Update - Administration - Dental Museum

Dean Hal Slavkin presented the annual Dr. Jack W. Gottschalk Distinguished Lecture during the Dr. Samuel D. Harris National Museum of Dentistry’s 10th anniversary celebration, held late June in Baltimore, MD. The lecture was held in conjunction with the celebratory events, and coincided with a special exhibition acknowledging and spotlighting dental schools in the United States and Canada.

Slavkin’s lecture, “Your Mouth: A Mirror to Wellness,” provided a personal and humorous look at the oral cavity. The lecture and the wine tasting and gala dinner that followed kicked off a week of activities celebrating the10 years since the museum’s founding.

Dean Slavkin addresses the crowd at the 10th anniversary celebration of the Samuel D. Harris National Museum of Dentistry in Baltimore, MD.

Slavkin, a member of the museum’s board of directors, felt honored to be chosen as this year’s speaker, saying he feels a strong sense of family with the dental museum community.

“It’s like being asked to speak at a family reunion. I’ve known these people since my time in Washington working for the NIH. They are family to me,” he says.

Eleven schools, in addition to USC School of Dentistry, participated in the new exhibition highlighting dental education. Located in the first floor galleries of the museum, the interactive exhibit includes an overview of each participating institution, with a Dean’s statement, history and photographic display.

“The project was designed to give dental schools the opportunity to tell their unique stories and, most importantly, to have a presence in the congressionally designated museum of the dental profession,” says Rosemary Fetter, the museum’s executive director. The exhibition also recognizes landmark achievements in dental education and provides information for young people interested in pursuing a career in dentistry.

The Dr. Samuel D. Harris National Museum of Dentistry is affiliated with the Smithsonian Institute.