News and Events
Message from Dr. Laurie McCauley, Chair
The continuing focus of the department has been in three main areas. The first is to
maintain our status of performing the highest caliber oral and periodontal research.
Our existing preeminent research program is strongly grounded in the basic science of the
tissues that comprise the periodontium and our complementary clinical research program
is becoming stronger and stronger through projects that take place in the graduate
periodontics clinic and at the school's clinical research facility
MCOHR. For an
idea of our research foci, please see a list of our recent publications
(POM Faculty Publications). For an idea
of our active clinical trials, please see a list of our current IRB approved studies
(POM Faculty Research Projects).
The research efforts in POM are distinctive and wide-ranging, but recent consensus amongst
POM faculty indicate that the areas in which we are mostly likely to make a noted impact
in the broader community are strategies for predictable bone regeneration, diagnostic
indicators of periodontal disease, predictors of effective therapy, methods to control
inflammation and regulation of cell growth and differentiation.
Our second focused effort is to continue to improve the teaching programs in POM through faculty and course development. A central and critical tenet is a focus on excellence in patient care. Faculty calibration programs and in-service gatherings are continuing with the aim of achieving more consistency and improving overall quality of teaching in POM. Efforts are underway to enrich the implant dentistry curriculum and the geriatrics clinical experiences at the undergraduate level as well. Active and aggressive recruitment of the most able and interested students will be undertaken to increase the number of our graduates seeking academic careers whilst still maintaining a balance of talented clinicians for the private sector. Our success in this area is evident, with 55% of graduates from our Periodontal program in the past five years currently pursuing academic careers at a part or full-time level. Our periodontal residents have authored numerous papers and book chapters, and have been recipients of a record number of awards from the American Academy of Periodontology. Success in this effort will result in a larger and better-qualified pool of academicians for our profession in general.
Our third focus is to foster a better sense of involvement and belonging within our department's broad and diverse community, which encompasses tenure-track, clinical and laboratory-based faculty, graduate students, undergraduate students, alumni and staff. Activities such as our annual educational retreat, joint faculty/student case conferences, the Ramfjord symposium, social gatherings and targeted discussion at faculty and staff meetings will help us realize an improved level of communication that is integral to fostering a sense of connection. Our faculty mentoring program directed by Russell Taichman and Bob Bagramian was the first formal program in the dental school and is considered the paradigm for junior faculty development.
I'm consistently amazed at the accomplishments of our faculty and staff, a few of which are listed below. I also feel very fortunate to be working with such an outstanding group of faculty, staff and graduate students.
Return to topEvents & Announcements
Two New Dental Web Sites Unveiled by UM School of Dentistry - Led by Dr. Marita Inglehart, a team of researchers and clinicians developed a web site for K-6th grade teachers, to aid in the education of their students about good oral health care. The information is presented in an easy-to-understand manner that is both useful and entertaining. Building on that success, a second web site for parents was developed by researchers from the U-M School of Dentistry and dental care providers, led by Dr. Inglehart. The web site is for parents seeking helpful information on dozens of oral health topics that affect their children at various stages of a child's growth and development.
Ramjford Symposium 2007 - Periodontal Excellence from Past to Future (see photos)
Periodontics and Oral Medicine - Department update in Dental UM
POM Faculty Honors and Awards
Renny Franceschi
Biological Mineralization Award, International Association for Dental Research, 2008
Lynn Johnson
Apple Award for Innovation in Science, 2008
Preetha Kanjirath
Outstanding Manuscript Award, American Dental Education Association, 2007
Mary Layher
Johnson & Johnson/ADHA Excellence in Dental Hygiene Award, 2008
Laurie McCauley
Elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, 2007
Associate Editor, Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, 2007-2012
Council member, American Society for Bone and Mineral Research, 2007-2010
Hom-Lay Wang
Perel Educator's Award, 2008
President Elect, The International Congress of Oral Implantologists, 2007