Tag: College of Dental Medicine

College of Dental Medicine Collaborates to Donate Services

Nova Southeastern University College of Dental Medicine had a special opportunity to collaborate with Remote Area Medical on March 26-27 at Joseph C. Carter Park in Fort Lauderdale. More than 180 patients were treated for more than $100,000 in donated dental services.

Remote Area Medical is a major nonprofit provider of free pop-up clinics. Its 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.

The founder of Remote Area Medical was the late Stan Brock. His vision for Remote Area Medical developed when he suffered a personal injury while living among the Wapishana Indians in Guyana, South America. When he left Guyana, he vowed to find a way to deliver basic medical aid to people in the world’s inaccessible regions. So, in 1985 he established the non-profit, Remote Area Medical or as most people know us – RAM™. RAM is the way he has kept that promise, not only to the Wapishana Indians, but to thousands around the world in similar conditions.

The Remote Area Medical Clinic care was provided in special treatment tents at Carter Park in Fort Lauderdale. The team was led by Dr. Mark Schweizer, Assistant Dean of Community Programs and Public Health and following faculty and residents: Drs. Juan Velasco, Aryia Amini, Leo Shushner, Romeo Luo, Victor Cellis, Ray Fan, Matt Kelley, Veronica Alfonso, and Mauro Mesko.

Oral health care was provided by D1, D2, D3, and D4 students in respective capacity with amazing success to transform the lives of patients in our community.”

To put into practice the College of Dental Medicine’s commitment to inclusivity and service, the college has partnered with several community organizations to provide opportunities for student-dentists to build a lifelong enthusiasm for community outreach.

 

These outreach experiences provide an opportunity for dental students 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.

 

Posted 04/10/22

Honors Student Gets Global Engagement Scholarship

To the late Anthony J. DeNapoli, Ph.D., traveling was the best educational experience one could embark on, a sentiment he fervently passed down to his students, including Farquhar Honors College student Janaki Chandra. Deeply inspired by DeNapoli’s passion and kindness, it was a full-circle moment for Chandra when she was named a “DeNapoli Scholar” as one of the first recipients of the Anthony J. DeNapoli Global Engagement Scholarship. This scholarship was created by the Razor’s Edge Global Scholars Program to honor DeNapoli’s memory and fulfill his wish for his students to study abroad.

Janaki Chandra is a sophomore biology major with minors in pre-health, business, honors transdisciplinary studies, and global engagement. She is part of the Farquhar Honors College, NSU’s Dual Admission Dental Program, and the Razor’s Edge Global Scholars Program. She plans to go into dentistry and will begin working on her Honors thesis in the fall semester under the guidance of her thesis advisor Toshihisa Kawai, D.D.S., Ph.D., professor in the College of Dental Medicine. Her thesis will tentatively focus on surface pre-reacted glass-ionomer (S-PRG) filler, a material used in making dental products, and its effect on the generation of cells called osteoclasts that lead to bone resorption. She will be using the $1,000 scholarship award to study abroad in Costa Rica this summer, where she’ll be taking Medical Spanish and Health Psychology courses.

For Chandra, DeNapoli was one of the biggest advocates for traveling in her life. She first met DeNapoli before she was even an NSU student while visiting campus with her family during Shark Preview weekend. From her first encounter with him, Chandra was amazed at his kindness and attention, as he took the time to get to know her and her family amid a busy schedule. Upon joining NSU and the Razor’s Edge Global Program, Chandra was able to get to know DeNapoli better while taking a course with him during her freshman year.

“He was a mentor figure and somebody I looked up to,” said Chandra. “It’s an honor to even be somewhat attached to his name. He was just a wonderful human being and he really made an impact on me and my peers’ lives. He was somebody who showcased the importance of traveling. He was a huge traveler himself and always advocated for us to experience that for ourselves and that the best way to learn is not in a classroom setting but outside in various parts of the world. It’s because of him that I’m able to do all these things.”

Instilled with this love for traveling, Chandra went with other NSU students on a week-long dental trip to Guatemala over spring break, where they provided dental services to the local population. Whether it was learning about public health dentistry and assisting in her first tooth extraction or connecting with the local population, Chandra found the trip to be eye-opening. She’s most grateful for the people she met during the trip, cherishing the bonds she made with the host family they stayed with and the patients they treated.

“In terms of Costa Rica, I’m excited to have the same kind of experience I had in Guatemala,” said Chandra. “The one thing I’m most looking forward to is the connections I’ll make there. The hardest thing will also be leaving those connections, but [I] know that we’ll always have them. This is a unique experience that’s once in a lifetime, so I [also] hope to be challenged. I hope to be able to learn about the culture and community as well as medical terminology, how to treat patients, and also how to apply that [knowledge] there and in the US.”

For Chandra, traveling is an exciting learning opportunity that she hopes to continue to experience throughout her life. Her passion for traveling and learning is a testament to DeNapoli’s lasting legacy and the importance of the “DeNapoli Scholars” created in his honor that allows students like Chandra to fulfill their dreams.

Click here to learn more about and donate to the Anthony J. DeNapoli Global Engagement Scholarship.

Posted 04/10/22

Dental Medicine Graduate Devotes Life to Giving Back

Roxene Gascoigne, DDS

Roxene Gascoigne, DDS, completed her residency in Endodontics at Nova Southeastern University College of Dental Medicine (NSU-Dental) and currently practices in New York. Not only does Gascoigne devote her life to health care and educating people on oral health’s vital role in overall wellness, but she also hones a passion for philanthropy.

Gascoigne grew up in Jamaica and was immersed in an environment of educators and philanthropists. Her grandparents were prominent principals in Jamaica. Her grandfather founded a credit union to provide educators with an opportunity to establish their livelihoods by assisting them in purchasing homes and building their careers. Gascoigne’s father, Rae Gascoigne, has been an exemplar in raising resources for their native Jamaica. Rae founded scholarships for educators in honor of his father, the distinguished Desmond Charles (“DC”) Gascoigne Award for Excellence, administered by the Jamaica Teachers’ Association Credit Union. Gascoigne’s compassion and strong work ethic can be attributed to her strong bond with her father, who continues to serve as her mentor. Since graduating from  NSU-Dental, Gascoigne is committed to following in her father’s philanthropic footsteps, providing a Changing Life Scholarship to NSU dental students seeking to pursue a career in dental medicine. She has named her scholarship in honor of her father, from whom she learned philanthropy. Gascoigne also volunteers her time at one of the largest hospital groups in New York, Northwell Health, working with recent dental graduates and serving as an attending at their GPR Program. Despite her hectic schedule, giving back to the community is a priority for Gascoigne. She finds it rewarding to work with the next generation of graduates and inspires them to reach their goals.

During her time at NSU-Dental, Gascoigne immersed herself in the curriculum and established herself as a hard worker amongst her peers. Her fondest memory is grand rounds, a monthly conference during which students from different specialties presented clinical cases. Partaking in grand rounds allowed her to collaborate with classmates and articulate on pressing matters within different specialties. When asked what advice she would give students, Gascoigne said, “Medicine is a very demanding field. Put passion into your work and love what you’re doing, then everything else will follow.”

To learn more about creating a Changing Lives Scholarship, contact Shari Meehan, Director of Development, smeehan@nova.edu.

Posted 02/13/22

Club Hosts President of American Association of Cosmetic Dentistry

The dental student Cosmetics Club hosted David Chan, D.D.S., 2021 President of the American Association of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD) who presented a lecture and two-hour, hands-on course to more than 90 dental students on Friday, September 10, 2021.

Mohamed ‘Moe’ Badwan, D-3, Cosmetics Club vice president, lauded Chan’s hands-on simulation lab presentation as “an opportunity to connect and build on what we’ve been working very hard for the last year and a half with this organization, which is to be able to bridge the gap in esthetic education in the field of cosmetic dentistry.”

Franziska Klostermyer, D-4, Cosmetics Club president, noted the club has been trying to create more connections between the AACD and Nova Southeastern University’s College of Dental Medicine. Chan agreed to visit NSU after she reached out to him on Instagram.

Liliana Mosquera, D.D.S., the Cosmetics Club faculty adviser, and Sharon Siegel, D.D.S., M.S., M.B.A., professor and chair, Department of Prosthodontics at NSU-CDM, agreed that Chan’s presentation speaks to the College of Dental Medicine’s excellent reputation. The Cosmetics Club has more than 200 members and is one of the most popular student organizations in the College of Dental Medicine with excellent outside lecturers every month.

Faculty Member Awarded Hispanic Dental Association Award

Elías M. Morón, DDS, MPH, MHL, MHSM – a proud Shark who makes his mark in the community by breaking barriers, aiding minorities, and supporting families in need – was awarded the 2021 HDA/Colgate Faculty award during the Diverse Dental Society (DDS) Multicultural Oral Health Summit on June 17.

Elías M. Morón, DDS, MPH, MHL, MHSM

The event was planned and organized by National Dental Association (NDA), the Hispanic Dental Association (HDA) and the Society of American Indian Dentists (SAID). The summit was centered around stakeholders discussing oral health issues that have impacted diverse communities.

“Hispanics are among the largest and fastest growing population in the United States, and they are facing measurable disadvantages when it comes to oral health. Hispanics experience a high prevalence of oral diseases, barriers to access dental care, and less ability to afford dental care,” Morón said. “During my career, I have supported and worked in programs to improve the lives of the homeless, mentally ill, children in foster care, substance abusers, correctional population, children living in poverty, seniors, and pregnant and childbearing high school students. I have also contributed with research, community approaches, teaching, and promoting a better understanding of the social determinants of health in our communities.”

Morón graduated with his Master of Public Health in July 2016 and Master of Science Health Law (Magna Cum Laude) in April 2021. In addition to being a two-time alumnus, he is also a clinical assistant professor at the Nova Southeastern University College of Dental Medicine.

With Morón’s background in health law, he has also been able to utilize his legal knowledge to help advance clinical and community initiatives.

“In my experience working in the healthcare, I feel that in addition to clinical knowledge, there is a huge legal component to practicing dentistry. Expanding my knowledge in health law is allowing me to support my students and colleagues in the complex legal concerns where law and health care intersect including privacy, risk management, patients’ rights and ethics, employment discrimination, copyright issues, health care administrative law, clinical research law, regulatory compliance, and patient issues,” he said.

Morón attributes his success to the university and emphasized NSU giving him an edge in his career.

“Some of the NSU core values are focused on diversity, integrity, research, community, and academic excellence,” he said. “In that way, the different programs reinforced these values. It is an honor for me to have the opportunity to apply the same values as a professor, in the same institution where I completed my health law degree.”

If you are interested in contributing to diverse communities as a healthcare professional or would like to discuss initiatives with Morón, you can contact him at em1293@nova.edu.

NSU Volunteers Dental Care Through Mission of Mercy Clinic

Dr. Mark Schweizer, Assistant Dean of Community Programs and Public Health. left, with other clinic volunteers.

Nova Southeastern University College of Dental Medicine is pleased to announce its participation in the Florida Dental Association Mission of Mercy on July 30-31. Florida Mission of Mercy (FLA-MOM) is a large-scale, two-day, professional dental clinic that provides care to any patient at no cost to them, with the goal of serving the underserved and uninsured in Florida — those who would otherwise go without care.

Led by Dr. Mark Schweizer, assistant dean of Community Programs and Public Health, Nova Southeastern University College of Dental Medicine students, faculty, and alumni provided dental care at the community outreach clinic in Jacksonville, Florida. More than 1,000 patients were treated and more than a $1 million in donated dental services were provided.

Dr. Ana Maria Ospina, in front kneeling, takes a photo with student volunteers at the special clinic.

College of Dental Medicine Partners with Heartland Dental

Nova Southeastern University College of Dental Medicine is pleased to announce a new partnership with Heartland Dental.

Executive Associate Dean Hal Lippman

Under the leadership of our Executive Associate Dean of Operation Hal Lippman, an innovative externship program has been developed through partnership with Heartland Dental providing our D4 students a unique experience.

This honor’s externship program will offer an array of opportunities for our students to be mentored and to be provided with the experience of observing the everyday workings of a real world, fast-paced dental practice, while promoting ethics, professionalism, and communication within the private practice setting. Under the expert direction of selected Heartland Providers, our students will understand how each role in the office plays a crucial part in providing the best high quality patient focused care.

An emphasis will be placed on practice management, team building while managing a diverse patient population, and staff in a multicultural work environment.

Nova Southeastern University College of Dental Medicine’s Administration looks forward to a strong partnership with Heartland Dental, providing our students with a learning experience that will impact their future dental pathways.

NSU College of Dental Medicine Partners with Care Resource

Under the leadership of the new Assistant Dean of Community Programs and Public Health, Mark Schweizer, DDS MPH, the College of Dental Medicine is joining forces with Care Resource. Senior student dentists will provide oral health care to underserved populations in Broward County through the collaboration.

In addition to providing dental care, students will experience in an interprofessional health care environment, including working alongside case managers and physicians providing care to their patients.

Care Resource is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization and a Federally Qualified Health Center with four locations: Midtown Miami, Little Havana, Miami Beach, and Fort Lauderdale. It provides comprehensive health and support services to address the full health care needs of pediatric, adolescent, and adult populations.

Care Resource’s mission is to spread their mission through education, prevention, research, care and treatment, and support services. It serves more 125,000 clients yearly.

Industry Partnership Provides Masks for NSU Dental Clinics

In October, NSU dental clinics faced a shortage of face masks at a time when normal supply chains were not available due to the ongoing pandemic. Fortunately, due to its vast network among the public and private sectors, NSU’s College of Dental Medicine (CDM) engaged NSU Fellows Society member Henry Schein, Inc., the American Dental Education Association (ADEA), and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help make KN95 mask donations available to the school.

The donation of 142,000 masks from ADEA and FEMA was coordinated in partnership with, and delivered by, Henry Schein. As a result, CDM was able to conduct fit tests with all students, faculty, and staff to assure the masks fit and were sealed properly to provide protection against potentially contaminated air. Proper safety equipment was essential for the university’s dental clinics to maintain operations and provide much needed care to patients and the community.

“The CDM is honored to have Henry Schein as a loyal partner and appreciates the tremendous sponsorship through the years supporting the academic mission and our students at the college,” said CDM Dean Steven I. Kaltman, D.M.D., M.D., FACS. “Henry Schein’s continued commitment to excellence and social responsibility is applauded by NSU-CDM.”

“We are pleased to help leverage our key industry partners to help mitigate CDM’s supply shortage, and protect the health, safety, and well-being of students, faculty, and patients,” said Stanley M. Bergman, Chairman and CEO of Henry Schein, Inc. “The donation would not have been possible without ADEA, FEMA, and other organizations that help us throughout the year to ensure we, together, ‘help health happen.’”

In total, close to three million masks were donated to dental schools and allied dental education programs across the country through the efforts of Henry Schein, ADEA, and FEMA.

College of Dental Medicine Assistant Professor Elected Officer for the Section on Dental Anatomy and Occlusion for the American Dental Education Association (ADEA)    

Liliana Mosquera, D.D.S., M.B.A. Presenting at the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) during the 2021 ADEA Annual Session & Exhibition as part of the program for the Section on Dental Anatomy and Occlusion members forum.

 

Liliana Mosquera, D.D.S, M.B.A. Assistant professor in the Department of Prosthodontics at NSU’s College of Dental Medicine was recently elected to the Office of Secretary for the Section on Dental Anatomy and Occlusion for the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) during the 2021 ADEA Annual Session & Exhibition. She will be serving for 3 more years in the Section on Dental Anatomy and Occlusion rising from Secretary, to Chair-Elect to Chair. She presented a short talk on “Pre-Doctoral Occlusion Curriculum” on March 11, 2021 during the 2021 Annual Session as part of the program for the Section on Dental Anatomy and Occlusion members forum.   Mosquera serves as the course director or the Cosmetic Dentistry courses and the content expert in the Integrated Restorative Dentistry course in the College of Dental Medicine.

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