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Nerve repair, with help from stem cells
illustration of human nervous system

Across-disciplinary Penn team is pioneering a new approach to peripheral nerve repair.

Nerve repair, with help from stem cells

School of Dental Medicine and Perelman School of Medicine researchers teamed up to create a novel approach to surgically repairing injured peripheral nerves that relies on the versatility of gingiva-derived mesenchymal stem cells.

Katherine Unger Baillie

New engineering approaches to address unmet oral health needs
Three images of circles and squiggles representing microbes and fungi

Time-lapsed fluorescence imaging captures how fungi can be killed precisely. Such approaches can improve how tooth decay-causing biofilms might be targeted. (Image: CiPD)

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.

Katherine Unger Baillie

Penn finds a surprising benefit to wisdom tooth surgery: better taste

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.

A link between childhood stress and early molars
A person standing on a stairwell, being photographed from above.

Allyson Mackey is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology in the School of Arts & Sciences. She runs The Changing Brain Lab and is a researcher in MindCORE.

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.

Michele W. Berger

A dental student on TikTok says she knows if someone is pregnant by looking in their mouth—is this possible?

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.

Penn Dental Medicine to receive $20M estate gift honoring alumnus
Arthur E. Corby.

Penn Dental Medicine alumnus Arthur E. Corby.

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
side-by-side microscopic images of microbes with fluorescent labels, with right side looking more empty

An enzymatic treatment significantly weakened a bacteria-yeast biofilm on a tooth-like surface. This therapeutic approach, using beta-mannanase (right panel) breaks down the links between the bacteria and yeast, could be used to treat early childhood caries, a severe form of tooth decay. (Image: Courtesy of Geelsu Hwang) 

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.

Katherine Unger Baillie

Accessible care for all at a new dental center
director and associate director of the disability 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.

Katherine Unger Baillie