NYSDA News February 2023

A Celebrated Dentist’s Quest for Sensitivity and Inclusion

Dr Fabiola Milord hopes recent action by the Association will put more dentists who look like her at the table

August 2021. The NYSDA House of Delegates, in session at the Westin Hotel in Jersey City, NJ, passed a historic resolution calling on the Association to recognize the designation of February as Black History Month. Specifically, NYSDA was asked to pay homage each year to an African-American member “who has significantly contributed to the profession” and to sponsor a credit-bearing course featuring an “African-American Speaker of Excellence.”

The maker of the resolution was Fabiola Milord, D.D.S., M.P.H., a general dentist from New Hyde Park, Nassau County. Dr. Milord was understandably elated to see the House adopt her resolution, which, she said, was borne out of frustration.

“The resolutions to observe Black History Month came out of dual observations. During the year 2020, as we were forced into a so-called ‘lockdown,’ and with the simultaneous George Floyd protests, a variety of speakers were offering various continuing education courses online. Very few of those speakers were African American. As companies and other entities were refocusing their efforts to be more sensitive

In 2019, Fabiola Milord, pictured at left, was honored for her humanitarian and academic contributions to dentistry at 10th annual Scrubs & Stilettos conference. With her are, from left: Mary Truhlar, then-dean, Stony Brook School Dental Medicine; Lidia Epel, past conference chair; Maria Maranga, Suffolk County, and Julie Izen, Nassau County, 2019 conference chairs.

Fabiola Milord, D.D.S., M.P.H.

New Customizable, Strontium-filled Scaffold Could Improve Dental Implant Healing

A TEAM OF UNIVERSITY AT BUFFALO RESEARCHERS has developed a new strontium-loaded scaffold that can be personalized to fit any size dental implant and could help improve healing and tissue attachment in patients.

The success of dental implants is dependent on the growth and adhesion of soft tissues to the implant surface. Previous research by UB investigators found that strontium, a bone-seeking element that improves bone density and strength, also supports soft-tissue function. Strontium, they discovered, can promote the function of fibroblasts, a type of cell that forms connective tissues and plays a critical role in wound healing.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 17 1

FEBRUARY 2023

Volume 36 • Issue 1

EDITOR

Chester J. Gary, D.D.S., J.D.

MANAGING EDITOR

Mary Grates Stoll

ADVERTISING MANAGER

Jeanne DeGuire

ART DIRECTOR

Ed Stevens

NYSDA OFFICERS

James E. Galati, President

Anthony M. Cuomo, Vice President

Prabha Krishnan, Vice President

Frank C. Barnashuk, Secretary-Treasurer

Steven Gounardes, Speaker of the House

Gregory D. Hill, Executive Director

Editorial and advertising offices are at Suite 602, 20 Corporate Woods Boulevard, Albany, NY 12211-2370.

Telephone (518) 465-0044.

Fax (518) 465-3219. Email info@nysdental.org. Website www.nysdental.org.

The NYSDA News (ISSN 1531684X) is published quarterly, in February, May, October and December, by the New York State Dental Association, Suite 602, 20 Corporate Woods Boulevard, Albany, NY 12211-2370. It is available in digital form only and accessible online in the members-only section of the NYSDA website, www.nysdental.org, under publications.

Novel hydrogel scaffolds developed by UB researchers containing various concentrations of strontium.

Michelle Visser

Winston Churchill and the Dentures that Saved the World

William J. Maloney, D.D.S.

Today, as people make their way along the congested thoroughfare in the Bronx known as Jerome Avenue, little thought is paid to the eponymous Leonard Jerome (1817-1891), an American financier and the maternal grandfather of Winston Churchill, two-time prime minister of the United Kingdom.

Leonard Jerome and his wife, Clarissa, had a baby girl in 1854. They christened her Jeanette, but she was known as Jennie, as she was named after her father’s favorite opera singer, Jennie Lind. Little Jennie grew up and married Lord Randolph Churchill in 1874 and became known as Lady Randolph Churchill. Eight months later, a son, Winston, was born.

Winston grew up to be what some historians consider to be the most important figure of the 20th century. He was known for his rousing speeches, which inspired millions of people to bravely forge on despite seemingly overwhelming odds. However, Churchill suffered out of the light of the public, succumbing to manic depression starting in the early 1900s for periods that would last for months. Then, he would become paralyzed by despair, loss of energy, concentration and appetite.[1]

Churchill was also plagued with dental problems, which caused him to lose some of his teeth at a young age. He was extremely fearful of the effect the loss of these teeth would have on his speech. As such, he placed much faith in and importance on the talents of his dentist and lab technician.

Churchill also had a speech impediment all his life. Whether it was a lisp[2] or a stutter[3] is still a matter of some debate. But, this difficulty, which manifested itself in his pronunciation of “s” as “sh,” led to the importance he placed on his dental prostheses and, in turn, his dentist.

As early as 1897, Churchill consulted Dr. Felix Semon, a well-respected German doctor who specialized in throat surgery and speech. Some years later, Churchill was told that his tongue “was restrained by a ligament which nobody else has” by an America masseuse. Churchill went back to Dr. Semon begging him

“You were given the choice between war and dishonor. You chose dishonor and you will have war.”

-Winston Churchill, 1938, in reference to Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain’s praise of the German annexation of the Sudetenland in an effort to have “peace in our time.”

Caribbean Clinic Could Use Helping Hands

First came the pandemic Then a fire Jamaica dental clinic may be down, but it’s not out

“HI, PLEASE PRAY FOR US, the dental clinic that we are working out of in Jamaica for our mission had a fire overnight. We will need to change plans and do a massive cleanup today/tomorrow. The patients were already lining up, it’s terribly upsetting. We are here to serve God. Just heartbroken.”

This appeal from Dr. Maria Maranga, New York State Dental Foundation Chair, went out to colleagues, friends and family members, as she and her team tried to assess the damages incurred by a fire at the Helping Hands Clinic in Jamaica on Dec. 17, caused by a faulty fan. Volunteers were just two days into what they hoped would be a return to operation at the mission. The clinic had not been in use since the onset of the COVID pandemic, which may have been a contributing factor to the potential problem not having been noticed.

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Youngster shows appreciation for return of volunteers and reopening of Helping Hands Clinic.

Maria Maranga, center, with fellow volunteers prior to fire, which occurred week before Christmas.

The 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE Sedan is a touch above the rest.

NYU Dentistry Receives Grant to Study Alzheimer’s and Periodontitis

The National Institute on Aging, part of the National Institutes of Health, has awarded NYU Dentistry a $3.1-million five-year grant to study the nexus of periodontitis and Alzheimer’s disease.

Periodontitis can lead to inflammation throughout the body and brain, and a growing number of studies suggests that patients with periodontitis may be at higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, now the sixth leading cause of death in this country.

“Alzheimer’s disease is a growing public health crisis, but we still have limited knowledge about how the disease develops. We’re trying to understand if and how periodontitis promotes the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s, which could offer clues on how to treat or prevent the disease,” said Xin Li, Ph.D., professor of molecular pathobiology at NYU Dentistry and the principal investigator on the new grant.

Preliminary data from Li and her colleagues shows that a metabolic byproduct called succinate is significantly increased in the cerebrospinal fluid of mice with periodontitis. Their research also found that microglial cells—immune cells in the central nervous system that play a role in infection and inflammation and are crucial for the homeostasis within the brain—express the succinate receptor (SUCNR1). When mice with periodontitis were genetically altered to inactivate (or “knock out”) SUCNR1, their increases of pro-inflammatory cytokines and microglial activation were significantly reduced.

The researchers hypothesize that elevated succinate in periodontitis induces neurodegeneration directly by activating SUCNR1 in microglial cells and indirectly through systemic inflammation, creating an imbalance in the oral microbiome. They plan to conduct a series of studies in cells and mice to examine how SUCNR1 activation in microglial cells modulates neuroinflammation. They will then test whether blocking SUCNR1 in mice with periodontitis alleviates neuroinflammation, cognitive impairment and periodontal bone loss.

“These studies are designed to identify the mechanism by which periodontitis increases succinate in cerebrospinal fluid and activates the succinate receptor in microglial cells to induce neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration,” said Li. “If we then find that targeting the succinate receptor reduces neuroinflammation and cognitive impairment in animal models, this may provide a potential new therapeutic target for Alzheimer’s disease.” z

Accounting for Dentistry, C.P.A., P.C.

ACCOUNTING, AUDIT, CONSULTING AND TAX SERVICES FOR THE DENTAL PROFESSION

Touro Dean Appointed to ADEA Gies Foundation Board

Accounting for Dentistry, C.P.A., P.C. is a CPA firm created by a dentist for dentists.

Accounting for Dentistry is all we do. We don’t broker practices, sell investments, provide insurance services or broker financing. We forgo these commission-based services in order that our clients have completely unbiased advice and analysis for all aspects of their personal and business finances.

We can:

• Set up and maintain accounting and payroll systems

• Provide comprehensive ongoing analysis of the financial health of your practice

• Analyze prospective contracts, projects, acquisitions, partnerships and/or sales

• Provide tax preparation and tax planning services

• Advise new dentists, new practices, start-ups or successions

DR. RONNIE MYERS, dean, Touro College of Dental Medicine, shown here addressing colleagues, has been named to the Board of Trustees of the ADEA Gies Foundation. The foundation, the philanthropic arm of the American Dental Education Association, is made up of dental school deans and program directors, faculty, students, residents and fellows, and corporate and philanthropic partners. It supports grants, programs, scholarships and special initiatives that assist leaders in dental academia.

• Provide certified practice valuation services

Accounting for Dentistry, C.P.A., P.C.

ACCOUNTING, AUDIT, CONSULTING AND TAX SERVICES FOR THE DENTAL PROFESSION

Accounting for Dentistry, C.P.A., P.C. is a CPA firm created by a dentist for dentists.

Purchasing a practice is one of the most consequential events of your professional career.

Before you commit, be sure to obtain an independent assessment of the opportunity.

For over twenty years we have been providing comprehensive projections of the financial results dentists can expect in considering the purchase of a dental practice. We have no material interest that compels us to approve the transaction. Unlike your banker or broker, we are an independent CPA firm acting exclusively as your advocate to provide unbiased projection results. We also never advise both sides of the deal, avoiding any possible conflict of interest.

Contact Dr. Rothstein directly and confidentially to discuss any aspect of the due diligence analysis, multi-year projection of results, financing issues, closing process and/or accounting, payroll, tax, compliance and managerial issues relating to the initiation of operations as a new owner.

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Dan Rothstein, D.D.S., M.B.A., C.P.A.

Member ADA, NYSDA, NYSSCPA and AICPA

Member ADA, NYSDA, NYSSCPA and AICPA

a.

b.

What’s Really Required of HIPAA Compliant Email?

Robert McDermott

Even though most of us understand the importance of HIPAA regulations, it doesn’t change the fact that compliance has been a hurdle at best and a hindrance at worst, particularly when it comes to emailing protected health information (PHI). Finding the right tool that allows you to leverage modern technology and stay HIPAA-compliant will improve communication and efficiency while keeping your patient data protected.

WHY HIPAA-COMPLIANT EMAIL IS IMPORTANT FOR PATIENTS AND PROVIDERS

Leaked healthcare data has the potential to be devastating for patients and providers alike. PHI is one of the bigger targets for cybercriminals, as that compromised information can then be used, or sold, to expose information or steal an individual’s identity. Not only is data its most vulnerable when

CONTINUED ON PAGE 16 1

Touro College of Dental Medicine Holds White Coat Ceremony for First Advanced Standing Students

SEVEN STUDENTS IN TOURO COLLEGE of Dental Medicine’s Advanced Standing International Dentist Program (IDP) marked their transition into clinical work at a white coat ceremony in December. They are the first IDP participants to take part in the ceremony, a milestone for both them and the program, which began just this past July. The students, who hail from five different countries, donned their white coats with the assistance of their faculty clinical practice leaders and recited the Touro College of Dental Medicine oath, the culmination of the additional effort and time they devoted to qualify for TCDM’s program.

Touro College of Dental Medicine’s Advanced Standing International Dentist Program is designed to provide qualified dentists educated outside of the United States with the education and experience required to practice dentistry in the U.S. Participants earn a Doctor of Dental Surgery degree following an intensive, two-year didactic and clinical program.

IDP students begin coursework with advanced standing, starting at the third year of the standard curriculum. After earning their D.D.S. degree, they are qualified to apply to take their U.S. dental licensure exams. z

For more information about this and other Endorsed Programs call:

Touro College of Dental Medicine Advanced Standing students in International Dentist Program receive their white coats in ceremony at the college in December. They are, from left: Priscila Pena Diaz, Drialys Felipe Rodriquez, Nancy Shailesh Doshi, Mozdeh Mematollahi, Ankita Patel, Harpreet Bajwa, Lauren Castillo.

800-255-2100

NYU College of Dentistry to Create Summer Research Education Program

Program seen as avenue to increasing diversity of oral health workforce

The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has awarded NYU College of Dentistry a grant to establish a summer research education program in the oral health sciences. The program is designed to provide research opportunities for high school and undergraduate students from diverse backgrounds and to encourage them to pursue further studies or careers in oral health research.

Despite calls for increased diversity of the oral health workforce, less than 12% of U.S. dentists are from underrepresented minority groups, according to the American Dental Association. The NIH—which “recognizes that achieving diversity in the biomedical research workforce is critical to the full realization of our national research goals”—provides R25 grants to fund research education programs that aim to enhance the diversity of the biomedical and clinical research workforce.

“Building a pipeline of more diverse oral health professionals needs to start well before students apply to dental or graduate school,” said Dr. Lorel Burns, assistant professor of endodontics at NYU Dentistry and principal investigator on the NIDCR grant.

The five-year grant of more than $566,000 will support a new, nine-week summer research education program called Research Education in Oral Health Sciences (REOHS). REOHS will provide mentorship and hands-on research experience to support the scientific and career development of students from backgrounds that are underrepresented in the biomedical sciences and oral health professions.

Beginning in the summer of 2023, REOHS will enroll 8 to 10 high school and undergraduate student participants, who will receive a stipend for the summer. REOHS participants will have the opportunity to work in NYU Dentistry research labs focused on pain, bone and tooth development, obesity and tissue regeneration. NYU Dentistry researchers—including Drs. Rodrigo Lacruz, Nigel Bunnett, Lukasz Witek, Anna Di Gregorio, Farnaz Shamsi, Nicola Partridge, Yi Ye, Rajesh Khanna, and May Khanna—will serve as faculty research mentors.

Eligible undergraduates can apply for the program’s first cohort in the spring of 2023. REOHS will also recruit participants who are alumni of NYU Dentistry’s Saturday Academy, a preparatory program for local high school students that also aims to increase diversity in the health professions by giving students hands-on experience learning about dentistry and the college application process. Saturday Academy was established in 2012 by Dr. Burns and Dr. Cheryline Pezzullo—at the time, both dental students at NYU— and nearly 350 students have graduated from the program over the past decade. z

A Celebrated Dentist’s Quest

continued from page 1

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and inclusive to the black experience, there seemed to be no such effort on the part of NYSDA. The observance of Black History Month by offering CE content by black dentists, as well as featuring a black Speaker of Excellence during the month of February seemed like a reasonable place to start the initiative of promoting the contributions of black dentists and noting their accomplishments.”

THE CONSUMMATE PROFESSIONAL

What better place to begin the conversation than with Dr. Milord herself, an accomplished professional and ardent proponent of organized dentistry who has been recognized for her volunteer service and humanitarian outreach?

Dr. Milord is associate director for the general practice residency program at Long Island Jewish Medical Center and also maintains a private practice in New Hyde Park. She is a past president of Nassau County Dental Society; delegate to the NYSDA House; member of innumerable dental organizations; fellow of the American College of Dentists, Academy of General Dentistry and Pierre Fauchard Academy. She is a sought-after clinical and educational speaker; published author; and recipient of several awards recognizing her contributions to the profession, education, public health and service to others.

How she got here is the first measure of her success. In her own words:

“I was born in Kinshasa, Congo, to Haitian parents and moved to the U.S. at one month old. I have lived in Queens, NY, ever since. I’m a product of the New York City Public school system. I graduated with a Bachelor of Science from St. John’s University and Doctor of Dental Surgery from New York University College of Dentistry. I completed a general practice residency at Metropolitan Hospital Center, followed by a dental oncology fellowship at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. As a result of the various medical missions I have participated in, I decided to go back to school and earned a master’s degree in public health from New York University College of Global Public Health.”

Last year, Dr. Milord received the Academy of General Dentistry’s Humanitarian Award for her “voluntary service, civic leadership and delivery of quality oral healthcare to the global dental community.” Over the past 20 years, Dr. Milord has taken part in more than 50 medical missions, treating marginalized communities in Ghana, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, South Africa, St. Lucia, St. Vincent’s, in the United States after Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and in the Bahamas after Hurricane Dorian.

“I got my start volunteering with the Max Cadet Dental Foundation working out of Port-au-Prince, Haiti,” Dr. Milord relates. “Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, I was also involved with Dorcas Medical Missions, a faith-based organization based out of Brooklyn. Dorcas introduced me to the majority of my international missionary work. Currently, I am the dental director for MediNova (formerly known as NOAHNY), a not-for-profit organization primarily serving the healthcare needs of those in northeast Haiti.”

NOT DONE YET

For all that she has contributed and accomplished, Dr. Milord believes there is more to be done and she wants to be part of it.

“Besides taking the best care of my patients, the greatest contribution I could make would be elevating the profile of the profession as a major stakeholder in healthcare through clinical and educational support, innovative research and advocacy. For far too long, dentistry has been relegated to secondary status in primary care.

“My other area of concern is emphasizing the access-to-care and fair reimbursement connection. Until such time that public, private and union-based third-party payers are made aware of how reimbursement rates affect access to care, there will always be a discrepancy between the numbers of in-network participating dentists and where, how and with whom individuals seek quality oral healthcare.”

Winston Churchill continued from page 4 -

to cut this attachment. Dr. Semon refused[2] and Churchill forged on. He actually, in time, became fond of this lisp and the “rattling noise in the throat,” which the Boers had described in an advertisement for his capture after, as a young military man, Churchill had escaped from a Prisoner of War camp.[3]

Wilfred Fish was Churchill’s trusted dentist who designed the dentures Churchill wore while delivering some of the most famous speeches in history. Churchill’s first dentures were made from a hardened rubber, which proved to be uncomfortable. So, Churchill would often put his denture in his pocket. He once sat on it causing the need for an emergency repair.[4]

The dental technician who made Churchill’s partial dentures was Derek Cudlipp. The dentures were designed with the explicit intent of preserving Churchill’s lisp. The maxillary partial dentures worn by Churchill during his wartime broadcasts consisted of seven teeth (#5,7,8,9,10,12,13) with a gold base and platinum clasps on teeth #6 and #14.

Churchill placed much more than a personal value on his teeth. He saw his dentures as being vital to the war effort. When Cudlipp’s draft papers arrived, Churchill tore them up saying that the lab technician would be much more valuable in London repairing his dentures, as Churchill would routinely fling them across the room depending on how the British war effort was going.[5]

Churchill had three or four partial dentures constructed for him by Cudlipp, who purposefully designed the dentures to not completely adapt to the top of Churchill’s mouth in order to preserve the lisp. These partial dentures were constructed at the beginning of the war and one is buried with Churchill.

Two letters, written in 1952 and 1954,[6] were auctioned in 2008. They were written on 10 Downing Street headed notepaper to Dr. Wilfred Fish. In one letter, Churchill tells Dr. Fish that he recommended him for knighthood, while enclosing a denture for Fish to repair:

“My dear Sir Wilfred, thank you so much for your letter. I am very glad it fell to me to recommend you for a well-deserved honor. I enclose one set of dentures and I should be so much obliged if you would tighten them up a little for me. The others are working very well.”[7]

Two years after the letters were put up for sale, one of Churchill’s partial dentures was sold by the son of lab technician Derek Cudlipp. Churchill’s dentures sold for $23,723.[8]

The great orator and statesman Winston Churchill led his nation through her darkest hour. He became an iconic figure known for his bravery, stoicism and inspirational behavior. But, even Churchill was no different from any other dental patient. He was extremely self-conscious about his dental condition and the fear of the potential public humiliation and embarrassment which may present itself if his partial denture was lost or became broken.

Actually, Churchill was different from other dental patients in one respect. At his visits to the dentist, he refused to rinse his mouth with water or mouthwash. Rather, he insisted upon brandy. z

Dr. Maloney is clinical associate professor, New York University. He holds a postgraduate certificate in healthcare writing from Harvard Medical School, is a fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine and a member of The Explorers Club. Queries about this article can be sent to Dr. Maloney at wjm10@nyu.edu.

REFERENCES

1. Ghaemi N. Winston Churchill and his ‘black dog’ of greatness. The Conversation. Available at: https:/theconversation.com/amp/winston-churchill-and-his-black-dog-of-greatness.36570.

2. Mather J. International Churchill Society. August 29, 2008. Available at: https://internationalchurchill.org/resources/myths/churchills-speech-impediment-was-stuttering. Accessed on 12/2/22.

3. The Stuttering Foundation. Winston Churchill. Available at: https://www.stutteringhelp.org/famous-people/winston-churchill. Accessed on 12/2/22.

4. Evening Standard. Churchill’s key ally was his dentist because he feared his teeth problems would affect his public speaking. April 12, 2012. Available at: https://www.standard.co.uk/hp/front/churchill-s-key-ally-was-his-dentist-because-he-feared-his-teeth-problems-would-affect-hispublic-speaking-6681165.html?amp.

5. Worthington M. The false teeth that ‘helped win WWII’ are auctioned. BBC News. July 29, 2010. Available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/ uk-england-norfolk-10795088.

6. The Guardian. Winston Churchill’s ‘world saving’ teeth sell for 15,200 pounds. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2010/jul/29/winston-churchill-false-teeth-sold. Accessed on 12/3/22.

7. Sowden S. Chard and Ilminster News. The town dentist and the Churchill letters. February 22, 2008. Available at: https://www.chardandilmasternews.co.uk/news/2057859.the-town-dentist-and-the-churchill letters. Accessed on 12/4/22.

8. CBS News. Churchill’s dentures sell for $23K. July 29, 2010. Available at: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/churchills-dentures-sell-for-23k. Accessed on 12/7/22.

Caribbean Clinic continued from page 6 -

Such was the inauspicious beginning of the dental mission to the Helping Hands Clinic at St. Michel’s in Hopewell Town, St. Elizabeth’s, Jamaica. The mission is sponsored by the Christian Dental Society, Chicago, and since 1994 has been organized by Drs. James Carney and Bill Griffin. Several times each year, they bring teams of dentists, dental students, hygienists, assistants and non-dental support volunteers to serve the oral health needs of the poor.

Team members, including volunteers from the American Association of Endodontists (AAE) and dental students from Iowa, Texas A&M and Louisville, provide their clinical expertise while experiencing the joys of service to suffering people in the name of their faith. Dr. Maranga is a trustee of the American Association of Endodontists Foundation and a member of the AAE Access to Care Committee, which helped to organize this mission.

Last year’s mission was supported in part by the Henry Schein Cares Foundation’s International Access to Care Program.

“We cleaned the soot all day, then the pastor asked us to paint the whole clinic, so we did. Yes, that is a machete which they used to chop off the fan that had the bad electrical wire issue. Our brand-new endo equipment – toasted.”

This was the Foundation for Endodontics’s first international outreach trip since March 2020, so the excitement and anticipation levels were high. Among those joining Dr. Maranga were REACH members Dr. Jacob Simon, second-year resident, University of Connecticut, and Dr. Daphne Chung, second-year resident, University of California at San Francisco.

The volunteers’ hard work did not go unnoticed.

“The people came to pray for us anyway and that was our motivation to continue. They cooked us food to help out. Two pregnant women even came to wash things with basins from their houses.

Seeing the people cry for the clinic was overwhelming – it gave us strength.”

With its vision “Healthy People, Healthy Environment,” the Jamaica Ministry of Health has as its focus a health system that is client-centered and which guarantees access to quality healthcare for every Jamaican, at reasonable costs, and taking into account the needs of the most vulnerable. Nearly a decade ago, the Ministry cited oral health as a priority, noting the critical link between it and a number of non-communicable diseases, such as diabetes, which is associated with heart disease, stroke, amputation, eye disease and kidney disease. At that time, the ratio of dentist-to-civilians was one-to-17,000.

In addition to problems related to natural disasters and infrastructure, the volunteers had to contend with bureaucratic red tape in order to get donated equipment and supplies.

Despite the hassle, there was a silver lining.

“Customs held back three containers of endo supplies, and, you know, God works in mysterious ways. His plan was He didn’t want those containers to be melted to pieces.

When given lemons, you make lemonade. Dr. Daphne said that although we can still provide care, it is limited, due to some supplies and equipment having been burned up.”

Missions like these have profound, lasting effects upon dental students and residents who participate. Observes one: “Watching students from different schools, doctors from different specialties and people from different cultures come together to serve for a greater cause has been an experience that I will cherish forever, and has taught me lessons that will follow me throughout my career.”

The Christian Dental Society plans to return to Helping Hands Clinic in late March. Dr. Maranga said AAE, which was awaiting word on the physical integrity of the clinic before deciding whether to join the mission, will return this spring. z

Volunteer treats youngsters to holiday trinkets as they await turn to be seen.

Mission to Helping Hands Clinic had barely gotten going when clinic and equipment were pretty much destroyed by fire.

What’s

Really

Required continued from page 10 -

in transit, but email itself is risky. In fact, 91% of all cyberattacks begin with an email, making it one of the riskiest, but most invaluable, tools in your practice.

While the financial impact on an individual with a stolen identity can be significant, costing individuals $6.1 billion in 2021, the cost to the businesses and organizations responsible for the leak is even more significant. In fact, according to an IBM Security report, the cost for healthcare organizations who suffered a data breach “increased by $1 million from March 2021 to March 2022 to hit $10.1 million. That’s up more than 40% since the 2020 report.”

WHAT DOES HIPAA-COMPLIANT EMAIL REQUIRE?

There’s really no simple answer or single factor that makes email HIPAA-compliant. Instead, it requires the assurance of both security and privacy when it comes to protected health information (PHI) and electronic health records (EHR) sent via electronic mail. There are a few key things to understand when it comes to HIPAA-compliant emails.

They are:

• Emails with PHI should not be sent unless encrypted. You can encrypt either the body of the email or attachments, depending on where PHI is stored. Patient-initiated emails do not share this same requirement, nor do emails shared within a healthcare organization.

• PHI should absolutely never be sent through a personal email.

• Internet-based email providers like Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail and more are not inherently HIPAAcompliant.

• Business associate agreements (BAA) only cover data held on a server by the business associate. Your organization is still responsible for the rest of the journey (which is risky). That’s why end-to-end encryption is best.

And those are just the basics. HIPAA compliance also requires:

• Access Control. Restrict access to PHI to only authorized people.

• Audit Control. Keep and monitor an auditable trail of email history and transmissions.

• Integrity Controls. Implement policies to ensure ePHI is not improperly destroyed or altered.

• Transmission Security. Implement technical security measures, such as encryption or an equivalent, to prevent unauthorized access when electronically sending ePHI.

• Authentication. Implement procedures to verify that a person or entity seeking access to electronic-protected health information is who they claim to be.

The bottom line is that your organization is responsible for protecting any PHI sent via email and that means making the safest and smartest choice to ensure that security. But, it’s also important to know that not all HIPAA-compliant email platforms are the same, or as safe.

THE RIGHT HIPAA-COMPLIANT EMAIL IMPROVES PATIENT CARE AND COMPLIANCE

HIPAA regulations are pretty clear that what you need goes beyond encryption. The right encrypted, HIPAA-compliant email solution:

• Is cloud-based with multiple secure servers so your data is always safe and you can access it from anywhere.

• Blocks unsolicited, non-provider senders from your inbox. Essentially, you must initiate any email conversation with a third party.

A Celebrated Dentist’s Quest continued from page 13

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Still, she is optimistic and heartened to see that NYSDA is on the right track to correcting diversity disparities in the profession and in patient care:

“I’m proud of the fact that the 2021 NYSDA House of Delegates adopted the resolutions recognizing February as Black History Month. Additionally, the formation of an Equity and Inclusion Task Force by NYSDA is also proof positive that more people of varying backgrounds will be invited to be represented at the table of organized dentistry. This does indeed put NYSDA on the right track in recognizing diversity disparities within the profession. More representation and visibility encourage the younger generation to consider joining it.”

Still, Dr. Milord says, there is unfinished business:

“As far as what remains to be done, my hope is that someday, NYSDA will be represented by an African-American dentist on top of its leaderboard as president.” z

New Customizable

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The new study, published earlier this year in the Journal of Biomedical Materials Research, found that scaffolds loaded with strontium—even at low concentrations—promoted wound healing by stimulating gingival fibroblast activity.

“Scaffold materials have been explored to promote bone and skin wound healing, but adaptations for the oral cavity are limited,” says lead investigator Michelle Visser, Ph.D., associate professor of oral biology in the UB School of Dental Medicine. “These novel scaffolds represent a system for effective strontium release in the oral cavity.”

To produce the scaffolds, which are porous structures that promote and guide cell growth, the researchers developed reusable, ring-shaped templates and molds. The flexible hydrogel scaffolds are infused with a range of strontium concentrations that are released in an initial burst over 24 hours, followed by a sustained dosage over four days with minimal toxicity.

Tested in the laboratory, the strontium-loaded scaffolds increased the cellular activity of isolated gingival fibroblasts cells, while the hydrogel scaffold alone had little effect on the cells. z

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