Word of Mouth by Augusta University

A LOOK INSIDE:

Paralysis to Professor 12

Georgia Health Sciences University

Green Tea Lozenge Tested 25

Grand Opening Set 28

SPRING/SUMMER 11

alumna uncovers the truth “behind the bite”

G H S U

C O L L E G E

O F

D E N TA L

M E D I C I N E

SPRING/SUMMER

FROM the

DEAN

“

This summer, the new College of Dental Medicine building will no longer be a blueprint, an artist’s rendering or a concrete-and-steel skeleton rising high above south campus. It will be a complete, state-of-the-art and, dare I say, beautiful building.

”

A heartfelt thanks It “took a village” to make new building reality

he journey we began more than six years ago is coming to an end. This summer, the new College of Dental Medicine building will no longer be a blueprint, an artist’s rendering or a concrete-and-steel skeleton rising high above south campus. It will be a complete, state-of-the-art and, dare I say, beautiful building. And there are two words I just can’t say enough: Thank you. Over the years, I have thanked many alumni, faculty, students, staff, patients and friends of the college for their support in making this $112 million facility a reality. But now it’s time to say thanks to some people whose “behind the scenes” support and work have been just as valuable to our campaign to expand dental education at Georgia Health Sciences University. I’d like to start with the men and women “in the trenches” of the project, such as Stuart Lumsden, Robert Smith and Derek DeLeon of our project management firm, Gleeds USA. There’s also Brandon Scott and Anthony Glover at BE&K Building Group, John Starr at the Lord, Aeck & Sargent architectural firm, Samson Oyegunle of the University System of Georgia’s Office of Real Estate and Facilities and Doré May of the Georgia State Financing & Investment Commission. Representing GHSU ably during the process were our facilities management professionals, Jon Bangs, Dan Durham and David Smith. In the administration building, we relied heavily on former University President Daniel W. Rahn, Dr. Michael Ash, Vice President for Administration; former Provost Dr. Barry Goldstein; Provost Dr. Gretchen Caughman; and

Bill Bowes, Senior Vice President for Finance and Administration. In our own college, we couldn’t have managed without Carol Lefebvre, Associate Dean for Strategic Initiatives and Faculty Development, as well as Business & Facility Manager Darnell Taylor and Business Manager Shawn Parham, who worked closely for many months planning, designing and ordering everything from bricks to chairs. Our Patient- and Family-Centered Care Advisers were there alongside all of us to ensure that patients will play a vital role in the health and well-being of those in our clinical facilities. There are many – too many to name here – faculty, staff and students who deserve a pat on the back for attending multiple planning and design sessions. And last, but certainly not least, I want to give a very heartfelt thank you to the family of Marty Crean, whose service as Biomedical Engineering Supervisor kept the College of Dental Medicine’s clinical operations humming along for nearly three decades (See Remembering Marty, Page 31). We miss him very much, but his input in the early design stages of this project will leave a lasting legacy in the facility for years to come. Like an actor giving an acceptance speech at the Academy Awards, my time is short and I’m afraid there are many people I’m neglecting to recognize! I offer my most sincere appreciation to them, and to all Georgia citizens, to whom this new building belongs. n

Connie Drisko, D.D.S. Dean and Merritt Professor

OP E N E D W I D E

The Truth Fairy Alumna analyzes forensic dental evidence to help solve crimes

17 Palates to Palettes Student uses artistic talent to relieve stress, earn extra money

Long-Distance Dentist

Paralysis to Professor

Remembering Marty

D E PA RT M E N T S Faculty BITES

Student BITES

On the Right Path

Student Voice

Student realizes passion for dentistry after exploring Alaska

Research BITES

Development 28 More than a Building

Alumni BITES

Medical College of Georgia

word of MOUTH

dr. holland maness uses forensic skills to help solve crime

maness uses teeth to tell the story of people who can no longer tell it themselves.

IN ELY BY PA U L A H

As a child, Dr. Holland Maness spent summers walking Edisto Beach with her head down as the sun burned the back of her neck. She was on a mission to find fossils. “My father told us if we find something that’s hard, black and doesn’t break, keep it,” the 2005 College of Dental Medicine alumna says. “It was kind of a game to find fossils, and it’s still my therapy today.” The extensive fossil collection she keeps at her Evans, Ga., practice includes four display cases, each measuring 2 feet by 4 feet that hold the teeth and bone fragments she’s found over the years. Some, including a treasured sloth tooth, date back to the Ice Age. “You can see what remains through the ages – teeth,” the orthodontist says. “They’re the hardest substance in the body and can tell a story years and years later.” Maness didn’t realize that her childhood beachcombing would have a connection to a very important “hobby” she has picked up in recent years – forensic odontology, where dental and legal professions converge. Serving as a forensic dental consultant for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Maness uses teeth to tell the story of people who can no longer tell it themselves. continued

joining a select group...

Georgia Health Sciences University

Maness recalls watching Quincy, M.E., a late1970s television show about a forensic pathologist for the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office. “The show really sparked my interest in forensics,” she says. “Quincy could figure out what happened to someone by looking at the body, and I thought that was pretty cool.” Her interest and initial training in forensic odontology came to a head in 2001 when she started dental school after a 12-year career in software engineering and hospital administration. The specialty wasn’t covered in the curriculum, so she resorted to researching it on Google. In her junior year, Maness attended a prestigious, two-week student elective at the Bureau of Legal Dentistry at the University of British Columbia, the only North American lab dedicated to forensic dentistry. Maness learned and worked with four other dental students under Dr. David Sweet, a pioneer of salivary DNA. Her senior year, she took a forensic odontology course at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology. After graduation, she stayed at GHSU for an orthodontics residency, and then joined Dr. Isaac Holton’s (’76) Evans practice, which she recently bought upon his retirement. Maness enrolled in a 13-month forensic odontology fellowship at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center while practicing with Holton. She traveled to San Antonio for five days every other month and worked on cases, including homicides, at the city’s busy medical examiner’s office. “I feel compelled to work in forensics. These victims have lost their voice, and through dentistry, I can give that back so their story is told,” Maness says.

Comparing models to bite marks are crucial to identify – or eliminate – a suspect.

There are only 114 board-certified forensic odontologists in North America. Only one, Dr. Tom David, is in Georgia. “Dr. David has been a terrific mentor and role model for me,” Maness says. “I would not have the position that I have with the GBI without his assistance.” She aims to join those select ranks in a few short years, and while she works toward board certification, she donates the time she spends identifying remains and working bite mark cases to the state. “This is really my mission work within the state of Georgia,” she says. “I really have enthusiasm for the field, and if I can become boarded, I can do a lot more than I’m doing now.”

one of the most beautiful things you hear...

Forensic odontologists can be called as expert witnesses to testify on the work they do, such as making identifications and performing bite-mark assessments. “The process is very scientific, and it’s important to stick with the science so that something horrific doesn’t happen, such as the recent cases of misidentifying the dead and injured victims,” Maness says, adding there’s a deeper purpose in identifying the deceased. “One of the most beautiful things you hear is your name. You’re named in life, and you should have the dignity of being named in death.” With countless crime shows on television these days, Maness and other investigators face what she calls the “CSI Effect.” “While these shows have raised the value of forensics and deterred some who might commit a crime, they’ve also raised expectations beyond a reasonable point of what law enforcement can do in this country,” she says.

word of MOUTH

College of Dental Medicine

State investigators say Maness is an “indispensable resource.”

Cases don’t get solved in an hour, and DNA identification, because it is costly and time-consuming, is actually a medical examiner’s last resort in identifying the deceased. Dr. Daniel K. Brown, the GBI regional medical examiner for Augusta and 20 surrounding counties, calls Maness to make identifications through dental records eight to 10 times a year. “When someone’s unidentifiable for any reason, we ID by order of cost and ease,” Brown says. First, they attempt a visual identification. Next, they use fingerprints. Then, it’s dental records. “The reason we can identify the deceased by their teeth is that teeth and dental work are unique to an individual, and they survive not only time, but the environment, fire and water,” Maness says. Brown calls Maness an “indispensible resource.” Before she began working with the GBI, he says he made the dental identification if the cases were clear cut. “Looking at challenging cases of dental identification is something I would never do,” he says. “I can’t tell you what an asset Dr. Maness is. She’ll take calls for anyone in the state, but we’re fortunate to have her right here in Augusta.”

behind the bite – working a case... In addition to dental identification, Maness has spent much of her time consulting on bite mark cases. Bite marks are found in crimes such as homicide, sexual assault and domestic violence, but they’re also caused by everyday child’s play, so not every bite mark tells a story. Maness says she must be aware of the marks’ limitations. “You don’t want the evidence to show any more than what it actually shows,” she says. In Feb. 2010, a medical examiner called Maness when preparing to take a 2008 homicide case in Newnan, Ga. to trial. An injury had been found on the victim, a 2-year old girl, and Maness

SPRING/SUMMER 11

was asked to determine if the injury was a bite mark, and if so, who bit the child. There were two suspects, the child’s mother and the mother’s boyfriend, and both were charged with murder. In this case, she never saw the victim – only the evidence and documentation collected two years prior. That’s why obtaining good evidence and documentation are crucial, Maness stresses. Ideally, to preserve objectivity, two forensic dentists will work a single bite mark case – one to collect evidence from the victim, and another to collect evidence from the suspects. Maness receives evidence, such as models and impressions of a suspect, in a sealed evidence bag, while injury photos are usually sent through email. Great photographs are needed of the bite mark, because the body, which is evidence, is long gone once a case goes to court. Maness explains that she usually reviews the photos before she sees the suspects’ models to avoid any preconceived notions. “I want to think about what the dentition would look like that made the bite mark before I see models of the suspects’ teeth.” She uses a variety of methods to compare a suspect’s teeth to the bite mark – exemplars

Georgia Health Sciences University

made by computer and by hand, impressions made by the model in wax and measurement with calipers. “Because of the advancements in digital radiography, so much of our forensic work is done on the computer, but then I also take my time and want to do every other technique I can,” Maness says. “This is somebody’s life, it’s not somebody’s smile.” In analyzing bite marks, Maness looks at three classes of characteristics to determine whether the mark was made by teeth, whether it was human teeth and then the individual characteristics that make the mark distinctive. “What makes a good bite for me to analyze is one with lots of discrepancies and individual characteristics,” Maness says. “The irony of it has not been lost on me. In my day job, I’m straightening teeth out. In my forensic world, I want teeth to be as crooked as possible.” As an orthodontist, Maness pays close attention to arch shape, and says that by looking at a bite mark, she can glean a good idea of what the biter’s arch would look like. It’s characteristics such as a raised incisor, teeth rotations or a unique arch shape that can lead to a potential match between a suspect’s teeth and a victim’s bite mark.

ORGANIZATIONS: American Academy of Forensic Sciences Section of Odontology

www.aafs.org/odontology American Society of Forensic Odontology

www.asfo.org American Board of Forensic Odontology

www.abfo.org

In the Newnan homicide case, Maness couldn’t conclusively say which of the two suspects bit the child before she died. “Any time there’s a bite in a homicide case, it makes it a more significant crime, because not only was it a homicide, but the child suffered pain.” Because of this, the district attorney asked Maness to testify during the trial in April 2010. While her testimony did not point to one suspect or the other, it did lead to a child cruelty charge of 20 years in addition to the double life sentences each suspect received when convicted of the homicide. Many of the cases that Maness has worked have involved children, and as a mother of two, she says she has to step back and debrief after tough cases. She often talks with a colleague in Texas so that her emotions don’t stay bottled up. “Maintaining a scientific detachment to the work is paramount, and while it’s not always easy, you can’t get emotionally involved,” she says. “I still have this overwhelming sense that if I’m not doing this, who will be doing this for this child? That overrides the reality of what I’m doing, because there’s a higher goal and purpose.” She knows that the kids and adults she works with day to day in her orthodontics practice help with the debriefing process as well. “I’m having such a positive impact on my patients’ lives that it helps balance out the forensic work. I couldn’t do forensics full time.”

leaving a lasting impression through science and students... Her “scientific detachment” goes beyond debriefing. Maness wants to play a role in improving the field of forensic odontology. A congressionally mandated report released in 2009 by the National Research Council found serious deficiencies in the nation’s forensic science system. “Forensics as a whole, and forensic dentistry specifically, got a slap on the hand and

word of MOUTH

School of Dentistry

www.namus.gov DENTISTS CAN HELP:

we were told to elevate the science,” Maness says. “That’s my personal mission – to increase the research that’s available and make stronger, less subjective standards and protocols.” Maness has focused her research on bite mark analysis. She’s using her software engineering background to determine the uniqueness of human bite marks using common orthodontic measurements. For example, when reviewing evidence, models of the suspect’s teeth are scanned with a flat-bed scanner to create a template or exemplar of what his bite mark might look like. However, the twodimensional scan doesn’t account for the vertical position of each tooth, and can slightly distort the exemplar. Maness uses three-dimensional models in her orthodontics practice, and she’s working with a company to create a similar prototype that would work in forensics. She explains, “You can set the plane of the model to match the angle of the bite and then create slices like a CT scan to see what the bite would look like with more or less compression.” Maness also has a mission very close to home. As volunteer faculty at the College of Dental Medicine, she wants to give students the exposure to forensic odontology that she didn’t have. “Just like everyone in dentistry, the forensic experts are getting older, and we need young dentists to get involved and get expertise,” she says. She gives a lecture to juniors in pathology class each year, and hopes to one day offer a senior elective in the field, as well. She envisions students in the elective making their own mark on the forensic world by helping reduce the number of missing people and unidentified remains nationwide through NamUs, the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. NamUs is a free online record clearinghouse that can be searched by both law enforcement officials and the general public in search of missing or unidentified people.

SPRING/SUMMER 11

“One of the biggest issues we’ve had is getting good evidence from a victim, but then finding that their dental records are poor. You want to be as accurate as possible so that you can assist with any future investigation.” The NamUs system is in need of dentists to learn to code dental records for missing and unidentified people. The FBI’s National Crime Information Center provides free training for interested dentists. Visit www.namus.gov for more information.

case file no.1:

maness recall s th called her for co e first case the gbi ns she may never se ultation – a case she says e again in her li suspect in a homi fetime. one ci pattern injury th de investigation had a at she was called “the bite was in an area that it to examine. been self-inflict could have ed story, but i had , which was the suspect’s to rule that out, to check the ” she says. validity of the suspect’s story, maness ex am went to the morg ined his teeth and then ue to make impres victim. she dete sions on the rm could be ruled ou ined that while the suspect t the victim could as having bitten himself, not be ruled out biter. as the “who knew when i was making impr dental school a few years ago th essions in at it would take this kind of turn?”

Georgia Health Sciences University

According to NamUs, there are approximately 40,000 unidentified human remains and as many as 100,000 active missing-persons cases at a given time nationwide. The vast majority of those cases do not have dental records. “The dental part of the system needs to be populated, and there’s a lack of dental personnel willing to volunteer the time to enter the information,” Maness says. “The academic environment would be a great starting point to help code these records to be used in future comparisons.” People ask Maness why she does forensics and why she wants to expose others to the field. She says, “I almost feel like it’s what I have to do. Bites and orthodontics go hand in hand, and while ortho will be what I always do, I also hope to do more and teach more and build evidence-based research in the forensic world.” n

DR. HOLLAND MANESS Family:

Married husband, Leonard Fletcher, during dental school; son, Wilkes, is 16 and daughter, Merritt, is 15

Training: 2004 / Two-week elective in forensic

odontology at Bureau of Legal Dentistry

2005 / Armed Forces Institute of

Pathology Forensic Odontology course

2005 / DMD from Georgia Health

Sciences University College of Dental Medicine

2007 / Orthodontics residency at GHSU 2010 / 13-month forensic odontology

fellowship at University of Texas Health Sciences Center

did you know...? 1776

Paul Revere was the first forensic dentist in the United States. Revolutionary War hero Dr. Joseph Warren was killed during the Battle of Bunker Hill and buried in an unmarked grave. Months later, Revere was able to identify his remains through artificial teeth he had placed when treating Warren years earlier.

1897

One of the first times dental records were used to identify the deceased in a mass casualty situation was in France, when a fire killed 126 people.

1954

Doyle v. State of Texas was the first time bite mark evidence was used in a conviction. While Doyle was robbing a house, he stopped for a snack. He bit a piece of cheese and put it back in the refrigerator. The bite mark in the cheese was used to identify him, and his conviction set the precedent for using bite marks found on objects and skin as evidence.

1979

Serial killer Ted Bundy was notorious for leaving clean crime scenes, until he murdered two women at a Florida sorority house. He bit one of his victims on the buttock, and the bite mark helped convict him.

word of MOUTH

College of Dental Medicine

Long-Distance Dentist

ith a new building to plan and furnish, hours of daily meetings to attend and a College of Dental Medicine to run, Dean Connie Drisko doesn’t have as much time as she’d like to see patients. “I really enjoy treating patients, and I miss that with my other responsibilities,” she says. Her saving grace is her good friend and sole patient, Jacque Howard of Overland Park, Kan., who flies to Augusta for treatment three to four times a year. With more than 500 dentists in her metro area, why does she make a nearly 2,000-mile round trip? Comfort level; Howard has a severe fear of close contact and tight spaces. “I’m very claustrophobic, and the idea of it just terrified me,” she says. “I would just stop going to the dentist if I didn’t have Connie.” Howard first met her long-distance dentist in 1988, when Drisko was Associate Professor of Periodontics in the School of Dentistry at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. She hadn’t seen a dentist in about 40 years, but when one of her teeth fell out, her husband, Dean, told her it was time to go. Howard talked about her fears with a psychologist and was eventually referred to Drisko, the only female periodontist in Kansas City at the time. “The dentists in town would send me a lot of their ‘scaredy cats’ because they had the idea that a woman wouldn’t scare the patients as much,” Drisko says. Treatment didn’t come easily; Drisko had to “court” her patient weekly for about a month before she could complete the initial examination. Drisko recalls, “I was warned that Jacque was pretty fearful of anyone getting too close to her, and I didn’t think I’d get her into the dental chair the first time around, so we had coffee across the street after work.” The following week, they met in the dental

SPRING/SUMMER 11

Friendship, trust motivate patient to make 2,000-mile trip BY PAUL A HINELY

And 10 years later when Drisko became school waiting room to chat. By the third visit, Howard was in an operatory, sitting on the edge Dean of the GHSU College of Dental Medicine, Howard traveled even further to see her. The of the dental chair. They established a signal so Drisko would know if her patient was getting distance has only made the friends closer. “Now when I come for treatment, we get uncomfortable. “When her toes start to wiggle, to spend more quality time together,” Howard it’s time to back away,” Drisko says of the says, noting that shopping and cooking are signal that she still uses today. always on the agenda. By the fourth visit, Drisko put Howard at “My husband has as much fun when she ease with medication and by telling jokes. comes to town as I do, but he always dreads She was finally able to do an exam, and found it when we head to Windsor Jewelers,” Drisko considerable dental work to be done. Visit after visit, their dentist-patient rapport jokes. She’s gained a lot through her 23-year developed into friendship. After Howard’s midfriendship with Howard, and learned a lesson to day appointments, she and Drisko would go to lunch together. Eventually they introduced their pass on to young dentists. “What Jacque has taught me is that husbands to each other. everybody is different,” Drisko says. “If you In 1993, Drisko moved to Kentucky to chair the Department of Periodontics, Endodontics want to be successful with every patient that walks in the door, you really have to get inside and Dental Hygiene at the University of their head a little bit and know what they want Louisville. and what you can deliver.” “There was no question in my mind that I wouldn’t follow her to Louisville,” Howard said. And who knows, it could create a lifelong “Connie’s my friend and knows me well enough friendship. n to never make me uncomfortable if she could help it.” Dean Connie Drisko sees her only patient, Jacque Howard, twice a year.

Georgia Health Sciences University

facultyBITES

n Awards

n New Faculty Dr. Abdulmohsin Alhashim, Assistant Professor of Oral Rehabilitation, has earned Diplomate status with the American Board of Prosthodontics.

Dr. Ahmed El-Marakby, Assistant Professor of Oral Biology in the College of Dental Medicine and Pharmacology and Toxicology in the Medical College of Georgia, has received the 2011 Water and Electrolyte Homeostasis Young Investigator Award from the American Physiological Society. He was recognized April 10 at the Experimental Biology 2011 conference in Washington, D.C., where he discussed “Reno-protective mechanisms of epoxyeicosatrienoic acid derivatives in cardiovascular diseases.” Dr. Allison Hunter, Assistant Professor of Oral Health and Diagnostic Sciences, has earned Diplomate status with the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology.

Dr. Michael E. Pruett, Assistant Professor of Oral Rehabilitation, has earned Diplomate status with the International Congress of Oral Implantologists.

Dr. Aysegul Siranli, Assistant Professor of Oral Rehabilitation, has earned Diplomate status with the American Board of Prosthodontics.

Dr. Abdulmohsin Alhashim joined the Department of Oral Rehabilitation as an Assistant Professor. He earned a Bachelor of Dental Surgery degree from King Saud University in Saudi Arabia and a Master of Dental Science degree from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, where he also completed a prosthodontic residency. Dr. Amy Camba joined the Department of General Dentistry as a part-time Instructor. She is a 2010 alumna of the GHSU College of Dental Medicine, where she also completed an internship in esthetics under Dr. Gerard Chiche. Dr. Dawnyetta Marable joined the Department of Oral Health & Diagnostic Sciences as a part-time Instructor. She is a 2010 alumna of the GHSU College of Dental Medicine and a 2006 alumna of the GHSU Medical College of Georgia. Dr. Lisiane Ferreira-Susin joined the Department of Endodontics as a part-time Instructor. She earned a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil, where she also completed fellowships in endodontics and pediatric endodontics. She completed endodontic residencies at Lutheran University of Brazil and GHSU. Dr. Karl H. Wenger joined the Department of Oral Biology as a part-time Assistant Professor. He came to GHSU in 2003 as Assistant Professor and Director of Orthopaedic Research in the Medical College of Georgia Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. He earned a Ph.D. in bioengineering from the University of Utah.

word of MOUTH

College of Dental Medicine

Like a Mom... n Retiring Dr. Frank Caughman, Associate Dean for Patient Services, retired April 1. He came to GHSU in 1985 as Assistant Director of the General Practice Residency. He served as Chairman of the Department of Oral Rehabilitation for 10 years, during which time the department was recognized with the 2002 Teaching Excellence Award by the University System of Georgia Board of Regents. Caughman received the 2008 Alumni Award of Honor from the Dental Alumni Association of the Medical University of South Carolina and the 2009 Georgia Dental Association/American Student Dental Association Outstanding Dental Faculty Member Award. Caughman has been a manuscript reviewer for seven journals and serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry. He is Past President of the Academy of Operative Dentistry, a Fellow of the American College of Dentists and the Pierre Fauchard Academy and an Honorable Fellow of the Georgia Dental Association.

One of the College of Dental Medicine’s most recognized staff members has retired after more than 25 years of service. Judy McWhorter, a fixture in the Office of the Associate Dean for Students, Admissions and Alumni since the late 1980s, was given a grand send-off by administrators, colleagues and students in December at the Augusta Museum of History. McWhorter is beloved by students and alumni for her matron-like compassion as well as her behind-the-scenes work with student events such as hooding ceremonies, senior awards events and welcome-back assemblies. A mayoral proclamation presented at her retirement party celebrated her as a “keeper of the photos of alumni children and friend for life to all those she has served” and pointed out she had “two sons of her own and over 1,500 dental students who she served with love and devotion, providing compassionate support and a listening ear.”

n Obituary Dr. John Francis Erbland, retired Associate Professor of Biochemistry and 1975 College of Dental Medicine alumnus, died Nov. 26, 2010. Erbland earned a Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Rochester. He taught and researched at GHSU from 1975 until his retirement in 1996. He was an active volunteer, working with many organizations including the Cub and Boy Scouts, Habitat for Humanity and Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse of East Central Georgia. He was active in church work at St. Teresa of Avila and St. Mary on the Hill and received the Bishop Gartland Service Award for distinguished contributions to his parish and the Diocese of Savannah in 2001. Erbland is survived by his wife Nancy, five children and seven grandchildren.

SPRING/SUMMER 11

Dr. Carole Hanes, Associate Dean for Students, Admissions and Alumni, presents Judy McWhorter with a mayoral proclamation recognizing Dec. 3, 2010 as “Judy McWhorter Day.”

Paralysis to

PROFESSOR Rare illness ends dentist’s practice but opens the door to teaching

It was a Wednesday morning in Winder, Ga., in November 1998 when Dr. Allen Braselton had his first inkling something was wrong. His tongue burned and his fingers tingled when he drank his morning orange juice. The odd sensations continued as the days progressed, and by Friday he felt his hands begin to weaken. “When I walked out on Friday afternoon, I had no idea that was my last day of clinical practice,” Braselton says. By Saturday he was admitted to Athens Regional Hospital.

BY STACEY HUDSON

word of MOUTH

Trapped in his own body

Dr. Braselton (far right) confers with students about a patient’s x-rays. Clockwise from left, Tina Sampat, Megan Moody and Chris Lee.

By Sunday he was completely paralyzed. He was in the grips of GuillainBarré Syndrome, an uncommon but devastating disorder in which the body’s immune system attacks the sensory, motor and autonomic nerves. The avid outdoorsman who never took a sick day went from planning a Saturday morning hunting trip to being unable to breathe without a respirator.

SPRING/SUMMER 11

e spent nine weeks in the intensive care unit before his immune system stopped its coup d’etat and he was stable enough to be moved to Shepherd Spinal Center in Atlanta, a long-term care facility. There, he began a months-long recovery coupled with intensive physical and occupational therapy “trying to get something back in my fingers.” “It was the first of February before I saw my hand move on its own without the help of electrical stimulation,” Braselton said. All the while, the staff and dentists carried on in his Winder dental practice. He relied on his office manager to keep the business financially solvent while his patients hoped for his return. “My patients were like my family. They were praying for me and hoping for me. You always hear ‘nobody likes a dentist,”’ he said, laughing. “But I tried to disprove that. Maybe they don’t like dentistry, but hopefully they like the dentist.” But his paralysis was so complete that he couldn’t even blink his eyes. Yet, even trapped in a body that he couldn’t control, Braselton never felt alone. For one, his wife, Diane, slept on a pile of pillows on the floor next to his bed every night. He also found comfort in faith. “For someone in a mostly dead body I’ve never felt more alive in Christ,” he says. “It was a scary time, but those are the times you tend to grow, if you allow it.” He didn’t fear dying. He just wanted to tell his family that everything would be all right. But even when his body began to recover, it was a long time before he could do more than make a clicking sound with his tongue. The long-term rehabilitation he started in 1998 was intense, with physical therapists pushing him to move his body and occupational therapists training him

on how to live in case his recovery was incomplete. After weeks in a wheelchair, there was plenty of frustration for Braselton, whose goal was nothing short of regaining his pre-illness mobility. “I have a lot of respect and admiration for the folks who do learn to live in the wheelchair,” he said. “It’s incredible; you see a lot of veterans coming back, and you watch them learn how to make life happen.” Eventually, Braselton regained the majority of his functionality. He walked out of the rehabilitation center (although he had to take a wheelchair just in case) but he never regained full function in his hands and fingers, leaving him unable to perform dental work. “I still owned a practice and I had a dentist there in my office. They were trying to decide if they were going to stay there or re-open an office in town,” he said. Braselton’s appearances at the practice were mainly public relations gestures, but he tried to keep his skills

Guillain-Barré Syndrome is a rare disorder in which the body’s immune system attacks part of the peripheral nervous system. Researchers believe the condition is brought on by the immune system’s mistargeted response to an infectious agent, but about 60 percent of cases have no known cause. Early symptoms include varying degrees of weakness or tingling sensations in the legs, arms and upper body. These symptoms can increase until the muscles cannot be used and the patient is nearly paralyzed. There is no known cure, but plasmapheresis and high-dose immunoglobulin therapies can lessen the severity of the illness and accelerate the recovery in most patients. About 80 percent recover with few or no disabilities. The syndrome is named after the French physicians Georges Guillain and Jean Alexandre Barré, who described it in 1916. 13

Georgia Health Sciences University

current through continuing education classes. One of those classes would change his life.

Second chances Dr. Van Haywood, Professor in the Department of Oral Rehabilitation and Director of Dental Continuing Education, met Braselton at a course in Athens. Haywood said he initially didn’t want to go, but felt compelled to attend. “I had no reason to go except God telling me I needed to be there,” Haywood says. Once he met Braselton, he knew why he was there. Haywood said he was impressed by Braselton’s skills, ethics and enthusiasm. “He had a lot of the gifts and graces that are hard to come by,” Haywood said. The school needed instructors, and Braselton fit the bill. “He asked me if I’d ever thought about teaching,” Braselton said.

Haywood suggested he volunteer twice a month to see how he liked it. He was hired 18 months later as an Assistant Professor. “There’s not a lot of demand for dentists with no hands, but they found something for me to do here,” said Braselton, who instructs students on screenings, chart reviews and treatment plans. He also speaks regularly to physical therapy students about his experiences. “It worked out great,” Haywood said. “He’s been a great contributor to the dental school.”

On a mission Braselton’s teaching job has also provided him an outlet for mission work. He had to give up his pro bono dental trips to developing nations because of the after-effects of GuillainBarré Syndrome, but when students asked him to accompany them on outreach trips to Peru, he jumped at the opportunity.

“I was worried about how I was going to be effective in mission trips with no hands, but it’s like the Lord multiplied my hands by the number of students who go,” he said. Nov. 8 was the 12th anniversary of the spinal tap that revealed his illness. His son, Alex, who was just a year old when his father got sick, has been joined by Joshua, now nine. Braselton’s wife, Diane, has transitioned from beautician into a stay-at-home mom. Braselton is still an active outdoorsman, never missing an opportunity to go hunting and fishing with his sons. He rarely thinks about the experience that changed the course of his life; only on those rare occasions where he discovers a limitation. “I tried to snow ski a couple of years ago – I was not a good skier to start with,” he said with a laugh. “I quickly learned that you need everything working to come down a hill in one piece.” n

Dr. Allen Braselton with young patients on a dental school outreach trip to Peru

word of MOUTH

College of Dental Medicine

S t u d e n t n Bingham receives Fellowship

Dr. Christopher Bingham, a thirdyear GHSU periodontics resident, has received the American Academy of Periodontology Foundation’s 2011 Richard J. Lazzara Fellowship in Advanced Implant Surgery. The national award, a 12-month fellowship at the student’s training institution, provides educational and clinical experiences that reflect current techniques in implant dentistry. Its namesake is an implantology innovator and Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Southern California School of Dentistry and Associate Clinical Professor at the University of Maryland Periodontal and Implant Regenerative Center. The fellowship is sponsored by Biomet3i. Bingham received his dental degree from the University of Illinois in 2005. He will receive his periodontics certificate and a master’s degree from GHSU in June.

n Hinman Scholars

B I T E S n A Studio Tour

While in Atlanta for the Southern Academy of Periodontics Annual meeting in January, residents from the Advanced Education in Periodontics Program visited the offices of Dr. Ronald Goldstein, who gave them a tour of his DentalXP studio. (From left) Drs. Sai Zemse, Jaebum Lee, Jamie De Stefano, Goldstein, Aaron Rawlings, J. Kobi Stern, Darron Alvord and Chris Bingham.

n Give Kids a Smile Dental and dental hygiene students provided free treatment and dental supplies to approximately 120 first- and second-graders from Jenkins White Elementary Charter School in Augusta as part of the national Give Kids a Smile Day. The event is one of 1,700 nationwide sponsored by the American Dental Association.

The following students were awarded scholarships at the 99th Thomas P. Hinman Dental Meeting in Atlanta in March: Dental Ann Downer David Ensley Arjun Patel Kristen Shaw Dental Hygiene Jessica Hart Anna Grace Jackson Ashley Scott

SPRING/SUMMER 11

Georgia Health Sciences University

n Scenes from Table Clinic Day

word of MOUTH

College of Dental Medicine

Palates to

Palettes

Dental student’s extracurricular activities filled with art

en Popple grew up with art – his father was an oil painter and graphic designer – but it took struggling grades in high school to get him to put brush to paper. “My grades weren’t where they needed to be and AP credits would help bring them up,” the second-year College of Dental Medicine student recalled with a wry grin. “My dad is an artist, so I hoped with his help I could learn to paint and do well in the class.” He picked it up so quickly that teachers in his hometown of Lilburn, Ga., were soon asking to buy his work. So he scanned and printed his paintings on archival paper, stuck them in frames from the local discount store and sold them for $30 each. Before long, he was joining his father Rick, a former art director for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, at art shows on weekends and selling pieces though his website, poppleprints.com. Now his prints are available through the visitor’s center in Rome, Ga., at Happy’s Antique Market in Lilburn and at his undergraduate alma mater, Berry College. Several years after teaching him how to paint, the elder Popple continues to be a major influence on his son’s work. “I paint my watercolors like oil paintings, because my dad paints oils,” he says. “I paint real thick. A lot of watercolors are about layers and transparency, and I can do that. But I like it to be real thick and real vibrant – sometimes I just use the paint right out of the tube.” Popple said serenity, not money, is his motivation for continuing to paint. “Dental school is stressful, so I’ll paint to try to chill out a little bit,” he said. “And it’s something I can do with my dad. He’s doing art shows every two or three weeks, so I’ll go out and try to sell something with him.” But he’s quick to lend his talent for a good cause, such as the recent fundraiser for Give a Smile, a nonprofit created by College of Dental Medicine students in 2007 to provide financial assistance to patients unable to pay for their care. Popple donated paintings for the inaugural silent auction and wine-tasting event. “It was a no-brainer,” he says. n

SPRING/SUMMER 11

BY STACEY HUDSON

Got art? Dentistry is a science – and an art. That’s why the College of Dental Medicine wants to make its state-of-the-art educational and clinical facility a place of beauty as well. We want to honor the artistic talents of our alumni and their artist friends by showcasing various works of art in our outstanding new facility for the enjoyment of the 100,000 patients who visit the college each year. Learn more about submitting your work or serving on our art committee by contacting the Dean’s Office at 706-721-2117. “One Eye Truck” by Ben Popple

Georgia Health Sciences University

B student

ON THE HILL A look at National Dental Student Lobby Day BY ANNA K. SCHULTZ

eams of sunshine cast a soft reflection of the Washington Monument on its reflecting pool, dancing ripples course the calm waters of the Tidal Basin and a gentle breeze sweeps through the vibrant pale pink and white cherry blossoms – welcoming the long-awaited arrival of spring to our nation’s capital. This season, Washington, D.C., welcomed not only warmer temperatures and fewer snowflakes, but also 340 dental students from 55 dental schools across the country convening with a common purpose: a desire to effect change. President Dwight D. Eisenhower famously encouraged, “Politics ought to be the parttime profession of every citizen who would protect the rights and privileges of free people and who would preserve what is good and fruitful in our national heritage.” Be it doctor, lawyer, writer, musician ... we all have a duty and a responsibility to uphold and maintain the rights of a profession that those before us have shaped. Apathy is not an option; change has never been effected by indifference. Representatives from Georgia Health Sciences University’s College of Dental Medicine on March 29 joined the other students on Capitol Hill for a full day of training for National Dental Student Lobby Day, followed by a day of meetings with legislators from across the country. Deborah Darcy, Director of Congressional Affairs for the American Dental Education Association, opened our morning session addressing the basics of Congress, detailing the legislative process from bill to law.

We were also privileged to hear from Michael Brzica, Congressional Lobbyist for the American Dental Association, who discussed how the political parties work with each other and the White House (or maybe more appropriately how they don’t work with each other) as well as “who’s who” on the Hill and some of the “unwritten” rules of the business. Undoubtedly, the most important sessions included lobbying “how tos,” and the introduction of the issues: the Dental Emergency Responder Act (House Resolution 570) and issues regarding National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research funding. HR570 is legislation designed to include dentists in the federal disaster response framework. To date, dentists and dental facilities are not specifically named in the laws that created this framework. As a profession, we feel this omission may discourage dentists from participating in response plans. Dentists have been educated to provide medical history evaluation, triage and, if necessary and appropriate, treatment. However, many legislators unfortunately do not understand the comprehensive nature of dental education, so we took the time to explain our specific training and why it qualifies us to be participants in disaster response plans. So where do we stand now? HR570 passed in the House March 8 by a 401-12 vote. In the Senate, it was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions on March 9. We are hoping that the insight

word of MOUTH

College of Dental Medicine

we provided legislators during our trip might prompt someone to introduce the legislation in the Senate so that the bill will pass in the 112th Congress. Of a more sensitive nature, the second piece of legislation we discussed was funding for the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research and National Institutes of Health. As expected, the minute we mentioned “funding increase” on the Hill, we were met with a chuckle and a quick nod of the head. We were told we should “count our blessings” that our funding had not been cut – let alone increased. Nevertheless, we charged forward, – conveying that the NIDCR is the only government agency focused exclusively on oral, dental and craniofacial research and on oral health research training. As dentists, we understand that oral health

research is about more than teeth – it is about systemic health. It is about using salivary diagnostics to perform HIV/AIDS tests and aid in the early detection of breast cancer; it is about correlating periodontal disease to adverse pregnancy outcomes, diabetes or coronary artery disease; it is about saving $3 in treatment costs for every $1 spent on research. In addition to the invaluable insight we gain, NIDCR and NIH research also stimulates the economy – and I think we can all agree the economy could use a little stimulation. In FY 2007, for example, NIH grants and contracts created and supported more than 350,000 jobs nationwide – generating more than $18 billion in wages. A simple 1.31 percent increase in funding, we argued, would account for changes in inflation and aid the progression of research, while providing a positive economic force in

local communities. This was my second National Dental Student Lobby Day trip. It’s an electrifying experience to be in a room of individuals sharing the same passion for their career and their future, to be part of something bigger than myself, bigger than my single operatory in Junior Clinic (hopefully soon to be my operatory in the Comprehensive Care Clinic ... fingers crossed). It is evident that lobbying must lead to effective changes through the vigilant work of dental students and dental professionals. Because at the end of the day, it’s not about the experience of being in Washington, but about getting the job done. In the words of Teddy Roosevelt, the best prize life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing. And this is just that. n

Members of the GHSU College of Dental Medicine’s American Student Dental Association met with legislators including Georgia Sen. Johnny Isakson during National Dental Student Lobby Day in March.

SPRING/SUMMER 11

Georgia Health Sciences University

On the

RIGHT PATH BY STACEY HUDSON

word of MOUTH

College of Dental Medicine

Six-year stint in Alaska convinces EMT to become DMD

eath Moody intended to go to medical school after graduating from the University of Georgia, but he knew he wasn’t quite ready. “If someone passed out in class, all I knew to do was dial 9-1-1,” he said. “And at 23, I was just mature enough to know I wasn’t mature enough.”

His desire for a break led him to Alaska, where his plans for a six-month outdoor adventure turned into a six-year odyssey that would eventually lead him to the GHSU College of Dental Medicine.

SPRING/SUMMER 11

Georgia Health Sciences University

One of the reasons Moody was drawn to Alaska was the excellent hunting. Moody congratulates Dr. Michael Darling, the dentist who convinced him to switch from a medical to dental career, on his hunting success.

Moody, a second-year dental student, initially worked at the visitors’ center at Denali National Park, where he shuttled tourists through portions of the vast and majestic landscape. He spent his free time on the prowl, hunting Dall sheep, mountain goats, moose, caribou and blacktail deer. But he didn’t give up his goal of a career in medicine; he was fascinated by the profession ever since he underwent an emergency nephrectomy stemming from a childhood playground accident. And reading medical journals during long, cold winter nights wasn’t going to cut it. So he obtained an emergency medical technician’s license and moved to Talkeetna, a town of fewer than 800 people situated between Denali and Anchorage, where he bought land and built a cabin. “Well, I hired a friend who knew what he was doing to boss me around while we built the cabin,” Moody says. He spent the next few years answering medical emergency calls in an area so sparsely populated that he was often the only person in a three-hour radius with any advanced medical knowledge. The nearest medical center was a plane ride away in Anchorage. Moody loved his EMT job, and he found a way to turn his passion for hunting into a business by running big-game expeditions for tourists. However, the climate was beginning to wear on him. “After five full winters, the Southern boy came out in me and I was like, ‘All right, been there, done that,’” Moody said. It happened that his last hunting client was Dr. Michael E. Darling, an Anchorage dentist with whom he spent 17 days on an excursion that stretched across the Alaskan peninsula. “I told him that I wanted to work with my hands, to help people and that I have a genuine concern for patients. He said, ‘What you described is not medical, it’s all dental.’ He just completely sold me on the idea,” Moody said.

word of MOUTH

College of Dental Medicine

Because Alaska has no dental school, Moody decided to move back to his home state of Georgia and re-establish residency. In the meantime, he took a job as a Fayette County firefighter, where he was able to put his EMT skills to use. He met his wife, Amy, then a cardiovascular surgery nurse at Emory Medical Center, through his mother’s best friend. “After my mom’s best friend unsuccessfully tried to set her son up with her, I was the next best option,” he said, with a laugh. After a year back in Georgia, he was accepted to the GHSU College of Dental Medicine, where he is now in his second year. At first, he assumed his real-world medical

experience would come in handy. But it wasn’t until his second-year physiology class that his unique background came to light. “Everyone’s going, ‘Shhh! Shhh!’ but I used to do this in the back of a moving ambulance in downtown Atlanta traffic with the siren going,” he said, with a shrug. Moody says classes are providing him with the underlying knowledge of many conditions he’s already seen as a first responder, giving him a unique perspective. “I know the end product. I know how it’s going to matter,” he said. “Do I know what’s happening on a cellular level? Maybe not. But I know how it manifests. I know what the signs are. I know how these people present

themselves.” He anticipates working with patients will come naturally to him, as it did when he worked under more stressful conditions. “I’ve walked into a room of 10 people – and one of them is dead – and I’ve had to look at them and say, ‘I’m sorry, there’s nothing I can do,” Moody said. “Basically, there’s nothing a patient’s going to say or do that is going to freak me out. When you’re dealing with death, seeing patients in a dental lab won’t even raise my blood pressure.” And if it does, he still owns the cabin in Talkeetna. n

“I told him that I wanted to work with my hands, to help people and that I have a genuine concern for patients. He said, ‘What you described is not medical, it’s all dental.’ He just completely sold me on the idea.” –HEATH MOODY

Georgia Health Sciences University

R e s e a r c h B I T E S BY PAUL A HINELY

n Bone-creating protein could improve

dental implant success

Using a bone-creating protein to augment the maxillary sinus could improve dental implant success more than using conventional bone-grafting techniques, sparing many implant patients additional surgical procedures. Researchers in the Georgia Health Sciences University Laboratory for Applied Periodontal & Craniofacial Regeneration, led by Dr. Ulf M.E. Wikesjö, have found in animal studies that implanting bone morphogenetic protein, or BMP, in the sinus forms more bone after four weeks than conventional bone grafting.

Dr. Ulf M.E. Wikesjö

“We found that BMP induced superior bone quality over that of bone grafts, which improves the chances for successful implants,” said Wikesjö, Interim Associate Dean for Research and Enterprise in the College of Dental Medicine. “BMP is phenomenal, because it’s a true, off-the-shelf product with ease of use that can produce real results, and it could be the new gold standard for this procedure.” Dental implants, screws that anchor permanent prosthetic teeth, won’t work if the bone in which they are anchored is too thin. Bonethinning is a common cause and consequence following tooth loss. The current favored solution is to supplement the area with bone grafts to stabilize the implant base. But that technique is problematic “primarily because it involves additional surgeries to harvest the bone,” Wikesjö said. According to the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, 69 percent of adults ages 35-44 have lost at least one tooth due to decay, disease or trauma, and 26 percent of adults have lost all permanent teeth by age 74. Before dental implants were available, the only options for replacing these missing teeth were dentures and dental bridges, both of which could lead to further bone loss. Implants provide patients with numerous benefits, including improved oral health, appearance, speech, convenience, durability and ability to eat. The findings of Wikesjö’s team’s pilot study were presented recently at the Academy of Osseointegration annual meeting in Washington, D.C. Wikesjö’s GHSU co-investigators include Drs. Jaebum Lee, Cristiano Susin, Nancy Rodriguez and Jamie de Stefano. n

word of MOUTH

College of Dental Medicine

n Green tea lozenge tested as dry-mouth remedy A clinical trial is under way at Georgia Health Sciences University using an all-natural lozenge to treat dry mouth, or Xerostomia, a condition that impacts 40 percent of American adults. Researchers in the GHSU College of Dental Medicine are hoping the lozenge will provide relief without the side-effects of prescription dry-mouth medication, such as diarrhea and excessive sweating. “These patients’ mouths are as dry as if you’ve closed the faucet, and we want to turn that faucet back on,” said Dr. Stephen Hsu, Molecular and Cell Biologist and co-investigator of the study. “The cells and glands that produce saliva are still there, they’re just not working.” Dry mouth can be caused by autoimmune disorders such as Sjogren’s syndrome, chronic medication use, uncontrolled diabetes and cancer therapies. It can cause

“

” SPRING/SUMMER 11

bad breath, advanced periodontal disease, mouth ulcers, discomfort, trouble speaking and swallowing and a burning sensation at night. Through previous animal studies and human sample testing, GHSU researchers found that dry mouth involves salivary gland inflammation, fewer antioxidants and elevated markers for abnormal growth and DNA damage caused by free radicals. Powerful antioxidants in green tea, called polyphenols, reduce that damage to the salivary gland. “With green tea polyphenols, we have an agent that’s helping to correct the salivary gland’s abnormal behavior,” said Dr. Douglas Dickinson, Associate Professor in the Department of Oral Biology and co-investigator. The team formulated an allnatural lozenge containing green tea polyphenols, xylitol and jaborandi leaf extract, a plant used in South and Central America to promote saliva

production. The lozenge offers a slow, extended release only in the mouth, not the systemic effect caused by prescription dry-mouth medication, said Dr. Scott DeRossi, Chairman of the Department of Oral Health and Diagnostic Sciences and principal investigator. Sixty patients will be followed during the eight-week trial, with half taking the lozenge and half taking a placebo. The four daily doses of the lozenge taken during the trial are equivalent to drinking four or five cups of green tea, which benefits overall health, the researchers added. “I think the promise here is that patients are going to feel better and we’re going to see some improvement not only in how their salivary glands function and how their mouth feels, but also how the glands look on a cellular level,” DeRossi said. The hope is that the lozenge’s effects will last for hours after it has dissolved. For their efforts, he and his GHSU co-investigators, Drs. Dickinson, Hsu, Stephen Looney and Kalu Ogbureke, have received one of three International Innovation in Oral Care Awards sponsored by the International Association of Dental Research and GlaxoSmithKline. The $75,000 award was presented at the 89th General Session and Exhibition of the International Association of Dental Research in San Diego. The initial part of the study was funded by a $50,000 grant from the Georgia Research Alliance. The lozenge could be available to the public later this year, Hsu said. The team hopes this study will lead to a larger, multi-center study. n Drs. Stephen Hsu (left), Scott DeRossi and Douglas Dickinson

Georgia Health Sciences University

Beyond Dental

ost research coming out of the College of Dental Medicine involves what one would expect – dentistry and oral health. But research on diabetic diseases of the eyes and kidneys has recently originated from the college, as well. Some might think this is a stretch, but Dr. Scott DeRossi, Chairman of the Department of Oral Health and Diagnostic Sciences, says the research is not as unrelated to dentistry as one might think. “While these research projects don’t deal directly with the oral cavity, some of the processes of diabetesrelated diseases are mirrored in the mouth,” DeRossi says. New blood vessels break down and bleed in the eyes to cause retinopathy, and the same process occurring in the gums causes periodontal disease. Also, the sensation of a burning mouth or tongue, caused by nerve damage, is a common oral manifestation of diabetes; that same burning sensation is often felt in a diabetic’s legs and feet. Of the 20 million people in the United States affected by diabetes, 30

to 40 percent don’t know they have it, and that’s a big issue, DeRossi says. He cites a statistic that in 2008, 70 percent of Americans visited the dentist at least once, while only 38 percent visited their physician once, according to the American Dental Association. “Dentists should be aware of the oral manifestations of diabetes and be on the lookout in their patients, because these statistics show that dentists are in a great position to screen for disease,” he says.

Enzyme may be key to ischemic retinopathy treatment Dr. Mohamed Al-Shabrawey, Assistant Professor of Oral Biology, Anatomy and Ophthalmology, is zeroing in on an enzyme that may prevent or treat ischemic retinopathy by stalling growth of unwanted vessels in the retina. Ischemic retinopathy is characterized by uncontrolled formation of new blood vessels in the retina and is seen in diseases such as diabetic retinopathy and retinopathy

Diabetes-related

of prematurity. While this blood vessel formation, called neovascularization, can benefit ischemic heart disease and wound healing, it is bad in the retina, where new vessels are dysfunctional and bleed, usually ending in retinal detachment. Retinal neovascularization is controlled by a balancing act between pigment epithelium derived factor, the “good guy,” and its nemesis, vascular endothelial growth factor. “We wanted to learn how the disruption of that balance occurs and how to prevent it,” said Al-Shabrawey, corresponding author of the study published online in Diabetes. Al-Shabrawey studied an inflammatory pathway that has been shown to induce expression of the bad growth factor. In that pathway, the enzyme 12-lipoxygenase converts arachidonic acid, which helps regulate neovascularization, into the product 12-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid, or 12-HETE. He hypothesized that 12-HETE is linked to retinal neovascularization. The study found a significant increase in the expression of the enzyme and production of 12-HETE in humans with advanced-stage diabetic retinopathy and in animals with induced ischemic retinopathy. Al-Shabrawey also treated retinal Müller cells in vitro with 12-HETE. He found this increased the amount of vascular endothelial growth factor and decreased pigment epithelium derived factor, disrupting the balance and leading to neovascularization. Using this finding, his team found that treating the animals with an

Dr. Mohamed Al-Shabrawey

word of MOUTH

College of Dental Medicine

diseases can be ‘mirrored in the mouth’ enzyme inhibitor or inducing ischemic retinopathy in animals lacking the enzyme restored that balance and inhibited neovascularization. “This led us to conclude that if we can target or inhibit this enzyme’s pathway, we might be able to prevent or treat diseases of ischemic retinopathy,” Al-Shabrawey said. While this study focused on an end stage of the disease, the next step is to study how inhibiting the enzyme will affect earlier stages of vascular dysfunction. The study was funded by the American Heart Association and an GHSU intramural grant and involved collaboration with investigators from GHSU, Mansoura College of Medicine in Egypt, Northwestern University, University of Wisconsin and Wayne State University.

protect kidneys by inhibiting nuclear factor kappa B from signaling inflammation and by activating hemeoxygenase-1 to counteract oxidative damage. But while EETs are working hard to protect the kidneys, an enzyme, soluble epoxide hydrolase, causes EETs to rapidly degrade in the body. El-Marakby believes drugs that inhibit the enzyme could halt the damage, and he is testing the theory on diabetic animals. “Diabetic nephropathy is a leading cause of end-stage renal disease,

BY PAUL A HINELY

for which the only treatment now is dialysis and kidney transplant,” ElMarakby said. “We hope the inhibitors could potentially be used to halt the progression of renal injury during diabetes.” About 170 million people worldwide have diabetes, and that number is expected to double within the next 25 years. Diabetic nephropathy affects about 35 percent of diabetic patients. n

Dr. Ahmed El-Marakby

Halting progression of diabetic nephropathy With a four-year, $308,000 grant from the American Heart Association, Dr. Ahmed El-Marakby, Assistant Professor of Oral Biology in the College of Dental Medicine, is studying whether inhibiting an enzyme that reduces levels of a protective metabolite could halt the progression of diabetic nephropathy, or kidney disease resulting from diabetes. Epoxyeicosatrienoic acids, or EETs, are metabolites that guard against inflammation and high blood pressure, very useful assets considering that oxidative stress and inflammatory cytokines play a role in diabetic nephropathy. El-Marakby, also an Assistant Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology in the Medical College of Georgia, hypothesizes that EETs

SPRING/SUMMER 11

Several side effects of diabetes are manifested in the mouth: n n n n n

Altered or delayed wound healing following a dental or surgical procedure Increased infections such as yeast, cavities and gingivitis Increased dry mouth Decreased function of immune cells, the first line of defense in periodontal disease Increased inflammation in periodontal disease

D E V E L O P M E N T

Georgia Health Sciences University

word of MOUTH

College of Dental Medicine

From

Vision to Reality

New College of Dental Medicine building to have grand opening gala

Sept. 23

SPRING/SUMMER 11

The College of Dental Medicine will start moving into its new building during the summer, but the party doesn’t start until Sept. 23. That’s when college officials cut the ribbon on the 269,000-square-foot facility as part of a daylong celebration commemorating the largest single capital project in university history. The $112-million building on the south end of campus will replace the college’s existing building on Laney-Walker Boulevard, which opened in 1970. The new building’s larger size will enable the college to boost class sizes into the 80100 student range. For most of the past 30 years, class sizes have been limited to about 60 students. With 315 dental chairs, the building will be one of the largest clinical facilities in the nation. Its state-of-the-art simulation and practice labs can accommodate 100 students at a time. And its Class-C operating room and recovery unit will make the college one of the few in the nation with an outpatient surgical center. The ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new College of Dental Medicine building begins at 2 p.m. Sept. 23. A reception and guided tours of the building will follow until 4 p.m.

D E V E L O P M E N T

Georgia Health Sciences University

Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s still time The building is nearing completion, but there is still time to learn more about named giving opportunities, which start at $25,000 for a lab to $20 million for the naming of the college. If you would like to invest in the future of the College of Dental Medicine, please call the Development Office at 706-721-3073 or learn more at the Georgia Health Sciences Foundation website at www.gahsf.org.

Naming opportunities available:

Naming of the School

$20,000,000

Patient Services/Admissions

Naming of the Building

$12,000,000

Conference Rooms

$50,000

$250,000

Floors

$2,000,000

Principal Administration Offices

$50,000

Oral Surgery Operating Suite

$1,500,000

Resident Study Rooms

$50,000

Clinical Research Suite

$1,000,000

Large Operatories

$40,000

Deanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Suite

$500,000

Operatories

$25,000

Practice/Wet Laboratory

$500,000

Departmental Waiting Rooms

$25,000

Departments

$500,000

Patient Support Laboratory

$25,000

Residency Programs

$500,000

word of MOUTH

College of Dental Medicine

Remembering MARTY Room in new building to be named after longtime employee BY SHARRON WALLS

artin Crean was a rock. There was nothing he couldn’t do. He could fix anything. If a tool he needed didn’t exist, he created one. He was a fair boss, a genial co-worker, a teacher and mentor. He loved his job. As Biomedical Engineering Supervisor, his commitment to the GHSU College of Dental Medicine led him to work days, nights, weekends and holidays if need be to keep the place running without a hitch. A hard-working man of integrity, humility and good cheer, Marty was an integral part of the college for 28 years, until his untimely death Dec. 28. “Marty always put us before himself,” Dean Connie Drisko said. “He truly put his heart and soul into his job for this school.

Dedication like that is a rare thing. Marty will never know how much he was loved and appreciated and how much he is missed.” A quiet man with a ready laugh, Marty had a way of making everybody feel special. “I never once heard Marty say an unkind thing about anyone, and I never heard anyone say an unkind word about him. That’s quite a legacy,” said Dr. David Myers, former Dean of the college. “His knowledge of equipment was incredible and his expertise in making things and keeping things running was absolutely second to none, but it was his character that strikes me the most.” Marty was instrumental in many of the college’s significant advancements, including the switch to an institutionbased instrument system, the centralized

sterilization system and the development of the simulation laboratory, Myers said. “He made incredible contributions to this school.” He was also heavily involved in the future of the college: he served on nearly every planning committee of the soon-toopen new dental building. To honor Marty’s good heart and giving spirit, the college will name a room in the building for him, as well as dedicate the dental clinic in Cusco, Peru in his name. “Marty would be very embarrassed about all this to-do,” Drisko said, “but I assume we’ll be forgiven for making such a fuss over him. He was such an important part of our lives.”

Memorial to be unveiled Georgia Health Sciences University will pay tribute to the city of Augusta and the former residents of Gilbert Manor during the grand opening ceremonies by dedicating a memorial to the neighborhood’s namesake, John Wesley Gilbert. The new College of Dental Medicine building occupies a 15-acre site that was home to the Gilbert Manor public housing complex from 1941 to 2008.

SPRING/SUMMER 11

The university acquired the property from the Augusta Housing Authority through a $10 million contribution from the Augusta Commission. Gilbert (1864-1923) was a noted African-American teacher, administrator and classical scholar. Paine College’s Gilbert-Lambuth Memorial Chapel, built in 1968, is partly named in his honor.

Georgia Health Sciences University

$3,000,000 $1,000,000 $1,000,000 $250,000 $200,000 $125,000 $105,000 $105,000 $100,000 $100,000 $100,000 $76,000 $55,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $50,000 $40,000 $40,000 $31,000 $30,000 $30,000 $25,000 $25,000 $25,000 $25,000 $25,000 $25,000 $25,000 $25,000 $25,000 $25,000 $25,000 $25,000 $25,000 $25,000 $25,000 $25,000 $25,000 $25,000 $25,000 $25,000 $22,000 $22,000 $21,000 $20,000 $20,000

The Robert W. Woodruff Foundation Inc. Dental Practice Group, GHSU College of Dental Medicine Dr. Emile Fisher Dr. and Mrs. Ronald E. Goldstein Dr. Jeannie Harris Moran (’75) Dr. George N. Snelling III (’75) Dr. Joe and Mrs. Sharon Chafin (’81) Dr. Walter E. Stewart and Mrs. Walter E. Stewart Dr. Melisa A. Rathburn-Stewart and Dr. Michael B. Stewart SunTrust Bank Trusteed Foundation - Thomas Guy Woolford Charitable Trust The Tull Charitable Foundation Georgia Dental Association Dr. George MacMaster (’86) Dr. Kathy M. and Mr. Thomas Brittingham (’83) Dr. Jimmy and Mrs. Wendy Cassidy (’83) Drs. Connie L. and Richard R. Drisko Dr. and Mrs. Alec Nazih Elchahal (’95) Drs. Allen French (’81) and Ginger Kirkland (’87) R.D.H. Dr. Aubrey F. Hedrick Jr. (’77) Dr. Wayne Hester (’81) Dr. Isaac and Mrs. Joanne Holton Jr. (’76) Dr. Paul Isler and Mrs. Martha Isler Dr. David and Elizabeth Perry (’84) Dr. R. Steven Powell (’81) and Mrs. Deborah Taylor Powell (’80) R.D.H. Dr. and Mrs. Michael B. Rogers Dr. Marie Schweinebraten and Dr. Chris McFarland (’79) Dr. Karyn L. Stockwell (’82) Dr. and Mrs. T. Barrett Trotter (’73) Atlanta Dental Study Group Georgia Society of Periodontists MCG School of Dentistry Alumni Association Dr. G. Blake Collins (’95) Drs. Hugh and Anne Mazzawi Dr. Dave C. and Cheryl S. Lee (’83) Drs. James and Elaine Whitney GHSU College of Dental Medicine Class of 2014* Dr. William V. Argo (’82) Dr. Leon and Mrs. Barbara Aronson Dr. David Brantley (’85) Dr. Henry L. Diversi Dr. Edward J. and Mrs. Lorraine Green (’83) Drs. Ken and Carol Leggett (’87) Dr. Thomas R. McDonald (’83) Dr. Scott T. McPherson Dr. Edward H. and Mrs. Nancy Mohme (’81) Dr. J. Gregory Morris (’93) Dr. Robert and Marianne C. Moss (’80) Dr. David Pumphrey and Mrs. Christine Pumphrey Dr. Stanley D. Satterfield (’77) Dr. Jennifer Diversi Thompson (’87) Dr. Mollie Winston and Dr. Greg Marks Atlanta Business Bank D.D.S. Staffing GHSU College of Dental Medicine Class of 2012* Ms. Rhonda Mullins/Vista Pro Consulting Willeford Group CPA PC Alliance of the Georgia Dental Association GHSU College of Dental Medicine Class of 1976* Mrs. Jean C. Hickey Dr. J Alex and Mrs. Sandra Bell (’82) Dr. Daniel and Dr. Becky Carlon

$9,637,603.74 32

$20,000 $20,000 $19,000 $17,000 $17,000 $16,000 $15,000 $15,000 $15,000 $15,000 $13,431 $13,100 $12,500 $12,500 $12,000 $12,000 $12,000 $11,000 $11,000 $10,500 $10,000 $10,000 $10,000 $10,000 $10,000 $10,000 $10,000 $10,000 $10,000 $10,000 $10,000 $10,000 $10,000 $10,000 $10,000 $10,000 $10,000 $10,000 $10,000 $10,000 $10,000 $10,000 $10,000 $10,000 $10,000 $10,000 $10,000 $10,000 $10,000 $10,000 $10,000 $10,000 $10,000 $10,000 $10,000 $9,500 $8,000 $8,000 $7,000 $7,000 $7,000 $6,500 $6,500 $6,300 $6,250 $6,100 $6,050 $6,000 $6,000 $6,000 $6,000 $6,000 $5,000

Dr. Emmanuel C. Ngoh (’94) Thomas P. Hinman Dental Society Dr. Gordon L. Brady (’76)* Dr. Ben W. Jernigan Jr. (’76)* GHSU College of Dental Medicine Class of 1986* AFTCO Associates Dr. and Mrs. William W. Clance Jr. (’80) Dr. and Mrs. James W. Holland Jr. Dr. Edwin M. Richardson (’85) and Mrs. Patricia Richardson (’83) R.D.H. Dr. Grant and Mrs. Shuishan Loo (’90) GHSU College of Dental Medicine Class of 1981* GHSU College of Dental Medicine Class of 1983* Dr. Bruce Ashendorf (’81)* Dr. Terry N. Tumlin (’81) Dr. Patrick W. Powell (’87) Dr. Michael R. Worthy (’80)* Aegis Publications Dr. Kenneth K. Hutchinson (’82)* Dr. Kent C. Simmons and Mrs. Susan Simmons* Dr. and Mrs. Doug Clepper (’73) Dr. William T. Calhoun Drs. Frank and Gretchen Caughman Dr. Barry D. Cohen Dr. Amanda W. Conti Mr. Dale and Mrs. Pam Crail Dr. F. Brent Davis (’90) Dr. Kathryn R. Freedman (’01) Dr. and Mrs. Steven R. Goldberg Dr. James A. Granade Jr. Drs. Philip and Carole Hanes Dr. and Mrs. John E. Horvath Dr. T. Howard Jones Dr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Jordan (’86)* Dr. Victor A. and Mrs. Beth Koehler (’74) Dr. James Matthew and Mrs. Leigh Anne Mazzawi (’98) Dr. Ben Z. Mibab Dr. Paul E. Pafford (’76)* Dr. Edward S. Parker (’95) Drs. Gerald (’82) and Candace Rausch (’83) Dr. Mark A. Retterbush (’83) Dr. Mark S. and Kathy Ritz Dr. Michael B. Rogers (’73) Drs. Thomas & Louis Shelton (’94) Dr. Mark Shurett Drs. Matt and Page Smith (’85) (’86) Dr. and Mrs. Richard A. Sugarman Dr. Steven B. Turner (’77) Drs. Richard (’76) and Rebecca Weinman Dr. Tyjuan M. Williams (’08) Mrs. Gwen Fulcher Young American Dental Association/ADA Foundation Georgia Academy of Dental Practice Georgia Society of Periodontists GHSU Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery GHSU College of Dental Medicine Class of 2010* GHSU College of Dental Medicine Class of 1974* Mr. Don Waters Oral Surgery Associates Dr. and Mrs. N. Tyrus Ivey Dr. Robert J. Michelich Eastern District Dental Society Dr. and Mrs. Robert Ellis* Dr. Lindsay Holliday (’83) GHSU College of Dental Medicine Class of 1980* GHSU College of Dental Medicine Class of 1997* GHSU College of Dental Medicine Class of 1977* GHSU College of Dental Medicine Class of 1991* Dr. Donald F. Brown Dr. and Mrs. Clayton R. Davis (’80) Dr. Renee B. Parrish (’91) Dr. Michael O. Vernon (’77)* Dr. Jeremy R. and Anna Ward (’97)* Dr. Lee House Baker Sr.

Building fund gifts and pledges as of April 2011 word of MOUTH

College of Dental Medicine

$5,000 $5,000 $5,000 $5,000 $5,000 $5,000 $5,000 $5,000 $5,000 $5,000 $5,000 $5,000 $5,000 $5,000 $5,000 $5,000 $5,000 $5,000 $5,000 $5,000 $5,000 $5,000 $5,000 $5,000 $5,000 $5,000 $5,000 $4,600 $4,500 $4,500 $4,000 $4,000 $4,000 $4,000 $4,000 $4,000 $3,550 $3,500 $3,300 $3,250 $3,000 $3,000 $3,000 $3,000 $3,000 $3,000 $3,000 $3,000 $3,000 $2,750 $2,700 $2,700 $2,500 $2,500 $2,500 $2,500 $2,500 $2,500 $2,500 $2,500 $2,500 $2,500 $2,500 $2,500 $2,500 $2,500 $2,400 $2,200 $2,100 $2,100 $2,050 $2,000

Dr. Andrew R. Allgood (’73) Dr. and Mrs. Lewis L. Brown Dr. James R. Collins (’76) Dr. Douglas E. Cleveland Dr. John W. Dickey (’81)* Dr. Timothy and Tammy Fussell (’87) Dr. Varnell Gaines (’78) Dr. Erica Greene (’06)* Dr. Greg and Julie Griffin (’98) Dr. James E. Haddad Jr Dr. John F. Harrington Jr. Dr. Larry G. Hubbard Dr. Robert W. Johnson (’82) Dr. Philip E. Koch (’77) Dr. Richard B. Liipfert (’85) Dr. Dale Madson (’76) Dr. and Mrs. Ronnie E. Mobley (’74) Dr. Nooredin K. Nurani (’90) Dr. Robin S. Reich Dr. Robert H. Smith Dr. Fionn Thomas (’00) Dr. John W. Vollenweider (’78) Dr. Janice Wilmot (’86)* GHSU College of Dental Medicine Class of 1985* New Hampshire Dental Society Northern District Dental Society Northwest District Dental Society GHSU College of Dental Medicine Class of 1989* Dr. Laney E. Smith (’97)* Western District Dental Society Dr. Ralph Cohen (’74)* Dr. Brian Womble (’80) Dr. Patrick H. Yancey III (’87)* GHSU College of Dental Medicine Class of 1978* GHSU College of Dental Medicine Class of 1987* Southwestern District Dental Association Dr. Pat Patterson Dr. Vernon Greene Jr. (’74)* Dr. Glenn Sosebee (’91) Seattle Study Club of Atlanta Dr. Susan J. Baker (’85) Mr. Mohammad R. Esfandiarinia Dr. Wayne W. Herman Dr. Judson Hickey (‘81)* Dr. Douglas and Mrs. Reeda Katz (’80) Dr. and Mrs. H. Edward Paris Jr * Mr. and Mrs. David Rainwater Dr. Gino Saponari (’96) Dr. Richard K. Straus (’84) and Mrs. Julie B. Straus R.D.H (’85) Dr. Phillip H. Durden IV (’89) Dr. Janine J. Bethea Dr. James B. Hall Dr. Richard G. Bennett Jr (’98)* Dr. Kevin B. Frazier Dr. Bradley Greenway* Dr. Brad Lipham and Mrs. Amy StevensLipham R.D.H. (’94) (’92) Dr. Mehrdod Parsa (’91)* Dr. Sergio J. Pausa (’89)* Dr. James Quarles* Dr. Marvin Winter Georgia Dental Society GHSU College of Dental Medicine Class of 1975* GHSU College of Dental Medicine Class of 1988* GHSU College of Dental Medicine Class of 1998* GHSU College of Dental Medicine Class of 2011* Southeastern District Dental Society Dr. James W. Dougherty Dr. David R. Myers Dr. Marilyn S. Gaylor GHSU College of Dental Medicine Class of 1982* GHSU College of Dental Medicine Class of 1992* Dr. Melvin O. Baker (’74)*

$2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $1,981 $1,700 $1,500 $1,500 $1,500 $1,500 $1,500 $1,500 $1,500 $1,500 $1,500 $1,500 $1,500 $1,500 $1,400 $1,250 $1,200 $1,200 $1,200 $1,200 $1,200 $1,100 $1,100 $1,100 $1,100 $1,075 $1,030 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000

Dr. Cecil B. Bray III (’83) and Dr. Sally Young (’84)* Dr. Charles W. Brunson Jr. (’80)* Dr. Vincent M. Carey (’91)* Ms. Tina Carter Dr. Jeffrey A. Cauley Dr. Celia P. Dunn (’90) Dr. Andrea M. Garmon (’89)* Dr. Gary A. Lewis (’77)* Dr. Felix Maher (’91) Dr. Marlon E. Murrell (’74)* Dr. Patricia E. Noland (’91)* Drs. David and Edna Pashley (’78)* Dr. L. Travis Smith (’74) Dr. Curtis M. Standish (’81)* Dr. George W. Thomas Dr. Cameron Michael Wimpy (’82) Cherokee Study Club GHSU College of Dental Medicine Class of 1973* GHSU College of Dental Medicine Class of 1996* GHSU College of Dental Medicine Class of 2001* Scientific Voice Dr. Philip L. Hooton (’81)* GHSU College of Dental Medicine Class of 2002* Dr. and Mrs. Ronald M. Adams (’83) Dr. Max J. Cohen Dr. Richard S. Callan (’83) Dr. and Mrs. L. Maxwell Ferguson Dr. Wade B. Hammer Dr. Edward Kelly and Rita Kelly Dr. H. Jeffrey Lindsey (’84)* Mr. Monal Patel Dr. Ronald K. Reagin Jr (’02)* American College of Prosthodontists–Georgia Section GHSU Department of Dental Hygiene, Faculty and Staff GHSU College of Dental Medicine Class of 2006* Dr. Kenneth H. Farrar (’80)* Dr. Roberta C. Cann (’83) Dr. Jimmy S. Balkcom(’78) Dr. Dara Barron (’92) Dr. Jacqueline Michelle Malone (’96) Dr. Bonita Richter (’96)* Dr. Shurlang Yen (’96) Dr. Richardson M. Odum (’85) GHSU College of Allied Health Sciences, Dental Hygiene Class of 2010 GHSU College of Dental Medicine Class of 1984* GHSU College of Dental Medicine Class of 1999* Reserve Officers Association, Department of Georgia GHSU College of Dental Medicine Class of 1995* Dr. Robert Ackerman (’73)* Dr. Richard C. Anderson (’83)* Dr. Stan J. Anderson (’74)* Dr. Hal N. Arnold (’84)* Dr. Charles E. Barber (’01)* Dr. Sidney M. Baggett (’87)* Dr. Rodrick L. Barden (’96)* Dr. Raymond Barnum (’75)* Dr. B. David Barrett Dr. Jack A. Bell* Dr. Lee A. Bell Sr (’73)* Dr. Lex Belyeu* Dr. Emmett Black (’73) Dr. John S. Blalock (’97)* Dr. Jim Boyle (’77) Dr. Jimmy L. Brock (’76) Dr. Ronald L. Burton (’78) Dr. J. David Carson (’77 Med) Dr. Sam L. Castillo (’88)* Dr. Ron Cavola and Debi Cavola Dr. Gerald J. Chiche Dr. Jason C. Croft (’07)* Dr. and Mrs. Keith Crummey (’84) Dr. Charles E. Dameron Jr. (’98)

$1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000 $1,000

Dr. J. Benjamin Deal (’74) Dr. John K. Dooley Dr. Joseph R. Dromsky (’88) Dr. C. Weldon Elrod (’77)* Dr. James Fagan III (’81) Dr. James Farmer (’88)* Dr. John H. Ferguson Dr. Craig N. Fievet (’77)* Dr. James B. Finch (’74)* Dr. Brad Ford (’78)* Dr. Mark Garfunkel (’75)* Dr. James A. Granade III (’95) Dr. Robert M. Gray (’81)* Dr. Walter K. Hudson (’90)* Dr. Carroll Hughes* Dr. Mildred M. “Mili” Hunt (’81)* Dr. Mark Ingram (’81)* Dr. Sherida Jacobs (’97)* Dr. Kenneth E. Kay (’87)* Dr. James G. Keagle Ms. Julie Kerlin Dr. Michael Kinsley (’87)* Dr. Kevin and Lisa Kirkland (’07) * Dr. Malcolm Kling Dr. Thomas Lee (’81) Dr. Robert N. Lowe (’78)* Dr. Carl Lockwood (’77)* Dr. Lawrence E. Marable (’85) Dr. Dale Miles (’84)* Dr. Nancy B. Napier (’89)* Dr. Donald B. Nelson Sr. (’74)* Dr. Norris L. O’Dell (’75)* Dr. Erick Pagan (’91)* Dr. Forest Pagett (’92)* Dr. Rex Patterson Dr. J. Benjamin Patrick (’75) Dr. Michael K. Phelan (’86)* Dr. Gail V. Plauka (’78)* Dr. Bruce A. Preston (’90) Dr. Stanley Prince (’91)* Dr. Hal S. Raper Jr. Dr. James Reynierson III Dr. Louis A. Riccardi* Dr. Victor L. Riccardi Dr. Derek V. Schop (’95)* Dr. Susan Sockwell (’92)* Dr. Ronald C. Smiley (’81) Dr. Brian L. Smith (’01)* Dr. Deena Holliman Smith (’87) Dr. Richard A. Smith Dr. James R. Smouse Dr. Rhoda Joyner Sword (’05) Dr. Patrick Toms (’96)* Dr. Robert W. Vedder (’81)* Dr. Paul Walls (’82) Dr. Jerry L. Williams (’86)* Dr. Kenneth Wyatt (’99)* American Association of Endodontists Foundation American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons American College of Dentists American Dental Political Action Committee Greater Columbia Dental Association GHSU College of Dental Medicine Class of 1990* GHSU College of Dental Medicine Class of 2007* Pierre Fauchard Academy Procter & Gamble The Dental A.R.T.S. Center West Georgia Dental Study Club Wilmer Eames Dental Study Club

*Class Challenges (see page 34)

796 donors have made 1,610 separate gifts to the Building Imperative SPRING/SUMMER 11

Georgia Health Sciences University

Class Challenges Class of 1973

Dr. Robert H. Ackerman Dr. Lee Bell, Sr.

Class of 1974 Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr.

Stan Anderson Melvin O. Baker Vernon Greene, Jr. Marlon Murrell Donald Nelson, Sr.

Class of 1975

Dr. Raymond Barnum Dr. Mark Garfunkel Dr. Norris O’Dell

Class of 1976

Dr. Gordon Brady Dr. Ben W. Jernigan, Jr. Dr. Paul E. Pafford

Class of 1977 Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr.

C. Weldon Elrod Craig N. Fievet Gary Lewis Carl Lockwood John J. Mosca, Jr. Stanley Satterfield Michael O. Vernon

Class of 1978 Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr.

Brad Ford Robert Lowe Edna Pashley Gail Plauka

Class of 1979

Dr. Paul J. Krautmann

Class of 1984 Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr.

Hal N. Arnold H. Jeffrey Lindsey Joseph G. Looper Dale Miles H. Edward Paris Jr. Sally Young

Class of 1985

Class or 1981 Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr.

Bruce Ashendorf Robert M. Gray Philip Hooton Mili M. Hunt Mark M. Ingram Curtis Standish Robert Vedder

Class of 1982

Jeff Jordan Michael K. Phelan Jerry L. Williams Janice J. Wilmot

Class of 1987 Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr.

Sidney “Chip” Baggett Kenneth E. Kay Michael L. Kinsley Patrick H. Yancey III

Class of 1988

Dr. James Farmer Dr. Janet Ellington Reed Dr. Lorie C. Miller-Stevens

Class of 1989 Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr.

Greg Evans Andrea Garmon Nancy B. Napier Sergio J. Pausa

Class of 1990

Dr. Walter K. Hudson, Jr.

Class of 1991

Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr.

Erick Pagan Mehrdod Parsa Stanley Prince Kathy S. Sanders

Class of 1992

Dr. Forest Pagett Dr. Susan Sockwell

Class of 1993

Dr. Olof L.Blomberg

Class of 1995

Dr. Derek V. Schop Dr. Sheila K. Shah

Class of 1996

Class of 1983

Class of 1997

Over

Class of 2001

Class of 2002

Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr.

Dr. Rodrick L. Barden Dr. Bonita Richter Dr. Patrick Toms

Richard Anderson Cecil B. Bray III Roberta C. Cann Lindsay D. Holliday

Dr. Rico D. Short Dr. Kenneth R. Wyatt

Class of 1986

Dr. Ken Hutchinson Dr. Karyn Stockwell

Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr.

Class of 1999

Dr. Charles E. Barber Dr. Brian L. Smith

Dr. Vincent M. Carey

Russell Atchley Charles W. Brunson, Jr. Lester F. Cohen Clayton R. Davis Kenneth H. Farrar Judson Hickey Michael Worthy

Dr. Richard Bennett

Dr. David Brantley

Class of 1980 Dr. Patricia E. Noland Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr.

Class of 1998

Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr. Dr.

John S. Blalock Laurie A. Deemer Sherida Jacobs Masood H. Kiyani Laney E. Smith Jeremly Ward

Dr. Ronald K. Reagin Dr. Travis Watson

Class of 2006 Dr. Erica Greene

Class of 2007 Dr. Jason C. Croft Dr. Kevin Kirkland

Class of 2010

Ben Allred Marc Allred Darron Alvord Patrick Arnett William G. Bennett M.D. Brian Bragassa Chase Brooks Jonathon Bullard Sharla Bush Brandon Esco Ryan Fulchi John Haycock Frank Huff Jr. Chin Yeh Lee Benjamin Lyons Aksana Marshall Mayur Chandrakant Nayee Brandi Allison Owen Alaina Pancio Alpesh Patel David G. Quintero Helen Elisabeth Rainwater Courtney Shaw Erin Sitz Leigh Ann Trotter Paul Trotter Daniel White

Class of 2011

Rochelle Asher Autumn Barnett Michael Beckerman Jack Bell Neena Bhole Nicolas Bisig Stephen Blank Michael Carr Jared Carter Stacey Cohen Krista Cox Christopher Deleon Anthony Didato Adam Doss Rachel Dulebohn David Elrod Nadia Esfandiarinia Bradshaw Ford

Joidaz Gaines Adam Goodwin Evan Grodin Alison Grubbs Richard Hammond Brett Hester James Hicks Paul Hinchey Christopher Howlett Jeffrey Ingalls Hannah Johnson Jonathan Johnson Brittany Jones Melissa Jordan Benjamin Kacos Whitney Kay Ryan Kennedy Sara Khan Joyce Ki Lauren Lee Erika Lentini Ross Levine Marianna Libkind Kristina Lopez Raluca Marinescu Jason Minton William Moore Dai Nguyen John O’Neill Hyunso Park Chip Patterson Ryan Price Ismael Salvador Francesca Seta Micah Shaw Bianca Starks Phillip Strickland Joseph Sumrall Donald Taylor Lindsey Thurman Quoc Tran Brandon Whitworth Sterling Whitworth Bartholomew Wilson Julia Winger Behnam Yavari

Class of 2012

Katherine Abell Crystal Bennett Zachary Bentley Ryan Bloomquist Seprian Borders William Boyd Kenneth Bunn Trenton Campbell Nathan Cherof Molly Cleveland Jessica Cook Ashland Doomes Ann Downer Robert Edwards David Ensley Azadeh Esfandiarinia Shannon Fatehi Amir Ghalehgol Johnny Gosier Jonathan Hall Elizabeth Harrison David Hildreth

Bradford Huffman Jeffrey Ingalls Matthew Keller Jayne Kelly Chris Kragor Christopher Lee Jason Lee Megan Lowe Garrick McGrath Kristina Mohme Michael Minyard Brian Mitchell Ashley Moses Perrice Murray Amy Myers Jose Navarro Sarah Padolsky Rebecca Paquin Emily Parks Arjun Patel Dhruti Patel Shivani Patel Thomas Pierce Benjamin Poston Thomas Rice Joseph Rya Tina Sampat Alyson Satterfield Laura Schmidt Anna Schultz Christopher Seibert Kristen Shaw Tanya Shores Ashley Smith Ojansha Tang Uyen-Phuong Tang Alicia Thomas Jacob Truan Tameika Wheeler Meghan Whitney Claire Worthy James Yoon

Class of 2014

LeAnn Ballentine Miles Bell Christian Boliere Kristen Bonkowski Jovas Booker Chad Brantley Will Brantley Mike Brittingham Brett Burford Matt Carithers Monica Chana Jordon Chandler Jonathan Chang Chris Clance Mike Cox Mallory Dawson Uyen Do Vy Do Amanda Erwin Ron Fields Ryan Gilleland Walt Green Jackie Gyamfi Dana Hailat Gina Hanafi Trisha Hulsey

Neil Jenkin Joseph Jones J.J. Jones Karen Kang Jenny Kim Meagan King Amir Lamei Orlando Lopez, Jr. Marissa Ludley Whitney Lyons Charles Major Tina Mayberry Alex McTier Heath Moody TaRhonda Moore Jessica Norris Lida Paez Brett Page Devon Paris Steve Parker Azadeh Fatemeh Mark Perry Joel Pritchett Genifer Rouse Misty Seale Nicole Shanklin Worth Straughan Jason Strever Haley Swearingen Marko Tardos Chad Thomas Yvonne Tomlinson Ruby Truong Beau Upshaw Blake Upshaw Katy Vesper Lindsey Vinson Lizzie Waring John Whitaker, III Bob Wilson Kevin Wiman Michael Winstead Corey Woodard Patrick Yancey, IV Non Alumni Dr. Jack A. Bell Dr. Lou A. Best Dr. Janine Bethea Dr. Robertl L. Bunnen Dr. Andew Chandler Dr. Robert E. Ellis Dr. Brad Greenway Dr. Treton Holt Dr. Carroll Hughes Dr. Thomas W. Moorman Dr. J. Sedgie Newsom Dr. J. Dan Patterson Dr. James Quarles Dr. Robert Repass Dr. Louis A. Riccardi Dr. Kent and Mrs. Susan Simmons Dr. Dennis R. Smith Dr. Seigo Usuki Dr. Kathleen C. Winger Dr. Marvin Winter

$200,000 has been contributed through Class Challenges and GHSU Club Giving Levels word of MOUTH

College of Dental Medicine

alumniBITES Awards? Professional honors? Special activities? We would like to recognize you. Contact Publications Editor Damon Cline at 706-721-4706 or e-mail dcline@georgiahealth.edu.

’74 Dr. Melvin O’Neal Baker has been awarded the R.O. Arnold Award by the Covington/Newton Chamber of Commerce in Covington, Ga., for his lifetime of service to the community.

’93 Dr. David J. Pfent II was recently profiled in the North Fort Myers Neighbor. Pfent, a dentist with North Pointe Dental Center in North Fort Myers, was interviewed about technological advances in dentistry. Pfent resides in Bonita Springs, Fla., with his wife, Elizabeth, also a 1993 graduate of the College of Dental Medicine.

’98 Dr. Richard G. Bennett Jr. was appointed by Gov. Nathan Deal to the Georgia Board of Dentistry. Bennett is a partner at Northeast Georgia Dental Group in Gainesville. He is a member of the American Dental Association, the Georgia Dental Association, Northern District Dental Society, Academy of General Dentistry and the Hinman Dental Society. Bennett serves on the board of the Emile T. Fisher Foundation for Dental Education, is Chairman of Good News Clinics and is a board member and Clinical Assistant Professor at Georgia Health Sciences University. He and his wife, Maggie, reside in Gainesville with their three children.

Obituaries ’75 Dr. Patrick Rice died March 17 at age 61. Dr. Rice was a native of Milwaukee. He graduated from Druid Hills High School in Atlanta, attended Wake Forest University and completed his undergraduate degree at Emory University. After completing dental school, Rice served in the U.S. Army from 1975 to 1978 in Baumholder, Germany. After being discharged, he settled in Tallapoosa, Ga., where he practiced for 30 years. He was an active member of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church. Survivors include his wife, Marti Rice; daughter, Jessica Rice and son, Brian Rice, all of Tallapoosa.

’78 Dr. David J. Dickey died Nov. 23 at age 57. The Statesboro, Ga., native completed an endodontics residency at the Louisiana State University School of Dentistry. He was in private practice in Augusta and Aiken, S.C., for 29 years and was a member of the Pierre Fauchard Academy, American Dental Association, Georgia Dental Association, Augusta Country Club and Church of the Good Shepherd. Survivors include his wife, Linda, and his son, Michael.

’07 Dr. Matt Culberson opened Culberson Family Orthodontics in North Augusta, S.C. He previously practiced with a family member in Milledgeville, Ga.

Continuing Education 2011 Maxi Course in Implant Dentistry Augusta: June 23-26 Atlanta: July 21-24; Aug. 18-21; Sept. 22-25; Oct. 13-16; Nov. 17-20; Dec. 1-3 Annual Symposium on General Dentistry July 3-9, St. Simons Island, Ga. Dental Hygiene Symposium July 15-17, Savannah, Ga. New Therapies and Current Controversies in Dentistry July 29-31, Kiawah Island, S.C. IV Sedation Aug. 3-Sept. 2 and Oct. 5-Nov. 4, Augusta Esthetic Treatment Planning: A Hands-on Experience Aug. 19, Atlanta Specialize Your General Practice Sept. 2-4, Jekyll Island, Ga. General Dentistry Problem Solving Sept. 9, Atlanta Pedo at the Beach Sept. 30- Oct. 2, Hilton Head Island, S.C. Dental Update for the General Practitioner Oct. 14-16, Young Harris, Ga. Bleaching at the Beach Nov. 11-12, Myrtle Beach, S.C. Dental Hygiene Re-Entry Clinical Experience Dec. 5-9, Augusta Last Chance Dental Continuing Education Dec. 8-9, Augusta

Do you receive duplicate copies? Please help us minimize our mailing and printing costs by letting us know if you receive Word of Mouth at multiple addresses. Call 706-721-6215.

SPRING/SUMMER 11

Register online at www.georgiahealth.edu/ce/dentalce/ or contact the Division of Continuing Education at 800-221-6437 or 706-721-3967.

Can you help? It’s a snap! Send us your photographs. GHSU is creating a pictorial directory that will serve as a timeless memento of your alma mater. We need your help. Please take a moment to compile your GHSU-related photographs and submit them for possible inclusion in the directory. The photos can be formal or informal, silly or cerebral, reflecting on- or off-campus activities.

EMAIL digital photos to: cderiso@georgiahealth.edu

MAIL

prints to:

Christine Deriso, FI-1040, Georgia Health Sciences University Augusta GA 30912 All prints will be returned promptly in the condition in which they were received. Be sure to include your contact information.

Smile! You’ve just contributed to GHSU’s historical archives.

in History Mission and Vision

The mission of the GHSU College of Dental Medicine is to educate dentists in order to improve overall health and to reduce the burden of illness on society through the discovery and application of knowledge that embraces craniofacial health and disease prevention. Its vision is to be a premier college of dentistry. GHSU is an affirmative action/equal College of Dental Medicine faculty and staff in 1969: (First row, from left) Dr. Kenneth Morse, Richard Bramblett, John Johnson, Dr. Arthur Rahn, Dr. Billy Pennell, Ray Lackman, Dr. William Wege, Dr. Wade Hammer. (Second row, from left) Dr. William Seliger, Dr. George Burnett, Dr. David Beaudreau, Dr. Richard Ropazian, Dr. Thomas Zwemer, Associate Dean; Dr. Judson Hickey, Dean; Dr. Louis Boucher, Associate Dean; Dr. Steve Kolas, Julia Galbaugh, Dr. Louis Gangarosa, Dr. Donald Bowers.

opportunity educational institution that prohibits discrimination on the basis of age, disability, gender, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation or status as a Vietnam War veteran. The GHSU College of Dental Medicine believes a diverse student body

w w w. g e o r g i a h e a l t h . e d u / s o d

enhances the educational opportunities for all students and is beneficial to the dental profession, the College of Dental

GHSU President: Ricardo Azziz, M.D., M.P.H., M.B.A. Dean, College of Dental Medicine: Connie Drisko, D.D.S. Director of University Communications: Jack Evans College of Dental Medicine Publications Liaison: Donna Bellino Editor: Damon Cline Art Direction/Layout: P.J. Hayes Design Photographer: Phil Jones Writers: Paula Hinely, Stacey Hudson and Sharron Walls ÂŠ2011 Georgia Health Sciences University

Medicine and the state of Georgia.

w w w. g e o r g i a h e a l t h . e d u / s o d

Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage

PAID

Augusta, GA Permit No. 210 Office of the Dean 1120 15th Street Augusta, Georgia 30912 CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

SPRING/SUMMER 11

n HOMECOMING 2011 Distinguished Alumna Dr. Celia Dunn (third from left) enjoys the Homecoming festivities with Dean Connie Drisko (from left), Dr. Kate Robinson (’90) of Peachtree City, Ga., and Dr. Annette Rainge (’90), Past President of the College of Dental Medicine Alumni Association. Dunn, a general dentist in Augusta and 1990 graduate, has been a part-time Instructor in the college’s Department of Oral Rehabilitation since 1992.