Dental Medicine

Regrowing dental tissue with stem cells from baby teeth

In a clinical trial led by Songtao Shi of the School of Dental Medicine, stem cells extracted from baby teeth were used to regrow the living tissue in teeth damaged by injury. The promising findings highlight the potential of dental stem cells, which could be used in a wide range of dental procedures, or treating certain systemic diseases.

Katherine Unger Baillie ・ September 11, 2018

Mentoring program introduces high school students to dentistry

The Summer Mentorship Program introduces first-generation and under-represented high school students in Philadelphia to higher education possibilities, including Penn Dental School's four-week immersion program that includes hands-on experience and mentorship with current dental students.

Penn Today Staff ・ August 3, 2018

Dental plaque is no match for catalytic nanoparticles

A recent study found that nanoparticles can break down dental plaque with nanoparticles that target biofilms, preventing tooth decay in humans and animal models without damaging surrounding oral tissue.

Katherine Unger Baillie ・ July 31, 2018

Researchers from Penn Dental Medicine found that the molecule Foxo1 plays a critical role in the wound-healing process.

Dental researchers identify protein key to wound healing

Resesarch from Penn Dental reveal that the cells that line the skin and mucosa play a role in blood-vessel formation through a protein called Foxo1, and targeting it may modulate the process of healing wounds.

Katherine Unger Baillie ・ June 18, 2018

Dental School’s Joan Gluch promotes academics and community engagement

A recipient of the third annual Netter Center Faculty-Community Partnership Award, Gluch and Philadelphia FIGHT will share award funding to develop projects to promote community oral health.

Katherine Unger Baillie ・ June 15, 2018

Promoting cross-campus collaborations in health research

The One Health Communications Group is a collaboration that brings together several schools and centers to develop groundbreaking health research in a cross-disciplinary and innovative environment.

Jacob Williamson-Rea ・ June 11, 2018

Bacteria boost antifungal drug resistance in severe childhood tooth decay

Some young children experience severe tooth decay that resist normal therapies. New research led by Dongyeop Kim and Hyun (Michel) Koo of the School of Dental Medicine shows how plaque’s protective matrix can shield fungal cells from the drugs intended to kill them.

Katherine Unger Baillie ・ April 24, 2018

Mark Wolff named dean of Penn Dental Medicine

Mark Wolff will become the next Morton Amsterdam Dean of Dental Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, effective July 1.

Ron Ozio ・ March 29, 2018

Unraveling how stem cells from gum tissue accelerate wound healing

Gum tissue stem cells heal twice as fast as skin, and researchers are determining their potential in accelerated wound healing research.

Katherine Unger Baillie ・ March 14, 2018

‘Quarterbacks of dentistry’ now in training at Penn

Katherine Unger Baillie ・ July 6, 2017

Media Contact

Katherine Unger Baillie Science News Officer
kbaillie@upenn.edu

Experts

Thomas Sollecito Professor and Chairman in the Department of Oral Medicine.
School of Dental Medicine.
University of Pennsylvania. As a specialist in the field of oral medicine, Dr. Sollecito addresses oral health care of medically complex patients, including the diagnosis and management of medical conditions that affect the oral and maxillofacial region. These conditions include oral mucosal diseases, orofacial pain disorders, temporomandibular disorders, salivary gland disease, oral complications resulting from systemic disease and chemosensory and neurologic impairment of the oral and maxillofacial complex. Sollecito has a particular interest in cancer research and how oral health impacts cancer patients. In 2015, he led a review for the American Dental Association pertaining to the use of prophylactic antibiotics before dental procedures in patients with joint replacements.
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In the News

Philadelphia Inquirer

Dentists Urged to Limit Opioid Prescriptions to Prevent Addiction

The School of Dental Medicine’s Elliot Hersh commented on Pennsylvania’s legal requirement that doctors screen patient histories for signs of opioid abuse. Hersh stated that for many dental patients over the counter pain relief can be just as effective.

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Live Science

This Is What Killed Medieval Sultan Who Conquered Jerusalem During the Crusades

At Friday’s 25th annual Historical Clinicopathological Conference, the Perelman School of Medicine’s Stephen Gluckman announced that Sultan Saladin was most likely killed by typhoid. Gluckman came to the conclusion after ruling out plague, smallpox, tuberculosis, and malaria, which didn’t fit descriptions of Saladin’s symptoms.