disease, stroke, bacterial pneumonia, and more. Our researchers are asking crucial questions and demonstrating that oral health is, in fact, a public health issue. Three of our faculty discovered a link between oral health and Alzheimer’s. Another group has discovered a biomarker for glioblastoma and a potential new treatment for it. DCG researchers are improving dental materials, from bonding agents to LED light therapy. We continually develop better ways to teach our students, including interactive AI instructional modules, innovative 3D tools, haptic learning devices and our expanding digital dentistry initiative. These advancements empower dentists to work faster and improve patient outcomes. Better dentists equal a healthier Georgia. What about the state’s Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA)? Georgia is struggling with a distribution problem when it comes to the dental workforce. We have dentists, but they tend to practice in a few areas of geographic concentration. We’re working on incentivizing practicing outside of the metro-Atlanta area. We are raising scholarship money to lower the cost burden of dental school, so that students don’t have to chase those loan repayment dollars the second they graduate. We have just announced a loan forgiveness program for rural practitioners in partnership with Peach State Health Plan. And we are working to educate our students and residents on programs that can make serving a Health Profession Shortage Area (HPSA) a smart financial move, like being certified as a federal Rural Health Clinic. Our students’ community connections run deep. Many of them want to go back home and contribute. But we have to be realistic. How will the Savannah campus impact those initiatives? It will make dental education possible for more people. It’s not always convenient or realistic for individuals to pack up their lives and families and relocate to follow their dreams. We are excited to have Dr. Theresa Gonzales as The DCG’s new Associate Dean of Extramural Clinics. She will provide leadership, oversight and strategic planning for our clinical activities outside of Augusta. She will manage sites for clerkship rotations, Ryan White clinics and the development of additional external clinic sites. With this new campus, we’ll expand our educational impact and grow our clinical footprint. That will benefit every citizen of Georgia. GDA members care about oral health in Georgia. What can they do to help tackle the state’s challenges? The first thing they can do is serve their patients to the best of their abilities. They impact public health every day in their private practice. We are proud of them! Then I would say that we love to see alumni and other dental professionals invest in our students. The next generation of dentists can always benefit from the mentorship of experienced professionals. They need real-life support from people who have succeeded before them. What that looks like can be tailored to you. Maybe you want to create a legacy with a scholarship endowment. Or you would like students to train on a particular piece of equipment. Maybe you excel at a particular skill set and you want to coach others on how to perform it. We have volunteer opportunities at The DCG, and we welcome you. Reach out to us. People pay attention when you walk into a room. If you could pick any song to play as you enter a room, what would it be? “Hall of Fame” by The Script, a hype song about being your best. “Be believers, be leaders.” | 39 Nov 2024
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