Page 13 - Dentistry Magazine 2021

Updates from campus 13
use of MRI as a diagnostic tool, detecting vertical root fractures more accurately and specifically. “Our research aimed to explore if a dental MRI could detect these very small fractures” and evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of MRI to detect fractures, compared with more frequently used tools like a CBCT. Groenke found that the MRI performed similarly to the CBCT scan, and was able to identify smaller fractures. “This is encouraging for the future of dentistry,” she explained. Groenke will become a judge for next year’s presentations at the INfORM conference as part of her win.
Annika Johnson, DDS ’22, received the William H. Bell Award for Predoctor- al Achievement
in Oral and Maxillo- facial Surgery. She was nominated for the award, given annually to one
third-year student at each accredited dental school in the US on behalf of the American College of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, by Rachel Uppgaard, DDS. Johnson, who began working in the division’s clinic during her un- dergraduate years, has focused on a variety of topics for her research, including odonto- genic infections and treatment, SARS-COV-2 splatter studies, local anesthesia practice
for preclinical students during COVID and Fanconi anemia. Her favorite part of dental school, though, is seeing patients and work- ing with her team.
“I’ve always been very emotionally connect- ed to my patients,” Johnson reflected. “I am thankful to have such supportive people here at the school.”
Kendall Bast, BSDH ’20, and Alyssa Olson, MSDH ’20, won the undergraduate and grad- uate American Dental Hygienists’ Association Sigma Phi Alpha Excellence in Journalism
Awards. Bast won for her paper, “End Stage Renal Disease: Knowledge, Attitudes, and Perceptions of Dental Hygiene and Dental Therapy Students.” Olson won for her study, “A Pilot Study to Identify the Association Between Oral Health Literacy and Periodon- tal Health.” Bast became interested in her area of study based on her family’s history of the disease, and produced a literature review before creating a study to examine fellow students’ perceptions of the disease. She hopes that understanding how students perceive end-stage diseases will encourage educators to foster a better understanding of the disease as they prepare students to become providers. “If we are going to put dental hygienists in non-conventional health care settings, they need to be prepared
with proper information on treating certain health conditions,” she explained.
Olson’s research is inspired by her work as a dental hygienist in a federally qualified health center, which showed her the needs of populations without private insurance. “I look forward to sharing my research with current students, so they, too, can understand the importance of oral health literacy and its effects on poor oral health outcomes,” she explained. Both students were honored and recognized at the ADHA Annual Conference in June 2021.
Kevin Marzolf, DDS ’23, and Brooke Vierling, DDS ’22, assumed leadership
roles in District 8 of the American Dental Student Association this year. Marzolf joins the District 8 Presidential Council as part of his term as University of Minnesota ASDA President. Vierling is the Membership and Professional Issues Chair. Marzolf has been involved with ASDA since his first year of dental school, when he served as a repre- sentative for his class. He enjoys the asso- ciation because of “the exposure to topics important in dentistry that aren’t necessarily covered in our courses in school.”
Vierling brings four years of leadership with her to her role. She is “ecstatic to be chosen for the role,” which she sees as
“a great blend of advocacy and outreach.” She hopes she can encourage others to find their own spot within the association. “These students have selflessly committed themselves to serving dental students
of six institutions over the next year,” reflected Heather Moore, RDH, District
8 Trustee from the University of Missouri Kansas City in a letter to School of Dentistry Dean Keith Mays. “This is a
large and honorable undertaking, and I consider myself lucky to work with them.”