DentalUM Spring/Summer 2009

e did it!Because of your generosity and the hard work of our development staff

and many volunteers, the School of Dentistry raised more than $38.1 million as a part of the University’s Michigan Difference Campaign. At our Campaign Finale celebration in the Sindecuse Atrium in November, we announced we had raised more than $37 million. However, since the campaign officially ended December 31, 2008, that amount increased. Rich Fetchiet, Jeff Freshcorn, Marty Bailey, Thalia Jaimez, and others in our Office of Development are to be commended for their hard work along with chair, Dr. Jay Werschky, and the other members of the School’s Michigan Difference Campaign committee. Working together we were able to raise an amount that was 109 percent of our $35 million goal. Yes, we as a School succeeded. But you did too. The generosity of thousands of donors will enable our School to provide financial assistance for student scholarships, faculty support, facility improvements, research support, and program support in the years ahead. Thank you for your gifts and your continued confidence in our School and its future.

Sincerely,

Peter J. Polverini, Dean

Spring & Summer 2009 Volume 25, Number 1

DentalUM magazine is published twice a year by the University of Michigan School of Dentistry.

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 updates via email to: [email protected].

Dean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Peter PolveriniDirector of Communications . . . . . . Sharon GraydenDirector of External Relations andContinuing Dental Education . . . . . . Richard Fetchiet Writer & Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jerry MasteyDesigner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chris JungContributing Photographers . . . . . . . . Per Kjeldsen,Jerry Mastey, Anne Gwozdek

Member publication of the American Association of Dental Editors

The Regents of the University: Julia Donovan Darlow, Laurence B. Deitch, Denise Ilitch, Olivia P. Maynard, Andrea Fischer Newman, Andrew C. Richner, S. Martin Taylor, Katherine E. White, Mary Sue Coleman, ex officio.

University of Michigan School of DentistryAlumni Society Board of Governors

Terms Expire 2009:Charles Caldwell, ‘77, Grand Rapids, MIDaniel Edwards, ‘97, Ann Arbor, MIGary Hubbard, ‘78, Okemos, MIMetodi Pogoncheff, ‘76, Lansing, MIJanet Souder Wilson, ‘73, DH, Northville, MI

Terms Expire 2010:Samuel Bander, ’81, Grand Rapids, MIKerry Kaysserian, ’81, Traverse City, MIJerry Booth, ’61 DDS, ’64 MS, Jackson, MIJosephine Weeden, ’96 DDS, ‘99 MS, Saline, MI (Chair)Kathleen Early Burk, ’77 DH, Lakeland, MI

Terms Expire 2011:Jemma Allor, ‘00 DH, Mt. Clemens, MISondra Moore Gunn, ‘78 DDS, ‘80 MS, Ann Arbor, MIGeorge Yellich, ‘72 DDS, ‘77 MS, Los Gatos, CAMichael Cerminaro, ‘86 DDS, Muskegon , MIJohn McMahon, ‘82 DDS, Grand Rapids, MI

Student Representative: Jamie Luria (D4)

Ex Officio Members:Peter Polverini, DeanJanet Souder Wilson, ‘73, DH, Northville, MIAlumni Association LiaisonSteve 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. The University of Michigan is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, height, weight, or 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/ADA Coordinator, Office of Institutional Equity, 2072 Administrative Services Building, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1432, (734) 763-0235, TTY (734) 647-1388. For other University of Michigan information call (734) 764-1817.

Copyright © 2009 The Regents of the University of Michigan

D E A N ’ S M E S S A G E

Thank You

FEATURESCOVER STORY

1 GOAL REACHED... GOAL SURPASSED School raises $38.1 million in MichiganDifferenceCampaign

5 Homecoming Weekend Our biggest turnout ever

11 Reaching Out in Kenya Students gain insights into the oral health needs of children and adults abroad

13 Giving Kids A Smile Faculty and student volunteers providefreedentalcareto area children PROFILES21 Faculty Dr. Russell Taichman

24 Alumnus Dr. George Sayre

28 Susan Pritzel Retires 36 years as teacher, mentor, friend DEPARTMENTS3 Development5 Alumni Relations 9 Students15 DepartmentUpdate19 Faculty26 Research28 Dental Hygiene

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contents:

On the cover:The University of Michigan celebrated theconclusion of its successful Michigan Difference campaign lastNovember atHillAuditorium. Inaddition toU-MPresidentMarySueColeman,Regents,andtheUniversity’scampaigncommittee,joiningthecelebrationwereDeanPeterPolveriniand Dr. William Lawler, Jr., a member of the School ofDentistry’scampaigncommitteewhocarriedtheSchool’sflagintoHillAuditorium. Photos:JerryMasteyandPerKjeldsen

Read more DentalUM on our new Web site at www.dent.umich.eduRead more DentalUM on our new Web site at www.dent.umich.edu

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DentalUM SPRING & SUMMER 2009

1

Campaign an Overwhelming

Success

he ambitious goal was surpassed. During the Campaign Finale celebration at the School of Dentistry on November 14, the School’s Michigan Difference Campaign Committee announced that $37,225,000 had been raised since the “quiet phase” of University-wide fundraising campaign began in July 2000. By the time the campaign counting officially ended December 31, 2008, the amount surpassed $38.1 million. The funds raised by the School of Dentistry were 109 percent of the School’s goal of $35 million. Gifts will be used for student scholarships, faculty support, program support, facility improvements, research support, and school/department discretionary support. Major benefactors and many members of the School’s fundraising committee and their spouses attended the Campaign Finale celebration held in the Sindecuse Atrium. Dean Peter Polverini praised the School’s alumni and friends for their generosity and complimented the development staff for their hard work. When planning began about nine years ago, Richard Fetchiet, director of external relations, said the School set what he described as “an extremely ambitious goal.” He noted that a feasibility study conducted by an independent fundraising-consulting firm suggested a goal of approximately $25 million. “However, the enthusiasm of the School’s fundraising committee, combined with the commitment demonstrated by our fundraising team, led us to the stretch goal of $35 million,” he said.

$35 Million Goal…$38.1 Million Raised

•StudentScholarships: $10 million goal…$10.4 million raised•FacultySupport:$7milliongoal… $6.6 million raised•ProgramSupport:$5milliongoal… $5.5millionraised• ImprovedFacilities:$5milliongoal… $5.1millionraised•ResearchSupport:$3milliongoal… $3.2 million raised•School/Dept.DiscretionarySupport:$5milliongoal…$7.3millionraised

Dr. Charles and Mrs. Dee Kelly proudly display their Michigan Difference School of Dentistry scarves at the University’s campaign finale celebration at Hill Auditorium.

PerKjeldsen

Jerry Mastey


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Jerry Mastey

“I am truly blessed and fortunate to be surrounded by such a great team in our Alumni Relations and Development Office that includes Jeff Freshcorn, Marty Bailey, Thalia Jaimez, and Carrie Towns,” Fetchiet said. “Their tireless efforts made this campaign an overwhelming success.” The School’s campaign chairman, Dr. Jay Werschky (DDS 1976, Flint, MI), spoke about both amounts in his closing remarks at the School’s ce lebrat ion o f the campaig n. “Remember how it took our breath away when a goal of $25 million was suggested?,” he said. “But after spirited discussions and thoughtful deliberations, and undaunted by the

The School of Dentistry’s Campaign Committee

Jay Werschky, chairEli Berger

MichaelCerminaroGary DwightBruce Foote

Timothy GietzenSondra Moore Gunn

Allan JacobsDarnellKaigler,Sr.CharlesKellyG.PeterKelly

MaryDoloresKellyWilliam Lawler, Jr.

Arnold MorawaKarlSchettenhelm,Jr.

Richard ShickStanley Smith

Reggie VanderVeenConnieVerhagen

size of the proposed goal, we decided to shoot for $35 million. Who said dentists aren’t goal oriented?” Werschky praised the School’s campaign committee and thanked Dean Peter Polverini, the professional development staff, and donors for their support and efforts. “I hope you depart with a sense of pride for our School, personal satisfaction for your level of participation, and wonderment for the future of the profession,” Werschky said.(more on the web)

AstheU-MFanfareBandplayedTheVictorsononeofthebalconies

overlooking the Sindecuse Atrium, a banner was lowered showing

the amount the School of Dentistry raised during The Michigan

DifferenceCampaign.Thefinalamountsurpassed$38.1million.


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DEVELOPMENT

Roahen Establishes Scholarship for Dental Students Who Served

in Armed Forces

“He took a chance on me, and for that, I am, and always have been, eternally grateful,” said Dr. Jay Roahen (DDS 1976) as he explained why he and his wife, Kathy, have established a dental scholarship with priority for students who have served or are currently serving in the U.S. armed forces. Recalling the decision to admit him in 1972 that was made by Dr. Donald Strachan, the School’s dean of admissions, Roahen thought his chances of being accepted at the U-M School of Dentistry “were right between slim and don’t even think about it,” because he was an out of state resident who applied six years after graduating from college and four years after serving with the U.S. Navy, including a year in Vietnam. When he was accepted for admission, Roahen said “I took a silent vow to do my very best because I did not want to let Dr. Strachan down,” he said. “There were several Vietnam veterans in my class, and I’m proud to say none of us let him down.” After graduation, Roahen, who was on a Navy scholarship, returned to the Navy, and later earned a master’s degree in orthodontics at the University of Oregon. His experiences in the Navy made a lasting impression on Roahen. “I had a unique opportunity to evaluate the capabilities and competence of dentists who were trained in

Aldrich Orthodontics Scholarship Fund Established

“He was an important part of my life and my career,” said Dr. Daniel Balbach (DDS 1961, MS orthodontics 1965) as he talked about Dr. Robert Aldrich, who taught orthodontics at the U-M School of Dentistry for more than twenty years. “He was my teacher, my mentor, the partner I worked with in our private practice, and friend, so I thought it was fitting to create a scholarship in Bob’s name,” Balbach said. The Robert G. Aldrich Graduate Orthodontics Endowed Scholarship Fund will help U-M orthodontics residents meet some of the costs of their education. Balbach said he was honored when Aldrich asked him to become a partner in his private practice. “I was finishing my orthodontics studies at the time and was surprised he asked me. As a student, I knew of Bob’s high expectations and standards and knew I had to live up to them in the classroom and later in our practice,” said Balbach who retired in 2003 after working with Aldrich for 38 years. One of Aldrich’s sons, Rob, said the family was surprised and honored when Balbach discussed his idea with the family last fall. Rob Aldrich said he has made a commitment to the scholarship fund as have his two sisters, Mary West and Jane Bohne, and his brother, Raymond. “Dad had a tremendous impact on us growing up, and you could see and feel that very same thing when he was with his students, his colleagues, and his patients,” Rob Aldrich said. “He loved what he did. I remember him telling my two sisters, other brother, and myself, ‘Do something you love and

everything will fall into place.’ It was great advice.” Describing his father as “a lifelong learner,” Rob Aldrich recalled his father preparing to lecture in Paris, France in the 1970s. “He decided to give the lecture in French. When I asked him why he was doing that, he said because he wanted to make it easier for people to understand what he was saying. That was typical of dad. He was always trying to make life easier for others, even if he had to do something new,” he said. Balbach and Aldrich said they want students who receive the scholarship to have that same passion for learning, excellence, and commitment to service. The first scholarship will be awarded around the beginning of the 2010 academic year.Helping Dr. Robert Aldrich (left) celebrate his 85th birthday last fall

were his wife, Katie (second from left), Barbara Balbach (second from right) and Dr. Daniel Balbach.

PhotocourtesyofDr.DanielBalbach


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other dental schools,” he said. “Over time, I realized that the dental education I received at Michigan was definitely of the highest caliber.” Roahen, who retired from the Navy in 1993 and last July after 15 years in private practice in Annapolis, Maryland, said the $100,000 scholarship he and his wife have established “is our way of giving back in a meaningful way to the U-M School of Dentistry.” Their gift was matched with $50,000 from U-M President Mary Sue Coleman’s Donor Challenge program. Roahen said he still maintains frequent contact with some of his former classmates, including several he traveled with on the canals of France last summer. [DentalUM, Fall 2008, page 48.]

Duff Scholarship Gift to Help Periodontics Residents

“He was a teacher at heart whether he was with his patients, other dentists, or his own staff,” said Sheree Duff (DH 1980) of her late husband, Dr. Benson Duff (DDS 1980, MS periodontics 1988), who passed away in March 2008 at age 54. “He would be thrilled to know a student in Michigan’s periodontics program would have an opportunity to further their education and use that education to help others,” she added. Dr. Duff also earned a bachelor’s degree from Michigan and was a member of the Dean’s Faculty and the Michigan Periodontal Alumni Board. Her $60,000 gift to the Benson Duff Graduate Periodontics Memorial Scholarship was matched with $30,000 from U-M President Mary Sue Coleman’s Donor Challenge. This contribution will be added to funds donated by family, friends,

PhotocourtesyofDr.JayRoahen

Kathy and Dr. Jay Roahen

and colleagues to reach the $100,000 minimum needed to establish the endowment for the periodontics department. This is the first fully funded endowment for graduate student support in periodontics at Michigan. The criteria to be a recipient of the Duff Scholarship is straightforward — a graduate student must be working for a master’s degree in the School’s periodontics program. Duff said she hopes a recipient of the first award will be announced before the start of the new academic year in August. Duff said her husband’s passion for dentistry was fueled by the late Dr. Billy Smith. “Billy was his mentor and his idol,” she said. “Both had the charisma that gave them this great ability to relate to patients.” That charisma even changed her life. Duff said she initially planned to become an accountant when her future husband asked her to be his patient for his first dental cleaning. “I was so awed by the dental school, the people there, and Ben’s love for dentistry that I later took his advice to heart and switched gears,” she said with a laugh. “I enrolled in the dental hygiene program, earned my degree. In fact, both of us were thrilled to participate in the same graduation ceremony in 1980. Both of us influenced the direction of each other’s career.” Sheree Duff is associate dean of the Dental Science Programs at Baker College in Auburn Hills, Michigan.

PhotocourtesyofShereeDuff

The first fully funded endowment for periodontics graduate students at the School of Dentistry has become reality with a scholarship established by Sheree Duff on behalf of her late husband, Dr. Benson Duff.


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great turnout.Members of the Dental Class of 1958 and their spouses nearly filled a School of Dentistry lecture hall for the annual Emeritus Medallion Ceremony during Homecoming Weekend activities in early October. “This is our biggest

turnout ever,” said Richard Fetchiet, director of alumni relations. Forty-two emeritus alumni received medallions commemorating the golden anniversary of their graduation from dental school. They also walked through the old preclinical laboratory before settling in to the Dr. Roy Roberts Preclinical Laboratory to see Dr. Merle Jaarda, associate professor of dentistry, demonstrate how technology is being used in the preclinical simulation lab to educate dental students today. The emeritus alumni were impressed. “This clinic is wonderful,” said Dr. John McMahon. “It’s a tremendous advance compared to when I was a student. Having a monitor at each cubicle allowing each student to see what an instructor is demonstrating seems to make the education process so much more personal.” First-year dental student Crystal Rosser, who was practicing a procedure during her lunch hour when alumni and their spouses visited the preclinic lab, said she enjoyed talking to McMahon and answering questions. “They were intrigued, not just with the technology, but with how we’re using the mannequin heads to learn and practice various dental techniques,” she said. After a class picture was taken in the lobby of the Kellogg Building, the former classmates and their spouses enjoyed reminiscing over lunch in the Sindecuse Atrium.

HOME COMINGCOMINGCOMING “Our Biggest Turnout Ever”

We e k e n d

An emeritus alumnus takes a close look at his 50-year dental class photo during Homecoming Weekend ceremonies at the School of Dentistry.

Jerry Mastey

ALUMNI RELATIONS


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Drs. Ash, Cheney Inducted Into Hall of Honor A ceremony was later held to celebrate the lives and achievements of two former faculty members, Dr. Major Ash and Dr. Edward Cheney, who were inducted into the School’s Hall of Honor. On behalf of other members of the family, Dr. George Ash (DDS 1975, MS 1977) accepted a replica of the plaque honoring his late father. “This is a great honor you have bestowed on our father,” he said. “And we thank you.” Cyndy Cheney-Foley, daughter of the late Dr. Edward Cheney, recalled some of her father’s days growing up in Charlotte, Michigan, and, as she described it, “his absolute passion about his chosen field of dentistry.” She said, “my father truly developed his talents here at Michigan and generously shared them with others.”(more on the web)

(upper left) School of Dentistry alumni and their spouses jumped to their feet when the U-M Fanfare Band played The Victors at the Homecoming Gala Celebration.

(above) The Emeritus Class of 1958 pause for their class reunion photo in the lobby of the Kellogg Building during Homecoming Weekend events at the School of Dentistry.

(below) Drs. Ronald Stegehuis (left) and Robert Campbell watch a student practicing a procedure on a mannequin head in the Dr. Roy Roberts Preclinical Laboratory.

CallPhotographyJerry Mastey

Jerry Mastey


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ALUMNI RELATIONS

Catherine Berard (DH1973)ispastpresidentoftheVirginiaDentalHygienists’AssociationandtheDetroitDistrictDentalHygieneSociety.ShechairstheVDHAGovernmentalandProfessionalAffairsCouncil,isamemberoftheNorthernVirginiaCommunityCollegeDentalHygieneCurriculumAdvisoryCommittee,andworksinamulti-specialtygrouppracticeinVirginia.

Dr. James W. ClarkearnedaDDSfromtheU-MSchoolofDentistryin1972andamaster’sdegreeinpedodonticsin1976. HewasaU-Mfacultymemberfrom1974to1998. ApastpresidentoftheWashtenawDistrictDentalSociety,theMichiganAcademyofPediatricDentistry,andaFellowoftheAmericanCollegeofDentists,heworksfulltimeinaprivatepracticeheestablishedinAnnArborin1976.

Dr. David O. Cramer,a1978graduateoftheSchoolofDentistrywhoearnedamaster’sdegreeinorthodonticsin1980fromtheUniversityofMinnesota,isanadjunctprofessorinorthodonticsatU-M.AboardcertifiedorthodontistwithpracticesinGrandvilleandAllegan,hehasbeenaboardmemberandpresidentoftheKentCountyDentalSociety,amemberoftheWestMichiganDentalSocietyEthicsCommittee,andistreasureroftheMichiganAssociationofOrthodontists.

Dr. Michael Crete is a 1986 graduate of the School of Dentistry who served a term on the Board of Governors(1996-1998).Involvedatalllevelsoforganizeddentistry,includingtheADA’sCommissionontheYoungProfessional,Dr.CreteholdsmembershipsinAGDandAACD.Hepracticesrestorativeand cosmetic dentistry in Grandville.

Sheree Duff,RDH,MS,isa1980graduateoftheU-Mdentalhygieneprogramwhoworked15yearsinaperiodontalpractice.SheestablishedanddirectedthedentalhygieneprogramforBakerCollegeinPortHuronandAuburnHills,Michigan.NowassociatedeanofDentalSciencesatBakerCollege,sheispastvicepresidentoftheSt.ClairCountyDentalHygieneSocietyandisamemberofADHA,MDHA,andOCDHA.

Dr. John W. Farah,a1978graduateoftheU-MSchoolofDentistry,wasanassociateprofessorattheUniversityofFloridainGainesvillefortwoyears.In1980,hereturnedtoAnnArborandstartedhisdentalpracticeandalsohadapart-timeresearchappointmentintheU-Mdentalschool’sbiomaterialsdepartment.In1983,hebeganThe Dental Advisor,adentalconsumerreportpublication.

Dr. Leopold Klausnerisa1974graduateoftheU-MSchoolofDentistrywhoearnedamaster’sinrestorativedentistryin1978.WhilerunningaprivatepracticeinAnnArbor,hewasaSchoolofDentistryfacultymemberfrom1974to1993,andservedonnationalandstatedentalorganizationcommittees.He is a consultant for Delta Dental of Michigan.

Dr. Wayne Olsen, a 1981graduateof theU-MSchoolofDentistry,hadclinical andacademicassignmentsworldwidewhileservingintheU.S.Armyfor25yearsandwasanoralsurgeonanddentaleducator. Nowpracticing inTraverseCity,Cadillac,andAlpena,he isapastpresidentandcurrentMDA delegate for the Resort District Dental Society. He is a member of the Michigan Oral Surgery Association’sexecutivecommitteeandanadjunctprofessoroforalsurgeryatU-M.

Dr. Metodi C. Pogoncheff *isa1976graduateoftheU-MSchoolofDentistrywhohasaprivategeneraldentalpracticeinLansing,Michigan.AmemberoftheADA,MDA,andCentralDistrictDentalSociety,heisalsoamemberoftheKingeryProsthodonticStudyClubandachartermemberoftheAcademyofSportsDentistry. HisgoalistocontinuedevelopmentoftheSchool’scorefacilitiestocreatethebestpossibleexperiencefordentalstudents.

Dr. Mark PowellearnedhisdentaldegreefromU-Min1985andanMSDinorthodonticsfromIndianaUniversityin1987.AdelegatewiththeWestMichiganDistrictDentalSociety,hechairedtheChildren’sDentalHealthCommittee.Dr.PowellisamemberoftheMDA,MAO,andAAO.

Dr. Scott Schultz isa1996graduateoftheU-MSchoolofDentistrywhoservedintheU.S.NavyDentalCorps.Heearnedhismaster’sinorthodonticsfromU-Min2003.AboardcertifiedorthodontistwithofficesinTraverseCityandCharlevoix,Michigan,heisanactivememberoftheADA,MDA,andAAO;anofficerintheResortDistrictDentalSociety;andisontheboardoftheGreatLakesAssociationof Orthodontics.

*Incumbent

A l u m n i S o c i e t y B o a r d o f G o v e r n o r s

BALLOTVote for 4 dentists:

Dr. James W. Clark Dr. David O. Cramer Dr. Michael Crete Dr. John W. Farah Dr. Leopold Klausner Dr. Wayne Olsen Dr. Metodi C. Pogoncheff * Dr. Mark Powell Dr. Scott Schultz

Vote for 1 hygienist:

Catherine Berard Sheree Duff

* Incumbent

Envelope with ballot must be postmarked by August 1, 2009.

Please mail your ballot to:University of Michigan School of Dentistry540 E. Liberty, Suite 204Ann Arbor, MI 48104-2210

Please take a moment to vote for the candidates who will serve on the School of Dentistry’s Alumni Society Board of Governors. On the ballot on this page, choose four dentists and one dental hygienist who will serve a three-year term beginning in September. Then clip and mail your ballot to the School of Dentistry at the address on the ballot. Envelopes with ballots must be postmarked by August 1, 2009.


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That resounding endorsement from Dr. George Yellich, a member of the School of Dentistry’s Alumni Society Board of Governors, came following a presentation about the Dental Scholars program during the Board’s fall meeting November 6. Launched in 2006, the Scholars Program in Dental Leadership (SPDL), also referred to as Dental Scholars, brings together a group of exceptional students with select backgrounds to help them develop a leadership mindset and skills they can use to initiate change in dentistry, dental hygiene, education, research, or academia. Program director Dr. Russell Taichman told Board members, “We’re the only dental school in the world, as far as we know, that has this program designed specifically to develop leadership skills. It’s one of the best programs the School of Dentistry offers to both position itself for the future and to try help change the oral health care profession.” Taichman said, initially, “faculty were driving the program. But we quickly learned that was the wrong way to go, so we shifted gears. Because of their intense interest, this is now a student and faculty-led program.”

Students Outline Program’s Benefits Zahid Ahmed, a third-year dental student and one of the program’s first members, said, “The Dental Scholars program challenges all of us to think outside the box and see how we might be able to use what we are learning in classrooms and clinics and apply what we are learning in this new program in creative and novel ways.” Third-year dental student Maciek Dolata told board members, “This program is all about opportunity. By participating in the Dental Scholars program I have been able to achieve some things that I never thought I would be able to do until after I graduated from dental school.”

Dental Scholars Get Boost from School’s Board of Governors“This is a fabulous program. The University of Michigan always talks about ‘the leaders and best,’ and rightly so. The Scholars Program in Dental Leadership advances that idea by finding ways to teach leadership while dental students are here so they can become ‘the leaders and best’ after they graduate. I hope the School can find ways to offer this program to other schools across the country.”

Last year, Dental Scholars collected more than 60 bags of groceries for The Salvation Army in Ann Arbor.


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STUDENTS

h e S c h o o l o f D e n t i s t r y ’s community outreach program, where dental and dental hygiene

students provide oral health care to patients at dental clinics across the state, is now an international program. In addition, the time dental students are away from the School providing oral health care in communities has increased to eight weeks from five. F r o m F e b r u a r y 1 4 t o 2 0 , third- year dental students and two dentists were in Hagley Gap, Jamaica, as part of a University-wide collaboration called Students for Jamaica. Students for Jamaica is an interdisciplinary collaboration of U-M students who want to make a difference in developing countries by providing dental and medical care

as well as other services that range from infrastructure improvements to economic development. Seven dental students assessed the oral health needs of the community, provided emergency services, pain mana gement , and ora l hyg iene education according to Dr. B i l l Piskorowski, the School of Dentistry’s director of Outreach and Community Affairs. The School of Dentistry is partnering with the Blue Mountain Project, a nonprofit organization that provides health care, education, and

School of Dentistry OUTREACH PROGRAM

other programs to residents of Hagley Gap, a village of about 1,000 located about 10 miles east of Kingston. Drs. William and Therese Shortt, who earned their dental degree from the U-M School of Dentistry in 1987, supervised the dental students. A n o t h e r S c h o o l - a p p r o v e d international rotation begins in July when six dental students will travel to Quito, Ecuador, to provide oral health care. Under the auspices of the University’s Global Reach Program, an international endeavor launched by the Medical School in the late 1990s, dental students will join their colleagues from the Medical School and offer a range of no-cost health care services as a part of the Quito Project. T h e S c h o o l o f D e n t i s t r y ’s

participation in this initiative began nearly two years ago after Dr. Howard Graef started a dental clinic and took his daughter, Martina, who earned her dental degree from U-M in 2008, and three other dental students with him. “All were excited, both during and after, about their work and the difference they made in peoples’ lives,” Howard Graef said. “Last year, six fourth-year dental students participated and saw nearly five hundred patients. We’re planning to travel there again with U-M dental students this summer.”

Background Community outreach is a long-term tradition at the School of Dentistry. Since the 1930s, dental and dental hygiene students have provided oral health care at locations across Michigan, typically during the summer. Outreach took a major step forward in 2000 when dental and dental hygiene students began working in clinics outside the dental school during the academic year. Now fourth-year dental students participate for eight weeks at 19 sites in 14 different Michigan communities. Those efforts have helped thousands across Michigan. More than 55,670 patients have been treated and 85,300 procedures performed in just the past six years.

More Michigan Outreach, Some National Outreach Three other new opportunities also developed recently — one with a non-profit organization that administers more than a dozen dental clinics statewide, a second with a private practice, and the third at an Indian Health Services (IHS) dental clinic in the Upper Peninsula. “We want our students to experience all aspects of general practice dentistry, and in different environments, before they make any long-term decisions about their future,” said Dr. Bill Piskorowski.

Now

National and Private Practice Experiences Also Added


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The School is now sending fourth-year students to Michigan Community Dental Clinics in Petoskey, Alpena, Gaylord, and Manistee. MCDC is a non-profit organization that administers dental clinics in 16 communities across the state and serves low income, uninsured individuals on behalf of public health departments. The private practice initiative is with Plymouth Dental Associates of Plymouth, Michigan. Students work at the state-of-the-art facility three days a week providing oral health care to seniors on fixed incomes. This is a student’s first outreach experience in a private practice environment,” Piskorowski said. “Since most of our students go into private practice, this experience is giving them a taste of what it’s like to work in this setting before they graduate.” Last December, students began one- and two-week rotations at the Bay Mills Health Center, a federally qualified IHS tribal health center in Brimley, Michigan, about 12 miles southwest of Sault Ste. Marie. However, because of the distance from Ann Arbor, approximately 330 miles, these rotations are two weeks long. “In addition to helping their tribal members, the Bay Mills clinic is perhaps the largest provider of heath care services to Medicaid recipients in the eastern upper peninsula,” Piskorowski said. “We have been working with the Indian Health Service to give our students opportunities to work at the Brimley site, others in Michigan, and, eventually several around the country,” Piskorowski said. “I think some of our

I n t e rna t i ona l

students gave more consideration to the IHS after dental director Dr. Tim Lozon spoke here last fall about career opportunities.” IHS is the U.S. Public Health Service agency responsible for addressing the oral health needs of more than 1.6 million American Indians and Alaskan Natives. More than 15,000 employees work in more than 230 hospitals and clinics in 35 states. Lozon, who has been with IHS for 23 years, discussed the four-year commitment and opportunities in general dentistry and specialties and benefits that included a signing bonus, tax free housing allowance, 30 days of paid vacation, and more.

Indian Health Service dental director Dr. Tim Lozon, shows third-year dental student Mike White some of the 230 hospitals and clinics in 35 states where IHS dentists and hygienists work to address the needs of more than 1.6 million American Indians and Alaskan Natives.

Jerry Mastey


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elping to provide dental care in one of the most destitute regions of the world was an eye-opening

experience for three dental students who will be receiving their dental degree this spring. But the two weeks Malije Onwueme, Phyllis Odoom, and Jessica Lee were in Kenya last summer gave each new insights about the oral health needs of children and adults in that part of the world, bolstered their confidence, and reaffirmed their determination to make a difference. Onwueme, a Nigerian, said she began discussing her dream of helping in that part of the world not long after

completing her first year of dental studies in 2006. She said her mentor, Dr. Dennis Lopatin, senior associate dean, and other faculty members “were determined to make the dream happen.” Odoom, who hails from Ghana, said Dr. George Taylor, associate professor of dentistry, “helped immensely as he talked to dentists about our plans and wrote letters to dental societies.” Working 12- and 13-hour days, the three dental students traveled from the Nairobi School of Dental Sciences, where they were based, to several remote locations. One was Nyubani, a village about 4-1/2 hours east of Nairobi, where they performed dental screenings on

patients with HIV. “It seemed we screened everyone – children, parents, and grandparents,” Odoom said. “Because no dentist had ever been to this village before we arrived, I think just about everyone wanted to be seen and treated for whatever problems they were having.” Regardless of where they went, Odoom said the vast majority of adults, “probably between 85 and 90 percent, were seeing a dentist for the first time when they came to us.” At each location, the dental students used an oversize typodont to demonstrate proper brushing techniques. They also handed out countless toothbrushes.

The Experience of a LifetimePhotocourtesyofJessicaLee


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(left) U-M dental students (left to right) Phyllis Odoom, Jessica Lee, and Malije Onwueme pose with youngsters, many of whom they provided oral health care to, at Shepard’s Home outside Nairobi, Kenya. On the right is the home’s oral health officer. Lee said some youngsters were wearing sweaters, coats, and stocking hats because “they said the weather was chilly.” The temperature the day the photo was taken was about 70 degrees.

Significant Caries Differences Recorded Onwueme, Odoom, and Lee said they saw “a great deal of periodontal disease” almost everywhere they went. Although they did not treat patients in Nyubani, they also recorded data about each patient. “I think it would be interesting to return in a few years to do a follow-up study to see what impact there might be following our visit and note any improvements,” Onwueme said. At a special needs facility, the Feed the Children Center outside Nairobi, the three screened hundreds of children where tooth decay was rampant. On the other hand, at the Shepard’s Home orphanage not far away, the dental students were surprised to see little evidence of caries in children. “I think the reason for that was due to the emphasis the director placed on prevention and proper oral hygiene,” Lee said. Communicating with patients and gaining their confidence didn’t seem to be an issue. But one lesson the students

quickly learned was not to wear their clinical white coats. “I wore mine only once,” Odoom said, “but many youngsters associated the white coat with pain or discomfort. Although we didn’t extract anyone’s teeth, we wanted everyone to be comfortable so the dentists could treat them.” Those who worked on the patients included Dr. Nelson Malenya, director of the Kikuyu Dental Clinic at the Nairobi School of Dentistry; a “community dental officer” who was authorized to extract teeth and administer injections when necessary; and an assistant who sterilized dental instruments and performed other tasks. Regardless of where they traveled, the dental students said they were well treated, especially in the Massai village where a feast was prepared for them. “It was wonderful to be so well received,” Onwueme said. “Since I’m from Nigeria and Phyllis is from Ghana, many of the villagers easily picked up on our accents. And even though Jessica

is American and didn’t speak with an African accent, villagers everywhere treated her just as well as they treated Phyllis and me.”

Making Plans to Return Their experiences left indelible impressions on each of them. “My long-term goal is to return to Nigeria to provide oral health care after I graduate,” Onwueme said. “This effort was a steppingstone to achieving that goal because I plan to help establish dental clinics for the underserved in rural regions of Nigeria.” Odoom agreed, adding the trip “confirmed my desire to return to Africa because I see the need for dentists.” However, before doing that, Odoom said she may consider applying for admission to a General Practice Residency program or a pediatric dentistry program. Lee said her experiences have given her what she described as “a great opportunity to step back, look at the big picture, and think about ways you can use your knowledge and experience to make a difference.” She said, “As an American, I see the educational benefits of helping those in need internationally. I think there may be even more opportunities to help than I initially imagined.” She added that “when you treat people in different cultures, your knowledge grows. You empathize more and communicate better. My experiences in Kenya have made me a better student, a better practitioner, and are allowing me to consider opportunities to make a difference that I probably would not have considered.”

for Three Dental Students

Fourth-year dental student Jessica Lee takes a look at the teeth of a young girl at the Feed the Children facility outside of Nairobi.

PhotocourtesyofJessicaLee


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STUDENTS

More than 80 volunteers…including dental and dental hygiene students, pediatric residents, predental students, faculty, staff, and volunteer dentists from the Washtenaw District Dental Society…came to the U-M School of Dentistry to participate in the American Dental Association’s annual Give Kids a Smile program on Sat., Feb. 7. For four hours the volunteers provided oral health care to 80 youngsters from across Michigan. The children, ranging in age from 5 to 12, received free oral examinations, cleanings, and learned more about proper tooth brushing techniques and other actions they could take at home to maintain good oral health. “I came back this year because I had a lot of fun participating last year,” said third-year dental student Julie Kern.

Dental School Students, VolunteersGive Kids a Smile

A School of Dentistry predoctoral student was one of three individuals nationwide recently honored by the American Public Health Association for a strong commitment to community-based dental public health. Third-year dental student Maciek Dolata received the Westwater Jong Memorial Award from the APHA’s Oral Health Section during its annual meeting in San Diego Oct. 31 for his work. The merit award is based on the significance, originality, quality, and timeliness of an oral health community-based research or service project.

Dolata Recognized for Community Dental Public Health Efforts

Saying she worked at the registration desk as a predental student several years earlier, Kern added, “this is better. It’s great to be hands-on and helping others.” Similar sentiments were voiced by third-year dental student, Javier Johnson, who also participated in last year’s program. “I enjoy helping those in need, especially the kids. They really appreciate what you do for them,” he said. Another third-year dental student, Jane Stieber, also said this was the second time she participated in the GKAS program. “It’s a great confidence builder for me,” she said. “But more than that, it’s another opportunity to apply more of what I have learned during the past year.”

Ananaba Earns Major Award at ADA Program

A U-M School of Dentistry student earned a third-place award for her clinical research/public health initiative at the American Dental Association’s annual meeting in San Antonio, Texas. Nejay Ananaba, a fourth-year dental student, received the award at the ADA/DENTSPLY Student Clinician Research Program (Category I competition) for her work that focused on the oral health and quality of life of middle school students in her home country of Liberia. Ananaba earned the opportunity to participate in the nationwide competition by winning the Grand Prize during the School’s Research Day competition in February. Ananaba, who hopes to establish the first dental school in Liberia, spent two weeks during the summer of 2007 conducting research about the need for a school and talking to junior and senior high school students and their teachers about dentistry. (more on the web)

Dental and dental hygiene students went out of their way to make children smile, even before they stepped into the clinic. Here, second-year dental hygiene student Corinne Silvernail (left) holds a stuffed monkey and opens its mouth while second-year dental hygiene student Brandi Johnson explains to the youngster how to correctly use the toothbrush.

Jerry Mastey


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Oral health disparities are a significant problem, not just in Detroit, but in most of America’s other big cities too. Some fresh thinking may be needed to develop new models of delivering care as well as collaboration a m o n g different groups if the problem is to be successfully a d d r e s s e d , according to the President of the Michigan Dental A ssociat ion and U - M S c h o o l o f Dentistry alumna, Dr. Joanne Dawley. I n r e m a r k s d e l i v e r e d a t U - M Hospital as part of the University’s observance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Jan. 19, Dawley outlined the scope of the problem and a “perfect storm” of converging factors that will make it increasingly important for dentists and physicians, research scientists and technicians, and business and political leaders to work together. Citing her experience as a practitioner for more than twenty years and her participation in organized dentistry, Dawley said, “My purpose is to pose questions for consideration, not to give answers.”

Addressing Oral Health Disparities Crucial for Healthy, Thriving Communities

105 New Dental Students Welcomed to

the Profession

Oral health disparities are especially acute in Detroit where more than 16 percent, or 147,000 of the city’s nearly 900,000 residents are uninsured. By

comparison, Dawley said, the state-wide average in Michigan is about 7.8 percent. However, the problem is expected to worsen as the auto industry contracts and other m a n u f a c t u r i n g businesses jettison w o r k e r s w h o now have dental a n d m e d i c a l insurance. Compounding the problem are

low reimbursements for dentists providing oral health care to their Medicaid patients, now about 30 cents on the dollar, as well as uncertainty about what role, if any, dentistry might have as a part of any national health care plan that may be considered by the Obama administration. “Health care is a noble and honest profession, but it’s also a business, and we need sound financial principles and policies that will allow those in the profession to deal with oral health care disparities,” Dawley said.(more on the web)

More than 100 men and women were welcomed into the dental profession during the School of Dentistry’s annual White Coat Ceremony held at Rackham Auditorium last September. The 55 men and 50 women who received white coats were selected from 2,144 individuals worldwide who submitted applications to the School for admission. Sixty-seven members of the Dental Class of 2012 are residents of Michigan, 38 are from out of state. Dr. Joanne Dawley, president of the Michigan Dental Association (DDS 1980), welcomed them to the dental profession and recalled her experiences as a dental student at U-M. “This is where I began my journey,” she said. “It won’t be easy, but you will have earned the right to be called doctor when you graduate.” “ Your integrity wil l be your compass,” Dawley said. “You have to live with total integrity because it will reflect on you and all dentists, including those who came before you and those who are now in the profession.” Advising students to “always take the high road,” she also urged the students to get involved in organized dentistry both as students and after graduation. (more on the web)


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espite the economic challenges for the country, state, and higher education, we are very excited about the future of the School of Dentistry and the

evolution of our programs. We are a key part of planning a new model for dental curricula, growing the leading-edge research enterprise, defining an outstanding patient care system, and developing the leaders of the future. During 2008 new plans for the School of Dentistry were defined. During 2009 we will be heavily invested in implementing the first parts of this new master plan.

CRSE continues to expand its horizons and involves a huge number of dedicated individuals (27 full time faculty, 75 adjunct faculty, administrative staff, 19 clinical staff, 9 research technicians, 9 research associates, 12 visiting scientists, graduate students, residents, and others). Teaching DDS students spans cariology, restorative dentistry, endodontics, dental public health, geriatric dentistry, and outreach programs. Graduate programs include advanced education in general dentistry, restorative dentistry, endodontics, and dental public health. Teaching includes about 46,000 hours of effort per year involving 51 courses, clinical teaching, and mentoring graduate students. Research programs focus on tissue engineering, health disparities issues, educational research, cancer research, biochemistry, molecular biology, clinical research, population research, diabetes, and microbiological research. The total research dollars from grants and contracts for the Department exceeds $1,900,000 per year and fuels approximately 60 published abstracts and 50 refereed papers annually. In the midst of all of these activities, the faculty, staff, and students continue to excel and receive special recognition for their successes. The following pages highlight some of the major work, recent honors, and awards of our outstanding department.

CARIOLOGY,RESTORATIVESCIENCES&ENDODONTICS

StephenBayne,Chair


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NEWS & EVENTS

Drs. Tilly Peters and Brian Clarkson at DMG Berlin planning the first US clinical trial of a new restorative material for impregnating interproximal caries to be managed by the University of Michigan.

Brian Clarkson was inducted as AADR President in March 2008 in Dallas, TX during the annual meeting.

Dr. James Schindler receiving a Certificate of Distinction from Dean Peter Polverini and the students in the clinic during his retirement day celebration on July 29, 2008.

Following an illustrious 37-year career at the University of Michigan, our Dr. Joseph Dennison retired from active faculty status last December. Joe joined the School’s faculty as an assistant professor in 1971, was promoted to professor eight years later, and was interim chair of our department from 1987-1992. In all those roles, Joe continued the School’s tradition of excellence demanding nothing but the best from residents, graduate students, faculty he mentored, and other colleagues. He published 15 book chapters, 75 peer-reviewed papers, 137 abstracts, and participated in more than 300 scientific and continuing education programs. As the School’s Marcus L. Ward Professor of Dentistry since 2000, his focus on clinical and applied research pertaining to dental materials made it possible for dentists to improve the quality of life for thousands of patients worldwide. Those lifelong efforts were recognized in 2006 when Joe received the FloydPeytonAwardforClinicalResearch from the Dental Materials Group of the International Association for Dental Research. Joe’s endless energy and persistent commitment to education will continue for two days a week as he returns as an adjunct faculty member. I appreciate his desire to continue his service and allowing us to benefit from his knowledge and expertise for at least a while longer.

Steve Bayne (standing) participated in an IADR workshop (2008, Toronto) on applications of Second Life for teaching and research in dentistry.


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Third-year dental student Maciek Dolata received national recognition for his community-based oral health initiatives. With him are his mentors, Dr. Woosung Sohn, and Dr. Marilyn Woolfolk, assistant dean for student services.

CARIOLOGY,RESTORATIVESCIENCES&ENDODONTICS

Full-Time Faculty

Trish Bauer: Teaching: Director of Undergraduate Endodontic Clinical Program; Research (Educational Research on Low Cost Simulation); induction into OKU (2007).

Stephen Bayne: Administration: Chair of Department; Past-President of International Association for Dental Research; Research (Educational Research, Clinical Research of New Materials); Awards (Academy of Dental Materials, Founders Award, 2007).

Tatiana Botero: Research (Principal Investigator: American Association of Endodontic Foundation Research Grant; Mentor for Graduate Student Award: American Association of Endodontic Foundation Research Grant).

Dan Chiego: Co-Author (Essentials of Oral Histology and Embryology: A Clinical Approach) in planning for next edition.

Brian Clarkson: American Association for Dental Research President (2007-2008); Dental Research Day keynotes (University of North Carolina, Indiana University), special lectures (University of Rochester, Tri Baltic States Dental Conference at Vilnius, Lithuania; Polish Dental Conference at Wroclaw, Poland; X’ian, China; Leeds Tissue Engineering Conference; AADR, Fall Focus Symposium, Ann Arbor); Research (nanocrystals).

Dennis Fasbinder: Director, AEGD Program; Co-Director, International Dentist Training Program; Research (clinical trials on CAD-CAM materials; several ongoing clinical trials).

Mark Fitzgerald: Co-Chair, CRSE Department; Division Head of Restorative Dentistry; Director, SPI Program; Research (Simulated Patient Instruction; Low Cost Simulation).

Donald Heys: Director, VICs Clinics; Award (Pierre Fauchard Instructor-of-the-Year, 2Blue Clinic, 2008).

Ronald Heys: Director, VICs 2Green Clinic.

Rex Holland: Editor (Archives of Oral Biology); External Examiner (Prince Philip Dental School, University of Hong Kong); External Reviewer (Canadian Institutes for Dental Research).

Neville McDonald: Director, Graduate Endodontics; President, Michigan Association of Endodontists (2008).

Mary Ellen McLean: Director, DDS1 Clinical Foundations Course); Research (Educational Research in Low Cost Simulation).

Gisele Neiva: Core Teaching Faculty (Restorative Dentistry Graduate

Program); Research (Clinical Research in Restorative Materials).

Jacques Nör: Mentor (AADR Hatton Award and Dr. Dziewiatkowski Award, Kathleen Neiva); Mentor (AAE Award, Clare Quinlan); Mentor (Research Day Grand Prize, William Love); Conference Organizer (School of Dentistry Collaboration with Research Universities in Brazil); President-elect, OKU; Research (New NIH/NCI SPORE grant, The Molecular Basis of Head and Neck Cancer Therapy; new NIH/NIDCR grant, Endothelial and Head and Neck Stem Cell Crosstalk and Resistance to Therapy).

Tilly Peters: Director, CRSE International Clinical Research; Hollenback Memorial Prize (Academy of Operative Dentistry, 2008); President of Cariology Research Group of IADR (2008); Research Activities (Clinical Research in cariology and restorative materials at several international sites; Oral Health Literacy & Diabetes research).

NOTABLE ACT IV I T I ES & SPEC IAL REGOGN IT ION


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Bill Piskorowski: Director, School of Dentistry Outreach Program; 2008 Detroit Area Magazine (Area’s Top Dentist Award); Michigan Community Dental Centers (Board of Directors).

Helena Ritchie: Teaching (Undergrad-uate Research Opportunity Program Faculty Recognition Award); Research (New NIH Grant, DSP-PP Precursor Protein Processing).

Christine Sedgley: Research (new grants: U-M Rackham Faculty Research Grant; OVPR Bridge Grant); Publications (Chapter: Virulence of Endodontic Bacterial Pathogens in Endodontic Microbiology, 2009; Chapter: Microbiology of Endodontic Disease in Ingle’s Endodontics, 2008, 6th ed.).

Woosung Sohn: ADEA Counselor from U-M School of Dentistry; Research Fellow (CDC); Fellow, ADEA Leadership Institute; Research Grants (Healthy Kids Dental Program Evaluation, Urban Community Oral Health Intervention, Detroit Center for Research on Oral Health Disparities, Detroit Oral Cancer Prevention Network); Mentor (Maciek Dolata, APHA Jong Award Winner); IADR-BEHSR Aubrey Sheiham Award for Distinguished Research (2008).

Ken Stoffers: Co-Director, DDS2 Clinical Foundations Course

Nikki Sweier: Assistant Director, AEGD Program; Director, Undergraduate Geriatric Dentistry Curriculum; Research (Investigator: Grants in Geriatric Dentistry; Co-investigator: grant on Stress Proteins).

George Taylor: Award (2007-08, ORISE/CDC Research Scholar); ADA (Council on Scientific Affairs; Evidence-Based Dentistry Advisory Board; APHA Meeting Press; Research (NIH Grant, Periodontal Disease and Diabetes; Delta Dental Contract,

Glycemic Control for Diabetes; BCBS Contract, Medical Costs Associated with Periodontal Disease and Diabetes Treatment; Strauman-ITI Contract, Effect of Extractions).

Jose Vivas: Director, DDS1 Clinical Foundations Course for Dental Anatomy and Tooth Morphology; Research (All-ceramic materials); Award (MDA Pierre Fauchard Academy Award).

Pete Yaman: Director, Graduate Program in Restorative Dentistry; Calibration Team for North East Regional Board Examiners; Clinical Research (Restorative bonding and filling materials).

Faculty ChangesAmid Ismail: Assumed position of Dean, Temple University Maurice H. Kornberg School of Dental Medicine in November 2008.

Hana Hasson: Assumed position of faculty member at Temple University School of Dental Medicine in December 2008.

Joe Dennison: Retired as Professor Emeritus in December 2008.

Adjunct FacultyAgata Czajka Jakubowska: University of Poznan’s Individual Science award for 2008 (Certificate and $5000).

William Gregory: Award of Excellence (Academy of Operative Dentistry, 2008).

Jim Schindler: Retired as adjunct faculty (2008).

StaffCarol Stamm: Earned 2008 CCRP certification for clinical research.

Research ScientistsWenche Borgnakke: Conducts research on the effects of oral health on

systemic health with a particular focus on the effects of periodontal infection on diabetes control and complications in observational and interventional studies as well as systematic review of evidence published in the literature. She also conducts research validating self-report as a means of assessing periodontal status for individuals and population surveillance.

Jin Lui: Studying the effect of ordered fluorapatite surfaces with attached nano-polymers on the growth of osteoblast cells for use as coatings for implants and dental stem pulp cells to create an enamel/dentin junction.

Mike Manz: Conducts research on interactions between oral and systemic health in observational and interventional studies, secondary analysis of complex survey sample data, and analysis of public and private medical and dental claims data. Research also includes design and analysis of surveys for surveillance of population oral health status in the U.S.

2008 Graduating ResidentsAEGD Program: Carmel Dudley, Justin Garner, Luke Hamann, David Heys, Elaine Lam, Steven MacHardy, Christian Nolten, Byron Tucker.Graduate Program in Restorative Dentistry: David Jones, Tony KhooGraduate Program in Endodontics: Ben Garagozloo, Jeremy Kott, Nahid Roghani

Visiting Scientists: Nör research lab (Vinicius Rosa, Marcia Campos, Bruno Cavalcanti, Atsushi Imai, Kyung San Min), Ritchie research lab (Jun Liu), Yaman graduate program (Koichi Yosida), Clarkson research lab (Longxing Ni), Taylor research program (Masanori Iwasaki), Sohn research program (Choongho Choi).


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FACULTY

Eber and Sohn Selected for ADEALeadership Institute

wo School of Dentistr y faculty members have been selected for the American Dental Education Association Leadership Institute. The

program is designed to develop the nation’s most promising dental faculty to become future leaders in dental education. Dr. Robert Eber, a clinical professor in the Department of Periodontics and Oral Medicine, and Dr. Woosung Sohn, an assistant professor in the Department of Cariology, Restorative Sciences, and Endodontics, have been selected as fellows for the prestigious year-long program now in its tenth year. Eber and Sohn will join 21 of the nation’s most promising dental educators, including faculty and administrators from dental, allied health, and advanced dental education programs. During the 12-month program, fellows pursue a project addressing a key issue in dental education. They will also work in groups with others sharing similar interests and aspirations.

“Colleagues who have attended have said the Leadership Institute is a great program, and I’m honored to follow in their footsteps,” Eber said. “I have been selected for various leadership roles during my career, but I expect to learn better management, organizational, and people skills to make me a better leader in the future.” Those sentiments were echoed by Sohn who said, “I’m grateful for this opportunity and excited because I expect it will provide me with the knowledge, skills, and network to develop my career as a faculty member and leader in dentistry. It will immediately benefit me in revitalizing the dental public health program at U-M which requires substantial administrative, networking, and leadership skills.” Other School of Dentistry faculty members who have participated in the ADEA Leadership Institute in recent years include Prof. Wendy Kerschbaum, Drs. Paul Krebsbach, George Taylor, and Nisha D’Silva.

Drs. Woosung Sohn (left) and Robert Eber will join 21 colleagues from around the nation in the ADEA Leadership Institute. The year-long program is designed to develop the nation’s most promising dental faculty to become future leaders in dental education.

O’Brien Publishes New Dental Materials

Textbook

Dr. William O’Brien, a professor in the Department of Biologic and Materials Sciences, recently published a 425-page basic and applied dental materials textbook. The fourth edition of Dental Materials and Their Selection is being used by first- and second-year dental students. “This textbook is not only for pre do ctora l s tudents ,” O ’B r ien said. “There is a significant amount of useful information for other oral health care professionals including graduate students in prosthodontics and restorative dentistry, dental practitioners, hygienists, and dental technicians.” (more on the web)

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Since joining the School of Dentistry’s faculty in the summer of 2002 as Director of Informatics and associate professor of dentistry, Johnson, who was named professor in 2007, has spearheaded innovative uses of technology throughout the School to enhance learning. Her leadership led to a partnership between the School and Apple, Inc. that was the first of its kind between the

company and any professional school in the nation. The relationship has enabled students to create and access podcasts of classroom lectures via iTunes U from their personal computers or portable media devices to listen to the lectures anywhere and anytime. The initiative was featured in major print publications worldwide as well as television and radio. For her efforts, Johnson was among ten persons nationwide who received Apple’s inaugural honor, The Award for Innovation in Science, in 2007. The award recognized distinguished individuals in academia who developed new ways to use technology that enhance education and research. Announcing the promotion, Dean Peter Polverini said, “Dr. Johnson has distinguished herself and the School of Dentistry as a significant contributor to the field of informatics. Her leadership is recognized campus-wide and internationally.” He added that as the School develops a new curriculum “the demands for innovative uses of technology will surge and her expertise will be crucial to its success.” In addition to her current information technologies and informatics responsibilities, Polverini said Johnson would coordinate all e-learning activities throughout the school. That would include assisting faculty in developing online courses and assuming new responsibilities for developing educational collaborations between the School of Dentistry and schools in Brazil, China, England, and Ghana. U-M Regents approved Johnson’s appointment as assistant dean during their November meeting.

Dr. Lynn Johnson Named Assistant Dean for Informatics & Innovation

Dr. Jose Vivas, a clinical assis-tant professor of dentistr y i n t h e D e -partment of C a r i o l o g y , R e s t o r a t i v e Sciences, and Endodontics,

received the Instructor of the Year Award for 2007-2008 from the Michigan Section of the Pierre Fauchard Academy during its recent meeting. The award is presented to dental faculty members who have been recognized by the instructor’s academic colleagues for their outstanding contributions to dental education. Vivas, who has been with the U-M School of Dentistry since 1997, teaches dental anatomy to first-year dental students in the School’s preclinical laboratory, restorative dentistry in the graduate restorative clinic, and to students in the Internationally Trained Dentists Program. “It ’s an honor to receive this award from this prestigious academy, especially since it was bestowed by dedicated colleagues who have spent their professional lives serving others,” Vivas said. The Pierre Fauchard Academy is an international dental organization dedicated to the advancement of the dental profession. Its members are individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the science and art of dentistry.

Michigan’s Pierre Fauchard Academy

Honors VivasPerKjeldsen PhotocourtesyofJoseVivas


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P R O F I L E

FACULTY

“It’s incredible to be

able to walk down a

hallway and share

some cutting-edge

ideas with others

who immediately

understand your

thinking, what you’re

trying to achieve, and

how they might be

able to help you.”

“I’m in a family business,” Dr. Russell Taichman jokingly replied when asked about how he wound up in dentistry. “My dad was a periodontist, chair of the pathology department, and associate dean of academic affairs at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine; an uncle was a basic research scientist; another uncle did basic research at Stony Brook dental school; and a brother at Penn is also involved in science, so dentistry and research are two genes I seem to have inherited,” he said. For Taichman, the University of Michigan School of Dentistry is special. “I’m fortunate to be here. The University and this dental school are phenomenal places,” he said. Since arriving at Michigan in 1992, Taichman has been busy. He’s a professor of dentistry, director of the Scholars Program in Dental Leadership, and an adjunct professor at the College of Literature, Sciences, and the Arts (LS&A). After earning a DMD from the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine in 1986 and a DMSc from the Harvard School of Dental Medicine four years later, Taichman was a postdoctoral research fellow at Penn when he began pondering his next career move.

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During a dinner conversation with his father and several others who were attending an International Association of Dental Research conference, Taichman sought ideas about where he could bolster his academic credentials in his research area of interest – osteoblasts involved in blood development.

The Lure of Michigan He was urged to contact Dr. Steve Emerson at the U-M Medical School and Dr. Martha Somerman, who, at the time, was chair of the Department of Periodontics, Prevention, and Geriatrics. Both, especial ly Somerman, who is now dean of the University of Washington School of Dentistry, made an indelible impression on Taichman. “I saw that the University of

Michigan and this dental school were investing in themselves and had a grand vision for what they wanted to achieve. I liked that,” he said. “Martha was creating a department that she wanted to be head and shoulders above any other in the country, and I wanted to be a part of that.” Taichman also said he was impressed with the research underway that had a long-term focus. “It seemed everyone I talked to across Michigan and here at this dental school understood the importance of research, especially research that asked the big questions and looked for long-term benefits,” he said. Also influencing his decision to come to Michigan were other U-M schools and colleges. “In particular, the Medical School and the School of Public

Health impressed me as phenomenal places for collaboration on a range of projects.” Dividing his time between research, teaching, and directing the Dental Scholars program can be difficult at times. But Taichman said that, more often than not, the work he does in all areas is interrelated. His research niche focuses on how bone cells regulate stem cell function and development. Closely related to that is his research that seeks to understand how prostate cancer cells thwart stem cell development and function. Over the last three years, Taichman has been awarded approximately $200,000 by the Prostate Cancer Foundation to investigate why prostate cancer spreads to bones. Asked how that research might apply to dentistry, Taichman said, “Ultimately, it’s my hope that we can better understand how damaged bone, including those in the orofacial region, can be repaired. Once we understand that, I think we may better understand other cancers including those of the head, neck, breast, and other areas of the body.” Interestingly, Taichman said his research interests changed direction following a conversation with Dr. Laurie McCauley, chair of the Department of Periodontics and Oral Medicine. “As we talked about how prostate cancer is one of just a few diseases where bone formation actually occurs, she wondered if there might be something dentists and periodontists could learn that would help us find new and better ways to treat patients,” he said. I wondered if the cancers use the same mechanism, as do stem cells to gain access to the marrow. Important for dentistry is whether bone formation is regulated by blood stem cells.

Taichman Nieva foto here?

Dr. Yusuke Shiozawa, one of the post doctoral fellows in Dr. Russell Taichman’s laboratory, holds a test tube containing cancer stem cells.

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That conversation, Taichman said, reaffirmed his decision to come to Michigan. “The best thing about this school are my colleagues,” he said. “It’s incredible to be able to walk down a hallway and share some cutting-edge ideas with others who immediately understand your thinking, what you’re trying to achieve, and how they might be able to help you.” Part of his work has led to the development of small molecule therapeutics that are in Phase 1 trials. The study is being conducted by Metastatix, Inc. at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.

With Dr. William Giannobile, Taichman is also working to develop a new diagnostic tool for periodontal diseases. More recently, in collaboration with Dr. Paul Krebsbach, professor and Chair BMS, and scientists at the University of Kentucky, Taichman has been attempting to isolate human mesenchymal stem cells for clinical trials to try to coax the cells into the blood so they can later be collected to help repair bone defects.

Developing a New Program W hen he came to Michigan, Taichman never imagined being asked

to develop a program, literally, from the ground up. But in the summer of 2003, Dean Peter Polverini asked Taichman to develop a new program at the School of Dentistry that would focus on leadership. “The idea intrigued me, and I was looking for a new challenge, so this seemed like a great opportunity,” Taichman said. The Scholars Program in Dental Leadership, also known as the Dental Scholars program, celebrates its third anniversary this year. The program brings together a group of exceptional students from select backgrounds to help them develop a leadership mindset and the skills they can use to initiate

change in dentistry, dental hygiene, education, research, or academia. Last fall, the School’s Alumni Society Board of Governors heard Taichman and three students in the program talk about how it has helped them. (See p.8) “I firmly believe that the students who are in this program will be among those who you’ll be hearing about in the future as they make contributions to the dental profession in many different areas,” he said. Since 2000, Taichman has taught a three credit hour course each fall at the school of Literature, Science and the

Arts called The Science and Practice of Dentistry in the 21st Century. Among those who have spoken to the class include veterinarians, airline pilots, deans, faculty members, and dental students. “It’s the only course that focuses on dentistry in the undergraduate curriculum, and it ’s always well attended,” he said. “It seems everyone’s hands go up when I ask ‘Who’s thinking about dentistry as a career?’,” he said. Roughly two or three students who take the class eventually apply to the U-M School of Dentistry and are accepted, he said. He said others are accepted at other dental schools elsewhere. Another benefit from coming to Michigan, Taichman said, was meeting Susan Hipolite. The two married in 1999. An assistant professor and assistant research scientist at the School, she too has research interests, “however, they’re different than mine since she’s extensively involved in public oral health research,” he said. The parents of a four-year old, Taichman said, “we try to focus our attention on our daughter, Gabrielle, when we’re at home instead of talking shop.” Looking back, Taichman said his father never told him to pursue dentistry as a career. “But he pointed me in the right direction and gave me a lot of helpful suggestions. As a result, it’s been an incredible experience, especially here at Michigan,” he said.

“ItseemedeveryoneItalkedtoacross

Michigan and here at this dental school

understoodtheimportanceofresearch,

especiallyresearchthataskedthebig

questionsandlookedforlong-termbenefits.”


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ALUMNI RELATIONS

P R O F I L E

A dental clinic he helped establish provided more than $700,000 of free oral health care to the homeless in Houston in 2007. The amount was nearly double what was provided just two years earlier. Since Healthcare for the Homeless-Houston was established in 1998, word of its mission and community service has spread throughout the city and even to the President of Mexico. Last spring, Dr. George Sayre (DDS 1974) was one of 16 persons, and the only dentist, to receive the Mayor’s Volunteer Houston Award. “I was stunned when the mayor’s office called me to tell me I was a recipient,” Sayre said. “I still don’t know who nominated me.” He also received recognition when the Healthcare for the Homeless Houston dental clinic was renamed in his honor. Born and raised in Ypsilanti, Sayre originally planned to follow in his father’s footsteps and become an obstetrician. But conversations with other family members influenced him to become a dentist. They included his grandfather, Dr. Roy G. Hayward (DDS 1911); an uncle, Dr. James Hayward (DDS 1944, MS oral surgery 1947); and a brother, Dr. Frank Sayre (DDS 1969). Following graduation from the School of Dentistry, Sayre practiced for three years with the U.S. Air Force in Honolulu. When he made a decision in February 1977 to move to Houston,

“I thought it was a good one because I wouldn’t have to put up with the snow like I did when I lived in Michigan. But I had second thoughts when I moved in that July because it was the hottest and most humid month of the year,” he said with a laugh. Besides running his private practice, Sayre also taught part time at the University of Texas. “I dropped in, unannounced, and talked to the dean of the dental school about my background and experiences. He decided to hire me on the spot,” Sayre said.

A Patient’s Question Changes Everything But it was a conversation at his private practice with one of his frequent patients that changed Sayre’s life and has given even greater meaning to his career. The patient, a physician, asked Sayre if he would be interested in becoming dental director of a clinic in Houston that he was establishing for the homeless. “I told him I would, and a short time later began working part time in his building,” Sayre said. The five-story structure, which occupies a city block in the city’s downtown business district, also provides the homeless with food, laundry facilities, job training, and educational programs. The number of patients treated at the dental clinic steadily increased. More space was needed. Recently, the dental clinic was remodeled and transformed. Now it’s a three-chair clinic that employs a full time dentist, dental hygienist, dental assistant, and office manager. Volunteer dentists across Houston and from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston also help. Sayre said there were several reasons for accepting the invitation to provide oral health care to the homeless.

PhotocourtesyofDr.GeorgeSayre

Honored by the City of Houston for Providing Dental Care to the Homeless


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“Growing up, I had some stellar role models who showed me the benefits of community service. They included grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, and cousins,” he said. “The satisfaction of helping someone who otherwise would not receive treatment is tremendous. The smiles on the faces of those who otherwise wouldn’t receive care is a lasting memory.” Sayre also said he remembers working in the School of Dentistry’s summer migrant dental program as it was being established in the early 1970s. Working with Houston’s homeless to address their oral health care needs “elevated considerably the awareness of what we have been doing,” he said. As word of Sayre’s work with Healthcare for the Homeless-Houston spread, it reached a friend who asked Sayre if he would help establish a similar dental clinic to treat the poorest of the poor in the Mexican border town of Agua Prieta, a village only a few hundred yards across the border from Douglas, Arizona.

Help from Mexico’s New President “I told every salesperson who came to my private dental office in Houston about Agua Prieta,” Sayre said. “I said that if they knew a dentist who was replacing used dental equipment, upgrading dental equipment, or

remodeling their offices, that they donate their equipment to that clinic.” Dental chairs, X-ray machines, air compressors, and other items were shipped and stored in a warehouse in Douglas. But the equipment couldn’t be shipped until after the President of Mexico, Felipe Calderon, assumed office in December 2006. When he was visiting border towns in early 2007 to assess how the

government could help the people, Calderon was asked by Sayre’s friend if he could help transport a warehouse of dental equipment across the border. Calderon agreed. The president’s bodyguards loaded the equipment onto a van that same day and took it to the building that became the Wings of Angels Clinic. Calderon was so impressed that he even gave his personal cell phone number to an administrator at the new clinic and said to call if he could be of further assistance. “My vision was to create a dental clinic in northern Mexico that had all the amenities found in a first-class dental office in the U.S.,” Sayre said. “I also

wanted to create an atmosphere where volunteer dentists from the U.S. could be even more productive. I believe we have accomplished that goal.” Sayre also said U-M alumnus Dr. John Farah (DDS 1978) editor and publisher of The Dental Advisor, and Dr. John Powers (DDS 1972) also played important roles with their gifts of dental materials and supplies. Although he was dental director of

Healthcare for the Homeless-Houston for more than a decade, Sayre is now a member of the organization’s Board of Directors helping to secure grants from foundations and gifts from the state and oral health care professionals. Ref lecting on his experiences, Sayre said “I have been in awe of how much can happen when I make myself available to facilitate it. Whether it’s here in Houston, or in Agua Prieta, I feel strongly that our society is best served by those who can share their talents and freely give of them when the need arises,” he added. “If anyone in Michigan wants to help, including students from the dental school, let me know. I’ll be happy to help.”

The Healthcare for the Homeless Houston dental clinic was renamed last year to honor Dr. George Sayre’s contributions to the city.

PhotocourtesyofDr.GeorgeSayre


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RESEARCH

he discovery of a new treatment approach for head and neck cancer has led to a major grant being awarded to Jacques Nör and

his research team in hopes of learning more about ways to possibly treat the debilitating disease. His research initiative is one of four research projects now underway on the U-M campus that is being funded with a special grant from the National Institutes of Health. Nör, a professor in the Department of Cariology, Restorative Sciences, and Endodontics, recently received a Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPORE) grant from NIH to pursue his head and neck cancer research. SPORE grants seek to rapidly translate research laboratory discoveries and apply them in treating patients. By applying bench-to-chairside discoveries, the hope is that mortality rates will decrease for individuals with head and neck cancer.

Major Discovery in Polverini Lab A discovery in Dr. Peter Polverini’s laboratory a decade earlier set the stage for Nör’s project with the SPORE

grant. Polverini, dean of the School of Dentistry, was a department chair at the time of the discovery and mentoring Nör, then an Oral Health Sciences, PhD student. “Our main focus then was evaluating how TSP1 inhibits angiogenesis, the formation and growth of new blood vessels ,” Nör said. TSP1 (thrombospodin-1) is a protein that regulates cell-to-cell and cell-to-matrix interactions. It also interacts with proteases involved in angiogenesis. At that time, his research was using vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGF) as a control group for TSP1 studies. “But what we didn’t expect, and what turned out to be the big discovery for us, was that VEGF induced synthesis of a protein, Bcl-2, which enhanced endothelial cell survival,” Nör said. The Bcl-2 molecule regulates a cell’s fate. The physiological function of Bcl-2 is to enhance cell survival. “Recently, we discovered that the Bcl-2 levels in the blood vessels of patients with head and neck cancers are significantly higher – by a factor of 60,000 – than the Bcl-2 levels in the blood vessels of normal tissues,”

Nör said. He and members of his team, Tomoatsu Kaneko and Elisabeta Karl, used state of the art technology to measure Bcl-2 elevation in the blood vessels of patients with head and neck cancers. These findings provided the conceptual framework for the study of new therapeutic strategies to block Bcl-2 function in endothelial cells as a means to disrupt the vasculature of head and neck tumors, with the ultimate goal being one of “starving the tumor cells to death.” Since then, Nör has been collabor-ating with Dr. Shaomeng Wang, the co-director of the molecular therapeutics program the U-M Comprehensive Cancer Center, who has discovered a new compound or small molecule that inhibits the function of Bcl-2 in cells. Using that knowledge, two members of the Nör research team – Benjamin Zeitling, a pharmacologist, and Naoki Ashimori, an otolaryngologist – are investigating this developmental stage drug on head and neck tumor angiogenesis. This work is serving as a foundation for a Phase I clinical trial in head and neck cancer patients that should start next year. The five-year SPORE research grant involves Nör, a co-principal investigator, a team of researchers from the School of Dentistry, and others from the U-M Medical Center and the Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Gregory Wolf, professor of otolaryngology at the U-M Medical Center, is the principal investigator of the U-M SPORE grant. “There are times, and this was one of those, where you have to go where the science and the results take you,” Nör said. “Sometimes important discoveries come from what you didn’t expect, not from going down the path you originally planned.”

Seeking Answers to Treat Head and Neck Cancers

“Sometimes the important discoveries come from what you

didn’t expect, not from going down the

path you originally planned.”

PerKjeldsen


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Study Shows Periodontal Treatment Linked to Lower Medical Costs in

Patients with Diabetes

A new study by U-M School of Dentistry researchers who analyzed data provided by the Blue Care Network revealed what may be the strongest link yet between periodontal treatment for patients with diabetes and the cost of their medical care. Led by Dr. George Taylor, an associate professor of CRSE dentistry, the U-M researchers analyzed claims from 2,674 individuals with diabetes ages 18 to 64. The individuals were enrolled in the Blue Care Network between 2001 and 2005 and had at least 12 consecutive months of medical, dental, and pharmaceutical coverage. The Michigan Blues insurance network has one of the largest health care claims databases in the U.S. “We found insured adults with diabetes in Michigan who received routine periodontal treatment, such as dental cleanings and scaling, have significantly lower medical care costs than those who do not,” Taylor said. “These results could be meaningful to individuals, employers, health care providers, and insurers.”

Gene Therapy Effective Treatment Against Gum Disease

By Laura Bailey, U-M News Service

Scientists at the U-M School of Dentistry have shown that gene therapy can be used to successfully stop the development of periodontal disease, the leading cause of tooth loss in adults. The findings were published online Dec. 11 in advance of print publication in Gene Therapy. Using gene transfer to treat life threatening conditions is not new, but the U-M group is the first known

to use the gene delivery approach to show potential in treating chronic conditions such as periodontal disease, said William Giannobile, professor of Periodontics and Oral Medicine and principal investigator. “Gene therapy has not been used in non-life threatening disease. Periodontal disease is more disabling than life threatening,” said Giannobile, who also directs the Michigan Center for Oral Health Research and has an appointment in the U-M College of Engineering. “This is so important because the next wave of improving medical therapeutics goes beyond saving life, and moves forward to improving the quality of life.”

Using Saliva to Monitor Head and Neck Cancer Treatment and

Recurrence

Two U-M School of Dentistry investigators will be investigating saliva samples to try to determine if patients with head and neck cancers have unique biomarkers in their saliva that could be used to monitor the response of those patients to treatment or recurrence of their cancer. During the next year Drs. Carol Anne Murdoch-Kinch and Nisha D’Silva will collect and analyze saliva samples from patients with head and neck cancers, both before and after treatment, and then compare the samples to those from healthy people without cancer. The samples will be collected under controlled conditions to support current and future research projects. “Several studies support the presence of specific biomarkers for head and neck cancer in saliva,” said Murdoch-Kinch, an associate professor in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Hospital Dentistry. “Our objective is to find biomarkers that are cancer-specific

and affected by treatment. A saliva-based test using these biomarkers could provide a sensitive, specific, inexpensive, and noninvasive means to monitor patients and, ultimately, save lives.”

Dental School Researchers to Investigate What May Trigger

Migraine Headaches

A U-M School of Dentistry researcher has received a grant to investigate the factors that may be responsible for triggering migraine headaches. Dr. Alex DaSilva, assistant professor in the Department of Biologic and Materials Sciences, was awarded a $200,000 grant from the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives to try to determine what cellular and/or molecular changes in the brain may be responsible. Characterized by sudden attacks of moderate to severe headache pain, migraines are often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and hypersensitivity to light and sound. Since many patients experience migraines from childhood to adulthood, their quality of life is affected and frequently leads to absences from work or school and additional costs due to doctor’s appointments and prescription medications. However, many migraine therapies do not produce long-lasting relief, suggesting that chronic migraine attacks may be due to other factors. “We still don’t understand how the brain is affected during a migraine,” DaSilva said. “We hope to characterize the effects of migraines on a person’s nervous system, from molecular to cellular levels,” he added. His research group, the Headache and Orofacial Pain Effort, will also study a relevant sensory disturbance experienced by some patients with migraines called allodynia. (more on the web)


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Susan Pritzel

DENTAL HYGIENE

he School of Dentistry’s dental hygiene program has seen a lot of changes during Susan Pritzel’s 36-year career.“Expanding the program from two years to three years in 1985 allowed us to do more, such as

community outreach,” she said. “Creating the Vertically Integrated Clinics in 1997 allowed hygienists to get a feel for what it means to be a member of the oral health care team. And technology has changed how patients are treated in clinics as well as how information is delivered.” But Pritzel said two special memories would always stand out. “The students. They were the best part of my job,” she said. “But I will also fondly remember the variety of opportunities I have had to try to make a difference.” An assistant professor and clinical supervisor of junior and senior dental hygiene students, Pritzel retired in December. However, she said she would return to the clinics to teach part time. She will also continue working one evening a week at a private practice in Ann Arbor as she has for the past 25 years, and serving as a Northeast Regional Board examiner.

The Road to U-M Growing up on a 500-acre farm in Mason, Michigan, Pritzel used money she earned raising farm animals and entering them in 4-H competitions to pay for her education. Her desire was to work with and help people when she entered U-M, but hadn’t decided on a career path. Her family dentist suggested she consider dental hygiene. Following her freshman year at U-M, Pritzel interviewed with Dr. Dorothy Hard, director of the School’s dental hygiene curriculum, and was accepted into the program in 1965. After graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1967, Pritzel worked as a hygienist in Kalamazoo for six years. She returned to Ann Arbor in 1973, worked part time in a private practice and began teaching part time as a clinical instructor at her alma mater. The following fall she was offered a position as a full-time instructor.

Anne GwozdekRet i res a f ter 36 Years a t U-M


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In the summer of 1975, while teaching full time at the School of Dentistry, she also worked one night a week at a private practice and began pursuing her master’s degree. She earned a master’s degree in guidance and counseling from Eastern Michigan University in 1977 and was promoted to assistant professor at the School of Dentistry.

Lifelong Learning Emphasized “Earning my master’s degree and minoring in psychology enabled me to better understand and counsel students,” Pritzel said. “But it also demonstrated what I have repeatedly emphasized to students – that learning doesn’t end at graduation. You have to be a lifelong learner.” As important as lifelong learning is, Pritzel said there are other crucial traits that will continue to be necessary to become a successful dental hygienist — effective communication, integrity, and accepting personal responsibility. “I have told students that we’re in the people business and that communication is crucial to us and to our patients. You have to be able to listen to your patients and empathize with them,” she said. “When you do that, they will return because they know you care and that you are concerned about their health and well being.” Pritzel said integrity and accepting responsibility are intertwined. “My dad taught me the importance of acting honestly and accepting responsibility, especially when things go wrong. Both are important, not only in one’s personal life, but their professional life too,” she said. Those messages and Pritzel’s lessons in the clinics and classrooms have resonated with her students.

On numerous occasions, she has received awards from graduating students as the Most Influential Instructor or the Outstanding Faculty Member Award. In 2001, she received the Outstanding Alumnae Award from the U-M Dental Hygienists’ Association for her contributions to the profession. Pritzel has been active with dental and dental hygiene organizations. She was vice president, treasurer, board member, and committee chair for the Michigan Dental Hygienists’ Association, elected four times as an MDHA delegate to the ADHA’s annual session, and was treasurer, president, and delegate to the MDHA’s House of Delegates representing the Washtenaw District Dental Hygienists’ Society. Pritzel has also served on several U-M committees inc luding the Department of Public Safety’s Oversight Committee, the Student Relations Advisory Committee, and the Office of Vice President of Student Services. She has also been active with the School of Dentistry’s Student Research Committee, the disability subcommittee of the Multicultural Affairs Committee, was a faculty advisor for the Honor Council for 15 years and the Student Council for six years.

More Opportunities “A dental hygienist can do so much more with their education because the role of the hygienist has changed,” she said. “In the past, we concentrated on a patient’s teeth, but today the hygienist is a preventive expert who is concerned about a person’s total health which involves dentistry, medicine, disease, and much more. And since new knowledge is constantly being discovered and applied,” she continued, “it’s important for the hygienist to become a lifelong learner.” Pritzel added that opportunities for dental hygienists will continue to grow. “It’s not just private practice or teaching in a clinic, but also outreach facilities, nursing homes, industry, and other areas. Access to care issues also offer areas of professional growth for the dental hygienist,” she said. As she talked about her students, some of whom will call or send an e-mail on occasion asking for advice on a topic, Pritzel said “it’s been rewarding to know I have made a difference in their lives. When that light bulb goes on, and they’re able to finally put everything together that they learned in classrooms and clinics, it’s so rewarding to know that you played a role in making that happen.”

Anne Gwozdek

Pritzel was joined at her retirement party by her husband, Roger (left), and Dr. Ronald Heys. She has worked one evening a week in the private practice of Heys and his brother, Donald, for the past 25 years. Pritzel’s sons, Matthew and Daniel, not pictured, also joined in the retirement celebration.


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ALUMNI RELATIONS

Ed Givens, Jr. (DDS 2006) stationed in Beaufort, South Carolina, will complete a tour of duty with the U.S. Navy in July. After being deployed to Kuwait for seven months last year to provide oral health care to U.S. Forces, he was welcomed home by his family: Jacob, 5-1/2 years old; Annelise, age 4; Arianne, age 2; and his wife, Lalia who was unwilling to disclose her age. “It was rewarding to provide care for the troops, many of whom were reservists,” he wrote. After his tour of duty, he will begin residency training in prosthodontics this fall at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.

Rebecca Ortenzio (DDS 2001) of Annapolis, Maryland, now a Lieutenant Commander in the United States Navy, recently completed her orthodontic residency at Indiana University. She currently is assigned to the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis as head of the Department of Orthodontics.

Donald (Andy) Lewis (DDS 1998) of Seattle, Washington, recently became a Fellow of the Academy of General Dentistry. A private practitioner in Seattle, he’s seen here with his wife of 12 years, Ruth, and his 5-year-old daughter, Ellen, and 7-year-old son, Michael.

Tamara Koss (DDS 1988, DH 1976) of Indialantic, Florida, continues general practice dentistry and with the U.S. Air Force Reserve, where she is Wing Dental Surgeon with the 920th Aeromedical Staging Squadron with more than 1,200 members based at Patrick Air Force Base. Last April she was inducted as president of the Reserve Officer Association of Florida that has more than 5,000 members.

Stephen A. Lawrence (DDS 1984) of Carlsbad, California, became a mitred archpriest in the Syro-Russian Orthodox Church last summer.

Ronald Sarosi (DDS 1981) of Eaton Rapids, Michigan, was recently named to the Board of Directors of the OBI Foundation for Bioesthetic Dentistry.

Howard Belkin (DDS 1980) of Birmingham, Michigan, who specializes in psychotherapy and psychopharmacology for adults, adolescents, and children, has joined the attending medical staff at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan.

Solomon Pesis (DDS 1980) of Farmington Hills, Michigan, has been reappointed to a second term on the Michigan Board of Dentistry. His four-year term expires in 2011.

John Farah (DDS 1978) of Ann Arbor, Michigan, editor and publisher of The Dental Advisor, is lecturing nationwide on CAD/CAM dentistry. According to Farah, the publication “is leading the way in CAD/CAM dentistry and becoming the source of information” on an array of equipment that includes CEREC, COS, and others.

James Somers (DDS 1973, MS orthodontics 1983) of Oak Harbor, Washington, was one only ten persons nationwide to receive the Environmental Hero Award for 2008 from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. A member of an environmental education and stewardship group with several hundred volunteers around Puget Sound, Somers said “I thought I would miss many aspects of practice, however, volunteering has consumed much of my time.” For four years he and a group were collecting data on habitat preservation and restoration of endangered salmon populations in Puget Sound. “Although the focus is on salmon, the habitat degradation affects all life forms in the Sound up to and including the famous resident Orca whales,” he wrote.

NEWS


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InMemoriam

Dr. Robert FeigalDr. Robert Feigal, professor of dentistry and associate dean for academic affairs in the late 1990s, passed away April 21 in Minneapolis. During his 11 years at Michigan, Feigal was director of pediatric dentistry in the School’s Department of Ortho-dontics and Pediatric Dentistry and director of the graduate program in pediatric dentistry. He earned degrees

in dentistry, pediatric dentistry, and completed his doctoral training at the University of Minnesota. In 2003, Feigal left Michigan to return to his alma mater.

’44 Dr. Alden E. VanOrnum Batavia, New York; November 29, 2008

’47 June Krebs (Dental Hygiene) Ann Arbor, Michigan; December 24, 2008 After receiving a dental hygiene certificate in 1947,

June Krebs applied her knowledge and skills locally, statewide, and internationally. In addition to teaching at the School of Dentistry, she practiced dental hygiene in Michigan and New York, spoke to groups about water fluoridation treatment programs, and taught dental hygiene procedures at a hospital in Rwanda. In 1999, she received the School of Dentistry’s Distinguished Service Award at graduation ceremonies that spring.

’51 Dr. Julius Franks, Jr. Grand Rapids, Michigan; November 26, 2008 Considered to be one of the best offensive linemen

to play at Michigan, Dr. Franks was one of the famed “Seven Oak Posts” on the U-M Michigan football line in the 1940s. Named an All-American guard in 1942, his football career was cut short when he was diagnosed with tuberculosis and spent two years in the hospital. In 1982, he was inducted into the U-M Athletic Hall of Honor. The Hall of Honor recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions as athletes, coaches, and administrators to the tradition of Wolverine athletics and enhanced the image and reputation of U-M.

’55 Dr. Arthur Hamparian Berkley, Michigan; January 19, 2009

Tom Belford (DDS 1975) of Flint, Michigan, recently received the prestigious Mastership Award, the highest honor bestowed by the Academy of General Dentistry and one of the most respected designations in the profession. The award recognizes a member’s commitment to excellence in dental education. Belford completed 1,100 hours of continuing dental education in 16 disciplines of dentistry, including 400 hours dedicated to hands-on skills and techniques.

Terry McDonald (DDS 1961, MS orthodontics 1967) of Salem, Oregon, says he is practicing with his son, John, teaching in the graduate department of orthodontics at Oregon Health and Sciences University in Portland. “I’m enjoying all that Oregon has to offer – skiing, fishing, wind surfing, whitewater rafting, the beach, and the mountains,” he writes. “I’m am still proud of my Michigan heritage.”

Wearing his Michigan jacket, Jules Flax (DDS 1940) of Jeffersonville, New York, gets ready to blow out the candles on a cake as he celebrated his 91st birthday last October 18. He retired in 2004 after practicing dentistry for 63 years. His daughter, Judy Flax Pearl, wrote, “Dad misses dentistry…and certainly still cares about the University of Michigan.”

Upcoming Continuing Dental Education Courses

For more information about these and other continuing dental education courses contact:University of Michigan School of DentistryOffice of Continuing Dental Education1011 N. University Ave.Room G508Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1078 www.dent.umich.edu

Hot Topics in Dentistry TodaySeptember 25, 2009 (Friday - Homecoming Weekend)This educational, fast paced, and entertaining seminar is for dentists, dental hygienists, dental assistants, and office managers. Speaker will be Dr. Louis Malcmacher, a “smile makeover” dentist who has appeared on television, been interviewed for major newspapers and magazines, and who is a dental consultant with a general and cosmetic practice in Cleveland.

Periodontics: Probing and Exploring the FutureOctober 16, 2009 (Friday)Five School of Dentistry faculty members will discuss established and emerging periodontal treatment concepts. You will learn about strategies to plan, implement, and evaluate periodontal therapy outcomes and the importance of communicating with patients about their periodontal conditions and treatment needs.

Homecoming Weekend 2009Thursday, September 24Emeritus Pinning Ceremony11:30 a.m. - Room G390

Emeritus Class Picture12:30 p.m. - Foyer staircase, first floor, Kellogg Building

Emeritus Reunion & Hall of Honor Luncheon1:00 p.m. - Sindecuse Atrium

Hall of Honor Induction Ceremony2:00 p.m. - Sindecuse Atrium

Friday, September 25 Morawa Lecture - Hot Topics in Dentistry TodayRegistration – 7:30 a.m.; Course – 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.Four Points Sheraton, Ann Arbor

Homecoming Dinner CelebrationHonoring Dental and Dental Hygiene classes with graduation years ending in 4 and 96:00 p.m. - Registration/Reception 7:00 p.m. - DinnerKensington Court Hotel, 610 Hilton Boulevard, Ann Arbor

Saturday, September 26Alumni Association Go Blue! Tailgate3 hours before kickoff

Football GameUniversity of Michigan vs. IndianaTimeTBA - The Big House

Meet the New Director of CommunicationsSharon Grayden has been named director of communications for the School of Dentistry and will manage publications, Web communications, and media relations for both internal and external constituencies. “Our communications are more sophisticated than ever with richer content, photographs, and videos available via the Web,” said Dean Polverini. “With the increasing role that electronic media is playing on the global stage, we felt it was important to manage all print and electronic media in a coordinated fashion as we communicate with you and the world.”Send comments and suggestions to [email protected] or call (734) 615-2600

Documents

DentalUM Spring/Summer 2009