today - uf college of dentistry · jay garlitz, alumnus sue guido, alumni affairs james haddix,...

gatordentist A P u b l i c a t i o n o f t h e U n i v e r s i t y o f F l o r i d a C o l l e g e o f D e n t i s t r y Fall 2007

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F R O M T H E D E A N

Gator Dentist TodayFALL 2007

Published annually for the alumni, faculty, staff,students and friends of the University of Florida

College of Dentistry

DeanTeresa A. Dolan, D.D.S., M.P.H.

EditorCommunications DirectorLindy McCollum-Brounley

2007 - 2008 Editorial BoardBarry Setzer, The Academy

of Alumni and Friends

Teresa A. Dolan, Dean

Tom Fortner, Health Science CenterNews and Communications

Kathy Galloway, Research

Jay Garlitz, Alumnus

Sue Guido, Alumni Affairs

James Haddix, Faculty

Cathy Jenkins, Development

Bill Martin, Alumnus

Will Martin, Faculty

Melanie Ross, Health Science Center News and Communications

Ted Spiker, UF College ofJournalism and Communications

J.R. Taylor, Alumnus

PhotographySam Brill

Lindy BrounleyAnney Doucette

Sarah KiewelLinda Kubitz

DesignJS Design Studio

PrintingStorter Childs Printing

For additional copies, contact:UF College of DentistryCommunications Office

P. O. Box 100405Gainesville, FL 32610-0405

(352) 273-5782 FAX: (352) 392-3070

www.dental.ufl.edu(352) 273-5800

The death of Deamonte Driver, a 12-year-oldMaryland boy who contracted a fatal brain infectionfrom a dental abscess, is a dramatic example of theplight of millions of American children who neverreceive regular, preventive dental care. Despite publicprograms in place to provide for them, children likeDeamonte are seen every week in hospital emergencyrooms across the state.

With Deamonte’s tragic death as our coverstory (see page 6), this issue of Gator Dentist Todayis dedicated to examining barriers to accessing den-tal care for Florida’s vulnerable populations. The

lead stories also highlight some of the people within our state’s dental communitywho have made personal and professional commitments to be a part of the solu-tion to the access to care problem.

UFCD also seeks to be part of the solution through the education of future dentists whose dental educations include rotations through Statewide Network forCommunity Oral Health dental safety net clinics here at the college and in partnerclinics statewide. These clinical experiences underscore our students’ understandingthat it takes everyone’s effort to make a difference in opening access to dental services.

Groundbreaking for the college’s newest addition to the Statewide Network forCommunity Oral Health, the UF Naples Children’s Dental Clinic (see page 11),takes place Oct. 30. Construction and programming of the clinic is supportedthrough a unique public-private partnership between the University of FloridaCollege of Dentistry, the Naples Children and Education Foundation, Collier HealthServices Inc., and Edison College.The Naples Children and Education Foundation’sgift to UFCD of $5.65 million, which received a state match of $4 million throughthe Alec P. Courtelis Facilities Enhancement Challenge Grant, is a great start to the college’s effort in the University of Florida Capital Campaign, which kicked-off Sept.28. The $8-million clinic will serve the dental needs of at-risk Collier County children during 15,000 patient visits each year, and we are very proud to be a part ofthis innovative solution working in collaboration with our community partners.

The launch of the University of Florida Capital Campaign couldn’t be moretimely, given the fact that the college is experiencing the greatest demand for dental education in its history during a time of shrinking state support for higherand professional education. We need the support of alumni and friends more thanever as we strive to build our faculty endowment and address the needs of ouraging facility in terms of renovation and new space.

The applicant pool seeking a dental education is enormously talented, and theydeserve the best dental education we can provide.

Best Regards,

Teresa A. Dolan, D.D.S., M.P.H.Professor and Dean

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Sfeatures 6 A PLACE TO CALL HOME

Deamonte Driver died for lack of a dental home.

14 PEELING THE ONIONStripping away the layers impactingaccess to care for special needspatients.

18 PROFILEOperative icon, Marc Gale retires.

21 BUILDING BRIDGESFrom bench to chairside, translationalresearch spans the gap.

departments4 In Brief

13 Education

24 Students

29 Faculty

30 Alumni

continuing dental educationSee back cover for course list.

ON THE COVERDeamonte Driver, theMaryland 12-year-oldwho died this year ofan infection caused byan abscessed tooth,desperately needed adental home. Read hisstory on page 6.

LINDA DAVIDSON/THE WASHINGTON POST

The University of Florida College ofDentistry has been ranked the No. 3 pro-ducer of Hispanic dentistry first profession-als out of 56 dental institutions in thenation by Diverse: Issues in HigherEducation magazine.

The college was ranked No. 15 for overall minority dental graduates, No. 12for African-American dental graduates andNo. 23 for Asian-American dental first professionals.

The Diverse rankings use U.S.Department of Education data for the2005-06 academic year to rank the top 100 minority graduate degree-producingAmerican institutions in the categories ofmaster’s, doctoral and first professionaldegrees awarded. Groups designated asminority include African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanics and NativeAmericans but do not include foreignminority students.

UF was ranked No. 9 for total minoritydoctorate degrees conferred in the healthsciences and tied for No. 26 for Hispanicmedicine first professionals.

For more information on UF’s minoritygraduate and doctoral degree rankings, visitwww.diverseeducation.com. �

AMERICAN COLLEGE OF DENTISTSMembers of the American College of Dentists visited UFCD March 30 to meet

with junior dental students to discuss ethical situations they may come across

during their future in dental careers. The annual event includes lectures and

break-out sessions, in which the dental juniors enjoy in-depth group discussions

with their peers and ACD discussion leaders.

Opened in 1997 to serve thelarge Hispanic population insouth Florida, the UFCollege of Dentistry Hialeah

Dental Clinic celebrates its10th anniversary this year. In

the past decade, the clinic has conferrednearly 150 dental certificates from theAdvanced Education in General Dentistry(AEGD) and Internationally-Educated Dentist(IEDP) programs. Besides training programs,the clinic also provides dental care to low andmoderate-income residents in Miami-Dade,Broward and Monroe counties with the sup-port of more than 60 volunteer dentists.

The vision of the Hialeah Clinic became areality due to the collaboration among HialeahHospital, the City of Hialeah, state legislators, University of Florida, and leaderswithin the south Florida dental community.With this team in place and the educationalmission established, funding was approved to extensively renovate and equip donatedfacilities that would become a modern 20-operatory clinic. The clinic has become a model for quality dental education with laboratory facilities and central sterilization.Always on the technological edge, the clinicwas recently equipped with digital radiographyand a videoconferencing capability to facilitatein house seminars and distance learning.

Today the Hialeah Dental Clinic seesapproximately 250 patients weekly, and morethan 85 percent of them speak Spanish astheir primary language. That’s why the IEDPand AEGD programs are especially impor-tant—each year eight internationally-traineddentists and four dental residents receivetraining at the clinic, and many of them arefrom Caribbean and Latin American coun-tries. They later apply for board licensure to practice in Florida, broadening access to dental care for the state’s growing and culturally diverse population.

For more information, visit www.dental.ufl.edu/Hialeah.

I N B R I E F

4 U N I V E R S I T Y O F F L O R I D A C O L L E G E O F D E N T I S T RY

10Hialeah Dental Clinic Turns

Dental DiversityUF one of top producers of Hispanic Dentists

BuckyballExpect BIG changes from small science

Nanotubes, nanotransporters, nanochips,nanoparticles, nano this, nano that….

With nanometers at one billionth of ameter, nanotechnology is what some havelabeled the science of small. But, to many, theprobability of nanotechnology producing itty-bitty nanobots that help heal the body fromthe inside out seems even smaller. Have youheard the one about teeny-weeny nanogenera-tors that produce electricity from vibrationsmade by the flow of blood through vessels?How about the big-fish story of an inexpen-sive and efficient plastic solar sheet made ofnanofibers to capture the energy of the sun onvirtually any surface?

It’s no tall tale… these developing nan-otechnologies are already here, and hundredsmore are soon coming. Now, it’s up to the scientists and engineers to put nanotechnology

to work to improve the human condition acrossthe globe and to create a sustainable society.

That was the message of Sir HaroldKroto, Nobel laureate, fellow of the RoyalSociety, professor of chemistry and biochem-istry at Florida State University, and co-discovererof the carbon molecule that established thefoundation for modern nanoscience — C60Buckminsterfullerene, otherwise known as the“Buckyball.”

Kroto’s was the keynote address of theCollege of Dentistry’s 5th Annual Research Day held April 13. Delivered to a standing-room-only audience in the Cancer andGenetics Research Compound, Kroto’s presentation is available online for viewing on dentistry’s Web site, located at www.dental.ufl.edu. �

(PHOTO COURTESY OF HAROLD KROTO)

I N B R I E F

G ATO R D E N T I S T TO D AY | FA L L 2 0 0 7 5

The Campaign for theUniversity of Florida

Sir Harold Kroto

What is Florida Tomorrow? Florida Tomorrowis about all the ways the University of Florida ischanging the world for the better, starting inFlorida and extending throughout the UnitedStates and far beyond. Florida Tomorrow is abelief that our land grant mission gives us theresponsibility to use teaching, research, and serv-ice to solve the greatest challenges of our timeand to inspire and nurture the next generation ofgreat leaders. In the health professions. In thearts. In education. In business. In government.

Florida Tomorrow is a comprehensive cam-paign that will raise more than a billion dollars toimpact every corner of the university and extendto every corner of the earth. It is an opportunity toinvest in dreams—dreams that, because of theUniversity of Florida, truly have the possibility ofbecoming realities.

At UFCD our dream is to be the benchmarkagainst which other dental schools comparethemselves. Our capital campaign goal is $15 million, which will build our faculty endow-ment, build new space, and build our future.

For more information about FloridaTomorrow, visit www.floridatomorrow.ufl.edu.

Thomas D. Taylor, D.D.S., M.S.D., professorand head of the department of oral rehabili-tation, biomaterials and skeletal developmentof the University of Connecticut School ofDental Medicine was the college’s 2007Kaplan Scholar. Taylor lectured to seniorD.M.D. students and prosthodontic residentsduring his January visit to UFCD, hosted bythe department of prosthodontics.

KAPLAN SCHOLAR


Deamonte Driver, age 12, under-went emergency brain surgery at Children’s National MedicalCenter after an infection from anabscessed tooth spread to hisbrain. He is pictured here on Jan.28, shortly after the first of histwo surgeries, with his mother,Alyce Driver. Deamonte is show-ing his scalp incision, made fromone ear to the other. He died Feb. 25 after a second brain sur-gery failed to clear the infection.Photo: Linda Davidson/The Washington Post.

Deamonte’s family was poor and living in a homeless shelter.He and his four brothers, though enrolled in the state’s Medicaidprogram, never had primary dental care providers and suffered fromuntreated dental disease. In trying to access dental care for her chil-dren, Deamonte’s single mother, Alyce, became hopelessly mired inthe confusing bureaucracy of the Maryland Medicaid HealthChoicemanaged health program. Dental providers participating in the pro-gram were sparse, and the wait times for appointments, even forurgent care, were measured in months rather than days or weeks.

“The Driver boys all had a primary care doctor — a medicalhome — a pediatrician who treated their childhood illnesses, gavethem their immunizations, made sure they were healthy to playsports,” said Laurie J. Norris, an attorney for Maryland-based ThePublic Justice Center, during her testimony before the CongressionalDomestic Policy Subcommittee, Oversight and Government ReformCommittee’s May 2 hearing on Deamonte’s death.

“But the Driver boys never had a regular primary care dentist —a dental home,” she said. “An identified provider who could assesstheir risk for developing dental disease by age 1, check their mouthsand new teeth every six months during toddlerhood, provide educa-tion to their parents about preventing dental disease, instruct theboys in how to properly brush and floss, recommend fluoride treat-ments and dental sealants as they grew older, clean their teeth everysix months, and watch for developing cavities that could be nippedin the bud, preventing severe disease, pain, tooth loss, and inDeamonte’s case, death.”

Ironically, it was Deamonte’s younger brother, DaShawn, whoseemed to be in the gravest need of dental care. His face was swollenwith six abscessed teeth, and he was suffering from terrible pain.Deamonte never complained of dental pain but began having excru-tiating headaches, which were first diagnosed as sinusitis, then as abrain infection in mid-January. Deamonte died Feb. 25 after sixweeks of hospitalization, two brain surgeries and one tooth extrac-tion.

Following Deamonte’s death, the first of DaShawn’s abscessedteeth was extracted in March by an oral surgeon participating in

Maryland’s Medicaid managed care program. But no antibiotics wereprescribed, and the attending oral surgeon recommended pullingone tooth per month over the course of five months. A panickedAlyce transferred DaShawn’s care to the pediatric dental clinic at theUniversity of Maryland, Baltimore College of Dental Surgery wherethe remaining five abscessed teeth were extracted at once.

A NATIONAL SHAME

Although Deamonte’s death was an extreme outcome of prevent-able dental disease, his family’s story of dental neglect, disease, painand seemingly insurmountable barriers to accessing dental care canbe repeated for the families of millions of American children andspecial needs patients.

Despite provision of dental care through Medicaid, access todental care for needy children remains dismal. Of the 28.8 millionMedicaid-eligible children nationwide, only about 30 percent haveever received any dental care. The surgeon general’s 2000 report,Oral Health in America, estimated that 25 percent of the nation’smost vulnerable children carried 80 percent of the burden ofuntreated dental disease, and that poor children were twice as likelyas their more affluent counterparts to suffer from untreated dentaldisease.

This trend is confirmed as continuing by the Centers for DiseaseControl and Prevention announcement in April that, despite across theboard improvements in America’s oral health, tooth decay in childrenaged 2 to 5 years old increased by 15 percent during the periodbetween 1999 and 2004. The CDC’s report, Trends in Oral HealthStatus—United States, 1988-1994 and 1999-2004, also stated that den-tal disease is untreated in 74 percent of the children experiencing it.

Clearly, society is failing these kids, despite federal and state pro-grams in place to provide for them. The question is, why?

FLORIDA MEDICAID DENTAL SERVICES

Medicaid was born of Title XIX of the Social Security Act of1965. Through Medicaid, the federal government subsidizes statemedical health for certain vulnerable, low-income populations

EAMONTE DRIVER, THE 12-YEAR-OLD MARYLAND

BOY WHO DIED IN FEBRUARY FROM A BACTERIAL

BRAIN INFECTION THAT SPREAD FROM AN

ABSCESSED TOOTH, IS A TRAGIC EXAMPLE OF A

CHILD WHO NEEDED A PLACE TO CALL HOME.D


through matching funds but allows states broad discretion in estab-lishing eligibility qualifications and service coverage.

Nonetheless, in order to receive federal matching funds, stateMedicaid programs must meet certain federally mandated servicerequirements. This includes dental care for children, aged 0 to 20,through the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment(EPSDT) program, which provides for preventive health services equalto the access to care received by privately insured children. The StateChildren’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), established under TitleXXI of the Social Security Act in 1997, gives states funding with theoption of broadening health care coverage, including dentistry, foruninsured, Medicaid-ineligible children from low-income families,although it does not specifically mandate dental services as a requiredbenefit. Disabled adults also receive full dental services throughMedicaid. For non-disabled adults, Medicaid covers only emergencyservices related to extraction of abscessed teeth, and, for a qualifyingfew, dentures and denture-related services.

According to state figures, Florida’s 2004 Medicaid expendituresprovided health coverage for nearly 1.5 million low-income and fosterchildren in the state. Only about 25 percent of these children everreceived dental care, and of the state’s $12.8 billion Medicaid budget,less than 1 percent of expenditures on services went to dental care ofany kind for children and adults combined. These figures almostexactly mirror national averages of Medicaid expenditures on dentalcare, wherein dental services represent only 1 percent of the $258 bil-lion national Medicaid budget.

Why is it that such a tiny fraction of Medicaid is spent on dentalservices when dental disease in poor children is so widespread?Presumably, children have the opportunity to receive dental carethrough Medicaid, and Medicaid would fund the services if they wereprovided. Yet, in 2005, of Florida’s nearly 9,500 practicing dentists,less than 1 percent were active as Medicaid providers. That same year,42 percent of the state’s 4,761,499 children were enrolled in Medicaidor HealthyKids (SCHIP) and eligible to receive dental treatment, butthe ratio of covered children to Medicaid dental providers was a stag-gering 2,213 children for every enrolled provider dentist.

Regardless of the reasons at the core of these disparities, Florida isamong a growing number of states forced to defend its Medicaid pro-gram in federal court. In a class action suit brought against the state’sMedicaid administering agencies — the Florida Agency for HealthCare Administration, the Florida Department of Children and FamilyServices, and the Florida Department of Health — on behalf of thestate’s 1.6 million Medicaid-eligible children, claims are made that theallowable reimbursements do not cover costs of delivering medical anddental care and the reporting requirements to receive payment areburdensome. The plaintiffs in the suit, which was filed in Novemberof 2005 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District ofFlorida in Miami, include the Florida Chapter of the AmericanAcademy of Pediatrics, the Florida Academy of Pediatric Dentistry,and the families of six children enrolled in Medicaid who experiencedsignificant hardship when attempting to obtain access to care throughthe program.

“Deamonte’s tragic and unnecessary death due to inability toreceive proper care should be viewed as morally unacceptable in thiscountry,” said Florida Academy of Pediatric Dentistry President PeterB. Claussen, D.D.S., a Panama City, Fla. pediatric dentist. “It isunconscionable to have children wasting away in one of the wealthiestnations in the world due to inadequate funding of health care pro-grams such as Medicaid.”

Claussen said the Florida Academy of Pediatric Dentistry hasrepeatedly requested the Florida Legislature to adequately fundMedicaid and other health access programs for Florida’s children.But funding has actually decreased over the years due to legislativeinaction, inflation, and the increase in the state’s Medicaid-eligiblepopulation.

“The Florida Academy of Pediatric Dentists felt obligated onbehalf of Florida’s children to seek judicial relief through the federalcourts,” Claussen said. “We believe that the courts will follow whathas been the ruling in other states and mandate adequate Medicaidfunding in Florida, and we look forward to the day when every childin Florida can have adequate access to dental care, notwithstandingtheir economic situation.”

“25 percent of the nation’s most vulnerable children carry80 percent of the burden of untreated dental disease.”


SURGEON GENERAL’S 2000 REPORT, ORAL HEALTH IN AMERICA,

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The class action suit alleges that the state has not been effective incomplying with federal law in regards to its obligations to provide eli-gible children with “primary, preventive, acute and specialty care andservices which are necessary to their good health and development” asrequired by the Title XIX Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis andTreatment Services program.

“The Florida Dental Association has committed $100,000 over a three-year period in support of this lawsuit,” said Florida DentalAssociation President Nolan W. Allen, D.D.S., a general dentistpracticing in Clearwater, Fla. “We’re trying to get an increase in reim-bursements to increase the number of providers willing to participate.Right now, the state ranks 49th in reimbursement rate, and we’re atthe 25th percentile of the usual and customary rate.”

Allen notes the FDA has lobbied for years for significant increasesin the reimbursement rate and says the state’s managed dental careprogram is further exacerbating the access to care problem for childrenreceiving dental services through Medicaid.

“We’re going backwards at this point with the state’s managed dental care program. Fewer children are being screened and fewer chil-dren are being treated within the program,” Allen said. “That’s why theFDA is supporting this lawsuit, because it’s the right thing to do forour kids.”

The suit, which is now being heard after the state’s failed dismissalattempt earlier in the year, seeks a judgment forcing the state to providereimbursement for services adequate to assure providers will participatein the program; to “bring” health care services to the children througheducation, cooperative partnerships with other agencies serving childrento boost enrollment; and in providing scheduling, transportation andcase management assistance to assure families are able to make and keephealth appointments for their children. Finally, the suit petitions thecourt to require the state Medicaid program to assure that any healthmaintenance organizations that participate in Florida’s medical assistanceprogram — like Atlantic Dental Inc., the state’s prepaid managed dentalcare plan pilot project in South Florida — have the ability to effectivelydeliver health care to all the children enrolled to receive it.

“As a pediatrician and secretary of the Agency for Health CareAdministration, it is clear to me that ensuring access to dental care for

Florida’s children must continue to be a priority for the agency,”said Andrew C. Agwunobi, M.D., secretary for the Agency forHealth Care Administration, the agency responsible for administer-ing Medicaid and a co-defendant named in the suit.

The agency acknowledges access to dental care and other specialty areas is problematic for children nationwide and in thestate, especially those living in rural areas, but points to recentagency efforts to address the issue here in Florida.

“The agency has already implemented pilot strategies to attemptto improve access to dental care and has placed improving access tospecialty care, including dental care, as one of our top priorities forthe next few years,” Agwunobi said. “However, we cannot solve this issue single-handedly. Achieving this goal requires collabora-tion. The providers, the state and all other stakeholders, includingbeneficiaries themselves, must work together to improve access tospecialty care.”

ARE WE DOING ENOUGH?

Many dentists provide pro bono services to needy patients, andprivate practitioners are credited by the state for providing 58 per-cent of all dental care to Florida residents at or below 200 percentof the Federal Poverty Level. Additionally, according to state fig-ures, more than 1,400 dentists participating in Project DentistsCare, Inc. extended 19,000 volunteer hours to provide dental careto low-income Florida residents. Organized dentistry estimates thisto be more than $4 million in reduced fee and pro bono care.

While the profession has made strides in increasing volun-teerism, an economic solution to balance the operating expenses of a typical practice with continuity of care for needy patients isstill the ideal rather than a practical model. The need for low costdental care far outstrips the availability offered by the professionand the questions remain, “Does my practice work hard enough inproviding a dental home for vulnerable children like DeamonteDriver? Or, does the business plan of my practice turn a blind eyeto their needs?”

Each dentist holds the answers to those difficult questions in hisor her own heart. �

“Does my practice work hard enough in providing a dental home for vulnerable children?”


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Opening Doors to Dental Care

TThousands of disadvantaged children will soon benefit from a

$5.5 million gift to the University of Florida College of Dentistrythat will fund the construction and operation of a state-of-the-artpediatric dental facility in Collier County.

The gift was announced last December by trustees for theNaples Children & Education Foundation, the founder of the hugelysuccessful Naples Winter Wine Festival. The exclusive event, fea-turing international celebrity chefs and prestigious vintners, hasraised nearly $40 million for local children’s charities since itsinception in 2000 and is billed as the “most successful charity wineevent in the world.”

The foundation’s gift is the result of a needs assessment by theUF Lastinger Center for Learning, commissioned by the foundationin 2005. As a result of the findings, the foundation, whose vision isto make a profound and sustaining difference in the quality of lifeof Collier County children, devised four strategic initiatives – EarlyLearning, Medical/Oral Health, Out of School Programs and SocialWelfare – aimed at filling gaps identified in services for underprivi-leged and at-risk children.

According to the Lastinger study, more than 25,000 CollierCounty children are eligible for dental care through Medicaid, but less than 14 percent actually receive any care.

“One of the study’s most alarming findings is that there isan oral health crisis among Collier County children,” said BruceSherman, NCEF Grant Committee chair. “We know from theSurgeon General’s report that children with painful dental problems are less successful in school and later in life.

Bringing a top-notch pediatric dentalprogram to Collier County will help closethe gaps in oral health, with EdisonCollege’s East Naples campus ideallylocated near the greatest population ofat-risk children.”

Of the foundation’s gift to the UFCollege of Dentistry, $4 million was

matched through the Alec P. Courtelis Facilities EnhancementChallenge Grant Program and will fund the construction and equip-ping of the UF dental facility on the Collier County campus ofEdison College. The remaining $1.5 million will cover the dentalprogram’s start-up operational expenses.

The $8 million building, for which groundbreaking will takeplace in October, is modeled after the UF dental clinic on theSeminole campus of St. Petersburg College in Pinellas County. Itwill be a two-story, 20,000-square-foot dental clinic and educa-tion facility. The UF dental program at Edison College is expectedto open in the fall of 2008 and eventually will expand to providespecialized pediatric dental treatment to Collier County’sMedicaid-eligible and at-risk children during an estimated 15,000patient visits each year. The dental visits will provide a diversepatient population to train pediatric residents and continuingdental education in treating pediatric and special needs patients.

The project represents an innovative collaboration betweenthe philanthropic Naples Children & Education Foundation, UF,Edison College and Collier Health Services Inc., or CHSI.

Edison College’s district board of trustees approved a long-term land lease agreement with UF to give the facility an aca-demic home. While the first floor of the two-story building will be dedicated to UF’s clinical operations, Edison College willshare use of second floor classrooms and laboratory space.

CHSI, which has long been a UF partner in extending dental services to Collier County residents through its community healthcenters, will manage the clinic’s billing and collection activities andsupply procurement. Additionally, CHSI community health clinics andits Ronald McDonald Care Mobile will refer patients to the dental clinic.

The dental facility at the Edison site will be the UF College ofDentistry’s newest clinic in its Statewide Network for CommunityOral Health. The network comprises UF’s Gainesville and com-munity-based clinics in Hialeah, St. Petersburg and Jacksonvilleas well as 14 county health department, community health centerand private not-for-profit partner clinics statewide.

This strategy of community partnerships focusing on vulnera-ble, indigent and special needs populations has led to the UFCollege of Dentistry becoming one of the largest providers oflow-cost dental care in Florida. �

Above: The UF NaplesPediatric Dental Clinicwill be located on theCollier County campus ofEdison College, servingthe largely disadvan-taged and minority popu-lation of East Naples.


UF children’s dental clinic to serveat risk children in Collier County


A GROWING ISSUE

Census data indicate approximately 51.2 million Americans havesome sort of disability, and about 32.5 million of those are severedisabilities that impact an individual’s ability to function independ-ently. People with severe disabilities are more likely to live below thepoverty level and to have Medicaid or Medicare coverage.

According to state figures, more than 3 million Floridians have aphysical or mental disability. These include cognitive impairment,autism, Alzheimer’s Disease, mental illness, brain and/or spinal cordinjuries, spina bifida, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, visual orhearing impairments, and others.

Add to that the fact that Florida is currently ranked No. 1 in thenation for the percent of residents over the age of 65 — a figure rep-resenting 3 million Floridians. That segment of the population isprojected to swell exponentially, reaching 8.5 million people by theyear 2030, in what the Pepper Institute on Aging and Public Policyat Florida State University calls a “silver tsunami” of aging BabyBoomers. Many of these Boomers will enter the special needs cate-gory as they become elderly, medically fragile and more problematicto treat.

“I think that the access to care issue is really going to hit the fanin Florida as we have more older people, who were once vibrantadults, going into nursing homes,” said Barry Setzer, D.D.S., a pedi-

atric dentist in Jacksonville and a northeast delegate to the FloridaDental Association’s House of Delegates. “Dentistry did such a good jobof saving everybody’s teeth over the last 40 years, and now these peopleare going into nursing homes with their teeth. If they have their teeth, weneed to find a way to take care of them.”

The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 places an emphasis onmainstreaming people with disabilities into “normal” society and makesit unlawful for health providers to deny care to patients based on theirdisabilities. Yet, medical and dental providers report they do not feelprepared by their education and training to treat people with disabili-ties, and reimbursement mechanisms are not always adequate to coverthe cost and extra time necessary to treat them.

AT WHAT COST?

The question of who will pay to support dental services is one of theessential issues that cross-cuts access to dental care for all special needs andvulnerable populations.

“I would say there’s a problem with the system, and the immediateway to alleviate that problem is to raise the fees the state pays forMedicaid services,” said Setzer. “Medicaid is still working from fee sched-ules 20 years old. That’s unworkable if they pay you 10 or 20 cents on thedollar but your overhead is 67 percent. It’s easier to do the work for freeand not bother with the hassle of billing it out (to Medicaid).”

Tim Garvey at the TacachaleDental Clinic. Tacachale isthe state’s largest residentialcommunity for people withdevelopmental disabilities.


To increase access to care for developmentally disabled adults, thestate instituted the Medicaid Waiver program, which allows dentists tocharge their usual and customary fees for services extended to theadult special needs population. Despite the program’s good inten-tions, enrollment is cumbersome, treatment plan approval can some-times take months, and accommodation of unexpected but necessarychanges in approved treatment plans can be inflexible. These issueshave led some dentists to decline enrollment in or drop out of theMedicaid Waiver program.

Although the dental profession has an obligation, both legal andethical, to provide care to special needs patients, it’s clearly unfair toexpect dentists alone to carry the financial burden of doing so.Raising Medicaid reimbursements and streamlining treatment planreporting and approval requirements for Medicaid Waiver wouldhelp address that aspect of the access to care dilemma.

But, those improvements won’t overcome another major hurdle— concern among private practitioners regarding their ability to treatspecial needs patients. Many special needs patients present with med-ical complexities, behavior management needs and condition-specificissues which can be daunting for dentists who have not had hands-on

experience in managing them. This can result in dentists turningaway patients that they actually may be able to treat.

“What would be great is if people in a traditional office settingcould try to treat the special needs patients they are able to treat withinthe framework of their practices,” said Garvey. “It’s true, there can be alot involved in treating some special needs patients, but, quite honestly,much of it is really easy in the sense that many people with minimaldisabilities don’t require a lot of accommodation.”

Setzer, who’s pediatric practice sees more than 500 special needspatients, agrees.

“Many patients with Down Syndrome could be treated by a caring,loving general dentist without too many worries about medical issues,”Setzer said. “Some patients with autism could be seen. You could take achild or adult with cerebral palsy and work on them, because they’re try-ing… they might be moving around but you can still work on them. It’sjust a matter of being comfortable with what you have to do, to be up onyour medical, the drugs being used, and how those may interfere with thedental treatment.”

Setzer said many general dentists have the caring, patient-centeredpersonality necessary to treat special needs patients and encourages den-tists to make the effort to treat them when they can.

“You just have to have that desire to want to work with these patients,and it doesn’t have to be a lot,” he said. “If everyone took a few into theirpractice, it would make a big difference.”

WE CAN DO MORE

Kent Weitzel, D.M.D., an Ocala, Fla. general dentist, and his wife,Suzanne, who runs the business end of the practice, have a special passion fortreating people with special needs. Their son, Joshua, was born with pro-found brain injuries and died last year at the age of 24 after a massive seizure.

“IF DENTISTS WOULD ACCEPT SPECIAL

NEEDS PATIENTS AS A VERY MODEST

PORTION OF THEIR PRACTICE...ITWOULD TAKE CARE OF A LOT OF THE

ACCESS TO CARE PROBLEMS

WE SEE WITH THIS POPULATION.”—KENT WEITZEL, D.M.D.

Kent Weitzel

People with intellectual disabilities often suffer from poor oral hygiene becausethey are unable to care for themselves and are resistant to the efforts of care-givers who try to perform daily oral hygiene procedures for them. Theyrequire more frequent dental visits for cleanings and other preventive care.(PHOTOS COURTESY OF PAUL BURTNER)


“I feel a personal mission to provide treatment to this population,”said Weitzel. “I’ve been in dentistry for 25 years and have always taken careof special needs patients.”

Weitzel understands why some dentists might be reticent to treat thespecial needs population but encourages private practitioners to at leastgive it a try. He believes most special needs patients can be treated in theoffices of general dentists, and only the most challenging need be referredto a specialist.

“I think part of the problem is that dentists are unsure about takingcare of this population. It does take some education to know what to dounder specific situations, and to know your own limits, when to say, ‘Ican’t see this patient,’ ” said Weitzel.

He suggests continuing education courses to help with that, but heand Suzanne also welcome interested dentists and dental students intotheir practice and hope people will view them as a resource for informationon how to accommodate treatment for this underserved population.

“If dentists would accept special needs patients as a very modest por-tion of their practice, maybe even as small as 1 percent, it would take careof a lot of the access to care problems we see with this population,” saidWeitzel.

Dental education also has a role in expanding access to care. Surveys ofprivate practitioners indicate a willingness to treat special needs patients,but they don’t feel adequately trained to do so. Other studies have demon-strated that dentists who have completed a general practice residency aremore likely to treat special needs patients and patients in non-traditionalsettings, such as nursing homes.

“I think dentists shy away from providing care to special needs patientseither because they’re anxious or because they’re not well equipped,” said

Teresa A. Dolan, D.D.S., M.P.H., a professor and dean of the UF Collegeof Dentistry. “I think we need to do more to overcome those barriers andintroduce practice strategies that make sense and would work within thecomfort zones of the dentist and the dental hygienist, because it’s really thedental team that has to be comfortable in meeting the needs of thesepatients.”

Dolan is a public health dentist with the unique perspectives of a clini-cian who has served in the trenches of delivering care to special needspatients and a dental educator who wrestles with how to effectively incor-porate special needs dentistry into the college’s D.M.D. curriculum.

“Just as in private practice, there are challenges associated with treatingspecial needs patients in the dental school environment,” Dolan said. “It’snot that we shouldn’t live up to our obligations to meet the needs of thesepatients, but they do require more clinical expertise, some specializedequipment, and it is usually essential to have a dental assistant chairside,which our student dentists don’t have.”

But, she’s quick to point out, that doesn’t mean it can’t be done.Student dentists are already exposed to pediatric, special needs and com-munity dentistry during their rotations, but Dolan would like to see thatexposure expanded with an elective course for students who have a strongdesire to pursue training in special needs dentistry. She envisions studentsenrolled in the elective gaining hands-on experience working with Garveyand Burtner at Tacachale and in the private dental offices, like Setzer’s andWeitzel’s, serving the population.

“We have an elective on our books, but we need to offer it oftenenough so that students have an opportunity to gain this specialized clini-cal knowledge,” Dolan said. “It would provide those students who are par-ticularly motivated to learn about how to provide care to special needs

“I WANT SOMETHING THAT I CAN GIVE BACK.”—BILL TRAUX

Bill Traux

continued on page 34…

“We’ve put together a team of clinicians, immunologists, pathologists,and microbiologists,” Aukhil said. “Our goal is to collect blood samples,plaque samples, gingival crevicular fluid, and, of course, clinical measure-ments of bone loss and so forth.”

The clinicians in this multidisciplinary group include Aukhil, LucianaMachion-Shaddox, D.D.S., Ph.D., an assistant professor of periodontologywith research interests in the relationship between periodontal disease anddiabetes mellitus, and Ingvar Magnusson, D.D.S., Ph.D., a professor oforal biology and a seasoned periodontist with published research on thedisease progression and treatment of periodontal disease.

Research infrastructure recruit, Shannon Wallet, Ph.D., an assistantprofessor of periodontology, is the team’s immunologist with expertise ininflammatory responses and oral systemic health as it relates to diabetes.She and collaborator Michael Claire-Salzler, M.D., a professor of patholo-gy, immunology and laboratory medicine in the College of Medicine, areconducting immunoassays on the blood samples to tease out the genes andmolecules involved in how the host cells respond to bacterial insults.

Clay Walker, Ph.D., a professor of oral biology, is the team’s microbiol-ogist, sussing out which strains of bacteria and enzymes play a dominantrole in the childrens’ disease.

Once the team has gathered the clinical, microbiologic, and biochemi-cal data on the children, a disease pattern is likely to emerge which willdictate what treatment strategies can be used to address it, Aukhil said.

Because the disease pattern disproportionately affects African-Americanchildren in Leon County, Aukhil intends to submit a grant proposal toNIDCR to fund a broader study of similar patterns of pediatric diseaseaffecting other African-American communities in the state. Geneticists arelikely to be included in that study.

“It’s very important for clinicians and basic scientists to interact,” saidAukhil. “There must be a dialog between the two which makes sense andhas applications. That’s what we’re trying to do. This is a classic example ofa translational theme of research.”

A TRANSFORMATION OF CHARACTER AND FUNCTION

There’s no doubt that the cadre of translational researchershired through the NIDCR (U24) research infrastructure award

serves as a sort of intellectual bridge between the college’s clinical andbasic science research enterprises.

“We view the U24 at Florida as a good investment in the future of dental and craniofacial research,” said Kevin Hardwick, D.D.S.,M.P.H., NIDCR’s chief of research training and career development.“The school already had a solid research base but was able to leveragethe U24 funds to develop its mid-level faculty to build a more cohesiveresearch program that extends across the various departments in thedental school.

“The approach has really been encouraging to these faculty mem-bers, allowing them time to focus on their research,” Hardwick said. “I think the school’s research program is stronger because of this.”

The free flow of people, ideas and research missions facilitated bythe new, more dynamic interdisciplinary mix of research faculty hasblossomed into surprising interactions between clinicians and basic scientists that directly lead to improved patient care.

“I’ll use Valeria Gordan as an example; she’s an associate professor of operative dentistry enrolled in the Pipeline Program,”said Burne.

Gordan received salary support through the Pipeline Program,enabling her to enter the College of Medicine’s NIH-funded K30 training program, which will result in a master’s in clinical investigation.Her research interests are applying basic science findings in cariology tothe management of clinical caries, and she has applied for NIH grantstoward that end.

“We now have a clinical faculty member who has submitted twocompetitive NIH grant proposals in a three-month time frame to useReal-Time Quantitative PCR, gene expression profiling and measure-ment of biochemical activities in plaque from caries-active and caries-free subjects to understand why some people get caries,” said Burne. “This is exactly the type of research that will lead to new discoveries and treat-ments for oral diseases.”

“We’re in much better shape as a college to expand this type ofresearch as a result of support from the U24,” he said. �

Visit www.dental.ufl.edu/Bridges to view the new faculty recruits andmentored Pipeline faculty facilitated by the U24 award.

“THE PLANNING GRANT PROVIDED THE

OPPORTUNITY FOR THE COLLEGE TO

REFLECT ON ITS HISTORY AND RESEARCH

ACCOMPLISHMENTS, WHICH ENABLED

A THOUGHTFUL ARTICULATION OF A

VISION FOR OUR FUTURE.”


Tamara-Kay (T.K.) Tibby, D.M.D., loveskids. At home she plays with her adorabletwo-year-old daughter and at work she helpsto maintain a healthy smile on children’sfaces. A senior dentist with the Palm BeachCounty Health Department Dental Program,Tibby’s fluent Spanish and soothing voicemake her a favorite dentist among youngpatients. But it took a detour in her careerpath for Tibby to rediscover her true calling.

After graduation from the UF College ofDentistry in 2000, Tibby went on to com-plete her pediatric residency at Children’sHospital Boston. In July 2002, she returnedto her hometown and started working atboth the county health department’s dentalclinic and in private practice. In February2005 a car accident left her with seriousinjuries, and she began practicing part-timein both settings. After almost two years ofextensive physical therapy, Tibby felt sheneeded to cut back her working hours andmake a choice between private practice anddental public health. Though the compensa-tion and working conditions in private prac-tice were more appealing than those offeredin a public setting, Tibby quit private prac-tice in December of 2006 and started work-ing at the Palm Beach County HealthDepartment only.

Having six dental facilities throughoutthe county, the dental department providespreventive, restorative and emergency dental

services to a largely Hispanic pediatricpatient base in the Palm Beach area. Most ofher patients are minorities, immigrants orlow-income residents who face considerablesocial and economic barriers to care. Comingfrom an immigrant family herself, Tibby feelstheir pain.

“My family came to America when I wasthree,” Tibby said. “We are Jamaicans so wespoke English, but I just couldn’t imagine ifwe didn’t, how difficult it would be to navi-gate through the health care system here. Ifeel the responsibility to help immigrantfamilies. I want them to have the best carepossible.”

Now on a busy day, Tibby sees 15 chil-dren at the West Palm Beach clinic, withages ranging from 2 to 13. Occasionally shehas children as young as 18 months in thechair. Due to lack of knowledge on oralhealth and limited access to dental care, chil-dren from vulnerable populations developdental problems much earlier than others.Tibby works to counterbalance this throughher involvement in the WIC-Dental EarlyIntervention Pilot Program. The programprovides free oral health examinations andfluoride varnish treatment for the patients,and teaches parents the importance of a bal-anced diet, oral hygiene and regular dentalcheck-ups for their children.

In her office Tibby has a television continu-ously playing kids’ TV shows. One patient

Tibby has seen for five years used to get hysteri-cal and throw up before a dentist visit. But nowwhen she comes to the office, her favorite TVshow is playing, the doctor talks to her inSpanish, and the once scary experience of visit-ing the dentist is completely transformed intoone that is pleasant and entertaining.

“Usually kids have a fear of dentists, butif you approach them in a way that’s fun andprovide dental care that prevents them fromneeding future treatment, they love it,” saidTibby. “I want them to have the best dentist.That’s why I always knew that I was going tobe a public health dentist. That’s my calling.”

Answering that call, Tibby has worked atthe clinic for five years. Her former col-league, Jason Wanuck, D.M.D., a classmateof Tibby’s, also worked at the clinic for twoyears before opening his own practice.Wanuck said Tibby’s dedication to publichealth care is rare among dental professionalsnowadays.

“She could do fantastically in a private set-ting, but she felt it’s her primary interest towork with public health dentistry,” Wanucksaid. “She has left private practice altogether togo into public health. It’s wonderful.”

Tibby couldn’t agree more. “As far as what I’m doing with my life, I’m

completely satisfied,” said Tibby. “I’m happywith where I am, and I know that’s where Ineed to be.”

—Yan Yang

A L U M N I

YOUNG AT HEARTT.K. Tibby, D.M.D.Class of 2000

Family: Mother of adopted daughter,Tyana Renee (2)

Practice: Senior dentist at the PalmBeach County Health DepartmentDental Clinic, July 2002—present

Studies: Pediatric residency atHarvard School of DentalMedicine/Children’s Hospital Boston2000-2002


PHOTO BY GREGORY ALLEN HOWARD

A message from theAcademy of Alumni & Friendspresident, Barry SetzerDear alumni and friends:

As we enter anew fiscal year, I ampleased to announcethe installment ofseveral new officersof the Academy ofAlumni and FriendsBoard of Directors:Steve Bogdanoff,Class of 1980, is nowour vice presidentand president elect;Eva Ackley, Class of 1981, is electedsecretary/treasurer; and Gerald Weaver, Classof 1979, is appointed north east District repre-sentative.

With the installation of new officers, I wasreminded of the AA&F mission of promotingstrong ties between Florida’s dental communityand the UF College of Dentistry to advance dental education and the dental professional.

As a dental practitioner and a friend of the college for more than 30 years, I know our association is succeeding in its purpose.Measurements of success are defined by ourmemberships’ participation in organized den-tistry, campus events, continuing education,and by our contributions of time and resourcesto the college. I am proud the Academy ofAlumni & Friends’ accomplishments.

It is a pleasure to report that our 2006-2007 AA&F annual giving campaign, theAlumni Affairs and Student Activities Fund,raised nearly $100,000 to sponsor 29 studentdental organizations and events. These eventsinclude the Coating and ProfessionalismCeremony, tutoring, evening SIM labs, ADAethics/success workshops, the activities of theDental Ambassadors, Dental Fall Weekend,Freshmen Family Day, and Senior Banquet, to name just a few.

Support of these important student activ-ities is a meaningful accomplishment andone that is definitive of our purpose. Iencourage each of you to support theseendeavors through your own contribution tothe 2007-2008 Alumni Affairs and StudentActivities Fund.

Thank you for staying in touch and I lookforward to seeing you in Gainesville for DentalFall Weekend 2007!

GO GATORS!!!Barry P. Setzer, D.D.S.President, Academy of Alumni & Friends, 2007-2008

2007 Dental Fall Weekend� Continuing Dental Education with Linda Miles!“Team Building: Accountability, Motivation, Attracting and RetainingGreat Employees, Leadership at all Levels.” (6 CEUs). Author of three best-selling books and recipient of the Hinman Society 2005 DistinguishedService Award, Linda Miles, CEO of Miles & Associates, a premier speakingand consulting business, has enjoyed 28 years of speaking and consultingsuccess in 50 states and four continents. She is known as a speaker whotruly understands the business and people skills of dentistry. Miles is a 25-year member of the National Speakers Association, a member of theInstitute of Management Consultants, the Academy of Dental ManagementConsultants, and the American Academy of Dental Practice Administration.She serves on the editorial advisory board of Dental Practice Report, and isa featured columnist in ACCESS magazine, an ADHA publication.

JOIN US FOR…Class Reunions! Beta Class, Eta Class, Mu Class, Rho Class, Chi Class and the Class of 2002

Saturday Pre-game Brunch! • Gator Football! For more information, visit www.dental.ufl.edu/DFW

2007 ALUMNI EVENTSOctober 26, 2007Pedogator Alumni & Friends7:30am-5:00pm Hilton University of FloridaContinuing Education Century B & CBusiness Meeting Luncheon Albert’s Restaurant

November 16 - 17, 2007Dental Fall Weekend Hilton University of Florida:November 16 CE, Reception and Reunions

Hilton University of Florida: November 17 Business Meetings

UFCD Campus: November 17 College Tours, BBQ and Gator Football: FL/FAU

December 10, 2007 Society of Senior Faculty Holiday LuncheonHilton University of FloridaDecember 10, 2007

January 26, 2008Freshman Family Day, Class of 2011UFCD Date and Time TBA

For more information: contact Sue Guido, Alumni Affairs Director, at 352-273-5781, or [email protected], or visitwww.dental.ufl.edu/alumni.

NOVEMBER 15-17, 2007 • Gainesville, FL • FL Gators vs. FAU Owls

A L U M N I


Class Notes1976William Marchese practices general dentistry inStarke, Fla. He is proud to have his son, AdamMarchese (05), as an associate to his dental practice.

Craig Bridgeman practices restorative dentistry inBoone, NC. His son, Rob, graduated fromUniversity of North Carolina Dental School in 2006and has joined him in his restorative dentistrypractice. Craig was proud to eulogize Dr. JoseMedina during the Aug. 2 memorial service com-memorating Dr. Medina’s life.

1978

C.R. (Bob) Fort practices general dentistry in FortMeade, Fla. He has been married to his wife, Carol,for 33 years, has two grown sons, two grandsons,and feels that “life is good.” Bob has taken trips toHong Kong, and Beijing, China. He enjoys bicy-cling, playing tennis, and fishing. Bob is active inchurch, is an officer in a local dental association,and is a study club member.

David S. Sarrett is a professor of dentistry andassociate vice president for health sciences-aca-demic affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University.He is the editor for the new ADA ProfessionalProduct Review, a program he helped developwhile serving on the ADA Council on ScientificAffairs. His daughter, Courtney, is a second-yeardental student at VCU and his son, Drew, is a first-year law student at George Mason University.

1980Andrew I. Cobo practices general dentistry in LakePanasoffkee, Fla. He has taken trips to Hawaii, andoften travels to Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana. Heenjoys hunting and fishing, and spending time withhis eight “beautiful” grandchildren.

1981Yvonne M. Rausch practices general dentistry inOrlando, Fla. Last summer, Yvonne traveled byboat to Uruguay, and took a cruise on the Canal duMidi in France. She enjoys gardening, raisingorchids and renovating property. She has been

awarded the “Best of Orlando” dentist award thepast three years in a row. Yvonne is an accreditedmember of the American Academy of CosmeticDentistry and is a fellow of Academy of GeneralDentistry.

1982Alberto de Cardenas practices general dentistry inMiami Lakes, Fla. In 2003, he constructed his ownoffice building where he opened a state-of-the-artdental clinic.

1983Jack McDonald returned to medicine in 1988 andis a diagnostic radiologist with a specialty inbreast imaging. He practices in Denver, Col. Jackwent to Latvia on a missionary trip last year, fol-lowed by a vacation in Italy. During his time off,he enjoys the great outdoors and racing his roadCyclocross and mountain bikes. Daughter,Caitlin, will be married next year and daughter,Megan, who was born while he was in dentalschool, was married last year.

The Academy of General Dentistry Convocation was held June 30 on the USS Midway inSan Diego, Cal., during the academy’s 55th annual meeting. Honored during the convocationand standing “in uniform” on the flight deck in front of an A-7 Corsair II attack jet, AGD fellowsGary Nawrocki (’80), Scott Jackson (’95), Marci Beck (’84), Remedios “Mitzi” Santos (’83), andLaurence Grayhills (’85), are joined by AGD diplomates Bill Britton (back row, left) and CharlesBenner (second from right). The group completed UF’s two-year AGD mastership preparationcourse, involving earning 600 CDE credits and demonstrating a life-long pursuit of educationin the art and science of dentistry. The course is a postgraduate course in comprehensivedentistry that meets one weekend per month in Gainesville. Classes consist of lectures, dis-cussion, in-office projects, literature review, and intensive hands-on participation. For moreinformation, visit www.dental.ufl.edu/CE. (PHOTO COURTESY OF LAURENCE GRAYHILLS)

Good Fella’s… Make that, “Fellows”


Stuart Dropkin practices cosmetic and restora-tive dentistry in Winter Park, Fla. He and wifeChristy will celebrate their eighth weddinganniversary in September and are expectingthe arrival of their third grandchild. Stuart andChristy traveled to Iceland in May, and plan tovisit Chile and Easter Island in February of nextyear. Along with travel, Stuart enjoys golf,poker and lawn maintenance.

A L U M N I

1985Bruce E. Carter practices general dentistry inLawrenceville, Ga. He is the founder of “BrighterSmiles for Brighter Futures.” The organization raised$110,000 for breast cancer this year and $650,000since its inception in 2001.

Mary Hencinski practices general dentistry inFreeport, Fla. and is celebrating the one-year anniver-sary of her new office building. Last summer, Marytraveled to Poland with her husband, Marcus, whereshe met more than one hundred of his family mem-bers, most of whom spoke no English.

1986Steven R. Bateh practices general dentistry inJacksonville, Fla. In his free time, Steven enjoys hisfamily and volunteering at church. His daughter,Brittany, started her freshman year at UF this summer.

Craig Malin practices endodontics in Carlsbad, Cal.Daughter Kelli graduated from high school in 2006and will cheer for the University of Arizona. In sum-mer 2006, he and his family took a cruise to Italy,Greece and France.

1987Greg Huang lives in Bellevue, Wa. and is an associateprofessor in the department of orthodontics at theUniversity of Washington.

1988Stanley H. Asensio lives and works in Orlando, Fla.where he practices general dentistry with advancedtraining in orthodontics, cosmetics, sedation andforensics. He participates in the UF/UAB DentalPractice–Based Research Network to improve clinicaldentistry, and was a recent dentist of the month andcover story for the Orlando magazine. He is marriedto Linda and they have a son, Stanley. Dr. Asensio isan active community and school volunteer, and alsoenjoys professional sport fishing with his nationallyrecognized team, Caliente.

Michele Conti- Zrulluck practices general dentistry inTitusville, Fla. She and her husband, Larry, are theproud parents of a baby girl born March 3.

Margaret Hartwig practices dentistry in WarnerRobins, Ga. This year, she and her husband, George,celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary inBermuda; their daughter, Eva, graduated from highschool and their youngest, Ilona, is entering highschool. Margaret wants her classmates to know thatshe is supporting the Claire Pitts Brown EndowedScholarship (“we still miss her”) and asks them tojoin her.

Michael McCorkle practices general dentistry inOrlando, Fla. Mike is a member of the AmericanCollege of Dentists. He recently enjoyed a great tripto Bermuda with the Florida Academy of DentalPractice Administration. Mike and his wife, Corina,have a daughter, Morgan (17), a high school seniorand a state pole vaulting champion. Their son,Colton (13) is in the 8th grade and has earned a sec-ond degree black belt. Mike and Corina also enjoyplaying golf.

1991T. Merrell Williams practices periodontics in Tampa,Fla. He is a diplomate of the American Board ofPeriodontology. Merrell traveled to South Africa andZambia for two weeks for missionary work. He alsoenjoys collecting coins and paper money.

1993David J. Ferlita is current president of the AtlanticCoast District Dental Association. For the last fiveyears, David has served as president of the FDAProject Dentists Care, a statewide dental volunteernetwork that provides dental care for underservedcitizens and coordinates the Give Kids A Smile pro-gram. David and Christine, along with their childrenTaylor (8), Bailey (6), and Dawson (3), love returningto Gainesville to cheer on the Gators!

Robert Perdomo III practices dentistry in CoralGables, Fla. He and his wife, Arev, celebrated thebirth of their fifth child, Samuel Luis, on March 29.Arev and Samuel Luis are both in excellent health anddoing well.

1994Kristin M. Shinnick practices general dentistry inShalimar, Fla. Her husband, Joseph, a retired AirForce pilot, is now a pilot for FedEx. Kristin andJoseph have two daughters. The family has visitedAustralia, Japan, Italy, the South Pacific, and Kristinmade a trip to Guatemala for missionary care. Sheenjoys the beach, boating, diving, arts and crafts,baking and dancing.

1995Jeff Gully practices general dentistry in northJacksonville. His wife Michelle, a registered dentalhygienist, is now a stay at home mom to their sonsGrayson (3) and Max (8). Jeff has made his annualtrip to the Keys in August for lobster season, in whichhe had “lots of fun!” Jeff and Michelle are wrappingup the restoration of their early 1900s house inRiverside, Fla. It has taken them three years to com-plete, while having babies in between and “livingthrough the chaos.”

David Rowe and wife, Penny, were married April 14.David practices general dentistry in Port Charlotte,Fla. and is a fellow in the Academy of GeneralDentistry, an associate fellow in the AmericanAcademy of Implant Dentistry, and is near the com-pletion of the Master of the Academy of GeneralDentistry program at UFCD.

1996Amy Fine Anderson recently purchased and com-pletely remodeled a building in St. Petersburg, Fla.for her orthodontics practice. She and husband,Chris, have two sons, Tate (6) and Sawyer (2). Thefamily uses the extensive counter space of the newoffice for scrap booking on the weekends.

Susan Barr Jones practices general dentistry inLumberton, NC. She is an avid marathon runner andhas completed three marathons in Vermont asfriends and classmates, Amanda Nevin and NatalieAccomando cheered her on. She plans to run theDisney Marathon in 2010! Susan is the mother ofsons Hunter and Colin and a baby daughter, BaileyNora, born March 5.

Nick DeTure specializes in periodontics and implantsand practices in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. He and his wife,Connie Aresehault, are the proud parents of AustinNicholas, born May 21, on their one-year anniversary.Nick is a diplomate of the American Board ofPeriodontology, and served as the president of theBroward County Dental Association in 2006.

Sharon Day-O’Steen practices general dentistry, inDeBary, Fla. Sharon has earned certification in Botoxand Resylane treatment.

1997

Jennifer Brown-Jackson has been in private solopractice in general dentistry for eight years, but isnow building a new dental office with six operatoriesand is excited about going digital. She is most proudof her “biggest accomplishment — being a mother toMadison (5), and Savannah (2), and a wife to hus-band, Scott.”

Maria-Cristina Castellvi-Armas is an American Boardof Orthodontics certified practicing orthodontist andan associate professor at the orthodontic graduateprogram at the University of Puerto Rico. She mar-ried in 2005 and honeymooned in Italy. Last year she visited Frana, Belgium for an OrthodonticsConvention. On her time off she enjoys her beachhouse in Rincon, Puerto Rico.

Mike Fowler and his wife, MarLee, have two daugh-ters and a son on the way. Mike practices generaldentistry in Melbourne, Fla. and was the 2006 presi-dent of the Brevard County Dental Society.

1998Michele Conti-Zrullack practices general den-tistry in Titusville, Fla. and has a baby daughter,born March 5.

David Petrilli is a private practice partner with Drs.Caldwell, Bills and Petrilli in Charlotte, NC. He enjoysGator sports, golf and skiing on Lake Norman. Davidis married with a son, Grant (2) and a baby-daughterKate, born in May.

1999Cynthia Dickson Haug has been practicing familyand cosmetic dentistry for six years in Jonesville, Fla.She has two children, Pexton and Sim. Cynthia lovesthe beach and has visited Las Vegas and AmeliaIsland.

Thomas Doan practices general dentistry inLakewood Ranch, Fla. He and his wife Linda are theproud parents of daughter, Mischa (9 months) andare expecting a second child next year. Thomas is arecipient of the Partners for Peace Award from theAmerican Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry and alsoreceived a community service award from theSarasota County Dental Association. His favoritehobby is Japanese swordsmanship.

Axel McGuffie practices general dentistry in MarcoIsland, Fla. He is a fellow in the Academy of GeneralDentistry.

James E. Oxer enjoys his practice, Sunshine FamilyDentistry, in Lake Placid, Fla. He and wife, Monique,and children, Tanner (8) and Melina (6) enjoy sportsand travel. James loves flying, softball, basketball,fishing, and has completed his first triathlon-“withoutdying!” Last year the family traveled to Japan andthis year to the Bahamas and Jamaica.

2000James T. Cannon practices general dentistry inOsprey, Fla. James moved his practice to a newoffice building in April. He completed levels I and II inadvanced dental education at The Pankey Institute.James and his wife, Stephanie, vacationed in Alaskathis summer. They have a daughter, Gabrielle (2).

Darren Huddleston practices general dentistry inGrants Pass, Or. He recently built a new office build-ing for his practice and other businesses. Darrenreceived an appointment to serve on the OregonBoard of Dentistry, and he is as an examiner for theWestern Regional Board Exam. Darren and wife,Heidi, have two children, Kiersten (7) and Scott (4).He and his family enjoy river rafting.

Chris Ross specializes in endodontics and practices,along with Rodney Anthony ’86, at Bay AreaEndodontics in Clearwater, Fla. Chris earned a certifi-cate in endodontics and a Master of Science in oralbiology in June from the University of Louisville. Hewas a featured speaker at the 2006 annual session ofthe American Association of Endodontics in Hawaii,where he delivered a presentation on oral research.

2001

Vivian (Terhune) DeLuca practices comprehensiveand esthetic dentistry in Tampa, Fla. Vivian was


Richard D. Morales II has a solo private prac-tice in general dentistry and fixed prostho-dontics/reconstructive therapy in SouthMiami, Fla. Richard and his family went on askiing trip to Breckenridge, Col. in April.

Gator Nation members (from left) Kenneth Schweibert (’80), former UFCD faculty member Ray Webber,James Edwards (’78), Don Tillery. Jr. (’78), Tom Floyd (’78), Ray (’78) and Peggy Della Porta, and kneeling,Gary Herbeck (’78), reconnect and re-energize during UFCD’s reception at Florida National Dental Congress.More photos of Gator dentists at FNDC, held June 14 – 16 at the Gaylord Palms Resort in Orlando, Fla., canbe viewed at www.dental.ufl.edu/FNDC.

IN MEMORIAM

E. Monroe Farber, a Florida visionaryDr. E. Monroe Farber, one of

the founding fathers of theUniversity of Florida College ofDentistry and the Academy 100,passed away at the age of 95 on May 17. His wife of 70 years,Martha Innskeep Farber, preced-ed him in death nearly twoyears to the day in May of 2005.

Dr. Farber was a vibrant man who will be remem-bered for a career of service and dedication to dentaleducation and to the dental profession. His distin-guished career spans three quarters of a century,during which he served as the 81st president of theFlorida Dental Society, now known as the FloridaDental Association, and was the founding presidentof the Academy 100.

Robert Fitzgerald, influential caries researcherOne of the dental profession’s most influential and

distinguished researchers, Robert James Fitzgerald,Ph.D., died Jan. 18 at the age of 89 at the V.A.Medical Center in Miami, Fla. Fitzgerald, with fellowresearch investigator Paul Keyes, was the first to con-clusively demonstrate the essential role of S. mutansbacteria in dental caries development, and the first todocument the infectious transmission of dentalcaries. Reported in the Journal of the AmericanDental Association in 1960, this research is consid-ered to be among the most important influences onthe course of modern dental caries research.

Jose Medina, former deanJose E. Medina, D.D.S.,

former dean of the Universityof Florida College of Dentistryand UF assistant vice presidentfor facilities planning and opera-tions, died July 19. He was 81.

Medina, who arrived at theCollege of Dentistry in 1967 asassociate dean and a professorof clinical dentistry, served as dean from 1969 to1974, the college’s formative years. He supervisedthe development of an innovative, self-paced dentalcurriculum and spearheaded faculty recruitment initiatives. Under Medina’s watch, the college’s firstclass of dental students was admitted in 1972 and, in the summer of 1974, three members of that char-ter class were the first students in state history todeliver dental care to Florida residents.

Medina helped shape the character of the HealthScience Center campus. He was appointed directorof health center space planning and utilization in1974, and was promoted to UF assistant vice president for facilities planning and operations in1976, a position he held for 10 years. Medina wasinstrumental in guiding facilities planning andimplementation during the historic “Project I”expansion of the Health Science Center campus.Project I encompassed construction of the DentalSciences Building, the Communicore Building andfacilities to house the College of VeterinaryMedicine. He retired from the university in 2000 as a professor of operative dentistry.

Medina’s teaching career spanned more than 50 years, and he was a mentor to students, practi-tioners and dental educators worldwide.


married in 2005. She and husband, Anthony, hon-eymooned in Paris, Greece and Venice. Vivianreceived a fellowship in the Academy of GeneralDentistry at the June FAGD commencement in SanDiego, CA.

William Pantazes earned a Masters of Science incraniofacial pain from Tufts University, and prac-tices general dentistry in Largo, Fla.

Cesar M. Pareja practices general dentistry inMelbourne, Fla.

2002Amy Crary Lindstrom graduated from the LasVegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies andopened her own practice in general, cosmetic andneuromuscular dentistry in Stuart, Fla. in 2004.She is married to Brendan and they have two chil-dren, twins Benjamin and Emily born in April.

2003Kelly L. Borders practices general dentistry in PlantCity, Fla.

Amy Bryan Peters married Greg Peters on Dec. 29and is currently a real estate agent for ERAFernandina Beach Realty.

2004Sara Droker recently bought an existing generaldentistry practice in Ormand Beach, Fla. She andher husband, Marcus, enjoy spending time withtheir two daughters, Ilari (2), and Haley (7 months).

Frank Lozano completed prosthodontic residencyin June and practices prosthodontic dentistry inGainesville, Fla. He went to Switzerland in Januaryto tour the Straumann implant production facilities.Frank and his wife, Melody, are settling into theirnew home and are expecting their first child inSeptember.

2005Michael C. Foreman graduated from the endodon-tic program at Saint Louis University in Jun andopened his endodontic practice in Lake City, Fla onAug. 6. Michael enjoys spending time with familyand friends and is the proud father of Emma Beth,

born Jan. 30. He also enjoys fishing, hunting, andhiking, and hiked in the Hawaii Volcanoes NationalPark last year.

Kawveh Nofallah practices general dentistry inLakeland, Fla. In his free time, Kawveh enjoyssports and fishing, and he recently traveled toCabo San Lucas, Mexico.

Cathy Taylor practices general dentistry inGainesville, Fla. She and husband Andrew willwelcome their first child, a girl, in November!

2007Angela Matrisciano practices general dentistry inNaples, Fla. She enjoys motorcycle riding, hiking,watching movies, and wedding planning. Angelawent on a European cruise to Spain, France, and Italy.

2006J. Cary Bonham and his wife, Amy Bonham,(’07) are in private practice with Cary’s father,Chris Bonham, in Largo, Fla. Cary took theCosta Rica Invisalign study club for hisInvisalign certification. Cary and Amy alsotraveled to Colorado, Utah and Lake Alberta.In his free time, Cary enjoys skiing, boating,fishing, hunting, running, climbing, and bikeracing. Cary and Amy won first place in theSwamp Stomp 30-hour Adventure Race.

FNDC 2007

A L U M N I

One might take a look at clinical psy-chologist Joseph L. Riley, III, Ph.D., anassociate professor of community dentistryand behavioral science in the College ofDentistry, and think he’d be a sedate, quietsort of fellow with a sedate, quiet sort ofhobby … like clipping Bonsai to the liltingsounds of classical music.

Think again. Riley’s hobby is all aboutspeed, the smell of hot asphalt, and the roarof 117 horses chomping at the bit to burnrubber on a fast course. We’re talkingFormula Ford car racing, baby, and atspeeds up to 140 mph, it’s not for the faintof heart.

For 56-year-old Riley, who owned achain of foreign auto part stores in theOrlando area for 20 years before enteringacademia, Formula Ford auto racing seemedthe perfect hobby to occupy his spare time.

“Cars are kind of my thing,” Riley said.“In my youth, I wanted to be a professionalrace car driver and started racing when Iwas 21. But I blew up the engine in my carafter about a year, started a business and put

racing on the back burner. So in some ways,this is unfinished business.”

Formula Ford cars are open wheel, single-seaters slung low and without the aerodynam-ic wings seen on the Formula One cars. Thenewer car chassis have springs and shocks that

are covered by the car body to reduce drag,but Riley’s car is a classic 1975 Titan chassiswith outboard suspension that places him at a5 mph disadvantage at higher speeds — a dis-advantage that disappears below 100 mph. Sohis competitive edge at lower speeds is drivingskill and the mechanical preparation that wentinto the car before the race.

“My car is in my garage, and I do all thework on it,” Riley said. “I don’t actuallybuild the engine itself, I send it off to a pro-fessional engine builder, but I put it in mycar and do all the maintenance, all the setupwork on the chassis, put the car on my trail-er and drive it to the race.”

Riley must be doing something right. He won the 2006 championship for theSoutheastern Division of the Sports CarClub of America, competing against driverswith newer, more aerodynamic cars, calledSwifts. The Swifts car bodies have coveredsprings and shocks, and are the car to beat at Formula Ford races.

“The good news is that the guys whohave Swifts didn’t run enough races, andthey were unreliable,” Riley said with alaugh. “The young guys are crazier, they gooff track … So they had won some races,but I had won six races before I went to thechampionship race, and I only had to finishfourth to be series champion.”

Riley placed third, his Titan kept pacewith the newer Swifts to take home theSCCA Southeastern Division Formula FordChampionship.

Although he’s modest about his achieve-ment, Riley is accustomed to being at thetop of his game. In what he calls “anotherlife,” Riley was a nationally ranked triath-lete. Now, he’s the recipient of dentistry’sUniversity Research FoundationProfessorship Award, which consists of aone-time $3,000 grant to support his ongo-ing research and $5,000 each year over thenext three years as a salary supplement.

Riley and his wife, Denise, a nurse prac-titioner in the department of neurology, aredelighted with the recognition, and Rileyplans to use the award to support hisresearch on cultural differences in pain man-agement behaviors, a subject he finds evenmore exciting than car racing.

“Research is just as thrilling as an autorace,” Riley said. “If you put in the prepara-tion time and pay attention to details, thepayoff is exciting — your paper is published,your grant is funded or you win a race.” �

Formula for FunDental researcher lives life in the fast laneB Y L I N DY M C C O L L U M - B R O U N L E Y

Riley, on the winner’s podium at right, placed thirdduring the final race, but still took home the SARRCchampionship. (PHOTO COURTESY OF JOSEPH RILEY)

Riley’s No. 15 Formula Ford racecar jockeysfor position during the South Atlantic RoadRacing Championships (SARRC) InvitationalChampionship Race, held Sept. 24, 2006 atRoebling Road Raceway in Savannah, Ga.(PHOTO COURTESY OF JOSEPH RILEY)



Every fall since 1972, Lynn Larkin, Ph.D.,professor emeritus of anatomy and cell biolo-gy, has welcomed a class of freshman dentalstudents into his anatomy course. In fact,Larkin has taught gross anatomy to every UFdental student since the college’s charterclass—that’s nearly 2,100 dentists.

But, the class of 2010 was the last of den-tistry’s freshman classes Larkin would teachthe differences between a sphenoid and amandibular notch. On June 30th, Larkin isretiring from his 39-year teaching career.

“I’ve really enjoyed teaching here,” Larkinsaid. “There are lots of things to like inFlorida, and the students are bright and fun to be around.”

Originally from Ohio, Larkin earned hisPh.D. in anatomy from the University ofColorado Medical Center in Denver, Colo. in1967. After one year post-doctoral work inBoulder, Larkin came to teach in the depart-ment of anatomy and cell biology at the UFCollege of Medicine, and he never left. In1997 Larkin retired as professor emeritus butwas hired on a yearly basis to teach dental stu-dents at the College of Dentistry.

“Each school has its own personality. Thephysician assistant students are older andmore experienced, while most of the dentalstudents are just out of college and very social.It’s a fun group.”

Though fun, anatomy is not an easy classto teach. It’s difficult to visualize the tissuesunderneath the skin and you’ll need the mem-ory of a spelling bee champion to rememberall the terms. To help students grasp perceptu-al knowledge of the human body, Larkindeveloped a syllabus looking more like a “col-oring book.” It’s a workbook that contains allthe lecture diagrams. As the semester goesalong, the instructor discusses and labels eachdiagram in different colors while students dothe same on their copies. It keeps the students

involved and the lecturer on track. The colorsthey use—red, brown, and, of course, orangeand blue.

During his 35 years ofteaching at the college,Larkin has won dentistry’sTeacher of the Year Awardtwice, in 1992 and 1994. Heis one of the few outside fac-ulty members that have beengiven this prestigious award.Larkin has educated two gen-erations of Florida dentists,including DennisConnaughton of the Delta Class (’79) anddaughter Kelly Connaughton, class of 2008,who are both impressed by his approachablepersonality.

“To me it’s hard to get excited aboutworking on cadavers at 8 o’clock in the morn-ing, but knowing that Dr. Larkin was going tobe there made that journey a lot easier,” KellyConnaughton said. “If it were anybody else, Idon’t think I would have the same experi-ence.”

Kelly’s father, Dennis, took Larkin’s class in1975. Interestingly, Connaughton now teachesanatomy class at Brevard Community College

in Cocoa, FL. When asked about Larkin’s teach-ing style, “relaxed” was the word that came to

Connaughton’s mind.“Dr. Larkin was always

smiling, always with a goodattitude. He never made us feelintimidated to approach himand ask a question. It was avery relaxed lab session and alot of it had to do with Dr.Larkin.”

Though a professor of theclassic Gray’s Anatomy, Larkin isnot a fan of TV Land’s “Grey’s

Anatomy” on ABC. He said even if he watchesthe show, it’s not for the anatomy in it. But hedid find the “goofy interns getting into troubleshow” on Comedy Central amusing (“Scrubs”).

Having retired in 1997 and working sixmonths out of the year since then, Larkin saidhe has had a taste of retirement.

“I’ve been practicing for 10 years,” Larkinteased. “And I know I won’t miss getting up at6 for the 8 o’clock class.”

No more skulls or skeletons, Larkin will beworking on his old cars or boating on theSuwannee River. To him, life after anatomyclass is—enjoyable. �

Gross anatomy prof retiresB Y YA N YA N G

E D U C A T I O N

Lynn Larkin

Larkin has won dentistry’s Teacherof the Year Awardtwice, one of the

few outside facultymembers that have

been given this prestigious award.

PHOTO BY ANNEY DOUCETTE

Larkin BidsFarewell

At his retirement reception last year, MarcGale, an associate professor of operative den-tistry, stood up before the audience gathered tohonor him, unfolded his notes, adjusted hisglasses and somberly launched into a speechabout his career in dental education.

“For me, this has been a journey,” he read.“A journey is defined as ‘travel, or passage, fromone place to another’…. In other words, aTRIP!”

“I will say that my 34 years at this dentalschool have definitely been a trip,” Galequipped with a grin.

With impeccable comedic timing and intypical fashion, Gale’s force of personality tookpossession of the room, engaging his audiencein the same way generations of dental studentshave been engaged since the Charter Class firstfell under his spell in 1972.

Over the years, more than 2,000 dentalstudents have developed their knowledge baseand honed clinical skills under his tough butfair tutelage. His quick, sarcastic wit suffers nofools but is leavened with genuine care for hisstudents. He makes a point to know each stu-dent, by name and by deeds.

“I think that teaching is a burning in yourbelly,” Gale said. “It’s no different than teach-ing in high school, or middleschool, or elementary school.Why do those people chooseteaching? There is somethingwithin each person that says,‘This is how I want to con-tribute to society.’ ”

Gale’s contribution hasbeen enormous, touching thelives of students and fellowfaculty.

“Dr. Gale has been anintegral part of my academiclife at the college, beginning with his service onthe search committee that hired me in 1989,”said Dean Teresa A. Dolan. “It’s been a fun rideworking with him over the years on studentaffairs and other programs, and most recentlyon fundraising to assure the continued excel-lence of dental education at UF.”

Dental education was the furthest thingfrom the mind of this self-described, “niceJewish boy from Boston” when he graduatedwith his dental degree from Tufts University in

1967. Gale’s intention, after completing a two-year stint in the Army as a captain in theDental Corps, was to complete an orthodonticsresidency program and open a swank orthopractice on Park Avenue in New York City.

He wrote a former Tufts professor and mentor, Dr. David A. Grainger, asking for a ref-erence for his residency application. What hereceived instead was an invitation to come tothe University of Florida as a faculty member ofa new dental school where Grainger served as aprofessor and chairman of operative dentistry.

“Dr. Grainger was really an icon, andeveryone kind of feared him. He said they wereopening a new dental school in Florida and thiswould be a great opportunity,” said Gale. “So, Ifinally made the decision to come down hereand try teaching. It was an exciting time.”

Gale found himself surrounded by giants ofdental education at the University of Florida,all working together to hammer out an innova-tive, technology-based, self-paced curriculum.

As a junior faculty member in their midst,Gale was awed by the figures whose names hadbeen on the text books he’d studied when he wasin dental school. These included Jose Medinaand Bill Collett from the University ofMaryland; Harold R. Stanley from the NationalInstitute of Dental Research; Bruce Bell fromTufts; Davis Henderson from the University ofKentucky; Floyd Peyton from the University ofMichigan; and Richard Mackenzie and JohnBowman from the University of Pittsburgh.

But not even awe could suppress the irre-pressible Marc Gale.

“When I arrived, I was a brash youngman,” Gale said with a laugh.“My first day, there was an allday faculty meeting. Being thenew guy on the block and sit-ting in a room with people Iconsidered to be idols in den-tistry, a normal person wouldhave just sat there and listened.Of course, I would have noneof that, so I dove right in thereand haven’t shut up since!”

Somehow, despite thebluntness of his freely expressed opinions, Galehas survived seven university presidents andseven dental deans, and has become somewhatof an idol himself.

“During the course of my first week here atthe dental school, I came to realize that not onlydid Dr. Gale know my name, but he also knewabout my past education, my family, my inter-ests,” said Manav Malik, who graduated magnacum laude this May. “And that is what makesDr. Gale so unique. He views each student as a

Unconquerable SoulMarc Gale retires from operative dentistryB Y L I N DY M C C O L L U M - B R O U N L E Y


E D U C A T I O N

“Why do those people choose

teaching? There issomething withineach person thatsays, ‘This is how

I want to contributeto society.’ ”

PHOTO BY ANNEY DOUCETTE

Teachers of the YearDental faculty named 2007 teachers of the year

Each year dental students in the sophomore, junior and seniorclasses are asked to nominate their favorite course instructors forUniversity of Florida Teacher of the Year Awards. The classes nomi-nate professors for the basic and clinical sciences based on their inno-vation in course design and/or instruction and effectiveness in teach-ing.

Once the ballots were tallied this year, Karl-Johan Soderholm,L.D.S., M.Phil., Odont. Dr., a professor of materials science, and HenryA. Gremillion, D.D.S., a professor of orthodontics and director of theParker E. Mahan Facial Pain Center, stood out as the clear winners ofthe college’s 2007 Teacher of the Year awards—Soderholm as thebasic science teacher of the year, and Gremillion as the clinical sci-ence teacher of the year. Both were recognized during the university’sFaculty Awards Banquet in April with award plaques and checks in theamount of $2,000.

Student comments regarding each instructor gleaned from anony-mous course evaluations demonstrate the impact each instructor’sintegrity and commitment to dental education made on the studentlearning experience. �

dynamic individual, truly cares about students andalways seeks to understand them more fully.”

In student circles, Gale is known for laying downthe law, administering it fairly, and making no excep-tions. But his counsel when students get down onthemselves is gentle and generous.

“Most dental students try to make everythingperfect,” said Gale. “But, perfection is not repeatable.It is an unattainable goal that will make you neuroticand it will depress you. So, I encourage students tostrive for excellence. Excellence is the best you can doon any given day.”

Teaching is Gale’s passion, and although heenjoys retirement, he devotes a day each week toteaching operative dentistry. Finally being free tofocus only on teaching—without juggling committeemeetings, administrative duties, and other responsi-bilities—has broadened his perspective on the chal-lenges today’s faculty face as dental educators.

“We have great faculty, but I do think the pres-sures placed on them are far different than when wefirst started this dental school,” said Gale.

As members of a public university with top tieraspirations, clinical and instructional faculty areexpected to pursue at least some research to meet pro-motion and tenure requirements. That, combinedwith the necessity of augmenting salaries through fac-ulty practice, can, in Gale’s opinion, become a dis-traction from their primary roles as educators.

In addition, recruiting young dentists to theranks of dental educators is difficult due to the dis-parities in what dentists can earn in practice versuswhat one may earn as junior faculty.

“Many of our students who just graduated inMay are going out and getting salaries as new dentiststhat are more than my salary after 34 years at thedental school,” said Gale. “Now, that puts it into per-spective!”

According to Gale, faculty endowments are oneway to remove salary pressure from faculty so thatthey can focus on teaching, and to attract the bestand brightest to pursue careers in dental education.An endowed professorship in his name was estab-lished with several key gifts from alums to honor hislegacy of excellence in dental education, and$201,000 in pledges toward the $600,000 endow-ment goal has been received.

Gale hopes the professorship will attract futuredental educators into the profession he has found sorewarding. As an associate professor emeritus of oper-ative dentistry, Gale reflects on the many wonderfulpeople he’s taught and doesn’t regret a single day ofhis teaching career.

“Teaching is challenging,” said Gale. “But towatch their faces when it really starts to click in,you realize you’ve made an impression on some-one’s life.”

“For me, this has been a wonderful journey. I feelblessed.” �


E D U C A T I O N

Student comments regardingSoderholm:

• “He is very enthusiastic about thesubject…. Also very willing to helpwith long study sessions and lots ofavailability for questions.”

• “He is a library of dental knowledge.”

• “Genuinely concerned for the stu-dents. He was very approachableand always available for extra helpoutside of class time.”

• “Dr. Soderholm really challengesyour logic/science skills. (His class)prepares you on how to determinewhat materials should be used andhow to determine their validity.”

Student comments regardingGremillion:

• “You have the best and most clearteaching/lecturing skills!”

• “Excellent at letting us know what is expected and excellent at speaking and lecturing in class.”

• “Dr. Gremillion sincerely cares about the students and it shows.He’s awesome!”

• “Enthusiasm. Concern for students. Knowledge.”

• “He is amazing in every aspect…. It was an honor to be a part of his course.”

Soderholm Gremillion


� Faculty� Kenneth Anusavice, D.M.D., Ph.D., associatedean for research and a professor and chair-man of the department of dental biomaterials,was honored as the 24th recipient of theGreater New York Academy of ProsthodonticsFoundation Distinguished Lecturer Award.Given to Anusavice last December during theacademy’s annual meeting, held at Lincoln ParkCenter in New York City, the award recognizesAnusavice for his exceptional didactic skills as adental educator.� Jaana Autio-Gold. D.D.S., Ph.D., an assistantprofessor of operative dentistry, has beenappointed the college’s coordinator for preven-tive dentistry. In this role, Autio-Gold will workwith faculty to develop and implement evi-dence-based clinical curriculum in preventivedentistry, and to assure vertical integration ofpreventive dentistry through all four years ofthe D.M.D. curriculum.� Linda Bartoshuk, Ph.D., an internationallyknown researcher in the chemical senses oftaste and smell, has been appointed a presi-dential endowed professor of communitydentistry and behavioral sciences in theCollege of Dentistry. Bartoshuk is a fellow ofthe National Academy of Sciences and theonly woman NAS member at UF. Bartoshukwas the first to discover that burning mouthsyndrome, a condition predominantly experi-enced by postmenopausal women, is causedby damage to the taste buds at the front ofthe tongue and is not a psychosomatic con-dition, as many believed.� Paul Blaser, D.D.S., M.S.D., a clinical profes-sor of operative dentistry, has been appointedchair of operative dentistry after serving nearlytwo years in an interim capacity. Blaser earneda master’s of science in dentistry from IndianaUniversity School of Dentistry and a doctor ofdental surgery degree from Case WesternReserve University Dental School and. A retiredU.S. Air Force colonel, Blaser has been a facultymember at the college since 1993 and bringsnotable expertise in operative dentistry andcourse development to the position. � D. Lawrence Brock, D.M.D., assistant clinicalprofessor of periodontology at the University ofFlorida College of Dentistry, was honored withthe 2007 Educator Award from the AmericanAcademy of Periodontology. Brock was citedfor his contributions to the department as inter-im director of the post-graduate program whileteaching in the undergraduate arena, as well ashis recent board certification in periodontology.� Robert A. Burne, Ph.D., a professor and chairof oral biology, was one of 52 UF faculty hon-ored with the 2007 Faculty AchievementRecognition Award. Burne received his awardduring the April 4th awards reception held atthe Samuel L. Harn Museum of Art and spon-sored by the University of Florida associateprovost for faculty development.� Frank Catalanotto, D.M.D., a professor ofcommunity dentistry and behavioral sciencewith a joint appointment in the department oforal biology, was elected to the executive com-mittee of the board of directors of Oral Health

America. He also serves as chairman of theOHA communications committee.� Matthew Dennis, D.D.S., a clinical associateprofessor of oral and maxillofacial surgery anddiagnostic sciences, has been awarded theFlorida Dental Association’s Dental EducatorAward. Dennis was nominated by student mem-bers of the Gainesville chapter of the AmericanStudent Dental Association based on his out-standing contributions to the quality of dentaleducation. He received the award in June dur-ing the Florida National Dental Congress, held inOrlando, Fla. This was the second time Denniswas honored with the award, which he firstreceived in 2004. � M. Franklin Dolwick, a professor of oral andmaxillofacial surgery, received the 2006Distinguished Alumni Award from his dentalalma mater, the University of Kentucky Collegeof Dentistry. Dolwick was tapped to receive thedistinguished alumni award because of his inter-national preeminence as an oral and maxillofa-cial surgeon and researcher. His and co-investi-gator Richard Katzberg’s pioneering report ontheir investigation of temporomandibular jointdisorders using magnetic resonance imaging inthe American Journal of Roentgenology hasbecome one of the journal’s top 100 most-citedarticles of the past 100 years. � Carol Haggerty, D.D.S., M.S., M.P.H., a clinicalassistant professor of community dentistry andbehavioral science, earned her Master of PublicHealth from University of North Carolina atChapel Hill in August, and was inducted thisApril into UNC’s Theta Chapter of Delta OmegaHonorary Society in Public Health. Her inductionto the society was in recognition of her out-standing devotion to and work in dental publichealth.� Marc W. Heft, D.M.D., Ph.D., a professor oforal and maxillofacial surgery with joint appoint-ments as professor of neuroscience and profes-sor of clinical & health psychology, is presidentof the American Association of Dental Research.Heft will serve as the 36th president of theAADR during his 2007-2008 term, which began

at the conclusion of the March AADR annualmeeting held in New Orleans, La. � Richard Lamont, Ph.D., a professor of oral biol-ogy, is the editor of a new microbiology textbook,Oral Microbiology and Immunology, printed byASM Press. The book is one of the first of its kindto focus primarily on the knowledge and under-standing of the oral ecosystem and its uniquerole in human health and disease. Intended fordental students, dental practitioners and health-care professionals, it details the ecology, viru-lence, molecular biology and immunogenicity oforal bacteria, viruses and fungi and examinestheir interface with host cells and secretions.� Samuel Low, D.D.S., M.S., M.Ed., associatedean for faculty practice and continuing educa-tion, has been elected secretary-treasurer of theAmerican Academy of Periodontology. As secre-tary-treasurer, Low will become president of theorganization in 2010. Low also has beenappointed associate dean for continuing educa-tion and strategic partnerships. This representsa new and important initiative for the college ofproviding a faculty liaison for the college’s exist-ing and developing relationships with profes-sional organizations, the state legislature andcorporate sponsors. � William Martin, D.M.D., M.S., a clinical assis-tant professor with joint appointments in thedepartment of oral and maxillofacial surgery anddiagnostic sciences and the departmentprosthodontics, and clinical director of TheCenter for Implant Dentistry, became board cer-tified in prosthodontics in 2006 and is now adiplomate of the American Board ofProsthodontics.� Marc E. Ottenga, D.D.S., a clinical associateprofessor of operative dentistry, received theFaculty Award from the American College ofDentists in recognition of his outstanding repre-sentation of ethics and professionalism as a fac-ulty member of the University of Florida Collegeof Dentistry.� K. David Stillwell, D.D.S., a clinical associateprofessor of operative dentistry, is president-elect of the Florida Academy of General

Gator BytesF A C U L T Y

Arthur Nimmo, D.D.S., F.A.C.P., a pro-fessor of prosthodontics at the Universityof Florida College of Dentistry, andMargot L. Van Dis, D.D.S., M.S., a profes-sor of oral and maxillofacial radiology atthe Indiana University School of Dentistry,completed their six-year terms of serviceon the American Dental AssociationConsultant Review Committee for theNational Board Dental Exam last fall.

As consultants, the duo reviewedevery question on Part II of the NationalBoard Exam for content, format, grammarand verification of radiographs and clinical

photographs in the clinical cases. All U.S.dental students take Part II of the NationalBoard Dental Exam in their senior yearprior to completing state boards tobecome licensed to practice dentistry.

Dental duo reviewNational Board Dental Exam questions

Sang-Joon Ahn, Ph.D., is appointed research assistantprofessor of oral biology as of Oct. 20. He earned isdoctorate degree in plant pathology (bacteriology)from University of California-Riverside, and has servedas a post-doctoral associate in Dr. Burne’s laboratorysince 2003. His research in Dr. Burne’s laboratory hasincluded dissecting molecular genetic control of thematuration of pathogenic biofilms, stress responses,competence and autolysis in Streptococcus mutans.

Andrew G. Jakymiw, Ph.D., is appointed researchassistant professor of oral biology. Jakymiw was mostrecently a post-doctoral associate in the department,with a project focus of GW bodies and mammalianRNA interference. He earned his doctorate in bio-chemistry and molecular biology from the Universityof Calgary, and is a member of the American Societyfor Cell Biology.

Lakshmyya Kesavalu, B.V.Sc., M.Sc., S.C.C., isappointed associate professor of periodontics. Dr.Kesavalu comes to the college from University ofKentucky, where he was an associate research profes-sor in the department of oral health science. Dr.Kesavalu earned his veterinary medicine degree fromMadras University, Madras, India, and his master’s inmedical microbiology from All India Institute ofMedical Sciences in New Delhi, India. Dr. Kesavalu’sresearch interests include periodontal microbial patho-genesis, host response and genomics, and periodon-tal disease models.

Theofilos Koutouzis, D.D.S., M.S., is appointed visitingassistant professor of periodontics. Dr. Koutouzis’ one-year appointment began Sept. 1, and he comes to thecollege from private practice. Dr. Koutouzis earned hisdental degree from Aristotle University in Thes/niki,Greece, and specialist training in periodontics fromGothenburg University in Sweden.

Shannon Pop, Ph.D., was appointed assistant pro-fessor of periodontics as of Sept. 1. Dr. Pop comesto the college after completing her post-doctoral fel-lowship at the University of Pittsburgh School ofMedicine. Dr. Pop earned her doctoral degree inoral biology from the University of North Carolina atChapel Hill. Her area of research emphasis includesthe interactions of the diabetic host with mucosalpathogens and how these interactions contribute tothe disease process of diabetes as well as how dia-betic host responses differ from that of a non-dia-betic host. In addition, she is interested in howthese potentially aberrant innate immune responsesmay affect other disease processes classified assecondary complications of diabetes, such as peri-odontitis, cardiovascular disease and arthritis.

Rosalia Rey, D.D.S., has been appointed clinical assis-tant professor in the Internationally-Educated DentistProgram (IEDP). Rey is a 1998 graduate of the col-lege’s IEDP, where she was recognized with theOutstanding Student Award. She earned her dentaldegree from Colegio Odontologico Columbiano inColumbia, South America, and a certificate in ortho-dontics for general dentistry from the Institute forGraduate Dentists in New York. She comes to the col-lege from 10 years in private practice in the LakeMary/Orlando area.

Christopher J. Spencer, D.D.S., has been appointedclinical assistant professor of orthodontics, joiningthe Parker E. Mahan Facial Pain Center as a fulltimefaculty member. Previous to this, he served as a vis-iting clinical assistant professor after having com-pleted his fellowship in the Facial Pain Center lastyear. Spencer earned his dental degree from theUniversity of the Pacific, Arthur A. Dugoni School ofDentistry in 1978.

F A C U L T Y


Tord M. Lundgren, L.D.S., Odont. Dr., is appointed clinical professor and grad-uate program director of periodontology. Lundgren comes to UF from LomaLinda University School of Dentistry, where he served as professor and pro-gram director of the clinical periodontology program. He earned his dentaldegree and certificate in periodontics from University of Umea, Sweden, a cer-tificate in periodontics from Loma Linda University, and his doctor of odontol-ogy from University of Malmo/Lund, Sweden. He has led a distinguishedcareer as a dental practitioner, educator and leader in organized dentistry. Lundgren

William P. McArthur, Ph.D., a professor of oralbiology and director of the University of Florida’sPeriodontal Disease Research Center, has beenappointed the College of Dentistry’s associatedean for faculty affairs, effective June 29. In thisnew position he will advise faculty and collegeand campus administrators on matters affectingfaculty and will provide administrative supportfor the faculty’s role in shared governance.

The position is the result of an administrativereorganization that encompasses recent addi-tions of the associate dean for clinical affairsand associate dean for continuing educationand strategic partnerships and the eliminationof the senior associate deanship. The newadministrative structure is intended to be moreadaptive to the highly competitive nature ofrecruiting and retaining excellent dental faculty,and to UF’s still-developing efforts towardshared governance.

McArthur has a long and distinguishedcareer at the college as a professor and

researcher. Hereceived his doctoraldegree from PurdueUniversity in 1969,was a postdoctoralfellow at New YorkUniversity MedicalSchool and held afaculty position atthe University ofPennsylvania beforecoming to UF as anassociate professor ofbasic dental sciences in 1981. McArthurpreviously served as interim chair of thedepartment of basic dental sciences andwas the first assistant dean for research ofthe college. He was instrumental in shapingthe basic science curriculum for the col-lege’s D.M.D. program and is currently lead-ing the college through its self-study foraccreditation process.

McArthur

� New Periodontology Program Director

� New Faculty

� New Voice for Faculty AffairsDentistry. The Florida Academy of GeneralDentistry is the state’s largest general dentistconstituent group and consists of more than1800 members. The academy serves the state’sgeneral dentists through advocacy and continu-ing education, and members are inducted basedon demonstrated commitment to improvingpatient care through life-long learning.� Scott L. Tomar, D.M.D., Dr.P.H., a professorand chairman of community dentistry and behav-ioral sciences, has been elected vice president ofthe American Association of Public HealthDentistry during the association’s May annualmeeting held in Denver. Tomar will automaticallybe named the organization’s president in 2009.The association is the world’s largest multidisci-plinary professional organization focused onimproving public oral health.� Charles Widmer, D.D.S., M.S., an associateprofessor of orthodontics and the director of clin-ical research in the Parker E. Mahan Facial PainCenter, has been reappointed for a second two-year term on the National Institute of Dental andCraniofacial Research Special Grants ReviewCommittee.� Roger D. Wray, D.D.S., a clinical associate professor of community dentistry and behav-ioral science, has been appointed programdirector of the University of Florida College ofDentistry Faculty Practice. Wray previouslyserved as residency program director for thecollege’s clinical program in Apopka. As direc-tor of Faculty Practice, Wray will be responsiblefor its day-to-day operations, including facultyand staff supervision, financial planning andquality assurance. Wray will also teach in thecollege’s D.M.D. program.� Three University of Florida College of Dentistryfaculty members have been elected to member-ship to the national dental honor society,Omicron Kappa Upsilon. Calogero Dolce, D.D.S.,Ph.D., an associate professor of orthodontics,Nicklaus J. Minden, D.M.D., M.B.A., M.Ed., anassociate professor of operative dentistry, andArthur Nimmo, D.D.S., F.A.C.P., a professor ofprosthodontics, were inducted into the organiza-tion last month by Xi Omicron section presidentand UF associate professor of oral and maxillofa-cial surgery Carol Stewart, D.D.S., during the sec-tion’s annual meeting in Gainesville. Membersare selected on the basis of outstanding contribu-tions to the art, science or literature of dentistry.� Three pediatric dental faculty members haveearned board certification from the AmericanBoard of Pediatric Dentistry. These diplomatsinclude Daniela Silva, D.D.S., M.S., and FlavioSoares, D.D.S., M.S., both assistant professorsof pediatric dentistry, and Marcio Guelmann,D.D.S., associate professor and chairman ofpediatric dentistry. Their diplomate statusdemonstrates successful completion of anadvanced educational program accredited bythe American Dental Association Commissionon Dental Accreditation and completion of theboard’s examination process.

� Promotion & TenureMadhu Nair, D.M.D., Ph.D., a professor of oraland maxillofacial surgery and diagnostic sci-ences, has been granted tenure; Cliff Star,D.M.D., has been promoted to the rank of clinicalprofessor; William Martin, D.M.D., has been pro-moted to clinical associate professor.

Fifth Annual UFCDResearch DayFriday, April 13, 2007

DMD Student Oral and PosterPresentation Division

First Place

Cara Clark, clinical science, “DecreasedRetronasal Olfaction is Associated withDecreased Oral Sensation.” C.J. Clark*, D.J.Snyder, F.A. Catalanotto and L.M. Bartoshuk

Second Place

Del Greenhalgh, basic science, “Effect of P.gingivalis on ATP Activated P2X7 ReceptorExpression in Gingival Epithelial Cells.” D.Greenhalgh*, L. Yao anad Ö. Yilmaz

Third Place

Yue “Maggie” Wang, basic science, “TopologyMapping of LevQ, LevT and LevS ofStreptococcus Mutans.” Y. Wang*, L. Zengand R. Burne

MS/Resident Oral and PosterPresentation DivisionFirst PlaceEric Berry, clinical science, “Enamel SurfaceHardness after Exposure to Acidic Drinks andBrushing.” S.E. Berry*, C. Shen and R.G.Jerrell

Second PlaceAmanda Velazquez, clinical science,“Restoring Proximal Lesions in PrimaryMolars: Does Age and Lesion Stage InfluenceSuccess?” A.P. Velazquez*, D.R. Silva and M.Guelmann

Third Place Tie

Mindy Hall, clinical science, “Incidence ofAdverse Reactions Following Septocaine Usein Children.” M. Hall*, A. Adewumi, M.Guelmann, J. Riley

Third Place TieAaron Carroll, clinical science, “A Long-TermComparison of Treatment Impacts BetweenInvisalign® and Fixed Appliance Therapy.”A.W. Carroll*, S.P. McGorray, R. Womack, C.Dolce, T.A. Dolan and T.T. Wheeler

PhD/Post-doc Oral and PosterPresentation DivisionFirst PlaceF. Bridgett Rahim-Williams, clinical science,“Functional and Emotional Impacts of OrofacialPain Among Middle and Older-aged Adultswith Diabetes.” F.B. Rahim-Williams*, J. Riley,III and J.M. NogleSecond PlaceShangli Lian, basic science, “Short InterferingRNAs Induce Target-dependent GW BodyAssembly.” S. Lian*, M.J. Fritzler, J. Katz, T.Hamazaki, N. Terada and E. K.L. ChanThird PlaceKaleb Pauley, basic science, “Effects of InnateImmune Signaling on GW Body Assembly.”K.M. Pauley*, M. Satoh, Y. Li, W.H. Reeves andE. K.L. Chan

Research Day


S T U D E N T S

Pictured: Second year pediatric resident and secondplace winner in the MS/Resident division, AmandaVelazquez, reviews her poster abstract with UlrichFoerster, a clinical associate professor of oral andmaxillofacial surgery and diagnostic sciences, in theFounder’s Gallery. Dentistry’s April 13 Research Dayfeatured a keynote address by Nobel Laureate, SirHarold Kroto, oral presentations, division awards andposter presentations. (PHOTO BY SAM BRILL)

S T U D E N T S

� 2007 Hinman Scholars

Dental juniors Lindsay Ringdahl and David Yates arethe college’s 2007 Hinman Scholars. Ringdahl and Yates received their $3,000 cash awards during theMarch Hinman Dental Society meeting in Atlanta, Ga.

� Multicultural Award

Dental senior Sanjie Jackson was honored with a Multicultural Award bythe UF dean of students office during the April awards ceremony. Jacksonwas recognized with the award for her academic excellence and studentleadership activities.

� Scholarship

Dental senior Maggie Novy is the recipient of the 2007 American DentalEducation Association/Listerine® Preventive Dentistry Scholarship. The$2,500 scholarship award was presented during the March ADEA annualmeeting held in New Orleans, La.

� Fellowship

Freshman dental student Yue Wang received a $3,000 AmericanAssociation of Dental Research (AADR) research fellowship, which isintended to encourage the recipient to consider a career in oral healthresearch. The AADR awarded 19 research fellowships to dental studentsnationwide during the association’s March meeting in New Orleans, La.

COMMENCEMENT 2007!New dentist, Esmeralda “Esmy” Chiang, was cheered by her family during dentistry’s May 18Commencement Ceremony, held at the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. During the ceremony,dentistry graduated 79 new dentists, 12 internationally-educated dentists, and 46 graduate andadvanced education students. To view the complete online commencement photo album, visitwww.dental.ufl.edu/Graduation.

Ringdahl Yates

Jackson

Novy

Wang


The Ambassadors organized the 2nd annual AcidEtch Talent and Comedy Sketch, held May 8, show-casing the talents of dental students and faculty —including 1st place winners, Erin Smith and herFreshman Rappers, who performed “Floss it right,floss it right, floss it tight.” Videotaped class skitsadded to the fun, and more than 200 people filled theauditorium to enjoy the show.

The judges, Drs. Marc Gale, Ariela Notzer andBoyd Robinson, provided witty feedback to each per-former, while the repartee of MCs Maggie Novy andDavid Yates kept the comedic dialog buoyant. Diverseacts such as guitar performances, vocalists, piano,percussive perfect pizza-making, acts of magic andvaudevillian song and dance routines graced thestage. For videotaped performances, check out AcidEtch Online, at www.dental.ufl.edu/AcidEtch.

Senior Awards

Honors “cum laude” were bestowed on Glenn Cohen,Karly Fabres, Allison Harris and Dan Stewart.

High Honors “magna cum laude” were bestowed onAndrew Deitrich, Manav Malik, Angela Matriscianoand Maggie Novy.

UFCD Dental Ambassadorstake a bow

The College of Dentistry honored graduatingstudents with senior awards during the col-lege’s annual Senior Banquet, held May 12 inthe J.W. Reitz Union Grand Ballroom. For thecomplete award listing and photo gallery, visitwww.dental.ufl.edu/SrAwards

As state dollars for dental education diminish, the University of FloridaCollege of Dentistry depends more and more on the generosity of its alumniand friends to support educating the state’s future dentists and dental special-ists. These gifts are applied to faculty endowments, student scholarships, andimproving college facilities.

Your support helps assure the college graduates the best and brightestdental clinician-scientists to join the ranks of dental professionals in our state.

Ways you can help.Outright gifts include one-time cash gifts or pledges paid over a five-year

period. Gifts of stocks, bonds, and real estate can be beneficial to the collegewhile realizing significant tax benefits for you, the donor. Cash gifts andpledge payments are even more convenient when made using Master Card,VISA, Discover, or American Express.

Bequest gifts are those made by provision in your will. These can includemonetary gifts as well as gifts of stocks, bonds or real estate. A life insurancebequest is another way of making a bequest, as suggested by UFCD CharterClass member, Bill Martin:

“I am grateful for the abundance in my life and mydental education has enabled me to have a career anda lifestyle that are fulfilling. I feel it is my responsibilityto “give back” to the University of Florida College ofDentistry for providing that education, because thereis no other investment I’ve made that has yielded abetter return than my tuition dollars.

I chose to give back by taking out a life insurancepolicy for $100,000 and making the college the benefi-ciary. I know my small annual investment in the policypremium will make a difference for future UFCD stu-dents and faculty.

Cathy Jenkins made the process so easy, and I urge all UFCD graduates totake advantage of this opportunity to give back.”

—Bill Martin, Charter Class

Make a gift to the future.

How to make a gift

Learn more ways of enhancing dental education through your charitable support. Many giving optionsprovide for the future of dental education while providing excellent financial benefits for donors. We arehappy to discuss giving options that make financial sense for you. Contact: Catherine Jenkins,Development Director, UF College of Dentistry, P. O. Box 100217, Gainesville, FL 32610352-273-5779 • email: [email protected] www.dental.ufl.edu

NONPROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDPERMIT NO. 94

GAINESVILLE, FLCollege of DentistryP.O. Box 100405Gainesville, FL 32610-0405

� Craniofacial Pain andPathofunction Part IV: Mini-ResidencyOct. 3 - 5, 2007Henry Gremillion, D.D.S.,M.A.G.D. and ChristopherSpencer, D.D.S.Gainesville, Fla.

� Avoiding Lawsuits in Your Dental Practice: Protecting Yourself fromEmployee LiabilityOct. 5, 2007Annelise Ydstebo Driscoll, Ph.D., M.B.A. Gainesville, Fla.

� ADVANCED SKILLS for theDental Team: Nitrous OxidePsychosedationOct. 5 - 6, 2007Franci Stavropoulos, D.D.S.Gainesville, Fla.

� Orthodontic Intervention inEsthetic & Restorative DentistryOct. 6, 2007Mark S. Coican, D.M.D., M.S.Gainesville, Fla.

� Canada/New England Fall Color Cruise: Pediatric DentistryOct. 6-13, 2007Robert Primosch, D.D.S., M.S.,M.Ed.

� Basic Radiology Skills for the Dental Auxiliary:Certification TrainingOct. 19 - 20, 2007James Pettigrew, D.M.D.; MadhuNair, D.M.D., Ph.D.; GlendaGuarino; Mae Bell WilsonGainesville, Fla.

� Effective Periodontal Therapy Through a Workshop in TechnologyOct. 20, 2007Samuel B. Low, D.D.S., M.S.,M.Ed.St. Petersburg, Fla.

� Pharmocology: LatestInformation to Keep yourPractice Current & Save Patients' LivesOct. 26, 2007Robert L. Wynn, Ph.D., leadauthor of Drug InformationHandbook for DentistryOrlando, Fla.

� Bahamas Cruise: Day of Core & Required CoursesNov. 1 - 4, 2007Nicholas Grimaudo, D.M.D., Ph.D.Cruise

� UF CDE Study GroupNov. 9, 2007Michael Koczarski, D.D.S.;Thomas McGarry, D.D.S.; and

Cherilyn Sheets, D.D.S.Gainesville, Fla.

� In Search of…The BestMaterials for Impressions, Crowns & BridgesNov. 16, 2007Robert S. Cowie, D.D.S., F.A.G.D.St. Petersburg, Fla.

� Craniofacial Pain andPathofunction Part II: Oral FacialPain-Advanced DiagnosisNov. 29 - Dec. 1, 2007Henry Gremillion, D.D.S.,M.A.G.D.; Frank Dolwick, D.D.S.,Ph.D.; John Neubert, D.D.S.,Ph.D. Gainesville, Fla.

� Introduction to Cerec 3D Cad-Cam TechnologyNov. 30 - Dec. 1, 2007Amer Abu-Hanna, D.D.S., M.S.and Mark Davis, D.D.S. Gainesville, Fla.

� The SECRET WEAPON ofChampion Dental Assistants:Expanded Functions for DAsNov. 30 - Dec. 16, 2007UF FacultyGainesville, Fla.

� Safe Management of the High Risk Geriatric PatientDec. 7, 2007

John Thomas, D.D.S., M.S.Gainesville, Fla.

� Basic Radiology Skills for theDental Auxiliary: CertificationTrainingDec. 7 - 8, 2007James Pettigrew, D.M.D.; MadhuNair, D.M.D., Ph.D.; GlendaGuarino; Mae Bell WilsonGainesville, Fla.

� Advanced Techniques for theAccomplished Dental Hygienist:Airpolishing & UltrasonicsDec. 14, 2007Robbi Hoskins, R.D.H.; LoriePrimosch, R.D.H., B.S., M.I.L.Sc.,M.Ed.; Sharon Cooper, R.D.H.,M.S., M.Ed., B.S.Gainesville, Fla.

� The Dentist and SleepDisorders: A MultidisciplinaryApproachDec. 14 - 15, 2007Charles D. Smith, D.D.S.Gainesville, Fla.

� Courses Eligible for TEAMDiscount of $25 per registrant

CALL TOLL-FREE

1-888-550-4590 or Register ONLINE at www.dental.ufl.edu/CE

OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2007Continuing Dental Education

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