You’re Invited... to Cruise and Learn Update in Oral Medicine Beginning March 24 and continuing through March 31, 2007, this seven-day cruise will feature five continuing dental education courses taught by the School of Dentistry’s Dr. Jack Gobetti. Participants can receive up to 18 hours of CE credits. To learn more about the courses being offered and course fees…and to take advantage of special cruise rates…you must book your reservations through Cruise and Travel Partners by November 24, 2006. • You must make your cruise reservation at www.cruiseandtravelpartners.com • To register for courses, call the School of Dentistry’s Office of Continuing Dental Education at (734) 763-5070 or (734) 763-5171. More information is available on the School’s Web site: www.dent.umich.edu. On the homepage, put your cursor on “alumni” and then click “continuing dental education.” For more information about this and other continuing dental education courses contact: University of Michigan School of Dentistry Office of Continuing Dental Education 1011 N. University Avenue Room G508 Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1078 www.dent.umich.edu. Dental UM Fall 2006 Volume 22, Number 2 Making a Difference in Oral Health Care and Education DentalUM magazine is published twice a year by the University of Michigan School of Dentistry, Office of Alumni Relations and Continuing Dental Education. Mail letters and updates to: Jerry Mastey, Editor, School of Dentistry, Room G532, 1011 N. University Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1078. Or you may send your letters and updates via email to: jmastey@umich.edu. Dean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Peter Polverini Director of External Relations and Continuing Dental Education . . . . . Richard Fetchiet Writer & Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jerry Mastey Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chris Jung Photography . . . . . . Keary Campbell, Per H. Kjeldsen Member publication of the American Association of Dental Editors The Regents of the University: David A. Brandon, Laurence B. Deitch, Olivia P. Maynard, Rebecca McGowan, Andrea Fischer Newman, Andrew C. Richner, S. Martin Taylor, Katherine E. White, Mary Sue Coleman, ex officio. University of Michigan School of Dentistry Alumni Society Board of Governors Terms Expire 2006: Daniel L. Edwards, ‘97, Ann Arbor, MI Gerald L. Howe, ‘61, Monroe, MI Gary R. Hubbard, ‘78, Okemos, MI Michel S. Nasif, ‘72, Lansing, MI Janet Souder Wilson, ‘73 DH, Northville, MI Terms Expire 2007: Samuel Bander, ’81, Grand Rapids, MI Richard L. Pascoe, ’70, Traverse City, MI Susan Pritzel, ’67 DH, Ann Arbor, MI Terry Timm, ’71, Saline, MI Josephine Weeden, ’96, ’99, Saline, MI Terms Expire 2008: William E. Brownscombe, ‘74, St. Clair Shores, MI (chair) John R. McMahon, ‘82, Grand Rapids, MI George M. Yellich, ‘72, Los Gatos, CA Harold Zald, ‘79, West Bloomfield, MI Jemma Allor, ‘00, Dental Hygiene, Mt. Clemens, MI Student Representative: Casey Tenniswood (D4) Ex Officio Members: Peter Polverini, Dean Janet Souder Wilson, ‘73, DH, Northville, MI Alumni Association Liaison Steve C. Grafton , Executive Director, Alumni Assoc. Richard R. Fetchiet, Director of External Relations and Continuing Dental Education The University of Michigan, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action, including Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The University of Michigan is committed to a policy of nondiscrimination and equal opportunity for all persons regardless of race, sex*, color, religion, creed, national origin or ancestry, age, marital status, sexual orientation, disability, or Vietnam-era veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions. Inquiries or complaints may be addressed to the Senior Director for Institutional Equity and Title IX/Section 504 Coordinator, Office for Institutional Equity, 2072 Administrative Services Building, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48109-1432. (734) 763-0235, T.T.Y. (734) 647-1388. For other University of Michigan information, call (734) 764-1817. * Includes discrimination based on gender identity and gender expression. DentalUM Fall 2006 Over the years, the University of Michigan School of Dentistry has pointed with pride to the many ways it serves the oral health care profession and communities. Two examples include our general dentistry and specialty clinics here at the School as well as our outreach programs at community dental clinics across Michigan. The cover story of this issue of DentalUM showcases another example — our oral pathology biopsy service. Started in the 1940s by Dr. Donald Kerr who developed a global reputation for his expertise in the field, more dentists and specialists view our biopsy service as an “advantage,” a valuable resource for themselves and their patients. The evidence is in the numbers. The service has grown more than 30 percent in recent years. That may not be surprising to some given increased attention to possible interrelationships between oral health and systemic health. However, I think there are other reasons for the increase. One was cited by Dr. Fred Bonine who earned his dental degree and a master’s degree in oral and maxillofacial surgery from U-M. “Because they’re specialists,” he said, “oral pathologists are often aware of subtleties and nuances that may often escape the attention of a general pathologist.” That expertise, he added, can help an oral health care professional provide a patient with peace of mind if, for example, a patient is worried about oral cancer. Another reason is due to the leadership of those in charge of our service, Drs. Nisha D’Silva and Kitrina Cordell. As others have noted, both are very customer focused and proactive. That often leads to those using the service to mention it to their peers. Finally, case-based information and lesion samples, in turn, contribute to the body of knowledge that is a part of our educational curriculum. In the end, the service is win-win-win…for oral health care providers, their patients, and our students. Clearly, the oral pathology biopsy service is just another example of how the School of Dentistry continues to make a difference. Sincerely, Peter J. Polverini, Dean 1 In This Issue . . . COVER STORY 18 The Advantage… How the Oral Pathology Biopsy Service Gives Oral Health Providers, Patients, and Educators ‘The Edge’ A service offered by the U-M School of Dentistry to oral health care professionals for more than 60 years has been enjoying a renewed surge of interest in recent years. Under the leadership of Drs. Kitrina Cordell (left) and Nisha D’Silva, dentists and specialists receive valuable information that helps their patients. In addition, dental, dental hygiene, and graduate students become more skilled at recognizing and more proficient in diagnosing a range of oral lesions, and the information is leveraged to enhance oral health care education at the School of Dentistry. The images behind Drs. Cordell and D’Silva are histologic images recently taken from the mouth of a patient showing possible oral cancer cells. 18 – What it Is…Why the Renewed Interest…Major Benefits 23 – Dean Polverini: “It’s Something I Enjoy Doing” 24 – Oral Surgeon Brings Staff to Learn More about Oral Path Service 25 – Drs. Bonine, Fear, Hill, Flamenbaum, and Ward Laud Service Design by Chris Jung, photos by Keary Campbell. FEATURES Making the Case for Change Dental schools across the country, including Michigan’s, must make fundamental changes to survive and prosper in the future, according to the Macy Group which presented the case for change to U-M School of Dentistry administrators, faculty, staff, and students as a part of the School’s strategic self-assessment process. 7 Dental School Launches Mentoring Program The U-M School of Dentistry recently launched a mentoring program that offers everyone — alumni, students, faculty, and staff — an opportunity for professional and personal growth and development. 10 Dentistry’s Vital Role Every year for 16 years, about one dozen members of the Norman Mette Foundation visit U-M to learn more about some of the innovative programs and clinical research activities taking place at both the School of Dentistry and the Medical School. This year, they heard about some of those now underway at the Michigan Center for Oral Health Research. 13 Sindecuse Museum Artifacts Show Pioneering Role of Dentists “As I look at the many artifacts we have in our museum…I’m amazed and impressed with how dentists helped to shape both the profession and society as we know it today,” said Sindecuse Museum Curator Shannon O’Dell. 27 Two Familiar Faces Retiring 10 4 After careers at the U-M School of Dentistry that spanned more than 30 years, Dr. Jack Gobetti and chief photographer Per Kjeldsen are retiring. 13 27 2 DentalUM Fall 2006 Fall 2006 34 Faculty Profile — Dr. Samuel Zwetchkenbaum Singer and songwriter Paul Anka may have played a role, albeit a remote and indirect one, in influencing Sam Zwetchkenbaum to become a dentist. Playing a major role, however, was a study break he took while in college that, in retrospect, forever changed his life and, in the process, has improved the lives of countless patients. 45 Alumnus Profile: Dr. Steven Geiermann “I now ‘treat’ communities instead of individuals,” says Dr. Steven Geiermann. “I bring people together from all walks of life to try to increase access to oral health care and reduce oral health care disparities.” 50 Dental Students Help in Dominican Republic, Thailand Some School of Dentistry students used their spring break to provide oral health care to the needy in the Dominican Republic and Thailand. 53 Graduation 2006 34 The Class of 2006 was advised at spring commencement “to live a life that matters” by Dr. Arthur Dugoni, one of the dental profession’s most respected figures. Ceremonies were especially memorable for seven dental students who were hooded by a parent who also graduated from the School of Dentistry. DEPARTMENTS 39 Faculty News 41 Department Update: Cariology, Restorative Sciences, Endodontics 61 50 Dental Hygiene 61 – 35 Receive Bachelor’s Degree 62 – SDHA Active in the Community 63 – Kerschbaum Receives Major Honor 64 – Going the Distance(s)…Early-Burk Wins State Title, 4th at Nationals For the past three years, Kathleen Early-Burk has competed in swimming contests for a national organization and, in the process, won several medals in state and national competitions. 66 Development 66 – New Gifts: Roberts Family Foundation, Dr. George Yellich, Dr. Gerald and Phyllis Krause, Dr. Leo Weiss, Dr. John and Dalores Burau 71 – R eference Library Named for Dr. Joseph Cabot 72 – Werschky New Campaign Chair 75 53 Research News 75 – Dental School Administrators, Faculty in IADR/AADR Leadership Roles 79 – Stem Cells: Why the Interest? 88 Alumni News 90 In Memoriam - Dr. Carl Thomas Hanks DentalUM Fall 2006 64 3 school news Making the Case for Change... Macy Group Offers Suggestions and Support for Jerry Mastey clinical, research, or other programs. The Group said that if the U-M School of Dentistry and other dental schools across the country are to survive and prosper in the future, fundamental changes must be made in many areas. These include how the schools are organized and funded, their educational programs, their approach to patient care, how their clinics are structured, how dental students and residents are trained, and levels of faculty compensation, to name a few. Dr. George Taylor (right), leader of the School of Dentistry’s Strategic Assessment Facilitating Committee, and Dr. Allan Formicola of the Macy Group, discuss some of the challenges dental schools are facing and possible solutions following a presentation members of the Macy Group made at the School in late July. The message was direct. “You can’t stand still. You have to change.” The case for change was presented to University of Michigan School of Dentistry administrators, faculty, staff, and students by members of the Macy Group in late July as a part of the School’s strategic self-assessment process. [DentalUM, Spring & Summer 2006, pages 8-14.] Established two years ago with a grant from the Josiah Macy, Jr. Foundation, the Group consists of educators and scholars (see sidebar, page 5) who have been closely examining the educational and financial challenges facing the nation’s dental schools. It is also suggesting possible changes they can consider to strengthen their educational, How One Dental School Benefited Dr. Howard Bailit, a member of the Macy Group who made the remarks about change noted at the beginning of this story, said, “Organizations don’t like to change. But dental education must make some fundamental changes, otherwise there will be dire consequences.” Another member of the group, Dr. Allan Formicola, who was dean for 23 years at the School of Dental and Oral Surgery at Columbia University, empathized with the U-M School of Dentistry’s strategic self-assessment process. “It’s a very hard and difficult one,” he said, “but it’s worth it.” Formicola said a strategic self-assessment his school conducted during his early tenure as dean enabled it to survive a 28 percent cut in state funding during a two-year period. “If we did not do any strategic planning, our school wouldn’t exist today,” he said. “You’re the leaders. Other dental schools have enormous respect for you. The task ahead of you is to make this a better Michigan.” Dr. Allan Formicola, the Macy Group 4 DentalUM Fall 2006 the School’s Strategic Self-Assessment Initiative The process is not only challenging, it also takes time for change to be embraced and permeate an organization. “Strategic change takes about a decade,” Formicola said in response to a question. “And you need to have a sense of direction and an idea of what you want to become, as an organization, for change to succeed.” Citing the closing of seven dental schools, including five in research universities, during the past twenty years, the Group said new thinking and new approaches should be considered. Programs now underway at dental schools at the University of Maryland, the University of Louisville, and Columbia University have elements that Michigan may want to consider. Why Change is Imperative Bailit and other members of the Group said decreased state funding for dental schools is the primary factor leading to the need for fundamental change in dental education. Other factors cited include increased levels of debt among graduating dental students, low salaries for those in academic dentistry, and a widening salary gap between faculty dentists and general practice dentists and specialists in private practice. Citing statistics showing the average faculty salary in 2005 was about $100,000 compared to upwards of $350,000 for those in private practice, Bailit said faculty salaries “may have to rise to 70 percent of the level of what those in private practice are earning” to attract more into academic dentistry. With that would come a commitment from faculty to devote at least 50 percent of their time to teaching and clinical practice. The Group’s examination of dental schools showed various steps have been underway for some time to adapt to this changing environment. They include raising tuition and fees, increasing student/faculty ratios, increasing the number of international students in programs, increasing the number of foreign-trained faculty members with dental degrees who can teach dental students, deferring needed maintenance, and postponing investments in new technology. The adverse trends may continue. Citing the closing of seven dental schools, including five in research universities, during the past twenty years, the Group said new thinking and new approaches should be considered. DentalUM Fall 2006 12 Weeks of Outreach To help find money to address the challenges just cited, Formicola said dental schools must closely examine “how they run their cash cows,” that is, their dental clinics. Something to consider, he advised, “is separating the academic role from clinical operations.” Placing clinics under a corporate umbrella, he said, could help them to better manage and track their costs as well as lead to better personnel management. Another idea suggested was reorganizing clinics so they could include residents or advanced education in general dentistry students guiding third- and fourth-year dental students. Noting that dental students receive an average of 2,000 hours of education, another suggestion was to have final-year dental students spend as much as 12 weeks at community dental clinics. At the University of Michigan School of Dentistry, fourth-year dental students spend Macy Group Members Allan J. Formicola, DDS, MS • Professor of Dentistry and former Dean (23 yrs), Columbia University School of Dental and Oral Surgery • Vice Dean, Center for Community Health Partnerships, Columbia University Howard Bailit, DMD, PhD • Professor Emeritus, University of Connecticut • Director, Health Policy and Primary Care Research Center, University of Connecticut Health Center Lisa Tedesco, PhD • Dean, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences; Professor of Public Health, Emory University • Previously, Vice President and Secretary, University of Michigan; associate dean for academic affairs, U-M School of Dentistry Tryfon Beazoglou, PhD • Professor, School of Dental Medicine, University of Connecticut 5 school news The Josiah Macy, Jr. Foundation Established in 1930 to honor the memory of Josiah Macy, Jr. who died of yellow fever in 1876 at age 38, the Foundation funds various projects that improve medical and health professional education, increase diversity among health care professionals, enhance teamwork between and among health care professionals, and develop educational strategies to boost care to underserved populations. Since the mid-1970s, the Foundation has awarded more than 70 percent of its grants to projects that broaden and improve the education of physicians and those in other health care professions. The Macy family was among the first European settlers on Nantucket Island in the late 1630s. Almost two centuries later, prosperous maritime merchant Captain Josiah Macy, his sons and grandsons established a business in New York City and later opened the city’s first oil refinery, eventually selling it to the Standard Oil Company. Source: Josiah Macy, Jr. Foundation Website. 6 three weeks practicing in community clinics, typically in one-week rotations. This longer period of time, Formicola said, would enhance a dental student’s clinical efficiency leading to more revenues. It would also, he added, expose them to a range of oral health care problems they typically don’t encounter in dental school clinics, and help them become more familiar with the unique oral health care needs of communities and the different groups in those communities. Citing several reports in the past decade about oral health care disparities in the country, including the U.S. Surgeon General’s report in 2000, Formicola said having final-year dental students practicing in communities would be a step in helping dental schools move from a student-centered system of education to one that is more patient-centered. He said that would also complement the dental school’s mission as a research university where faculty scholars advance the sciences that include dentistry and, in turn, pass along that knowledge to residents, students, and others. A final suggestion was having a dental school become more closely affiliated with medicine. “But that won’t save much money, as far as we can determine,” he said. “There’s no perfect system. There is no problem-free solution,” Bailit said. “Instead, you have to ask yourself, ‘What problems do we want to deal with’?” Pointing to similar challenges pharmacy, nursing, and medicine have faced previously, the Macy Group expressed optimism. “You’re the leaders. Other dental schools have enormous respect for you,” Formicola said. “The task ahead of you is to make this a better Michigan.” DentalUM Fall 2006 Dental School Launches Mentoring Program I For Alumni, Students, Faculty, and Staff t’s an opportunity for anyone…and everyone…to make a difference. The University of Michigan School of Dentistry recently launched a mentoring program that offers everyone — alumni, students, faculty, and staff — an opportunity for professional and personal growth and development. “The hundreds of students, faculty, and staff here at this School, along with the thousands of alumni we have in this country and around the world, are a rich resource of experience and expertise that all members of our School of Dentistry should be able to access,” Dr. Marilyn Lantz said during the spring meeting of the School’s Alumni Society Board of Governors. Lantz, associate dean for academic affairs who spearheaded the mentoring program, said the School’s initiative is not confined geographically to southeast Michigan. “Since nearly everyone has a personal computer and access to the Internet, this program is one that can become national and even international in nature,” she said. One-Year Pilot Program Begins Although the School has a tradition of encouraging and supporting mentoring and mentoring relationships, some students, staff, and faculty members experience difficulty finding mentors. In an effort to address the issue, the School has been considering trying an online mentoring program for some time. It received a boost more than a year ago when a group of dental students told the School’s Board of Governors that they were looking for ways to connect with the School’s alumni. “We need the help of dental school alumni to serve as mentors and to help us develop networks DentalUM Fall 2006 with other professional colleagues,” said dental student Rajeev Prasher. [DentalUM, Fall 2005, p. 53]. Now, the School is involved in a one-year pilot program with Triple Creek Associates, a suburban Denver-based company that designs software to enhance mentoring. The University of Michigan School of Dentistry recently launched a mentoring program that offers everyone — alumni, students, faculty, and staff — an opportunity for professional and personal growth and development. Although used extensively in the corporate world, the U-M School of Dentistry is the first academic organization in the country to use the company’s software that allows students, faculty, staff, and alumni to participate by helping mentees find mentors. It can also support both new and ongoing mentoring relationships. Lantz said there was no cost to participate and that registering was easy. How it Works Interested individuals visit a Web site, www.3creekmentoring.com/umich, register as a mentor, mentee, or both, and then fill out a brief biographical form. To register and retrieve information, mentors and mentees must enter a six-digit code. For mentors, it’s 420110; for mentees, it’s 650121. Mentors use dialogue boxes to identify their skills or competencies which are grouped into areas of professional development, interpersonal issues, and personal development. 7 school news Dental Students Seeking Mentors Highlights • Individuals can be a mentor or mentee. • Mentors share their expertise. • Mentors can choose to mentor students, faculty, staff, or alumni. • Mentees can be students, faculty, staff, or alumni. • Mentees learn from mentors about professional and personal development. Benefits • Lifetime personal and professional development. • Can help students make critical career decisions. • Can help faculty and staff successfully navigate career paths. • Can help alumni reconnect with each other and the School of Dentistry. 8 Individuals seeking to develop certain skills, or enhance those they already have, can become mentees. Depending on their goals and objectives, mentees then receive a list of mentors along with their profiles. The mentees can talk to potential mentors, make their decisions, and then pursue the mentoring relationship with defined goals and timelines. Mentees can have more than one mentor. You Can Be a Mentor Your name: ___________________________ Degree(s) and year(s) received: _______________________ Address: ____________________________ E-Mail: _____________________________ Participants Decide “The process is mentee driven,” Lantz said. “It’s up to the mentee to tell their mentor what they’re trying to achieve.” Mentoring interactions can take place face-to-face, on the telephone, or by using e-mail. It can be short term, several months, or, if necessary, longer term. That’s decided by individual mentor/mentee pairs. It can also take different forms, from informational to advocacy. “Typically, we think of faculty members mentoring students,” Lantz said. “But very effective, less traditional mentoring relationships might also be developed, for example, between a staff member mentoring a faculty member on a particular subject or topic. We just have to assist mentees in finding appropriate mentors.” Reflecting on her experiences as both a mentor and mentee, Lantz said, “I’ve had some incredible mentors. It’s very rewarding to be a mentor because you grow and develop professionally and personally while helping someone develop and succeed.” Preferred daytime telephone number: ______________________ I am willing to.... Allow students to shadow me at my office. Talk to students on the telephone about careers. Other _________________________ _________________________ Please return to: University of Michigan School of Dentistry Office of Alumni Relations 540 E. Liberty Suite 204 Ann Arbor, MI 48104-2210 DentalUM Fall 2006 High Tech in the Clinic New “Mini-GPS System” Enhances Implant Precision It’s a “mini-GPS system” in the clinic. Many of us are familiar with the Global Positioning Satellite system feature commonly used in many of today’s automobiles. Orbiting hundreds or even thousands of miles above the earth, a network of satellites relays information to motorists that helps them to precisely determine their location as they travel. Imagine using that same approach in a dental clinic. It’s now being done at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry. In recent months, Dr. David Sarment has been using a “surgical navigation machine,” also referred to as a “mini-GPS device,” to assist in implant placement. “It’s a pretty amazing piece of equipment,” he said. “Not only is it easy to use, but it also gives me a better view of a patient’s oral cavity since digital images are projected onto a computer monitor.” Sarment, a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Periodontics and Oral Medicine, said patients benefit from the greater precision and minimal risk. The mini-GPS system may also be used with an “iCAT” scanner that gives clinicians 3-D images of a patient’s head and neck. Installed in the School’s Radiology Clinic in early 2004, iCAT has a smaller footprint than conventional CT scanners that allows a patient to sit upright in a chair in a more open environment instead of laying on their back before being pulled into a narrow tunnel. [DentalUM, Spring & Summer 2004, page 46.] DentalUM Fall 2006 Keary Campbell When working on a patient, the semi-circular wand in Dr. David Sarment’s right hand transmits data to an overhead tracking camera that enables him to adjust the position of the drill (in his left hand) based on three- dimensional visual cues for location, angulation, and depth. Although the unit was initially used at the Michigan Center for Oral Health Research, it is now in the graduate periodontics clinic where more grad perio residents and other clinic instructors can learn to use the system. Sarment hopes to offer continuing dental education courses so others can also become familiar with the unit. Use of the mini-GPS system for implants is only the beginning, according to Sarment. “This new system opens the door for other possible uses, including the removal of lesions,” he said. Sarment hopes to help up to 20 patients annually. “But once others are trained, we will, obviously, be able to help many more,” he said. 9 school news Dentistry’s Vital Role Mette Foundation Board T hey learned a lot. They were also surprised with much of what they heard. This year, as they have for the past 16 years, about one dozen members of the Norman Mette Foundation came to the University of Michigan campus in the spring to learn more about some of the innovative programs and clinical and research activities taking place at both the School of Dentistry and the Medical School. For nearly three hours, dental school faculty members described some of the innovative research taking place at the Michigan Center for Oral Health Research located at Domino’s Farms. [DentalUM, Fall 2004, pages 12-14.] They also heard about challenges dentistry is facing as it tries to provide oral health care to a growing number of the elderly as geriatric care was the theme of day-long presentations at both schools. From the Laboratory to Chairside Opened in January 2005, the Center “takes knowledge that has been discovered in research laboratories and attempts to apply it at chairside to help patients improve their oral, dental, and craniofacial health,” said Dr. Carol Anne Murdoch-Kinch, a clinical associate professor. “The resources at this facility, however, are not just for those in dentistry,” she added, “they are also for those in medicine, public health, and other units on campus.” Among Center activities Murdoch-Kinch described included: developing a saliva test kit that might be able to detect periodontal disease and even biotoxins in patients, tissue engineering, and a new high tech system that allows for more precise placement of dental implants. 10 Jerry Mastey During a tour of MCOHR facilities, Dr. Carol Anne Murdoch-Kinch described the digital technology being used to Karl Schettenhelm, a member of the Mette Foundation’s Board of Directors. MCOHR “An Important Link” Karl Schettenhelm, the attorney for the Foundation, said he and other members were impressed. “The Michigan Center for Oral Health Research is an important link to allow those in education, science, and medicine to provide medical and scientific answers to address a range of oral health care needs,” he said. Information about the Center’s activities and tour of facilities gave board members “an intense understanding of practical solutions and critical thinking that, when addressed properly, can lead business to see research, in collaboration with the University, providing real solutions to develop real products to help pressing health care needs,” he added. DentalUM Fall 2006 Gets Insights into Present and Future Oral Health Needs of Seniors Equally impressive, Schettenhelm said, was the information presented by two School of Dentistry faculty members about the oral health care needs of a growing segment of the population – the elderly. “There is a critical need to train dentists today and tomorrow about how to treat the oral health care needs of senior citizens,” said Dr. Barbara Smith, assistant professor and director of the School’s geriatric dental program. The need, she said, is due to demographics. Although about 35 million people in this country are now 65 or older, their numbers will double by the year 2030. “But there aren’t enough practitioners who are able, or will be able, to treat this segment of the population,” she said. In addition, instead of wearing dentures as past generations have, these older adults will have most of their natural teeth. Smith said that although some programs, such as General Practice Residency, Advanced Education in General Dentistry, and graduate prosthodontics, “do touch on the dental needs of the elderly, geriatric dentistry needs to be a part of the curriculum if we as a profession are going to be able to treat this growing number of elderly patients in the future.” Dr. Elisa Ghezzi, an adjunct clinical professor, said efforts are underway to help both oral health care professionals and the elderly. She cited a grant from the National Institutes of Health allowing students using computers to use evidence-based skills to locate and critique information that will help dentists answer questions about care for elderly patients with varying needs. Although education is one factor, Ghezzi said that significant barriers to reaching and treating those patients included their physical condition. DentalUM Fall 2006 “Many are frail or functionally dependent on others to help meet their needs,” she said. “In addition, you also have to consider how the role of nursing homes has changed in the past twenty or thirty years, the rise of assisted living centers, the knowledge of staff at these facilities, and attitudes among family members. It’s a very complex set of interrelated issues.” Planning Now Underway After talking to dentists, dental hygienists, oral health care organizations, insurance companies, and others across the state, Ghezzi said she and Smith have developed an informational network called the Michigan Geriatric Dentistry Network, a resource that attempts to enhance clinical care for the elderly and educate oral health care professionals throughout the state. For more information, contact Ghezzi by e-mail: eghezzi@umich.edu or by telephone (734) 358- 0275. “This is our way of taking action now so that we create greater awareness of what those in the oral health community can expect and what resources are available to better meet the current and future needs,” she added. Letting Others Know Schettenhelm said he and other members of the Foundation “were unaware of the magnitude of providing oral health care for seniors until we heard the presentations from the dental school faculty members.” He said the Foundation’s role “is not just to provide scholarships, although that is our most tangible role. We also see ourselves as a resource to tell others about the great things the University of Michigan School of Dentistry and the Health System are doing for many in our community and the world at large.” 11 Jerry Mastey Dr. Amy Kim (right), MCOHR research program manager, leads Mette Foundation members on a tour of MCOHR facilities. In the 2,000 square foot facility are four operatories, state-of-the-art digital radiography (x-ray) equipment, a patient consultation area, and six offices. The Center can handle as many as 7,800 patient visits and 15to 20 clinical studies annually. Norman Mette’s Legacy: Scholarships for Dental and Medical Students He had nine different operations for cancer and several visits with his dentist unrelated to his operations. Through it all, Norman Mette was so impressed with the physicians and dentists, the quality of care they gave him, and the concern that they expressed for him, that he wanted to do more than say “thank you.” With astute investing and prudent estate planning, Mette created a foundation that continues to provide scholarships to dental and medical students at the University of Michigan. When asked “Why Michigan?” and “Why scholarships?,” his response was, “They are part of the symbol.” To Mette, the University of Michigan represented the environment through which excellence was achieved. He was a student for one semester in the College of Literature, Sciences, and Arts during the 1930s, but was forced to drop out because of the Great Depression. Late in his life, all of his efforts were focused on creating the Foundation and establishing its funding. Today, the Norman Mette Foundation provides scholarships to outstanding dental school and medical school students and also helps them and others understand and appreciate the Michigan educational experience. Mette’s vision was to inspire dental and medical scholars to focus their gifts and talents to become leaders in their fields as well as provide uncommon care to individuals. Mette lived in a small, single room apartment in Detroit. When he needed nursing care later in life, Mette was frugal to the point where he refused to buy an easy chair if the purchase would jeopardize the Foundation or, more importantly, its mission of providing scholarships. He believed in dreams and in sharing. His motto, “Never give up your dreams,” is the Foundation’s cornerstone. “If you have a dream, you can make it happen,” he believed. Not wanting dentists and doctors to lose sight of the good they could do for others and the awe they could inspire, Mette did not want them to give up their dreams because they could not “afford to participate.” He wanted them to create “Miracles at Michigan” for years to come. To date, more than 200 Mette Scholars have benefited from the vision of Norman Mette. Since 1991, the Mette Foundation has gifted $510,000 for scholarships for dental students. The Foundation’s total giving to U-M is $2.25 million. 12 DentalUM Fall 2006 school news Sindecuse Museum Artifacts Displayed at MDA’s 150th Anniversary Celebration “I think every dentist who will see these artifacts will appreciate what their predecessors had to work with one hundred or more years ago,” said Sindecuse Museum Curator Shannon O’Dell as she prepared exhibit cases for the Michigan Dental Association’s 150th anniversary celebration this spring. “I’m sure they will also marvel at the beauty of many of these instruments and appreciate their craftsmanship.” For more than a year, O’Dell worked with Dr. Michael Maihofer, chair of the MDA’s 150th Anniversary Task Force, reviewing countless artifacts in the School’s Sindecuse Museum. [DentalUM, Fall 2005, page 78.] From May 17 to 20, a floor display of a typical dental office from around 1900 and 19th century artifacts were displayed during the MDA’s sesquicentennial celebration at the Lansing Center. The School of Dentistry assisted the MDA in not only providing access to collections in the Sindecuse Museum, but also offered historical background information about the artifacts and various photographs. The Museum also loaned 23 photographs and documents it received more than a decade earlier from the MDA. Three previously unpublished photos were also unveiled. Because of the age and condition of the artifacts, viewers could not touch any of them when they were publicly displayed. Smaller items were easily viewable behind exhibit cases. Some of the items from the Sindecuse Museum that were displayed are also on pages 14 and 15. DentalUM Fall 2006 DentalUM Fall 2006 Photo courtesy of the Michigan Dental Association These dental instruments, from the School of Dentistry’s Sindecuse Museum, were displayed during the Michigan Dental Association’s 150th anniversary celebration this summer. 13 13 school news 150th Anniversary Celebration mpbell Keary Ca This oak instrument case, used by U-M dental students in the early 20th century, was used by Dr. Bion L. Bates who received his dental degree in 1905from what was then known as the College of Dental Surgery at the University of Michigan. Bion’s brother, Clare, graduated with a dental degree from Michigan in 1897. Bion’s son, Jack, earned his dental degree in 1941. Keary Ca mpbel l These portable dental instruments were used mostly for extractions from about 1820 to 1860. Keary Campb ell These tools, from 1860-1880, were used by the School of Dentistry’s first Dean, Dr. Jonathan Taft. 14 14 DentalUM Fall 2006 DentalUM Fall 2006 Manufactured around 1901by the S.S. White Dental Manufacturing Company, this chair was used in the Hillsdale, Michigan dental office of Dr. Stanley Kirby, a 1902 graduate of the U-M College of Dental Surgery (as it was known then). Dr. Alfred Baldwin, an 1898 graduate of the University of Michigan College of Dental Surgery, shows the equipment in his dental office in Calumet, Michigan. Keary These ivory-handled instruments from the School of Dentistry’s Sindecuse Museum were part of a general dentist’s kit that was used in the 19th century. DentalUM Fall 2006 DentalUM Fall 2006 Campb ell The Gift from Dr. Gordon Sindecuse Housed in the School of Dentistry, the Sindecuse Museum is one of only a handful of museums in the world devoted to preserving the history of the dental profession. A substantial gift in the early 1990s from the late Dr. Gordon Sindecuse (DDS 1921) made it possible to renovate areas in the Kellogg Building, purchase collections, and establish an endowment to ensure perpetual support. Officially opened in September 1992, the Gordon H. Sindecuse Museum of Dentistry holds more than 12,000 items that showcase the evolution of the dental profession from the late 1700s through the 1960s. A renovation project completed in September 2000, allowed the Museum to expand space for exhibitions and storage. C l i m a t e c o n t ro l s w e re a l s o installed to help preserve dental equipment, photographs, and other memorabilia. [DentalUM, Fall 2000, page 11.] 15 15 school news Mus e u m Ar ti f a c ts Show “Dentists were pioneers… clinically, scientifically, and how they used what was “As I look at the many artifacts we have in our museum and think about the final years of the nineteenth century and early years of the twentieth century, I’m amazed and impressed with how dentists helped to shape both the profession and society as we know it today,” said Sindecuse Museum Curator Shannon O’Dell. That story is one that O’Dell is more than happy to tell. As she prepared two exhibit cases with 19th century artifacts from the Museum that were shipped to Lansing and displayed during the Michigan Dental Association’s 150th anniversary celebration in May, O’Dell spoke nostalgically and enthusiastically about that pioneering role. “Dentists were trying to change what people thought about the profession back then,” she said. “Dentistry was considered a trade, so dentists worked hard to establish its credibility with a skeptical public and establish a sense of respect for what they could do.” Electricity, the Big Breakthrough One of the largest displays in the Museum recreates operatories from the late 19th century complete with dental chairs, a foot-powered engine and lathe, homemade instruments, and a spittoon that was used before running water. “The big breakthrough came when dentists began using electricity,” O’Dell said. “It had a huge impact on the profession and also changed society.” Although Thomas Edison used a direct current generator that provided electricity to illuminate his laboratory and, later, streets in New York City in the 1880s, dentists were among 16 16 Per Kjeldsen Shannon O’Dell, Sindecuse Museum Curator the first to see the potential benefits of this “new” technology, according to O’Dell. For example, in 1896, six years after the School’s graduate dentistry program began, U-M Regents approved spending $60 to install electric lights in the dental clinic. Until then, dentists had to do most of their work during daylight hours. “Once dentists began using electricity to illuminate their offices, they were able to treat a greater number of patients and accommodate those who needed care, especially those who couldn’t make it to an office until later in the DentalUM Fall 2006 DentalUM Fall 2006 Pioneering Role of Dentists then an emerging technology.” day because of their work schedules,” she said. O’Dell said many dentists also experimented with electricity to power their instruments, citing the foot-operated engine as an example. “Some dentists attached a small motor to the device so they could use electricity as a power source instead of pumping with their legs,” she said. “This made it easier for them to have a steadier hand when they were using one of their instruments in a patient’s mouth and illumination of the mouth also made it easier to see cavities and other problems.” The decision of dentists to use electricity in their offices helped to change the profession and society in other ways, O’Dell said. “Dentists now hired assistants, usually women, and trained them to help in the office,” she said. “Over time, they became known as ‘dental assistants’ while other women began thinking about becoming dentists themselves.” O’Dell said dentists in general, and those who earned dental degrees from U-M, should be proud of their professional heritage. “They were the pioneers of yesterday just as computer hardware and software developers are pioneers today,” she said. The Sindecuse Museum of Dentistry Location: 1011 N. University Avenue Enter: Lower level doors near courtyard, then follow “Museum” signs. Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (Monday – Friday) Photos and Information Needed The Sindecuse Museum maintains an archive of photographs of graduating classes of the School of Dentistry from 1875 to present. Although class pictures for most years have been archived, some class pictures are missing according to Museum Curator Shannon O’Dell. Needed for the archives are pictures of the graduating classes of 1904, 1943, 1947, 1954, 1979, 1982, and 1984. O’Dell is also interested in acquiring dental equipment manuals, supply catalogs (1920s to 1980s), photographs depicting dental professionals at work, advertising materials for dental products and dental offices, dental and dental hygiene products in original packaging (up to the 1970s), any dental-related games or toys, and occupational coats and caps worn by dental professionals. Please contact O’Dell by telephone (734) 763-0767 or by e-mail, dentalmuseum@umich. edu, if you can help with the collection or if you have questions about the Sindecuse Museum of Dentistry. Phone: (734) 763-0767 DentalUM Fall 2006 17 cover story The Advantage… How the Oral Pathology Biopsy Service It’s a service that has been offered by the U-M School of Dentistry to oral health care professionals for more than 60 years. During that time, dentists and specialists have received valuable information about their patients. At the same time, dental, dental hygiene, and graduate students have benefited too, becoming more skilled at recognizing and more proficient in diagnosing a range of oral lesions, suspicious ones that may cause oral cancer. In recent years, the oral pathology biopsy service has been enjoying a renewed surge in interest. Background Launched in the 1940s by Dr. Donald Kerr, a worldwide authority who chaired the School’s Department of Oral Biology, he also used the oral pathology service as a vehicle to develop specialized dental programs for patients with oral cancer. Since 2002, the total number of biopsies handled by the School of Dentistry has risen more than 34 percent, to more than 2,200 cases through 2005. Through September the number of biopsies handled has surpassed 1,753. * Annualized estimate based on cases handled through September. The number of biopsies handled by the School of Dentistry has risen more than 30 percent since 2002. 18 Reasons for Renewed Interest “I think one of the reasons for the increase, not only in interest but in use of the service, comes from many who were students here at Michigan, who knew about the service when they were here, and who are now turning to us for help as they run their own practices,” said Dr. Nisha D’Silva, director of the oral pathology biopsy service. Associate director, Dr. Kitrina Cordell, agrees. She believes other factors are also responsible. “Word of mouth advertising among dentists and specialists about what we’re doing and what we offer is another reason for the increase in activity,” she said. Also helping to generate additional interest in the service were efforts by two School of Dentistry faculty members, department chair, Dr. Laurie McCauley, and Dr. Robert Bagramian. D’Silva said both played a major role in upgrading equipment being used and in centralizing the service’s location. “ There are other reasons too,” she added, “including awareness created by our continuing education courses, collaboration with the U-M Hospital and the addition of clinical services previously not available at the dental school.” Both D’Silva and Cordell add that Dean Peter Polverini’s interest and participation are also helping. “He’s an oral pathologist at heart,” D’Silva said with a smile. “I think his involvement and personal contact with clinicians contributes to the visibility of the service and how we can help.” DentalUM Fall 2006 Gives Oral Health Providers, Patients, and Educators ‘The Edge’ Keary Campbell Polverini agreed, saying the service “enables me to continue participating in patient care, helping patients, and being of service to the community.” [See sidebar, page 23.] Cordell and D’Silva said that specimens they examine are sent not only from Ann Arbor and southeast Michigan, but also Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Marquette, Saginaw, and other parts of the state. Additional specimens are also received from nearby states and distant states including Colorado and Arizona. Major Benefits The service offers five major benefits. First and foremost is the knowledge and the expertise of those who are in charge. Dr. Nisha D’Silva, who is the director of the oral biopsy service and an assistant professor, has been at U-M since 1998. A Magnuson Scholar from the University of Washington and an AADR/IADR Hatton Award winner in 1996, she has conducted extensive research in oral carcinogenesis and has collaborated with clinicians and basic scientists throughout the dental school and the U-M Hospital. Dr. Kitrina Cordell, the program’s associate director, joined U-M in 2002 after receiving the Gorlin Award that same year. Presented by the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology during its annual meeting, the Gorlin Award recognizes a resident with the best research project. Cordell received the award as a third-year resident at Ohio State. A clinical assistant professor who teaches both didactically and clinically, Cordell treats patients with oral pathology needs in the School’s Dental Faculty Associates clinic. DentalUM Fall 2006 Cordell, D’Silva, and Polverini are all Diplomates of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology. As a team, they teach all aspects of oral and maxillofacial pathology to students at all levels, including predoctoral dental students, dental hygiene students, and residents in all specialty programs. Cordell said her expertise as a clinician, and D’Silva’s expertise in research, offers dentists and specialists “the best of both worlds. We often use our strengths in our areas for the benefit of the patient and the provider,” she said. “I would not hesitate to say that they are, without a doubt, the most knowledgeable oral pathologists around,” said Dr. Dalbert Fear (DDS 1982; MS, oral and maxillofacial surgery, 1986), an Ann Arbor oral surgeon who has used the oral pathology service for about twenty years. “Periodically, I have a chance to talk to other Drs. Nisha D’Silva (left) and Kitrina Cordell examine oral tissue specimens under a microscope that gives them an opportunity to view the same specimen simultaneously. If necessary, images can also be projected onto a screen. 19 cover story oral surgeons, and when I do, I will tell them about my very positive experiences with the dental school’s oral pathology biopsy service and suggest they use it, if they’re not already doing so,” he added. Designed for Oral Health Care Professionals A second major benefit is that the service is designed and customized to meet the needs of oral health care professionals and their patients. Dr. Fred Bonine (DDS 1979; MS, oral and maxillofacial surgery, 1984), an oral and maxillofacial surgeon in Brighton, Michigan, has been using the service since 1984. “It has proven its usefulness time and again,” he said. “Because they’re specialists, oral pathologists are often aware of subtleties and nuances that may often escape the attention of a general pathologist,” he said. “That puts them in a position to offer a very accurate diagnosis and a thorough report which, many times, goes a long way in providing a patient with peace of mind, especially if they’re worried, for example, about something like oral cancer.” Dr. Melvin Flamenbaum of Flint, agreed. “It’s comforting to me to send biopsies to the dental school’s oral pathology service for analysis and review because I know there are expertly-trained oral pathologists looking at what I sent,” said Flamenbaum who taught oral surgery at U-M Hospital from September 2001 to June 2003. Detailed Reports A third major benefit is a detailed report that is faxed or mailed, and soon will be available electronically. 20 “The report includes not only the diagnosis, but also a complete histologic description of the specimen which can help the clinician provide more information and a better quality of service to his or her patient,” Cordell said. Prior to issuing a final report, D’Silva and Cordell may contact the oral health care professional to obtain additional information to aid in diagnosis. “If there’s something unusual about the specimen, or if they have questions about the patients, they will call me prior to sending a report,” said Flamenbaum. “This occurs only occasionally, but when it does, it’s reassuring to know that they’re trying to get all the facts before they send their written report to me.” Accessibility Included with every detailed report comes accessibility, the fourth major benefit. D’Silva, Cordell, and even Polverini discuss their findings and answer questions. Dr. Roger Hill (MS, periodontics, 1974), a periodontist in Saginaw, Michigan said, “It’s a very interactive process. If Nisha or Kitrina have questions before they issue their report, they will call me. When I have questions, they take the time to explain something which, in turn, allows me to better explain to a patient what is going on.” Fear said, “their approach is not take it or leave it. There’s a lot of give and take.” He added, “it’s an unusual month for me if I don’t talk to Nisha or Kitrina at least once about a case or a specimen.” B re n t Wa rd ( c e r t i f i c a t e , o r a l a n d maxillofacial surgery, 2000; certificate, oral and maxillofacial oncology, 2003) an assistant professor of oral surgery, went a step further. “They are willing to review the entire DentalUM Fall 2006 The digital images examined by the oral pathology biopsy service are a gold mine of information for instructors and students. Keary Campbell case, including radiographs and clinical photos to help develop an accurate diagnosis,” he said. “A patient’s life is deeply affected by pathology, so a decision on whether to take a radical or a conservative approach to treatment is based on clinical, radiographic, and pathologic diagnoses,” he added. New Technology A fifth benefit of the School’s oral pathology service is its use of new technology. New equipment, including a five-head microscope, gives students and clinicians an opportunity to see the same specimen simultaneously. If necessary, images can also be projected onto a nearby screen. There are times when dentists or specialists, such Bonine, visit the School of Dentistry themselves or bring members of their staff to Ann Arbor to learn more about the service. [See page 24.] A recently renovated room, dedicated solely to the biopsy service, is adjacent to the main office and laboratory to enhance communication between pathologists, the lab, and office personnel. The room has a computer and projector that can be used to show pictures, radiographs, and microscopic images. “This can be especially useful when we are discussing a case with several people simultaneously, or teaching small groups, “D’Silva said. “The new attached camera, in conjunction with computer software, allows us to project live images onto a screen. We can also add a measure bar to an image to emphasize a pathologic feature including, for example, the depth of invasion of a carcinoma if one is present,” she added. Using today’s technology not only benefits DentalUM Fall 2006 Dr. Nisha D’Silva explains to Dr. Fred Bonine and some members of his staff that the School’s oral pathology biopsy service will become interactive allowing for two-way image viewing and communication between the School and a dental office. oral health professionals and their patients, it also enhances education in classrooms throughout the School of Dentistry. Digital Microscopes, Virtual Textbooks The digital images examined by the oral pathology biopsy service are a gold mine of information for instructors and students. In recent years, dental, dental hygiene, and graduate students have been using the Internet instead of conventional light microscopes to learn about oral diseases. About five years ago, D’Silva and the late Dr. Carl (Tom) Hanks used the Internet and the World Wide Web to create a “digital microscope” that allows students to use their computers to access and view tissues with various pathologies. Tissues collected from patients who have been treated in School of Dentistry clinics since the 1940s have been digitized. Over time, glass-mounted sections of actual 21 cover story tissues, which demonstrate the appearance of oral diseases, fade, crack, break, and dry out. But digital images do not. Using their laptop computers as surrogate microscopes, students can view images using low-, medium-, or high-power resolution. This allows all students to view the same quality image and enhances classroom discussion. This approach not only enhances learning, it saves hundreds of thousands of dollars that would have been spent to update microscopes. In addition, thousands of square feet of laboratory and storage space are now used for other purposes. Digital microscopes are just the beginning, however. Combined with a case-based approach to learning, the high tech approach is used to guide students through a series of questions in a “virtual textbook.” Students navigate computer-assisted decision trees to diagnose and “treat” patients. In effect, the School of Dentistry realizes an educational benefit. The oral pathology biopsy service leverages images of lesion samples, along with the information provided by dentists and specialists, to enhance oral health care education. “The unusual cases we review, and even the routine ones for that matter, all contribute to the body of knowledge we use in our educational courses,” D’Silva said. Reflecting on the increased interest in the oral pathology biopsy service in recent years, and the contributions it has made to oral health care professionals, their patients, and even education, D’Silva said, “We have taken a huge leap forward consistent with our commitment to providing quality service to the patients and the clinicians we serve, as well as helping to expand the growing body of knowledge on the subject. It’s a service that will continue to play a vital role, not just here, but across Michigan and, hopefully, across the rest of the country,” she said. Keary Campbell Dr. Kitrina Cordell explains to members of Dr. Fred Bonine’s staff how tissue samples are handled once they are received by the oral pathology laboratory. 22 DentalUM Fall 2006 Keary Campbell For More Information, Contact: U-M School of Dentistry Oral Pathology Biopsy Service 1011 N. University Avenue Room G018 Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1078 Phone: (734) 764-1535 or (800) 358-1011 Dean Polverini: “It’s Something I Enjoy Doing.” “He’s an oral pathologist at heart,” said Dr. Nisha D’Silva of Dean Peter Polverini. One day a week, Polverini participates in the School’s oral pathology biopsy service diagnosing specimens that are submitted by clinicians within the School and mailed by those in private practice. The specimens are processed in the oral pathology laboratory in the Kellogg Building. Extensively involved with the service when he chaired the Department of Oral Medicine, Pathology, and Oncology from 1996 to 2000, Polverini said he remains involved, even as dean, “because it’s something I enjoy doing. It also allows me to continue my participation in patient care and to provide a service to patients and those in the practicing community.” However, he also cited other benefits. Polverini said that since he also teaches pathology, “I can see diseases first-hand and up close. That helps me to expand my knowledge base as a teacher and a scientist. It also reinforces my belief in the value of scientific discovery and how it can help in diagnosis and treatment.” Polverini wants the service to continue growing and eventually become part of a larger effort at the School to develop a graduate training program in oral and maxillofacial pathology. “I would like to participate more in the biopsy service and play an active role in that graduate level training program,” he said. DentalUM Fall 2006 Nisha D’Silva, BDS, MSD, PhD Director, Assistant Professor e-mail: njdsilva@umich.edu Kitrina Cordell, DDS, MS Associate Director, Clinical Assistant Professor e-mail: kcordell@umich.edu 23 cover story Unique Field Trip… Oral Surgeon Brings Staff to Learn More about Oral Path Service It was an impressive “first.” In late July, a Brighton, Michigan oral surgeon brought his staff of 13 to Ann Arbor to see and learn more about the School of Dentistry’s oral pathology biopsy service. When it ended, Dr. Fred Bonine was glad he did. So too were those who accompanied him. For more than an hour, Dr. Nisha D’Silva and Dr. Kitrina Cordell, along with oral pathology laborator y super visor John Westman, demonstrated what happens after a dentist sends a patient’s oral tissue to the School for analysis. Each explained the importance of correct sample labeling; tissue measuring, cutting, and staining; as well as compiling a final John Westman, oral pathology laboratory report and sharing the diagnosis with the supervisor, explains to members of Dr. Fred Bonine’s staff what happens to dentist or dental specialist who sent the tissue tissue samples after they are received by sample. the School’s oral pathology laboratory. Dean Peter Polverini emphasized the importance of accuracy. “Accurate diagnosis of each and every specimen we receive is vitally important because a patient’s life is at stake,” he said. “So it’s up to us to make that accurate diagnosis for you and your patient and then, if necessary, provide some direction for the dentist and patient about what might happen next.” In a specially equipped conference room, D’Silva and Cordell displayed images from a biopsy on a computer monitor, explained their diagnosis, and answered questions. Keary Campbell What’s Ahead “The questions Dr. Bonine’s staff asked were very thoughtful and gave us a teaching opportunity in the diagnostic, specimen processing, and reporting processes of the oral pathology biopsy service, which we hope made an interesting experience for our 24 guests,” D’Silva said. Within the next year or two, D’Silva said, the oral pathology biopsy service will become interactive. “Someone from the School of Dentistry and a dental specialist will be able to visit a secure Web site that will have a patient’s complete oral history, tissue samples, and diagnosis so that you and other dentists can download reports, if you choose,” she told the group. D’Silva told Bonine that using a computer with Internet access, “both of us could simultaneously view a biopsy slide from the microscope without leaving your office. You could see the margins of a cancer and we could discuss whether it has been completely removed or requires further surgery,” she said. A special microscope will be loaned to the School for evaluation. The microscope could also be used for slide review prior to specialty board examinations and for discussions with other pathologists. As he and members of his staff left the School, Bonine said, “The word ‘doctor’ means ‘teacher.’ What you have taught us here today will help us to give our patients a better understanding of what you do so that all of us, in turn, can be teachers and better communicate with and serve our patients.” Afterwards, Kathy Bird, a senior surgical assistant, said she was interested in the preparation process prior to the reading of the slides. She added she was “looking forward to the new technology of viewing a specimen on a computer with the pathologists in Ann Arbor.” After Polverini and Cordell thanked them for coming to Ann Arbor, D’Silva said, “This is the first time we have given a tour of our lab and new facilities. I think this is something we will have to do again.” DentalUM Fall 2006 Oral Pathology Biopsy Service Lauded Dr. Fred Bonine Dr. Dalbert Fear Dr. Roger Hill DDS 1979; MS, oral and maxillofacial surgery, 1984 DDS 1982; MS, oral and maxillofacial surgery, 1986 MS, periodontics, 1974 I h a v e s e n t h u n d re d s o f t i s s u e specimens to the School of Dentistry’s oral pathology service for diagnosis and I can say that it has proven its usefulness time and again. Because they’re specialists, oral pathologists like Nisha and Kitrina are often aware of subtleties and nuances that may escape the attention of a general pathologist. That puts them in a position to offer a very accurate diagnosis and thorough report which, many times, goes a long way in providing a patient with peace of mind, especially if they’re worried, for example, about something like oral cancer. I have sent several hundred biopsies to the dental school’s oral pathology biopsy service since 1986. They have ranged from small, simple lesions to those that may have been malignant requiring more aggressive surgery. My experience with the oral pathology biopsy service is that it’s been a very interactive process. If Nisha or Kitrina have questions before they issue their report, they will call me. When I have questions, they take the time to explain something which, in turn, allows me to better explain to a patient what is going on. Their reports have a high degree of accuracy and they are very efficient, m a n y t i m e s p ro v i d i n g 2 4 - h o u r turnaround from the time a biopsy specimen is received to issuing a final report. The proximity to Ann Arbor is also a major benefit. Sometimes I offer a patient the option to personally deliver a sample to the School for analysis so they can get the results quicker. Many times that can be very therapeutic since a patient won’t then have to wait one or two weeks to get the results. DentalUM Fall 2006 I like the give and take. Not only do I receive a report, I also talk to them about what is in the report. After I get a report, I will review it with my patients and discuss what’s in it with them. It’s an unusual month for me if I don’t talk to Nisha and Kitrina at least once about a case or a specimen. I would not hesitate to say that they are, without a doubt, the most knowledgeable oral pathologists around. Periodically, I have a chance to talk to other oral surgeons, and when I do, I will tell them about my very positive experiences with the dental school’s oral pathology biopsy service and suggest they use it, if they’re not already doing so. They’re very attentive to our needs and often help with patient diagnosis and treatment plans. And that’s important in periodontics because sometimes there can be different implications with a treatment plan and how a plan may affect tissues involved. 25 cover story Dr. Melvin Flamenbaum Dr. Brent Ward Adjunct Clinical Instructor, oral and maxillofacial surgery, U-M Hospital, September 2001 to June 2003 Assistant Professor, oral and maxillofacial surgery It’s comforting to me to send biopsies to the dental school’s oral pathology biopsy service for analysis and review because I know there are expertly- trained oral pathologists looking at what I sent. That specialized expertise can be especially helpful with borderline cases because I get information or a perspective that helps me with a recommendation I will make to a patient. Patients who have biopsies at the dental school and who need surgical treatment at U-M Hospital are sent to us. In these cases, we always review the findings from the oral pathology b i o p s y s e r v i c e , w h i c h p ro v i d e s excellent diagnostic information. The service is also a resource Hospital pathologists use, consulting with oral pathologists, on occasion, for interesting and rare odontogenic pathology and sometimes routine cases too. When this occurs, the standard report we receive specifically states the pathologist sought consultation with Nisha, Kitrina, or Dean Polverini. They are willing to review the entire case, including radiographs and clinical photos to help develop an accurate diagnosis. If there’s something unusual about the specimen, or if they have questions about the patients, they will call me prior to sending a report. This occurs only occasionally, but when it does, it’s reassuring to know that they’re trying to get all the facts before they send their written report to me. The level of detail and accuracy in all their reports is consistently excellent. Drs. D’Silva and Cordell are always available if I have questions and get back to me in a timely manner. Every once in a while even the dean, Dr. Peter Polverini, will review one of my cases and get back to me. 26 When one stops to think about it, a patient’s life is deeply affected by pathology. A decision to do a radical or conservative treatment is based on clinical, radiographic, and pathologic diagnoses. DentalUM Fall 2006 Dr. Jack Gobetti to Retire S t u d e n t s , f a c u l t y, s t a f f , a n d administrators are going to miss his two trademarks — his always-upbeat personality and the whistling as he walked the hallways. On January 1, 2007, Dr. Jack Gobetti will officially retire from the School of Dentistry following a 42-year affiliation with the University of Michigan. Thirty-eight of those years were as an instructor whose teaching career began shortly after receiving his dental degree from U-M in 1968 following two-and-a-half years of undergraduate study in the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts. “I’m glad I’ve had a year to prepare for my retirement. It would have been too traumatic to begin my retirement so quickly,” Gobetti said with a laugh. Even though he’s in “phased retirement,” he has had plenty to keep him busy since the first of this year. Gobetti has continued to teach graduate and continuing dental education courses, offers advice to students when asked, and is making plans for a six-week trip to Italy next spring. Preparing for Dental Education Cruise But what seems to be occupying a significant amount of Gobetti’s time is transferring a lifetime of visual data — information on more than 8,000 slides — onto a computer. “I’m still using slides in my CE courses and will convert about 750 or 800 of them into PowerPoint format for the dental school’s one-week continuing dental education cruise next March,” he said. Thousands of the slides have been used in lectures he has given across the U.S. and around the world, including more than 500 academic lectures at local, regional, national, and international scientific meetings. DentalUM Fall 2006 Keary Campbell Reflecting on his career, Gobetti said he is proud and grateful to have been named Outstanding Teaching of the Year by dental and dental hygiene students 21 times. Dr. Jack Gobetti and third-year dental student Lindsay Philp discuss a patient’s dental record during a review of a radiograph in a School of Dentistry clinic. It’s the Students Gobetti taught dental students during their four years of education, dental hygiene students during their three years of study, presented most of the lectures on oral diagnosis and oral medicine, and directed oral diagnosis clinic rotations. He also lectured and added clinical examples to other courses including the Integrated Medical Sciences and pharmacology. “The students have enriched my life more than I ever imagined,” he said. “I have absolutely loved teaching them and sharing my knowledge and my passion for oral medicine with them whether it was in a lecture hall or one-on-one in the clinics.” Saying he has been “awed by their curiosity, their enthusiasm, and their passion for learning,” Gobetti said that “when you get that kind of combination, you can’t help but want to whistle walking down the hallways or even in the office.” 27 What has made teaching even more rewarding, Gobetti said, was seeing many of his former students making their mark in dentistry. In addition to being recognized by students, Gobetti has also received the Distinguished Faculty Award presented by the Organization of Teachers of Oral Diagnosis (1996) and the International Association of Student Clinicians American Dental Association’s Faculty Advisor Award (1997). He was also inducted into the International College of Dentists, Michigan Chapter, and the Michigan International College of Dental Scholars in 2001. The following year, Gobetti was given honorary membership in the Michigan Dental Hygienists’ Association for his generous support and teaching dental hygiene students. “The students have enriched my life more than I ever imagined. I have absolutely loved teaching them and sharing my knowledge and my passion for oral medicine with them whether it was in a lecture hall or one-on-one in the clinics.” Major Changes As he reflected on his years at Michigan, Gobetti said he was struck at how much dentistry and dental education have changed. “Implants weren’t around forty years ago. Materials today are unbelievably great,” he said. “And when you look at technology, I think it’s safe to say it has revolutionized dental education. Instead of books, paper, and telephone calls, you now have computers, Web-based materials, e-mails, and iPods that are being used.” Despite the technology, he said, “there will always be a need for that person-to-person interaction. That’s the critical element in education.” 28 If the past is any indication, Dr. Jack Gobetti will continue to be a teacher. He plans to continue teaching continuing dental education courses; will be involved in forensic dentistry malpractice cases, both as an expert witness for the defense and prosecution; and may, if the past is any indication, find himself in a role as a teacher when on vacation. In 1994, Gobetti found that even though he was thousands of miles away from a classroom, he really wasn’t. When he, his wife, and son were touring Italy that summer, Gobetti said he explained to them the historical significance of sites they were visiting. After about ten minutes, his son said, “Dad, just give me the Cliff Notes that explains what happened.” However, by then, Gobetti had drawn a crowd. He said he was surprised to learn “that about thirty other people were behind me listening to what I was saying. But they wanted me to continue my remarks.” Next spring, Gobetti and his wife of 26 years, Nini, will make their fifth trip to Italy. In addition to sightseeing, they will spend some time with her family. Back in Ann Arbor, don’t be surprised to see Gobetti and his wife having dinner outdoors at one of the city’s restaurants during the summer or early fall. You may hear him whistling between meal courses or walking up and down the streets after leaving the restaurant. “Whistling is a part of who I am, it’s my way of showing how much I enjoy life and how blessed I have been to be associated with the dental school and to be in dental education. One of the highest callings I think anyone can have is to teach others…and that’s something I have always enjoyed,” he said. DentalUM Fall 2006 Per Kjeldsen, “the man behind the lens,” Retires Following 32-Year Career Keary Campbell “I continue to get as much of a thrill from photography today as I did when my grandfather gave me that box camera many years ago.” DentalUM Fall 2006 It’s a claim few can make. As chief photographer at the U-M School of Dentistry for nearly thirty-two years, Per Kjeldsen has probably met, even if for only a few moments, every dental and dental hygiene student as he was taking their individual portraits for a composite class picture. It’s safe to say that he has met every dean, administrator, faculty member, and nearly every staff member as well. On June 30, Kjeldsen retired following a career that began in August 1974. What may surprise some is that Kjeldsen was once a dental student. More about that in a moment. His fascination with photography began in Denmark. “My grandfather gave me a box camera when I was seven or eight years old, and I enjoyed it so much as a hobby that, over time, it evolved to become both a passion and a profession,” he said. Kjeldsen, who’s Danish, first came to the U.S. in 1962 as an exchange student with the American Field Services program. The highlight of his year’s stay occurred in August 1963 when he and other students were at the White House to hear President John Kennedy address them in the Rose Garden. However, the euphoria of the experience abruptly changed three months later when Kennedy was assassinated. “My True Passion Was Photography” After returning to Denmark, Kjeldsen resumed his studies and attended the Royal Dental College in Copenhagen. But after a year, he decided to focus his attention elsewhere. 29 “I started in dentistry, but realized my true passion was photography,” he said. In 1971, he returned to the U.S. to attend the Rochester (New York) Institute of Technology. “It was the best school of photography in the world,” he said. It offered Kjeldsen a biomedical program that allowed him to combine his passion for photography with an interest in biomedicine he developed as a dental student. After graduating at the top of his class, Kjeldsen visited three campuses. But he chose the University of Michigan because the dental school had received a grant to develop self-instructional materials. He wanted to be involved in that initiative. Kjeldsen also became fascinated with something else, U-M football. “I didn’t know much about the game, but I was hooked when someone took me to the Big House,” he said. “It was just awesome walking onto the field, looking around, and getting a sense of the sheer size of the place.” The Big Break Saturday afternoons, Kjeldsen frequently took pictures from his seat in the stands. But his big break came in 1981 when he went to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena with a group of U-M students. “It was the first Rose Bowl win for Michigan since Bo Schembechler became coach, so I picked the right game to attend,” he said with a smile. As he did Saturday afternoons in Ann Arbor, Kjeldsen also took some pictures from his stadium seat in Pasadena and later put together a collage of some of his best photos. “It was such a success, at a time when the football team was looking for greater recognition, that the M Club got word of what I did and asked me to make several others,” he said. 30 He did. “Then the Athletic Department heard about it, saw my work, and liked it.” A short time later, he was on the sidelines taking pictures on Saturday afternoons. Successes and Awards Kjeldsen said he is proud that his efforts, and those of fellow photographer Kear y Campbell, have contributed to the School of Dentistry’s mission of educating oral health care professionals and the School’s reputation for excellence. He is also proud to have won three awards from Nikon in worldwide photography contests for three consecutive years in the 1980s. Although he fondly remembers many faculty members, Kjeldsen formed a special bond with Dr. Robert Lorey (DDS 1957). During a career that spanned nearly fifty years until his death in 2004, Lorey was not only actively involved in professional organizations, he also produced approximately 70 videotapes for undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate education, and also won many honors for his photography. “It’s as though he and I were opposite sides of the same coin,” Kjeldsen said. “I began my education as a dentist and became a photographer, and he was a photographer who became a dentist.” In recent years, Kjeldsen said his biggest challenge has been trying to do more with less without sacrificing the quality of services. Technology, however, has revolutionized his craft. Since the days of Civil War photographer Matthew Brady, photography has basically been a film medium. “But that abruptly changed with digital photography,” Kjeldsen said. “Images are still being captured as they were in Brady’s day,” he said, “but now it’s a lens attached to DentalUM Fall 2006 A Tribute to a Master Photographer a computer, and post-processing of the image, from transfer to optimization, and formatting, has changed photography more in the last decade than in the past one hundred years.” Kjeldsen said he hopes to return to Denmark a little more frequently, not just during the summer as he has in years past, to visit his parents who are now in their eighties. Of course, he will still continue taking pictures. “After all these years, I still enjoy the challenge of conveying a message or an emotion with my images,” he said. “Looking at the world through a viewfinder not only focuses my own creativity, it also allows me to ultimately share what I see with others. So, yes, I continue to get as much of a thrill from photography today as I did when my grandfather gave me that box camera many years ago.” DentalUM Fall 2006 If a picture is worth a thousand words, the photographer’s value is so much greater. In the case of Per Kjeldsen, it is priceless. With technical expertise and an enviable artistic ability, Per has captured School of Dentistry history on film for years, and more recently, has captured it digitally. “The man behind the lens,” Per has provided much more than just the essential photos of people’s teeth. In the 1980s, the on-field action shot by a sideline photographer was the dominant format for Michigan sports program covers. Photos by Per Kjeldsen were far and away the most frequently used. …He has photographed the greats of Michigan athletics such as Glen Rice, Rumeal Robinson, Charles Woodson, Desmond Howard, as well as the leaders including Bo Schembechler, Lloyd Carr, and Michigan’s own Bob Ufer. His work was not limited to the University of Michigan as he is also an accomplished freelance photographer. He has traveled to Japan and Europe and has photographed the Iditarod race in Alaska. A multitude of publications have highlighted his work. Many of his photos have graced the cover of the University directory. His work is recognized by fans and alumni, such as the memorable photograph of the Big House at sunset the evening before the 100th game. Many of his photos are featured in the Schembechler Hall of Honor. Per has taken both formal and candid shots of deans, administrators, faculty, staff, students, and notable dignitaries. He has captured the ceremonies and leaders of our past, and moments in time from the frivolous to the historic. From the mouths of many patients, to architecture, to athletic endeavors, to nature’s scenery, all have been artistically frozen on film by this master photographer. Per has written a photographic history of the School of Dentistry that will both delight and enlighten future generations, and will speak to the memory of alumni and others who, in some way, have been connected to the School of Dentistry. His work is also featured in a recent publication on the University of Michigan and the rich traditions we have. Per has an eye that, thankfully, has captured the moments that will link our past to the present with photographs that speak louder than words. We have been fortunate to have him work with us for these past thirty-two years and lend his skills to help us as we documented our endeavors. Written by Diane McFarland. Remarks delivered by Dr. Dennis Fasbinder at Omicron Kappa Upsilon annual banquet April 2006. 31 31 On these pages are just a few of the outstanding photographs that Per Kjeldsen has taken that showcase his versatility. This very special photo was taken during halftime the Saturday following 9/11. When I left the stadium for a few moments at the end of the half, I noticed the U-M Marching Band had what, to me, looked likea a tarp on a long tube. As I returned, I heard a collective sigh from the stands. I darted onto the middle of the field while band members were holding the flag and got this picture. I was the only photographer there. 32 32 DentalUM Fall 2006 DentalUM Fall 2006 More of his work can be seen in the U-M Alumni Association’s new coffee table book. DentalUM Fall 2006 DentalUM Fall 2006 33 33 Faculty Profile Dr. Samuel Zwetchkenbaum Advocate, Prosthodontist Keary Campbell For more than a decade, Dr. Sam Zwetchkenbaum has provided prosthetic rehabilitation to patients from across Michigan who have undergone surgical resections of tumors. He works closely with surgical colleagues at U-M Hospital to provide intraoral prostheses that allow individuals with maxillofacial defects to speak intelligibly. Zwetchkenbaum also directs the one-year General Practice Residency program that provides graduate training for dentists who want to work in communities with patients who have varying needs. Singer and songwriter Paul Anka may have played a role…albeit a remote and indirect one…in influencing Sam Zwetchkenbaum to become a dentist. More about that in a moment. Playing a major role, however, was a study break Zwetchkenbaum took while in college that, in retrospect, forever changed his life. Entering Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island in 1979, Zwetchkenbaum thought he might pursue a career in computer science or economics. However, as he was writing a paper on business and finance for a final examination in 1982, Zwetchkenbaum decided to take a break and look at some of the books on the shelves at one of the university’s libraries. That break took him on a new career path. Over time, it would make a difference in the lives of countless patients across the country. “I was strolling the aisles looking at stacks of books on the shelves and, to satisfy my curiosity, opened one of them, a directory compiled by the ADA that listed the names of every dentist in the country,” he said. “I wanted to see if the name of my grandfather, Dr. Charles Basseches, was in it.” It was. Curious, Zwetchkenbaum said he opened another book, this one about crowns and bridges; and then a third, which had narratives of dental cases. “I thought all of this was pretty interesting,” he said. “The more I read, the more I wanted to know.” The Anka Albums While cleaning out the attic of his grandparents’ townhouse in Washington, D.C., Zwetchkenbaum discovered two Paul Anka albums. 34 DentalUM Fall 2006 Both were autographed. The first, Paul Anka, which included the song, Diana, released in 1958, was signed, “Thank you for everything, Dr.,” and was signed, “Your Boy, Paul.” The second autographed album, My Heart Sings, released about a year later, was even more laudatory. On the back cover of the album, Anka wrote, “Dr. Basseches, I could never thank you enough for the wonderful things you have done. I will always remember you as a great Dr. and very dear friend. Your #1 patient, Paul Anka.” The two messages and the two pictures on the albums made an impression on Zwetchkenbaum. “On the first album, I noticed he had a serious look and that his mouth was closed. But the picture on the second album was considerably different,” he said. “On the second album he’s standing, holding a microphone in one hand and had a wonderful smile on his face. I thought, ‘Wow! My grandfather’s work brought this smile to Paul Anka’s face’. At that moment I realized what a difference a dentist can make in a patient’s life.” Zwetchkenbaum graduated with a bachelor’s degree in applied math and biology from Brown and then entered the University of North Carolina School of Dentistry in Chapel Hill, where he received his dental degree in 1987. A year later, he earned a general practice residency certificate from the Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis. Between 1988 and 1990 Zwetchkenbaum was a staff dentist at an inner city health center in his hometown of Providence and also volunteered a half day each week making dentures at a nursing home. He went on to receive specialty training in prosthodontics at the University of Medicine DentalUM Fall 2006 and Dentistry in Newark, New Jersey. After earning a certificate in 1992, Zwetchkenbaum spent the next two years in private practice and was a part-time clinical instructor in removable partial dentures at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine. In 1995, he completed a fellowship in maxillofacial prosthodontics and dental oncology at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Developing a Program from the Ground Up A short time later, Zwetchkenbaum received a call from the School of Dentistry’s Dr. Brien Lang who asked him if he might be interested in coming to Michigan to help create a program in maxillofacial prosthodontics. “At the time I was thinking about getting back into teaching because I enjoyed it so much,” Zwetchkenbaum said. “So what Brien was describing, teaching and having an opportunity to develop a program from the ground up, was very appealing.” Zwetchkenbaum arrived in Ann Arbor in the fall of 1995 as a clinical assistant professor of maxillofacial prosthodontics in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Hospital Dentistry and also became a staff prosthodontist at the Ann Arbor Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Building the program from the ground up, teaching, and making prostheses “was both time consuming and hard work because, basically, I was doing everything,” he said. “But I found it was incredibly rewarding because there is a direct interrelationship between dentistry and a patient’s quality of life.” For the past 11 years, Zwetchkenbaum has been providing prosthetic rehabilitation to patients from across Michigan who have 35 Faculty Profile Keary Campbell in the GPR program have opportunities to treat the medically compromised, care for the developmentally disabled, and opportunities to restore patient implants. “One of our core competencies is providing dental care to special needs patients,” Zwetchkenbaum said. This photo, which appeared on the cover of the July issue of the Journal of the Michigan Dental Association, shows Dr. Samuel Zwetchkenbaum observing a patient’s reaction to a border molding being placed in her mouth in a School of Dentistry operatory in the U-M Hospital. Dr. Seema Varghese, a resident in the General Practice Residency Program, now practices in the Houston area. undergone surgical resections of tumors. He works closely with surgical colleagues at U-M Hospital to provide intraoral prostheses, such as obturators, to allow individuals with maxillofacial defects to speak intelligibly. Extraoral prostheses he fabricates, such as eyes, ears, and noses, help those with facial defects regain a sense of dignity and the confidence to appear and speak in public. [See sidebar, page 37.] Zwetchkenbaum also directs the one-year General Practice Residency program that provides graduate training for dentists who want to work in communities with patients who have varying needs. Graduate students 36 Special Needs Patients and Medicaid Challenges “The challenge comes for those with disabilities, such as autism or severe and profound mental retardation who are unable to cooperate but need dental treatment. While there are a number of hospitals providing care for children under general anesthesia, it is a challenge to find this care for an adult,” he added. Zwetchkenbaum said “each year we treat about 4,000 patients and see over 500 new adult patients which includes providing dental care under general anesthesia to about 200 adults. The patients come from all across Michigan – Escanaba, Berrien Springs, Bad Axe, and all points in between. A patient should not have to travel three hours to receive dental care.” He noted that “a fair number of community dentists care for adults with mild disabilities.” Many of them participate in the Donated Dental Services program. Patients with mild impairments are also treated in dental schools and federally qualified health centers where Medicaid is accepted. “With two medical facilities in Detroit closing their hospital dentistry programs in recent years, and with some dentists in private practice ceasing to provide dental care to these patients because of financial issues, we’re now advising patients that it may take up to six months to get an appointment and then another four to six months to get follow-up treatment,” DentalUM Fall 2006 Keary Campbell “He’s wonderful. He can do anything,” said Georgene Thelen, a patient who Dr. Sam Zwetchkenbaum has been treating for several years in a School of Dentistry operatory at U-M Hospital. he said. “It breaks your heart because many of these patients have significant dental disease and oral infections.” Ultimately, Zwetchkenbaum said he would like to see dentistry programs established in more hospitals across Michigan. If not, he fears that limits may have to be set on how many patients are treated or what can be done for them in an operating room. “I joined the Michigan Oral Health Coalition, a group of dentists, hygienists, and other leaders who are concerned about the status of oral health services for Michigan’s most vulnerable populations,” he said. “I hope that, as a group, we will be able to address some of the core issues and that we can encourage enough hospitals to establish programs similar to what we have here at the University of Michigan,” he said. “I am willing to help set them up if that’s what it would take to help improve the lives of these patients.” Zwetchkenbaum recognizes there are many challenges in developing a successful program in today’s environment and has positioned himself professionally to take advantage of that by enrolling in the School of Public Health’s Executive Masters Program in health management and policy. “It’s involved a lot more studying and writing than I anticipated, but I have already learned a great deal and am confident this will make me more effective in the future,” he said. In September, he graduated, with 33 other professionals from across the state and nation. DentalUM Fall 2006 Making a Difference, One Patient at a Time “He’s wonderful. He can do anything,” a patient said of Dr. Sam Zwetchkenbaum shortly after he placed an obturator in her mouth. The patient, Georgene Thelen, first came to a School of Dentistry operatory in the basement of the University of Michigan Hospital about four years ago. Why? Her oral surgeon in Lansing discovered cancer in her mouth after removing a wisdom tooth. A biopsy confirmed the malignancy. “I was surprised because I’m not a smoker and certainly not a tobacco chewer,” Thelen said. Now cancer free, Thelen said she was glad the oral surgeon referred her to the hospital dentistry program at U-M. “Because of Dr. Zwetchkenbaum’s work, he has helped me so that I don’t even think about the device that is in my mouth because it fits so well,” she said. “I have also seen him make noses and ears, but I hope I never need one of those,” she said with a laugh as she left after an April appointment to return to the Lansing area. 37 Dr. Samuel Zwetchkenbaum Selected Highlights Education • Certificate, Fellowship in Maxillofacial Prosthodontics; MD Anderson Cancer Center; Houston, Texas (1995) • Certificate, Prosthodontics; University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey; Newark, New Jersey (1992) • Certificate, General Practice Residency; Hennepin County Medical Center; Minneapolis (1988) • Doctor of Dental Surgery; University of North Carolina; Chapel Hill (1987) Academic Appointments • • • • • • • Program Director, General Practice Residency in Dentistry (1999 to present) Clinical Assistant Professor, Maxillofacial Prosthodontics, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Hospital Dentistry (1995 to present) Staff Prosthodontist, Ann Arbor Veterans Affairs Medical Center (1995 to present) Clinical Instructor, Removable Partial Dentures, School of Dental Medicine, Harvard University (1992-1994) Private practice in prosthodontics, Boston (1992-1994) Staff Dentist, Jewish Home for the Aged of Rhode Island; Providence, Rhode Island (1998-1990) Community Health Dentistry, Providence Ambulatory Health Care; Providence, Rhode Island (1988-1990) Professional Affiliations and Leadership Roles • • • • • • 38 38 Faculty liaison, Chi Chapter (University of Michigan), Alpha Omega dental fraternity (1996 to present) Fellow, American Academy of Maxillofacial Prosthetics (1995 to present) American College of Prosthodontics (1995 to present) Washtenaw District Dental Society (1995 to present) Michigan Dental Association (1995 to present) American Dental Association (1995 to present) DentalUM Fall 2006 DentalUM Fall 2006 Faculty NEWS Polverini Receives Major International Award Johnston Receives AAO’s Highest Honor Photo courtesy of the American Association of Orthodontists/David Casper Keary Campbell Dean Peter Polverini was one of only fifteen individuals to receive IADR’s Distinguished Scientist Award during the group’s 84th general session in Brisbane, Australia. Dr. Peter Polverini, professor and dean of the University of Michigan School of Dentistry, received a major award from the International Association for Dental Research during its annual meeting in late June. Polverini was one of only 15 individuals to receive the Distinguished Scientist Award during the group’s 84th general session in Brisbane, Australia. The award recognized him for his work in oral medicine and pathology. Polverini, who did post-graduate work at the Harvard Medical School and the Harvard School of Dental Medicine, came to U-M as a professor of dentistry and chief of oral and maxillofacial pathology in 1992. Four years later, he was named chair of the School’s Department of Oral Medicine, Pathology, and Oncology. Dean of the University of Michigan dental school since June 2003, Polverini has authored or co-authored more than 150 scientific articles, textbooks, and chapters; has made more than 70 presentations to groups in the U.S. and overseas; is an editorial consultant for more than 30 publications; and has five patents. His active NIH-funded research program focuses on angiogenic signaling pathways, gene expression, and cell survival mechanisms that are pertinent to tumor development and angiogenesis-dependent diseases. IADR president Dr. Stephen Bayne, who chairs the School’s Department of Cariology, Restorative Sciences, and Endodontics, said, “This award, and the others, represent the supreme acknowledgement of the great research contributions of Peter and our more than 11,000 members.” DentalUM Fall 2006 Dr. Lysle Johnson (right) is congratulated after receiving the Jarabak Award from Dr. Guy Favaloro, president of the AAO Foundation Board of Directors. Dr. Lysle Johnston received the American Association of Orthodontists highest award during the group’s annual meeting in June. Johnston chaired the School of Dentistry’s Department of Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry from 1991 until his retirement two years ago. Johnston received the prestigious Louise Ada Jarabak Memorial Teachers and Research Award from the AAO Foundation during the group’s 106th annual session in Las Vegas. The award recognizes lifetime service to orthodontic teaching and research. The award was established in 1983 by Dr. Joseph Jarabak to honor his late wife. Johnston is a member of numerous local, regional, state, national, and international orthodontic and dental associations; has published chapters for more than 50 books; and has given approximately 400 lectures worldwide. 39 Faculty NEWS Woolfolk New ACD Fellow Recent Ortho Grads Recognized Three recent graduates of the School’s orthodontics program were also recognized during the AAO’s annual meeting. Drs. Jerome Schuman and Heather Zablocki, who earned their master’s degrees in 2005, were awarded the Thomas Graber Award of Special Merit for their master’s thesis research. Dr. Matthew Dunn (MS 2006) was awarded third prize in the Resident Scholars Research Competition. Dr. Marilyn Woolfolk, assistant dean for student services, has been awarded Fellowship in the American College of Dentists. She was inducted during the ACD’s annual meeting in October which was held in conjunction with the ADA meeting. Her selection for Fellowship, according to the ACD, “reflects your exceptional leadership, achievements, and involvement in the dental profession and in your community.” Woolfolk, who earned her dental degree from Michigan in 1978 and a master’s in public health from the School of Public Health in 1982, has served in numerous roles at the School of Dentistry including director of student affairs (1990-1997) and assistant dean for student services since the fall of 1997. Per Kjeldsen McDonald New MAE Treasurer Dr. Neville McDonald, director of the Department of Endodontics, was named Treasurer of the Michigan Association of Endodontists at its recent meeting. Dr. Marilyn Woolfolk 40 Faculty Promotions U-M Regents recently approved recommendations for promotions of six School of Dentistry faculty members. The six are: • Christopher Nosrat, DDS, PhD – promoted to associate professor of dentistry with tenure in the Department of Biologic and Materials Sciences. • Helena Ritchie, MS, PhD – promoted to associate professor of dentistry with tenure in the Department of Cariology, Restorative Sciences, and Endodontics. • Jacques Nör, DDS, MS, PhD – promoted to professor of dentistry with tenure in the Department of Cariology, Restorative Sciences, and Endodontics. • James Simmer, DDS, PhD – promoted to professor of dentistry with tenure in the Department of Biologic and Materials Sciences. • Jan Ching Chu Hu, BDS, PhD – promoted to professor of dentistry with tenure in the Department of Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry. • Pa u l K re b s b a c h , D D S , P h D – promoted to professor of dentistry with tenure in the Department of Biologic and Materials Sciences and professor of biomedical engineering without tenure in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering. DentalUM Fall 2006 DEPARTMENT UPDATE Cariology, Restorative Sciences, and Endodontics C Dr. Stephen C. Bayne Chair hallenges are forever on the doorstep for any major research and teaching university such as Michigan. We are always examining new goals and strategies. This year marks the completion of the very successful 14-year stewardship of Brian Clarkson as department chair. The transition I face in my role as new department chair is to position the department for changes that will take place as School of Dentistry programs change. Brian built the research engine for the Department and recruited an amazing cadre of faculty and staff. The challenges ahead are to transform both teaching and research to compete with a much more complex future. Our core strength is our outstanding faculty and always- dedicated staff. The CRSE family (full- time faculty, adjunct faculty, office staff, clinic staffs, residents, research staffs, and visiting scholars) now numbers 232 individuals. In this report, my first to you since becoming chair, I will give you an idea of not only what has happened, but perhaps, more importantly, what will be taking place. New Approaches with Teaching Programs We are now encountering the new generation of “e-learners” in both our undergraduate and graduate programs. To accommodate their learning styles and comfort with immersion in technology, we are beginning to move toward newer approaches to teaching and learning. Trish Bauer, as course director of the DentalUM Fall 2006 undergraduate endodontics program, recently introduced “3D Tooth Atlas” software that allows students to rotate and control the transparency of tissues while studying all the key landmarks and geometries of the head, jaw, and teeth. Students can closely inspect the pulp and root canal tissues in 3D, as well as see the relationship of these tissues to adjacent structures. As a department, we are beginning to examine the possibility of adopting some virtual dentistry techniques as future teaching strategies. This effort just began in May, but already we have uncovered some exciting opportunities. We are working with a team at the Duderstadt Center on a virtual project. [See photo and caption, page 42.] Amid Ismail has launched a pilot graduate program (ADREACH) to allow off-site AEGD residents to work online to obtain course credits leading to a combined AEGD certificate and MPH degree. This represents the first School of Dentistry effort to provide an entirely online curriculum for a degree program. One U.S.-trained dentist is now enrolled in the program. Neville McDonald and the endodontics faculty have embarked on an intensive graduate program self-study. We are in a unique position to advance our teaching and research program to become the best in the world over the next couple of years. A 41 Technology will play an increasingly important role in School of Dentistry clinics and education. Here, Dr. Tilly Peters (left) practices using a“force feedback”device that controls a virtual cutting tool as she practices on a three-dimensional model of bones and teeth from a human skull displayed on a monitor. The force feedback device, which mimics resistance in the oral cavity that dentists encounter, helps dentists to develop a “feel”for the actual procedure in a clinic. Use of the new technology may improve efficiency in learning and reduce preclinical teaching time by 50 percent. Watching Peters are Mark Fitzgerald and Sharon Grayden. new state-of-the-art endodontics clinic could open as soon as 2008. Substantial alumni and corporate fundraising activities are now underway. Our goal is to transform the program to a three-year curriculum that includes both an intense research experience and an invigorated clinical training curriculum capable of meeting current and future demands of the specialty. The 15-chair clinic will be equipped with operating microscopes, state- of-the-art treatment modalities, digital radiography, and digital photography. Cariology is a major portion of the Department’s responsibility for teaching and research. It is undergoing a self-study, as well, to determine new 42 roles that we should play in caries detection, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment strategies. CRSE is celebrating the graduation of nine residents (Rodolfo Diaz, Irma Gavaldon, Duane Kelson, Nida Luangjamekorn, Amanda Reavely, Alison Soethe, Jared Thompson, Kristin Timpner, VoShaun Wilkerson) from our AEGD program. Two will continue in the master’s program. Two residents from our Graduate Program in Operative Dentistry (Sahar Barbat, Sumant Ram), and four residents from our Endodontics Graduate Program (Clay Dietz, Erica Johnson, Edward Mack, Donald Nguy) graduated in June. One PhD student, Elisabeta Karl, graduated this summer. This will be an incredibly interesting year ahead for all the restorative sciences programs in the undergraduate curriculum as we begin to explore the use of online programs, new software resources, implement new features of our electronic patient records, and explore alternative evaluation systems. Mark Fitzgerald is immersed in considering these options with all our course directors. Don Heys continues to direct our very successful Vertically Integrated Clinics with an emphasis this year on improving integration with the graduate programs and increasing instructor in- service training. As the current class of 2008 begins the major part of their patient care experience, they will have just been trained to schedule all their patient appointments using our dental computing software, axiUm. [DentalUM, Fall 2005, pages 18-23.] VIC clinics continue to be fully booked. We see the highly organized student thriving in this flexible environment. The challenge we face is to provide students with even more advanced patient care opportunities that they desire. Research Presently, CRSE investigators are involved on twelve NIH-funded grants and twenty-five corporate-sponsored or other contracts. While Michigan continues to excel in research, the portfolio of research activities is changing. We are doing more clinical research, educational research, informatics research, and enterprise research. DentalUM Fall 2006 Department Update Amid Ismail is collaborating with the ADA to develop a program to train new community dental health coordinators (or providers). Most likely the first program will be launched in Detroit. These “community dental health coordinators” will have advanced skills in health promotion and prevention, collect diagnostic data, prepare a triage plan with the supervising dentist, provide preventive care in community settings, and temporize cavitated lesions. The Detroit Oral Cancer Prevention Project media campaign, with radio and billboards, has been very effective. [DentalUM, Fall 2005, page 38.] The program has succeeded in saving the lives of four residents in the city who were identified with oral cancer through the weekly screening program. An online continuing education program also will be available. Results from the Detroit Center for Research on Oral Health Disparities have generated several papers and presentations. This represents one of the largest data sets on dental caries and its determinants among African Americans. The next phase of the study will begin in March. Plans are underway to develop new interventions to reduce oral health disparities. Jacques Nör’s research group h a s re c e n t l y d e m o n s t r a t e d t h e effectiveness of a novel drug, TW37, a small molecule inhibitor of Bcl-2, as a foil in angiogenesis. Since oral tumors require angiogenesis to grow and metastasize, this novel class of DentalUM Fall 2006 drug has the potential to help treat patients with oral cancer. His group is now planning for a clinical trial using this class of drugs on patients with head and neck tumors. Brian Clarkson is in the process of developing a long-range plan with the Dean for expanded international development for the school. The School is trying to build a series of educational and research collaborations with other schools around the world. Hongjiao Ouyang received an RO1 grant on her very first application to NIH…a superb achievement in today’s complex and highly competitive NIH environment. Her research will attempt to provide a basis to target the Wnt signaling pathway for treating osteoporosis and for improving the quality and quantity of craniofacial bones for dental implants. Tilly Peters has been traveling extensively during the last year to coordinate her multi-center clinical trial in various locations around the world. This represents a significant accomplishment because it is the model for many of our future thrusts in clinical research. A m i d I s m a i l p re s e n t e d t h e Brauman-Bell Alpha Omega Lectureship at Baylor University School of Dentistry and was selected to be a CELL seminar speaker by the American Dental Association. He is also editing a special issue for JADA on the impact of oral health on systemic health. During the recent AADR annual meeting in Orlando CRSE faculty made 27 oral or poster presentations on topics including clinical research, informatics, education, molecular biology, oral health, diabetes, dental materials, and prevention. At the IADR annual meeting in Brisbane in June, the CRSE faculty presented 13 oral and poster abstracts. Future Directions The School of Dentistr y has just completed its first year of a continuing and substantial strategic self-assessment process. [DentalUM, Spring & Summer 2006, pages 8-13.] Based on the final recommendations from this self-study, we will respond with exciting new changes. Despite the economic challenges for the future of universities, our Department is blessed with a talented faculty and staff, as well as the strong support of a loyal adjunct faculty and numerous committed alumni. I’m thankful for the opportunity to chair this Department at such an important time. The future will be interesting and fun. 43 Cariology, Restorative Sciences, and Endodontics RECENT AWARDS AND HONORS Two of our faculty members were promoted in early June. Jacques Nör was promoted to full professor with tenure. Helena Ritchie was promoted to associate professor with tenure. Brian Clarkson recently received the Organization for Research in Caries award for outstanding research accomplishments in cariology and many years of dedicated leadership in the organization. Joe Dennison received the DMG-IADR Award for Clinical Research at the spring AADR meeting in Orlando. This is special because it is only the sixth time it has been awarded. Two of the previous winners were from the University of Michigan. The award caps his outstanding career as a leader in the clinical research of restorative materials. A more detailed story appears in the “Research News” section (page 75). Jacques Nör presented the Buonocore Memorial Lecture at the Academy of Operative Dentistry in Chicago in February. This is a special honor and highlights the major achievement of Michael Buonocore, the father of modern adhesive dentistry. Amid Ismail now chairs the ADA Council on Scientific Affairs. He leads a team of scientists and dentists to develop policies and recommendations for the ADA. He was also appointed by the ADA President to Committee 96H to implement the House of Delegates resolution to develop a program to train community dental health coordinators. He was also selected as one of two social/behavioral scientists to represent NIDCR at the upcoming celebration of the NIH Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research. He will 44 present the findings from his ongoing research in Detroit. Eduardo Bresciani received the first Academy of Dental Materials Award presented at the U-M School of Dentistry. Elisabeta Karl received the first place AADR Hatton Award in March. This is the most prestigious recognition from AADR for young investigators and is part of a competition across all aspects of dental research. [DentalUM, Spring & Summer 2006, page 74.] The School of Dentistry recently honored several of our staff for their dedication. Renita Bellmore and Gerhard Mora were recognized for their 20 years of service. Four of our endodontics residents received awards during the recent meeting of the American Association of Endodontics in Hawaii this spring. Congratulations to Donald Nguy for his poster presentation, and Jason Duggan, Eoin Mullane, and Joseph Son for their Table Clinic presentations. Brian Clarkson was recently elected as an officer of the American Association for Dental Research (AADR) as Vice President. He will become the President in 2008 and lead the most important dental research organization in the United States. Stephen Bayne was inducted as President of the International Association for Dental Research (IADR) at its meeting in Brisbane, Australia. The IADR is the leading dental research advocate in the world. This means that in the Department we will have two of the key research officers. DentalUM Fall 2006 Alumnus Profile Steven Geiermann, DDS 1983 Captain, U.S. Public Health Service, HRSA Regional Dental Consultant Dr. Steven Geiermann and Dr. Jane Weintraub, president of the American Association of Public Health Dentistry. The photo was taken at the 2005National Oral Health Conference in Pittsburgh. Photo courtesy of Dr. Steven Geiermann Bringing People Together to Improve Access to Oral Health Care “Did my training at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry make a difference in my life? Undoubtedly! Though I may not have always appreciated those Wednesday afternoons of dental public health spread out over nine semesters, something sank in and took root. I am thankful for the opportunity to continue working towards greater oral health access for all.” Treating Communities From Carleton, Michigan in Monroe County… to the University of Michigan…to working with the Indian Health Service in South Dakota, Arizona, and Alaska…to working with the National Health Service Corps in St. Louis and Kansas City, Missouri…and now, Chicago…Dr. Steven Geiermann admits he has advanced and evolved professionally because of his experiences around the country. “I now ‘treat’ communities instead of individuals,” he said. DentalUM Fall 2006 DentalUM Fall 2006 As a regional dental consultant for the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Geiermann equates his current role to that of a broker. “I bring people together from all walks of life – academia, dentistry, the business world, nonprofits, and elsewhere – to try to increase access to oral health care and reduce oral health care disparities,” he said. “That ties in nicely with HRSA’s role as ‘the access agency’ because we do bring a range of services to people in underserved areas, 45 45 Alumnus Profile including comprehensive primary oral health care, public health, pediatric dental training programs, loan repayment and scholarships,” he added. Growing up in Carleton, Geiermann’s father worked as a laborer in Trenton, “so there wasn’t a family dental practice to settle comfortably into,” he said. After graduating from Monroe Catholic Central High School, Geiermann was ready to enter Notre Dame, but said he “chickened out and joined three of my friends who were going Geiermann recalled having “many wonderful teachers in Ann Arbor” including Leroy Pratt, Andy Koran, Sharon Brooks, Jack Gobetti, and Joe Kolling. “All are very good people who not only educated me, but also passed along their expertise and knowledge to a new generation of dentists,” he said. Working summers for a chemical company to help pay for his dental education, Geiermann saw the need for oral health access firsthand. “One evening during the midnight shift, a fellow worker had a bad toothache, but “Dental public health is a lot like a jigsaw puzzle. Each piece is unique, but something greater is achieved when the disparate parts become a whole. …The puzzle isn’t finished yet. There’s still room for you to add your piece and make a difference.” to Michigan to become dentists. Of the four, I’m the only one who became a dentist,” he added. While working for a bachelor’s degree in education, Geiermann entered dentistry “because I liked helping people. But I didn’t have a clue what was ahead. When I received my box with twenty-two different waxes upon arriving at the dental school, I wondered what I was getting into,” he said with a laugh. “ Wonderful Teachers” Recalling his experiences in the School’s clinics, Geiermann said he felt like “I was a magnet for a special group of patients, mostly those who thought work on their dentures was synonymous with a trip to the plastic surgeon. I received the Richard H. Kingery Award in prosthodontics, probably out of sympathy, because so much of my work was with this group of patients.” 46 46 couldn’t afford visiting the dentist. I watched in horror as a mechanic heated his pliers and extracted a tooth in the lunchroom using a liquid refreshment as an anesthetic,” he said. Community-Based Experiences During his years at the dental school, Geiermann enjoyed opportunities to provide oral health care at prisons, mental hospitals, and other sites outside School of Dentistry clinics. These community-based experiences struck a chord that continues to resonate today. Realizing he would not be joining an established practice after graduating, Geiermann decided to practice dentistry with the Indian Health Service. “One of my instructors in the oral diagnosis clinic, always mentioned how much he enjoyed that work, so I accepted a commission in the Public Health Service working for the Indian Health Service,” he said. DentalUM Fall 2006 DentalUM Fall 2006 His first assignment was Rosebud, South Dakota, “a most dire destination” as he described it. “It reminded me of the television program, M*A*S*H, because you were in the middle of nowhere and had to make your own entertainment. But it also brought the staff closer together,” he said, “because we found ways to amuse ourselves with plenty of outdoor activities and monthly culturally-themed dinners.” The Value of Interdisciplinary Patient Care The setting, Geiermann said, was a great place to develop one’s clinical skills. And it set the stage for further transformation. “It was there that I began to realize the immense value of an interdisciplinary approach to patient care,” he said. Case in point: early childhood caries. “The OBGYNs and midwives preached my ‘gospel’ of avoiding baby bottle tooth decay,” Geiermann said. “In return, the dental clinic became the largest referral source for women needing a pap smear and getting kids to have their immunizations updated.” Following two-and-a-half years in Rosebud, Geiermann worked for the Indian Health Service as a dentist on a Navajo reservation in Kayenta, Arizona for about a year-and-a-half. One summer he filled in for dental officers in Fairbanks and Fort Yukon, Alaska, so they could take vacations. He also worked on occasion with Dr. Robert Mecklenburg, the chief dental officer for the U.S. Public Health Service in Washington, D.C. “A Goat with Red Shoes” There was one experience in Arizona Geiermann said he would always remember. Describing elderly Navajo women as “a DentalUM Fall 2006 DentalUM Fall 2006 stoic group who rarely smile in public,” he said that posed problems when making dentures for them. “I learned a little of the Navajo language, but never spoke it in front of them until the time was right,” he said. After inserting the wax, Geiermann would walk to a window in the clinic and exclaimed in Navajo, “A goat with red shoes!” Immediately he turned around, saw them smile at this ridiculous statement, and knew that the alignment was correct. When asked how his experiences in the field prepared him for his current role, Geiermann said, “I’ve lived it. I’ve experienced it. So now when I talk about the need to increase oral health access, it’s no longer theory.” That makes it easy for Geiermann to tell young mothers and grandmothers about baby bottle tooth decay, or conducting on-site consultations with community health centers so they can build oral health care infrastructure, speaking at state and national conferences, talking to dental students about the importance of giving back to the community, or encouraging oral health professionals to consider working in a public health environment. Those experiences persuaded then-U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. David Satcher, to “loan” Geiermann to the city of Chicago in November 1998. “I became acting oral health director to help the city stabilize its dental public health infrastructure which was in shreds at the time,” Geiermann said. He was fortunate that an oral health task force was already established advising the city’s health commissioner on oral health matters. Working with county and state dental directors, the Chicago Dental Society, and the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry, “we 47 47 Alumnus Profile Photo courtesy of Dr. Steven Geiermann Dr. Steven Geiermann talks about his role as “an oral health care broker”at a recent national conference. built an infrastructure that was sustainable and offered a realistic salary for a permanent dental director.” Although he took three years off from 1989 to 1991 to pursue seminary training, Geiermann said that was a great transition to dental public health. “When addressing community needs, being able to clearly state your case and persuade others to act is a priceless gift,” he said. He offered some advice to graduating dental students and those considering a career in oral health. First, he said, was to work in diverse practice settings such as community health centers, prisons, migrant dental clinics, schools, and senior centers. “You begin to appreciate the depth and breadth of dentistry with the broad range of experiences you get in these settings.” The second was to seriously consider practicing in an underserved community after graduation. “The experience I had with the Indian Health Service helped me to develop an excellent pair of hands,” Geiermann said. 48 48 “Because specialty care was often two hundred miles away, specialists came to us every Thursday to review ‘teaching cases’ and teach us the tricks of the trade.” Giving Back Service is also an important element. “I think all of us in dentistry have a responsibility to give back, and this is one way of doing it,” Geiermann said. He said both the Indian Health Service and National Health Service Corps “offer excellent loan repayment opportunities and competitive salaries. You can always put up your private practice shingle afterwards.” His third bit of advice was to get involved in professional organizations. That includes not only the ADA, he said, but organizations like the American Association of Public Health Dentistry and the American Public Health Association. “Each addresses issues that are important to many different groups of people. I don’t think I could do my job as well as I do if it wasn’t for my colleagues in dental public health and organized dentistry.” “ Like a Jigsaw Puzzle” Geiermann offered one final thought. “Dental public health is a lot like a jigsaw puzzle,” he continued. “Each piece is unique, but something greater is achieved when the disparate parts become a whole.” Looking back on his career, Geiermann said that as a regional dental health consultant he has had many opportunities to help put the pieces together. “As the picture is revealed, it’s incredibly rewarding because you begin to see the difference collaboration makes.” Geiermann enthusiastically added, “The puzzle isn’t finished yet. There’s still room for you to add your piece and make a difference.” DentalUM Fall 2006 DentalUM Fall 2006 Steven Geiermann, DDS Selected Highlights Education • DDS, University of Michigan (1983) • BS, education and teaching certificate, University of Michigan (1980) Professional • Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA): - Regional Dental Consultant, Office of Performance Review, Chicago and Boston Regional Divisions (1998 to present) - Acting Dental Director, Chicago Department of Public Health (1998-2001) - National Health Service Corps, Kansas City, Program Management Officer (1994-1998) - Dental Director, People’s Health Centers, St. Louis, Missouri (1992-1994) - Facility Dental Officer, Indian Health Service; Ft. Yates Service Unit; McLaughlin, South Dakota (1987-1988) - Chief, General Dental Unit; Indian Health Service; Navajo Area; Kayenta, Arizona (1986-1987) - Chief, General Dental Unit; Indian Health Service; Aberdeen Area; Rosebud, South Dakota (1983-1986) • Associate adjunct professor, University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry (2002 to present) Awards and Honors • • • • • • President’s Award, American Association of Public Health Dentistry (2005) Employee of the Year (finalist), Chicago Federal Employees (2005) President’s Award, Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors (2003) Administrator’s Citation for Outstanding Group Performance, HRSA (2001) Outstanding Unit Citation, U.S. Public Health Service (2001) Beyond the Call of Duty Award, Rural AIDS Action Network, Minnesota (2001) Professional Affiliations and Leadership • • • • DentalUM Fall 2006 DentalUM Fall 2006 American Association of Public Health Dentistry (1998 to present); co-chair, Workforce Strategic Goal Committee (2003 to present) Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors (1998 to present); Leadership and Fluoridation Committee member National Network for Oral Health Access (1992 to present) American Dental Association (1983 to present) 49 49 Making a Difference dental students wished to accompany both he and his wife, Therese, to the Caribbean nation. Each year for the past five years, the Shortts, who both earned dental degrees from Michigan in 1987 [DentalUM, Fall 1999, pages 20-21], travel to that part of the world for about a week to help the needy. Previous travels have been to Mexico and Nicaragua. Last year and this year it was to the Dominican Republic. “There is a great need for the kind of help we provide, so we’re willing to return when we can,” said Bill Shortt who is also an adjunct professor at the School. When Heys asked fourth-year dental students in his clinic if any might be willing to accompany the Shortts, four responded – Suzanne Fournier, Karen Likar, Elizabeth Van Tubergen, and Matthew Schacht. Fourth-year dental student Matthew Schacht treats a patient in a makeshift dental clinic. Although fluent in Spanish, Schacht sometimes needed the help of a translator (standing) when doing his work. Because of collaboration that involved a U-M School of Dentistry faculty member, an alumnus and his wife, a group of fourth-year dental students provided some much-needed oral health care this spring to hundreds of children and adults in the Dominican Republic. For many patients, it was their first experience with a dentist. The dental students and others all returned to Michigan with a sense of accomplishment. Earlier this year, Dr. Donald Heys, 2 Blue Clinic director, was approached by Dr. William Shortt who wanted to know if any fourth-year 50 Fourth-year dental students Elizabeth Van Tubergen (left), Suzanne Fournier (center), and Karen Likar pause for a “granola bar lunch”at a makeshift open-air dental clinic in the Dominican Republic in March. DentalUM Fall 2006 A sign at one school in the Dominican Republic provides information about services and hours. in the Dominican Republic Fulfilling a Personal Promise “I wouldn’t consider myself brave, but I flew down with Bill,” Van Tubergen said. Therese Shortt and the other three dental students, and other dentists they have known and worked with previously, flew on a commercial airplane to Santo Domingo. For another dental student, the trip fulfilled a promise made years earlier. As a high school senior, Fournier accompanied her father to Haiti and watched him provide medical care in that country. Fascinated with what she saw and the difference her father made in the lives of patients he treated, she returned with him on seven subsequent occasions and vowed that, one day, she too would do something similar. She kept that promise. Reflecting on her dental experience, Fournier said, “It was a lot of hard work. Our days began early, we had to set up equipment, then treated patients, took a short break for lunch, worked the afternoon, and many times didn’t call it a day until seven in the evening.” Many of the children, she said, were seeing a dentist for the first time. As a result, caries were prevalent. “I suspect the three of us extracted about several hundred teeth during the three days we were there. In many cases, some teeth were decayed to the gum line.” One case was especially memorable. Fournier recalled how she was preparing to extract a tooth from the mouth of a nine-year-old. But she had to pause momentarily when two boys DentalUM Fall 2006 on each side of the girl began screaming as their teeth were being extracted. Reassuring a Nervous Patient Fournier recognized the girl’s fear and spoke to her. “Although I had four years of Spanish in high school, it had been about eight years since I had “Dozens of patients were always waiting to be treated and watched what we were doing,” said Suzanne Fournier. The two women standing are dental hygienists who work for Dr. William and Dr. Therese Shortt. tried talking to anyone in Spanish, especially a fearful youngster,” she said. Fournier reassured the girl, telling her in Spanish, “Todo el tiempo, los niños tienen mucho miedo. Pero las niñas, las nañas son perfectas!” Translated, Fournier told the girl, “Boys are more fearful, but girls are perfect.” The words of reassurance worked. “She didn’t utter a sound when I extracted two of her decayed teeth,” Fournier said. 51 Dr. Bill Shortt, who is also a pilot, and his wife, Therese, travel to Central America each year to provide oral health care to the needy. Dental Student Helps in Thailand Second-year dental student Madeline Majer also provided oral health care to the needy this spring. However, she traveled half way around the world to a village in Thailand, Mae Sot, located about 250 miles northwest of Bangkok, approximately three miles from the Myanmar (Burma) border. Before coming to U-M, Majer was a dental assistant in Boulder, Colorado. “I was looking for a job when I was an undergrad,” she said, “and a friend suggested I talk to a dentist she worked for in Boulder. Working for him made me want to become a dentist too.” Many of those Majer said she treated were migrant workers from Myanmar. “This was the first time most of them had been to a dentist,” she said. “ Virtually all of them had lost their primary teeth; the children due to poor oral hygiene, and the adults to betel nut juice.” Majer said most of her work was limited to cleanings, extractions, and a few restorations. 52 For Likar, the trip was her first outside the U.S. and another step forward in her career plan. “I wasn’t able to participate last year, because I was in Bethesda, Maryland, as part of NIH’s Howard Hughes Medical Institute Scholars Program,” she said. [DentalUM, Fall 2004, pages 4-6.] Afterwards, she returned to Ann Arbor last summer to finish her fourth year of dental studies. Broad Range of Experiences “The conditions were challenging,” Likar said. “The temperature and humidity were usually 90 or above, we didn’t have running water, patients sat on lawn chairs, and we used lamps that were strapped to our heads so we could see into a patient’s mouth.” However, there were moments of humor. “Every morning when we rode the bus from where we stayed into the towns, some of us would poke our heads out the windows and yell, ‘Dentista! Dentista!’,” she said. “There was always a crowd. When we arrived, often there were long lines outside the clinics.” The dental students found themselves providing oral health care, not in dental clinics, but on the patios of bars that were transformed into makeshift clinics during the day. Van Tubergen said she too was struck by what she saw and experienced. Better Clinicians Back in Ann Arbor “It was eye-opening to see the poverty, yet all of the children and families had great smiles on their faces,” she said. “Even though, by our standards, they were poor, I don’t think they knew what they did not have, in terms of material possessions, because just about everyone in each barrio lived at the same level of poverty.” When toothbrushes were given to the children after they were treated, Van Tubergen said “there was a frenzy that reminded me of the Tickle-Me-Elmo craze of the 1990s.” Those who participated said their experiences in the Dominican Republic helped them to become better clinicians when they returned to Ann Arbor. “Since other dentists were there and helped us when we needed it, I feel that my experiences in the Dominican Republic made me a better clinician,” Likar said. “It was an amazing experience and a great learning opportunity.” Fournier agreed. “My efficiency increased, my speed improved, and my compassion for patients, I think, was even stronger when I returned,” she said. “It made me realize, even more, that I have a skill that can make a huge difference in other people’s lives. I want to share that, not just with patients, but with other dental students.” Van Tubergen said the experience “made me appreciate everything I have, including the access to medical and dental care.” She said she hopes her future classmates “will take part in this kind of charitable dentistry. It was amazing to see how a group like ours worked as a team to transform a bar into a clinic in about half an hour and then provide the care that so many needed. When you see someone who no longer is in pain after you have helped them, the pain-free look on a person’s face is universal, whether you speak English or Spanish.” DentalUM Fall 2006 Saturday, May 6, 2006 Keary Campbell Graduates Told: Make a Difference… Live a Life That Matters “W hat will matter most is not what you bought, but what you built; not what you got, but what you gave; not your success, but your significance; and not what you learned, but what you taught someone else.” Those were among the words of wisdom given to School of Dentistry graduates at spring commencement by Dr. Arthur Dugoni, retired dean of the Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry at the University of the Pacific in San Francisco. One of the dental profession’s most respected figures for more than half a century, the 81-year- old Dugoni has taught at the school he leads for 56 years, and has been dean for 28 of those years. He has the distinction of being the first and only person in the U.S. or Canada to have a dental school named in his honor while holding the position of dean. DentalUM Fall 2006 Alluding to that honor, and other awards he has received during his long career, Dugoni joked, “I have more plaques than I know what to do with.” He said, however, that what matters the most to him, “is when someone says, ‘Art, you touched me, you made a difference in my life.’ That’s the greatest reward I have ever received.” “ The Most Exciting Time in History” Telling graduates their education has given them “a rare opportunity to make a difference and live a life that matters.” He urged them to make a difference in their profession and in their communities. Although the world is facing some significant challenges, Dugoni said “this is the most exciting Dental degree in hand, Dr. Curtis Godfrey (above) hugs his father outside Hill Auditorium following spring graduation ceremonies. Graduation on the Web You can listen to graduation remarks on the School of Dentistry’s Web site: www.dent.umich.edu. On the homepage, click the headline, “Listen to Graduation Remarks.” After doing that, you will be taken to a Web page with headlines, speaker photographs, and the times of each audio segment. You can listen in any order you choose. 53 “Look at the dream of the doctor you want to become, and always have that in front of you, so that the efforts, the anguish, and the strains will all have a purpose.” Keary Campbell Dental Dr. Arthur Dugoni urged dental school graduates to “make a difference”and “to live a life that matters”during spring commencement ceremonies at Hill Auditorium. Graduation at a Glance • 101 DDS degrees • 35 BS degrees, Dental Hygiene • 27 Master’s degrees (Pediatric Dentistry, Prosthodontics, Orthodontics, Periodontics, Restorative Dentistry) • 7 Certificates (Endodontics, Orthodontics, Periodontics) • 2 Oral Health Sciences, PhD Includes those who completed formal requirements and those who received degrees or certificates after completing formal requirements. 54 Dental School time in history,” citing advances in technology, medicine, and other areas. Some of those challenges, “sobering statistics” as he described them, include 40 million in the U.S. lacking health care coverage and 100 million in this country without dental insurance. “We still clearly have a lot of work to do, but isn’t that great?,” he asked rhetorically, “because you are among the ones who are going to help find answers to those challenges.” Other advice he offered to graduates included the need to keep learning, cherishing one’s health, keeping only cheerful friends, and laughing often. As if to get that final point across, Dugoni said, “Only in America does a pizza get to the house faster than an ambulance…and only in America do we drive on parkways, but park on driveways.” Saying commencement was only a beginning, Dugoni said, “someday, ready or not, your life is going to come to an end. Wealth, fame, and other things will shrivel to irrelevance. ...But what will matter is the compassion, integrity, courage, or sacrifice that enriched and empowered or encouraged someone else to emulate you.” “Look at the dream of the doctor you want to become, and always have that in front of you,” he said, “so that the efforts, the anguish, and the strains will all have a purpose.” For seven dental students, graduation ceremonies had a very special meaning. In addition to receiving their dental degree, each was hooded on stage by a parent who earned their dental degree or a master’s degree from U-M decades earlier. Until this year, that only occurred if a faculty member had a son or daughter receiving a dental degree. Dean Peter Polverini broke with tradition, allowing the parent to place a lavender hood on a son or daughter onstage at Hill Auditorium before the student walked across the stage to receive his or her dental degree. The participants included: • Jennifer Larson and her father, Dr. James Straley, Sr. (DDS 1959) • Jill Johnson and her father, Dr. Daniel B. Johnson (DDS 1976) • Jason Charnley and his father, Dr. Alan K. Charnley (DDS 1978) • Angela Palomaki and her father, Dr. Terry K. Abernathy (DDS 1975) • Scott Behnan and his father, Dr. Michael G. Behnan (MS, orthodontics 1979) • Benjamin Ruff and his father, Dr. Randall N. Ruff (DDS 1984) • Sarah Lennan and her father, Dr. James Lennan (DDS 1976) DentalUM Fall 2006 Graduation Graduates Twice Honored Alumni Parents Hood Sons, Daughters Keary Campbell Jennifer Larson said the experience “was like having a loved one waiting for you as you crossed the finish line of a long and sometimes exhausting race with my father and other members of my family having cheered me every step of the way.” Jason Charnley said his father tried to keep the special moment a secret, “but I learned about it when I saw a letter about the event while visiting him one day,” he said. “I was honored. My father is probably the biggest reason I pursued a career in dentistry, and to have him actually participate in the event was truly special.” It was a memorable moment for two women and their fathers for another reason. Thirty years to the day that they received their dental degrees, Dr. James Lennan and Dr. Daniel Johnson assisted in placing a lavender hood on their daughters, Sarah and Jill, respectively. Jill Johnson said, “It was amazing to think that exactly thirty years ago my dad was graduating and beginning his dental career, and now here I am, thirty years later doing the same thing.” DentalUM Fall 2006 Dr. James Straley (DDS 1959) hoods his daughter, Jennifer Larson, at graduation ceremonies. “I was honored to have my father (Dr. Alan Charnley, DDS 1978) hood me at graduation,” said Jason Charnley. Thirty years to the day after receiving his dental degree from U-M, Dr. Daniel Johnson hooded his daughter, Jill, at commencement ceremonies this spring. 55 Distinguished Service The School of Dentistry’s Alumni Society Board of Governors presented its Distinguished Service Award to Dr. James Harris (DDS 1954, MS 1963) and Dr. William Maas (DDS 1973) during commencement ceremonies. The award recognizes and honors a living person who has made outstanding contributions to the U-M School of Dentistry, the dental profession, or to the School’s Alumni Society. Nominees are selected on the basis of their professional development, service, innovation, and promotion of the dental profession. Keary Campbell Dr. James Harris “He has always been an advocate for dentistry, especially his students,” said Dr. Terry Timm as he cited the achievements of Dr. James Harris prior to presenting him with a Distinguished Service Award. Harris earned four degrees at Michigan, including a dentistry degree in 1954 and a master’s degree in orthodontics in 1963. During an 18-year teaching career that began in 1964, Harris chaired the orthodontics department for 16 years (1966 to 1982). What he is probably most remembered for while at the School of Dentistry was traveling to Egypt with a group of researchers in 1965 to x- ray the skulls of ancient Nubians to determine if heredity influenced malocclusion. This initiative occurred as the Egyptian government began constructing the Aswan Dam which later led to the complete flooding of the Nile Valley. 56 Drs. Terry Timm (left) and James Harris Twelve years later, according to the November 1976 issue of a School of Dentistry publication, the Michigan Dental Explorer, Harris received international recognition when he and other researchers announced the discovery of a 3,000- year-old royal Egyptian mummy, Queen Tiy (circa 1397-1360 BC). The discovery, the first of its kind since the opening of King Tutankhamen’s tomb in 1922, was reported by news organizations worldwide. Although discovered in 1974, in an isolated tomb in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt, the mummy remained unidentified until laboratory tests confirmed it was the queen. After receiving the award in May, Harris said, “my greatest honor was to be a teacher here at the School of Dentistry.” DentalUM Fall 2006 Graduation Awards Keary Campbell Dr. William Maas After receiving the award, Dr. William Maas admitted that since he earned his degree in 1973, his career was not what he envisioned when he began his predoctoral studies. “I wanted to become a solo practitioner in Detroit,” he said. Instead, he said, his wife encouraged him to consider doing outreach work in South Dakota and using those experiences as a steppingstone to eventually establish a private practice. In addition to working for the Indian Health Service, Maas has been the chief dental officer for the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research, chief dental officer with the U.S. Public Health Service, and, since 1998, director of the Division of Oral Health with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. He also played an important role in shaping the U.S. Surgeon General’s Report on Oral health issued in 2000. More than three years after the report was issued, Maas said its findings were “as robust now as they were then.” [DentalUM, Fall 2003, pages 60-63.] After receiving the award, Maas told graduates it was important they practice dentistry “and treat one patient at a time.” He added, “I hope that you will discover, earlier than I did, that it’s our goal to improve the public’s oral health. My hope is that in addition to being leaders with what you do with your hands, that you will also be leaders in what you do with your mind and your heart,” he said. DentalUM Fall 2006 Dr. William Brownscombe (left), chair of the School’s Alumni Society Board of Governors, presented a Distinguished Service Award to Dr. William Maas during graduation ceremonies. Previous Distinguished Service Award Recipients 2005: 2004: 2003: 2002: 2001: 2000: 1999: 1998: 1997: 1996: 1995: 1994: 1993: Dr. Lysle Johnston, Jr. Dr. Frank Comstock Dr. Richard Corpron Dr. James Avery Dr. Brien Lang Prof. Albert Richards Dr. Arnold Morawa Dr. Robert Browne, Dr. James Enoch Dr. Edward Cheney, Dr. Mark Gilson Dr. Hugh Cooper, Jr. Dr. Robert Streelman Dr. Fred Kahler, Dr. Charles Murray Dr. H. Dean Millard, Dr. Carl Woolley Dr. Gerald Charbeneau Ms. Pauline Steele Dr. Eugene Bonfiglio Dr. Joseph Cabot Dr. Richard Shick 57 Cordell Receives Paul Gibbons Award Keary Campbell Dental Class President Emily DaSilva (right) explains why Dr. Kitrina Cordell received the Paul Gibbons Award. The Dental Class of 2006 presented the Paul Gibbons Award to Dr. Kitrina Cordell. Cordell, a clinical assistant professor of pathology in the Department of Periodontics and Oral Medicine, was praised for “her energy, enthusiasm, and fresh approach to teaching,” according to dental class president Emily DaSilva. “She challenges us to be curious and forever vigilant, to provide thorough head and neck examinations, and to know when and how to provide appropriate consultations,” DaSilva said. Thanking them for the honor, Cordell told graduates that being recognized by them “was the highest honor” she could receive. However, Cordell attributed much of her success “to three wonderful mentors. …I learned from them many of the skills I used in teaching and in clinics.” The three she mentioned were: Dr. Susan Mallery, Dr. John Kalmar, and Dr. Carl Allen, all oral and maxillofacial pathologists at the Ohio State School of Dentistry. 58 DentalUM Fall 2006 All photos Keary Campbell Outstanding Dental Hygiene Alumnae Award to Sally Holden Geister U-M School of Dentistry dental hygienists presented their Outstanding Alumnae Award to Sally Holden Geister. The award honors a graduate from the dental hygiene program who has made significant contributions to the profession. A more detailed story appears in the “Dental Hygiene” section on page 62. 2007 Graduation: Friday afternoon, May 4 Next spring, the School of Dentistry will hold commencement ceremonies on Friday afternoon, May 4, instead of Saturday morning as has been the custom for many years. There are two reasons for the change. One is to avoid a rush. Once the dental school’s ceremonies end around noon at Hill Auditorium, the Law School begins preparing for its graduation at the same location which begins just two hours later. “I think the new arrangement will minimize the stress everyone in both schools faces that day,” said Dr. Marilyn Woolfolk, assistant dean for student services. In addition, other professional schools on campus, such as the Medical School and the Business School, as well as Rackham, also hold their commencement programs on Friday afternoon. DentalUM Fall 2006 59 Students Get Job Hunting, Financial Tips D ental and dental hygiene students are so busy in classrooms, clinics, and studying that, many times, they have not given much thought to important issues that will directly affect them after graduation. That was the theme of messages presented at two Lunch & Learn programs this spring at the School of Dentistry. Under the direction of Dr. Daniel Edwards, the School’s Board of Governors-sponsored Lunch & Learn Program features guest speakers who help students become familiar with some of the “real world” experiences they are likely to encounter after graduation. [DentalUM, Fall 2005, pages 55-56.] Job Hunting Advice In April, dental hygiene students learned more about the importance of preparation, how to apply for a job, how to interview, following-up, and evaluating a job offer or multiple offers. Vicki Harvey, a senior consultant for Peak Performers, and a registered dental hygienist who earned a master’s in business administration, told the dental hygiene students, “ you’re marketing yourself to a potential employer. So you must go into an interview prepared. That means you must know something about the prospective employer, rehearse answers to questions you’re likely to be asked, and when you go in for the interview, be sure you dress as a professional,” she said. 60 Harvey also talked about the importance of proper body language. “Avoid slouching and be sure your handshake is firm and that you maintain eye contact during an interview,” she said. To show interest, Harvey also talked about the importance of having a list of questions to ask a prospective employer and, once the interview ends, to follow-up with a thank you note. “That note will set you apart as a candidate to remember,” she said. Should an offer be made, Harvey advised hygiene students not to accept it on the spot. “You don’t want to appear anxious and you also need to take time to evaluate not just the financial compensation, but also any benefits that may be a part of an offer,” she said. If a student receives multiple job offers, Harvey advised comparing them side by side. “Take a look at not only the financial compensation but medical, dental, and retirement benefits,” she said. “And, since gas prices are so high, don’t forget to factor those into your evaluation too.” Financial Advice “It seems like only yesterday that I was here as a student,” said Dr. Mart McClellan who returned to the School of Dentistry in late March to discuss personal finance and money management. McClellan, who earned a master’s degree in orthodontics in 1993, practices in Chicago’s north suburbs and is the president of a financial consulting firm. Knowing that many of today’s dental students begin their careers with more than $100,000 of debt, McClellan advised them to develop a mission statement with four objectives to guide them on their path to success. The mission statement, he said, should cover the phases of a dentist’s financial life and include strategies that work under all circumstances. The first objective he described, accumulation, “is focused on efficiently getting three or four uses out of every dollar earned without taking unnecessary risks.” The second objective, distribution, was “enjoying how you spend your money without fearing it will run out.” He described the third objective, conservation, as one “where you want your money to go after you die. Ultimately, we want you to be able to give something back, whether it’s to your family or to this dental school.” McClellan’s vision is to help dentists understand the importance of having a financial plan “that can work under all circumstances (the fourth objective) so that being charitable becomes something you want to do and not an obligation.” He said dentists embrace the idea of having a fellow dentist on their financial team. DentalUM Fall 2006 DENTAL HYGIENE Graduation Day 35 Receive Bachelor’s Degree in Dental Hygiene Thirty-five women received a bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene during spring commencement ceremonies in May. Graduates presented the Outstanding Faculty Award to Susan Pritzel and the Dental Hygienists’ Alumnae Association presented its Outstanding Alumnae Award to Sally Holden Geister during the ceremonies at Hill Auditorium. Keary Campbell Outstanding Faculty Award to Pritzel The Dental Hygiene Class of 2006 presented the Outstanding Faculty Award to Susan Pritzel at spring commencement ceremonies. Farah Anwarullah, president of the class, said that Pritzel “was not only an outstanding instructor, but a mentor and a leader as well.” Pritzel said she “was humbled to be singled out for the award” and added “this recognition and respect is the highest award any teacher can receive.” Keary Campbell Keary Campbell Dean Peter Polverini congratulates Dawn Bobee as she receives her bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene. Holding her 8-month-old son, Liam, Anna Desmecht walks across the stage to receive her degree at graduation ceremonies at Hill Auditorium. DentalUM Fall 2006 Susan Pritzel received the Outstanding Faculty Award from dental hygiene graduates. Saying “it was a joy to watch all of you grow professionally,” Pritzel told dental hygiene students “to take pride in your accomplishments and…to go ahead and achieve your dreams.” 61 DH Sally Holden Geister: Outstanding Dental Hygiene Alumnae Award Student Dental Association Active An instructor who spent nearly three decades in education was recognized by the School of Dentistry’s Dental Hygiene Alumnae Association for her work as an educator and researcher at spring commencement ceremonies. Jemma Allor, president of the DHAA, said Sally Holden Geister, who received the Outstanding Dental Hygiene Alumnae Award, “always expected the best from her students. Her unwavering quest for top-notch performance added to the quality of U-M dental school graduates, helping to ensure the legacy of excellence this fine University is known for.” Holden Geister said receiving the award was “the culmination of a very fine and fun career,” and added, “I hope you have as much fun, satisfaction, and fulfillment in your career as I have had in mine.” After receiving her dental hygiene degree in 1955, she taught in the Denver public schools and returned to U-M and joined the School of Dentistry as a research associate in 1969 and earned a master’s degree from U-M a year later. In 1972, she became an instructor and, in 1977, was named an associate professor. In a story in the spring and summer 2000 issue of the School of Dentistry’s alumni magazine, DentalUM, Holden Geister said one of her fondest memories was a trip that she, Dr. James Harris, and others made to Aswan, Egypt as members of the Nubian expedition. [See page 56.] Holden Geister also collaborated with Dr. Richard Charlick on Dental Anatomy Workbook that was published in 1974 and revised in 1993. In 1985, she published a 400-page workbook, Head and Neck Anatomy, that was revised in 1995. She served as a consultant to the Michigan State Board of Dental Examiners, the Michigan Dental Hygienists Association, and the New York (Buffalo) Department of Public Health. She was also a member of the Michigan Registered Dental Assistant Examination Committee, and holds professional memberships in ADHA, MDHA, and the Michigan Association of Dental Hygiene Educators. By Anne Gwozdek, DH 1973, Smiles and hugs were the ultimate reward for members of the School of Dentistry’s Student American Dental Hygienists’ Association (SADHA) following an appearance this spring at the Huron Valley Boys and Girls Club in Ypsilanti, Michigan. The groundwork for the daylong event began late last year when SADHA coordinators Anna Desmecht and Anna Solis, both DH4s, met with the Club’s management to determine the needs of the organization’s members. SADHA members obtained supplies including spin brushes, floss, toothpaste, stickers, oral health brochures, and oral cancer awareness buttons to distribute to the youngsters and Club members. A U-M alumnus, Dr. Jeffrey Knorr (DDS 1981), and father of second-year dental hygiene student Rachel Knorr, contributed gift bag supplies. On the day of the event, two program sessions were offered. The dental health event began with an educational focus that included interactive games related to nutrition, permanent and primary dentition, and biofilm control. Lindsey Sullivan explains to Kenneth Smith how to brush his teeth with his new electric toothbrush. Keary Campbell Sally Holden Geister (right) expresses gratitude after being presented with the Outstanding Alumnae Award. 62 DentalUM Fall 2006 Hygienists’ in the Community University of Michigan “Smiles of Appreciation” That was followed by personalized oral hygiene instruction that gave SADHA members an opportunity to spend more time with each youngster and their parent or guardian. As she recruited SADHA members to participate in the event, Desmecht recalled some of her previous experiences. “ The smiles of appreciation from the kids will warm your hearts,” she said. Solis, who was active with the Boys and Girls Club of Adrian, Michigan prior to beginning her dental hygiene education at U-M, said, “It’s a wonderful organization and I’m glad to have had the opportunity to participate again this year because it brought back so many fond memories.” The Huron Valley Boys and Girls Club and U-M SADHA plan to continue this annual oral health education event and are looking at other opportunities to make a difference in the lives of others. Anna Solis explains the importance of regular brushing to a youngster. Photos courtesy of Anne Gwozdek DentalUM Fall 2006 Kerschbaum Receives Major Honor: Excellence in Dental Hygiene Award Professor Wendy Kerschbaum, the director of the School’s dental hygiene program, recently received the highest honor bestowed by the American Dental Hygienists’ Association. Kerschbaum was one of four dental hygienists nationwide who received the Pfizer/ ADHA Award for Excellence in Dental Hygiene Award in Orlando, Florida, in June. The award recognizes outstanding dental hygienists who have made significant contributions to the Professor Wendy Kerschbaum, growth and development of the dental hygiene the director of the School’s dental profession. The award also recognizes dental hygiene program, received the highest honor bestowed by the hygienists who demonstrate leadership. American Dental Hygienists’ Kerschbaum was nominated by Mary Association, the Excellence in Dental Layher and Anne Gwozdek. Hygiene Award. She was one of Describing Kerschbaum’s 36-year record only four nationwide to receive the as an educator, clinician, administrator, prestigious award. researcher, and advocate, Layher and Gwozdek also acknowledged her personal qualities and contributions. “It is what she has chosen to do with her education and talents that make her a truly remarkable individual,” they wrote. “Wendy chooses to selflessly share her knowledge, experience, and passion for dental hygiene. She is a mentor extraordinaire. Keenly observant, she has the ability to identify an individual’s strengths, empowers that individual to set and attain goals, and opens pathways to aid in achievement of those goals.” Saying that her achievements “have not occurred in a vacuum,” Kerschbaum said “the support, mentoring, role modeling, and vision of many people have been critical to the paths I have taken during my career.” She added that her focus, at this stage of her career, “is to prepare and inspire the next generation of dental hygienists and leaders of our profession.” Kerschbaum, who is only the third director of the U-M School of Dentistry’s dental hygiene program since it was created in 1924, has been its director since 1988. In a Faculty Profile feature that appeared in the Spring & Summer 2003 issue of the School’s alumni magazine, DentalUM (pages 51-54), Kerschbaum said a meeting with Dorothy Hard, the first director of the dental hygiene program (1924-1968) and a follow-up meeting with Pauline Steele, the program’s second director (1968-1988) persuaded her to consider a career in dental hygiene. Since earning her degree in 1970, Kerschbaum has taught dental hygiene classes at U-M every year except two (1976 and 1977) when she lived in Oregon. Kerschbaum has been active in dental hygiene organizations, including ADHA, for her entire career. 63 DH Going the Distance(s)… DH Instructor Early-Burk Wins State Title, 4th at Nationals Photo courtesy of Kathleen Early-Burk Kathleen Early-Burk (left), her sister, Marilyn (center), and mother, Clara, at national competition in Indianapolis in 2004. Clara swam with the 80-84age group that year. 64 “My mom was a swimming instructor, so, as a kid, I was always in the pool or at the lake,” said Kathleen Early-Burk, an adjunct clinical lecturer at the School of Dentistry. “My sister, Marilyn, and I competed on various swim teams and were also water safety instructors.” When she was a student at U-M, Early-Burk taught swimming, swam for exercise, was a lifeguard at Bell Pool at U-M in Ann Arbor, taught adult swim classes for the Red Cross, and was a lifeguard at a pool at Mott Community College in Flint. Although she stopped competitive swimming when she finished high school, Early-Burk was unable to totally flush the “competition bug” from her system. For the past three years, she has competed in swimming contests set up by U.S. Masters Swimming, Inc., a national organization that provides adults 18 and over with a range of aquatic activities including organized workouts, clinics, workshops, and competitions. The organization has more than 42,000 members who belong to 500 clubs in 53 regions across the country. This spring, Early-Burk won medals in state and national competitions. In a statewide competition held in March on the Eastern Michigan University campus, she won first place in the 50-yard freestyle and also won first place, along with her sister and two others, in a mixed medley relay. Early-Burk also won second place in the 200-yard freestyle and took third in the mile. In national competition at the Swimming Hall of Fame Complex in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, in May, Early-Burk finished better overall than she anticipated. “My goal was to finish in the top ten and I did that,” she said. Competitive Swimming for Three Years Her best finish was fourth place in the mile, fifth place in both the 500- and 1,000-yard freestyle, and seventh place in both the 200- and 50-yard freestyle events. Impressive achievements all! However, Early-Burk has been swimming competitively in the national organization’s program for only three years. “My sister coached several of the swim teams in recent years and also continued to compete. Although I swim for relaxation and exercise, I didn’t decide to ‘take the plunge,’ so to speak, until Marilyn urged me to,” Early-Burk said. Although she considers herself a long- distance swimmer rather than a sprinter, Early- Burk said she was pleasantly surprised to win first place in the 50-yard freestyle during the state competition at EMU. Early-Burk, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in dental hygiene in 1977, has been a clinical instructor at the School of Dentistry for two years. She works in private practice in Brighton, Michigan with Dr. Gary Arnold (DDS 1975) and serves on the School’s Dental Hygiene Alumnae Association Board of Directors. DentalUM Fall 2006 BALLOT Dental Hygienists’ Alumnae Association Photo courtesy of Jemma Allor It’s time to vote for four candidates to serve on the U-M Dental Hygienists’ Alumnae Association’s Board of Governors. Using the ballot below, vote for those you want to serve a three-year term beginning January 1, 2007. Please make sure the envelope containing your ballot is postmarked by December 10, 2006. New Sigma Phi Alpha Members The local chapter of Sigma Phi Alpha, the national dental hygiene honor society, recently inducted three new members for their scholastic achievement and leadership. Pictured are (left to right): Dr. Susan Taichman, faculty advisor; dental hygiene students Jennifer Pixley, Carrie Guernsey, and Dawn Bobee; and honorary member, Lisa Dodge. DHAA Executive Board Term expires 2006 Kathleen Early-Burk (’77) Katrina Schwarz (’98) Beverly Gainer (’98) Kelly Donovan Richter (’95) Term expires 2007 Jemma Allor (’00) President Sheila May (’99) Jennifer Klump (’03) Term expires 2008 Heather Goemer (’99) Treasurer Lisa Hussan (’01) Karen Beckerman (’95) Laura Roth (’99) Secretary Wendy Kerschbaum, ex officio DentalUM Fall 2006 Julie Ashenfelter (Class of 2003) is currently employed in private practice and enjoys volunteering at a local vocational school’s dental aid program. Katrina Schwarz* (Class of 1998) is working full time as a clinical dental hygienist and has also worked at a job placement agency, specializing in networking and professionalism. Kathy Horton (Class of 1998), who lived in England for a year after graduation, is past vice president of Sigma Phi Alpha, the dental hygiene honor society. She also regularly volunteers at the Washtenaw Children’s Dental Clinic. Nicole Love (Class of 2004) is working in private practice in both general and pediatric dental offices. She is active in MDHA and is a member of Sigma Phi Alpha. Alana Hedges (Class of 1999) replaces Aleta Luesse for the next two terms. She is a clinical dental hygienist. * Incumbent Julie Ashenfelter Katrina Schwarz* Kathy Horton Nicole Love Alana Hedges Envelope with the ballot must be postmarked by December 10, 2006. Please return to the University of Michigan School of Dentistry, Office of Alumni Relations, 540 E. Liberty, Suite 204, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2210. 65 65 DEVELOPMENT New Gifts $400,000 Gift from the Roberts Family Foundation Continues Family Generosity Dr. Roy and Natalie Roberts 66 T he influence of the late Dr. Roy Roberts (DDS 1932) continues to be felt at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry. This spring, the School received a $400,000 commitment from the Dr. Roy and Natalie Roberts Family Foundation. The Foundation was created from their estate. Dr. Roberts, who died in June 2004, was the School’s most generous benefactor. For nearly two decades prior to his death, he gifted just over $13 million to the School of Dentistry making him, as far as U-M officials can determine, the largest single benefactor to dental education in the U.S. In 1997, Dr. and Mrs. Roberts gifted what is believed to be the largest single commitment ever made to a dental school – $10 million. Another $3 million was gifted to the School to renovate the west preclinic, which was renamed The Roy H. Roberts Preclinical Laboratory, and to establish an endowed professorship that bears his name. Richard Fetchiet, director of development, said $200,000 will be designated for the James Harris Collegiate Professorship. The other $200,000 will be used for student scholarships. Of the student scholarship funds, $80,000 will be used during the 2006-2007 academic year to support expendable scholarships for dental students. The other $120,000 will be used to create the Roberts Family Foundation Endowed Dental Student Scholarship Fund. All recipients would be recognized as Roberts Scholars. In addition to gifting $400,000 to the School of Dentistry, a similar amount will be gifted to the U-M Medical School. DentalUM Fall 2006 Dr. George Yellich Pledges $250,000 for Hayward Professorship “I don’t think I would be where I am today, professionally and financially, without the influences of the University of Michigan and Dr. James Hayward,” said Dr. George Yellich. “I received an outstanding education and outstanding training from Dr. Hayward who was truly a phenomenal teacher.” Yellich, who received his dental degree from U-M in 1972 and a master’s degree in oral and maxillofacial surgery five years later, has already gifted $50,000 to the Hayward Professorship. At the urging of his wife, Patricia, who is actively involved in philanthropy in San Francisco, that pledge will eventually reach $250,000. “It was totally her idea to give more at a later time,” he said. Yellich, who specializes in corrective jaw surgery in Los Gatos and Santa Cruz, California, said, “I want my gift to honor an outstanding instructor and role model.” Another important reason for the gift, he added, is to make sure the School of Dentistry continues to have the best teachers. “We need good oral surgeons to train others,” he said. “But to continue doing that, we’re going to have to pay them, and I think the endowed professorship is the best way of achieving that goal,” he said. Recalling his experiences as a resident in Ann Arbor, Yellich said Hayward was a demanding instructor. “But, with the benefit of hindsight,” he continued, “you realize that what he did, he did for a reason, and that was to make sure his residents were as competent and as caring as possible.” DentalUM Fall 2006 Photo courtesy of Dr. George Yellich Yellich recalled one case of scheduling surgery Dr. George Yellich and Mrs. Patricia for a patient at the VA Hospital in Ann Arbor. “Unfortunately, I didn’t review the case with Yellich Dr. Hayward and he called me the evening before the surgery to let me know, in no uncertain terms, that I needed to do more.” That “more” was summed up in one word, “communication.” “He wanted to know what you were doing and why you were doing it,” Yellich said. “A Great Influence” What Yellich learned from Hayward in the classroom and in the operating room has helped him enormously during the past thirty years. “He had a very professional demeanor with his approach to surgery and how he handled tissues, for example. Those became hallmarks for those of us who were fortunate enough to be 67 DEVELOPMENT New Gifts trained by him,” Yellich said. “He emphasized that doing these things well, would ensure excellent patient care.” Yellich said he took those lessons to heart, not just in his private practice, but also while doing cleft palate surgeries in Mexico. “I went there for about a week for about ten years with a Rotary group from San Diego and enjoyed that opportunity to help.” “Dr. Hayward had a great influence on our professional lives as a teacher and mentor. I feel so strongly about what he gave to us that I want to now do what I can to continue his legacy.” Dr. George Yellich Looking back, Yellich also said he appreciated the importance Hayward placed on research. “He wanted you to read the literature, understand it, and see if you might be able to apply it as a resident and later when you were in private practice treating patients.” Although it’s been nearly thirty years since he received his master’s degree, Yellich said he still maintains contact with Hayward. “I see him at AAOMS meetings and receive Christmas cards with handwritten notes from him every year,” Yellich said. “It’s amazing to think that he does that, not only for me, but for hundreds of his former residents. Dr. Hayward had a great influence on our professional lives as a teacher and mentor. I feel so strongly about what he gave to us that I want to now do what I can to continue his legacy.” 68 Dr. Gerald and Phyllis Krause Gift $100,000 for Scholarships “The University of Michigan School of Dentistry has been a very important part of my life. The education I received gave me the opportunity to enjoy a wonderful profession,” said Dr. Gerald Krause (DDS 1946). To show their appreciation, Krause and his wife, Phyllis, gifted $100,000 for need-based scholarships for dental students from Trenton, Michigan, or other downriver communities. With the cost of dental education continuing to rise, their gift will help the School raise $10 million for student scholarships during University’s fundraising campaign, The Michigan Difference. After practicing general dentistry for 38 years in Trenton, Krause said he wanted to give something back to both the profession and the community where he worked. Krause, who retired twenty years ago, is a member of the School’s Campaign Task Force and has made several previous gifts to the School. In 1948, he established a practice in Trenton in what was a library for an attorney. “There was no symbolism behind my decision to open my dental office in a lawyer’s office,” he said with a laugh. “It was in a small library that provided just enough space for a dental unit and chair, a desk, and a tiny lab.” Four years after opening the office, Krause began serving in the Army as a dental officer during the Korean War. Following his discharge, Krause returned to his practice in Trenton until he retired in November 1986. DentalUM Fall 2006 Jeff Freschcorn Dr. Gerald Krause (DDS 1946) and his wife, Phyllis In 1996, Krause returned to the School of Dentistry to meet his former classmates, many for the first time, since their graduation fifty years earlier. “It was most enjoyable because of the empathy we had for each other,” he said. After he began his retirement, Krause decided to take piano lessons. “I thought I would tickle the ivories rather than drilling them,” he said. “I don’t have the talent for the piano, especially after attending the Dave Brubeck concert at Hill Auditorium in May,” he said with a laugh. Krause said he and his wife “continue to enjoy traveling, good food, and good wine.” He also continues to play competitive tennis. Last year, he represented Arizona in the 2005 National Senior Olympic Games in Pittsburgh and brought home a silver medal. DentalUM Fall 2006 Dr. Leo Weiss Gifts $100,000 “After practicing dentistry for fifty years, I thought I owed the University of Michigan dental school something for my education and training, so that’s why, after discussing this with my wife, I decided to make this gift for scholarships,” said Dr. Leo Weiss (DDS 1941). His gift, a stock transfer of $100,000, will help fund the Class of 1941 Endowed Scholarship Fund. The funds are part of an effort to raise $10 million for student scholarships as a part of The Michigan Difference campaign. Originally from Elizabeth, New Jersey, Weiss said he knew since he was a junior in high school that he wanted to be a dentist. How he came to Michigan is another story. Weiss said that one day he was walking by the public library in his hometown, walked in, and saw a cart with pamphlets and books. Curiosity prompted him to search further. “One of the books had the results of dental exams,” he said. “I looked at results from the Michigan dental school and saw it had the fewest number of people who failed their licensing exams. Based on that, I decided that I would go to the University of Michigan.” When he learned that undergraduate tuition at Michigan was $55 a semester for out-of-state students he thought he could manage that. So in the fall of 1934, during the Great Depression, Weiss entered the College of Literature, Sciences, and the Arts. In 1938, he not only completed his final year in LS&A and earned a bachelor’s degree in biology, he also was enrolled as a first-year student in the predoctoral program as part of the 69 DEVELOPMENT New Gifts University’s “combined curriculum” program. After graduating with his dental degree in 1941, Weiss returned to New Jersey to participate in a residency program at the Jersey City Medical Center. By now, World War II was well underway. “My wife and I were married on July 7, 1942, and two weeks later I was shipped to Europe,” he said. Weiss said he spent a total of three-and-a- half years in Northern Ireland, northern England, and France. In England, he was the chief dental officer with the U.S. Army Air Force. After completing his tour of duty, he practiced general dentistry in Union, New Jersey, until he retired in 1978. Talking about his days at Michigan, Weiss said, members of his dental class “were a very close-knit group. There were only twenty-nine of us, so we made it a point to stay in touch with one another as often as we could,” he said. Weiss was especially grateful that fellow classmate Dr. Jack Bates has produced a newsletter for many years that allowed members of the class to stay in touch with each other. “Jack has done a wonderful job of keeping the few of us who are still around posted on what the others are doing,” Weiss said. Now 89 years old, Weiss said there is plenty keeping him busy including bird watching, photography, and helping with electrical repairs in the woodshop in the retirement community where he and his wife live. He also continues to be involved in dentistry. “Naturally, I’m not practicing, but I recently helped the dental clinic in our retirement community upgrade its equipment and also offer my advice when I can,” he said. Weiss said that offering dental advice is almost something he feels obligated to do. “We 70 have twenty-six physicians in this community, but I’m the only dentist here,” he said with a laugh. This summer, Weiss and his wife, Dr. Gretel Weiss, celebrated their 64th wedding anniversary. Photo courtesy of Dr. Leo Weiss “Naturally, I’m not practicing, but I recently helped the dental clinic in our retirement community upgrade its equipment and also offer my advice when I can.” Dr. Leo Weiss DentalUM Fall 2006 Dr. John and Dalores Burau Gift $25K for Clayton Scholarship Fund “I was a student in Joe’s crown and bridge program, and knowing him as I have over the years, I thought it was fitting that we try to help students meet some of their expenses with a gift for scholarships,” said Dr. John Burau (DDS 1970). “He helped me and others at the school for many years, so now Dr. John and Dalores Burau it’s our turn to do something.” Established in the late 1990s, the Joseph Clayton Scholarship Fund annually awards a scholarship to a graduate prosthodontics student. The award is from an endowment initiated by Dr. Joseph A. Clayton who, for 25 years, until his retirement in 1996, developed, directed, and taught the graduate program in restorative dentistry. Burau also gives credit to his wife, Dalores, for his success. “Because she worked while I was in dental school, I was able to graduate without any debt. So that was a big burden that we did not have to deal with,” he said. “But for today’s dental students, it’s a much different story.” A general dentist in Gaylord, Michigan, Burau said he plans to retire around Thanksgiving. But he and his wife won’t be going far. “Our home, previous office, and our summer cottage are all within walking distance,” he said with a laugh. Reference Library Named for Dr. Joseph Cabot The graduate pediatric dentistry library is now officially known as the Dr. Joseph Cabot Pediatric Dentistry Reference Library. The name change occurred in early June with Dr. Joseph Cabot (DDS 1945; MS, pediatric dentistry 1947) and members of his family present for a dedication ceremony marking the event. Those attending included Cabot’s wife, Ruth; Dr. William Brown, friend and classmate; and Dr. Sunil Kapila, chair of the Department of Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry. Cabot’s son, Dr. Jon Cabot (DDS 1982; MS, pediatric dentistry 1984), gifted $25,000 to the School of Dentistry last fall. [DentalUM, Spring & Summer 2006, pages 46-47.] DentalUM Fall 2006 71 DEVELOPMENT Werschky New Campaign Chair Per Kjeldsen Dr. Jay Werschky (DDS “I was already involved 1976) is the new chair of with the campaign when the School of Dentistry’s I was asked if I would be fundraising effort. He willing to take on a larger s u c c e e d s D r. Wi l l i a m role,” he continued. “In Costello in the position. l i f e , t h e re a re s o m e Werschky is continuing things that you have a efforts with the School’s passion for and make it alumni to raise $35 million a point to find time for during the University’s them. My passion is the Michigan Difference University of Michigan fundraising campaign that School of Dentistry, so I began in 2004 and will said I would be willing end in 2008. He and his Dr. Jay Werschky of Flint is the new director of the School of to help in whatever way wife, Janis, are among those Dentistry’s efforts to raise $35 million during the University’s I could.” who have made significant Michigan Difference campaign. When he meets with commitments, gifting the School’s alumni, $100,000 for scholarships for dental students as Werschky said he will ask them to “reflect on a part of the campaign. [DentalUM, Fall 2004, their lives and their careers, and ask themselves, pages 38-39.] ‘What would my life be like without the dental degree I received from the University of Michigan’?” “In the vast majority of cases, I think our lives “In the vast majority of cases, I think our lives would not have turned out as well as they have would not have turned out as well as they without the dental degree we received from U-M,” have without the dental degree we received he said, “so I hope all alumni will give something from U-M, so I hope all alumni will give back to this fine School.” By doing that, Werschky said, the School’s something back to this fine School.” alumni will “help ourselves and help the profession revitalize one of the major trends we have been experiencing recently,” including “I’m enthusiastic about it and look forward fewer dental students remaining in Michigan to contacting many dental school alumni and after they graduate. “We need as many as meeting them during the next two-and-a-half possible to remain here to not only take over years,” Werschky said. the practices of dentists who are about to 72 DentalUM Fall 2006 retire, but more importantly, help the patients who have been coming to us for care since we graduated.” Werschky has been involved with the School of Dentistry several times previously. In 1989, he was a member of the Dean Search Committee. From 1996 to 2003, he served on the School’s Alumni Society Board of Governors, including two one-year terms as president in 2002 and 2003. He said he is especially proud of helping establish the School’s Hall of Honor [DentalUM, Fall 2003]. He also addressed first- year dental students during the annual White Coat Ceremony in the fall of 2003. “Dentistry at Michigan is becoming a family tradition,” Werschky said with a chuckle. His sister, Ellen Rowe, earned a dental hygiene degree from U-M in 1967. After receiving his dental degree, Werschky’s brother, Marty, graduated with a dental degree from Michigan in 1982; a niece, Kelly Rowe, graduated with a dental degree this spring, and his daughter, Joelle, now a fourth-year dental student at U-M, will receive her dental degree next May. New Annual Giving Officer Hired If you have recently called the School’s Office of Development, you have heard a new voice answering the telephone. Thalia Jaimez joined the School’s development office this summer after Dawn Ford moved to Missouri. Jaimez has spent virtually her entire career at the University of Michigan. After working with the admissions office for Jackson Community College and the advancement office at Siena Heights College in Adrian, Michigan, Jaimez came to U-M in 1996. Nearly all of that time has been spent working in the Office of University Development. Her career at Michigan began with the University’s Telefund fundraising program where she not only acknowledged and processed pledges and gifts, but also supervised a staff of six to 10 students who assisted her. After four years, Jaimez advanced to the Office of Annual Giving where she worked as administrative assistant to the director and later managed 50 to 70 direct mail and telephone projects annually. DentalUM Fall 2006 Jerry Mastey Thalia Jaimezis the School of Dentistry’s new annual giving officer. In July 2005, she became direct mail manager with responsibility for producing, from start to finish, direct mail projects on behalf of all U-M schools and colleges. In one year, she produced 26 direct mail pieces for U-M schools and colleges. Richard Fetchiet, director of development, said, “We are fortunate to have Thalia joining our team. She brings a wealth of annual giving knowledge to our School and is well respected in the University’s development community.” A native of Adrian, Jaimez has two sons, Seth, age 8, and Noah, age 4. 73 Postcards for CE Course Listings The School of Dentistry has changed how it informs oral health care professionals about upcoming continuing dental education courses. Beginning this summer, the Office of Continuing Education began mailing postcards advising them to check the School of Dentistry’s Web site, www.dent. umich.edu for course listings or to call or e-mail the School for a new course catalog. However, catalogs continue to be mailed to alumni in Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana. “Our reviews show that most of those who attend our CE programs are from this three-state area, so we are continuing to mail the catalogs to them,” said Debbie Montague, manager of continuing dental education. The growing popularity of the Internet and e-mail, rising printing costs, and mailing hundreds of catalogs to individuals outside the three-state area warranted a new approach. “We expect to save thousands of dollars in printing and mailing costs annually with this new approach,” Montague added. In recent years, all course information has been published in two catalogs. The first catalog, mailed during the summer, lists course information for this calendar year and the next. For example, the 52-page CE catalog mailed in July lists courses for 2006 and 2007. The second catalog, mailed in late fall or early winter, is smaller in page count and only lists courses for the new year, in this case, 2007 only. 74 DentalUM Fall 2006 R ESEARCH N EWS Dental School Administrators, Faculty in IADR/AADR Leadership Roles University of Michigan School of Dentistry administrators and faculty members have assumed leadership roles in prominent research organizations in recent months. This summer, Dr. Stephen Bayne, chair of the Department of Cariology, Restorative Sciences, and Endodontics, became president of the 11,000 member International Association for Dental Research. Established in 1920, IADR’s missions are to advance research and increase knowledge to improve oral health worldwide, support, and represent the oral health research community, and enhance communicating and applying research findings. The largest component of IADR is the U.S. section, the American Association for Dental Research. Bayne served a one-year term as AADR president from 1998 to 1999. Dr. Brian Clarkson was installed as AADR vice president after the group’s annual meeting this spring in Orlando, Florida. He will become the 37th president of the organization in 2008. DentalUM Fall 2006 Dr. Paul Krebsbach, chair of the Department of Biologic and Materials Sciences, has been nominated for AADR treasurer. Recently appointed to serve a three-year term on IADR’s Hatton Awards Committee, he is currently serving a three-year term as a member of AADR’s Constitution Committee. Another School of Dentistry faculty member, Dr. Renny Franceschi, chairs the National Institutes of Health’s Skeletal Biology, Structure, and Regeneration Study Section. The group reviews NIH grant applications and proposes studies on bone development, biomechanics, and regeneration. Polverini, Dennison Receive Research Awards Polverini Receives Top IADR Award School of Dentistry D e a n , D r. P e t e r Polverini, received one of 15 top research awards from IADR during the organization’s annual meeting this summer in Brisbane, Australia. He was presented with a Distinguished Scientist Award during the organization’s opening ceremonies in June. Polverini was honored for his contributions to oral medicine and pathology. In addition to his administrative role as dean, Polverini also teaches pathology and diagnoses specimens submitted to the School’s oral pathology biopsy service. (See page 23.) “Peter is in a very select group,” said Dr. Stephen Bayne, IADR president and chair of the School’s Department of Cariology, Restorative Sciences, and Endodontics. “This award and the others represent the supreme acknowledgement of the great research contributions of our more than 11,000 members.” 75 R ESEARCH N EWS Dennison Receives Floyd Peyton Award for Clinical Research Dr. Joseph Dennison recently received a national award named for a former School of Dentistry faculty member. Dennison was presented with the Floyd Peyton Award for Clinical Research at this spring’s annual meeting of the American Association of Dental Research. Presented every three years by AADR’s Dental Materials Group, the award recognizes the late Dr. Floyd Peyton, a pioneer in dental materials, who chaired the School’s department of the same name from 1948 to 1969. His textbook, Restorative Dental Materials, published in 1960, was one of the most widely used in the field and is still being revised for use today. The first to receive the award, back in 1992, was Dr. Gerald Charbeneau (DDS 1948), who also conducted research and taught in the departments of dental materials and operative dentistry in the 1950s. “It was a great honor to be recognized and follow in the footsteps of such outstanding academicians,” Dennison said. “Gerry was my faculty mentor for fifteen years, and I replaced him as chair of the Department of Operative Dentistry when he retired in 1987.” Dennison, the Marcus L. Ward Professor of Dentistry in the Department of Cariology, Restorative Sciences, and Endodontics, joined the U-M faculty as an assistant professor in 1971. He was named associate professor in 1974 and professor four years later. Research Focus For more than three decades, Dennison’s focus has been on clinical and applied research pertaining to dental materials. His laboratory studies have involved adhesive luting agents, composite resins, amalgam, endodontic posts, extraoral shade matching systems, ceramic core materials, the mechanics of restoration wear, and the release of fluoride from materials into tooth structure. Dennison’s long-term longitudinal clinical studies have been conducted on pit and fissure sealants, posterior composite resins, vital bleaching, caries diagnosis, direct CAD/CAM restorations, patient priorities in treatment decisions, and tissue reactions to laminate veneers. A major five-year study supported by NIH is being completed to assess the relationship between margin breakdown of adhesive restorations and recurrent caries. Peyton was among the first 18 individuals to be inducted into the School’s Hall of Honor in September 2003. [DentalUM, Fall 2003, pages 12-24.] 76 STRONG Performance Below are the number and percentage of AADR Student Research Fellowships that have been presented in the past six years to U-M School of Dentistry dental students: • 2006: 8 awards received, 19 awards presented, 42% • 2005: 5 awards received, 18 awards presented, 28% • 2004: 9 awards received, 20 awards presented, 45% • 2003: 9 awards received, 22 awards presented, 41% • 2002: 4 awards received, 22 awards presented, 18% • 2001: 7 awards received, 24 awards presented, 29% DentalUM Fall 2006 Dental Students Win 42% of AADR Fellowships U-M School of Dentistry students continued their impressive showing at the annual meeting of the American Association of Dental Research. This year, they won more than 40 percent of the organization’s research Fellowship awards. On this page and others are the winners, their advisors, and a brief description of their projects. Keary Campbell Keary Campbell Student: Johnson Miin Mentor: Dr. Stephen Feinberg Project Title: Oral Mucosal Progenitor/Stem Cells Separated by Gravity-Assisted Cell Sorting Student: Steven Obreiter Mentor: Dr. David Kohn Project Title: Effects of Age and Mechanical Properties and Fatigue- Induced Microdamage of Bone What the Project’s About: This study isolates a progenitor/ keratinocyte stem cell population from oral mucosa based on cell size for use in the laboratory fabrication of a human tissue-engineered oral mucosa. Isolating the progenitor/ stem cells is done consistent with FDA regulatory guidelines so fabricated tissue engineered oral mucosa can be used for intraoral grafting procedures for patients with oral mucosal deficiencies. What the Project’s About: This research continues previous work that showed exercise reduced skeletal fragility in adolescent mice. This study now seeks to define relationships between age and the ability of bone to withstand repetitive forces and to determine if mechanical loading has the same beneficial effect in older subjects as it does in younger ones. By better understanding the properties of bone that change with age, it may be possible to develop preventive measures to counteract these changes and reduce susceptibility to fracture. It may also give insights into dental implants and orthodontic procedures. DentalUM Fall 2006 Keary Campbell Student: Kalisha Morin Mentors: Drs. Marita Inglehart and Robert Bagramian Project Title: Bringing Dental Care to Underserved Populations: Exploring the Potential of Utilizing Mobile Dental Units What the Project’s About: This project explores the challenges and benefits of using mobile dental units to bring oral health care to those who do not have access to such care. Colleges and universities offering dental and dental hygiene programs are surveyed to learn how they may be using these units in their programs. We hope the findings will help educators and practitioners give consideration to using these units in the future if they are not already doing so. 77 R ESEARCH N EWS Keary Campbell Student: Katie Miettunen Mentor: Dr. Tilly Peters Project Title: The Effect of Sonication on the Bond Strength of Glass Ionomer to Dentin What the Project’s About: Although glass ionomers are the only filling materials that are cariostatic and chemically bond to teeth, they still lack mechanical strength. This project investigates how ultrasonic command-set influences dental adhesion. Although Peters’ group has studied the effects of sonication on marginal seals, this project also examines how ultrasonic accelerated setting of glass ionomers influences their adhesion to dentin which is important for sealing and protecting tooth tissues from recurring decay. Keary Campbell Keary Campbell Student: Abra Jay Essad Mentor: Drs. Marita Inglehart and Robert Bagramian Project Title: Alcohol Abuse and Dependency – Dental Care Providers’ Knowledge and Actions What the Project’s About: Dentists are in a unique position to educate, prevent, and identify alcohol use and abuse in their patients. However, to date, no prior study has assessed whether dentists are aware of alcohol abuse among their patients, or if they advise and/or properly refer those patients who are affected. Five hundred Michigan dentists will be surveyed to evaluate how professional behavior, a provider’s knowledge, and demographics affect a dentist’s attitude about alcohol and alcohol abuse. Keary Campbell Student: Stacy Baker Mentor: Dr. William Giannobile Project Title: Evaluation of ICTP as a Chairside Diagnostic for Active Periodontitis What the Project’s About: This research study will examine how a bone-specific biomarker, ICTP, can be used to predict periodontal disease activity. After patient samples are collected, they will be analyzed by a prototype, handheld, portable device that can rapidly measure this protein from saliva. Approximately 90 patients will participate in the clinical trail. It is hoped this test will help identify patients with periodontal disease and other diseases of bone metabolism, such as osteoporosis and arthritis. Student: Thien-Thao Thi Lee Mentor: Dr. Renny Franceschi Project Title: Regulation of the Dlx3 Homeodomain Protein During Osteoblast Differentiation What the Project’s About: This project investigates how bone formation is controlled by the Dlx family of transcription factors. These molecules control the activity of specific genes to tell a stem cell to become a bone cell. They are especially important in the formation of cranial and dental tissues. 78 DentalUM Fall 2006 Wanda Snyder Stem Cells: Why the Interest? By Karl Leif Bates, U-M Life Science Communications Student: Jamie Scott Luria Mentor: Dr. Paul Krebsbach Project Title: Biological Effects of Bone Morphogenetic Proteins in Oral Cancer Cells What the Project’s About: This project will use bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) to reconstruct craniomaxillofacial and mandibular defects due to ablative cancer surgery. These proteins have powerful bone-forming activity and have already led to dramatic improvements in treating patients with orthopedic problems. BMP use in oral cancer defects is currently contraindicated due to uncertainties whether these proteins have adverse biologic effects on human oral squamous cell carcinoma or contribute to tumorigenesis. The project will test the hypothesis that BMPs do not produce adverse biologic effects on oral squamous cell carcinoma or enhance the growth of residual tumor cells. DentalUM Fall 2006 Stem cells are the blank slate of biology, capable of forming all kinds of replacement tissues for cells lost to injury or disease. These cells are found throughout the human body at all stages of life, not just during embryonic development. Scientists have distinguished between two different types of stem cells: embryonic and adult. Basically, embryonic stem cells are those that can become any cell in the body. Adult stem cells exist in mature tissues and typically make cells for one particular tissue. What has researchers all over the world so excited about stem cells is the tantalizing possibility that we might learn how to communicate with these cells to make them form specific tissue types or build entirely new structural (body) parts. Dentists, having the longest experience making replacement parts for the human body, are, not surprisingly, at the forefront of stem cell science at Michigan. Dental School Research “Can we use these cells to fix craniofacial defects?” asks Dr. Cun-Yu Wang, the Richard H. Kingery Professor of Dentistry in the Department of Biologic and Materials Sciences. “Can we add growth factors to make stem cells more productive? Give us one or two years, and we’ll have a better story.” Dr. Paul Krebsbach, the Roy H. Roberts Professor of Dentistry and chair of the Department of Biologic and Materials Sciences, has been exploring the “micro-environment” immediately surrounding stem cells: the signals they receive, and who their neighbors are. “What the cell sticks to can make a huge difference,” Krebsbach says. “We don’t yet have that exquisite control over what a stem cell might become.” Krebsbach’s team is working on a new kind of “feeder layer” to support embryonic stem cells in a culture dish, while preventing them from differentiating into specific cell types. The Wisconsin team that pioneered this work had used mouse cells for the feeder layer, and as a result the twenty or so remaining embryonic stem cell (ESC) lines that are still eligible for federal funding have become contaminated with mouse proteins. “If we can control the feeder layer, we can control what the ESCs see,” Krebsbach explains. “We can influence changes in the ESCs by changing the feeder layer, but we don’t have good control yet.” 79 R ESEARCH N EWS I n re l a t e d w o r k , Pe t e r M a , associate professor of Biologic and Materials Sciences, has been growing human embryonic stem cells on plastic scaffolds impregnated with various biochemicals to see how they respond to that sort of microenvironment. “There are two things we need to do,” Krebsbach says. “We need to understand the biology of cell development in disease and normal conditions, and we need to get control of these processes so that we can think about therapeutic interventions.” Precise understanding and control of stem cell lines may also become very useful for testing the safety and effectiveness of new drugs. A lab-dish model of a human disease using actual human cells would be far superior in many cases to testing on a animal that mimics the disease, as we do now. I n t e r e s t i n g l y, M i c h i g a n’ s C o m p re h e n s i v e C a n c e r C e n t e r researchers have also found stem cells in tumors that may be the driving force in cancer’s aggressive growth and spread. If that’s true, a therapy focusing on just these cancer stem cells could be a more effective and less harrowing way to beat cancer. A company has been formed, OncoMed, to pursue that strategy. 80 Science, Politics, Ethics Not only is the science of stem cells difficult, but the funding and politics have become so too. Though commonly referred to in the press as simply “stem cells,” the hot-button issue is specifically the embryonic stem cells, so-called because they can be derived from a test tube embryo in a fertility clinic five days after sperm meets egg. This is the same point of in vitro fertilization (IVF) at which a fertility clinic selects which of the microscopic, ball-like embryos to implant into a woman for an attempted pregnancy, putting the rest into long-term frozen storage. There are an estimated 400,000 such IVF embryos in storage in the U.S. Many thousands are destroyed each year as couples decide not to try to get pregnant again. Stem cell scientists are proposing using some of these five-day embryos – already slated for disposal, and with the explicit permission of the parents – to create new stem cell lines for research and possible therapies. To some, this seems to be tampering with nascent life. To others, the practice is more akin to organ donation. In Michigan, it is illegal to take cells from a five-day embryo, even one that is slated to be destroyed. (The destruction itself is entirely legal, however.) In an attempt to compromise on this hot-button issue, President George W. Bush issued an order in August 2001 that the federal government would not fund any research on embryonic stem cell lines created after that date. Because of the state laws, U-M scientists cannot create new lines of embryonic stem cells, relying instead on cells purchased from other institutions, most notably the University of Wisconsin, where embryonic stem cells were first isolated and cultured. Still, U-M remains a leader in stem cell research of all kinds. The U-M Exploratory Center for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research in the Medical School is one of just six core laboratories in the country funded by National Institutes of Health to maintain human embryonic stem cell lines. This is a core lab for the entire U-M campus that monitors stem cell colonies to ensure they remain free from chromosomal anomalies or infection, and provides training and cells to U-M researchers, including Dentistry’s Cun Yu Wang and Paul Krebsbach. The U-M Center for Stem Cell Biology (CSCB), housed in the Life Sciences Institute, is focusing on stem cells to answer fundamental scientific questions, such as how stem cells become specific types of tissues and how to identify and selectively destroy the stem cells found within cancerous tumors. This lab’s focus is basic biology that might provide insights and breakthroughs leading to new treatments. Although CSCB currently focuses on adult stem cell research, it isn’t limited to any particular type of stem cell research and hasn’t ruled out embryonic stem cell work. Recruitment is now underway for seven new faculty to work in the center and their research priorities will set the center’s direction. For more information on the science and policy of Stem Cells, please see the Web site: lifesciences.umich.edu. DentalUM Fall 2006 Drug to Fight Virus in Transplant Patients Moves Forward in Trials Dentistry and Pharmacy Collaboration Continues Keary Campbell A drug jointly developed H o w e v e r, t h e s t u d y by University of Michigan showed that far fewer School of Dentistry and College p a t i e n t s w h o re c e i v e d of Pharmacy professors, maribavir showed initial along with scientists from signs of infection than a pharmaceutical company, p a t i e n t s re c e i v i n g t h e was recently found to be safe placebo. “We could not have and effective against a virus hoped for better results, that is common in patients as these data show that who undergo bone marrow treatment with maribavir transplants. dramatically reduces CMV The antiviral dr ug, A drug developed by Dr. Leroy Townsend and Dr. John Drach was recently found to be safe and reactivation in these very maribavir, was found to be effective against a virus common in bone marrow transplant patients. sick patients. In fact, the safe and effective in preventing cytomegalovirus (CMV) only cases of CMV disease in this trial occurred in the infection in stem cell transplant patients in a Phase II placebo group; there were no cases of the disease in subjects clinical trial that recently ended. The study was conducted who received maribavir,” said Colin Broom, ViroPharma’s on 111 patients at 13 transplant centers across the U.S. chief scientific officer. In the 1980s, John Drach, a biochemist, virologist, and professor in the School of Dentistry and the College May Change Treatment Approach of Pharmacy, along with Leroy Townsend, now professor The results could potentially change the current emeritus of medicinal chemistry in the College of Pharmacy approach to treatment that finds physicians usually and professor emeritus of chemistry in the College of waiting until CMV can be detected in the blood, indicating Chemistry in LS&A, began a search to find drugs to treat the virus is multiplying, before beginning treatment. CMV infections. Their studies, along with work conducted CMV is part of the herpes virus family, which also by scientists at what was then the Burroughs Wellcome includes the viruses that cause chicken pox, mononucleosis, Company, led to the development in the 1990s of maribavir, cold sores, and genital lesions. In most people with intact a drug that confines its antiviral activity to the nucleus of immune systems, CMV causes little or no apparent illness. an infected cell without affecting healthy cells. The drug However, in those with weakened immune systems, such is now licensed to ViroPharma, a developmental company as individuals who have received organ transplants, whose principal activity is discovering and developing AIDS patients, and newborns, CMV can lead to serious antimicrobial medicines. complications or death. The 111 participants who were randomly selected received Although the Food and Drug Administration has given either a placebo or one of three doses of maribavir for up to 12 maribavir “fast track” status, Drach said, “There’s still a weeks. If a virological initial indication of CMV infection was way to go before maribavir can be marketed. But the results detected, these patients were taken off the drug or the placebo are exciting news.” Phase III studies should begin later this and then managed according to current practices. year. DentalUM Fall 2006 81 R ESEARCH N EWS A New Way to Treat Toothaches? Dr. Rex Holland’s Research May One Day Help Patients and Dentists Imagine this approach for dealing with toothache pain… In the not-too-distant future, a patient visits his or her dentist seeking to minimize such pain…or to eliminate it entirely. To help the patient, the dentist, and others across the country, are using a novel approach of dealing with such pain based on the research that took place in University of Michigan School of Dentistry research laboratories. The new method the dentist uses involves applying an opiate, or a yet-to- be-discovered or manufactured biological agent that would trigger the release of endorphins in the patient’s mouth. The endorphins would not only control the pain, but also work in a way allowing the pulp to recover and repair itself. Sound far-fetched? Perhaps not. For decades, attempts have been made to link the experience of pain with specific changes in the injured pulp. However, little useful information has been produced. That is, until now. Possible Clinical Implications In April, the School of Dentistry’s Dr. Rex Holland, and a former graduate assistant in his research laboratory, Dr. Angela Mudie, published a paper in the Journal of Endodontics that could, one 82 Keary Campbell Dr. Rex Holland day, make that imagined visit to the dentist a reality. “We discovered evidence that within the tooth pulp there is a mechanism that triggers the release of endorphins, the chemical that produces what is often referred to as ‘runner’s high’,” said Holland, a professor in the Department of Cariology, Restorative Sciences, and Endodontics. “The clinical implications of this discovery,” he said, “could lead to a new approach in the way dentistry is practiced.” As Holland described it, opiates, such as morphine, could be effectively applied to the pulp that would mimic a local release of endorphins in a patient’s tooth. “What I see happening is that dentists may not only be able to control the toothache, but also do this in such a way that would allow the pulp to recover and repair itself,” he said. Working with Mudie and colleagues at the University of Florida, Holland theorizes that the pain patients experience from pulpitis varies because the level of opioids varies. “Pain is an experience rather than a simple sensation, and is subject to modulation,” he wrote in the journal article. Possible Benefits Holland sees several benefits from this research. Not only will the pain experienced from pulpitis be better understood, but “it will also lead to more accurate diagnoses of the condition of the pulp,” he said. “Teeth that are now extracted or treated by root canal therapy might be treatable by a more conservative and much less invasive and expensive approach.” Holland’s interest in this area was sparked nearly forty years ago while conducting research as an undergraduate dental student at the University of Bristol in the U.K. He plans to conduct further research on the subject during his sabbatical at Loma Linda University’s Department of Endodontics in California. Mudie practices endodontics in Grand Rapids, Michigan. DentalUM Fall 2006 Karl Wins Dziewiatkowski Award Photo courtesy of Wanda Snyder Pettway Wins UNCF- Merck Graduate Fellowship One of 12 Nationwide to Receive Major Honor Elisabeta Karl (center) was the recipient of the 2006 Dziewiatkowski Award. Congratulating Karl are Jane Damren (left), daughter of the late Dr. Dominic Dziewiatkowski who presented the award, and Dean Peter Polverini. It’s been quite a year for Elisabeta Karl, a researcher in the School’s Oral Health Sciences PhD program. In March, she won a first place Pfizer Hatton Award during the spring meeting of the American Association of Dental Research. [DentalUM, Spring & Summer 2006, page 74.] A short time later, she received the Dziewiatkowski Award for research excellence. Established in 1989, the award honors the memory of Dr. Dominic J. Dziewiatkowski, a School of Dentistry researcher, faculty member, and department chair who was world- renowned for his research on bone and cartilage metabolism, connective tissue biochemistry, and the role complex proteins play in bone calcification. [DentalUM, Fall 2005, pages 74-75.] Each year, the award is given to an outstanding student researcher by DentalUM Fall 2006 Dziewiatkowski’s daughter, Jane Damren, and her husband, Samuel Damren. The recipient also receives $800. Karl’s research seeks to determine what role, if any, two proteins play in angiogenesis, the formation and growth of new blood vessels from existing ones. The process helps the body repair itself following injury. However, in other instances, and for reasons that are still unknown, angiogenesis can contribute to the growth of cancers, such as oral cancer. “My research focuses on the role two proteins, Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL, work together or how they may work independently, to induce the formation of new blood vessels,” she said. Karl said her research differs from most research in this area which tends to focus on cell survival. Karl’s mentor is Dr. Jacques Nör, an associate professor of dentistry, who won the Dziewiatkowski Award in 1998. A biomedical engineering doctoral student who is conducting research in the laboratory of a School of Dentistry department chair was one of only 12 persons nationwide to receive a prestigious award from the United Negro College Fund and Merck, a global research-driven pharmaceutical company. Glenda Pettway was recently selected for the UNCF/Merck Graduate S c i e n c e Re s e a rc h D i s s e r t a t i o n Keary Campbell Glenda Pettway, a biomedical engineering doctoral student, is one of only 12 persons nationwide to receive the prestigious UNCF/Merck Graduate Science Research Dissertation Fellowship for her academic and scientific achievements. UNCF and Merck established the award to help increase the number of African Americans in biomedical science education and research. 83 R ESEARCH N EWS Fellowship based on her academic and scientific achievements and letters of recommendation. UNCF and Merck established the award to help increase the number of African Americans in biomedical science education and research. Pettway received a $25,000 award from the chief executive officer of Merck during a June program in Pennsylvania. “I plan to use the award to help finance the final year of my graduate studies,” she said. In addition to the stipend, Pettway will be mentored by a scientist at Merck and will also have an opportunity to visit the company’s research laboratories. Pe t t wa y, wh o w o r k s i n th e laboratory of Dr. Laurie McCauley, chair of the School’s Department of Periodontics and Oral Medicine, is engaged in novel tissue engineering research to study the effects of parathyroid hormone (PTH) on bone. “PTH has great therapeutic potential for treating osteoporosis. Although studies have been conducted to investigate the effects of PTH on bone,” she said, “much is still unclear about the mechanisms of its anabolic actions. The goal of our research is to determine how these mechanisms work and why.” 84 Strong Interest in Math and Science A chemical engineering major as an undergraduate, Pettway said she has always had a strong interest in math and science. In college, she was an intern with companies in the chemical and biomedical device industries, and worked in manufacturing, research, and development environments. “I really enjoyed research and determined that I wanted to conduct research in an area that would improve the quality of life for people,” she said. Using those experiences as a s p r i n g b o a rd , Pe t t w a y a t t e n d e d graduate school and gravitated to biomedical engineering, combining engineering principles and biology to help solve biological problems. “When I started graduate school, I knew I wanted to do research in biotechnology/tissue engineering, but didn’t know in what area specifically,” she said. After meeting with several professors to discuss their research interests, she decided to work with McCauley. “I really enjoyed working in her laboratory while pursuing my master’s degree and decided to continue working there as a doctoral student,” Pettway added. The company also awarded $10,000 to the School’s Department of Periodontics and Oral Medicine to purchase research supplies. More Child Abuse and The results of a study conducted by a second-year dental student at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry may prompt dentists, dental hygienists, and other oral health care professionals to pay closer attention to their youngest patients who could be victims of child abuse and neglect. The student, John Thomas, said dental care providers and students are likely to encounter child abuse victims in their professional lives. However, the results of his study revealed that not all providers and students have the necessary knowledge to fulfill their legal and professional responsibilities. Uniquely Positioned Citing statistics from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service’s National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System, Thomas noted that approximately 1,500 children died as a result of abuse or neglect in the U.S. in 2003, the year for which most-recent statistics are available. Thomas said oral health care professionals are in a unique position to spot abuse and make a difference. “Research shows that parents or guardians who abuse their children might change their child’s pediatrician, but they are likely to continue visiting the child’s dentist,” he said. “These visits offer dental providers opportunities to recognize and report suspected cases of child maltreatment.” Thomas said his study showed that more than 82 percent of dental professionals knew they had to report suspected cases of child abuse and neglect, compared to 72 percent of dental and dental hygiene students. But only 28 percent DentalUM Fall 2006 Neglect Awareness Needed Among Dentists and Dental Hygienists Keary Campbell The research of second-year dental student John Thomas, conducted with help from his faculty advisor, Dr. Marita Inglehart, may prompt dentists, dental hygienists, and other oral health care professionals to pay closer attention to their youngest patients who could be victims of child abuse and neglect. of dentists and dental hygiene professionals, and only 18 percent of dental and dental hygiene students knew where or to whom to report suspected cases of child abuse and neglect. In Michigan, all suspected cases of child abuse and neglect are to be reported to the county office of Children’s Protective Services, an agency of the Michigan Department of Human Services. The department’s Web site has information about where to report abuse and neglect in each county in Michigan: www. michigan.gov/dhs/0,1607,7-124-5461---,00.html. Thomas said that while dentists and dental hygienists recognized clinical symptoms that would suggest child abuse, they did not always know their legal or ethical obligations to report their findings or suspicions. “In some cases, oral health care professionals wonder if reporting suspected cases will be handled anonymously,” he said. “Others wondered if reporting suspected cases of child abuse or neglect will adversely affect them professionally or personally. In other instances,” he added,“some might even fear to be stigmatized if they report these cases or feel that they do not know enough to report instances of abuse.” More Education and Awareness Thomas suggested devoting more attention in the classrooms, clinical settings, and in continuing education courses about what should be done. “Dental providers must have a plan in place to address child abuse and neglect should it present itself in their practices,” he said. DentalUM Fall 2006 Thomas recommended all members of the dental office be prepared to know what to do when signs of abuse and neglect are detected, including knowing what information should be reported, how it should be reported, and what agency or agencies should receive the information. In 2002, he noted, all dental schools in the U.S. and Canada included child abuse education in their curricula. “However, this statistic does not necessarily demonstrate that dental schools provided their students with any clinical or actual experiences involving child abuse and neglect,”Thomas said. “The results of this study show this project has both classroom and clinical implications,” he said. “It also shows an interrelationship between what happens in communities and how future dentists and dental hygienists should receive better training to spot and deal with child abuse and neglect.” The results of Thomas’s survey are based on anonymous responses to questionnaires received in April 2005 from nearly 700 individuals – 379 general dentists who were members of the Michigan Dental Association and dental hygienists who were members of the Michigan Dental Hygienists Association, as well as 309 dental and dental hygiene students at the School of Dentistry. Results Published Thomas’s work won third place in the AADR’s National Student Research Group Caulk/Dentsply Competition during the annual meeting of the American Association of Dental Research this spring. In addition, articles detailing his work were published in the May issue of the Journal of Dental Education and this fall in the Journal of Pediatric Dentistry. “Publishing these findings in two journals and winning an award during a national meeting are pretty unusual for a second-year dental student,” said Dr. Marita Inglehart, Thomas’s research advisor. “John’s work shows that what we learn from practicing professionals could have a direct impact on the education our students receive in the classroom.” Inglehart added that this is another example of the impact the dental School’s student research program can have on students and the profession. 85 Kaigler Wins Major Perio Award Keary Campbell Dr. Darnell Kaigler in front of a poster describing his research during the School of Dentistry’s Research Day program in 2004. Dr. Darnell Kaigler, who simultaneously pursued and earned a dental degree and PhD in Oral Health Sciences at the U-M School of Dentistry, recently won a major award from the American Academy of Periodontology Foundation. This spring, he received a $15,000 Abram and Sylvia Chasens Teaching and Research Fellowship from the Foundation. The fellowship is awarded to periodontal students who plan to pursue a career in periodontal teaching and research in the U.S. To be considered, a candidate must be a third-year student in an accredited periodontal post-doctoral training program. “The award has definitely instilled some gratification and satisfaction in knowing 86 that my interests in research and teaching have been recognized,” Kaigler said. “In our profession, particularly periodontics, one can do extremely well and live comfortably as a private practitioner. But when one chooses teaching and research, they make a commitment to service that, to some extent, may lead to some financial sacrifices.” Kaigler noted an additional benefit of receiving the Chasens Award is the “intangible gratification that lets you know you’re contributing to the advancement of the profession.” After completing his research fellowship early next year, Kaigler said he will begin searching for an academic position at the School of Dentistry or elsewhere. “Michigan is definitely at the top of my list,” he said. Kaigler completed the School of Dentistry’s rigorous dual-degree DDS/PhD program [DentalUM, Fall 2004, pages 68-69]. The dual-degree program, which is a part of the Rackham School of Graduate Studies, is for students interested in combining dental and oral health research careers. Designed to be completed in about eight years, the program includes courses leading to the DDS degree, graduate science courses, and clinical research experiences. Kaigler earned his DDS in 2002 and his PhD two years later. This is not the first time the Chasens Fellowship has been presented to someone from the U-M School of Dentistry. Three years ago, Drs. Ricardo Gapski and Yong-Hee Chun received the award. [DentalUM, Fall 2003, page 75.] DentalUM Fall 2006 29 Recognized for Long-Term Service to U-M Twenty-nine individuals were honored earlier this year for their long-term service to the University of Michigan. In late March, the School of Dentistry hosted a reception to honor School of Dentistry staff members who observed 10 years of continuous service to U-M during 2006. Also honored were staff members who were recognized by the University for 20 and 30 years of continuous service. The names of those recognized, their years of service, and the department where they work are noted below. 10 Years • Doris Allen, Community Dental Clinic • Alicia Baker, Patient Services • Robert Berg, Patient Services • Deidre Green, Prosthodontics • Michelle Lear, Clinic Billing Office • Pamela McCormick, Clinic Billing Office • Trupti Patel, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Hospital Dentistry • Beverly Shackleford, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Hospital Dentistry • Brenda Suliman, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Hospital Dentistry • Cynthia Tsoukalas, Periodontics and Oral Medicine • Jayne Yoder, Cariology, Restorative Sciences, and Endodontics 20 Years • Karel Barton, Alumni Relations and Continuing Dental Education • Renita Bellmore, Cariology, Restorative Sciences, and Endodontics • Judith Bergen, Patient Services • Katherine Borysko, Biologic and Materials Sciences • Kristina Hester, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Hospital Dentistry DentalUM Fall 2006 • Sharon Hollister, Prosthodontics • Georgia Kasko, Patient Services • Manette London, Office of Research • Gary Mora, Cariology, Restorative Sciences, and Endodontics • Elizabeth Rodriguiz, Biologic and Materials Sciences • Deborah Stambaugh, Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry • Barbara Wykes, Dean’s Office 30 Years • Janice Berry, Periodontics and Oral Medicine • Diana Botsford, Patient Services • Keary Campbell, Dental Informatics • Lou Ann Lenio, Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry • Patrice Pautler, Patient Services • John Westman, Oral Pathology 87 Alumni News U-M Dentists Elected to State Leadership Positions Four U-M School of Dentistry graduates were elected to leadership positions of the Michigan Dental Association during the group’s annual meeting this summer. Steven Dater (DDS 1988) is the new president-elect of the organization. Elected to the Board of Trustees in 1999, he was treasurer in 2003 and vice president in 2005. He serves on the organization’s Executive Committee, has chaired the MDA’s Special Committee on the New Dentist, and is a delegate to the ADA House of Delegates. Joanne Dawley (DDS 1980) was elected vice president. In 2008, she will become the association’s first female president. Elected to the Board of Trustees in 2001, Dawley served as secretary for three years prior to being elected vice president. She also serves on the association’s executive committee and has chaired the Committee on Public Relations and the House Communications Committee. She currently chairs the American College of Dentists Michigan Section. William Wright (DDS 1975; MS orthodontics 1984) was re- elected to a second one-year term as treasurer. As treasurer, he also serves on the organization’s Executive Committee. As a member of the MDA’s Board of Trustees since 2000, he serves as liaison to the MDA’s Special Committee on Health and Well Being and the Committee on Relief. He is a member of the executive director’s Personnel Advisory Committee and Evaluation Team. Allan Jacobs (DDS 1974) was elected to a third one-year term as Speaker of the House of Delegates. As Speaker, he will continue to serve on the organization’s Board of Trustees and as an ex-officio member of the Executive Committee. A past president of the Oakland County Dental Society, Jacobs is a past president of the Michigan Association of Endodontists and is a current member of its board. He is a member and former chairman of the Public and Professional Affairs Committee of the American Association of Endodontists. 88 88 Jeffrey Johnston (DDS 1982; MS periodontology 1986) was reelected to a second one-year term as MDA editor. In his role he oversees publication of the organization’s monthly magazine, the Journal of the Michigan Dental Association, as well as online communications. A member of the MDA’s Executive Committee and Board of Trustees, Johnston is a past president of the Macomb Dental Society and former chair of the organization’s Young Dentist Committee. Amy DeYoung (DDS 1993; MS pediatric dentistry 1996) was awarded the 2006 New Dentist Leadership Award for her dedication to the profession, exceptional leadership, and commitment to improving children’s oral health. Since 1999, DeYoung has chaired the National Children’s Dental Health Month activities of the West Michigan District Dental Society. Under her leadership, it has grown into a two-day event held at the Grand Rapids Children’s Museum each February. DeYoung is also the incoming president of the Michigan Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and a member of the MDA’s Public Relations Committee for the past four years. Richard Watterson (DDS 1970) was named 2006 Dentist Citizen of the Year by the MDA “for his unselfish devotion to caring for the needs of the less fortunate.” Watterson’s work in Central America, featured in the Spring & Summer 2001 issue of DentalUM (pages 33-35), began in 1983 when he first traveled to Honduras with a group of doctors to provide services to some of that country’s residents. Ten years later, Watterson and his wife, Leota, moved to that country, as he put it, “to relieve some of their physical suffering and offer them spiritual hope as well.” Recently, Watterson returned to Jackson to practice dentistry part- time with his son, Scott. DentalUM Fall 2006 DentalUM Fall 2006 Stephen C. Ura (DDS 1986) of Nashua, New Hampshire, is serving a one- year term as president of the New Hampshire Dental Society. A member of the organization’s Board of Trustees since 1994, Ura said, “We have several U-Mich dental alumni, twelve that I know of, in our nearly 800-member organization.” Ura, who maintains a restorative practice in Nashua, added, “Michigan paraphernalia is prevalent in our office.” The husband and wife team of Craig Goldin and Marcy Goldin (DDS 1985) was recently awarded the Cosmetic Practice of the Year Award during the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry’s scientific session in San Diego. The award recognizes a superior cosmetic practice and gives dentists throughout the U.S. an opportunity to measure their practice against the most successful practices in the country. The Goldins operate the Cosmetic Dentistry Institute in Clawson, Michigan. his own expense, Davis spent four days in Baton Rouge providing emergency oral health care. He and ten other dentists worked in a 32-foot, two-operatory mobile dental unit. Davis has been involved in similar projects previously in Belize and elsewhere providing reduced-fee or free care to uninsured and low-income patients. Ronald J. Paler (DDS 1961) of Brighton Michigan was reelected to a fourth term as President of the Michigan Dental Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Michigan Dental Association. He also received the Detroit District Dental Society’s Meritorious Award this summer for his contributions to the advancement of the science and art of dentistry. Michael B. Lindemann (DDS 1987, MS endocontics, 1997) was appointed President of the Michigan Association of Endodontists at its most recent meeting. Alayne S. Evans (MS endocontics 1992) was appointed President-elect of the Michigan Association of Endodontists at its most recent meeting. Carol A. Lefebvre (DDS 1983, MS prosthodontics 1986) was recently named associate dean for strategic initiatives and faculty development at the Medical College of Georgia School of Dentistry. A faculty member since 1989, Lefebvre was one of 45 women in the U.S. and Canada selected last year as a Fellow for the Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine Program, a course that prepares senior women faculty members for leadership positions at academic health centers. She is also editor of the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. Gregory P. Davis (DDS 1983) of Mason, Ohio, recently received the Ohio Dental Association’s Mar vin Fisk Humanitarian Award for helping those displaced last summer by Hurricane Katrina. Traveling to the area at DentalUM Fall 2006 Correction... The first name of Ralph Venk (DDS 1951) was incorrectly listed in the “Alumni News” section of the Spring & Summer 2006 DentalUM. Also, Sooner Magazine, is published by the University of Oklahoma Foundation, not that university’s dental school. The story about Dr. Ralph Venk’s volunteer activities at the University of Oklahoma’s Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History is available online at: http://www.oufoundation. org/sm/summer2005/story.asp?ID=161. As a volunteer, Venk wrote, “I’ve been working recently in the fossil prep lab at the museum on a mandible (with teeth generally about six inches long) of a pliosaur (a marine reptile).” He said the mandible from the joint area to the front is about three feet long. “So even in retirement, I can’t get away from dentistry,”he quipped. 89 89 In Memoriam Per Kjeldsen Dr. Carl Thomas Hanks Dr. Carl Thomas “Tom” Hanks, who taught oral and maxillofacial pathology at the U-M School of Dentistry for 36 years, and for nearly as long at the U-M School of Medicine, died September 14. He was 67. Born in Oklahoma, Hanks earned a bachelor’s degree from Phillips University in Enid, Oklahoma in 1961 and a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri three years later. Not long after receiving a PhD in experimental pathology in 1970 from State University of New York at Buffalo, Hanks came to the University of Michigan School of Dentistry as an assistant professor in the Department of Oral Pathology and as a research scientist with the School’s Dental Research Institute. The following year, 1971, he began his affiliation with the School of Medicine as an instructor in the Department of Pathology. From 1978, until his retirement in 2004, Hanks was an associate professor with the School of Medicine’s Department of Pathology. From 1979, until his retirement, Hanks was a professor with the School of Dentistry’s Department of Oral Pathology and director of the biopsy service. His research and scholarly activity focused on the biocompatibility of synthetic materials with living 90 tissues and the influence of organic and inorganic extracellular matrix materials on bone cartilage, teeth, skin, and mucosa. In 2000, he played a major role in creating a “virtual textbook” that has allowed dental students with laptop computers to use the Internet and the dental school’s intranet to electronically view digital images of hundreds of tissues that previously could only be viewed under a microscope in a laboratory. During his career, Hanks published more than 75 articles that were refereed in scientific journals, wrote chapters for four books, and presented more than 80 abstracts and papers at scientific meetings. He also was a reviewer for scientific publications including the Jour nal of Dental Research, Journal of Biomedical Materials Research, and the European Journal of Oral Sciences. He was a Diplomate of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology and mentored more than two dozen students in master’s and doctoral programs. Hanks served on numerous dental school committees, including the Executive Committee, as well as University committees. He was a member of numerous professional committees and scientific organizations as well, including ser ving as a consultant to the American Dental DentalUM Fall 2006 Association’s Council on Scientific Affairs since 2001. Following his retirement, he continued his efforts in the field of oral pathology, working to create a database of clinical and microscopic cases compiled from over 50 years of materials in the dental school’s biopsy service. His diagnostic skills in the field aided in the treatment of countless individuals. “I met Tom early in my career while I was a graduate student,” said Dr. Peter Polverini, dean of the School of Dentistry. “I remember how encouraging and supportive he was to me and to countless other students who sought his advice. Many of us have similar stories about Tom’s kindness and compassion. As unassuming as Tom was, he had a presence.” A memorial service to celebrate his life and contributions to the dental school and to the University was held September 18 at the School of Dentistry. In lieu of flowers, the Hanks family suggests donations be made to support a dental scholarship in Dr. Hanks’ name. Checks should be made payable to the University of Michigan School of Dentistry and can be mailed to the School’s Office of Development at 540 E. Liberty, Suite 204, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104-2210. DentalUM Fall 2006 ’41 Dr. Sol Heiligman Carmel, New York June 24, 2006 ’46 Dr. Joseph Crayle Southfield, Michigan July 22, 2006 ’51 Dr. George C. Taft Flint, Michigan March 1, 2006 ’51 Dr. Donald R. Porter Portland, Oregon March 27, 2006 ’52 Dr. James Carlyon Ishpeming, Michigan December 11, 2005 ’53 Dr. Stiles R. Davis Key Largo, Florida March 14, 2006 ’53 Dr. Thomas J. Russell North Muskegon, Michigan July 14, 2006 ’56 Dr. Alden Graneggen Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan January 18, 2006 ’56 Dr. David J. Kitson Manistee, Michigan November 21, 2005 ’58 Dr. Robert E. Howe Alhambra, California November 11, 2005 91 What’s New with You? Your Classmates Want to Know! Please clip and Send news about your latest personal or professional achievement, award, or honor, along with a picture (black and white or color) to: Jerry Mastey, editor DentalUM, University of Michigan, School of Dentistry, 1011 N. University Avenue, Room G532, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1078. mail Name ___________________________________________________________________ Address __________________________________________________________________ City ________________________________ State ______ Zip Code __________________ Telephone __________________________Fax (if available) ___________________________ e-mail __________________________________________________________________ Can we use your email address in our publications? ____ Yes ____ No Is this an address change? ____ Yes What type of address change? ____ Home ____ No ____ Office (Please list only University of Michigan degrees and the year earned.) DDS ________ DH Certificate ________ BS ________ MS ________ PhD ________ Specialization __________________________________________________________ News: ___________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Get Involved! _____ I would like to help plan my next reunion. _____ I would like to be considered for the Alumni Society Board of Governors. 92 DentalUM Fall 2006 Alumni Relations & Development Office Moves to E. Liberty St. The School of Dentistry’s Office of Alumni Relations and Development recently moved to the corner of East Liberty and Maynard Streets in downtown Ann Arbor. The new address is 540 E. Liberty Street, Suite 204, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104-2210. However, the phone number remains the same (734) 763-3315. Those in the new office are (left to right): • Martin Bailey, major gifts officer • Jeff Freshcorn, director of development • Thalia Jaimez, annual giving officer • Mary Jo Grand, meeting and special events planner • Richard Fetchiet, director of external relations and continuing dental education Jerry Mastey