As artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly being used in many facets of health care including dentistry, the authors of a recently-published opinion piece in JAMA Health Forum discuss ways AI can help level the playing field to achieve greater oral health equity.

... Read more about Exploring Ways AI Can Address Oral Health Disparities

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) has elected Yingzi Yang, associate dean for Research and professor of Developmental Biology at Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM), to the 2023 cohort of AAAS Fellows, a distinguished group of 502 scientists, engineers, and innovators across 24 disciplines.... Read more about Dr. Yingzi Yang Named AAAS Fellow

Artificial intelligence applications and tools for dentistry emerging in the marketplace today have, for the most part, been designed for use in dental practices and by dentists in the field. However, AI tools designed for learning dentistry are an area less explored.

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In one of the first clinical trials to explore treatment of an aggressive form of oral precancer with immune checkpoint therapy (ICT), researchers from the Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM), Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and other collaborators found promising results for treating a high-risk oral precancerous disease with ICT.... Read more about Researchers Explore Immune Checkpoint Therapy to Treat Aggressive Form of Oral Precancerous Disease

For immigrants who have just arrived in Boston, a critical oral health concern may be one of the first issues that leads them to seek care within the U.S. healthcare system. Navigating their options for dental care can be extremely difficult for many refugee families with language barriers and cultural differences. Nearly 7,500 immigrant households live in shelters or hotel rooms throughout Massachusetts’ shelter system, compounding the growing need for care.... Read more about Addressing Immigrant Oral Health: HSDM Effort Meets Growing Needs

Sang Park, MMSc01, associate professor of Restorative Dentistry and Biomaterials Sciences and associate dean for Dental Education at Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) has received one of the highest honors from the American Dental Education Association (ADEA)—the Centennial Presidential Award. The award, given during ADEA’s 100^th anniversary year, recognizes Park’s outstanding contributions as a dental educator on a national stage.

“I am truly humbled and honored by this life-changing acknowledgment of my work and research. It has meaning for me that goes...

Tien Jiang, DMD14, instructor in Oral Health Policy and Epidemiology, has been honored with an Eleanor and Miles Shore Fellowship. Established in 1995 to help junior faculty at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) and Harvard Medical School (HMS), the fellowship program offers financial support during a critical time in a faculty member’s academic career.... Read more about Dr. Tien Jiang Receives Shore Fellowship to Further Her Work in Oral Health Literacy

In early 2022, Dean Giannobile launched an effort to recruit exemplary early career scientists with expertise in a broad range of biomedical and health science specialties, including in the areas of microbiology, cell biology, immunology, stem cell biology, neurobiology, pharmacology, physiology, biomaterials and tissue engineering, biomedical imaging, bioinformatics and epidemiology, and public health.... Read more about Up and Coming Scientists Join HSDM

For some, the mere thought of sitting in a dental chair can send shivers down their spine and set their heart racing. In fact, nearly 40% of the population admits to having anxiety or fear of the dentist, which can have serious consequences for an individual’s oral health. We asked Dr. Isabelle Chase, a leading expert in the field of pediatric dentistry, where this fear might stem from and how patients and dental providers can address it. Chase serves as...

Building on strong partnerships in Rwanda that led to the launch of a new dental school in the country in 2018, Harvard School of Dental Medicine faculty returned to Rwanda this summer to expand oral health training, this time with a focus on future physicians.

“It was exciting to be involved in this transformative effort to train future physicians in key oral health concepts,” said Dr. Donna Hackley, assistant professor of Oral Health Policy and Epidemiology who serves as department...

Dr. Brittany Seymour, associate professor of Oral Health, Policy, and Epidemiology, has been appointed to serve as HSDM’s new Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs. In this leadership role, she will serve as HSDM’s first full-time administrative dean dedicated to faculty affairs, including faculty mentorship, recruitment, and professional development. She begins her new administrative position on July 17, 2023.

Seymour, who has served as a faculty member at HSDM for 12 years, is well-known across Harvard as well as nationally and internationally, for her work in global and...

In November 2022, Massachusetts voters approved a ballot initiative that will require dental insurers to spend at least 83% of customer premiums on patient care and initiatives aimed at improving the quality of care. The new law will require insurance companies that don’t reach that minimum percentage, known as a medical loss ratio, to issue rebates to their customers, beginning in 2024. Health insurance companies across the country are already subject to similar rules for medical care, but the law is the first of its kind to apply to dental insurers.... Read more about The Impact of Dental Insurance Reform

It is well established that periodontitis plays a role in developing numerous diseases and disorders unrelated to oral health. But now, a multidisciplinary team of researchers from Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM), Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), and São Paulo State University School of Dentistry (UNESP) highlights the potential to improve cancer treatment outcomes and decrease related adverse events by addressing oral dysbiosis.