Spotlight
• How perceptions of dental education affects
general dentist's attitudes
• Analyzing saliva and plaque biofilm to help
identify biomarkers
• Stimulating gene expression to increase
bone formation
Dr. Laurie McCauley, Chair
Recent Studies Not to Miss!
Periodontal Referral Patterns of General Dentists -
Lessons for Dental Education
Lee JH, Bennett D, Richards PS, Inglehart MR
Data was collected and analyzed on patient/provider demographics, periodontal disease characteristics, and how perceptions of dental education affected general dentist's attitude and timing of periodontal referrals. Those who made more referrals felt less prepared by their dental education in periodontics. A positive evaluation of their periodontal training resulted in fewer referrals, with dentists more likely to treat patients in their own practice. See online article
Identification of Pathogen and Host-Response Markers
Correlated With Periodontal Disease
Ramseier CA, Kinney JS, Herr AE, Braun T, Sugai JV, Shelburne CA, Rayburn LA, Tran HM, Singh AK, Giannobile WV
Periodontitis is the major cause of tooth loss in adults and is linked to systemic illnesses, such as cardiovascular disease and stroke. This study analyzed saliva and plaque biofilm to help identify biomarkers that correlate with periodontal disease. This approach offers significant potential for the discovery of biomarker signatures useful in the development of chairside diagnostics for oral and systemic diseases. See online article
Differentiation-Dependent Association of Phosphorylated Extracellular
Signal-Regulated Kinase with the Chromatin of Osteoblast-Related Genes
Li Y, Ge C, Franceschi RT
The skeleton has the unique ability to modify its structure in response to varying loads. It is for this reason that weight-bearing exercises such as walking or running increase bone strength. This paper explains how loads conveyed to bone cells stimulate gene expression to increase bone formation. The notable finding is that when cells experience loads, a specific protein called extracellular signal-related kinase (Erk) moves from the cytoplasm to the cell nucleus where it associates with a select group of genes necessary for new bone formation. Erk then modifies nuclear structure to stimulate gene activity and increase the synthesis of new bone, leading to increased bone strength.
Department Update:
Message from Dr. Laurie McCauley, Chair
Welcome to the Department of Periodontics and Oral Medicine (POM)! Our department includes divisions of Periodontology (pre-doctoral and graduate), Dental Hygiene, Prevention and Geriatrics, and Oral Pathology/Medicine/Radiology.
Our continuing focus includes 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 MCOHR, Michigan Center for Oral Health Research.
Research efforts in Periodontics, Oral Pathology and Oral Medicine are distinctive and wide-ranging. Recent consensus of our 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.
Another focused effort is to continue to improve the teaching programs through faculty and course development. A central and critical tenet is excellence in patient care. Faculty calibration programs and in-service gatherings center on the aim of achieving more consistency and improving overall quality of teaching. Efforts are ongoing to enrich the implant dentistry curriculum and link clinical experiences at predoctoral and graduate levels 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 more than 50% of graduates from our periodontal program in the past ten years pursuing academic careers. 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. Efforts to expand our graduate level programs include the development of an Oral Pathology specialty program that we anticipate to launch in 2010. Success in this effort will result in a larger and better-qualified pool of academicians for our profession in general.
A 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.
I'm consistently amazed at the accomplishments of our faculty, staff, and students. I feel very fortunate to be working with such an outstanding group of educators, scientists and clinicians.
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