Lasting Impressions | Winter 2014

4 x LASTING IMPRESSIONS today because they have had clinical experiences using the latest equipment. I plan to continue these great practices. We at NSU’s College of Dental Medicine are now starting to see our graduates take on leadership roles in the profession. We are beginning to engage our alumni and activate our alumni association. What better way for our current students to learn about their future than to hear from our own alumni about what possibilities exist. I want to help foster these relationships. What are the trends in dental education? Integration, collaboration, and competency- based education are the hallmarks of dental educa- tion in the 21st century. Case-based learning that integrates the basic and clinical sciences and col- laboration with dental and medical specialties both provide educational opportunities that will simulate the dental practice of the future. As men and women of science, the greatest contribution dental professionals make to dentistry is the think- ing they do on behalf of their patients. Your background is in geriatric oral research. Why is this a growing field? The United States and global demographics are driving this trend. Aging is a worldwide phenome- non. There is not just an increasing number of older adults, but an increasing number who have retained more natural teeth than their parents. Already, 17 percent of Florida’s population is older than age 65, so NSU is a perfect location to develop oral health research in an older population. The baby boomers are also the first generation to have had workplace dental insurance benefits. Now, as they retire and their health insurance switches to Medicare, in effect, they will lose their dental insurance (only a few Medicare Advantage programs include dental benefits) at a time when their dental needs may increase. The other significant unmet oral health need in this older population concerns the 1.6 million peo- ple who currently reside in nursing homes. The current state of oral health care for nursing home residents is dismal, bordering on neglect. We have to figure out how to reach vulnerable populations with basic prevention and primary oral health care.