Lasting Impressions | Summer 2016

NSU COLLEGE OF DENTAL MEDICINE x 5 Farhangpour. When surgical intervention is indicated, students are taught to follow princi- ples of minimally invasive dentistry and make every attempt to be conservative in tooth preparation. Both Galka and Farhangpour agree that the key for their students to make a determination on restoration is if the tooth is cavitated and there is a break in the integrity of the enamel. “What we’re teaching our students is the rationale linking the diagnosis to treatment,” said Farhangpour. “Hopefully, with future dentists learning this protocol, the restoration of cavities—previously the mainstay of general dentistry—will one day become part of a complete, patient-centered preventive model.” However, Farhangpour does point out that the CDM has no shortage of patients in need of restorative care. “Our students get a great deal of experience in a wide variety of restorative procedures, placing quality restorations with state-of-the-art restorative materials,” he added. INTEGRATED STUDY Students in their first year of dental school also are introduced to a course that has them hitting the ground running. Top left:“We broke the silos when we created the Integrated Restorative Dental Sciences course,” said Audrey Galka, CDM professor, with first-year students (left to right) Narges Atabakhsh, Shayan Azimi, Renatta Griffith, Dayron Baez, Sean Cinkilic, and Denae Britsch. Top right: Second-year student Zohaib Munaf observes first-year student Francesca Pietri. Above left: First-year student Giovanni Gonzalez listens to Stanley Hack, CDM professor. Above: Amr Azhari, second-year postgraduate resident; Luana Oliveira Haas, director of the Postgraduate Operative Dentistry Program; Vera Lulaj, D.D.S.; and Raul Astorga, dental assistant, discuss what to do for their patient. Continued on next page