Ahead: of The Pack

B A Y L O R D E N T A L
a y l c r C c l l e g e c f D e n t i s t r y D a l l a s , 1 e x a s
2007
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B A Y L O R D E N T A L J O U R N A L / 2 0 0 7 | 1
f
d e p a r t me n t s
The Baylor Dental Journal is published by the Offce of Communications and Development;
Texas A&M Health Science Center Baylor College of Dentistry; 3302 Gaston Avenue; Dallas,
Texas 75246; 214-828-8214. This issue was printed April 2008. Production of the Baylor
Dental Journal is supported by a grant to HSC-BCD from the Baylor Oral Health Foundation.
Financial support to defray printing and mailing expenses is provided by the Baylor College of
Dentistry Alumni Association. HSC-BCD serves people of all ages regardless of socioeconomic
level, race, color, sex, religion, disability or national origin.
Editcr Carolyn Cox
Designer Miler Hung, Peterson Ray & Company
Prcducticn Artist Gay Pridgeon
Phctcgrahers Melissa Branyan, LaDawn Brock, Julia El Chami, Dr. Stephen Crane, Dave Gresham, Rick McDaniel,
Leilane Vicente, Kara Wong
Ccntributcrs Dr. Charles Arcoria, Laura Beil, Melissa Branyan, LaDawn Brock, Lori Dees, Jane Jarrell, Shonda Jenkins,
Brigitte Sims, Art Upton, Sara Wartes, Janea Woosley
Executive Directcr, Ccmmunicaticns and Develcment Susan Mitchell Jackson
2
3
30
Message From the Dean
A Look Inside
In Touch With Alumni
20
16
26
Weaving the Threads of Hope:
A new community partnership is
adding dental care and prevention
to the fabric of revitalization in one
of Dallas most ethnically diverse
neighborhoods.
Ahead of the Pack:
The quitter is the winner
in the race against
addiction. At
HSC-Baylor
College of
Dentistry, tobacco
cessation counseling
is helping tobacco users
break away.
The Gift Report:
HSC-Baylor College of
Dentistry, the Baylor
Oral Health Foundation
and the Baylor College
of Dentistry Alumni
Association acknowledge
with gratitude the fnancial
support provided by
alumni and friends.
An Appetite for
Learning:
Brain food? If its
tasty, convenient and
can be eaten on the
run, then brain food it
is, according to HSC-Baylor
College of Dentistry students.
40
M e s s a g e
From the Dean
2 | B A Y L O R D E N T A L J O U R N A L / 2 0 0 7
T
exas A&M Health
Science Center
Baylor College of
Dentistry was one of the
early U.S. dental schools
to embrace the concept of
comprehensive care a
patient-centered teaching
environment that allows
our students to develop a
treatment plan and
provide a range of care to
patients whom they follow
throughout their treatment.
The objective is to mimic as closely
as possible the practice environment
that our students will be entering as
young professionals. In recent years we
have continued to make it our goal to
stay abreast of technology and provide
students the opportunity to graduate
with skills that enable them to function
effectively in a private dental practice.
To that end, we recently have added
the Advanced Technology Clinic (see
article on page 3), where students can
work with equipment that could be
found in the most modern private
practice. Thus, we have developed an
environment that adds signifcantly to
student educational experiences and
allows us to care for more patients with
alternative methods and equipment.
A collateral beneft is that we are now
in a position to conduct clinical research
on the new equipment and methodol-
ogies. We are indebted to the Baylor
Oral Health Foundation for funding this
addition to our D4 clinic.
Also, for the frst time this year, all
dental students will rotate through our
undergraduate implant clinic and be
assigned at least one implant case before
graduation. We believe we are giving
our students not only a solid foundation
but enhanced learning opportunities on
which to build their professional careers.
To assess our effectiveness, we
continually seek feedback from our
students, both at graduation and fve
years after graduation, as well as from
our longtime alumni and other
practitioners. In addition, the recent
Texas Dental Association workplace
survey, conducted by a member of our
faculty, has been a valuable source of
information. It is important that we stay
connected with the practicing com-
munity in order to better prepare our
graduates to enter the 21st century
world of oral health care.
We realize that a vibrant dental
school must be as sensitive to the needs
of its faculty as it is to its students. In
response to a nationwide trend that
foreshadows a shortage of dental faculty,
we have established a faculty develop-
ment program to mentor and encourage
our young faculty members. To en-
courage dental graduates to pursue
academic careers, we have established a
tuition reduction program for graduate
students who agree to join the faculty
following their specialty training.
Although our faculty is aging, many
of our retirees return to the college to
teach with reduced hours. And even
though specialists are sometimes hard to
lure from lucrative private practices, at
this time we have not experienced the
level of diffculty in recruiting and
retaining faculty that has been reported
at many dental schools.
We view dental education as a
fuid enterprise that must be constantly
updated and balanced to meet the
needs of our students in an ever-
developing profession. We are com-
mitted to providing the next generation
of dental professionals with a strong
foundation of knowledge along
with current technology, techniques
and expertise.
Dr. James S. Cole
A L O O K I N S I D E
General dentistry welcomes innovation
The Department of General Dentistry at Texas A&M Health
Science Center Baylor College of Dentistry unveiled an innova-
tive clinic-within-a-clinic with the start of the 2007 fall semester.
The Advanced Technology Clinic, located within the third-
foor main clinic, boasts four operatories equipped in differ-
ent styles of the latest instruments and equipment. It also is
equipped with a milling unit that can create a CAD-CAM resto-
ration in 15 minutes.
Each of the clinics stations features two monitors, an intraoral
camera, digital radiography, an inte-
grated electronic patient management
system and a state-of-the-art chair
that provides dental students multiple
access points to the patient.
All fourth-year students will rotate
through the clinic, which is intended
to provide them with needed experi-
ence in a contemporary dental clinic
setting prior to transitioning into
private practice.
We cannot ignore new technol-
ogy, says Dr. Mohsen Taleghani, pro-
fessor and chair of general dentistry.
We need to prepare our graduates for
what is outside of dental school.
Integrating new technology
into the curriculum is a priority for
Taleghani, who submitted a grant
proposal to the Baylor Oral Health
Foundation in 2005 to request funding for the creation of the
clinic. The foundation responded with a $250,000 grant. To
ensure the clinics technology remains current, the manufactur-
ers have agreed to upgrade or replace the equipment at least
every 18 months.
As part of our mission, we need to provide an education that
our students and graduates can put to work, and this is a part of
it, Taleghani says. z
A patient receives care in the Advanced Technology Clinic from fourth-year dental student Chuong Do (left) with consultation from Dr. Mohsen
Taleghani. Inset: Fourth-year student Elham Ighani (right) discusses treatment with a patient.
Gannaway, Pearson named Teachers of the Year
The 2007 Teachers of the Year are both alumni of HSC-Baylor
College of Dentistry and have a combined 40 years of experience
in the dental profession, including nearly 25 years of teaching
experience.
Students selected Dr. Mark Gannaway 81, assistant professor
in restorative sciences, and Keri Pearson 92, assistant professor
in the Caruth School of Dental Hygiene, to receive this years
awards, sponsored by the Alumni Association.
Gannaway practiced general dentistry in Richardson, Texas,
before joining the dental school faculty in 1998. He has taught
preclinical removable prosthodontics, clinical operative dentistry
and fxed prosthodontics. He currently serves as the director of
comprehensive care for the third-year program.
Dr. Mark Gannaway Keri Pearson
continued on page 4
B A Y L O R D E N T A L J O U R N A L / 2 0 0 7 |
| B A Y L O R D E N T A L J O U R N A L / 2 0 0 7
Gannaway says he loves his job and is
committed to ensuring his students have
a frm foundation and a desire to improve
continually.
Dentists have to be lifelong learners,
he says. Todays dental practice is evolv-
ing, and the doctors must keep up with the
constant fux.
A fellow of the International College
of Dentists, Gannaway has served on the
board of directors of HSC-BCDs Alumni
Association for the past six years.
Keri Pearson has been a clinical faculty
member at HSC-BCD for 14 years. She
currently practices in DeSoto, Texas, and
Mansfeld, Texas, in addition to her duties at
the college.
As a teacher, she says her hope is that her
students will become not only competent
clinicians but also compassionate individuals.
I thoroughly enjoy being a hygienist and
being able to pass on to the students what
I have learned from my years of practice,
says Pearson. Also, being an instructor has
enabled me to stay current on changes in the
profession.
Pearson is a past president of the Dallas
Dental Hygienists Society and has served as
the dental hygiene representative on HSC-
BCDs Alumni Association board.
Teachers of the Year receive a plaque,
$1,000 and an engraved gold apple. z
Teachers of the Year continued from page 3
A L OOK
Grant-funded study to evaluate common treatment options
Dr. Jenny He, assistant professor
in endodontics, has received a
$681,448 grant from the American
Association of Endodontists
Foundation for a fve-year clinical
study.
The clinical research award
the largest in HSC-Baylor College
of Dentistrys history will fund
her study titled A comparative
outcome analysis of endodontic
retreatment and single implant-supported
restoration.
The study, which began in January 2008
and concludes in December 2012, will com-
pare patient satisfaction and masticatory, or
chewing, function of 200 patients receiving
treatment for failed nonsurgical root canal
treatments on a frst molar in the lower jaw.
Patients meeting the determined criteria
will be recruited to participate in the study
and will elect to receive either a root canal
retreatment or an extraction followed by a
single implant placement and restoration.
The researchers will identify 100 participants
for each of the two treatment option groups.
There is a lot of debate in this feld
whether you should extract a tooth and
replace it with an implant or perform a root
canal and place a crown over the tooth,
says He. I think that if you look at the
facts fairly, success rates are overall pretty
similar between endodontic and
implant treatments.
When success rates are so
similar, you have to look at other
factors such as healing time,
function and patient satisfac-
tion, continues He.
One goal of her research is to
measure and compare the suc-
cess of the treatments from both
the clinical and patient perspec-
tives. Study participants will be evaluated
at intervals of one week, three months, six
months, one year and two years after the
completion of their dental treatments. He
will be looking at their chewing ability, bite
force, healing time and the effects treatment
has had on various quality of life factors such
as confdence, comfort and ability to enunci-
ate and consume a normal diet, among other
considerations.
Results obtained from this study are
critical for the clinical decision making we
use to select the most appropriate treat-
ment option for the patient, says He.
Information gathered will assist in estab-
lishing guidelines to most effectively restore
the function and esthetics of the denti-
tion and improve the quality of life while
promoting an evidence-based approach in
clinical dentistry. z
Dr. Jenny He
Hoffman receives
fellowship
Third-year dental student David
Hoffman received one of 10 American
Association for Dental Research/Amer-
ican Dental Education Association
Academic Dental Careers Fellowships
in March.
Hoffman is mentored by Dr.
Robert Spears, assistant professor in
biomedical sciences.
The yearlong fellowship fosters a
recruitment effort, encouraging and
preparing students to enter academic
dentistry. The fellowship experience
provides training, mentorship and
hands-on experience in research,
teaching and other aspects of an
academic career in dental schools.
Fellows glean information and
Taylor honored by
dental association
Dr. Reginald Taylor, associate
professor and director of predoctoral
orthodontics, was selected for a
National Dental Association Foun-
dation/Colgate-Palmolive Faculty
Recognition Award.
Recipients were honored in July
during the NDA annual convention in
Atlanta. Taylor received a commemo-
Dr. Reginald Taylor
I NS I DE
Oral pathology lectures travel to northeast Texas
Dental hygiene students at Northeast Texas
Community College in Mount Pleasant are
receiving oral pathology instruction from
Dallas experts 120 miles away without the
commute.
For the third consecutive year, dis-
tance education by HSC-Baylor College
of Dentistry is facilitating this opportunity,
which occurs each Tuesday and Friday
morning of the fall semester.
At the request of the NTCC dental
hygiene program, faculty members in HSC-
BCDs Department of Diagnostic Sciences
deliver three hours of lectures each week on
wide-ranging
topics in oral
pathology.
These lectures
occur simul-
taneously
with those
presented
on-campus to
students of
HSC-BCDs
Caruth School
of Dental
Hygiene.
Exams also
are presented
concurrently
throughout
the semester.
The live video presents an opportunity
for the NTCC students to learn from a
great pathology team at Baylor, says Donna
Davis, director of dental hygiene at NTCC.
It is evident in the students clinical
terminology of differential diagnosis that
they gain extensive knowledge from this
opportunity.
When the NTCC dental hygiene pro-
gram began about four years ago, its found-
ing dental hygiene director looked to the
closest dental school for expertise and
teaching assistance. The director e-mailed
Dr. Janice DeWald 95, HSC-BCD professor
and director of dental hygiene, to inquire
whether any faculty member at the dental
school would be interested in developing an
oral pathology course for NTCC.
Weve been working with them ever
since, explains Dr. John Wright, Regents
professor and chair of diagnostic sciences at
HSC-BCD.
When the request came in, I decided to
investigate how we could make this work,
he says. With the help of Scott Frederick
(audiovisual specialist in media resources)
and information technology staff at the
community college, we set up an elec-
tronic connection through the Trans-Texas
Videoconference Network.
Students in Mount Pleasant view the lec-
tures as they
are presented
live in Dallas.
The video-
conferencing
is interac-
tive and the
students
in Mount
Pleasant can
ask ques-
tions of the
Dallas faculty.
Wright
travels twice
to Mount
Pleasant; once
at the outset
of the course
to meet the students and deliver the frst
three hours of lectures, and once at the con-
clusion to present an interactive case-based
seminar on differential diagnosis and deliver
the practical exam.
The students say that Wright makes things
interesting and easy to learn, says Davis, and
they appreciate his preparation and organiza-
tion. Hes awesome, comments one.
They are intimidated by the complex
subject matter and technology involved at
the beginning of the course, Wright says,
but they rise to the occasion and study
hard. Clearly they see the relevancy, and
traditionally, they score as well as the Baylor
students on exams.
Dental hygiene students from Northeast Texas Community College pause for a photo with
Dr. John Wright (right) during his visit to their campus in November.
continued on page 11
perspectives that will assist them
in making informed choices about
dental careers, including options for
academic careers.
ADCFP fellows receive a $4,000
stipend, which supports attendance
at a summer fellow/mentor training
session and the AADR/ADEA annual
session. z
David Hoffman
rative plaque and a $750 cash award.
After seven years of teaching at
HSC-Baylor College of Dentistry, Taylor
says this honor has inspired him to try
even harder to teach the next genera-
tions of dental professionals.
I am proud to have received this
award from the National Dental Asso-
ciation, he says. It is always gratifying
to be recognized by an organization of
your peers.
The annual faculty awards program
honors the achievements of minor-
ity faculty in dental education and
research who have demonstrated
excellence in professional development
and a willingness to support others in
their quest for knowledge and advance-
ment. These awards recognize full-time
dental faculty whose actions produce a
balance between dental educators and
dental practitioners through joint efforts
of the NDA and the American Dental
Education Association. z
A L OOK
DSouza receives NIH grant, national advisory role
Dr. Rena DSouza, professor and
chair of biomedical sciences at
HSC-Baylor College of Dentistry,
has received nearly $1.2 million
in continued funding from the
National Institutes of Health for
her research titled Regulation
of Runx2 Function by Twist-1 in
Tooth Development.
This major grant will continue
through 2010 and will support
studies that have been ongoing in
DSouzas laboratories for several years.
This research can be applied to new
approaches in tooth bioengineering that will
utilize dental stem cells that exist in decidu-
ous teeth and third molars, she says.
DSouza seeks to explain the cause of an
extra set of teeth that forms in people with
cleidocranial dysplasia. CCD is an inherited
condition that results in various skeletal
defects in addition to the formation of extra
teeth and is caused by mutations of a gene
called Runx2.
DSouzas laboratory studies show Runx2
is involved in determining the fate of the
dental lamina, a layer of cells that gives rise
to tooth organs. In its absence, genes that
normally cause programmed cell
death are deregulated, which
may account for the contin-
ued proliferation of the dental
lamina and the presence of extra
teeth.
As we continue to peel each
layer of the onion in solving
this mystery, we have uncov-
ered other roles for Runx2 in
the control of tooth eruption
and in pulpal homeostasis,
says DSouza. Each of these fndings raises
another generation of exciting questions for
the future, and my research group is pursuing
each with much interest.
DSouza also is bringing her extensive
research experience and expertise to bear in
a new national advisory role. She has been
appointed by U.S. Secretary of Health and
Human Services Mike Leavitt to a four-year
term on the National Advisory Dental and
Craniofacial Research Council. Composed of
13 members, this council is responsible for
advising Leavitt and Dr. Lawrence Tabak,
director of the National Institute of Dental
and Craniofacial Research. z
Dr. Rena DSouza
Dr. David M. Grogan 81 became
chair of the Department of Oral
and Maxillofacial Surgery on Sept.
1, when Dr. R. Gilbert Triplett
relinquished the position he had
held for 16 years.
Triplett kept his faculty
appointment in oral and maxil-
lofacial surgery and maintained
his position as chairman of the
Department of Dentistry at Baylor
University Medical Center.
Dr. Triplett has been an exemplary
leader, said Dr. James S. Cole, dean, in
making the announcement. I am grateful
for all the contributions he has made.
I am confdent that the department
will continue to thrive under Dr. Grogans
leadership.
Grogan named chair of oral surgery
Grogan received his under-
graduate education at Baylor
University in Waco, Texas,
before receiving his dental
degree from HSC-BCD in 1981.
He then completed his oral and
maxillofacial surgery training at
BUMC in Dallas. He practiced
in Waco prior to joining HSC-
BCDs oral surgery department
in 2000.
Grogan is a diplomate of the
American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial
Surgery and a fellow of the American
Association of Oral and Maxillofacial
Surgeons, the American College of Dentists
and the International College of Dentists. He
is the president-elect of the Texas Society of
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. z
Dr. David M. Grogan
Student interns
for AADR
Allen spends summer
at NIDCR
Austin Allen
Second-year dental student Austin
Allen spent summer 2007 as a
summer research fellow at the
National Institute of Dental and
Craniofacial Research, a component
of the National Institutes of Health
in Bethesda, Md.
For eight weeks Allen worked
alongside his mentor, Dr. Larry
W. Fisher of the NIDCR. The two
Esteban Garza, a second-year
dental student, spent seven weeks
of summer 2007 in the Washington,
D.C., area as a summer intern for
the American Association for Dental
Research.
Garza worked with the AADRs
legislative affairs and marketing and
communications departments and
with the American Dental Education
Association Center for Public Policy
and Advocacy under his mentor Dr.
Daryl Pritchard, director of legislative
affairs for the AADR.
Garzas duties included projects
involving policy development and
advocacy, congressional outreach,
public relations and research. All were
I NS I DE
Workshop addresses bisphosphonate issues
Bisphosphonate-induced osteonecrosis of
the jaw death of jawbone tissue was the
topic of HSC-Baylor College of Dentistrys
annual Faculty Calibration Workshop held
April 2.
For the frst time, the workshop usually
limited to participation by HSC-BCD
faculty was expanded to include dental
and dental hygiene students and private
practitioners. Clinics were closed so that
nearly 500 individuals could hear the invited
lecture by Dr. Robert E. Marx, professor and
chief of oral and maxillofacial surgery at the
University of Miami Miller School of
Medicine, who is one of the pioneers in
researching the condition.
Through the use of video conferencing,
Marxs lecture on the sixth foor was viewed
simultaneously by students in remote lec-
ture halls. Students were able to participate
in the question-and-answer session follow-
ing Marxs presentation.
Bisphosphonates have become a standard
treatment for metastatic disease spread to
bone from breast, lung, and prostate cancer.
The therapy also is used in the treatment
of multiple myeloma and for treatment and
prevention of osteoporosis. Bisphosphonates,
however, have been identifed since 2003 as
the source of osteonecrosis in cancer patients
who receive intravenous bisphosphonate
therapy and osteoporosis patients who
receive oral bisphosphonate therapy.
Marxs presentation illustrated the need
for dental professionals to gain a compre-
hensive knowledge of the pharmacologic
actions of the drugs, their clinical use and
their possible long-term oral complications.
Of equal importance is the ability for dental
health professionals to predict risks and to
recommend steps to prevent the ONJ from
developing. z
College welcomes guests for Family Day
Dental student Kristen Estrada (left) introduces two family members to preclinical student life in Lab
30 during Family Day on April 7. The annual event gives frst-year dental and dental hygiene students the
opportunity to share the HSC-BCD experience with their family and friends.
researched structure-function of
non-collagenous extracellular matrix
proteins, an important class of mol-
ecules that regulate the mineralization
of dentin and bone.
The summer research fellowship is
designed to give talented dental stu-
dents hands-on research experience
and exposure to the latest advances
in oral health research. Selected
candidates are assigned to mentors
who conduct research in the students
areas of interest.
This fellowship is a highly compet-
itive award given to a limited number
of students who have demonstrated
the abilities and potential to pursue an
academic or research career, says Dr.
Robert Spears 94, 02, assistant pro-
fessor in biomedical sciences. This
was the third year in a row, and one of
fve of the last six years, that we have
had a student selected for this highly
prestigious opportunity. z
designed to raise the public aware-
ness of oral health.
The experience was enlightening
for Garza, who returned with a greater
awareness of the workings in
Washington.
I learned that there is a huge
need for funds for NIH in order to
improve our research and technology,
says Garza. z
Esteban Garza
A L OOK
Time capsule caps off centennial celebration
Less than 50 years from now,
folks around HSC-Baylor College
of Dentistry will be in for a treat.
A time capsule that marked
the conclusion of the dental
schools centennial celebration is
intended to be opened as a
highlight of the colleges sesqui-
centennial celebration in 2055.
In May 2006, the centennial
ended with a visual splash in a
ceremony that
commemorated the
colleges new
historical marker
and also spotlighted
the contents of its
100th anniversary
time capsule. The
colleges sixth foor
lobby contained a
display of more than
150 items contrib-
uted for the capsule.
These items
included everything
from a Ping-Pong
ball and paddle to photos taken through a
scanning electron microscope.
A coffee cup from Breakers (the colleges coffee
bar), a printed board exam and a hurricane
evacuee kit of oral hygiene products HSC-BCD
distributed following Hurricane Katrina made
the cut as well. T-shirts, videos, clinical supplies,
dental restorations, clinic attire all were
included.
The home for the 16-by-16-by-36 capsule for
the next few decades is the college vault on the
ffth foor.
The task of assembling the contents of the
capsule benefted from the enthusiastic contri-
butions of the colleges departments and student
classes. The objective was to provide a snap-
shot of today to help document and preserve
the dental schools history.
Mark your calendar for 2055-2056, and join
us in celebrating our dental schools sesquicen-
tennial. A certain time capsule will remind you
how we did things in the good ol days. z
Alexander retires
Longtime faculty member Dr.
Roger Alexander entered the retire-
ment ranks Aug. 31 after 17 years at
HSC-Baylor College of Dentistry. He
joined the college in 1990 after a 26-
year career in the U.S. Navy.
The former professor and director
of undergraduate surgical education in
oral and maxillofacial surgery is con-
tinuing to serve the college part time.
He also is editor-elect of Dateline, the
Dallas County Dental Society news-
letter, and will remain on the speaking
circuit until 2009.
At the American Association of
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons 89th
annual meeting Oct. 10 in Honolulu,
Alexander received the Daniel M.
Laskin Award for an Outstanding
Predoctoral Educator.
Alexander earned his dental
degree from Marquette University
School of Dentistry in Milwaukee
College supports
SMILEWalk
The second annual SMILEWalk
was held Sept. 8 at White Rock Lake
in Dallas. The 5K walk benefted
the Childrens Oral Health Center, a
no-charge dental center providing
oral health services and education to
underserved children in Dallas.
HSC-Baylor College of Dentistry
and the Baylor Oral Health Foundation
signed on as offcial sponsors for the
events inaugural year in 2006 and
returned as sponsors for the 2007
walk.
Faculty members Dr. Anthony
Bolin, assistant professor in public
health sciences, and Lisa Harper Mal-
lonee, associate professor in dental
The 100th anniversary time capsule will be opened in 2055 during the
colleges sesquicentennial. Center: The fnal centennial event featured
a display of time capsule contents.
I NS I DE
A brand-new brand premiers
After months of anticipation, HSC-Baylor
College of Dentistry launched its new logo,
tagline, naming con-
vention and Web site
in May.
These changes
are part of the ongo-
ing Health Science
Center branding
campaign aimed to
strengthen the recog-
nition of the HSC at the local, state and
national levels.
The Web site features a clean layout and
easy navigation, designed for the conve-
nience of the end user. The design was
implemented through the Health Science
Centers central administration, and all
HSC component Web sites now conform
to a unifed look. Content for the dental
schools site was created and implemented
in Dallas through the HSC-BCD Offce
of Communications and Development. It
continues to evolve with the incorporation of
new and revised content.
The new logo and a new tagline, Bringing
Learning to Life, have been established to
highlight the mission and vision of the HSC
and establish a consistent visual identity.
The new logo replaces all previous logos
and seals of the dental school. Three logo-
design options are available to maximize
fexibility for a
variety of uses. The
logos and a style
guide governing
their use are avail-
able electronically at
the HSC-BCD Web
site, http://www.
bcd.tamhsc.edu/
newsevents/stylesheet.html.
The colleges name now appears as Texas
A&M Health Science Center Baylor College
of Dentistry upon frst reference and either
HSC-Baylor College of Dentistry or HSC-
BCD thereafter.
We had received a lot of questions from
faculty and staff about when the dental
school would be able to use the new logo.
It was exciting for our offce to have the
go-ahead to offer our campus all of the new
branding materials, says Susan Mitchell
Jackson, executive director of communica-
tions and development. Thankfully, the
feedback has been positive.
For more information regarding any
aspect of the branding campaign, con-
tact the Offce of Communications and
Development at 214.828.8214. z
Dr. Roger Alexander
Members of the second-year dental class
now receive white lab coats during a special
ceremony held in the spring semester. The
coats signify the students transition from the
classrooms and labs into the dental clinic,
where they begin to provide care to HSC-
Baylor College of Dentistry patients.
The Alumni Association purchases the
coats and sponsors the symbolic event, frst
held in 2007. The coats are embroidered
with the dental schools logo and include an
alumni pin on the lapel.
White Coat Ceremony marks student milestone
before completing his oral and
maxillofacial surgery residency at
Naval Regional Medical Center in
Philadelphia.
A diplomate of the American Board
of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery,
Alexander is a fellow of the Inter-
national College of Dentists, the Ameri-
can College of Dentists, the American
Association of Oral and Maxillofacial
Surgeons and the Southwest Society of
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. z
hygiene, served as co-captains again
this year for the faculty team. Walkers
are encouraged to raise money in sup-
port of their participation in the walk.
Last year, the faculty team raised
$3,300 for the COHC the largest
amount raised by any participating
team.
The COHC relies on donations and
a volunteer staff of dental profes-
sionals to provide oral health care to
children in the Dallas Independent
School District who might otherwise
not receive dental care.
Only with generous donations
from individuals and other sponsors of
events like the SmileWalk fundraiser
will we continue to be able to provide
the care these children desperately
need, says Bolin. z
1 0 | B A Y L O R D E N T A L J O U R N A L / 2 0 0 7
A L OOK
Stanford remembered
HSC-Baylor College of Dentistry
mourns the loss of Dr. Thomas Stan-
ford, associate professor and director
of undergraduate periodontics.
Stanford passed away Aug. 18
at age 66 after a short battle with
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, a rare
degenerative brain disorder. He is
remembered as a dedicated teacher
and good friend who provided service
and leadership to his profession.
Dr. Stanfords quiet, good-
humored approach to even the most
daunting tasks earned the respect of
his peers, his students and all levels
of administration, says Dr. James S.
Cole 75, dean.
Stanford joined the dental faculty
in 1993 following a 25-year career in
the U.S. Army Dental Corps. In 2005,
he received the Award for Outstand-
ing Teaching in Periodontics from the
American Academy of Periodontology.
He was voted Teacher of the Year at
HSC-BCD in 1999 and was nomi-
nated for that honor eight times during
his career at the dental school.
Dr. William Hallmon, Regents pro-
fessor and chair of the Department of
In 2007, HSC-
Baylor College
of Dentistry
completed the
digitalization
of its patient
records fol-
lowing nearly
two years of
preparation and
implementation.
The frst
phase of the
project included
converting radiographs to a digital format
and installing computers in each operatory
for speedy viewing. In the past, computers
were located at strategic locations in clinic
and student-use areas. Clinicians are now
able to serve patients more effciently with
nearly immediate access to radiographic
images. The technology also allows fne-tun-
ing of images.
The imaging software provides many
ways to enhance an image, which results in
less retakes of radiographs that otherwise
might not have been of diagnostic quality,
says Dr. Steve Griffn 85, director of clinics
in the Offce of Clinical Affairs.
The second phase of the project, the
Electronic Health Record, consisted of
replacing current patient charts with fully
electronic fles. This phase was completed in
time for the start of summer clinic in June.
The Electronic Health Record
provides an opportunity to improve
quality of care and patient safety,
says Griffn. The EHR can decrease
charting time and errors and eliminate
mistakes made from unintelligible
notes. Chart chasing is eliminated as
is duplication of data entry on various
forms.
The system provides additional
benefts for faculty and staff.
The EHR streamlines the
chairside assessment process, which
facilitates better clinic management
Clinics implement digital technology
for the faculty
and reduces the
amount of time
patients spend in
the clinics, says
Griffn. The
new procedures
also have taken
some of the
workload off of
the clinic staff
allowing them to
concentrate on
other duties.
Griffn assures patient privacy is not com-
promised. Though patient information is more
easily accessible, it actually is more secure, he
explains, because access is granted based on
necessity.
Comprehensive patient records including
dental, medical and prescription drug his-
tory, appointment records, radiography and
billing are accessible from any workstation,
which fosters better communication between
the clinician and the patient or conferring
clinicians.
While the main goal in this project is to
improve patient care, it is also an important
educational experience for our students, as the
industry in general is moving toward digital
radiographs and patient records, says Griffn.
Most of our students will graduate into posi-
tions using this technology. z
Dr. Steve Griffn welcomes the innovation of electronic patient records.
Fourth-year dental student Saosat Olatunbosun uses the upgraded technology
in the clinic.
Professor named
Educator of Year
Dr. Ronald D. Woody, professor
and director of implant dentistry,
received the Educator of the Year
award from the American College of
Prosthodontists on Nov. 3.
There can be no greater reward
in education and life than to feel you
have made a difference in the devel-
opment and achievements of your
students, says Woody.
Woody has been a director of
graduate prosthodontic programs for
more than 25 years in both the U.S.
B A Y L O R D E N T A L J O U R N A L / 2 0 0 7 | 1 1
I NS I DE
Periodontics, describes Stanford as a
great educator and professional role
model. His legacy will live on in the
many students and peers with whom
he was associated, says Hallmon.
In testament to the students
admiration for Stanford, a scholarship
fund in his memory has been initiated
at the college thanks to the efforts
of David Hoffman, a third-year dental
student.
He was such a great person,
says Hoffman. I wanted to help com-
memorate that.
To contribute to the Dr. Thomas
Stanford Memorial Scholarship fund,
contact Lori Dees in the Offce of
Communications and Development at
[email protected] or
214.828.8471. z
Dr. Thomas Stanford
The students seem comfortable by the
end of the semester, he says. In fact, during
a break this fall, they served cake and ice
cream, presented me with a thank-you card,
and then we all went out to dinner.
The students emblem for Dr. Wright is
Superman, says Davis. This famous char-
acter has topped the cake for the past three
years. We send our gratitude to Dr. Wright
for extending his knowledge to NTCC along
with his staff and faculty who work so hard
during the process.
Additional lecturers from diagnostic
sciences include Dr. Harvey Kessler, profes-
sor; Drs. Lisa Cheng and Aparna Naidu,
assistant professors; and Dr. Mohammed
Mansour, third-year graduate student.
The students admit that this is the most
diffcult course they take, says Wright.
When its over, they feel a great sense of
accomplishment but, more importantly, they
know they have gained competence in an area
that will serve them and their patients well
Oral pathology lectures travel to northeast Texas continued from page 5
Army Dental Corps and at HSC-BCD.
He is a past president of several
national prosthodontic organizations
and serves on the American Dental
Association Commission on Dental
Accreditation. z
Dr. Ronald D. Woody
The Department of Orthodontics hosted
the inaugural Dr. Tom Matthews Lecture on
Aug. 10 at Baylor University Medical Center
in Dallas.
The lecture was presented by Dr. David
Turpin, editor of the American Journal of
Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics, and
supported by the Dr. Robert E. Gaylord
Endowed Chair in Orthodontics Fund. At
the lecture, the 2007 orthodontic graduates
gave a synopsis of their theses.
Matthews, now a clinical professor in
orthodontics, has been involved with the
orthodontics department since its inception
in 1961.
Dr. Matthews has had a tremendous
infuence on all graduates of the depart-
Orthodontics holds frst Matthews Lecture
ment, and he continues to share his knowl-
edge with us every Thursday, says Dr. Phil
Campbell 71, 73, Gaylord Chair-holder and
director of the orthodontic graduate clinic.
Dr. Matthews, from the bottom of our hearts
we say thank you for the wonderful educa-
tion youve provided us all.
Dr. Emile Rossouw, professor and chair of
orthodontics, commends Matthews renowned
teaching expertise and dedication.
What a wonderful example to all of us,
says Rossouw.
The Matthews Lecture will be presented
annually in perpetuity by the Dr. Tom
Matthews Endowment, which was created
through the generosity of Matthews former
students and associates. z
Dr. Tom Matthews (left) and his wife, Martie, are greeted by Dr. Emile Rossouw and Dr. Phil Campbell.
A L OOK
Dr. William W. Hallmon, profes-
sor and chair of the Department
of Periodontics, was named
Regents professor at the Nov.
30, 2006, meeting of The Texas
A&M University System Board of
Regents.
The Regents Professor Award,
established in 1996, is bestowed
annually by the Board of Regents
in recognition of distinguished ser-
vice, extension, research, teaching
and/or scholarship.
Hallmon has served on 45 thesis commit-
tees, and many of his students have been
recognized with prestigious research awards.
In 1999, he initiated the externship in peri-
odontics at HSC-Baylor College of Dentistry.
Hallmon also played a key role in the
graduate periodontics programs accredita-
tion and commendations from the American
Dental Association Commission on Dental
Accreditation.
As part of the departments 50th anniver-
sary in 2005, he established the Periodontal
Resident Endowment Fund to support resi-
dent education and co-authored part two of
Hallmon named Regents Professor
the department text, The History
of Post-Doctoral Periodontics,
Baylor College of Dentistry. His
many publications include 45
scientifc papers, three book
chapters and a literature review
text on periodontics that is used
throughout the United States
by many residency training
programs. He has presented
more than 90 invited/continuing
education programs nationally
and internationally.
Prior to coming to BCD, Hallmon had a
distinguished 24-year teaching career with the
U.S. Air Force and served as chair and program
director of its Advanced Training Program in
Periodontics in San Antonio.
Regents Professor Award recipients are
designated as Regents professors for the dura-
tion of their service or employment within
the A&M System, provided a $9,000 stipend
payable in $3,000 increments over three con-
secutive years, and receive a special medallion
bearing the seal of the A&M System and a
framed certifcate signed by the chancellor and
the chairman of the Board of Regents. z
Dr. William W. Hallmon
Dr. Ryan Womack is a novelty in his dental
class and a frst in the oral and maxillofacial
surgery residency program at HSC-Baylor
College of Dentistry.
After earning a medical degree at the
University of Texas Medical
Branch at Galveston and complet-
ing a general surgery internship,
Womack enrolled at HSC-BCD
in 2006 to obtain a dental degree
and specialty education in oral and
maxillofacial surgery.
Everyone follows a path in the
pursuit of their education; mine
just happens to be more winding
than most, says Womack.
Womacks path to dental school
began during his general surgery
internship in Lubbock, Texas.
I operated many facial trauma cases and
head-and-neck cases with ear, nose and throat
surgeons and became very interested in that
area of the body, he says.
Surgery internship leads physician to dental school
A passion for oral surgery led Dr. Ryan Womack (left) to dental school. He has a like-minded
mentor in graduate program director Dr. Robert Schow.
Centennial
Celebration earns
excellence award
HSC-Baylor College of Dentistrys
Centennial Celebration earned an
Award of Excellence in the 2007
awards competition of the Council for
Advancement and Support of Educa-
tion, District IV.
The award, the equivalent of a sil-
ver medal, was presented at the CASE
District IV Conference in Dallas April 2.
Winning in the category of institu-
tional relations projects and special
events, the entry, Baylor College of
Dentistry Centennial Celebration:
A Legacy of Service, encompassed
everything from special events like
the gala and the convocation to com-
memorative projects like the historical
marker and the history book. A port-
folio was prepared with samples of all
the items developed to promote and
commemorate the centennial such as
Spears accepted to
educators program
at Harvard
Dr. Robert Spears 94, 02,
assistant professor in biomedical
sciences, has been accepted into the
elite Program for Educators in the
Health Professions sponsored by the
Harvard Macy Institute. The program
is a collaborative effort of the Harvard
Medical School, the Harvard Graduate
School of Education and the Harvard
Business School.
Spears received word in early
October about his acceptance into
this highly selective and prestigious
program that has trained more than
1,000 health care educators world-
I NS I DE
Upon meeting two students in HSC-BCDs
OMS residency program fulflling their
medical requirement at Texas Tech Health
Sciences Center, he began asking questions
about oral surgery. After befriending a hand-
ful of Lubbock-area oral surgeons, Womack
knew his calling was oral surgery.
During medical school I realized that I
enjoyed the operating room more than clinic
work. I guess its that instant gratifcation
and working with my hands that I enjoy so
much, says Womack.
One reason he became interested in oral
surgery is the widening scope of procedures
oral surgeons can tackle within their practice.
Im intrigued by the amount of hands-
on, surgery-oriented procedures oral and
maxillofacial surgeons can perform in their
clinics without the frustrations of having to
go to the OR, Womack says.
He will undertake approximately three
years of dental school integrated with an
additional three years of OMS residency
training, according to Dr. Bob Schow, profes-
sor and residency director at HSC-BCD.
Ultimately he will hold both dental and
medical degrees as well as certifcation as an
oral and maxillofacial surgeon.
In medical school we were taught
very little about teeth and the oral cavity
as a whole, so as a fully trained physician
you know very little about these things,
says Womack. I have become much more
aware of this (since coming to HSC-BCD).
Dentistry is a huge part of total patient
care. z
Internship leads physician to dental school continued from page 12
Lectureship highlights practice-based research
In conjunction with the Dallas
County Dental Society, HSC-
Baylor College of Dentistry
hosted the annual Brauman-Bell
Alpha Omega Lectureship on
Oct. 16.
Dr. Ivar Andreas Mjr, profes-
sor of operative dentistry and
academy 100 eminent scholar at
the University of Florida College
of Dentistry in Gainesville, Fla.
and past president of the International
Association of Dental Research was the
invited speaker.
An internationally respected dental educa-
tor and researcher, Mjr presented Practice
Based Dental Research A Real Clinical
Approach. He began his career as a dental
offcer in the Royal Norwegian Army before
transitioning into academic dentistry. Mjr
has held faculty positions at a number of den-
tal and research institutions in the U.S. and
Europe and has published numerous research
articles and textbooks. He has received many
accolades throughout his career.
Named for distinguished HSC-BCD
alumni Dr. Alfred W. Brauman, a 1938
graduate, and Dr. Welden E. Bell, a 1934
graduate, the Brauman-Bell Alpha Omega
Lectureship is organized through the
colleges Faculty Development
Committee and the Offce
of Communications and
Development, as well as the
Dallas alumni chapter of Alpha
Omega International Fraternity.
It exists to annually invite a
nationally distinguished indi-
vidual in the area of oral health;
medicine as it relates to oral
health; dental and craniofacial
research; and/or oral health education to
address faculty, students, alumni, staff, prac-
ticing dental professionals, medical profes-
sionals, community members and guests.
Bell was a faculty member in oral and
maxillofacial surgery and a continuing
education lecturer until his death in 1990.
He also was a visiting lecturer to 24 dental
schools throughout the United States and
Canada and the author of nine textbooks on
orofacial pain and TMJ disorders. Brauman
was instrumental in establishing the Dallas
Chapter of Alpha Omega fraternity while in
dental school. A practicing dentist in Dallas
for more than 50 years and a commercial real
estate developer, he was an active commu-
nity volunteer and philanthropist until his
death in 1996. Bell and Brauman maintained
a friendship for 52 years. z
Dr. Ivar Andreas Mjr
invitations, stationery, event programs,
lapel pins, bookmarks, publications,
videos and Centennial Anthem sheet
music.
Preparing the entry was a time-
consuming process, but this positive
outcome made it well worth it, says
Susan Mitchell Jackson, executive
director of communications and devel-
opment, who submitted the winning
entry. Our offce shares this award
with our fantastic centennial steering
committee and its outstanding co-
chairs, Dr. Bob Walker and Dr. Frank
Higginbottom. I think it is a special
tribute to the committee for the two
full years of hard work and dedication
they exhibited.
CASE is the international profes-
sional organization for advancement
professionals at all levels who work
in alumni relations, communications
and development at higher educa-
tion institutions. District IV comprises
Arkansas, Louisiana, Mexico, New
Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. z
wide since its creation in 1994. The
aim of the Harvard Macy Institute is to
create a community of scholars who
work to promote innovative change in
health care education.
Spears will attend the program
during two intensive sessions in Boston
in 2008. z
Dr. Robert Spears
A L OOK
Selectives offer
experience, variety
Selective courses provide a
welcome change from the rigid
structure of the dental curriculum.
Selectives have been a graduation
requirement for more than 25 years,
but selective course offerings change
regularly as new classes are added
and others are retired. Currently more
than 20 courses are available. Each
dental student is required to complete
at least two but may opt to take more.
The courses allow students to
spend a little more time in an area
that has piqued their interest, says
Dr. Amp Miller 73, professor and
director of curriculum in the Offce of
Academic Affairs. It allows them some
freedom to customize their education.
The range of topics includes dental
specialties, practice management,
esthetic dentistry, technology, dental
The rains came
In early September, a paddle was more useful than wheels when torrential rains fooded Nussbaumer and Hall
streets, submerging parked vehicles in several feet of water. Dr. Joe Meng, a graduate student in prosthodontics,
made local TV news with his unconventional mode of transportation to the dental school.
Find Dental Health Check on the Web
Dental Health Check, HSC-Baylor College
of Dentistrys long-running TV dental news
report, can now be viewed in its entirety on
the Web.
A Dental Health Check Web site
was launched in August by the Offce of
Communications and Development, featur-
ing video and scripts of current and archived
segments. Viewers can log onto http://www.
dentalhealthcheck.org and search video clips
by date or subject.
With todays busy lifestyles, many people
dont have the opportunity to watch Dental
Health Check when it airs in Dallas, says
Dr. Linda Niessen, the programs host and
a clinical professor in restorative sciences.
The new Web site provides access to oral
health information when viewers have the
time to watch the segment.
The college is truly providing a service
in the tradition of the Texas A&M System by
extending oral health education and informa-
tion to Texans as well as consumers globally,
says Niessen, who is also a staff member in
communications and development.
Arthur Upton, Web site administrator
at HSC-BCD, says the new site was cre-
ated with the end user in mind and makes
information easily accessible. The college
receives a lot of inquiries from consumers, he
says, about something they or a friend saw on
Dental Health Check.
If you cant remember a story, but you
remember when you saw it, you can look it
up by week or month, Upton explains. If,
on the other hand, you can remember the
topic but dont know when you saw it, you
can search for it by category.
Originating on WFAA-TV, Dallas ABC
affliate, Dental Health Check was
launched by the dental school in 1993 and
is the only dental news feature of its kind
in the country. Each segment now reaches
more than half a million people via TV and
the Internet. Reports air one Saturday per
month during the morning newscast between
7 a.m. and 9 a.m., featuring Niessen in the
TV studio with the news anchor. They are
then distributed later the following week on
TXCN, a Texas cable TV news station.
If you have a story idea or are interested
in being featured on a DHC segment, go to
http://www.dentalhealthcheck.org and click
on contact us. z
Walther selected to
attend Beijing meeting
Third-year dental student Russell
Walther traveled to Beijing, China, Oct.
29 Nov. 2 to participate in Forum
11, the annual meeting of the Global
Forum for Health Research, an inter-
national nongovernmental organization
whose mission is to focus research
efforts on the health of the poor.
Walther was selected to attend the
meeting after receiving an honorable
mention for his essay titled A novel
economic approach to solving the
10/90 gap. This he entered in the
Young Voices in Research for Health
2007 essay competition, a joint project
of the Global Forum and The Lancet,
an independent medical newspaper.
The theme of the competition was
I NS I DE
Health Science Center to gain distinct campus
The City of Bryan, Texas, has donated 200
acres of land on State Highway 47 about a
mile north of Highway 60 for a campus that
will serve as home base for the Texas A&M
Health Science Center.
A ceremonial groundbreaking and unveil-
ing of design plans occurred in January
2008 for the frst two buildings on campus:
a health professions education center and
a research building. Site preparation and
actual construction are anticipated to start
later in the spring.
Consolidating the Bryan-College Station
components and programs of the Health
Science Center on a campus that has space
for extensive growth is a wonderful step in
the maturation and expansion of the Health
Science Center, says Dr. Nancy Dickey,
HSC president and A&M System vice chan-
cellor for health affairs.
Since the Health Science Centers
inception in 1999, its Bryan-College Station
components College of Medicine and
School of Rural Public Health as well as
the central administration offces have been
in diverse locations. With the growth of the
medical and rural public health schools, the
creation of a nursing program, the develop-
ment of clinical opportunities in College
Station and other potential programmatic
developments, the need for additional space
was apparent.
The new campus also will offer benefts in
philanthropy and student recruitment by
giving the Health Science Center a stronger
identity. According to Dr. Roderick E.
McCallum, HSC vice president for academic
affairs, completion of the education building
is expected by July 2010, with research
building completion six months later.
This campus will give us a home base
that differentiates us from the Texas A&M
University campus while continuing to pro-
vide signifcant collaborative opportunities
with both the university and the surrounding
community, says Dickey. It will enhance
the visibility, accessibility and future growth
of the Health Science Center.
I am very proud that I have been
allowed to play a role in envisioning a cam-
pus for the state headquarters of the Health
Science Center and selling that idea to the
Board of Regents as well as to the City of
Bryan, she says. It is very exciting that we
are well on the way in the planning that will
put the frst structures on that campus. z
academia, research opportunities and
caring for diverse populations.
Fourth-year dental student Chris
Read has taken three selective
courses: Dental Esthetics and Veneer
Restoration, Dental Ceramics, and
Introduction to CAD-CAM Technology
and Computerized Dentistry.
I chose my selective courses
based on what I want to do in my own
practice, says Read.
Industry trends and marketability
as a new dentist played a role in his
selections as well.
This is the way dentistry is going,
he says. Plus, I think the experience
will look good to a prospective partner.
Miller says those who offer these
courses give willingly of their time.
Faculty members who develop and
teach selectives go above and beyond
the call of duty, he says. They put
a lot of time into it, and they do it
because they see a need. z
From top: The new campus is designed to be peaceful and welcoming, says Dr. Nancy Dickey. Dr. James S. Cole (fourth from left) participates in the
ceremonial groundbreaking with Dickey (white jacket, center) and other dignitaries from the A&M System, Texas Legislature, City of Bryan and Health
Science Center administration.
Equitable access: research challenges
for health in developing countries.
Walthers essay was selected from
among 289 entries representing 60
different countries and 64 nationali-
ties. Of the entries, fve were selected
as winners and another 35 including
Walthers were short-listed. All 40
selected essays were published in The
Lancet online. z
Russell Walther
Ask
Dr. Kay Rankin why shes passionate about tobacco cessation and shes likely to mention her father. She
watched him die from lung cancer in his mid-60s and was powerless to stop it. He was a physician and
knew better than to smoke; in fact, he tried to quit multiple times at the urging of his family. When he had started smoking at
age 12, no one knew the addictive power of cigarettes or their vast negative effects on health.
B y L a u r a B e i l
His daughter, a dentist, has learned frst-hand the devas-
tating impact of smoking. Through her work on the faculty of
Texas A&M Health Science Center Baylor College of Den-
tistry and her involvement with the Texas Cancer Council, she
has become increasingly aware of the roles nicotine addiction
and sophisticated marketing play in preventing smokers from
quitting and capturing 3,000 new smokers a day.
So when, in 2002, she was offered a chance to start a
tobacco counseling program at the college, she leapt at
the opportunity. By establishing a treatment clinic at her alma
mater, she hoped other people could free themselves from
tobacco the way her father never could.
Five years later, Baylor Tobacco Treatment Services sees
patients referred from the colleges dental clinics without
charge and, as of September, accepts outside referrals for a
fee. The goal is to help the patients of today
and, through the education of new dentists,
continue to help the patients of tomorrow.
As health care providers, dentists should
participate at some level to decrease tobacco
use and prevent our children from starting, Rankin
says. Although smokers often get appeals to quit from family
members, research shows that professional advice carries a
lot more weight.
Tobacco remains the most preventable cause of death
and disability in the country. Though smoking rates have
dipped to an all-time low, evidence suggests the
trend is stalling among young adults. And no
one is celebrating the defeat of tobacco
just yet. We are still a nation of 45 million
smokers; one death in every fve is the
work of cigarettes.
The latest Surgeon Generals report
on the health consequences of smoking
notes that more than half of the adult cases
of periodontal disease in the country are
attributable to smoking and that the dental care
community has both the opportunity and the profes-
sional obligation to counsel patients who smoke to quit.
However, even though about half of all smokers see a
dentist each year as do three-quarters of adolescent smokers
dentists do not routinely use the encounter to encourage
quitting tobacco. A 2005 study published in the Journal of the
American Dental Association suggested that about 60 percent
of general practitioners never guide their patients who smoke
to programs or other resources that might help them stop.
JADA editor Dr. Michael Glick, writing in a companion
article published with the study, stated that dentistry has
entered an era when the impact of the oral health care
provider on overall health is no longer conditional. Embracing
smoking-cessation activities as part of unabridged oral health
care no longer should be a choice.
Dentists and hygienists are among the few health care
providers who can plainly see the handiwork of cigarettes.
A smoker may be able to conceal their smoking from a
physician and may be motivated to do so to avoid the stigma
or a disapproving look. But rare is the tobacco user who can
hide the imprint of tobacco in the mouth.
Usually, dentists know which among their patients smoke.
Their hesitation to advise patients to quit and provide
help in doing so, according to the 2005 JADA study, arises
partly from a concern over patient resistance. Dentists also
expressed reservations about their ability to make a difference
believing that they had not mastered skills that would
bring about a behavior change. And fnally, many dentists
participating in the study simply did not think that their
colleagues or patients expected them to address tobacco use.
Aware of the wariness in her profession, Rankin hopes
to offer Dallas dentists a welcome resource where they can
send patients. She also is working to change the culture of
the next generation of practitioners. She hopes that through
early education and training, all dentists will not only become
confdent talking about tobacco but will feel professionally
obliged to do so.
The key to helping patients, she says, is to start with an
offer of help that does not have the tenor of a lecture.
People who are tobacco users have had everyone hound
them, Rankin says. A dentist is in a position to show patients
the tangible effects of tobacco use, talk about behavior
change and suggest drugs
to help deal with
addiction.
HSC-Baylor
College of Den-
tistry students
are taught to tell
patients that the
clinic is available and
that they really ought to quit,
but not to push someone before
they are ready. Third-year dental
student Alana Macalik already
has referred patients to the
tobacco cessation clinic.
Its simple presence
on the seventh foor
of the school has
led her to think
about how she will
incorporate tobacco
prevention into her
future practice.
Im going to have to
come up with my own way of
As health care
providers, dentists
should participate
at some level to
decrease tobacco
use and prevent
our children from
starting.
Dr. Kay Rankin

doing this, she says. Already, shes
pleased that the two patients she
referred to the tobacco cessation
clinic have
scaled back
on their
smoking
and set a
date to stop
altogether.
The disap-
pointment of tobacco,
however, for both
patient and medical
provider is that quitting
often means quitting and
quitting and quitting. Most
people make several quit attempts
before they learn what works for them.
On average it takes patients fve to six times to quit,
says Elain Benton, a dental hygienist and a certifed counselor
at the clinic. The important thing is to keep going.
The counselors at the clinic are trained to help patients
make peace with the idea of trying. Because the society around
them has grown increasingly hostile to smokers and with rea-
son many patients believe that smoking is some kind
of personality faw or that they are failures because
they have been unable to stop. At the clinic, they
learn that the brain drives addiction. Smoking is
not a habit or a personality weakness. Rankin hopes
that patients get the message that we are here to
help you, not to judge you.
Patient Melanee Akens had smoked for 25 years,
starting with experimental puffs in adolescence, before a
dental student involved in her treatment told her about HSC-
BCDs tobacco cessation clinic. She had tried twice before on
her own to quit, she says, but each time returned to cigarettes
under stress.
This time basically I just felt ready, Akens says. Her
previous attempts at quitting, she now realizes, were
a gesture to please those around her, not to
please herself. The motivation this time
was internal, not external. Also, by having
a counselor, she had someone she could
reach out to at any moment for support,
thus avoiding the complications
that can come when a family
member assumes that role.
I had someone on my side
I could call if I needed to,
she says.
She has been without a
cigarette now since February 2007 and has no urge to go back.
Akens dentists in the past had mentioned quitting but
not taken matters further. Research has found that this is
another reason dentists dont bring up tobacco cessation: they
lack the training to know what to do beyond saying stop.
Few health care practitioners are trained in the skills that help
their patients follow through with a change in behavior.
The irony is that the future of dentistry probably rests on
these exact abilities, says Dr. Scott Tomar of the University
of Florida College of Dentistry in Gainesville. Tomar chairs the
department of community dentistry and behavioral science.
In a 2001 study, he found that only about half of dental schools
provide tobacco intervention services.
Dentists, he says, dont really have the training, or in
many cases the interest, in really developing the skills in help-
ing patients make behavior change, says Tomar. However,
all the problems we deal with in dentistry have very strong
behavior components. Not brushing and fossing as directed.
Drinking too many sodas. Snacking on chewy, sugary foods.
And, of course, tobacco.
But other than saying,
brush and foss or dont
On average it
takes patients fve
to six times to quit.
The important thing
is to keep going.

Elain Benton
more than fve times as likely to
have quit. Although the majority
of patients kept on smoking, the
researchers reported, even with a
modest cessation rate such as the
one reported herein, the public
health impact of a brief tobacco-use
cessation intervention would
be signifcant.
Success is diffcult to defne.
According to Rankin, Each day with-
out a cigarette is a success, but success to many
means never smoking another cigarette. Each attempt, though,
moves a person closer to that ultimate goal.
Rankin has no doubt that Baylor Tobacco Treatment
Services has made a difference. As a dentist, she is pleased to
think many patients will fnish the program with better
odds of a long life and maintaining their oral health. Once
released from tobacco, they could be using those teeth for
a very long time. k
smoke, dentists are largely unprepared, Tomar says.
Curricula at the nations dental schools rarely allow
students to sharpen behavioral intervention skills, he
says. Dentists are largely taught to fx things, says Tomar,
and they feel very comfortable in that world.
But just as the practice of medicine is increasingly embrac-
ing the idea of disease prevention, so, too, is dentistry. I think
the nature of dentistry has been changing dramatically,
Tomar says.
Rankin hopes the Baylor Tobacco Treatment Services
clinic puts her institution on the cusp of that change. She
has obtained a grant from the National Institutes of Health to
develop a curriculum that would fold tobacco cessation into
dental education. And the tobacco cessation clinics mere pres-
ence down the hall sends a message that this should be, and
will be, a part of dentistry to come.
Benton, the counselor, says she has witnessed this evolu-
tion in the profession since her days as a hygienist in the
1970s. At that time, in the view of the health care
world, the mouth was uncoupled from the rest of the
body. Disease prevention meant dispensing instruc-
tions and passing out free toothbrushes.
Today, she says, researchers have established
that what happens in the mouth can dictate the
way a person lives or dies. When it comes to health,
we now know the mouth both refects and affects
the bodys general health, says Benton.
In many ways, that has made dentistry
even more profound. Rather than just helping
people retain their teeth, I can now talk to
them about helping them prevent cancer,
reduce their blood pressure, avoid a heart
attack, etc.
Even done simply, tobacco cessation that
starts in a dental chair can make a difference,
recent research indicates. A study published in
2005 tested the effectiveness of tobacco inter-
vention at a public health dental clinic serving
low-income patients. (Cigarette smoking
is much more common among adults
who live below the poverty level.) The
study compared two scenarios: in
one, tobacco-using patients received
the usual care. In a second, prac-
titioners provided a brief tobacco
intervention. Among other things,
providers talked about quitting,
offered tips, discussed nicotine
replacement therapy and referred
patients to a state-run help line.
Six months later, those patients
who had received the intervention were
The staff of Baylor Tobacco Treatment Services, from left: Angela Wilson,
Dr. Kay Rankin and Elain Benton.
Weaving
the threads
of hope
By Jane Jarrell
Its
a microcosm located in a
busy corridor that is equal
parts green space and
brimming apartment complexes.
In the 1960s and 1970s it was
known as the chic place to live for
young professionals. Today, the Vickery
Meadow area of north Dallas is a des-
tination for refugees and immigrants
wanting to make America home.
Its core area, known as the Vickery
Meadow Improvement District, is
a 2.6 square-mile area of apartments
that forms a community of approxi-
mately 36,000 residents. Nearly 10,000
children under age 17 inhabit this
melting pot of humanity. An estimated
15,000 adults do not speak English.
The average household income for
Vickery Meadow families is less than
$24,000 per year.
Many of the families in Vickery
Meadow are frst-time Americans;
over 40 different languages are spoken,
representing over 27 countries,
says Angelina Avalos, executive direc-
tor of the Vickery Meadow Improve-
ment District.
The community continues to
address multiple challenges and, as
a whole, is coming together, she
says. For one thing, we have three
new schools, whereas our kids were
bussed off for years. We also have
a Youth and Family Center operated
by Dallas ISD.
The schools have the added
beneft of serving as communications
centers, explains Avalos. We can com-
municate with the parents through
their kids. One problem weve had
in the community has been communi-
cation about health matters, she says.
Presbyterian Hospital has been
a big partner, joining with Parkland
Hospital to bring the Vickery Health
Center to Vickery Meadow. Presbyte-
rian also maintains its Womens and
Childrens Health Clinic and has been
a leader in making things happen
by bringing people to the table,
says Avalos.
She explains that many individu-
als have come to this community from
refugee camps in various parts of the
world. Language barriers, low income
and lack of insurance present obstacles
to receiving even essential medical
and dental help.
Dental care has not been a prior-
ity for these families, says Avalos, who
serves on the board
of Community Den-
tal Care, a nonproft
organization provid-
ing dental services to
low-income patients
through 11 locations
in the Dallas area.
Vickery Meadow is
their frst form of civi-
lization; prior to this,
survival has been the
main issue.
Enter
Community
Dental Care
Now a dental resource exists right
in the heart of the Vickery Meadow
neighborhood. Community Dental
Center at Vickery Health Center
opened its doors in September.
A new clinic affliate of Commu-
nity Dental Care, the Vickery dental
center employs its six operatories
to serve patients who previously
were unserved.
There are two and a half times
the number of dentally uninsured as
medically uninsured people in Texas,
says Paul Hoffmann, executive direc-
tor of Community Dental Care. Our
organization provides a critical access
point for the most vulnerable and un-
derserved patients in our community.
The Vickery dental center was
created from a partnership among
Community Dental Care, Texas A&M
Health Science Center Baylor Col-
lege of Dentistry and the Baylor Oral
Health Foundation, which collectively
proposed the project to the Crystal
Charity Ball for funding. The Crystal
Charity Ball, a nonproft corporation
dedicated to raising funds to improve
the lives of Dallas-area children,
selected the project as a benefciary in
2006 and was later joined in support
by the Harold Simmons Foundation.
Weaving
the threads
of hope
Dental school and partners assist
neighborhood in transition
The Vickery Meadow clinic
According to Hoffmann, patients
do not have to be referred to the clinic
but do have to provide proof of fnan-
cial need. The clinic can treat patients
with an annual household income
of up to three times the poverty level.
Our staff can screen potential
patients over the phone to determine
whether or not they qualify for one
of numerous fnancial assistance
programs under which we can provide
care, says Hoffmann. Patients who
do not qualify for subsidized care
can opt to self-pay.
The clinics patients can receive
basic preventive and diagnostic
services and routine dental proce-
dures such as fllings, extractions,
crowns and partial dentures.
The dental school
connection
Texas A&M Health Science
Center Baylor College of Dentistry is
a cornerstone of the clinics operations
and the entire outreach effort in
the neighborhood.
Fourth-year dental students
see patients at the clinic one day a
week under the supervision of a faculty
member. Dental student rotations
through the clinic are a requirement
of HSC-BCDs Department of Public
Health Sciences community dentistry
externship, a program that facilitates
valuable experience in a variety of
public health settings while providing
care to underserved populations.
This clinic is like a private prac-
tice, offering our students an excellent
real-world experience while benefting
a community, says Dr. Dan Jones 89,
professor and chair of the Department
of Public Health Sciences. Trends
in dental education include placing
the students not just in classrooms
or in campus clinics but in real-life
places, treating patients.
Another plus is that the routine,
fow and scheduling at the clinic
emulates the everyday structure of a
typical dental offce more closely than
the other opportunities the students
have to care for patients.
Graduate students in pediatric
dentistry also rotate through the
Vickery dental center. These residents
provide specialized care to the clinics
young patients one day a week, pro-
viding a referral resource within the
clinic and access to more sophisticated
procedures not typically available
in a general dentistry office. In
addition, one of the clinics six
operatories is a
quiet room
designated for
oral sedation
when needed.
The dental
school is available
for referrals to
other specialties
including endo-
dontics and
oral surgery.
The Baylor
connection is a
really critical piece
of our success,
Fourth-year dental student Brent Parker and public health
sciences faculty member Dr. Stephen Crane take a break
during a day at the newly opened Vickery Meadow clinic.
says Hoffmann. Were able to offer
the whole spectrum prevention,
treatment and tertiary care thanks
to the dental schools involvement.
Prioritizing
prevention
Prevention is accomplished in
large part through one very colorful
van: the dental schools Seal Mobile,
originally funded in 1999 by the
Crystal Charity Ball and the Baylor
Oral Health Foundation.
Dental students and Dr. Stephen
Crane 73, assistant professor of public
health sciences, accompany the Seal
Mobile on visits to each elementary
school in Vickery Meadow and many
other schools throughout the Dallas
Independent School District to
apply protective dental sealants to
the molars of second-grade students.
Since the programs inception more
than 11,000 children have been
screened, with sealants provided to
children who didnt require referral
for treatment of decayed teeth.
Carol Seay, an award-winning
community volunteer and member of
the BOHF board, played a large role
in the Seal Mobiles beginnings. That
projects success led her to encourage
the BOHF board to approach Crystal
Charity about funding an additional
dental project, which ultimately
emerged as the Vickery dental center.
Through the tenacious efforts
of many volunteers, families within
a challenged area of our city can be
treated and educated toward better
health, says Seay.
Dr. Linda Niessen, HSC-BCD
clinical professor of restorative sciences,
also was pivotal to the two dental
projects. She encouraged the Dallas
County Dental Societys involvement
at the outset of the Seal Mobile
initiative and served as the frst
coordinator of the effort.
Children in Dallas cant learn
if they suffer from toothaches,
Niessen says. Crystal Charity and
BCD are truly a dynamic duo when it
comes to developing programs
to improve the oral health of children
in Dallas.
Crane witnesses the impact of the
Seal Mobiles outreach efforts. Por-
table dental care provides heartwarm-
ing adventures in helping others, says
Crane. Earlier this year I had a little
girl run up to me while we were get-
ting ready to drive away in our fancy
van. She handed me a thank you note
with hand-drawn pictures.
The Seal Mobiles decay preven-
tion efforts are supplemented by
Tooth Talks, educational presentations
made by dental students to school
children of varied ages.
The family focus
Whats so unique about this
approach is that the dental students
are going into the schools, screening
children and either referring them for
treatment to the center or, if they are
without decay, providing sealants
via the Seal Mobile
at their school, says Hoffmann.
In this way, the siblings will get
to know about us, and then their
parents will get to know about us. Its
a family approach, he continues.
According to Hoffmann, being
able to treat the parents as well as the
children is a crucial component of the
community effort in Vickery Meadow.
If the parents are receiving care, they
will understand the importance of
their children receiving treatment, he
says. It makes the need more tangible
and more meaningful to them.
We see adults at our other
centers, but there they pay half the
price of what theyd pay at a private
practice, Hoffmann continues. Most
of the adults who come to these clinics
Faculty member Dr. Patricia Skur
supervises fourth-year dental student
Rachel Patel while she treats a
clinic patient.
come for emergencies; they cant
afford more expensive procedures.
At the Vickery clinic, adult
patients make a $25 copay per visit.
They are then receiving more com-
prehensive care, explains Hoffmann,
because the cost is underwritten by
funding partners. This is the frst
time weve been able to get grant
funding to care for adults, he says.
Its wonderful to make such a differ-
ence in peoples lives.
Dr. Jason Frazier 06 works full
time for Community Dental Care
and spends four of his fve offce days
each week at the Vickery clinic.
He fnds his work very rewarding and
is pleased to know the good the clinic
is doing.
Patients who really need help
and wouldnt get the treatment
otherwise are now getting taken care
of, says Frazier. They may have
suffered for a long time,
felt neglected like
they didnt have a
chance and given up
on their mouth.
When they real-
ize that the resources
are now available, they
are excited and ready to
take care of their dental
needs, he continues.
Its great to help.
A beautiful
setting
The surroundings at
Vickery dental center rival any private
dental practice. Patients are greeted
by a warm and comfortable offce
atmosphere. The clinic is tastefully
appointed and equipped with the
latest modular offce fxtures and
state-of-the-art dental equipment,
including digital radiography.
Fourth-year dental student Brent
Parker was one of the frst students
scheduled on rotation through the
clinic after it opened.
Vickery Meadow is a fantastic,
high-tech, digital experience; a
breath of fresh air in my rotations,
says Parker. I hope my practice
will look this good when I open my
offce after graduation.
The clinics patients appreciate
the environment as well as the care.
Cynthia Hernandez, a dental assis-
tant at the Vickery clinic, relates the
enthusiastic reaction of one: This
patient wanted to thank the person
who thought of the idea to build
the clinic in this community, says
Hernandez. She said even though
its a community clinic, it looks
better than some private practices!
Looking to
the future
I cant tell you how important
Baylor is to us, says Hoffmann.
When we have students on
rotations here, we know were work-
ing with our future pool of dentists.
When students start thinking about
what theyre going to do after
graduation, they will know of us
and think of us.
T
he Crystal Charity Ball selected the Vickery Meadow project as a benefi-
ciary in 2006. The organizations $530,000 commitment was designated
to equip a six-chair dental clinic and subsidize dental treatment for
uninsured children for a two-year period. The program should be self-sustain-
ing by 2009.
This area of Dallas County has a huge need a need we felt we could
help, says Debbie Snell, 2006 chairperson for the Crystal Charity Ball.
The organization currently comprises 100 active members who receive
numerous grant applications from area organizations every year. More
than 3,000 hours are spent reviewing applications and countless more are
dedicated to raising funds to support the causes.
The year the Vickery Meadow clinic was funded we had 43 other applications
to peruse; from those 43 we selected eight, says Snell. Once the recipients
are chosen we determine the need. Our next step becomes determining the
dollars we must raise from underwriters.
Our charge is not only to raise the funds for the approved project but
also to widen the audience to other donors having a heart for helping the des-
ignated community. When we expand our audience we gather other donations.
A subsequent gift of $1 million to the Vickery dental center from the
Harold Simmons Foundation is a perfect example. This gift included $300,000
for renovations to develop the dental center, with the balance earmarked for
dental care for adults at the center during its first three years of operation.
A particular focus is on the parents of children treated at the center. Adult
patients are responsible for paying $25 per visit, with the remainder of the
cost covered by the grant. This brings the care within their financial reach.
There is such a need for dental care for indigent adults, says Serena
Simmons Connelly, director of the Simmons Foundation. I am passionate
about encouraging people to address that need.
Betsy Healy, program offcer for the Simmons Foundation, further explains
the motivation behind the gift: Through its financial support, the Simmons
family hopes to fill a gap in the array of services already in the Vickery Meadow
area. Even beyond the direct beneficiaries, this grant is an attempt to highlight
the importance of dental care for all adults in the community who lack access.
Paul Hoffmann, executive director of Community Dental Care, believes
the success of this project is due to the cooperative effort of city and business
leaders and charitable organizations. We could not have done this without
the generous financial support and commitment from the Crystal Charity Ball
Foundation and the Harold Simmons Foundation, says Hoffmann.
Other funders include: Baylor Oral Health Foundation, McCune Founda-
tion, Hillcrest Foundation, Wachovia, Hoblitzelle Foundation, Horace C. Cabe
Foundation, Roy and Christine Sturgis Charitable and Educational Trust, Bank
of Texas, The Hoglund Foundation, Morning Star Foundation Ellen and John
McStay, James D. and Kay Y. Moran Foundation, Aileen and Jack Pratt Founda-
tion, and Town North Bank.
F u N D I N g M A K E S C A R E P O S S I B L E
Dental student Rachel Patel
and Dr. Stephen Crane
review a digital radiograph.
Also, if youre applying to a
specialty residency program, says
Hoffmann, it looks good if you
come to work with us for awhile.
The future looks bright for
the families of Vickery Meadow as
well. The collaboration and hard
work of many good Samaritans
offers enhanced health, brighter
smiles and stepping stones to a
better life. k
T
he Crystal Charity Ball selected the Vickery Meadow project as a benefi-
ciary in 2006. The organizations $530,000 commitment was designated
to equip a six-chair dental clinic and subsidize dental treatment for
uninsured children for a two-year period. The program should be self-sustain-
ing by 2009.
This area of Dallas County has a huge need a need we felt we could
help, says Debbie Snell, 2006 chairperson for the Crystal Charity Ball.
The organization currently comprises 100 active members who receive
numerous grant applications from area organizations every year. More
than 3,000 hours are spent reviewing applications and countless more are
dedicated to raising funds to support the causes.
The year the Vickery Meadow clinic was funded we had 43 other applications
to peruse; from those 43 we selected eight, says Snell. Once the recipients
are chosen we determine the need. Our next step becomes determining the
dollars we must raise from underwriters.
Our charge is not only to raise the funds for the approved project but
also to widen the audience to other donors having a heart for helping the des-
ignated community. When we expand our audience we gather other donations.
A subsequent gift of $1 million to the Vickery dental center from the
Harold Simmons Foundation is a perfect example. This gift included $300,000
for renovations to develop the dental center, with the balance earmarked for
dental care for adults at the center during its first three years of operation.
A particular focus is on the parents of children treated at the center. Adult
patients are responsible for paying $25 per visit, with the remainder of the
cost covered by the grant. This brings the care within their financial reach.
There is such a need for dental care for indigent adults, says Serena
Simmons Connelly, director of the Simmons Foundation. I am passionate
about encouraging people to address that need.
Betsy Healy, program offcer for the Simmons Foundation, further explains
the motivation behind the gift: Through its financial support, the Simmons
family hopes to fill a gap in the array of services already in the Vickery Meadow
area. Even beyond the direct beneficiaries, this grant is an attempt to highlight
the importance of dental care for all adults in the community who lack access.
Paul Hoffmann, executive director of Community Dental Care, believes
the success of this project is due to the cooperative effort of city and business
leaders and charitable organizations. We could not have done this without
the generous financial support and commitment from the Crystal Charity Ball
Foundation and the Harold Simmons Foundation, says Hoffmann.
Other funders include: Baylor Oral Health Foundation, McCune Founda-
tion, Hillcrest Foundation, Wachovia, Hoblitzelle Foundation, Horace C. Cabe
Foundation, Roy and Christine Sturgis Charitable and Educational Trust, Bank
of Texas, The Hoglund Foundation, Morning Star Foundation Ellen and John
McStay, James D. and Kay Y. Moran Foundation, Aileen and Jack Pratt Founda-
tion, and Town North Bank.
The Baylor connection is a really

critical piece of our success. Were able to
offer the whole spectrum prevention,
treatment and tertiary care thanks to
the dental schools involvement.
Paul Hoffmann
Clinic patient Genaro Colorado (left) is greeted by dental student Brent Parker.
Dental assistant Cynthia Hernandez uses
high-tech digital imaging with a patient.

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First-year dental student
Rudy Garza, research
volunteer Connie Truong
and second-year dental
student Rory Smith
gobble some goodies at
the annual Brauman-Bell
Alpha Omega lecture.
To
the dental or dental hygiene student, the menu
du jour is a smorgasbord: classes, clinic, labs,
exams, personal life, study sessions, community
service and meetings. This daily grind sometimes prompts
students to run on fumes instead of refueling their super-
charged minds.
How do they avoid juggling a full plate of responsibilities on
an empty stomach? Its not unusual to see students eating
breakfast in the elevator on their way to the lecture hall or
eating lunch over an open textbook and laptop in the atrium.
On any given morning, students can be found lined up for
a cup of joe and a snack at the inimitable basement hub,
Breakers coffee stand.
Midnight study breaks feature pizza and candy with a caffein-
ated drink thrown in for good measure. Students sometimes
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ental h
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pick up some peanut butter crackers from the vending
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students and everyone in the building for that
matter to meetings featuring deli sandwiches on
the house or to reception buffets laden with
Swedish meatballs, stuffed mushrooms and
fresh fruit.
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next generation of dental professionals? k
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What factor best determines your
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S
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P
arker
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.
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avin C
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Cost
Cravings/Mood
Nutritional Value
Convenience
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Responses
Miller leads distinguished academy
Dr. Amp W. Miller III 73,
professor of restorative sciences
and director of curriculum at
HSC-Baylor College of Dentistry,
led the prestigious American
Academy of Restorative Dentistry
as its 2007-2008 president.
I enjoy the camaraderie and
the high professional standards
of this organization, says Miller,
who has been a member since
1985 and previously served as secretary-
treasurer and president-elect. Its really fun
to be part of its inner operations, and Ive
made a number of friends over the years. Its
a neat experience.
Miller continues an impressive tradition
of HSC-BCD alumni leadership within the
organization, following such past presidents
as Dr. Jack Swepston 52, Dr. David Lynn
56, Dr. Pat Allen 69, Dr. Tom Colquitt 70
and Dr. Thad Langford 74.
The academy is dedicated to the ethical
and scientifc practice of restorative den-
tistry. It attracts approximately 500 members
and guests from around the world to Chicago
each February to its two-day meeting, which
is devoted to the exchange of clinical and
academic information through lectures and
clinics. This valuable source of continuing
education is published through
the annual scientifc review in
the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry
each July.
The academy was founded
in 1928, and its 350 members
are in the forefront of their areas
of expertise. Membership is by
invitation, and presentations at
meetings, which are evaluated
by the membership committee,
are a prerequisite. Professional development
is a common focus.
Our members have a strong desire to stay
up with whats current, Miller says. Presen-
tations at our annual scientifc meeting deal
with the leading edge of technology, usually
restorative dentistry but also basic science,
periodontics, implants and prosthodontics.
Members hail from across the United States
and more than a dozen foreign countries.
Once in the organization, each new
member is assigned a mentor. These
individuals are terrifc role models and
professional colleagues, Miller says. He
understands well the value of mentoring and
embodies this role in his work with HSC-
BCD students, who recognized him with the
Teacher-of-the-Year award in 2005. z
Alumni Association
Board of Directors
2007-2008
President
Dr. Pamela A. Moore 96
President Elect
Dr. Brad Crump 97
Secretary/Treasurer
Dr. Scott Staffel 95
Immediate Past President
Dr. Nathaniel G. Tippit, Jr. 75
Board Members
Dr. Robert Anderton 61
Dr. Todd Baumann 02
Dr. Jonathan Clemetson 02
Dr. Thomas A. Ding 99, 02
Dr. Valerie Drake 99
Travis Epperson 08
Dr. Mark E. Gannaway 81
Dr. H. Lee Kavanagh 02
Dr. Eugene Kouri 61, 66
Dr. Loulou M.T. Moore 93, 94
Laurie Morgan 02
Dr. Kelton Stewart 06
Dr. Sam Strong
Linnea Klym Wolters 08
Dr. Wayne Woods 88
Dr. G. Mark Yarbrough 73
Dr. Amp Miller III
The 2007 Distinguished Alumnus Award
was bestowed on a dentist who has spent
more than six decades in association with his
dental alma mater.
Dr. Paul P. Taylor 44 is a beloved mentor
to scores of pediatric dentists whom he has
touched through HSC-BCDs graduate
program in pediatric dentistry. He founded
the program in the 1960s and chaired the
Department of Pediatric Dentistry until his
retirement in 1986.
After dental school, Taylor completed a
graduate degree in pediatric dentistry at the
University of Michigan dental school. He
served in the Korean confict and entered
private practice in Dallas. Once back in Dal-
Taylor named distinguished alumnus
Dr. Paul P. Taylor
I N T O U C H W
Send your news
to Class Notes
Contact Carolyn Cox at 214.828.8218
or [email protected]. Please include
class year and name at graduation.
Findley to lead ADA
Dr. John S. Findley 70, a general dentist
in Plano, Texas, is president-elect of the
American Dental Association.
Findley, who received the Distinguished
Alumnus Award from HSC-Baylor College
of Dentistry in 1996, will be installed as
ADA president in October 2008 during the
ADAs annual session in San Antonio.
Dr. Findley has been a good friend to
Baylor College of Dentistry throughout his
professional career, says Dr. James S. Cole,
HSC-BCD dean. We are proud to count
him as one of our distinguished alumni. I
know that the ADA will
beneft greatly from his
capable leadership.
Findley says he will
seek a stronger partner-
ship between the prac-
ticing community and
dental educators, com-
municate strongly the
importance of quality oral
health care and position
the ADA as the world-
wide authority for oral
health information. He
also plans to advocate for
meaningful funding of
effective programs that
serve the patients inter-
est before the bottom line.
Today, I believe it is our challenge to
address three pivotal issues education,
access and communication because if we
dont get these three issues right, our pro-
fession, our practices and our patients will
suffer, says Findley.
Without a doubt, access remains the
biggest problem for the profession, and
its been that way for several years now,
he says. We believe that no child in this
country should go to school in the morning
with a toothache or to bed at night with an
infection.
He adds that the American Dental
Association is focusing this year on improv-
ing oral health literacy through the efforts of
community dental health coordinators, who
are trained specifcally to spread the word
about prevention.
As for dental education, Findley is
enthusiastic about both the students who are
choosing the profession and the curriculum
innovations taking place at dental schools.
Today it is really exciting to see what is
happening with the young people who are
entering this profession, he says. You have
a very interested and dedicated group of
individuals who want to care for people.
You also have educators today who are
willing to take a new look
at the way they do things
and make sure that the
education is appropriate to
the task ahead, contin-
ues Findley. All of these
things are coming together
to produce probably the
best group of young den-
tists weve ever had.
He is clear in his desire
to provide leadership that
will have a lasting impact.
In a written statement to
the 2007 ADA House of
Delegates, Findley said,
Dentistry is at a criti-
cal crossroads, and we as
dentists must serve as architects of change to
determine the future of our profession.
Findley is a past president of the Texas
Dental Association and the Dallas County
Dental Society and has been in private
practice for 35 years. He is a member of the
Academy of General Dentistry, International
College of Dentists, American College of
Dentists and the Pierre Fauchard Academy.
He has served as mayor of Crossroads,
Texas, president of the Plano Rotary Club
and board member of the Plano Chamber of
Commerce.
He and his wife, Judy, have been married
since 1981. They have two adult sons and
live on a small ranch near Crossroads. z
Dr. John S. Findley
Class Notes
1941
Dr. J. Dean Robertson of Oklahoma City
was presented the Oklahoma Dental
Association James A. Saddoris Lifetime
of Leadership Award at the associations
annual meeting on April 26 in Oklahoma
City. This prestigious award has only
been awarded four other times.
1944
Dr. Paul P. Taylor of Plano, Texas, was
honored with HSC-Baylor College of
Dentistrys 2007 Distinguished Alumnus
Award. He accepted the award Jan.
18, 2008, at the Alumni Associations
homecoming reception in Dallas.
1947
Dr. Robert V. Walker of Dallas was
elected chairman of the Baylor Oral
Health Foundation board of directors at
its annual meeting. Walker was originally
elected to the BOHF board in 1997,
serving as vice chairman and chairman
of the nominating committee.
1948
Dr. James V. Burnett of Fort Worth,
Texas, received the Distinguished Service
Award from the Fort Worth District Dental
Society on May 23, 2006. He is a past
president of the FWDDS, the Southwest
Prosthodontic Society and the Fort Worth
Academy of General Dentistry. He served
34 years in the Naval Reserve and
practiced prosthodontics in Fort Worth
for 55 years.
1951
Dr. Harold L. Smith received the frst
Crystal Smiles Award from the Smith
County Dental Society on Dec. 20. The
award is presented to a member dentist
who has exemplifed dedication to his or
her patients, profession and community.
Smith practiced dentistry in Tyler, Texas,
more than 50 years, was a leader in the
I T H A L U M N I
I N T OU C H
Founding dental hygiene director leaves lasting infuence
When Patricia Clendenin Wessendorff was
recruited to Dallas from Philadelphia in
1954 to direct the Caruth School of Dental
Hygiene, she expected to stay at most for a
couple years.
I wasnt thinking about Texas; it was
so far away, recalls Wessendorff. I had
dreamed of locating a job like that in Mary-
land, where I grew up. However, fate had
other plans.
Dallas was so clean and white and spar-
kly, I felt they had built it just for me, she
says. Shes been here ever since.
In 1955, when the Caruth School opened,
dental hygiene was an infant profession,
and opportunities in the feld, especially in
academics, were not abundant. In fact, when
Wessendorff had entered dental hygiene
school in 1950, the closest educational
programs to her home in Maryland were in
Pennsylvania or North Carolina.
She chose Temple University in Philadel-
phia and graduated from its two-year dental
hygiene program in 1952. Afterward she
served on Temples clinical faculty for three
years, all the while attending night school
and summer school to earn a bachelors
degree. She also worked the night shift for
a dentist who scheduled evening appoint-
ments to accommodate blue-collar shift
workers in Philadelphia.
Many years later, she credits her dentist
father, Dr. George B. Clendenin, with
infuencing her career selection as well as
elevating the overall perception of the dental
hygiene profession.
My father felt dental hygiene had an
important place in dentistry when a lot of
dentists were holding back, she says. He
played a fundamental role in establishing
licensure for dental hygienists in the state
of Maryland and was always on the dental
hygienists side when it came to expanding
duties.
He served as president of both the Inter-
national College of Dentists and the Ameri-
can College of Dentists, and he was so active
that he had the clout to speak for the profes-
sion of dental hygiene in various levels, she
continues.
Wessendorff worked in her fathers dental
offce as a teenager and there gained expo-
sure to the dental profession. I loved work-
ing in his lab, she says, and he also used
me as a chairside assistant. She recalls being
a high school student when he hired the frst
licensed dental hygienist in Maryland.
She honored her fathers memory at Bay-
lor College of Dentistry in 1965 by estab-
lishing The George B. Clendenin Award,
which is presented
annually to a
graduating Caruth
School of Dental
Hygiene student.
Students vote to
select each years
recipient, a senior
who embodies the
characteristics of
a dental hygienist
who has been and
will be a credit to
the profession.
The accompanying
medal to each hon-
oree is a gift from
Wessendorff, as it
has been for more
society and the Texas Dental Association
and served in Marvin United Methodist
Church, the Tyler Rotary Club and other
organizations. He served as a U.S. Army
offcer in the Pacifc Theater during World
War II.
1963
Dr. Jim Boley, adjunct associate
professor in HSC-BCDs Department of
Orthodontics, was named president of the
Edward H. Angle Society of Orthodontics
at the societys biennial meeting Sept.
16-20 in Quebec City, Quebec. He is
the frst Texan to hold this offce. During
his tenure Boley will maintain his private
practice, with the help of his partner
Dr. Rachel Thieberg, as well as his
responsibilities to the college.
Dr. James Lowe of Oklahoma City
received the Richard T. Oliver Legislative
Award from the Oklahoma Dental
Association at its annual session
April 26-29.
1964
Dr. Alton Walker of San Antonio was
installed as 2008 president of the
Texas Academy of General Dentistry
in September. As president, he serves
on the TAGD executive committee
and its 2008 board of directors. He
is a life member of the Academy of
General Dentistry, TAGD, American
Dental Association and Texas Dental
Association. A fellow of the AGD,
he currently is working toward his
Mastership, the highest honor available
in the organization.
1971
Dr. Phil Campbell, assistant professor
and director of the graduate clinic
in orthodontics, received the 2007
Trailblazer Award from the Texas
Orthodontic Study Club. Campbell has
been a member of TOSC, previously the
Dr. Janice DeWald (left), professor and chair of dental hygiene, and Patricia Clendenin Wessendorff visit prior to the
centennial convocation in October 2005.
Class Notes continued from page 31
WI T H A L U MNI
than 40 years.
In her role as founding director of the
Caruth School, Wessendorffs work was cut
out for her. Although Dr. Harry McCarthy,
then the dental college dean, had already
hired instructors for the core courses such as
psychology and English and the frst class of
32 students was almost full, upon her arrival
she discovered she had to be her registrar as
well as her own secretary. I did get a secre-
tary my second year here, she says.
She and
McCarthy
hired a clini-
cal instruc-
tor of dental
hygiene, and
Wessendorff
worked to
coordinate
the cur-
riculum.
She recalls
apprecia-
tively the
help she
received
from the
American
Dental Association accrediting board and
from McCarthy, who had outlined the cur-
riculum dictated by the American Associa-
tion of Dental Schools. To her delight, the
new dental hygiene program also had new
facilities to occupy, with dedicated space in
the basic science wing completed in 1954.
Wessendorff left many legacies during her
association with Caruth, including estab-
lishing the Sigma Phi Alpha honor society
chapter in 1958. Although she was eligible
for induction in Temple Universitys chap-
ter, she chose to be a charter member of the
Dallas chapter to provide it with a vote and
a voice, she says.
She designed the clinic caps for the
Caruth School of Dental Hygiene in 1956.
Capping ceremonies, which signaled the
transition from classroom to clinic, continued
until 1983, when the cap was retired. Wes-
sendorff also designed the original dental
hygiene graduation pins that were presented
to graduates until 1971 when the dental
school separated from Baylor University.
Mrs. Wessendorff has been very support-
ive both to the dental hygiene program and
the community, says Dr. Janice DeWald
95, professor and chair of dental hygiene.
I enjoyed spending time with her during
the colleges centennial. She is not only
generous but very kind.
One dental hygienist who has known
Wessendorff
for decades is
Kay Gandy,
a member of
the dental
hygiene spe-
cial program
class of 1957
and a former
president of
the Ameri-
can Dental
Hygienists
Association.
Gandy had
a personal
objective
in 1957:
coercing Wessendorff to say yes to a blind
date with her best friends cousin, Garrow
Wessendorff, who was traveling to Dallas
from Houston for the weekend and needed
a dance partner.
I wasnt trying to get them married,
says Gandy. Regardless, the two clicked on
the frst date and were married two years
later. Their wedding reception was even
held in Gandys home.
In 1961, Wessendorff left Baylor College
of Dentistry to be a stay-at-home mom. I
loved education, she says, and I treasure
my time at Caruth.
Her three high-achieving children
Tony, Suzy and Laura have since blessed
her with four grandchildren. Her advice for
her grandchildren is the same as she would
offer any student these days: Your horizons
are so broad now, and there are so many
Charles H. Tweed Study Group of Texas,
since 1977.
1973
Dr. Amp Miller, professor and director of
curriculum at HSC-BCD, was installed
as president of the American Academy
of Restorative Dentistry in February. A
member since 1985, he has previously
served as secretary-treasurer and
president-elect of the 350-member
organization.
1976
Dr. Patrick J. Ferrillo was named
president of the International Federation
of Dental Educators and Associations
during the organizations annual
meeting Sept. 5 in Dublin, Ireland.
He was named an honorary fellow by
the Academy of Dentistry International
during the organizations USA Section
annual meeting in San Francisco on
Sept. 26. Ferrillo is the dean of the
University of the Pacifc Arthur A. Dugoni
School of Dentistry.
1977
Dr. Lavern Holyfeld, assistant professor
and director of faculty development
in academic affairs, completed the
Institute for Teaching and Learning in its
Health Professions Program for Dental
School Faculty. The ITL is a collaborative
partnership between the Academy for
Academic Leadership in Atlanta and the
University of Missouri-Kansas City School
of Dentistry.
Dr. K. Vendrell Rankin, professor of public
health sciences, was inducted as a fellow
of the International College of Dentists at
the groups 77th annual convocation in
Las Vegas on Oct. 16, 2006.
1983
Dr. David Struble of Ozark, Mo., was
named Dentist of the Year in November
by the 2007 Missouri Dental Association
House of Delegates. He was honored for
Wessendorf leaves lasting infuence from page 32
Patricia Clendenin Wessendorff (center) demonstrates technique to students in the clinic in the
mid-1950s.
I N T OU C H
his instrumental role in the establishment
of a not-for-proft dental clinic for
underprivileged children in Missouris
Stone and Christian counties and for his
tireless efforts to provide dental care to
Medicaid eligible children. A talented
singer, Struble is a three-time winner
of The Ozarks Music Awards for Male
Vocalist of the Year in Branson, Mo.
1985
Dr. Steve Griffn, director of clinics
and associate professor of restorative
sciences, received the Teacher
Excellence Award at the colleges annual
faculty retreat on Jan. 4.
1986
Dr. Michael L. Stuart of Mesquite,
Texas, was installed as president of
the Dallas County Dental Society in
May. Stuart has served on numerous
committees and boards for the American
Dental Association, the Academy of
General Dentistry and DCDS. He has
served on the board of directors of the
Texas Dental Association since 2004,
currently serving as parliamentarian. He
also is on the board of directors of the
Southwestern Medical Foundation.
1987
Dr. William Gerlach of Plano, Texas, was
elected secretary-treasurer of the Dallas
County Dental Society in May.
1988
Dr. Jon W. Williamson of Cedar Hill,
Texas, was inducted as a fellow of the
International College of Dentists at the
organizations annual convocation in San
Francisco on Sept. 28.
1994
Dr. Janelle Bicknell of Grand Prairie,
Texas, was awarded the Community
Builder Award from the Mountain Creek
Masonic Lodge 511 in Grand Prairie
on March 24. The award is the highest
marvelous choices. You can do anything in
the world, so set a goal and make up your
mind to do it.
Now Wessendorffs hands are busy with
a different labor of love: knitting caps for
premature babies at Parkland Hospital in
Dallas. She recently sent a box full of them
to the hospital.
I like to hold a cap in my hand after Ive
fnished it and picture the sweet baby who
will wear it one day, she says.
From clinic caps to baby caps, her hands
have touched many lives. The mental
picture is sweet indeed. z
Wessendorf leaves lasting infuence from page 33
Crump receives alumni award
A native of Kilgore, Texas, Dr. Brad
Crump 97 has been planning his
future in dentistry since he was 7
years old. In 2007, he was honored
with the Baylor College of Den-
tistry Alumni Associations Out-
standing Young Alumnus Award.
The award honors young dental
or dental hygiene alumni who
have contributed to the college or
the dental profession early in their
career. Candidates are considered
eligible within 10 years after graduation.
An assistant professor and clinical instruc-
tor at the dental school since 2000, Crump
maintains a successful periodontal practice
in North Dallas. He also holds a faculty posi-
tion at the University of Nebraska Medical
Center College of Dentistry.
In nominating him for the award, his
classmate Dr. Randall Lamb 97 noted
Crumps honors and affliations but espe-
cially emphasized his integrity, motivation
and passion.
An honors graduate, Crump received
his dental degree in 1997 after earning a
bachelors degree in 1993 from Baylor Uni-
versity in Waco, Texas. He completed his
periodontal residency at the University of
Nebraska College of Dentistry in Lincoln,
Neb., in 2000, earning a masters degree and
certifcate in periodontology.
Throughout his career,
Crump has received numer-
ous awards and accolades. He
was awarded the distinction of
New Dentist of the Year by the
Dallas County Dental Society in
2004 and was named a diplo-
mate of the American Board of
Periodontology in 2005. Texas
Monthly has listed him as a
Super Dentist in 2004, 2005,
2006 and 2007.
As a student, Crump received the Service
Philosophy Award from UNCD and an hon-
orable mention for his entry in the American
Academy of Periodontologys Balint Orban
Memorial Research Competition in 2000.
He was named to Omicron Kappa Upsilon
National Dental Honor Society in 1997 and
to the Odontological Honor Society at HSC-
BCD in 1995.
In addition to his roles as practitioner and
educator, Crump remains active in organized
dentistry. He is a board member of HSC-
BCDs Alumni Association and the Southwest
Society of Periodontists, where he also serves
in many leadership capacities. Additionally,
he serves on numerous committees at the
dental school and for the Dallas County Den-
tal Society, the Texas Society of Periodontists
and the Academy of Osseointegration. z
Dr. Brad Crump
Class Notes continued from page 33
Garrow and Patricia Wessendorff
WI T H A L U MNI
Caruth School alumna honors Wessendorff through fund
The Patricia Clendenin Wessendorff Caruth
School of Dental Hygiene Fund was
launched in 2005 with a gift given in Wessen-
dorffs honor by Kay Gandy, an alumna of the
dental hygiene special program class of 1957.
A tribute to a 50-year friendship, the
fund was established to help support special
projects benefting dental hygiene students.
Gandys original gift was matched by
Wessendorff and Dr. Janice DeWald 95,
professor and chair of dental hygiene, in
2006. In 2007, the generosity of Caruth
School alumni and friends brought the fund
balance to $22,000, very near the endow-
ment level of $25,000.
This excellence fund will be used for a
variety of things, says DeWald. The initial
focus will be to help fund students travel
to educational meetings to present table
clinics and research projects. Many of our
undergraduate and graduate students attend
school with limited fnancial resources. They
will beneft greatly from the extra help this
fund will provide.
Gandy and DeWald are determined to
meet and exceed their endowment-level goal.
We want these resources to be available to
students in perpetuity, explains DeWald.
A signifcant boost to the fund came
from Wessendorffs husband, Garrow, who
expressed in a note accompanying his gift
that he is thankful to HSC-Baylor College
of Dentistry for bringing his future wife to
Texas in the 1950s. He is likewise grateful
to Gandy for introducing him to her and for
starting the fund in her honor.
I am well aware of Mrs. Gandys deter-
mination, as it was through her efforts that a
blind date was made and eventually led to
my marriage to Pat, he wrote. I wish you
success on reaching your goal for this fund to
be endowed.
The fund is administered by the Baylor
Oral Health Foundation. To contribute,
checks should be made payable to BOHF/
Wessendorff-Caruth Fund and mailed to:
Texas A&M Health Science Center Baylor
College of Dentistry; Offce of Commu-
nications and Development; 3302 Gaston
Ave.; Dallas, TX 75246. Credit card pay-
ments by Visa and MasterCard also are
accepted. Donors may make gifts in honor
or memoriam. For more information, call
214.828.8214. z
honor that an individual Masonic Lodge
can bestow upon outstanding individual
non-Masons who have distinguished
themselves through service. Bicknell
directs a sealant program for second-
and seventh-graders in the Grand Prairie
Independent School District.
1997
Dr. Brad Crump received the 2007
Outstanding Young Alumnus Award
from HSC-BCDs Alumni Association. A
periodontist, Crump practices in North
Dallas and also serves on the clinical
faculty at the dental school.
2000
Dr. Kenny Thompson, a pediatric dentist
in Mount Pleasant, Texas, received the
Best of Texas 2007 Volunteer of the Year
award from the Communities in Schools
State Advisory Committee and the Texas
Education Agency.
2001
JoAnn Scofeld, assistant professor
in dental hygiene, was presented the
Teaching Excellence Award at the Texas
Dental Hygienists Educators Association/
Student American Dental Hygienists
Association joint conference Feb. 1-3 in
San Antonio.
2002
Dr. Barbara MacNeill of Helotes, Texas,
received the Academy of General
Dentistry Fellowship Award during a
special ceremony at the University of
Texas Health Science Center at San
Antonio on Nov. 15.
2007
Karla Madamba of Dallas placed second
in the table clinic competition at the
American Dental Hygienists Association
annual session for her presentation
titled Bisphosphonate Associated
Osteonecrosis of the Jaw June 21 in
New Orleans. Her research was co-
authored by fellow 2007 dental hygiene
graduate Sarah Coleman.
Ms. Joanne O. Allen 57
Mrs. Jean R. Knight Baty 67
Ms. Kimberly K. Berry 89
Mrs. Helen Pettigrew Blackwood 58
Ms. Carol D. Hesse Bourland 57
Ms. Sharon Wogan Brisbin 57
Mrs. Angela N. Peterson Carlson 05
Ms. Midge H. Anderson Carstenson 83
Ms. Peggy A. Ward Countryman 57
Ms. Lana C. Stone Crawford 68
Ms. Lisa Davis-Soltani 04
Dr. Janice DeWald 95
Ms. Karen Littrell Dyer 87
Ms. Demetria Eldridge 04
Ms. Martha A. Estrada 03
Ms. Susie McMurray Fleming 83
Ms. Kathern R. Hamblen Friel 79
Mrs. Mary K. Gandy 57
Mrs. Caroline M. Grattafori 95
Ms. Cindy K. Simmons Harmon 79
Ms. Kathryn Wunderlich Hefin 57
Ms. Margaret K. Knebel Hicks 67
Mrs. Leith Wildfong Higginbottom 71
Mrs. Susan Mitchell Jackson
Ms. Tracy Lee Jacobson 91
Mrs. Glenna J. Schulgen Johns 65,
77, 99
Mrs. Cortney Lynn Blake McNitt 06
Ms. Laurie M. Penn Miller 83
Ms. Kristin B. Bretz Nichols 65
Ms. Kathleen ONeill-Smith 65
Ms. Joy Parker 03
Ms. Anna L. Hatley Phillips 95
Ms. Frieda Atherton Pickett 66
Ms. Dianna C. Prachyl 94, 00
Ms. Tonya Smith Ray 78
Mrs. Kay F. Fincher Rickets 58
Mrs. Jeanne Rumley 62
Ms. Barbara A. Rosher Selley 61
Ms. Emily J. Streck
Ms. Emma J. Terrell 57
Ms. Pamela Waites Wade 68
Dr. Robert V. Walker 47
Mrs. Patricia Clendenin Wessendorff
Mr. R. Garrow Wessendorff
Ms. Diana Doherty Williams 59
Wessendorff Fund Contributors
I N T OU C H
Recognition for
members of the
Class of 2007
The following awards were presented
May 16 at the Senior Awards Ceremony.
International College of Dentists Student
Leadership Award: Shireen Irani
Outstanding Leader Award sponsored by
the Texas Section American College of
Dentists: Casey Ray Warren
The Pierre Fauchard Academy Senior
Student Award: Kipton Ford Anderson
The Academy of Operative Dentistry:
Jennifer Yiu Chang
The American Academy of Oral Medicine:
Lin Lu Chang
The American Academy of Oral and
Maxillofacial Radiology: Casey Ray
Warren
The American Academy of Oral and
Maxillofacial Pathology: Fereshteh
Ganjoor
Dr. Al C. Franklin 34
Dr. Sam W. Gandy 39
Dr. Rodney G. Mitchell 41
Dr. Ernest R. Green, Jr. 44
Dr. Paul Frank Colletti 45
Dr. James Vannes Boone 46
Dr. Harry R. Levy, Jr. 46
Dr. Emmett Ray Hamby 48
Dr. Charles L. Fortson 49
Dr. Theo Nichols 49
Dr. Walter E. Boynton 50
Dr. Charles B. Lide 50
Dr. Griffth Oates 50
Dr. P. Parmer Richardson 50
Dr. Bill A. Lively 51
Dr. Russell Matthes 53
Dr. Louie R. Mullican, Jr. 53
Dr. Alan B. Bishop 55
Dr. Freddie A. England 56
Dr. Charles J. Merritt 57
Linda Massey 72
Dr. Tom Weirich 72
Dr. Stephen B. Milam 79
Sally Ann Kidwell Swenholt, RDH 83
Dr. Jack Jay M. Cozby, Jr. 87
Dr. Blair Loving 88
Dr. Elizabeth Bescos Whiddon 88
Dr. Kevin E. Clark 90
In Memoriam
Shortly after opening his pediatric
dental practice in Mount Pleasant,
Texas, Dr. Kenny Thompson 00
was approached by Communities
In Schools, a dropout prevention
program, to participate in Give Kids
A Smile day.
This one-day event held each
February is an opportunity for den-
tal professionals to provide dental
services to children in need.
Five years later, Thompson
continues to participate in the
event and fnds additional ways to
serve the children of CIS Northeast
Texas. He regularly treats children
referred to him by CIS and does not turn
them away even though they cannot pay for
dental services.
He takes his volunteer work one step fur-
ther by regularly going into the schools with
the CIS youth service coordinator to develop
dental care plans for children who have never
been to the dentist and to provide oral health
education to the children and their families.
Thompsons acts of benevolence led
to his receiving the Best of Texas 2007
Volunteer of the Year award from the CIS
State Advisory Committee and the Texas
Education Agency. Thompson was honored
on the foors of both the Texas House of
Alum recognized for helping children in need
Representatives and the Senate.
I have four children and would want to
make sure they had whatever they needed,
says Thompson. I cant imagine seeing my
children in pain and not being able to do any-
thing about it.
He was thrilled and thankful for the award,
he says, but doesnt think he did anything
exceptional.
Were just doing our jobs, Thompson
says. I enjoy seeing the kids out of pain.
Thats the biggest thing for me to know they
can go home, they can eat, they can sleep, and
they can go to school and not worry about their
teeth hurting. We all get a warm, fuzzy feeling
from helping them. z
Dr. Kenny Thompson (third from left) is joined by, from left: Sen. Gonzales Barrientos, CIS
State Director Nellie Reyes and CIS State Advisory Committee Chair Chris Douglas.
Samples receives
TDHA honor
Chrissy Samples 07 was named
2007 Outstanding Dental Hygiene
Student of Texas by the Texas Dental
Hygienists Association Feb. 3 in San
Antonio.
Each year, the award is presented
to a student who demonstrates good
academic standing, activity in the
Student American Dental Hygienists
Association, community volunteer work
and legislative activity on behalf of dental
hygienists in the state.
Samples, the TDHA 2006-2007
student delegate for the state of Texas,
also was awarded a $400 scholarship
for her efforts with SADHA and TDHA.
She served as president of HSC-Baylor
College of Dentistrys chapter of SADHA,
which was dedicated to community
involvement during her tenure.
WI T H A L U MNI
The American Academy of
Periodontology: Thomas David Caputo
The American Association of
Endodontists: Jarrod Charles Leisch
The American Association of Oral and
Maxillofacial Surgeons: Reed Patrick
Gibbins
The American Association of
Orthodontists: Casey Ray Warren
The American Dental Society of
Anesthesiology, Inc.: Christopher
Michael King
The American Academy of Pediatric
Dentistry: Zarmin Lalani-Walji
The Southwest Prosthodontic Society:
Amy Akers Hefton
The Horace R. Beachum Award in
Denture Prosthesis: Patricia Marie
Janak
The Bernhard Gottlieb Memorial Award in
Oral Pathology: Benito Jose Benitez
las, he served for many years as director of
the dental training programs at both Texas
Scottish Rite Hospital for Children and
Childrens Medical Center of Dallas, where
an endowment has been established in his
name.
Taylor was nominated for the Distin-
guished Alumnus Award by Dr. Eugene
Kouri 61, 66, a board member of HSC-
BCDs Alumni Association and graduate
of the dental schools pediatric dentistry
program.
He is just an outstanding individual,
says Kouri. We owe him, as far as our
professional lives are concerned, so much
gratitude and appreciation. He helped us
to become the practitioners we are today.
Hes always been our outstanding alum and
someone we look up to.
At the award presentation, Dr. James
S. Cole 75, dean, extolled Taylors valu-
able contributions. Few individuals are
as esteemed as Dr. Taylor, and his impact
on pediatric dentistry at the dental school
is enormous, said Cole. We are all better
off for his longstanding devotion and efforts
on behalf of our students and patients. Dr.
Taylor also happens to be an extremely like-
able person who brings smiles to the faces of
people he encounters.
Taylor has served as chairman of the
American Board of Pediatric Dentistry,
was chairman and vice chairman of the
Pediatric Dentists Section of the American
Dental Association and received a Lifetime
Achievement Award in 2002 from the Dallas
County Dental Society. He was inducted to
the HSC-BCD Hall of Fame in 1999. z
Taylor named distinguished alumnus from page 30
Dr. Lavern Holyfeld 77, assis-
tant professor and director of fac-
ulty development, was honored
at the American Dental Educa-
tion Association annual session
in March when she was named
the ADEA/GlaxoSmithKline/
National Dental Association Dr.
Jeanne C. Sinkford Scholar in the
ADEA Leadership Institute.
Holyfeld is the inaugural
recipient of this award, which is
designed for a dental school faculty member
from a minority group underrepresented in
dental education. It will support Holyfeld as
a 2007-2008 Leadership Institute Fellow.
The award was created to honor Dr.
Jeanne C. Sinkford, a leader in dental educa-
tion and the associate executive director for
ADEAs Center for Equity and Diversity.
In her role at HSC-Baylor College of
Dentistry, Holyfeld has implemented a
program to facilitate enhancement of teach-
ing skills among junior faculty and promote
success in academic dentistry. Known as the
Teaching Scholars Program, it aims to attract
and retain preeminent faculty members by
enhancing pedagogical skills among partici-
Sinkford Scholar implements teaching program
pants and promoting networking
among new and junior faculty.
An additional component
of the training will focus on
improving leadership and
communication skills and goal
setting, says Holyfeld.
Holyfeld explains that the
need for developing new faculty
members is so important because
more than half of dental faculty
members will reach retirement
age in the next decade, creating a situation
in which more dental educators are leaving
the workforce than entering it, according to
ADEA. Further, most new faculty mem-
bers transitioning from private practice to
academia have no formal training in clinical
or classroom instruction.
Equipping new faculty members with
resources of this kind facilitates conf-
dence and success in the world of dental
academics, says Holyfeld. The program
ultimately benefts the students, whose
education is impacted by the expert skills of
the teaching scholars. z
Dr. Lavern Holyfeld
As the TDHA student delegate,
Samples attended the TDHA annual
session in San Antonio in September
2006 where she delivered the student
address to the House of Delegates,
which is made up of hygienists from
all over the state. She met with the
American Dental Hygienists Association
and TDHA presidents to discuss student
issues and promote student involvement.
She also set up a MySpace webpage for
dental hygiene students of Texas. z
Chrissy Samples
I N T OU C H
Dr. Stephen Crane 73, assistant professor of
public health sciences, is the heart behind
the Seal Mobiles wheels.
Never was this more evident than in
November, when he drove the vehicle 1,080
miles round-trip from Dallas to serve school-
children in Sanderson, Texas, the hometown
of third-year dental student Karina Mendoza.
I remember one day mentioning to Dr.
Crane that he should take the Seal Mobile
to Sanderson, and to my surprise he actually
agreed, says Mendoza.
Located in Big Bend country and known
as the cactus capital of Texas, Sanderson is
miles away from the nearest dentist.
Growing up there, I learned to not take
anything for granted, Mendoza says. We
usually have to drive up to three hours to get
to any dental or medical specialist, so bring-
ing the dental care home not only helped
the children but also helped all the families
by saving them a trip.
In one day, Crane, Mendoza and third-
year dental student Trevor Harrison pro-
vided sealants to 30 students at Sanderson
Elementary School, nearly half of the
student population. Crane hopes to return to
the town in 2008 to treat middle school and
high school students.
Seal Mobile fnds dedicated skipper
My work with the Seal Mobile is both
enjoyable and rewarding, says Crane. I
know we are making a difference for so many
kids.
Throughout the year, the Seal Mobile
makes stops at Dallas-area schools that partici-
pate in the Dallas County Sealant Initiative.
Through the program, fourth-year dental
students place sealants on second-grade
students permanent molars and assess their
oral health needs. Many of these students
have never seen a dentist.
Crane freely gives his personal time to
take the Seal Mobile to communities outside
Dallas. Mendoza shares his passion for serving
the community, knowing frsthand the chal-
lenge of treating populations with limited
access to oral health care.
The whole reason I went into health care
was to be able to give back to my community,
she says. Dr. Crane will probably never know
just how much it meant to help me do that.
As for the pristine and colorful appearance
of the vehicle itself, Crane is so devoted to
preserving it that he takes it home to wash
it in his driveway. The neighbors probably
think Im nuts, he laughs. z
The Merritt-Parks Award in
Periodontology: Elizabeth Anne Meyers
The Southwest Society of Oral and
Maxillofacial Surgeons: Christopher
Michael King
The Texas Academy of General Dentistry:
Matthew Bryson Roberts II
The Southwest Academy of Restorative
Dentistry: Paul Sartain Denson
The Eleanor Bushee Senior Woman
Dental Student Award: Shireen Irani
The General Dentistry Program
Award: Paul Sartain Denson, Alan
Bartholomew Herrman, Patricia Marie
Janak, Hee Choung Kang, Jonathon
Ryan Kimes, Jarrod Charles Leisch
American Equilibration Society: John
Mark Richards
Academy of Dental Materials: Jennifer
Yiu Chang
Texas Dental Association Outstanding
Senior Award: Adam Clark Spencer
The American College of Prosthodontists:
Amy Akers Hefton
American Academy of Dental Practice
Administration: Sean Heng Ma
Dallas Section of the American
Association for Dental Research: Lauren
Anica Davis
American Association of Public Health
Dentistry: Yvonne Tijerina
International Congress of Oral
Implantologists: Sung Hee Lee
American Student Dental Association
Award of Excellence: Elizabeth Anne
Meyers
American Academy of Esthetic Dentistry:
Alan Bartholomew Herrman
The George Barnes Preventive Dentistry
Award: Jarrod Charles Leisch
American Association of Oral and
Maxillofacial Surgeons Dental Implant
Award: Zarmin Lalani-Walji
Clockwise from top: Karina Mendoza and Trevor Harrison provide
dental sealants for students at Sanderson Elementary School. The
Seal Mobile made the long trek to Sanderson, Texas, in Big Bend
country. Dr. Stephen Crane serves children through his ongoing work
with the Seal Mobile.
Senior awards continued from page 37
WI T H A L U MNI
Quintessence Award for Research
Achievement: Sean Heng Ma
Quintessence Award for Clinical
Achievement in Restorative Dentistry:
Melinda Kay Harbin
Quintessence Award for Clinical
Achievement in Periodontics: Brandon
Gage Coleman
Rudolph Hanau Prosthodontic Award:
Quincy Simon Attipoe
American Association of Oral Biologists:
Shireen Irani
The Dr. D. Lamar Byrd Oral and
Maxillofacial Surgery Award: Christopher
Michael King
The Warren Parker Community Dentistry
Award: Elizabeth Anne Meyers
American Academy of Implant Dentistry:
Jasmine Chil-Min Sung
The Academy of Osseointegration: Adam
Clark Spencer
The Sigma Phi Alpha Dental Hygiene
Research Award: Sarah Christine
Coleman, Karla Marie Madamba
The Preventive Dentistry Award: Karla
Marie Madamba
The Outstanding Patient Management
Award: Jennifer Dawn Harris
The George B. Clendenin Award: Lauren
Gail Jordan
The Phillip Earle Williams Award:
Marisela Molina
Geriatric Patient Care Award: Phuong
My Lieu
Academy of Dentistry for Persons With
Disabilities: Megan Lynn Williams
Dental Hygiene Student Total
Achievement Award: Christina Elise
Samples
Community Dentistry and Dental Public
Health Award: Rosalinda Molina
Additional honors presented at
commencement appear on page 40.
Dr. David Struble 83 of Ozark, Mo., was
named Dentist of the Year in November by
the 2007 Missouri Dental Association House
of Delegates.
He was honored for his instrumental role
in the establishment of the Childrens Smile
Center, a not-for-proft dental clinic for
underprivileged children in Missouris Stone
and Christian
counties, and
for his tireless
efforts to pro-
vide dental care
to Medicaid eli-
gible children.
Struble
has dedicated
countless hours
and resources
to the funding,
planning and
development of
the CSC while
continuing to
run a full-time practice in Ozark. A father of
two, he is passionate about fnding creative
ways to extend care to children and teaching
lifelong oral health habits along the way.
I would encourage anyone who sees this
as a real concern to get out there and get
organized in the community, says Struble.
I was shocked and glad to see how the
community got behind this issue.
Upon accepting his award, Struble
thanked his mother who traveled from
Dallas to attend the awards dinner for
helping put
him and his two
siblings through
dental school.
Aside from
his roles as
dentist, dad
and community
activist, Struble
is a talented
singer. His
music led him
from Dallas to
Missouri where
he spent eight
years perform-
ing with the Ozarks Country Jubilee and the
Presleys Jubilee in Branson. He is a three-
time winner of The Ozarks Music Awards
for Male Vocalist of the Year in Branson. z
Struble named Missouri Dentist of Year
Dr. David Struble (third from left) shares the memorable occasion with his wife, Deborah; their
daughter, Amanda; his mother, Ruth Cooper; and her husband, Jack Cooper. The Strubles
son, Adam, is not pictured.
JoAnn Scofeld 01, assistant
professor in dental hygiene, was
presented the 2007 Teaching
Excellence Award in February
at the Texas Dental Hygiene
Educators Association meeting
in San Antonio.
The award is given by the
Texas Dental Hygiene Direc-
tors Association and sponsored
by Procter and Gamble. Scofeld
received a plaque, a $500 check and a trophy
for display at HSC-BCD.
Marylou Gutmann, professor in dental
hygiene and past recipient of the honor,
nominated Scofeld for this award. Dr. Janice
DeWald 95, professor and chair of the
Caruth School of Dental Hygiene, and Dr.
Stan Cobb 83, assistant professor in restor-
ative sciences, submitted letters of support.
Scofeld began her teaching
career in 1999 as a clinical instruc-
tor while earning her masters
degree in dental hygiene from
HSC-BCD. She returned to the
college in 2002 as a full-time
instructor. She is currently the
course director for Theory of
Dental Hygiene Practice I and
Gerontology. Scofeld says she is
fortunate to work with peers who
are so supportive.
Her motivation as an educator comes from
her students, Scofeld says. I get excited
when I see the light bulb go on and I know
that all the information we make them learn
fnally begins to make sense. To me, there is
no better reward as a teacher than to watch the
progression from student to professional. z
Scofeld receives teaching excellence award
JoAnn Scofeld
Dental Class of 2007
First Scholastic Honors Gold Medal Winner and Alpha Omega Award: Casey Ray
Warren
Second Scholastic Honors: Fereshteh Ganjoor
Third Scholastic Honors: Brady Jonathan Camp
Fourth Scholastic Honors: Alan Bartholomew Herrman
Cumulative Deans Honor List: Benito Jose Benitez, Brady Jonathan Camp,
Yvonne Fung Cheung Chiu, Paul Sartain Denson, Fereshteh Ganjoor, Alan
Bartholomew Herrman, Shireen Irani, Patricia Marie Janak, Christopher
Michael King, Zarmin Lalani-Walji, Jarrod Charles Leisch, Nicole Marlene
Schmidt, Adam Clark Spencer, Casey Ray Warren
Elected to Honorary Scholastic Society Omicron Kappa Upsilon: Fereshteh
Ganjoor, Alan Bartholomew Herrman, Patricia Marie Janak, Christopher
Michael King, Jarrod Charles Leisch, Joseph Edward Parker, Nicole Marlene
Schmidt, Adam Clark Spencer
Dental Hygiene Class of 2007
First Scholastic Honors Gold Medal Winner: Sarah Christine Coleman
Second Scholastic Honors: Katherine Nicole Rosamond
Third Scholastic Honors: Crystal DAnn Muguerza
Cumulative Deans Honor List: Sarah Christine Coleman, Kimberly Anne Craig,
Crystal DAnn Muguerza, Abby Lynn Rainbolt, Katherine Nicole Rosamond
Elected to Honorary Society Sigma Phi Alpha: Sarah Christine Coleman, Abby
Lynn Rainbolt, Katherine Nicole Rosamond
Nearly 150 graduates and numerous award recipients were recog-
nized by HSC-Baylor College of Dentistry during its commence-
ment exercises May 17 at the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony
Center in Dallas.
The college awarded 82 dental degrees, 27 bachelors degrees
in dental hygiene from the Caruth School of Dental Hygiene, 24
certifcates in dentistry, three masters degrees, one doctor of
philosophy degree and six masters degrees/certifcates in dentistry.
Additionally, 19 HSC-BCD postdoctoral students were rec-
ognized for degrees earned since graduation last year, including
six certifcates in dentistry, one masters degree, nine masters
degrees/certifcates in dentistry and two medical degrees awarded
by the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of
Medicine. z
College welcomes newest alumni
I N T OU C H WI T H A L U MNI
Academic Honors and Awards
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B A Y L O R D E N T A L

Dr. Kay Rankin

The Baylor connection is a really

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