New Coursera Course Launched

Penn Dental Medicine faculty explore some of the latest advances in the field of dental medicine in a new course that has launched on Coursera, the global online learning platform. The course, Frontiers in Dentistry (www.coursera.org/learn/frontiers-in-dentistry), focuses on five distinct areas that are moving oral healthcare delivery forward.

The topics include: the Center for Innovation & Precision Dentistry (CiPD); treatment of patients with disabilities; innovation in biomaterials and artificial intelligence; digital dentistry; and computer assisted orthodontics.

“We are thrilled to have Jöerg and Tom on the Board,” says Penn Dental Medicine’s Morton Amsterdam Dean, Dr. Mark S. Wolff. “Both of their respective companies have been valued supporters of initiatives at Penn Dental Medicine, and we look forward to building upon those relationships.”

Vogel has served as Vice President of International Sales at Dentsply Sirona for nearly two decades — starting at Sirona Dental Systems in 2004 and moving to Dentsply Sirona in 2016. Since 2015, he has led the International Special Clinic Solutions division worldwide, helping to provide universities and large clinics with digital dental equipment and education systems. Dentsply Sirona was an early and important partner in designing and equipping Penn Dental Medicine’s Center for Persons with Disabilities, and the company has helped amplify the work of the Center in Europe and elsewhere around the world. They have also been closely involved with the expansion of digital dentistry at Penn Dental Medicine.

Schwieterman, who joined Midmark in 2007, has helped to lead the company’s focus on technology and new approaches to enrich experiences between caregivers and their patients at the point of care. His role includes advising on the development of clinical solutions, evaluating market trends, providing insight on government regulations, and identifying new innovations in the medical, dental, and animal health markets. He also targets ways health information technology can improve caregiver efficiency and patient outcomes.

The Board of Advisors provides volunteer leadership and financial support to the School and acts as an advisory resource for the Dean on matters of policy, direction, practice, and effectiveness. Board members also serve as ambassadors for the School, stewarding the missions of both the School and the University.

Each module includes an interviewstyle video with supporting visuals and accompanying quiz material, as well as any suggested supplementary reading or documents provided by the speaker. The course can be taken at any time on the schedule of participants, who can choose to receive a certificate on completion or audit the course free of charge.

“We are thrilled to be adding to our Coursera course offerings,” says Dr. Uri Hangorsky, the course director, who conducted the interviews with the featured faculty in each of the course modules. The other Penn Dental Medicine Coursera courses include The Oral Cavity: Portal to Health and Disease (www.coursera.org/learn/oralcavity) and Introduction to Dental Medicine (www.coursera.org/learn/dental-medicine-penn).