Smiles we remember: Dr. Neil Frederiksen

Former faculty member Dr. Neil L. Frederiksen passed away Sunday, July 7, 2024. Frederiksen joined the faculty at what was then Baylor College of Dentistry in 1982 and served as a professor and director of oral and maxillofacial radiology in the Department of Diagnostic Sciences. He was instrumental in establishing the dental school’s Imaging Center, which opened in 1994.

Frederiksen retired in 2004 but continued to work as a part-time faculty member until 2006.

Frederiksen earned his bachelor’s and doctor of dental surgery degrees from the University of Minnesota, as well as a doctorate in radiation biology from State University of New York at Buffalo. Before joining the dental school, Frederiksen held positions in oral radiology at SUNY at Buffalo and the University of Detroit.

He served as president of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology and was active in other professional organizations, including the American Dental Association, Dallas County Dental Society, the Radiological Society of North America, the International Association for Dental Research and the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology. Frederiksen served as a technical and clinical consultant to the Scandinavian manufacturer Soredex for many years.

His latest venture was with former School of Dentistry faculty member and close colleague, Dr. Lars Folke. Frederiksen envisioned a promising future of global online education for all by enabling students, regardless of geographic location and time, to access peer reviewed knowledge generated by reputable individuals and accredited international institutions. Mediamedent was formed and through this outlet of online lectures and videos, Frederiksen’s vision of global teledentistry is leading the way in radiology.

Dr. Hui Liang, director of the oral and maxillofacial radiology resident program in the Department of Diagnostic Sciences, worked with Frederiksen when she joined the faculty in 1999 and shared her thoughts: “Dr. Frederiksen was a remarkable person who will be greatly missed,” she said. “I am forever grateful to him for bringing me to Dallas and mentoring me as an oral and maxillofacial radiology educator. I have learned greatly from his profound knowledge of the field, his passion for teaching and his unselfish sharing of his effective teaching skills and techniques. His guidance, including editing abstracts and manuscripts with traditional American grammar, was invaluable.”

Frederiksen was preceded in death by his wife, Anne. He is survived by his two daughters, Amy (Kathy) Frederiksen, a 2002 dental hygiene alumnus and Sarah (Jeff) Bowback; four grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.