Dental Education News: 
June 2020
Highlights
Eastman Institute For Oral Health, University of Rochester Led Global Discussion on COVID-19

Eastman Institute for Oral Health hosted an international forum that brought together experts from five different countries in real time who shared their unique COVID-19 experiences and engaged in panel discussions about the pandemic's impact, patient and provider safety, and related research opportunities on May 12. The international forum, Dental Care and Oral Health Under Covid-19, featured experts from the northeast U.S., Wuhan and Beijing, China, Stockholm, Sweden, London, England, and Jerusalem, Israel who addressed the urgent questions being asked by oral health providers around the globe.   Read more.
NYU College of Dentistry: New App from NYU Dentistry Researchers Determines COVID-19 Disease Severity Using Artificial Intelligence, Biomarkers

A new mobile app can help clinicians determine which patients with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) are likely to have severe cases. Created by researchers at NYU College of Dentistry, the app uses artificial intelligence (AI) to assess risk factors and key biomarkers from blood tests, producing a COVID-19 "severity score." Current diagnostic tests for COVID-19 detect viral RNA to determine whether someone does or does not have the virus-but they do not provide clues as to how sick a COVID-positive patient may become.   Read more.
Virtual Celebrations
Columbia University College of Dental Medicine: Ceremony Honors CDM Graduates' Character, Achievement

As he welcomed graduating students, their guests, and the Columbia University College of Dental Medicine (CDM) community to the school's "103rd but one-of-a-kind" graduation ceremony, Christian Stohler, DMD, DrMedDent, dean of CDM, shared some lighthearted housekeeping notes: Keep the hand sanitizer nearby; hugging and kissing "on stage" is encouraged; and no need to silence cell phones. Standard etiquette wasn't required because, unlike previous CDM graduation ceremonies, the May 21 event was held online instead of in an auditorium as a cautionary measure against the spread of COVID-19.   Read more.
Touro College of Dental Medicine at New York Medical College Celebrates Inaugural Commencement Virtually

The first class of graduates from Touro College of Dental Medicine (TCDM), the newest dental school in the nation and the first to open in New York State in 50 years, celebrated their commencement on Tuesday, May 19 along with graduates from New York Medical College. With the school's campus and clinic closed due to coronavirus, the 103 graduates of the TCDM's Inaugural Class of 2020 participated in this historic commencement virtually. These distinguished graduates completed a rigorous four-year dental education rooted in harnessing advancements in digital dental technology to better serve communities. Following graduation, students will begin their residencies or join private practices across the country. Read more.
Touro College of Dental Medicine at New York Medical College: 'How Sweet Will That be?'

The excitement started building early this year for the graduation of Touro College of Dental Medicine at New York Medical College's inaugural class, which in 2016 became the first dental school in New York to open in 50 years. Then came the COVID-19 pandemic.  Read more.
Faculty News
Columbia University College of Dental Medicine: Fatemeh Momen-Heravi Awarded AADR Haffajee Fellowship

Fatemeh "Flora" Momen-Heravi, DDS, PhD, assistant professor of dental medicine at the Columbia University College of Dental Medicine, was named the 2020 recipient of the American Association for Dental Research (AADR) Anne D. Haffajee Fellowship. The award provides early-career women researchers in the field of oral biology with financial support for training and research activities that will advance their academic careers.   Read more.
University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine: Century-old Drug Repurposed to Fight Ulcers in Cancer, Diabetic Patients

Suramin, a 100-year old drug used to treat sleeping sickness, has been repurposed to fight oral mucositis and diabetic foot ulcers, according to University at Buffalo-supported research.  The breakthrough, led by researchers at the University of Arizona with the support of Keith Kirkwood, DDS, PhD, Centennial Endowed Chair and professor of oral biology in the UB School of Dental Medicine, has the potential to benefit thousands of patients whose current healing options are either partially effective or painful and invasive .   Read more.
Oral Health Care Access
Columbia University College of Dental Medicine: Dental Telehealth Initiative Offers Care Amid COVID-19 Crisis

When COVID-19 began spreading through New York City in March 2020, many area dental offices closed for the safety of patients and providers. Columbia University College of Dental Medicine limited its clinic operations to emergencies, but as it grew clear that broader dental care was needed, CDM leadership, faculty, and staff mobilized to create a program that could help patients remotely. The dental school launched its telehealth initiative eight days after service restrictions for the clinic were put in place, and the program has been expanding since to deliver much-needed oral health services to the Northern Manhattan community.   Read more.
Read more from the dental schools!