Dentistry News - School of Dentistry

Our natural teeth are a precious commodity. We only get one adult set, but sometimes they need rescuing. Enter endodontics.

Alumni Nelson and Carlson forged a lifetime bond as dental students in the 1950s.

Dr. Timothy Trulove, DMD, MS, of Montgomery, Alabama was installed as the President of the American Board of Orthodontics (ABO) on April 23, 2023 at the annual conference of the American Association of Orthodontists in Chicago. He had served as the director of the southern component of the ABO since 2016.

Anthony Morlandt, D.D.S., M.D., F.A.C.S., was named first holder of the Peter D. Waite Endowed Professorship in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery by the University of Alabama System Board of Trustees during its April 2023 meeting.

Kenneth R. Tilashalski, D.M.D., was named the second holder of the University of Alabama School of Dentistry Alumni Association Endowed Professorship. The resolution appointing Dr. Tilashalski was approved by the Board of Trustees of the University of Alabama System at their April 2023 meeting.

The School of Dentistry’s first dean also was UAB’s first president.

About seven miles west of the Alabama/Mississippi state line is the town of Scooba, Miss., boasting a population of 732 according to the 2010 census. And until he entered his ninth grade year in 1960, Scooba was home to UAB School of Dentistry alumnus Dr. Don Weaver.

Oral cavity (mouth) and oropharyngeal (throat) cancer is one of the most preventable and treatable cancers if caught early. Since early detection greatly increases positive outcomes, there’s no better time than now to schedule a checkup to protect your smile from this dangerous and potentially life-threatening disease.

There are two unusual bonds that bind the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry’s Class of 1952. First, all 50 graduates of that class were military veterans, and most had served in some capacity in World War II.

For much of his career, Jack Lemons, Ph.D., has been a man in the middle. Lemons has straddled the line between dentistry and engineering, providing a valuable link between those who create and improve dental and other medical devices, and those who actually use them.

In today’s world of multi-media, social media, and bright lights, you’ll be hard pressed to find a thriving dental practice that doesn’t have its own web site. If you start searching for Dr. Jiann-Jang “Eric” Wu’s endodontic practice in Winter Park, Florida you won’t find a website, because he’s never had one.

Third-year UAB dental student Caris Smith encourages others to explore a different side of dentistry.

Read more: Bridging a dental gap

Leslie Buckley, her husband, and children.

Dean Russell S. Taichman has named Stephen (Steve) Mitchell, D.M.D., M.S., as codirector of the International Dentist Program (IDP) effective July 1, 2022. On December 1, 2022 he will take over the directorship. He will replace Dr. Sonya Mitchell, who intends to step down from the position in December.

Graduates from the UAB School of Dentistry can guarantee they will leave with an excellent dental school education and clinical experience. Many will also take with them life-long friendships with classmates and faculty members, and fond memories of living in Birmingham. But every so often, students also leave with something (or, better yet, someone) even more special.

UAB School of Dentistry honored more than 75 Doctor of Dental Medicine graduates at its commencement ceremony for the class of 2022. Dean Russell S. Taichman, D.M.D., D.M.Sc., presided over the June 4 event at UAB’s Bartow Arena.

One of South Florida’s favorite and fastest sports is Jai-Alai. The ball used in Jai-Alai is called a pelota and it travels at nearly 200 miles per hour. The two contestants bounce the smaller than a baseball pelota off walls with a curbed wicker scoop to score points. The game is fast, furious, and hard to keep up with. The same can be said for Dr. Anissa Broussard Holmes (‘99), who now makes her home in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Growing up in Montgomery, Ala., Dr. Keri Miller’s childhood interests looked a bit different from what you might expect of an aspiring dentist. Instead of focusing on science and healthcare, Dr. Miller spent her childhood engrossed in the fine arts.

It was supposed to be just a quick bite of lunch. Instead, it turned into a chance meeting that propelled second-year UAB School of Dentistry student Gayle Shaffer down the path toward becoming Rear Admiral Gayle Shaffer, Deputy Surgeon General in the United States Navy.

A lot has changed in the dental industry since the days of George Washington’s dentures (which actually were made of ivory, not wood). Innovations and advancements have regularly taken place over the centuries, from the invention of the dental drill in the late 1700s to the creation of the modern nylon toothbrush in 1938.

UAB School of Dentistry faculty, residents, students, and alumni took part in Alabama’s first remote medical event, helping provide dental care to more than 400 underserved people in Gadsden, AL.

When asked about her favorite aspect of being an orthodontist, Dr. Leigh Bayer Curtis doesn’t miss a beat.

Dara Johnson and Zoie McIntosh did not know each other when they arrived at the UAB School of Dentistry a year ago. But they have become such good friends since then that they are now embarking on a 13-month community health project together as members of the 2022-23 class of the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship of Alabama (ASF).

The 17th Annual Scholars Symposium will feature Gerald Kugel, DMD, MS, PhD, as keynote speaker. He will deliver an address entitled “Who Cares About Research, I’m a Clinician.” The talk will kick off the afternoon session, which will be held virtually on Thursday, April 7 beginning at 2:00 p.m.

Dr. Russell Taichman, Dean of the UAB School of Dentistry, used a couple of cliches to introduce the recipients of the School of Dentistry Alumni Association’s 2021 award winners. The recipients are pillars in dentistry and the Gadsden community.

School of Dentistry Alumni Association Officers

Every year, alumni from across Alabama and the nation converge on Birmingham, Ala for the Alabama Dental Alumni Association’s Alumni Weekend. This year it was different.

When it came to deciding on which career to pursue, Dr. Tara Moncus got a little help… from Oprah Winfrey.

UAB’s Student Research Group, a chapter of the American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (AADOCR) National Student Research Group (NSRG), has been recognized for having the greatest percentage of new AADOCR student members in 2021-2022.

Caris Smith, a DMD/PhD student, has been selected for the 2022-23 Gert Quigley Government Affairs Fellowship by the American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (AADOCR).

Dr. Bruce Camp (’84) grew up in Alabama, graduated from the UAB School of Dentistry, and has lived and practiced dentistry in Georgia for 37 years. For the better part of those 37 years, he has been crossing state lines to maintain a strong bond with the School of Dentistry and its alumni association.

Dr. Doug Smith is no stranger to long days and hard work. That is because, on top of serving the Dothan, Ala. community as a trusted dentist of almost forty-five years, Dr. Smith works on his family farm where he raises pure bred Black Angus cattle.

At the time she was growing up on the family farm in Western Kentucky, Dr. Stephanie Teichmiller (’90) had no inkling she would become a dentist.

Growing up, Dr. Jim Phillips, Jr. didn’t always know he was going to become a dentist. But he did know he was destined to love sports and Auburn University.

Dr. Clay Wright (’01) doesn’t look near as big or menacing as he did when he played linebacker and offensive guard for the Troy University Trojans, but he still carries many of the life lessons he learned on the gridiron.

Charleston, S.C. is home to several nonprofit dental and medical clinics that provide healthcare to underserved communities around the city. And chances are good that, if you walk into any one of these clinics, you might run into periodontist Dr. Bill Sasser.

If you’ve ever attended the Alabama General Dentistry (AGD) meetings in Destin, Fla., you’ve likely seen and heard the man who emcees the raffle drawing each year, possibly wearing a Hawaiian shirt and winning the crowd over with his laidback charm and clever one-liners. That’s Dr. Bob DeShazer, one of the most fun and easy-going dentists to have ever walked the halls of the UAB School of Dentistry.

In the fall of 1969, Dr. Charles “Scotty” McCallum, dean of the School of Dentistry at the time, hosted a meet-and-greet reception at his home for the School’s incoming freshmen. Among those in attendance were John Anderson, and his new wife, Mimi.

Amjad Javed, Ph.D. has been named director of the Global Center for Craniofacial, Oral and Dental Disorders (GC-CODED). He also serves as the interim associate dean for research and director of postgraduate education in the School of Dentistry.

Joana Cunha-Cruz, D.D.S., M.P.H., Ph.D., has joined the faculty of the UAB School of Dentistry to foster research collaborations and support the work of the National Dental Practice-Based Research Network (PBRN).

An R21 award will help Hope Amm, Ph.D., further a lifelong journey of scientific discovery by advancing her research on genetics and signaling pathways in oral tumors.

There’s no question the rigors of dental school are just as demanding today as they were 50 years ago. While dentistry has changed in so many ways the past 50 years, the tight bonds developed between classmates remains a constant. Set to have their 50-year reunion in 2022, the Class of 1972 may be the tightest of them all.

UAB students in the 2021-22 class of Alabama Schweitzer Fellows

The Albert Schweitzer Fellowship (ASF) of Alabama recently announced the selection of its 2021-22 class of Alabama Schweitzer Fellows and UAB School of Dentistry is well represented.

Dr. Calvin Sanders attended Auburn University from 1965 to 1969, and remembers how much fun he had as an undergraduate student. Perhaps even a bit too much fun at first.

For one reason or another, the Medical College of Alabama in Birmingham chose not to accept Dr. Grady Price’s application to enter medical school for the fall of 1959. At the time, Dr. Price was studying pre-med at the University of Alabama and was preparing for a career as a physician when his plans abruptly changed.

Karter Smith accepts Dean’s Medal during Class of 2021 Commencement ceremony

UAB School of Dentistry honored over 150 Doctor of Dental Medicine graduates at its recent commencement ceremony. Held for the Class of 2021, the June 5 event also included members of the Class of 2020 who returned to celebrate in-person following a virtual ceremony last year.

Warren Arrasmith, D.M.D., associate professor and clinic director in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, was honored with the SSOMS Lifetime Achievement Award at the 72nd meeting of the Southeastern Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons.

The statue of Vulcan overlooking the Birmingham skyline.

Yuyin Lin, D.D.S., a third-year resident in pediatric dentistry, has been awarded the prestigious 2021 American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) Graduate Student Research Award (GSRA).

Whether it’s hunting big game, treating dental patients, or making a big time philanthropic gift, Dr. Bill Adams (’69) of Albertville, Ala., believes in going all out. Adams recently made an $800,000 planned gift commitment to endow a professorship for the UAB School of Dentistry. The dental school will realize the gift through his estate.