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A gap in the collaboration of clinical care delivery for individuals with special needs and their families exists. Dentists’ and speech-language pathologists' collaboration is critical for comprehensive patient care, rehabilitation and management. The course “Building a Clinical Inter-professional Collaborative within a Special Needs Dental Clinic: The Crossroads of Dental and SLP Service…
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! We all know that taking care of your oral health is important to have an attractive smile.…, Inflammation, is our body’s cellular response to injury or attack. Inflammation itself is a sign that our body is mounting a protective response to something abnormal, such as an infection or injury, and is an important step to healing. This type of inflammation is called, acute inflammation, and is a normal response that begins the body’s recovery process. However, there is a second type of inflammation that is not beneficial, undermines our health and makes us more prone to disease., Chronic inflammation, occurs when your body continues sending inflammatory cells when there is no injury, or in response to an untreated cause of acute inflammation or irritants that remain on a long-term basis., How does inflammation relate to your mouth?, One of the most powerful causes of inflammation in our bodies is bacteria. The mouth is home to a huge array of good bacteria, which in a healthy mouth is important because they keep bad organisms in check. Unfortunately, when we neglect our dental health, the balance between good and bad bacteria becomes altered. All of us produce tartar, also known as calculus, as a normal by-product of the…, periodontal disease, . When the bacteria associated with periodontal disease remain in our mouths for an extended amount of time, it causes the, chronic inflammation, that is damaging to our bodies. Additionally, the toxic bacteria in periodontal disease also have easy access through the mouth to the bloodstream, and once there can travel and cause infections elsewhere in the body., How does periodontal disease impact the health of your entire body?, The, chronic inflammation, caused by untreated periodontal disease has been shown in multiple research studies to have a detrimental effect on many organ systems. One of the most damaging is the link to the development and progression of, cardiovascular disease, . The constant inflammatory response that is triggered by periodontal disease is thought to weaken the lining of blood vessels throughout our bodies, making them more susceptible to plaque formation, ultimately leading to vessel blockage. This can cause strokes, heart attacks and organ damage throughout the body. For individuals with, diabetes, , chronic inflammation makes the management of blood sugar much more difficult, leading to a higher incidence of diabetes related consequences in the body, such as kidney failure, poor circulation leading to extremity amputation and blindness. Chronic inflammation has also been shown to increase the likelihood of developing other serious diseases, such as, colorectal cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and pneumonia, . Finally, circulating levels of toxic periodontal bacteria in the bloodstream have been shown to cause potentially life-threatening infections including, endocarditis, liver and brain abscesses, , and infections after, total joint replacements, . The great news is that definitive treatment of periodontal disease by a dental professional will remove the bacteria-laden calculus that is responsible for producing the chronic inflammatory process and reduce the bacteria circulating in the bloodstream, thereby decreasing the risk of all these serious health effects significantly. Because the diagnosis of periodontal disease and its treatment…, UT Dentistry makes your New Year’s resolution to get healthy easy to keep., The General Dentistry Clinic at UT Dentistry is the perfect place to start, providing outstanding and compassionate care from an experienced dental care team. With a convenient location and accommodating hours, there’s no room for excuses. And being part of UT Dentistry, the region’s largest and most comprehensive oral health care provider, patients have a dental care home they can trust., Appointments and information for the General Dentistry Clinic are available by calling 210-56 SMILE (210-567-6453) or by requesting an appointment online at UTHealthDental.com .
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. The cart also carries a…
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. “Julia Shelbourn earned this amazing recognition through her…
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 Gold Medal, Brian L. Mealey, DDS, MS, clinical professor Department of Periodontics, 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. It is the highest honor bestowed by the Academy. Mealey has been actively involved with the AAP for over four decades. Read more about his award and involvement with the Academy ., AAP Clinical Research Award, Georgios A. Kotsakis, DDS, MS, associate professor Department of Periodontics and director of the ITI Implantology Scholarship Center, The Clinical Research Award is the highest research award offered annually by the AAP to the most outstanding scientific published article with direct clinical relevance in periodontics. Kotsakis received the award together with his co-authors for their paper, Human variation in gingival inflammation . Read more about Dr. Kotsakis and the study for this paper ., AAP Mark K. Setter Leadership in Periodontology and Dental Implantology Award Julia A. Shelbourn, DMD, resident Department of Periodontics, The Mark K. Setter Leadership in Periodontology and Dental Implantology Award recognizes a periodontal resident who exemplifies the leadership qualities that Setter lived and encouraged throughout his lifetime including leadership in the profession. Shelbourn received the award in recognition of her hard work, dedication and leadership in periodontics. Learn more about Shelbourn and the award ., AAP Bud and Linda Tarrson Fellowship Lea El Hachem, DDS, MS, associate professor and director of the Pre-doctoral Division Department of Periodontics, The Tarrson Fellowship is awarded to periodontists pursuing academic careers and is given annually to one exceptional dental school faculty member specializing in periodontology education and research. The selection committee was very impressed with Hachem’s credentials and experience as well as her commitment to academia. Hachem was drawn to academia early on and says that she has always been…, Dr. James T. Mellonig Regeneration Research Award Jacob W. Zellner, DMD, MS, The Dr. James T. Mellonig Regeneration Research Award recognizes excellence in original research by a resident in periodontics that advances clinical therapies in periodontal regeneration. The scholarship was created through a gift from Jo M. Rummelhart, DDS, in honor of Mellonig and the National Naval Medical Center's Periodontics Residency Program in Bethesda, Maryland, which Rummelhart…
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…
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…
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…
The brand-new dental Class of 2026 hit the ground running at the end of July with orientations, lab check-ins and social events, including a welcome dinner and student organization fair hosted by the dean’s office. This year’s class adds to a growing trend in dental education. Female students have positioned themselves as the leading demographic in the School of Dentistry’s doctoral program for…
As back-to-school preparations are wrapping up and children return back to school, an often-neglected item on the checklist is a routine dental appointment. According to research, when schools open in the fall, children will be three times more likely to miss school days due to dental-related problems than any other illness. "Tooth decay is the most common chronic childhood disease in the U.S.,"…, How to make an appointment, "Appointments are available," said Cervantes. "A dental issue should be the last thing on our children's mind while at school and we can help ensure that." Families have numerous options for care from UT Dentistry with faculty members who have decades of expertise as pediatric dentists as well as trained residents specializing in pediatric dental care. Parents can make an appointment for the…