Assessing Xerostomia Risk in Young Patients

Melanie V. Taverna, MSDH, MAADH, is an assistant professor/clinical faculty member in the Division of Dental Hygiene at the University of Texas Health San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio), where she teaches in the entry level, degreecompletion, and graduate programs. She is also director of the university’s Master of Science in Dental Hygiene Program. Active in practice-based research as the assistant director of the South Texas Oral Health Network (STOHN), a local practice-based research network of dentists and dental hygienists, Taverna is also currently conducting research through the National Dental Practice-Based Research Network (PBRN). She is in her third year of UT Health San Antonio’s health sciences doctoral program. Taverna can be reached at: taverna@uthscsa.edu.

Rahma Mungia, BDS, MSc, DDPHRCS, is an associate professor in the Department of Periodontics at UT Health San Antonio. A dental public health professional with more than 15 years of clinical and practice-based research experience, she is the director of STOHN and assistant director of the Southwest region of the National Dental PBRN. In addition, Mungia teaches students and residents, mentors public health interns, and provides continuing education for academic faculty and private practitioners through active and collaborative learning facilitation methods. Some of her research is focused on xerostomia/dry mouth, Sjögren syndrome, burning mouth syndrome, bruxism, sleep apnea, and electronic nicotine delivery systems.