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School of Dental Medicine

From lab discoveries to public outreach initiatives, students, faculty, staff and alumni at Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine prove their dedication to advancing oral health in Cleveland and around the world. Read the latest news that highlights the innovation, care and community impact at the heart of our efforts to advance clinical excellence and service across populations.

Recent News

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Resilience and hope
In 1982, Jeffrey Mills, DDS (WRC ’79, DEN ’82), was a promising young dentist and soon-to-be new father ready to begin the next chapter of his life. Yet, four hours before commencement, Mills was shot and killed by a home intruder. Having earned his undergraduate and dental degrees at Case…
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Honoring excellence: inspiring stories from Black alumni of the School of Dental Medicine
In celebration of Black History Month, we’re sharing the insights, achievements and words of wisdom from Black alumni who are shaping the future of dentistry. Madge Potts-Williams, DDS (DEN ‘81) Lead Dentist, Manatee County Rural Health Services, Bradenton, FL Consultant,…
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Integration of ITI Digital Campus into Our Dental School
We are thrilled to announce the integration of the ITI (International Team for Implantology, Basel, Switzerland) Digital Campus, which is an online learning platform, into our dental school curriculum, under the visionary leadership of Dean Kenneth Chance and Associate Dean of Digital Innovation…
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Faculty Member Serves as Guest Editor for International Dental Journal
Ilser Turkyilmaz, DMD, PhD, has achieved a significant milestone by serving as the Guest Editor for the December 2024 issue of Primary Dental Journal, a prominent publication based in London, UK. The issue, titled “Implant Dentistry” (Vol. 13, No. 4), was released on Dec. 1, 2024. As Guest Editor,…
Dental students pictured with a patient in the chair in the van.
Students drive dental care
Inside a 38-foot mobile RV parked outside an adult day center, fourth-year students from Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine provide essential services to underserved older adults. For these students, this is not just a clinical training ground but also an experiential…
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Earliest deep-cave ritual compound in Southwest Asia discovered
Case Western Reserve University researchers helped unearth evidence for ritualistic gathering in upper Paleolithic
President Eric W. Kaler, left, and CWRU School of Dental Medicine Dean Kenneth B. Chance, DDS (DEN ’79), right, with Celebration of Philanthropy event attendees.
Celebration of Philanthropy
President Eric W. Kaler, left, and CWRU School of Dental Medicine Dean Kenneth B. Chance, DDS (DEN ’79), right, with Celebration of Philanthropy event attendees. The School of Dental Medicine Celebration of Philanthropy was held on Friday, Sept. 20, in the Ambassador Ballroom at the newly…
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Dental staff member Sue Opsitnick passes away 
If you ever walked around Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine’s admitting or radiology clinics and heard someone say, “we can do it,” there’s a good chance that was Sue Opsitnick. A radiology technician who dedicated nearly two decades to Case Western Reserve University,…
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Launch of the Digital Dentistry Transformation Project
It is with great enthusiasm that we announce the launch of the Digital Dentistry Transformation Project at our institution, spearheaded under the visionary leadership of Dean Kenneth Chance. This initiative represents a transformative shift in the way we approach dental education and clinical…
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Dental visits increase with support from pediatric providers
Suchitra Nelson, PhD, associate dean for clinical and translational research in the Department of Community Dentistry, and her team at Case Western Reserve led a study funded by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) that trained primary care pediatric clinicians to…