On July 28, the University of Kentucky College of Dentistry (UKCD) will celebrate the inaugural cohort of participants as they complete the college’s dental assistant training initiative. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the demand for dental assistants is expected to grow 18 percent by 2024. UK Dentistry’s dental assistant training is designed to provide interested individuals with the knowledge and experience necessary to join one of the fastest growing occupations in the field in only six months.
Advanced digital technology is challenging the limits of what is possible in oral health, function and beauty. Beginning this fall, the UK College of Dentistry will join a select group of pilot institutions in launching the American College of Prosthodontists (ACP) Digital Dentistry Curriculum.
On July 3, Dr. Ronald Singer joined the University of Kentucky College of Dentistry as an assistant professor in the Division of Pediatric Dentistry. Singer will also serve as director of the Seal Kentucky program. Singer brings decades of experience to his new role, and is excited for his future with UK Dentistry.
Since joining the University of Kentucky College of Dentistry 18 months ago, Dean Stephanos Kyrkanides has worked with faculty, students and the community to make his vision for increasing the use of digital dentistry at UKCD a reality. Kyrkanides’s goals are three-pronged; he wants to utilize leading edge technology to educate clinical dentists, reduce wait time for patients and establish UKCD as leaders in the field of dentistry.
In search of the “latest technology” to help with his dental concerns, Arthur Marcum met with University of Kentucky College of Dentistry (UKCD) graduating fourth-year student Luis Mariusso to discuss his needs and ultimately receive a computer-aided dental implant. UKCD is investing heavily in advanced technology in order to incorporate digital dentistry best practices into both student dentist courses and dental clinics—improving both student learning and experience and overall patient satisfaction with treatment outcomes.
As part of the University of Kentucky College of Dentistry’s (UKCD) annual Research Day, held in conjunction with the CCTS Spring Conference, Dr. Martha Somerman, director of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), shared various insights with UKCD faculty and students before speaking at the conference.
One piece of safety equipment often ignored when purchasing sporting goods is the mouth guard. Each year, more than five million teeth are avulsed (come out of the socket) due to trauma. The cost to treat an avulsed tooth, over a lifetime, can range from $5,000 to $20,000. Not only do mouth guards reduce the possibility of dental injuries, they reduce the severity of injuries that do occur and the cost of care.
Forty years ago, after witnessing how some patients’ pain conditions did not improve after treatment, Dr. Jeffrey Okeson at the University of Kentucky College of Dentistry abandoned the idea that adjusting a patient’s occlusion, the relationship between upper and lower teeth, should be the go-to method to resolve a patient’s facial pain. That decision, which led to the creation of the UK Orofacial Pain Clinic, will be celebrated at the annual UK Orofacial Pain Symposium later this week.
Being mentally and physically healthy enables students to perform at their peak. Oral health is often an aspect of health neglected during college years. To assist in improving the oral health, and overall health, of students, the University of Kentucky College of Dentistry will pilot a new service providing students at UK with easier access to select, no-cost dental care.
When pursuing a career in dentistry, should a student be considering specializing in a certain area, dental public health is generally not at the top of their list. However, for University of Kentucky College of Dentistry (UKCD) student Tyler Sanslow, it has been top of mind since beginning his study of dentistry. Receiving a $10,000 Herschel S. Horowitz Scholarship recently will help him pursue his passion.