Ignacio Troiano, DDS, MSD

Robert A. Utsman, DDS, MPM is a Dentist and Orofacial Pain Management Specialist at the MUSC School of Dental Medicine. Dr. Utsman works to coordinate and manage both simple and complex chronic pain disorders involving the jaw, face, and head. He has been involved in education and training of dentists in TMJ, Orofacial Pain, and research for over the past 12 years. Dr. Utsman has found pain management to be a challenging career and a wonderful opportunity to help patients retake their lives. His approach with patient care blends evidence-based treatments through an interdisciplinary team with extensive training of patients in how to manage their own pain. He believes all patients play an essential role in their own capacity to heal.

At the forefront of integrating digital technology into dental practices, Dr. Pongsakorn Poovarodom is committed to leveraging his wealth of knowledge and expertise in digital dentistry and prosthodontics to improve patient outcomes. He earned his Ph.D. in Oral Science from Chiang Mai University, supported by the prestigious CMU Presidential Scholarship. He also holds a Master of Science in Prosthodontics and a D.D.S. degree from Khon Kaen University. In addition to his robust background in biomechanics, finite element analysis, and computer-aided design (CAD), Dr. Poovarodom has made significant contributions to the field through his research, with publications focusing on the impact of implant placement on bone remodeling and the biomechanical behavior of custom implant abutments.

Dr. Hua-Hong Chien came aboard as a professor and chief of the Division of Regenerative Sciences and Periodontology on July 31, 2023. Born and raised in Taiwan, Dr. Chien matriculated into China Medical University School of Dentistry from which he received his D.D.S. degree in 1986. Dr. Chien completed his specialty training at the State University of New York at Buffalo, School of Dental Medicine, where he received a Ph.D. degree in Oral Biology and a certificate in Periodontics in 1997. Immediately afterward, he moved back to his native country, Taiwan, and became a full-time faculty member at China Medical University. In 2001, he was appointed as the Dean of the School of Dentistry at China Medical University. In 2007, he accepted a faculty position at The Ohio State University (OSU) College of Dentistry, where he was appointed as a clinical associate professor in the Division of Periodontology. Dr. Chien became a Diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology and was appointed as the Pre-doctoral Program Director in the Division of Periodontology in 2009. Dr. Chien's major focus of study since starting at OSU has been dental implant research. He has been the principal investigator in two college seed grants and one corporate-funded research contract. He was also the co-investigator for several dental implant contracts/grants from corporations or foundations. Dr. Chien has mentored both periodontal and prosthodontic graduate students in the completion of their master's degrees in clinical studies. Dr. Chien has contributed to the scientific knowledge in periodontics with the publication of 38 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters. He has also served on the editorial board for several journals.