Topics at a glance: UT’s Dental Van, Pediatric Clinics partner with Communities in Schools Houston … Faculty assembly ends with reception in lobby … New bridge over Brays Bayou now open … SAVE THE DATE: Commencement plans announced … Fun Fest 2009 to feature chili, music, giveaways … State Employees Charitable Campaign makes giving easy … UTDB grad snags 25-pound tuna in Hawaii

UT’s Dental Van, clinics partner with Communities in Schools Houston ‘Dental students need patients to work on; the kids need the work’

Tony Martinez (center), dental director of Communities in Schools Houston, works with the UT Dental Branch mobile van team. From left are dental assistant Pat Henshaw; Tracey Godwin, D.D.S.; Martinez, dental student Patrick Beetar; dental assistant Sara Zelaya; and dental student Brian Stanworth.

By Rhonda Moran, Dental Branch

On a warm, sunny Thursday morning, The University of Texas Dental Branch’s mobile dental van is parked outside Ridgecrest Elementary School in northwest Houston. The door opens and two children in white shirts and navy-and-khaki uniforms come in quietly for their appointments, taking two small chairs in a corner of the office to wait their turns.

They are among 14 students who will be seen this day – a light load for the dental van crew currently made up of Dr. Tracey Godwin, dental assistants Pat Henshaw and Sara Zelaya, and fourth-year dental students Patrick Beetar and Brian Stanworth.

The team is on site to do dental exams, cleanings, fillings, extractions, apply sealants and fluoride varnishes, and to provide oral health education. For the second- and third-grade students – chosen because they are just getting their permanent teeth — the services are free, thanks to cooperation between the Dental Branch and Communities in Schools Houston (CISH), a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping students stay in school. Many of the children who need more extensive care will eventually come to the Dental Branch’s Pediatric Clinic for that care, and that’s a win-win situation.

“The dental students need the patients to work on, and the kids need the work,” says Anthony “Tony” Martinez, director of dental services for CISH. “Kids with toothaches and other dental problems have a harder time learning. The pain is distracting." FULL STORY.

Annual faculty assembly concludes with reception

Clinics closed early on Oct. 8 so that Dental Branch faculty could attend the fall Faculty Assembly, followed by a reception for each of them and their guests in the lobby. This year’s assembly was unlike those of the past, as Interim Dean John Valenza, D.D.S., and Faculty Senate President Gary Frey, D.D.S., were committed to continuing the type of discussion held at the Faculty Retreat in June. After Frey’s opening comments, Valenza presented the results of the final reports from the DB Task Forces. Focal to the discussion were “next steps,” as assembly attendees provided input on how the school should proceed with recommendations of the Task Forces. CLICK HERE to see photos from the event.

Dr. Jennifer Hill (left) and Dr. Gisela Velasquez of the Pediatric Dentistry Department at the Faculty Reception. Photo by Rhonda Moran.

New bridge over Brays Bayou now open

The City of Houston has completed the construction of the new Richard E. Wainerdi Bridge spanning over Brays Bayou at Holcombe Blvd. and Cambridge St. The Bridge opened to traffic Oct. 9. Both the Richard E. Wainerdi Bridge and Cambridge Street are major access routes from IH-610 to major emergency facilities in the Texas Medical Center. This project was initiated by the TMC about eight years ago, and the collaboration between the city, Harris County and other institutions made it possible. The bridge also has a bicycle trail.

SAVE THE DATE: Commencement plans announced

The Dental Branch Office of Student and Alumni Affairs says commencement will be at 2 p.m. Friday, May 21, 2010 in Cullen Performance Hall at the University of Houston. The speaker is yet to be announced.

Fun Fest 2009
Chili, hot salsa, music, giveaways and you!

Students, faculty and staff of the UT Dental Branch and other UT facilities are invited to Fun Fest 2009, set for 2-6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23 in Grant Fay Park, UT School of Public Health. This fun rodeo carnival will feature music, dancing, free food, giveaways and the popular Chili Cook-Off and the Hot Salsa Contest (all faculty, staff, students, individual departments and "interdisciplinary" teams are eligible to compete). Be sure to dust off your boots and shape your cowboy hat to enter the Western Wear Competition. It's not too late to volunteer for Fun Fest 2009: Rodeo Carnival! Contact Rose.M.Betancourt-Trevino@uth.tmc.edu in the Office of Public Affairs, 713-500-3209.

Interim Dean John A. Valenza, D.D.S., (left) ended up on a wanted poster promoting the health science center’s FunFest.

State Employees Charitable Campaign makes giving easy

The annual State Employees Charitable Campaign got under way Oct. 8 with cake, punch and a speech from a representative of the Houston Food Bank, although contributions can go to a wide variety of other nonprofit agencies. Organizers are hoping to exceed last year’s donations, which topped $15,000 and represented a 9 percent increase over 2007 contributions. For more information on how the campaign works, where the money goes, etc., visit the campaign’s Frequently Asked Questions page. The campaign will continue through Friday, Oct. 30.

From left, Mary Baines, Elma Gallardo and Maga Sanchez check out the cake at the Oct. 8 kick-off for the annual State Employees Charitable Campaign. Photo by Brian Schnupp.

UTDB grad snags 25-pound tuna in Hawaii

Andy Doerfler, D.D.S., (UTDB Class of ’78) and his wife, Mary, caught a 25-pound tuna during a fishing trip Oct. 4 off the coast of Kona, Hawaii on the “Playtime” fishing boat. The fish yielded four large filets -- two to give away and two that ended up in mango ceviche the Doerflers served at a party at Dr. Gary Uriu’s home in Captain Cook, Hawaii. The Doerflers live in Spring, where he has been a general dentist for 32 years. After treating patients all week, the two travel to Marble Falls on weekends “to treat guests” at the Doerflers’ Bella Vista Bed and Breakfast on Lake Travis.