Drs. Flavia Pirih and Bo Yu Co-Edit CDA's "Dental Student Research Highlight 2023"

Dr. Flavia Pirih and Dr. Bo Yu
Dr. Flavia Pirih (l) and Dr. Bo Yu (r) edited 11 selected articles from across California’s seven dental schools while penning the introduction themselves.
January 12, 2024

A pair of UCLA School of Dentistry faculty members served as guest editors of the California Dental Association Journal's Dental Student Research Highlight 2023, which includes a pair of peer-reviewed publications authored by members of the Bruin scholarly community.

Dr. Flavia Pirih, professor and Tarrson Family Endowed Chair in Periodontics, and Associate Professor Dr. Bo Yu edited the 11 selected articles from across California’s seven dental schools while penning the introduction themselves.

“The research studies included in this special article collection highlight the importance of adopting interprofessional collaborations and exposing students to holistic approaches to oral health care with a particular focus on those with special needs. As guest editors, we applaud our student researchers’ contribution to advancing the scientific foundations of the dental profession,” said Drs. Pirih and Yu in a joint statement.

The two UCLA School of Dentistry-authored articles are:
1) "Integrating Social Work into Adult Special Care Dentistry — An Interdisciplinary Approach to Care." Michelle Luong, DDS ‘23, Meagan Smith-Bocanegra, MSW, Adam Valdivia, MSW, Kelly Vitzthum, MPH, DDS, Reeva C. Mincer, DDS, Michael Lee O’Hara, MSW, LCSW, and Eric C. Sung, DDS.
This research, conducted at the UCLA School of Dentistry's Special Patient Care Clinic and in collaboration with colleagues in the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs, demonstrates that incorporating social work into dental settings can significantly improve the well-being of patients and their families. By addressing unmet social and psychological needs, the initiative successfully reduces barriers to oral health care, resulting in more patients with special needs attending their initial dental appointments.

2) "Integrating Medical Acupuncture and Intraoral Dry Needling Protocol for Radiation-Induced Xerostomia." Soo-Jin Lee, DMD, Cynthia Diep, DDS, LAc,S., Sherwin Arman, DMD, MPH, Diana Messadi, DDS, MMSC, DMSC, F. S., and Fariba Younai, D.D.S.
This case study explores the effectiveness of acupuncture in treating radiation-induced xerostomia (RIX), a condition affecting patients undergoing radiotherapy for head and neck cancers. The 60-year-old female patient, who had adenoid cystic carcinoma, experienced continuous dryness and bitter taste post-radiotherapy, impacting her diet and overall well-being. The patient received two treatment sessions 24 hours apart, incorporating both Dr. Richard Niemtzow's acupuncture protocol and the School of Dentistry's intraoral dry-needling protocol. The combined treatment showed a significant increase in saliva production, suggesting the potential efficacy of this approach in alleviating RIX symptoms.