Sharon M. Gordon, D.D.S., M.P.H., Ph.D. 
Dean, School of Dental Medicine | University of Connecticut
Farmington, CT, UNITED STATES
Dr. Sharon M. Gordon is the Dean of the School of Dental Medicine at the University of Connecticut.
Biography
Dr. Sharon M. Gordon is the Dean of the School of Dental Medicine at the University of Connecticut.
Areas of Expertise (3)
Public Health
Pain Management
Dentistry
Education (4)
John Hopkins University, School of Public Health: Ph.D., Doctorate of Philosophy
John Hopkins University, School of Hygiene and Public Health: M.P.H., Public Health
University of Texas - Health Science Center Dental School: D.D.S.
University of North Texas: B.A., Biology
Affiliations (7)
- American Association of Public Health Dentistry
- American Board of Dental Public Health
- American Association of Women Dentists
- Academy of General Dentistry
- Omicron Kappa Upsilon National Dental Honor Society
- American College of Dentists
- American Dental Association, Member
Accomplishments (3)
Alan J. Davis Award/Student Competition for Advancing Dental Research and its Application
2019
Dr. Patricia Sokolove Outstanding Mentor Award (professional)
Dr. Patricia Sokolove Outstanding Mentor Award - UMB Graduate School
Distinguished Scientist Award (professional)
Distinguished Scientist Award - Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Therapeutics Group, IADR
Media
Publications:
Documents:
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Media Appearances (2)
Dental care and special needs
Hartford Courant online
2019-05-23
I read with interest “Dental care and disabilities” [Smarter Living, Page D1, May 19]. Access to oral health care is critical for overall health and well-being; this is particularly challenging for people with intellectual disability. As noted in the article, many barriers exist for those who require special accommodations— resulting in a lack of routine dental visits and leading to untreated conditions that worsen, requiring the need for extensive procedures.
Close-Up: Sharon Gordon, New Dean Of UConn Dental School
Hartford Courant online
2018-11-20
Dr. Sharon M. Gordon became dean of the UConn School of Dental Medicine in September, the first woman to hold that post in the school’s 50-year history. About half of the practicing dentists in Connecticut are alumni of the school...
Research Focus (1)
Improving the Management of Pain
Improved Analgesia and Anesthesia
Dr. Gordon's clinical and research interests center on improving the management of pain through improved analgesia and anesthesia, as well as accelerating oral wound healing, particularly following tissue injury or mucosal perturbations due to cancer therapy.
Patents (1)
Inhibition of pro-inflammatory cytokines to ameliorate mucosal injury
SG-2005-053
Topical Thalidomide
Articles (5)
Influence of Community-Based Dental Education on Practice Choice: Preliminary Data from East Carolina University
Journal of Dental Education2019 Maldistribution of the dental workforce contributes to poor access to oral health care. Community-based dental education (CBDE) may help to address this problem by using experiential learning to encourage new dentists to practice in underserved areas. The East Carolina University School of Dental Medicine (East Carolina University SoDM) employs a multifaceted strategy, including CBDE, to increase the number of dentists practicing in underserved areas of North Carolina.
Use of the Dental Electronic Health Record for Research: Assessing Demographic and Oral Health Characteristics Data for Clinic Patients
Journal of Dental Education2018 Dental schools in the United States increasingly emphasize community-based practice targeting underserved populations. However, the impact on target populations remains largely undocumented. East Carolina University School of Dental Medicine (ECU SoDM) developed an integrated electronic health record database that aggregates patient data from all clinics in the ECU SoDM system and enables longitudinal assessment of the impact of clinical care on oral health outcomes.
Risk Factors for Facial Pain: Data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative Study
Journal of Dental Oral Biology2017 Temporomandibular disorder (TMD) is believed to be co-morbid with rheumatologic conditions such as Osteoarthritis (OA). We determine 30-day prevalence and cumulative incidence, and risk factors for facial pain in a cohort of subjects who either had or were at risk of developing symptomatic radiographic knee osteoarthritis (SRKOA).
Prescribing Opioid Analgesics for Acute Dental Pain: Time to Change Clinical Practices in Response to Evidence and Misperceptions
Compendium of Continuing Education in Dentistry2016 As the nation comes to terms with a prescription opioid epidemic, dentistry is beginning to understand its own unintentional contribution and seek ways to address it. The article urges dental providers to reexamine entrenched prescribing habits and thought patterns regarding treatment of acute dental pain. It points to evidence suggesting that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are nonaddictive and usually more effective for managing many cases of acute dental pain.
Double-masked, randomized, placebo-controlled study to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of intranasal K305 (3% tetracaine plus 0.05% oxymetazoline) in anesthetizing maxillary teeth
Journal of American Dentistry Association2016 The authors compared the local anesthetic efficacy and safety of an intranasally administered formulation of tetracaine and oxymetazoline (K305) with placebo in adult participants undergoing single dental restorative procedures in teeth nos. 4 through 13.
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