Lasting Impressions | Summer 2017

NSU COLLEGE OF DENTAL MEDICINE © 7 PrepCheck software program. “The software evaluates the preparations the students are creating,” she said. While PrepCheck is used in professional settings, Siegel applies it as a teaching tool for students to be able to self-evaluate how well they are creating restorations on CAD/CAM. “The students can evaluate themselves and understand how to correct their work. They have access to their work 24/7,” Siegel added. “It becomes nonpersonal—the machine shows them the criteria for the preparation and where they need to correct it. It’s going to revolutionize teaching, and it’s going to help us to make the students’ educational experience so much better.” These kinds of innovations make NSU the “university of the future,” Hanbury said. “That’s the beauty of technolo- gy—to learn things today and to be prepared to do things tomorrow that are yet undiscovered.” NSU’s CDM is also looking toward the future in prepar- ing students to care for patients with dental emergencies. The urgent care clinic, which was established in 2017, was created to recognize the need for patients who have tooth- aches and only want or can only afford limited care. “Students are getting hands-on training in providing emergency dental care,” Niessen said. “Patients will always have dental emergencies. We are making sure our students are prepared in every way for a modern dental practice upon graduation.” SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY CDM research professionals are contributing to an international footprint in scientific discoveries. Among those CDM scientists is Toshihisa Kawai, D.D.S., Ph.D., whose research includes the fields of immunology, micro- biology, and cell biology. A draw for Kawai to come to NSU directly from 23 years at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine and the Forsyth Institute was the opportunity to partner with bone biolo- gists and immunologists working at NSU’s Center for Collaborative Research (CCR). “With the exposure of creating the CCR and bringing in world-renowned researchers, not only dental professionals, but also other health care professionals, we provide benefit to the public in the value of preventing disease and securing wellness,” Lippman explained. Kawai, who joined the CDM in November 2016, is conducting research on bone resorption in periodontal disease. The scientist hopes he can move biomedical research forward in the area of dental studies. “I would like to apply my findings from oral disease to other areas,” Kawai said. “Most dental research borrows ideas and findings from medical research. I want to use discoveries from dental disease and apply those findings to other medical research.” The CCR is one catalyst Hanbury believes will propel research at the CDM. “The opportunities in research and collaboration in dental research are exciting areas for the university, and not just in biotech, but in high tech as well,” Hanbury said. “Our reputation in dental education and our research in dental medicine continue to become recognized globally. I see us attracting more of the finest students and top research professionals.” Niessen said the collaborations strengthen all aspects of the CDM. “Building research also works toward creat- ing new solutions to the oral health issues we are facing,” she explained. Continued on page 8 2003 The CDM launches its first Give Kids A Smile event—a program established by the American Dental Association Foundation. During the inaugural event, 100 children receive free service. In 2016, the event draws more than 750 children and special needs patients. 2007 In November 2007, the NSU chapter of the Student National Dental Association (SNDA) is formed by a group of minority dental students. The SNDA is among several student organizations that address student issues and develop leadership among dental students.