Results: 213 news stories

The Student National Dental Association connects and aids underrepresented dental students

The Student National Dental Association (SNDA) has been dedicated to increasing the presence of minorities in the dental field for over 50 years. The SNDA was established to connect, support, aid and advance the needs, academic and social environment of underrepresented dental students.


Ojeda receives Presidential Award for Teaching Excellence-Emerging.

David Ojeda Diaz, DDS, assistant professor/clinical in the Department of Comprehensive Dentistry, has been selected as a recipient of a 2023 Presidential Award in Teaching Excellence-Emerging. President William L. Henrich, MD, MACP, will host an awards dinner on April 5 to celebrate Ojeda and his fellow award recipients for their accomplishments. Since joining the school’s faculty in 2017, Ojeda says he has made it his mission to improve the integration of medicine and dentistry, which promotes overall optimal health.

Community rotation helps students address their hidden bias

UT Health San Antonio is committed to combating health care disparities , however, even with equality as a top priority for many health care professionals, addressing one’s personal bias remains a crucial part of preventing unnecessary barriers to patient care.


Building a Clinical Inter-professional Collaborative within a Special Needs Dental Clinic: The Crossroads of Dental and SLP Service Delivery

A gap in the collaboration of clinical care delivery for individuals with special needs and their families exists.

International dentist program increases enrollment

The School of Dentistry’s International Dentist Education Program has nearly doubled its enrollment for the spring 2023 entry cycle, a decision heavily supported by the school’s faculty and students.


A New Year’s resolution that makes you smile and improves your health!

What if you finally found a New Year’s resolution with multiple, long-lasting positive health impacts that you could stick to with one easy-to-make change?

Look no further – we have the perfect resolution to start 2023 off the right way – and to ensure that you have many future new years to celebrate!


School of Dentistry’s Department of Periodontics wins big at this year’s AAP meeting

With a mission to improve the periodontal and general health of the public through support of research and education, the American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) Foundation annually recognizes members whose service and dedication have made a meaningful impact on the field.

This year, the School of Dentistry’s periodontics faculty and residents were recognized with numerous awards, including the AAP’s highest honor, the Gold Medal. Each were presented during a special ceremony at the 2022 AAP annual meeting in October.

Congratulations to our School of Dentistry winners!


Technology innovation in patient care: Mobile check-in stations at UT Dentistry

UT Dentistry has initiated the use of new mobile check-in stations. These stations will help streamline patient check-in and check-out, while improving the patient experience. Currently, eight mobile check-in stations are being used in the Predoctoral clinic. These innovative stations involve the use of a cart with its own power supply allowing them to operate untethered.

Mealey takes home the Gold Medal, AAP’s highest award

With a mission to improve the periodontal and general health of the public through support of research and education, the American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) Foundation annually recognizes members whose service and dedication have made a meaningful impact on the field. The AAP Gold Medal Award is given in recognition of outstanding contributions and service to the Academy and understanding of the field of periodontology and the diagnosis and treatment of periodontal diseases.

Shelbourn receives the 2022 AAPF Mark Setter Leadership in Periodontology and Dental Implantology Award

The recipient of the Dr. Mark K. Setter Leadership in Periodontology and Dental Implantology Award must exemplify leadership in the profession by their actions in promoting periodontology and dental implantology. This is not a clinical award but an award for leadership and promoting all aspects of what it means to be a periodontist.


Amaechi honored with 2022 Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Award

Bennett T. Amaechi, BDS, MSc, PhD, has been awarded the 2022 Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Award from The University of Texas System.


Generous grant from Delta Dental to support pediatric care in San Antonio and Laredo

For a second year, the School of Dentistry’s Department of Developmental Dentistry is honored to be awarded a grant of $50,000 by Delta Dental’s Community Care Foundation. The grant will be used again this year to support their patient care work at the Ricardo Salinas Pediatric Dental Clinic and UT Health Laredo Dental Clinic. Both not-for-profit clinics provide much-needed pediatric dental care to a primarily Hispanic population of underserved and underinsured children.

School of Dentistry LEADs future dentists in South Texas

The new academic year has kicked off, but several students have been on campus for most of the summer. From clinical outreach to scientific research, doctoral and dental hygiene students kept a full schedule. The Learning Enhancement for Achievement in Dentistry (LEAD) program is unique among the school's summer offerings in that it is open to dental and predental students. Senior dental student, Sofia J.

Students and faculty ensure Special Smiles for athletes at the 2022 Special Olympics Texas Summer Games

This May, students, faculty and volunteers participated in a two-day Special Olympics Special Smiles event, part of the 2022 Special Olympics Texas Summer Games held in and around Morgan’s Wonderland theme park and the first hosted since the onset of the pandemic. Claudia I.

School of Dentistry honor graduates in annual hooding and award ceremonies

This year's School of Dentistry dental and dental hygiene graduates were welcomed as new colleagues by school leadership at their respective programs' hooding and award ceremonies. Students receiving their doctor of dental surgery degree and their families and friends filled the 751-seat Holly Auditorium on May 19 for a ceremony emceed by Stefanie Seitz, DDS, MEd, assistant dean for students. In his welcoming address, Dean Peter M.

Dr. Jason Jones receives the Southwest Society of OMS Byrd/Tilson/Walker award

The Southwest Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons is one of six regional oral and maxillofacial (OMS) societies in the United States. At their annual society meeting, the first day is “Resident’s Day” during which residents from the Southwest region’s OMS training programs present abstracts of interesting cases, research projects, and papers. The Byrd/Walker/Tilson resident award, which was started ten years ago, honors the resident giving the best presentation at the meeting. “I believe I won the award this year due to the original research that Dr.

Tooth Sensitivity: What Thing is That Zing?

You bite into an ice cream cone on a hot summer day when a zing of tooth sensitivity comes out of nowhere and completely undermines the delight of the cool and creamy treat. Maybe worse is the unexpectedly sharp pain when biting down onto something hard, like a stray popcorn kernel. What does that zing in your teeth mean, and what is your mouth telling you? The sensation of tooth discomfort or, worst-case scenario, acute pain is caused by more than one mechanism.

Giving back: Alumnus Dr. Ray Scott facilitates generous gift to the School of Dentistry

Ray Scott, DDS, UT Health San Antonio Class of 1983 alumnus, recently presented a generous gift of nearly $110,000 to the School of Dentistry on behalf of the American Dental Partners Foundation Inc., for which he is the president. The foundation was originally established for the sole purpose of supporting dental students in their dental education.

40th Annual School of Dentistry Research and Clinical Symposium

Since 1983, the UT Health San Antonio School of Dentistry Research and Clinical Symposium has provided a scientific program and forum to achieve a balance of current and updated clinical, basic science, case studies and evidence-based research.

School of Dentistry students and faculty attend ADEA’s annual conference

In March, the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) held its 2022 Annual Session & Exhibition in Philadelphia. The conference theme was “Lifting as We Rise,” which focused on bringing dental, allied dental and advanced dental educators and students together for four days of world-class educational training and an exhibit hall filled with dental education’s leading partners. The School of Dentistry had a strong presence at this year’s event with several students and faculty in attendance.