Congratulations to Dr. Anna Alessandri Bonetti on receiving the 2023 American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine (AADSM) Student Excellence Award for her poster submission, "Predictors of first onset temporomandibular disorders during mandibular advancement device therapy for obstructive sleep apnea."   

Bonetti is currently in the University of Kentucky's College of Dentistry (UKCD) Orofacial Pain Certificate program. She received her Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) from Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in 2019.  

“Pain in the temporomandibular joint and masticatory muscles can develop in some patients during oral appliance treatment for sleep apnea and can lead to therapy discontinuation in some patients. Sleep apnea is a life-threatening disease, so being able to identify factors which can predict pain leads us to provide better care for our patients and hopefully to significantly reduce therapy discontinuation. Thanks to this study we were able to identify some factors that can predict pain onset,” stated Bonetti.  

Speaking on why she decided to pursue research, Bonetti shared, “Research is a passion that I inherited from my father, and I believe it is the best way to challenge ourselves, but most importantly, to always improve the quality of care we provide to our patients.”  

After she completes her fellowship, Bonetti will be returning to Italy to finish her PhD and an Orthodontics Residency Program.