About

Each year, students, faculty and staff gather to celebrate research, clinical and community service achievements at University of the Pacific, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry. Excellence Day is a long-standing tradition that allows the Dugoni School community to share their projects with colleagues, friends, alumni and other special guests. 

Annual Excellence Day Awards recognize student research, clinical care (cases), community health promotion, teaching/instructional material creation, and academic programming. Winning students and residents are recognized with certificate awards and monetary prizes.

AWARD CATEGORIES

AWARDS IN CLINICAL CARE: 

Implant Dentistry

This category must involve an implant prosthesis, either removable or fixed. It can be as simple as a single unit crown or as involving as an implant supported over denture.

Endodontics

This category involves endodontic cases encompassing Students’ work accomplished anywhere in the clinic.

CAD/CAM Dentistry

This category must involve the use of Trios or CEREC or any other digital system involving restorative work. This can be as simple as a crown or more complex like in an implant case.

Supportive Therapies

This category includes displaying cases in the categories of Oral Surgery, Periodontics, Oral Pathology, CAMBRA, Preventive Dentistry, Dental Hygiene Collaborations, or Facial Pain that contribute to the stabilization of a disease process.

Restorative (Direct/Indirect)

This category encompasses a multi-disciplinary restorative case. The case should highlight as many disciplines as possible. It must involve at least two of the following: Restorative, Removable, Endodontics, Periodontics, Oral Surgery, or Orthodontics.

Removable Prosthodontics

This category encompasses any removable prosthesis. It can be a single RPD, RFD or a combination of any two removable appliances.

OKU GROUP PRACTICE CLINICAL EXCELLENCE AWARD:

  • Presented annually to a student in a group practice whose work exhibits excellence in the art and science of dentistry, in the tradition of the OKU Dental Honorary Society. Each Group Practice Leader nominates one student with the best group practice case. The six presentations will compete for the award, with the winning group practice recognized annually with an OKU-sponsored honorary plaque.

AWARDS IN RESEARCH:

  • ADA/Dentsply Student Clinicians of the ADA Award Hinman Symposium (Travel-funded) AADR/Dentsply Sirona Award
  • AADR Annual Meeting Award (travel-funded) AADR San Francisco Section Award
  • OKU DDS Excellence Senior Award OKU IDS Excellence Senior Award Dugoni Basic Sciences Award
  • Dugoni Clinical Sciences Award

AWARDS IN COMMUNITY HEALTH SERVICE:

OKU Community Health Service and Exemplary Leadership Awards

  • 6 community health-oriented student projects will be awarded for meritorious record of service in community oral health programs and projects.
  • Poster presentations may encompass SCOPE, AAHP, and/or PIP volunteering hours and leadership.

AWARDS IN THE PERSONALIZED INSTRUCTION PROGRAM (PIP):

PIP Bench/Clinical Research Award:

PIP projects that involved bench or clinical-related research can be submitted for consideration.

PIP Community Health Services and Health Promotion Award:

PIP projects involving community health services and health promotion can be submitted for consideration.

PIP Teaching Material Creation Award:

  • PIP projects involving teaching materials can be submitted for consideration.

ACADEMIC PROGRAM AWARDS:

AUDIOLOGY AWARD:

  • Audiology-mentored research projects can be submitted for consideration.

GRADUATE ENDODONTICS AWARD:

  • Residents will submit their clinical or research contributions related to endodontics.
  • Award determined by the Graduate Endodontics department.

ADVANED EDUCATION IN GENERAL DENTISTRY (AEGD) AWARD:

  • Showcases the work of students from the AEGD program.
  • Award detail determined by the AEGD Program.

DENTAL HYGIENE AWARD

  • Dental hygiene mentored research or clinical case projects can be submitted for consideration.
  • Award detail determined by the Dental Hygiene Program.