Mayo Clinic Oral Health

09/02/2026

In honor of National Cleft and Craniofacial Awareness Month this past July, our orthodontic team stepped up for the ACPA 60-Mile Challenge! 🏃‍♀️🚴‍♂️👟

By walking, biking, and running a total of 60 miles, they helped raise awareness for the American Cleft Palate Craniofacial Association and their mission to advance care for individuals with cleft and craniofacial conditions.

ℹ️ Learn more about the challenge and how you can support: https://bit.ly/4yhrJzL

08/26/2026

🎉 Congratulations to Dr. Subha Giri, our Dental Sleep Medicine specialist, on receiving the 2026 Outstanding Mentor Award for her dedication to mentorship and education through the Clinical Research Internship Study Program (CRISP)! She is pictured here (center) with CRISP students, Aleena (left) and Nicole (right). 🌟

Dr. Giri's inspiring guidance has left a lasting impact, as reflected in her mentee Nicole Wu’s words: “Dr. Giri’s openness and guidance gave me valuable insight into what it means to pursue a meaningful career in medicine. I leave Mayo Clinic with the confidence, perspective, and inspiration to become a physician who combines compassionate care with curiosity, innovation, and a lifelong commitment to improving healthcare.” 👩‍⚕️✨

Congratulations, Dr. Giri, on this well-deserved recognition and for inspiring the next generation of healthcare professionals! 👏

08/24/2026

🔎 We highlight research co-authored by Dr. Pandora Lee, which examines how professional dental implant maintenance supports the health of surrounding bone and gums.

This study specifically looks at how routine clinical care helps prevent peri-implantitis—a condition characterized by inflammation and bone loss around implants.

Ultimately, the results reinforce an important message: regular professional maintenance plays a key role in supporting peri-implant health and ensuring the long-term success of dental implants. 🦷✨

ℹ️ Learn more here: https://bit.ly/4zllUmn

08/20/2026

📚 Research led by Dr. Elisa Herrman and Orthodontics, Maxillofacial Prosthetics, and Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery teams at Mayo Clinic explores how patient-related factors influence treatment completion for Nasoalveolar Molding (NAM) in newborns with cleft lip and palate. 👶🩺

"Increased overall health complexity, public insurance status, and need for social work support were identified as factors associated with NAM noncompletion. These variables can help identify patients at risk of noncompletion and empower providers to supply individualized support and resources."

These findings offer valuable insights into identifying families at higher risk for noncompletion, helping care teams deliver proactive, tailored support during early intervention. 💡✨

📖 Read the full study: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/10556656241293682

ObjectiveIdentify sociodemographic factors and comorbidities predictive of nasoalveolar molding (NAM) treatment completion and noncompletion in infants with cleft lip with or without (+/–) cleft pa...

08/18/2026

📚💡 Aleena Chattha, a talented student in our Clinical Research Internship Study Program (CRISP), collaborated with Dr. Subha Giri and our Orthodontics team to investigate the connection between the shape of the roof of the mouth (palate) and sleep disorders. 💤

Her work highlights the value of bringing students and multidisciplinary teams together to explore questions that can deepen our understanding of patient health. We're proud of Aleena and wish her continued success! 💖

08/14/2026

This summer, Dental Specialties hosted two students from the Clinical Research Internship Study Program, also known as CRISP. ✨

CRISP student Nicole Wu teamed up with Dr. Subha Giri and Mayo Clinic specialists in Dental Sleep Medicine and Sleep Medicine to investigate the link between clinical parameters and provider-assessed improvements in patients with obstructive sleep apnea. 😴🩺

This exciting research is helping us better understand how clinical measures translate into real-world patient improvement! 🚀 We’re proud of Nicole’s contributions and look forward to seeing her continued success.

ℹ️ Learn more about CRISP, here: https://mayocl.in/4xC5tQY

08/12/2026

Dr. Sarah Kay Youny Lee, a , recently had the honor of presenting at the American Head and Neck Society Annual Meeting to advanced practice providers. 🎤✨

In her talk, Dr. Lee emphasized the vital role of in supporting patients throughout head and neck cancer treatment. She also shared valuable insights from Mayo Clinic’s multidisciplinary approach to comprehensive care. 🎗️🦷

Her presentation highlighted how collaboration across specialties can address the complex needs of patients, ensuring they receive personalized support throughout their entire treatment journey. 🤝💙

08/06/2026

📆 Join us on Friday, August 21, at noon for our next free virtual Grand Rounds CE session!

Dr. Sarah Kay Youny Lee will share how to optimize implant prosthodontics through collaborative specialty care—covering everything from initial treatment planning to long-term maintenance and complex complications.

It's easy to join! From our series page, simply click on the Zoom meeting link at the start of the session. We'll give attendees details on claiming CE during the presentation.

ℹ️ https://mayocl.in/3RRr20y

08/04/2026

🎉 Happy 20th Mayo Clinic Anniversary to Andrea!

From her start as a licensed dental assistant in periodontics in 2006 to her leadership roles across Dental Specialties, Ophthalmology, and Language Services, Andrea’s 20-year career is a testament to growth, adaptability, and dedication to service. 🌟

Reflecting on her milestone, Andrea shared:

"20 years at Mayo Clinic is more than just the people, work, and impact within the medical field—it's how life has evolved personally as well: getting married, having our four children, completing my bachelor's and master's degrees, and the people I have been able to do life with. I am more confident and comfortable to be my authentic self within the areas I support and truly value how I can support individuals to further their mission as well."

We are so grateful for Andrea's leadership and the genuine care she brings to her teams every day. Join us in congratulating her on 20 remarkable years! 👏🥳🎈

07/22/2026

🌟 Help us welcome Dr. Virada Kanchanapun, one of our newest fellows in Maxillofacial Prosthetics and Dental Oncology!

Dr. Kanchanapun earned her DDS at Thammasat University in Thailand before completing her Advanced Prosthodontics training nearby at the University of Minnesota. We are so glad she chose to stay in MN for her fellowship!

Why Mayo Clinic? It all comes down to the culture: "I chose Mayo Clinic because of its outstanding reputation, patient-centered approach to care, and strong emphasis on education and teamwork."

🏡 Hometown: Bangkok, Thailand
🍲 When she’s not treating patients: She’s a major foodie who loves exploring local restaurants and trying different cuisines. (Give her your best Rochester food recs in the comments! 👇)
🔮The Future: Dr. Kanchanapun plans to return home to Thailand to practice in areas where specialized maxillofacial prosthodontists are needed most.

Welcome to the Dental Specialties family! 😀