College of Dentistry Newsletter | March 30, 2021
Celebrating our extraordinary research!
Dr. Ali Nawshad receives Edna Ittner Pediatric Research Support Fund grant award

Ali Nawshad, PhD, associate professor in the department of oral biology, received a Edna Ittner Pediatric Research Support Fund grant award for the study of diseases and birth defects of children.

“Cleft palate is one of the most common human congenital birth defects and by far the most common craniofacial defect that affects about 1 in 100 births in the United States," Dr. Nawshad said. "Our lab has previously identified the pathways used by TGFbeta3 gene that regulate normal palate development and in absence of which cleft palate defect arises."

"With this grant, my lab will attempt to rescue cleft palate defect in triple transgenic mice by manipulating number of genes including TGFbeta3. We hope that our result will shed some light in genetic intervention to rescue and repair cleft palate in humans,” Dr. Nawshad said.
Faculty published in the Journal of Periodontology 

Faculty in the department of surgical specialties (below) collaborated to study effects of enamel matrix derivative on clinical and inflammatory outcomes in periodontal maintenance patients. Their work was published in the Journal of Periodontology.

Background: Efficient methods to treat persistent pockets during periodontal maintenance therapy (PMT) require further investigation. The hypothesis of their randomized controlled clinical trial was that local application of enamel matrix derivative (EMD) added to papilla reflection/root preparation (PR/RP) could enhance clinical and inflammatory outcomes, primarily clinical attachment level (CAL).

See methods, results and conclusion in full article, "Effects of enamel matrix derivative on clinical and inflammatory outcomes in periodontal maintenance patients: Randomized controlled clinical trial."
Kaeli K. Samson, MA, MPH, a statistician in the UNMC College of Public Health, also worked on this project.
Dr. David Dunning studies how dental service organizations navigated the pandemic

David Dunning, MA, PhD, professor in the department of oral biology, worked with Mr. Ken Davis of Pacific Dental Services and Dr. Bob Madden, a UNMC alumnus, to examine how dental service organizations such as Heartland Dental and Pacific Dental Services leveraged their business systems and economies of scale successfully to navigate the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Their work, "How Dental Service Organizations Strategically Navigated the Pandemic: Applauding a Successful Business Model," was published in the Archives of Dentistry. See article.
Dr. Gregory Bennett shares technique for using iEXCEL iWALLS

Gregory Bennett, DMD, assistant professor in the department of adult restorative dentistry, published "Interactive Touch Walls in Action" in the UNMC Office of Faculty Development's THRIVE: Success strategies for the modern-day faculty member.

In the article, Dr. Bennett describes a technique for using the iEXCEL iWALL to teach CAD/CAM dentistry concepts by connecting several types of digital technology. See article.
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