| | Dean's Message
Thank you to our alumni, faculty, staff, residents, and students who volunteered your time, energy, and expertise to support the Iowa Mission of Mercy two weekends ago. All in all, we had 93 dental students, 10 residents, 17 faculty members, and several staff members working to meet the needs of Iowans who lack access to adequate dental care. In total IMOM served 1,081 patients with almost 6,000 dental procedures amounting to $955,252 work of dental work. Whether it was our alumnus, Zach Kouri ('03 DDS) who led IMOM this year, or Carrie McKnight, who organized our collegiate efforts, or our numerous other alumni, faculty, staff, residents, and students who gave of themselves, we all helped Iowa become a little bit better for some of those who need it most. Thank you! ~Clark Stanford | | | Updates for October 27, 2023–November 2, 2023 | | | | There are numerous barriers to dental care in Iowa for persons without private insurance. Whether it's lack of transportation, inability to pay, or difficulty finding a dentist who will take new patients with state-provided Medicaid coverage, it can be challenging to get access to care. There are numerous factors at play here, including low reimbursement rates for state-provided Medicaid coverage, but the result is that Iowa Dentistry, already the leading provider of care for patients qualifying for Medicaid, is seeing an even greater influx of such patients. The Daily Iowan interviewed Dean Stanford and several other dentistry leaders on the educational opportunities that this provides for Iowa Dentistry while acknowledging the importance of the the university, the college, the dental profession in Iowa, and the State of Iowa to come together to improve access to health care in Iowa. | | | In the interview, Dean Stanford was asked about his biggest career win:
He said, "The opportunity to work with incredibly smart faculty and students, creating learning opportunities with every patient encounter. Dentistry is changing so fast, and I’ve had the ability to see the sense of discovery when a student uses a technology for the first time, encounters a challenging situation and deploys the ability to address the issue(s). Being a part of so many advances in discovery research, clinical innovations and education is the best reward anyone could ever ask for." | | | | Kirk Fridrich, head of the department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMS), was named a Patient’s Choice Provider for FY23. Fridrich was recognized thanks to excellence in providing an exceptional patient experience.
"I am grateful to have received the Patient's Choice Award for 2023," he said. "Providing patients with high-quality care and service is a top priority, and I am pleased my patients feel their needs are being met." | | | McKnight wins IMOM Volunteer Award During the IMOM Volunteer Dinner on Friday, October 13, the Iowa Dental Foundation (IDF) recognized several IMOM volunteers for their incredible efforts. Carrie McKnight, clinical associate professor of oral pathology, radiology, and medicine, was given the 2023 Team Impact Award. McKnight spearheads Iowa Dentistry's contributions to IMOM. | | | | Marchini participated in panel on open-access research This week, the Iowa campus celebrated International Open Access Week 2023 with a panel discussion on the theme of Open Access: Community over Commercialization.
The invited panelists, including Leo Marchini, professor and head of preventive and community dentistry, discussed their experiences with open access publishing and open scholarship more broadly. They shared their views on the benefits and barriers to the free and open sharing of research outputs with the public and the academic community. | | | On October 10, the Girl Scouts of Iowa participated in a STEM fair where young brownies and daisies learned more about science, technology, engineering, and math. Iowa Dentistry joined the fun, passing our free toothbrushes and educating young girl scouts about oral health and healthy snacks and beverages. For more photos from the event, check out the Iowa Dentistry Facebook page. | | | | As part of the Hawkeye Together fundraising campaign, Iowa Dentistry's campaign will focus on four key pillars: 1) Faculty recruitment and retention. 2) Student wellness and success. 3) Building for the future. 4) Transformative clinic technologies. Dean Stanford discusses the difference that these pillars make for Iowan and the dental profession. | | | Marco's review: "Dr Jhanvi D[esai] as well as her assistant are very professional and knowledgeable[. They] really know what they're doing. They're very compassionate and really do their best for patients. [This was the] best dental visit I ever experienced... Thank you College of Dentistry your staff is awesome from the receptionist to the dentist." | | | | Aladenika E, Maskoen A, Awotoye W, Abdulaziz R, Alade A, Nasroen SL, Oladayo A, Busch T, Sarilita E, Butali A. Whole Exome Sequencing Identifies Damaging Variants in Indonesians with Clefts. Cleft Palate Craniofac J. 2023 Oct 25:10556656231210085. doi: 10.1177/10556656231210085. PMID: 37876262.
The genomics, genetics, and environmental factors that influence non-syndromic cleft lip and palate vary across the world. Historically, there has been more research into these relationships among those descended from European and Asian populations. Teams at the University of Iowa have been expanding this work to less-studied areas of the world. This study is a part of this work and investigated the contributions of rare and novel genetic variants in known cleft genes using whole exome sequencing (WES) data of Indonesians with non-syndromic orofacial clefts. The team found that evidence for the role of TULP4, SOS1, MTHFD1L and MMACHC genes in such cases. This is the first time MMACHC has been implicated in orofacial cleft lip and palate development in humans. | | | Fundraising for Iowa Dentistry In the early 2010s, Iowa Dentistry was raising funds for a significant $64 million renovation of the Dental Science Building. This project made the building and its clinics ADA-compliant, renovated existing research areas, renovated existing clinical spaces, and added 33,000 square feet of space. This project was completed in 2016 with support from alumni, the State of Iowa, and other donors. This campaign was a part of the University of Iowa's last major fundraising campaign, "For Iowa. Forever More" campaign. | | Events
November 3, Prospective DDS Student Interview Day
November 9, Prospective DDS Student Interview Day
November 10, Endodontics CE Course, "Pursuing Excellence in Endodontics" Presented by Dr. Antonio Berto
November 11, Pregame Professional Program: "CPC: Interesting Cases with Therapeutic Management" Presented By Drs. Nidhi Handoo & Amy Dunleavy
November 14, Research Seminar, Jamie Nichols, School of Dental Medicine, University of Colorado–AMC, "Buffering craniofacial variation," hosted by Eric Van Otterloo, Galagan B, 12:00–1:00 p.m.
November 15, Virtual Prospective DDS Student Interview Day
November 17, Live Distance CE Course (Virtual): "What’s the risk?: Understanding Medically Complex Patients in your practice” Presented by Drs. Howard Cowen and Jennifer Hartshorn
November 30, Research Seminar, Ronald Strauss, Adams School of Dentistry, University of North Carolina, "Blessings in Disguise: Finding Wisdom from Facial Difference", hosted by Steve Levy, Galagan B, 12:00–1:00 p.m.
Notes and Resources
Hours: M-R: 7:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m.; F: 7:30 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
The Hawkeye Smile banner image shows Dean Clark Stanford with Jin Xie, associate dean for research, with Herky along with several others during the Iowa Section of the AADOCR in 2022. | | | |
