This summer, Penn Dental Medicine announced two new additions that will help the School remain at the leading edge of modern dentistry education and practice.
On July 1, Dr. Mark Wolff began his tenure as the Morton Amsterdam Dean of Dental Medicine, bringing a sterling reputation for innovation and community engagement. As chair of cariology and comprehensive care at the College of Dentistry at New York University, he designed and implemented the world’s largest electronic dental health record and fully digital imaging system. He also developed a clinical program that provided free treatment for survivors of torture and other crimes against humanity, while teaching students how to better tend to this unique patient population.
Dr. Wolff’s commitment to underserved communities fits in seamlessly with Penn Dental Medicine’s outreach in West Philadelphia, which includes two PennSmiles buses and low-cost care for qualifying patients in the dental clinics. Those clinics received an upgrade in January with the reopening of the Main Clinic, now known as the Robert I. Schattner Clinic. Outfitted with state-of-the-art equipment, operatories that maximize patient privacy and comfort while facilitating clinical instruction and new flooring, lighting and windows, the Schattner Clinic has received rave reviews from faculty, students and patients alike.
In June, the expansion of Penn Dental Medicine continued with the unveiling of the Schattner Pavilion, a 2,100-square-foot addition to the School’s campus that gives new meaning to the idea of a “dental bridge.”
The Pavilion links the historic Thomas Evans Building, the Leon Levy Center for Oral Health Research and the Schattner Clinic, bringing research, teaching and practice together like never before. The first story of the Pavilion will function as a central meeting and reception area for faculty, staff and visitors to the Penn Dental Medicine campus, while its second story serves as both a waiting area for patients at the Schattner Clinic as well as a connection to the Levy Center, inspiring faculty collaboration and accelerating the translation of research into innovative patient care and oral health breakthroughs.
The Schattner Clinic and Pavilion were made possible thanks to transformative gifts from of one of Penn Dental Medicine’s greatest patrons, Dr. Robert Schattner, D’48, who passed away in January 2017. A plethora of opportunities are available for donors to create their own legacies within these walls. We encourage you to reach out to Elizabeth Ketterlinus, Senior Associate Dean for Development & Alumni Relations, to learn how you can help unleash the power of Penn Dental Medicine.
