Emerging dental research shines at 2026 Scientific Table Clinic

Certificates and monetary prizes were awarded for outstanding work in three categories: dental student, dental hygiene student, and resident. Photo by Dwight Andrews.

Second year dental student Osaivbie Uhunmwuangho won first place in the dental student category for "Cravings with Consequences: How Geophagia Impacts Oral Health." Photo by Dwight Andrews.

Students and residents at UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry shared research findings and practiced oral presentations on a range of topics at the 2026 Scientific Table Clinic on March 19 in the Cooley University Life Center.

The event featured 67 presentations — 43 DDS, 10 dental hygiene, and 14 resident.

Certificates and monetary prizes were awarded for outstanding work in three categories: dental student, dental hygiene student, and resident. Funding for the awards was provided by the School of Dentistry’s Office of the Dean. The Houston Section of the American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research gave certificates to the winner of each category, while the UTSD Alumni Association also provided monetary awards to dental student honorees. The top finishers were:

• Dental Students:
  • First Place ($1,000): Osaivbie Uhunmwuangho, second year, “Cravings with Consequences: How Geophagia Impacts Oral Health,” sponsor: Ahmad Naraghi, DDS
  • Second Place ($500): Branden Scott, third year, “When ‘Benign’ Is Not Benign: The Critical Role of the Oral Pathologist,” sponsors: Juliana Barros, DDS, MS; and Nadarajah Vigneswaran, BDS, DrMedDent, DMD
  • Third Place ($250): Rodas Hagos, second year, “Staining — and Aging — Dependent Changes in Translucency and Gloss of Resin Composites,” sponsors: Emese Abram, DMD; and Rade Paravina, DDS, MS, PhD
• Dental Hygiene Students (Second-Year Student Groups):
  • First Place ($1,000): Gisel Bojorquez, Lyann Le, and Hailey Matthews, “Can Your Smile Handle GLP-1? Exploring the Oral Side Effects,” sponsor: Victoria Patrounova, RDH, MHA
  • Second Place ($500): Thi Nguyen, Lisbeth Ramos, and Ashlyn Tran, “Rinse Right: Protecting Your Oral Microbiome,” sponsor: Harold Henson, RDH, Med, PhD
  • Third Place ($250): Tamaya Dixon, Ashlin Moreno, and Khia Shandy, “Likes, Lies and Healthy Lives: Social Media’s Dental Dilemma,” sponsor: Theresa Dufrene, RDH, MSDH
• Residents:
  • First Place ($1,000): Brittany Moleta, DDS, “Subperiosteal Implants: Making Their Comeback into Modern Dentistry,” sponsor: Maria Gonzalez, DDS, MS
  • Second Place ($500): John McQuitty, DDS, “Impact of 3D Printing Technology on the Accuracy of Thin Dental Prosthetics,” sponsor: Michelle Thompson, DDS
  • Third Place: ($250): Faisal Ballam, DDS, “Artificial Intelligence in CBCT-Based Implant Planning: Accuracy, Efficiency, and Clinical Integration,” sponsor: Amy Ridall, DDS, MS, PhD

Additionally, PACE Center Practice Consulting offered the W. Kenneth Horwitz, DDS, Table Clinic Award for Discussion of Ethics and Professionalism. Awardees were:

• First Place ($1,000): Sarah O’Connor, DDS, resident, “An Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Pre-Treatment Assessment of Patients Undergoing Sedation for Dental Treatment,” sponsor: Luis Sauto, DDS
• Second Place ($500): Vivian Tran, third year, “Brookwood Bites: Advancing Nutrition Equity for Adults with Disabilities,” sponsor: Ana Neumann, DDS, MPH, PhD
• Third Place ($250): Kobe George, second year, “Evaluating ChatGPT’s Impact on Periodontal Diagnostic Accuracy and Student Perceptions in Dental Education,” sponsors: Jennifer Chang, DDS, MSD; and Celine Sheng, DDS

The Student Table Clinic is a time-honored tradition at the School of Dentistry, supported by the Office of the Dean and the PACE Center. Dentsply Sirona was the title sponsor. Additional sponsorship was provided by the Denton A. Cooley, MD and Ralph C. Cooley, DDS Endowment Fund for Dental Education; the AADOCR Houston Section; and the UTSD Alumni Association.