Fri., Nov. 8, 2024
9:00am – 12:00pm (3 CE hrs)
Room 106-B
Speakers: Raymond G. Miller, DDS ’85, FAAFS, Elizabeth B. Kapral, DDS ’13, MS, Jose Luis Tapia DDS ’12, MS ’03, Nicole V. Hinchy, DDS ’12
Alumni Speaker Series
Recommended for: Everyone
FORENSIC ODONTOLOGY
Intro: Mirdza E. Neiders, DDS, MS
Speaker: Raymond G. Miller, DDS ’85, FAAFS
The Department of Oral Diagnostic Sciences has a rich history of involvement in the field of forensic odontology. Dr. Ray Miller will present the departments contributions to the field and historical casework. He will discuss his predecessors that inspired him to advance his own knowledge and training in the field. His education and training has led him to advance as an expert and organizational leader in forensic dentistry. He has responded to numerous mass fatality incidents and testified in criminal cases. The research into bitemark evidence that he, along with other UBSDM colleagues conducted, debunked the myths of this so-called “patterned injury science” leading to the exoneration of the wrongfully convicted.
Raymond G. Miller, DDS ‘85, FAAFS is a retired Lieutenant Colonel from the United States Air Force, serving with the NY Air National Guard for 29 years. He is also a private practitioner in Lancaster, NY and Clinical Professor at the UBSDM’s Department of Oral Diagnostic Sciences. Dr. Miller is a past –chair of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences Odontology Section and currently serves as on the editorial review board of the Journal of Forensic Sciences. He has published numerous papers in the field, is a consultant to the Office of the Erie County Medical Examiner and a member of the National Disaster Medical System’s Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team. Through this organization he was a responder to 9/11, Hurricane Katrina and the crash of Flight 3407.
SPECIAL NEEDS DENTISTRY EDUCATION
Intro: Willard D. McCall Jr., PhD, MS
Speaker: Elizabeth B. Kapral, DDS ’13, MS
Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities experience many barriers to healthcare, and data shows that oral healthcare is one of the largest unmet needs for this vulnerable population. Barriers to care are numerous and include financial, transportation and provider availability. Many dental providers report lack of education and experience among their reasons for not providing care to individuals with disabilities. Improving dental education by increasing the amount of experience that dental learners have with patients of different abilities has been shown to improve practitioners’ confidence in treating this population.
Elizabeth Kapral, DDS ’13, MS is the Director of Special Needs Dentistry at Erie County Medical Center where she practices clinical dentistry and trains dental students and residents to do the same. She earned her DDS at the SUNY at Buffalo SDM in 2013. She completed General Practice Residency (GPR) Programs at Roswell Park Cancer Institute (2014) and the Erie County Medical Center (2015). Dr. Kapral is also Assistant Clinical Professor at the SUNY at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine where she teaches pre-doctoral students in the Oral Diagnostic Sciences department.
She is the recipient of multiple federal and private grants totaling over $3M to address workforce challenges in dental care for vulnerable populations. In 2023, Dr. Kapral and the dental team opened the ECMC Center for Dental Care at 800 Hertel in Western New York. This center operates within a multidisciplinary facility focused on meeting the needs of patients with disabilities. In addition to her work at ECMC, Dr. Kapral is the chair of the NYS Special Needs Dentistry Taskforce, a NYS delegate to the American Dental Association as well as a fellow of the American Academy of Oral Medicine, Special Care Dentistry Association and the Academy of General Dentistry.
ORAL PATHOLOGY: CLINICAL CASES
Intro: Heidi C. Crow, DMD, MS ‘91
Speaker: Jose Luis Tapia, DDS ’12, MS ‘03
This lecture will provide clinical presentation, differential diagnosis and management to some lesions that affect the oral and maxillofacial region.
Jose Luis Tapia, DDS ‘12, MS ‘03, Associate Professor in the Department of Oral Diagnostic Science, School of Dental Medicine, University at Buffalo. Dr. Tapia received his DDS from University at Buffalo. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology and Fellow of the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology.
1895 – 2024: A RADIOLOGIC ODYSSEY
Intro: Yoly M. Gonzalez-Stucker, DDS ’05, MS ‘95
Speaker: Nicole V. Hinchy, DDS ‘12
Diagnostic radiology has seen enormous advancements in recent years with the introduction of digital radiography, improvements in modern imaging equipment, and a deepened understanding of the biologic effects of ionizing radiation. However, to fully appreciate where we are now, we must understand where we began. This course aims to embark on a brief sojourn through the major highlights of Radiology from the discovery of x-ray radiation by Wilhelm Roentgen through to recent policy changes in patient protective shielding.
Course Objectives:
- Develop an appreciation for the advancements in diagnostic imaging.
- Describe the rationale behind changes in patient protective shielding.
- Understand the evolution of radiology education at the UBSDM.
Nicole V. Hinchy, DDS ‘12 is currently a Clinical Assistant Professor and Director of Radiology at the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine (UBSDM), where she earned her DDS degree in 2012. After graduating, she practiced general dentistry as an Attending Dentist in an Oral Oncology clinic and entered academia as a Clinical Instructor at her alma mater. She developed a passion for radiology though her experiences working with the multidisciplinary head and neck oncology team and while teaching in the UBSDM Radiology clinic. Dr. Hinchy embarked on specialty training and received her certificate in Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology from Stony Brook University in 2021, where she served as chief resident during the second year. She became a Diplomate of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology in 2023. Dr. Hinchy is active in professional service positions at the local, statewide, and national levels, serving on several committees. Over the past 10 years, she has presented on various topics ranging from oral cancer to imaging and diagnosis in dentistry on the local, national, and international levels. She has been called a nerd by many due to her passion for sharing her knowledge – a sentiment she holds near to her heart.
