University of Minnesota School of Dentistry

Yesterday, we were honored to host University of Minnesota President Rebecca Cunningham for a visit of CentraCare in Willmar, MN, one of the School of Dentistry's Outreach rotation sites. President Cunningham received a tour of the clinic, which operates as part of a full service hospital and serves more than seventeen counties. She also connected with four DDS and two Dental Hygiene students currently on their Outreach rotation in Willmar. We're grateful for the opportunity to showcase the excellent work our Outreach partners accomplish in ensuring oral health access throughout the state! 

Could a carbonated beverage be the key to stopping pain crises for Sickle Cell patients? That's the question asked by research from School of Dentistry experts Anna Oddo and Donald Simone, PhD, in their new publication. Working with Hillhurst Biopharmeceuticals, they tested the delivery of nitrous oxide via a carbonated beverage for use in vaso-occlusive pain crises for Sickle Cell Anemia patients. They believe it may lead to fewer trips to the Emergency Room and a reduced need for narcotic treatments. https://lnkd.in/g7DktJuq

If you would have asked young Rebekah “Beka” Muhlenkamp, DDS ’29, if she wanted to be a dentist when she grew up, she would have laughed. She had a panic attack in the chair the first time she met dentist Heather Holt, DDS '19. But Holt saw something in Muhlenkamp--and a love for Scouting, service and learning led to a shared career and a mutual connection that would last a lifetime. https://lnkd.in/d_x_DeHx

Attending new faculty orientation at the School of Dentistry was a full-circle moment for Michael Korleski, DDS, clinical assistant professor in the Special Healthcare Needs Clinic. When he arrived, he found a familiar face: Marcia Campos, DDS, MS, PhD, new Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and former mentor of Korleski's at the University of Michigan. Korleski, who was born deaf, brings a passion and purpose-driven focus to his role. He hopes to be a champion for accessibility and trailblaze new approaches to inclusive care--and Campos is thrilled to see what he can accomplish. https://lnkd.in/gSmUt4Sa

A love for scientific exploration is nothing new for Clara Stein, DDS '29. Her dad, a chemistry professor, instilled it in her from a young age--and today, she's taking that passion for research to new heights as she pursues her DDS. Learn more about Stein and how participating in the Minnesota Craniofacial and Oral Health Research Program fostered her love of discovery and of oral health care: https://lnkd.in/g7yB7vKj

Dylan He, DDS '26, received a 2025-2026 International College of Dentists - Washington University Dental Alumni Association scholarship. This annual award provides financial support to dental students based on financial need, academic excellence, leadership, community service and the recommendation of a fellow of the International College of Dentists, a Washington University in St. Louis alumnus or a dental school faculty. https://lnkd.in/gWMFsKx2

Introducing the DDS Class of 2029, Dental Therapy Class of 2028 and Dental Hygiene Class of 2027 🪥📚🥼 Our 135 newest clinical learners joined the School of Dentistry this fall. Get to know each class and what makes them unique. https://lnkd.in/gs3wqw7x

The School of Dentistry is pleased to announce that Katie Divine, DDS ’13, MS & Certificate in Endodontics ’18, and Kandis Garland, BS in Dental Hygiene ’98, MS ’07, RDH, DHSc, CDIPC, are the recipients of the 2024 Distinguished Dental and Dental Hygiene Alumni Awards. The Distinguished Dental and Dental Hygiene Alumni Awards are honors given annually to outstanding alumni in recognition of exceptional achievement. Candidates must be a graduate of any program of the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry and are judged based on their participation, service, and leadership in the advancement of dentistry and oral health, their public service, community service, and/or civic affairs, and their dedication to continuing education. https://lnkd.in/gszRauXj

For Abdifatah Ahmed, BSDH ’27, MDT ’28, becoming a dental therapist isn’t just a career goal—it’s a full-circle moment. “After witnessing firsthand in my childhood the negative consequences of limited access to dental care, to now being a part of the growing dental profession, it has truly been a surreal and full-circle moment for me,” he said. “Having the opportunity to work alongside dental professionals to address this very issue feels deeply personal and meaningful, and I hope to represent the School of Dentistry with that same passion and purpose.” https://lnkd.in/gW-6cMVq

Over the weekend, Dean Keith Mays, DDS, MS, PhD, was inducted into the International College of Dentists alongside friends and colleagues, including his wife Grishonda Branch Mays, DDS, MS. The oldest and largest international dental honor society in the world, ICD honors just three percent of dentists worldwide for their leadership, service, humanitarianism and education. Dean Mays was honored to be nominated and inducted, which he sees as a recognition of his dedication to service and leadership. Join us in congratulating Dr. Mays and Dr. Branch Mays on this great honor!