Improving or preventing the decline of dental health in the aging population is the focus of the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and Delta Dental of Virginia’s 14th annual Delta Dental of Virginia Oral Health Endowed Lecture on Jan. 8.
Jonathan An, an assistant professor of oral health sciences and faculty with the Health Aging and Longevity Research Institute at the University of Washington School of Dentistry, will be the speaker on the topic.
An
After seeing long-time patients do everything to prevent cavities, broken fillings, or gum disease with no success, An focused his research on what biology does to the oral cavity in order to “revolutionize the way we approach oral disease,” according to news release from the Roanoke-based medical school.
“This topic is critical in dentistry because it addresses a different way we could prevent or manage oral disease during age, but also the systemic implications they may have on overall health,” An said.
An will present research in his talk “Integrating Geroscience into Oral Health: Bridging Aging Biology and Clinical Practice” at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine on Jan. 8 at 7 p.m.
Michelle Humble, attending dentist at Carilion Clinic Dental Care, said in the release that she hopes attendees see how more knowledge in geroscience can benefit the health of their patients.
“This work is on the cutting edge of medicine and dentistry, and, if successful, could fundamentally affect the way we practice,” said Humble.
This lecture is free and open to the public. The event will be hosted in person and online. Registration is required.
A reception will be held prior to the lecture. To learn more, visit the event page at medicine.vtc.vt.edu.
Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine is one of the few medical schools in the country that incorporates oral health into its curriculum. With support from Delta Dental of Virginia, the school provides clinical training, a dedicated elective on oral health, and lectures on general oral health, oral cancer, common pathologies, and oral manifestations of systemic disease, according to the release.
“We can only help patients with treatments we know exist, and I hope this will spark an interest for them to continue to learn more,” said Humble.
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