Dentistry - Tufts University School of Dental Medicine
Dentistry - Tufts University School of Dental Medicine
Dentistry - Tufts University School of Dental Medicine
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
MAGAZINE OF THE TUFTS UNIVERSITY DENTAL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION WINTER 2009 VOL. 13 NO. 1<br />
DENTAL MEDICINE<br />
THE Age OF<br />
<strong>Dentistry</strong><br />
What 76 million baby boomers<br />
mean for your practice<br />
PLUS: MURDER HE WROTE ■ ECONOMIC GRIND ■ HALFWAY THERE
FRONT MATTER<br />
A New Day<br />
Ibtyhal Al-Amoudi, a third-year postgraduate<br />
resident in pediatric dentistry, joined other<br />
<strong>Tufts</strong> health sciences students, faculty and<br />
staff in the Sackler Center café on the Boston<br />
campus on January 20 to watch the inauguration<br />
<strong>of</strong> Barack Obama as the country’s 44th<br />
president. A native <strong>of</strong> Jeddah, Saudi Arabia,<br />
Al-Amoudi is also pursuing a master <strong>of</strong> science<br />
degree at the dental school. Behind her is<br />
Preston Stephens, a manager in the dental<br />
school’s clinical affairs division.<br />
PHOTO: ALONSO NICHOLS
contents<br />
features<br />
10 Creature Comforts<br />
Dr. Seuss, who once created a character called the<br />
Escardax (half escargot, half dachshund), no doubt<br />
would have fancied the work <strong>of</strong> Charles Cohen, D87,<br />
part dentist, part literary scholar. By Julie Flaherty<br />
COVER STORY<br />
14 The Age <strong>of</strong> <strong>Dentistry</strong><br />
Caring for elderly patients is as much about<br />
appreciating the complexities <strong>of</strong> aging as it is about<br />
teeth—a perspective that will become even more<br />
critical as 76 million baby boomers enter their 60s.<br />
By Julie Flaherty and Jacqueline Mitchell<br />
22 Murder He Wrote<br />
What possessed a mild-mannered pediatric<br />
dentist to turn to a life <strong>of</strong> (literary) crime?<br />
By Julie Flaherty<br />
26 Economic Grind<br />
When the stars come out at night, fi nancial<br />
meltdown chips away at oral health.<br />
By Jacqueline Mitchell<br />
64 Head <strong>of</strong> the Class<br />
Never condescending, always brilliant,<br />
H. Spencer Glidden, A12, M31, wasn’t<br />
afraid to use the gross-out factor to make<br />
his pathology lectures memorable.<br />
By Jacqueline Mitchell<br />
On the Cover: A resident <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Woodburn House in Jamaica Plain,<br />
Mass., discusses her oral health with<br />
a <strong>Tufts</strong> dental student during one<br />
<strong>of</strong> the weekly screenings third-year<br />
students conduct in the community.<br />
Photo by Laura Barisonzi<br />
6<br />
26<br />
WINTER 2009 VOLUME 13 NO. 1<br />
departments<br />
2 LETTERS<br />
3 FROM THE DEAN<br />
5 WORD OF MOUTH<br />
A SCAN OF PEOPLE & EVENTS<br />
29 ON CAMPUS<br />
DENTAL SCHOOL NEWS<br />
46 UNIVERSITY NEWS<br />
49 BEYOND BOUNDARIES<br />
PROVIDING THE MEANS FOR EXCELLENCE<br />
52 ALUMNI NEWS<br />
63 CONTINUING EDUCATION<br />
winter 2009 tufts dental medicine 1
LETTERS<br />
THE JOYS OF MENTORING<br />
I was very glad to read about the mentoring<br />
program (“Homegrown Teachers,” Summer<br />
2008) at the school I graduated from in<br />
1975. At that time I felt that there was a general<br />
cutthroat mentality in dental schools<br />
throughout the country. I found that most<br />
part-time teachers were really not truly dedicated<br />
teachers, but there for the plaque on<br />
the wall and to socialize with peers. After all,<br />
their reimbursement was pennies.<br />
We as mature dentists and students can<br />
probably learn more from others than in<br />
any textbook. When I was studying, the two<br />
true educators were Dr. Robert Chapman,<br />
A63, D67, DG74 [now a pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> prosthodontics<br />
and operative dentistry] and<br />
Dr. Van Ghugasian, A67, D72, DG74, both<br />
postgraduate students dedicated to helping<br />
others.<br />
I think all dentists should attend residency<br />
programs, like physicians do, and there<br />
must be some basic education in running a<br />
private practice, again through mentoring<br />
and some formal education.<br />
ken tobin, d75a<br />
wayne, new jersey<br />
THE PROBLEM WITH<br />
‘STREET ARTISANS’<br />
The article “Oral Piercing Creates a Whole<br />
Lot <strong>of</strong> Trouble” (Summer 2008) reiterates<br />
numerous cautions that are <strong>of</strong> great concern<br />
to the health pr<strong>of</strong>essions.<br />
The dental pr<strong>of</strong>ession may initiate legislation<br />
to limit lay persons from placing<br />
such ornamental devices under less-thanadequate<br />
bio-sterile conditions, for which<br />
many <strong>of</strong> these “street artisans” are poorly<br />
trained. These unlicensed and <strong>of</strong>ten selfeducated<br />
inserters are practicing surgery.<br />
Without the requisite medical or dental<br />
credentials, their businesses are an assault<br />
on their young and unwise clients.<br />
The article correctly asks: “Is it pr<strong>of</strong>essionally<br />
and ethically appropriate for dentists<br />
to do this? I say not. By forcing the issue<br />
<strong>of</strong> outlawing lay “street surgery” with heavy<br />
discipline for such illegal acts, the dentist, as<br />
well as the physician, may be put in the position<br />
to grant or refuse such requests from<br />
the public. The standards <strong>of</strong> care and some<br />
<strong>of</strong> the various Practice Acts contain explicit<br />
language which makes it pr<strong>of</strong>essional<br />
2 tufts dental medicine winter 2009<br />
misconduct for a dentist to perform treatment<br />
or render services that are recognized<br />
as harmful and not in the best interest <strong>of</strong> the<br />
patient. Unfortunately, there is no universal<br />
clear-cut standard as to the detrimental<br />
health effects <strong>of</strong> the differing body intrusions.<br />
It does sometimes become a pr<strong>of</strong>essional’s<br />
choice as to their personal beliefs<br />
whether these “body jewelry” insertions<br />
violate standards <strong>of</strong> care.<br />
Further, these adorning elective services<br />
requested by the public <strong>of</strong>ten ask for piercing<br />
body parts that are certainly not accepted<br />
as within the scope <strong>of</strong> dental practice. Ears,<br />
eyebrows, nasal walls and certainly regions<br />
below the neck are clearly outside the scope<br />
<strong>of</strong> dental practice, despite one’s interpretation<br />
<strong>of</strong> patient harm (or lack there<strong>of</strong>). As<br />
public health overseers, it is our duty to advise<br />
our patients appropriately, and to “do<br />
no harm.”<br />
ronald i. maitland, a60, d64<br />
new york city<br />
HIGH MARKS<br />
I never really realized how good <strong>Tufts</strong> actually<br />
is until after I graduated. I am currently<br />
in a GPR at Mount Sinai in New York,<br />
and even though I do like my program very<br />
much and I am learning a lot, I now truly appreciate<br />
the value <strong>of</strong> my education at <strong>Tufts</strong><br />
<strong>University</strong> <strong>School</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> <strong>Medicine</strong>.<br />
I suppose I took for granted having every<br />
dental material and instrument at any<br />
given time, along with paperless charts and<br />
digital X-rays. After hearing other students’<br />
experiences at their dental schools, I realize<br />
now more than ever that <strong>Tufts</strong> is in the top<br />
echelon <strong>of</strong> dental schools, without a doubt.<br />
alex moheban, a04, d08<br />
new york city<br />
TALK TO US<br />
<strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> <strong>Medicine</strong> welcomes letters,<br />
concerns and suggestions from all its<br />
readers. Address your correspondence,<br />
which may be edited for space, to Karen<br />
Bailey, Editor, <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> <strong>Medicine</strong>,<br />
<strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>University</strong> Offi ce <strong>of</strong> Publications,<br />
80 George St., Medford, MA 02155. You<br />
can also fax us at 617.627.3549 or e-mail<br />
karen.bailey@tufts.edu.<br />
DENTAL MEDICINE<br />
V O L U M E 13, NO. 1 WINTER 2009<br />
Executive Editor Lonnie H. Norris<br />
Dean, <strong>School</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> <strong>Medicine</strong><br />
Editor Karen Bailey<br />
Alumni Editor Vangel R. Zissi,<br />
D62, DG67<br />
Design Director Margot Grisar<br />
Designer Betsy Hayes<br />
Contributing Writers<br />
Deborah Blagg, Julie Flaherty,<br />
Leslie Macmillian, Jaqueline Mitchell,<br />
Helene Ragovin<br />
Contributing Editor Leslie Macmillan<br />
Editorial Advisors<br />
Maria Tringale, Senior Director<br />
<strong>Dental</strong> Development and Alumni Relaltions<br />
Allison Norton, Director<br />
<strong>Dental</strong> Fund and Alumni Relations<br />
Mark Gonthier, Associate Dean<br />
Admissions and Student Affairs<br />
Mary-Ellen Marks, Faculty Secretary<br />
<strong>Dental</strong> Alumni Association<br />
President John P. Ficarelli, D73, D10P<br />
Vice President T<strong>of</strong>i gh Raayai, DG77, DI82<br />
Secretary Lisa Vouras, D89<br />
Assistant Secretary Mostafa El-Sherif, DI95<br />
Treasurer Janis B. Moriarty, D94<br />
Directors<br />
Cherie Cahillane Bishop, D94; Peter A.<br />
Delli Colli, A69, D73; Joseph P. Giordano,<br />
D79, DG84; Catherine Hayes, D87; John J.<br />
Milette, D91; Derek Wolkowicz, D97, DG00<br />
Ex-Offi cio<br />
Past Presidents: Robert B. Amato, D80,<br />
DG83; Nicholas T. Papapetros II, D91;<br />
Lisa Vouras, D89<br />
<strong>Dental</strong> M Club Chair John P. Ficarelli, D73,<br />
D10P<br />
Historian Charles B. Millstein, D62, A10P<br />
<strong>University</strong> Liaison Thomas F. Winkler III, A62,<br />
D66, D10P<br />
Chapter Presidents<br />
Steven Dugoni, D79, A08P, A12P, California<br />
EJ Bartolazo, D92, New York<br />
William N. Pantazes, D90, DG08, Florida<br />
John A. Vrotsos, DG82, Greece<br />
<strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> <strong>Medicine</strong> is published twice<br />
annually by <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>University</strong> <strong>School</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Dental</strong><br />
<strong>Medicine</strong>, the <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>University</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> Alumni<br />
Association and the <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>University</strong> Offi ce <strong>of</strong><br />
Publications. The magazine is a publication<br />
member <strong>of</strong> the American Association <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>Dental</strong> Editors.<br />
Send correspondence to:<br />
Editor, <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> <strong>Medicine</strong><br />
<strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>University</strong> Offi ce <strong>of</strong> Publications<br />
80 George St., Medford, MA 02155<br />
Telephone: 617.627.2126<br />
Fax: 617.627.3549<br />
Printed on recycled paper.
Growing Old(er) Gracefully<br />
the baby-boom generation is reaching<br />
its prime, and this is having an impact on the<br />
population that presents for health-care services<br />
as well as on the providers <strong>of</strong> health care and<br />
education. With increased awareness about the<br />
importance <strong>of</strong> maintaining a healthy lifestyle,<br />
including better nutrition, regular exercise,<br />
mental activity and routine medical and dental<br />
checkups, the number <strong>of</strong> American adults over age 65 is growing, and<br />
they’re leading active and productive lives. They’re also maintaining<br />
more <strong>of</strong> their dentition.<br />
The perceptions surrounding the term “geriatric” today are markedly different<br />
than they were in the past. Growing older is less about chronological age and<br />
more about health, activity and attitude.<br />
Fifty years ago, it was not unusual for the geriatric population to be edentulous,<br />
and 50 percent <strong>of</strong> U.S. adults over age 65 were. I have vivid memories<br />
about the notion <strong>of</strong> losing teeth from my experiences as a resident in oral and<br />
maxill<strong>of</strong>acial surgery doing rotations at Boston City Hospital. Fairly routinely<br />
for young adults in their twenties, full-mouth extractions were performed under<br />
general anesthesia when they had more than 20 deeply decayed teeth. Families<br />
had dentures made for their children in time to celebrate major occasions. At<br />
our Chelsea Soldiers Home rotations, vestibuloplasties (lengthening the s<strong>of</strong>t<br />
tissue sulcus for denture retention) and complete denture fabrication were the<br />
primary procedures we did. Now, dental implants for retention <strong>of</strong> dentures have<br />
essentially replaced extensive vestibuloplasty.<br />
And while people are living longer, the good news is that their oral health is<br />
improving, too. That also means the number <strong>of</strong> teeth dentists must care for is<br />
increasing. The percentage <strong>of</strong> the population over age 65 in 1940 was 6.8 percent<br />
(roughly 9 million out <strong>of</strong> a total population <strong>of</strong> 132.2 million), according to<br />
U.S. Census data. By next year, older adults will comprise 13 percent <strong>of</strong> the U.S.<br />
population (40 million people out <strong>of</strong> 308.9 million), and in 2020, that number<br />
is projected to be 16.3 percent, or 55 million out <strong>of</strong> a projected population <strong>of</strong><br />
335.8 million.<br />
The number <strong>of</strong> adults who are edentulous has declined, especially in those<br />
ages 65 to 75. The percentage <strong>of</strong> edentulous elderly in the mid-1970s was 46<br />
percent, compared to 20.5 percent in 2004. As health-care pr<strong>of</strong>essionals, we can<br />
anticipate that the oral health <strong>of</strong> future generations <strong>of</strong> older adults will continue<br />
to improve because since the 1970s, many children have been receiving better<br />
preventive care, including fl uoridation and sealants.<br />
FROM THE DEAN<br />
However, not all children are fortunate<br />
enough to receive good dental care. The<br />
burden <strong>of</strong> oral disease continues to be<br />
borne most heavily by individuals with low<br />
economic status. It is in these highly vulnerable<br />
populations that the oral health <strong>of</strong> the<br />
next generation will continue to be compromised<br />
without active awareness, assessment<br />
and health-education and prevention<br />
programs.<br />
A report titled “The Oral Health <strong>of</strong><br />
Massachusetts Children,” released in January<br />
2008 by the Catalyst Institute, revealed that<br />
signifi cant numbers <strong>of</strong> Bay State children<br />
suffer from dental caries. More than one<br />
in four kindergarteners (19,130 students);<br />
more than 40 percent <strong>of</strong> third-graders<br />
(29,110 students) and one-third <strong>of</strong> sixthgraders<br />
(24,575 students) had dental decay.<br />
The report also found signifi cant disparities<br />
in the status <strong>of</strong> children’s oral health among<br />
racial, ethnic and socio-economic groups.<br />
The prevalence <strong>of</strong> edentulism in the elderly<br />
is also strongly related to income, education<br />
and race and ethnicity, according to<br />
the Centers for Disease Control (see chart,<br />
page 4).<br />
We are working to change those alarming<br />
statistics. <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>University</strong> and four other<br />
area universities are collaborating on a program<br />
administered by the City <strong>of</strong> Boston to<br />
provide comprehensive services to selected<br />
urban schools. Our dental school and the<br />
Friedman <strong>School</strong> <strong>of</strong> Nutrition Science and<br />
Policy at <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>of</strong>fer initiatives in healthy<br />
eating and physical activity, dental health<br />
education and prevention and restorative<br />
services. On the other end <strong>of</strong> the age spectrum,<br />
a geriatric outreach program strives<br />
to upgrade services and oral health status<br />
in the surrounding communities. Both<br />
programs have a signifi cant impact on the<br />
winter 2009 tufts dental medicine 3
FROM THE DEAN<br />
PREVALENCE OF<br />
TOOTH LOSS IN<br />
ADULTS AGE 65 +<br />
Edentulism Yes No<br />
20.5% 79.5%<br />
Sex<br />
Male 18.8% 81.2%<br />
Female 21.7% 78.3%<br />
Education<br />
Less than high school 41.1% 58.9%<br />
High school or GED 23.2% 76.8%<br />
Some post high school 15% 85%<br />
College graduate 7.1% 92.9%<br />
Income<br />
Less than $15,000 35.9% 64.1%<br />
$15,000–$24,999 25.3% 74.7%<br />
$25,000–$34,999 18.5% 81.4%<br />
$35,000–$49,999 11.8% 88.2%<br />
$50,000 + 6.7% 93.3%<br />
Ethnicity<br />
White 19.4% 80.6%<br />
Black 28.6% 71.4%<br />
Hispanic 21.6% 78.4%<br />
Other 19.8% 80.2%<br />
Multiracial 27.5% 72.5%<br />
SOURCE: CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL, NATIONAL ORAL HEALTH<br />
SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM, 2004<br />
outcomes <strong>of</strong> healthy aging.<br />
About 80 percent <strong>of</strong> the elderly patients<br />
who are treated in our clinics suffer from<br />
at least one chronic disease, with hypertension<br />
and diabetes being the most common.<br />
It is estimated that more than two-thirds<br />
<strong>of</strong> adults over age 65 are taking at least one<br />
medication (the average, however, is three)<br />
that would affect dental treatment or patient<br />
management.<br />
Will there be enough dental pr<strong>of</strong>essionals<br />
to care for a growing elderly population<br />
in the future? We need to take steps to ensure<br />
that is the case.<br />
In the early 1980s, at the peak <strong>of</strong> enrollment,<br />
U.S. dental schools graduated 5,756<br />
dentists. However, with the closing <strong>of</strong> some<br />
4 tufts dental medicine winter 2009<br />
schools, the total number <strong>of</strong><br />
graduates had dropped to 4,443<br />
by 2001. If these graduates retire<br />
at age 65, and the number <strong>of</strong><br />
graduates after 2007 remains in<br />
the 4,800 range, it is estimated<br />
that the aggregate number <strong>of</strong><br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essionally active dentists<br />
will begin to decline around<br />
2014, when fewer dentists will<br />
enter the workforce than leave<br />
it. The pr<strong>of</strong>ession will have to<br />
evaluate thoroughly the distribution<br />
<strong>of</strong> dentists in underserved<br />
areas and the effective<br />
use <strong>of</strong> auxiliaries in addressing<br />
access-to-care issues.<br />
Recent data from the<br />
American <strong>Dental</strong> Education<br />
Association (ADEA) indicates<br />
that the numbers <strong>of</strong> older,<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essionally active dentists<br />
will increase over the next decade.<br />
In 2000, approximately 9<br />
percent <strong>of</strong> dentists over age 65<br />
were still practicing. The number<br />
<strong>of</strong> active practitioners over<br />
age 65 is projected to increase<br />
to 13 percent by 2010, and to 21<br />
percent by 2020. Dentists who<br />
delay retiring could help feed a<br />
workforce available to provide<br />
access to care.<br />
The aging <strong>of</strong> dental faculty<br />
is also <strong>of</strong> concern. An ADEA<br />
survey <strong>of</strong> 11,925 dental faculty<br />
(4,620 full-time, 5,062<br />
part-time and 2,243 volunteer) found they<br />
ranged in age from 23 to 95. More worrisome<br />
is the graying <strong>of</strong> leadership at U.S.<br />
dental schools: The average age <strong>of</strong> deans is<br />
60; associate deans, 58; and chairs, 60. And<br />
so it is imperative that schools have strategic<br />
plans to recruit, mentor and develop faculty<br />
for future leadership. Our school has placed<br />
significant emphasis on faculty development<br />
and leadership training.<br />
Starting with the Class <strong>of</strong> 2001, the<br />
school initiated a Student Teaching Assistant<br />
Program with two students. Now, from the<br />
Class <strong>of</strong> 2009, 60 students are actively teaching<br />
with faculty supervision in preclinical<br />
courses, clinics and didactic courses and<br />
working in advising/mentoring groups. We<br />
are making a concerted effort not only to<br />
expose our students to academic dentistry,<br />
but also nurture a responsibility to give back<br />
by providing care to underserved populations.<br />
Our hope is that this program will<br />
feed the pipeline for future faculty.<br />
To achieve our mission <strong>of</strong> <strong>of</strong>fering an<br />
outstanding educational program to develop<br />
future dental practitioners and academic<br />
leaders who will provide access to highquality<br />
patient care, it is essential to support<br />
them in top-fl ight facilities that bolster that<br />
mission. The construction project that will<br />
add fi ve fl oors to the dental tower is on target<br />
to be completed by November 2009. In<br />
this challenging economic climate, the university<br />
is continuing to support building<br />
projects that are in progress. To address our<br />
school’s academic priorities, $28 million has<br />
been raised toward our $40 million goal for<br />
the Beyond Boundaries capital campaign.<br />
Your school needs your commitment<br />
now more than ever. I ask that you consider<br />
the school a worthy priority for your philanthropy.<br />
<strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>University</strong> <strong>School</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Dental</strong><br />
<strong>Medicine</strong> has a history that began in 1868.<br />
We’re 140 years old and growing stronger.<br />
With your commitment to participate, your<br />
school will continue to grow older gracefully<br />
as a leader in dental education with all<br />
the necessary foundations for success in the<br />
future.<br />
lonnie h. norris, d.m.d., m.p.h.<br />
References:<br />
Brown, L.J., “<strong>Dental</strong> Service Among Elderly<br />
Americans: Utilization, Expenditures and<br />
Their Determinants,” in Improving Oral<br />
Health for the Elderly: An Interdisciplinary<br />
Approach, J.C. Takamura, Ira B. Lamster and<br />
Mary E. Northridge, eds., 2008.<br />
“The Oral Health <strong>of</strong> Massachusetts’<br />
Children,” Catalyst Institute, January 2008.<br />
Eugene L. Anderson, Ph.D., Associate<br />
Executive Director and Director, Center for<br />
Educational Policy and Research, American<br />
<strong>Dental</strong> Education Association, 2008.
word <strong>of</strong> mouth<br />
A SCAN OF PEOPLE & EVENTS<br />
Meet Me on Facebook<br />
ILLUSTRATION: PHILIP ANDERSON<br />
Social networking site builds communities and keeps<br />
alumni connected by Jacqueline Mitchell<br />
N<br />
ine months before they fi rst arrived at one kneeland<br />
Street, the Class <strong>of</strong> 2012 was already getting to know each<br />
other on Facebook, the immensely popular online social networking<br />
site. Before they met face-to-face, the new classmates<br />
started to break the ice, posting their names and hometowns<br />
and other basic information on the web page created just for their class. As the<br />
school year approached, they began to fret about textbooks and scrubs and,<br />
<strong>of</strong> course, rents in Boston. Members <strong>of</strong> the Class <strong>of</strong> 2011, who have their own<br />
dedicated Facebook page, weighed in with advice. By August, the new classmates<br />
mainly used the site to make plans to meet for dinner. By September, Luddites<br />
will be relieved to hear, the online group quieted down as the students’ real-life<br />
interactions replaced their virtual ones.<br />
“Facebook is a great networking program, and we still use it to contact one<br />
another and set up class events,” says Megha Patel, who launched the D12 page<br />
as soon as she knew she was going to <strong>Tufts</strong>.<br />
“It helped people fi nd roommates and make<br />
connections before we all came to school.”<br />
For the uninitiated, Facebook and other<br />
social networking sites allow individuals to<br />
create an online pr<strong>of</strong>i le, something like a<br />
digital bulletin board. Members can tailor<br />
their pr<strong>of</strong>i les to suit their needs. New parents<br />
might post hundreds <strong>of</strong> baby pictures,<br />
while job-seekers might keep it pr<strong>of</strong>essional,<br />
posting only resumes and contact information.<br />
Individuals then link up to Facebook<br />
pages created by their friends, families and<br />
colleagues and use the site as an easy way to<br />
keep in touch with hundreds <strong>of</strong> people with<br />
one keystroke.<br />
That’s why this year, the alumni relations<br />
team created an <strong>of</strong>ficial <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>University</strong><br />
<strong>School</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> <strong>Medicine</strong> Facebook pr<strong>of</strong>i le.<br />
Launched in December, the group acquired<br />
70 members without active recruiting. “A<br />
lot <strong>of</strong> people are already on Facebook,” says<br />
Natalie E. Chassaigne, a staff assistant in<br />
alumni relations who maintains the school<br />
Facebook site. “This is a good way to capture<br />
their attention.” Though the school group is<br />
still in its early stages, Chassaigne says her<br />
<strong>of</strong>fi ce will use it to advertise events, including<br />
receptions for alumni at national dental<br />
meetings. It also helps the alumni <strong>of</strong>fi ce<br />
maintain accurate contact information for<br />
younger alumni, who tend to be transient<br />
for a few years after graduation.<br />
As <strong>of</strong> January 2009, 150 million people<br />
were Facebook users. Almost half log in at<br />
least daily. The virtual community represents<br />
170 countries, speaks 35 languages and lives<br />
on every continent, including Antarctica.<br />
A group <strong>of</strong> Harvard <strong>University</strong> students<br />
launched the virtual meeting place in 2004<br />
as a fun way to get to know each other. It<br />
didn’t take long for Facebook to spread, and<br />
by September 2006, anyone with an email<br />
address could create a user pr<strong>of</strong>i le.<br />
For the D12s, Facebook helped strangers<br />
become friends. For the D08s, who are<br />
spending their fi rst year apart after graduating,<br />
Facebook is helping old friends stay<br />
in touch. Alex Moheban, A04, D08, who is<br />
winter 2009 tufts dental medicine 5
WORD OF MOUTH<br />
Continued from page 5<br />
doing a general practice residency in New<br />
York City, uses the site to communicate with<br />
his classmates who are now scattered in<br />
Rhode Island, Florida, Chicago, Los Angeles<br />
and Boston. “We’re all over the place, and we<br />
have busy schedules and live in different time<br />
zones,” says Moheban, who accesses the site<br />
on his iPhone several times a day. “Facebook<br />
is the most convenient way to keep in touch<br />
with a good amount <strong>of</strong> people.”<br />
Facebook has long been a way <strong>of</strong> life for<br />
Moheban, 26, who signed up when he was<br />
an undergraduate at <strong>Tufts</strong>. The site doesn’t<br />
replace the way he communicates with his<br />
close friends and family, he says, but it is<br />
preventing the inevitable drifting apart<br />
from people he might not have kept up with<br />
otherwise. His dental school class was the<br />
fi rst to form a Facebook group before they<br />
arrived on campus in fall 2004.<br />
While Moheban and his classmates use<br />
Facebook entirely for socializing, some<br />
alumni are seeking ways to use the site pr<strong>of</strong>essionally.<br />
When Maria Botwin, D91, who<br />
practices in West Palm Beach, Fla., needed<br />
to fi nd a new dentist for one <strong>of</strong> her patients<br />
who was leaving town, she posted a request<br />
to the <strong>School</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> <strong>Medicine</strong> Facebook<br />
site. “Florida is a very transient state, and<br />
when my patients move or go <strong>of</strong>f to college,<br />
I like to set them up with a <strong>Tufts</strong> dentist<br />
because I know they’ll treat them a certain<br />
way,” says Botwin. A working mom <strong>of</strong> three<br />
kids who is married to another <strong>Tufts</strong> dentist,<br />
Todd Botwin, D92, Maria Botwin was<br />
already using Facebook to manage her life.<br />
“All the moms use it to see who is picking<br />
up whom,” she says.<br />
Botwin doubts she’d use Facebook to<br />
market her practice, however. “It projects a<br />
different persona than I want to present to<br />
my patients,” she says.<br />
But for social networking, the medium<br />
can’t be beat. Robert Berg, D03, recently<br />
started a Facebook group for <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>Dental</strong><br />
alumni practicing in New York. A prosthodontist<br />
with more than 650 Facebook contacts,<br />
Berg uses the site to advertise local<br />
alumni functions .<br />
While still exploring pr<strong>of</strong>essional applications,<br />
he says Facebook is a great way to<br />
keep in touch. “I see a photo pop up every<br />
time a classmate has a new kid.”<br />
The Austrian-made<br />
microscope that<br />
Anna Quincy Churchill<br />
presented to her<br />
protégé, Vincent<br />
Lisanti, in 1951.<br />
Anna’s Gift<br />
Researcher’s ‘pet’<br />
fi nds its way back home<br />
by Julie Flaherty<br />
Cleaning out a closet in his<br />
North Bergen, N.J., home not<br />
long ago, Vincent Lisanti, D42,<br />
stumbled across an old friend.<br />
It was the familiar black wooden box with<br />
a key attached, and inside was the heavy<br />
brass microscope that had been a constant<br />
companion for much <strong>of</strong> his research career.<br />
Should he give it to a high school, he<br />
wondered? To his son? His granddaughter?<br />
“You know what?” he said to himself,<br />
“this ought to go home.”<br />
Home, in this case, is <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>Dental</strong><br />
<strong>School</strong>, where more than a half-century ago<br />
a pr<strong>of</strong>essor made a gift <strong>of</strong> the microscope<br />
to a young dental researcher. Lisanti was<br />
a rising star in the school’s laboratories<br />
when Anna Quincy Churchill, the longserving<br />
histology pr<strong>of</strong>essor who was nearing<br />
retirement, sent a message asking him to<br />
come to her <strong>of</strong>fi ce. Given that he hadn’t<br />
been a stellar student in her class, Lisanti<br />
was surprised to hear from her, and even<br />
more surprised when she said she wanted<br />
to make a contribution to his research. She<br />
handed him one <strong>of</strong> her microscopes.<br />
“She felt that being one <strong>of</strong> her students—mediocre<br />
or otherwise—I could put<br />
the microscope to use,” Lisanti says.<br />
The Austrian-made microscope, which<br />
was manufactured between 1925 and<br />
1926, was a little outdated when he got it<br />
in 1951. “It was like a horse and wagon versus<br />
a Cadillac,” Lisanti says. But it served<br />
its purpose. Countless slides <strong>of</strong> tissues,<br />
blood and saliva passed beneath its lenses.<br />
Perhaps its greatest achievement was<br />
helping determine that hyaluronidase, an<br />
enzyme found in saliva and associated<br />
with the spread <strong>of</strong> infection, was caused<br />
by bacteria.<br />
“It was always on my desk,” Lisanti<br />
says <strong>of</strong> the instrument, which he called<br />
his “pet.” By the mid-1950s, Lisanti, an<br />
associate pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> dental research, had<br />
become the largest individual grant and contract<br />
holder in biology in the United States.<br />
He took the microscope with him when he<br />
left <strong>Tufts</strong> in 1958 to found the Institute <strong>of</strong><br />
Somatological Research. It stayed close to<br />
him until 1973, when he stopped working in<br />
the lab and began overseeing grants. That’s<br />
when it went in the closet. It waited there<br />
patiently until last fall, when Lisanti mailed<br />
it to Dean Lonnie Norris “as a reminder that<br />
TUSDM was a great dental centerpiece.”<br />
Although the microscope probably<br />
commanded a good price when new, its<br />
value today is primarily sentimental, says<br />
Raymond Giordano, an appraiser <strong>of</strong> scientific<br />
instruments and owner <strong>of</strong> the Antiquarian<br />
Scientist in Southampton, Mass. “They<br />
were substantial, well-designed, useful<br />
instruments <strong>of</strong> their day,” he says.<br />
The microscope still works, despite a<br />
couple <strong>of</strong> missing parts, including the illuminator<br />
box that once threw light up through<br />
the bottom <strong>of</strong> the stage. Lisanti hasn’t<br />
given up hope <strong>of</strong> fi nding that part: “It might<br />
turn up in the cellar here somewhere.”<br />
6 tufts dental medicine winter 2009 PHOTO: VITO ALUIA
A Hero and a Saint<br />
André st-germain, assistant<br />
clinical pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> public<br />
health and community service,<br />
was honored by the state with<br />
an Oral Health Hero citation for his years<br />
<strong>of</strong> service treating individuals with special<br />
health-care needs at the <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> Facility<br />
Serving Persons with Special Needs (TDF)<br />
at the Wrentham Developmental Center.<br />
State Sen. Scott P. Brown, A81, and State<br />
Rep. Richard Ross presented the citation.<br />
A satellite program <strong>of</strong> <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> <strong>School</strong>,<br />
TDF operates eight dental clinics throughout<br />
Massachusetts, serving 16,000 special<br />
needs patients.<br />
St-Germain, D63, fondly known as “The<br />
Saint,” says he enjoys working with special<br />
needs patients in part because they accept<br />
him as he is. Joel Pearlman, D74, director <strong>of</strong><br />
the Wrentham clinic, recalls fi rst meeting St-<br />
Germain in the operating room at Lemuel<br />
Shattuck Hospital, where some special<br />
needs patients are treated because they cannot<br />
withstand the stress <strong>of</strong> a clinic setting.<br />
Kathy Dolan, director <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Tufts</strong> Community <strong>Dental</strong> Programs<br />
and an assistant pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> public health and community<br />
service, gives an oral health pep talk to a student at the<br />
Josiah Quincy Elementary <strong>School</strong> in Boston.<br />
PHOTO: JOANIE TOBIN (BOTTOM)<br />
As he prepared to place a stainless<br />
steel crown, St-Germain<br />
announced, “I’m The Saint, and<br />
I’m here to help.”<br />
The TDF program was<br />
founded in 1976 to identify<br />
special needs patients in need<br />
<strong>of</strong> dental treatment and dentists<br />
willing to provide that care.<br />
Despite St-Germain’s reputation<br />
as the consummate bargain<br />
hunter—he invites dental<br />
students and others who are working at<br />
the clinic to spend their lunch hour at the<br />
Wrentham outlets—“Saint has always invested<br />
heavily in friendship,” Pearlman says.<br />
“He generously and unselfi shly has committed<br />
his spirit, heart and soul to the TDF<br />
program and the patients he has treated.”<br />
Pearlman notes that as St-Germain looks<br />
toward retirement, the word “dinosaur” has<br />
come up. “But the real concern here is about<br />
extinction. In that context, it’s diffi cult to<br />
picture the clinic without Saint and to also<br />
GROWTH SPURT<br />
The dental school will expand its school-based oral health<br />
question whether it’s the individual who<br />
perpetuates the program or the program<br />
that perpetuates the individual,” he says.<br />
“Saint will always be remembered for his<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essionalism, wisdom, friendship and<br />
perhaps most importantly, for reminding<br />
us that although we may be dinosaurs, we<br />
won’t be extinct.”<br />
programs in Lowell and Boston, as well as in Hampden County<br />
in western Massachusetts, thanks to a multi-year grant from<br />
the Boston-based Oral Health Foundation.<br />
André St-Germain, D63, left, receives<br />
his Oral Health Hero certifi cate from<br />
State Sen. Scott P. Brown, A81.<br />
The funding will allow the Department <strong>of</strong> Public Health and<br />
Community Service to build on the success <strong>of</strong> its outreach<br />
program, Oral Health Across the Commonwealth, which aims<br />
to reduce dental disease in children in preschool through<br />
eighth grade, when intervention can be most effective.<br />
The goal <strong>of</strong> Oral Health Across the Commonwealth is to<br />
create a sustainable community-based program for at-risk<br />
children in underserved areas. This kind <strong>of</strong> outreach improves<br />
kids’ oral health status through preventive services, including sealants, oral prophylaxis and fl uoride varnish treatments.<br />
The <strong>Tufts</strong> Community <strong>Dental</strong> Programs also received another infusion <strong>of</strong> funding when American <strong>Dental</strong> Partners (ADP),<br />
for the fourth consecutive year, donated $5,000 toward those efforts. ADP representatives toured the dental school and<br />
visited the school-based clinic at the Josiah Quincy Elementary <strong>School</strong> in Boston’s Chinatown neighborhood on December 15.<br />
winter 2009 tufts dental medicine 7
WORD OF MOUTH<br />
Mission to Haiti<br />
More than 750 patients in haiti<br />
received free dental care from a<br />
<strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> team that traveled<br />
to the Caribbean nation, where<br />
an estimated 80 percent <strong>of</strong> the island’s 8.7<br />
million residents live in poverty.<br />
“The Haitian people typically started<br />
lining up between five and seven in the<br />
morning, and sometimes waited up to<br />
eight hours for dental care,” says Monica<br />
Rancourt, D10, the student captain <strong>of</strong> the<br />
<strong>Tufts</strong> team that worked at three facilities in<br />
Port-au-Prince over eight days last August.<br />
HAIL TO THE TEETH<br />
8 tufts dental medicine winter 2009<br />
caption_fl<br />
“Even then, some <strong>of</strong> them were asked to return<br />
the following day,” she says.<br />
The trip was partly funded by the Tisch<br />
College <strong>of</strong> Citizenship and Public Service<br />
at <strong>Tufts</strong>, which awarded the group $5,000<br />
as part <strong>of</strong> its Tisch Active Citizen Summer<br />
Fellows program. The long-term goal <strong>of</strong><br />
the <strong>Tufts</strong> mission is to develop a sustainable<br />
oral health program in Haiti.<br />
The <strong>Tufts</strong> team performed prophylaxis<br />
on more than 500 patients and extractions<br />
on 180 people. “We did do multiple restorative<br />
procedures,” Rancourt says, “but it<br />
Meredith Jones, D09, above, administers<br />
Novocain. The student captain <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Tufts</strong><br />
team, Monica Rancourt, D10, left, works on<br />
a young patient.<br />
George Washington only had one tooth<br />
when he became the nation’s first president.<br />
And ill-fitting dentures kept the chief<br />
executive from giving an inaugural address<br />
when he was elected to a second term,<br />
according to the National Museum <strong>of</strong> <strong>Dentistry</strong>.<br />
depended on whether the air-compression<br />
drill worked that day or not.” They <strong>of</strong>ten<br />
worked without adequate lighting and other<br />
equipment that American dentists take<br />
for granted.<br />
In addition to Rancourt, the <strong>Tufts</strong> team<br />
included faculty members Aidee Herman,<br />
associate clinical pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> periodontology;<br />
Scott Lightfoot, a periodontist; and<br />
Carolyn Cottrell, associate clinical pr<strong>of</strong>essor<br />
<strong>of</strong> prosthodontics; and students Meredith<br />
Jones, D09; Dong-soo Hong, D09; Lee Tran,<br />
D09; Samantha Jordan, D10; Ngoc Nguyen,<br />
D10; Chelsea Wilson, D10; and Allison Piper,<br />
D11. Three <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> staff members who<br />
are natives <strong>of</strong> Haiti, Ernest Milfort, Renald<br />
Joseph and Lysie Osias, provided translation<br />
help as well as sterilized instruments.
Principal for a Day<br />
M<br />
ost days lawrence s. bacow<br />
leads a university <strong>of</strong> 8,500 students.<br />
On November 6, the <strong>Tufts</strong><br />
president went back to grade<br />
school as principal for the 300 students<br />
at Chittick Elementary <strong>School</strong> in Boston’s<br />
Mattapan neighborhood.<br />
Bacow was one <strong>of</strong> 136 Boston-area business<br />
and community leaders to participate<br />
in the sixth annual Principal for a Day program,<br />
which pairs them with the heads <strong>of</strong><br />
public schools in Boston.<br />
<strong>Tufts</strong> is one <strong>of</strong> fi ve area colleges and universities<br />
that have partnered with the city<br />
schools through the Step Up program, an<br />
initiative <strong>of</strong> Mayor Thomas M. Menino<br />
that <strong>of</strong>fers programs and services focusing<br />
on academic progress, student and family<br />
wellness, art, athletics and citizenship to the<br />
city’s schoolchildren.<br />
“I was incredibly impressed by the energy<br />
and enthusiasm <strong>of</strong> the principal <strong>of</strong><br />
the Chittick Elementary <strong>School</strong>, Michelle<br />
Burnett-Herndon,” Bacow says. “She knew<br />
the name <strong>of</strong> virtually every one <strong>of</strong> her 300<br />
ILLUSTRATION: PHILIP ANDERSON<br />
THE BIG KNOWLEDGE GAP<br />
While eight in 10 Americans say that caring for their mouth, teeth and gums is “absolutely<br />
needed,” only one-third <strong>of</strong> them admit to doing an “excellent” job with their oral health.<br />
That was one <strong>of</strong> the fi ndings <strong>of</strong> an American <strong>Dental</strong> Association national public opinion<br />
survey on oral health care, which was reported on at the ADA’s annual meeting last<br />
fall.<br />
Perhaps even more troubling, more than one in three Americans:<br />
■ think a little bleeding from brushing is normal, even though it could be a sign <strong>of</strong> gum<br />
disease or something even worse;<br />
■ are unaware that periodontal disease needs to be treated;<br />
■ don’t know that poor oral health is associated with stroke, heart disease and diabetes.<br />
The survey helps dentists “address perception versus reality when it comes to oral<br />
health,” says Ada Cooper, the ADA’s consumer advisor and a dentist who practices in<br />
New York.<br />
One thousand Americans, ages 18 and older, responded to the survey, which gauged<br />
their perceptions <strong>of</strong> their oral health care and their knowledge <strong>of</strong> essential oral healthcare<br />
habits as well as the psychological benefi ts <strong>of</strong> a healthy smile and oral health habits<br />
<strong>of</strong> the nation’s youth. The study had a particular focus on African Americans, Hispanics<br />
and lower-income Americans.<br />
More information about the survey, which was done in collaboration with Crest and<br />
Oral-B, can be found at www.ada.org/public/media.<br />
students and greeted each one as they came<br />
through the door. Similarly, the teachers<br />
were all fabulous—caring, engaged and enthusiastic.<br />
I left very optimistic about public<br />
education in Boston.”<br />
Volunteers from <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>School</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Dental</strong><br />
<strong>Medicine</strong> provide oral health-care services<br />
to Boston students as part <strong>of</strong> the Step-Up<br />
partnership. “Many kids at the Chittick have<br />
never seen a dentist until they meet a member<br />
<strong>of</strong> the <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>University</strong> <strong>School</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Dental</strong><br />
<strong>Medicine</strong> team,” Bacow says.<br />
The highlight <strong>of</strong> Bacow’s stint as a gradeschool<br />
principal? “Seeing a special needs<br />
student successfully solve a math problem<br />
in front <strong>of</strong> the class. I also visited a classroom<br />
with fi ve autistic children who were<br />
being taught by three very dedicated and<br />
skilled teachers,” he adds.<br />
“Our society owes much to those who<br />
teach in our urban public schools,” Bacow<br />
says. “We need to do more to support them.<br />
That said, the quality <strong>of</strong> the teaching I observed<br />
and the care and love expressed by<br />
the staff for the kids was truly inspiring.”<br />
With smiles all around, <strong>Tufts</strong> President<br />
Lawrence S. Bacow and Elaine Conroy, a <strong>Tufts</strong><br />
dental hygienist, with Yanelee Pimentel, a<br />
fourth-grade Chittick student, after her dental<br />
check-up.<br />
winter 2009 tufts dental medicine 9
if<br />
dr. seuss had based one <strong>of</strong><br />
his fantastical characters on<br />
Charles Cohen, D87, he might<br />
have been the Knowtooth<br />
Seussasleuth, or the Amassalot from the island<br />
<strong>of</strong> Dentium. No doubt, the inimitable Pulitzer<br />
Prize-winning author would have chosen a<br />
more eloquent name. But Seuss, who once created<br />
a character called the Escardax (half escargot,<br />
half dachshund), probably would have<br />
appreciated a man who was part dentist, part<br />
literary scholar.<br />
Cohen, a general dentist who lives very near<br />
Seuss’s birthplace <strong>of</strong> Springfi eld, Mass., spends<br />
about three-and-a-half days a week caring for<br />
patients, and much <strong>of</strong> the rest <strong>of</strong> his time collecting,<br />
appraising, writing, curating and fi elding<br />
questions about Seuss, who even after his<br />
death in 1991, continues to be the world’s bestselling<br />
author <strong>of</strong> children’s books.<br />
Although he never met the author, whose<br />
real name was Theodor Seuss Geisel, Cohen<br />
knows as much about Seuss’s work as anyone<br />
who was acquainted with him, perhaps more<br />
so. His collection <strong>of</strong> Seussiana, which he began<br />
a decade ago, is believed to be the largest private<br />
anthology <strong>of</strong> its kind. Along with a wide<br />
variety <strong>of</strong> trade, library and foreign editions<br />
<strong>of</strong> all the beloved Seuss books, he has gathered<br />
obscure publications like Geisel’s fi rst poems<br />
and drawings for his high school newspaper.<br />
There’s a human-sized Sneetch intended for<br />
Surrounded by Grinches and Sneetches and ‘Flit’ stuff<br />
lives a dentist named Cohen, the ultimate Seuss buff<br />
Creature<br />
10 tufts dental medicine winter 2009<br />
outdoor display at a theme park (and which<br />
currently greets visitors to Cohen’s home). And<br />
there are larger items, like an advertisement for<br />
How the Grinch Stole Christmas designed for<br />
the side <strong>of</strong> a bus. Some <strong>of</strong> the most valuable<br />
pieces are watercolors, pen-and-ink drawings<br />
and sculptures Seuss designed and sold<br />
through mail-order. Such original works can<br />
fetch tens <strong>of</strong> thousands <strong>of</strong> dollars.<br />
Acquiring the items was really just a byproduct<br />
<strong>of</strong> Cohen’s desire to know more about<br />
the genius behind them. It began in 1988, when<br />
Cohen saw a traveling exhibit about Seuss that<br />
displayed some <strong>of</strong> his lesser-known work as a<br />
political cartoonist and advertising artist.<br />
“That was my fi rst exposure to the things<br />
that Ted Geisel did outside <strong>of</strong> his famous Dr.<br />
Seuss children’s books, and it piqued my interest,”<br />
Cohen says. But when he began looking<br />
for more background on the author, he<br />
found a dearth <strong>of</strong> facts. “More distressingly,<br />
the things that were written <strong>of</strong>ten turned out<br />
to be wrong.”<br />
A fair amount <strong>of</strong> the misinformation came<br />
from Geisel himself. Asked where he got his<br />
ideas, for example, Geisel would describe a<br />
Swiss hamlet called Über Gletch, where he purported<br />
to go every August 4 to have his cuckoo<br />
clock repaired: “While the cuckoo is in the hospital,<br />
I wander around and talk to the people in<br />
the streets. They are very strange people, and I<br />
get my ideas from them.”
BY JULIE FLAHERTY PHOTOGRAPH BY STEVEN VOTE<br />
Comforts
As Cohen says, “Ted was a great storyteller,<br />
and it was much more important to<br />
him to tell a good and amusing story than<br />
to tell the truth.” So the dentist started looking<br />
for fi rsthand sources, combing through<br />
the Boston Public Library, the Library <strong>of</strong><br />
Congress and the Seuss archives at the<br />
<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> California, San Diego, and at<br />
Dartmouth College, Geisel’s alma mater. He<br />
became a constant scourer <strong>of</strong> eBay, too.<br />
In doing so, he came to appreciate Geisel’s<br />
breadth <strong>of</strong> experience and his uncanny success<br />
in just about any fi eld he chose to pursue.<br />
As a young man in the 1920s, selling a funny<br />
drawing to the Saturday Evening Post for $25<br />
was all the encouragement Geisel needed to<br />
move from Springfi eld to New York City to<br />
make his living drawing cartoons. One <strong>of</strong><br />
Cohen’s favorites is a 1928 sketch <strong>of</strong> a man<br />
giving a bouquet <strong>of</strong> fi sh to a girl, with this<br />
caption: “The Height <strong>of</strong> Deception: Taking<br />
Advantage <strong>of</strong> his Best Girl’s Astigmatism.”<br />
“Apparently our senses <strong>of</strong> humor coincide<br />
on that level, since I still fi nd that one<br />
particularly funny,” Cohen says.<br />
When Geisel decided to try to make some<br />
extra money in advertising, he used his witty<br />
scenarios and unlimited zoo <strong>of</strong> characters to<br />
help sell “everything from beer to ball bearings,<br />
windshield wipers to whisky, sugar to<br />
shaving cream, clocks to cosmetics, spark<br />
plugs to spot removers, and radios to rifl es,”<br />
Cohen says. In a 1930s ad for disposable<br />
Ajax cups, an unmistakably Seussian crowd<br />
<strong>of</strong> fanciful germs parties on a drinking glass.<br />
Geisel, in fact, created one <strong>of</strong> the most recognizable<br />
ad campaigns <strong>of</strong> the era, for Flit Bug<br />
Spray, where the insecticide battled comically<br />
oversized mosquitoes. (“Quick, Henry,<br />
the Flit!” was the “Got Milk?” <strong>of</strong> its day.)<br />
It wasn’t until Geisel was midway through<br />
his career that he decided to try his hand at<br />
writing children’s books. He was an unlikely<br />
candidate for the job, Cohen points out. He<br />
had no children <strong>of</strong> his own, and his early humor<br />
was <strong>of</strong>ten inappropriate for kids. One <strong>of</strong><br />
his cartoons, titled “Making Our Daughters<br />
Less Irritating,” featured a spring-loaded<br />
mallet called The Pout Extinguisher: “After<br />
this apparatus has been securely fastened to<br />
daughter’s head by a reliable blacksmith, let<br />
her go ahead and pout if she dare!”<br />
Yet because books like And to Think That<br />
I Saw It on Mulberry Street and The Cat in<br />
the Hat were so different from the insipid<br />
Dick-and-Jane primers that children were<br />
12 tufts dental medicine winter 2009<br />
used to, kids loved them. Aided by a carefully<br />
honed use <strong>of</strong> anapestic tetrameter (his<br />
poetic rhythm <strong>of</strong> choice), Seuss was able to<br />
get children to read at an earlier age than was<br />
generally thought possible.<br />
“I’m not sure if most people truly understand<br />
his contribution to improving<br />
children’s literacy,” Cohen says. “Utilizing<br />
repetition, rhyme and infectious rhythm to<br />
drum his stories into kids’ heads, Ted was<br />
able to facilitate memorization and bring the<br />
pleasures <strong>of</strong> reading to children before they<br />
could read actual words.”<br />
In 1940, Geisel put aside children’s books<br />
to focus on the growing threat <strong>of</strong> Adolf Hitler,<br />
whom he lambasted in political cartoons. He<br />
later joined the Army, where he got involved<br />
with Chuck Jones, Friz Freleng and Mel<br />
Blanc (the talents behind Bugs Bunny and<br />
others) in writing “Private Snafu” cartoons,<br />
which showed enlisted men what not to do<br />
as soldiers. His work writing propaganda<br />
fi lms led him to try a career as a Hollywood<br />
screenwriter. Along the way, productions<br />
based on his work have won Oscars, Emmys,<br />
Grammys and many other awards.<br />
The more Cohen unearthed, the more<br />
he saw the evolution <strong>of</strong> Seuss’s artwork. His<br />
research revealed that Geisel was drawing<br />
pachyderms in trees and stacking terrapins<br />
long before Horton the elephant decided to<br />
hatch an egg or Hitler gave Seuss his inspiration<br />
for the tyrannical Yertle the Turtle.<br />
Cohen also found that Prohibition had a<br />
signifi cant infl uence on Seuss’s work. Where<br />
an ordinary alcoholic might see pink elephants,<br />
drunkards in Seuss’s early cartoons<br />
were treated to wide-eyed, sock-footed beasts<br />
with balloons for tails, misplaced horns or<br />
rainbow stripes.<br />
“That weird menagerie started as the<br />
odd animals one would see in the throes <strong>of</strong><br />
delirium tremens and only later developed<br />
into loveably eccentric animals for children<br />
to enjoy,” Cohen says.<br />
Each fi nd helped separate the truth from<br />
the fiction (contrary to persistent myth,<br />
Geisel was not opposed to merchandizing<br />
his artwork, as his mail-order sculpture<br />
business attests) and the real from the counterfeit.<br />
“I used to estimate that 80 percent<br />
<strong>of</strong> the ‘original’ Seuss artwork I saw for sale<br />
was not authentic,” Cohen says. “We’ve put<br />
a substantial dent in that fi gure over the last<br />
couple <strong>of</strong> years.”<br />
All this became fodder for Cohen’s colorful<br />
visual biography <strong>of</strong> Geisel, called The
Seuss, the Whole Seuss and Nothing but the<br />
Seuss (Random House, 2004), which pays<br />
as much homage to his work as a cartoonist<br />
and advertising man as it does to his children’s<br />
books.<br />
“I was hesitant to try to write a biography<br />
<strong>of</strong> a man whom I’d never even seen in person,”<br />
Cohen says, “but it actually turned out<br />
to be essential to doing it successfully. Not<br />
knowing him allowed me not to make the<br />
mistake <strong>of</strong> trusting his version <strong>of</strong> events.”<br />
He later approached Random House<br />
with the idea <strong>of</strong> celebrating the 50th anniversaries<br />
<strong>of</strong> How the Grinch Stole Christmas<br />
and Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories with<br />
ARTWORK PROVIDED BY RANDOM HOUSE<br />
special editions <strong>of</strong> the books. Cohen provided<br />
images and commentary to show, for<br />
example, how the Grinch evolved from a<br />
pucker-mouthed character in an advertisement<br />
for sugar to the familiar green sourpuss<br />
with more than a passing dislike for the<br />
December holiday. More special editions are<br />
in the works.<br />
There is not much overlap between his<br />
dental practice and his passion for Seuss, although<br />
you will fi nd copies <strong>of</strong> Cohen’s books<br />
among the usual magazines in his waiting<br />
room, and a couple <strong>of</strong> cels from the animated<br />
production <strong>of</strong> The Lorax, mounted at<br />
kid’s eye level. Cohen fears that a reputation<br />
as the “Dr. Seuss dentist” would lead to an<br />
exclusively pediatric practice, which he says<br />
he would fi nd “too limiting.”<br />
And Cohen doesn’t like to be limited.<br />
He studied postmodern literature as an undergraduate,<br />
but, as later witnessed by his<br />
methodical search for empirical data about<br />
Seuss, he also had an appreciation for scientifi<br />
c discovery. <strong>Dentistry</strong> was his father’s suggestion.<br />
“I thought he’d gone insane when he<br />
mentioned it,” Cohen says. Yet the fi t made<br />
sense. “<strong>Dentistry</strong> keeps me grounded in science,<br />
in mechanical precision work, and<br />
attuned to people’s diffi culties and needs—<br />
all <strong>of</strong> which are important to me as a wellrounded<br />
and caring person.”<br />
Shades <strong>of</strong> Dr. Seuss’s fantastical<br />
creatures were evident in Theodor<br />
Geisel’s early work, clockwise from<br />
left: part <strong>of</strong> an Esso campaign for<br />
marine motor oil; an ad promoting<br />
the anti-knock properties <strong>of</strong> auto<br />
lubricant; an editorial cartoon with<br />
an anti-Prohibition slant; and a<br />
subway card for Flit Bug Spray.<br />
Like Seuss, Cohen finds many outlets<br />
for his creativity. When he was doing postgraduate<br />
work in orthodontics, a moment<br />
<strong>of</strong> boredom would fi nd him bending wire<br />
meant for braces into more elaborate designs.<br />
Soon he was selling them as earrings<br />
to a jeweler. His interest in the arts has led to<br />
several one-man shows <strong>of</strong> his own paintings,<br />
photography and sculptures, and a number<br />
<strong>of</strong> literary and musical compositions.<br />
He says he and his wife, Margarita, joke<br />
about her putting up with his obsession,<br />
which takes a lot <strong>of</strong> his time and resources.<br />
“If there was no money spent on Seussiana,<br />
our house would long ago have been repainted,<br />
and the hideous linoleum in our<br />
kitchen would have disappeared,” Cohen<br />
says. But he thinks his wife is also proud <strong>of</strong><br />
what he has been able to accomplish. “She<br />
knows that I’m very seriously touched by the<br />
fl eetingness <strong>of</strong> mortality and that it means a<br />
great deal to me to have created things that<br />
will live on in libraries and potentially be <strong>of</strong><br />
use to people long after we’re gone.”<br />
And so he revels in the acquisition <strong>of</strong> a paper<br />
fl yswatter advertising Flit Bug Spray, fascinated<br />
that no one had the sense to throw it<br />
out back in 1931, and begins a search for<br />
the dozen or so Dr. Seuss books he recently<br />
learned had been translated into Persian. By<br />
the way, if you happen to have a copy <strong>of</strong> the<br />
1952 Serbo-Croatian edition <strong>of</strong> Thidwick,<br />
The Big-Hearted Moose or a fl ag from Seuss’s<br />
1937 Esso Marine Navy ad campaign cluttering<br />
up your closet, Cohen would like to<br />
hear from you.<br />
Blame it on an overdose <strong>of</strong> anapestic<br />
tetrameter, but Geisel’s style has certainly<br />
drummed its way into Cohen’s brain. Asked<br />
how he stores his collection, he responds<br />
with a Seuss-worthy tale: “For security reasons,<br />
the collection is moved to a new location<br />
each day. One day last week, for example,<br />
it was kept in a self-storage unit in Havre<br />
de Grace, Maryland, carefully watched by a<br />
solitary chimney sweep with acromegaly,<br />
and the next day it was moved to a quonset<br />
hut in Corfu, Greece, guarded by frilled<br />
sharks and coelacanths.”<br />
Someday, Cohen says, he might like to<br />
open a museum for it somewhere. I hear<br />
Über Gletch is in the running. TDM<br />
Julie Flaherty, a senior health sciences<br />
writer in <strong>Tufts</strong>’ Offi ce <strong>of</strong> Publications, can be<br />
reached at julie.fl aherty@tufts.edu.<br />
winter 2009 tufts dental medicine 13
Age<br />
<strong>Dentistry</strong><br />
With 76 million baby boomers headed into their 60s,<br />
the need for geriatric care will only escalate<br />
n the late 1970s and early 1980s, pr<strong>of</strong>essor athena papas went door-to-door in<br />
<strong>Tufts</strong>’ neighboring communities, dragging mobile dental equipment up fl ights <strong>of</strong> stairs<br />
to provide oral health care to some <strong>of</strong> the city’s neediest senior citizens. On one <strong>of</strong> her<br />
visits, Papas met a man who needed eight fi llings across the front <strong>of</strong> his upper teeth. The<br />
decay had not only affected his appearance, but his demeanor. She suspects that was<br />
one reason his children had stopped visiting. “When your teeth aren’t right, you don’t<br />
smile as much, and others don’t react as well to you,” she says. “You can become this dour<br />
person without realizing it.”<br />
14 tufts dental medicine winter 2009<br />
Poor oral health can indeed trigger a downward spiral in the elderly, who <strong>of</strong>ten become<br />
self-conscious about their speech or appearance and withdraw from social situations,<br />
including seeking out dental and medical care. With funding from the government and<br />
foundations, Papas, J67, established a geriatric outreach program to serve the homebound<br />
elderly, hoping to break that cycle and bring her patients out <strong>of</strong> their apartments.<br />
Papas still remembers the broad smile the man fl ashed after she treated his extensive<br />
decay. “It motivated him to go out more.” But when the government money dried up, so did<br />
many <strong>of</strong> the outreach programs. “It was very hard for me,” she says.<br />
BY JULIE FLAHERTY & JACQUELINE MITCHELL<br />
PHOTOS BY LAURA BARISONZI
An important component <strong>of</strong><br />
caring for the elderly is a detailed<br />
medical assessment. Here<br />
Amanda Fix, D10, checks her<br />
patient’s blood pressure.<br />
winter 2009 tufts dental medicine 15
Today, the situation is just as grave, if<br />
not more so. With 76 million baby boomers<br />
poised to enter their 60s, the need for geriatric<br />
dental care will only increase. Since<br />
1990, the proportion <strong>of</strong> American citizens<br />
over age 65 has tripled. And unlike previous<br />
generations, nearly three-quarters <strong>of</strong><br />
today’s senior citizens retain many <strong>of</strong> their<br />
natural teeth.<br />
But funding for care is just as scarce as it<br />
was 30 years ago. Just 15 percent <strong>of</strong> people<br />
ages 65 and older have dental insurance,<br />
with Medicare picking up none <strong>of</strong> the tab<br />
and Medicaid coverage varying widely<br />
from state to state. Moreover, misconceptions<br />
about aging and teeth persist, among<br />
the public as well as dentists. At <strong>Tufts</strong><br />
<strong>University</strong> <strong>School</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> <strong>Medicine</strong>, faculty<br />
who focus on geriatric dentistry are<br />
banking on a unique combination <strong>of</strong> education,<br />
research and outreach to prepare<br />
the next generation <strong>of</strong> dentists to handle<br />
the intricacies <strong>of</strong> caring for the elderly.<br />
NOTIONS ABOUT AGING<br />
At <strong>Tufts</strong>, the third-year rotation in geriatric<br />
dentistry is as much about appreciating the<br />
complexities <strong>of</strong> aging as it is about teeth.<br />
Sometimes the dentistry is straightforward.<br />
When it isn’t, Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Hilde Tillman, D49,<br />
the course director, is happy to <strong>of</strong>fer advice<br />
about treatment planning and management.<br />
Perhaps more important to Tillman<br />
is teaching students to challenge their assumptions<br />
about getting older.<br />
She tells them about the geriatric clinic’s<br />
oldest patient, who turned 102 during his<br />
treatment. “He came to us because he needed<br />
new dentures,” Tillman says. “He was<br />
in custodial care because he had outlived<br />
most <strong>of</strong> his contemporaries, but he was<br />
completely independent. He was very well<br />
dressed. Whenever he came to the clinic, he<br />
had on a shirt and tie and hat.” She does not<br />
hide her pride.<br />
Tillman developed <strong>Tufts</strong>’ geriatric dentistry<br />
program nearly three decades ago,<br />
building on Papas’ education and outreach<br />
efforts with the help <strong>of</strong> a $1 million grant<br />
from the National Institutes <strong>of</strong> Health.<br />
The course includes lectures on nutrition,<br />
exercise, cognitive disorders, stroke, cancer,<br />
periodontal disease, endodontics and<br />
rehabilitation—all as they relate to aging<br />
16 tufts dental medicine winter 2009<br />
“ Older people are survivors. They have<br />
and dentistry. The course is a prelude to a<br />
rotation in the geriatric clinic and an opportunity<br />
to provide dental screenings for<br />
senior citizens in the community.<br />
“Certainly the program has changed a lot<br />
from when we fi rst started it,” says Tillman.<br />
“Students used to say, ‘That’s the chance to<br />
get a denture patient.’ We know now that<br />
with good care and prevention, teeth can be<br />
maintained throughout life.”<br />
Each week, Tillman and her students go<br />
over the cases they have seen in the clinic,<br />
discussing radiographs, medical histories<br />
and possible drug interactions. They also<br />
talk about the patient’s broader life: Does<br />
he work? Does he use a cane or a wheelchair?<br />
How is his diet? Does he eat alone?<br />
The answers can make or break a treatment<br />
plan. The students learn about adaptive de-<br />
vices that can help patients with arthritis or<br />
stroke-related paralysis hold a toothbrush<br />
or use dental floss. Tillman stresses the<br />
team approach, with frequent consultations<br />
with physicians, psychiatrists, physiotherapists<br />
and occupational and speech<br />
therapists.<br />
Tillman asks the students if they think<br />
their patient’s physiological age matches his<br />
chronological age. The students are hesitant<br />
at fi rst—this wasn’t covered in a textbook—<br />
but soon realize she is asking them to question<br />
what they think they know about how<br />
a 60-, 70- or 80-year-old looks and acts.<br />
Tillman tells the students not to be intimidated<br />
by the long lists <strong>of</strong> conditions<br />
their patients have been treated for, such as<br />
high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes<br />
or even cancer. “Older people are survivors,”<br />
she says. “They have survived many<br />
things, medical issues, dental issues.”<br />
Students are well prepared for the<br />
medical challenges <strong>of</strong> the aging patient.<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Kanchan Ganda, who came to<br />
<strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> <strong>School</strong> in 1980 and became<br />
the fi rst full-time physician faculty member<br />
in 1991, estimates that as many as eight<br />
or nine out <strong>of</strong> every 10 patients at the <strong>Tufts</strong><br />
clinic are medically compromised. The<br />
clinic cares for many patients with hypertension,<br />
diabetes, heart disease, HIV or<br />
cancer “because we’re recognized as a hub<br />
<strong>of</strong> optimal care for medically compromised<br />
patients,” says Ganda. “Many have one or<br />
more disease states; many take one or more<br />
medications.”<br />
Since 1991, <strong>Tufts</strong> students have taken<br />
medical classes in all four years <strong>of</strong> dental<br />
school. The program, developed by Ganda,
survived many things, medical issues, dental issues.” —hilde tillman<br />
teaches students to recognize the symptoms<br />
<strong>of</strong> common diseases, which lab tests can be<br />
used to assess them, and the best anesthetics,<br />
analgesics and antibiotics to treat them.<br />
Specialists from <strong>Tufts</strong> Medical Center lecture<br />
on subjects as diverse as rheumatology,<br />
cardiology, liver disease, emergency<br />
medicine, immunology and even domestic<br />
violence. Third-year dental students have<br />
fi ve weeks <strong>of</strong> rotation through 26 specialties<br />
at <strong>Tufts</strong> Medical Center and the Joslin<br />
Diabetes Center, where they shadow clinicians<br />
and learn fi rsthand about caring for<br />
the medically compromised patient.<br />
Opposite page: Seungho Choi, D10, reviews a treatment plan with a<br />
patient in <strong>Tufts</strong>’ geriatric clinic. This page: Nicholas Barone, D10, (top)<br />
and Mary Qian, D10, (bottom) with their patients.<br />
“Through all four years, we include pediatric,<br />
adult and elderly populations right<br />
<strong>of</strong>f the bat,” Ganda says. “No matter what<br />
age bracket a student is treating, he or she<br />
needs to recognize the needs specifi c for<br />
that population and apply that information<br />
to provide optimal patient care. With<br />
patients living longer, people are coming in<br />
on lots more medications, people who still<br />
have viable dentition.”<br />
With elderly patients in particular, students<br />
need to be aware <strong>of</strong> the status <strong>of</strong> the<br />
liver, kidneys and heart and the need to alter<br />
doses <strong>of</strong> medications prescribed in the<br />
dental setting based on those organs’ functional<br />
capacity. Students learn how elderly<br />
patients with Alzheimer’s or dementia may<br />
have to be managed differently. They learn<br />
to coordinate patient care. “All the disciplines<br />
have to come together,” says Ganda.<br />
“We do not have tunnel vision as far as patient<br />
care is concerned.”<br />
THE JOGGING GRANNY<br />
If dental students remember nothing else<br />
from Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Carole Palmer’s lecture<br />
on nutrition and aging, they remember<br />
this: Palmer dressed in a white wig, granny<br />
glasses and sneakers taking a brisk jog<br />
around the classroom. The character, based<br />
on her vibrant aunt, who lived to be 93, is a<br />
reminder that the aging process varies from<br />
person to person.<br />
“Please don’t stereotype anybody,” says<br />
Palmer, G69, N69. “Some people are very<br />
old when they are young; some are young<br />
when they are old. Some <strong>of</strong> it is health issues.<br />
Some <strong>of</strong> it is genetics. Some <strong>of</strong> it is<br />
lifestyle. Some <strong>of</strong> it is attitude. A lot <strong>of</strong> it is<br />
unknown.<br />
“What you don’t want to do is make an<br />
assumption based on your knowledge <strong>of</strong><br />
your grandmother,” she says. “There are senior<br />
citizens running marathons today.”<br />
Palmer is not surprised when dental<br />
students make assumptions about doddering<br />
old folks. (“When you’re twenty, fi fty is<br />
old,” she says.) Yet there are misconceptions<br />
on both sides <strong>of</strong> the age divide. Many senior<br />
citizens themselves believe the myths about<br />
aging: That your mouth dries up just because<br />
you’re old. That you eventually lose<br />
all your teeth. That once you get dentures,<br />
you no longer need to go to the dentist.<br />
Research in recent years has disproved<br />
those beliefs and shown how crucial dental<br />
care is to the quality <strong>of</strong> life as we age.<br />
Take nutrition. Thanks to <strong>Tufts</strong> researchers<br />
like Papas, we now know that missing<br />
teeth or ill-fi tting dentures can have a huge<br />
impact on dietary quality. In collaboration<br />
with researchers from the Jean Mayer<br />
USDA Human Nutrition Research Center<br />
on Aging at <strong>Tufts</strong>, Papas examined the relationship<br />
between tooth loss and nutrition<br />
in 691 elderly mostly Caucasian Bostonians.<br />
The team asked volunteers to fi ll out lifestyle<br />
surveys, which asked, among other things,<br />
whether they wore full or partial dentures.<br />
The researchers drew their blood and asked<br />
them to keep three-day food diaries.<br />
After analyzing the data, Papas and her<br />
<strong>Tufts</strong> colleagues, including Palmer, Maureen<br />
Rounds and Robert Russell, found that denture-wearers<br />
reported significantly more<br />
diffi culty eating. Not surprisingly, men who<br />
wore dentures consumed far less vitamin<br />
A, vitamin C, vitamin B6, folate, protein<br />
and calcium than their counterparts, while<br />
denture-wearing women took in less calcium<br />
and protein than their peers. Worse,<br />
a follow-up study six years later showed the<br />
denture-wearers were more likely to have<br />
died than those without dentures. About<br />
winter 2009 tufts dental medicine 17
80 percent <strong>of</strong> denture-wearers survived the<br />
six-year span compared with more than 90<br />
percent <strong>of</strong> the dentate study subjects.<br />
Why would this be? After all, “a s<strong>of</strong>t<br />
diet can be perfectly healthy,” Palmer says.<br />
People who have trouble chewing steak<br />
can switch to hamburger; if raw carrots<br />
are diffi cult to chew, cooked carrots will<br />
do the job. But too <strong>of</strong>ten, older adults fall<br />
into the “tea-and-toast” syndrome, where<br />
s<strong>of</strong>t foods like toast, muffi ns and donuts<br />
become the fallback, washed down with<br />
sips <strong>of</strong> c<strong>of</strong>fee or tea. As their nutrition declines,<br />
they may start to feel more fatigued<br />
or ill, symptoms they may write <strong>of</strong>f as just<br />
another part <strong>of</strong> getting older.<br />
Published in the journal Special Care in<br />
<strong>Dentistry</strong> in 1998, this landmark study underscores<br />
the importance <strong>of</strong> keeping your<br />
teeth as long as possible.<br />
Papas’ research has also improved our<br />
understanding <strong>of</strong> dry mouth. Once thought<br />
to be an inevitable result <strong>of</strong> aging, dry<br />
mouth is most <strong>of</strong>ten a side effect <strong>of</strong> what<br />
you’ll fi nd in a senior citizen’s medicine<br />
cabinet: prescription drugs. More than 700<br />
medications cause dry mouth, or xerostomia,<br />
the decreased salivary fl ow that puts<br />
teeth at higher risk for decay. Among the<br />
culprits are the pills commonly taken to<br />
manage cholesterol, hypertension, asthma<br />
and depression. In her research on medications,<br />
dry mouth and oral health in the elderly,<br />
Papas <strong>of</strong>ten fi nds it diffi cult to recruit<br />
enough study subjects for her control group.<br />
“The hardest population to fi nd is people<br />
over 65 on no medications,” she says.<br />
Drugs are not the only cause. For about 4<br />
million Americans over age 40, an autoimmune<br />
disease known as Sjögren’s syndrome<br />
is at the root <strong>of</strong> the dry mouth. The disease<br />
causes the body to attack the tear ducts and<br />
salivary glands, producing extreme cases <strong>of</strong><br />
dry eyes and dry mouth. Ninety percent <strong>of</strong><br />
sufferers are postmenopausal women, says<br />
Papas, who has been researching the disorder<br />
for more than 20 years. “Many women<br />
go years before they get diagnosed,” she says.<br />
“It was almost unheard <strong>of</strong> when I started.”<br />
In a normal mouth, teeth are continuously<br />
bathed in saliva, which contains<br />
antimicrobial compounds that stave <strong>of</strong>f<br />
decay. So whether xerostomia stems from<br />
prescription drug use or from Sjögren’s,<br />
18 tufts dental medicine winter 2009<br />
dry mouth leaves teeth at increased risk for<br />
decay, especially at the roots. Additionally,<br />
Papas says, patients with dry mouth tend to<br />
eat more sweets—hard candy, sugared soda<br />
or ice cream—to sooth the discomfort associated<br />
with xerostomia. To combat this<br />
vicious cycle, Papas has been researching<br />
ways to prevent cavities and root decay in<br />
people suffering from dry mouth, as well as<br />
ways to restore damaged teeth.<br />
As part <strong>of</strong> a multi-center research project,<br />
Papas and her colleagues tested a varnish<br />
for its effectiveness in warding <strong>of</strong>f<br />
caries in dry-mouth patients. Though the<br />
varnish—containing a chemical called<br />
chlorhexidine—had little effect on the<br />
crown <strong>of</strong> the teeth, it did reduce the incidence<br />
<strong>of</strong> root caries by more than 40 percent<br />
and overall decay by 25 percent. Their<br />
work was published in 2000 in the journal<br />
Gerontology. Papas currently has an $11<br />
million grant to further investigate the<br />
protective coating.<br />
“Root decay is a huge issue in the elderly,”<br />
says Papas. “Our studies are among the<br />
fi rst to identify early decay and learn how to<br />
re-mineralize” problem areas.<br />
Since the 1980s, Papas has been investigating<br />
ways to restore teeth at risk for<br />
decay. In 1999, she and her colleagues at<br />
<strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>School</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> <strong>Medicine</strong> and at the<br />
Forsyth Institute reported in the journal<br />
Gerodontology that toothpaste containing<br />
soluble calcium and phosphate ions, in addition<br />
to fl uoride, showed some ability to<br />
remineralize teeth at risk for decay.<br />
THE ISSUE OF ACCESS<br />
In one <strong>of</strong> her earliest research projects,<br />
Papas screened more than 2,000 residents <strong>of</strong><br />
30 Massachusetts nursing homes. She found<br />
a “huge, unmet need.” Her resulting report,<br />
a position paper for the Commonwealth <strong>of</strong><br />
Massachusetts, led to legislation requiring
Opposite page: Quyen Tran, D10, palpates her patient’s neck,<br />
while Jinju Song, D10, makes a notation in her chart. Above:<br />
Ju-yong Chung, D10, examines an elderly man in the <strong>Tufts</strong> clinic.<br />
Below: A patient’s smile says it all<br />
oral exams for nursing home residents at<br />
least once a year.<br />
But 25 years later, that great need still<br />
exists among Massachusetts’ elderly. Access<br />
to dental care is a major issue for older<br />
Americans. About 5 percent <strong>of</strong> the elderly<br />
live in long-term care settings, and another<br />
5 to 10 percent <strong>of</strong> the population is homebound.<br />
People who may have had dental<br />
insurance through their employers typically<br />
lose it when they retire, and Medicare<br />
does not cover dental care at all. Too <strong>of</strong>ten,<br />
senior citizens forego dental visits because<br />
<strong>of</strong> the expense.<br />
“We focus a lot <strong>of</strong> our public health<br />
efforts on children, which is important,<br />
but we need to focus equally on the older<br />
population,” says Catherine Hayes, D87,<br />
chair <strong>of</strong> the dental school’s department <strong>of</strong><br />
public health and community service. “At<br />
least children are in the system—they are<br />
in schools, and we do school-based programs.<br />
Whereas the elders, they may be<br />
living alone. They just may not be in the<br />
system at all.”<br />
Older adults are also more likely to suffer<br />
medical consequences from poor oral<br />
health, and vice versa. Diabetics, for example,<br />
are more prone to gum disease and<br />
abscesses. And although the causal relationship<br />
is not known, there is a reported<br />
link between periodontal disease and cardiovascular<br />
disease.<br />
“One mistake that people make—and<br />
it’s an understandable mistake—is that if<br />
they don’t have teeth, they don’t think they<br />
need to go to the dentist,” Hayes says. Yet<br />
the golden years are exactly when patients<br />
are at increased risk for serious illnesses.<br />
Oral cancer has a very low survival rate<br />
relative to other types <strong>of</strong> cancer, specifi cally<br />
because it is <strong>of</strong>ten diagnosed at the later<br />
stages. Yet if it is detected early enough, it<br />
is very treatable. “Even if [elderly patients]<br />
have dentures, it is important to go back to<br />
the dentist for routine cancer screening,<br />
and to have them look under the denture to<br />
make sure there are no sores or signs <strong>of</strong> oral<br />
cancer,” she says.<br />
Senior citizens <strong>of</strong>ten see their physician<br />
more than their dentist because they<br />
do have medical coverage under Medicare.<br />
“What would be wonderful to see is the<br />
same coverage for dental care,” Hayes says.<br />
But there is little promise <strong>of</strong> that in the near<br />
future. With health issues like HIV and<br />
cancer already competing for available resources,<br />
“oral health falls to the bottom <strong>of</strong><br />
the priority list,” she says.<br />
Students at <strong>Tufts</strong> aside, dentists-intraining<br />
don’t receive enough instruction in<br />
geriatrics, Hayes says. “It’s not a recognized<br />
specialty like endodontics or pediatric dentistry<br />
or orthodontics. However, there is<br />
special training you can have for geriatric<br />
patients, which would serve anybody well.<br />
I would say Dr. Tillman’s program is one<br />
<strong>of</strong> the most extensive pre-doctoral geriatric<br />
programs in a dental school.”<br />
The goal is to take the program even<br />
farther. Tillman has drawn up plans for<br />
a fellowship program that would allow a<br />
small number <strong>of</strong> students to devote a year<br />
to geriatric dentistry. The details have all<br />
been spelled out. All that’s needed is the<br />
funding.<br />
In addition, “we need to do a better job<br />
<strong>of</strong> educating the public as a whole,” Hayes<br />
says. “We have to have better [health] coverage<br />
for seniors. There should be coverage<br />
for people to be able to see a dentist on a<br />
regular basis for prevention and interventions,<br />
and hopefully those interventions<br />
will be fewer and less complicated. What<br />
other disease do you know that you can<br />
completely prevent? If you do adequate<br />
home care and make regular visits to your<br />
dentist, you could be disease-free.”<br />
Is the dental pr<strong>of</strong>ession as a whole doing<br />
a good job <strong>of</strong> caring for its elders? “Yes, but<br />
not enough,” Tillman says. “We could do<br />
better”—specifi cally, more research on geriatric<br />
treatment, and more dentists to focus<br />
on it. Above all, “programs like this need to<br />
continue,” she says.<br />
winter 2009 tufts dental medicine 19
Senior citizens <strong>of</strong>ten see their physician more than their dentist<br />
“What would be wonderful to see<br />
OUT IN THE WORLD<br />
Every Thursday, Tillman takes fi ve thirdyear<br />
<strong>Tufts</strong> students into the community to<br />
conduct oral health and cancer screenings<br />
on senior citizens. They go to a different<br />
location each week, visiting senior centers,<br />
churches, homeless shelters and senior day<br />
care centers around Greater Boston. They<br />
see about 200 patients each year, and 90<br />
percent <strong>of</strong> them need dental work.<br />
“Some have private dentists, but most<br />
<strong>of</strong> them do not,” Tillman says. “And unfortunately,<br />
some <strong>of</strong> the private dentists don’t<br />
take the time that should be taken with<br />
them.”<br />
At an outreach in Roxbury, Mass., on a<br />
rainy December day, several men and women<br />
have come for the screening. The students<br />
feel the lymph nodes in the neck, and<br />
check the tongue and palate for sores. They<br />
evaluate the dentures and partials, and even<br />
demonstrate the right way to brush.<br />
One <strong>of</strong> the seniors takes her dentures out<br />
<strong>of</strong> a handkerchief in her pocket. Although<br />
the dentures are less than two years old, she<br />
never wears them because they are painful.<br />
“I’m ashamed to open my mouth,” she says<br />
as she lets one <strong>of</strong> the students examine her.<br />
Bony protrusions in her mouth are causing<br />
part <strong>of</strong> the problem. The possibility <strong>of</strong> surgery<br />
comes up. “Do surgery? I’m too old for<br />
that,” she says. But she says she is willing to<br />
visit the <strong>Tufts</strong> clinic, where she can have a<br />
full exam and X-rays.<br />
“The prosthesis is not as good as the natural<br />
dentition,” Tillman says. “It’s important<br />
to teach the patient very carefully what<br />
to expect, what the limitations are, how<br />
to adjust. There are fi ve steps in making a<br />
denture, so you have at least fi ve sessions to<br />
make the patient aware <strong>of</strong> what to expect<br />
<strong>of</strong> their denture, just as you have to teach<br />
somebody to use an artifi cial leg.”<br />
Another patient knows she needs new<br />
dentures: she has had the same false teeth<br />
for 20 years. “They are worn down, down,<br />
down,” she says. But even with the reduced<br />
fees charged by the <strong>Tufts</strong> clinic, she is afraid<br />
she will be unable to afford new ones.<br />
Rattanjit Kamboj, D10, screens another<br />
woman and finds two decayed molars.<br />
“When you lose those, you really lose your<br />
ability to chew,” he says later. “It’s a huge<br />
quality-<strong>of</strong>-life problem. I told her to come<br />
20 tufts dental medicine winter 2009<br />
in [to the clinic], and we’ll at least tell her<br />
what needs to be done. She says she’s having<br />
diffi culties right now; she’s taking care<br />
<strong>of</strong> her mother, who is dying. I understand<br />
where she is coming from, but … right now<br />
it’s a savable tooth. But if she lets it keep going,<br />
it’s going to become a hopeless tooth.<br />
I gave her my card and a pamphlet. I hope<br />
she comes in.”<br />
The work can be diffi cult, even heartbreaking.<br />
Tillman remembers an outreach<br />
visit to a nursing home, where the <strong>Tufts</strong> students<br />
approached a woman who was clearly<br />
edentulous and asked if she would like to<br />
have some teeth made.<br />
“She looked at us with a straight face and<br />
said, ‘I’ve been put here to die. What do I<br />
need teeth for?’ ” Tillman says.<br />
They continued with their screenings,<br />
making plans for several <strong>of</strong> the other seniors<br />
to come to <strong>Tufts</strong> for treatment. Tillman recalls:<br />
“By the time we were ready to go, the<br />
woman called to us and said, ‘Where are all<br />
these people going?’ I said, ‘They are going<br />
to <strong>Tufts</strong>—would you like to come?’ ‘I think<br />
I might.’ Well, she did come to <strong>Tufts</strong>, and<br />
we did make dentures for her. And it was<br />
an important point for her. All <strong>of</strong> a sudden<br />
there was light at the end <strong>of</strong> the tunnel.<br />
Because somebody cared, someone thought<br />
her life mattered.”<br />
BRACES AT 80<br />
Senior citizens today visit the dentist more<br />
<strong>of</strong>ten than their parents did, so there is the<br />
assumption that as the baby boomers age,<br />
they will bring with them an awareness<br />
<strong>of</strong> the importance <strong>of</strong> oral health. Tillman<br />
wants to see more patients like the one<br />
Caitlin White, D09, worked with in the<br />
Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Hilde Tillman, below right, who developed <strong>Tufts</strong>’ geriatric<br />
dentistry program nearly 30 years ago, says the pr<strong>of</strong>ession needs more<br />
dentists to focus on treating the elderly. With her is Pablo Gonzalez,<br />
D10, and his patient. Opposite page: Every Thursday, third-year students<br />
go into the community to do oral health and cancer screenings for senior<br />
citizens in Greater Boston.
ecause they do have medical coverage under Medicare.<br />
is the same coverage for dental care.” —catherine hayes<br />
<strong>Tufts</strong> clinic. At age 84, he still has 28 <strong>of</strong> his<br />
own teeth and is determined to keep them.<br />
“He really takes pride in them,” White says.<br />
“He was very curious and wanted to review<br />
little things no one had ever gone over with<br />
him before.” White, the daughter <strong>of</strong> two<br />
dentists (Charon Brinning White, J74, D78,<br />
is her mom) was glad to oblige, and the<br />
two struck up a relationship that has lasted<br />
long after White’s weeklong rotation in geriatric<br />
dentistry. “He brings in newspaper<br />
clippings for me and wants to know which<br />
mouth rinse is the best,” says White.<br />
In addition to discussing medications<br />
(he brought her an itemized list), they talked<br />
about lifestyle concerns such as diet and<br />
nutrition and manual dexterity. Though<br />
he was in good overall health, he did have<br />
one or two teeth he was in danger <strong>of</strong> losing.<br />
Because <strong>of</strong> his age, White wanted to avoid<br />
putting him through extensive restoration.<br />
With her coaching and his careful attention<br />
to her hygiene lessons, the pair was able to<br />
keep the area <strong>of</strong> concern healthy.<br />
Now when he comes in for his followups,<br />
he brings White a detailed list <strong>of</strong> his<br />
oral hygiene routine. “I know he cares<br />
about it,” says White, “and that makes me<br />
feel good.”<br />
For Michael Butera, D10, working with<br />
an older patient helped him see the meaning<br />
<strong>of</strong> all his years <strong>of</strong> education. Among Butera’s<br />
fi rst patients was a woman in her late 50s<br />
with full dentures that weren’t working for<br />
her. The lower plate slipped around in her<br />
mouth, making it diffi cult for her to chew<br />
her food. Butera thought his patient would<br />
be happier with a new set <strong>of</strong> dentures, with<br />
the lower plate supported by implants to<br />
keep it fi rmly in place. The patient, who<br />
had the implant surgery in January, loves<br />
her new teeth. Butera is just as pleased. “We<br />
spent the fi rst two years [<strong>of</strong> dental school]<br />
so focused on textbooks,” he says. “It’s nice<br />
to see that what we’ve learned can really<br />
make a difference in people’s lives.”<br />
A common assumption—among both<br />
young and old—is that once the skin starts<br />
to sag and the hair starts to gray, people<br />
shouldn’t invest time or money in their appearance.<br />
“If somebody says to me, ‘I don’t<br />
care how I look,’ that’s not what they mean,”<br />
Tillman says. “I say, ‘Everybody cares. Why<br />
wouldn’t you care?’ And they usually smile.<br />
Of course they care. Aesthetics are important,<br />
as important as function.”<br />
She remembers an Alzheimer’s patient<br />
she worked with some years ago, a<br />
nursing home resident who needed dentures.<br />
Because he rarely spoke, he never said<br />
whether he liked or even cared about his<br />
new teeth. But then the nursing home staff<br />
noticed something unusual: Where he used<br />
to take his tray to his room and eat alone,<br />
he suddenly began eating his meals in the<br />
dining room with the other residents. On<br />
some level, Tillman knew, his self-esteem<br />
had received a boost.<br />
Kanchan Ganda says she has seen more<br />
elderly patients go beyond routine care.<br />
“These patients feel more comfortable here<br />
because they see the depth <strong>of</strong> patient assessment<br />
here, and they feel confi dent that<br />
their needs will be optimally recognized<br />
and managed,” she says.<br />
An 80-year-old may choose to get braces<br />
to straighten a smile; a 90-year-old can opt<br />
for implants. If a patient is interested in either,<br />
“always get a consult,” Tillman tells<br />
her students. “There is no reason why not.<br />
Age is not an issue.”<br />
Above all, Tillman encourages the students<br />
to advocate for their patients. “We<br />
can maintain our mouths through our life.<br />
That’s very important in relation to nutrition,<br />
chronic diseases, cancer. So we have a<br />
very important contribution to make,” she<br />
tells the students. “You’re a critical member<br />
<strong>of</strong> the health-delivery team. Don’t forget<br />
that. Physicians, they cannot give people<br />
a new heart that easily, not yet. But even<br />
when teeth are lost, we can usually restore<br />
oral health.”<br />
And even when longevity is in question,<br />
dental care should not be neglected.<br />
Tillman recalls a geriatric patient who had<br />
a malignancy. His prognosis was not good,<br />
but he needed new dentures. The student<br />
working with him asked Tillman for advice.<br />
“I said we’ll make him new dentures,”<br />
she says. “Whatever comfort he gets out <strong>of</strong><br />
that, it’s valuable. None <strong>of</strong> us can look in the<br />
crystal ball and see how long we can live.”<br />
She is not sure how long he was able to enjoy<br />
the dentures, but that wasn’t the point. “It’s<br />
important to have them feel that we think<br />
their life has value,” she says, “and that we’re<br />
going to fi ght with them to the end.” TDM<br />
Julie Flaherty and Jacqueline Mitchell are<br />
senior health sciences writers in <strong>Tufts</strong>’ Offi ce<br />
<strong>of</strong> Publications.<br />
winter 2009 tufts dental medicine 21
BY JULIE FLAHERTY PHOTOGRAPH BY MARK OSTOW<br />
Joseph O’Donnell, DG74, goes<br />
by a couple <strong>of</strong> aliases these days. As “Dr. Joe” he has<br />
compassionately cared for thousands <strong>of</strong> children in<br />
his more than three decades as a pediatric dentist. But<br />
grown-ups may soon know him as “JP O’Donnell,” the<br />
novelist with a taste for murder.<br />
Fatal Gamble, which he published through iUniverse.com<br />
in December, is a detective story populated<br />
by a corrupt politician, a cynical policeman and<br />
some hard-hitting mobsters. The seemingly innocent<br />
What made a mild-mannered pediatric<br />
dentist turn to a life <strong>of</strong> (literary) crime?<br />
He Wrote<br />
inspiration grew out <strong>of</strong> O’Donnell’s successful endeavor<br />
in the 1980s, with a group <strong>of</strong> medical colleagues and<br />
local businessmen, to build a medical <strong>of</strong>fi ce building<br />
in quiet Winchester, Mass. In the fi ctional account,<br />
Jonathan Becker, a pediatrician who is “loved and respected<br />
by the entire community,” is inexplicably shot<br />
in the building parking lot as he arrives at work early<br />
one morning. Then his real estate partners begin dying<br />
mysteriously. Private investigator Daniel Gallagher is<br />
called in on the case.<br />
winter 2009 tufts dental medicine 23
Dr. Becker bears more than a passing resemblance to O’Donnell. They<br />
like the same cereal, drive the same model car, listen to the same radio station<br />
and live in the same town <strong>of</strong> Bedford, Mass. And O’Donnell, an associate clinical<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> pediatric dentistry at <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> <strong>School</strong>, is equally esteemed by the<br />
community. Prior to founding his thriving practices in Winchester and Reading,<br />
he was the chief <strong>of</strong> pediatric dentistry at <strong>Tufts</strong> Medical Center, and was lauded for<br />
his public service as the fi rst dentist-in-chief <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> Facilities for persons<br />
with special needs, a program he helped develop.<br />
What would induce a kindhearted children’s dentist to write about hitmen and<br />
harlots? Whatever the motivation, it hasn’t gone away. O’Donnell says his second<br />
book, Deadly Codes, a sequel published in January, is even spicier than the fi rst.<br />
TDM: Have you always wanted to be a<br />
mystery writer?<br />
A: I did a lot <strong>of</strong> writing in my career, but<br />
as a dentist. I wrote articles on pediatric oral<br />
pathology and a clinical study on sealants.<br />
I was the editor <strong>of</strong> a manual on preventive<br />
dentistry for special needs patients. I enjoyed<br />
writing those types <strong>of</strong> articles. But<br />
then I wrote an article on the management<br />
<strong>of</strong> pediatric dental trauma for the Journal<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Massachusetts <strong>Dental</strong> Society, and the<br />
International College <strong>of</strong> Dentists recognized<br />
that journal with the Golden Pen award. It<br />
was so satisfying to have somebody say I was<br />
a good writer.<br />
So in 2006, when my wife, Ronney, and<br />
I were vacationing at the beach in Florida, I<br />
turned to her and said, “I think I’m going to<br />
try something different.” And when you’ve<br />
been married for 30 years and you tell your<br />
wife you’re going to try something different,<br />
it gets her attention.<br />
TDM: Was she enthusiastic?<br />
A: She said, “What do you know about<br />
writing a mystery novel?” I said, “Nothing,<br />
but I have this story about our building,<br />
and I think I could fi ctionalize it.” She said,<br />
“You’re crazy. You don’t even read mystery<br />
books.” But she was really very supportive.<br />
She was my main editor on the fi rst draft <strong>of</strong><br />
Fatal Gamble.<br />
I started in February <strong>of</strong> 2006, when I<br />
came back from Florida. There are three<br />
women working in my <strong>of</strong>fi ce who love mysteries,<br />
so I brought in the rough draft <strong>of</strong> the<br />
24 tufts dental medicine winter 2009<br />
fi rst three chapters. Then it got to the point<br />
where I would come into the <strong>of</strong>fi ce, and the<br />
three <strong>of</strong> them would be waiting at the door:<br />
“Did you write anything last night?” They<br />
couldn’t wait to fi nd out what was happening<br />
to the characters. I’d work on it every<br />
night for three or four hours. I fi nished it in<br />
about eight months.<br />
TDM: Your real estate partnership<br />
included a general dentist, a periodontist<br />
and yourself, a pediatric dentist. Why did you<br />
change them to physicians in the book?<br />
A: When I fi nished my manuscript, I attended<br />
a conference on Medical Fiction<br />
Writing for Physicians. There were 225 participants.<br />
I was the only dentist. There were<br />
also several book agents. They all told me<br />
the public loves to read about doctors who<br />
have problems and doctors in trouble. They<br />
said, “Make them all physicians—it’s a much<br />
juicier story.”<br />
TDM: How do you explain the dichotomy<br />
<strong>of</strong> a cheerful, child-friendly dentist who can<br />
also write about murder and mayhem?<br />
A: They are separate and distinct. There is<br />
no connection. If I was 18 years old, and I<br />
had to start all over again, I would be a pediatric<br />
dentist. And that’s why I haven’t retired.<br />
I just like doing it. The kids are fun, and I<br />
still enjoy it.<br />
TDM: Part <strong>of</strong> the book deals with the<br />
failure <strong>of</strong> banks in the savings-and-loan<br />
crisis <strong>of</strong> the 1980s, which is very topical<br />
considering the nation’s current fi nancial<br />
crisis. You also have a senator who solicits<br />
bribes, not unlike what Illinois Governor Rod<br />
Blagojevich has been accused <strong>of</strong>.<br />
A: That’s what my editor asked: How did I<br />
know all this was going to happen? But I am<br />
not clairvoyant. One <strong>of</strong> the banks that loaned<br />
us the money for the building did end up<br />
being taken over by the FDIC, but that’s as<br />
far as it went. I just made it up. Everything<br />
is fi ction in the book. None <strong>of</strong> us got shot,<br />
and none <strong>of</strong> us bribed a congressman, and<br />
none <strong>of</strong> us had a guy from Las Vegas chasing<br />
him.<br />
TDM: But the book speaks knowingly <strong>of</strong><br />
mobsters, prostitutes, guns …<br />
A: I made it all up. But I’ll tell you a funny<br />
story about the guns. At one point in the<br />
book, I wrote that someone fi res a shot at<br />
Gallagher and misses him. My editor said,<br />
“We can’t buy your line that the bullet hit<br />
the ceramic tile and ricocheted into the wall.<br />
We think the bullet will pulverize the tile.”<br />
Now, I’ve never fi red a gun. I don’t know<br />
the fi rst thing about guns. But thank God for<br />
Google. I went online and I typed, “How do I<br />
fi nd out how a .357 Magnum bullet behaves<br />
when it hits ceramic tile?” I was referred to<br />
the gun forum, and three people got back to<br />
me within 24 hours. They referred me to a<br />
guy who did not want to be identifi ed, but<br />
he is known in the gun forum as a guy who<br />
performs underground ballistics tests. He<br />
actually went out to his backyard—he must<br />
live in a very remote area—and fi red .357<br />
Magnum bullets into different objects. And<br />
he wrote back to me and said, “You’re right.<br />
It’s going to ricochet.”<br />
He also shot bullets into plastic jugs full<br />
<strong>of</strong> water so I could see whether, when a bullet<br />
hits somebody, it goes through them or<br />
explodes out the back. People are remarkably<br />
helpful about these things.<br />
TDM: In the book’s acknowledgments,<br />
you also give credit to Haig Soghigian, a<br />
former investigator for the Treasury Department,<br />
and to Keith Kaplan <strong>of</strong> the Boston Police<br />
Department. How did they get involved?<br />
A: Haig I just happened to meet while<br />
playing golf in western Massachusetts. When<br />
I found out he was a retired U.S. Customs
Service agent, I told him about the novel I<br />
was writing, and he <strong>of</strong>fered to help. He read<br />
the manuscript when it was really rough and<br />
told me a lot <strong>of</strong> things about police procedure<br />
and about guns. And Keith is the son<br />
<strong>of</strong> the woman who gives me my haircut.<br />
Whenever I had a question I would call him.<br />
He was great.<br />
TDM: If you weren’t a fan <strong>of</strong> mystery<br />
books, where did you get your inspiration<br />
for the mystery genre? Movies or television<br />
shows?<br />
A: I’m not a big TV-watcher. I like fi lms<br />
like Heat, with Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro.<br />
That scene where they are in the diner—<br />
that’s one <strong>of</strong> the great movie scenes. But<br />
some other movies, like the Bourne Identity,<br />
I fi nd them to be ridiculously absurd. Here<br />
he is jumping through windows and into the<br />
water. Any normal person would be killed<br />
instantly.<br />
SETTLING THE SCORE<br />
I tried to make my books believable,<br />
although I want the reader to feel they are<br />
escapism. Doctors aren’t being shot in<br />
Winchester. I don’t want people to worry<br />
about going to that building and getting in<br />
the elevator.<br />
TDM: What did your business partners<br />
think when they found out you were writing<br />
about them, and that at least some <strong>of</strong> them<br />
would be murder victims?<br />
A: I said, “None <strong>of</strong> you can take <strong>of</strong>fense,<br />
because I’m the fi rst one to get bumped <strong>of</strong>f.”<br />
They were mostly thrilled. Jerry Murray [a<br />
friend and periodontist] was bothered that<br />
I named one <strong>of</strong> the bad guys after him. He<br />
said, “Can I be another character in the<br />
book? I’ve got grandchildren.” But then he<br />
talked it over with his wife, and he decided<br />
the book was going to be successful. Now he<br />
thinks it’s terrifi c.<br />
TDM: What do you have in common with<br />
your detective, Gallagher?<br />
A: I have no gum disease or cavities. I have<br />
one line in there for those who know I am<br />
a dentist: “His teeth were perfect, and he<br />
worked at keeping them that way.”<br />
TDM: What comes next?<br />
This excerpt from JP O’Donnell’s novel, Fatal Gamble, gives a nod to his alma mater:<br />
Jimmy’s feet were cold. He squeezed his toes back and forth<br />
to try to keep them warm. A jogger, clad in a light blue hooded<br />
sweat suit with a <strong>Tufts</strong> logo on the front, ran past the Nickerson<br />
home and out to the main street. Jimmy took his eyes <strong>of</strong>f Barry’s<br />
house to watch the jogger turn up the street and disappear behind<br />
the hedges. When his gaze returned to the house, the automatic<br />
garage door had already opened. Barry Nickerson, wearing a pair<br />
<strong>of</strong> brown work pants and a navy blue winter parka, had emerged<br />
from the garage. He walked down the driveway to retrieve the<br />
newspaper.<br />
Jimmy’s heart was racing as he got out <strong>of</strong> his car. He left<br />
the door ajar. He walked purposefully across the street toward<br />
Nickerson. As he moved closer, his right hand slowly came out <strong>of</strong><br />
his jacket pocket and lifted the .357 Magnum revolver so that it<br />
aimed directly at his unsuspecting target.<br />
Barry, oblivious to the approaching danger, bent down to pick<br />
up the newspaper. When he straightened up, his fi rst glance<br />
caught the barrel <strong>of</strong> the gun pointed straight at him.<br />
A: I’ve got the idea for the third book, but<br />
I’m going to wait and see how the fi rst two<br />
go before I start on it.<br />
TDM: If you don’t hit the big time and<br />
you’re just writing for your friends, would that<br />
be enough to keep writing?<br />
A: Probably, because it was a lot <strong>of</strong> fun.<br />
More information on O’Donnell’s books is<br />
available at www.jpodonnell.com.<br />
His initial, defensive instinct was to hold the thick newspaper,<br />
full <strong>of</strong> ads and sale brochures, in front <strong>of</strong> his face to shield himself<br />
from the bullets. But his eyes looked past the gun to the face <strong>of</strong><br />
the man holding it—a face he not seen in many years, but one he<br />
instantly recognized.<br />
“Jimmy, you old fool, what the hell are you doing?” Nickerson<br />
blurted out incredulously.<br />
“Just gettin’ even, Barry. Just gettin’ even for what you did to<br />
me. I worked my ass <strong>of</strong>f for you guys, and you screwed me. You<br />
never gave me a chance.” Jimmy’s voice cracked with emotion,<br />
and his body trembled. His fi nger alternately started to squeeze<br />
and release the pressure on the trigger, trying to decide what to<br />
do, but apparently unable to force himself to discharge the gun.<br />
Barry stood frozen, now helpless to think <strong>of</strong> any action that could<br />
deter his crazed attacker.<br />
Suddenly, a blow <strong>of</strong> enormous power to his blind side sent<br />
Jimmy Nolan’s body crashing to the driveway. His right arm fl ailed<br />
wildly upward. He fi red a bullet harmlessly into the air.<br />
winter 2009 tufts dental medicine 25
BY JACQUELINE MITCHELL ILLUSTRATION BY DAN PAGE
Financial Fi i meltdown l iis<br />
setting people’s teeth on edge<br />
tock market sent you into a swoon? from causing headaches to<br />
heart disease, stress makes us sick. And one <strong>of</strong> the ways we respond to<br />
anxiety is sleep bruxism, the unconscious nighttime tooth grinding or<br />
clenching that can cause serious damage to oral and overall health.<br />
Though there isn’t yet data documenting an uptick in bruxism related<br />
to the recent economic turmoil, “we do know that heightened anxiety<br />
and/or depression can affect tooth grinding,” says Noshir Mehta, DG73,<br />
DI77, director <strong>of</strong> the crani<strong>of</strong>acial pain center at <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>University</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> <strong>Medicine</strong>.<br />
At his Manhattan practice, Andrew Kaplan, D80, a temporomandibular<br />
joint (TMJ) specialist, has noticed an increase in bruxism-related<br />
complaints, especially in men. Traditionally, women experience bruxism<br />
four or fi ve times as <strong>of</strong>ten as men. Lately, though, the men are catching<br />
up. “It’s anecdotal,” Kaplan says, “but I think it speaks to people who have<br />
either lost their jobs or are worried about losing their jobs, and we certainly<br />
have a lot <strong>of</strong> bankers as patients in Manhattan.”<br />
winter 2009 tufts dental medicine 27
Most people will grind their teeth at<br />
some point during their lives, but because<br />
the clenching and grating happens mainly<br />
during sleep, most patients are unaware they<br />
do it. Unless a signifi cant other complains<br />
about the nightly noise—which Mehta likens<br />
to listening to someone chewing ice chips or<br />
chomping on crackers in bed—it’s <strong>of</strong>ten a<br />
dentist who identifi es bruxism, which is categorized<br />
as a sleep disorder.<br />
“People who wake up with headaches<br />
should be examined by a dentist,” says Mehta,<br />
who lists neck or jaw pain, tooth sensitivity<br />
and ringing <strong>of</strong> the ears among the other telltale<br />
signs <strong>of</strong> bruxism.<br />
A simple visual exam for distinctive patterns<br />
<strong>of</strong> wear on the teeth (the tooth edges<br />
actually flatten) and palpating the jaw to<br />
detect tight muscles is usually enough to<br />
diagnose bruxism. In rare cases, Mehta has<br />
used a sound-triggered tape recorder or observed<br />
a patient in a sleep lab to confi rm the<br />
diagnosis.<br />
Patients who clench or grind their teeth<br />
may exert as much as 250 pounds per square<br />
inch <strong>of</strong> pressure on their teeth, gums and<br />
jaws, resulting in chipped or broken teeth,<br />
gingivitis and receding gum lines. If the<br />
bruxing continues, patients can develop<br />
arthritis and inflammation, and the temporomandibular<br />
joint in the jaw can start to<br />
degenerate.<br />
Preventing initial damage to oral tissues<br />
is usually a dentist’s fi rst priority.<br />
Kaplan, a former president <strong>of</strong> the<br />
American Academy <strong>of</strong> Or<strong>of</strong>acial Pain, distinguishes<br />
between episodic grinders, who<br />
28 tufts dental medicine winter 2009<br />
brux in response to a life transition such as<br />
moving, getting married or losing a job, and<br />
intractable grinders, for whom the behavior<br />
seems “hard-wired into the system.”<br />
For an episodic grinder, Kaplan, who is<br />
also an associate clinical pr<strong>of</strong>essor at Mount<br />
Sinai <strong>School</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Medicine</strong> and an associate<br />
attending at Mount Sinai Medical Center,<br />
will create an appliance to “get them through<br />
this period without hurting themselves.” A<br />
custom-fi tted night guard will keep the teeth<br />
apart during grinding and redistribute the<br />
forces that can be so destructive to the teeth,<br />
gums and jaw muscles. Nightly use will also<br />
help relax clenched jaw muscles in about 80<br />
percent <strong>of</strong> patients, Kaplan says, reducing<br />
further grinding.<br />
Night guards are also a fi rst line <strong>of</strong> defense<br />
for intractable grinders. “These people are<br />
really destroying their teeth,” he says. “An appliance<br />
at the very least prevents that.” Then<br />
Kaplan may prescribe a course <strong>of</strong> physical<br />
therapy focused on relaxing the jaw muscles<br />
through stretching, massage and ultrasound.<br />
Medication, including muscle relaxants to<br />
prevent grinding and anti-infl ammatories<br />
“I think it speaks to people who<br />
have either lost their jobs or are<br />
worried about losing their jobs,<br />
and we certainly have<br />
a lot <strong>of</strong> bankers as<br />
patients in Manhattan.”<br />
ANDREW KAPLAN, D80<br />
like ibupr<strong>of</strong>en to stave <strong>of</strong>f discomfort and<br />
damage to the TMJ, may be in order.<br />
While stress is known to trigger bruxism<br />
in many people, so are some <strong>of</strong> the most<br />
common remedies for anxiety and depression.<br />
Some selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors<br />
(SSRIs) like Prozac have been found<br />
to cause grinding, as have some herbal remedies<br />
and even small quantities <strong>of</strong> alcohol.<br />
For his patients using SSRIs, Kaplan works<br />
closely with the prescribing psychiatrist to<br />
fi nd a more suitable medication. Kaplan is<br />
treating one patient who grinds to cope with<br />
her pre-nuptial jitters with a low dose <strong>of</strong><br />
Valium. “It’s an old medication, but it works<br />
nicely,” he says. Mehta also advocates stress<br />
reduction techniques, including bi<strong>of</strong>eedback<br />
and relaxation training.<br />
However, oral orthopedist Harold Gelb,<br />
D47, argues that dentists focus too much on<br />
stress as the cause <strong>of</strong> bruxism. A former president<br />
<strong>of</strong> the American Equilibration Society<br />
and the American Academy <strong>of</strong> Or<strong>of</strong>acial<br />
Pain, Gelb believes that grinding and clenching<br />
is orthopedic in nature, resulting from<br />
misaligned jaws as well as muscles in the<br />
head and neck.<br />
The founder <strong>of</strong> <strong>Tufts</strong>’ Gelb Craniomandibular<br />
and Or<strong>of</strong>acial Pain Center, Gelb<br />
analyzes three-dimensional images <strong>of</strong> a patient’s<br />
jaw to determine the exact misalignment,<br />
which he corrects with a specialized<br />
night guard invented by his son, Michael,<br />
who practices with him in New York City.<br />
The appliance was designed to reduce snoring<br />
by keeping the tongue and jaw properly<br />
aligned. It also relieves TMJ disorders and<br />
prevents grinding. “The moment they put<br />
it in, they stop hurting, and the muscles become<br />
stronger,” says Gelb.<br />
But whether orthopedic misalignment<br />
or tension is at the root <strong>of</strong> bruxism, Gelb,<br />
Kaplan and Mehta agree that each case demands<br />
comprehensive and specifi c care.<br />
“All patients need to be worked up properly,<br />
and a proper diagnosis needs to be<br />
made,” says Kaplan. “We can’t just label patients<br />
as a TMJ case when it might be a much<br />
more complex problem.”<br />
Mehta agrees: “If you can target a patient’s<br />
individual behavior, then you can reduce<br />
grinding signifi cantly, if not eliminate<br />
it completely.”<br />
So if the roller-coaster economy has you<br />
gnashing your teeth at night, see your dentist.<br />
And then relax. Kaplan recalls a more<br />
severe increase in bruxism in his patients<br />
in the aftermath <strong>of</strong> the terrorist attacks on<br />
September 11. “It was an extremely stressful<br />
time, but complaints died down within<br />
three or four months. People tend to adapt<br />
to change.” TDM<br />
Jacqueline Mitchell, a senior health<br />
sciences writer in <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>University</strong>’s Offi ce<br />
<strong>of</strong> Publications, can be reached at jacqueline.<br />
mitchell@tufts.edu.
on campusDENTAL<br />
SCHOOL NEWS<br />
Halfway There<br />
<strong>School</strong> expansion project headed to a November dedication by Jacqueline Mitchell<br />
H<br />
igh over kneeland street, more than<br />
1,700 new window panes gleam in the midwinter<br />
sun from the fi ve new fl oors atop the<br />
dental school tower. Although the building<br />
is still girdled with staging, and a busy cargo elevator makes<br />
dozens <strong>of</strong> trips each day up and down the Washington Street<br />
side <strong>of</strong> the school, the expansion project is <strong>of</strong>fi cially halfway<br />
done. A dedication ceremony is slated for November 20.<br />
Some 1,400 tons <strong>of</strong> concrete and 1,200 pieces <strong>of</strong> steel<br />
went into the construction <strong>of</strong> the new floors at <strong>Tufts</strong><br />
PHOTO: ALONSO NICHOLS<br />
<strong>University</strong> <strong>School</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> <strong>Medicine</strong>, which now rises 15<br />
stories above the Boston skyline.<br />
With the installation <strong>of</strong> the window panes over winter<br />
break, the new space is essentially enclosed. “That transitions<br />
the job from one <strong>of</strong> steel and mechanical systems to<br />
one <strong>of</strong> an interior fi t-up job,” says A. Joseph Castellana,<br />
executive associate dean. That means the 130 workers on<br />
site each day are busy wiring, plumbing and installing sheet<br />
rock in the new space, starting on the twelfth fl oor and<br />
making their way up to the fi fteenth.<br />
Continued on page 30<br />
winter 2009 tufts dental medicine 29
ON CAMPUS<br />
Continued from page 29<br />
(The building’s mechanical systems are<br />
housed on the ninth and tenth fl oors, while<br />
the eleventh fl oor will remain as shell space<br />
to accommodate future growth.) New carpeting,<br />
furniture, operatories and other<br />
equipment are on order.<br />
In February, workers were also scheduled<br />
to complete construction on the stairway<br />
connecting the new fl oors to each other<br />
and to the rest <strong>of</strong> the dental tower. Known<br />
as Stair 5, the glassed-in staircase at the corner<br />
<strong>of</strong> Kneeland and Washington streets<br />
will let lots <strong>of</strong> light into the school, while<br />
lending a more open feeling to that busy urban<br />
intersection. At the end <strong>of</strong> the month,<br />
two <strong>of</strong> the new high-speed elevators were<br />
scheduled to begin shuttling to all 15 fl oors,<br />
while the last two old elevators were closed<br />
for refi tting. All four should be in service<br />
late this summer.<br />
“Overall, we are slightly ahead <strong>of</strong> schedule<br />
by a couple <strong>of</strong> weeks,” says Castellana.<br />
Meanwhile, renovations are taking place<br />
on the old fl oors as well. The windows on<br />
the Kneeland Street side <strong>of</strong> the building are<br />
being replaced to give the front <strong>of</strong> the dental<br />
school a uniform look. The lower fl oors<br />
will also be retr<strong>of</strong>i tted to comply with the<br />
Americans with Disabilities Act.<br />
The construction “has been a lot less disruptive<br />
than I ever imagined for students<br />
and for patients,” says Mark Gonthier, associate<br />
dean for admissions and student affairs,<br />
who acknowledged the real challenges<br />
may lie ahead as students, faculty and clinic<br />
patients move into the new 95,000-squarefoot<br />
space over winter break at the end <strong>of</strong><br />
this year. To keep the school community informed<br />
about the progress <strong>of</strong> construction,<br />
Gonthier has been leading monthly tours,<br />
taking small groups <strong>of</strong> students, faculty, staff<br />
and alumni up on the ro<strong>of</strong> <strong>of</strong> the building.<br />
<strong>School</strong> administrators are also giving<br />
thought to how the existing seven fl oors <strong>of</strong><br />
the dental tower will be reconfi gured once<br />
the new addition is ready for occupancy to<br />
achieve the best balance <strong>of</strong> clinics, classrooms,<br />
labs and <strong>of</strong>fi ces. The renovation <strong>of</strong><br />
the existing space probably will be done<br />
over several years because <strong>of</strong> the economic<br />
downturn and to minimize disruption <strong>of</strong><br />
patient care and the educational process, according<br />
to Dean Lonnie H. Norris, DG80.<br />
30 tufts dental medicine winter 2009<br />
The expansion project<br />
as seen from the<br />
corner <strong>of</strong> Kneeland and<br />
Washington Streets.<br />
PHOTO: ALONSO NICHOLS
Peter Brodeur says “students<br />
know when instructors care.”<br />
Well Taught, Well Learned<br />
Students say pathologist is a star in the classroom<br />
by Leslie Macmillan<br />
I<br />
mmunology might not rank as one<br />
<strong>of</strong> the more scintillating courses a student<br />
takes during four years <strong>of</strong> dental<br />
education—unless the class is taught<br />
by Peter Brodeur. Immunology is a subject<br />
that is “easy to make interesting,” says<br />
Brodeur, whom the Class <strong>of</strong> 2011 honored<br />
as Pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> the Semester for his ability to<br />
make the science sizzle.<br />
The class presented him with a certifi cate,<br />
PHOTO: JOANIE TOBIN<br />
dozens <strong>of</strong> hand-written notes commending<br />
his teaching abilities and a gift certifi<br />
cate for a French restaurant in Boston.<br />
“Immunology FINALLY makes sense!” one<br />
student wrote.<br />
The award “is our attempt to honor a<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essor who went the extra mile to ensure<br />
the students’ mastery <strong>of</strong> subject material,”<br />
says Ross Icyda, the class president.<br />
Brodeur, an associate pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong><br />
pathology who has been on the <strong>Tufts</strong> faculty<br />
since 1985, says that he is lucky enough to<br />
teach a course that is inherently interesting<br />
and relevant. “I get a lot <strong>of</strong> satisfaction out<br />
<strong>of</strong> getting people excited about immunology,”<br />
he says. “It has so much relevance to<br />
so many different diseases—periodontal<br />
and autoimmune diseases, immunizations.<br />
It touches on HIV-AIDS. It’s one <strong>of</strong> those<br />
medically important and far-reaching topics.<br />
And it’s also pretty neat. It forms a good<br />
story.”<br />
The “story” comes together easily, says<br />
Brodeur, because “in immunology, everything<br />
is so connected. As long as the instructor<br />
is linking everything, the students<br />
get something out <strong>of</strong> it.”<br />
Brodeur, who is vice chair <strong>of</strong> the curriculum<br />
committee at <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>School</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Medicine</strong>,<br />
says he has worked to reduce the role <strong>of</strong><br />
rote memorization in his courses and to<br />
“provide a concrete framework for students.”<br />
He served on the American <strong>Dental</strong><br />
Association’s Microbiology/Pathology Test<br />
Construction Committee from 1996 to<br />
2000, and was responsible for immunology<br />
questions on the dental boards.<br />
“Dr. Brodeur was a natural choice [for<br />
the award] because his excitement for immunology<br />
and dedication to inspiring students<br />
with the same enthusiasm could be<br />
easily seen and felt,” says Farah Assadipour,<br />
D11 class secretary. “His willingness and<br />
ability to approach the material from multiple<br />
angles, dedicating many additional<br />
hours in review sessions, bolstered students’<br />
interest in and mastery <strong>of</strong> immunology.”<br />
This is not Brodeur’s fi rst teaching award.<br />
In 2003 he received the <strong>Dental</strong> Dean’s Award<br />
for Excellence in Basic Science Teaching.<br />
He also runs his own research lab, where he<br />
studies antibody genes. The ability <strong>of</strong> the<br />
body to create billions <strong>of</strong> gene combinations<br />
to make antibodies is, Brodeur says,<br />
“an interesting genetic trick.”<br />
“One <strong>of</strong> the fundamental questions <strong>of</strong><br />
immunology is how you can make so many<br />
antibodies,” says Brodeur, who uses a combination<br />
<strong>of</strong> gene mapping and transgenic<br />
and cell culture models to understand the<br />
signaling pathways and transcriptional<br />
regulation required to orchestrate the genetic<br />
mechanism. He has trained six Ph.D.<br />
Continued on page 32<br />
winter 2009 tufts dental medicine 31
ON CAMPUS<br />
Leaders <strong>of</strong> the Pack<br />
Leadership comes naturally for some people.<br />
Meghann Dombroski, D10, was president <strong>of</strong> her<br />
high school class and took on several leadership<br />
roles in college. She later vowed, “I am not doing<br />
this in dental school.” That promise lasted about two years.<br />
And because <strong>of</strong> her lack <strong>of</strong> willpower, for the fi rst time<br />
in dental school history, two women—Dombroski and Inga<br />
Keithly, D12—are serving as class presidents.<br />
The women emphasize that they and their executive councils<br />
work as teams to represent their classes. The D10 council<br />
has helped seniors with their licensing exams; seniors typically<br />
have to fi nd their own assistants for the exams. To save reluctant<br />
spouses and roommates from being pressed into service,<br />
the council came up with a program that pairs seniors with<br />
second-year students willing to lend a hand.<br />
“Karma is very crucial in dental school,” Dombroski says.<br />
“We helped the D08s, hoping that the D12s will do the same<br />
for us. It’s trickled down because the D11s are helping the<br />
D09s.” That same message is refl ected in the fundraising and<br />
community service initiatives the class has undertaken. “The<br />
more you give, the more you are going to get back. We’ve really<br />
been trying to preach that as a class,” she says.<br />
Balancing her leadership responsibilities with her class<br />
work was not as anxiety-fi lled as you might think, in part because<br />
she saved her deepest concern for her husband, Aaron,<br />
a soldier who was deployed in Iraq her entire sophomore year.<br />
“It really put things in perspective for me,” she says. “The<br />
least <strong>of</strong> the problems in my life was a 50-question quiz.”<br />
If the Class <strong>of</strong> 2012 has a legacy, Keithly says, it may be<br />
as the technology class. They petitioned, with the Class <strong>of</strong><br />
2011, to get wireless Internet access in Merritt Auditorium<br />
(they got it over the winter break) and are continuing to<br />
advocate for video captures <strong>of</strong> the more diffi cult classes. With<br />
the video capture, “you’re able to ‘pause’ your pr<strong>of</strong>essor and<br />
Continued from page 31<br />
candidates at <strong>Tufts</strong> and is currently working<br />
with his seventh.<br />
Brodeur received his Ph.D. in immunology<br />
in 1980 from <strong>Tufts</strong>, where he met fellow<br />
immunology student and future wife,<br />
Margot O’Toole, an immunologist at Wyeth.<br />
The couple has three sons, one who graduated<br />
from <strong>Tufts</strong> in 2003 and is in law school,<br />
and two who are currently undergraduates<br />
at <strong>Tufts</strong>.<br />
In a note to his students after he won the<br />
award, Brodeur wrote: “Margot and I will<br />
32 tufts dental medicine winter 2009<br />
For the fi rst time in school history,<br />
two women, Inga Keithly, D12,<br />
left, and Meghann Dombroski, D10,<br />
are serving as class presidents.<br />
give a hearty toast to D11 when we enjoy<br />
dinner at Pigalle with your generous gift<br />
card (I am told that it is a very romantic<br />
restaurant).” He also thanked them for their<br />
personal messages.<br />
“The best part <strong>of</strong> the award was the 80<br />
or so personal notes. That’s what I’ll frame<br />
and put up,” Brodeur says. “It’s a nice sentiment—that<br />
your hard work has not gone<br />
unnoticed. And students know when instructors<br />
care,” he says. “They know when<br />
you want them to learn, rather than just<br />
write your notes,” she says.<br />
At age 35, Keithly had some unique experiences to bring<br />
to the role <strong>of</strong> president. She spent seven years as a high<br />
school English teacher in Hawaii before moving to Boston and<br />
starting a women’s health network company. It was that job<br />
that introduced her to some “very cool dentists,” and sparked<br />
her interest in the pr<strong>of</strong>ession. She sees the presidency as a<br />
bonus because she has connected with her classmates in a<br />
way she never would have otherwise.<br />
But if you want to talk about struggles, Keithly can tell you<br />
about training for the 2009 Boston Marathon as part <strong>of</strong> the<br />
<strong>Tufts</strong> team. For the San Diego native, navigating the glaciers<br />
shrouding Boston’s sidewalks—now that’s a challenge.<br />
—Julie Flaherty<br />
presenting the material and leaving it up to<br />
them.”<br />
Brodeur says the students give him a lot<br />
in return. “As teachers, we get older every<br />
year, but the students are always the same<br />
age. Every year I get to look out and see fresh<br />
faces.”<br />
Brodeur is only the second recipient <strong>of</strong><br />
the Teacher <strong>of</strong> the Semester Award, which<br />
was established in 2007. The award, he says,<br />
not only recognizes that a subject has been<br />
well taught, but well learned.<br />
PHOTO: ALONSO NICHOLS
WARNING SIGNS<br />
Dentists are among the fi rst health pr<strong>of</strong>essionals to spot<br />
substance abuse by Jacqueline Mitchell<br />
Dentists may not seem the<br />
likeliest <strong>of</strong> candidates to be on<br />
the frontlines <strong>of</strong> identifying drug<br />
abuse trends, but that’s what<br />
happened in the early 2000s, when practitioners<br />
in the Southwest alerted authorities<br />
to a potential epidemic <strong>of</strong> methamphetamine<br />
addiction.<br />
Oral health is a strong indicator <strong>of</strong> overall<br />
health, so when the dentists in that region<br />
saw a sudden spike in patients with extreme<br />
decay, they had a hunch<br />
that the culprit was more than<br />
bad oral hygiene.<br />
The onset <strong>of</strong> decay had<br />
been rapid, between six and 12<br />
months, and they suspected a<br />
dangerous cause: addiction to<br />
methamphetamines, a potent,<br />
cheap and highly addictive<br />
drug, says Paul J. Vankevich,<br />
D81, an assistant pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong><br />
general dentistry who gave a<br />
lecture at the dental school on<br />
drug-abusing patients.<br />
With more than 22 million<br />
Americans struggling with drug<br />
or alcohol dependency, dentists<br />
are indispensable in spotting<br />
signs <strong>of</strong> addiction in their patients.<br />
“This is relevant to all <strong>of</strong><br />
us practicing clinical dentistry<br />
today,” says Vankevich. “This is<br />
a special category <strong>of</strong> patients<br />
we are going to encounter whether we like<br />
it or not.”<br />
Those in the grips <strong>of</strong> addiction may not<br />
give priority to routine brushing and fl ossing<br />
or eating a healthy diet. And when substance<br />
abusers fall or pass out, they <strong>of</strong>ten<br />
break teeth or damage oral tissues. “The<br />
addict’s lifestyle is inconsistent with maintaining<br />
human dentition,” Vankevich says.<br />
“We certainly should be aware <strong>of</strong> what our<br />
patients are taking.”<br />
PHOTO: ISTOCKPHOTO.COM<br />
One particularly problematic side effect<br />
<strong>of</strong> stimulants like methamphetamines and<br />
cocaine is severe dry mouth, or xerostomia.<br />
Without the continual fl ow <strong>of</strong> naturally antibacterial<br />
saliva, drug users are at increased<br />
risk <strong>of</strong> developing cavities. To relieve the dry<br />
mouth, and to sate attendant sugar cravings,<br />
drug users <strong>of</strong>ten drink lots <strong>of</strong> soda, which<br />
further contributes to decay. And the hyperactivity<br />
associated with stimulant drugs<br />
may manifest in the form <strong>of</strong> teeth gnashing<br />
“ The addict’s lifestyle is<br />
inconsistent with maintaining<br />
human dentition.” paul j. vankevich<br />
or grinding. All these behaviors <strong>of</strong>ten result<br />
in a telltale pattern <strong>of</strong> extreme decay.<br />
While drug use overall is on the decline<br />
in the United States, methamphetamine<br />
use and abuse has surged in recent years.<br />
Federal and local statistics describe a public<br />
health threat marching west to east across<br />
the country.<br />
A derivative <strong>of</strong> amphetamine, a stimulant<br />
prescribed to combat fatigue, depression,<br />
obesity, narcolepsy and attention<br />
disorders, methamphetamine is relatively<br />
easy to concoct from household items such<br />
as cold medicine, iodine and ammonia.<br />
Known as “meth,” “ice” or “crank,” the<br />
powerfully addictive drug can be snorted,<br />
injected, smoked or eaten, and the resulting<br />
high may last four to 12 hours, during<br />
which time the user is unlikely to eat, sleep<br />
or hydrate, all <strong>of</strong> which are needed to maintain<br />
good oral health.<br />
Drug abuse poses other problems in the<br />
dentist’s <strong>of</strong>fi ce. Dentists should be aware <strong>of</strong><br />
potentially dangerous drug interactions,<br />
especially with respect to anesthesia, sedatives<br />
or nitrous oxide. Methamphetamine is<br />
particularly problematic because it remains<br />
in the system longer than other recreational<br />
drugs. Another type <strong>of</strong> patient dentists may<br />
need to treat with special care is the recovering<br />
addict, for whom prescription painkillers<br />
may trigger a relapse. For<br />
those patients, Vankevich suggests<br />
prescribing non-opiate<br />
painkillers such as ibupr<strong>of</strong>en. “I<br />
look at [drug use] from a riskmanagement<br />
perspective,” says<br />
Vankevich. “If we are going to<br />
render care to patients, we want<br />
to make sure whatever we do is<br />
to the benefi t <strong>of</strong> that patient.”<br />
And, Vankevich notes, dentists<br />
and dental staffs should<br />
be wary <strong>of</strong> the so-called “drugshopper,”<br />
prescription drug<br />
abusers who obtain multiple<br />
prescriptions from multiple<br />
health-care providers. Drug<br />
shoppers may show up at odd<br />
hours, ask for drugs by name<br />
and have the potential to become<br />
violent if refused. With<br />
an estimated 2,500 drug shoppers<br />
in Massachusetts alone, local<br />
dentists should be prepared for such an<br />
encounter, Vankevich says.<br />
Despite the attention-grabbing side<br />
effects <strong>of</strong> methamphetamine abuse,<br />
Vankevich notes that far greater numbers<br />
<strong>of</strong> people die <strong>of</strong> tobacco-related illnesses<br />
than from drugs each year, and that tobacco<br />
is a gateway to substance abuse. “We need<br />
to engage diplomatically with our patients,<br />
conduct thorough exams and apply appropriate<br />
interventions,” he says.<br />
winter 2009 tufts dental medicine 33
ON CAMPUS<br />
Welcome<br />
to <strong>Tufts</strong><br />
The <strong>School</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> <strong>Medicine</strong><br />
hosted its 7th annual Family<br />
Welcome Day on August 6, 2008.<br />
<strong>Tufts</strong> President Lawrence S. Bacow<br />
brought greetings from the univer-<br />
sity to the entering students and<br />
their families. Because the event<br />
has grown in popularity, the morning<br />
assembly was moved to the Shubert<br />
Theater, followed by lunch at the<br />
Courtyard by Marriott on Tremont<br />
Street.<br />
Then the new students went on<br />
to register for classes, while their<br />
parents and other family members<br />
enjoyed campus tours and par-<br />
ticipated in the fi rst-ever parent-<br />
to-parent panel discussion, which<br />
featured two sets <strong>of</strong> parents <strong>of</strong><br />
currently enrolled students as well<br />
as four course directors and a clinic<br />
administrator. The day concluded<br />
with a reception in Posner Hall.<br />
More than 450 attended the<br />
event, including 42 Class <strong>of</strong> 2011<br />
orientation volunteers, which was<br />
a record.<br />
34 tufts dental medicine winter 2009<br />
This page, top: Dean Lonnie H. Norris, DG80;<br />
Virginia Shahinian, D77, DG79; Rustam DeVitre,<br />
DG76, DI77; Adrina DeVitre, D12; and <strong>Tufts</strong><br />
President Lawrence S. Bacow; middle: Alemtu<br />
Hassain and her granddaughter, Helen Fassil,<br />
A05, G07, D12; John Ficarelli, D73, president <strong>of</strong><br />
the <strong>Dental</strong> Alumni Association; Hirut Fassil, A07;<br />
and Tadelech Asfaw, Helen Fassil’s mom; bottom:<br />
Sonia Arevalo Vasquez, D12. Opposite page, top:<br />
Halina Ogledzka, Marek Ogledzki, D12, Davina<br />
Wheeler, and Jerzy Ogledzki; middle: Jessica<br />
Pushee, D12, with her parents, Laura and Michael<br />
Pushee; bottom: Joanne Ferrick, Bradford Ferrick,<br />
Carolyn Ferrick, D12, and David Ferrick.<br />
PHOTOS: J.D.SLOAN
YOU HAVE ACCESS<br />
TO FIRST-RATE<br />
BIOPSY SERVICE<br />
<strong>Tufts</strong>’ oral pathology services (tops) has<br />
always provided a top-notch biopsy service for<br />
oral and maxill<strong>of</strong>acial pathology. But in the past<br />
year and a half, according to Dean Lonnie H.<br />
Norris, DG80, the number <strong>of</strong> specimens sent to the service<br />
has tripled. One reason for the clinic’s success, says<br />
Michael Kahn, pr<strong>of</strong>essor and chair <strong>of</strong> oral and maxill<strong>of</strong>acial<br />
pathology and director <strong>of</strong> TOPS, is that the process is<br />
now “clinician-friendly, staff-friendly and client-friendly.<br />
We’ve made it as user-friendly as possible.”<br />
Kahn has made several key improvements to the service<br />
since he became department chair and lab director in<br />
July 2006, including contracting with an overnight courier<br />
service. “It’s not cool to have a biopsy specimen sitting in<br />
the U.S. mail somewhere,” says Kahn. “All you have to do<br />
is think <strong>of</strong> yourself and if you were on the waiting end <strong>of</strong> a<br />
diagnosis. You would want to know.”<br />
TOPS now <strong>of</strong>fers free local and nationwide courier pickup<br />
<strong>of</strong> specimens via Federal Express, 24-hour turnaround,<br />
diagnosis <strong>of</strong> radiographs or glass microscope slides submitted<br />
from other pathology services and detailed written<br />
reports. The level <strong>of</strong> detail contained in the reports is particularly<br />
important, Kahn says, because it enables doctors to<br />
convey vital health information to their patients.<br />
“The doctors need prompt and accurate support from<br />
the pathologist so that when the patient starts fi ring questions,<br />
the doctor can answer them,” says Kahn.<br />
TOPS <strong>of</strong>fers biopsy, cytology and culture-sensitivity<br />
testing. In addition to processing standard formal and fi xed<br />
biopsy specimens, TOPS also <strong>of</strong>fers liquid-based cytology<br />
procedures (SurePath®) and the rendering <strong>of</strong> a microscopic<br />
diagnosis.<br />
Kahn says that the expertise <strong>of</strong> the clinicians, Lynn<br />
Solomon and Michael Hall, has also contributed to the service’s<br />
success. TOPS clinicians are diplomates, and as faculty<br />
<strong>of</strong> the dental school, their expertise covers all aspects<br />
<strong>of</strong> oral and maxill<strong>of</strong>acial pathology, clinical management<br />
<strong>of</strong> oral disease, forensic dentistry, basic science and clinical<br />
research.<br />
“People appreciate that we’re a resource in our discipline,”<br />
says Kahn. “<strong>Tufts</strong> really does care about the patient<br />
and the doctor. And I think that’s why we’ve gained the<br />
reputation we have.”<br />
To order no-cost biopsy and cytology kits, call<br />
617.636.6510 or toll-free 866.670.8677. Provide your name,<br />
address and phone number, and you will receive your kits<br />
the next business day. —Leslie Macmillan<br />
winter 2009 tufts dental medicine 35
ON CAMPUS<br />
DEAN’S MEDAL<br />
Thomas F. Winkler III, A62, D66, D10P, received the Dean’s Medal<br />
during the annual Toast to <strong>Tufts</strong> event on September 5. The medal,<br />
which was presented by Dean Lonnie H. Norris, DG80, honors those<br />
who exemplify the ideals <strong>Tufts</strong> seeks to instill in its students.<br />
Family members who attended included Winkler’s wife, Barbara<br />
Kay, D71, Elizabeth Jones, D10, Kevin Jones, Mary Levine, Andy<br />
Winkler, David Winkler and Marina Winkler.<br />
Since graduating from <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> <strong>School</strong>, Winkler has been a<br />
faculty member for more than 30 years. He has been a university<br />
trustee since 1999 and currently chairs the dental school’s Board <strong>of</strong><br />
Overseers.<br />
The Dean’s Medal citation reads, in part, “A role model to many,<br />
he has fostered compassion and pr<strong>of</strong>essionalism in our students.<br />
Classmates, colleagues and students cite his thoughtfulness,<br />
NOTEWORTHY<br />
Danielle Christie is the new staff<br />
assistant in the <strong>School</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Dental</strong><br />
<strong>Medicine</strong>’s admissions <strong>of</strong>fi ce.<br />
Christie earned her bachelor’s<br />
degree in English at Gettysburg<br />
College in Pennsylvania, where<br />
she worked in the <strong>of</strong>f-campus<br />
study <strong>of</strong>fi ce. In her new role<br />
at <strong>Tufts</strong>, she oversees the processing<br />
<strong>of</strong> all applications to<br />
the D.M.D. program, as well as<br />
provides administrative oversight<br />
for the admissions <strong>of</strong>fi ce.<br />
More than 60 runners and<br />
walkers from <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />
participated in the 2008 Komen<br />
Race for the Cure on September<br />
7, raising more than $3,000 for<br />
the fi ght against breast cancer.<br />
Top fi nishers for the <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>Dental</strong><br />
Team in the 5K race included:<br />
Michael Brown Dowling, D09,<br />
17:01 and 5th overall; Nathan<br />
36 tufts dental medicine winter 2009<br />
Clem, D11, 17:38, 6th overall;<br />
Nicholas Gordon, D12, 19:11,<br />
19th overall; Liz Turner, D11,<br />
19:38, 26th overall; and Derek<br />
Nobrega, D12, fi nished the<br />
course in 20:49 for 41st overall.<br />
Twelve <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> runners fi nished<br />
in the top 100. Samir Patel,<br />
D10, Michael Butera, D10, and<br />
Liz Turner, D11, organized the<br />
<strong>Tufts</strong> team.<br />
Two <strong>Tufts</strong> dental students<br />
and an alumnus spoke about<br />
their research experiences at<br />
the National Institutes <strong>of</strong> Health<br />
(NIH) in Bethesda, Md., during a<br />
presentation at the dental school<br />
in December. Edward Lahey,<br />
D00, participated in the Clinical<br />
Research Training Program after<br />
his third year <strong>of</strong> dental school.<br />
After graduating from <strong>Tufts</strong>, he<br />
went on to complete the six-year<br />
integrity and dedication. His passion for the dental pr<strong>of</strong>ession is<br />
matched by his passion for the <strong>School</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> <strong>Medicine</strong>. He gives<br />
much <strong>of</strong> himself and inspires and expects others to do the same.”<br />
M.D. Oral Surgery Program at<br />
Harvard/Massachusetts General<br />
Hospital, where he now serves as<br />
an attending on a part-time basis.<br />
Samantha Jordan, D11, is in<br />
the midst <strong>of</strong> a yearlong research<br />
training program sponsored by the<br />
Howard Hughes Medical Institute/<br />
NIH Research Scholars Program,<br />
and Hubert Park, D11, participated<br />
in the National Institute <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>Dental</strong> and Crani<strong>of</strong>acial Research<br />
(NIDCR) summer program last<br />
year. All three <strong>of</strong> these programs<br />
attract applications from the best<br />
and brightest students in the<br />
country.<br />
Todd Walker, D10, received<br />
a second-place award for his<br />
research on “Effect <strong>of</strong> Adhesive<br />
System and Composite Type<br />
on Dentin Bonds” at the 2008<br />
ADA/Dentsply Student Clinician<br />
From left, Dean’s Medal recipient<br />
Thomas F. Winkler III, Robert E.<br />
Hunter, D63, a dental overseer,<br />
and Dean Lonnie H. Norris.<br />
Research Program during the<br />
American <strong>Dental</strong> Association’s<br />
annual meeting in San Antonio,<br />
Texas, last October. The Student<br />
Clinician Research Program<br />
provides the opportunity for a<br />
student from each accredited<br />
dental school in the United States<br />
and Puerto Rico to receive an<br />
expense-paid trip to participate in<br />
the ADA’s scientifi c session and<br />
to compete for awards. Walker<br />
was selected to attend the ADA<br />
session because his project won<br />
the Best Overall Pre-doctoral<br />
Table Clinic Award at the <strong>School</strong><br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> <strong>Medicine</strong>’s 2008<br />
Bates-Andrews Research Day.<br />
His research mentor for the<br />
project was Gerard Kugel,<br />
associate dean for research<br />
and pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> prosthodontics<br />
and operative dentistry.<br />
PHOTO: TIFFANY KNIGHT
COMMENCEMENT<br />
Off and Running<br />
on carmichael quad, 174 members <strong>of</strong> the class <strong>of</strong> d08 became doctors<br />
<strong>of</strong> dental medicine during commencement ceremonies last May 18. Dean<br />
Lonnie H. Norris, DG80, commended the class for its dedication to excellence<br />
and for its commitment to deliver care to the underserved, from the<br />
neighborhoods <strong>of</strong> Boston to developing nations around the world. He also<br />
urged the new graduates to maintain their ties to <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>School</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Dental</strong><br />
<strong>Medicine</strong>. “We were fortunate to have had you,” he said. “Help us continue<br />
to be a leading dental school.”<br />
The new graduates also honored their classmate, Edilene Chaves<br />
Evangelista, who died in a car accident in December 2006. Evangelista’s<br />
husband, Sirlei, and their young daughter accepted her diploma.<br />
Aaron Sheinfeld, D09, and Marcelo Suzuki, both assistant pr<strong>of</strong>essors<br />
<strong>of</strong> prosthodontics and operative dentistry, received the Dean’s Award for<br />
Excellence in Clinical Teaching. Anthony Silvestri, E69, a clinical pr<strong>of</strong>essor<br />
<strong>of</strong> prosthodontics and operative dentistry, shared the Dean’s Award<br />
for Excellence in Pre-clinical Teaching with eight-time winner Charles<br />
H. Rankin, D79, DG86, D08P, a pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> endodontics. The Dean’s<br />
Award for Excellence in Basic<br />
PHOTO: ALONSO NICHOLS<br />
Marty R. Montgomery<br />
receives his diploma.<br />
Science Teaching went to Alvar<br />
Gustafson, an associate pr<strong>of</strong>essor<br />
<strong>of</strong> anatomy, and the Pro-<br />
vost’s Award for Outstanding<br />
Teaching and Service went to<br />
Petros Damoulis, DG91, D05,<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> periodontology.<br />
In addition to the new<br />
D.M.D.s, 17 students were<br />
awarded master’s degrees, and<br />
46 received postgraduate certificates<br />
and fellowships. The<br />
ceremony ended with James<br />
B. Hanley, D75A, DG79, the<br />
dental school’s associate dean<br />
for clinical affairs, leading the<br />
graduates as they recited the<br />
dental graduate oath.<br />
At the all-university commencement<br />
earlier in the day,<br />
award-winning journalist and<br />
television host Meredith Vieira, J75, urged members <strong>of</strong> the Class <strong>of</strong> 2008 to<br />
listen to their own voices and to believe in themselves. “You have an internal<br />
compass,” she said. “I would urge you to follow it.”<br />
<strong>Tufts</strong> President Lawrence S. Bacow presented honorary degrees to<br />
Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Mary Oliver; Steven S. Manos, retired executive<br />
vice president <strong>of</strong> <strong>Tufts</strong>; Robert S. Schwartz, deputy editor <strong>of</strong> The<br />
New England Journal <strong>of</strong> <strong>Medicine</strong> and former pr<strong>of</strong>essor at <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>University</strong><br />
<strong>School</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Medicine</strong>; Susan Rodgerson, founder <strong>of</strong> Artists for Humanity;<br />
and Donald E. Wilson, M62, senior vice president <strong>of</strong> health sciences at<br />
Howard <strong>University</strong>.<br />
<strong>Tufts</strong>’ 2009 commencement will take place on Sunday, May 17, starting<br />
at 9 a.m. on the Medford/Somerville campus.<br />
2008 POSTGRADUATES<br />
In addition to the students pursuing their D.M.D.<br />
degrees, another 100 students are enrolled in the<br />
dental school’s postgraduate certifi cate and fellowship<br />
programs, which prepare them for specialty practice.<br />
The 2008 graduates were:<br />
CRANIOMANDIBULAR<br />
DISORDERS<br />
AND OROFACIAL PAIN<br />
Khlood A. Arab<br />
Georgios Kanavakis<br />
Reem H. Nowailaty<br />
ENDODONTICS<br />
Monaf Alyassi<br />
Meghan M. Clark, D06<br />
Zachary T. Dodson<br />
Katherine L. Fry<br />
Maryanne K. Irwin, D05<br />
Milos R. Janicek<br />
ESTHETIC DENTISTRY<br />
Nurin S. Jaffer, D07<br />
Mamoru Tanaka<br />
GENERAL PRACTICE<br />
RESIDENCY<br />
I-Fang Y. Chen<br />
Xiaojing Li<br />
Yi-Wei Liu<br />
Annika Marschall<br />
Lidia Tekle<br />
Hana Sadi<br />
IMPLANT DENTISTRY<br />
Fadi Alh Rashi<br />
Maria Ftouli<br />
Jong Il Park<br />
ORAL AND<br />
MAXILLOFACIAL<br />
SURGERY<br />
Neophytos Demetriades<br />
Amir Naimi<br />
Ryan Abdool<br />
ORAL SURGERY AND<br />
PROSTHODONTICS<br />
Takayoshi Suda, DG07<br />
ORTHODONTICS<br />
Mohamad R. Alolabi<br />
Michael P. DiMarzio<br />
Sara Ghassemi<br />
Deborah A. Sorrentino, D06<br />
Kristin L. Huber, D06<br />
Elexis Elon J<strong>of</strong>fre, D05<br />
Nina S. Khedkar, A02, D06<br />
Shalev Sabari, D06<br />
PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY<br />
Hèctor R. Martìnez<br />
Hassan Moeinzad, DI03<br />
Gisela M. Velàsquez, DG06<br />
PERIODONTOLOGY<br />
Khalid A. Al-Hezaimi<br />
Michael Cwiklinski<br />
Jonell K. Hopeck, J01<br />
Yong Hur<br />
Hiroyasu Shimizu<br />
Julia R. Sivitz, D05<br />
PROSTHODONTICS<br />
Maria Chartzoulakis, D04<br />
M<strong>of</strong>tah El-Ghadi<br />
Hyejin Kwak, D05<br />
Hamilton Hoai Le, D05<br />
Athanasios Stratos<br />
winter 2009 tufts dental medicine 37
ON CAMPUS<br />
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?<br />
The post-graduation pursuits <strong>of</strong> the Class <strong>of</strong> 2008<br />
ARIZONA<br />
Timothy Johnson<br />
AEGD, Lutheran Medical Center, Tucson<br />
Mark Larsen<br />
Private Practice, Tucson<br />
Ryan Larsen<br />
AEGD, Lutheran Medical Center, Tucson<br />
Wendy Muscier<br />
AEGD, Indian Health Service Clinic,<br />
Winslow<br />
Christopher Sandvi<br />
AEGD, Indian Health Service Clinic,<br />
Winslow<br />
CALIFORNIA<br />
Pamela Abraham<br />
Private Practice, Los Angeles<br />
Julia Benson<br />
Postgraduate Program in Oral<br />
Pathology, <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> California,<br />
San Francisco<br />
Gonzalo Braunthanl<br />
Private Practice, Southern California<br />
Keumkang Choi<br />
Private Practice<br />
Franklin Cordero<br />
Private Practice<br />
Viet Dinh<br />
Private Practice, Southern California<br />
Brian Green<br />
Private Practice, Irvine<br />
Lee Hanson<br />
Private Practice, San Diego<br />
Kevin Huang<br />
GPR, West Los Angeles VA Medical<br />
Center<br />
Steve Huang<br />
Private Practice, Los Angeles<br />
Sheila Inalou<br />
Private Practice<br />
Aaron Khaira<br />
Private Practice, San Francisco<br />
Theresia Laksmana<br />
Postgraduate Program in<br />
Periodontology, <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Southern<br />
California<br />
Gregory Le<br />
U.S. Army Captain, Fort Irwin<br />
Jenny Liang<br />
AEGD, U.S. Navy, Camp Pendleton<br />
Allan Pang<br />
GPR, Sepulveda VA Medical Center,<br />
Los Angeles<br />
Celine Pham<br />
Private Practice, Southern California<br />
Michelle Ray<br />
Private Practice<br />
Bindya Reddy<br />
Private Practice<br />
38 tufts dental medicine winter 2009<br />
John Rezaei<br />
Postgraduate Program in<br />
Prosthodontics, Loma Linda <strong>University</strong><br />
Lorie Rivero<br />
Private Practice<br />
Susana Verbis<br />
Private Practice<br />
CANADA<br />
Gurfateh Sandhu<br />
Private Practice, Ontario<br />
COLORADO<br />
Lauren Gulka<br />
Postgraduate Program in Pediatrics,<br />
Children’s Hospital, Denver<br />
Aleksandr Lutskiy<br />
Private Practice<br />
Matthew Mower<br />
AEGD, U.S. Military<br />
Stephanie Nelms<br />
Private Practice, Fort Collins<br />
Young Stebbins-Han<br />
Postgraduate Program in Orthodontics,<br />
<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Colorado<br />
Jade-Lin Wong<br />
AEGD, Fort Carson<br />
CONNECTICUT<br />
Claudia Maiolo<br />
Postgraduate Program in Pediatrics/<br />
MPH, Yale-New Haven Hospital<br />
Amanda Peer<br />
Postgraduate Program in Pediatrics,<br />
<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Connecticut<br />
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA<br />
Matthew Stratmeyer<br />
AEGD, Bolling Air Force Base<br />
FLORIDA<br />
Eric Appelin<br />
GPR, Malcolm Randall VA Hospital,<br />
Gainesville<br />
Warren Jones<br />
Private Practice, South Florida<br />
Claudia Martinez<br />
National Health Science Corps Scholar<br />
Gregory Pette<br />
Postgraduate Program in<br />
Periodontology/M.S., Nova<br />
Southeastern <strong>University</strong><br />
Austin Webb<br />
Private Practice, Gainesville<br />
GEORGIA<br />
Charles Chung<br />
Private Practice, Atlanta<br />
Miles Cone<br />
Prosthodontics, U.S. Army, Augusta<br />
Fields Farrior<br />
Private Practice, Atlanta<br />
Jennifer Kang<br />
Staff Dentist, U.S. Army, Fort Gordon<br />
GERMANY<br />
Susannah Mitchell<br />
U.S. Army<br />
HAWAII<br />
Matthew Downey<br />
AEGD, Lutheran Medical Center,<br />
Honolulu<br />
ILLINOIS<br />
Sumit Chawla<br />
GPR, Illinois Masonic Hospital<br />
Kelly Wojcicki<br />
GPR, Evanston Northwestern Hospital<br />
Sahand Zomorrodian<br />
Postgraduate Program in<br />
Prosthodontics, <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Illinois<br />
at Chicago<br />
INDIANA<br />
Hemjeet Bedi<br />
GPR, Indiana <strong>University</strong><br />
MASSACHUSETTS<br />
Jonathan Albaugh<br />
AEGD, Lutheran Medical Center, Boston<br />
Zeina Armoush<br />
Postgraduate Program in Pediatrics,<br />
Boston <strong>University</strong><br />
Nastela Babo<br />
Private Practice<br />
Marjorie Baptiste<br />
Postgraduate Program in<br />
Periodontology, <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>University</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> <strong>Medicine</strong><br />
Patricia Benton<br />
GPR, Boston <strong>University</strong><br />
Heidi Birnbaum<br />
Private Practice, Wellesley<br />
Maranda Bliss<br />
Private Practice<br />
Daniel Callahan<br />
GPR, <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Massachusetts,<br />
Worcester<br />
Caroline Ceneviz<br />
Faculty, <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>University</strong> <strong>School</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>Dental</strong> <strong>Medicine</strong><br />
Guimy Cesar<br />
Private Practice<br />
David Chang<br />
Postgraduate Program in Oral Surgery,<br />
<strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>University</strong> <strong>School</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Dental</strong><br />
<strong>Medicine</strong><br />
Eunis Choi<br />
AEGD, Lutheran Medical Center, Boston<br />
Kelly Dezura<br />
Oral Surgery Fellowship, Boston<br />
Medical Center<br />
Katayoon Dorosti<br />
Postgraduate Program in Pediatrics,<br />
<strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>University</strong> <strong>School</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Dental</strong><br />
<strong>Medicine</strong><br />
Susana Ferreira<br />
Faculty, <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>University</strong> <strong>School</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>Dental</strong> <strong>Medicine</strong><br />
Gaganpreet Gill<br />
Private Practice<br />
Joyce Gitangu<br />
Private Practice, Boston<br />
Winna Goldman<br />
Postgraduate Program in Endodontics/<br />
M.S., <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>University</strong> <strong>School</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Dental</strong><br />
<strong>Medicine</strong><br />
Sophana Hem<br />
Postgraduate Program in<br />
Prosthodontics, <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>University</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> <strong>Medicine</strong><br />
Tony Hill<br />
Private Practice, Amherst<br />
Jennifer Ji-Min Hong<br />
Postgraduate Program in Endodontics,<br />
Harvard <strong>University</strong><br />
Matthew Horan<br />
Public Health<br />
Sarah Hoye<br />
Private Practice, Douglas<br />
Sookyung Jun<br />
GPR, Cambridge Health Alliance/<br />
Harvard <strong>University</strong><br />
Yoon Henry Kang<br />
Private Practice<br />
Daniel Kazachkov<br />
Private Practice<br />
Jin Kim<br />
Private Practice<br />
Arathi Kumble<br />
Private Practice<br />
Jung Ho Lee<br />
Private Practice<br />
Cindy Leung<br />
Postgraduate Program in Orthodontics,<br />
<strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>University</strong> <strong>School</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Dental</strong><br />
<strong>Medicine</strong><br />
Nancy Machemer<br />
Private Practice<br />
Britta Magnuson<br />
Private Practice<br />
Shawn Marsh<br />
Oral Surgery Fellowship,<br />
Massachusetts General Hospital<br />
Lindsey McElligott<br />
Private Practice<br />
Zuzana Mendez<br />
Private Practice<br />
Nicholas Miller<br />
Private Practice<br />
Kanchan Pande<br />
Private Practice<br />
Jae Yeon Park<br />
Private Practice<br />
Lily Parsi<br />
Private Practice<br />
Bhumi Patel<br />
Private Practice<br />
Parita Patel<br />
AEGD, Lutheran Medical Center, Boston
Shivani Patel<br />
Private Practice<br />
Aparna Pathak<br />
Private Practice<br />
Bradford Pinkos<br />
Private Practice<br />
Kerith Rankin<br />
Private Practice<br />
Michelle Roberts<br />
Postgraduate Program in Orthodontics,<br />
<strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>University</strong> <strong>School</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Dental</strong><br />
<strong>Medicine</strong><br />
Vijitha Sanam<br />
Private Practice<br />
Moataz Shaban<br />
Private Practice<br />
Ninaz Shiva<br />
Private Practice<br />
SeungHee Song<br />
Private Practice<br />
Sarah Stipho<br />
Postgraduate Program in<br />
Periodontology, <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>University</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> <strong>Medicine</strong><br />
Leyla Tabesh<br />
Private Practice<br />
Aphrodite Tantiras<br />
Private Practice<br />
Chuanjun Wu<br />
Private Practice<br />
Tae Rim Yoon<br />
Postgraduate Program in Pediatrics,<br />
<strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>University</strong> <strong>School</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Dental</strong><br />
<strong>Medicine</strong><br />
Nermine Zaki<br />
Private Practice<br />
CLASS OF 2008 DISTRIBUTION<br />
MOUNTAIN STATES 6%<br />
SOUTH 12%<br />
MIDWEST 5%<br />
WEST COAST 16%<br />
MICHIGAN<br />
J<strong>of</strong>fre Martin<br />
Private Practice<br />
MISSOURI<br />
Suveetha Kavidass<br />
GPR, St. John’s Mercy Hospital,<br />
St. Louis<br />
NORTH CAROLINA<br />
Colby Cockrell<br />
Private Practice, Wilmington<br />
Adam DiVincenzo<br />
GPR, Navy <strong>Dental</strong> Clinic, Camp Lejeune<br />
Timothy Swing<br />
Private Practice<br />
Jeffrey West<br />
Private Practice<br />
NEW HAMPSHIRE<br />
Matthew Anderson<br />
Community Health Center, Portsmouth<br />
Melissa Dennison<br />
Private Practice<br />
NEW YORK<br />
Jennifer Blair<br />
Postgraduate Program in Pediatrics,<br />
Montefi ore Medical Center<br />
Jason Chao<br />
GPR, Lutheran Medical Center,<br />
Brooklyn<br />
Sanjeet Chaudhary<br />
GPR, Montefi ore Medical Center<br />
Sun Hae Choi<br />
GPR, Mount Sinai Medical Center<br />
Calley Christie<br />
GPR, Mary Immaculate Hospital,<br />
Jamaica<br />
FLORIDA 2%<br />
MID ATLANTIC 19%<br />
INTERNATIONAL 1%<br />
NEW ENGLAND 39%<br />
SOURCE: Data reported by 155 members <strong>of</strong> the D.M.D Class <strong>of</strong> 2008 and the 18 members<br />
<strong>of</strong> the <strong>Dental</strong> International Class who graduated in May 2008.<br />
Kathrina Delima<br />
GPR, Kings County Hospital, Brooklyn<br />
Amit Dogra<br />
GPR, Flushing Hospital Medical Center<br />
Alison Gomes<br />
GPR, SUNY Upstate Medical Center<br />
Dilshan Gunawardena<br />
Postgraduate Program in Oral Surgery,<br />
Long Island Jewish Medical Center<br />
Andrew Han<br />
Postgraduate Program in<br />
Periodontology, Columbia <strong>University</strong><br />
Amy Honig<br />
Postgraduate Program in Pediatrics,<br />
New York <strong>University</strong><br />
Ann Hua<br />
GPR, Montefi ore Medical Center<br />
Angela Ishak<br />
AEGD, Lutheran Medical Center,<br />
Brooklyn<br />
Kanchi Kapadia<br />
Postgraduate Program in Pediatrics,<br />
Lutheran Medical Center, Brooklyn<br />
Benjamin Karabell<br />
GPR, Montefi ore Medical Center<br />
Min Jung Kim<br />
AEGD, Columbia <strong>University</strong><br />
DongJin Lee<br />
GPR, New York Presbyterian, Cornell<br />
<strong>University</strong><br />
Elizabeth Lee<br />
GPR, Montefi ore Medical Center<br />
John Lee<br />
GPR, Brooklyn Hospital Center<br />
Susan Liem<br />
GPR, New York Hospital, Queens<br />
Jordan Lissauer<br />
GPR, Coler-Goldwater Memorial<br />
Hospital, New York City<br />
Alexander Moheban<br />
GPR, Mount Sinai Medical Center<br />
Quan Nghiem<br />
GPR, Montefi ore Medical Center<br />
Uchenna Nweze<br />
GPR, Jamaica Hospital Medical Center<br />
Anthony Palumbo<br />
Postgraduate Program in<br />
Periodontology, State <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> New<br />
York, Stony Brook<br />
Ameeta Sachdev<br />
GPR, Our Lady <strong>of</strong> Mercy Medical<br />
Center, Bronx<br />
Arun Singh<br />
GPR, New York Hospital, Queens<br />
Jennifer Woods<br />
AEGD, Lutheran Medical Center<br />
OHIO<br />
Lily Lee<br />
Private Practice<br />
Ryan Murphy<br />
AEGD, U.S. Air Force, Wright Patterson<br />
Air Force Base, Dayton<br />
OREGON<br />
Paul Brooks Noland<br />
Private Practice, Portland<br />
Rebecca Seppala<br />
Private Practice, Portland<br />
PENNSYLVANIA<br />
Janice Choi<br />
Private Practice, Philadephia<br />
Marty Montgomery<br />
Postgraduate Program in Pediatrics,<br />
Temple <strong>University</strong><br />
Keyur Patoliya<br />
Private Practice<br />
RHODE ISLAND<br />
Seth Bozarth<br />
GPR, Navy <strong>Dental</strong> Clinic, Newport<br />
John Cabrera<br />
AEGD, Providence VA Medical Center<br />
Teresa Moniz<br />
GPR, Rhode Island Hospital,<br />
Providence<br />
Jordana Werba<br />
Private Practice<br />
TEXAS<br />
Carmen Brambila<br />
Private Practice<br />
Sukhman Chahal<br />
GPR, <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Texas, San Antonio<br />
Renee Crittendon<br />
Private Practice, Houston<br />
Kyle Griffi th<br />
AEGD, U.S. Army, Fort Hood, Killeen<br />
Susan Henson<br />
Private Practice, Houston<br />
Neerav Jayaswal<br />
Private Practice, Dallas<br />
John Park<br />
Private Practice, Houston<br />
Joaquin Sanchez<br />
Private Practice<br />
Erin Weston<br />
Private Practice<br />
VIRGINIA<br />
Tyler Burningham<br />
Private Practice<br />
Michael Hull<br />
Private Practice<br />
WASHINGTON<br />
Christopher Helley<br />
Postgraduate Program in<br />
Prosthodontics, <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
Washington<br />
Chang-Hyun Na<br />
Private Practice, Seattle<br />
WISCONSIN<br />
Anne Riebau<br />
AEGD, Milwaukee VA Medical Center<br />
winter 2009 tufts dental medicine 39
ON CAMPUS<br />
GENERAL DENTISTRY<br />
JAKE CHEN, pr<strong>of</strong>essor and director <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Division <strong>of</strong> Oral Biology, has been awarded a<br />
research grant from the International Team for<br />
Implantology for a study on his hypothesis that<br />
bone marrow-derived stem cells are capable<br />
<strong>of</strong> migrating to dental implantation sites and<br />
participating in bone-healing processes. He<br />
also will examine the role <strong>of</strong> Satb2, a newly<br />
discovered osteogenic transcription factor that<br />
promotes bone formation through enhancing<br />
the differentiation <strong>of</strong> bone-forming cells. The<br />
co-investigator for the project is TERRENCE<br />
GRIFFIN, chair <strong>of</strong> the department <strong>of</strong> periodontology.<br />
Their work may provide novel insights<br />
into cellular and molecular mechanisms <strong>of</strong><br />
bone-healing processes after dental implants<br />
are installed and facilitate the development<br />
<strong>of</strong> approaches to recruit osteoprogenitor cells<br />
and to accelerate formation and mineralization<br />
at the dental implant surface.<br />
Presentations:<br />
■ “The Roles <strong>of</strong> Zoledronic Acid in Bone<br />
Healing and Osteoblast Functions,” Jin Zhang,<br />
Qisheng Tu and Jake Chen, American Society<br />
for Bone and Mineral Research annual meeting,<br />
Montreal, Canada, September 2008.<br />
(Zhang, a postdoctoral fellow in Chen’s lab,<br />
also won a travel award from the Endocrine<br />
Fellows Foundation for this oral health-related<br />
work.)<br />
■ “Bone Marrow Stromal Cells and Osterix<br />
Contributing to Osseointegration <strong>of</strong> <strong>Dental</strong><br />
Implants,” Beiyun Xu, Jin Zhang, Erika Brewer,<br />
Qisheng Tu, Marco Wieland and Jake Chen,<br />
American Society for Bone and Mineral<br />
Research annual meeting, Montreal, Canada,<br />
September 2008.<br />
■ “Adiponectin Inhibits Osteoclast Formation<br />
Via akt Signaling Pathway,” Q. Tu, J. Zhang,<br />
B. Xu, E. Brewer and J. Chen, American<br />
Society for Bone and Mineral Research,<br />
Montreal, Canada, September 2008.<br />
FACULTY NOTES<br />
■ “Satb2 Overexpression Promotes Osteoblast<br />
Differentiation and Enhances Regeneration<br />
<strong>of</strong> Bone Defects,” Erika Brewer, Jin Zhang,<br />
Qisheng Tu, Jean Tang, and Jake Chen,<br />
American Society for Bone and Mineral<br />
Research, Montreal, Canada, September<br />
2008.<br />
■ “Bisphosphonate-induced Changes in<br />
Bone Wound Healing Processes,” Jin Zhang,<br />
Qisheng Tu and Jake Chen, symposium <strong>of</strong><br />
International Association for Biomedical<br />
40 tufts dental medicine winter 2009<br />
Research, Forsyth Institute, Boston, November<br />
2008. (Presentation won third place in the<br />
poster competition).<br />
Publications:<br />
■ “Pheonotypic Analysis <strong>of</strong> Dlx5<br />
Overexpression in Postnatal Bone,” J. Zhang,<br />
J. Zhu, P. Valverde, L. Li, J. Zhang, S. Pageau,<br />
Q. Tu, R. Nishimura, T. Yoneda, P. Yang and J.<br />
Chen, Journal <strong>of</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> Research, 87:45–50,<br />
2008.<br />
■ “Systemically Transplanted Bone Marrow<br />
Stromal Cells Contributing to Bone Tissue<br />
Regeneration,” S. Li, Q. Tu, J. Zhang, G. Stein,<br />
J. Lian, P.S. Yang and J. Chen, Journal <strong>of</strong> Cell<br />
Physiology, 215(1):204–9, 2008.<br />
■ “Overexpression <strong>of</strong> Bone Sialoprotein Leads<br />
to an Uncoupling <strong>of</strong> Bone Formation and Bone<br />
Resorption in Mice,” P. Valverde, J. Zhang,<br />
A. Fix, J. Zhu, W. Ma, Q. Tu and J. Chen,<br />
Journal <strong>of</strong> Bone and Mineral Research,<br />
23:1775–1788, 2008.<br />
■ “Haploinsuffi ciency <strong>of</strong> Runx2 Results in<br />
Decrease in Bone Formation,” Qisheng Tu,<br />
Jin Zhang, Jeff Paz, Katherine Wade and Jake<br />
Chen, Journal <strong>of</strong> Cell Physiology, 217:40–7,<br />
October 2008.<br />
■ “Expression <strong>of</strong> Osterix in Mechanical<br />
Stress-induced Osteogenic Differentiation <strong>of</strong><br />
Periodontal Ligament Cells in vitro,” Y. Zhao,<br />
C. Wang, S. Li, H. Song, F. Wei, K. Pan, K.<br />
Zhu, P. Yang, Q. Tu and J. Chen, European<br />
Journal <strong>of</strong> Oral Sciences, 116(3):199–206,<br />
2008.<br />
■ “Targeted Overexpression <strong>of</strong> BSP in<br />
Osteoclasts Promotes Bone Metastasis <strong>of</strong><br />
Breast Cancer Cells,” Q. Tu, J. Zhang, A. Fix,<br />
E. Brewer, Y. Li, Zhi-yuan Zhang and J. Chen,<br />
Journal <strong>of</strong> Cell Physiology, 218:135–45, 2008.<br />
WILLIAM LOBEL, D72, assistant clinical<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essor<br />
Presentations:<br />
■ Lectures and hands-on continuing education<br />
courses on techniques for impressioning<br />
complete and implant-retained overdentures,<br />
with JOSEPH MASSAD, adjunct pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong><br />
prosthodontics and operative dentistry, 149th<br />
annual American <strong>Dental</strong> Association meeting,<br />
San Antonio, Texas, October 17–18, 2008.<br />
■ “Predictable Complete Denture Therapy,”<br />
Scottsdale Center for <strong>Dentistry</strong>, Scottsdale,<br />
Ariz., July 30, 31 and August 1, 2008.<br />
■ “New and Improved One Appointment<br />
Defi nitive Impression Making,” 16th Alexandria<br />
International <strong>Dental</strong> Congress, Alexandria,<br />
Egypt, October 28, 2008.<br />
Publication:<br />
■ “Complete Denture Prosthodontics: Modern<br />
Approaches to Old Concerns,” Joseph<br />
Massad, David Cagna and William Lobel,<br />
Inside <strong>Dentistry</strong>, 48:84–93, September 2008.<br />
ERIC WEINSTOCK, D00, DG02, assistant clinical<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essor, was inducted into the American<br />
College <strong>of</strong> Dentists during the annual meeting<br />
<strong>of</strong> the American <strong>Dental</strong> Association last fall in<br />
San Antonio, Texas.<br />
PROMOTIONS<br />
DAVID PAUL, D89, to associate pr<strong>of</strong>essor.<br />
SAMUEL SHAMES, D75, to associate clinical<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essor.<br />
ORAL AND MAXILLOFACIAL<br />
PATHOLOGY<br />
ADDY ALT-HOLLAND, assistant pr<strong>of</strong>essor<br />
Presentations:<br />
■ “Investigating Cancer Progression <strong>of</strong> Cells<br />
in 3D Matrix with Non-Invasive Fluorescent<br />
Imaging,” J. Xylas, A. Alt-Holland, J.A. Garlick<br />
and I. Georgakoudi, Biomedical Engineering<br />
Society annual meeting, St. Louis, Mo.,<br />
October 2008, and <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>University</strong> Cancer<br />
Research Day, October, 17, 2008.<br />
■ “RalA Suppresses Invasion by Ras-<br />
Transformed Keratinocytes in a Bioengineered<br />
Human Tissue Model <strong>of</strong> Squamous Cell<br />
Carcinoma,” A. Sowalsky, A. Alt-Holland,<br />
Y. Shamis, J.A. Garlick and L. Feig, <strong>Tufts</strong><br />
<strong>University</strong> Cancer Research Day, October 17,<br />
2008.<br />
■ “Loss <strong>of</strong> E-cadherin-mediated Cell-Cell<br />
Adhesion Induces the Transition from<br />
Precancer to Squamous Cell Carcinoma<br />
through Activation <strong>of</strong> FAK and Src Kinases,”<br />
A. Alt-Holland, Y. Szwec-Levin, D. Green and J.<br />
Garlick, <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>University</strong> Cancer Research Day,<br />
October, 17, 2008.<br />
■ “Reverting the Aggressive Behavior <strong>of</strong><br />
Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Silencing <strong>of</strong><br />
FAK and Src Kinases Normalizes Human<br />
3D Bioengineered Tissues Comprised <strong>of</strong><br />
E-cadherin-defi cient Tumor Cells,” A. Alt-<br />
Holland, Y. Szwec-Levine, A. Sowalsky, L. Feig<br />
and J. Garlick, 5th International Association<br />
for Biomedical & Medical Research, the<br />
Forsyth Institute, Boston, November 20, 2008.
GAVEL MEDAL HONORS WORK OF WILKINS AND JOHANSEN<br />
Esther Wilkins, D49, DG66, clinical pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> periodontology,<br />
was honored with the 2008 Gavel Medal during the 15th annual<br />
Dr. J. Murray Gavel Clinical Research Lecture, held November 3<br />
at the Forsyth Institute. Dean Emeritus Erling<br />
Johansen, D49, received the medal posthumously,<br />
and Dean Lonnie H. Norris, DG80, accepted<br />
it on behalf <strong>of</strong> <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>University</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> <strong>Medicine</strong>.<br />
The Gavel Medal “commemorates the<br />
achievements <strong>of</strong> a medical or dental researcher,<br />
educator or practitioner who has made lasting<br />
and innovative contributions to mankind.”<br />
Gavel, D23, H64, who died in 1999 and was<br />
a longtime faculty member at <strong>Tufts</strong>, served as<br />
dean <strong>of</strong> the dental school from 1962 to 1963<br />
and was involved with the Forsyth Institute for<br />
more than 30 years.<br />
Wilkins is the author <strong>of</strong> Clinical Practice<br />
<strong>of</strong> the <strong>Dental</strong> Hygienist (Lippincott Williams &<br />
Wilkins), which is known as the “bible <strong>of</strong> dental<br />
hygiene.” The tenth edition was published<br />
on February 1, and it has been translated into<br />
Japanese, Italian, Korean, Portuguese and French Canadian.<br />
“As a student reading chapter after chapter [<strong>of</strong> the book], I said to<br />
myself, ‘Who is this woman, Dr. Esther Wilkins, a dental hygienist,<br />
a dentist and a periodontist? This is a woman who must have<br />
Publications:<br />
■ “E-cadherin Suppression Directs Cytoskeletal<br />
Rearrangement and Intraepithelial Tumor Cell<br />
Migration in 3D Human Skin Equivalents,”<br />
Addy Alt-Holland, Yulia Shamis, Kathleen<br />
N. Riley, Teresa M. DesRochers, Norbert<br />
E. Fusenig, Ira M. Herman and Jonathan A.<br />
Garlick, Journal <strong>of</strong> Investigative Dermatology,<br />
128(10):2498–507, October 2008.<br />
■ “The Many Microenvironments <strong>of</strong> Squamous<br />
Cell Carcinoma Progression,” Addy Alt-Holland<br />
and Jonathan Garlick, International Journal <strong>of</strong><br />
Cancer (in press).<br />
CHRISTOPHE EGLES, assistant pr<strong>of</strong>essor, will<br />
give an invited presentation on the work <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>Tufts</strong>’ Center for Integrated Tissue Engineering<br />
at the Society for In Vitro Biology’s 2009<br />
meeting in Charleston, S.C., June 6–10.<br />
JONATHAN GARLICK, pr<strong>of</strong>essor and head<br />
PHOTO: ALONSO NICHOLS<br />
The Gavel Medal, awarded posthumously<br />
to Dean Emeritus Erling<br />
Johansen, is on permanent display in<br />
the Becker Alumni Center.<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Division <strong>of</strong> Cancer Biology and Tissue<br />
Engineering, will team with colleagues<br />
from <strong>Tufts</strong>’ schools <strong>of</strong> Arts & Sciences and<br />
Engineering and the university chaplain to<br />
<strong>of</strong>fer a <strong>University</strong> Seminar titled “Stem<br />
Cells and Society: The Future <strong>of</strong> Global and<br />
Personal Health” in Spring 2010. Founded<br />
a year ago by Provost Jamshed Bharucha, the<br />
<strong>University</strong> Seminars bring together faculty<br />
and students from all <strong>Tufts</strong>’ schools for<br />
interdisciplinary courses that link scholarship<br />
to civic engagement by focusing on issues<br />
<strong>of</strong> national or global importance. Garlick will<br />
develop and teach the seminar with Sheldon<br />
Krimsky, pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> urban and environmental<br />
policy and planning; David Kaplan, pr<strong>of</strong>essor<br />
and chair <strong>of</strong> biomedical engineering; and the<br />
Rev. David O’Leary, university chaplain and<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> religion. The seminar will provide<br />
a dynamic forum for students to explore how<br />
societies and individuals can balance their<br />
done it all in her career,’ ” said Mina Nicolle Ulaszek Benjamin,<br />
who received the 2008 Esther Wilkins Future Leader Award from<br />
the American <strong>Dental</strong> Hygienists’ Association.<br />
Wilkins’ involvement with the Forsyth<br />
began in 1938, when she enrolled in the<br />
Forsyth <strong>School</strong> for <strong>Dental</strong> Hygienists<br />
(now part <strong>of</strong> the Massachusetts College<br />
<strong>of</strong> Pharmacy and Health Sciences) after<br />
graduating from Simmons College. She<br />
then went to work for Frank Willis, D13, in<br />
Manchester-by-the-Sea, Mass. She decided<br />
a dental degree would be the logical next<br />
step, and enrolled at <strong>Tufts</strong>. Wilkins was the<br />
fi rst director <strong>of</strong> the dental hygiene program<br />
at the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Washington <strong>School</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>Dentistry</strong> in Seattle.<br />
Johansen, who died on February 29,<br />
2008, in his native Norway, was the longestserving<br />
dean <strong>of</strong> <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>University</strong> <strong>School</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>Dental</strong> <strong>Medicine</strong>. He was appointed to the<br />
post on January 1, 1979, and retired on<br />
July 1, 1995, exactly 50 years to the day<br />
he arrived at <strong>Tufts</strong> as a fi rst-year dental student.<br />
His pioneering research in preventive dentistry led to the development<br />
<strong>of</strong> an oral health management system for patients with<br />
head and neck cancers.<br />
desire for progress in personal health with<br />
their respect for religious, cultural and societal<br />
views that impact the application <strong>of</strong> human<br />
stem cells. Garlick was one <strong>of</strong> 12 panelists<br />
selected to participate in an NIH Round Table<br />
Discussion on the new NIH funding program<br />
known as “Transformative R01s,” which will<br />
allow creative, out-<strong>of</strong>-the-box projects to be<br />
supported in any area <strong>of</strong> research that falls<br />
within the NIH mission, including 3-D tissue<br />
models, one <strong>of</strong> Garlick’s areas <strong>of</strong> expertise.<br />
The roundtable panel included 12 scientists<br />
with broad experience in the area <strong>of</strong> in vitro<br />
engineered tissues who provided perspective<br />
on strategies to illuminate potential transformative<br />
research in this fi eld. Garlick was<br />
selected to serve as chair <strong>of</strong> the Technologies<br />
and Resources Component <strong>of</strong> <strong>Tufts</strong> Clinical<br />
and Translational Sciences Institute and was<br />
appointed a faculty member in the Master’s<br />
in Biomedical Sciences Program at <strong>Tufts</strong><br />
winter 2009 tufts dental medicine 41
ON CAMPUS<br />
<strong>School</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Medicine</strong>. He has been appointed<br />
to the scientifi c advisory boards <strong>of</strong> the Boston<br />
Biomedical Research Institute in Watertown,<br />
Mass., and <strong>of</strong> the Pioneer Valley Life Sciences<br />
Institute in Springfi eld, Mass. Garlick is also<br />
serving as an associated faculty member<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Institute for Clinical Research and<br />
Health Policy Studies at <strong>Tufts</strong> Medical Center.<br />
TERESA DESROCHERS, a Ph.D. student in<br />
Garlick’s laboratory, has been awarded a<br />
Sackler Biomedical Travel Fellowship, which<br />
provides $500 to travel to a scientifi c meeting.<br />
MARK CARLSON, a postdoctoral fellow<br />
in Garlick’s lab, has been awarded a <strong>Tufts</strong><br />
TEACRS (Training in Education and Critical<br />
Research Skills) Fellowship, which gives<br />
postdocs the opportunity to conduct high-level<br />
research across multiple schools at <strong>Tufts</strong> and<br />
gain teaching skills.<br />
Grants:<br />
■ “Generation <strong>of</strong> 3D Tissues Using Existing<br />
Cell Lines,” American Type Culture Collection<br />
Inc., $186,594.<br />
■ “Elastin Damage, Repair and Evaluation <strong>of</strong><br />
Selected Agents for Elastin Modulation in 3D<br />
Human Tissue Models,” Johnson & Johnson<br />
Inc., $50,000.<br />
■ “Evaluation <strong>of</strong> New Human Skin Equivalent<br />
Grafts,” Organogenesis Inc., $10,000.<br />
■ “Cell Bank Test in 3D,” Organogenesis Inc.,<br />
$10,000.<br />
■ “3D Human Skin Equivalents to Model<br />
Dandruff,” Proctor & Gamble Inc., $50,000.<br />
■ “Development <strong>of</strong> Novel 3D Tissue Models for<br />
Screening,” Proctor & Gamble Inc., $75,000.<br />
Presentations:<br />
■ “Human Engineered Tissues for Cancer<br />
Discovery and Drug Development,” <strong>Tufts</strong><br />
<strong>University</strong> Cancer Research Day, October 2008.<br />
■ “3D Tissue Models <strong>of</strong> Elastin Biology and<br />
UV Response,” Johnson & Johnson Inc.,<br />
September 2008.<br />
■ “Engineered Human Tissue Models <strong>of</strong> Oral<br />
Squamous Cell Carcinoma,” <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>Dental</strong><br />
<strong>School</strong>, Oral and Maxill<strong>of</strong>acial Surgery<br />
Rounds, October 2008.<br />
■ “Postgraduate Course in Adult and<br />
Embryonic Stem Cells,” <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Siena<br />
<strong>Dental</strong> <strong>School</strong>, November 2008.<br />
MICHAEL HALL, assistant pr<strong>of</strong>essor,<br />
conducted an oral cancer screening at the<br />
Norfolk Adult Day Health Center in Norwood,<br />
Mass., on November 1.<br />
42 tufts dental medicine winter 2009<br />
MICHAEL A. KAHN, pr<strong>of</strong>essor and chair, and<br />
MICHAEL HALL, assistant pr<strong>of</strong>essor, were<br />
oral cancer screeners at the 2nd annual Walk<br />
the Rock for Oral Cancer Awareness, held<br />
September 21 in Plymouth, Mass.<br />
Presentations:<br />
■ “Embracing Technology to Save Lives:<br />
A Review <strong>of</strong> Oral Cancer Screening Techniques<br />
and New Technologies,” AGD Mastership<br />
Program, Ohio State <strong>University</strong> <strong>School</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>Dentistry</strong>, Columbus, Ohio, October 3, 2008.<br />
■ “Clinical Cases <strong>of</strong> Chronic Lip Licking<br />
and Papillary Squamous Cell Carcinoma,”<br />
Eastern Society <strong>of</strong> Teachers <strong>of</strong> Oral Pathology,<br />
Columbus, Ohio, October 4, 2008.<br />
■ “Management <strong>of</strong> Common Oral S<strong>of</strong>t Tissue<br />
Lesions,” <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>University</strong> <strong>School</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Dental</strong><br />
<strong>Medicine</strong>, October 29, 2008.<br />
■ “Top 10 Oral S<strong>of</strong>t Tissue Lesions,” Gentle<br />
Communications, Waltham, Mass., October<br />
30, 2008.<br />
■ “Top 10 S<strong>of</strong>t Tissue Oral Pathology,”<br />
TriCounty <strong>Dental</strong> Study Club, Saugus, Mass.,<br />
November 6, 2008.<br />
■ “Early Detection <strong>of</strong> Oral Cancer: Screening<br />
and Adjunctive Diagnostic Aids,” New England<br />
<strong>Dental</strong> Society, Waltham, Mass., November 8,<br />
2008.<br />
■ “Oral Cancer Early Detection System,” EDIC<br />
webinar, Westborough, Mass., November 25,<br />
2008.<br />
■ “Bisphosphonate-related Osteonecrosis <strong>of</strong><br />
the Jaws Update,” Charles River <strong>Dental</strong> Study<br />
Club, Wellesley, Mass., December 2, 2008.<br />
Publication:<br />
■ “Oral Cancer: A Prosthodontic Diagnosis,”<br />
M.A. Siegel, M.A. Kahn and M.J. Palazzolo,<br />
Journal <strong>of</strong> Prosthodontics, 1–8, 2008 (bound<br />
version in press).<br />
LYNN SOLOMON, associate pr<strong>of</strong>essor, was<br />
elected to the Executive Council <strong>of</strong> the<br />
American Academy <strong>of</strong> Oral and Maxill<strong>of</strong>acial<br />
Pathology (AAOMP) at its 62nd annual meeting<br />
in San Francisco. As a member <strong>of</strong> the<br />
committee, she contributed fi ve cases, exam<br />
questions and answers, and a literature review<br />
for the Continuing Competency Assurance<br />
Program <strong>of</strong> the AAOMP. Solomon attended<br />
the AAOMP Executive Council meeting on<br />
November 1 in Chicago.<br />
Presentations:<br />
■ “After the Diagnosis: Management <strong>of</strong> Oral<br />
Cancer,” Massachusetts <strong>Dental</strong> Society<br />
continuing education course, Southborough,<br />
Mass., September 18, 2008.<br />
■ Three clinical cases, Western Society <strong>of</strong><br />
Teachers <strong>of</strong> Oral Pathology, Playa Del Carmen,<br />
Quintana Roo, Mexico, September 21–23,<br />
2008.<br />
■ “Management <strong>of</strong> Common S<strong>of</strong>t Tissue Oral<br />
Lesions,” co-presenter with Michael Kahn,<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essor and chair, <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>University</strong> <strong>School</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>Dental</strong> <strong>Medicine</strong> continuing education course,<br />
October 17, 2008.<br />
■ “BRONJ: Separating Fact from Fiction,”<br />
Norfolk Parkway Study Club, Dedham, Mass.,<br />
November 5, 2008.<br />
Publications:<br />
■ “Plasma Cell Mucositis <strong>of</strong> the Oral Cavity:<br />
Report <strong>of</strong> a Case and Review <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Literature,” L.W. Solomon, R.O. Wein, I.<br />
Rosenwald and N. Laver, Oral Surgery, Oral<br />
<strong>Medicine</strong>, Oral Pathology, Oral Radiology &<br />
Endodontics, 106(6):853–860, 2008.<br />
■ “Cytokeratin 8, a Potential Marker for Early<br />
Oral Cancer Detection,” J. Frustino, R. Cheney,<br />
R. Sammarco, L. Solomon, M. Reid and<br />
M. Sullivan, Journal <strong>of</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> Research<br />
(Special Issue A):0768, 2008<br />
(www.dentalresearch.org).<br />
■ “A Clinico-pathologic Correlation (Extramedullary<br />
Plasmacytoma),” N. Demetriades,<br />
R.K.M. Prabhudev, N. Pokrovskaya, L.W.<br />
Solomon and K.A. Shastri, Journal <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Massachusetts <strong>Dental</strong> Society, 57(3):56–58,<br />
Fall 2008.<br />
ORAL AND<br />
MAXILLOFACIAL SURGERY<br />
CONSTANTINOS LASKARIDES, DG03,<br />
assistant pr<strong>of</strong>essor, gave a lunch-andlearn<br />
presentation on “Distant Bone Graft<br />
Harvesting for Implant Placement in the<br />
Ambulatory Outpatient Setting” at the 90th<br />
annual meeting <strong>of</strong> the American Association <strong>of</strong><br />
Oral and Maxill<strong>of</strong>acial Surgeons in Seattle in<br />
September 2008.<br />
MARIA PAPAGEORGE, D82, DG86, G89,<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essor and chair, hosted an alumni<br />
reception at the 89th annual meeting <strong>of</strong> the<br />
American Association <strong>of</strong> Oral and Maxill<strong>of</strong>acial<br />
Surgeons in Seattle, Wash., on September<br />
18, 2008. She presented a lecture on<br />
“Zygoma Implants: A Surgical Alternative for<br />
Reconstruction <strong>of</strong> the Atrophic Maxilla” to a
meeting <strong>of</strong> the Academy <strong>of</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> Science at<br />
the Harvard Club on October 1, 2008, and on<br />
“<strong>Dental</strong> Disease As a Risk Factor for Systemic<br />
Diseases” to the <strong>Tufts</strong> Medical Center Board<br />
<strong>of</strong> Directors on October 28, 2008.<br />
MORTON ROSENBERG, D74, pr<strong>of</strong>essor and<br />
director <strong>of</strong> anesthesia and pain control, contributed<br />
to a chapter titled “Neural Blockade<br />
<strong>of</strong> Oral and Circumoral Structures” in the<br />
fourth edition <strong>of</strong> the classic reference text<br />
on anesthesia, Neural Blockade in Clinical<br />
Anesthesia and Pain <strong>Medicine</strong> (Lippincott<br />
Williams & Wilkins, 2009). Daniel Carr,<br />
adjunct pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> anesthesiology at <strong>Tufts</strong><br />
<strong>School</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Medicine</strong>, is one <strong>of</strong> the editors <strong>of</strong><br />
the book.<br />
Presentations:<br />
■ “Nitrous Oxide-Oxygen Certifi cation Course,”<br />
continuing education, <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>University</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> <strong>Medicine</strong>, November 7–8, 2008.<br />
■ “Enteral (Oral) Sedation for the General<br />
Dentist,” continuing education, <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>University</strong><br />
<strong>School</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> <strong>Medicine</strong>, November 21–22,<br />
2008.<br />
■ “Sedation Review,” dental residency pro-<br />
grams, U.S. Army, Fort Lewis, Augusta, Ga.<br />
■ “Update and Review <strong>of</strong> the ADA Sedation<br />
Guidelines,” Eastern <strong>Dental</strong> Insurance Co.,<br />
Westborough, Mass.<br />
■ “Enteral Sedation Update,” American <strong>Dental</strong><br />
Society <strong>of</strong> Anesthesiology, Charleston, S.C.,<br />
and “Beta Testing ADA Emergency Airway<br />
Course,” <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> South Carolina Medical<br />
Center, Charleston, S.C.<br />
■ “High Fidelity Human Simulation for Medical/<br />
Anesthetic Emergencies,” annual meeting <strong>of</strong> the<br />
American Association <strong>of</strong> Oral and Maxill<strong>of</strong>acial<br />
Surgeons, Seattle, Wash., September 2008.<br />
■ “Anesthesia Potpourri: Politics and<br />
Pediatrics,” New Jersey Society <strong>of</strong> <strong>Dental</strong><br />
Anesthesiology.<br />
■ “Certifi cation Course in Nitrous Oxide and<br />
Local Anesthesia,” Virginia Commonwealth<br />
<strong>University</strong> <strong>School</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Dentistry</strong>, Richmond, Va.<br />
■ “Anesthesia Update,” Phoenix Society <strong>of</strong><br />
Oral and Maxill<strong>of</strong>acial Surgeons and Arizona<br />
Society <strong>of</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> Anesthesiology, Scottsdale,<br />
Ariz.<br />
KALPAKAM SHASTRI, DG05, assistant pr<strong>of</strong>essor,<br />
presented a continuing education course<br />
on “Surgical Complications in the Offi ce” at<br />
<strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>University</strong> <strong>School</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> <strong>Medicine</strong> on<br />
November 5, 2008, and attended the 14th<br />
annual Northeast Regional Postgraduate<br />
<strong>Dental</strong> Implant Symposium at the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
Pittsburgh on October 17, 2008.<br />
Departmental Presentations:<br />
EMERITUS REDUX<br />
S. Walter Askinas, left, <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> <strong>School</strong>’s executive dean emeritus and<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> restorative dentistry emeritus, was named the fi rst pr<strong>of</strong>essor<br />
emeritus at Nova Southeastern <strong>University</strong> College <strong>of</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> <strong>Medicine</strong><br />
on December 7. Mark Gonthier, right, associate dean for admissions and<br />
student affairs, represented <strong>Tufts</strong> at the event and spoke about Askinas’<br />
legacy as one <strong>of</strong> the dental school’s most beloved teachers. Also attending<br />
the event in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., was Saulius Drukteinis, A95, D99, assistant<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> periodontology at Nova.<br />
At <strong>Tufts</strong>, Askinas served as pr<strong>of</strong>essor and chair <strong>of</strong> restorative dentistry<br />
from 1985 to 1997, and as executive dean from 1995 to 1997. Upon his<br />
retirement, an endowed Senior Award, the Dr. Walter Askinas Senior Prize<br />
Fund for Integrity and Citizenship, was established in his honor. Askinas<br />
joined the Nova faculty as chair <strong>of</strong> the department <strong>of</strong> restorative dentistry<br />
after leaving <strong>Tufts</strong>.<br />
■ “In Vitro Biomechanical Evaluation <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Use <strong>of</strong> Conventional and Locking Miniplate/<br />
Screw System for Sagittal Split Ramus<br />
Osteotomy,” Osvaldo Magra-Filho, M.B.<br />
Papageorge, K. Shastri and Paulo Domingos<br />
Ribeiro Jr., 89th annual meeting <strong>of</strong> the<br />
American Association <strong>of</strong> Oral and Maxill<strong>of</strong>acial<br />
Surgeons, Seattle, Wash., September 2008.<br />
■ “In Vitro Biomechanical Evaluation <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Use <strong>of</strong> Conventional and Locking Miniplate/<br />
Screw system with 4 or 7 Holes for the<br />
Treatment <strong>of</strong> Mandibular Angle Fractures,”<br />
Paulo Domingos Ribeiro Jr., M.B. Papageorge,<br />
K. Shastri and Osvaldo Magra-Filho, 89th<br />
annual meeting <strong>of</strong> the American Association<br />
<strong>of</strong> Oral and Maxill<strong>of</strong>acial Surgeons, Seattle,<br />
Wash., September 2008.<br />
■ “Frequency <strong>of</strong> Presentation and Risk Pr<strong>of</strong>i le<br />
for Human Papilloma Virus in Oropharyngeal<br />
and Hypopharyngeal Squamous Cell<br />
Carcinoma,” James Kraus, Daniel Oreadi,<br />
Richard Wein, Nora Laver and Maria<br />
Papageorge, <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>University</strong> Cancer Research<br />
Day, October 17, 2008.<br />
■ “Quality <strong>of</strong> Life in Patients with Resected<br />
and Reconstructed Mandibles,” Maria<br />
Papageorge, Kalpakam Shastri, Robert<br />
Chapman and Daniel Oreadi, <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>University</strong><br />
Cancer Research Day, October 17, 2008.<br />
■ “In-<strong>of</strong>fi ce Cranial and Tibia Bone Grafting<br />
for Bilateral Maxillary Sinus Augmentation,”<br />
M. Lucca and J. Hendi, 14th annual Northeast<br />
Regional Postgraduate <strong>Dental</strong> Implant<br />
Symposium, <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Pittsburgh, October<br />
17, 2008.<br />
■ “Anatomical Changes Following SARPE<br />
Procedure,” W.S. McKenzie, A. Naimi, L. Suri<br />
and M. Papageorge, Greater New York <strong>Dental</strong><br />
Meeting, November 2008.<br />
winter 2009 tufts dental medicine 43
ON CAMPUS<br />
Departmental Publications:<br />
■ “Perioperative Management <strong>of</strong> a Patient<br />
with Short Chain Acyl-CoA Dehydrogenase<br />
Defi ciency: A Case Report,” J. Kraus, D.<br />
Oreadi, K. Shastri and M.B. Rosenberg,<br />
Journal <strong>of</strong> Oral and Maxill<strong>of</strong>acial Surgery,<br />
66:2164–2165, 2008.<br />
■ “Clinico-pathologic Correlation<br />
(Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma),” A. Naimi<br />
and M.B. Papageorge, Journal <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Massachusetts <strong>Dental</strong> Society, 57(2):36–38,<br />
2008.<br />
■ “Clinico-pathologic Correlation (Extramedullary<br />
Plasmacytoma),” N. Demetriades, R.K.<br />
Prabhudev, N. Pokrovskaya, L. Solomon and K.<br />
Shastri, Journal <strong>of</strong> the Massachusetts <strong>Dental</strong><br />
Society, 57 (3):56–58, 2008.<br />
ORTHODONTICS<br />
BARRY BRISS, D66, DG70, D95P, DG97P,<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essor and chair, attended the inaugural<br />
meeting <strong>of</strong> the Joint Cephalometrics Experts<br />
Group, <strong>of</strong> which he is a member, at Case<br />
Western Reserve <strong>University</strong> in Cleveland,<br />
Ohio, on November 21–23, 2008. The group’s<br />
mission is to map out a plan for the transition<br />
from 2D cephalometrics to 3D cone<br />
beam imaging for assessment <strong>of</strong> orthodontic<br />
outcomes as well as diagnosis and treatment<br />
planning.<br />
LESLIE A. WILL, pr<strong>of</strong>essor and director <strong>of</strong> the<br />
advanced education program in orthodontics,<br />
became the president <strong>of</strong> the Northeastern<br />
Society <strong>of</strong> Orthodontics in September 2008.<br />
She was also appointed a site visitor by<br />
the Council on <strong>Dental</strong> Accreditation <strong>of</strong> the<br />
American <strong>Dental</strong> Association.<br />
Presentations:<br />
■ “Enhancing Patient Care with Cone Beam<br />
CT,” Tokyo Medical and <strong>Dental</strong> <strong>University</strong>,<br />
Tokyo, Japan, September 29, 2008.<br />
■ Nine lectures on growth and development<br />
and orthognathic surgery, visiting pr<strong>of</strong>es-<br />
sor, Department <strong>of</strong> Orthodontics, Khon Kaen<br />
<strong>University</strong>, Khon Kaen, Thailand, October 2008.<br />
■ “A New Cephalometric Analysis” and<br />
“Analyzing the Transverse Dimension Using<br />
Cone Beam CT,” Department <strong>of</strong> Orthodontics,<br />
<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Pennsylvania.<br />
Publication:<br />
■ “Mandibular Arch Form: The Relationship between<br />
<strong>Dental</strong> and Basal Anatomy,” V. Ronay,<br />
44 tufts dental medicine winter 2009<br />
ASSOCIATE DEAN STEPS DOWN<br />
After 20 years <strong>of</strong> service to <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>University</strong> <strong>School</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> <strong>Medicine</strong>, David Russell,<br />
D87, MPH02, stepped down as associate dean for clinical affairs on November 15.<br />
Russell had been a part <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> community since 1983, when he<br />
enrolled as a fi rst-year student. He joined the part-time faculty in 1988 as a clinical<br />
instructor in restorative dentistry and was promoted to assistant clinical pr<strong>of</strong>essor in<br />
1990. He became a member<br />
<strong>of</strong> the full-time faculty in 1992<br />
David Russell<br />
and was promoted to associate<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essor in 2001. He was appointed<br />
assistant dean in 1995<br />
and promoted to associate dean<br />
in 2002.<br />
A gifted teacher, one <strong>of</strong><br />
Russell’s earliest achievements<br />
was the establishment <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Preceptor Program, in which students<br />
having diffi culty in the clinic<br />
are given one-on-one supervision<br />
until their skills and speed improve.<br />
The program became a national<br />
model and was recognized<br />
by the American <strong>Dental</strong> Education<br />
Association.<br />
Russell also helped implement<br />
the school’s Group Practice<br />
System, and coordinated its<br />
transition from 10 practices to eight practices. He was a Robert Wood Johnson Health<br />
Policy Fellow in the <strong>of</strong>fi ce <strong>of</strong> U.S. Sen. Orrin G. Hatch during the 1999–00 academic<br />
year. He was a key member <strong>of</strong> the school’s accreditation self-study committees in<br />
1994, 2001 and 2008.<br />
He maintains a part-time faculty appointment at the school as course director for<br />
Oral Diagnosis and Treatment Planning.<br />
R.M. Miner, L.A. Will and K. Arai, American<br />
Journal <strong>of</strong> Orthodontics and Dent<strong>of</strong>acial<br />
Orthopedics, 134:430–438, 2008.<br />
PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY<br />
CHEEN LOO, DG10, assistant pr<strong>of</strong>essor<br />
Publication:<br />
■ “The Caries Experience and Behavior<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> Patients with Autism Spectrum<br />
Disorder,” C.Y. Loo, R.M. Graham and C.V.<br />
Hughes, Journal <strong>of</strong> the American <strong>Dental</strong><br />
Association, 139(11):1518–24, November<br />
2008.<br />
PERIODONTOLOGY<br />
TIMOTHY J. HEMPTON, associate clinical pr<strong>of</strong>essor<br />
and assistant director <strong>of</strong> postdoctoral<br />
periodontology<br />
Presentations:<br />
■ “Implant Therapy and the RDH” and “Crown<br />
Lengthening Workshop,” American <strong>Dental</strong><br />
Association annual meeting, San Antonio,<br />
Texas, October 2008.<br />
■ “Contemporary Periodontology for the General<br />
Dentist,” New England Academy <strong>of</strong> General<br />
<strong>Dentistry</strong>, Leominster, Mass., September 2008.<br />
■ “Crown Lenghtening Workshop,” <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
Washington <strong>School</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Dentistry</strong>, Seattle, Wash.,<br />
December 2008.<br />
1999 FILE PHOTO: MARK MORELLI
AIDEE HERMAN, associate clinical<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essor, was inducted as a fellow <strong>of</strong><br />
the American College <strong>of</strong> Dentists at the<br />
American <strong>Dental</strong> Association meeting in<br />
San Antonio, Texas, in October. She was<br />
also selected as one <strong>of</strong> the 100 most<br />
infl uential Hispanics in Massachusetts by<br />
El Planeta Poderometro.<br />
WALTER H. MEINZER II, DG82, assistant<br />
clinical pr<strong>of</strong>essor, has been awarded<br />
diplomate status by the American Board<br />
<strong>of</strong> Periodontology.<br />
PROSTHODONTICS AND<br />
OPERATIVE DENTISTRY<br />
NATHAN S. BIRNBAUM, associate clinical<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essor, and HEIDI BIRNBAUM AARONSON,<br />
D08, clinical instructor, had their article,<br />
“<strong>Dental</strong> Impressions Using 3D Digital<br />
Scanners: Virtual Becomes Reality,” published<br />
in the October 2008 issue <strong>of</strong> the Compendium<br />
<strong>of</strong> Continuing Education in <strong>Dentistry</strong>. Birnbaum<br />
was inducted into the American College <strong>of</strong><br />
Dentists during the annual meeting <strong>of</strong> the<br />
American <strong>Dental</strong> Association last fall in San<br />
Antonio, Texas.<br />
AMIT SACHDEO, assistant pr<strong>of</strong>essor, has<br />
been selected to be a manuscript reviewer<br />
for the Journal <strong>of</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> Research, the <strong>of</strong>fi cial<br />
publication <strong>of</strong> the International and American<br />
Associations for <strong>Dental</strong> Research.<br />
AARON SHEINFELD, assistant pr<strong>of</strong>essor,<br />
was elected chair <strong>of</strong> <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> Associates<br />
and as such is a voting member <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Executive Faculty Committee.<br />
Division <strong>of</strong> Postgraduate Prosthodontics<br />
faculty members named as new diplomates<br />
<strong>of</strong> the American Board <strong>of</strong> Prosthodontics are<br />
YONG JEONG KIM, MARIO GATTI, TAKAYOSHI<br />
SUDA, GIANLUCA PANIZ, HAMILTON LE and<br />
MOFTA ELGHADi.<br />
PUBLIC HEALTH AND<br />
COMMUNITY SERVICE<br />
KANCHAN GANDA, pr<strong>of</strong>essor and director<br />
<strong>of</strong> medicine, is the author <strong>of</strong> Dentist’s Guide<br />
to Medical Conditions and Complications,<br />
published by Wiley-Blackwell in October 2008.<br />
It is her fi rst book. She is a recipient <strong>of</strong> a<br />
Ryan White CARE Act <strong>Dental</strong> Reimbursement<br />
Program Grant from the Department <strong>of</strong> Health<br />
and Human Services.<br />
Presentations:<br />
■ “Medical Updates for <strong>Dentistry</strong>: Antibiotics<br />
and Premedication,” Merrimack Valley District<br />
<strong>Dental</strong> Society, September 2008.<br />
■ “<strong>Medicine</strong> in <strong>Dentistry</strong>,” Norfolk South<br />
District Medical Society, Needham, Mass.,<br />
October 2008.<br />
NATALIE HAGEL, assistant pr<strong>of</strong>essor and<br />
director <strong>of</strong> school-based programs, was<br />
elected secretary <strong>of</strong> the Oral Health Section<br />
<strong>of</strong> the American Association <strong>of</strong> Public Health.<br />
CATHERINE HAYES, D87, pr<strong>of</strong>essor and<br />
chair, is serving as vice president <strong>of</strong> the<br />
American Board <strong>of</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> Public Health and<br />
chair <strong>of</strong> the Data Safety and Monitoring Board<br />
for the Practice Based Research Networks<br />
funded by the National Institute <strong>of</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> and<br />
Crani<strong>of</strong>acial Research. She is also the<br />
independent monitor overseeing the reform<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Mass Health dental program for children<br />
eligible for Medicaid’s child health component,<br />
known as the Early and Periodic Screening,<br />
Diagnosis and Treatment (EPSDT) program.<br />
Publications:<br />
■ “Prospective Study <strong>of</strong> 5-year Caries<br />
Increment among Children Receiving<br />
Comprehensive <strong>Dental</strong> Care in the New<br />
England Children’s Amalgam Trial,” N.<br />
Maserejian, M. Tavares, C. Hayes, J. Soncini<br />
and F. Trachtenberg, Community <strong>Dentistry</strong><br />
and Oral Epidemiology, September 2008.<br />
■ “Rural and Urban Disparities in Caries<br />
Prevalence in Children with Unmet <strong>Dental</strong><br />
Needs: The New England Children’s Amalgam<br />
Trial,” N. Maserejian, M. Tavares, C. Hayes, J.<br />
Soncini and F. Trachtenberg, Journal <strong>of</strong> Public<br />
Health <strong>Dentistry</strong>, 68(1), 2008.<br />
■ “Oral Health Disparities in Children <strong>of</strong><br />
Immigrants,” Journal <strong>of</strong> Public Health<br />
<strong>Dentistry</strong>, N. Maserejian, F. Trachtenberg,<br />
C. Hayes and M. Tavares, 68(1), 2008.<br />
■ “<strong>Dental</strong> Caries Experience at Enrollment and<br />
during Follow-up in the New England Children’s<br />
Amalgam Trial,” F. Trachtenberg, J. Soncini, M.<br />
Tavares, C. Hayes and N. Maserejian, Pediatric<br />
<strong>Dentistry</strong>, 5:388–92, 2008.<br />
CAROLE A. PALMER, N69, G69, pr<strong>of</strong>essor<br />
and head <strong>of</strong> the Division <strong>of</strong> Nutrition and<br />
Oral Health, gave a lecture on “Patient<br />
Communications: Interviewing and Counseling”<br />
to the New Hampshire Technical Institute<br />
dental hygiene program on December 10,<br />
2008. On December 16, she was a guest on<br />
“Your Health Matters,” a radio program on<br />
WKXL 1450 in Concord, N.H. The topic was<br />
“Nutrition and Oral Health.”<br />
Publication:<br />
■ “Nutrition in Sjögren’s Syndrome,” C. Palmer<br />
and M. Singh, a book chapter in Nutrition and<br />
Rheumatic Disease (Humana Press, 2008).<br />
ATHENA S. PAPAS, J67, pr<strong>of</strong>essor and head<br />
<strong>of</strong> public health research/oral medicine, is<br />
the principal investigator for a multi-center<br />
NIDCR-funded clinical study titled “Prevention<br />
<strong>of</strong> Adult Caries.”<br />
Presentations:<br />
■ “Oral Care in Sjögren’s Syndrome: More<br />
Than Just Managing Your Dry Mouth,”<br />
Boston chapter <strong>of</strong> the Sjögren’s Syndrome<br />
Support Group, September 27, 2008.<br />
■ “Diagnosis and Treatment <strong>of</strong> Sjögren’s,”<br />
<strong>Tufts</strong> Medical Center Rheumatology Grand<br />
Rounds, October 2, 2008.<br />
■ “Xerostomia, Primary Sjögren’s and Oral<br />
<strong>Medicine</strong> Issues in Other Rheumatic<br />
Conditions,” Massachusetts General Hospital<br />
Rheumatology Grand Rounds, November 25,<br />
2008.<br />
MEDHA SINGH, DG04, DG05, assistant<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essor, was accepted to the 2008–09<br />
Massachusetts <strong>Dental</strong> Society Leadership<br />
Institute. She also completed six weeks <strong>of</strong><br />
volunteer tutor training at the adult education<br />
program <strong>of</strong> the Boston Chinatown<br />
Neighborhood Center.<br />
Publication:<br />
■ “The Effect <strong>of</strong> an Omega-3 Supplement on<br />
Dry Mouth and Dry Eye in Sjögren’s Patients,”<br />
M. Singh, A.S. Papas and J.P. Gilbard, Oral<br />
Surgery, Oral <strong>Medicine</strong>, Oral Pathology, Oral<br />
Radiology and Endodontics, Volume 106,<br />
Issue 3, Page e7, September 2008.<br />
WANDA WRIGHT, assistant pr<strong>of</strong>essor, gave<br />
a presentation on “Careers in Public Health”<br />
to <strong>Tufts</strong> undergraduates on the Medford/<br />
Somerville campus on November 17, 2008.<br />
winter 2009 tufts dental medicine 45
UNIVERSITY NEWS THE WIDER WORLD OF TUFTS<br />
“We are asking the question <strong>of</strong> how biological<br />
shape is determined,” says Michael Levin.<br />
“Why do organisms look the way they look?”<br />
caption_fl<br />
fg demi 7.5/10 indent<br />
9pts from photo edges<br />
Grow Your Own<br />
<strong>Tufts</strong> biologist’s work could affect treatments for everything from<br />
loss <strong>of</strong> body parts to cancer by Helene Ragovin<br />
I<br />
n the world where michael levin’s vision has come to life,<br />
people who lose a limb in an accident are able to re-grow it. Birth<br />
defects can be repaired in the womb. Cancer cells are detected and<br />
rendered harmless before they become tumors. Any number <strong>of</strong> other<br />
diseases are conquered as cells are altered and adjusted.<br />
It sounds like fantasy. But it’s not, as researchers at <strong>Tufts</strong>’ Center for<br />
Regenerative and Developmental Biology take their studies in innovative and<br />
largely unexplored directions. While clinical applications are years away, Levin’s<br />
lab is making signifi cant discoveries by seeking the universal principles governing<br />
the control <strong>of</strong> biological growth and formation.<br />
“The applications are fairly broad; they touch on almost every problem <strong>of</strong> interest<br />
to us in medicine and biology,” says Levin, A92, a pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> biology who<br />
arrived at <strong>Tufts</strong> in November. Previously, he worked at the Forsyth Institute in<br />
Boston and was an associate pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> developmental biology at the Harvard<br />
<strong>School</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> <strong>Medicine</strong>.<br />
“We are asking the question <strong>of</strong> how biological shape is determined,”<br />
Levin says. “Why do organisms look the way they look?” His work focuses on<br />
46 tufts dental medicine winter 2009<br />
embryonic asymmetry, biomedical control<br />
<strong>of</strong> regeneration and information storage in<br />
cells and organs.<br />
All animals and plants develop from single<br />
cells into complex, three-dimensional<br />
objects. If researchers can understand what<br />
drives that process and what signals the cells<br />
send to each other to enable them to assume<br />
these shapes, then we can take advantage <strong>of</strong><br />
those signals to change or modulate the<br />
shapes, Levin says.<br />
Thus, scientists could be able to detect<br />
and repair errors in fetal development, curing<br />
birth defects. Or when someone loses a<br />
body part, “if you know how it was shaped<br />
in the fi rst place, you can re-create it,” Levin<br />
says. This approach ultimately extends to<br />
a solution to the problem <strong>of</strong> aging, as failing<br />
tissues and organs could be replaced<br />
through regeneration.<br />
The research also applies to cancer treatment.<br />
“Cancer can be looked at, in part, as a<br />
disease <strong>of</strong> geometry,” Levin says. “The tissue<br />
has escaped the normally tight morphogenetic<br />
control <strong>of</strong> the organism; you have a<br />
tumor rather than a nicely patterned structure.”<br />
Being able to take command <strong>of</strong> that<br />
“shaping process” and correct it could stop<br />
the growth <strong>of</strong> tumors.<br />
The potential signifi cance <strong>of</strong> this unconventional<br />
approach has not gone unnoticed<br />
in the scientifi c world. In 2004, the journal<br />
Nature deemed Levin’s work “a milestone in<br />
developmental biology in the last century.”<br />
While the majority <strong>of</strong> researchers in the<br />
fi eld right now are focusing on stem cells<br />
and biochemical factors that function in<br />
specifi c contexts, Levin works on natural<br />
bioelectrical signals and the systems-level<br />
properties that allow these biophysical<br />
mechanisms to create the appropriate complex<br />
structure, stop when it is complete and<br />
maintain it against injuries during life.<br />
“All cells, not just nerve cells, use bioelectrical<br />
signals to communicate pattern<br />
information to each other,” Levin says. “We<br />
have suspected for a long time that this is<br />
important.” Levin and his colleagues have<br />
made progress in understanding how electrical<br />
signals are involved in pattern formation,<br />
“and how you can tweak those signals<br />
artifi cially to get them to do what you want<br />
them to do.”<br />
In other words, it’s a “whole new set <strong>of</strong><br />
PHOTO: ALONSO NICHOLS
control knobs on the cells that we can use<br />
to get them to behave,” he says.<br />
A spectacular example <strong>of</strong> this occurred<br />
during an experiment led by Levin’s colleague,<br />
Dany Adams, in which a tadpole<br />
was able to regenerate its tail at a point in<br />
its development when it normally would<br />
not have been able to do so.<br />
“It was a ‘eureka’ moment,” says Adams,<br />
who came to <strong>Tufts</strong> with Levin from the<br />
Forsyth Institute. “What we seem to have<br />
found was the ‘on-<strong>of</strong>f switch’—it turned<br />
on not just the process <strong>of</strong> making a tail,<br />
but the regulation <strong>of</strong> that process. It made<br />
the tail the right size. Then it stopped.”<br />
An underlying theme for all his work,<br />
Levin says, is how biological systems store<br />
and process information.<br />
And that comes in at least two aspects,<br />
he says. The fi rst, as seen in the tadpole<br />
experiment, is morphological, concerning<br />
shape and how organisms encode<br />
three-dimensional patterning during<br />
development.<br />
The other involves information learned<br />
during an organism’s lifetime—memories.<br />
“We have unique way <strong>of</strong> approaching that<br />
as well,” he says. For that work, the lab<br />
looks at fl atworms, which have impressive<br />
powers <strong>of</strong> regeneration—they can actually<br />
regenerate their brain, or a portion <strong>of</strong> it—<br />
and are also capable <strong>of</strong> learning.<br />
“We can look at what happens to the<br />
memories when the brain is regenerated,”<br />
Levin says. “We’re looking to learn at a<br />
very deep and fundamental level what it<br />
means to hold memories.”<br />
And that question—the relationship<br />
between brain tissue and cognitive function—has<br />
many implications, not just in<br />
the philosophical sense but for basic medicine.<br />
For example, there is talk among<br />
medical researchers <strong>of</strong> fi nding a way to use<br />
stem cells to replace damaged brain cells in<br />
those with degenerative brain disease.<br />
What will it mean to have existing brain<br />
cells replaced by “fresh” stem cells in terms<br />
<strong>of</strong> an individual’s memories or personality?<br />
“Would it still be the same individual?”<br />
Levin wonders. Because memory and behavior<br />
can go awry when brain tissue is<br />
damaged “doesn’t mean that’s where the<br />
memories were,” he says. “That’s the sort <strong>of</strong><br />
thing our work can shed some light on.”<br />
THE BIG BUILD<br />
Game-changing facilities construction and renovation projects<br />
are taking place on all three <strong>Tufts</strong> campuses<br />
Construction crews are not<br />
an unusual sight at <strong>Tufts</strong> these<br />
days, with new buildings, additions<br />
and renovations under<br />
way on all three campuses. Following is a<br />
list <strong>of</strong> current construction projects:<br />
MEDFORD/<br />
SOMERVILLE CAMPUS<br />
Packard Hall. The interior and exterior<br />
<strong>of</strong> this building, constructed in 1856 as a<br />
dormitory for 26 students, are being completely<br />
restored; plans also call for an elevator<br />
to provide improved accessibility. “The<br />
slate ro<strong>of</strong> is about 50 percent in place now,<br />
and work has begun on a very small addition<br />
that will accommodate the elevator<br />
and a set <strong>of</strong> stairs,” says John Roberto, vice<br />
president for facilities. Completion is set<br />
for mid-March.<br />
Tisch Library Ro<strong>of</strong> Garden. This project<br />
will provide a new ro<strong>of</strong>, an accessible<br />
Packard Hall on the Academic Quad<br />
is being completely renovated, below.<br />
Construction is well under way to add fi ve<br />
fl oors and 95,000 square feet to the 10story<br />
dental school at One Kneeland Street<br />
on the Boston campus, right.<br />
entrance plaza, and the creation <strong>of</strong> an artistic<br />
garden/meditation space with seating<br />
areas, landscaping and mosaic tile. The<br />
installation <strong>of</strong> granite and masonry on the<br />
ro<strong>of</strong> that will create those seating areas is<br />
under way.<br />
51 Winthrop. The interior renovation<br />
<strong>of</strong> the former Sacred Heart Church, which<br />
<strong>Tufts</strong> purchased after the Archdiocese <strong>of</strong><br />
Boston closed it, will create a large, multipurpose<br />
function space, including seating<br />
for 175 to 200 for dining and other events.<br />
“Work is under way on the exterior for the<br />
new front entrance with a handicappedaccessible<br />
ramp,” says Roberto. Demolition<br />
on the inside is substantially complete, and<br />
crews are beginning interior fi nish work.<br />
BOSTON CAMPUS<br />
<strong>Dental</strong> <strong>School</strong> Vertical Expansion. This project,<br />
which will add fi ve fl oors and 95,000<br />
square feet to the 10-story building at One<br />
winter 2009 tufts dental medicine 47
UNIVERSITY NEWS<br />
Kneeland Street, is well under way. The<br />
building is essentially enclosed now, except<br />
for one corner stairwell, and the interior<br />
fi t-out has begun. The expansion <strong>of</strong> One<br />
Kneeland Street, which opened in 1972, will<br />
create more teaching and research space, a<br />
continuing education suite, and <strong>of</strong>fi ces and<br />
meeting rooms. The project is scheduled to<br />
be completed in November 2009. (See related<br />
story, page 29).<br />
Sackler Campus Center. The project involves<br />
the complete interior renovation <strong>of</strong><br />
the basement and six <strong>of</strong> the Sackler Center’s<br />
eight fl oors. It is planned as a three-phase<br />
project. The project is currently in phase<br />
two. A new café, Food 4 Thought, which occupies<br />
most <strong>of</strong> the fourth fl oor <strong>of</strong> the Hirsh<br />
Health Sciences Library, opened in October.<br />
Renovations are ongoing for the eighthfl<br />
oor administrative <strong>of</strong>fi ces, classrooms and<br />
study rooms. Phase I saw the construction<br />
<strong>of</strong> space for new “learning communities”<br />
TIME TO SERVE<br />
48 tufts dental medicine winter 2009<br />
at the medical school—seven students and<br />
their advisor in each group—a confi guration<br />
that will ensure personal attention for<br />
students and build a sense <strong>of</strong> community.<br />
The Class <strong>of</strong> 2012 is the fi rst to begin their<br />
studies in the learning communities, which<br />
are housed on the second and third fl oors<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Sackler Center. Painted with vibrant<br />
colors and equipped with comfy chairs, TVs<br />
and kitchenettes, the communities provide<br />
space for classes, group study, mentoring<br />
and socializing. The fi nal phase <strong>of</strong> the project,<br />
which will entail a major renovation <strong>of</strong><br />
the fi rst fl oor and the basement, is set to be<br />
completed by August 2009.<br />
Clinical Skills and Simulation Center.<br />
This brand-new 9,000-square-foot facility,<br />
which opened last fall on the third floor<br />
<strong>of</strong> 35 Kneeland Street, adds yet another<br />
high-tech dimension to the clinical educational<br />
program at <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>School</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Medicine</strong>.<br />
Using computerized mannequins, students<br />
In the cover story <strong>of</strong> the September 22, 2008, issue<br />
<strong>of</strong> Time magazine, “21 Ways to Serve America,” <strong>Tufts</strong><br />
President Lawrence S. Bacow joined the likes <strong>of</strong> Colin<br />
Powell and Arnold Schwarzenegger in penning sugges-<br />
tions for improving the country.<br />
In his article, “Get Your College Involved,” Bacow<br />
wrote that colleges and universities “have a special<br />
responsibility to educate the next generation <strong>of</strong> active,<br />
engaged citizens” and encourage them to get involved in public service.<br />
He argued that to “address this nation’s major challenges, we need people<br />
across the political spectrum to serve in government, to run for <strong>of</strong>fi ce and to<br />
work to build stronger, more vibrant communities.”<br />
Bacow outlined the efforts <strong>Tufts</strong> has made to encourage graduates to pursue<br />
service careers, focusing on the Loan Repayment Assistance Program, believed<br />
to be the fi rst university-wide program <strong>of</strong> its kind in the country. The program,<br />
called LRAP, received more than 400 applications for assistance this year. <strong>Tufts</strong><br />
<strong>Dental</strong> alums submitted 31 applications, 25 <strong>of</strong> which were funded.<br />
“Helping young people pursue their passion for service is one <strong>of</strong> the best<br />
investments our society can make,” Bacow wrote.<br />
are able to refi ne their clinical and physical<br />
diagnosis skills, practice commonly performed<br />
procedures, and learn how to care<br />
for acutely ill patients as part <strong>of</strong> a team. The<br />
12 patient exam rooms and three simulation<br />
rooms are outfitted with video and<br />
audio equipment so faculty can observe<br />
students interacting with standardized patients<br />
from observation rooms equipped<br />
with computer monitors.<br />
Green Space. A former parking lot adjacent<br />
to the Jaharis Center on Harrison<br />
Avenue is being converted into open green<br />
space for the Boston campus community.<br />
“It’s going to have some seating areas, some<br />
grass, some landscaping, a place for folks<br />
to come and relax, sit and enjoy lunch, or<br />
congregate in an informal manner,” says<br />
Roberto.<br />
GRAFTON CAMPUS<br />
Agnes Varis Campus Center Auditorium. The<br />
addition to the new campus center at the<br />
Cummings <strong>School</strong> will include a 173-seat<br />
auditorium, equipped with state-<strong>of</strong>-the-art<br />
acoustics, lighting and audio-visual electronics,<br />
and a continuing education facility.<br />
“The ability to hold campus-wide meetings,<br />
national and international meetings, and<br />
community hearings on our campus will<br />
broaden our impact on society and academic<br />
life, while bringing faculty, students, staff<br />
and the local community closer together,”<br />
says Andrew H<strong>of</strong>fman, associate pr<strong>of</strong>essor<br />
<strong>of</strong> clinical sciences. “The exterior <strong>of</strong> the<br />
building and the masonry are substantially<br />
complete,” Roberto says. Completion is<br />
scheduled for February 2009.<br />
New England Regional Biosafety Laboratory.<br />
The exterior and site work for this<br />
facility, which will allow researchers to focus<br />
their work on emerging infectious diseases<br />
and food- and waterborne illnesses, are<br />
substantially complete, and the mechanical<br />
systems have been installed. “Then there<br />
will be a period when the systems will be<br />
commissioned, meaning they will be operated<br />
to ensure all the mechanical, electrical<br />
and plumbing systems are running as designed,”<br />
Roberto says. The construction is<br />
being funded with some $20 million from<br />
the National Institutes <strong>of</strong> Health.<br />
The new laboratory is scheduled to be<br />
dedicated on March 30.
PROVIDING THE MEANS FOR EXCELLENCE BEYOND BOUNDARIES<br />
Teaching Meets Patient Care<br />
To help students where they work, two postdoctoral alums fund new operatories by Deborah Blagg<br />
“<br />
I<br />
think <strong>of</strong> operatories as the place where students really go<br />
about their business,” says Maurice “Jack” Belden, D76, DG78, E05P,<br />
D09P, whose $50,000 gift to the Beyond Boundaries campaign will<br />
help build a new orthodontics operatory as part <strong>of</strong> the expansion<br />
project that will add fi ve fl oors to the dental school. An orthodontist<br />
with a thriving practice in northernmost Maine, Belden, a longtime supporter<br />
<strong>of</strong> the school, saw the opportunity to fund an operatory as a way to help others<br />
acquire the experience and skills that have brought him satisfaction over his<br />
30-year career.<br />
After majoring in math as an undergraduate<br />
at the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Vermont and working<br />
for six years in the computer industry,<br />
Belden decided to mirror his father-in-law,<br />
the late George Gales, D47, DG49, and pursue<br />
a career as an orthodontist. “This aspect<br />
<strong>of</strong> dental medicine appealed to me because<br />
something so positive comes out <strong>of</strong> it,” he<br />
says. “I watched my father-in-law work and<br />
saw how enjoyable it was to have an impact<br />
on patients’ lives. I love to see my patients<br />
smile.”<br />
A friend and <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> classmate from<br />
Maine persuaded Belden to base his practice<br />
in the far-northern part <strong>of</strong> the state, where<br />
PHOTO: MATTHEW MARGOLIN (BOTTOM)<br />
“If you talk<br />
with anyone<br />
in dentistry,<br />
you fi nd they<br />
know <strong>Tufts</strong>’<br />
reputation,”<br />
says Jack<br />
Belden.<br />
orthodontists are few and far between. “My<br />
patients <strong>of</strong>ten drive a hundred miles or more<br />
for appointments,” says Belden, who has <strong>of</strong>fi<br />
ces in Presque Isle, Fort Kent, Madawaska<br />
and Houlton, and sees patients from both<br />
sides <strong>of</strong> the border with Canada. “If you<br />
look at my Presque Isle <strong>of</strong>fi ce on a map,”<br />
he notes, “the province <strong>of</strong> New Brunswick<br />
is twelve miles to my right, and<br />
to the left through the woods is<br />
Quebec.”<br />
Although he lives 400 miles<br />
north <strong>of</strong> Boston, Belden returns<br />
to <strong>Tufts</strong> periodically and<br />
keeps in close touch with developments<br />
at the school, where<br />
his daughter, Amanda, is a<br />
fourth-year student. As a member<br />
<strong>of</strong> the <strong>Tufts</strong> Association <strong>of</strong><br />
Orthodontists, he also enjoys<br />
regular contact with faculty<br />
and fellow graduates. “Because<br />
ortho is a small program, the<br />
faculty and alumni are a tightknit<br />
group,” he says. “We get together<br />
whenever we can to share ideas and<br />
keep current on the latest developments in<br />
practice.” Belden views the school’s expansion<br />
as important for <strong>Tufts</strong> and for dental<br />
education. “If you talk with anyone in dentistry,<br />
you fi nd they know <strong>Tufts</strong>’ reputation,”<br />
he says. “The school sets a standard in this<br />
fi eld, and having a facility that is as outstanding<br />
as the teaching that goes on there<br />
is really important.”<br />
Operatories in the new postdoctoral clinic<br />
will refl ect the careful planning and attention<br />
to functionality that are the hallmarks<br />
<strong>of</strong> the expansion project. When four postgraduate<br />
programs move to the new 12th<br />
“Through their passion, hard work,<br />
commitment and respect for students, the<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essors at <strong>Tufts</strong> demonstrate that learning<br />
is a lifelong process,” says Lino Calvani.<br />
winter 2009 tufts dental medicine 49
BEYOND BOUNDARIES<br />
and 13th fl oors at One Kneeland Street, their<br />
collective square footage will double, says<br />
Executive Associate Dean Joseph Castellana.<br />
The new space, he says, “will invite collaboration<br />
and information-sharing.”<br />
Rather than retr<strong>of</strong>i tting operatories to fi t<br />
an existing fl oor plan, Castellana says the architects<br />
“are working with a clean slate. They<br />
can design and position workstations that<br />
are comfortable and functional for patients,<br />
students and faculty and have the fl exibility<br />
to accommodate new technologies.”<br />
Pasquale “Lino” Calvani, DG91, a clinical<br />
faculty member who received his postgraduate<br />
training in prosthodontics, believes the<br />
school’s emphasis on the future has helped<br />
maintain its international reputation for excellence.<br />
“We know there will always be ways<br />
to improve and get better. Our strength is<br />
our commitment to providing a high standard<br />
<strong>of</strong> care for our patients and respect for<br />
our students,” says Calvani, who is president<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Italy chapter <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>Dental</strong><br />
Alumni Association and is a generous donor<br />
to the Beyond Boundaries campaign.<br />
Calvani hopes his gift <strong>of</strong> $50,000 to support<br />
an operatory for the prosthodontics<br />
program will inspire others to appreciate<br />
the connection between enhanced facilities<br />
and the dental school’s core mission<br />
<strong>of</strong> teaching and patient care. “Plans for the<br />
new addition are spectacular,” says Calvani,<br />
who practices in Rome and travels to <strong>Tufts</strong><br />
every three or four months to teach. “But<br />
the most exciting aspect is that the improvements<br />
will help us become even better<br />
at teaching and patient care.”<br />
Calvani says that teaching at <strong>Tufts</strong> is “one<br />
PARTNERS FOR PROGRESS<br />
For two decades A-dec has been an important institutional partner <strong>of</strong> the <strong>School</strong><br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> <strong>Medicine</strong>. Last year, the company was selected to equip more than<br />
70 new operatories that will be constructed as part <strong>of</strong> the project that is adding<br />
fi ve fl oors to One Kneeland Street. A-dec, a supplier <strong>of</strong> dental chairs, lights,<br />
cabinets, delivery systems, handpieces and sterilization systems, has also provided<br />
a gift-in-kind <strong>of</strong> seven full operatories that will be installed in the research<br />
clinic on the new 14th fl oor. Last September, Dean Lonnie H. Norris, DG80,<br />
Executive Associate Dean A. Joseph Castellana and Susan Peecher <strong>of</strong> <strong>University</strong><br />
Advancement toured the A-dec plant in Newburg, Oregon. Here, A-dec founder<br />
Ken Austin shows Norris, far left, and Castellana an equipment prototype that<br />
launched the company in 1966.<br />
<strong>of</strong> the most gratifying aspects” <strong>of</strong> a career<br />
that has followed a family tradition. During<br />
his childhood in Italy with his dentist-mother<br />
and his father, a pediatrician, he says he<br />
“understood that I could never be an architect<br />
or an astronaut. In our family we didn’t<br />
have lunches or dinners. We had pr<strong>of</strong>essional<br />
meetings.” He chose prosthodontics because<br />
he has always loved to “paint, shape, create,<br />
develop and assemble things. Prosthetic science<br />
requires dexterity and practical skills as<br />
well as knowledge <strong>of</strong> all dental disciplines,”<br />
he notes. “I love that challenge.”<br />
Calvani’s career choice also was influenced<br />
by former <strong>Tufts</strong> faculty member<br />
Michele Gaillard, DG76, DI77, one <strong>of</strong> a long<br />
list <strong>of</strong> current and former faculty—including<br />
Gino Passamonti, D58; Lloyd Miller, A54,<br />
D58; Maurice Martel; William Heggerick,<br />
DG73; Paul Cammarata, D79, DG81; Francis<br />
Ursoleo; Tom Vergo; Van Zissi, D62, DG67;<br />
Julian Osorio; Ken Malament; Konstantinos<br />
Michalakis, DG93; and Hiroshi Hirayama,<br />
DG90, DI93, DG94—whom he credits with<br />
making <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>School</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> <strong>Medicine</strong> a<br />
center for “learning opportunities.”<br />
“In the same way that many <strong>of</strong> us born<br />
outside the country see America as a land<br />
<strong>of</strong> opportunity,” Calvani says, “through<br />
their passion, hard work, commitment and<br />
respect for students, the pr<strong>of</strong>essors at <strong>Tufts</strong><br />
demonstrate that learning is a lifelong process<br />
that helps you grow as a human being<br />
and as a pr<strong>of</strong>essional.”<br />
In his own teaching, Calvani says, “I follow<br />
the wisdom <strong>of</strong> Socrates, who said that<br />
teaching is beautiful, because when you<br />
communicate your knowledge, you are giving<br />
the best <strong>of</strong> yourself.” When he is at <strong>Tufts</strong>,<br />
Calvani says, “I always spend long days and<br />
weekends at the school, and I am thrilled<br />
when I see students absorbing new knowledge<br />
like sponges.<br />
“Along with providing superb instruction<br />
in dental skills, this institution is able to<br />
engender enthusiasm, dedication and excitement<br />
for the pr<strong>of</strong>ession,” he says. “I know I<br />
am a better person because <strong>of</strong> what I learned<br />
here, and I am proud to be able to invest,<br />
through my teaching and fi nancial support,<br />
in the lives and careers <strong>of</strong> future generations<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>Tufts</strong> dentists.”<br />
50 tufts dental medicine winter 2009 PHOTO: RICHARD RAY
Karen Bejian<br />
and Alex<br />
Bejian, D85<br />
Steve O’Loughlin, Kathy O’Loughlin, D81, a university<br />
trustee; Lorenzo Lepore, A74, D77, A03P, A05P; and<br />
Nelida Lepore, A03P, A05P<br />
Lisa Vouras<br />
and George<br />
Mantikas,<br />
both D89<br />
TOP OF THE WORLD<br />
A tour <strong>of</strong> the expansion project at One Kneeland Street was a highlight<br />
<strong>of</strong> the <strong>School</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> <strong>Medicine</strong>’s Campus Visit on September 4–5,<br />
2008. Twenty friends and alumni <strong>of</strong> the school also had an opportu-<br />
nity to spend time with residents in the postgraduate clinics and hear<br />
an address on leadership by Jack Connors Jr., chair emeritus <strong>of</strong> Hill,<br />
Holliday, Connors, Cosmopulos Inc. From left: Lisa Emirzian, D82,<br />
and her husband, Vincent Mariano, D82, DG84; Janis Moriarty, D94;<br />
William Sellers, A56, D60, J84P, a dental school overseer; and Jean<br />
Fiore, with Dean Lonnie H. Norris, DG80, on the ro<strong>of</strong>top <strong>of</strong> the school.<br />
PHOTOS: TIFFANY KNIGHT (TOP); BETHANY VERSOY (BOTTOM)<br />
Barry Briss, D66, DG70, D95P, DG97P,<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essor and chair <strong>of</strong> orthodontics; James<br />
Kane III, D04, DG06; Krista Kane, D04;<br />
David Pereira; and Jauna Souza, D07<br />
Toast to <strong>Tufts</strong><br />
nearly 250 alumni, faculty and friends<br />
gathered at the Ritz-Carlton Boston Common<br />
for a celebration as <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>University</strong><br />
<strong>School</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> <strong>Medicine</strong> expressed its<br />
appreciation to its generous volunteers and<br />
donors at the annual Toast to <strong>Tufts</strong> event on<br />
September 5, 2008.<br />
Guest arrived to a slideshow presentation,<br />
streaming photos documenting the progress<br />
<strong>of</strong> the school’s expansion project. John<br />
Ficarelli, D73, D10P, and Jess Kane, D74,<br />
DG76, G78, DG79, D04P, DG06P, thanked<br />
the group for their philanthropy and volunteerism.<br />
Each volunteer wore a Jumbo pin<br />
in recognition <strong>of</strong> his or her efforts. Provost<br />
Jamshed Bharucha brought greetings from<br />
the university administration and praised the<br />
dental school community and Dean Lonnie<br />
H. Norris, DG80, for their accomplishments<br />
over the last year. Guests also watched a video<br />
about the importance <strong>of</strong> annual giving at<br />
<strong>Tufts</strong>. To view the video, go to dental.tufts.<br />
edu/giveback.<br />
Also during the event, Thomas F. Winkler<br />
III, A62, D66, D10P, a university trustee<br />
and chair <strong>of</strong> the dental school’s Board <strong>of</strong><br />
Overseers, received the Dean’s Medal (see<br />
story, page 36).<br />
winter 2009 tufts dental medicine 51
UNIVERSITY ALUMNI NEWS NEWS STAYING THE CONNECTED WIDER WORLD OF TUFTS<br />
A Remarkable Place and Time<br />
the tufts university school <strong>of</strong> dental<br />
<strong>Medicine</strong> Alumni Association continues to be<br />
strong and vigorous, and I have the privilege <strong>of</strong><br />
serving as your president during this exciting time<br />
for our school.<br />
<strong>Tufts</strong> continues to attract record numbers <strong>of</strong> extremely<br />
qualifi ed candidates even as the number <strong>of</strong><br />
dental school applications nationwide seems to be<br />
slowing. Our students are enthusiastic about their<br />
education and look forward to successful careers.<br />
Our faculty continues to provide the foundation<br />
for an exceptional dental education with a stellar reputation worldwide.<br />
Dean Lonnie Norris is a respected and motivational leader, and the university<br />
is indeed fortunate to have him. Dr. Norris looks to the alumni association for<br />
support so that his vision for the school can be realized. Your participation in<br />
this effort has been remarkable and continues to be vital to the success <strong>of</strong> <strong>Tufts</strong><br />
<strong>Dental</strong> <strong>School</strong>.<br />
The vertical expansion project to add fi ve fl oors to One Kneeland Street is on<br />
schedule, and interior construction will be ongoing throughout the winter. This<br />
expanded facility will allow <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> <strong>School</strong> to maintain its position as the<br />
LOOKING FOR AN ASSOCIATE?<br />
THE TUFTS ALUMNI ASSOCIATES PROGRAM (TAAP)<br />
assists recent dental school graduates in fi nding<br />
associateships with practicing alumni/ae. A<br />
continuing effort <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Dental</strong> Alumni Association<br />
and the Alumni Offi ce, the program is a unique<br />
way to continue the <strong>Tufts</strong> experience for both<br />
job-seekers and dental alumni/ae practitioners.<br />
As one <strong>of</strong> the many benefi ts <strong>of</strong> attending <strong>Tufts</strong><br />
<strong>University</strong> <strong>School</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> <strong>Medicine</strong>, the alumni<br />
network serves as a means <strong>of</strong> introduction and<br />
communication with alumni/ae who are looking<br />
for associates. Those who have been involved<br />
recognize that this program creates mutually<br />
benefi cial relationships.<br />
52 tufts dental medicine winter 2009<br />
PLEASE PRINT CLEARLY<br />
Name ...............................................................................................<br />
Year <strong>of</strong> Graduation ................................... Telephone ..........................<br />
Mailing Address ................................................................................<br />
City/State/Zip .................................................................................<br />
1. I am seeking a <strong>Tufts</strong> dental alum to work in my <strong>of</strong>fice:<br />
To place a <strong>Tufts</strong> graduate in your <strong>of</strong>fi ce, fi ll out the form above and mail it to<br />
the <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>University</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> Alumni Association, 136 Harrison Ave., Boston, MA 02111. For more<br />
information, contact the Offi ce <strong>of</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> Alumni Relations at 617.636.6773 or fax 617.636.4052.<br />
best dental school in the world.<br />
During my tenure as president <strong>of</strong> your<br />
alumni association I have had the opportunity<br />
to meet many alumni from all over the<br />
country. I look forward to meeting many<br />
more <strong>of</strong> you and encourage you to continue<br />
in your dedicated support <strong>of</strong> <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>Dental</strong><br />
<strong>School</strong>.<br />
Yours truly,<br />
John Ficarelli, D73<br />
President, <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>University</strong><br />
<strong>Dental</strong> Alumni Association<br />
full-time part-time<br />
2. What is the nature <strong>of</strong> your practice? (e.g. general practice, mostly<br />
adults, prosthodontics)? ....................................................................<br />
........................................................................................................<br />
3. Additional comments: ...................................................................<br />
........................................................................................................<br />
........................................................................................................<br />
Mail to: <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>University</strong><br />
<strong>Dental</strong> Alumni Association<br />
136 Harrison Ave., Boston, MA 02111<br />
PHOTO: TRAVIS DOVE
CALENDAR<br />
2009 Commencement<br />
ceremonies take place on<br />
Sunday May 17.<br />
MARCH 8<br />
Spring training with the Boston<br />
Red Sox. Email dental-alumni@<br />
tufts.edu or call 617.636.6772<br />
for more information.<br />
City <strong>of</strong> Palms Park<br />
Fort Myers, Florida<br />
MARCH 10<br />
Student/Alumni Networking<br />
Session, sponsored by the<br />
<strong>Dental</strong> Alumni Association for<br />
second-, third- and fourth-year<br />
students. Alumni volunteers are<br />
needed. Email dental-alumni@<br />
tufts.edu for more information.<br />
<strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>School</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> <strong>Medicine</strong><br />
One Kneeland Street, 7th fl oor<br />
Boston, Massachusetts<br />
5:30–7:30 p.m.<br />
PHOTO: ALONSO NICHOLS<br />
MARCH 14<br />
Alumni reception in conjunction<br />
with the annual meeting <strong>of</strong><br />
the American <strong>Dental</strong> Education<br />
Association<br />
Phoenix, Arizona<br />
APRIL 7<br />
Greater New York Alumni Chapter<br />
Spring Meeting<br />
Penn Club<br />
New York City<br />
6 p.m.<br />
APRIL 30<br />
Alumni reception in conjunction<br />
with the annual session<br />
<strong>of</strong> the American Association <strong>of</strong><br />
Endodontists<br />
Orlando, Florida<br />
MAY 1–3<br />
<strong>Dental</strong> Homecoming and Reunion<br />
Weekend<br />
<strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>School</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> <strong>Medicine</strong><br />
and Langham Hotel<br />
Boston, Massachusetts<br />
MAY 2<br />
Alumni reception in conjunction<br />
with the annual session<br />
<strong>of</strong> the American Association <strong>of</strong><br />
Orthodontists<br />
Boston, Massachusetts<br />
MAY 11–14<br />
Alumni reception in conjunction<br />
with the spring meeting <strong>of</strong> the<br />
California <strong>Dental</strong> Association<br />
Anaheim, California<br />
MAY 17<br />
<strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>University</strong>’s 153rd<br />
Commencement<br />
Academic Quad<br />
Medford/Somerville campus<br />
9 a.m.<br />
For more information on<br />
these and other events,<br />
please contact the<br />
Offi ce <strong>of</strong> <strong>Dental</strong><br />
Alumni Relations at<br />
617.636.6773 or email<br />
dental-alumni@tufts.edu.<br />
winter 2009 tufts dental medicine 53
UNIVERSITY ALUMNI NEWS NEWS THE WIDER WORLD OF TUFTS<br />
Happy Customers<br />
Alumni say <strong>Tufts</strong> is the place to go for a dental education by Leslie Macmillan<br />
A<br />
survey <strong>of</strong> dental alumni who graduated in 2003 and<br />
2006 found they were happy and engaged during their time<br />
at <strong>Tufts</strong>. Not only was the response rate <strong>of</strong> 54.7 percent (the<br />
industry standard is 30 percent) the highest since the survey<br />
was initiated in 1996, but an overwhelming majority said they<br />
would again choose <strong>Tufts</strong> for their dental education. More than 91 percent said<br />
they would pursue the D.M.D. degree again, and <strong>of</strong> those, 94.4 percent said they<br />
would enroll at <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> <strong>School</strong>. Sixty-four percent said that over time, they<br />
have come to value their <strong>Tufts</strong> education even more.<br />
The high response rate refl ects the school’s efforts to increase participation<br />
in the annual survey <strong>of</strong> recent graduates, says Mark Gonthier, associate dean<br />
<strong>of</strong> admissions and student affairs, but it is primarily a referendum on student<br />
satisfaction.<br />
“If you look at the arc <strong>of</strong> time in dental education, there was a period during<br />
the ’60s and ’70s when students in general found the dental school experience<br />
challenging,” says Gonthier. Attitudes began to change when more emphasis was<br />
put on the quality <strong>of</strong> interactions between students and faculty, he says.<br />
For example, in the latest survey, 57 percent <strong>of</strong> alumni in the classes <strong>of</strong> D03<br />
and D06 reported that they were mentored at <strong>Tufts</strong> by a dean, pr<strong>of</strong>essor or<br />
staff member. “This percentage has been rising slowly over the last seven years<br />
that we’ve asked this question,” says Gonthier. “And the Class <strong>of</strong> 2006 reported<br />
the highest level <strong>of</strong> mentoring to date—60.6 percent.” In addition, nearly 40<br />
percent <strong>of</strong> the survey respondents said they were interested in teaching at the<br />
dental school.<br />
The survey gauges graduates’ impressions <strong>of</strong> how well their training prepared<br />
them for practice by having them respond to 26 competency statements in areas<br />
such as diagnosis and treatment planning, communicating with patients, using<br />
various dental materials and how well prepared they were for licensure exams.<br />
ALUMNI SURVEY RESPONSE RATES<br />
PERCENTAGE RESPONDING<br />
60<br />
50<br />
40<br />
30<br />
20<br />
10<br />
0<br />
23.8%<br />
26.3%<br />
30.4%<br />
54 tufts dental medicine winter 2009<br />
43.8%<br />
YEAR OF SURVEY<br />
46.8%<br />
48.4%<br />
54.7%<br />
2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08<br />
Gonthier says the positive responses<br />
are a refl ection <strong>of</strong> the leadership <strong>of</strong> Dean<br />
Lonnie H. Norris, DG80, who has headed<br />
the school since 1996. “He’s really put<br />
the emphasis on creating a more positive<br />
experience.”<br />
OTHER FINDINGS INCLUDED:<br />
■ 93 percent indicated that their preclinical<br />
education prepared them well to<br />
provide patient care in the school clinics.<br />
■ 69.3 percent noted that what they learned<br />
in their basic science courses has been<br />
helpful in the practice <strong>of</strong> dentistry.<br />
Gonthier says the findings show that<br />
“the linkages between areas <strong>of</strong> instruction<br />
and practice are robust and effective.”<br />
One particularly positive outcome,<br />
Gonthier notes, has been recent graduates’<br />
favorable responses when asked to assess<br />
their preparation for determining career<br />
options and their ability to manage and<br />
market a dental practice. “In less than 10<br />
years, the percentage <strong>of</strong> graduates reporting<br />
being prepared in practice management<br />
rose from 25 percent <strong>of</strong> the Class <strong>of</strong> 1999<br />
to 81 percent <strong>of</strong> the Class <strong>of</strong> 2006,” he says,<br />
noting that this refl ects the school’s efforts<br />
to include practice management as a lecture,<br />
seminar and elective <strong>of</strong>fering throughout all<br />
four years.<br />
“In virtually all areas <strong>of</strong> academic and<br />
clinical instruction,” he says, “our alumni<br />
felt well prepared.”<br />
For example, graduates said their education<br />
suitably prepped them for the<br />
North East Regional Board licensure exam<br />
(92.2%); the National Board Part I (86.6%)<br />
and the National Board Part II (76.1%).<br />
“We put a lot <strong>of</strong> energy into the survey,<br />
and we take the results very seriously,” says<br />
Gonthier. “We also would like older alums<br />
to know how happy our recent graduates<br />
are,” he says.<br />
SOURCE: TUFTS OFFICE OF INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH & EVALUATION
Clockwise from top left: The tourney gets under<br />
way with a shotgun start; John Murphy, D81,<br />
lines up his putt; May Mu, D81, taps one toward<br />
the hole; and John Millette, D91, and Bernie Daly,<br />
D71, watch as Peiman Mahdavi, D91, DG94,<br />
takes his shot down the fairway.<br />
Wide Open Nets $15,000<br />
for Student Loan Fund<br />
More than 80 alumni and friends <strong>of</strong> the <strong>School</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> <strong>Medicine</strong><br />
participated in the 26th annual Wide Open Golf and Tennis<br />
Tournament on September 22, 2008, at the Mount Pleasant Country<br />
Club in Boylston, Mass. The tournament, which is supported by<br />
alumni and corporate sponsors, raised $15,147 for the <strong>Dental</strong><br />
Student Loan Fund, bringing the 26-year cumulative total to<br />
$258,183. The 2009 tournament will take place on September 23<br />
at the Pinehills Golf Club in Plymouth, Mass.<br />
PHOTOS: JOANIE TOBIN<br />
AWARDS<br />
Team Gross Champions<br />
(Score 70): Frank Coppola,<br />
D64, D82P, J97P; Peter<br />
McAllister, D82; Joseph<br />
O’Donnell, DG74; and Gary<br />
Warrington, D81<br />
Team Net Champions<br />
(Score 55): Jeff Blair, Sullivan<br />
Schein <strong>Dental</strong>; Dave Cox,<br />
Sybronendo; Al Dube, Solmetex;<br />
and Tom Picone, 3M<br />
Tennis Champion: Lee Wills<br />
Thach, D98<br />
THE 2008<br />
SPONSORS<br />
Awards Dinner and Raffl e<br />
Sponsors ($6,000)<br />
3M Unitek<br />
Solmetex<br />
Sullivan Schein <strong>Dental</strong><br />
Sybron Endo<br />
Hole-in-One Sponsor<br />
Wagner Motors<br />
Standard Golf Foursome<br />
($2,000)<br />
<strong>Dental</strong> Associates <strong>of</strong> Walpole<br />
Gentle <strong>Dental</strong> Associates<br />
Rosen and Associates<br />
Tee Hole Sponsors ($1,000)<br />
Patterson Companies Inc.<br />
<strong>Tufts</strong> Dentists <strong>of</strong> Medford and<br />
Winchester<br />
Gold Level Sponsors ($500)<br />
Astra Tech <strong>Dental</strong> Implants<br />
Barr and Barr Inc.<br />
Glidewell Laboratories<br />
Gene Greystone, E72, D75A<br />
Ivoclar Vivadent<br />
MDS Insurance Services Inc.<br />
Silver Level Sponsors ($250)<br />
Eastern <strong>Dental</strong> Insurance Co.<br />
Hammond Pond <strong>Dental</strong><br />
Associates<br />
Par Club ($100 and/or prizes)<br />
Boris Bacunurschi, D06<br />
Cherie Bishop, D94<br />
Joseph DiPietro, D54, D81P,<br />
A86P, D87P<br />
Eagle Strategies<br />
Clifton Grayer Jr., D75, DG78<br />
Halfway Café<br />
The Langham Hotel<br />
Massachusetts <strong>Dental</strong> Society<br />
Charles Millstein, D62, D10P<br />
Janis Moriarty, D94<br />
Mount Pleasant Country Club<br />
Orinoco Restaurant<br />
Nicholas Papapetros, D91<br />
Prezza Restaurant<br />
Proctor and Gamble/Oral-B<br />
Seaport Hotel<br />
Sports Auction for Charity<br />
Sullivan Schein <strong>Dental</strong><br />
T<strong>of</strong>i gh Raayai, DG77, DI82<br />
The Ritz-Carlton, Boston<br />
Common<br />
<strong>Tufts</strong> Health Sciences Campus<br />
Bookstore<br />
TUSDM Division <strong>of</strong> Continuing<br />
Education<br />
TUSDM Offi ce <strong>of</strong> Development &<br />
Alumni Relations<br />
TUSDM Alumni Association<br />
Executive Board<br />
Ultradent Products<br />
Wagner Motors<br />
winter 2009 tufts dental medicine 55
ALUMNI NEWS S<br />
out&about<br />
ORAL SURGEONS<br />
IN SEATTLE<br />
More than 20 alumni and friends gathered<br />
at the Sheraton Seattle Hotel on September<br />
18, 2008, for an alumni reception in<br />
conjunction with the annual meeting <strong>of</strong><br />
the American Association <strong>of</strong> Oral and<br />
Maxill<strong>of</strong>acial Surgeons. Maria Papageorge,<br />
D82, DG86, G89, pr<strong>of</strong>essor and chair <strong>of</strong><br />
oral and maxill<strong>of</strong>acial surgery at <strong>Tufts</strong>,<br />
hosted the reception.<br />
FALL IN ’FRISCO<br />
Mark Gonthier, associate dean<br />
<strong>of</strong> admissions and student<br />
affairs, joined 20 alumni and<br />
friends for a reception at the<br />
San Francisco Marriott last<br />
September during the California<br />
<strong>Dental</strong> Association’s fall meeting.<br />
Steven Dugoni, D79, A08P, A12P,<br />
serves as president <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Dental</strong><br />
Alumni Association’s California/<br />
West Coast Chapter, which represents<br />
more than 800 alumni.<br />
56 tufts dental medicine winter 2009<br />
PROSTHODONTISTS IN OPRYLAND<br />
More than 25 alumni and friends gathered at Gaylord Opryland in Nashville, Tenn.,<br />
on October 30, 2008, for a reception held in conjunction with the annual meeting<br />
<strong>of</strong> the American College <strong>of</strong> Prosthodontists.<br />
Attendees included, from left: M<strong>of</strong>tah El-Ghadi, DG08; Hiroshi Hirayama, DG90, DI93,<br />
DG94, pr<strong>of</strong>essor and director <strong>of</strong> postgraduate prosthodontics; former prostho faculty<br />
member Tom Vergo; Candice Zemnick, D02; Ann Vergo and Lino Calvani, DG91.<br />
UPDATE IN THE BIG APPLE<br />
The Greater New York <strong>Dental</strong> Alumni Chapter hosted its<br />
fall meeting on December 2 at the Penn Club in New<br />
York City. Andy Verdier, A96, D03, DG06, welcomed the<br />
young alumni.The event featured a panel discussion with<br />
Dean Lonnie H. Norris, DG80, and associate deans<br />
A. Joseph Castellana, Mark Gonthier and James Hanley,<br />
D75A, DG79, who briefed alumni on how the school’s<br />
expansion project will enhance dental education at <strong>Tufts</strong>.<br />
The panel fi elded questions about the project’s fi nancing,<br />
clinical enhancements and the student body.<br />
More than 50 alumni attended the event, including, from<br />
left: Maria Chartzoulakis, D04, DG08; Robert Berg, D03, the<br />
chapter’s Young Alumni Chair; Michael Cafarella, D05; Dana<br />
Marzocco, D05; and Caroline Barsoum, D05.
HEART OF TEXAS PERIO<br />
RECEPTION<br />
A reception for alumni and friends was<br />
held on October 17, 2008, in conjunction<br />
with the American <strong>Dental</strong> Association’s<br />
annual session in San Antonio, Texas.<br />
More than 40 alumni and friends mingled<br />
at the Hyatt Regency San Antonio. Dean<br />
Lonnie H. Norris, DG80, welcomed the<br />
group and spoke briefl y on the progress<br />
<strong>of</strong> the project that is building fi ve fl oors<br />
on top <strong>of</strong> the dental tower.<br />
WE ARE FAMILY<br />
The Offi ce <strong>of</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> Development and Alumni Relations hosted the second annual<br />
<strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>University</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> Legacy Reception at Maggiano’s Little Italy restaurant in<br />
Boston on August 25, 2008. All incoming and current students with a family relation<br />
to a dental alum were invited with their families. More than 80 students and<br />
alumni gathered to celebrate the <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> family. Of the 171 students in the<br />
Class <strong>of</strong> 2012, 40 have a relative who graduated from the school.<br />
Back row, from left: Dean Lonnie H. Norris, DG80, M99P, A01P; William Fiore, D76,<br />
DG78, E05P, D09P; David Fiore, E05, D09; Jeffrey Benecchi, D09; John Benecchi, D76,<br />
D09P; Paul Cogliano, D76, D09P; and John Cogliano, D09; front row, from left: Amanda<br />
Belden, D09; Mary Anne Fiore, E05P, D09P; Elizabeth Benecchi, D09P; and Rosemarie<br />
Cogliano, D09P.<br />
PHOTO: ALONSO NICHOLS (BOTTOM)<br />
Perio reception attendees, from left: Ancy<br />
Verdier, A96, D03, DG06; Etienne LaCrampe,<br />
D03; and David Au-Yeung, D03.<br />
Alumni and friends got together<br />
in Seattle on September 8,<br />
2008, for a reception, held<br />
in conjunction with the annual<br />
meeting <strong>of</strong> the American<br />
Academy <strong>of</strong> Periodontology.<br />
Guests enjoyed cocktails and<br />
hors d’oeuvres while learning<br />
about the new clinic at the<br />
dental school from Terrence<br />
Griffi n, D71, DG75,<br />
associate pr<strong>of</strong>essor and<br />
chair <strong>of</strong> periodontology.<br />
MAINLY<br />
ABOUT TUFTS<br />
Paul Desjardins, D75A,<br />
senior vice president <strong>of</strong> Wyeth<br />
Pharmaceutical Consumer<br />
Healthcare Division in Madison,<br />
N.J., and a dental school overseer,<br />
and his wife, Catherine,<br />
hosted a “friend-raising” alumni<br />
gathering at their lakeside home<br />
in Belgrade Lakes, Maine, last<br />
August. Alumni and friends<br />
in attendance included Philip<br />
and Jamie Desjardins; George<br />
Manter, D75, D10P; Doug<br />
Laliberte, D09; Peter Laliberte,<br />
D75A, D09P; Rebecca Parnell,<br />
D09; Joseph Kenneally, D91;<br />
Lisa Howard; Dean Lonnie H.<br />
Norris, DG80, M99P, A01P;<br />
Susan Manter, D10P; Maria Gove<br />
Tringale, director <strong>of</strong> development<br />
and alumni relations; and Donna<br />
Norris, M99P, A01P.<br />
winter 2009 tufts dental medicine 57
ALUMNI NEWS<br />
A Life <strong>of</strong> Service<br />
After more than 15 years <strong>of</strong> service to the tufts university<br />
<strong>Dental</strong> Alumni Association, Norman Diamond, D57, DG64, A90P,<br />
is stepping down as secretary <strong>of</strong> the Executive Board.<br />
After receiving his undergraduate degree from Brandeis<br />
<strong>University</strong>, Diamond enrolled at <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>University</strong> <strong>School</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> <strong>Medicine</strong>.<br />
He served in the U.S. Navy, and then returned to <strong>Tufts</strong>, earning a postgraduate<br />
certifi cate in orthodontics in 1964. From 1965 to 2002, he ran a private practice<br />
in West Roxbury, Mass., while serving on the orthodontics faculty at <strong>Tufts</strong>,<br />
where he currently is an associate clinical pr<strong>of</strong>essor. The orthodontic residents<br />
presented him with the 2008 Everett Shapiro Treatment Award, named in honor<br />
<strong>of</strong> the former longtime faculty member.<br />
Diamond has served <strong>Tufts</strong> and the dental school in countless ways—as a<br />
founding member <strong>of</strong> <strong>Tufts</strong> Association <strong>of</strong> Orthodontists, reunion co-chair for<br />
the Class <strong>of</strong> 1957, longtime member <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Dental</strong> M Club Executive Committee<br />
and as a member <strong>of</strong> the alumni association’s<br />
Executive Board since 1993.<br />
He is also a former president <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Massachusetts <strong>Dental</strong> Society, which<br />
presented him with its Dr. Frederick<br />
Moynihan Memorial Award in 2007.<br />
He has been involved with Yankee<br />
<strong>Dental</strong> Congress since its inception<br />
34 years ago.<br />
Reflecting on his involvement<br />
in the <strong>Dental</strong> Alumni Association,<br />
Diamond says, “If you want to get<br />
something done, do it yourself. If<br />
Norman<br />
Diamond<br />
you don’t, then don’t complain.<br />
It’s important to be involved in the<br />
process.”<br />
NEW TO TUFTS<br />
Susan Ahearn has joined the Offi ce <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>Dental</strong> Development and Alumni Relations<br />
as associate director for alumni relations.<br />
Prior to coming to <strong>Tufts</strong>, she was an event<br />
planner at the Wellesley College Club, the<br />
alumni, faculty and staff club at Wellesley<br />
College, for fi ve years. She also worked for a<br />
dozen years planning and organizing events<br />
at Jillians Boston, an entertainment club near<br />
Fenway Park. She earned a B.S. in business<br />
from Skidmore College. Ahearn’s father,<br />
Carl Perlmutter, D64, DG70, is a retired<br />
orthodontist.<br />
At <strong>Tufts</strong>, Ahearn works with the <strong>Dental</strong><br />
Alumni Association and its chapters, overseeing<br />
all local and regional alumni events,<br />
including Homecoming & Reunion, and helping<br />
to manage more than 60 volunteers.<br />
PAYING IT FORWARD<br />
Share your pride, your affi liation and your support <strong>of</strong> <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>University</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> Alumni Association by renewing your membership today.<br />
Programs your dues support include:<br />
■ One <strong>of</strong> the largest student scholarship loan funds<br />
at <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />
■ <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> <strong>Medicine</strong>, your award-winning alumni magazine<br />
■ Alumni receptions at national dental meetings<br />
■ Annual Homecoming and Reunion programs<br />
■ Regional alumni chapters in California, New York,<br />
Florida and Greece<br />
■ Annual Wide Open Golf and Tennis Tournament<br />
Annual dues are $75, and $85 for alumni in California,<br />
Florida and New York, for July 2008–June 2009.<br />
PLEASE MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO:<br />
<strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>University</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> Alumni Association and mail to:<br />
<strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>University</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> Alumni Association<br />
136 Harrison Avenue<br />
Boston, MA 02111<br />
To learn more about services and programs for <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>Dental</strong><br />
alumni visit http://dental.tufts.edu/alumni.<br />
58 tufts dental medicine winter 2009 PHOTO: JOANIE TOBIN (TOP)
CLASS NOTES<br />
REUNION 2009, MAY 1–3<br />
Richard A. Winer,<br />
D54 who passed away<br />
in July 2008, was memorialized<br />
by the Jewish Historical Society<br />
<strong>of</strong> the North Shore with the fi rst<br />
Dr. Richard A. Winer Annual<br />
Memorial Lecture Series on<br />
November 23, 2008, during<br />
the society’s annual meeting in<br />
Marblehead, Mass. Winer was<br />
fascinated by his Lithuanian<br />
background, completed his<br />
fi rst family tree and was doing<br />
research on a second volume before<br />
his death. The fi rst speaker<br />
in the annual lecture series was<br />
Joel Ratner, Vilna District coordinator<br />
for the LitvakSIG Vilna<br />
District Research Group from<br />
1998 to 2006. Ratner has been<br />
involved with the acquisition,<br />
translation and distribution <strong>of</strong> the<br />
entire 1858 Vilna City Revision<br />
List, as well as other genealogical<br />
records for the Vilna District.<br />
For more on LitvakSIG, go to<br />
www.litvaksig.org.<br />
D61<br />
S. George Colt,<br />
A57, DG70,<br />
gave a presentation on “Site<br />
Development in the Placement<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> Implants” at the 2nd<br />
Global Hellenic Medical Network<br />
conference that was organized<br />
by the combined Ministries <strong>of</strong><br />
Health <strong>of</strong> Cyprus and Greece<br />
last fall in Paphos, Cyprus.<br />
Physicians and dentists from the<br />
Diaspora with Greek ethnic roots<br />
were invited to give presentations<br />
on their specialty areas.<br />
The fi rst conference <strong>of</strong> the Global<br />
Hellenic Medical Network was<br />
held on the Greek island <strong>of</strong> Kos<br />
in June 2007, when Colt gave<br />
a presentation on “The Impact<br />
<strong>of</strong> Titanium Root Form Implants<br />
in <strong>Dentistry</strong> Today.” Colt, a<br />
diplomate <strong>of</strong> the American Board<br />
<strong>of</strong> Prosthodontics, practices in<br />
Boston.<br />
D62<br />
Richard Ferraro<br />
has been honored<br />
by the Oral Health Foundation<br />
for his role in establishing the<br />
nation’s fi rst dental clinic in a<br />
community health center—a<br />
concept that began in 1967 at<br />
the Columbia Point Community<br />
Health Center in Dorchester and<br />
was quickly replicated across<br />
the United States. Long before<br />
access to care became a<br />
priority for the dental pr<strong>of</strong>ession,<br />
Ferraro was the fi rst to provide<br />
underserved communities with<br />
comprehensive oral health services<br />
and emergency treatment<br />
in what is now known as the<br />
Geiger-Gibson Community Health<br />
Center in Dorchester. The pioneering<br />
community health center<br />
was founded in 1965 by Count<br />
Gibson and Jack Geiger, both<br />
THE WIDER WORLD OF TUFTS<br />
ARMENIAN<br />
SERVICE MEDAL<br />
Vartan Ghugasian, A67, D72, DG74, was<br />
awarded the St. Nersess Shnorhali (The Grateful)<br />
Medal and Pontifi cal Encyclical by His Eminence<br />
Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, primate <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Diocese <strong>of</strong> the Armenian Church, in recognition<br />
<strong>of</strong> his humanitarian contributions and service to<br />
the Armenian Church, community and Republic<br />
<strong>of</strong> Armenia. It is one <strong>of</strong> the highest honors the<br />
Armenian Church bestows on an individual. A<br />
former clinical faculty member at <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>Dental</strong><br />
<strong>School</strong>, Ghugasian was a founder <strong>of</strong> the Armenian<br />
American <strong>Dental</strong> Society in 1976, and served as<br />
its president from 1988 to 1994. A parishioner<br />
<strong>of</strong> St. James Armenian Church in Watertown,<br />
Mass., Ghugasian has provided dental care<br />
to residents <strong>of</strong> the Armenian Nursing Home in<br />
Jamaica Plain, Mass., assisted the victims <strong>of</strong> the<br />
1988 earthquake in Armenia and was integral in<br />
raising funds to build six pediatric dental clinics<br />
in Armenia.<br />
faculty members at <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>School</strong><br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>Medicine</strong>, in response to<br />
President Lyndon Johnson’s “War<br />
on Poverty.” They established<br />
a second community health<br />
center in rural Mound Bayou,<br />
Miss. Ferraro “not only provided<br />
a model for providing critical,<br />
comprehensive care but also<br />
encouraged hundreds <strong>of</strong> dental<br />
students and dentists to move<br />
into urban communities to treat<br />
vulnerable populations,” said<br />
Dennis Leonard <strong>of</strong> Delta <strong>Dental</strong><br />
<strong>of</strong> Massachusetts, which funds<br />
the Oral Health Foundation.<br />
Ferraro was the fi rst to incorporate<br />
oral health records into<br />
medical records, establishing a<br />
critical link between oral health<br />
and overall health. U.S. Sen.<br />
Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass.,<br />
wrote, “It was Dr. Ferraro’s<br />
UNIVERSITY NEWS<br />
Vartan Ghugasian with the St. Nersess<br />
Medal and Pontifi cal Encyclical<br />
compassion that drove him to<br />
create the clinic in the face <strong>of</strong><br />
overwhelming odds. It was his<br />
compassion that helped him see<br />
that oral health is fundamental<br />
to a person’s dignity and sense<br />
<strong>of</strong> self-worth. Through the force<br />
<strong>of</strong> Dr. Ferraro’s compassion and<br />
conviction that health care is a<br />
fundamental right for all people,<br />
thousands <strong>of</strong> people today receive<br />
high quality dental care at<br />
community health centers across<br />
the country.”<br />
D63<br />
Art Hotchkiss<br />
won the men’s<br />
70-plus age group title at the<br />
2007 World Senior Racquetball<br />
Championships, held at New<br />
Mexico Sports & Wellness in<br />
Albuquerque, N.M.<br />
winter 2009 tufts dental medicine 59
ALUMNI NEWS<br />
D66<br />
Shepard Goldstein<br />
completed his term<br />
as president <strong>of</strong> the American<br />
Association <strong>of</strong> Endodontists on<br />
April 12, 2008.<br />
REUNION 2009, MAY 1–3<br />
Bill Green and his<br />
D69 wife, Bonny, have<br />
relocated to Vermont. Green<br />
retired in September 2008 after<br />
35 years as a practicing dentist<br />
and community volunteer in<br />
Manchester and Milford, N.H.<br />
D70<br />
William Mehan,<br />
A01P, has been<br />
elected a fellow <strong>of</strong> District 1<br />
<strong>of</strong> the International College <strong>of</strong><br />
Dentists.<br />
D71<br />
Paul Danielson<br />
has been elected<br />
a fellow <strong>of</strong> District 1 <strong>of</strong> the<br />
International College <strong>of</strong> Dentists.<br />
60 tufts dental medicine winter 2009<br />
D73<br />
Gerald Maher<br />
<strong>of</strong> Mahercor<br />
Laboratories <strong>of</strong> South Weymouth,<br />
Mass., has developed an<br />
innovative mouth guard, the<br />
Maher Mouth Guard, which helps<br />
prevent concussions for athletes<br />
participating in contact sports.<br />
Maher, the team dentist for the<br />
New England Patriots football<br />
team for more than 25 years,<br />
designed the patent-pending<br />
mouth guard to allow players to<br />
breathe, speak and drink with<br />
ease.<br />
Steven Tunick is serving<br />
as president <strong>of</strong> the New<br />
York State Society <strong>of</strong> Oral and<br />
Maxill<strong>of</strong>acial Surgeons, chair <strong>of</strong><br />
the Pr<strong>of</strong>essional Liability Claims<br />
Committee <strong>of</strong> the New York<br />
County <strong>Dental</strong> Society, a member<br />
<strong>of</strong> the New York County <strong>Dental</strong><br />
Society Board <strong>of</strong> Directors,<br />
presiding chair <strong>of</strong> the Greater<br />
New York <strong>Dental</strong> Meeting,<br />
District 1 representative on<br />
the Committee for Pr<strong>of</strong>essional<br />
Conduct and a delegate <strong>of</strong> the<br />
American Association <strong>of</strong> Oral and<br />
Maxill<strong>of</strong>acial Surgeons.<br />
REUNION 2009, MAY 1–3<br />
Ira Cheifetz is serv-<br />
D74 ing as presidentelect<br />
<strong>of</strong> the American Association<br />
<strong>of</strong> Oral and Maxill<strong>of</strong>acial<br />
Surgeons for 2008–09.<br />
Samuel Shames<br />
D75 was inducted into<br />
the American College <strong>of</strong> Dentists<br />
at the annual meeting <strong>of</strong> the<br />
American <strong>Dental</strong> Association in<br />
San Antonio in October 2008.<br />
D76<br />
Jon Davis has been<br />
elected a fellow<br />
<strong>of</strong> District 1 <strong>of</strong> the International<br />
College <strong>of</strong> Dentists.<br />
DG76 Hilton<br />
Israelson<br />
is serving as president <strong>of</strong> the<br />
7,500-member Texas <strong>Dental</strong><br />
Association for 2008–09. He is<br />
the fi rst foreign dental graduate<br />
to be elected to the position.<br />
Born in South Africa, he<br />
received his bachelor <strong>of</strong> dental<br />
science degree in 1973 from the<br />
<strong>School</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> <strong>Medicine</strong> at the<br />
<strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Witwatersrand in<br />
Johannesburg and his postgraduate<br />
certifi cate in periodontics<br />
from <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>School</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Dental</strong><br />
<strong>Medicine</strong> in 1976. A diplomate<br />
<strong>of</strong> the American Board <strong>of</strong><br />
Periodontology, Israelson previously<br />
served as president <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Dallas County <strong>Dental</strong> Society. He<br />
practices periodontics and implantology<br />
in Richardson, Texas,<br />
and is an associate clinical<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essor in the department <strong>of</strong><br />
periodontics at the Baylor College<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>Dentistry</strong>.<br />
TRAVEL TO EXTRAORDINARY PLACES WITH EXCEPTIONAL PEOPLE<br />
TRAVEL-LEARN<br />
TRAVEL-LEARN<br />
Available<br />
ONLINE: ONLINE:<br />
our exciting new<br />
line-up <strong>of</strong> 2009<br />
destinations!<br />
destinations!<br />
From the Baltic to Bora Bora, from Greece to Peru, our journeys feature intellectual inquiry with lectures and exploration.<br />
There’s a perfect trip for every taste! Call Usha Sellers, Program Director, at 800-843-2586 for our brochure or visit our<br />
website for itineraries. www.tufts.edu/alumni/ed-travel-learn.html
Clifford Salm is<br />
D77 the current general<br />
chair <strong>of</strong> the Greater New York<br />
<strong>Dental</strong> Meeting.<br />
Franson K.S. Tom says<br />
“aloha” and has recently opened<br />
a cosmetic dentistry practice in<br />
Las Vegas, doing implants and<br />
Invisalign. He was appointed<br />
founding chair <strong>of</strong> the Southern<br />
Nevada Dentists Health and<br />
Wellness Committee and received<br />
the 2008 Mentor <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Year award from the Southern<br />
Nevada <strong>Dental</strong> Society for his<br />
work with the fi rst-year program<br />
at the <strong>University</strong> <strong>of</strong> Nevada–Las<br />
Vegas <strong>School</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> <strong>Medicine</strong>.<br />
If you want to be in touch:<br />
tlcdmd@gmail.com.<br />
Richard Vachon, D10P, has<br />
been elected a fellow <strong>of</strong> District<br />
1 <strong>of</strong> the International College <strong>of</strong><br />
Dentists.<br />
D78<br />
Douglas Kinney and<br />
his wife, Lyliane Van<br />
Gijseghem, joined <strong>Tufts</strong> alumni<br />
and friends at the Belgium <strong>Tufts</strong><br />
Alliance holiday party in Brussels<br />
in December 2008.<br />
D80<br />
Tim Crowe, A75,<br />
has relocated to<br />
his downtown Chicago <strong>of</strong>fi ce.<br />
He is accepting new patients for<br />
maxill<strong>of</strong>acial plane fi lm imaging,<br />
TMJ therapy, implant surgery and<br />
joint-based restorative dentistry.<br />
To learn more, visit www.dentalmedicinechicago.com.<br />
Larry Wolinsky has been appointed<br />
associate dean for academic<br />
programs and personnel at<br />
the UCLA <strong>School</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Dentistry</strong>.<br />
DG82<br />
Walter H.<br />
Meinzer II<br />
has been awarded diplomate<br />
status by the American Board <strong>of</strong><br />
Periodontology. He has a private<br />
practice in West Yarmouth,<br />
Mass., and is an assistant clinical<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> periodontology at<br />
<strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>School</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> <strong>Medicine</strong>.<br />
D85<br />
Douglas Moll,<br />
A81, DG91, has<br />
been elected a fellow <strong>of</strong> District<br />
1 <strong>of</strong> the International College <strong>of</strong><br />
Dentists.<br />
D87<br />
Michael Schneider<br />
lives in California,<br />
where he does dental makeovers<br />
for the Style Network.<br />
D88<br />
Paul Remmes,<br />
DG90, has been<br />
appointed to the Board <strong>of</strong><br />
Trustees at Thornton Academy<br />
in Saco, Maine. He is a 1980<br />
graduate <strong>of</strong> the private school<br />
and has served on Thornton’s<br />
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!<br />
Development Committee for<br />
the past two years. Remmes,<br />
who lives in Saco, has <strong>of</strong>fi ces in<br />
Portland and Biddeford. His four<br />
children attend Thornton.<br />
REUNION 2009, MAY 1–3<br />
Lisa Vouras has<br />
D89 been elected<br />
a District 1 fellow <strong>of</strong> the<br />
International College <strong>of</strong> Dentists.<br />
D90<br />
Bruce Doyle<br />
bought his second<br />
Have you opened a practice? Gotten married? Changed jobs? Fulfi lled a lifelong dream?<br />
Keep your fellow alumni/ae up to date by fi lling out this form.<br />
CHECK HERE IF ADDRESS IS NEW.<br />
Send to:<br />
Natalie Chassaigne<br />
<strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> Alumni Relations<br />
136 Harrison Avenue<br />
Boston, MA 02111<br />
email: dental-alumni@tufts.edu<br />
fax: 617.636.4052<br />
Name<br />
Class<br />
Street<br />
City<br />
State<br />
Zip<br />
Email address<br />
WE MEET AGAIN<br />
Morton B. Rosenberg, D74, center, pr<strong>of</strong>essor <strong>of</strong> oral and maxill<strong>of</strong>acial<br />
surgery and director <strong>of</strong> anesthesia and pain control, had a chance to<br />
catch up with Army dentists Kimberly Inouye, D05, and Ed Montoya,<br />
D07, when they attended a continuing education course he gave at<br />
Fort Gordon in Augusta, Ga.<br />
practice in April 2007 in his<br />
hometown <strong>of</strong> Stoneham, Mass.<br />
His other <strong>of</strong>fi ce is located in<br />
Avon, Mass. His wife, Jill, is a<br />
part-time hygienist at both <strong>of</strong>fi ces<br />
as well as part-time faculty at the<br />
Forsyth <strong>School</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> Hygiene.<br />
D91<br />
Steven Brown<br />
has been elected<br />
a District 1 fellow <strong>of</strong> the<br />
International College <strong>of</strong> Dentists.<br />
Paul Heroux has become<br />
a partner at <strong>University</strong> <strong>Dental</strong><br />
Group in Worcester, Mass.<br />
Nicholas Papapetros II has<br />
been elected a District 1 fellow<br />
<strong>of</strong> the International College <strong>of</strong><br />
Dentists.<br />
REUNION 2009, MAY 1–3<br />
Cherie Bishop was<br />
D94 elected a guest<br />
board member on the Board <strong>of</strong><br />
Trustees <strong>of</strong> the Massachusetts<br />
<strong>Dental</strong> Society. She has been<br />
an active member <strong>of</strong> MDS since<br />
1995. She was chosen for the<br />
2007–08 MDS Leadership<br />
Institute and volunteers for the<br />
Yankee <strong>Dental</strong> Congress.<br />
winter 2009 tufts dental medicine 61
ALUMNI NEWS<br />
D95 Karl-Martin<br />
Wiklund has been<br />
elected a fellow <strong>of</strong> District 1<br />
<strong>of</strong> the International College <strong>of</strong><br />
Dentists.<br />
D97<br />
Arathi Tiruvur is<br />
living in Saratoga,<br />
Calif., where he opened a new<br />
state-<strong>of</strong>-the-art practice. He has<br />
two daughters, ages nine and<br />
fi ve.<br />
D98<br />
Lauren (Ratner)<br />
Lazar and her<br />
husband, Michael, welcomed a<br />
son, Robert Andrew, on January<br />
31, 2008. He joins big sisters<br />
Caroline, 3, and Penelope, 2.<br />
David Mitchell Singer, DG00,<br />
has been elected a fellow <strong>of</strong><br />
District 1 <strong>of</strong> the International<br />
College <strong>of</strong> Dentists.<br />
IN MEMORIAM<br />
Eugene J. Tillman, D37<br />
August 16, 2008<br />
Dover, Massachusetts<br />
Paul Lazzaro, A37, D39<br />
October 16, 2008<br />
Largo, Florida<br />
Marshall J. Brickell, D40<br />
September 11, 2008<br />
Stoughton, Massachusetts<br />
James J. Mulligan, D42<br />
June 20, 2008<br />
Natick, Massachusetts<br />
Norman Cetlin, D43B, DG48<br />
November 20, 2008<br />
Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts<br />
James H. Siegel, D43B<br />
June 15, 2008<br />
Ashburn, Virginia<br />
Albert E. Cangiano, D45, D86P<br />
October 6, 2008<br />
Medford, Massachusetts<br />
62 tufts dental medicine winter 2009<br />
REUNION 2009, MAY 1–3<br />
Alec Yen, DG03,<br />
D99 and Sylvia<br />
Suaverdez, D06, welcomed a<br />
daughter, Emily Alexia, on August<br />
16, 2008.<br />
D02<br />
Carla Blain<br />
opened a practice<br />
in Westbury, N.Y. Blain dedicates<br />
her spare time as a Nassau<br />
County emergency medical volunteer<br />
and is an active member<br />
<strong>of</strong> her local community. Visit her<br />
website: www.westburydental.<br />
com.<br />
Mariela Lung-Compton was<br />
married in 2005 to Kenneth<br />
(Casey) Compton, who is a tax<br />
attorney. In 2006, she took over<br />
a busy practice in Lakeland, Fla.<br />
Lung-Compton and her husband<br />
are active with the Productive<br />
Dentist Academy (www.productivedentist.com),<br />
and she is a<br />
Henry E. Snell, A44, D48, A83P<br />
December 11, 2008<br />
Brookline, Massachusetts<br />
Alfred I. Dean, D49<br />
November 15, 2008<br />
Newtown, Pennsylvania<br />
Leslie M. Curtis, D51<br />
June 27, 2008<br />
Winchester, Massachusetts<br />
David Schreiber, D51<br />
October 5, 2008<br />
Old Saybrook, Connecticut<br />
C. Warren Brodrick, D52<br />
November 2, 2008<br />
Wolfeboro, New Hampshire<br />
Paul M. Meymaris, D52<br />
December 4, 2008<br />
Yarmouthport, Massachusetts<br />
Guy Guarnaccia, D54<br />
June 20, 2008<br />
Riverside, Connecticut<br />
founding member <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Dental</strong><br />
Organization for Sleep Apnea<br />
(www.apneadocs.com).<br />
D03<br />
Tracey Osborn<br />
Pike opened a<br />
practice in New Hampshire in<br />
2005. Tom Montemurno, who<br />
recently bought a practice in<br />
Manchester, is joining her on<br />
Friday afternoons for orthodontics.<br />
Fellow classmates John<br />
Palazzo, Nii Lokko and Cheryl<br />
Ogden are also practicing in New<br />
Hampshire.<br />
REUNION 2009, MAY 1–3<br />
D04 Michael<br />
Oppedisano was<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>i led in the 2008 issue <strong>of</strong><br />
Childtimes, a publication <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Children’s Medical Center in<br />
Dallas, Texas, where Oppedisano<br />
is a prosthodontist and pediatric<br />
dentist.<br />
Alvin B. Stone, D54<br />
September 18, 2008<br />
Delray Beach, Florida<br />
Richard A. Winer, D54<br />
July 17, 2008<br />
Marblehead, Massachusetts<br />
Albert F. Allaire, D56, D83P<br />
May 16, 2008<br />
Foxborough, Massachusetts<br />
Norman A. Freeman, DG56<br />
October 1, 2008<br />
Avon, Connecticut<br />
Clyde C. Lewis, D56<br />
November 14, 2008<br />
Stowe, Vermont<br />
Harold H. Hookway Jr., A54, D57<br />
June 28, 2008<br />
Acton, Massachusetts<br />
John E. Horton, D57<br />
October 28, 2008<br />
Columbus, Ohio<br />
D05<br />
Petros Damoulis,<br />
DG91, has been<br />
elected a fellow <strong>of</strong> District 1<br />
<strong>of</strong> the International College <strong>of</strong><br />
Dentists.<br />
Julia Rebecca Sivitz, DG08,<br />
married Matthew Bieber on<br />
November 1, 2008, at the Ritz-<br />
Carlton in Philadelphia.<br />
D06<br />
D07<br />
Sylvia Suaverdez,<br />
see D99.<br />
Seema Chawla<br />
and Joshua<br />
Miranda were married in 2008.<br />
Marcin Jarmoc and Christine<br />
Rosato were married on June 8,<br />
2008. Jarmoc is a second-year<br />
postgraduate in oral and maxill<strong>of</strong>acial<br />
surgery at <strong>Tufts</strong>, and<br />
Rosato is in private practice.<br />
Anthony M. Giambalvo, D58<br />
November 18, 2008<br />
Commack, New York<br />
Sigmund D. Fleck, D59<br />
July 31, 2008<br />
Richmond, Massachusetts<br />
Young H. Kim, D60<br />
November 25, 2008<br />
Weston, Massachusetts<br />
Irving Carl Mayhew, D61<br />
September 25, 2008<br />
Gardiner, Maine<br />
Harlan L. Goodwin Jr., D62<br />
August 22, 2008<br />
Rye, New Hampshire<br />
Gerard A. Jernegan, D68<br />
July 6, 2008<br />
Braintree, Massachusetts<br />
Sheryl A. Jacobson, D76<br />
September 4, 2008<br />
Providence, Rhode Island
CONTINUING EDUCATION<br />
MARCH 13–14<br />
Nitrous Oxide Certifi cation Course<br />
Drs. Morton B. Rosenberg<br />
and C.S. Maller<br />
MARCH 18<br />
<strong>Dental</strong> Update for the Entire<br />
Team: Medical Emergencies<br />
Dr. Morton B. Rosenberg<br />
MARCH 20<br />
Cone Beam CT-guided Implant<br />
Planning<br />
Dr. Robert Angorn<br />
MARCH 21<br />
New Advances in Implant<br />
Overdentures: Happiness Through<br />
Simplifi cation<br />
Dr. Allen L. Schneider<br />
MARCH 25<br />
Pain and Anxiety Control for the<br />
General Practitioner<br />
Drs. Morton B. Rosenberg and<br />
Michael Thompson<br />
MARCH 27<br />
Six Clinical Habits <strong>of</strong> Highly<br />
Effective Dentists<br />
Dr. Brian B. Novy<br />
APRIL 1<br />
Non-invasive Facial Cosmetic<br />
Procedures<br />
Dr. Constantinos Laskarides<br />
APRIL 4<br />
Crown Lengthening Workshop<br />
Drs. Emilio Arguello and<br />
Catherine Moshirfar<br />
APRIL 15<br />
Treating Medical Emergencies in<br />
the <strong>Dental</strong> Offi ce<br />
Dr. Robert R. Edwab<br />
APRIL 15<br />
Oral Surgery Workshop for the<br />
General Practitioner<br />
Dr. Robert R. Edwab<br />
APRIL 17<br />
The Biologic Imperatives <strong>of</strong><br />
Endodontics and Implantology:<br />
Fashioning a Risk Assessment<br />
Algorithm<br />
Dr. Kenneth S. Serota<br />
APRIL 18<br />
Lasers in Periodontics and<br />
Restorative <strong>Dentistry</strong><br />
Dr. Robert A. Convissar<br />
APRIL 22<br />
Everyday Periodontics for the<br />
General Dentist–<strong>Dental</strong> Hygienist<br />
Team<br />
Dr. Marty Nager<br />
APRIL 24<br />
Recipes for Predictable Anterior<br />
Esthetics<br />
Dr. Gerard J. Chiche<br />
APRIL 29<br />
Current Concepts, Issues<br />
and Controversies in Clinical<br />
<strong>Dentistry</strong>: Commonsense<br />
Answers and Approaches for a<br />
More Effi cacious <strong>Dental</strong> Practice<br />
Dr. Paul J. Vankevich<br />
MAY 1<br />
Legal Information Every Dentist<br />
Needs to Know<br />
Carol A. Coakley<br />
MAY 6<br />
Full Arch Rehabilitations: How to<br />
Create Complete Dentures – From<br />
Basics to Current Standards<br />
Dr. Lino Calvani<br />
MAY 8<br />
Technology and Implant Treatment<br />
Planning<br />
Dr. Jerome Haber<br />
MAY 9<br />
The Art and Science <strong>of</strong> Porcelain<br />
Laminate Veneers<br />
Drs. Alaaeddin Alwazzan and Yong<br />
Jeong Kim<br />
MAY 13<br />
The Fully Integrated Digital <strong>Dental</strong><br />
Practice<br />
Dr. Charles D. Samaras<br />
MAY 20<br />
<strong>Dental</strong> Update for the Entire<br />
Team: Medical Emergencies<br />
Dr. Morton B. Rosenberg<br />
MAY 22<br />
Prosthetic Updates for the 21st<br />
Century<br />
Dr. William Lobel<br />
MAY 27<br />
Implant Restorations in Everyday<br />
<strong>Dentistry</strong>: Making Decisions<br />
about Successful Use <strong>of</strong> Implants<br />
Drs. Nopsaran Chaimattayompol,<br />
Ali Muftu and Ekaterini Antonellou<br />
MAY 29<br />
Management <strong>of</strong> the Medically<br />
Compromised <strong>Dental</strong> Patient<br />
Dr. Kanchan Ganda<br />
MAY 29–30<br />
Enteral (Oral) Sedation for the<br />
General Practitioner<br />
Drs. Morton B. Rosenberg, C.S.<br />
Maller and William A. MacDonnell<br />
and Carol A. Coakley<br />
JUNE 3<br />
Risk Management: Record<br />
Keeping and Informed Consent<br />
Barry Regan<br />
JUNE 5<br />
Fourth Annual Oral Cancer<br />
Symposium<br />
Drs. Michael A. Kahn, Mark W.<br />
Lingen, Brad K. Rodu and David<br />
T.W. Wong and Brian R. Hill<br />
JUNE 6<br />
Real World Endo® Presents the<br />
Endo-Restorative Continuum<br />
Drs. Ken Koch and Lynne Brock<br />
All Continuing Education courses<br />
are held on <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>University</strong><br />
<strong>School</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> <strong>Medicine</strong>’s<br />
Boston campus, unless otherwise<br />
noted. For more information<br />
about these and other upcoming<br />
courses, contact:<br />
DIVISION OF CONTINUING<br />
EDUCATION<br />
TUFTS UNIVERSITY<br />
SCHOOL OF DENTAL MEDICINE<br />
One Kneeland Street<br />
Boston, MA 02111<br />
Telephone: 617.636.6629<br />
Fax: 617.636.0800<br />
Email: paige.ambrose@tufts.edu<br />
winter 2009 tufts dental medicine 63
HEAD OF THE CLASS<br />
THE PEOPLE’S<br />
PATHOLOGIST<br />
64 tufts dental medicine winter 2009<br />
Almost by defi nition, pathology is one<br />
<strong>of</strong> the more challenging classes on a dental<br />
student’s schedule. For 46 years, from<br />
1932 to 1978, H. Spencer Glidden, A27,<br />
M31, G62P, brought the subject to life for <strong>Tufts</strong><br />
dental students. Glidden, his former students recall,<br />
never forgot the human stories behind the slides.<br />
“About eighty-fi ve percent <strong>of</strong> each lecture was<br />
hard-core science—histology, cell biology, how<br />
things go wrong,” says Paul J. Desjardins, D75A,<br />
senior vice president <strong>of</strong> the Wyeth Consumer<br />
Healthcare Division and an overseer to the dental<br />
school. “But for the rest <strong>of</strong> the class, he told us about<br />
the people behind the disease, and our fear <strong>of</strong> pathology<br />
disappeared.”<br />
Unless, <strong>of</strong> course, the subject matter hit too close<br />
to home. Jess Kane remembers attending a lecture<br />
on skin lesions. Glidden showed slide after slide<br />
<strong>of</strong> moles and markings, some <strong>of</strong> which were cancerous.<br />
After the lecture, Kane says, half the class<br />
walked up to their pr<strong>of</strong>essor and took their shirts<br />
<strong>of</strong>f, concerned about the moles and other blemishes<br />
on their torsos. “The guy had the patience <strong>of</strong><br />
a saint,” says Kane, D74, DG76, G78, DG79, D04P,<br />
DG06P. “He examined every single one <strong>of</strong> his paranoid<br />
students.”<br />
Glidden also had a dry sense <strong>of</strong> humor and<br />
wasn’t afraid to use the gross-out factor to make his<br />
lessons memorable. Desjardins still remembers a<br />
lecture about a rare kind <strong>of</strong> tumor. Because ovaries<br />
and teeth develop from the same primordial tissues,<br />
ovarian tumors occasionally contain tooth-like calcifi<br />
cations. This concept so fascinated Desjardins’<br />
class, that at the end <strong>of</strong> the course, they presented<br />
Glidden with a plastic model <strong>of</strong> just such a tumor.<br />
Embedded inside, the students had planted a tooth<br />
from a typodont, complete with gold fi lling.<br />
“Well, [Glidden] roared with laughter,” says<br />
Desjardins. “He had the broadest smile. There was<br />
a lot <strong>of</strong> humanity in this man.”<br />
His students also remember him as equally<br />
modest. “He never fl aunted his credentials,” says<br />
Kane. “He was never condescending, even though<br />
he was obviously brilliant. He left a lasting impression<br />
on all the students he taught.”<br />
Glidden was so understated that Kane recalls<br />
seeing his pr<strong>of</strong>essor making an appointment at the<br />
<strong>Tufts</strong> dental clinic. Glidden, a physician, taught only<br />
in the classroom, so he went unrecognized in the<br />
clinic. “I had to step in and say, ‘Do you know who<br />
this is?’ ” Kane says.<br />
“I think he’d be very proud <strong>of</strong> the school today,”<br />
Kane adds. “Like Dean [Lonnie] Norris, he was a<br />
very warm person. I think they would have hit it<br />
<strong>of</strong>f.”<br />
—Jacqueline Mitchell<br />
Tell us about a memorable teacher during your time<br />
at <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> <strong>School</strong>: karen.bailey@tufts.edu.<br />
PHOTO: 1951 EXPLORER YEARBOOK
SPORTS FOR SCHOLARSHIP<br />
WIDE OPEN<br />
Come join the <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>University</strong><br />
<strong>Dental</strong> Alumni Association<br />
for the<br />
27th Annual Wide Open<br />
Golf & Tennis Tournament<br />
Wednesday, September 23, 2009<br />
Pine Hills Golf Club<br />
564 Clubhouse Drive<br />
Plymouth, Massachusetts<br />
<strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> alumni, faculty, family<br />
and friends are invited to participate!<br />
All proceeds benefi t<br />
the <strong>Dental</strong> Alumni<br />
Student Loan Fund<br />
Schedule <strong>of</strong> Events<br />
Golf and Tennis Registration<br />
9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.<br />
Golf Tournament<br />
11 a.m. shotgun start<br />
Lunch included<br />
Tennis tournament<br />
2 p.m. to 4 p.m.<br />
Reception<br />
4 p.m.<br />
Awards Dinner<br />
5 p.m.<br />
Registration Fees<br />
Golf Tournament<br />
$350/player<br />
$1,300/foursome if signed up together<br />
Tennis Tournament<br />
$200/player<br />
2009 Wide Open Tournament<br />
Registration Form<br />
Name_________________________________________________<br />
Graduation year or affi liation with <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>Dental</strong>___________<br />
Guest(s) name(s)______________________________________<br />
Address_______________________________________________<br />
______________________________________________________<br />
Daytime phone________________________________________<br />
Email_________________________________________________<br />
My handicap is___________.<br />
Cost includes lunch, tournament, reception<br />
and awards dinner.<br />
Golf Tournament<br />
$350/player<br />
$1,300/foursome if signed up together<br />
My foursome will include:<br />
2. ____________________________________________________<br />
3. ____________________________________________________<br />
4. ____________________________________________________<br />
❒ Please check here if you would like to be placed<br />
in a foursome.<br />
Tennis Tournament<br />
$200/player<br />
Reception & Awards Dinner<br />
$75 for guests and non-competitors<br />
Payment:<br />
_____ golfers @ $__________ each = $_________<br />
_____ tennis @ $__________ each = $_________<br />
_____ dinner only @ $__________ each = $_________<br />
_____ I will be unable to attend the 2009 WIDE OPEN,<br />
but I’d be proud to be listed as a sponsor for my<br />
$100 donation to the Student Loan Fund.<br />
❒ My check for $__________ is enclosed.<br />
❒ Please charge $__________ to my<br />
❒ MasterCard ❒ VISA ❒ Discover<br />
Card #_________________________________ Exp._______<br />
TOTAL ENCLOSED $__________<br />
Please mail this form and your check, payable to <strong>Tufts</strong><br />
<strong>University</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> Alumni Association, to Offi ce <strong>of</strong><br />
Alumni Relations, <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>University</strong> <strong>School</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Dental</strong><br />
<strong>Medicine</strong>, 136 Harrison Ave., Boston, MA 02111.<br />
Registration confi rmation and directions will be<br />
mailed to you prior to the tournament.
SPORTS FOR SCHOLARSHIP<br />
PEN<br />
Come join the <strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>University</strong><br />
<strong>Dental</strong> Alumni Association<br />
for the<br />
27th Annual Wide Open<br />
Golf & Tennis Tournament<br />
Wednesday, September 23, 2009<br />
Pine Hills Golf Club<br />
564 Clubhouse Drive<br />
Plymouth, Massachusetts<br />
<strong>Tufts</strong> <strong>Dental</strong> alumni, faculty, family<br />
and friends are invited to participate!<br />
All proceeds benefi t<br />
the <strong>Dental</strong> Alumni<br />
Student Loan Fund<br />
Schedule <strong>of</strong> Events<br />
Golf and Tennis Registration<br />
9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.<br />
Golf Tournament<br />
11 a.m. shotgun start<br />
Lunch included<br />
Tennis tournament<br />
2 p.m. to 4 p.m.<br />
Reception<br />
4 p.m.<br />
Awards Dinner<br />
5 p.m.<br />
Registration Fees<br />
Golf Tournament<br />
$350/player<br />
$1,300/foursome if signed up together<br />
Tennis Tournament<br />
$200/player<br />
ARTWORK PROVIDED BY RANDOM HOUSE<br />
136 Harrison Avenue<br />
Boston, ma 02111<br />
www.tufts.edu/dental<br />
SEUSS DOCTOR<br />
Long before Horton heard a Who and the<br />
Grinch tried to vanquish Christmas, Theodor<br />
Geisel’s creatures populated national<br />
magazines, hawked bug spray and taught<br />
soldiers the do’s and don’ts <strong>of</strong> military<br />
life. Charles Cohen, D87, knows thing one<br />
and thing two about those early days <strong>of</strong> the<br />
beloved children’s author. For more, turn<br />
to page 10.<br />
NONPROFIT ORG.<br />
U.S. POSTAGE<br />
PAID<br />
BOSTON, MA<br />
PERMIT NO. 1161<br />
TUFTS UNIVERSITY OFFICE OF PUBLICATIONS 7854 02/09