Dentist and student dentist providing dental care to a patient.

School of Dental Medicine News

As the only accredited dental school in Nevada, the School of Dental medicine provides world-class oral health education while providing for the dental needs of Nevada residents. With eight academic degree and advanced education certificate programs, students obtain the necessary skills to provide oral healthcare services to the community and make significant impacts to the field.

Current Dental Medicine News

UNLV School of Dental Medicine Alumnus of the Year Dr. Benjamin Barborka leans his left arm against a dental patient's chair inside an exam room at his Las Vegas office
People |

After several years in the IT industry, the School of Dental Medicine’s Alumnus of the Year finds his true calling as a practitioner, educator, and innovator.

group of health sciences staff and students stand outside
Campus News |

The Top Tier initiative is aimed at unifying the university’s health sciences programs.

Adrianne Snipes holding a small recycling bin inside a clinical lab
People |

The supervisor for the Clinical Simulation Center prioritizes flexibility for students in the School of Dental Medicine.

woman in dentist coat standing behind seated patient in exam room
People |

Dr. Eileen Huynh helped a patient receive expensive dental treatments — and a path for a needed kidney transplant.

Dr. Ovunc Bardakcioglu (left), associate professor and chief of colorectal surgery, and class of 2025 medical student Jessica Fields during a robotic surgery simulation training.
Business and Community |

The development of a UNLV Academic Health Center will provide high-value quality care for the community, a source of economic diversity for our economy, and cutting-edge research.

closeup of woman holding her dog
Campus News |

Pet Partners of Las Vegas and UNLV Libraries celebrate 10 years of therapy dog visits to campus.

Dental Medicine In The News

UFC

UFC, the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization, today announced a multi-year partnership with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD), LVMPD Foundation, and Fighting for The Future Foundation to establish a youth mentoring initiative in conjunction with select schools throughout Las Vegas.

KLAS-TV: 8 News Now

The University of Nevada Las Vegas’ School of Dental Medicine is changing lives one smile at a time by providing affordable dental care to the Las Vegas community. Residents who have no insurance and need dental care can get it at the university for a fraction of the price.

Nevada Independent

While the UNLV School of Dental Medicine continues to work with the state on innovative funding approaches to support rural communities, more state-funded grants and scholarships could go a long way.

Parade

You already know candy can cause cavities, but this unsuspecting culprit may surprise you.

Nevada Independent

Patients lined up in parked cars a day before the clinic opened to reserve a spot. Many were there for dental or vision services not covered by insurance.

Pahrump Valley Times

Medical care is imperative to overall health and well-being but for many, it can also be cost-prohibitive. Fortunately for the residents of Pahrump and the surrounding communities, Remote Area Medical has offered access to free health care services each year since 2016 and this year, hundreds took advantage of the opportunity.

Dental Medicine Experts

A prolific researcher and expert on immunology and the immunobiology of oral infections. 
An expert in general dentistry, oral health, and animal dentistry.
An expert on orthodontics and dental growth.
An expert on pediatric dentistry and dental surgery.

Recent Dental Medicine Accomplishments

The Southern Nevada Dental Society bestowed awards to UNLV School of Dental Medicine faculty members as part of its Gala and Awards Night in October. Dr. Jon Roxarzade earned the “SDM Faculty Member Award” for going above and beyond in teaching to shape the minds of future dentists and foster their growth, and Dr. Tina Brandon Abbatangelo earned…
Dr. Jyoti Mago (Dental) delivered a continuing education course for the Academy of General Dentistry titled "Interesting Cases from Oral Radiology Practice" featuring some of our school’s challenging radiology cases. Mago also presented a poster with Vishal Sharma (Healthcare Administration and Policy) and Manoj Sharma (Social and Behavioral…
Carrie Copa (Dental) joined the ACUE's course in Fostering a Culture of Belonging: Cohort D, Fall 2024 by completing the ACUE module on Cultivating an Inclusive Environment and earning a badge certificate.  In ACUE's module Cultivating an Inclusive Environment, faculty, staff, and leaders learn how to build a network of support for…
Katherine Howard, Karl Kingsley, Payton Famuliner and Kyle Hodges (all Dental) recently published their study Oral Prevalence of Selenomonas noxia Differs among Orthodontic Patients Compared to Non-Orthodontic Controls: A Retrospective Biorepository Analysis in the MDPI journal Pathogens.  
Alicia Carlos, Hassan Ziada, and Neamat Hassan (all Dental) published an article titled "Correlation Between Marginal Bone Loss Around Dental Implants and Various Systemic Diseases: A Cross-Sectional Study" in the International Journal of Implant Dentistry (affiliated with both the German Society of Oral Implantology and the Japanese…
Dr. Sonal Shah (Dental) presented an oral pathology webinar for the Nevada Dental Hygienist Association titled "A Rainbow of Colorful Lesions and Diseases of the Oral Cavity.” Dr. Shah discussed how the color of an oral lesion can help guide diagnosis, noting, for example, most common white lesions can indicate keratosis or leukoplakia; red can be…