College of Dentistry Newsletter | March 26, 2021
Celebrating our extraordinary student research!
Alivia Focken and Allie Koth receive second place in ADEA student poster competition

Congratulations to Alivia Focken and Allie Koth, fourth-year dental students, on receiving second place in the American Dental Education Association (ADEA)'s 2021 national student poster competition, held on March 12. Their poster was titled "Effectiveness of an E-module on the subject of bone growth for undergraduate students."

"Although this year’s competition was held virtually, I was thankful for the opportunity to present our research at the 2021 ADEA Annual Session," Allie said. "Our research mentor, Dr. Shayla Yoachim, was immensely helpful in guiding us to create a unique scientific research design that would be relevant to enhancing today’s dental education experience."

"It was an honor that our efforts were recognized on a national level. The research skills I gained throughout these last few years will be very helpful as I continue my education in a residency program," Allie said.
Student research shines at College of Dentistry's Virtual Research Day

The College of Dentistry's annual Research Day was held virtually on February 26. Third-year dental students, fourth-year dental hygiene students and postgraduate students presented their research projects. The presentations covered a wide range of topics from clinical and basic sciences to educational research.

Participants were able to show their support for College of Dentistry research, get ideas for future research projects and collaborations, and learn about leading dentistry research from Dr. Mark Herzberg, the president of the American Association for Dental Research. Dr. Herzberg's presentation, “Developing calprotectin-specific mRNA as an antimicrobial therapy,” contained a wealth of information that faculty and students can use in their future research endeavors.
Postgraduate Winners
Postgraduate - 1st Place

Dr. Paul Pumilia

The efficacy of an apex locator in detecting working length measurements in extracted teeth with the aid of the protrain device.

Mentor: Dr. Hany Makkawy
Postgraduate - 2nd Place

Drs. Devin Christiansen & Lauren Krell

Effect of locally applied simvastatin on clinical attachment level and alveolar bone in periodontal maintenance patients.

Mentors: Drs. Amy Killeen & Rick Reinhardt
Dental Hygiene Winners
Dental Hygiene - 1st Place

Elizabeth Dowling & Abigail Johnston

Comparison of sodium fluoride dentifrice and nano-hydroxyapatite dentifrice in remineralization of carious lesions: An in vitro study.

Mentor: Amanda Dolen
Elizabeth: "For me, it was incredible to be on the frontline - to be the one figuring out how well an idea would fit into the clinical setting. We set out to see if a new toothpaste was worth all the hype (as advertised on Instagram) when compared to products we recommend to our patients. We work in an ever-evolving field and it's priceless to know how to look for the facts amongst all the claims made by manufacturers."

"Without our mentor, Amanda Dolen, this wouldn't have been possible. She was our champion, our problem-solver and our go-to for anything we had difficulties with."

Abigail: "All of us DH4s put so much time and effort into our research, and I am extremely proud of all of us. Thank you to our wonderful faculty mentor, Amanda Dolen, who was there for us every step of the way."
Dental Hygiene - 2nd Place

Toni Doescher & Aspen Wallace

Prevalence of dental hygienists performing extraoral 
and intraoral assessments in the state of Nebraska.

Mentors: Lisa Moravec & Heather Hessheimer
Dental Hygiene - 3rd Place

Abby Duffy & Emily Houtby

A study of differing high-volume evacuator tips and their efficacy in removing aerosols.

Mentor: Jaimee Shropshire
Dental Winners
Dental - 1st Place

Jason Jurca

Noncarious cervical lesions prevalence and related risk factors: a pilot cross-sectional study of post-orthodontic patients.

Mentor: Dr. Luana Oliveira-Haas
Jason: "I'm extremely grateful for the opportunity to present my research. I learned a tremendous amount on my topic and also learned about the process of conducting research, drawing associations, interpreting data in a meaningful way, and discovering the limitations of a study. I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge my mentors throughout the project - Drs. Oliveira-Haas, J.W. Reinhardt and Bennett. Thank you all so much for your tireless efforts and guidance. Finally, a warm thank you to my three close friends - Selam Carlson, James Carnarsky and Preston Dramse - for being an attentive audience during my practice presentations and giving thoughtful and constructive feedback."
Dental - 2nd Place

Jordan Verplank

Engineered selective noise cancelling device to reduce long term hearing damage in dental settings.

Mentor: Dr. Mark Beatty
Dental - 3rd Place

Caleb McKinley & Lotte Sjulin

The correlation between dental school application
and success in dental school.

Mentor: Dr. Merlyn Vogt
The 2021 College of Dentistry Research Day was sponsored by: Alpha Lambda Chapter of Sigma Phi Alpha - The National Dental Hygiene Honor Society, Dentsply, International College of Dentists, Lincoln District Dental Association, Nebraska Dental Association and Nebraska Dental Hygienists' Association.

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