Congratulations to Dr. Elizangela Bertoli from the Division of Orofacial Pain and Dr. Dolph Dawson from the Division of Periodontology on their recent promotions to Associate Professor with tenure.
The University of Kentucky College of Dentistry is partnering with UKCD graduate Dr. Craig Adams and the Restoration Community Church in Raleigh, North Carolina to offer fourth-year dentistry students the opportunity to take part in a faculty-directed clinical rotation in Nicaragua. Participants in the program will depart from the U.S. on Saturday, September 30, and return on Saturday, October 7.
Cultivating an environment of respect, tolerance, and understanding amongst all members of the UK Dentistry community is central to the mission of our college. In order to support this mission, several students, faculty, and staff members have convened to create the UK College of Dentistry Unity Committee.
Community outreach endeavors play a tremendous role in shaping the student dentists of the future. As part of S.M.I.L.E Week — Students Matriculating Into the Learning Experience — incoming first-year DMD students had the option to participate in a service project in the greater Lexington community. This was the first time that D1 students have had the opportunity to experience this level of service as an entire cohort before classes began.
One of the five founders of UK College of Dentistry, Dr. Stephen Dachi, passed away July 2, 2017, at age 84 after a long battle with cancer. In 1961, when Dr. Alvin Morris was named UKCD’s first dean, he hired Dachi to be the college’s first chairman of the Department of Oral Diagnosis and Oral Medicine. On July 1, 1961, the team gathered to develop a battle plan.
Research is the fuel of productive science. This sentiment, shared by students and faculty alike, applies to any discipline. The University of Kentucky has long embraced the value of discovery through research — a commitment that has earned UK an R1 Carnegie Classification, the highest ranking among research institutions. For students in the UK College of Dentistry, engaging in research often proves to be of critical importance to their experience.
University of Kentucky College of Dentistry Predoctoral Implant Program Director Dr. Ahmad Kutkut was recently promoted to Associate Professor with tenure.
For Andrea Crookston, taking photos used to mean hiding her smile. Fear and anxiety kept Crookston from going to the dentist every six months as recommended. Instead, she'd only go when the pain was too much for her to bear. "I'd been in pain for a long time, but I was afraid of the dentist," she said. "The sound of the drill gives me cold chills." Unfortunately, this aversion to the dentist led to deterioration and many of Crookston's teeth breaking and needing to be extracted.
This summer, the third floor DMD Student Clinic underwent a complete transformation. Patients will now experience leading-edge care in a facility outfitted with updated operatories, upgraded computer systems, and even a milling room and digital design center.
Being a DMD student is a full-time job. Navigating rigorous coursework while managing one’s personal health and wellness can seem like an intimidating task to handle. Luckily, the Office of Academic and Student Affairs has dedicated a week-long series of programming to welcoming new students and equipping them with the necessary knowledge and tools to succeed in the DMD program. S.M.I.L.E. Week — “Students Matriculating into the Learning Experience” — begins on Monday, July 31 and continues through Friday, Aug. 4.