Dentistry Commons^™

Impact Of Extracellular Matrix Scaffold On Driveline Infection Rate In Patients With Left Ventricular Assist Devices, Mehmet H Akay, Mateja K Jezovnik, Rajko Radovancevic, Ismael A Salas De Armas, Maria Patarroyo Aponte, Marwan Jumean, Manish K Patel, Jayeshkumar Patel, Biswajit Kar, Igor D Gregoric

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: Left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation is a life-saving procedure for patients with advanced heart failure. However, postimplantation complications such as driveline infections (DLIs) can significantly affect patient outcomes. We assessed whether placing an extracellular matrix (ECM) scaffold around the driveline during LVAD implantation reduces the incidence of DLIs in patients with LVADs.

Methods: This retrospective observational study included 196 consecutive patients with LVADs between January 2018 and June 2022. We compared the data of patients who received ECM implantation during LVAD implantation (ECM group, n = 69) with those who did not (control group, n = 127).

Results: …

Multiple Myeloma Presenting As An Ill-Defined Osteolytic Lesion Of The Mandibular Condyle: A Case Report And Literature Review, Connor Capobianco, Mariella Padilla, Jungsuk Cho, Lauren Levi

Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Faculty Papers

Osteolytic lesions of the mandibular condyle can represent a diverse range of differential diagnoses, including malignancies such as metastatic disease, Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH), osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, and multiple myeloma. This case report details a 40-year-old male with a 3-year history of right temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain, initially misdiagnosed as temporomandibular disorder. Comprehensive imaging studies, including cone beam computed tomography (CBCT), maxillofacial computed tomography (CT), and brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), revealed extensive osteolytic lesions in the mandible, frontal bone, and cervical spine. A CT-guided biopsy confirmed the presence of a plasma cell neoplasm, leading to the diagnosis of multiple myeloma. …

J Mich Dent Assoc June 2025

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association is the leading monthly digital publication serving Michigan’s oral health community and the MDA’s 6,200+ members. Distributed globally through the searchable ADA Commons publishing platform, it is the primary channel for news, clinical insights, and professional resources for Michigan dentists.

June Issue Highlights:

• Cover Feature: An in-depth report on the MDA’s advocacy efforts beyond insurance reimbursement, highlighting recent legislative wins and member services that support practice profitability and success.
• Workforce Well-being: A special feature on the stages of stress and burnout, with strategies and resources to support mental health and resilience.
• Compliance Update: …

The New Professional: Demystifying Dental Insurance For The New Professional, Amrita Patel D.D.S.

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This comprehensive guide explains dental insurance complexities for new associates and practice owners. The author distinguishes dental insurance from medical insurance, noting annual benefit caps of $1,000-$2,000 versus unlimited medical coverage. Four main plan types are detailed: PPO plans (most common, flexible), HMO plans (lower costs, network restrictions), Indemnity plans (no network limits, higher costs), and Discount plans (membership programs, not insurance). Key business considerations include in-network versus out-of-network decisions, with in-network providing patient attraction but reduced reimbursements, while out-of-network allows fee control but limits patient base. The article addresses practical challenges including write-offs (difference between standard fees and insurance …

Mda At Your Service: One Way To Free Your Practice From Insurance Plan Restrictions, Rachel Sinacola D.D.S.

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This Q&A-style article provides practical answers to common member questions. Topics include managing in-office dental plans (via Quality Dental Plan), evaluating associate contracts, showcasing MDA membership, handling radiography training course transfers, and understanding patient record retention requirements. The article encourages using MDA-endorsed resources and legal guidance to enhance practice efficiency and compliance.

Perception, Usage, And Concerns Of Artificial Intelligence Applications Among Postgraduate Dental Students Cross-Sectional Study, Dalia Ghalwash, Asmaa Abou-Bakr, Susan Sarhan, Amira Badra, Hadeel Almalahy

Dentistry

Background

Future dental applications of artificial intelligence (AI) are anticipated to be widely adopted across all dental specialities. However, there are some concerns among many users about the accuracy of the given information. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate postgraduate’ dental students’ perception, usage, and concerns towards AI systems’ applications.

Materials and methods

An online self-administered survey, consisting of 19 closed-ended questions in the English language, and a 3-point Likert-type scale was used to obtain a simple and straightforward response from participants in a “forced-choice” response format that was distributed to postgraduate dental students in the faculty of dentistry of …

Oral Cancer Awareness Among Dentists: What Is Missing? A Cross-Sectional Study, Dalia Ghalwash, Fatheya Zahran

Dentistry

Introduction

Oral cancer (OC) is one of the major global health problems with a high incidence rate in developing countries. Early detection can improve the prognosis and survival rate of the disease.

Aim

The current study evaluates dentists’ general awareness, knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding oral cancer.

Methods

In the current cross-sectional study, a self-reported questionnaire was distributed to a sample of dentists in Egypt. A total of 700 dentists participated. The questionnaire included 27 questions on oral cancer knowledge, opinions, attitudes, and practices.

Results

The highest awareness of risk factors concentrated around tobacco and alcohol consumption, and the most …

Getting Help When The Going Gets Tough, Michelle C. Dziurgot D.D.S.

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

In her editorial, Dr. Dziurgot emphasizes the importance of emotional support and mental health resources for dentists. She shares her own experiences of turning to family in tough times and offers practical alternatives for those without such support. Strategies include journaling, creative expression, and seeking professional counseling through programs like the MDA Member Assistance Program and ADA Talkspace. She encourages open dialogue and mutual support within the dental community.

News You Need: It's Mid-Year: Are You Taking Advantage Of Your Mda Member Benefits?

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This comprehensive overview highlights numerous MDA member benefits available to Michigan dentists. Key offerings include practice guidelines on various topics, a formal mentor program, DiSC training for staff development, social media support kits, extensive continuing education programs, and student debt resources. Additional benefits encompass ADA resources, contract analysis services, radiography training programs, job board access, legal assistance, regulatory compliance support, insurance services, and human resources guidance. The article also announces MDA Dental PAC competition winners who contributed $23,000 for advocacy activities, reports on staff departures including HR director Brandy Ryan and Medicare expert Rick Seely, and recognizes table clinic winners …

Understanding Utilization And Prevention Measures Associated With A Caries Risk Assessment In Oral Health Transformation, Melody Mcgee, Ryan Brandon, Muhammad Walji, Joel White, Kristen Moses, Eric P Tranby, Lisa J Heaton, Kristen Simmons

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objectives: Dental decay is endemic in the United States, underscoring the need to measure the utilization of caries risk management tools to elucidate the effect of prevention interventions in reducing the dental decay rates of individuals. An academic institution partnered with a third-party institute to call attention to the utilization and prevention measures associated with caries risk assessment (CRA) used with children 0-18 years. This environmental scan examined claims across the United States to evaluate the proportion of dental examinations, CRAs, and caries prevention procedures within a calendar year.

Methods: A 12-month deidentified participant list categorized by age, race, sex, …

Cross-Institutional Dental Electronic Health Record Entity Extraction Via Generative Artificial Intelligence And Synthetic Notes, Yao-Shun Chuang, Chun-Teh Lee, Guo-Hao Lin, Ryan Brandon, Xiaoqian Jiang, Muhammad F Walji, Oluwabunmi Tokede

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: While most health-care providers now use electronic health records (EHRs) to document clinical care, many still treat them as digital versions of paper records. As a result, documentation often remains unstructured, with free-text entries in progress notes. This limits the potential for secondary use and analysis, as machine-learning and data analysis algorithms are more effective with structured data.

Objective: This study aims to use advanced artificial intelligence (AI) and natural language processing (NLP) techniques to improve diagnostic information extraction from clinical notes in a periodontal use case. By automating this process, the study seeks to reduce missing data in …

Evaluating Artificial Intelligence Chatbots For Patient Education In Oral And Maxillofacial Radiology, Dilek Helvacioglu-Yigit, Husniye Demirturk, Kamran Ali, Dania Tamimi, Lisa J. Koenig, Abeer Almashraqi

School of Dentistry Faculty Research and Publications

Objective

This study aimed to compare the quality and readability of the responses generated by 3 publicly available artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots in answering frequently asked questions (FAQs) related to Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology (OMR) to assess their suitability for patient education.

Study Design

Fifteen OMR-related questions were selected from professional patient information websites. These questions were posed to ChatGPT-3.5 by OpenAI, Gemini 1.5 Pro by Google, and Copilot by Microsoft to generate responses. Three board-certified OMR specialists evaluated the responses regarding scientific adequacy, ease of understanding, and overall reader satisfaction. Readability was assessed using the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL) …

Ensuring Integrity In Dental Education: Developing A Novel Ai Model For Consistent And Traceable Image Analysis In Preclinical Endodontic Procedures, Mohamed Ibrahim, Meisam Omidi, Arndt Guentsch, Joseph Gaffney, Jennifer Talley

School of Dentistry Faculty Research and Publications

Aim

Academic integrity is crucial in dental education, especially during practical exams assessing competencies. Traditional oversight may not detect sophisticated academic dishonesty methods like radiograph substitution or tampering. This study aimed to develop and evaluate a novel artificial intelligence (AI) model utilizing a Siamese neural network to detect inconsistencies in radiographic images taken for root canal treatment (RCT) procedures in preclinical endodontic courses, thereby enhancing educational integrity.

Methododology

A Siamese neural network was designed to compare radiographs from different RCT procedures. The model was trained on 3390 radiographs, with data augmentation applied to improve generalizability. The dataset was split into …

Periodontal Diseases In Africa, Mojisola Olujitan, Patricia O. Ayanbadejo, Kehinde Umeizudike, Afolabi Oyapero, Christopher Okunseri, Azeez Butali

School of Dentistry Faculty Research and Publications

Periodontal diseases, a group of complex conditions marked by an excessive immune response and periodontal tissue destruction, are a global health concern. Since 1990, the incidence of these diseases has doubled, with Western sub-Saharan Africa experiencing the highest burden. Accurate diagnosis and case identification are crucial for understanding the etiology, features of disease, research, treatment and prevention. Modern perspectives on periodontal disease classification are based on commonality among those affected. However, current literature is often plagued by methodological inconsistencies and focused on disease mechanisms in European populations. Health inequalities in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are exacerbated by these challenges, …

Comparison Of Propofol Microbial Contamination Following Treatment With Drug Disposal Devices, Ransome Van Der Hoeven, Alan L Myers

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Pharmaceutical waste represents a major burden to the health care system and environment. Proper drug waste disposal devices are vitally needed, especially for propofol solutions that inherently carry a high risk of microbial contamination.

Objectives: The aims of this study were to compare the capabilities of 2 drug disposal systems for decontamination of propofol solutions inoculated with medical pathogens and assess chemical degradation of propofol after treatment with Fenton reagents.

Methods: Standard microbiological assays were used to assess survival and growth of Escherichia coli and Candida albicans inoculated into propofol solutions. Both a prototype instrument and a commercially marketed …

A Century Of Innovation: The Ada And The Forsyth Institute Partnership, Manish Chopra Dmd

Metro Denver Dental Society Articulator Magazine

This article details the new partnership between the Forsyth Institute, a century-old leader in dental and craniofacial research, and the American Dental Association to create the ADA Forsyth Institute (AFI). This global research powerhouse is pioneering breakthroughs in oral microbiology, fluoride research, saliva diagnostics and AI-driven smart fillings. The partnership represents a strategic alliance aimed at elevating dental science, education and professional standards.

From 3d-Printed Dentures To Craniofacial Discoveries: The Next Chapter In Dental Research, Laura Ramsey

Metro Denver Dental Society Articulator Magazine

This article highlights the details and importance of the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine 40th annual Research Day by spotlighting research initiatives shaping the future of oral health. Faculty, students, and guest experts explored topics ranging from 3D-printed antimicrobial dentures and craniofacial development to global cleft care in Nepal and the integration of sex and gender in research methodologies. Dual keynotes also highlighted the importance of evidence-based education and inclusive research practices.

Kids In Need Of Dentistry (Kind) Announces New Executive Director, Erin Breen

Metro Denver Dental Society Articulator Magazine

This article introduces Ms. Colleen Lampron as the new Executive Director of Kids in Need of Dentistry (KIND). She brings 25+ years of experience in oral health and public health. Her leadership is set to advance KIND’s mission of delivering quality dental care to children across Colorado.

Gratitude, Growth & Giving Back: Closing My Chapter As Mdds President, Susan Kutis Dds

Metro Denver Dental Society Articulator Magazine

As the MDDS President, Dr. Susan Kutis, concludes her term, she reflects on how the COVID-19 pandemic renewed her commitment to organized dentistry. From addressing workforce challenges and student debt to fostering mentorship and professional growth, the article highlights the importance of volunteer leadership and the enduring value of community within MDDS.

The Evidence Behind The Risk Of Fluoride Use, Margherita Fontana Dds, Phd, Carlos González-Cabezas D.D.S., M.S.D., Ph.D., Livia Tenuta D.D.S., M.Sc., Ph.D.

Metro Denver Dental Society Articulator Magazine

This article explores the evidence behind the safety of community water fluoridation. The authors establish that no clear link to lower IQ has been proven at U.S. levels (0.7 ppm). Major health organizations, including the ADA and WHO, continue to support fluoridation as safe and effective for preventing tooth decay.