DentalUM Fall 2006

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For more information about

this and other continuing

dental education courses

contact:

University o Michigan

School o Dentistry

Ofce o ContinuingDental Education

1011 N. University Avenue

Room G508

Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1078

www.dent.umich.edu.Update in Oral MedicineBeginning March 24 and continuing through March

31, 2007, this seven-day cruise will feature ve

continuing dental education courses taught by the

School of Dentistrys Dr. Jack Gobetti. Participants

can receive up to 18 hours of CE credits.

To learn more about the courses being offered and

course feesand to take advantage of special cruise

ratesyou must book your reservations through

Cruise and Travel Partners by November 24, 2006.

You must make your cruise reservation at

www.cruiseandtravelpartners.com

To register for courses, call the School of

Dentistrys Ofce of Continuing Dental Educationat (734) 763-5070 or (734) 763-5171.

More information is available on the Schools Web

site: www.dent.umich.edu. On the homepage, put

your cursor on alumni and then click continuing

dental education.

Youre Invited...

to Cruise and Learn


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DentalUM Fall 2006 1

Over the years, the University o Michigan School o Dentistry has

pointed with pride to the many ways it serves the oral health care

proession and communities.

Two examples include our general dentistry and specialty clinics

here at the School as well as our outreach programs at community

dental clinics across Michigan.

The cover story o this issue oDentalUM showcases another

example our oral pathology biopsy service.

Started in the 1940s by Dr. Donald Kerr who developed a globalreputation or his expertise in the ield, more dentists and specialists

view our biopsy service as an advantage, a valuable resource or

themselves and their patients.

The evidence is in the numbers. The service has grown more than

30 percent in recent years.

That may not be surprising to some given increased attention to

possible interrelationships between oral health and systemic health.

However, I think there are other reasons or the increase.

One was cited by Dr. Fred Bonine who earned his dental degree

and a masters degree in oral and maxilloacial surgery rom U-M.

Because theyre specialists, he said, oral pathologists are oten

aware o subtleties and nuances that may oten escape the attentiono a general pathologist. That expertise, he added, can help an oral

health care proessional provide a patient with peace o mind i, or

example, a patient is worried about oral cancer.

Another reason is due to the leadership o those in charge o our

service, Drs. Nisha DSilva and Kitrina Cordell.

As others have noted, both are very customer ocused and

proactive. That oten leads to those using the service to mention it

to their peers.

Finally, case-based inormation and lesion samples, in turn,

contribute to the body o knowledge that is a part o our educational

curriculum.

In the end, the service is win-win-winor oral health care

providers, their patients, and our students. Clearly, the oral pathology

biopsy service is just another example o how the School o Dentistry

continues to make a dierence.

Sincerely,

Peter J. Polverini, Dean

DentalUM magazine is published twice a year by the

University o Michigan School o Dentistry, Oice o

Alumni Relations and Continuing Dental Education.

Mail letters and updates to: Jerry Mastey, Editor, Schoolo Dentistry, Room G532, 1011 N. University Ave., Ann

Arbor, MI 48109-1078. Or you may send your letters and

updates via email to: [email protected].

Dean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Peter Polv erini

Director o External Relations and

Continuing Dental Education . . . . . Richard Fetchiet

Writ er & Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jerry Mastey

Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chr is Jung

Photogr aphy . . . . . . Kear y Campbell, Per H. Kjelds en

Member publication o the American

Association o Dental Editors

The Regents o the University:

David A. Brandon, Laurence B. Deitch, Olivia P. Maynard,

Rebecca McGowan, Andrea Fischer New man, Andrew C.Richner, S. Martin Taylor, Katherine E. White, Mary Sue

Coleman, ex oicio.

University o Michigan School o Dentistry

Alumni Society Board o Governors

Terms Expire 2006:Daniel L. Edwards, 97, Ann Arbor, MI

Gerald L. Howe, 61, Monroe, MI

Gary R. Hubbard, 78, Okemos, MI

Michel S. Nasi, 72, Lansing, MI

Janet Souder Wilson, 73 DH, Northville, MI

Terms Expire 2007:Samuel Bander, 81, Grand Rapids, MI

Richard L. Pascoe, 70, Traverse City, MI

Susan Pritzel, 67 DH, Ann Arbor, MITerry Timm, 71, Saline, MI

Josephine Weeden, 96, 99, Saline, MI

Terms Expire 2008:William E. Brownscombe, 74, St. Clair Shores, MI (chair )

John R. McMahon, 82, Grand Rapids, MI

George M. Yellich, 72, Los Gatos, CA

Harold Zald, 79, West Bloomield, MI

Jemma Allor, 00, Dental Hygiene, Mt. Clemens, MI

Student Representative: Casey Tenniswood (D4)

Ex Oicio Members:Peter Polverini, Dean

Janet Souder Wilson, 73, DH, Northville, MI

Alumni Association Liaison

Steve C. Graton , Executive Director, Alumni Assoc.

Richard R. Fetchiet, Director o External Relations andContinuing Dental Education

The University o Michigan, as an equal opportunity/a irmative actionemployer, complies with all applicable ederal and state laws regardingnondiscrimination and airmative action, including Title IX o theEducation Amendments o 1972 and Section 504 o the RehabilitationAct o 1973. The University o Michigan is committed to a policy onondiscrimination and equal opportunity or all persons regardless orace, sex*, color, religion, creed, national origin or ancestry, age, maritalstatus, sexual orientation, disability, or Vietnam-e ra veteran status inemployment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.Inquiries or complaints may be addressed to the Senior Director orInstitutional Equity and Title IX/Section 504 Coordinator, Oice orInstitutional Equity, 2072 Administrative Services Building, Ann Arbor,Michigan, 48109-1432. (734) 763-0235, T.T.Y. (734) 647-1388. For otherUniversity o Michigan inormation, call (734) 764-1817.

* Includes discrimination based on gender identity and gender expression.

DentalUMFall 2006 Volume 22, Number 2

Making a Dierence

in Oral Health Care

and Education


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DentalUM Fall 20062

COVER STORY

FEATURES

In This Issue . . .

18 The Advantage How the Oral Pathology Biopsy Service Gives

Oral Health Providers, Patients, and Educators The EdgeA service oered by the U-M School o Dentistry to oral health careproessionals or more than 60 years has been enjoying a renewedsurge o interest in recent years. Under the leadership o Drs. KitrinaCordell (let) and Nisha DSilva, dentists and specialists receive valuableinormation that helps their patients. In addition, dental, dental hygiene,and graduate students become more skilled at recognizing and moreprocient in diagnosing a range o oral lesions, and the inormationis leveraged to enhance oral health care education at the School oDentistry.

The images behind Drs. Cordell and DSilva are histologic images recentlytaken rom the mouth o a patient showing possible oral cancer cells.

18 What it IsWhy the Renewed InterestMajor Benefts

23 Dean Polverini: Its Something I Enjoy Doing24 Oral Surgeon Brings Sta to Learn More about Oral Path Service

25 Drs. Bonine, Fear, Hill, Flamenbaum, and Ward Laud Service

Design by Chris Jung, photos by Keary Campbell.

4 Making the Case or ChangeDental schools across the country, including Michigans, must makeundamental changes to survive and prosper in the uture, accordingto the Macy Group which presented the case or change to U-M Schoolo Dentistry administrators, aculty, sta, and students as a part o the

Schools strategic sel-assessment process.

7 Dental School Launches Mentoring ProgramThe U-M School o Dentistry recently launched a mentoring programthat oers everyone alumni, students, aculty, and sta anopportunity or proessional and personal growth and development.

10 Dentistrys Vital RoleEvery year or 16 years, about one dozen members o the NormanMette Foundation visit U-M to learn more about some o the innovativeprograms and clinical research activities taking place at both the Schoolo Dentistry and the Medical School. This year, they heard aboutsome o those now underway at the Michigan Center or Oral HealthResearch.

13 Sindecuse Museum Artiacts Show Pioneering Role oDentistsAs I look at the many artiacts we have in our museumIm amazedand impressed with how dentists helped to shape both the proessionand society as we know it today, said Sindecuse Museum CuratorShannon ODell.

27 Two Familiar Faces RetiringAter careers at the U-M School o Dentistry that spanned more than 30years, Dr. Jack Gobetti and chie photographer Per Kjeldsen are retiring.

10

13

27


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PARTMENTS

Fall 2006

34 Faculty Prole Dr. Samuel ZwetchkenbaumSinger and songwriter Paul Anka may have played a role, albeit a remote

and indirect one, in infuencing Sam Zwetchkenbaum to become adentist. Playing a major role, however, was a study break he took whilein college that, in retrospect, orever changed his lie and, in the process,has improved the lives o countless patients.

45 Alumnus Prole: Dr. Steven GeiermannI now treat communities instead o individuals, says Dr. StevenGeiermann. I bring people together rom all walks o lie to try toincrease access to oral health care and reduce oral health care disparities.

50 Dental Students Help in Dominican Republic, ThailandSome School o Dentistry students used their spring break to provide oralhealth care to the needy in the Dominican Republic and Thailand.

53 Graduation 2006

The Class o 2006 was advised at spring commencement to live a liethat matters by Dr. Arthur Dugoni, one o the dental proessions mostrespected gures. Ceremonies were especially memorable or sevendental students who were hooded by a parent who also graduated romthe School o Dentistry.

39 Faculty News

41 Department Update: Cariology, Restorative Sciences, Endodontics

61 Dental Hygiene61 35 Receive Bachelors Degree62 SDHA Active in the Community63 Kerschbaum Receives Major Honor64 Going the Distance(s)Early-Burk Wins State Title, 4th at Nationals

For the past three years, Kathleen Early-Burk has competedin swimming contests or a national organization and, in theprocess, won several medals in state and national competitions.

66 Development66 New Gits: Roberts Family Foundation, Dr. George Yellich,

Dr. Gerald and Phyllis Krause, Dr. Leo Weiss, Dr. John andDalores Burau

71 Reerence Library Named or Dr. Joseph Cabot

72 Werschky New Campaign Chair

75 Research News 75 Dental School Administrators, Faculty in IADR/AADR

Leadership Roles79 Stem Cells: Why the Interest?

88 Alumni News

90 In Memoriam - Dr. Carl Thomas Hanks

50

53

64

34


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DentalUM Fall 20064

schoolnews

Macy Group Offers Suggestions and Support fo

Making the Case for Change...

The message was direct.

You cant stand sti l l . You have to

change.

The case or change was presented to

University o Michigan School o Dentistry

administrators, aculty, sta, and students by

members o the Macy Group in late July as a

part o the Schools strategic sel-assessment

process. [DentalUM, Spring & Summer 2006,

pages 8-14.]

Established two years ago with a grant rom

the Josiah Macy, Jr. Foundation, the Group consists

o educators and scholars (see sidebar, page 5) who

have been closely examining the educational and

nancial challenges acing the nations dental

schools. It is also suggesting possible changes

they can consider to strengthen their educational,

clinical, research, or other programs.The Group said that i the U-M School o

Dentistry and other dental schools across the

country are to survive and prosper in the uture,

undamental changes must be made in many

areas.

These include how the schools are organized

and unded, their educational programs, their

approach to patient care, how their clinics are

structured, how dental students and residents

are trained, and levels o aculty compensation,

to name a ew.

How One Dental School Beneted

Dr. Howard Bailit, a member o the Macy

Group who made the remarks about change noted

at the beginning o this story, said, Organizations

dont like to change. But dental education must

make some undamental changes, otherwise

there will be dire consequences.

Another member o the group, Dr. Allan

Formicola, who was dean or 23 years at the

School o Dental and Oral Surgery at Columbia

University, empathized with the U-M School o

Dentistrys strategic sel-assessment process.

Its a very hard and diicult one, he said, but

its worth it.

Formicola said a strategic sel-assessment

his school conducted during his early tenure as

dean enabled it to survive a 28 percent cut in

state unding during a two-year period. I we

did not do any strategic planning, our school

wouldnt exist today, he said.

Dr. George Taylor (right),leader o the School oDentistrys StrategicAssessment FacilitatingCommittee, and Dr. AllanFormicola o the Macy Group,discuss some o the challengesdental schools are acing and

possible solutions ollowinga presentation members othe Macy Group made at theSchool in late July.

JerryMastey

Youre the leaders. Other dental schools have

enormous respect or you. The task ahead o you is

to make this a better Michigan.

Dr. Allan Formicola, the Macy Group


7/95


The process is not only challenging, italso takes time or change to be embraced and

permeate an organization.

Strategic change takes about a decade,

Formicola said in response to a question. And

you need to have a sense o direction and an idea

o what you want to become, as an organization,

or change to succeed.

Why Change is Imperative

Bailit and other members o the Group

said decreased state unding or dental schoolsis the primary actor leading to the need or

undamental change in dental education.

Other actors cited include increased levels

o debt among graduating dental students, low

salaries or those in academic dentistry, and a

widening salary gap between aculty dentists

and general practice dentists and specialists in

private practice.

Citing statistics showing the average aculty

salary in 2005 was about $100,000 compared

to upwards o $350,000 or those in private

practice, Bailit said aculty salaries may have

to rise to 70 percent o the level o what those

in private practice are earning to attract more

into academic dentistry. With that would come

a commitment rom aculty to devote at least

50 percent o their time to teaching and clinical

practice.

The Groups examination o dental schools

showed various steps have been underway or

some time to adapt to this changing environment.They include raising tuition and ees, increasing

student/aculty ratios, increasing the number o

international students in programs, increasing

the number o oreign-trained aculty members

with dental degrees who can teach dental

students, deerring needed maintenance, and

postponing investments in new technology.

The adverse trends may continue.

the Schools Strategic Self-Assessment Initiative

Macy Group

Members

Allan J. Formicola, DDS

ProfessorofDentist

andformerDean(2

ColumbiaUniversit

SchoolofDentalan

OralSurgery

ViceDean,Center

forCommunityHea

Partnerships,Colum

Univers ity

Howard Bailit, DMD, P

ProfessorEmeritus,

UniversityofConne

Director,HealthPol

andPrimaryCare

ResearchCenter,

UniversityofConne

HealthCenter

Lisa Tedesco, PhD

Dean,GraduateSch

ArtsandSciences;

ProfessorofPublic

Health,EmoryUniv

Previously,VicePre

andSecretary,Univ

ofMichigan;associ

deanforacademic affairs,U-MSchool

Dent ist ry

Tryfon Beazoglou, Ph

Professor,Schoolof

DentalMedicine,

UniversityofConne

Citing the closing o seven dental schools,including ive in research universities, during the

past twenty years, the Group said new thinking

and new approaches should be considered.

Programs now underway at dental schools

at the University o Maryland, the University

o Louisville, and Columbia University have

elements that Michigan may want to consider.

12 Weeks o Outreach

To help ind money to address the challenges

just cited, Formicola said dental schools must

closely examine how they run their cash cows,

that is, their dental clinics.

Something to consider, he advised, is

separating the academic role rom clinical

operations. Placing clinics under a corporate

umbrella, he said, could help them to better

manage and track their costs as well as lead to

better personnel management.

Another idea suggested was reorganizing

clinics so they could include residents or

advanced education in general dentistrystudents guiding third- and ourth-year dental

students.

Noting that dental students receive an

average o 2,000 hours o education, another

suggestion was to have inal-year dental students

spend as much as 12 weeks at community dental

clinics. At the University o Michigan School o

Dentistry, ourth-year dental students spend

Citing the closing o seven

dental schools, includingve in research universities,

during the past twenty years,

the Group said new thinking

and new approaches should

be considered.


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DentalUM Fall 20066

three weeks practicing in community clinics,typically in one-week rotations.

This longer period o time, Formicola said,

would enhance a dental students clinical

eiciency leading to more revenues. It would

also, he added, expose them to a range o

oral health care problems they typically dont

encounter in dental school clinics, and help

them become more amiliar with the unique

oral health care needs o communities and the

dierent groups in those communities.

Citing several reports in the past decadeabout oral health care disparities in the country,

including the U.S. Surgeon Generals report in

2000, Formicola said having inal-year dental

students practicing in communities would be

a step in helping dental schools move rom a

student-centered system o education to one that

is more patient-centered.

He said that would also complement the

dental schools mission as a research university

where aculty scholars advance the sciences that

include dentistry and, in turn, pass along that

knowledge to residents, students, and others.

A inal suggestion was having a dental

school become more closely ailiated with

medicine. But that wont save much money,

as ar as we can determine, he said.

Theres no perect system. There is no

problem-ree solution, Bailit said. Instead, you

have to ask yoursel, What problems do we want

to deal with?

Pointing to similar challenges pharmacy,nursing, and medicine have aced previously,

the Macy Group expressed optimism.

Youre the leaders. Other dental schools

have enormous respect or you, Formicola said.

The task ahead o you is to make this a better

Michigan.

Establishedin1930tohonorthememory

ofJosiahMacy,Jr.whodiedofyellowfever

in1876atage38,theFoundationfunds

variousprojectsthatimprovemedicaland

healthprofessionaleducation,increase

diversityamonghealthcareprofessionals,

enhanceteamworkbetweenandamong

healthcareprofessionals,anddevelop

educationalstrategiestoboostcareto

underservedpopulations.

Sincethemid-1970s,theFoundationhas

awardedmorethan70percentofitsgrants

toprojectsthatbroadenandimprovethe

educationofphysiciansandthoseinother

healthcareprofessions.

TheMacyfamilywasamongthef i rst

EuropeansettlersonNantucketIslandin

thelate1630s.Almosttwocenturieslater,

prosperousmaritimemerchantCaptain

JosiahMacy, his sonsandgrandsons

establishedabusinessinNewYorkCity

andlateropenedthecitysfirstoilrefinery,

eventuallysellingittotheStandardOil

Company.

Source:

JosiahMacy,Jr.FoundationWebsite.

Foundation

The Josiah Macy, Jr.

schoolnews


9/95


t s an opportunity or anyoneandeveryoneto make a dierence.

The University o Michigan School o

Dentistry recently launched a mentoring

program that oers everyone alumni,

students, aculty, and sta an opportunity

or proessional and personal growth and

development.

The hundreds o students, aculty, and sta

here at this School, along with the thousands

o alumni we have in this country and around

the world, are a rich resource o experienceand expertise that all members o our School o

Dentistry should be able to access, Dr. Marilyn

Lantz said during the spring meeting o the

Schools Alumni Society Board o Governors.

Lantz, associate dean or academic aairs

who spearheaded the mentoring program,

said the Schools initiative is not conined

geographically to southeast Michigan.

Since nearly everyone has a personal

computer and access to the Internet, this

program is one that can become national and

even international in nature, she said.

One-Year Pilot Program Begins

Although the School has a tradition o

encouraging and supporting mentoring and

mentoring relationships, some students, sta,

and aculty members experience diiculty

inding mentors.

In an eort to address the issue, the School

has been considering trying an online mentoringprogram or some time.

It received a boost more than a year ago

when a group o dental students told the Schools

Board o Governors that they were looking or

ways to connect with the Schools alumni. We

need the help o dental school alumni to serve

as mentors and to help us develop networks

Dental School Launches Mentoring Program

with other proessional colleagues, said dentalstudent Rajeev Prasher. [DentalUM, Fall 2005, p.

53].

Now, the School is involved in a one-year

pilot program with Triple Creek Associates, a

suburban Denver-based company that designs

sotware to enhance mentoring.

Although used extensively in the corporate

world, the U-M School o Dentistry is the rst

academic organization in the country to use

the companys sotware that allows students,

aculty, sta, and alumni to participate by helping

mentees nd mentors. It can also support both

new and ongoing mentoring relationships.

Lantz said there was no cost to participate

and that registering was easy.

How it Works

Interested individuals visit a Web site,

www.3creekmentoring.com/umich, register

as a mentor, mentee, or both, and then ill out a

brie biographical orm.To register and retrieve inormation, mentors

and mentees must enter a six-digit code. For

mentors, its 420110; or mentees, its 650121.

Mentors use dialogue boxes to identiy their

skills or competencies which are grouped into

areas o proessional development, interpersonal

issues, and personal development.

For Alumni, Students, Faculty, and Staff

The University o Michigan School o

Dentistry recently launched a mentoring

program that oers everyone alumni,

students, aculty, and sta an opportunity

or proessional and personal growth and

development.

I


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DentalUM Fall 20068

Dental Students Seeking Mentors

You Can Be a Mentor

Yourname:___________________________

Degree(s)and

year(s)received:_______________________

Address:____________________________

E-Mail:_____________________________

Preferreddaytime

telephonenumber:______________________

Iamwillingto....

Allowstudentstoshadowmeatmyoffice.

Talktostudentsonthetelephoneaboutcareers.

O ther _________________________

_________________________

Pleasereturnto:

Univers ityo fMichigan

SchoolofDentistr y

Off iceof AlumniRelations

540E.Liberty

Suite204

AnnArbor,MI 48104-2210

Highlights

Individualscan

be a mentor or

mentee.

Mentorsshare

their expertise.

Mentorscan

choose to mentor

students, aculty,sta, or alumni.

Menteescanbe

students, aculty,

sta, or alumni.

Menteeslearn

rom mentors

about proessional

and personal

development.

Beneits Lifetimepersonal

and proessional

development.

Canhelpstudents

make critical

career decisions.

Canhelp

aculty and sta

successully

navigate career

paths.

Canhelpalumni

reconnect with

each other and

the School o

Dentistry.

Individuals seeking to developcertain skills, or enhance those they

already have, can become mentees.

Depending on their goals and

objectives, mentees then receive a list o

mentors along with their proiles. The

mentees can talk to potential mentors,

make their decisions, and then pursue

the mentoring relationship with deined

goals and timelines. Mentees can have

more than one mentor.

Participants Decide

The process is mentee driven,

Lantz said. Its up to the mentee to

tell their mentor what theyre trying to

achieve.

Mentoring interactions can take

place ace-to-ace, on the telephone, or

by using e-mail. It can be short term,

several months, or, i necessary, longer

term. Thats decided by individual

mentor/mentee pairs. It can also take

dierent orms, rom inormational to

advocacy.

Typically, we think o aculty

members mentoring students, Lantz

said. But very eective, less traditional

mentoring relationships might also be

developed, or example, between a sta

member mentoring a aculty member

on a particular subject or topic. We

just have to assist mentees in indingappropriate mentors.

Relecting on her experiences as

both a mentor and mentee, Lantz said,

Ive had some incredible mentors. Its

very rewarding to be a mentor because

you grow and develop proessionally

and personally while helping someone

develop and succeed.

schoolnews


11/95


Its a mini-GPS system in the clinic.

Many o us are amiliar with the Global

Positioning Satellite system eature commonly

used in many o todays automobiles.

Orbiting hundreds or even thousands o

miles above the earth, a network o satellites

relays inormation to motorists that helps them

to precisely determine their location as theytravel.

Imagine using that same approach in a

dental clinic.

Its now being done at the University o

Michigan School o Dentistry.

In recent months, Dr. David Sarment has

been using a surgical navigation machine,

also reerred to as a mini-GPS device, to assist

in implant placement.

Its a pretty amazing piece o equipment,

he said. Not only is it easy to use, but it alsogives me a better view o a patients oral

cavity since digital images are projected onto a

computer monitor.

Sarment, a clinical assistant proessor in the

Department o Periodontics and Oral Medicine,

said patients beneit rom the greater precision

and minimal risk.

The mini-GPS system may also be used

with an iCAT scanner that gives clinicians 3-D

images o a patients head and neck. Installed

in the Schools Radiology Clinic in early 2004,

iCAT has a smaller ootprint than conventional

CT scanners that allows a patient to sit upright

in a chair in a more open environment instead

o laying on their back beore being pulled into

a narrow tunnel. [DentalUM, Spring & Summer

2004, page 46.]

High Tech in the Clinic

Although the unit was initially used at the

Michigan Center or Oral Health Research, it is

now in the graduate periodontics clinic where

more grad perio residents and other clinic

instructors can learn to use the system. Sarment

hopes to oer continuing dental education

courses so others can also become amiliar

with the unit. Use o the mini-GP S system

or implants is only the beginning, according

to Sarment. This new system opens the door

or other possible uses, including the removal o

lesions, he said.

Sarment hopes to help up to 20 patients

annually. But once others are trained, we will,

obviously, be able to help many more, he said.

New Mini-GPS System Enhances Implant Precision

When working on a patient, the semi-circular wand in Dr. David Sarments right hand transmits da

overhead tracking camera that enables him to adjust the position o the drill (in his let hand) based odimensional visual cues or location, angulation, and depth.

Kear


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DentalUM Fall 200610

schoolnews

hey learned a lot.

They were also surprised with much o

what they heard.

This year, as they have or the past 16

years, about one dozen members o the Norman

Mette Foundation came to the University o

Michigan campus in the spring to learn more

about some o the innovative programs and

clinical and research activities taking place at

both the School o Dentistry and the Medical

School.For nearly three hours, dental school aculty

members described some o the innovative

research taking place at the Michigan Center or

Oral Health Research located at Dominos Farms.

[DentalUM, Fall 2004, pages 12-14.]

They also heard about challenges dentistry

is acing as it tries to provide oral health care

to a growing number o the elderly as geriatric

care was the theme o day-long presentations at

both schools.

From the Laboratory to Chairside

Opened in January 2005, the Center takes

knowledge that has been discovered in research

laboratories and attempts to apply it at chairside

to help patients improve their oral, dental,

and cranioacial health, said Dr. Carol Anne

Murdoch-Kinch, a clinical associate proessor.

The resources at this acility, however, are

not just or those in dentistry, she added, they

are also or those in medicine, public health, andother units on campus.

Among Center activities Murdoch-Kinch

described included: developing a saliva test

kit that might be able to detect periodontal

disease and even biotoxins in patients, tissue

engineering, and a new high tech system that

allows or more precise placement o dental

implants.

Dentistrys Vital Role

MCOHR An Important Link

Karl Schettenhelm, the attorney or the

Foundation, said he and other members were

impressed.

The Michigan Center or Oral Health

Research is an important link to allow those

in education, science, and medicine to provide

medical and scientiic answers to address a

range o oral health care needs, he said.

Inormation about the Centers activitiesand tour o acilities gave board members an

intense understanding o practical solutions and

critical thinking that, when addressed properly,

can lead business to see research, in collaboration

with the University, providing real solutions to

develop real products to help pressing health care

needs, he added.

Mette Foundation Board

T

During a tour o MCOHR acilities, Dr. Carol Anne Murdoch-Kinch described thedigital technology being used to Karl Schettenhelm, a member o the MetteFoundations Board o Directors.

Jerry Mastey


13/95


Oral Health Needs o Seniors

Equally impressive, Schettenhelm said,

was the inormation presented by two School

o Dentistry aculty members about the oral

health care needs o a growing segment o the

population the elderly.

There is a critical need to train dentists

today and tomorrow about how to treat the oral

health care needs o senior citizens, said Dr.

Barbara Smith, assistant proessor and director

o the Schools geriatric dental program.The need, she said, is due to demographics.

Although about 35 million people in this

country are now 65 or older, their numbers will

double by the year 2030. But there arent enough

practitioners who are able, or will be able, to

treat this segment o the population, she said.

In addition, instead o wearing dentures as

past generations have, these older adults will

have most o their natural teeth.

Smith said that although some programs,

such as General Practice Residency, Advanced

Education in General Dentistry, and graduate

prosthodontics, do touch on the dental needs

o the elderly, geriatric dentistry needs to be a

part o the curriculum i we as a proession are

going to be able to treat this growing number o

elderly patients in the uture.

Dr. Elisa Ghezzi, an adjunct clinical proessor,

said eorts are underway to help both oral

health care proessionals and the elderly.

She cited a grant rom the National Instituteso Health allowing students using computers to

use evidence-based skills to locate and critique

inormation that will help dentists answer

questions about care or elderly patients with

varying needs.

Although education is one actor, Ghezzi said

that signicant barriers to reaching and treating

those patients included their physical condition.

Many are rail or unctionally dependent

on others to help meet their needs, she said.

In addition, you also have to consider how the

role o nursing homes has changed in the past

twenty or thirty years, the rise o assisted living

centers, the knowledge o sta at these acilities,

and attitudes among amily members. Its a very

complex set o interrelated issues.

Planning Now Underway

Ater talking to dentists, dental hygienists,oral health care organizations, insurance

companies, and others across the state, Ghezzi said

she and Smith have developed an inormational

network called the Michigan Geriatric Dentistry

Network, a resource that attempts to enhance

clinical care or the elderly and educate oral

health care proessionals throughout the state.

For more inormation, contact Ghezzi by e-mail:

[email protected] or by telephone (734) 358-

0275.

This is our way o taking action now so

that we create greater awareness o what those

in the oral health community can expect and

what resources are available to better meet the

current and uture needs, she added.

Letting Others Know

Schettenhelm said he and other members o

the Foundation were unaware o the magnitude

o providing oral health care or seniors unti l we

heard the presentations rom the dental schoolaculty members.

He said the Foundations role is not just

to provide scholarships, although that is our

most tangible role. We also see ourselves as a

resource to tell others about the great things the

University o Michigan School o Dentistry and

the Health System are doing or many in our

community and the world at large.

Gets Insights into Present and Future


14/95


Hehadninedifferentoperationsforcancerandseveralvisitswithhisdentistunrelatedtohisoperations.

Throughitall,NormanMettewassoimpressedwiththephysiciansanddentists,thequalityofcaretheygavehim,and

theconcernthattheyexpressedforhim,thathewantedtodomorethansaythankyou.

Withastuteinvestingandprudentestateplanning,MettecreatedafoundationthatcontinuestoprovidescholarshipstodentalandmedicalstudentsattheUniversityofMichigan.

WhenaskedWhyMichigan?andWhyscholarships?,hisresponsewas,Theyarepart ofthesymbol.

ToMette,theUniversityofMichiganrepresentedtheenvironmentthroughwhichexcellencewasachieved.Hewasa

studentforonesemesterintheCollegeofLiterature,Sciences,andArtsduringthe1930s,butwasforcedtodropout

becauseoftheGreatDepression.

Lateinhislife,allofhiseffortswerefocusedoncreatingtheFoundationandestablishingitsfunding.

Today,theNormanMetteFoundationprovidesscholarshipstooutstandingdentalschoolandmedicalschoolstudents

andalsohelpsthemandothersunderstandandappreciatetheMichiganeducationalexperience.

Mettesvisionwastoinspiredentalandmedicalscholarstofocustheirgiftsandtalentstobecomeleadersintheirfields

aswellasprovideuncommoncaretoindividuals.

Mettelivedinasmall,singleroomapartmentinDetroit.Whenheneedednursingcarelaterinlife,Mettewasfrugalto

thepointwhereherefusedtobuyaneasychairifthepurchasewouldjeopardizetheFoundationor,moreimportantly,

itsmissionofprovidingscholarships.

Hebelievedindreamsandinsharing.

Hismotto,Nevergiveupyourdreams,istheFoundationscornerstone.Ifyouhaveadream,youcanmakeit

happen,hebelieved.

Notwantingdentistsanddoctorstolosesightofthegoodtheycoulddoforothersandtheawetheycouldinspire,Mette

didnotwantthemtogiveuptheirdreamsbecausetheycouldnotaffordtoparticipate.Hewantedthemtocreate

MiraclesatMichiganforyearstocome.

Todate,morethan200MetteScholarshavebenefitedfromthevisionofNormanMette.

Since1991,theMetteFoundationhasgifted$510,000forscholarshipsfordentalstudents.TheFoundationstotalgiving

toU-Mis$2.25million.

Dr. Amy Kim (right),MCOHR research

program manager,leads Mette Foundation

members on a tour oMCOHR acilities. In the

2,000 square oot acilityare our operatories,

state-o-the-art digitalradiography (x-ray)

equipment, a patient

consultation area, andsix oces. The Center

can handle as many as7,800 patient visits and15 to 20 clinical studies

annually.

JerryMastey

Norman Mettes Legacy:Scholarships for Dental and Medical Students


15/95


schoolnews

at MDAs 150th Anniversary Celebration

Im sure they will also marvel at the beauty o

many o these instruments and appreciate theircratsmanship.

For more than a year, ODell worked with

Dr. Michael Maihoer, chair o the MDAs 150th

Anniversary Task Force, reviewing countless

artiacts in the Schools Sindecuse Museum.

[DentalUM, Fall 2005, page 78.]

From May 17 to 20, a loor display o a

typical dental oice rom around 1900 and

19th century artiacts were displayed during

the MDAs sesquicentennial celebration at the

Lansing Center.The School o Dentistry assisted the MDA in

not only providing access to collections in the

Sindecuse Museum, but also oered historical

background inormation about the artiacts and

various photographs. The Museum also loaned

23 photographs and documents it received more

than a decade earlier rom the MDA.

Three previously unpublished photos were

also unveiled.

Because o the age and condition o the

artiacts, viewers could not touch any o themwhen they were publicly displayed. Smaller

items were easily viewable behind exhibit

cases.

Some o the items rom the Sindecuse

Museum that were displayed are also on pages

14 and 15.

Sindecuse Museum Artiacts Displayed

I think every dentist who will see these artiacts will appreciate what their

predecessors had to work with one hundred or more years ago, said Sindecuse

Museum Curator Shannon ODell as she prepared exhibit cases or the Michigan

Dental Associations 150th anniversary celebration this spring.


These dental instruments, from the School of Dentistrys

Sindecuse Museum, were displayed during the Michigan

Dental Associations 150th anniversary celebration this

summer.

Photo courtesy o the Michigan Dental Association


16/95


schoolnews

These portable dental instruments

were used mostly or extractions

rom about 1820 to 1860.

These tools, rom 1860-1880, were

used by the School o Dentistry s rstDean, Dr. Jonathan Tat.

This oak instrument case, used by U-M dental

students in the early 20th century, was used by

Dr. Bion L. Bates who received his dental degree in

1905 rom what was then known as the College o

Dental Surgery at the University o Michigan. Bions

brother, Clare, graduated with a dental degree

rom Michigan in 1897. Bions son, Jack, earned his

dental degree in 1941.

KearyCampbell

KearyCamp

bell

KearyCampbell


150th Anniversary Celebration


17/95


The Git rom Dr.Gordon Sindecuse

Housed in the Schoo l o

Dentistry, the Sindecuse Museum

is one o on ly a handul o

museums in the world devotedto preserving the history o the

dental proession.

A substantial git in the early

1990s rom the late Dr. Gordon

Sindecuse (DDS 1921) made it

possible to renovate areas in

the Kellogg Building, purchase

collections, and establish an

endowment to ensure perpetual

support.

Oicially opened in September

1992, the Gordon H. Sindecuse

Museum o Dentistry holds more

than 12,000 items that showcase

the evo lut ion o the denta l

proession rom the late 1700s

through the 1960s.

A r e n o v a t i o n p r o j e c t

completed in September 2000,

allowed the Museum to expand

space or exhibitions and storage.C l i m a t e c o n t r o l s we r e a l s o

installed to help preserve dental

equipment, photographs, and

other memorabilia. [DentalUM,

Fall 2000, page 11.]

These ivory-handled

instruments rom the

School o DentistrysSindecuse Museum

were part o a

general dentists kit

that was used in the

19th century.

Dr. Alred Baldwin, an 1898

graduate o the University

o Michigan College o

Dental Surgery, shows the

equipment in his dentaloce in Calumet, Michigan.

KearyCampbell


Manuactured around 1901 by the

S.S. White Dental Manuacturing

Company, this chair was used in the

Hillsdale, Michigan dental oce o

Dr. Stanley Kirby, a 1902 graduate o

the U-M College o Dental Surgery

(as it was known then).


18/95


schoolnews

Museum Artia cts

Dentists were pioneersclinically, scientiically, and how they used what wa

Show

As I look at the many artiacts we have in

our museum and think about the inal years o

the nineteenth century and early years o the

twentieth century, Im amazed and impressed

with how dentists helped to shape both the

proession and society as we know it today, said

Sindecuse Museum Curator Shannon ODell.That story is one that ODell is more than

happy to tell.

As she prepared two exhibit cases with 19th

century artiacts rom the Museum that were

shipped to Lansing and displayed during the

Michigan Dental Associations 150th anniversary

celebration in May, ODell spoke nostalgically and

enthusiastically about that pioneering role.

Dentists were trying to change what people

thought about the proession back then, she

said. Dentistry was considered a trade, sodentists worked hard to establish its credibility

with a skeptical public and establish a sense o

respect or what they could do.

Electricity, the Big Breakthrough

One o the largest displays in the Museum

recreates operatories rom the late 19th century

complete with dental chairs, a oot-powered

engine and lathe, homemade instruments, and

a spittoon that was used beore running water.

The big breakthrough came when dentistsbegan using electricity, ODell said. It had a

huge impact on the proession and also changed

society.

Although Thomas Edison used a direct

current generator that provided electricity to

illuminate his laboratory and, later, streets in

New York City in the 1880s, dentists were among

the irst to see the potential beneits o this new

technology, according to ODell.

For example, in 1896, six years ater the

Schools graduate dentistry program began, U-M

Regents approved spending $60 to install electric

lights in the dental clinic.Until then, dentists had to do most o their

work during daylight hours.

Once dentists began using electricity to

illuminate their oices, they were able to treat

a greater number o patients and accommodate

those who needed care, especially those who

couldnt make it to an oice until later in the

Shannon ODell, Sindecuse Museum Curator

Per Kjeldsen



19/95


20/95


coverstory

During that time, dentists and specialists

have received valuable inormation about

their patients.

At the same time, dental, dental hygiene,

and graduate students have beneited too,

becoming more skilled at recognizing and more

proicient in diagnosing a range o oral lesions,

suspicious ones that may cause oral cancer.In recent years, the oral pathology biopsy

service has been enjoying a renewed surge in

interest.

Background

Launched in the 1940s by Dr. Donald Kerr, a

worldwide authority who chaired the Schools

Department o Oral Biology, he also used the

oral pathology service as a vehicle to develop

specialized dental programs or patients with

oral cancer.

Since 2002, the total number o biopsies

handled by the School o Dentistry has risen

more than 34 percent, to more than 2,200 cases

through 2005. Through September the number

o biopsies handled has surpassed 1,753.

Te Advantage

Reasons or Renewed Interest

I think one o the reasons or the increase,

not only in interest but in use o the service,

comes rom many who were students here at

Michigan, who knew about the service when

they were here, and who are now turning to us

or help as they run their own practices, said

Dr. Nisha DSilva, director o the oral pathologybiopsy service.

Associate director, Dr. Kitrina Cordell,

agrees. She believes other actors are also

responsible.

Word o mouth advertising among

dentists and specialists about what were

doing and what we oer is another reason or

the increase in activity, she said.

Also helping to generate additional interest

in the service were eorts by two School

o Dentistry aculty members, departmentchair, Dr. Laurie McCauley, and Dr. Robert

Bagramian. DSilva said both played a major

role in upgrading equipment being used and

in centralizing the services location.

There are other reasons too, she

added, including awareness created by our

continuing education courses, collaboration

with the U-M Hospital and the addition o

clinical services previously not available at

the dental school.

Both DSilva and Cordell add that Dean

Peter Polverinis interest and participation are

also helping.

Hes an oral pathologist at heart, DSilva

said with a smile. I think his involvement and

personal contact with clinicians contributes

to the visibility o the service and how we can

help.

Its a service that has been offered by the U-M School of Dentistryto oral health care professionals for more than 60 years.

How the Oral Pathology Biopsy Servic

* Annualized estimate based on cases handled through September.

The number o biopsies handled by the School o Dentistry has

risen more than 30 percent since 2002.


21/95


Polverini agreed, saying the service enables me

to continue participating in patient care, helping

patients, and being o service to the community.

[See sidebar, page 23.]

Cordell and DSilva said that specimens

they examine are sent not only rom Ann Arbor

and southeast Michigan, but also Grand Rapids,

Kalamazoo, Marquette, Saginaw, and otherparts o the state. Additional specimens are also

received rom nearby states and distant states

including Colorado and Arizona.

Major Benets

The service oers ive major beneits.

First and oremost is the knowledge and the

expertise o those who are in charge.

Dr. Nisha DSilva, who is the director o the

oral biopsy service and an assistant proessor,

has been at U-M since 1998. A MagnusonScholar rom the University o Washington

and an AADR/IADR Hatton Award winner in

1996, she has conducted extensive research in

oral carcinogenesis and has collaborated with

clinicians and basic scientists throughout the

dental school and the U-M Hospital.

Dr. Kitrina Cordell, the programs associate

director, joined U-M in 2002 ater receiving the

Gorlin Award that same year. Presented by the

American Academy o Oral and Maxilloacial

Pathology during its annual meeting, the Gorlin

Award recognizes a resident with the best

research project. Cordell received the award as

a third-year resident at Ohio State.

A clinical assistant proessor who teaches

both didactically and clinically, Cordell treats

patients with oral pathology needs in the

Schools Dental Faculty Associates clinic.

Te Edge

Gives Oral Health Providers, Patients, and Educators

Cordell, DSilva, and Polverini are allDiplomates o the American Board o Oral and

Maxilloacial Pathology. As a team, they teach

all aspects o oral and maxilloacial pathology

to students at all levels, including predoctoral

dental students, dental hygiene students, and

residents in all specialty programs.

Cordell said her expertise as a clinician, and

DSilvas expertise in research, oers dentists and

specialists the best o both worlds. We oten use

our strengths in our areas or the beneit o the

patient and the provider, she said.

I would not hesitate to say that they are,

without a doubt, the most knowledgeable oral

pathologists around, said Dr. Dalbert Fear (DDS

1982; MS, oral and maxilloacial surgery, 1986),

an Ann Arbor oral surgeon who has used the

oral pathology service or about twenty years.

Periodically, I have a chance to talk to other

Drs. Nisha DSilva (let) andKitrina Cordell examine oral

tissue specimens under a

microscope that gives them an

opportunity to view the same

specimen simultaneously. I

necessary, images can also be

projected onto a screen.

Keary


22/95


coverstory

oral surgeons, and when I do, I will tell themabout my very positive experiences with the

dental schools oral pathology biopsy service

and suggest they use it, i theyre not already

doing so, he added.

Designed or Oral Health Care

Proessionals

A second major beneit is that the service

is designed and customized to meet the needs

o oral health care proessionals and their

patients.Dr. Fred Bonine (DDS 1979; MS, oral and

maxilloacial surgery, 1984), an oral and

maxilloacial surgeon in Brighton, Michigan,

has been using the service since 1984. It

has proven its useulness time and again,

he said.

Because theyre spec ia l i s ts , ora l

pathologists are oten aware o subtleties and

nuances that may oten escape the attention

o a general pathologist, he said. That puts

them in a position to oer a very accurate

diagnosis and a thorough report which, many

times, goes a long way in providing a patient

with peace o mind, especially i theyre

worried, or example, about something like

oral cancer.

Dr. Melvin Flamenbaum o Flint, agreed.

Its comorting to me to send biopsies to the

dental schools oral pathology service or

analysis and review because I know there are

expertly-trained oral pathologists looking atwhat I sent, said Flamenbaum who taught

oral surgery at U-M Hospital rom September

2001 to June 2003.

Detailed Reports

A third major beneit is a detailed report

that is axed or mailed, and soon will be

available electronically.

The report includes not only the diagnosis,but also a complete histologic description o

the specimen which can help the clinician

provide more inormation and a better quality

o service to his or her patient, Cordell said.

Prior to issuing a inal report, DSilva

and Cordell may contact the oral health care

proessional to obtain additional inormation

to aid in diagnosis.

I theres something unusual about the

specimen, or i they have questions about the

patients, they will call me prior to sending areport, said Flamenbaum. This occurs only

occasionally, but when it does, its reassuring

to know that theyre trying to get all the acts

beore they send their written report to me.

Accessibility

Included with every detailed report comes

accessibility, the ourth major beneit. DSilva,

Cordell, and even Polverini discuss their

indings and answer questions.

Dr. Roger Hill (MS, periodontics, 1974), a

periodontist in Saginaw, Michigan said, Its

a very interactive process. I Nisha or Kitrina

have questions beore they issue their report,

they will call me. When I have questions, they

take the time to explain something which, in

turn, allows me to better explain to a patient

what is going on.

Fear said, their approach is not take it

or leave it. Theres a lot o give and take. He

added, its an unusual month or me i I donttalk to Nisha or Kitrina at least once about a

case or a specimen.

Brent Ward (cert i icate , ora l and

maxilloacial surgery, 2000; certiicate,

oral and maxilloacial oncology, 2003) an

assistant proessor o oral surgery, went a step

urther.

They are willing to review the entire


23/95


case, including radiographs and clinical photosto help develop an accurate diagnosis, he

said.

A patients lie is deeply aected by

pathology, so a decision on whether to take a

radical or a conservative approach to treatment

is based on clinical, radiographic, and pathologic

diagnoses, he added.

New Technology

A ith beneit o the Schools oral pathology

service is its use o new technology.New equipment, including a ive-head

microscope, gives students and clinicians

an opportunity to see the same specimen

simultaneously. I necessary, images can also

be projected onto a nearby screen.

There are times when dentists or specialists,

such Bonine, visit the School o Dentistry

themselves or bring members o their sta to

Ann Arbor to learn more about the service. [See

page 24.]

A recently renovated room, dedicated solely

to the biopsy service, is adjacent to the main

oice and laboratory to enhance communication

between pathologists, the lab, and oice

personnel.

The room has a computer and projector that

can be used to show pictures, radiographs, and

microscopic images.

This can be especially useul when we

are discussing a case with several people

simultaneously, or teaching small groups,DSilva said. The new attached camera, in

conjunction with computer sotware, allows us

to project live images onto a screen. We can also

add a measure bar to an image to emphasize

a pathologic eature including, or example,

the depth o invasion o a carcinoma i one is

present, she added.

Using todays technology not only beneits

oral health proessionals and their patients,

it also enhances education in classrooms

throughout the School o Dentistry.

Digital Microscopes, Virtual Textbooks

The digital images examined by the oral

pathology biopsy service are a gold mine o

inormation or instructors and students.

In recent years, dental, dental hygiene, and

graduate students have been using the Internet

instead o conventional light microscopes to

learn about oral diseases.

About ive years ago, DSilva and the late Dr.Carl (Tom) Hanks used the Internet and the World

Wide Web to create a digital microscope that

allows students to use their computers to access

and view tissues with various pathologies.

Tissues collected rom patients who have

been treated in School o Dentistry clinics since

the 1940s have been digitized.

Over time, glass-mounted sections o actual

The digital images examined by the oral pathology

biopsy service are a gold mine o inormation or

instructors and students.Keary Campbell

Dr. Nisha DSilva explains to Dr. Fred Bonine and some members o his sta that the Schools oral pathology

biopsy service will become interactive allowing or two-way image viewing and communication between the

School and a dental oce.


24/95


In eect, the School o Dentistry realizes aneducational beneit.

The oral pathology biopsy service leverages

images o lesion samples, along with the

inormation provided by dentists and specialists,

to enhance oral health care education. The

unusual cases we review, and even the routine

ones or that matter, all contribute to the body o

knowledge we use in our educational courses,

DSilva said.

Relecting on the increased interest in the

oral pathology biopsy service in recent years,and the contributions it has made to oral health

care proessionals, their patients, and even

education, DSilva said, We have taken a huge

leap orward consistent with our commitment

to providing quality service to the patients and

the clinicians we serve, as well as helping to

expand the growing body o knowledge on the

subject. Its a service that will continue to play

a vital role, not just here, but across Michigan

and, hopeully, across the rest o the country,

she said.

coverstory

tissues, which demonstrate the appearanceo oral diseases, ade, crack, break, and dry

out.

But digital images do not.

Using their laptop computers as surrogate

microscopes, students can view images using

low-, medium-, or high-power resolution. This

allows all students to view the same quality

image and enhances classroom discussion.

This approach not only enhances learning,

it saves hundreds o thousands o dollars that

would have been spent to update microscopes.In addition, thousands o square eet o

laboratory and storage space are now used

or other purposes.

Digital microscopes are just the beginning,

however.

Combined with a case-based approach to

learning, the high tech approach is used to

guide students through a series o questions

in a virtual textbook. Students navigate

computer-assisted decision trees to diagnose

and treat patients.

Dr. Kitrina Cordell explains to members o Dr. Fred Bonines sta how tissue samples are handled once they are received by the oral pathology

laboratory.

Keary Campbell


25/95


Hes an oral pathologist at heart, said Dr. Nisha DSilva o

Dean Peter Polverini.

One day a week, Polverini participates in the Schools

oral pathology biopsy service diagnosing specimens that are

submitted by clinicians within the School and mailed by those

in private practice. The specimens are processed in the oral

pathology laboratory in the Kellogg Building.

Extensively involved with the service when he chaired

the Department o Oral Medicine, Pathology, and Oncology

rom 1996 to 2000, Polverini said he remains involved, even as

dean, because its something I enjoy doing. It also allows me

to continue my participation in patient care and to provide a

service to patients and those in the practicing community.

However, he also cited other beneits.

Polverini said that since he also teaches pathology, I

can see diseases irst-hand and up close. That helps me to

expand my knowledge base as a teacher and a scientist. Italso reinorces my belie in the value o scientiic discovery

and how it can help in diagnosis and treatment.

Polverini wants the service to continue growing and

eventually become part o a larger eort at the School to

develop a graduate training program in oral and maxilloacial

pathology. I would like to participate more in the biopsy

service and play an active role in that graduate level training

program, he said.

Dean Polverini:Its Something I Enjoy Doing.

For More Information,

Contact:

U-MSchoolofDentistryOralPathologyBiopsyService1011N.UniversityAvenueRoomG018AnnArbor,MI48109-1078Phone:(734)764-1535or

(800)358-1011

NishaDSilva,BDS,MSD,PhDDirector,AssistantProfessore-mail:[email protected]

KitrinaCordell,DDS,MSAssociateDirector,ClinicalAssistantProfessore-mail:[email protected]

Keary Campbell


26/95


coverstory

It was an impressive irst.In late July, a Brighton, Michigan oral

surgeon brought his sta o 13 to Ann Arbor

to see and learn more about the School oDentistrys oral pathology biopsy service.

When it ended, Dr. Fred Bonine was gladhe did.

So too were those who accompaniedhim.

For more than an hour, Dr. Nisha DSilvaand Dr. Kitrina Cordell, along with oral

pathology laboratory supervisor JohnWestman, demonstrated what happens atera dentist sends a patients oral tissue to theSchool or analysis.

Each explained the importance o correct

sample labeling; tissue measuring, cutting,and staining; as well as compiling a inalreport and sharing the diagnosis with thedentist or dental specialist who sent the tissue

sample.Dean Peter Polverini emphasized the

importance o accuracy.Accurate diagnosis o each and every

specimen we receive is vitally importantbecause a patients lie is at stake, he said.So its up to us to make that accuratediagnosis or you and your patient and then,

i necessary, provide some direction or thedentist and patient about what might happennext.

In a specially equipped conerence room,

DSilva and Cordell displayed images rom abiopsy on a computer monitor, explained their

diagnosis, and answered questions.

Whats AheadThe questions Dr. Bonines sta asked

were very thoughtul and gave us a teachingopportunity in the diagnostic, specimenprocessing, and reporting processes o theoral pathology biopsy service, which we

hope made an interesting experience or our

Unique Field TripOral Surgeon Brings Sta to Learn More aboutOral Path Service

guests, DSilva said.Within the next year or two, DSilva said,

the oral pathology biopsy service will become

interactive.Someone rom the School o Dentistry and

a dental specialist will be able to visit a secureWeb site that will have a patients complete

oral history, tissue samples, and diagnosisso that you and other dentists can downloadreports, i you choose, she told the group.

DSilva told Bonine that using a computer

with Internet access, both o us couldsimultaneously view a biopsy slide rom themicroscope without leaving your oice. Youcould see the margins o a cancer and wecould discuss whether it has been completely

removed or requires urther surgery, shesaid.

A special microscope will be loaned to theSchool or evaluation. The microscope could

also be used or slide review prior to specialtyboard examinations and or discussions with

other pathologists.As he and members o his sta let

the School, Bonine said, The word doctormeans teacher. What you have taught ushere today will help us to give our patients abetter understanding o what you do so that

all o us, in turn, can be teachers and bettercommunicate with and serve our patients.

Aterwards, Kathy Bird, a senior surgicalassistant, said she was interested in the

preparation process prior to the reading o theslides. She added she was looking orward

to the new technology o viewing a specimenon a computer with the pathologists in Ann

Arbor.Ater Polverini and Cordell thanked them

or coming to Ann Arbor, DSilva said, This isthe irst time we have given a tour o our lab

and new acilities. I think this is somethingwe will have to do again.

John Westman, oral pathology laboratory

supervisor, explains to members o Dr.

Fred Bonines sta what happens to

tissue samples ater they are received by

the Schools oral pathology laboratory.

Keary Campbell


27/95


Oral Pathology Biopsy Service Lauded

Dr. Fred Bonine DDS1979;MS,oralandmaxillofacial

surgery,1984

I hav e se nt hundr e ds o t i s sue

specimens to the School o Dentistrys

oral pathology service or diagnosis

and I can say that it has proven its

useulness time and again. Because

theyre specialists, oral pathologists like

Nisha and Kitrina are oten aware o

subtleties and nuances that may escape

the attention o a general pathologist.

That puts them in a position to oer a

very accurate diagnosis and thoroughreport which, many times, goes a long

way in providing a patient with peace

o mind, especially i theyre worried,

or example, about something like oral

cancer.

Their reports have a high degree o

accuracy and they are very eicient,

m any t im e s p r o v id ing 2 4 -ho ur

turnaround rom the time a biopsy

specimen is received to issuing a inal

report. The proximity to Ann Arboris also a major beneit. Sometimes I

oer a patient the option to personally

deliver a sample to the School or

analysis so they can get the results

quicker. Many times that can be very

therapeutic since a patient wont then

have to wait one or two weeks to get

the results.

Dr. Dalbert FearDDS1982;MS,oralandmaxillofacial

surgery,1986

I have sent several hundred biopsies

to the dental schools oral pathology

biopsy service since 1986. They have

ranged rom small, simple lesions to

those that may have been malignant

requiring more aggressive surgery.

I like the give and take. Not only do

I receive a report, I also talk to them

about what is in the report. Ater I get a

report, I will review it with my patientsand discuss whats in it with them. Its

an unusual month or me i I dont talk

to Nisha and Kitrina at least once about

a case or a specimen.

I would not hesitate to say that

they are, without a doubt, the most

knowledgeable oral pathologists

around. Periodically, I have a chance

to talk to other oral surgeons, and when

I do, I will tell them about my very

positive experiences with the dental

schools oral pathology biopsy service

and suggest they use it, i theyre not

already doing so.

Dr. Roger HillMS,periodontics,1974

My experience with the oral pathology

biopsy service is that its been a very

interactive process. I Nisha or Kitrina

have questions beore they issue their

report, they will call me. When I have

questions, they take the time to explain

something which, in turn, allows me

to better explain to a patient what is

going on.

Theyre very attentive to our needs andoten help with patient diagnosis and

treatment plans. And thats important

in periodontics because sometimes

there can be dierent implications with

a treatment plan and how a plan may

aect tissues involved.


28/95


coverstory

Dr. Brent WardAssistantProfessor,oraland

maxillofacialsurgery

Patients who have biopsies at the

dental school and who need surgical

treatment at U-M Hospital are sent to

us. In these cases, we always review

the indings rom the oral pathology

b io p sy se r v ice , which p r o v ide s

excellent diagnostic inormation. The

service is also a resource Hospital

pathologists use, consulting with

oral pathologists, on occasion, orinteresting and rare odontogenic

pathology and sometimes routine cases

too. When this occurs, the standard

report we receive speciically states the

pathologist sought consultation with

Nisha, Kitrina, or Dean Polverini. They

are willing to review the entire case,

including radiographs and clinical

photos to help develop an accurate

diagnosis.

When one stops to think about it, apatients lie is deeply aected by

pathology. A decision to do a radical

or conservative treatment is based on

clinical, radiographic, and pathologic

diagnoses.

Dr. Melvin FlamenbaumAdjunctClinicalInstructor,oraland

maxillofacialsurgery,U-MHospital,September2001toJune2003

Its comorting to me to send biopsies

to the dental schools oral pathology

biopsy service or analysis and review

because I know there are expertly-

trained oral pathologists looking

at what I sent. That specialized

expertise can be especially helpul

with borderline cases because I get

inormation or a perspective that helps

me with a recommendation I will make

to a patient.

I theres something unusual about the

specimen, or i they have questions

about the patients, they will call me

prior to sending a report. This occurs

only occasionally, but when it does, its

reassuring to know that theyre trying

to get all the acts beore they send

their written report to me. The level o

detail and accuracy in all their reports

is consistently excellent.

Drs. DSilva and Cordell are always

available i I have questions and get

back to me in a timely manner. Every

once in a while even the dean, Dr. Peter

Polverini, will review one o my cases

and get back to me.


29/95


t u d e n t s , a c u l t y , s t a , a n dadministrators are going to miss his

two trademarks his always-upbeat

personality and the whistling as he

walked the hallways.

On January 1, 2007, Dr. Jack Gobetti will

oicially retire rom the School o Dentistry

ollowing a 42-year ailiation with the University

o Michigan.

Thirty-eight o those years were as an

instructor whose teaching career began shortly

ater receiving his dental degree rom U-M in 1968ollowing two-and-a-hal years o undergraduate

study in the College o Literature, Science, and

the Arts.

Im glad Ive had a year to prepare or my

retirement. It would have been too traumatic

to begin my retirement so quickly, Gobetti said

with a laugh.

Even though hes in phased retirement, he

has had plenty to keep him busy since the irst

o this year.

Gobetti has continued to teach graduate

and continuing dental education courses, oers

advice to students when asked, and is making

plans or a six-week trip to Italy next spring.

Preparing or Dental Education Cruise

But what seems to be occupying a signiicant

amount o Gobettis time is transerring a

lietime o visual data inormation on more

than 8,000 slides onto a computer. Im still

using slides in my CE courses and will convertabout 750 or 800 o them into PowerPoint ormat

or the dental schools one-week continuing

dental education cruise next March, he said.

Thousands o the slides have been used

in lectures he has given across the U.S. and

around the world, including more than 500

academic lectures at local, regional, national,

and international scientiic meetings.

Dr. Jack Gobetti to Retire

Relecting on his career, Gobetti said he

is proud and grateul to have been named

Outstanding Teaching o the Yearby dental and

dental hygiene students 21 times.

Its the Students

Gobetti taught dental students during

their our years o education, dental hygiene

students during their three years o study,

presented most o the lectures on oral diagnosis

and oral medicine, and directed oral diagnosis

clinic rotations. He also lectured and added

clinical examples to other courses including the

Integrated Medical Sciences and pharmacology.

The students have enriched my lie more

than I ever imagined, he said. I have absolutely

loved teaching them and sharing my knowledge

and my passion or oral medicine with themwhether it was in a lecture hall or one-on-one

in the clinics.

Saying he has been awed by their curiosity,

their enthusiasm, and their passion or learning,

Gobetti said that when you get that kind o

combination, you cant help but want to whistle

walking down the hallways or even in the

oice.

S

Dr. Jack Gobetti and third-yeardental student Lindsay Philpdiscuss a patients dentalrecord during a review oa radiograph in a School oDentistry clinic.

Keary Campbell


30/95


What has made teaching even morerewarding, Gobetti said, was seeing many

o his ormer students making their mark in

dentistry.

In addition to being recognized by students,

Gobetti has also received the Distinguished

Faculty Award presented by the Organization

o Teachers o Oral Diagnosis (1996) and the

International Association o Student Clinicians

American Dental Associations Faculty Advisor

Award (1997).

He was also inducted into the InternationalCollege o Dentists, Michigan Chapter, and

the Michigan International College o Dental

Scholars in 2001. The ollowing year, Gobetti

was given honorary membership in the Michigan

Dental Hygienists Association or his generous

support and teaching dental hygiene students.

Major Changes

As he relected on his years at Michigan,

Gobetti said he was struck at how much

dentistry and dental education have changed.

Implants werent around orty years ago.

Materials today are unbelievably great, he said.

And when you look at technology, I think its saeto say it has revolutionized dental education.

Instead o books, paper, and telephone calls,

you now have computers, Web-based materials,

e-mails, and iPods that are being used.

Despite the technology, he said, there will

always be a need or that person-to-person

interaction. Thats the critical element in

education.

I the past is any indication, Dr. Jack Gobettiwill continue to be a teacher.

He plans to continue teaching continuing

dental education courses; will be involved in

orensic dentistry malpractice cases, both as an

expert witness or the deense and prosecution;

and may, i the past is any indication, ind himsel

in a role as a teacher when on vacation.

In 1994, Gobetti ound that even though he

was thousands o miles away rom a classroom,

he really wasnt.

When he, his wie, and son were touringItaly that summer, Gobetti said he explained

to them the historical signiicance o sites they

were visiting.

Ater about ten minutes, his son said, Dad,

just give me the Cli Notes that explains what

happened.

However, by then, Gobetti had drawn a

crowd. He said he was surprised to learn that

about thirty other people were behind me

listening to what I was saying. But they wanted

me to continue my remarks.

Next spring, Gobetti and his wie o 26

years, Nini, will make their ith trip to Italy. In

addition to sightseeing, they will spend some

time with her amily.

Back in Ann Arbor, dont be surprised to see

Gobetti and his wie having dinner outdoors at

one o the citys restaurants during the summer

or early all. You may hear him whistling

between meal courses or walking up and down

the streets ater leaving the restaurant.Whistling is a part o who I am, its my

way o showing how much I enjoy lie and how

blessed I have been to be associated with the

dental school and to be in dental education. One

o the highest callings I think anyone can have

is to teach othersand thats something I have

always enjoyed, he said.

The students have enriched my lie more than I

ever imagined. I have absolutely loved teaching

them and sharing my knowledge and my passionor oral medicine with them whether it was in a

lecture hall or one-on-one in the clinics.


31/95


Per Kjeldsen,the man behind the lens,

Retires Following 32-Year Career

Its a claim ew can make.As chie photographer at the U-M School

o Dentistry or nearly thirty-two years, Per

Kjeldsen has probably met, even i or only a

ew moments, every dental and dental hygiene

student as he was taking their individual

portraits or a composite class picture.

Its sae to say that he has met every dean,administrator, aculty member, and nearly every

sta member as well.

On June 30, Kjeldsen retired ollowing a

career that began in August 1974.

What may surprise some is that Kjeldsen

was once a dental student. More about that in

a moment.

His ascination with photography began

in Denmark. My grandather gave me a box

camera when I was seven or eight years old,

and I enjoyed it so much as a hobby that, over

time, it evolved to become both a passion and a

proession, he said.

Kjeldsen, whos Danish, irst came to the

U.S. in 1962 as an exchange student with the

American Field Services program.

The highlight o his years stay occurred

in August 1963 when he and other students

were at the White House to hear President John

Kennedy address them in the Rose Garden.

However, the euphoria o the experience abruptlychanged three months later when Kennedy was

assassinated.

My True Passion Was Photography

Ater returning to Denmark, Kjeldsen

resumed his studies and attended the Royal

Dental College in Copenhagen. But ater a year,

he decided to ocus his attention elsewhere.

Keary Campbell

I continue to get

as much o a thrill

rom photography

today as I

did when my

grandathergave me that box

camera many

years ago.


32/95


I started in dentistry, but realized my truepassion was photography, he said.

In 1971, he returned to the U.S. to attend the

Rochester (New York) Institute o Technology.

It was the best school o photography in the

world, he said. It oered Kjeldsen a biomedical

program that allowed him to combine his

passion or photography with an interest in

biomedicine he developed as a dental student.

Ater graduating at the top o his class,

Kjeldsen visited three campuses. But he chose the

University o Michigan because the dental schoolhad received a grant to develop sel-instructional

materials. He wanted to be involved in that

initiative.

Kjeldsen also became ascinated with

something else, U-M ootball.

I didnt know much about the game, but I

was hooked when someone took me to the Big

House, he said. It was just awesome walking

onto the ield, looking around, and getting a

sense o the sheer size o the place.

The Big Break

Saturday aternoons, Kjeldsen requently

took pictures rom his seat in the stands. But

his big break came in 1981 when he went to

the Rose Bowl in Pasadena with a group o U-M

students.

It was the irst Rose Bowl win or Michigan

since Bo Schembechler became coach, so I

picked the right game to attend, he said with

a smile.As he did Saturday aternoons in Ann

Arbor, Kjeldsen also took some pictures rom his

stadium seat in Pasadena and later put together

a collage o some o his best photos.

It was such a success, at a time when the

ootball team was looking or greater recognition,

that the M Club got word o what I did and asked

me to make several others, he said.

He did. Then the Athletic Department heardabout it, saw my work, and liked it. A short

time later, he was on the sidelines taking pictures

on Saturday aternoons.

Successes and Awards

Kjeldsen said he is proud that his eorts,

and those o e l low photographer Keary

Campbell, have contributed to the School o

Dentistrys mission o educating oral health

care proessionals and the Schools reputation

or excellence.He is also proud to have won three awards

rom Nikon in worldwide photography contests

or three consecutive years in the 1980s.

Although he ondly remembers many aculty

members, Kjeldsen ormed a special bond with

Dr. Robert Lorey (DDS 1957).

During a career that spanned nearly ity

years until his death in 2004, Lorey was not only

actively involved in proessional organizations,

he also produced approximately 70 videotapes

or undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate

education, and also won many honors or his

photography.

Its as though he and I were opposite

sides o the same coin, Kjeldsen said. I

began my education as a dentist and became a

photographer, and he was a photographer who

became a dentist.

In recent years, Kjeldsen said his biggest

challenge has been trying to do more with less

without sacriicing the quality o services.Technology, however, has revolutionized his

crat.

Since the days o Civil War photographer

Matthew Brady, photography has basically been

a ilm medium. But that abruptly changed with

digital photography, Kjeldsen said. Images

are still being captured as they were in Bradys

day, he said, but now its a lens attached to


33/95


a computer, and post-processing

o the image, rom transer to

optimization, and ormatting, has

changed photography more in the

last decade than in the past one

hundred years.

Kjeldsen said he hopes to returnto Denmark a little more requently,

not just during the summer as

he has in years past, to visit his

parents who are now in their

eighties.

O course, he will still continue

taking pictures.

Ater all these years, I still

enjoy the challenge o conveying

a message or an emotion with my

images, he said. Looking at theworld through a viewinder not

only ocuses my own creativity, it

also allows me to ultimately share

what I see with others. So, yes, I

continue to get as much o a thrill

rom photography today as I did

when my grandather gave me that

box camera many years ago.

I a picture is worth a thousand words, the photographers value is somuch greater. In the case o Per Kjeldsen, it is priceless.

With technical expertise and an enviable artistic ability, Per has

captured School o Dentistry history on ilm or years, and more recently,

has captured it digitally. The man behind the lens, Per has provided

much more than just the essential photos o peoples teeth.

In the 1980s, the on-ield action shot by a sideline photographer

was the dominant ormat or Michigan sports program covers. Photos

by Per Kjeldsen were ar and away the most requently used. He has

photographed the greats o Michigan athletics such as Glen Rice, Rumeal

Robinson, Charles Woodson, Desmond Howard, as well as the leaders

including Bo Schembechler, Lloyd Carr, and Michigans own Bob Uer.His work was not limited to the University o Michigan as he is also

an accomplished reelance photographer. He has traveled to Japan and

Europe and has photographed the Iditarod race in Alaska.

A multitude o publications have highlighted his work. Many o

his photos have graced the cover o the University directory. His work

is recognized by ans and alumni, such as the memorable photograph

Documents

DentalUM Fall 2006