He was just doing what he’d been trained to do at the UM dental school. But leaders in the Filipino-Canadian community quickly told him he was now a role model.

“The Filipino community was excited,” Colina recalls. “They came, and we were swamped with patients.”

Colina was 11 years old when he emigrated from the Philippines to Brandon, Man., with his family. Today, 36 years into his career, he is known for his leadership in both the Filipino and dental communities.

He has, for instance, held prominent roles in the Knights of Rizal, a Filipino organization that presents scholarships to graduating Manitoba high school students of Filipino heritage. Still, Colina downplays his impact as a role model.

“I’ve had patients who have gone on to become dentists and doctors,” he says. “I don’t know if I’m part of it – maybe? I was just being a dentist.”

One person Colina knows he directly influenced is his son, Nick Colina [DMD/25]. The 26-year-old graduated this spring from the Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry.

Dr. Nick Colina (left) and his father, Dr. Tom Colina, celebrate Nick’s graduation as a dentist at Spring Convocation.

“I’m really proud of him,” says the elder dentist. “The program is tough.”

Colina didn’t push his son toward dentistry, but what Nick observed while growing up led him to choose the profession, the pair say. When Nick was seven years old, Colina took him on a dental mission trip to the Philippines, where Nick helped to comfort the impoverished kids his father was treating.

“Those experiences opened my eyes to the broader role oral health plays in well-being, and they continue to inspire me to follow in my father’s footsteps,” Nick says.

Colina has now brought Nick on board as the 11th dentist in his dental group. With three partners, Colina co-owns three Winnipeg clinics that employ more than 50 people.

Still dedicated to humanitarian dental missions, he has helped lead seven such trips to countries including Zimbabwe, Peru, Guatemala and Ecuador.

“Giving back is a core value I believe in,” he says. “I aim to make a difference in people’s lives.”

A different kind of community role for Colina has been performing four times in the All-Dentist Musical, a biennial event that sees Manitoba dentists stage a musical to benefit a charity. This year, when Colina had a solo in Chicago, his son stepped up as his vocal coach.

Colina’s higher education started at Brandon University, where he completed his prerequisites before being accepted into UM’s dental school.

He wasn’t sure he truly wanted to be a dentist until his third year, when he performed an orthodontic screening of an 11-year-old with cancer. He and his professor decided the patient was a candidate for braces, even though they didn’t know if she would survive the disease.

“That’s when I realized that dentistry is something that can improve a patient’s quality of life. I can make her bite better and make her feel better. I thought, ‘This is a good field.’”

In 1989, Colina became the first Filipino graduate of the dental school. At the time, he was enrolled in the Canadian Armed Forces Dental Officer Training Program, which had covered the cost of his dental education.

After graduation, he was posted to the National Defence Headquarters dental clinic in Ottawa, where he was surrounded by dental specialists who encouraged him. “It was beyond what a young dentist would normally be able to experience,” he says. “Those four years were a tremendous time for learning.”

Following his four-year military service, Colina and UM classmate David Chin [DMD/89] bought an established clinic on Ellice Avenue in Winnipeg. It became so busy that Colina built, with partners, a second clinic in 2004 on Keewatin Street and a third in 2018 on Portage Avenue.

“A large dental organization provides a better chance for collaboration,” he says. “It means learning from each other and mentoring the associate dentists.”

Passing on his oral-health wisdom is important to Colina. He has been a part-time clinical instructor and lecturer at his alma mater for the past 22 years.

“My favourite part of teaching students is when there’s confirmation and realization of what they’ve learned. You see it in their eyes. Ooh – a lightbulb moment. I love those.”

He is also dedicated to furthering his own education to better serve his patients.

Around 2012, Colina wanted to learn more about relieving patients’ pain, so he looked to Dr. Stephen Ahing for advice. He told his former professor that he was considering a master’s degree, and they spent the afternoon discussing topics related to pain, oral medicine and oral pathology.

“Even after dental school, your professors are there to serve as your mentors and guide you,” says Colina, who went on to complete his master of science in orofacial pain and oral medicine at the University of Southern California in 2017.

In 2022-23, he attained another provincial Filipino “first” when he served as elected president of the Manitoba Dental Association.

“If I’ve had the privilege of being seen as a mentor or role model,” Colina says, “my hope is that my actions reflect the lessons I’ve learned – a commitment to growth, integrity, and always striving to reach one’s fullest potential.”

Robert Schroth [DMD/96, M.Sc./03, PhD/10], professor of preventive dental science at the Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry, has dedicated more than 15 years to understanding the oral health of children under the age of six.

“I recognize the importance of setting kids on the right path,” says Schroth, who is also a researcher with the Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba.

The dentist-scientist has become an international authority on early childhood caries (tooth decay), which in its severe form aggressively damages primary teeth and affects many aspects of kids’ health and well-being.

In a 2016 study, Schroth found that Indigenous children in Canada were more than seven times more likely to undergo dental surgery in hospital for this severe form of caries than other children.

The question of why kids from disadvantaged backgrounds have a high rate of tooth decay has propelled him into more than a dozen research studies.

“We have known for years that early childhood caries is influenced by the oral microbiome,” says the lifelong Winnipegger, who joined UM as a full-time faculty member in 2010.

“But decay is also influenced by genetic variants, and by environmental factors like diet, oral hygiene and access to dental care. The more we can unravel the combined risk factors, the better we can target preventive approaches, such as painting silver diamine fluoride on kids’ teeth. We have shown in clinical trials that it is effective in arresting decay.”

Last year, Schroth was awarded a six-year Applied Public Health Chair by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). In this role, he is focused on research to improve children’s access to oral health care.

He’s currently evaluating the rollout of a caries assessment guide that he developed to help non-oral health professionals – such as doctors and nurses – identify children at risk for tooth decay.

Schroth is also studying the impact of the Canadian Dental Care Plan. He says the plan addresses some of the financial issues related to accessing care, but doesn’t address the lack of dental offices in certain underserved areas of Canada, or barriers like food availability, housing and access to running water.

As a CIHR chair, Schroth can pivot his research if a public health problem arises. One issue he’s watching with concern is the growing anti-water fluoridation movement.

He is currently working with Prashen Chelikani [PhD/04], professor of oral biology, to examine the oral microbiome associated with severe tooth decay in First Nations and Métis preschoolers. That project is combining clinical, bacterial and genetic sequencing data to analyze the overall risk of caries.

“Ten years ago, I wouldn’t have thought this interdisciplinary work was possible,” he says.

Schroth leads the global Early Childhood Caries Advocacy Group and hopes to host a symposium for the organization in Winnipeg.

He says he developed an interest in early childhood caries research because it was a neglected area that he could make his own.

“My passion for research comes from my ability to make discoveries, answer questions, and also to provide evidence of systemic and oral health connections.”

Terry Duguid, Member of Parliament for Winnipeg South

Terry Duguid, Member of Parliament for Winnipeg South, made the announcement at a media conference on UM’s Fort Garry campus on Nov. 28. Dr. Doug Eyolfson, Member of Parliament for Winnipeg West, emceed the event.  

“Infrastructure, housing, all of those things, those physical assets that we’re building in our communities from coast to coast to coast are important, but investing in the health of Canadians matters just as much, if not more. Preventative dental care strengthens our health-care system, improves quality of life and builds a heathier, more productive Canada,” Duguid said.  

The funding for four UM projects is part of Health Canada’s Oral Health Access Fund, which is designed to complement the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP).  

The goal of the fund is to expand access to oral health care by supporting projects at Canadian dental schools and other institutions that reduce or remove non-financial barriers to accessing care for specific groups, including children, Indigenous Peoples, newcomers and seniors.   

Dr. Anastasia Kelekis-Cholakis, dean of the Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry

Dr. Anastasia Kelekis-Cholakis, dean of the Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry, said that there are too many Manitobans who are challenged in terms of accessing oral health care and many people sometimes suffer in silence. 

“This funding really helps change that. By strengthening our ability to serve populations, such as unhoused people, newcomers, seniors, we’re ensuring that oral health is really not a privilege, but a right,” Kelekis-Cholakis said.  

The UM dental college received $3.5 million to produce a series of evidence-based online learning modules to better prepare oral health-care students to deliver care to marginalized groups.  The modules will be made available on the Association of Canadian Faculties of Dentistry’s website and can also be used for professional development of licensed professionals.  

The dental school received $1.8 million to develop and implement a 12-month postgraduate clinical apprenticeship pilot program in community oral health and dental public health for dentists and dental hygienists. The program’s aim is to develop community-minded oral health-care providers who will develop additional knowledge and skills to address the oral health care needs of at-risk populations.  

The dental college also received $344,740 for a project to help create an oral health community liaison role at the college’s dental and community clinics. The liaison will foster partnerships with organizations serving people who lack access to oral health care and facilitate their access to services in the university’s campus clinic.  

The final project received $336,000 to cover up to 100 per cent of eligible oral health care for patients who are enrolled in the CDCP or uninsured patients. From now until the end of March 2026, or until the grant is exhausted, patients of all ages who are uninsured or enrolled in the CDCP can receive up to 100 per cent coverage of eligible dental and dental hygiene care at UM dental college’s general clinic.  

“This investment really will ripple through communities improving overall health and well-being,” Kelekis-Cholakis said.  

The four UM projects are among 30 initiatives from across the country that the federal government is funding through the Oral Health Access Fund. Minister of Health Marjorie Michel announced the $35 million in funding in Montreal on Nov. 24.   

But that didn’t matter. The program is designed to provide dentistry students with plenty of research experience.

B.Sc. (Dent.) students work on their own studies for two summers following their first and second years of the four-year doctor of dental medicine degree.

After her first summer, Austin is now well-versed in how to conduct research.

“You never know what your limitations and skills are unless you actually try something. I always tell myself, ‘You can do hard things.’ The program sounded hard, but once I started learning and developing my research skills, it didn’t feel so hard anymore,” said Austin, a second-year dental student.

She spent the summer studying gene expression in taste receptors to observe whether there are differences in people with cancer, those with pre-cancerous lesions and those without cancer.

Austin is looking for potential biomarkers, which she said could contribute to the development of new oral cancer treatments or be used as a sign that a patient with pre-cancerous lesions needs treatment before it becomes cancerous.

UM Today sat down with Austin to learn about her experience as a B.Sc. (Dent.) student at UM.

Why did you enroll in the B.Sc. (Dent.) program?

I remember when the program was introduced to us, it sounded interesting. They highlighted it as something very valuable if you wanted to do a graduate specialty program, such as prosthodontics, periodontics or pediatrics after dental school. They often look to see if you’ve done research.

When February rolled around and I needed to make a decision, I thought, “I’ve never done research before, let’s try this out.” I thought I might as well jump into a project that has lots of people around who can help and lots for me to learn.

What have you learned as a B.Sc. (Dent.) student?

It’s a lot of paper reading. When I say it’s a lot of paper reading, it felt daunting at first, but it was something I had to do in order to then make informed choices regarding my project. One of the most valuable and interesting things I’ve learned is that I have control over what I’m doing with my project.

I also learned a lot of valuable skills when it comes to lab work. I had great lab mentors and lab coordinators who helped me learn those skills.

Learning how to organize and plan something yourself is such a great and valuable skill as well.

What advice would you give someone who is thinking about enrolling in the B.Sc. (Dent.) program?

I think it’s important for dental students to look for a topic they’re very interested in. Prior to dentistry, I very much liked biochemistry, so going into a project that’s part of the oral biology department seemed fitting.

I think it’s also good to look into projects that give back to the community or are related to public health. There’s so much value in learning in a lab and conducting research versus only learning in a simulation lab or a lecture hall.

The other advice would be to talk to supervisors. Involve yourself with people whose research you are interested in and ask around about different projects before you pick which one you want to do.

Rukh just finished her first summer of the bachelor of science in dentistry (B.Sc. (Dent.) program at the Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences. The program provides dental students with the opportunity to work full-time as researchers during the summers following their first and second years of the four-year doctor of dental medicine degree.

Rukh is studying oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs), conditions that precede the onset of cancers in the mouth. She is examining how diet and lifestyle choices can alter the microbiome in the mouth and how this alteration affects gene expression, which can lead to OPMDs.

“OPMDs are non-cancerous, but they have a high potential to become cancerous. Diagnosing a patient with OPMDs leads to a much better prognosis rate compared with full-blown malignancies,” said Rukh, a second-year dental student.

“The goal of the study is to identify high-risk Manitoban populations for targeted oral cancer prevention strategies through diet and microbiome-based interventions.”

Rukh conducted patient screenings for the study at two Winnipeg clinics under the guidance of her supervisors, Dr. Anil Menon, division head of community dentistry and public health, and assistant professor of preventive dental science, and Dr. Vimi Mutalik, head of the division of oral diagnosis, and associate professor of dental diagnostic and surgical sciences.

UM Today sat down with Rukh to learn about her experience as a B.Sc. (Dent.) student at UM.

What have you learned as a B.Sc. (Dent.) student?

One of the most beneficial aspects of the program has been the opportunity to experience being in clinic early on. Normally, when you’re in your first year of dentistry, you’re not seeing patients. You don’t see patients until the second term of your second year.

Since I was working on my B.Sc. (Dent.) project, I got to see patients during the screenings, and I got to observe the interaction between dentists and their patients. I feel like it’s given me a groundwork of skills for when I get to see patients next term. I learned how important communication is with patients.

Why is it important for dental students to gain hands-on research experience?

The program enhances our knowledge. We can learn something in the classroom, but then if we do a B.Sc. (Dent.) and conduct research, we gain a greater depth of what we’re learning in our classes.

I feel that’s why it’s really beneficial. I know it’s impacted me as a student because now when I’m in the class and I’m learning, I’ve seen it in real life, and I’m like, “OK, I can put two and two together.” It’s just an overall better learning experience. I feel like it goes hand in hand.

What is something about research you didn’t know about until you took part in this program?

I learned that every patient is going to be different. As dentists, we must be very adaptable in how we interact with every single patient – whether it’s kids, adults or elderly patients.

I feel like that adaptability is really important as a dentist. By observing dentists over the summer, I really learned the skill of how to talk to different types of people.

Has the B.Sc. (Dent.) experience increased your interest in conducting research after dental school?

Yes, I definitely want to be involved in some sort of research because it’s just a good way to give back.

There’s so much more research that needs to be done, and we need more people doing it. There’s so much we don’t know about oral cancer, and even within dentistry, so after I graduate I would love to take part in it in any way I can.

Dr. Mary Jane McCallum, who graduated from the UM dental school in 1990, gave the keynote address at the Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry and School of Dental Hygiene Opening Assembly on September 4 on the Bannatyne campus. The event officially welcomed the learners and included the White Coat Ceremony and the recitation of the Community Code.

Dr. Mary Jane McCallum

McCallum, who is believed to be the first Indigenous woman in Canada to become a dentist, said she had learned to view dentistry as a business and ignore the human aspects of the patient. She said she had to decolonize what western education had taught her and become a health professional who delivered person-centred care.

“I started to work with my patients on their treatment plan to teach them about taking ownership of their decisions,” said McCallum, who was appointed to the Canadian Senate in 2017.

“They’d say to me, ‘You’re the expert, you decide.’ I said, ‘No, it’s your mouth and your health, and you need to take ownership of your decisions.’ To take ownership of attending their appointments. I started to look at my clinic space as sacred space, because it is sacred.”

McCallum, who is of Cree heritage, provided dental care to First Nations communities across Manitoba during her three decades of distinguished service.

Mallory Thomas

McCallum has led the way for students like Mallory Thomas, who is from Peguis First Nation. Thomas worked as a dental assistant for six years before enrolling in dental school.

“I just fell in love with the profession and wanted to keep going and challenge myself. Dentistry is a profession where you consistently learn throughout your career, so that’s why I chose it,” she said.

Thomas is one of 29 dental students in the Class of 2029. There are six students in the International Dentist Degree Program (IDDP) Class of 2027 and 26 students in the dental hygiene Class of 2027.

Dr. Anastasia Kelekis-Cholakis, dean of the Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry, spoke to the students about the significance of the White Coat Ceremony.

“That white coat is more than a uniform, it’s really a symbol of responsibility and a trust our communities place on your shoulders. Wear it with humility, not pride. Honour it as a lifelong learner. Never take for granted what it represents,” Kelekis-Cholakis said.

Dr. Karimi Minuzzi Tookuni

When IDDP student Dr. Karimi Minuzzi Tookuni donned her white coat, she said it was amazing.

“It’s a symbol, but it really hits you when you put it on,” said Tookuni, who has been a dental assistant since immigrating to Canada from Brazil 10 years ago. IDDP provides dentists who have trained outside of Canada the opportunity to enter the final two years of the UM dental college’s four-year degree program. 

“I think the IDDP program is a pathway to find myself again,” Tookuni said. “It’s amazing to be in this program to be able to help people and make a little bit of a difference in the community.”

Mary Bertone, director of the School of Dental Hygiene, told the students that when reciting the Community Code, they should keep in mind that the words represent the core values and expectations of the college.

“I urge you to consider what you’re saying thoughtfully, encourage you to embrace these words as both a guide and inspiration throughout your studies,” Bertone said.

Raphael Cristobal

Raphael Cristobal, a dental hygiene student who immigrated to Canada from the Philippines at the age of seven, said that reciting the Community Code marked a transition from being a student to becoming a health-care provider.

“It feels surreal. I can’t wait for the relationships and moments this program has in store for me,” Cristobal said.

View an Instagram Reel recapping the Opening Assembly. 

“Every morning when I get to work, I look out the window and the view is beautiful,” she says.

On Fridays, Zetaruk also anxiously watches the skies above Oxford House – located on the Bunibonibee Cree Nation – because poor weather can delay her weekly flight home to Winnipeg.

Zetaruk has been seeing patients year-round in the remote Cree community – about 950 km northeast of Winnipeg – for the past 31 years. As a dentist on contract with Indigenous Services Canada, she typically flies north on Monday mornings and south on Friday afternoons, for three weeks per month.

“I originally chose to work in northern Manitoba because it was so underserviced,” says Zetaruk, who was born and raised in Winnipeg. “What kept me coming back are the relationships I formed with the residents. There’s one family where four sisters have all worked in the dental office.”

When Zetaruk’s two daughters were small, she would bring them along to Oxford House and a local caregiver would look after them while she was working. When her daughters were school-aged and stayed in Winnipeg, it was sometimes tough to be away from them, she says. But she and her husband made it work.

Thinking back to her student days, Zetaruk says she found her calling by chance. One day on the Fort Garry campus as an undergrad, she wandered into a talk by Dr. George Bowden, professor emeritus of dentistry, about dentistry as a career.

“I loved doing crafts and working with my hands. I thought, ‘Dentistry is what I want to do.’”

Graduating from the UM dental school in 1990, she says, she felt prepared to work in a remote location where a dentist has to do it all – from surgeries to dentures and fillings to emergencies. 

“I received a well-rounded education. I wasn’t afraid to work in the north because I felt that as a student, I had exposure to everything I needed.”

Today, Zetaruk says the greatest challenge of her job is that she’s the only regular dentist for a community of roughly 2,500 people.

“Because it’s so remote, I have sometimes pushed the limits of what I feel capable of treating. One of my patients needed several very difficult tooth extractions, but he doesn’t like to travel and would not let me refer him to a specialist in the city.

“I told him that I wasn’t sure I would be able to complete his treatment. Fully informed, he told me to give it a try. In the end, it was successful, but I would not have pushed myself beyond my comfort zone if it weren’t for the situation.”

When Zetaruk mentors dentistry students who fly up to Oxford House for northern remote rotations, she encourages them to follow the northern path that she has found so fulfilling.

After three decades, what does she consider her greatest accomplishment?

“Making people more aware of oral health, so that they want to seek treatment and feel comfortable coming to the clinic.”

The event, held in conjunction with the Manitoba Dental Association’s (MDA) annual convention in April, featured 16 participants who proudly showed off their research posters at the RBC Convention Centre.

The three award winners were Navnoor Randhawa, a third-year dentistry student; Garry Goel, a second year master of science in oral biology learner; and Dr. Brayden Patterson, a second-year resident in oral and maxillofacial surgery.

“The quality of research of the poster winners was outstanding and ranged from basic research using fish models to the investigation of complex dental problems in clinics,” said Dr. Prashen Chelikani, associate dean (research) and professor of oral biology at the Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry.

“The MDA convention is the biggest annual dental conference in Manitoba. It gives a unique opportunity for the residents and students to showcase their research and obtain valuable insights and great feedback from their professional colleagues.”

It was Randhawa’s first-ever research project, and she appreciated winning an award. 

“It felt really good to win because it’s a lot of work to do – juggling schoolwork and research – so having that win was almost like a cherry on top, and it really was sweet,” she said.

Randhawa’s research focused on evaluating how often the initial diagnosis of an oral lesion made by a dentist, specialist or oral pathologist matched the final diagnosis confirmed in the lab. The study reviewed 217 cases that were biopsied at the Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry.

“The overall agreement rate between what clinicians observed and what was confirmed in the lab was 67 per cent, which is good,” Randhawa said.

“I found that after doing a literature review, I didn’t see any similar research happening in Canada. In North America, I found one to two studies, so we don’t have any baseline values in Canada. This study would be one of the first ones that are starting with that baseline level. It would be cool to look at several other schools to see how well we’re doing as a province compared to others.”

Randhawa’s research is supervised by Dr. Vimi Mutalik, associate professor of dental diagnostic and surgical sciences, and division head of oral diagnosis, and Dr. Dieter Schönwetter, professor and director of academic services at the UM dental college.

Garry Goel

Goel said he was surprised to win an award because his research wasn’t focused specifically on dentistry.

“It was a very happy moment because it was one of my first conferences where I won something,” he said.

Goel’s research examined the Mexican tetra fish as a model to study the human inner ear hair cell.

The fish has cells along its body that detect water movement and are like the sensory cells in human ears. Goel said that when the cells are damaged, they start to grow back within a few days, suggesting the fish might be a helpful new model for studying how ear cells get damaged and how they might regenerate.

“Even though fish seem like a very distant organism, or unique organism, that can’t be applied to humans, you can always learn something from using animal models and try to apply them to human research in the future,” Goel said.

His research is supervised by Dr. Devi Atukorallaya, associate professor of oral biology at the UM dental school.

Dr. Brayden Patterson

Patterson said it was great to win the award.

“It’s obviously a team effort for this particular project,” Patterson said. “I’m super thankful they selected me for the award.”

His case study was on a patient with progressive degenerative joint disease who needed jaw joint replacement surgery. He said a damaged part of the jaw joint was replaced with a prosthetic component, which was the first surgery of its kind performed in Manitoba.

“The patient, at six months, already had a normal range of motion, and at her one-year follow-up, she is happy. Her life has improved beyond just her jaw and mouth in terms of her general quality of life. We can see that the overall result of the surgery was very good,” Patterson said.

He is supervised by Dr. Adnan Shah, professor and department head of dental diagnostic and surgical sciences at the UM dental college.

For more than 10 years, she could only eat soft food and often woke up in the middle of the night in distress. Talking caused a sharp pain, and she avoided conversations that lasted more than a minute.   

Kindra Finley

The mother of four couldn’t do daily tasks around the house since she couldn’t lift or reach anything because the muscles in her head and neck were tight, and it was painful to move. Yawning hurt, and she couldn’t clear her ears on an airplane.   

“The pain was excruciating,” Finley said. “It was just bone on bone every time I opened and closed my mouth. It was a shooting pain – a debilitating sharp pain in my head. I just wanted to feel, quote-unquote, normal.”   

Finley underwent multiple treatments and four surgeries to treat progressive degenerative joint disease, a chronic condition where bone and cartilage in the jaw joint degrade over time. But nothing worked to ease the pain.   

Dr. Adnan Shah, professor of oral and maxillofacial surgery and department head of dental diagnostic and surgical sciences at the Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry, decided the last resort was jaw joint replacement surgery.  

Dr. Adnan Shah (middle) and his team (from left to right) Dr. Ramneek Grower, Dr. Meagan Brown, Dr. Brayden Patterson, Dr. Adnan Shah, Dr. Mina Hanna, Dr. Asma Rachid, Dr. Saba Raeisi and Kelsey Morissette.

In April 2024, at the Health Sciences Centre, Shah and his team of residents performed the first jaw joint replacement surgery in the province. Manitoba patients are currently sent to Toronto to have the surgery, which is also known as a total temporomandibular joint replacement.   

“Once we decided there was no other treatment left but to do a total joint replacement, we took a CT scan of Kindra’s face, and based on discussions with the engineers from the manufacturing company, the specific type of implants and sizes were made,” Shah said.   

“We took the diseased joint out and then placed the implants. We reconstructed part of the jawbone and the joint itself.”   

Shah believes that because the jaw is such an important part of the body, this surgery should be as routine in the province as replacing a knee or hip.   

“After the surgery, patients no longer suffer,” Shah said. “This procedure helps people like Kindra live a better life.”   

One year later, Finley is pain-free with normal jaw function and has her life back.   

“It’s like night and day,” said Finley, who lives in Brandon, Man. “I can actually have a hamburger. No pain. No cracking. Nothing.”   

The surgery changed her life. She no longer takes pain medication. She sings to the radio with her daughter while driving her car. She no longer avoids grocery shopping and carries on long conversations. She can empty the dishwasher and smiles in photos again.   

“You don’t realize what you can’t do when you can’t open your mouth,” Finley said. “I needed this surgery. People don’t understand how impactful this injury is to your life. It is every minute of every day. It’s just awful. I’m proof this surgery works.” 

Giving the presentation was Dr. Noriko Boorberg, associate professor of restorative dentistry at the Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry. She told the group about the worldwide dental mission trips she took fourth-year students on.  

The chance to see the world and treat patients at the same time piqued Kwak’s interest.  

More than four years later, Kwak, now a dental student, and four classmates just returned from a trip to Ecuador led by Boorberg and clinical instructor Dr. Tom Colina.  

“I’m in my fourth year now and being able to join Dr. Boorberg’s trip just felt unreal, and I’m very thankful and happy to be part of it,” Kwak said.  

He was lucky because this was the first year a trip took place since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The trip was organized through a Canadian charitable organization called Kindness in Action, which provides free dental services in countries around the world.  

Fourth-year dentistry student Bryan Kwak took part in a dental mission trip to Ecuador.

Over four 12-hour days, the team from the UM dental college visited four communities in the rainforest. They performed more than 80 cleanings, nearly 170 fillings and more than 220 extractions.   

Kwak said using the skills he learned over four years of dental training felt amazing.  

“It felt like everything I did in dental school – all the sweat, effort and time I put in was worth it,” he said. “It felt pretty amazing and rewarding at the end. It was incredible seeing patients smile and be happy. It feels like I contributed to their life in some way.” 

Madison Chambers, a fourth-year dental student who also made the trip, said it was a great way to end her dental school education.  

“I would encourage other dental students to take part in a dental mission trip. It was probably the best moment of my dental school experience,” Chambers said. “Not only just for learning about dentistry, working with patients and becoming more confident in your skills, it’s something I want to do again going forward.”  

The experience pushes students out of their comfort zones and forces them to adapt to new situations. For Kwak, the heat and humidity were a challenge because the makeshift clinics were set up outdoors. 

“I definitely wasn’t ready for the weather, with temperatures around 28° C. Coming from cold weather to South America is something to get used to,” he said, adding that they coped by wearing shorts during the work days.  

For Chambers, she had to adapt to not speaking the same language as her patients.  

“It’s different if you can’t talk with a patient. You have to find other ways to make them feel comfortable and make them understand why you are doing that work for them,” Chambers said.  

Like Kwak and Chambers, Boorberg went on her first dental mission trip in her final and fourth year of dental school. It also made a positive impact, so much so that this was her 17th dental mission.  

“It changed my perspective about dentistry in developing countries and how truly blessed we are living in Canada,” she said. “I want my dentistry students to have the same experience – to give back globally to people in need, in our given profession.” 

Chambers said the students had to help each other out in the clinic, and the trip helped her form a stronger relationship with her classmates.  

“I know we will always be good friends and colleagues going forward,” she said. “It was nice to share the experience with everyone.”