Results: 225 news stories
School of Dentistry earns 34th place in international ranking
UT Health San Antonio continues to improve in the annual Academic Ranking of World Universities, also known as the ShanghaiRanking. In the category of Dentistry & Oral Sciences, based at UT Health San Antonio in the School of Dentistry, the university is ranked 34th worldwide. The university’s ranking is also 16th among U.S. universities and No. 1 among the three Texas schools included in the ranking. Read the full story on Newsroom.
Giving Back to Help Others Succeed
Dr. Uzoukwu and Dr. Miller, class of 2021, returned after graduation to share their time and knowledge as instructors in the annual Learning Enhancement for Achievement in Dentistry (LEAD) program which prepares incoming first-year and rising dental students for the year ahead by conducting an intensive three-week summer boot camp. They tell us why LEAD is important to them and talk about plans for their futures. What was your previous experiences with the LEAD program?
Recent graduates take the LEAD
Just two weeks after their graduation ceremony, Dakota Miller, DDS, and Cynthia Uzoukwu, DDS, decided to return to the institution that trained them immediately.
Conversation with the Dean
On April 28, Dean Peter M. Loomer, BSc, DDS, PhD, MRCD(C), FACD, hosted a virtual Conversation with the Dean event from his home in San Antonio. Accompanying him were Amanda Wilson, a rising third-year dental student, and Amanda Liccione, director of development for the School of Dentistry.
Class of 2021 dental students, hygienists achieve 100% licensing pass rate
The School of Dentistry celebrated its Class of 2021 as 100% of all dental and dental hygiene seniors passed the Western Regional Examining Board (WREB) this April. Traditionally, the WREB, a high-stakes licensure exam, requires the students to demonstrate clinical competency with live patients. However, at the onset of the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, Texas dental schools advocated for simulated exams.
2021 Senior Awards
The School of Dentistry hosted the 2021 Senior Hooding and Awards Convocation Ceremony on May 20.
Dental Student featured in “Real Jobs” video series
Joi Walls, a rising fourth-year dental student, was recently featured by InTheKnow.com for the series titled “Real Jobs” that profiles young adults aspiring to enter various careers. The five-minute video follows Joi through her day caring for patients and creating content for her YouTube channel. Joi speaks about her inspiration for entering the profession of dentistry and her motivation for sharing her journey that she hopes will “usher in the next generation of young, Black dentists,” writes Katie Mather from InTheKnow. Watch Joi’s “Real Story” at InTheKnow.com.
School of Dentistry confirmed as an ITI Scholarship Center
The International Team for Implantology’s (ITI) Board of Directors and Leadership Development Committee confirmed by unanimous vote in May the UT Health San Antonio School of Dentistry as an ITI Scholarship Center. The center, to be housed in the Department of Periodontics and under the direction of Associate Professor Georgios Kotsakis, DDS, MS, aims to further the training of professional dentists who have completed postgraduate training in implant dentistry or another related field. One ITI Scholar will be hosted by the center for a one-year period, extending from S
Predoctoral Convocation Awards 2021
The 2021 Predoctoral Convocation Award ceremony was held on April 28. The ceremony recognized the accomplishments of freshmen, sophomore and junior dental students. Kristi Morris, DS3, was awarded the UT Health San Antonio Ambassador Scholarship. This honor is given each year to one outstanding student from each of the five UT Health San Antonio schools. A $5,000 scholarship was awarded to each ambassador in April. Kristi will represent the dental student body and the university at numerous events throughout the 2021-2022 academic year. Dr.
Brian Mealey stepping down after 15 years as graduate program director
Brian L. Mealey, DDS, MS, professor and director of the Graduate Program in Periodontics, will be stepping down as program director on June 1, 2021. “I have always deeply respected our faculty and staff,” Mealey said. “A fault of mine is that I didn’t tell them how much I appreciated them as often as I should have. These men and women – our faculty, our dental assistants, and our administrative staff – they make our residency what it is. Not the program director. To all of them, I offer my deepest gratitude.” Dr.
39th Annual School of Dentistry Research and Clinical Symposium
The School of Dentistry held its 39th Annual Research and Clinical Symposium on Saturday, April 10, 2021.
Another successful admissions season is due to faculty and student volunteers
The School of Dentistry is in its final stages of selecting the Class of 2025 thanks to the many faculty and dental students who helped interview and evaluate the hopeful applicants this current cycle. A committee of dedicated faculty members makes up the school’s Admission Review Panel (ARP) Committee.
Senior dental student learned more than dentistry on pediatric rotation
Larissa Sanchez is a senior dental student with her sights set on graduation this May. Over the past four years, she and her classmates have been exposed to a number of community-based training experiences meant to enhance their skills for providing dental care and managing a diverse patient population. One such rotation is conducted at Ricardo Salinas Clinic, an affiliated training site, that provides students with valuable clinical training working with children.
Collaboration is king at UT Dentistry
Within a dental practice as large and diverse as the UT Health San Antonio’s School of Dentistry, it’s easy for a new patient to feel a little nervous before their first appointment. This was certainly the case for Jeffrey Almquist, a patient who sought treatment at the school. Mr. Almquist’s hesitation was quickly quelled, though, after meeting Jorge Silva, a senior dental student who would provide his care. “I felt secure and liked him from the start,” says Mr. Almquist of Jorge.
Perio residents sweep 2021 Prichard Research Competition
Ryushiro Sugita, DDS, and Michael P. Vieth, DDS, both third year residents of the Graduate Program in Periodontics have been announced as winners of their respective categories at the Southwest Society of Periodontists’ (SWSP) 2021 John F. Prichard Graduate Research Competition. Dr. Sugita won in the Basic Sciences Research Category for his presentation titled “Evaluation of a Novel Bone Adhesive for Stabilization of Implants in Canine Oversized Osteotomies”. Taking the win for the Clinical Sciences Research Category was Dr.
Entire class of third year Perio residents named Prichard finalists
Every third year resident of the Graduate Program in Periodontics has been selected as a finalist of the Southwest Society of Periodontists’ (SWSP) 2021 John F. Prichard Graduate Research Competition. Hunter Allen, DDS, Amanda Morris, DMD, Ryushiro Sugita, DDS, and Michael Vieth, DDS, were each selected as a competition finalist by SWSP, securing four of six spots. “This speaks highly of our residents and of the quality of their research,” says Brian Mealey, DDS, MS, professor and director of the Graduate Program in Periodontics.
Top 10 School of Dentistry Stories of 2020
There is no denying that the School of Dentistry’s community supports its own.
School-based prevention rotation to distribute over 400 electric toothbrushes to Roy Cisneros Elementary students
Nearly four hundred and fifty students at Roy Cisneros Elementary School, part of the Edgewood Independent School District, will be able to take home electronic powered toothbrushes thanks to a donation by Proctor and Gamble, facilitated by Juanita Lozano-Pineda, DDS, MPH, associate dean of external affairs, and Nora Olivo, academic programs coordinator for the Hispanic Center of Excellence. Each term, second year dental students and senior nursing students complete a school-based prevention rotation by visiting the local elementary to teach good habits in oral hygiene and nutrition. The rot
SADHA members create short video documenting changes to their program post-COVID-19
Members of the Student American Dental Hygienists’ Association (SADHA) answered a challenge by the American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) to submit a short video showcasing how students are overcoming academic and clinical challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. Senior dental hygiene student, Leslie Sanchez, serves as the students’ video committee lead and felt it was essential to have fun with the project despite the serious subject matter. “We wanted to give outsiders a glimpse of the adjustments the dental hygiene program has made in the midst of a pandemic,” Leslie said.