Dental Education News: 
August 2020
Highlights
Columbia University College of Dental Medicine: Sydney Shapiro DDS/MPH'21, President of the American Student Dental Association

It's a given that COVID-19 dramatically altered what it's like to be a dental student today. But as we learn from Sydney Shapiro, a Class of 2021 DDS/MPH candidate at Columbia University College of Dental Medicine and the president of the American Student Dental Association (ASDA), the pandemic also has created opportunities for progress. In this Q&A, Shapiro shares what it's like to be a dental student at this unique time, which are her top priorities as ASDA's president, and what the future holds. Read more.
Touro College of Dental Medicine at New York Medical College's Class of 2022 Adapts to Providing Clinical Care in a Pandemic

After more than two years of didactic education and training utilizing the most advanced dental technology, the Class of 2022 began treating patients at Touro Dental Health, the 109-chair dental teaching practice located at the Touro College of Dental Medicine, on Monday, July 20th. Read more.
Student News
Columbia University College of Dental Medicine: From Distributing Toothpaste to Teaching Spanish, CDM Student Group Strives to Serve Community

Advancing the oral health of New York's Hispanic and minority community is a priority for the Columbia University College of Dental Medicine (CDM) chapter of the Hispanic Student Dental Association (HSDA). To continue serving the community while being mindful of pandemic-driven limitations such as physical distancing, HSDA members are engaging in projects that provide education and supplies in ways that pose little or no risk of virus transmission. Read more.
Research
University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine: Unproven 'Stem Cell' Therapies for COVID-19 Pose Harm to Public, Says UB Expert

Be wary of "stem cell" therapy as a preventative treatment for COVID-19, warns Laertis Ikonomou, University at Buffalo expert on stem cell and gene therapies. While stem cell therapy, such as bone marrow transplantation, may be used to treat a limited number of diseases and conditions, there are currently no clinically-tested or government-approved cell therapies available for the treatment or prevention of COVID-19, says Ikonomou. Read more.
Eastman Institute For Oral Health, University of Rochester: New Guidelines for Managing Mucositis now Available

Updated clinical practice guidelines for managing mucositis, a very common and often debilitating complication of cancer therapy, was recently published in the journal Cancer. Patients experiencing mucositis often require enteral or parenteral nutrition, consume more opioids, and experience more interruptions to cancer therapy than patients who do not experience mucositis. Read more.
University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine: Clarity on Light Therapy Terminology Needed to Improve Regulations, Access to new Treatments

Light therapy is gaining mainstream acceptance in health care, but government and insurance regulations of the treatment continue to lag behind, says University at Buffalo light therapy expert Praveen Arany. Policies and credentialing are particularly vague for photobiomodulation therapy, a form of low-dose light therapy that has the ability to relieve pain and promote healing, says Arany. The result: limited patient access due to confusion over best clinical use and hard to obtain insurance reimbursements for treatment. Read more.
Oral Health Care Access
NYU College of Dentistry, New Hampshire Collaboration Distributes Thousands of Oral Health Kits to Kids Missing Care due to COVID-19

In July, thousands of New Hampshire children received free toothbrushes, toothpaste, and oral health tips during the COVID-19 pandemic, thanks to a collaboration between the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services Oral Health Program, the New Hampshire Department of Education, and their partnership with the NYU College of Dentistry (NYU Dentistry) school-based cavity prevention program. Read more.
Read more from the dental schools!