The Academy of General Dentistry brought its annual meeting to Connecticut, presenting two of its highest honors to UConn faculty and alumni. UConn dental students also provided free screenings to 350+ Mohegan Sun employees.
UConn School of Dental Medicine students, faculty, and alumni were among the thousands of members of the general dentist community in attendance during the 2019 Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) annual meeting.
The meeting, which took place from July 18 to July 20 at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut, was organized with help from UConn School of Dental Medicine associate dean for student affairs Dr. Sarita Arteaga and local alumni Dr. Joseph Picone, ’88 DMD of Southington and Dr. Gerald Birmingham, ’89 DMD of Milford. This was the first time the conference has been held in Connecticut.
The Academy of General Dentistry is one of the largest dental associations in the United States and seeks to “advance general dentistry and oral health through quality continuing education and advocacy.”
UConn School of Dental Medicine Faculty and Alumni Acknowledged for Demonstrating Advanced Knowledge
At the conference, Dr. Hsung Lin, director of dental services at UConn Storrs, was presented with AGD’s highest, most prestigious honor—the Mastership Award. According to the AGD, only about 2 percent of general dentists in the United States and Canada earn a Mastership Award.
In order to receive this award, Dr. Lin had to complete at least 1,100 hours of approved continuing education. Dr. Lin also had to pass an examination equal in difficulty to board certification exams, among other rigorous requirements.
To Dr. Lin, earning an AGD Mastership means “challenging yourself to never stop learning and never stop improving what you do and receiving the opportunity to develop camaraderie with other dentists and earn the respect from other dentists.”
With this new recognition, Dr. Lin says she is now equipped with the most current skills needed to provide the best possible care to the Storrs community.
Dr. Nicholas Roy, who graduated from the UConn School of Dental Medicine in 2007, also earned the Mastership Award. Dr. Roy currently practices in Buxton, Maine.
The second major recognition of the weekend, the Fellowship Award, was given to two of UConn’s own— Dr. Steve Ruiz, clinical assistant professor and director of the Connecticut Department of Developmental Services Norwich Dental Clinic and alumnus Dr. Zachary Grillo, ‘11 DMD of South Windsor.
The award, according to Dr. Ruiz, is a recognition for general dentists who have learned the most current and cutting-edge technologies to provide the best care possible. To Dr. Ruiz, education doesn’t end once the dental degree is earned.
“As a young dentist and faculty member I’m dedicated to learning, growing and staying current in my field so I can not only provide the best oral care but also teach the most advanced cutting-edge technologies and procedures,” Dr. Ruiz says. “My commitment to continuing education goes far beyond my educational and licensing requirements.”
Only 6% of general dentists have earned their fellowship award, according to AGD. To receive the award, Dr. Ruiz had to complete 500 hours of approved coursework and pass a written test that includes material from all dental disciplines.
Faculty Contribute Their Expertise
In addition to earning recognition for learning, UConn School of Dental Medicine faculty contributed their expertise to continuing education and life-long learning for the conference attendees.
The AGD offers a series of continuing education lectures that can be applied to earning the Fellowship and Mastership Awards. This year, several UConn School of Dental Medicine faculty delivered lectures on oral cancer and prosthodontics.
Dr. Ellen Eisenberg, professor in the division of oral and maxillofacial sciences, presented a lecture on oral mucosal conditions. Dr. Easwar Natarajan, associate professor in the division of oral and maxillofacial sciences presented lectures on how to detect oral and oropharyngeal cancer. Dr. Geraldine Weinstein, associate professor in the department of craniofacial sciences presented a lecture on partial coverage restorations with computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing.
Dental Students Provide Free Oral Cancer Screenings
Nearly 30 second, third, and fourth-year students from the UConn School of Dental Medicine partnered with the AGD Foundation to raise awareness and provide free oral cancer screenings and educational resources to over 350 Mohegan Sun employees during the event—a record breaking number for the AGD Foundation.
“This was a great way for us students to gain experience with patients while also helping out the community by providing oral cancer screenings,” said Sarah Feltz, second-year dental student.
The students, organized by fourth-year leaders in the General Dentistry Interest Group and supervised by UConn dental faculty, screened each employee for oral cancer while providing tips to stay healthy.
“Our students are very well-trained from year one to help with screenings like this that can assist patients in early diagnosis and prevention against oral cancer. One of the biggest contributions was education—teaching patients about smoking cessation, awareness of oral cancer, and making healthy choices. Our students were able to give that education to the employees,” said Dr. Arteaga.
