Summer Research Program propels Lauren Mai and Viet Nguyen to present findings in Memphis
Two first-year DMD students from the UF College of Dentistry recently traveled to Memphis, presenting their research at the 2025 Hinman Student Research Symposium, held October 31 through November 2.
Lauren Mai and Viet Nguyen are both members of UFCD’s most recent Summer Research Program cohort. They began their research careers before their first day of dental school. Now they’ve already shared their findings on a national stage ahead of the close of their first semester.
The Hinman Student Research Symposium recognizes research efforts of dental students nationwide through competitive presentations.
Addressing Barriers to Care for Patients with IDD
Mai’s project examined what influences general dentists’ willingness and preparedness to treat patients with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, or IDD.
Working with mentor Astha Singhal, B.D.S., M.P.H., Ph.D., from the Department of Community Dentistry and Behavioral Science, Mai conducted and quantified the insights she gleaned from interviews with 15 general dentists across Florida.
Her research revealed that most dentists reported minimal formal training on treating patients with IDD in dental school.
“All but one participant reported feeling underprepared by their training in dental school to independently treat IDD patients,” Mai’s research found.
Key themes from the interviews included lack of training and inadequate insurance reimbursement. Safety concerns for patients and support staff also emerged.
The study identifies concrete opportunities for improvement. These include targeted continuing education and early exposure in dental school. Mentorship opportunities and systemic changes to strengthen practice-level support could also make a positive impact.
UFCD Leads by Example
Nearly 40 Years of IDD Patient Care & Training
Mai's research identifies a national training gap that UFCD has worked to address for decades. Collaborating with faculty including Bryan Smallwood, D.M.D., M.P.H., C.P.H., Mai drew on the college's nearly 40 years of experience providing specialized IDD care. Her findings suggest that the hands-on training UFCD students receive—learning patient-centered techniques from faculty dedicated to this population—should become standard across dental education.
How has UFCD served patients with IDD, training students to do the same?
- Expanding access through mobile outreach and home-based care: UFCD brings preventive dental services directly to patients with disabilities in their homes and communities across Florida.
- Pioneering patient-centered techniques that eliminate anxiety: Dr. Bryan Smallwood helped a patient with autism receive dental care without sedation for the first time in his life through simple accommodations and active listening.
- Creating safe spaces for children with sensory needs: The NCF Pediatric Dental Center in Naples features a sensory room where children like 11-year-old Jesse with Down syndrome can build comfort and confidence.
- Partnering with foundations to serve 700+ patients statewide: Support from the Special Day Foundation enabled UFCD to expand specialized care to St. Petersburg, Hialeah and Naples for patients who couldn’t access treatment elsewhere.
- Showing what’s possible through 35 years of dedication: Dr. Timothy Garvey’s career demonstrates how specialized training and commitment can make dental care accessible for patients with profound disabilities.
- Calling for change long before it became a national conversation: UFCD faculty advocated for more training and support for dentists treating patients with disabilities in 2003—challenges that Lauren Mai’s research shows still need addressing.
Uncovering a Potential “Anti-Cavity Cocktail”
Nguyen’s research explored how attacking cavity-causing bacteria with two different stressors at once proves more effective than either approach alone.
Guided by mentor José A. Lemos, Ph.D., from the Department of Oral Biology, Nguyen investigated what happens when S. mutans— the cavity-causing bacteria— faces both internal stress from methylglyoxal and external stress from metals like zinc.
Methylglyoxal is a toxic byproduct of sugar metabolism while zinc is commonly found in oral care products.
His findings revealed that when these stresses are combined, they create a substantially more challenging environment for the bacteria. Either stress alone had less impact.
“The combination of methylglyoxal and zinc, iron, or nickel induces a substantial growth defect in the wild type strains,” the research concluded.
This discovery could inform the development of more effective oral care products that target cavity-causing bacteria with multiple stresses simultaneously.
The Summer Research Program Advantage
Both students participated in UFCD’s Summer Research Program. The program allows incoming first-year students to begin meaningful research projects before orientation. It pairs students with faculty mentors and provides hands-on experience with the scientific method.
The Hinman Student Research Symposium provided Mai and Nguyen with the opportunity to network with dental students from across the United States and Canada. They gained valuable experience presenting their work to a professional audience.
Congratulations again to Lauren Mai and Viet Nguyen for representing UFCD with excellence.
Interested in launching your own research career before dental school begins?