Topics at a glance: Astronauts get lessons on emergency dental care at UTDB … Susman Family Foundation gift supports UTDB pediatric outreach … Research, collegiality bring TSU, UTDB minds together … Bay E furnished with prototype equipment on loan from A-dec … Annual End-of-Year Party brings DB employees together

Astronauts get lessons on emergency dental care at UTDB

Assistant Professor Stephen Laman, D.D.S., (center) shows NASA astronauts Lee Archambault (left) and T.J. Creamer how to mix and place a temporary filling in a tooth where an existing filling had been lost. Photo by Jonathan Green.

Five astronauts from the Johnson Space Center came to The University of Texas Dental Branch and the UT Medical School in July for a quick course in handling medical and dental emergencies. The astronauts included Army Col. Timothy J. "T.J." Creamer, retired Army Col. Jeffrey N. Williams, Air Force Col. Lee Archambault and two foreign astronauts: Paolo Nespoli of the European Space Agency and Naoko Yamazaki, a JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut. At the Dental Branch, faculty members from the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMS) and Restorative Dentistry and Biomaterials departments provided training and review on management of dental problems during shuttle flights and on the International Space Station. READ THE STORY

Susman Family Foundation gift supports UTDB pediatric outreach

Over the next five years, when The University of Texas Dental Branch treats children, in some cases their care will be paid for by a benefactor they will never know. And that's the way the Susman Family Foundation wants it. The foundation's $500,000 gift to the Dental Branch will quietly support pediatric outreach, bringing dental care to children who otherwise would not get it. READ THE STORY

Research, collegiality bring TSU, UTDB minds together

Students and faculty from Texas Southern University meet regularly to discuss a joint research project with UT Dental Branch (UTDB) faculty and researchers. Pictured at a recent meeting are (standing, from left) Christopher Stevenson, who is a graduate student in biology at TSU and incoming freshman dental student at UTDB; Renard L. Thomas, Ph.D., assistant professor of environmental toxicology at TSU; C.D. Johnson, D.D.S., associate professor, Restorative Dentistry and Biomaterials; S. Ray Taylor, Ph.D., director of the Houston Biomaterials Research Center at UTDB; (seated, from left) TSU undergraduate math and chemistry student Chelsea Harris; Felicia Conley, Ph.D., research professor in Environmental Toxicology at TSU; and Claudette Johnson, an undergraduate biology student at TSU. Several other members of the UT Dental Branch faculty attend the meetings and offer input on the ongoing project.

Bay E furnished with prototype equipment on loan from A-dec

Executive Associate Dean John Valenza, D.D.S., shows off the prototype equipment in Bay E on the first floor.

If you want a glimpse of the UTDB dental operatory of the future, sneak a peek at Bay E on the 1st floor. The dental equipment company A-dec has put several collections of operatory equipment and furniture on display in Bay E so that Dental Branch personnel can see for themselves what's possible.

Executive Associate Dean John Valenza, D.D.S., said current plans call for changing a few things about the arrangement of Bay E, then inviting UTDB faculty and staff to come by and test it out. "This could be the future of the faculty practice, teaching clinics, or of the simulation clinic in the new building," he added. READ THE STORY.

Annual End-of-Year Party brings DB employees together

Maria Gonzalez, D.D.S., advises cake-winner Sergio Ortegon, D.D.S., on choosing his prize. Kathleen Henshaw  (right) was emcee for the event.  Photos by Rhonda Moran.

The temporary summer quiet at the UT Dental Branch gave way to music, laughter and the pleasant hum of conversation Aug. 7 at the third annual End-of-Year Party sponsored by the UTDB Employee Relations Committee. More than 100 faculty and staff members turned out to enjoy a catered meal, a cake walk, door prizes and music.

Door prizes catch the attention of General Practice Residency (GPR) staff members Mary Ashley (with card) and Rose Click (center), as Sudarat Kiat-Amnuay, D.D.S., GPR Director Raymond Simmons, D.D.S. and GPR resident Samera Owhadian, D.D.S., watch the fun.