Fall/Winter Word of Mouth

MOUTH WORD OF

FA L L 2 0 1 5 / W I N T E R 2 0 1 6

THE DENTAL COLLEGE of GEORGIA

RIGHT ON TRACK Keel Committed to Optimizing State’s Sole Dental School

MOUTH WORD OF

THE DENTAL COLLEGE of GEORGIA Word of Mouth is produced biannually by the Augusta University Dental College of Georgia in collaboration with the Division of Communications and Marketing.

FA L L 2 0 1 5/ W I N T E R 2 0 1 6

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OPENED WIDE News at a Glance............................................................................ 2 Faculty Bites..................................................................................... 3 Student Bites.................................................................................... 4 Right on Track................................................................................. 6 Keel Committed to Optimizing State’s Sole Dental School Coming Together............................................................................ 10 Family Day Unites Students with Loved Ones on Campus

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Rite of Passage................................................................................ 11 Ceremony Symbolizes Immersion Into Clinical Care Team Effort....................................................................................... 12 Hundreds Roll Up Sleeves for Day of Service A Running Start............................................................................... 14 Alum’s Resilience Makes Lasting Impression on Students Bridging the Gap............................................................................ 18 Course Pairs Dental, Medical Students Embracing Complexity................................................................ 20 Cancer Findings Enrich Both Research, Education

Dean Carol A. Lefebvre, DDS, MS

Welcome to the Real World...................................................... 22 Project Receives Funding for Cancer Patients’ Oral Health

Provost Gretchen B. Caughman, PhD

Class Notes....................................................................................... 24

Vice President Communications and Marketing Jack Evans

Student Voice.................................................................................. 25 A Concrete Difference

Editor/Writer Christine Hurley Deriso

DESIGN & PRODUCTION P.J. Hayes Design

PHOTOGRAPHY Phil Jones

©2015 Augusta University

gru.edu/dentalmedicine

FROM THE

DEAN

DR. CAROL A. LEFEBVRE

Dear Readers, You’ve no doubt heard that our illustrious university and college are now called Augusta University and The Dental College of Georgia, respectively.

We are thrilled that the nomenclature is a more accurate representation of our role, particularly our college’s status as the only dental school in Georgia. Even more noteworthy is the fact that our students spearheaded the change, both making the initial request and meeting with administrators to state their case. The Georgia Dental Association and our alumni supported the change as well. The result is a ringing testament to our students’ professionalism and our administrators’ willingness to listen.

Kudos to them all!

Rest assured that although our name has changed, our reputation is firmly cemented in the minds of health care professionals nationwide and beyond. I attended a slew of annual meetings recently for various dental organizations, and believe me, wherever I go, we are recognized as a great school. Consider, for instance the fact that nine of the 12 recent designees of Honorable Fellowship status in the Georgia Dental Association are members of The Dental College of Georgia community. We are a great school with great alumni, and it shows.

Other examples of greatness abound in this edition of Word of Mouth. In the following pages, you’ll see teeming evidence of our impact on research, education, clinical care and community service, among other fronts.

And speaking of our stellar administration, be sure to read the article about our new president, Dr. Brooks Keel. The article makes clear what a warm and wise leader he is. One of his highest priorities is optimizing our role as Georgia’s sole dental school, and we are pleased and privileged to help him advance that mission.

Thank you for taking a few minutes out of your busy schedule to check in on our many activities. I wish you the happiest of holiday seasons. n

NEWS AT A GLANCE Dr. Carole Hanes with patient

Dental College of Georgia Associate Dean CAROLE HANES has received a three-year, $1.5 million grant to address the oral health needs of underserved Georgians. The grant, funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration, enables The Dental College of Georgia (DCG) to partner with dental public health and private dental clinics and the state’s Area Health Education Centers to treat underserved Georgians in a network of statewide clinics. The goals are to increase the number of primary-care sites offering rotations to DCG students, increase the use of teledentistry to help DCG faculty treat underserved patients statewide, use podcast programming to disseminate oral health information to the public and enhance treatment of special-needs patients at the Children’s Hospital of Atlanta and Georgia War Veterans Nursing Home.

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FACULTY BITES

Eight members of the DCG community, including a faculty member and seven alumni, have been named honorable fellows of the Georgia Dental Association.

Honorable fellowship, the association’s highest designation, denotes distinguished service to the association, integrity and community involvement. Honorees are nominated by their districts and approved by the association.

The faculty member honored is DR. RHODA SWORD, assistant professor of oral rehabilitation.

Sword is editor of the association’s Eastern District Newsletter, an association delegate and president-elect of The Dental College of Georgia Alumni Association. DCG alumni named honorable fellows are Drs. David Bradberry, Brenda Fritz, Brad Hall, Chris Hasty, Gregory Morris, Julie Ann Ruthier and Craig Taylor.

DR. BABAK BABAN, associate professor of oral biology, served as a jurist on an international panel to judge the Best Young Investigators competition at the recent European Association for Predictive, Preventive and Personalized Medicine World Congress in Bonn, Germany. He and Dr. Mahmood Mozaffari, professor of oral biology and oral rehabilitation, also chaired a session on dentistry at the gathering. Baban discussed medical cannabinoids and Mozaffari discussed the role of IDO, an enzyme critical to immune function, in gingivitis.

DR. BRIAN BERGERON, associate professor of endodontics, has been elected to a three-year term on the American Board of Endodontics’ Board of Directors. He serves on a nine-member panel that creates test material, examines candidates and regulates board certification for the endodontics specialty.

DR. ELADIO DELEON, chairman of the Department of Orthodontics, discussed world orthodontic board certification at the recent World Federation of Orthodontics in London. The discussion, which he co-presented with two of the American Board of Orthodontics’ executive directors in his role as president of the board, was part of the Eighth International Orthodontic Congress. The federation’s 6,000 attendees came from 90 countries.

DR. BARRY HAMMOND, associate professor of general dentistry, has been appointed to a fouryear term on the American Dental Association’s Commission on Continuing Education Provider Recognition.

Several Dental College of Georgia faculty members have collaborated to create an app designed to ease calculations in dentistry. The smarTooth app was developed

by DRS. DANIEL LEVY and KRISTEN HALL in the Department of Orthodontics, assisted by DR. AMARA ABREU and JIMMY LONDONO in the Department of Oral Rehabilitation and Timothy White and Aaron Burkhart in Instructional Design and Development. The interactive app automates space analysis in mixed and permanent dentition, Bolton analysis and tooth proportion calculations. Data results can be added to patient records as a PDF file. The app is available in iTunes’ App Store.

DR. JOSE MORALES, a third-year orthodontics resident, recently received the Best Paper Award from the Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology, Oral Radiology journal. The paper will be published in the January edition of the journal.

DR. DARSHANJIT PANNU, assistant professor of oral rehabilitation, recently discussed full-mouth rehabilitation and dentistry in North America at two dental colleges affiliated with Manipal University in India. The lectures coincided with his 25th dental class reunion in Mangalore, India.

DR. CRISTIANO SUSIN, associate professor of periodontics, has been invited to write a review paper about periodontal manifestations of systemic disease. The paper will inform the new Classification of Periodontal Diseases and Conditions during the 2017 World Workshop in Periodontics, sponsored by the American Academy of Periodontology and the European Federation of Periodontology.

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STUDENT BITES Second-year DCG students donated more than 44 units of blood during a friendly “Bleed Your Team” blood drive, competing with MCG students to see which school could log the most units of donated blood during September. Donors reported to the first-floor blood bank of the medical center to take one (needle) for the team.

Faculty and staff participated as well. All blood donated stays at Augusta University.

The dental students’ donations were made in honor of Anne McGowan, DCG patient care coordinator, who was injured recently and at press time was recovering at home. Chas Plaissance, president of the Class of 2018, helped organize the competition.

Atlanta Dental Supply Inc. has donated white coats for the freshman dental students to wear in the Thomas P. Hinman Simulation Lab. Dean Carol Lefebvre presented the coats to first-year students in August.

Helping present the coats were Associate Dean for Students, Admissions and Alumni Carole Hanes; Practice Management Consultant Dean Cox; and Atlanta Dental Supply Rep. Timm Gardner.

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A group of 22 DCG faculty, students and dental assistants screened and performed comprehensive dental exams on 130 farm workers during the 10th annual health fair at Costa Layman Nurseries in Trenton, South Carolina, July 17. Services included complete periodontal and caries exams and oral hygiene education. Some of those treated were recruited for clinical studies as well.

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Right on

TRACK

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Keel Committed to Optimizing State’s Sole Dental School University Welcomes New President AS PASSIONATE as newly installed President Brooks Keel is about every component of the university he oversees, he has a unique commitment to The Dental College of Georgia based on the college’s unique role.

“Having the state’s only dental school is a big obligation,” said Keel, who joined Augusta University in July as the university’s new president. “The Dental College of Georgia plays a vital role in the wellbeing of our university, our community and our state.”

FACILITATING DREAMS He is heartened that he has inherited such a strong foundation for the 48-yearold college, including a highly committed faculty, a student body that consistently exceeds national averages on board scores, alumni vigorously engaged in their alma mater and a strong track record in research.

“I like to say that even though I gave up my lab when I moved into administration, I gained 800 new ones,” said Keel, a past Augusta University Distinguished Alumnus Award recipient who served as president of Georgia Southern University for five and a half years before joining Augusta University. “I now live vicariously through the success of others. My job is not just administrator but facilitator of other people’s goals and dreams. I had a National Institutes of Health-funded lab for many years before moving into administration, so I’ve got a broad experience base on which to build.”

He envisions Augusta University becoming a top-50 research institution nationwide and considers the dental college a key component of that goal. “We need

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about $40 million more in National Institutes of Health funding,” he said of the university-wide research initiative. “That’s going to be very, very heavy lifting. It won’t happen overnight, but I’ll make sure we’re on track to get there.”

Keel also plans to vigorously promote more research collaboration. For instance, “I’d like to see us capitalize on engineering research at Georgia Tech and Georgia Southern.”

ENHANCED COLLABORATION He applauds the dental college’s existing efforts on this front, including several ongoing collaborations between The Dental College of Georgia and Georgia Institute of Technology researchers. Drs. Chris Cutler, David Pashley and Franklin Tay, all members of the dental faculty, are pursuing research with Georgia Tech engineers. The projects include developing a computer model to test the bond of solvents and adhesive monomers used in restorative dentistry; studying the use of bioactive glass fibers to repair the effects of certain oral bone-wasting diseases; and

developing technology to image oral soft tissues.

Keel is also fiercely committed to enhancing the educational experience of all Augusta University students, including those earning dental degrees.

“I feel very strongly about making education affordable for all of our students,” he said. “In addition to addressing state subsidies, both achievement-based and needs-based scholarships are key. Alumni are looking back and realizing they need to lend a hand to those coming behind them.

I hope to help inspire them to act on that.

Of course, we already offer an excellent education at an exceptional value, and I plan to build on that.”

‘A REAL ELECTRICITY’ He is gratified that dental students have such cutting-edge educational facilities. “The new dental building has allowed us to increase the class size while creating incredible clinical and research opportunities, and that growth will continue,” he said. “The Harrison Education Commons also provides exceptional facilities for our dental students. And buildings like that are a constant reminder to our undergraduates that that’s where they want to be.”

Keel plans to increase pipeline opportunities offering a smooth transition into graduate or professional school for deserving Augusta University undergraduates. This synergy between undergraduate and graduate educations was a major attraction to his new position, noted Keel, who earned his undergraduate degree from Augusta College.

“The opportunity to be president of both my graduate and undergraduate alma mater is incredibly unique,” he said. “I find it enormously fulfilling to oversee a major biomedical research university, and I really appreciate the wonder of an undergraduate

President Keel with 2018 Class President Chas Plaisance (from left), 2018 Class Treasurer Nick Sasser, 2018 Class Vice President Dahlia Levine and Abby Halpern (’18), vice president for the DCG chapter of the American Dental Student Association and national ASDA legislative coordinator for Districts 4 and 5.

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campus. There’s a real electricity in this environment. One of the great benefits of consolidation is that we’re able to bring undergraduates and graduate/professional students together as never before. I find that those in the health sciences have a natural love of creative pursuits, and we have greater opportunities than ever to bring art and science together. Appreciating both the art and science, and finding ways to complement the other: that’s the future of Augusta University.”

30 YEARS IN TRAINING Keel has been tremendously gratified to find such a welcoming faculty and staff.

“They are outstanding, and morale is very, very good,” he said. “I’ve heard nothing but good things about consolidation. This is a unique opportunity to move forward. I want to address barometers of faculty and staff satisfaction such as salaries and workload, for instance by making sure faculty have time to pursue their research interests.”

He also looks forward to making alumni feel more invested than ever in their alma mater. “We want our alumni to feel like the value of their diploma is continually increasing,” he said. “And when we approach them about helping us advance our mission, I want to change the focus. Rather than asking for financial assistance for, say, a particular program or need, I want to ask potential donors, ‘What are you passionate about?’ The donor will be the one driving the train. The deans and faculty will be pivotally involved; we want to put them front and center. After all, who better relates to alumni than those working in the trenches to advance the mission of their alma mater?”

Community relationships are vital as well, he stressed. “I understand and appreciate the Augusta community,” Keel said. “I’ll spend a lot of time engaging with community members. Augusta University can’t succeed without Augusta, and Augusta can’t succeed without Augusta University. We want to contribute to the economic development of the community and serve as a magnet for the best minds nationwide and beyond. We have to make sure we live up to our obligation to make Augusta a better place.”

His overall outlook is one of tremendous enthusiasm. “I’ve spent the last 30 years in training for this job, and I’m tremendously excited to be here.”

PRESIDENT KEEL at a Glance

Education: n Bachelor of Science degree in biology, Augusta College n Doctorate in reproductive endocrinology, Medical College of Georgia n Postdoctoral work, University of Texas Health Science Center (Houston) and the University of South Dakota School of Medicine (Vermillion)

Previous Position: n President, Georgia Southern University

Highlights of GSU Tenure: n Launching the Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering and Information Technology and the Institute for Interdisciplinary STEM Education n Overseeing the transfer of the Herty Advanced Materials Development Center to GSU

Appointments: n Chairman, the American Board of Bioanalysis n Member, the Scientific Advisory Board of the American Board of Bioanalysis Proficiency Testing Program n Member, the Georgia Chamber of Commerce n Member, Board of Trustees, East Georgia Regional Medical Center

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Coming Together Nearly 250 first-year DCG students and their families enjoyed a day together on campus during the college’s annual Family Day Sept. 26.

Dean Carol Lefebvre noted that by late September, most incoming students have begun to feel at home, discovering favorite haunts and hangouts in town while getting to know their classmates and routines.

“They’re getting used to the place and the pace of dental school,” she said, “but also by then, most have a subtle yearning for Mom, Dad, their siblings and other family members.” That’s when the DCG brings their family to them.

After gathering in the Harrison Education Commons, speakers including

Family Day Unites First-Year Students with Loved Ones on Campus

Dr. Mario Romero, assistant professor of oral rehabilitation, reminded them that “faculty are real people too” and are always available for counsel, reassurance and support.

“We know that families come in many forms,” Lefebvre said, “especially since we consider ourselves – the DCG faculty, staff, residents and students collectively – a family. It’s crucial that we all support each other as we work, study, learn and grow as individuals. It’s of the utmost importance that our students know they can count on the support of family, whether it’s here at

the DCG or at home.”

Jackson Griffith, president of the class, presented slides of his classmates in various venues, and Alyssa Martini, treasurer of the Class of 2016, likened the students’ upcoming journey to a roller coaster, advising them to hold on tight but enjoy the ride. Tours and demonstrations rounded out the day.

Andrea Smith and sister Madison Parham

Katie Parham, dad Mike Parham and mom Sue Parham Gabrielle Going with parents Robert and Vilija (both dentists) and brother Nick

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Rite of Passage Practicals, tests, quizzes, projects . . .

The classroom time and endless studying that characterize the first year of dental school represent an almost Herculean effort to cram as much vital information as possible into the heads of future dentists.

But it is the transference of those skills from the head to the hands that truly signifies a dental education.

Ceremony Symbolizes Students’ Immersion into Clinical Care

That is the transition that was celebrated by The Dental College of Georgia’s 86 second-year dental students during the school’s 13th annual White Coat Ceremony Aug. 28. The event symbolizes the students’ immersion in earnest into the clinical portion of their education.

It is only in completing the grueling inaugural leg of the endurance test – the first portion of dental school – that students can truly appreciate their hard-earned white coats, according to Class President Chas Plaisance. “These white coats are a testament to the dedication that I know you have all seen from my classmates,” he told the gathering of well-wishers, including President Brooks Keel, Provost Gretchen Caughman, Dean Carol Lefebvre and Dr. Bruce Ashendorf, who represented the International College of Dentists.

White-coat recipient Varun Iyer with parents

“The past 12 months have really given meaning to these coats, and they are now something more than simply ornamental clothing,” Plaisance said. “This rite of passage means more now that we have begun to understand the dedication that is required from our profession. It really takes some serious persistence and determination to become a dentist.”

He expressed appreciation to all who helped him and his classmates cross the threshold, including the DCG administration, faculty and staff; the American College of Dentists and International College of Dentists, which provided the coats; and family and friends, many of whom receive “the late-night calls of concern or random text messages that we send when we need some extra motivation,” Plaisance said. “Without the help of everyone here today, this dream would not be able to one day become a reality.”

He also cited the singular bonding experience that unfolded during the first year of dental school. “Many days, we spend more than 12 hours a day together,” he said. “The demands that dental school requires from its students have helped us develop some amazing friendships within our class that I am so thankful for.”

But it is the future, not the past 12 months, that he said inspires his deepest emotions. “The obligation that we have already been given as dental students is even bigger now as we have begun the transition to patient care with these white coats,” Plaisance said.

That message was reinforced during the American College of Dentists Ethics Seminar that followed the ceremony.

Said Dean Carol Lefebvre, “While not technically related to the White Coat Ceremony, the seminar encourages students’ ethical behavior as they begin more in-depth clinical care and prepare for their future graduation.”

Class of 2018 11

TEAM EFFORT Hundreds Roll Up Sleeves for Day of Service Some 110 members of The Dental College of Georgia community members of Augusta University fanned throughout the CSRA Sept. 12 to pull weeds, paint buildings, clean up neighborhoods, lead basketball clinics, sort books and perform a myriad of volunteer activities.

The occasion was the annual Day of Service of Augusta University. This year, the event drew over 1,000 volunteers campuswide, including dozens of members of the DCG community.

“This was a great representation of our community spirit,” said Dean Carol Lefebvre, “but the truth is that volunteerism is built into the DCG experience year-round.”

Projects include fundraisers, dental screenings, oral cancer walks, homeless stand-downs, Georgia Mission of Mercy, Give Kids a Smile Day and many other initiatives.

“Each student in the first three years of dental school is required to accrue 20 to 25 hours of community service,” said Associate Dean Carole Hanes. “In the 2014-15 academic year, more than 7,400 hours of service were provided by students alone. Obviously, many students give more than their required hours.”

Their volunteer sites during the Day of Service included Goodwill’s Good Books Café, the Golden Harvest Food Bank, Aiken Community Medical Center, Heritage Academy, the Downtown YMCA, Phinizy Swamp, Lucy Craft Laney Museum, First Tee of Augusta, Mistletoe State Park, Richmond Academy, Wilson Family YMCA (Katie’s Pool) and the Salvation Army North Augusta Family Store.

“Serving is second nature at the DCG, so devoting one Saturday to it hardly seems like anything at all,” said Lefebvre, who sorted books at the Good Books Café during the Day of Service. “Yet being part of the whole university team as we make an impact across our communities is something to be noted. And making a difference every week and month, as the DCG does throughout the year, is noteworthy. I’m so proud to be serving alongside my DCG family.”

Dean Lefebvre and daughter Caitlin (second from left) sorted books at Goodwill’s Good Books Cafe with Betty Meehan of the Office of Advancement (left) and Drs. Scott De Rossi and Kate Ciarrocca and their daughters, Sofia and Evie

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Vice Dean Kevin Frazier does yard work at the Christ Community Health Center.

CENTURIES OF SERVICE

Included in the Day of Service volunteerism was a site for which the DCG has a particular dose of enthusiasm: Christ Community Health Services.

The structure, located at 127 Telfair St., was built in 1818 as Augusta’s first city hospital for the “sick poor.” It is also the original home of MCG, then called the Medical Academy of Georgia.

The structure now on the site was completed in 1887, housing 42 rooms to serve needy women, particularly war widows. The Widows Home was purchased in 2003 by Augusta developer Clay Boardman, who was interested in preserving it. The Widows Home Foundation still exists and actively supports causes of women in need.

In 2008, Boardman donated the building to Christ Community Health Services, specifying that it be renovated and used as a health center for underserved Augustans. The Ann Boardman Widows Home opened its doors to patients in 2011. A fundraiser is ongoing to complete the second and third floors and expand services to include dentistry, physical therapy and patient education.

For more information or to donate, visit christcommunityaugusta.org.

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A

RUNNING

Start

ALUM’S RESILIENCE MAKES LASTING IMPRESSION ON STUDENTS

Dr. Michael Frazier remembers laughing self-consciously when it happened.

“I was embarrassed,” he recalls of his reaction when a horse, spooked by a sudden thunderstorm, bucked him off and trampled him in the middle of a pasture.

Frazier, who at age 14 was training horses for part-time income, realized only when trying to get back on his feet that it was no laughing matter. “I sat up and saw my leg all mangled,” he says. “That’s when I went into shock.”

followed. “I was in the hospital 28 days, and I missed my whole freshman year of high school,” says Frazier, noting he was homeschooled by his high school Spanish teacher during a grueling rehabilitation process.

Frazier’s outlook from the very beginning of his ordeal was remarkably sanguine. “Looking back, I can see how I picked myself up and dusted myself off,” he says.

He was eventually back on his feet literally as well as figuratively. His days of playing offense and defense in football were over, but Frazier stayed on the team as a kicker, going on to set several school

DUSTING HIMSELF OFF The owner of the horse farm got to him quickly, but an ambulance was late in arriving. Frazier’s father, who had rushed to the scene as soon as he heard what happened, finally scooped his son in his arms and drove him to the hospital himself.

His shin was so shredded – stripped of skin, flesh, muscles, tendons and nerves – that the leg was almost beyond repair. But Frazier’s health care team was determined to do everything possible to save it. Frazier, a high-achieving kid from Bolingbroke, Georgia, who excelled at sports and outdoor activities, had his whole life ahead of him. The first of many surgeries soon 14

Editor’s note: This is the third in a series of Word of Mouth articles highlighting community-based dental rotation sites for seniors.

records. He pushed himself to get back on track in other areas of his life as well . . . back to the golf course, back to his fishing hole, back to the classroom, back to his life.

And he never forgot the professionals who helped him do it.

“That’s when I got interested in health care,” he says.

A WELL-ROUNDED LIFE It was when shadowing his father’s best friend, Dr. Philip Cawthon (’75), that his dream fully took shape. “I knew I wanted to work with my hands, and I realized that dentistry would give me the opportunity to help people, to change people’s lives, while

still being able to raise a family and have a well-rounded life.”

After earning his undergraduate degree from the University of Georgia, he enrolled in dental school at the Medical College of Georgia (now Augusta University). He acknowledges those four years were among the toughest of his life – but also among the most fulfilling. “I met a lot of great friends in dental school, several of whom I still keep in touch with on a weekly or almost daily basis,” he says.

“Dental school is very trying, and you need the support of friends going through it.

It was tough, but I wouldn’t change it for anything.”

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Once he had his degree, he was eager to get to work, not only to set his dream in motion but to pay down the debt that had financed his education. “I was the first male college graduate in my family,” he says, adding that student loans were an absolute necessity.

He worked for a year at a large practice in Warner Robins, Georgia. But his modest upbringing and rural roots soon led him to Vidalia, Georgia, where the Compassionate Care Dental Clinic, created specifically to treat underserved patients on a sliding-scale fee system, was just getting off the ground.

CONTINUED

“I’m the only dental provider in the county, and I feel like I need to be here.

They don’t have anybody else to go to.”

– DR. MICHAEL FRAZIER

RIGHT AT HOME “I helped set up the clinic and get it off the ground,” Frazier says. “Growing up in a blue-collar family, the patients were the kinds of people I could relate to. I’d had a lot of experience treating underserved patients in rotations during dental school too, and I felt right at home. I grew up next to a dairy farm and worked on farms most of my childhood. I knew what it was like not to have a lot of money for health care bills.”

The natural next step was opening his own practice with the same philosophy.

In 2011, he bought a practice in Rochelle, Georgia, a town of about 1,500 in the south-central part of the state, where Frazier treats thousands of low-income patients. “I’m the only dental provider in the county, and I feel like I need to be here,” he says. “They don’t have anybody else to go to.”

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Not only does he enjoy the patients – humble, hard-working and hugely appreciative of their care – but he relishes the opportunity to continually stretch his abilities. “I do a little bit of everything – general dentistry, implants, sedation, hospital dentistry, pediatrics – and I’ve devoted a lot of time and education to learning new skills,” he says.

He is eternally grateful to The Dental College of Georgia for giving him a running start. “The dental school prepares you very well clinically and teaches you everything you need to know,” he says. “It was only after being in private practice that I could truly appreciate the education I received.”

A RURAL EXPERIENCE His gratitude was a primary factor in deciding last year to welcome Dental College of Georgia students into his clinic

for clinical rotations. Two at a time come on board for two-month rotations.

“The first time I worked with students was with the Georgia Baptist Ministry, where I am on the board of directors,” Frazier says. “The ministry offers free dental care throughout Georgia, all of it funded by donations, and I met students who wanted to participate.”

He enthusiastically put them to work and has enjoyed mentoring them – now in his clinic – ever since. “This rotation gives them a truly rural experience,” Frazier says.

“It shows them you don’t have to move to Atlanta to be successful, and they realize how fulfilling it is to help people who might otherwise fall through the cracks.”

Dr. Grayson Griffis (’15), one of the first students to rotate through the clinic, concurs. “It’s a very well-run practice and a very nice facility,” he says. “He has six operatories; he’s busy but extremely

efficient. I felt like I fit right in. I got to do procedures and use materials that made me stretch out of my comfort zone a little. That was certainly a point of growth for me. It gave me a lot more confidence. You learn a lot in school, but you get the real-world perspective on these rotations, so they’re really invaluable. I highly recommend Dr. Frazier’s rotation.”

DOWN TO EARTH Frazier agrees that the real-world element offers something that can never be taught in a classroom. “I give the students little pointers that I hope go a long way,” he says. “I think back to things that gave me trouble when I first started practicing, then give them advice that hopefully smooths the path for them.”

Griffis notes that he came to know Frazier not just as a mentor, but as a friend.

“He was always willing to sit down and

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chat . . . to talk about dentistry or to talk about hunting and fishing. He’s a very down-to-earth guy.”

In fact, Frazier made such a strong impression that upon graduation, Griffis followed his path by signing on at Valdosta’s Compassionate Care Dental Clinic.

Frazier and his fiancée plan to marry in the spring, and his spare time is filled with sports and activities that belie his early brush with tragedy. “I play golf and enjoy exercising, and I even still ride horses occasionally,” he says. “I have occasional phantom pain in my leg, but it’s nothing an Advil can’t handle. I have the scars to remember my accident by, but nothing has held me back. You know what they say: ‘What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.’”

BRIDGING

the Gap

COURSE ENABLES DENTAL, MEDICAL STUDENTS TO LEARN FROM EACH OTHER

They spend several of the most arduous years of their lives together, often within mere feet of each other.

Yet in many ways, medical students and dental students may as well inhabit different planets.

Those at Augusta University share the same campus and many of the same facilities. Overlap even exists in many portions of their curricula.

Yet due largely to the extensive demands of their coursework, their paths seldom cross. Dr. Scott De Rossi, chairman of The Dental College of Georgia Department of Oral Health and Diagnostic Sciences, wants to help change that.

In addressing this need, De Rossi and his colleagues provided the MCG participants with a module including a video, clinical checklist and handout related to oral exams. “They had that information going into the experience,” De Rossi said.

Then, small groups of the MCG students were paired with a dental student who provided hands-on instruction, supervised by a preceptor.

“Each dental student demonstrated an exam of the oral cavity on a medical student, then each medical student performed the exam on the dental student,” De Rossi said. “The dental student was able to assess the skills and provide immediate feedback.”

The MCG students will return the favor later this year when teaching the dental students how to perform a cardiovascular exam.

STUDENTS TEACHING STUDENTS He took a significant step in that direction recently when he oversaw dental students’ participation in a weeklong interprofessional course. The dental students’ role was to teach their Medical College of Georgia counterparts how to examine the oral cavity and screen for oral cancer.

“The oral cavity is not included in most medical school curricula,” De Rossi said, “yet there is growing evidence linking oral health to various systemic diseases, including stroke and heart disease. There are also oral manifestations of many medical illnesses, making it imperative to know how to do a thorough exam of the oral cavity.”

Physicians – particularly general health practitioners and emergency medicine physicians – can also serve as a first line of defense in screening for oral cancer, De Rossi noted.

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TOPPLING SILOS De Rossi noted that the program addressed not only vital curricular needs, but the ongoing need to increase interaction among different disciplines. “Both medical and dental accrediting bodies are now mandating this as a requirement, so each school has to integrate it,” he said. “We need to do everything we can to break down silos.”

Resoundingly positive feedback is convincing him that he and his colleagues are on the right track. “We asked the participants to complete surveys both before and after the program,” he said. “We saw significant changes in the students’ attitudes toward working together in a learning environment and improving mutual respect between the two professions. And most importantly, they actually learned a lot.

The medical students’ knowledge about the oral exam was greatly increased. They went from feeling uncomfortable to extremely comfortable in performing an oral exam.”

Said Dr. Robert R. Nesbit Jr., an emeritus professor of surgery who teaches physical diagnosis, “I told the students after the course that we now know more about head and neck exams than many physicians in practice.”

He added that the dental student instructing his group “was an excellent teacher – very knowledgeable and patient. Clearly, the more interdisciplinary contact we have, the better. It provides an understanding and feel for what others know and a respect for their skills.”

SPREADING THE WORD The program was such a success that De Rossi and his colleagues – including Dr. Kate Ciarrocca, DCG assistant professor of oral health and diagnostic sciences, and Dr. Shilpa Brown, MCG assistant professor of internal medicine – have been invited to present an abstract of the experience at the American Dental Education Association annual session next March in Denver.

“Programs like this foster the kind of interprofessional interaction we’re looking for,” De Rossi said. “The students get to work together, learn about what the other group is learning and why.”

Ciarrocca concurs. “Expanding interprofessional education in the curricula of all health professionals can improve key skills and prepare students for their careers by driving up standards of professionalism and best practice,” she said.

De Rossi adds that health professionals are increasingly integrating the medical and dental professions in the real world as well. Dentists’ vast expertise in treating all aspects of the oral cavity, he said, has long since rendered their original role obsolete. “The word dentist, literally translated, means ‘toothist,’” De Rossi said. “I have no interest in educating toothists. My goal is to educate oral health professionals. It really makes sense for us all to work together.”

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EMBRACING COMPLEXITY Lessons Learned in Lab Enrich Both Research, Education

“We are treating a very complex being.”

That is the basis of what Dr. Andrew Yeudall tries to impart in the classroom – and it’s the one that informs every aspect of his research.

Yeudall, who joined The Dental College of Georgia in July as chairman of the Department of Oral Biology, researches a disease embodying the truism that the more one learns, the more he realizes how much more there is to learn.

But he revels in the challenge of chasing every lead, following every path, pursuing every theory as he tries to get a handle on one of the most vexing diseases known to man: cancer.

A

nd he does so with a sense of urgency, knowing how much is at stake. His area of study – oral cancer – exacts a huge toll on those it affects. Oral cancer – cancer of the tongue, gums, palate and other tissues on or around the mouth – can be disfiguring, disabling and often deadly. “The prognosis depends on the site of the cancer – cancers of the lip or front of the mouth, for instance, are often diagnosed earlier and have a better prognosis – but many of these tumors are apparent only at the late stage, at which point the prognosis is a lot worse,” says Yeudall, who earned his dental degree and a PhD in molecular pathology from Glasgow University in his native Scotland.

“And even if you surgically remove these cancers,” he adds, “recurrent tumors or new tumors in different parts of the oral cavity are very common.”

Even worse, the cancers are becoming more, not less, common. “The average age of diagnosis used to be around 60, and it was seen mostly in males,” Yeudall says.

“Now, it’s being detected a lot earlier – often around age 40 – and is now seen almost as often in women as in men.”

Faced with a stubborn overall five-year survival rate of only around 50 percent, Yeudall is tireless in finding ways to outsmart the cancer cells.

Armed with a four-year grant funded by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, he has found that different cancer cells activate different biochemical pathways. “We’re finding that the cells grow in different ways,” he says, “so we are isolating cancer stem cells in the lab and analyzing their molecular properties.”

One year into the study, he and his colleagues have identified a number of intermediate signaling proteins that are elevated in cancer cells. “We’re using forms of targeted therapy to try to modulate their biochemical function, hopefully reducing the degree of malignancy in the cells,” says Yeudall. “The more we learn, the more possibilities there are and the more interesting it gets.”

The ultimate goal, he says, “is finding out how cancer stem cells work and how to kill them. Those cells tend to be resistant to treatment and are responsible in large part for cancer recurrence.”

He hopes his findings will eventually 20

lead to treatments supplementing current modalities including surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. And in the meantime, he cautions the public to do everything possible to minimize their risk of oral cancer.

“The vast majority of oral cancers are lifestyle-related, and those types are less amenable to treatment,” he says, citing factors such as smoking, drinking alcohol and engaging in unprotected sex.

“There’s almost always some lifestyle factor involved, most commonly tobacco and alcohol, and often a combination of two or more,” he says. “And the more you drink and smoke, the higher your risk.”

He urges people to eschew unhealthy habits while eating a diet high in fresh fruits and vegetables. “Those foods provide lots of vitamins that can act as antioxidants to prevent cancer cell development.”

And although he’s just starting to familiarize himself with some related initiatives in prevention, Yeudall is intrigued by findings such those of his new colleague, Dr. Stephen Hsu, who has uncovered multiple antioxidant properties of green tea.

He is also eager to impart his love of discovery to his students. “I think students need to embrace science, not only to pass exams but to eventually bring into their clinical practice the understanding that they are treating a very complex being.”

He is gratified that his new university, which he came to from Virginia Commonwealth University, is so likeminded. “I was very impressed that The Dental College of Georgia has such widespread expertise in the basic biomedical sciences,” he says.

Yeudall is already recruiting new faculty, hoping to bolster both teaching and research in his department. He anticipates curricular changes as well, noting that science demands ongoing reevaluation.

“I think we’re gearing up to meet the challenges of curricular changes schoolwide,” he says.

But regardless of the specifics of the subject matter, Yeudall enjoys cultivating an ongoing love of learning in future dentists – an essential component of science, he says. And challenges notwithstanding, he embraces the love of learning essential to cancer research. The future, he says, is bright.

“I’m always optimistic.”

Dr. Andrew Yeudall

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Welcome to the

REAL WORLD

CLASS PROJECT RECEIVES FUNDING FOR CANCER PATIENTS’ ORAL HEALTH

When Zach Dubin lost an aunt to oral cancer recently, his consolation was knowing that in a few years, he would be able to help others battling the disease.

What he didn’t know is that he wouldn’t have to wait a few years.

JUMPING AT THE OPPORTUNITY Dubin, a second-year student in The Dental College of Georgia, had an assignment last year that kicked his aspirations into high gear, even before he finished school. Dr. Kate Ciarrocca, assistant professor in the Department of Oral Health and Diagnostic Sciences, tasks first-year students in her Community Oral Health Promotion course with writing a mock grant proposal to improve access to oral health care. “Students are assigned to groups of four to write a fictitious grant application for up to $25,000,” said Ciarrocca.

The students are grouped randomly, so their interests might vary widely. But Ciarrocca noted that Dubin’s group – which included Varun Iyer, Dahlia Levine and Diana Tran – gelled instantly, inspired largely by the recent loss in Dubin’s family.

“I had moved in with my aunt the year before dental school to help her through her treatment, and I was with her every step of the way,” Dubin said. “The side

effects she experienced before she died – inflammation, fungal infections, pain – were still fresh in my mind when we were assigned the project. I jumped at the opportunity to help people going through that.”

Said Ciarrocca, “All of the projects were great – they covered fluoride treatment, sealants and other aspects of dentistry – but this was the only one that tackled oral cancer.”

Noted Iyer, “We had recently learned how mucositis and other oral side effects affect cancer patients. As a result, many are unable to eat properly or take their medication due to the severe oral pain. And patients are often unaware of the importance of getting dental treatment prior to chemotherapy, which can result in rampant tooth decay. We realized these patients could strongly benefit from opening a line of communication between dentists and oncologists.”

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PULLING AT HEARTSTRINGS Ciarrocca’s clinical practice at the DCG is limited to treating cancer patients, so she was thrilled to see this budding interest in the classroom.

“I solely treat cancer patients, and I have a 19-year-old niece whose leukemia is in remission, so cancer treatment is both a personal and professional passion of mine,” she said. “As soon as the students chose this topic, it pulled at my heartstrings.”

And she was impressed with their proposal, which sought to better educate general dentists and the public about oral health ramifications of cancer. “It’s so important from a professional standpoint,” Ciarrocca said. “Cancer patients often don’t understand why they’re referred to a dentist; they’ll say, ‘I already have a dentist.’

But treating cancer patients is very different than treating healthy ones.”

The cancer itself, as well as treatments such as radiation, can compromise oral health, she noted (See ‘A Huge Step,’ page 24), and oral problems can become systemic, jeopardizing overall health.

“As an oral medicine specialist, what I do is largely the oral management of medical-related disorders of the maxillofacial region,” she said. Although general dentists can manage some of these problems themselves, she cited the importance of their knowing what to look for, how to

head off potential problems and when to refer patients to specialists.

SERENDIPITOUS CIRCUMSTANCES The students’ proposal would greatly advance these objectives, she said, while also helping laypeople understand the oral health component of cancer treatment.

In the most serendipitous of circumstances, she was delighted to recently discover that the Dental Trade Alliance Foundation wholeheartedly agrees.

The foundation coincidentally issued a call for proposals soon after Dubin and his classmates completed their project. Almost on a lark, Ciarrocca asked the students if they’d be interested in submitting the pretend grant for real-world funding. Their answer was a resounding yes. But they had to work quickly to meet the submission deadline.

“The students were on break at the time, so we were emailing each other back and forth,” Ciarrocca recalled. “The deadline for proposals was May 27 at midnight, and I

submitted ours at 10 p.m. that night.”

What might strike others as stressful struck them as exhilarating. “It was so much fun,” she said.

And even more so when they received word that out of 100 nationwide submissions, the students’ grant would be one of eight funded by the foundation.

‘WE’VE GOT THIS!’ “The most fun part was telling the students,” Ciarrocca said. “They were in class, so I pulled them out and told them. I wish I’d videotaped it. We jumped around in a big circle like 2-year-olds.”

Recalled Levine, “I saw her running into our classroom and I thought, ‘Oh, we’ve got this!’”

“We were ecstatic to say the least,” Iyer said. “We had never expected that a class project would end up being the recipient of a nationally recognized organization and could potentially benefit and improve the lives of cancer patients.”

CONTINUED

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DAHLIA LEVINE (FROM LEFT), VARUN IYER, ZACH DUBIN, DR. KATE CIARROCCA AND DIANA TRAN

ABOUT THE DENTAL TRADE ALLIANCE FOUNDATION

The Dental Trade Alliance Foundation seeks to broaden oral health care awareness for those in need.

With a focus on oral health, access to care and the connection of oral health to overall health, the foundation funds innovative pilot projects designed to broaden awareness of and access to oral health care in America. Seventy-one projects have received a total of $1.5 million in funding since the foundation’s first grants were awarded in 2002.

Added Dubin, “It was so surprising. It took a full week just to process it.”

Next comes the hard work of implementing their vision. The grant will fund lunch-and-learn sessions and other means of educating dentists and the public about oral health for cancer patients. “We believe the key to long-term positive change in patient care

“When we realized our project would generate a more widespread impact, we were overtaken with joy.”

–DIANA TRAN (’18) begins with education,” Ciarrocca said. “Patients will gain the knowledge necessary to act as their own advocates, and dentists will have access to resources essential to achieving first-rate treatment outcomes.”

She added that since community service is required of DCG students, the project should fold seamlessly into their schedules.

Said Ciarrocca, “They can’t wait to get started.”

“It wouldn’t have happened without Dr. Ciarrocca.

She’s just awesome. She never forgets to put the focus on the patient,” said Levine, who relates to classmate Dubin’s personal investment in the grant: She has a family member battling jaw cancer.

Said Dubin, “Now, we have an opportunity to help people going through what our loved ones have gone through.”

‘A HUGE STEP’

Oral complications are the norm, not the exception, for patients undergoing cancer treatment, regardless of the type of cancer.

Consider: n 40 percent of patients undergoing primary chemotherapy report oral side effects. n 80 percent of those undergoing myeloablative conditioning regimens for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation report oral effects. n 100 percent of patients undergoing radiation therapy for head and neck cancer experience oral issues.

“Acute oral toxicities to cancer therapies can at times be reduced, yet they are essentially unavoidable,” said Dr. Kate Ciarrocca, DCG assistant professor in the Department of Oral Health and Diagnostic Sciences.

Cancer patients undergoing treatment have an increased risk of multiple oral health issues, including xerostomia, mucositis, rampant decay, trismus and osteoradionecrosis. “These issues severely affect quality of life for cancer patients both during treatment and after,” Ciarrocca said. “Oral discomfort can lead to decreased medication adherence, interruption in cancer treatment and reduced caloric intake, all of which decrease long-term prognosis.”

She noted that cancer treatment until recently was hospitalbased, enabling oral health specialists to treat patients there. But today’s trend toward outpatient treatment for most components of cancer treatment means that “most patients rely on their own private dentist to manage oral ramifications,” Ciarrocca said, “and often, the professionals have limited knowledge in treating these issues.

“The students’ grant is a huge step in better integrating oral health treatment into cancer care,” she said.

CLASS NOTES DR. STEVE HOLCOMB (’74) is the 2015-16 executive chairman of dental examinations for Central Regional Dental Testing Services in Topeka, Kansas; the 2015-16 president of the Georgia Board of Dentistry; and a national clinical licensure site evaluator for the Commission on Dental Accreditation.

DR. RICHARD BENNETT (’98) has been reappointed by Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal to the Georgia Board of Dentistry.

Bennett, a fellow of the Pierre Fauchard Society, is a senior partner with the BGW Dental Group. He is a member of the Georgia Dental Association, American Dental Association and Hinman Dental Society.

DR. MELISSA DURAND (’99) has received the University of North Georgia’s 2015 Ralph Colley Spirit of North Georgia Award. The award honors those who have overcome adverse circumstances to lead an exemplary life. Durand endured months of physical therapy after a 2008 automobile accident before being able to return to her family and practice.

DR. TRAVIS WATSON (’02) operates Atlanta West Dentistry in Atlanta, Georgia, with his wife, Cameron. The office, built in 2013, offers preventive dentistry, cosmetic dentistry, restorative dentistry, sedation dentistry and dental implants.

The practice recently signed on Dr. Lauren Bowersox, an assistant clinical instructor of oral rehabilitation at The Dental College of Georgia, where she completed a residency.

DR. PATRICK YANCEY IV (’14) practices at Yancey Dental Practice in Newnan, Georgia, following in the footsteps of his grandfather, Dr. Patrick Yancey Jr., and his father, Dr. Patrick Yancey III (’87).

DR. DONNA THOMAS MOSES (PERIODONTICS RESIDENT, ’92) has been reappointed by Gov. Nathan Deal to Georgia’s Board of Community Health. Moses is the founder of Periodontics, Implant Dentistry and TMJ in Carrollton, Georgia.

Submit Class Notes to cderiso@gru.edu.

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STUDENT VOICE

By Kiersten Mossburg (’18)

KEEPING THE FINISH LINE IN SIGHT

“Dental school is a marathon, not a sprint.”

These were the words Associate Dean Carole Hanes used during orientation in advising us to pace ourselves. Over the past 18 months of dental school, I’ve heard them over and over.

Why does everyone tell us this? Is it because four more years of school just seems like forever? Or because of the number of hours we spend at school each day? Or even just the amount of work that needs to be constantly completed?

I never really understood why everyone said dental school was a marathon. I feel like I have been in a dead sprint since I started it. But now, I can finally say that I now completely understand.

I don’t know what in my right mind made me think that training for a half marathon during dental school would be a good idea. However, somehow my mom

and I got talked into signing up for the Divas Half Marathon, billed on its website as “the most fun and glam women’s halfmarathon series in the nation.” Maybe it was the pink tutus, tiaras and boas we were given for the run that convinced me.

Or maybe the champagne and shirtless firemen at the finish line. Either way, I signed up and received an email confirming that “Diva Kiersten” was registered for the Half Marathon.

I have always stayed in pretty decent shape, so starting a training plan was no big deal. The problem was adding this training plan to the school work that seemed to be piling up faster than I could complete it.

But I’d missed only a few workouts by the time September rolled around. I was pretty proud of myself !

I like to compare this part of my training to my preparation for dental school. For the half-marathon, I worked hard to optimize my performance in the race. For dental school, I worked hard in high school and undergrad so I could get into dental school and perform well.

Finally, race day arrived. I’d set a goal of completing the race in under two hours, which would be a first for me. Going into the race, I put so much pressure on myself to reach this goal, just as I’d put so much pressure on myself to perform well in dental school. But if I have learned anything in my 23 years of living, it is that I do not work well under pressure.

The first few miles of the race went swimmingly. My mom and I ran together, and we were holding a great pace.

Completing the race in under two hours seemed totally doable. Likewise, the first few days of dental school went great as well. I’d started to make friends, go to social events and get the hang of my classes. I thought I could easily handle dental school, just like I thought I could easily handle

25

the race. (I laugh at myself in retrospect on both counts.)

Around mile six, I noticed it was getting harder to breathe. My pace had slowed, so I tried to pick it back up. This only made everything worse. Suddenly, I couldn’t breathe at all. I was gulping in air, but it didn’t seem to be reaching my lungs. My mom made me stop.

That’s when I had a panic attack. I couldn’t breathe, and I felt tears streaming down my face. After about two minutes, I finally calmed down and started walking again until I built back up to a run. That’s when my mom asked me, “Why do you need to finish in under two hours? Let’s just have fun and enjoy the run together!”

The rest of the race was much more enjoyable. I was no longer worried about my pace. When I saw the shirtless firemen and the champagne at the finish line, you bet I was happy!

Right around mile six was when I finally grasped the marathon analogy of dental school. Eighteen months in, I’ve experienced times when my goals seemed well within my reach. But other times have been characterized by the panic attacks that set in when I fear I won’t make it.

Those were the times when I realized how important it is to have friends who are going through the same thing and who can calm you down even at your lowest point.

Even through all these hard times when I place too much pressure on myself, I know the end reward is so much greater than any struggle I may face during the “race” to graduation. There may not be shirtless firemen at commencement (although champagne would be nice afterward), but there will be something even greater: a degree.

The Dental College of Georgia GC5202 1120 15th Street Augusta, Georgia 30912

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MOUTH WORD OF

FA L L 2 0 1 5 / W I N T E R 2 0 1 6

Fifty-seven percent of The Dental College of Georgia faculty and staff donated to the university’s IGRU (I’m Giving; Are You?) campaign, raising $26,476. That’s a 51 percent increase in dollars and a 160 percent increase in the number of donors over the previous year. University-side, faculty and staff contributed $326,519.09.

Units with 100 percent participation were the Department of Oral BiologyBiochemistry, the Department of Orthodontics and the residency programs in orthodontics, pediatric dentistry and prosthodontics. The campaign opened to the community Sept. 17 with a million-dollar goal.

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