GSDM Orthodontic Alumni Association Holds Reception at AAO 2017

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Drs. Nada Tashkandi ORTHO 19, Gili Naveh ORTHO 17, and Sarah Almuguarin ORTHO 19

On Saturday, April 22, 2017, the Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GDSM) held an alumni reception during the Annual Session of the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO).  The Conference took place from April 21 – 25, 2017 in San Diego, California, while the reception was held at the Marriott Marquis San Diego. Hosted by Dean Jeffrey W. Hutter, and Dr. Leslie Will, Anthony A. Gianelly Professor and Chair of the Department of Orthodontics & Dentofacial Orthopedics, the reception drew many alumni from the United States and Internationally.

The reception began with brief remarks by Dr. Will, in which she talked about the crucial role that GSDM’s orthodontic alumni will continue to play in the future of the Department of Orthodontics & Dentofacial Orthopedics at GSDM. Dr. Will also thanked all the alumni that have volunteered their services in support of the Orthodontic Alumni Association as it continues to grow.

“The alumni reception at the AAO meeting is always a great time for me to touch base with alumni and share the news of our department,” said Dr. Will. “It’s also good for our current residents to meet alumni, and this year’s meeting was once again a success.”

Dean Hutter then briefed the guests on the status of the proposed addition/renovation of the GSDM facility located at 100 E. Newton Street, Boston that is presently scheduled to commence in 2018.  During his presentation, Dean Hutter passed around architectural renderings of the exterior of the building along with new and renovated spaces within the interior.  He also addressed many questions from the alumni dealing with the scope of the project, construction schedule and floor plans.  In closing, Dean Hutter praised Dr. Will, the faculty and the residents for their hard work, dedication and support, and echoed Dr. Will’s sentiments about the important role that GSDM’s orthodontic alumni play in the overall success of the Department of Orthodontics & Dentofacial Orthopedics, the Advanced Specialty Education Program in Orthodontics & Dentofacial Orthopedics, and in the addition / renovation of GSDM .

“I would like to thank the alumni for attending the Orthodontic Alumni Reception,” said Dean Jeffrey W. Hutter. “I certainly enjoyed being able to connect with our orthodontic alumni, while also speaking to all in attendance about the exciting progress we are making in regards to our upgraded facility at 100 East Newton Street.”

During the AAO Annual Session, Orthodonic Resident Dr. Gili Naveh ORTHO 17 was selected to present at the Charley Schultz Resident Scholar Award Program. Her research was titled, Structural derived function: the pre-programming of the periodontal ligament. The full abstract of her research is copied below:  

“In orthodontics, external forces are used to initiate a cascade of structural modifications inside the PDL. These in turn lead to alveolar bone remodeling and tooth movement. Despite the central role of the PDL in orthodontic tooth movement, its structure and function remain unclear. Here we show that the PDL has preprogrammed structural internal driving forces that guide the tooth function. We were able to elucidate the 3D fibrous structure of a fresh mouse molar PDL and follow the organizational changes throughout different developmental and functional stages. Primarily, we demonstrated that the fibrous network is not uniform in its distribution and is organized in dense and sparse networks. Fascinatingly, the distribution of the networks is determined even before the tooth is erupted. We can thus state that the PDL non-uniform collagenous component function is derived by its structure and therefore guided internal structural changes might lead to functional ones.”