News and Announcements
John W. Knutson Distinguished Service Award 2006
American Public Health Association, Oral Health Section
Dr. Brown received the John W. Knutson Distinguished Service Award for the year 2006, presented by American Public Health Association, Oral Health Section.
Dr. Brown is a Professor in the Department of Community Dentistry, University of Texas Health Science Center. He has been and continues to be a relentless champion of dental public health and preventive dentistry. He has mentored over a dozen residents in the accredited dental public health residency program that he and faculty developed in this department. He has served both at the regional and national levels regarding initiatives to improve the oral health of women and children, strongly advocating for the prevention of dental disease while improving access to care.
He and his colleagues have been active policy advocates for community water fluoridation for over 20 years, culminating, after two referenda, in the fluoridation of San Antonio in 2001. They have studied oral health and dental service outcomes in San Antonio and in Texas under sponsorship of WHO, CDC, NIDCR, MCHB and TDH.
Dr. Brown has worked tirelessly for APHA and dedicates himself to the success of its Oral Health Section. He was the Section Chair in 1995, and has served on the Oral Health Section Council, as Newsletter Editor, as a Consultant to the Section and on the APHA Governing Council. His contributions have helped to strengthen the policy and advocacy areas of the Section. He has also written or testified on numerous resolutions and position papers related to dental public health.
Dr. Brown received his dental degree from the University of Queensland Dental School in Brisbane, Australia, his Master of Science Degree in Dental Research and Pediatric Dentistry Residency from the University of Rochester, his Ph.D. in Oral Epidemiology from the University of Queensland, and is certified by the ABDPH.
Martha X. Baez, RDH, MPH receives award for her “Devotion to Children at Coronado Escobar Elementary School” in San Antonio, Texas
On May 15 2008, the Coronado – Escobar Elementary School presented Ms. Martha Baez, a faculty member in the Department of Community Dentistry at UTHSCSA-Dental School with the “THANK YOU FOR YOUR DEVOTION TO THE CHILDREN AT CORONADO-ESCOBAR ELEMENTARY 2008” plaque.
The School-Based Preventive Dentistry Program at Coronado Elementary School was developed as a collaborative effort between the UTHSCSA-Dental School, Department of Community Dentistry, the Area Health Education Center and Edgewood Independent School District. The program has been in existence for an uninterrupted period of twenty-one years. Ms. Martha X. Baez, RDH, MPH, Assistant Professor in the Department of Community Dentistry, is the Director of the School-Based Preventive Dentistry Program and has supervised freshman and junior dental students on a weekly basis at the Coronado elementary school. Each fall, junior students provide preventive dentistry services, review of adequate oral hygiene techniques and apply dental sealants to selected first permanent molars for the second graders. During the spring period, Ms. Baez guides freshman students on provision of proper oral hygiene instructions and nutrition information to the school children.
For dental students, the experience is invaluable; they learn how to organize a community preventive dentistry program and are sensitized to the community needs. After such a rotation dental students have indicated an increased awareness regarding community programs and have gone on to further volunteer with other such programs.
To this date over 1800 dental students have participated in the program school-based preventive dentistry program.
More than 10,000 elementary school children have been benefiting from these services since inception of the program in 1987. The school-based preventive program at Coronado elementary school has served as a model and foundation for developing other preventive dentistry programs to expand access for other children in underserved communities. Furthermore, the Methodist Health Care Ministries of South Texas, the Procter and Gamble Oral Care Division and Edgewood Independent School District have joined with the UTHSCSADS to provide preventive sealants annually to second grade children as part of Community Dental Sealant Program.
In presenting the award, Ms. Bertha Prieto, Principal at Coronado School indicated that the work performed by Ms. Martha Baez at Coronado was an achievement of over 21 years that has benefited thousands of underserved children that otherwise could not have access to preventive dental services.
Dr. Mosh Farokhi was honored at National Oral Health Conference this year. She received third place in Leverett Graduate Merit Award for Outstanding Achievement in Dental Public Health.
Her presentation was titled "The Influence of Acculturation on Measures of Oral Health Practices for Mexican-American Mothers Attending the CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Children Hospital, WIC Clinic in San Antonio, Texas ".
Dr. David Cappelli, Associate Professor and Director of the Dental Public Health Residency co-authored a textbook that provides a systematic approach to the application of risk-based prevention in clinical practice. The book was released in October, 2007.
Ms. Jane Steffensen, Associate Professor has been selected to serve on the Editorial Board for the Journal of Public Health Dentistry. She has been serving on the Executive Council and Co-Chair of the Science and Education Committee with the American Association of Public Health Dentistry.
Dr. Suman Challa, Assistant Professor has successfully completed the Board Certification examination and has earned diplomate status on the American Board of Dental Public Health.
Senior Pre-doctoral Awards 2008
American Association of Public Health Dentistry Award – Michelle Mach
Community Dentistry Service Award – Maria Evelinda Guerrero