When dental student Mohita Sharma, BDS, (ISP ’23), noticed her patient’s heart rate was higher than usual, neither of them expected it would save his life.
CU Anschutz
School of Dental Medicine
13065 East 17th Avenue
Aurora, CO 80045
When dental student Mohita Sharma, BDS, (ISP ’23), noticed her patient’s heart rate was higher than usual, neither of them expected it would save his life.
When Lise Gresock, 88, came to the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine (CU SDM), she was hesitant and nervous. For decades, she had not had a great experience going to the dentist. While she liked her previous dentist, she wanted a more conservative treatment option. When she met the CU Dental team of Sarah Dirks, DDS, and Elena Ciobanu, DDS, BDS (ISP ’22), Gresock was immediately at ease.
Innovation Patient Care Education Students
“You don't realize how important your back teeth are until they’re not there,” said fourth-year dental student Minh-Tom Van (DDS '23) as he reflected on a recent case. His patient had been experiencing pain in his back molars, unable to chew or eat properly for eight months. While this is not an unusual situation, Van was inspired by a faculty member to present an exceptional idea for treatment.
Ronnie Chavez, a Navy veteran and former Douglas County sheriff’s deputy, has had dental problems his entire life. Even as a child, he was ridiculed for his teeth. “Kids can be ruthless,” he said. Not only that, but his childhood dentist was stern and unfriendly.
A visit to the dentist can leave you with a case of sensory overload, but the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine is calming patients’ fears with the help of a new dental therapy dog. Lucy, a five-year-old golden retriever, roams the clinic halls—easing patient’s anxiety and providing them comfort during routine cleanings and procedures.
Congratulations to CU School of Dental Medicine alumna Saniya Setia, BDS, DDS Class of 2016. Developed by the ADA New Dentist Committee in 2017, this award recognizes 10 amazing dentists who graduated from a dental school accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation less than 10 years ago. We're celebrating dentists who demonstrate excellence and inspire other in science, research & education, practice excellence, philanthropy, leadership and advocacy.
By: Sheila Stille, DDS; Karen Foster, DDS; and Joann LeClaire, RDH, MS
“Disability” is defined as any physical, developmental, sensory, behavioral, cognitive, or emotional impairment or limiting condition that requires medical management, health care intervention, and/or use of specialized services or programs... Every dentist in Colorado should be able to treat this patient population. With the following suggestions, it can be a fun and rewarding experience for the dentist and their team.
Artemis Khazaie, DDS
General Dentist
Arvada, CO
What influenced your decision to choose dentistry as a career?
From palatal expanders to braces and headgear, I spent a lot of time in the dental chair. The treatment process was always intriguing, and I often wondered what it would be like from the dentist’s perspective.
It feels like a cliff, a steep and sudden drop off into a fog of melancholy clouds. I have experienced burnout in dentistry, and I never saw it coming, even when I was right on the edge. I thought I was fine. I thought I could manage. I thought I was just busy. But it was a lot more than just the management of daily stress and being overwhelmed. It was a pervasive feeling of sadness and apathy that I just could not shake. It was deep breaths and the brink of sanity in between patients. It was a longing I could not quantify or, at times, even acknowledge. I was losing myself in it.
13065 East 17th Avenue
Aurora, CO 80045
303-724-6900
© 2023 The Regents of the University of Colorado, a body corporate. All rights reserved.
Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. All trademarks are registered property of the University. Used by permission only.