With an oversized toothbrush held high above their heads, the jubilant Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) Class of 2023 marched into Harvard Yard to join more than 9,000 graduates from around the University for Harvard’s 372nd Commencement ceremony held on Thursday, May 25.

The celebratory moment marked the culmination of years of hard work and determination for the predoctoral and postdoctoral students, who persevered through a global pandemic to pursue their advanced degrees.

“It feels great. I’m excited to be a dentist,” said Jessica Murphree, DMD23, who...

Shaida Parsaei, DMD23, grew up with an understanding at a young age of how quickly life could be taken away by disease. A native of Iran, she watched her grandmother struggle with lupus, while her uncle, a medical student, tried everything in his power to help her. It ignited a purpose in Parsaei to bring hope to people who are suffering with the burden of disease or pain.

“I appreciated how powerful treatment is in improving one’s quality of life. I aspire to one day bring the same relief and hope to other people who are suffering.... Read more about Graduate Reflects on Her Roots, and Those She Will Heal

As David T. Wu, DMSc23, completes his advanced degree program in Periodontology this May, he looks forward to a career integrating clinical practice, scientific research, and dental education as a clinician-scientist-educator. Born in Suzhou, China, Wu grew up in Montreal, Quebec, and received his Bachelor of Science in Anatomy and Cell Biology from McGill University in 2015, followed by his DMD from the Faculty of Dentistry at McGill in 2019. Wu reflects on his most memorable moments at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) and what lies ahead.

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Abigail Baldwin, DMD23, looks at dental problems and envisions solutions. As an undergraduate at Dartmouth College, she majored in biomedical engineering and brings an engineer’s mindset to practicing dentistry. Before starting her predoctoral program at Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM), she worked on the research and development team of a medical device start-up.

“I’ve always enjoyed designing solutions for problems,” Baldwin said. “I love how dentistry values the same principles of creativity, innovation, and materials science as engineering, and that the problems we...

It wasn’t until the age of 16 that Ziwei Chen, DMD23, had her first dental exam. Chen was born and raised in a rural fishing village in China. She grew up thinking that the single dental clinic in her village was only for extracting teeth. When Chen and her family arrived in the U.S., she learned during a visit to the pediatrician that she had ten cavities in her mouth.

“My family could not afford to treat even one of them. My mother worked as a cashier until...

Dental visits can be intimidating, even scary, for children. Jeremiah Kim, DMD23, aims to change that by introducing superheroes that make oral health accessible and fun.

His new children’s picture book “The Mouth Guardians” is the culmination of a creative process that began his first year in dental school. It teaches young patients the importance of maintaining positive oral health habits by following the Mouth Guardians endeavors to keep their city, Mouthopolis, safe from the “bad guys” who spread dental decay.... Read more about Writing a New Chapter: Dental Student Makes Dentistry Cool Through Storytelling

A Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) student-run pediatric dental clinic has been named a recipient of an “Access to Care Grant” from the Massachusetts Dental Society (MDS) Foundation. The grant, totaling $10,000, will support the Action for Children and Teens in Oral Health Need (ACTION) clinic that provides care to pediatric patients at the Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA) in Cambridge and the...

When learning is immersive, you need to be a sponge—particularly when the average daily rainfall in your learning environment is measured in buckets rather than inches. Seven Harvard College undergraduates, four Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) dental students, and four University of Costa Rica dental students spent their spring break in rural southern Costa Rica for a weeklong field course. Despite unusually rainy weather, a shared interest in global health brought them together to study healthcare systems and left them energized with new perspectives on global health challenges...

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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