Faculty Bibliography

Pipeline programs aim to increase the representation of underrepresented minorities in the dental profession. At New York University College of Dentistry (NYUCD), two dental students initiated the development of a pipeline program for high school students called Saturday Academy. The purpose of the program is twofold: to mentor and coach underrepresented minority and low-income high school students through the college application process, and to expose them to the field of dentistry as a viable career option through both didactic and hands-on learning. The aim of this pilot study was to determine outcomes for the first five years (2013-17) of the Saturday Academy pipeline program at NYUCD with regard to the high school students' experience with the program and their career interests after high school graduation. Across five cohorts, a total of 82 students participated in Saturday Academy. A "where are you now?" survey sent to 72 participants who reported high school graduation years between 2013 and 2018 received a response rate of 76%. The survey results showed that all (100%) of the responding Saturday Academy participants had graduated from high school and were enrolled in college, and 71% were interested in health profession careers. Almost half (47%) of the students self-identified as being pre-dental, and 96% reported that Saturday Academy had increased their interest in the dental profession. These pilot results justified an expansion of Saturday Academy at NYUCD in both size and creation of an alumni outreach initiative. Other dental schools may benefit from the strategies used by this program in establishing or expanding their pipeline programs.

INTRODUCTION/BACKGROUND:The aim of this study was to investigate changes in treatment planning decisions among different practitioner groups over 7 years for teeth with apical periodontitis and a history of endodontic treatment. METHODS:A Web-based survey was sent to dentists in Pennsylvania in 2009 consisting of 14 cases with nonhealing periapical lesions and intact restorations without evidence of recurrent caries. Participants selected among 5 treatment options: wait and observe, nonsurgical retreatment (NSRTX), surgical retreatment (SRTX), extraction and fixed partial denture, or extraction and implant (EXIMP). In 2016, the identical survey was resent to the original 2009 participants. RESULTS: = 11.2792, P < .05]). No significant changes were observed in the decision for tooth saving versus replacement treatment options (P = .520). CONCLUSIONS:No significant differences were noted between current and past treatment planning decisions in regard to tooth preservation by endodontic retreatment versus tooth extraction and replacement. However, individual practitioners lacked consistency in their decision making over time.

INTRODUCTION: The unique innervation and anatomic features of dental pulp contribute to the remarkable finding that any physical stimulation of pulpal tissue is painful. Furthermore, when pathological processes such as caries affect teeth and produce inflammation of the pulp, the pain experienced can be quite intense and debilitating. To better understand these underlying neurobiological mechanisms and identify novel analgesic targets for pulpally derived pain, we have developed a powerful ex vivo model using human tooth slices. METHODS: Noncarious, freshly extracted teeth were collected and sectioned longitudinally into 1-mm-thick slices containing both dental pulp and the surrounding mineralized tissues. Tooth slices from 36 patients were exposed to 60 mumol/L capsaicin to stimulate the release of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) from nerve terminals in the pulp. Patient factors were analyzed for their effects on capsaicin-stimulated CGRP release using a mixed model analysis of variance. RESULTS: Approximately one third of the variability observed in capsaicin-evoked CGRP release was attributable to differences between individuals. In terms of individual factors, there was no effect of anesthesia type, sex, or age on capsaicin-stimulated CGRP release. Using a within-subject study design, a significant effect of capsaicin on CGRP release was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Capsaicin-stimulated CGRP release from dental pulp is highly variable between individuals. A within-subject study design improves the variability and maximizes the potential of this powerful translational model to test the efficacy of novel pharmacotherapeutic agents on human peripheral nociceptors.

Background: Mice lacking the activities of Dlx1and Dlx2 (Dlx1/2(-/-) ) exhibit cleft palate, one of the most common human congenital defects, but the etiology behind this phenotype has been unknown. Therefore, we analyzed the morphological, cellular, and molecular changes caused by inactivation of Dlx1 and Dlx2 as related to palate development. Results: Dlx1/2(-/-) mutants exhibited lack of vertical growth in the posterior palate during the earliest stage of palatogenesis. We attributed this growth deficiency to reduced cell proliferation. Expression of a cell cycle regulator Ccnd1 was specifically down-regulated in the same region. Previous studies established that the epithelial-mesenchymal signaling loop involving Shh, Bmp4 and Fgf10 is important for cell proliferation and tissue growth during palate development. This signaling loop was disrupted in Dlx1/2(-/-) palate. Interestingly, however, the decreases in Ccnd1 expression and mitosis in Dlx1/2(-/-) mutants were independent of this signaling loop. Finally, Dlx1/2 activity was required for normal expression of several transcription factor genes whose mutation results in palate defects. Conclusions: The functions of Dlx1 and Dlx2 are crucial for the initial formation of the posterior palatal shelves, and that the Dlxgenes lie upstream of multiple signaling molecules and transcription factors important for later stages of palatogenesis. Developmental Dynamics, 2012. (c) 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.