UB dean chairs symposium on oral and systemic health

Michael Glick, dean of the School of Dental Medicine, has organized and will act as program chair of “The First International Quintessence Symposium on Oral Health: The Oral-Systemic Connection,” to take place Feb. 7-8 in San Diego.

Glick, editor of The Journal of the American Dental Association, the premier, peer-reviewed journal in dentistry, is known for his innovative, medicine-oriented approach to dental care that encourages dental students to think of themselves as health care professionals first and dentists second.

Glick says the symposium provides an opportunity for participants to hear the latest scientific information on the association between oral diseases and health, and learn how to interpret research by scientists working on the subject.

“Over the past several decades, an impressive body of knowledge has accumulated about the impact of oral infections and overall health and well-being,” he says. “Studies have found important associations that are now being evaluated for causative relationships. New information is being published at a rapid pace and clinicians must sort through sometimes conflicting published findings.”

Specialists in oral health research from across the U.S., Canada and Europe will present on a range of oral and systemic health connection topics, including “Pregnancy Outcomes and Oral Infections,” “The Cardiovascular System and Oral Infections,” “Obesity and Oral Health” and “Osteoporosis: The Oral-Systemic Connection.”

Two UB researchers will be among the guest speakers. Frank A. Scannapieco, chair of the Department of Oral Biology, will present on “Links between the Oral Microbiota and Pulmonary Disease” and Robert J. Genco, SUNY Distinguished Professor of Oral Biology and Microbiology and Immunology, will present on “The Association of Periodontal Disease and Diabetes.”

As a companion publication to the symposium, Glick has edited “The Oral-Systemic Health Connection: A Guide to Patient Care,” which he says is designed to help readers better understand current and future evidence on the associations between oral health and general health.

“Dentists and other health care providers will be able to apply this information clinically to guide treatment decisions and recommend preventive strategies for the benefit of their patients,” he says.