For many young children it can be intimidating to sit in a dental chair for the first time. Knowing this, Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) students created a fun and engaging atmosphere for children to learn about positive oral health habits during the annual Give Kids a Smile (GKAS) event held during Children’s Dental Health Month on Saturday, February 11. More than 60 young patients ages one to 17 received free dental care—a record-setting number.

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At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, many dental clinics faced temporary closure or capacity restrictions due to what was believed to be an increased risk associated with aerosol procedures. Because dental procedures require clinicians to be in close proximity to their patient’s mouth and nose, practicing dentistry was considered to be a high risk for transmission of SARS-CoV-2 infection. A new paper published in ...

The Harvard Dental Center (HDC)-Cambridge practice recently expanded its clinical care offerings with the addition of an orthodontics team led by Dr. Sercan Akyalcin, orofacial pain and sleep apnea specialty services led by Dr. Roxanne Bavarian, and expanded general dentistry with the addition of Dr. Alison Caruso.

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Nearly 50 smiling patients received care at Harvard School of Dental Medicine’s recent Give Kids a Smile (GKAS) event. The event, held annually in February during Children’s Dental Health Month, offers free dental care to children ages one to 17.

Student organizers Stephanie Yang, DMD24, and Kadriye Hargett, DMD24, planned and promoted this year’s event working closely with faculty and student volunteers. Although COVID-19...

In November of 2019, Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) established its first Green Team and Sustainability Committee, bringing together students, faculty, and staff who were committed to exploring ways to make impactful changes to the School’s environmental footprint. The committee came together as a result of a Harvard Worldwide Week presentation by Dr. Donna Hackley, instructor in Oral Health Policy and Epidemiology, which focused on the bi-directional relationship between environmental health and oral health through the lens of health equity. The committee focused on evaluating...

Smiles on the faces of patients and providers were still discernible even through layers of masks and PPE at Harvard School of Dental Medicine’s recent Give Kids a Smile (GKAS) event. The annual event, held each February during Children’s Dental Health Month, offers an opportunity for kids ages one to 17 to receive free dental care.

Stephanie, a mother who brought in four-year-old Ellie for her first appointment, watched as her daughter received care from dental students. “She was scared at first but now she’s all chatty. This is awesome!”... Read more about Give Kids a Smile Delivers Care at a Critical Time

In September, Harvard University Health Services (HUHS) announced its Dental Service would close at the end of the year due to financial pressures amplified by the pandemic. The Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) announced that it will re-open the former HUHS dental practice under the direction of HSDM. The School is the only graduate school of Harvard to offer direct patient care and already operates dental practices within the Harvard Dental Center in the Longwood Medical Area.

Beginning in February 2021, HSDM will open the practice...

In early March 2020, Harvard University and Harvard School of Dental Medicine began closely monitoring the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. As the situation changed rapidly, the top priority remained the health, safety, and well-being of students, faculty and staff, on and off campus. 

The School began working on several contingency scenarios and taking decisive, informed action to limit the spread of COVID-19 while ensuring the continuity of teaching, research and patient care. These efforts involved rapidly moving to virtual learning, ramping down research labs,...