Topics at a glance: UTDB’s Biomaterials Research Center has new director    … Bohluli seeks patent for new post  … It’s Dental Assistant Recognition Week!  … Dean Flaitz co-authors paper on rare condition  … Blood Drive at the DB  … Carnival tickets half price for UT employees

New director at UTDB’s Houston Biomaterials Research Center

With a new director at its helm and new laboratory facilities in its future, the Houston Biomaterials Research Center at the UT Dental Branch is ready to enter a new era of growth and collaboration.

Virginia native Ray Taylor, Ph.D., brings a background in material science, biomedical engineering, research and teaching to his new position. Taylor earned a doctorate in materials science from the University of Virginia in 1986 and holds a master’s degree in biomedical engineering from Case Western Reserve University. He has worked in the private sector as a research engineer but also has more than 20 years’ experience as a professor at the University of Virginia and University of Mississippi Medical Center, including nearly four years teaching biomaterials science to future dentists. Recent collaborations include work with NASA and PPG (Pittsburg Paint & Glass) to develop non-toxic, long-lasting coatings that resist corrosion.

At the UT Dental Branch, Taylor has revived the Biomaterials Research Center and is very interested in exploring collaborative work with other institutions in the Texas Medical Center and the Greater-Houston area. “My background is in biomaterials that could be used anywhere in the body, and implants of any type,” he said. “Because of that, I’m interested in expanding the Biomaterials Research Center beyond oral materials.”

Until about two years ago, the Dental Branch offered a master’s degree in “Oral Biomaterials.” Taylor is bringing that program back for Fall 2008, with a few changes. “Oral” will be dropped from the name, and the curriculum will be restructured to include more core science concepts. “Within this degree program someone will be able to launch into oral or cardiovascular or orthopedic materials, or tissue-engineering biomaterials,” he said.

Another item on Taylor’s agenda is to secure research funding to support student researchers with stipends and other funds, so that UTDB can compete for the best students.

He is excited about the growth opportunities at the UT Dental Branch, where a new building is expected to be finished in 2011. Approximately 5,000 square feet in the new facility will be dedicated to biomaterials research.

In addition to being director of the Biomedical Research Center, Taylor is also a professor in the Department of Restorative Dentistry. He believes dental students need to learn how to evaluate the materials they will use throughout their careers. “Everything a dentist does every day involves biomaterials,” he said. “In practice, they’re constantly bombarded with information about new materials. I don’t want to make [dental students] become materials scientists, but they need to understand some of these concepts. They need to understand the materials and how they were tested. Sometimes what you see in the lab has nothing to do with what you see in the clinic.”

For more information about the Biomaterials Research Center at the UT Dental Branch, contact Taylor at 713-500-4489 or by e-mail at S.Ray.Taylor@uth.tmc.edu.

Pedram Bohluli, D.D.S., Ph.D.

Pedram Bohluli, D.D.S., Ph.D., assistant professor in Endodontics at the UT Dental Branch, has applied for a patent for a hybrid dental post system he has invented. The post can chemically bond to dentin and retain direct cores by a combination of chemical and mechanical means. Advantages of the system include adaptation to the root canal, as well as ease of removal. This novel hybrid dental post system takes less time to place, with individualized patient customization.

Dean Flaitz
co-authors paper on rare condition

UT Dental Branch Dean Catherine M. Flaitz, D.D.S., is among the authors of a paper published recently in the journal Oral Diseases describing five cases of linear epidermal nevus (LEN) affecting the oral mucosa. LEN is a rare congenital skin condition that even more rarely involves oral tissue. To see the article, click here.

It’s Dental Assistant Recognition Week!

March 2-8 is Dental Assistant Recognition Week, and the UT Dental Branch plans to honor dental assistants with a luncheon March 20. Invitations will be in the mail soon. Although the public sometimes confuses the two, dental assistants have different training and job duties than dental hygienists.

Dental assistants are sometimes trained on the job but may go through formal training and earn registration from the Texas Board of Dental Examiners. Some dental assistants work directly with dentists; others handle business aspects of the practice, such as patient scheduling, insurance claims or purchasing. Infection control compliance is often assigned to dental assistants. For more information, visit www.tdaa.org.

Dental hygienists must graduate from an accredited dental hygiene program, pass the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination and pass a regional clinical exam to be licensed by the state. Dental hygienists review patients’ health history, inspect for oral diseases, do dental charting, apply fluorides and sealants, take X-rays, do scaling and root planing, polish teeth and provide diet counseling, plaque control instructions and oral health education.

UTDB currently offers three dental hygiene options: a certificate program, a bachelor of science degree program, and an online certificate-to-degree program.