9.18
Katherine Unger Baillie
Senior Science News Officer
kbaillie@upenn.edu
Dental Medicine
Smart dental implants
Smart dental implants
Geelsu Hwang of the School of Dental Medicine and colleagues are developing a smart dental implant that resists bacterial growth and generates its own electricity through chewing and brushing to power a tissue-rejuvenating light.
New engineering approaches to address unmet oral health needs
New engineering approaches to address unmet oral health needs
With a new NIH training grant, awards, and new faculty and publications, the recently launched Center for Innovation & Precision Dentistry is leveraging technological advancements to improve oral health.
Pulling wisdom teeth can improve long-term taste function
Pulling wisdom teeth can improve long-term taste function
A Penn Medicine study shows, for the first time, positive long-term effects of third molar extraction on taste.
A link between childhood stress and early molars
A link between childhood stress and early molars
Penn researchers discovered that children from lower-income backgrounds and those who go through greater adverse childhood experiences get their first permanent molars sooner.
Penn Dental Medicine to receive $20M estate gift honoring alumnus
Penn Dental Medicine to receive $20M estate gift honoring alumnus
One hundred and four years after Penn Dental Medicine alumnus Dr. Arthur E. Corby, Class of 1917, earned his dental degree, his daughter, alumna Carol Corby-Waller, has gifted the Dental School with an anticipated $20 million honoring her father.
A gentler strategy for avoiding childhood dental decay
A gentler strategy for avoiding childhood dental decay
By targeting the bonds between bacteria and yeast that can form a sticky dental plaque, a new therapeutic strategy could help wash away the build-up while sparing oral tissues, according to a new study by a team from the School of Dental Medicine.
Accessible care for all at a new dental center
Accessible care for all at a new dental center
A priority of Dean Mark Wolff, the Care Center for Persons with Disabilities is now seeing patients at the School of Dental Medicine.
More chairs, new presence expand dental care access
More chairs, new presence expand dental care access
A growing presence in community care centers has given Penn Dental Medicine more opportunities to serve Philadelphians and to train its students.
$5M gift to fund endowed professorship, support establishment of Center for Integrative Global Oral Health
$5M gift to fund endowed professorship, support establishment of Center for Integrative Global Oral Health
The gift from Penn Dental Medicine alumnus Garry Rayant and his wife, Kathy Fields, will create a new endowed professorship at the School and provide foundational support to establish the Center for Integrative Global Oral Health.
Penn Dental, Penn Engineering unite to form Center for Innovation & Precision Dentistry
Penn Dental, Penn Engineering unite to form Center for Innovation & Precision Dentistry
The new Center will bring the two schools together to accelerate the development of new solutions and devices to address unmet needs in oral health.
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Experts
In the News
LA Times
Adding dental coverage to Medicare makes a lot of sense—except to dentists
Allison Hoffman of the Carey Law School is quoted on how the current dental insurance system is unsustainable.
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Philadelphia Inquirer
Penn finds a surprising benefit to wisdom tooth surgery: better taste
Research by Richard Doty of the Perelman School of Medicine and Dane Kim, a student in the School of Dental Medicine, found that people who have had wisdom teeth removed had a slightly stronger sense of taste over time. Earlier studies have focused on the temporary loss of taste associated with the procedure.
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Health.com
A dental student on TikTok says she knows if someone is pregnant by looking in their mouth—is this possible?
Mark Wolff, dean of the School of Dental Medicine, said it’s “an overstatement” to say doctors can tell if someone is pregnant by examining their gums, as purported in a viral TikTok video. However, he said, even those “that take really good care of their mouth” can develop sudden gingivitis during pregnancy.
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MarketWatch
The weirdest sign of COVID-19 fatigue? More Americans are grinding their teeth
Thomas Sollecito of the School of Dental Medicine spoke about the increase in patients experiencing pain from grinding or clenching their teeth. He recommended meditation and physical exercise to reduce stress but encouraged patients with persistent pain and tension to call their dentists.
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Philadelphia Inquirer
Stress from COVID-19 has led to a surge in teeth grinding, dentists say
Thomas Sollecito of the School of Dental Medicine commented on teeth grinding during the pandemic. “The stress and distress of the world’s events will affect things like sleep and someone’s clenching and grinding,” he said. “If we’re constantly under that duress, the frequency and intensity of clenching and grinding is just going to continue.”
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Self Magazine
The 11 best at-home teeth-whitening kits, according to dentists
Dean Mark S. Wolff of the School of Dental Medicine offered advice to those looking to whiten their teeth using at-home kits.
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