Dentistry News

West Princeton Dental Clinic PC, owned by Dr. Adolphus Jackson, sits quietly tucked away on the west side of Birmingham. It is located on the same property where an Italian-owned grocery store once stood in the West Princeton community where Dr. Jackson was raised.

In 2020, Scholars Symposium was our school's first event to be impacted by the pandemic. While not yet on limited business operations, we had to postpone our guest speaker and limit the event to on campus participants only.
Read more: The wonders of technology and a successful (virtual) Scholars Symposium

The Russell Wing on the first floor of the UAB Hospital is a special place. Here, faculty and residents of the School of Dentistry’s General Practice Residency (GPR) and Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) programs provide dental care to medically complex patients of all ages.
Read more: Passing the baton: Leadership transitions in GPR and AEGD programs

School of Dentistry graduate, retired faculty member, and former Leadership Council member Dr. Wilson Wright, Jr. shares his “Stories About Scotty.”

The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Dentistry’s Alumni Association has established the Scott and Susan Huffman Endowed Scholarship Fund, named in honor of their executive director, J. Scott Huffman, and his wife Susan.
Read more: Alumni association announces endowed scholarship fund in executive director’s honor

The Clifton O. Dummett Sr. Essay Competition on Diversity in Dentistry & Dental Education announced the winning essayists on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day 2021. Jacob Martin, a first year D.M.D. student, won Magna Honors for his submission.

Each year, the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Dentistry graduates enter the field ready to put the knowledge and techniques learned over the previous four years to work. But for Dr. Tom Willis, who graduated from the School of Dentistry in 1977, the school provided him with much more than just dental skills.
Read more: Alumni Spotlight: Dr. Tom Willis – A Lifelong Learner

Dr. Madelyn Coar has been a valuable part of the School of Dentistry and the Department of Endodontics.

Dr. Paul Sproul, an orthodontist at Alabama Pediatric Dental Associates, has a master’s and a doctorate degree, but never actually graduated from an undergraduate program.
Read more: Alumni Spotlight: The Orthodontist Who Never Graduated College – Dr. Paul Sproul

Raquel Mazer, DMD, MS, MPH, has been honored as a Fellow of the International College of Dentists, USA Section, within the district encompassing Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi. She was sponsored by Dr. Toni Neumeier.
Read more: Mazer named Fellow of International College of Dentists, USA Section

The Student National Dental Association (SNDA) chapter at UAB has a proud history of award-winning service.

Dr. Todd Chastain is a big believer in family.
Read more: Alumni Spotlight: Todd Chastain – A Family Man (with a House Divided!)

The courses and speakers were set. The contracts for venues were signed. The brochures were printed and ready to send. UAB School of Dentistry’s continuing education program was geared up for a busy, yet normal spring. That is, until the pandemic changed everything.

It doesn’t take long after meeting and speaking to Dr. Ralph Kurry Wyatt (‘73) to realize he is a fantastic storyteller, and he does not like to be bored.
Read more: Alumni Spotlight: A Man of Service to Others, Dr. Ralph Kurry Wyatt

For more than thirty years, members of the UAB School of Dentistry Class of 1988 have gotten together in the heat of August to play in the Terry Barrett Golf Invitational, named after Dr. Terry Barrett, a fellow classmate who passed away in 1999. Dr. Frank Kimbell attends the tournament every year.

If Elvis Presley is the King of Rock and Roll, then Presley Pruitt is the Queen of the Dental Office.
Read more: UAB School of Dentistry Alumnus’ Hound Dog Brings Joy to Patients

I had the privilege of handing out t-shirts to third and fourth year students last Friday with Alumni Association President Bruce Camp, Dean Russ Taichman, and Alumni and Special Events Coordinator Abby Vinson.

“I’m sorry, I have to step out for a moment,” Dr. Coggin interrupted. “We have a patient who is apparently refusing to receive their injections from anyone other than me. I’ll be right back.”
Read more: Alumni Spotlight: Spreading the UAB School of Dentistry Legacy in Georgia

Dr. Kumar Patel (’03) traveled across multiple continents to claim the UAB School of Dentistry as his alma mater. Patel is originally from Ahmedabad, India but he calls London his home town because that’s where he spent his formidable years and “…discovered myself as a person.”

A recent paper by Ping Zhang, DDS, PhD, Professor in the Department of Pediatric Dentistry, has been selected for the ‘Frontline Science’ section and featured as leading edge research in the October, 2020 issue of the Journal of Leukocyte Biology (JLB).

Charles Crowder met Kristen Flowers at a fraternity party in 1995, when the two were undergrads at Birmingham-Southern College.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) Student Chapter was recently named national chapter of the year.
Read more: New student group receives national chapter award

When a newly reestablished School of Dentistry Staff Council kicked off in July 2019, the group quickly went to work developing initiatives to support and engage staff school-wide. That was before COVID-19 brought its activities to a halt.
Read more: Blazing a trail: School’s staff council completes successful inaugural year

Dr. Ben Cumbus (’72) of Montgomery, Ala received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the UAB National Alumni Society.

In 1965, Karen Fox walked into her first day of classes at the University Of Alabama School Of Dentistry in Birmingham, Alabama. She was the only woman in the room. In fact, she was the only woman in her entire class of 52 students.
Read more: Alumni Spotlight: Making History at the School of Dentistry – Dr. Karen Clements-Crunk

Mark Abere, DMD, (’19) recently launched The Minor Details (TMD), a blog which he titles “a culmination of minority experiences in dentistry, retold to educate and inspire.”
Read more: School of Dentistry alumni share ‘The Minor Details’

Michelle Robinson, DMD, MA, was recognized for her service as interim dean by The Links, Incorporated, Tri-County (AL) Chapter. The award, for international trends and services, was presented at the organization’s annual “Model 2020” event honoring model citizens.
Read more: Robinson, School of Dentistry recognized for international trends and services

Being awarded the Dr. Charles E. Smith Endowed Scholarship means everything to Steven Beard. The Birmingham native plans to graduate from the UAB School of Dentistry in 2023, and he’s hoping to do it without taking on a lot of debt.

If you ask UAB School of Dentistry alumni to list the professors they remember from their time in school, chances are good that Dr. Tommy Weatherford’s name will be on that list.
Read more: Alumni Spotlight: He’s Still At It! – A Profile of Dr. Thomas “Tommy” Weatherford

Dr. Raquel Mazer was appointed Director of Community Collaborations shortly before COVID-19 began upending community outreach. She explained how she is settling in to her new position and advancing community partnerships in the wake of the pandemic.

Austin Stiles, a third year D.M.D. student, has assumed an out-of-the-box role at the School of Dentistry.

Dr. Michelle Dandridge (’06) opened Dandridge Dental Family Dentistry in Dothan, Alabama in 2011, just five years after she graduated from UAB’s School of Dentistry.
Read more: Alumni Spotlight: Discovering A New Balance During Quarantine

George P. Petznick, D.M.D. served the Birmingham community for over 55 years before retiring just this summer, at the age of 86.

Lean and mean. This is the phrase Dr. Thomas Dudney (’77) of Alabaster, Alabama uses to describe how his office is organized.
Read more: Alumni Spotlight: Dr. Thomas Dudney takes a minimalistic approach

Two D.M.D. student researchers recently participated in the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) ePoster Competition, held virtually this year.

Earlier this summer, Dr. Peter Waite stepped down as Chair of UAB’s Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMS). Dr. Patrick Louis was appointed the interim successor to Waite, who had served as chair since 1993.

For most dentists in Alabama, the COVID-19 shutdown during March and April meant slowing down and spending a lot more time at home. Unless, of course, you are Dr. Mark McIlwain.
Read more: Alumni Spotlight: The oral surgeon who does it all

Ashraf F. Fouad, DDS, MS, has been appointed chair of the School of Dentistry Department of Endodontics following a national search. He will also serve as the Endodontics program director.
Read more: Fouad named chair and program director of Endodontics

Dr. Forrest Bryant (’97) was recently recognized as a 2020 UAB Excellence in Top 25 Business Class member, but it wasn’t in dentistry, the profession he trained for at UAB.

Dr. Karen Connell (’00) has been with the Anniston Dental Group in Anniston, Alabama for ten years, and took the practice over from her father and fellow UAB School of Dentistry alumnus, Dr. Art Lewis (’67), in 2012.
Read more: Alumni Spotlight: Dr. Karen Connell spends time with family and fellow alumni

Dr. Christy Savage, Dr. Lindsay Limbaugh, and Dr. Keith Harvey all closed their offices by the March 19 COVID-19 mandate from the state legislature, and they remained closed to patients until Monday, May 4.
Read more: Alumni Spotlight: Orthodontists refocus during pandemic

As Glen Smith, D.M.D., graduated from the University of Alabama School of Dentistry in 1969, his incredible journey was just beginning.

The Class of 2020 was presented on May 30 in a virtual commencement ceremony. Dean Russell S. Taichman, D.M.D., D.M.Sc., presided to confer the Doctor of Dental Medicine degrees.
Read more: Dentistry Class of 2020 graduates in virtual commencement ceremony

It’s a good thing Dr. Rodney Marshall (’85) has been a student of leadership for much of his adult life. He has been called upon to be a leader in his community and profession time and time again.

Dr. Holt Gray (UAB School of Dentistry ’04, ’07), is a prosthodontist at the Luma Dentistry in McCalla, where he has worked since 2008.
Read more: Alumni Spotlight: Dr. Holt Gray discovers unique quarantine pastime

The School of Dentistry hosts Honors Convocation each spring to recognize students for their outstanding academic and leadership efforts.
Read more: School of Dentistry recognizes student accomplishments at virtual Honors Convocation

The UAB Dental Group, or dental faculty practice, reopened for patient care on May 18, 2020. With an emphasis on patient safety, as well as the safety of our faculty and staff during the unprecedented COVID-19 crisis, critical oral health needs delayed by the onset of the pandemic can now be addressed.

UAB School of Dentistry will stream a virtual commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 30 to honor its 2020 Doctor of Dental Medicine graduates in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
Read more: School of Dentistry to host virtual commencement celebration May 30

Most of us look for the silver lining in this dark cloud known as the COVID-19 pandemic. For me, I’ve learned to use Zoom and visit with family and alumni virtually.

Drs. David and Melissa Roden are both graduates of the School of Dentistry at UAB.

Dr. Paul Bishop serves the people of North Alabama from his Decatur clinic, Alabama Smile Builders.
Read more: Alumni Spotlight: North Alabama practitioner enjoys extra time with family

It’s hard to imagine a world where the UAB School of Dentistry, its faculty and students aren’t focused on treating patients, learning, researching, and helping the underserved.

Patrick Louis, DDS, MD, has been appointed interim chair of the School of Dentistry Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. He succeeds Peter Waite, MPH, DDS, MD, FACS, who served as chair since 1993 and recently stepped down from the role.

When Ben Ingram, D.M.D., of Piedmont, AL was honored with the UAB School of Dentistry’s Distinguished Alumnus Award at the alumni association’s recent Alumni Weekend, the 1984 graduate said he was “humbled and surprised."
Read more: ‘Distinguished Alumnus’ award winner is not surprising

Amy Hartsfield, D.M.D., of Birmingham, AL is widely regarded as a problem solver by her friends and fellow dentists.
Read more: Obstacles are not a problem for Birmingham dentist

Dean Russell S. Taichman recently announced several senior leadership appointments and updates regarding key positions within the School of Dentistry.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Student Recreation Center was bustling with volunteers, sponsors and program staff who came together on February 5 for the city’s second TeamSmile event.
Read more: Department of Pediatric Dentistry partners with TeamSmile to promote healthy smiles

Dr. Bill Chesser (Class of 1967) and his wife, Chris, recently included the School of Dentistry in their estate plans. The Hueytown native has been giving back to his profession for more than 50 years.

Dr. Kent Palcanis and his wife, Phoebe, have pledged $500,000 over the next five years to endow a professorship in the Department of Periodontology. Palcanis is a School of Dentistry Professor Emeritus and serves on the UASOD Alumni Association Executive Council as an Alumnus By Choice (ABC) representative.
Read more: Palcanis gift takes Periodontology to greater heights

Scholars Symposium is an annual celebration of the school’s research accomplishments, highlighting the achievements of students, residents, and faculty as they impact oral health locally and globally. This year’s theme is Craniofacial Development and Dental Genetics.

Harunur Rashid, Ph.D., a Dental Academic Research Trainee (DART) postdoctoral scholar in Dr. Javed Amjad’s lab, received first place for his poster presentation entitled “Title: Runx2 Activity in Hypertrophic Chondrocytes Regulate Cartilage and Bone Homeostasis” at the Sixth Annual CAMBAC Research Day at UAB.

Over 200 underserved and homeless people in the Birmingham area received teeth cleanings, fillings and extractions at no cost as part of the seventh annual ‘UAB Dentistry Cares’ Community Day, which took place on October 16 at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry.
Read more: School hosts 7th ‘UAB Dentistry Cares’ community event

Read more: School highlights public health, epidemiology, research at Scholars Symposium