Page 19 - The Apex - Touro College of Dental Medicine 2024

FACULTY
SPOTLIGHT
“I believe that the TouroCARES facility is going
to provide every accommodation the IDD
patients need. We are going to make sure that
we have all of the specialists under one roof.”
Dr. Benjamin Schwartz,
Clinical Assistant
—Raquel Rozdolski, DMD, TCDM Director of Anesthesia and Pain Control
Professor of
Dental Medicine
that can lead to aversions to
dental treatment.
TCDM has embarked on
a capital campaign to raise
funds to bring TouroCARES
to fruition. The funding will
support the construction
and outfitting of the facility,
the development of targeted
oral health programs for
IDD patients, and the
recruitment of specialized
dental practitioners. This
year’s fundraising efforts
included TCDM’s seventh
annual gala in March, held
at The Rockleigh in New
Jersey, which brought
together over 400 partners,
friends, faculty, alumni, and
current students of TCDM,
and raised funds to support
the program.
Touro University, TCDM,
and the entire Touro
University system were
founded on the mission
of accessibility to all,
educational excellence,
and support for those
whose life circumstance is
more difficult than most
of us will ever experience.
“Access to oral health care
is compromised in so many
areas of the state due to the
lack of general dentists, and
that issue is exacerbated
even further for patients
with disabilities,” says Dean
Myers. “This is why we are
thrilled to raise funds for
TouroCARES, which will
offer training opportunities
for the next generation
of providers. By helping
to expand this workforce,
TCDM will be addressing
this need for decades to
come.”
“TouroCARES will facilitate the treatment of
a segment of the population that is often
marginalized. It will enable dentists who we
train, faculty, and outside practitioners to
bring these skills to their communities.”
—Rhonda L. Kaufman, DDS, FACD, TCDM Assistant Dean for Clinical
Affairs and an Associate Professor of Dental Medicine
Tell us about the latest innovations in your field.
There are some amazing new products that help
prevent new cavities—while actively fighting
bacteria—all while inside your filling or crown! We
now have materials that not only replace the form
and function of your teeth but have active decay-
fighting medications inside of them. That pretty
crown or veneer is releasing medications that are
destroying the bacteria that causes cavities to form,
thus preventing future dental issues.
Another great innovation is the use of AI—from
helping to diagnose decay and evaluate radiographs
to designing crowns and onlays. In the past, a
ceramist had to sculpt each indirect restoration
by hand. By utilizing AI, you can virtually design a
restoration in just a few seconds. The digital image
can then be automatically milled out from a ceramic
block that rivals any master ceramist!
How are you bringing this knowledge to the next
generation of dentists?
In our ‘Intro to Cariology’ course, we discuss and
review many of these new medicaments. We delve
into the science behind these materials and how we
can help to reduce future cavities for our patients.
In the clinical setting, students utilize AI to design
virtual wax ups that allow them to visualize the
restoration before even touching a tooth. They
can then prepare the tooth and print a temporary
restoration and can even assist with the design and
fabrication of the permanent Zirconia crown.
How does a TCDM education compare to your
dental school education?
There is no comparison at all, TCDM is light
years ahead of any other dental school! TCDM
has the latest in dental technology, including
electric handpieces, intra-oral photography, CBCT
radiography, laser dentistry, and digital scanning.
Our students are utilizing the latest tech, and they’re
exposed to and use almost daily, an array of dental
devices and materials that often are reserved solely
for specialty programs. But more importantly, we are
a school that genuinely cares about our students.
What impresses you most about TCDM students?
Their eagerness to learn and grow is definitely a
trait I see in many TCDM students. But something
that I think is unique to our students is that they
actually enjoy being at TCDM! The students often
hang around after class and enjoy spending time with
each other and the faculty. Whether it’s a game of
ping pong in the student lounge, a nature walk on a
Sunday afternoon, or an intense game of pickleball,
TCDM has fostered an environment where the
students are happy to be here.
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