“ Being able to provide care that addresses both aspects of patients ’ needs made our clinic unique and our efforts very gratifying ,” says Plemons , who is also president of the Texas Dental Association .
While she works closely with Dr . Celeste Abraham , clinical associate professor in periodontics , the oral and maxillofacial pathology faculty are quick to lend a hand when needed .
“ Plemons has improved clinic productivity , patient care , and continuously updated the Stomatology curriculum to meet our residents ’ needs and to continue our instructional portfolio during the COVID-19 pandemic ,” Diekwisch says .
She earned her master ’ s in oral biology and a periodontics certificate in 1988 from Baylor College of Dentistry ( now Texas A & M College of Dentistry ), where she completed her dental degree in 1986 . Plemons also completed a Fellowship in Oral Medicine and has advanced training in dental implants and dental anesthesiology . She attended Texas A & M University for her undergraduate studies . In 2014 , she was named Dentist of the Year by the Dallas County Dental Society .
The Stomatology Clinic can be found in the Graduate Periodontics Clinic on the sixth floor in the new clinical building . Graduate students see patients from 10 a . m . to noon on Tuesdays and Thursdays . Faculty see patients throughout the year , although clinical care and hours have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic . Plemons spends Tuesday / Thursday afternoons in the Predoctoral Periodontics Clinic . She will still work in her private practice on Monday mornings , Wednesdays and Fridays .
What personal experiences inspired your interest in stomatology and your commitment to patients who suffer from these rare and often debilitating conditions ?
I think we all want to feel that we make a difference in our efforts regarding our professional careers , and probably in life in general . In stomatology , I routinely saw patients in my residency who were suffering and felt they had nowhere to turn to get the help they desperately needed . Many of the conditions we saw in these patients were medical conditions that manifested in the oral cavity . As a result , patients and the care they needed fell in a gap between medicine and dentistry .
More specifically , I was drawn to oral medicine when I had the opportunity to participate in the care of a group of oral cancer survivors . One patient had surgery that included the removal of most of her tongue . She struggled to speak and I struggled to understand her . She could no longer take food by mouth and she suffered from severe xerostomia . As we both worked hard to improve her quality of life , she showed me the strength of the human spirit . She has been gone a long time now , but I still remember our visits as some of the most moving experiences in my life . To know that I helped her even a little is a privilege that I hold close to my heart .
From your vantage point , what new diagnostics or clinical modalities do you see on the horizon that offer the potential to enhance quality of life for stomatology patients ?
Research in oral medicine currently centers on clinical , translational bench-top and bioinformatics projects exploring both the impact of systemic disease on the oral cavity and systemic implications for oral disease . As far as diagnostics go , much attention is being given to the potential diagnosis of systemic and oral diseases / conditions such as Sjogren ’ s syndrome , viral infections and oral cancer based on salivary biomarkers . Clinical research on new treatment modalities will continue to include product testing and interventional studies involving new medications , such as biologics and other systemic medications , and new methods of drug application , such as topical sustainedreleased products and laser therapy .
What have your patients taught you ?
Over the years , caring for oral medicine patients has reinforced my commitment to lifelong learning . Patients have shown me the power of the human spirit in facing the diagnosis and treatment of life-threatening and certainly life-altering diseases or conditions . They have also reminded me of the importance of listening and the incredible value of patience . It ’ s through the care of these patients that I feel I ’ ve done the most “ good ” in my life .
Texas A & M College of Dentistry ( formerly Baylor College of Dentistry ) in Dallas is a part of Texas A & M University and Texas A & M Health Science Center . Founded in 1905 , the College of Dentistry is a nationally recognized center for oral health sciences education , research , specialized patient care and continuing dental education . Learn more at dentistryinsider . tamhsc . edu or follow @ TAMUdental .
Kathleen Green Pothier is communications coordinator at Texas A & M College of Dentistry . She previously worked at Positively Proofed , where she wrote and edited content for corporate clients , publications and motivational speakers . She also was a writer and editor at The Dallas Morning News , Houston Post and Beaumont Enterprise . Pothier has a journalism degree from the University of Nebraska .
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