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PORTLAND, Maine

UNE College of Dental Medicine faculty published in community medicine and oral health journals

Oral Health Center

Four faculty members from the College of Dental Medicine have been published in the Journal of Community Health, a peer-reviewed publication for health promotion and disease prevention. Assistant clinical professors Adepitan Owosho, B.Ch.D., FAAOM; Rashidah Wiley, D.D.S.; Tessie Stansbury, D.M.D.; and Jon Ryder, D.D.S., M.S., dean of the College of Dental Medicine, studied the trends in human papillomavirus (HPV)-related oropharyngeal cancer incidence in the state of Vermont from 1999 to 2013.

HPV-related oropharyngeal cancers are malignancies that arise from tissues of the throat, including the tonsils, base of tongue, soft palate and the walls of the pharynx. In the study, the team found that the overall incidence of HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer increased significantly during the timespan, specifically in males. They also discovered that there appears to be a decreasing incidence of smoking and alcohol-related oral cavity cancer in Vermont.

Owosho has also been published in the Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology, Oral Radiology Journal (OOOO).

His study concerned anti-resorptive medication, often used for osteoporosis and cancer treatment, and medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ), the weakening and loss of the jaw bone. Owosho and his colleagues investigated this relationship in their research, while examining the role of pre-medication dental evaluation (PMDE) in the prevention of MRONJ.

They found that that cancer patients on the drug Denosumab developed MRONJ earlier than those who took Zoledronate and Pamidronate. Pre-medication dental evaluation also significantly reduced the incidence of MRONJ in cancer patients with metastatic bone disease, specifically for those taking anti-resorptive medication to prevent skeletal-related events.

Pre-medication dental evaluation consists of patient education, comprehensive oral and dental evaluation, and the completion of recommended pre-medication dental treatment before taking anti-resorptive medication.

Read the Journal of Community Health publication.

Read the Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology, Oral Radiology Journal publication.

 

To learn more about the College of Dental Medicine, visit www.une.edu/dentalmedicine

To apply, visit www.une.edu/admissions 

About the University of New England

The University of New England is Maine’s largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of flexible, accredited online degrees. In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state’s top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine’s only medical college, Maine’s only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.