New Jersey Dental School - Taking the Next Step

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New Jersey Dental School - Taking the Next Step
Ta k i n g t h e N e x t S t e p

2012 ANNUAL REPORT

New Jersey
 Dental School
New Jersey Dental School - Taking the Next Step
The mission of the New Jersey Dental School is to improve oral health and quality of life   Message from the Dean                           2
                                                                                            Message from the President                      3
through education of oral health professionals and scientists, the conduct of research,
                                                                                            NJDS Community                                  4
the promotion of health and disease prevention, and the delivery of oral health care to     Administration                                  6
                                                                                            Education                                       8
communities throughout the state and beyond.
                                                                                            Patient Care                                12
                                                                                            Research                                    16
                                                                                            Community Service                           20
                                                                                            Timeline 2012                               24
                                                                                            Donor List                                  26
                                                                                            Financials                                  28

                                                                                                                 New Jersey Dental School       1
New Jersey Dental School - Taking the Next Step
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                                                       Message from the Dean                                                                          Message from the President

                                                       William Drayton, one of America’s earliest congressmen, once said, “Change starts              Change is imminent for all of us at UMDNJ as most prepare to become part of Rutgers,

                                                       when someone sees the next step.” Visualizing the next step and actually taking it, how-       The State University of New Jersey. One of my favorite quotes on change sums it up:

                                                       ever, are very different experiences. Any change—even one perceived to be positive—            Continuity gives us roots; change gives us branches, letting us stretch and grow and

                                                       brings with it some level of ambiguity and fear. Yet it is by embracing change that we         reach new heights. New Jersey Dental School is certainly well rooted in the neighbor-

                                                       gain new insight, experience growth and opportunity and move forward in today’s high-          hoods it serves, the research community it leads, and the reputation for educational

                                                       ly competitive world.                                                                          excellence it enjoys. Now, as the school becomes Rutgers School of Dental Medicine, it

                                                         University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey–New Jersey Dental School                  is poised to capitalize on expanded opportunities, as it also preserves a commitment to

                                                       (UMDNJ–NJDS) has been “seeing the next step” and then taking it, since its inception           the same core principles that have guided operations for more than 50 years.

                                                       in 1956. It has undergone phenomenal changes in its short history. In only 50-plus years         Major happenings and landmarks this year confirmed NJDS’s standing as a premier

                                                       it has gone from a small school—with a charter class of 36—to a preeminent academic            school of dentistry. A $2.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human

                                                       dental institution, which receives some 2,000 applications for 90 seats every year. You        Services for faculty development will help ease the faculty shortage in dental schools in

                                                       will see as you read the 2012 annual report that NJDS is a school that is constantly on        the mid-Atlantic states. The Community Oriented Dental Education II (CODE II) program
CECILE A. FELDMAN, DMD, MBA
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   DENISE V. RODGERS, MD, FAAFP
                                                       the move.                                                                                      marked its fifth year of enabling fourth-years students to work in a private-practice-

                                                         Our ability to optimize change will once again be tested. Beginning July 1, 2013, most       like setting before graduating. This is an opportunity few other dental schools offer. The

                                                       of the University of Medicine and Dentistry’s schools, including New Jersey Dental             Dental Express, a pipeline program designed for the youngest students, celebrated its

                                                       School, will become part of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Along with that       fifth year, while the Dental Exploration program for middle schoolers reached 100 chil-

                                                       transition our name will change to Rutgers School of Dental Medicine. Our leadership           dren this year.

                                                       recommended the new name to reflect that dentistry is a health profession founded in             With great pride in these and all of the school’s accomplishments, I thank Dean

                                                       biomedical science. We believe our new name more closely aligns with today’s dental            Feldman and the faculty, staff and students who will take that next step to continue to

                                                       education and practice.                                                                        stretch and grow and reach new heights in the years ahead.

                                                         We are very excited about joining with this great university and look forward to the

                                                       many new opportunities the merger will present. We have built a solid foundation that

                                                       will serve us well as we take on our new identity. And it is the collective talents and ded-

                                                       ication of our faculty, staff and students and the achievements and support of our alum-

                                                       ni that will sustain us as we take the next step.

2   University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey                                                                                                                                                                                                 New Jersey Dental School   3
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    New Jersey Dental School is at once an integral part of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and a vibrant, thriving

    community of its own. Our school is a microcosm of the diverse region we serve. Our faculty, staff and students have backgrounds that

    are extraordinarily varied, yet we are united by the common goal of working to improve the lives of those we serve.

    Celebrating Dedicated Service
    In 2012 the NJDS faculty and staff came
    together for the sixth consecutive year to
    honor employees marking landmark years of
    service. The December event included
    remarks by Dean Feldman, who told the gath-
    ering that in addition to honoring people for
    their many years of service, the school was
    also honoring what they have collectively
    accomplished. “Each year we see thousands
    of patients, many of whom might not other-
    wise have oral health care,” she said. “We
    also teach hundreds of students, who go on to
    become some of the top dentists in New
    Jersey. That doesn’t happen without faculty
    and staff who are dedicated to excellence in
    everything they do.” She added that this year’s    equipped with WIFI and 24/7 security surveil-    Strengthening Community Ties is the
    recognition event is the last one honoring         lance cameras. A conference table and chairs     Focus of 2012 Retreat
    employees of UMDNJ. “Next year we will be          were added for group study. Finally several      How can NJDS play a broader role in the City
    part of Rutgers University,” she said. “What       staff members went through the school’s          of Newark? How can the school better collab-
    Rutgers is gaining is a group of passionate and    photo archives and had pictures enlarged to      orate with its sister schools and nearby uni-
    dedicated men and women from NJDS, who             hang on the walls.                               versities? What new opportunities are there
    are the heart and soul of this school.”               “We first thought of the idea after talking   for joint research?
                                                       to students at New Jersey Medical School,”          These were only some of the questions
                                                       says student-doctor Kaushal. “They have a        raised at this year’s faculty retreat, held on
    A Room of Their Own                                study room, and we thought it would be nice      campus in June. Dean Feldman and the facul-
    Several students, faculty and staff members        to have one, as well. Everyone was so helpful    ty exchanged ideas and began laying the
    worked together this past fall to create the       in getting the rooms ready for us. We are very   groundwork for the next strategic plan. The
    first student study room on the Newark cam-        grateful and thrilled with the new space.”       keynote speaker was Dr. Steven Diner, the
    pus. Although students were welcome to                                                              former chancellor at Rutgers–Newark and
    study in the University’s library and the dental                                                    past president of the Coalition of Urban and
    school’s Delta Dental Education Conference                                                          Metropolitan Universities. Under his leader-
    Center Multipurpose Room, they liked the                                                            ship that school built strong ties with the local
    idea of a quiet study area designated strictly                                                      community, and he established
    for them.                                                                                           Rutgers–Newark’s School of Public Affairs
       Class officers Pavi Banav and Emma                                                               and Administration. Dr. Diner encouraged the
    Pollack (Class of 2013) and Naina Kaushal and                                                       faculty to take full advantage of teaching and
    Alec Keon (Class of 2014) enlisted the help of                                                      research opportunities offered by Newark’s
    Kim Fenesy, DMD, senior associate dean of                                                           rich array of academic, cultural, business,
    academic affairs. Two conference rooms near                                                         medical and scientific institutions, and its
    the student lounge were made available.                                                             close proximity to New York City.
    They were painted and re-carpeted and study
    carrels were installed. The rooms are

4                                                                                                                              New Jersey Dental School   5
New Jersey Dental School - Taking the Next Step
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New Jersey Dental School
                                                                                                                                                 Arnold Rosenheck, DMD                                   Nanci Tofsky, DDS                                  Thomas Cangialosi, DDS

Administration
                                                                                                                                                 Assistant Dean for Hospital Affairs and Institutional   Interim Chair, Department of Pediatric Dentistry   Chair, Department of Orthodontics
                                                                                                                                                 Development and Acting Chair, Department of Community
                                                                                                                                                 Health                                                  Andrew Sullivan, DDS                               Vincent Ziccardi, DDS, MD
                                                                                                                                                                                                         Interim Chair, Department of Periodontics          Chair, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
                                                                                                                                                 Kim E. Fenesy, DMD
                                                                                                                                                 Senior Associate Dean of Academic Affairs               Michael Conte, DMD, MPH                            Deborah Carlino
                                                                                                                                                                                                         Senior Associate Dean of Clinical Affairs          Compliance Officer
                                                                                                                                                 Louis DiPede, DMD
The associate and assistant deans and the department chairs make up our Administrative Council, headed by Dean Cecile A. Feldman.                                                                        Eli Eliav, DMD, PhD                                Cecile A. Feldman, DMD, MBA
                                                                                                                                                 Interim Chair, Department of Restorative Dentistry
They work together to facilitate the fulfillment of our mission, educating the next generation of practitioners and scientists, providing                                                                Chair, Department of Diagnostic Sciences           Dean
                                                                                                                                                 Rosa Chaviano-Moran, DMD
the highest quality oral health care, pioneering new discoveries, and serving as leaders in their fields. In addition to their duties at NJDS,   Assistant Dean of Admissions and Student Recruitment    Jeanette DeCastro, PhD
                                                                                                                                                                                                         Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs                 Not Pictured:
most of them belong to a variety of professional organizations and hold elected offices.                                                         Daniel Fine, DMD
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            August Pellegrini, DMD
                                                                                                                                                 Chair, Department of Oral Biology                       Andrea C. West, MBA
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Assistant Dean of Clinical Affairs
                                                                                                                                                                                                         Chief Operating Officer
                                                                                                                                                 Craig Hirschberg, DDS
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Jill York, DDS
                                                                                                                                                 Acting Chair, Department of Endodontics                 Narayanan Ramassubbu, PhD
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Assistant Dean of Extramural Clinics
                                                                                                                                                                                                         Interim Associate Dean of Research

                                                                                                                                                                                                         Jacqueline Schroeders, MBA
                                                                                                                                                                                                         Vice President of Finance

6   University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    New Jersey Dental School   7
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                                                                                                                                                                            2012
                                                                                                                                                                                APPLICATIONS                        2,020

                                                                                                                                         Entering Class of                      AVERAGE OVERALL GPA                   3.59

                                                                                                                                                                                AVERAGE SCIENCE GPA                   3.53

                                                                   Dental education at NJDS is the gold standard. We know that advancing our education means continually looking ahead and taking the

                                                                   next step. Our DMD classes attest to our reputation for providing a top-notch education: Students come from across the country and

                                                                   from some of the most prestigious colleges and universities in America. Our postgraduate programs attract students from around the

                                                                   world, many of whom go on to become experts in their fields. We have cultivated an international reputation as being among the best.

                                                                   Our faculty is the lifeblood of the institution. Enthusiastic and caring educators, they take their mission very seriously. They expect noth-
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                                                                   ing less than the students’ best, yet recognize when extra support and nurturing are needed. Our outcomes attest to the faculty’s

                                                                   dedication. Our students’ clinical Northeast Region Board (NERB) exam results continue to top others in the region, with 100 percent

                                                       Education
                                                                   passage by graduation. And once again, 100 percent of the students who applied to postgraduate programs were placed.

                                                                   A Stellar Site Visit                              said. “I could not be prouder of this institution
                                                                   NJDS was slated for a reaccreditation by the      or this outcome.” The school will be officially
                                                                   Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA)         reaccredited for seven more years in July.
                                                                   last year, however, Hurricane Sandy struck just
                                                                   days before the CODA site visitors were
                                                                   scheduled to arrive. The visit was rescheduled    Endodontics Celebrates an
                                                                   for February 2013, and was completed then.        Anniversary
                                                                      After four days of reviewing every aspect      The year 2012 marked a milestone for our
                                                                   of the academic programs, including pre-doc-      Department of Endodontics: It turned 50.
                                                                   toral programs, the Community-Oriented               A daylong celebration titled “50 years of        Celebrating “50 years of Excellence in Endodontic
                                                                                                                                                                         Education: Our Golden Jubilee” are Mark Schachman, DMD,
                                                                   Dental Education (CODE) program, general          Excellence in Endodontic Education: Our             clinical associate professor, endodontics; Elizabeth
                                                                   practice residency, and postgraduate pro-         Golden Jubilee” began on campus with a con-         Ketterlinus, vice president, New Jersey Health Foundation;
                                                                                                                                                                         Gary Hartwell, DDS, retired professor and chair of endodon-
                                                                   grams in endodontics, orthodontics, periodon-     tinuing education (CE) program. Two presen-         tics; and Dean Cecile Feldman.

                                                                   tics and prosthodontics, the visitors present-    ters spoke on “Regenerative Endodontics,”
                                                                   ed an overwhelmingly positive report. There       and “The Role of the Dentist in the Care of
                                                                   were no recommendations for improvement,          the Medically Complex Dental Patient.”              Hartwell, DDS, department chair at the time.
                                                                   which is the best possible outcome.                  At an evening reception at the Newark            “I was shocked when the scholarship in my
                                                                      At a post-site-visit celebration, Dean         Club, more than 50 alumni recognized former         honor was announced; I had no idea it was
                                                                   Feldman said the school has never had a           chairs, postgraduates and faculty. Proceeds         even being considered,” said Dr. Hartwell,
                                                                   CODA report of such high acclaim. “Along          from the CE program and contributions to the        who has since retired. “It is certainly an
                                                                   with the accolades, the team noted the many       Jubilee helped support a new $25,000                honor to have a scholarship in place long after
                                                                   strengths they found in our programs,” she        endowed scholarship named in honor of Gary          I completed my tenure at our great school.”

8   University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey                                                                                                                                                New Jersey Dental School      9
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                                                                                                                                                     5
Pain Center Makes the Grade                                     and special needs children and adults.                                                                                           CODE II Celebrates Five Years

                                                                                                                      NJDS has 5 pipeline programs
The Diagnostic Sciences Department’s Center                     Participants will observe and teach in the clin-                                     Dental Express                              The success of the CODE program prompted
for Temporomandibular Disorders (TMD) and                       ic and pre-clinic and at an extramural site.                                         Pre-kindergarten to Third Grade             us to create a CODE II program so every
Orofacial Pain had a highly a successful site                   They will also treat special-needs patients and                                                                                  fourth-year student would have the opportuni-
                                                                                                                                                     Dental Exploration
visit by the Commission on Dental                               plan and oversee a service project involving                                         Middle School Students                      ty to spend at least two weeks at an extramu-
Accreditation in 2012. The Center received no                   children in underserved communities. In addi-                                                                                    ral clinic. Since its inception in 2007, 359 stu-
recommendations, meeting all the standards                      tion, they will develop a research design to                                         Decision for Dentistry                      dents have completed the program. CODE II
                                                                                                                                                     High School Students
for accreditation. In March 2013 the Center                     complete in the future to strengthen their                                                                                       was originally funded by a grant from the
will receive “full accreditation without report                 scholarly activities. Those who complete the                                         Gateway to Dentistry                        Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
requirement status,” which is the best possi-                   program will be qualified to teach, fulfill                                          College Students

ble outcome.                                                    administrative roles and conduct research in
                                                                                                                                                     SMDEP*
                                                                an academic environment. Participants                                                Minority College Students                   Closing the Diversity Gap
                                                                receive a small stipend and have access to                                                                                       NJDS is changing the face of dentistry. Our
                                                                                                                                                     *NJDS is one of only 12 dental schools in
Addressing a Critical Need in                                   many of the school’s resources.                                                      the country to participate in the Summer    commitment to recruit underrepresented
                                                                                                                                                     Medical and Dental Education Program. It
Dental Education                                                   A unique feature of the program is atten-                                         is sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson
                                                                                                                                                                                                 minorities has paid off. The entering class of
NJDS is helping to alleviate what is, perhaps,                  dance at Grand Rounds with the Family                                                Foundation.                                 2012 consisted of 18 percent Asian, 9 per-
dental education’s greatest challenge: a criti-                 Medicine Department residents at UMDNJ –                                                                                         cent black, and 15 percent Hispanic students.
cal, nationwide shortage of faculty.                            School of Osteopathic Medicine and at                                                                                               We believe it is never too early to intro-
     Thanks to a $2.5 million grant from the                    UMDNJ – New Jersey Medical School. The               however, knowing how to perform digital                                     duce dentistry as a profession to minority stu-
U.S. Department of Health and Human                             participants will also be part of inter-profes-      scanning will give them an even greater                                     dents. To do so we designed four unique
Services, the school initiated a new program,                   sional teams at those two schools, as well.          competitive edge.                                                           pipeline programs for children in pre-kinder-
“From Practice to Preceptor.” The free pro-                        “Recruiting new, talented faculty is vital to                                                                                 garten through post-college. Younger children
gram aims to recruit and train 45 practicing                    any educational institution,” says Dean                                                                                          participate in age-appropriate activities, while
general and pediatric dentists to become fac-                   Feldman. “Because dental education is                Service Learning Through CODE                                               learning proper oral hygiene. Older students
ulty members at dental schools throughout                       extremely labor-intensive, it is doubly impor-       Our graduates leave NJDS with a deep sensi-                                 go into the NJDS clinics to observe actual
the Middle Atlantic States (New Jersey, New                     tant for us.”                                        tivity to the cultures and beliefs of every                                 dental procedures being performed and do
York and Pennsylvania). NJDS is one of only a                                                                        patient they see. One way they gain cultural                                hands-on activities. A total of 25 students in
handful of dental schools in the country to                                                                          competency is through our Community                                         the entering class of 2012 completed at least
receive an award. The principal investigator of                 Students Make the Best                               Oriented Dental Education (CODE) program.                                   one of our pipeline programs.
the grant is Jeanette DeCastro, PhD, assis-                     Possible Impression                                  One of only two such programs in the coun-                                     Two of our programs celebrated landmarks
tant dean for academic affairs, and the co-                     NJDS students are among an elite few who             try, CODE enables 11 fourth-year students to                                in 2012: Our Dental Express program celebrat-
principal investigator is Jill York, DDS, assis-                are being trained in the latest impression           spend their entire senior year at an extramural                             ed its fifth anniversary, and 100 Newark chil-
tant dean for extramural clinics.                               technology. Last year 3M ESPE donated five           site in our Statewide Network for Community                                 dren completed our Dental Exploration pro-
     The two-year program will emphasize cul-                   Lava Chairside Oral Scanners (COS) through           Oral Health. Located in underserved areas of                                gram. And, a new element was added to those
tural competency and treating underserved                       the Foundation of UMDNJ. Students are                the state, the clinics have widely diverse                                  two programs: The students got to wear white
                                                                learning to use this state-of-the-art equipment      patient populations and a high percentage of                                coats while participating. By introducing lab
                                                                and faculty use it to deliver patient care.          HIV/AIDS patients. Students who participate                                 coats, just like dental students receive, the
                                                                   The COS captures highly accurate digital
                                                                pictures of the oral cavity that are electronical-
                                                                ly sent to the laboratory to fabricate crowns,
                                                                                                                     in CODE also gain experience working in a
                                                                                                                     private-practice-like setting before leaving
                                                                                                                     NJDS. Our graduates tell us their CODE expe-
                                                                                                                                                                                                 kids get a deeper understanding of what it
                                                                                                                                                                                                 means to enter the dental profession, while
                                                                                                                                                                                                 learning the importance of helping others.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       NJDS  has international exchange programs with:

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Trinity College School of Dental Science
                                                                onlays, inlays or bridges. The practitioner uses     riences were invaluable and gave them a                                        Martiza Camacho, program assistant in stu-         Dublin, Ireland
                                                                a wand, about the size of an electric tooth-         competitive edge in the workplace.                                          dent affairs, oversees every aspect of Decision
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Sibar Institute of Dental Sciences
                                                                brush, to scan the oral cavity and produce a                                                                                     for Dentistry and Gateway to Dentistry—from           Guntur, India
                                                                real-time image on the computer screen. The                                                                                      processing applications to awarding the com-
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       University of Sharjah College of Dentistry
                                                                dentist is able to rotate and magnify the view,                                                                                  pletion certificates. “It is very satisfying when I
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       United Arab Emirates
                                                                and can discuss the findings with the patient,                                                                                   see any of these students eventually graduate
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Programs are under discussion with dental schools
The first participants in the “Practice to Preceptor” program   while he or she is still in the chair.                                                                                           from dental school,” she says. “It’s wonderful
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       in Spain, Germany and Brazil.
are: (rear) Drs. Bradley Smith ’81 (Front, l – r) Angie
                                                                   Students will continue to learn the tradi-                                                                                    knowing I was a part of their decision to
Papandrikos, Valerie Rico ’88, Maria Ambriosio and Deborah
Brown ’01.                                                      tional method of making impressions;                                                                                             become a great dentist.”

10      University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey                                                                                                                                                                                                                             New Jersey Dental School   11
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                                                                                                                           New Jersey Dental School is:
                                                                  An integral part of our mission is to provide the        the only dental school in New Jersey offering pre-doctoral and
                                                                                                                           postgraduate dental education
                                                                  best possible care to the residents of our state
                                                                                                                           the largest dental Medicaid provider in New Jersey
                                                                  and beyond. As the largest oral health care
                                                                                                                           the largest special needs dental provider in the NJ/NY/PA region
                                                                  system in New Jersey, we do exactly that.
                                                                                                                           the largest provider of oral health care to underserved populations
                                                                  With 296 operatories on the Newark Campus                in New Jersey

                                                                  and a total of 24 in our Statewide Network for

                                                                  Community Oral Health, we accommodated more than 100,000 patient visits in 2012. And, because we believe everyone should have
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                                                                  access to dental care, we treated thousands of uninsured and underinsured working poor, with more than 30 percent of our patients

                                                                  enrolled in Medicaid. We make a significant difference in the lives of the patients we serve.

Patient Care
                                                                  Making a Difference                                                                                        Physician assistant students and medical
                                                                  At NJDS we improve more than smiles; we                                                                    students learn the manifestations of systemic
                                                                  improve lives. Our Restorative Dentistry                                                                   and local diseases in the mouth, and they
                                                                  Department is renowned for helping people                                                                  learn to examine the oral cavity and its associ-
                                                                  with facial deformities, resulting from cancer                                                             ated structures for the signs and symptoms
                                                                  surgeries, accidents or inherited defects.                                                                 of these conditions.
                                                                  Besides having difficulty eating and speaking,
                                                                  these patients suffer emotional pain, as well.
                                                                  Some even become reclusive.                                                                                Worldwide Inter-professional
                                                                     One example is a 9-year-old child who has                                                               Education
                                                                  only a few teeth, due to a condition known as                                                              In 2012 Arnold Rosenheck, DMD, acting chair
                                                                  ectodermal dysplasia. Her face had a col-                                                                  of the Oral Medicine Department at
                                                                  lapsed look, making her the brunt of jokes at                                                              UMDNJ– School of Osteopathic Medicine
                                                                  school. NJDS practitioners fabricated a full        Care Beyond the Dental Clinic                          (SOM) and assistant dean at New Jersey
                                                                  set of age-appropriate dentures to fit over her     For many years the link between oral and sys-          Dental School, received a development award
                                                                  few teeth, until she is old enough for              temic health was not well understood. Today            from the American Association of Medical
                                                                  implants. Her mother was so overjoyed she           we know there is a strong connection. We               Colleges (AAMC) to create inter-professional
                                                                  cried when she saw her child’s new smile,           examine the oral cavity for telltale signs of          curriculum modules for the association’s Web
                                                                  and the youngster was so grateful she drew a        the many systemic diseases that manifest               site, the MedEdPORTAL. Dr. Rosenheck
                                                                  “thank you picture” for her dentist , prostho-      there, and we work closely with other health           teamed up with Mahnaz Fatahzadeh, DMD,
                                                                  dontic resident, Dr. Haitham Agha. “Being           care practitioners to provide multidisciplinary        of diagnostic sciences, to create a “Dental
                                                                  involved in these types of cases is very            care for every patient.                                Medicine Curriculum within the Medical
                                                                  rewarding,” says Louis DiPede, DMD, assis-             In addition to providing care in our clinics,       Curriculum.” The first module, “Head and
                                                                  tant professor of restorative dentistry. “You       we took the next step: Our faculty teach oral          Neck /Oral Comprehensive Examination” is
                                                                  can completely change someone’s life.”              medicine at three of our sister schools.               currently on the site.

12   University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey                                                                                                                                               New Jersey Dental School   13
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                                                               Our SCC and the Department of Pediatric                     Providing Statewide Care
                                                           Dentistry will soon be renovated and expand-                    According the New Jersey Department of
                                                           ed, thanks to a $1.5 million gift from Delta                    Health and Senior Services, a disproportionate
                                                           Dental of New Jersey and a $1 million gift                      number of people with HIV/AIDS reside in
                                                           from Drs. Caven Brunsden and Nancy Villa-                       eight of the state’s southern counties. The
                                                           Brunsden. The Delta Dental Special Care                         lack of dental insurance and the need for pri-
                                                           Clinic will be adjacent to the new Brunsden–                    vate practitioners who are sensitive to these
                                                           Villa Pediatric Clinic, and has been designed                   patients’ needs make it difficult for them to
                                                           with wider hallways and doorways to accom-                      get oral treatment.
                                                           modate large wheelchairs and stretchers. In                        We have been providing much of that care
                                                           addition, it will have its own waiting area, a                  for more than 20 years, through our Statewide
                                                           private reception /billing area, a “smart”                      Network for Community Oral Health clinics in
                                                           educational /conference center and 35 new                       Galloway, Northfield (Atlantic County) and
                                                           operatories. There will also be chair-side                      Somerdale (Camden County). The network is
                                                           electronic technology for instant access to                     under the direction of Jill York, DDS, assistant
                                                           patient records.                                                dean of extramural clinics, and Harold Cohen,
                                                               “The new treatment center will be better                    DDS, professor of diagnostic sciences. Five
     “By sharing inter-professional curricula              equipped to handle the specific needs of this                   years ago NJDS received a grant from the U.S.
online, we hope to promote this model of                   population,” says Dean Feldman. “As our                         Dept. of Health and Human Services (HRSA) to
education to medical schools throughout the                special needs patient roster continued to                       fund the Community-Based Dental Partnership.
country and the world,” says Dr. Rosenheck.                grow, the need for a new facility became                        The funding is being used to improve access
“By teaching other health care professionals               more pressing. We are extremely grateful to                     to care for HIV/AIDS individuals and to increase
this skill, we are helping to lower the risk of            our donors, who have helped make the                            provider capacity for treating them. The largest
life-threatening oral infections, systemic dis-            dream come to fruition.”                                        of only 12 programs in the country to receive
eases and oral cancer. This is especially true                                                                             this funding, our Statewide Network was
                                                           Richard Bloomstein, DDS, clinical associate professor, ortho-
for the indigent, who may see a physician or                                                                               lauded by HRSA as a model of excellence in
                                                           dontics, goes over a patient’s treatment plan with two NJDS
a physician’s assistant, but rarely, if ever, go           students.                                                       treating HIV/AIDS patients.
to the dentist.”

Meeting the Needs of Special                                                                                                                                                  Ahead of the Curve in Implantology
Care Patients
Along with offering comprehensive treatment
                                                                                                                                                                              Our implant program, under the direction of
                                                                                                                                                                              Barry Zweig, DMD, professor, oral and max-
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                programs & degrees
to traditional patients, we provide specialized                                                                                                                               illofacial surgery, has experienced dramatic      Traditional DMD Program                           Periodontics (3 years)
care to those who require it. Our Special Care                                                                                                                                growth in the last seven years: We have gone      International DMD Program                         Prosthodontics (3 years)
Clinic (SCC) on the Newark Campus serves                                                                                                                                      from placing 300 implants in 2005 to placing      Master in Dental Science (MDS)                    Endodontics (2 years)
children with severe developmental disorders,                                                                                                                                 965 implants in 2012. That means all of our       Masters of Science in Dentistry (MSD)             Oral Medicine
such as Down’s syndrome, muscular dystro-                                                                                                                                     pre-doctoral students get experience in           Masters of Science in Oral Biology                Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology
phy, cerebral palsy and autism, as well as                                                                                                                                    implantology before graduation. Only a hand-      (offered with the Graduate School of Biomedical   Orofacial Pain
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Sciences –GSBS)
those with physical disabilities. Part of the                                                                                                                                 ful of dental schools in the country can offer                                                      Orthodontics
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                General Practice Residency Program
Pediatric Dentistry Department, the Clinic                                                                                                                                    their students this academic and clinical expe-                                                     Geriatrics Fellowship
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Pediatric Dentistry                               (Jointly sponsored by School of Osteopathic Medicine)
serves patients from as far away as                                                                                                                                           rience. We are also one of only a few schools
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery                    Ph.D. in Oral Biology
Delaware, Pennsylvania and New York State.                                                                                                                                    that offer a Fellowship in Implant Dentistry.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Special Needs Dentistry                           (jointly offered by GSBS)
There are nearly 10,000 patients on the SCC                                                                                                                                      Using state-of-the-art digital technology,
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Orthodontics (3 years)
registry, up from 5,300 in 2005. Last year it                                                                                                                                 including CAD/CAM and cone beam computer
accommodated 3,500 patient visits, and 350                                                                                                                                    tomography, our dentists can now be even
patients had complex, multiple procedures                                                                                                                                     more precise in determining the optimum
performed under general anesthesia in the                                                                                                                                     depth and angle for implants. The result is
operating room.                                                                                                                                                               ideal esthetics and function for our patients.

14      University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      New Jersey Dental School    15
New Jersey Dental School - Taking the Next Step
Ta k i n g t h e N e x t S t e p

                                                                   Unraveling the mysteries of genetics; finding biomarkers in human saliva; and decoding the chemical language of biofilms. These are

                                                                   only a few of the studies underway in our laboratories. Our scientists and clinicians have long been seeing the next step and taking it

                                                                   in their quest for new treatments and, possibly, even cures. From relieving neuropathic pain, to finding new, gentler treatments for

                                                                   leukemia, NJDS researchers continually seek to improve the lives of others.

                                                                   Besides being dedicated and enthusiastic, NJDS scientists are resourceful: in 2012

                                                                   they garnered $3.7 million in funding to conduct basic and clinical research that
                                                                                                                                                                      BIOPHARM
                                                                                                                                                                          Companies founded by NJDS researchers with
                                                                                                                                                                          funding from Foundation Venture Capital Group

                                                                   encompasses many areas of human health. They take their discoveries into the clin-
                                                                                                                                                                      ACTINOBAC BIOMED, INC.
                                                                   ics, so today’s patients benefit from their work, and they prepare the next generation
                                                                                                                                                                          AFFINETI BIOLOGICS
                                                                   of researchers, who will improve tomorrow’s oral health care.

                               Ta k i n g t h e N e x t S t e p

                                                        Research   Making Strides in Treating Leukemia
                                                                   While doing research on the microorganism
                                                                   Aggregatibactor actinomycetemcomitans (Aa),
                                                                   Scott Kachlany, PhD, discovered a protein,
                                                                   known as leukotoxin that specifically targets
                                                                                                                       In 2012 Dr. Kachlany received $100,000
                                                                                                                    from the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, an organi-
                                                                                                                    zation dedicated to raising funds for childhood
                                                                                                                    cancer research. He is using the funding to
                                                                                                                    test LeukotheraTM on the malignant white cells
                                                                   and kills malignant white blood cells. The       of children. His company also began working
                                                                   associate professor in oral biology envisioned   with Texas A&M College of Veterinary
                                                                   the next step: leukotoxin as a therapy. In       Medicine and Biomedical Sciences last year to
                                                                   2009 he formed Actinobac Biomed, Inc., and       examine the use of Leukothera in dogs suffer-
                                                                   LeukotheraTM was developed. It is currently in   ing from white cell disease. “Because of bio-
                                                                   pre-clinical trials.                             logical similarities, the data we obtain from        Studying Air Pollution in China
                                                                                                                    these new studies will be applicable to dogs         With the great expansion of industrial activity
                                                                                                                    and support drug development for human               in recent years, much of China has seen
                                                                                                                    applications as well,” he said.                      decreases in air quality. In Beijing air pollution
                                                                                                                       Dr. Kachlany is finding the possibility that      levels are usually much higher than even in
                                                                                                                    his discovery will make it from the bench to         the most severely polluted places in the U.S.
                                                                                                                    the bedside to be exciting and gratifying.           During the 2008 Olympics unprecedented
                                                                                                                    “Being a microbiologist, I considered myself         measures were implemented by the govern-
                                                                                                                    to be a basic scientist, so generally your work      ment to reduce air pollution during the Games
                                                                                                                    is confined to the lab and you don’t usually         so that athletes’ performances would not be
                                                                                                                    think about where it can go in the future,” Dr.      adversely affected. Scott Diehl, PhD, director
                                                                                                                    Kachlany said. “I hope one day I can walk into       of the Center for Pharmacogenetics and a
                                                                                                                    a hospital or clinic and see something that I        professor in oral biology, and Chinese scien-
                                                                                                                    developed in the lab actually changing some-         tists teamed up to take advantage of this
                                                                                                                    one’s life for the better.”                          unique opportunity to learn more about the

16   University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey                                                                                                                                          New Jersey Dental School   17
Ta k i n g t h e N e x t S t e p                                                                                                                                          Ta k i n g t h e N e x t S t e p

“how and why” of air pollution’s effects on                Bacteria vs. Bacteria                                            Teaming Up To Eliminate Pain                            This treatment would only add a minute or
human health.                                              Daniel Kadouri, PhD, associate professor, oral                   Kenneth Markowitz, DDS, joined forces with           two to the dental visit,” says Dr. Markowitz.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         K E Y R E S E A R C H being conducted at NJDS
     Subjects in the study were evaluated for              biology, is looking to develop new antibiotics                   a scientist at Kean University in the fight          “By applying this medication during treat-
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Cardiorespiratory biomarker responses to drastic air quality changes
biomarkers of inflammation, body burden of                 by using microorganisms to produce antimi-                       against dental pain. He explains that there are      ment, you’re short-circuiting the inflammatory
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Genetic factors involved in patients’ side effects from opiate-based drugs
oxidative stress, autonomic tone, and cardio-              crobial compounds that might be used to fight                    two types of dental sensitivity: one occurs          process before it can even get started.”
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Development of microbial peptides in the lab that protect against infection
vascular function in their blood, urine and                infections. He is using two particular predators                 when a tooth’s root surface is eroded, and
exhaled breath. In addition, they provided sali-           Bdelloviibrio and Micavibrio, which are among                    the other is the pain that occurs with inflam-                                                               Use of vitamin D in the mouth to quell the production of plaque and periodontitis
va samples that were used to extract DNA.                  the fastest-moving organisms in all of nature                    mation, from a caries infection, filling a cavity,   Avoiding Potential Side Effects                         Genetic factors underlying bacterial colonization of oral tissue
Each participant was assessed before the                   and among the potential weapons in the battle                    or other causes. The two researchers are             Daniel Fine, DMD, chair of oral biology, has            Use of vitamin D aerosol spray in the treatment of cystic fibrosis
Olympics, during the Games when air quality                against antibiotic-resistant infections.                         developing a fluid emulsion that contains anti-      spent decades researching the pathways of
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Causes, diagnosis and treatment of orofacial pain
was improved, and after the Olympics when                  Micavibrio has been dubbed vampire-like                          inflammatory drugs, as well as small, porous         oral bacteria. His studies have given him
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Mechanisms of disease resistance
air pollution was expected to increase. The                because it sucks nutrients out of its prey, but                  particles that will carry the drug and deliver it    insight into how and why certain microorgan-
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Microbial markers in saliva for osteoporosis
results were recently published                            is harmless to most of the beneficial bacteria.                  to the affected tooth nerve. The emulsion will       isms cling to mucosal tissue to cause dis-
                                                               The U.S. Department of Defense has                           be placed into the tooth during dental proce-        ease. He recently set out to understand how             Use of bacteria to fight other bacteria
                                                           invested more than $1.5 million in his work to                   dures and the medication will permeate the           to break that “magnetic attraction” and                 Improvement in dental materials, equipment and techniques
Defending Against Infections                               find treatments for the deadly infections sol-                   dentin—the dense, bonelike tissue beneath            detach the bacteria from their natural target.
Gill Diamond, PhD, associate professor of oral             diers are bringing back from Iraq and                            the surface of the tooth—to the nerve.               And he did just that.
biology, has spent most of his career                      Afghanistan. “Veterans don’t always die from                        The associate professor in oral biology at           “We created a decoy molecule to com-              mouth, but it also sticks to mucosal surfaces,         prize will be used for
researching how the human body fights infec-               wounds, but from the massive infections later                    NJDS and Evros Vassiliou, PhD, associate             pete with the infectious agent and prevent it        so the effect is lasting. Dr. Fine’s collaborators     research in Dr. Daniel Fine’s
tion. He is currently focusing on two aspects              on. He is looking at more than 500 microbes                      professor of biological sciences at Kean,            from attaching to either the tooth enamel or         are Narayanan Ramasubbu, PhD, Kabilan                  lab, where they conducted their winning
of antimicrobial defense in the oral cavity.               to find potential infection fighters. “There will                make the perfect team. Dr. Markowitz’s side          its mucosal surfaces,” he says. By fusing            Velliyagounder, PhD, and David Furgang, PhD,           investigation.
One study is looking at the potential role of              be a time when we face infections that are                       of the research is the drug and Professor            parts of two salivary proteins—one from              all of oral biology.                                      NJDS postgraduate students took more
vitamin D in enhancing the innate immune                   resistant to everything,” he says. “We want                      Vassiliou’s is the particle that carries the drug.   lactoferrin, which functions as an antimicro-           Future studies in Dr. Fine’s lab will look at       honors than any school that participated in
defense against periodontal pathogens. He                  something in our arsenal.”                                       The third team member is Mark Rosenblum,             bial, and one from statherin, a salivary protein     using these fusion peptides to develop other           the American Academy of Implant Dentistry
and his team have demonstrated that the                                                                                     PhD, DMD, an associate professor of restora-         with a natural affinity to enamel—he was able        treatments for mucosal infections in other             (AAID) annual meeting in Washington, DC.
inactive form of vitamin D can be locally acti-            NJDS faculty members (l – r) Mark Rosenblum, PhD, DMD,           tive dentistry at NJDS and a dental materials        to synthesize a “sticky” peptide that attaches       areas of the body.                                     Linda Xing, DMD, a postgraduate in periodon-
                                                           associate professor, restorative dentistry; and Kenneth
vated by the gingival cells, leading to an                 Markowitz, DDS, assistant professor, oral biology, are collab-   and electron microscopy expert. He was also          to enamel surfaces and blocks plaque forma-                                                                 tics, won third place for her poster
                                                           orating with Kean University associate professor of biological
enhanced antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory                                                                                one of Dr. Markowitz’s teachers at NJDS.             tion. The ingenious aspect of this newly creat-                                                             “Comparative Clinical Study of Membrane
                                                           sciences Evros Vassiliou, PhD, to create a new product that
effect in the gingiva (gums). That suggests                will help reduce dental pain.                                                                                         ed fusion peptide is that it is released slowly      Mentoring the Next Generation of                       Assisted Socket Healing,” and Prashanth
that this simple food additive and vitamin sup-                                                                                                                                  from that enamel surface. “Half of this pep-         Scientists                                             Konatham Haribabu, BDS, MDS, a postgradu-
plement may be useful as a periodontal thera-                                                                                                                                    tide is an active-antimicrobial with the ability     When asked, most scientists say it was an              ate in diagnostic sciences, took second place
py that is applied directly onto the gums.                                                                                                                                       to kill a wide variety of bacteria that cause        outstanding mentor who prompted them to                for both his poster and table clinic “The
     The second area he is working on involves                                                                                                                                   caries and gingivitis; the other half makes the      go into research. NJDS faculty members have            Utilization of Mineralized Cortico-Cancellous
the development of a novel antifungal agent                                                                                                                                      killer-bacteria stick to its target,” he explains.   mentored hundreds of students at the pre-              Block Allograft in Alveolar Ridge Defects for
for the treatment of oral candidiasis, com-                                                                                                                                         The new peptide does the job of an antibi-        and postdoctoral level. These caring, dedicat-         Implant Rehabilitation.”
monly known as thrush, a fungal infection                                                                                                                                        otic but is not harmful or toxic to human cells.     ed individuals enjoy counseling their students            And, for the first time ever, a NJDS student
caused by yeast. He and his team have identi-                                                                                                                                    Dr. Fine founded Affineti Biologics to develop       and are thrilled when the future scientists            received the prestigious William S. Kress
fied a small molecule mimetic of a naturally                                                                                                                                     anti-cavity and periodontal therapies, using         uncover new knowledge.                                 Award from the Mid-Atlantic Society of
occurring host defense peptide, which                                                                                                                                            these peptides, which are applied directly to           This past year was exceptional for NJDS             Orthodontics, which includes the District of
exhibits potent antifungal activity in vitro.                                                                                                                                    the teeth, thus avoiding systemic side effects.      students who entered the research arena.               Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey,
When delivered topically to mice in a model                                                                                                                                         The researcher is also working on a treat-        Three pre-doctoral students submitted their            Pennsylvania and Puerto Rico. Bruce Taisois,
of oral candidiasis, a single delivery of this                                                                                                                                   ment for dry mouth using the same peptide-           summer research results to the New York                DMD, ’12, a resident in orthodontics, received
compound led to the complete eradication of                                                                                                                                      fusion process, but with different peptides.         Academy of Dentistry’s annual competition.             the award for the best research and thesis,
the infection. They are continuing to study                                                                                                                                      “Dry mouth is a quality of life issue, not a dis-    They won, and were invited to present their            titled, “Dentoskeleton Effects of Damon and
this molecule’s method of action, for its pos-                                                                                                                                   ease,” he says. “But it affects a lot of peo-        poster in February in New York City. Second-           Tip-Edge Space Closure Mechanics.”
sible development as a new treatment for                                                                                                                                         ple.” One of the peptides in his dry mouth           year students Grigoriy Efros and Jonathan
fungal infections.                                                                                                                                                               rinse is from common bacteria that attach to         Snow and third-year student Benjamin
                                                                                                                                                                                 epithelial cells and a second peptide that           Immerman presented “Analysis of Charged
                                                                                                                                                                                 absorbs water. The product lubricates the            Silica Adhesion to Deep Dentin.” The $4,000

18      University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          New Jersey Dental School   19
Ta k i n g t h e N e x t S t e p

                                                                  At NJDS serving our community is a vital part of all that we do. Our students, faculty and staff routinely participate in outreach programs

                                                                  in Newark, throughout the state and around the world.

                                                                  Last year was no exception. Our students participated in 65 community service projects, including health fairs, health education pro-

                                                                  grams and oral health screenings on campus, at schools, community and cultural centers and other locations throughout the region.
                               Ta k i n g t h e N e x t S t e p
                                                                  “As oral health care providers we have a responsibility to provide care to those who would otherwise not get it,” says Dean Feldman.

Community
                                                                  “We have been successful in instilling that responsibility in our students. Many of them go well beyond the required hours of commu-

                                                                  nity service, and some even organize outreach projects on their own. Serving others is a priority at NJDS.”

     Service                                                      Serving Close to Home
                                                                  Going to the dentist can be fun, especially if
                                                                  it’s the first Friday in February. That’s what
                                                                  kids who came to NJDS discovered on
                                                                                                                   the dentist, and NJDS students distributed
                                                                                                                   crowns made of balloons, chatted and played
                                                                                                                   games with the patients. An added feature
                                                                                                                   this year was a visit from US Senator Robert
                                                                                                                                                                        At the
                                                                                                                                                                        Olympics
                                                                                                                                                                        About 100
                                                                                                                                                                        students,
                                                                  February 3, during Give Kids A Smile! (GKAS).    Menendez of New Jersey. Senator Menendez             faculty, staff
                                                                  In 2012 some 361 kids were seen on the           held a press conference on campus, during            and alumni
                                                                  Newark Campus, and a total of 44 visited the     which he lauded the community service that           volunteered at
                                                                  network sites at Galloway, Northfield and        the school provides, not only during GKAS!           New Jersey’s Special Olympics Summer
                                                                  Somerdale. Because many of the children          but throughout the year.                             Games of 2012. During the two-day event,
                                                                  have never been to a dentist, Debra                 “It is so important that a first dental experi-   more than 550 athletes visited Special Smiles
                                                                  Goldsmith, RDH, MS, assistant professor,         ence takes place somewhere other than an             headquarters, where they received free den-
                                                                  community health and event director, ensured     emergency room,” says Dean Feldman. “This            tal screenings, oral hygiene instructions and
                                                                  the experience was a positive one. A juggler     day is great, because we reach so many chil-         free custom-made mouthguards. Special
                                                                  entertained the kids while they waited to see    dren at once and can teach them that proper          Smiles is part of the Special Olympics Healthy
                                                                                                                   oral hygiene is vital to good oral health and        Athletes initiative created to focus on health
                                                                                                                   good overall health. We want to set the stage        issues facing the athletes.
                                                                                                                   for them to practice good oral hygiene for the          Recognizing the unmet dental needs of
                                                                                                                   rest of their lives.” More than 100 NJDS facul-      Special Olympians, NJDS was the first to
                                                                                                                   ty, staff members and students had a hand in         design and pilot a program that collected data
                                                                                                                   making the day a success.                            on the athletes at the Games. We looked at
                                                                                                                      NJDS partnered with the ADA and the NJ            the athletes’ oral health status, patterns of
                                                                                                                   Dental Association to host the event. Funding        care, and barriers to care. Data are now col-
                                                                                                                   was provided by the PNC Foundation and the           lected worldwide at the Games and used to
                                                                                                                   ToysRUs Children’s Fund.                             encourage dental schools to implement

20   University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey                                                                                                                                        New Jersey Dental School   21
Ta k i n g t h e N e x t S t e p                                                                                                                                  Ta k i n g t h e N e x t S t e p

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                A team of physicians and oral surgeons, led by Shahid Aziz,
special needs curricula and to demonstrate to             and are painless, yet they save lives. And,                                                                    Serving Across the Country                                                                             DMD, MD, associate professor, oral and maxillofacial
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                surgery, performed a total of 101 cleft lip/palate surgeries
all levels of government that access to care              some people don’t know that smoking is a                                                                       Two groups of NJDS health care providers,                                                              during two trips to Bangladesh in 2012.
must be increased for this population.                    risk factor for developing oral cancer. That’s                                                                 each consisting of eight rising seniors and
                                                          why we want to get the word out.”                                                                              two supervising faculty, delivered vital dental
                                                             In addition to the screening at the capitol,                                                                services to members of the Navajo Tribal
A Capitol Connection                                      we offered free screenings at the annual Oral                                                                  Nation at the Four Corners Health Center in                                                            associate professor, oral and maxillofacial
Anyone who stopped by the New Jersey                      Cancer Screening Day, held every spring in                                                                     Teec Nos Pas, AZ, in August. They performed                                                            surgery, and fourth-year students Patricia
State House Visitors Center on June 30 could              conjunction with the Essex County Cancer                                                                       more than 500 basic procedures, including                                                              Dary, Kerisa Harriott and Gabriela Rosas treat-
get more than tourist maps; they could have               and Health Fair. A total of 162 individuals had                                                                routine restorations, periodontal therapy, root                                                        ed people in Haiti and the Dominican
free oral cancer screenings and learn about               free screenings last year, and several had                                                                     canals, extractions and minor prosthetics.                                                             Republic, during a week-long mission.
the life-threatening condition. In conjunction            risk factors for oral cancer. About the same                                                                   They also taught their patients proper oral                                                                They flew to the Dominican Republic then
with the New Jersey Dental Association, Drs.              number of people visited the fair, where they
                                                                                                              Every year NJDS participates in                            health care.                                                                                           drove two vans filled with dental equipment
Mahnaz Fatahzadeh, DMD, associate profes-                 got information on a variety of health-related      Give Kids A Smile!                                            Gary Vitaletti, DMD, director of the Oral                                                           to a hospital in the mountain town of
sor, diagnostic sciences, and Arnold                      topics. With help from the Essex County                                                                        Diagnosis Division, started the program in                                                             Restauracion. They spent a day setting up the
                                                                                                              New Jersey Special Olympics
Rosenheck, DMD, acting chair of community                 Cancer Coalition, prostate, breast and cervical                                                                2005 with six students. Since then a total of                                                          clinic then began seeing patients. They per-
                                                                                                              Special Smiles program
health, performed the screenings.                         cancer screenings were performed on quali-                                                                     98 NJDS students have treated members of                                                               formed 290 cleanings, 180 extractions, 270
                                                                                                              Oral Cancer Screening
     Among the 57 who opted to have screen-               fied individuals.                                                                                              the Oglala Sioux in Pine Ridge, SD; Chippewa       Helping the Global Community                        restorations and applied 50 sealants on 332
                                                                                                              Essex County Cancer Fair
ings were five legal secretaries, three assem-                                                                                                                           in Belcourt, ND; Hopi in Polacca, AZ; and          In the U.S. facial anomalies, such as cleft lips    patients. About two-thirds of the patients
blymen, and three senators. Debra Goldsmith,                                                                  Statewide Health Fairs                                     Navajo in Red Mesa, AZ. More than 2,400            and cleft palates, are usually corrected before     were children, including a number of Haitian
RDH, MS, assistant professor, community                   Keeping Seniors Informed                            Oral Health Awareness Day                                  Native Americans have received this desper-        a child reaches his or her first birthday. In       kids whom two of the students brought to
health, distributed information on smoking                Often senior citizens don’t get dental care         at Liberty Science Center                                  ately needed treatment. Drs. Vitaletti,            countries like Bangladesh, where people can-        the clinic from the town of Tillery, just across
cessation, the signs and symptoms of oral                 because they can’t afford it. Financial help is                                                                Delahanty, Rosenblum and Samant accompa-           not afford even basic medical care, these sur-      the border.
cancer, and the importance of early detection.            available, however, and Doric Johnson, staff                                                                   nied the students. The trips have been spon-       geries are not an option. As a result these chil-       Each evening the group assembled hun-
“Many people don’t know oral cancer is high-              assistant in restorative dentistry, and Rebecca                                                                sored by the dental school and the Indian          dren’s faces are misshapen, and they have dif-      dreds of bags with toothbrushes, toothpaste
ly curable in the early stages,” says Ms.                 Reed, DMD, assistant professor, community         at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center to tell                 Health Service (IHS), along with significant       ficulty speaking and eating. Perhaps even           and dental floss, donated by Colgate–
Goldsmith. “Screenings take a few minutes                 health, went to the Center for Geriatric Health   seniors exactly that.                                        financial support from individuals and groups,     worse is the isolation the entire family suffers.   Palmolive. “In the Dominican Republic the
                                                                                                               At the “Smile for Dental Health” work-                    such as the AMB Foundation and the NJDS               Oral and maxillofacial surgeon Shahid Aziz,      average income is $13 a day, and in Haiti it’s
                                                                                                            shop, Ms. Johnson explained that a grant                     Alumni Association.                                MD, DMD, has been traveling to Bangladesh           $3 a day. A toothbrush and toothpaste cost
                                                                                                            from the Essex County Division of Senior                                                                        every year since 2006 with a team of col-           $7,” explains Dr. Alberto. “Owning a tooth-
                                                                                                            Services provides financial assistance for                                                                      leagues. This past year he made the trek            brush there is like having gold. They were
                                                                                                            county residents 60 or older, who get dental                   Arizona                                          twice: in March he went to Sylhet with Gary         thrilled to get them.”
                                                                                                            treatment at NJDS. Ms. Johnson explained                                                                        Fishbein, DMD, and Samer Albadawi, DMD;                 This was Dr. Alberto’s second mission to
                                                                                                            how to enroll in the program and that NJDS                                                                      and in November to Cox Bazar with Leo               the Dominican. “The people were shocked
                                                                                                            is the dental care provider.                                                                                    Paige, DMD, all residents in NJDS’s oral and        that we returned,” she says. “We go up in
                                                                                                               Dr. Reed told the group of the many serv-                                                                    maxillofacial surgery program. They complet-        the mountains, which is difficult to get to and
                                                                                                            ices the dental school offers and what some                                                                     ed a total of 100 procedures.                       where it is hard to set things up,” she says.
                                                                                                            of the treatments involve. She also explained                                                                      “When you repair a cleft you are not just        “It is truly considered the ‘frontier,’ and an
                                                                                                            the importance of proper oral hygiene and the                                                                   fixing a congenital deformity, you are improv-      area that tourists never see.” She hopes to
                                                                                                            oral health-overall health connection. “It is                                                                   ing a face and bringing happiness and relief to     return next year with an x-ray unit, so the
                                                                                                            so important to get the word out that funds                                                                     a child’s family,” says Dr. Aziz. “Ultimately,      scope of treatment can be increased. The trip
                                                                                                            are available,” says Dr. Reed. “Getting the                                                                     we help improve the quality of life in an entire    was funded by donations through the
                                                                                                            oral health care they need helps Essex                                                                          community.”                                         Foundation of UMDNJ from NJDS alumni and
                                                                                                            County’s seniors have a better quality of life                                                                                                                      other dentists, some of Dr. Alberto’s friends
                                                                                                            and enjoy their golden years to the fullest.”                                                                                                                       and members of her church.
                                                                                                            The seniors also received free toothbrushes                                                                     Providing Care in the Caribbean
                                                                                                            and toothpaste.                                                                                                 People with no access to oral health care got
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            much-needed treatment when a cohort from
                                                                                                                                                                                                                            NJDS took a trip to the Caribbean island of
                                                                                                            Leonid Epshteyn, ’13 performs an oral screening during the                                 Dominican Republic
                                                                                                            2012 Special Olympics.                                                                                          Hispaniola. Pamela Alberto, DMD, clinical

22     University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    New Jersey Dental School      23
Ta k i n g t h e N e x t S t e p                                                                                                                                          Ta k i n g t h e N e x t S t e p

      2012
Timeline

JANUARY
Match Day for the Class of 2012 continued the
tradition of success. 100 percent of those who
applied for postgraduate residencies were placed
                                                          MARCH
                                                          Anthony Volpe, DDS, ’60,
                                                          receives the American
                                                          Dental Education
                                                                                                                    NJDS once again holds a spring Oral Cancer
                                                                                                                    Screening Day, in conjunction with the Essex
                                                                                                                    County Cancer and Health Fair. A total of 162
                                                                                                                    individuals are screened.
                                                                                                                                                                             More aspiring dental students than ever participate
                                                                                                                                                                             in the 2012 Summer Medical and Dental Education
                                                                                                                                                                             Program. Because of the overwhelming demand,
                                                                                                                                                                             NJDS accepts 27, more than the usual 20 college
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      SEPTEMBER
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      The Diagnostic Science’s Department’s Center for
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      TMD Disorders and Orofacial Pain has a highly a
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      successful site visit by the Commission on Dental
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               NOVEMBER
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Food, clothing drives and
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               fund-raisers abound on campus,
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               as students initiate a variety
into programs.                                            Association’s William J. Gies                                                                                      freshman and sophomores. Of the 12 dental                Accreditation. The Center receives no recommenda-        of projects to help victims of
                                                          Awards for Achievement as                                                                                          schools that participate, it is the only one to do so.   tions, meeting all the standards for accreditation. In   Superstorm Sandy.
The Dental Exploration                                    a Public or Private Partner.                              JUNE                                                                                                              March 2013 the Center will receive “full accredita-
program hits a landmark,                                  The prestigious award                                     Strengthening Community Ties is the topic of a           NJDS holds a free oral                                   tion without report requirement status,” which is
as 100 Newark public                                      recognizes exceptional contributions to and support       faculty retreat. Dean Feldman and the faculty            cancer screening at the                                  the best possible outcome.                               DECEMBER
school children complete                                  of oral health and dental education.                      exchange ideas and information and begin laying          New Jersey State                                                                                                  NJDS faculty and staff come together for the sixth
the pipeline program.                                                                                               the groundwork for the next strategic plan.              House in Trenton and                                                                                              consecutive year to honor employees marking land-
Designed for fifth-                                       Arnold Rosenheck, DMD, assistant dean, receives                                                                    screens 57 visitors.                                     OCTOBER                                                  mark years of service. The most years of service by
through eighth-graders, the interactive program           a development award from the American                     About 100 students, faculty, staff and alumni volun-                                                              The Department of Endodontics celebrates a half-         a faculty member is 45, and by a staff member is 25.
aims to spark students’ interest in possibly pursuing     Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) to create          teer at New Jersey’s Special Olympics Summer                                                                      century of care with “50 years of Excellence in
careers in dentistry.                                     inter-professional curriculum modules for posting         Games of 2012. During the two-day                                                                                 Endodontic Education: Our Golden Jubilee.” Former                                          A delegation from
                                                          on AAMC’s Web site, MedEdPORTAL. The site                 event, more than 550 athletes visit                                             AUGUST                            chairs, postgraduates and faculty are honored, and                                         China’s State Food
             3M ESPE donates five, Lava Chairside         provides free medical and dental educational              Special Smiles headquarters,                                                    The 94 members of the Class       a scholarship is established in honor of Gary                                              and Drug
                 Oral Scanners (COS) through the          resources.                                                where they have free dental                                                     of 2015 begin their dental        Hartwell, DDS.                                                                             Administration
                  Foundation of UMDNJ. Students will                                                                screenings, receive oral hygiene                                                careers with a White Coat                                                                                                    spend a day at
                  learn to use the scanners to take                                                                 instructions and have custom-                                                   ceremony. They receive pins       “From Practice to Preceptor,” a new program              UMDNJ touring the facilities and learning about the
                digital impressions, along with learn-    APRIL                                                     made mouthguards fabricated.                                                    from Dr. Anthony Volpe,’60.       designed to increase the number of dental faculty        American health care system. The 13 scientists
             ing the traditional method.                  Pamela Alberto, DMD, clinical associate professor,                                                                                                                          in the region, gets underway. The first participants     begin the NJDS portion of the tour in the Pediatric
                                                          oral and maxillofacial surgery, and three fourth-year                                                              White coats are introduced into NJDS’s Dental            are Drs. Bradley Smith ’81, Angie Papandrikos,           Dentistry Department, where they discuss U.S.
                                                          students treat 332 patients, mostly children, in the      JULY                                                     Express and Dental Exploration pipeline programs.        Valerie Rico ’88, Maria Ambriosio and Deborah            children’s oral health care. They also stop in
FEBRUARY                                                  Dominican Republic and Haiti, during a week-long          NJDS receives a $2.5 million grant from the U.S.         The programs are designed to introduce children,         Brown ’01.                                               Prosthodontics and Oral Biology departments, the
NJDS celebrated                                           mission.                                                  Department of Health and Human Services to initi-        particularly minorities, to the dental profession.                                                                Delta Dental Educational Conference Center and
National Children’s                                                                                                 ate a new program, “From Practice to Preceptor.”         The goal of presenting white coats is to cultivate a     The site visit for reaccreditation by the Commission     several dental research labs.
Dental Health                                             A 30-member contingent from NJDS join other               The funds will be used to train 45 practicing, gener-    deeper understanding of the meaning of entering          on Dental Accreditation is rescheduled for February
Month with its                                            dental students in NYC to help raise funds for the        al and pediatric dentists to become dental faculty       the dental profession and emphasize the impor-           2013, because of Hurricane Sandy.                        NJDS students and faculty from two CODE sites
flagship event,                                           Oral Cancer Foundation. Mahnaz Fatahzadeh, DMD,           members in the Middle Atlantic States (New               tance of caring for others.                                                                                       participate in World AIDS Day. Five students
Give Kids A Smile!                                        diagnostic sciences, and the students help raise          Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania). Special                                                                       Students begin using their new study rooms. The          from Somerdale volunteer at an event
A total of 361 kids                                       awareness of the importance of early diagnosis            emphasis will be placed on cultural competency           Two groups,                                              rooms are equipped with WIFI, power strips for           held at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in
were seen on the                                          and prevention.                                           and successfully treating underserved and special        each consisting                                          plugging in electronic devices, individual study         Camden. World AIDS Day raises aware-
Newark campus and 44 at the network sites.                                                                          needs children and adults. Jeanette DeCastro, PhD,       of eight rising                                          carrels and a conference table for group sessions.       ness and demonstrates international
                                                                                                                    is the principal investigator and Jill York, DDS, is     seniors, and two                                                                                                  solidarity against HIV/AIDS.
NJDS faculty and students volunteered at the                                             MAY                        co-principal investigator of the grant.                  supervising facul-
annual Children’s Oral Health Day, held at Liberty                                       At the 42nd                                                                         ty deliver vital
Science Center in Jersey City.                                                           Commencement the           A total of 151 NJDS faculty and/or alumni are            dental services to
                                                                                         UMDNJ Board of             chosen Top Dentists, when New Jersey Monthly             members of the
Three students from the University of Sharjah                                            Trustees confer 108        magazine publishes its list of the top 364 dentists in   Navajo Tribal Nation at the Four Corners Health
School of Dental Medicine in the United                                                  Doctor of Dental           the state. NJDS is represented                           Center in Teec Nos Pas, AZ. They perform more
Arab Emirates (UAE) visited NJDS                                                         Medicine degrees and a     in all nine categories, and 61                           than 500 basic procedures, including routine
for two weeks, as                                                                        total of 29 postgraduate   faculty and /or alumni are also                          restorations, periodontal therapy, root canals,
part of a new                                             degrees and certificates. At the NJDS Convocation         on last year’s list.                                     extractions and minor prosthetics. They also teach
exchange program                                          graduating seniors are honored with special awards                                                                 proper oral hygiene. Drs. Gary Vitaletti, James
with NJDS.                                                for scholarship, leadership and service.                                                                           Delahanty, Marc Rosenblum and Asha Samant
                                                                                                                                                                             accompanied the students.

24     University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                New Jersey Dental School   25
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