$4M gift

Nobel Biocare philanthropy will advance teaching of implant dentistry

Nobel Biocare AB of Sweden, the world’s largest manufacturer of dental implants, has awarded $4 million to the School of Dental Medicine to name the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Clinic and further develop the study of dental implants and prosthetics.

The gift is the second largest ever to the dental school. Tufts President Lawrence S. Bacow hailed the partnership, which, he said, joins “an entrepreneurial university with an entrepreneurial company” and underscores Tufts’ commitment to stand at the forefront of clinical training in dentistry. “The patients are the ultimate beneficiary of this gift,” he said.

Heliane Canepa, president and CEO of Nobel Biocare, responded enthusiastically when asked why her company had made this investment in Tufts. “It’s the second largest dental school in the United States!” she exclaimed, smiling. “We’ve worked with Tufts for years. We know the people, and we know their potential. And of course, you go with the best names. They are the front-runner.”

Nobel Biocare’s generosity enables Tufts to achieve a number of key objectives: The implant center and oral and maxillofacial operating facilities at the school will be expanded to accommodate current and future demand for implant placement and restoration. Implant dentistry will be further integrated into didactic education and clinical training. An array of continuing education programs will train practicing dentists in the use of dental implant devices and technology. And implant dentistry research will be further integrated into both bench and clinical research endeavors.

“For us, the impact is huge,” said Dr. Maria Papageorge, professor and chair of oral and maxillofacial surgery. “We can provide more patients with implant dentistry, take care of more patients in shorter time, further educate both our pre-doc and postdoctoral students, and provide continuing education in implant dentistry to our alumni and other dentists.”

“The real impact is not only implantology training for our dental students but raising the standard of care for patients served by the thousands of Tufts dentists nationally and internationally,” Dean Lonnie H. Norris said.

—Mark Sullivan