Lasting Impressions | Fall 2014

NSU COLLEGE OF DENTAL MEDICINE © 39 The CDM is a leader in virtual orthognathic and craniofacial surgery, state-of-the-art techniques that helped make the faculty position attractive, he said. Portnof is enthusiastic about the future of dental practice, describing how a CT scan done as part of a patient’s workup is shared digitally with medical engineers in Colorado. The engineers and surgeons then meet on the Web to develop a surgi- cal plan and to design a surgical guide. This allows surgeons to practice delicate procedures on virtual models of the patient’s jaws before ever beginning actual surgery. Similarly for implant patients, CT scans help sur- geons determine the level of bone a patient has and design a surgical guide to pinpoint the ideal placement for the implants. This past summer, Portnof headed a team that did groundbreaking surgery. They placed five implants in a patient with progeria (rapid premature aging in children) that will later be used to anchor a maxillary and mandibular over-denture. “We believe that it is the first docu- mented case of endosseous dental implants to be placed in a progeria patient for oral rehabilitation,” said Portnof. “The patient’s lack of oral function had been resulting in poor oral intake and malnutrition. This was likely affecting his growth and devel- opment. We hope that placing these dental implants will help improve his quality of life.” (See story on how stu- dents helped raise funds for this surgery on Page 43). Portnof is equally excited about the research being done at CDM, especially in craniofacial biology. One day, he predicts, stem cells will help oral surgeons reconstruct alveolar defects. In fact, his team received an NSU 2014–2015 President’s Faculty Research and Development Grant to study the In Vivo Efficacy of Gingival Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Alveolar Cleft Grafting. “Jason is on the cutting edge of oral and cranio- facial surgery and teaching,” said Linda Niessen, D.M.D., M.P.H., M.P.P., dean of the CDM. “He has exactly the skill set we’re looking for. Jason’s edu- cation and background represent what we need for the next generation of dental-education leaders.” Science and technology merge More than ever, dental education is taking an evidence-based approach, driven by science and technology—and Portnof’s background in oral and maxillofacial surgery and his fellowship in cranio- facial surgery “is what we need for the future,” said Niessen. “I look at Jason as the next generation of dental-education leaders,” she said. “He has a strong science background, and science and technology continue to advance at light- ning speed.” Still, there’s more than Portnof’s penchant for research and tech- nology and his advanced training that makes him such a good fit for the faculty as the CDM looks toward its next decade. “He has the clinical and teaching skills and a great per- sonality. It’s a trifecta of skill sets. He under- stands caring for both patients and students,” Niessen added. His students agree. “I’m a big fan,” said Dipak Suri, a third-year student from Dan- ville, California, who wants to specialize in prosthodontics. “Most professors are a little bit older, so someone his age brings a fresh perspective on dentistry.