Summer Explore 2012

Explorer Summer 2012: Alumni Magazine

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School Expands Outreach to Serve Senior Citizens

In January 2012 the UMKC School of Dentistry was awarded a grant from the Greater Health Care Foundation of Kansas City to provide oral health care to residents of Evergreen Community, a long-term care facility in Olathe, Kan. The project is called Miles of Elder Smiles, and its team of professionals includes Dr. Bonnie Branson (a UMKC professor of dental hygiene) as principal investigator; Becky Smith (DDS ’95) (a UMKC clinical assistant professor of general dentistry) as dental sponsor; and Maureen Lathrom, ECP II (DH ’95), and Candice Hudak (DH ’12) as patient care coordinators and providers. Both Lathrom and Hudak have been hired by the School of Dentistry specifically for their skills in delivering care to the elderly. Lathrom holds an extended care permit II from the state of Kansas and is allowed to provide
services under indirect supervision with the oversight of a sponsoring dentist. UMKC dental and dental hygiene students will begin rotating through the facility during the 2012-2013 academic year. One of the project’s aims is to sensitize future dental professionals to the oral health needs of elderly patients living in long-term care facilities.

Evergreen Community is a 118-bed facility that provides various levels of care for senior adults with medical needs. At least 85 percent of the residents are supported by Medicaid funds. The grant enabled the Miles of Elder Smiles program to equip a complete on-site dental operatory, which includes
radiographs, focused lighting, high- and low-speed handpiece capability, and sterilization. The dental facility also features a special platform that allows the
resident to stay in his/her wheelchair during treatment. All preventive services, exams and radiographs are completed on-site. Although some dental services
will be referred to local dental offices, much of the dental care will be delivered at Evergreen Community. School Establishes a Win-Win Outreach Effort School Expands Outreach to Serve Senior Citizens

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2012 Summer Explorer Contents:

  • Message from the Dean – Capital Campaign for the School of Dentistry
  • Build It, and They Will Become Better Dentists – The Charles Dunlap Innovation Clinic
  • Outreach Efforts – UMKC creates Miles of Elder Smiles & partners with University Academy
  • School of Dentistry Receives $10.5 Million Research Grant – Dr. Lynda Bonewald awarded grant
  • Award Winning Alumni
  • Class Notes
  • In Memoriam
  • Transitioning into the Profession – Celebrating a rite of passage
  • Research Goes 3-D – Viewing the natural world in a new way
  • Students Take Action – Extreme haircuts benefit kids with cancer
  • Table Clinic Winners – Winning in Iowa & Arizona
  • Midwest Dental Conference – Education & Entertainment Abound
  • Graduation