By Ellen Garnett
Ana Fernanda Calles, a fourth-year DMD student, was recently awarded the HSDM Global Health Research Travel Award to pursue research in oral health literacy in diabetics with periodontal disease in Mexico City, Mexico.

“My passion for improving the current state of the Mexican healthcare system comes from my strong roots and cultural ties to the country; both my parents are natives of Mexico City and I am very familiar with the city,” said Calles.

... Read more about DMD Student Receives Award to Study Oral Health Literacy in Mexico

During the first week of August, Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) welcomed a new class of Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) students. The Class of 2020 is made up of 35 talented individuals who were chosen from more than 1,000 applicants. The incoming class includes 21 women and 14 men representing 19 states and 27 different undergraduate institutions.

The new dental students participated in orientation events throughout the week, along with their Harvard Medical School (HMS) classmates. On the morning of Tuesday, August 2, they were addressed by acting HMS dean, Barbara...

By Ellen Garnett
Since 2013, Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) and Northeastern University’s Bouvé College of Health Sciences have partnered with the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) on Martha’s Vineyard Island to combat oral health disparities within the Native American population. During their three years of collaboration, HSDM students involved in the program have learned that cultural competency is key in effectively treating patients with diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds.

Under the instruction of...

DMD student Hannah Yoo received a Harvard South Asia Institute (SAI) research grant that took her to India over winter session to conduct research on the oral and nutritional health of women and children in the slums of Mumbai. She worked with an organization based at UC Berkeley called India Smiles...

Harvard Commencement and Class Day was held on Thursday, May 26 with celebration and ceremony. The day began with the graduating students marching into Harvard’s Tercentenary Theatre for Morning Exercises. Music, tradition, and remarks by students and deans commemorated the 375th Commencement.

Degree candidates from 13 schools and Harvard College were recognized by school and cheered by the crowd. Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) awarded 61 degrees– 13 Master of Medical Sciences, 12 Doctor of Medical Sciences, 36 Doctor of Dental Medicine degrees.

Later in the...

As an athlete and a first-year DMD student, Sarah Wicheta thinks about her medical classes when she runs. With each stride, breath, and heartbeat, she calculates how her body is functioning and how it corresponds with what she’s learning in anatomy and physiology.

On Monday, April 18, Wicheta will run in the 120^th Boston Marathon. She estimates that she’s logged over 500 miles training for Monday’s race, which she qualified for by running a marathon in her hometown of Wenatchee, Washington in under three hours and thirty-five minutes. 

This winter she ran over...

Second-year DMD student Nisarg Patel, was recently selected as one of ten finalists in this year's President's Challenge. The Challenge, with a grand prize of $100,000, aims to catalyze student-led ventures to solve some of the world’s most critical problems. It provides Harvard students with an opportunity to take their ideas and turn them into startup businesses with the...

On Thursday, February 11, Dean Bruce Donoff, along with the deans of Boston University and Tufts schools of dental medicine, gathered at the State House for an announcement by Governor Charlie Baker about new dental education core competencies for the prevention and management of prescription drug misuse.

“Educating our dental providers on prescribing practices for opioids is a critical step toward preventing drug misuse as we continue to combat this public health crisis,” said Governor Baker. “We are...

On Saturday, February 6, the Harvard Dental Center’s Teaching Practices were filled with small patients in neon sunglasses. Nearly 50 kids, ages one to seventeen, were there for free dental screenings as part of the annual Give Kids a Smile (GKAS) event. The sunglasses were for eye protection during their dental treatments, but they added an extra cool factor as well.

For some children it was their very first time in a dental chair. Knowing this, HSDM students created a fun atmosphere where kids had a chance to learn about positive oral health habits, participate in educational...