Salute Magazine

2022 issue
Man in blue suit sits on a concrete ledge in an outdoor courtyard.

Dean’s message

"Friends, there is so much to be excited about in the coming years, and so much to be proud of in the UT Health San Antonio School of Dentistry." - Dean Peter M. Loomer
Black background with a gold laurel wreath with the words School of Dentistry Accolades in the middle.

Accolades

School of Dentistry faculty, staff and students were recognized in 2022 for clinical excellence, leadership, research and so much more.

Just the facts

The No. 1 dental school in Texas, according to an international ranking, UT Health San Antonio School of Dentistry continued to raise the bar while supporting its missions in 2022.
A group of graduates wearing black and lavender regalia smile.

Class of 2022 commencement

The School of Dentistry conferred a total of 130 degrees to its class of 2022 during the university-wide commencement ceremony at the Alamodome.
Dental students in their new white coats recite the dental pledge.

Welcome to the profession

Dental and dental hygiene students from four classes celebrated their educational accomplishments during the 2022 Welcome to the Profession event.
Dental provider with black hair in a white lab coat fist bumps an African American patient sitting in the dental chair.

Oral medicine: Two disciplines, one purpose

In 2020, the American Dental Association officially recognized oral medicine as the 11th dental specialty, but for more than 75 years, oral medicinists like David Ojeda Diaz, DDS, have been bridging the practice of medicine and dentistry.

A head start in public health

Dental and dental hygiene students support access to oral health care through a required rotation with the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District’s Oral Health Program, which provides a glimpse at a career in public health.
A dental student in green scrubs wears a face mask, dental loupes and gloves while practicing her clinical hand skills on a manikin. Her instructor, in a white lab coat, sits to her right.

Broader connections for border care

Faculty and students will be providing community health workers with oral health education tailored to the individuals they serve along the Texas border.
Brunette dental alumna smiles at the camera while posing with her hands in her pockets. She is wearing a burgundy top with a black blazer.

Meeting the need

Class of 2010 alumna, Christina Meiners, DDS, FICD, recounts her journey to becoming a dentist, explains her passion for outreach and advocacy for more underrepresented minorities within the dental professions.
Scientist in a white lab coat looks through his microscope.

‘Who cares about teeth?’

With several awards from top organizations in the field, a publication of findings from a global study and three major multimillion-dollar NIH grants under his belt, periodontics researcher Georgios A. Kotsakis, DDS, MS, advocates for oral health and global impact.
The words in memoriam in gold on a black background with a white flower to the left.

2022: In memoriam

The School of Dentistry honors the memory of four faculty leaders who dedicated their careers to the education of others.