Dentistry Commons^™

Bridging Biology And Biomaterials: In Silico Discovery Of Bioactive Surface Molecules To Enhance Osseointegration, Samuel Thomas, Akash Patel, Shilpa Bhandi, Frank W. Licari, Shankargouda Patil

Annual Research Symposium

This study presents a biologically guided strategy to enhance dental implant osseointegration by integrating peri-implant transcriptomic analysis with molecular docking simulations to identify bioactive surface molecules that may promote osteoblast attachment, extracellular matrix formation, and early bone healing. By aligning implant surface chemistry with host tissue biology, this translational in silico workflow offers a rapid, cost-effective pathway toward next-generation bioactive coatings designed to improve healing, strengthen bone–implant integration, and support long-term clinical success.

The Effect Of Social Media On Orthodontics: The Patient And Practitioner Perspective, Corban Ward, Jacob Marx, Man Hung, Samuel Dyal, Alicia Parry

Annual Research Symposium

Introduction Social media now shapes how people find information, connect and form identity. It increasingly influences cultural standards around  health and appearance. In orthodontics, these platforms are reshaping public perceptions, attitudes and treatment decisions. This review synthesizes existing research on social media’s impact on how people view and choose orthodontic care.

Methods A PRISMA guided review searched PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science for  peer-reviewed English-language studies published between 2015 and 2025. Using terms such as “social media,” “orthodontic treatment,” “dental esthetics,” “perception,” we included studies assessing how social media shapes public beliefs, behaviors, and  self-perception related to orthodontic care. …

Magnesium Intake And Periodontal Health In Adults, Dana Faghih, Man Hung, Amir Mohajeri

Annual Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

From Image To Chairside Decision-Making: Unsupervised Morphological Clustering Of Carious Lesions Aligned With Clinical Severity, Bailey Axelrad, Shilpa Bhandi, Shankargouda Patil, Sydney Sorensen

Annual Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

Computational Network Biology Of Host Microbe Crosstalk In Persistent Endodontic Inflammation, Janaki O’Callaghan, Shilpa Bhandi, Shankargounga Patil, Frank W. Licari

Annual Research Symposium

Persistent endodontic infections can endure despite technically adequate root canal treatment, reflecting a biological transition from microbial invasion to a host-driven chronic inflammatory state. This study applied a computational network biology approach to model host–microbe molecular interactions in chronic apical periodontitis and to identify key network hubs sustaining inflammation and periapical bone resorption.

Oral Health Related Quality Of Life In A Group Of Egyptian Preschool Children With Early Childhood Caries: A Cross-Sectional Study, Sara Adel Botros, Sara Magdy, Asmaa Abou Bakr, Ola Abdel Geleel

Dentistry

No abstract provided.

The Racial Politics Of Early Dentistry And The Terrible “Toothache Blues”, Bronwen Mcveigh Phd

Journal of the American College of Dentists

In interwar America, the relatively young profession of dentistry was developing rapidly. As the government, health institutions, and social organizers focused more intently on notions of national wellness, questions about how to achieve a healthy smile—and what a healthy smile should look like—proliferated. Groups like the National Dental Association worked to establish rigorous standards of technique, define ethical behavior, and encourage dentists to develop business acumen, yet the surprising proliferation of blues songs about dubious dentists tricking unassuming clients, or about fraught love affairs allegorized by disastrous dental exams, highlights the equivocal nature of many developments in early dentistry.

This …

The Dental Phantom As A Tool For Exploring Fear, The Face, And Dental Education, Christine Slobogin Phd

Journal of the American College of Dentists

Dental phantoms have been used in dental education since the late nineteenth century. These pedagogical objects – particularly those from the first half of the twentieth century – have today enjoyed a resurgence of interest in the art and film worlds. After first outlining the history and pedagogical purposes of the dental phantom, this article examines what the artistic and filmic attractions to the aesthetics of these objects can tell us about fear, the mouth and the face, and dental education. How and why can a dental teaching tool be scary? Arriving at some answers to this question – reached …

A Dental Clinical Humanities Program At Uthealth Houston School Of Dentistry: The First Ten Years And Future Directions, Angela P. Gomez Edd, Mba, Ms, Deborah R. Franklin Dds, Lpc, Ctts, Nathan Carlin Phd, Joelle Robertson-Preidler Phd, Hec-C

Journal of the American College of Dentists

The Dental Clinical Humanities Certificate Program was implemented 10 years ago at the UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry to expose dental students to dental humanities content and engage them in educational experiences exploring oral health care through humanities lenses, providing insight into the human condition and patient-centered approaches. With more than 30 students having graduated from the program, we conducted a retrospective analysis of the exit surveys previously distributed at the end of each academic year. The exit survey focused on their general program feedback, including the effects of dental humanities as an academic enterprise, cultivating their self-knowledge and serving …

The Pent-Up Demand For Humanities And Ethics In Dentistry, Nathan Carlin, Nanette Elster, Catherine Flaitz, Nicholas Mercado Drph, Ms, Laurie Munro, Chelsey Patten, Joelle Robertson-Preidler, Margie Hodges Shaw Jd, Ma, Phd, Christine Slobogin Phd, Matthew Wynia, Michael Yunker Dds

Journal of the American College of Dentists

The Editorial is a feature in each issue of the JACD. It includes commentary on issue content, relevant topics, or other items of interest to the fellowship.

The Vipeholm Experiments: A Case Study Of Unethical Dental Research, Lainie Ross Md, Phd

Journal of the American College of Dentists

Modern-day research ethics training often begins with a discussion of the medical research atrocities committed by Nazi health care professionals and the resulting 10-principle Nuremberg Code, which is often considered to be the beginning of modern-day medical research regulations. It is occasionally mentioned that Nazi dentists also conducted unethical research in the concentration camps, and a few were brought to trial. In this manuscript, I compare two studies (one medical and one dental) conducted after World War II that violated the Nuremberg Code.

I describe and compare the well-known Willowbrook Hepatitis studies conducted by infectious disease doctors on vulnerable institutionalized …

The Mouth As A Mirror: A Parent- Hygienist’S Ethical Reflections On Oral Healthcare And Pompe Disease, Anika Atkins Ma, Rdh

Journal of the American College of Dentists

This reflective narrative explores the ethical tensions and emotional realities of a dental hygienist who is also the parent of a child with Pompe disease. Drawing from personal experience and care ethics philosophy, the author examines how traditional clinical frameworks—centered on autonomy, beneficence, and protocol— often fall short when addressing the needs of medically fragile children. The piece weaves in the work of care ethicists and pastoral ministry to embrace the philosophy of caregiving as presence, to suggest that oral healthcare must evolve to include responsiveness, context, and relationship-based decision-making. Through the dual lens of provider and parent, the narrative …

Restoring Trust: A Fair Chance At A Bright Smile And The Human Side Of School-Based Dentistry, Rubin Sorrell Ii, Mph, Dds

Journal of the American College of Dentists

The Fair Chance at a Bright Smile (FCAABS) program represents a humanistic, community- centered approach to dentistry that redefines access, education, and dignity in oral health. Developed and refined through a year-long pilot partnership with the San Francisco Unified School District, FCAABS integrates preventive dental care, oral health education, and career exposure for students from pre-kindergarten through high school. This manuscript argues that beyond clinical outcomes, FCAABS reveals a deeper truth: oral health is intrinsically social, emotional, and moral. It examines the program through the lens of the humanities and ethics, exploring how narrative, empathy, and cultural context inform both …

J Am Coll Dent 2026 92 2a

Journal of the American College of Dentists

This special issue of the Journal of the American College of Dentists responds to a growing but long-underrecognized demand for humanities and ethics in dental education, practice, and scholarship. It emerges from the work of the National Collaborative on Humanities and Ethics in Dentistry (NCHED), a multi-institutional partnership formed in 2023 to address the persistent exclusion of dentistry from broader health humanities conversations. Through national webinars and scholarly collaboration, NCHED has demonstrated substantial interest in ethical reflection, historical analysis, narrative inquiry, and the arts as essential to understanding oral health and dental care. The unexpectedly strong response to the call …

Integrating Music Therapy Into Dental Clinics For Whole Person Care, Dana Osterling Benoit Mba, Mt-Bc, Nisreen Al Jallad Dds, Ms2, Shasha Cui Ed.D. Mba, Mandy Fraser, Gaelen Mccormick Mm1, Rosemary Oliva Obi Ms, Lcat, Mtbc1, Adela Planerova Dds, Ms2, Madeline Vinolus Mt-Bc1, Angela Valeria Perez Pita Dds, Ms2

Journal of the American College of Dentists

This case study describes the integration of a board-certified music therapist into two specialty dental clinics at the University of Rochester Medical Center’s Eastman Institute for Oral Health. Initiated in collaboration with the Eastman Performing Arts Medicine Center, the effort reflects a humanistic and biopsychosocial approach to dentistry that leverages music therapy to reduce anxiety, improve patient experience, and support better clinical outcomes.

Before implementation, monthly interdisciplinary planning meetings were held, bringing together dental faculty, research and administrative staff, and the music therapy team. These meetings built a shared understanding of each clinic’s unique patient population, workflow, and clinical priorities, …

J Mich Dent Assoc February 2026

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

Each month, the Journal of the Michigan Dental Association delivers news, information, and features about Michigan dentistry to our state's oral health community and the MDA's 6,200+ members. It remains the main publication reaching Michigan dentists and is available worldwide through ADA Commons.

The February 2026 (Volume 108, No. 2) issue of the Journal is published in a digital format to provide updates and insights for Michigan's oral health community and MDA members. Print editions occur every other month beginning with January.

This issue includes feature articles on Risk Management and 2025 Servant Leadership as well as a clinical reprint …

Adapt Vr In Dental Education: Boosting Preclinical Skill And Self-Confidence, Shehabeldin Mohamed Saber Prof.Dr.

Dentistry

Introduction: Preclinical dental training requires extensive feedback and repetition, which traditional manikin exercises often lack. Adapt VR is a cost-effective, immersive system that delivers interactive, adaptive training with real-time feedback. Methods: This comparative study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the Adapt VR system in preclinical training. A total of 126 third-year dental students were randomly assigned to an Adapt VR Group 1 (n = 63), acquiring VR learning experience before practicing on laboratory simulators, or a control group (n = 63) who started their training on simulators directly. After practising Class I and II cavity preparations, laboratory performance was …

Let’S All Give Kids A Smile, Michelle C. Dziurgot

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This editorial highlights the Give Kids a Smile program, focusing on the professional and moral imperative for dentists to provide charity care to underserved children. The author shares her personal experience hosting a day of volunteer dental services, providing exams, X-rays, and cleanings to families lacking insurance or Medicaid access. The piece serves as a call to action for dental offices to give back to the community, stressing that helping those in need fulfills the core purpose of the dental profession.

Ce Spotlight, David Foe

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This spotlight provides a comprehensive preview of the 2026 MDA Annual Session in Grand Rapids, themed “Where Big Ideas Are Brewing It introduces significant logistical changes, including one-day or full conference passes and a more flexible on-site course selection process The event offers curated tracks for new dentists and dental teams, social networking events, and extensive opportunities to visit the Exhibit Hall It serves as a primary resource for Michigan dentists looking to meet state continuing education requirements through high-quality sessions.

Endorsed Programs News, Reva Darling

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This Endorsed news section outlines several financial and operational resources endorsed by the MDA to support dental practices. It highlights practice financing through Bank of America, significant savings on credit card processing with Best Card, and AI-driven marketing trends via ProSites Additionally, the news features the MDA Medicare Educational Seminar and wealth management services offered by DBS Investment Advisers. These programs are designed to enhance practice efficiency and provide professional guidance for dentists at all career stages.