing U.S. Hispanic populations.
  • Shows the data gaps at the national and state levels which do not allow analyzing the current context in oral health in specific Hispanics groups and other minorities.
  • Identifies the relevant data to develop policies supporting oral health for our minorities communities.
  • Includes recommendations for policy changes to improve health and quality of life for Hispanics in the United States.

Two non-profit organizations have come together to run a national study on Hispanics and other minorities in the area of oral health through the collaboration of Dr. Eva Chiang (NSU College of Dental Medicine), Dr. Alina Perez (professor at the Dr. Pallavi Patel College of Health Care Sciences), and Dr. Katherine Velasco (starting faculty position at NSU Tampa Bay Regional Campus in June 2023), National Research Advisors, National Faculty Advisers, International Research Advisers, Dental Students Leaders, and Minority Leaders in Public Health who participated in different phases of analysis and recommendations.

Posted 05/21/23

College of Dental Medicine Launches Scholarship Program

The Nova Southeastern University College of Dental Medicine (the CDM) is the largest dental school in Florida and will soon become the second-largest dental school in the nation.

While dentistry is usually thought of as a professional practice, it is also a science that depends on researchers to develop new and better technologies. Dental researchers have discovered links between such systemic diseases as Alzheimer’s, diabetes, arthritis, and periodontitis. Moreover, we have seen the growth of dental disease specific to underrepresented ethnic groups, such as diabetes-associated periodontitis among Hispanics and Native Americans.

Under the leadership of renowned researcher Toshihisa Kawai, DDS, Ph.D., working in concert with Richard Singer, DDS, Ph.D., the CDM is launching a new scholarship program that will provide master’s degrees and mentorship for predoctoral dental students from underrepresented ethnic and socioeconomic groups to meet the need for dental researchers who will discover new treatments and therapies for patients everywhere.

Since 1993, Dr. Kawai has served as a volunteer mentor and teacher for students from diversity backgrounds, preparing them for successful careers in biomedical science. His laboratory is dedicated to discovering new drug targets and developing novel therapeutics for periodontitis and other bone lytic diseases, including osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and bone cancer metastasis.

The CDM seeks to raise $10,000 for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) scholarships.”

College of Dental Medicine Holds Faculty Retreat

The first NSU College of Dental Medicine faculty retreat was held on April 19, 2023, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the NSU Carl DeSantis Building. The theme of the retreat was “The NSU-CDM Journey to Preeminence: Vision 2025.”

Dr. Ronald J. Chenail

Dr. Ronald J. Chenail, NSU Provost, Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, Professor of Family Therapy and Editor-in-Chief of The Qualitative Report was the keynote speaker.

During the retreat each department met in breakout sessions with their faculty members to continue planning their Vision 2025 trajectories. The last activity of the faculty retreat was a plenary session where each department presented and shared their Vision 2025 path: “to be recognized as a preeminent, professional-dominant, doctoral-research university that provides competitive career advantages to its students and produces alumni who serve and lead with integrity.”

The event created a truly inclusive environment and culture of feeling valued and connected.

Posted 04/23/23

Dental Medicine Faculty Member Receives Advocate Award

Aryia Amini, D.M.D.

Aryia Amini, D.M.D., from NSU’s College of Dental Medicine was the recipient of the 2023 American Student Dental Association (ASDA) “Advocate Award.”

ASDA is a national student-run organization that protects and advances the rights, interests, and welfare of dental students. The organization strives to inform students about the issues impacting their profession and provides opportunities to advocate for their rights as future dentists.

Today, ASDA has more than 23,000 student members, located in the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

The “Advocate award” recognizes faculty/school administrators who have shown a commitment to dental students and organized dentistry.

Amini currently serves as:

  • NSU College of Dental Medicine Belonging, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (BEDI), Director
  • NSU BEDI University Advisory Council, Executive Committee Member
  • NSU College of Dental Medicine, Predoctoral Clinical Lead
  • NSU College of Dental Medicine Humanism and Diversity Committee , Chair
  • NSU College of Dental Medicine Humanism and Diversity eNewsletter, Editor
  • NSU College of Dental Medicine BEDI Newsroom, Editor
  • NSU College of Dental medicine Introduction to Dental Profession, Course Director
  • NSU College of Dental Medicine Practice Management, Course Director

Posted 04/23/23

College of Dental Medicine Recognizes Community Service

The NSU College of Dental Medicine celebrated National Volunteer Month (April) by dedicating April 5, 2023, to the “Community Service Award Luncheon.”

At the luncheon the Dean’s Community Service Award was awarded to Mary Victoria Wick, M.P.H D3 dental student. The Dean’s Community Service award was established to recognize individuals whose dedication to Community Service have made a positive impact on the local, national, or international community.

The award encourages the ongoing pursuit of community service and exemplifies NSU CDM “Community” core value. Through this award, NSU College of Dental Medicine proclaims its pride in the accomplishments and personal dedication of its students, faculty, and staff and their service activities in the community that in return leads to development of a broad understanding of the community and social responsibilities they will have as Professionals, treating a diversity of patients with a variety of oral health care needs.

Posted 04/09/23

Dental Medicine Faculty Receives Dental Materials Honor

Sibel Antonson, D.D.S., Ph.D., M.B.A.

Sibel Antonson, D.D.S., Ph.D., M.B.A., was this year’s recipient of the Peyton-Skinner for Innovation in Dental Materials Science Award from the International Association for Dental Research, Dental Materials Group.

This award is dedicated to senior scientists who have made significant contribution to innovation throughout their dedicated life to dental materials.

Antonson was nominated by Dr. Jack Ferracane, Professor and Chair of Department of Restorative Dentistry at Oregon Health and Science University, and the recipient of the Wilmer Sauder Award.

“In 2001, Dr. Sibel Antonson challenged the physics of the centuries old principle of finishing and polishing procedures, and with a unique formula, found a way to eliminate polishing pastes from resin composite clinical procedures,” he said. “She was able to determine the perfect match of abrasive materials for finishing and polishing resin composites in a single step. Since the market introduction of PoGo in 2001, many one-step finishing and polishing products have been developed by other dental manufacturers. However, to date, none of them have matched the performance of PoGo. Since its launch, a large body of independent scientific data from many sources has been generated to validate the consistent and reliably successful performance of PoGo. Even 20 years later, unmatched performance has been shown under various conditions, with different resin composites, and by different operators.

“It is evident that her innovative nature and tremendous work ethic has resulted in a career full of definable achievements that have contributed greatly to the delivery of improved oral health care around the world. She has truly been a pioneer in the field of dental materials, similar to the namesakes of this award.”

Currently, Antonson serves as Assistant Dean for Research and Development at NSU College of Dental Medicine.

Posted 03/12/23

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