Faculty, alumni, and donors pooled their resources to create the first endowed professorship in endodontics for Nova Southeastern University’s College of Dental Medicine (CDM). The charge to raise $500,000 was initiated in 2010 by CDM professor Kenneth Namerow, DDS, division chief of surgical sciences.  

The effort paid off four years later. This month, shortly after reaching their goal, the president of the post-graduate Endodontic Alumni Association, Mark Limosani, DMD, M.Sc, FRCDc, announced the recipient of the Ken Namerow Professorship: Taner Cem Sayin, DDS, PhD.

“Dr. Namerow took great initiative when he led the creation of [the CDM’s] first endowed professorship, and it is fitting that our alumni chose to name it in his honor,” said Linda Niessen, DMD, MPH, MPP, dean of the college. “Not only do our endodontic alumni support the program with their time and talent but also their treasure, helping make our Endodontic Section and Postdoctoral Endodontic Residency Program among the best in the country.”

Namerow’s grassroots approach helps NSU address the dual challenge identified by Journal of Endodontics (JOE) of having many faculty and practitioners preparing to retire and fewer new professionals financially able to pursue a career in higher education.

“Supporting young educators through endowed professorships is an essential part of our role to ensure the continuity of quality dental education,” Namerow said. “It’s a great way for the alumni to thank professors for their commitment to educating the next generation of dental professionals.”

Taner Cem Sayin, DDS, PhD, commented: “I am honored to be the first recipient of the Ken Namerow Endowed Professorship in Endodontics. I appreciate the accolades and will do everything in my power to show my gratitude to the generosity of the donors, the selection committee, and the students who will be the ultimate beneficiaries of this prestigious award. This award will allow me to devote more time and energy into teaching and future research which will be of great benefit to our specialty and the College of Dental Medicine here at Nova Southeastern University.”

Researchers in Spain found that red wine is effective at killing bacteria in oral biofilms. The antimicrobial effects of red wine and its inherent components on oral microbiota were studied by using a 5-species biofilmmodel of the supragingival plaque that includes Actinomyces oris, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Streptococcus oralis, Streptococcus mutans and Veillonella dispar.

The research study may be found in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 

St. Cloud, FL: The International Life Foundation, Inc., (ILF), is pleased to announce that Benco Dental, the largest independent dental distributor in the United States, has made a charitable contribution in the amount of $3,075 to support the mission of the ILF. Specifically, this donation is directed to the Virlanie Orphanage in Makati, Philippines.

“This is a fantastic and generous gift from the Benco Family Foundation that will provide basic health, literacy, shelter and most importantly security for hundreds of street children in the Philippines,” said Robert Dent, president of the International Life Foundation. “Without the help of corporations and individuals willing to partner with nonprofits and non-government organizations in developing countries, many children would face horrible conditions and bleak futures,” Dent continued.

Virlanie Foundation is a private, non-profit organization reaching out to street children in Metro-Manila Philippines. Virlanie has been rescuing children who come from difficult situations to enable them to become a responsible and independent adult. The children are referred to Virlanie through their outreach programs and 60% of the children come from the temporary municipal homeless shelter which can be a very dangerous environment for young children. Once their legal status is determined, the children are either reunited with family members or brought into the secure and loving hands of the orphanage.

The International Life Foundation, Inc. was founded in 2007 and maintains their headquarters in St. Cloud, Florida. Its mission is to provide health, literacy and community support in developing countries. The ILF is currently working in the Philippines, Peru and Honduras. The ILF collaborates and partners with non-government, nonprofit organizations to assist them with their mission. Having trusted partner ‘boots’ on the ground ensures that donations are spent effectively, efficiently and the projects are sustainable. The ILF regularly monitors all projects it funds.

For further information on the mission of the International Life Foundation, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, or to make a donation, visit our website at https://internationallifefoundation.org/ or follow us on Facebook. You may also contact the offices of the ILF at 407-891-6916.

The Six Month Smiles Short Term Ortho System provides General Dentists with a practical and turnkey solution for adults with crooked teeth. Utilizing unique clear brackets and tooth colored wires, the system allows GPs to easily help their adult patients who think that they are "stuck" if they refuse traditional orthodontic treatment.

Six Month Smiles offers 2-day hands-on clinical courses where GPs leave with the confidence and knowledge needed to select proper cases and treat them appropriately.

Dates and locations of courses are:

A University of Florida study shows that the same bacteria that cause gum disease also promote heart disease—a discovery that could change the way heart disease is diagnosed and treated. Researchers reported their findings Sunday at the annual meeting of the American Society for Microbiology.

"We report evidence that introduction of oral bacteria into the bloodstream in mice increased risk factors for atherosclerotic heart disease. Our hope is that the American Heart Association will acknowledge causal links between oral disease and increased heart disease. That will change how physicians diagnose and treat heart disease patients," says Irina M. Velsko, a graduate student in the University of Florida's College of Medicine, who presented the data.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the North America. Gum disease affects 46% of the US population and is caused by bacteria that grow on the teeth under the gums. Although doctors know that patients with gum disease are at higher risk for heart disease, gum disease isn't viewed as a traditional risk factor for heart disease. In 2012, the American Heart Association published a statement that they support the association between gum disease and heart disease, but not causal association.

In the study, the researchers infected mice with four specific bacteria (Porphyromonas gingivalis, Treponema denticola, Tannerella forsythia, Fusobacterium nucleatum) that cause gum disease and tracked their spread. Once the bacteria were detected in the mouse gums, heart and aorta, researchers saw an increase in risk factors, including cholesterol and inflammation, associated with heart disease.

Funded by the National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, this study is part of a larger study on the effects of gum disease on overall health being conducted in the laboratory of by Kesavalu Lakshmyya in the University of Florida's Department of Periodontology in the College of Dentistry.

"In Western medicine there is a disconnect between oral health and general health in the rest of the body; Dentistry is a separate field of study from Medicine. The mouth is the gateway to the body and our data provides one more piece of a growing body of research that points to direct connections between oral health and systemic health," says Kesavalu.

"Our intent is to increase physician awareness of links between oral bacterial infection and heart disease. Understanding the importance of treating gum disease in patients with heart disease will lead to future studies and recommendations for careful attention to oral health in order to protect patients against heart disease," says cardiologist Alexandra Lucas of the University of Florida, College of Medicine, who is a co-investigator in the research.

Source: EurekaAlert!

Forest Hills, NY – Elected officials, nonprofit leaders, and community members gathered May 15 for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Forestdale Queens campus to celebrate the launch of a new dental clinic serving children in foster care.

Nationally, 35% of children enter foster care with severe dental and oral health problems, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. The Children’s Dental Clinic represents the latest step in an ongoing partnership between Forestdale and the New York University School of Dentistry to address the oral care needs of children in foster care.

“Our goal is for kids to leave with healthy smiles and confidence,” said Forestdale Executive Director Anstiss Agnew. “We want the children to have state of the art dental care and knowledge that puts them on a path to life-long good health.”

US Congresswoman Grace Meng hailed the Forestdale-NYU model. “We need more programs like this for youth in foster care,” she said.

The Children’s Dental Clinic is located in one of four program buildings dedicated to children and family services on the Forestdale campus. In its first year, the clinic will ensure top-quality oral health services to over 350 children in foster care.

“NYU College of Dentistry has a strong commitment to serving the community,” said Dr. Mark Wolff, Chair of the Department of Cariology and Comprehensive Care. “We want our students to dream big about how they can serve others.”

Staffing at the Children’s Dental Clinic is provided by fourth-year NYU dental students under the supervision of experienced professors. The in-house clinic provides comprehensive preventive care, while more advanced procedures are performed in the NYU Dental Van that visits Forestdale twice a month.

NY Assemblyman Michael Simanowitz said, “This is one of those home runs where everyone benefits. Kids get great care, dental students gain experience, and parents get the support they need.”

The Dental Clinic is the third health initiative by Forestdale and NYU to improve the life-long outcomes for foster care youth. The Forestdale Children’s Health Clinic and Trauma Systems Therapy programs operate in partnership with the NYU College of Nursing and Child Study Center.

Forestdale is a family services agency dedicated to the future of children in Queens. Its mission is to ensure children have the fundamental assets they need to thrive: a safe and loving home, education and career opportunity, and health literacy. With a history of service dating to 1854, Forestdale serves over 1,200 families from Astoria to Far Rockaway every year.

WASHINGTON, May 19, 2014 – The American Dental Association (ADA) today released its inaugural “Action for Dental Health: Report to Congress” which recognizes the 1-year anniversary of the launch of the Action for Dental Health (ADH) movement and the grassroots efforts taking place across the country to eliminate barriers to dental health.

The report was released during the ADA’s annual Washington Leadership Conference where more than 500 dentists from across the country meet with their Congressional delegations to discuss policy issues to improve our nation’s dental health.

“Millions of Americans continue to face barriers to dental care, which is why the ADA launched Action for Dental Health,” said ADA President Dr. Charles Norman. “While we have accomplished much in the first year, there is still much to do. This Report to Congress serves as a continued call to action for elected officials, health policy organizations, community leaders and the dental community to come together to bridge the dental divide.”

Much attention has been paid to the political debate around the Affordable Care Act while important health issues such as access to dental care are sidelined. This year alone, more than 181 million Americans won’t visit a dentist[1], even though nearly half of people over 30 suffer from some form of gum disease and nearly one in four children under the age of five already have cavities[2]. Nationally, more than 2.1 million people showed up in emergency rooms with dental pain in 2010 – that’s double the number just a decade prior.[3]

In response to this, the ADA created Action for Dental Health, a nationwide, community-based movement to address barriers to dental health by solving today’s problems through direct help and creating sustainable solutions that provide the best quality of care.  After just one year, ADA reports that Action for Dental Health has taken root in every state across the U.S.

The report outlines four key strategies and the corresponding programs that are contributing to the success of the movement:

Providing care now. This includes hospital emergency room referral programs to connect people with severe dental pain to dentists who can provide needed treatment and expanding programs like Give Kids a Smile, which currently provides dental services to approximately 400,000 underserved children at more than 1,500events.

Strengthening and expanding the public/private safety net by fighting for increased dental health protections under Medicaid and helping more dentists work with community health centers and clinics.

Bringing disease prevention and education into communities through Community Dental Health Coordinators (CDHCs) who provide dental health education and help people in underserved areas connect to community health resources and dentists for needed treatment.

Working to pass Legislation at the federal and state levels that support Action for Dental Health initiatives. The Action for Dental Health Act (HR 4395) would provide grants to support programs such as expanding care for the elderly in nursing homes, encouraging dentists to contract with Federally Qualified Health Centers, increasing health protections and simplifying administration under Medicaid, expanding community water fluoridation, increasing the number of Community Dental Health Coordinators and strengthening collaborations with other health professionals and organizations.

“We are confident that the momentum generated in the first year of Action for Dental Health will continue to grow and spark additional creative solutions. As doctors of oral health, dentists want to help alleviate suffering from untreated dental disease as well as help people learn how to prevent dental disease before it takes root,”  said Dr. Norman.

The ADA has set bold goals for Action for Dental Health. These include:  

- Creating ER interception programs to reduce the burden on our nation’s emergency rooms and improving dental health in 25 states by 2015, and 50 states and the District of Columbia by 2020.

- Training at least 1,000 dentists to provide care in nursing homes, one of the most underserved populations, by 2020 and increase the number of dentists serving on advisory boards or as dental directors of long-term care facilities.

- Expanding programs which provide screening and treatment to help people in need connect with dentists for continuity of care and work to eliminate cavities in children under five in the U.S. by 2020.

- Improving the existing safety net and helping people connect with community resources and dentists who can provide care by increasing the number of states with active Community Dental Health Coordinators to 15 states by 2015.  Currently there are CDHCs in 8 states.

- Reducing the proportion of both adults and children under 18 with untreated dental decay by 15% by 2020, exceeding the 10% Healthy People 2020 goal by 50%.

- Increasing the proportion of low-income children who received any preventive dental services during the past year by 15% by 2020, exceeding the 10% Healthy People 2020 goal by 50%.

To review detailed goals for Action for Dental Health, or to download the “Action for Dental Health:  Report to Congress” visit ADA.org/action.

[1] ADA’s Health Policy Institute analysis of 2010 MEPS and U.S. Census Data

[2] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

[3] National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey

SOURCE: American Dental Association

Patients with pancreatic cancer have a different and distinct profile of specific bacteria in their saliva compared to healthy controls and even patients with other cancers or pancreatic diseases, according to research presented today at the annual meeting of the American Society for Microbiology. These findings could form the basis for a test to diagnose the disease in its early stages.

"Our studies suggest that ratios of particular types of bacteria found in saliva may be indicative of pancreatic cancer," says Pedro Torres of San Diego State University who presented the research.

In the United States, approximately 40,000 people die every year due to pancreatic adenocarcinoma, making it the fourth leading cause of cancer related death. Patients diagnosed in the early stages of pancreatic cancer have a 5-year survival rate of 21.5%. Unfortunately symptoms do not appear until after the cancer has become untreatable in the vast majority of cases, says Torres.

In the study, Torres and his colleagues compared the diversity of saliva bacteria across 131 patients, 63 female and 68 male, being treated at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) Moores Cancer Center. Of these patients, 14 had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, 13 with pancreatic disease, 22 with other forms of cancer and 10 disease free. Results showed that patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer had higher levels of two particular oral bacteria, Leptotrichia and Campylobacter, when compared to any other healthy or diseased state including non-cancerous pancreatic disease. Those with pancreatic cancer also had lower levels of Streptococcus, Treponema and Veillonella.

"Our results suggest the presence of a consistently distinct microbial profile for pancreatic cancer," says Torres. "We may be able to detect pancreatic cancer at its early stages by taking individuals' saliva and looking at the ratios of these bacteria."

Source: ScienceDaily

MADISON, Wis. (5/9/14) — The American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD) recently awarded 11 deserving dental students a trip to its annual meeting, AACD 2014, at no charge through the APEX scholarship program.

The APEX scholarship provides students with education through hands-on workshops and lectures at its annual scientific session, along with networking opportunities. This year, students traveled to Orlando April 30-May 3 for a comprehensive cosmetic dentistry educational experience.

This year’s winners are:

- Walberto Cantu, Marquette University

- Charles W. Vittitow, University of Kentucky

- Adam Barry Hammerbeck, Marquette University

- Leah Christine McQuigg, University of Colorado

- Zuleidy D. Arencibia, University of Puerto Rico

- Jessica Leigh Tucker, University of Tennessee

- Vera Telyakova, University of Toronto

- Natalie Ann Lesinski, University of Colorado

- Ida Zarrabi, University of CA - San Francisco

- Alexander Rubinov, Columbia University

- Andi-Jean Miro, New York University

The experience was especially helpful for Cantu, who was able to take classes beyond the scope of his dental school curriculum. “As a dental student we are limited to the training and education that we get at school,” Cantu said. “The courses that are offered here are second to none. I took classes ranging from dental implants, 5 layering technique restoring a Class IV lesion, to how to increase the profit of your practice. The highlight of the conference was learning from Dr. Newton Fahl, Jr. at one of his hands-on workshops.”

Lesinski appreciated the connections she made with other dental professionals in the field, including AACD President Dr. Jack Ringer.

“The community of dentists I had the opportunity to interact with were outstanding- top cosmetic dentists of the world. In fact, everyone I met was more than willing to help me grow as a current student and future dentist,” she said.

The AACD APEX Student Scholarship includes:

- Registration fees to the annual scientific session ($125 undergraduate)

- Round-trip coach-class airfare (up to a $500 value)

- Hotel accommodations for the annual scientific session ($1,000 value)

- One year of AACD membership ($20 undergraduate)

Dental students are eligible to apply for the scholarships and are judged on academic achievement, and their understanding of and commitment to the future of cosmetic dentistry.

For more information, visit: www.aacd.com/apex.

Without regulatory T cells (Treg cells), you’d likely die from out-of-control inflammation. Treg cells prevent your immune system from attacking your own tissues. Wanjun Chen, MD, Chief of National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research’s (NIDCR) Mucosal Immunology Section in the Oral and Pharyngeal Cancer Branch, and National Institutes of Health colleagues reported in a recent issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that they’ve figured out that the indispensable ingredient for making Treg cells in the thymus is TGF-beta (transforming growth factor-beta).

Disease results if immune system lacks yin-yang balance

You’ve heard before that you never want too much or too little of anything. If one of the elements in the immune system is out of balance, disease results. Chen uses the Chinese yin and yang concept to describe the immune system. Just as yin and yang, black and white, night and day, and moon and sun are complementary forces that are connected and dependent, the immune system maintains a balance between tolerance for self tissues (because of Treg cells) and immunity from foreign invaders (because of other immune cells known as effector T cells). Without sufficient Treg cells, you’ll have autoimmune diseases and inflammation, and without sufficient effector T cells, you won’t be protected against pathogens and other unwanted intruders.

TGF-beta drives the generation of Treg cells

Immunology is a relatively young science, and immunologists devise models to explain the behavior of cells and molecules within the immune system. Little by little, experiments are conducted, and models are argued and proved, modified, or discarded. For Treg cell biology, the models have been incomplete.  One immunological mystery that needed to be solved was how Treg cells in the thymus are generated from progenitor T cells derived in the bone marrow. Another question was why newborns don’t have thymic Treg cells until the third day after birth.

To solve these and other mysteries, many groups are investigating how the Treg cell develops. “It’s a very prominent area of research right now,” said the paper’s first author, NIH Visiting Fellow Joanne Konkel, who has worked in Chen’s lab for a few years.

Through a series of experiments with lab mice, Chen, Konkel, and colleagues found that the thymus doesn’t have very much TGF-beta until the third day after birth, and as soon as the TGF-beta level is high enough, the Treg cell factory gears up.

According to Chen, many in the field have overlooked the normal process of cell self-destruction (apoptosis) in the model of how Treg cells are generated in the thymus. Chen and colleagues demonstrated that apoptotic cells lead to TGF-beta production, which in turn leads to Treg cell development in the thymus. Without TGF-beta, Treg cells are not generated in the thymus.

“We did not follow the dogma,” said Chen. Instead, his team’s experiments challenged the existing models of immunology. It took about a decade for the comprehensive experiments to arrive at the answer to the questions about how Treg cells develop in the thymus.

Konkel said, “This is a basic immunology question that we’ve managed to provide some kind of insight into.” Because of the new findings at NIH, immunology has a better model to explain Treg cell development. Before Konkel leaves NIH in June to establish her own research lab, she hopes her current experiments will advance knowledge of Treg cell function in the way that her studies have advanced understanding of Treg cell development. Such descriptions of the pathways and molecular players involved in Treg cell development and function might someday identify molecular targets for developing therapies for people with autoimmune diseases, such as Sjögren’s syndrome and multiple sclerosis, and for people with oral cancer or other types of cancer.

NIDCR research provides answers to fundamental questions in immunology

It’s not the first time that Chen’s research at NIDCR has answered a fundamental question in immunology. A previous journal article by Chen, which was published in 2003 in JEM (Journal of Experimental Medicine), identified TGF-beta as the critical factor in the development of peripheral Treg cells. The 2003 TGF-beta article in JEM has been cited thousands of times, and only two other JEM articles have been cited more times than Chen’s paper. Just as the 2003 JEM article established TGF-beta’s role in peripheral Treg cell development, the PNAS article gives TGF-beta a central role in thymic Treg cell generation.

Konkel JE, Jin W, Abbatiello B, Grainger JR, Chen W. Thymocyte apoptosis drives the intrathymic generation of regulatory T cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2014 Jan 28;111(4):E465-73.

Source: NIDCR