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University of Kentucy College of Dentistry 
Building a Foundation for the Future
 
Periodontology

Greetings from the Division of Periodontology!

What’s new in the Division of Periodontology

People

Drs. Scott Price and Melissa Farino recently completed their training and are practicing in Arizona and Alaska, respectively. Dr. Karen Novak was recently promoted to the rank of Full Professor and was also selected as a Gies Fellow by the American Dental Education Association. Karen also currently serves as Interim Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. Dr. Mohanad Al-Sabbagh was selected as a Tarrson Fellow by the American Academy of Periodontology in 2009. He currently serves as Program Director of the Graduate Program in Periodontology. Dr. Samuel Jasper is currently representing UKCD on the Committee for Curriculum Innovation of ADEA. Our new residents arrived in July and are hard at work. Drs. Diane Jenkins and Mark King are doing a great job and we are fortunate to have them.

News

Our clinical image library continues to grow and now contains thousands of images. These are catalogued by resident and are being organized by procedure. The library now exceeds 34 Gb is extensively used in treatment planning and surgical seminars. Eventually, the library will be made available to alumni and former faculty for use as a teaching resource.  I would like to thank Dr. Jeff Dickson (Chief Resident, 2009) for his work in organizing and cataloging this material (although many have contributed to this process).
We have been using a SharePoint site for some time now to facilitate access to our instructional resources and evidence-based diagnostic and treatment protocols. This is a software application that permits cataloging articles, PowerPoint presentations, images, and other resources in one, easy-to-access place. It is possible to conduct online discussions with groups as well as permit access to forms and other resources used in our clinical practice. We plan to make this site available to all alumni in the near future and it should serve as a useful resource for board preparation and continuing education.
Our Virtual Curriculum is moving ahead. Most of the preliminary presentations are complete and will be placed on the web soon. You may wish to check out our Program Manual located on the website under “About the Program.” Just click on the “Program Manual” and you will be able to access the entire volume. The manual is divided into two parts: 1) an administrative portion containing material relating to academic requirements, program philosophy and mission statement, etc.; 2) the clinical guide consists of a series of protocols that outline the manner in which certain procedures are performed at UKCD. These protocols are continually being refined and revised as part of our evidence-based therapy seminar series. I urge you to take a look at the manual – I think you will be pleased by what you see.
We have some new devices and techniques for use in our clinic. The piezosurgery unit has been very popular among the residents and faculty who have used it. It is very helpful in the extaction of teeth and in sinus augmentation surgery. We have also been excited about our use of bone morphogenetic protein (rhBMP2) in regenerative surgery. Our early results have been quite encouraging. We have also begun using the new “Roxolid” implant from Straumann AG. This implant is composed of an alloy of zirconium and titanium, which results in significant enhancement of its physical and biological properties.