Tag: College of Dental Medicine

NSU Jamaica Medical/Dental Mission Heals Hearts, Smiles

From July 17 to July 22, 2023, a remarkable event took place in St. Mary, Jamaica, as Nova Southeastern University (NSU) embarked on a transformative medical/dental mission. This interdisciplinary mission brought together professionals and students from various healthcare fields, including Medicine, Dental, Nursing, Pharmacy, Optometry, Occupational Therapy, and a host of volunteers. Their collective efforts not only provided much-needed health-care services but also left a lasting impact on the lives of the local community.

The mission was organized by NSU in collaboration with Women of H.O.P.E., a local non-profit organization that provides healthcare and education to women and children. Its primary objective was to extend a helping hand to the underserved population in St. Mary, who faced limited access to medical and dental services. The mission’s diverse team of dedicated healthcare practitioners aimed to address a range of health issues, including dental problems that often went untreated.

The dental component of the mission was particularly remarkable. Three experienced dentists, along with 12 talented dental students, came together to deliver vital dental care to those in need. Over the course of the mission, these compassionate professionals provided dental services to an impressive 275 patients, ranging from cleanings to more complex procedures like fillings and extractions.

What made the NSU Jamaica Medical/Dental Mission even more exceptional was the generosity of the team and their supporters. With more $175,000 in donated services, this mission truly exemplified the power of altruism and the positive impact it can have on underserved communities. The donated services not only alleviated immediate health concerns but also contributed to the patient’s overall well-being and quality of life.

Apart from providing hands-on care, the medical and dental teams also conducted informative presentations on various health-related topics. These presentations covered crucial aspects of oral and general health, including preventive measures, hygiene practices, and the importance of early detection and treatment. The mission aimed to create a sustainable impact by educating the community, and empowering individuals to take charge of their health and well-being.

The NSU Jamaica Medical/Dental Mission was about more than just medical and dental treatments; it was a mission of healing hearts and smiles. The warmth and compassion exhibited by the team left a lasting impression on the patients they served. Beyond the physical healing, the mission also fostered emotional and psychological healing, reminding the community that they were not forgotten and that they mattered.

The impact of this interdisciplinary mission extended far beyond the week it took place. The team not only treated patients but also formed valuable connections with the local healthcare providers and organizations. Collaborative efforts like these can create a lasting change in healthcare infrastructure and access in underserved areas.

The success of the NSU Jamaica Medical/Dental Mission 2023 was a testament to the power of teamwork, dedication, and the spirit of giving back. By coming together, these professionals and students were able to make a tangible difference in the lives of hundreds of individuals, leaving a legacy of care and compassion that will be cherished by the community for years to come.

The NSU Jamaica Medical/Dental Mission 2023 was a remarkable endeavor that showcased the potential of interdisciplinary collaboration in healthcare. Through the efforts of Medical, Dental, Nursing, Pharmacy, Occupational Therapy, Optometry, students, and volunteers, the mission delivered critical services, educational support, and compassion to the people of St. Mary, Jamaica. It was a shining example of how healthcare can be a force for good, transcending borders and bringing healing to the hearts and smiles of those in need.”

Posted 07/30/23

Dental Students Volunteer at RAM Event in Tennessee

Under the supervision of Dr. Mark Schweizer, assistant dean of Community Programs and Public Health and College of Dental Medicine faculty, Dr. Mauro Mesko and Dr. Norberto Coerezza, Dr. Sam Caruso (PG OMFS), more than 50 D4 ,D3, and D2 dental students traveled to Columbia, Tenn., to volunteer at the Remote Area Medical (RAM) event to deliver free dental care to uninsured patients. During this event, about 250 patients were seen and more than $120,000.00 donated dental services were provided.

Special thanks to Dean Steven Kaltman for his leadership and ongoing support and guidance.

Remote Area Medical is a major nonprofit provider of free pop-up clinics. Their mission is to prevent pain and alleviate suffering by providing free, quality healthcare to those in need. They do this by delivering free dental, vision, and medical services to

underserved and uninsured individuals. They have provided care across the world at more than 1,500 events.

These Outreach experiences provide an opportunity for dental students and reaffirm NSU core value of “Community” and help to:

  • Develop a broad understanding of the community and social responsibilities they will have as Dental Professionals.
  • Treat a diversity of patients with a variety of oral health care needs.
  • Enhance their clinical skills.
  • Participate in inter-professional learning experiences.

Dr. Mark Schweizer, Assistant Dean of Community Program has built a long- standing relationship with RAM and NSU-CDM is planning many more events in the future.

Posted 07/30/23

Dental Postgraduate Places First in Poster Competition

From left, Dr. Saynur Vardar-Sengul, DDS, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Periodontology, and Dr. Ovadia Chocron

Congratulation to Dr. Ovadia Chocron, a third-year postgraduate resident from Department of Periodontology at the NSU College of Dental Medicine for a first place showing at the International Team for Implantology (ITI) Congress North America Poster Competition in Miami Beach, Florida, June 15-17, 2023.

 The title of his poster presentation was “Allograft plates for horizontal bone augmentation in the anterior mandible following a traumatic fall: A case report.”

The ITI is a global association of professionals in implant dentistry. The objectives of the ITI are the promotion and dissemination of knowledge about implant dentistry and related fields. They serve dental professionals by fostering learning, networking, discussion, and exchange. ITI provide comprehensive, quality education in implant dentistry and support and facilitate cutting-edge research in this field and to be the authoritative resource on current and emerging issues in implant dentistry for dental professionals globally.

Posted 07/16/23

College of Dental Medicine Holds Inaugural Research Day

NSU College of Dental Medicine’s inaugural Research Day took place on June 6 and 7, 2023, An annual event that showcased the outstanding research conducted by our graduate/postgraduate students and faculty. The objective of this event was to increase awareness of the exciting and diverse research and development activities taking place by many members of our community. 

There were 43 presenters who made this event a success by way of sharing their creative and scholarly activities.

Special thanks to the Organization Committee members Dr. Sibel Antonson, Mark Cayabyab, Alireza Heideri, and Dr. William Parker. We thank Dean Steven Kaltman for his vision and support to make this event a success.

There were nine sessions composed of oral and poster presentations, and eight CE credits were also provided at the conclusion of this two half-day event.

The keynote speaker was Professor Frederick Rueggeberg, DDS, MS, retired professor emeritus from the Department of Restorative Sciences at the Dental College of Georgia At Augusta University. His presentation title was “From Poster to Publication – Pathway Guidelines.”

The event concluded with the awards ceremony.  The recipients of the 2023 awards will also receive $1,500 travel grant to present their projects at a scientific meetings.

Below were the award recipients.

  • Outstanding Faculty Research Presentation: Alireza Heidari, Ph.D. (Oral Science & Translational Research Department)
  • Outstanding Post Doctoral Research Presentation: Satoru Shindo, DDS, PhD – (Oral Science & Translational Research Department)
  • Outstanding Post Graduate Research Presentation: Nicole Etcheverry, DMD (Pediatric Dentistry Resident)

Posted 07/02/23

Hispanic Dental Association Recognizes Faculty, Students

Congratulations to NSU College of Dental Medicine faculty and students for their recognition at the 2023 Hispanic Dental Association Annual Meeting in San Antonio, Texas June 9-10, 2023.

Dr. Alexander Bendayan, Chair, Department of Prosthodontics at NSU College of Dental Medicine and President of Florida Chapter for Hispanic Dental Association Dr Elias Moron started the Hispanic Dental Association Leadership Program.

Also Dr. Elias Moron was recognized for his contributions to the research community and the Hispanic Dental Association. He Presented with a group of researchers the whitepaper labeled: “Oral Health Status, utilization of dental services and workforce of US Hispanics” . He also served as a judge for the student poster competition during the annual meeting.

Dr. Moron,  additionally, received an award for speaking at the Hispanic Dental Association “Sirviendo Nuestras Sonrisas Hispanas” as one of the most valued contributors to the Hispanic Dental Association.

Moreover, NSU College of Dental Medicine Students presented a poster titled “The New Face of Hispanic Leadership: The role of dental students in serving the South Florida underserved population.”

Posted 06/18/23

Dental Missions Visit Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico

NSU College of Dental Medicine started off the summer semester with a tremendous outreach to several communities and potential new collaborations.

In late April 2023, Mark Schweizer, Assistant Dean for Community Programs and Public Health visited the Dominican Republic to see the wonderful work being done by One Smile led by our own IDG, Christopher Garcia who has provided more than 17 missions through his organization.

They were also joined by IDG students, Nelson Carrillo, Rafael Castro, Pranayan Chakma, Jay Shah, Christopher Basily, Alexandra Izaguirre, Dayli Vidal, and Kenia Marmol, traveling to the remote area outside of Santa Domingo to treat children from underserved communities and provided food and medical screenings.

Schweizer also met with the Dean of Unibe Dental school to explore potential for educational and clinical programs.

The love continued when the Kiran Patel College of Health Care Sciences joined the College of Dental Medicine in Utuado, Puerto Rico in May 2023. Students from NSU Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, and Dental Medicine provided care to hundreds of patients at the Cassao Community Clinic.

Schweizer and Dr. Norberto Coerezza led students Jim Skaff, Mary Wick, Christopher Garcia (IDG), Shekhar Gill-Uppal, Austin Jackson, and William Thornton. The community was so gracious of the care we provided, and we plan on returning in October. The exchange and connection between the students and patients were just amazing.

Posted 05/21/23

Regional Teams Serve the Underserved in Puerto Rico

Under the leadership of Vanessa Blanco, director of NSU’s Puerto Rico Campus, along with an amazing team of faculty and students from NSU College of Dental Medicine Davie and Clearwater, and NSU Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy from the Tampa Bay Regional Campus, underserved communities in Puerto Rico received much needed health care service.

May 1-6, 2023, NSU’s team shared its energy, talent, and compassion with the municipalities of Utuado, Cabo Rojo, and Yauco and the communities of Ponce Playa, Ponce Tibes, Ponce Tives, Ponce La Lula, and Ponce Jaime Drew. This year was special as we provided care to 368 patients and received recognition from the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico and the mayor of Cabo Rojo.

Our first collaboration occurred in 2018 during the inauguration of the COSSAO Clinic. COVID kept us away for a few years, but this year we were represented by a total of 32 faculty students, and the NSU Puerto Rico Campus Director. Also, we had tremendous collaboration from 60 organizations including the Puerto Rico Department of Health, six community leaders and 29 resident volunteers. This October we will expand this Puerto Rico outreach by including other disciplines from the Health Professions Division.

This amazing trip can be summed up by the words of Dr. Mark Schweizer, Assistant Dean of Community Programs and Public Health at the College of Dental Medicine: “As educators and health professionals our goal and the goal of NSU is to provide experiences and memories that will not only change the lives of the patients, but the lives of our future health professionals.”

The entire team thanks Vanessa Blanco for not only her incredible organizational skills, but her heart.

Like they say “FINS UP!”

Posted 05/21/23

National Study Focuses on Oral Health of Hispanics

Dr. Elías Morón presenting in 2023 national Oral Health Conference.

With the great support from CareQuest Institute of Oral Health and the Hispanic Dental Association, Part 1 of the white paper “Addressing the Oral Health Needs of Hispanics in the U.S.: An Exploration of Oral Health Status, Dental Needs, Utilization of Dental Services, and Workforce” has been published.

Dr. Elías Morón, D.D.S., M.P.H., M.H.L., M.H.S.M., was one of the principal investigators of this project and he was representing Nova Southeastern University College of Dental Medicine and the Hispanic Dental Association at symposiums for the 2023 National Oral Health Conference (NOHC)  on April 19, 2023, in Orlando, Florida.

This white paper:

  • Provides an overview of the current data in several oral health areas related to Hispanics.
  • Shows important trends in oral health status and utilization of dental services.
  • Shows diversity trends in dental education and dental workforce influencing U.S. Hispanic populations.
  • Shows the data gaps at the national and state levels which do not allow analyzing the current context in oral health in specific Hispanics groups and other minorities.
  • Identifies the relevant data to develop policies supporting oral health for our minorities communities.
  • Includes recommendations for policy changes to improve health and quality of life for Hispanics in the United States.

Two non-profit organizations have come together to run a national study on Hispanics and other minorities in the area of oral health through the collaboration of Dr. Eva Chiang (NSU College of Dental Medicine), Dr. Alina Perez (professor at the Dr. Pallavi Patel College of Health Care Sciences), and Dr. Katherine Velasco (starting faculty position at NSU Tampa Bay Regional Campus in June 2023), National Research Advisors, National Faculty Advisers, International Research Advisers, Dental Students Leaders, and Minority Leaders in Public Health who participated in different phases of analysis and recommendations.

Posted 05/21/23

College of Dental Medicine Launches Scholarship Program

The Nova Southeastern University College of Dental Medicine (the CDM) is the largest dental school in Florida and will soon become the second-largest dental school in the nation.

While dentistry is usually thought of as a professional practice, it is also a science that depends on researchers to develop new and better technologies. Dental researchers have discovered links between such systemic diseases as Alzheimer’s, diabetes, arthritis, and periodontitis. Moreover, we have seen the growth of dental disease specific to underrepresented ethnic groups, such as diabetes-associated periodontitis among Hispanics and Native Americans.

Under the leadership of renowned researcher Toshihisa Kawai, DDS, Ph.D., working in concert with Richard Singer, DDS, Ph.D., the CDM is launching a new scholarship program that will provide master’s degrees and mentorship for predoctoral dental students from underrepresented ethnic and socioeconomic groups to meet the need for dental researchers who will discover new treatments and therapies for patients everywhere.

Since 1993, Dr. Kawai has served as a volunteer mentor and teacher for students from diversity backgrounds, preparing them for successful careers in biomedical science. His laboratory is dedicated to discovering new drug targets and developing novel therapeutics for periodontitis and other bone lytic diseases, including osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and bone cancer metastasis.

The CDM seeks to raise $10,000 for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility (DEIA) scholarships.”

Posted 05/21/23

College of Dental Medicine Holds Faculty Retreat

The first NSU College of Dental Medicine faculty retreat was held on April 19, 2023, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the NSU Carl DeSantis Building. The theme of the retreat was “The NSU-CDM Journey to Preeminence: Vision 2025.”

Dr. Ronald J. Chenail

Dr. Ronald J. Chenail, NSU Provost, Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, Professor of Family Therapy and Editor-in-Chief of The Qualitative Report was the keynote speaker.

During the retreat each department met in breakout sessions with their faculty members to continue planning their Vision 2025 trajectories. The last activity of the faculty retreat was a plenary session where each department presented and shared their Vision 2025 path: “to be recognized as a preeminent, professional-dominant, doctoral-research university that provides competitive career advantages to its students and produces alumni who serve and lead with integrity.”

The event created a truly inclusive environment and culture of feeling valued and connected.

Posted 04/23/23

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