Lasting Impressions | Fall 2015

NSU COLLEGE OF DENTAL MEDICINE © 19 CDM Impressions CDM RECEIVES $300,000 GRANT FROM CHILDREN’S TRUST Students miss more than 51 million hours of school annually in the United States because of dental-related illness, according to “Oral Health in America: Report of the U.S. Surgeon General.” A majority of these absences could have been avoided if these children had access to preventive dental services. The Children’s Trust in Miami-Dade County has awarded a $300,000 grant to Nova Southeast- ern University’s College of Dental Medicine to be used to train 200 medical staff members associ- ated with The Children’s Trust’s HealthConnect program to perform oral health screenings for children in Miami-Dade schools. The screenings will evaluate children for dental cavities; provide oral health counseling and a fluoride varnish application; refer children in need of treatment to a dentist; and monitor the program. “It is well known that oral diseases have a direct and devastating effect on the health of chil- dren and have a serious impact on children’s read- iness for school and ability to succeed,” said Ana Karina Mascarenhas, B.D.S., M.P.H., Dr.P.H., associate dean of research of NSU’s College of Dental Medicine. “NSU is grateful to The Chil- dren’s Trust for recognizing this issue is prevent- able in many cases and supporting efforts to enhance the oral health of children in Miami- Dade County.” HealthConnect is a comprehensive, three-tier, quality-driven health initiative, spearheaded and funded by The Children’s Trust, with the goal of having the healthiest children possible in Miami- Dade County. The Children’s Trust is a dedicated source of revenue established by voter referendum to improve the lives of children and families in Miami-Dade County. In addition to this grant, NSU’s College of Den- tal Medicine provides children from select Miami- Dade County schools with oral health services either at the school or at NSU’s NorthMiami Beach Dental Clinic located at 1750 NE 167 Street. u NSU’S “GIVE KIDS A SMILE DAY” TAKES NATIONAL AWARD The American Dental Association (ADA) has selected NSU’s CDM event as the national kick-off for the annual Give Kids A Smile program. The event will be held February 5, 2016, at the NSU Fort Lauderdale/Davie Campus. A reception for university and community leaders and dental association officials will be held February 4, 2016. The CDM’s Give Kids A Smile Day program has won national acclaim. The ADA Foundation recently named the CDM program one of only seven national winners of the E. (Bud) Tarrson Dental School Student Community Leadership Award. NSU’s Give Kids A Smile program is the only such event to win the $5,000 award. Additionally, CDM student Jason Watts was selected to serve on the ADA Foundation’s national Give Kids A Smile Advisory Committee. u NIESSEN JOINS BOARD OF DIRECTORS Linda Niessen, D.M.D., M.P.H., M.P.P., dean of NSU’s College of Dental Medicine, has joined the board of direc- tors of Vigilant Biosciences, Inc., a leading innovator and developer of solutions that aid in the early detection and intervention of cancer. “We are thrilled to welcome Linda, an esteemed dental professional and educator, to our board of directors,” said Matthew Kim, founder, chairman, and CEO of Vigilant Biosciences, Inc. “Her background and accomplishments are impressive and will bring enormous value to Vigilant Biosciences. Additionally, [her] leadership roles and exten- sive knowledge in this space will be important as we con- tinue to advance our oral cancer risk assessment system.” u