Transforming Lives

Research has the power to transform lives.

Among dental schools, we are unique for the strength of both our basic and clinical science departments. But it's our multidisciplinary approach that truly sets Penn Dental Medicine apart from other institutions.

The advantages of collaborating with other Penn schools? Different perspectives. More in-depth knowledge. The ability to advance care more quickly and efficiently.

Consider this: When research conducted here found that treating periodontal disease in pregnant women reduced premature births by 50 percent, that finding convinced some health insurers to cover such treatment.

"Our faculty and students are always looking ahead to what's next," says Dr. Joseph Fiorellini, chair of Periodontics. "Their energy is the driving force behind our successes."

Penn Dental Medicine is also one of the only dental schools involved in the Clinical and Translational Science Awards. This $100 million NIH initiative seeks to improve medical care through innovative, collaborative approaches to research—much like what we've been doing in dentistry since 1878.

Today our research projects are exploring oral health as well as its connections to systemic health, including:

• Development of a herpes vaccine

• Factors affecting muscle repair in aging and disease

• How diabetes may influence periodontal disease, and

• Stem cell research on bone regeneration to treat oral cancer.