Research and Innovations
Tran awarded travel grant to AADOCR
Gwendelyn Tran, a second-year dental student at Texas A&M College of Dentistry, was among 37 recipients of travel grants from The American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research. Each grantee was recognized March 25 at the opening ceremony of the association's 55th annual meeting. Read More
Public health sciences department shows at NOHC
Faculty and a resident student at Texas A&M College of Dentistry Department of Public Health Sciences attended the National Oral Health Conference (NOHC) 2026, held earlier this month in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Themed “Unveiling Oral Health Possibilities,” the conference highlighted innovation, collaboration and strategies to advance oral health equity and population health. Read More
Researching for a healthier future
Students from all over Texas A&M College of Dentistry shared their latest research at the 51st Annual Student Scholars and Research Day on April 1. Led by Dr. L. Bruno Ruest, associate professor in biomedical sciences, and a team of faculty and staff, students presented topics ranging from the cost of social media on smiles to tooth movement with aligner changes. “Throughout this experience, I’ve learned the importance of clinical research in advancing the knowledge used to deliver the best possible care to patients," said Grayson Jennings, second-year dental student. "Research Scholars Day allows us to showcase the contributions of students, mentors and the College of Dentistry in pioneering health care innovation.” Read More
Showing their prowess
Students and faculty represented Texas A&M College of Dentistry March 4 through March 7 at the annual Academy of Osseointegration Meeting in Washington, D.C. The academy is a global dental implant organization of more than 5,000 members from 70 countries. Read More
College of Dentistry researcher finds link between Medicaid gaps and dental ER visits in rural areas
Dr. Marvellous Akinlotan, clinical assistant professor and director of health services research in pediatric dentistry at Texas A&M College of Dentistry in Dallas, and others recently found that adults in rural communities, particularly those who receive Medicaid or lack dental insurance, are more likely to seek care in hospital emergency departments for preventable dental pain. Her research findings, sponsored by Delta Dental, are published in Journal of Public Health Dentistry. Read More
College of Dentistry to receive more than $2.87 million to study TMD pain
Texas A&M College of Dentistry’s professor and head of biomedical sciences and his researchers will receive more than $2.87 million over the next five years to study temporomandibular disorders. Dr. John Neubert is A&M Dentistry’s principal investigator in the world’s most extensive collaborative study of patients with TMDs. TMDs are 30-plus painful conditions that affect the jaw muscles, nerves and joints in the face. The $17 million Collaborative for REsearch to Advance TMD Evidence, nicknamed CREATE, project will collect data on patients’ chronic pain to identify ways to eventually manage TMDs more effectively. Read More
$40,000 granted to study orthodontic expanders
Dr. Shivam Mehta, clinical assistant professor and program director in orthodontics at Texas A&M College of Dentistry, recently received a $40,000 grant to study jaw expander types and techniques in teens and young adults undergoing orthodontic treatment. The American Association of Orthodontists Foundation grant will enable Mehta to evaluate two standard mini-screw-assisted rapid palatal expander protocols for reshaping narrow jaws to determine which treatment design is most effective. Studying patients ages 15 to 25 in both A&M Dentistry’s clinic and in private practices in Dallas-Fort Worth, he will research bone-anchored MARPE against hybrid MARPE that anchor expanders to bone and teeth. Read More
Student tour cements dental dreams for educator
Texas A&M College of Dentistry's mission is to educate those pursuing dental, dental hygiene, graduate and dental specialty degrees and serve the community by providing quality oral health care. Sometimes there's someone in the community who so inspires us that we are compelled to share. Simone Chandler, a teacher at Young Women's STEAM Academy at Balch Springs in the Dallas Independent School District, toured A&M Dentistry when she was in eighth grade, and knew she wanted to become a dentist. "It's science, and it's art," she shared in an interview published yesterday by the DISD. "I get to make people happy and bring them out of discomfort. It's my ultimate STEM dream." Read More
College of Dentistry professor’s skull research shared on History Channel’s ‘Ancient Aliens’
Dr. Qian Wang, professor in biomedical sciences at Texas A&M College of Dentistry, is featured on the 22nd season premiere of History Channel’s popular Ancient Aliens series, now streaming on various platforms. “Skulls of the Gods” showcases the phenomena of artificial cranial deformations found worldwide. Read More
College of Dentistry maintains maxillofacial cone beam CT accreditation
The Imaging Center at Texas A&M College of Dentistry in Dallas recently earned re-accreditation from the Intersocietal Accreditation Commission for maxillofacial cone beam computerized tomography operations. A maxillofacial CT scan takes a series of X-ray images of the teeth, jaw and surrounding structures and uses the images to reconstruct multiplanar and 3D views Read More