Should Medicare offer dental coverage for millions of older or underserved Americans? This is the question currently under consideration before Congress.

According to Dr. Lisa Simon, physician, dentist, and educator at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine and Harvard Medical School, the answer is a resounding yes.

Simon weighs in on the impact that such a dental benefit could have for millions of underserved Americans in a newly published commentary in the New England Journal of Medicine.... Read more about Making the Case for a Medicare Dental Benefit

On Saturday October 2, 2021, Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) opened its doors to veterans for free dental care and consultations during the School’s first Give Veterans a Smile event.

Similar to HSDM’s annual Give Kids a Smile event, the event was organized by dental students with the goal of providing care to the community and addressing gaps in veterans’ access to oral healthcare. Over 30 predoctoral students volunteered for the event along with residents from AGE specialty programs, faculty, and Harvard Dental Center staff members. Veterans from several branches of...

Dr. Lorenzo Tavelli will join Harvard School of Dental Medicine’s Department of Oral Medicine and Immunity (OMII) in August as a full-time faculty member in the Division of Periodontology. He will teach periodontology, conduct clinical research, and treat patients in the Harvard Dental Center.

Dr. Tavelli graduated from the University of Milan in 2017. He completed his three-year residency in Periodontics and his Master of Science in 2020 at the University of Michigan. His main focus has been to conduct clinical research in periodontal and peri-implant plastic surgery.... Read more about Dr. Lorenzo Tavelli Joins HSDM as Faculty Member in the Division of Periodontology

Tooth loss is often accepted as a natural part of aging, but what if there was a way to better identify those most susceptible without the need for a dental exam?

New research led by investigators at Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) suggests that machine learning tools can help identify those at greatest risk for tooth loss and refer them for further dental assessment in an effort to ensure early interventions to avert or delay the condition.

The study, published June 18 in PLOS ONE, compared five algorithms using a different combination of variables to screen for risk.... Read more about Predicting Tooth Loss: Machine-Learning Algorithms May Help Identify Those at Risk

Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) and the World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa (WHO AFRO) have teamed up to address critical oral health challenges in the African region, worsened due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The project aims to build the capacity of primary care workers in oral health promotion, and oral disease prevention and control, to better address the unmet demand for oral health services and strengthen oral health care systems. The team will develop an online oral health training program that will leverage digital technologies... Read more about Strengthening Oral Health Care Systems in Africa: New Agreement Between HSDM and the WHO Will Address Critical Needs

Dr. Francesca Gori, assistant professor of Oral Medicine, Infection and Immunity, program director for the Harvard Forsyth Research Academy, and director of predoctoral research at HSDM, was chosen by the Board of Directors of the Student Competition for Advancing Dental Research and its Application (SCADA) as the 2021 Burton C. Borgelt Faculty Advisory Award recipient. This award honors a faculty advisor who has distinguished herself as a dental scientist and...

Dean William Giannobile recently announced the promotion of three Harvard School of Dental Medicine faculty members serving at affiliated hospitals. Their new academic appointments became effective on March 1, 2021.

"Please join me in congratulating the following faculty members who have been recently promoted. I am very grateful to these individuals for their continued service to HSDM as dedicated educators and clinicians," Dean Giannobile said.

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Several members of the Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) community will be recognized at this year’s American Dental Education Association (ADEA) Annual Session. The virtual event includes awards, scholarships, and fellowships recognizing achievement and distinction among its members.

Hiroe Ohyama, MMSc96, DMD03, assistant professor in the Department of Restorative Dentistry and Biomaterials Sciences, received the...

Dean William Giannobile recently announced interim leaders for the Department of Oral Maxillofacial Surgery, and the Office of Development and Alumni Relations at Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM).

Dr. Bonnie Padwa, professor of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMFS) was named interim chair of the Department in early January. She succeeds Dr. Jay Austen, who will continue to oversee OMFS at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH).... Read more about Interim Leaders Named for Oral Maxillofacial Surgery, and Development

Dr. Hawazin W. Elani, assistant professor in the Department of Oral Health Policy and Epidemiology at Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM), and co-authors from the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, examined how the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) expansion of Medicaid eligibility affected dental coverage and the use of oral health services among low-income adults, using data from the National Health Interview Survey. Their findings were published...

Dr. Shigemi Nagai, associate professor of Oral Medicine, Infection and Immunity, and director of clinical research at HSDM, was recently awarded a National Academy of Medicine (NAM) Catalyst Award as part of the Healthy Longevity Global Competition, a multiyear, multimillion-dollar international competition seeking breakthrough innovations to extend human health and function later in life. Nagai is the only dentist to receive the award among the 150 awards issued in the inaugural round of the competition.... Read more about Dr. Shigemi Nagai Awarded National Academy of Medicine Catalyst Award

What happens when you take a hands-on, interactive dental curriculum and turn it upside down? Four new publications in the Journal of Dental Education authored by HSDM faculty and students reveal how dental education during the COVID-19 pandemic rapidly adapted to deliver aspects of the curriculum in virtual ways. The authors took a close look at what worked well, and what needed improvement, to inform how to best deliver dental education in new and uncharted territory.

“As we all know, dental education has a very interactive curriculum and invaluable aspects to...

Dr. William V. Giannobile, became dean of HSDM on September 1, 2020. An HSDM alumnus, Giannobile is prominent educator and leader in the field of periodontology. He shares more about his background and vision for the School in the following Q&A.

Tell us about your background. What led you to a career in dental education?

I was born in Chicago and my parents later moved our family (my three sisters and me) to a small farm in the Ozarks of Missouri. Early on as a young person, I was very curious about science and medicine. I had an inspiring...