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This version of NSU News has been archived as of February 28, 2019. To search through archived articles, visit nova.edu/search. To access the new version of NSU News, visit news.nova.edu.
This version of SharkBytes has been archived as of February 28, 2019. To search through archived articles, visit nova.edu/search. To access the new version of SharkBytes, visit sharkbytes.nova.edu.
NSU Research Spotlight: Oral Hygiene
Cristina Garcia- Godoy, D.D.S.
As a third-generation dentist, Cristina Garcia- Godoy, D.D.S., certainly didn’t have to look far for career inspiration.
Her grandfather, Federico Garcia-Godoy, was the first pediatric dentist in the Dominican Republic. And her father, who has the same name, is also a dentist there. Garcia-Godoy remembers helping out around her grandfather’s office from the time she was a little girl. “He had me cleaning up, organizing instruments, and making appointments on school breaks when other kids went away to camp,” she recalls.
While in dental school, she helped out in her father’s clinic and assisted his research efforts. From his study involving pregnant women and early childhood tooth decay, Garcia-Godoy and her father found that it is important to establish early prevention programs in order to minimize the risk of dental disease.
Now a dental researcher herself in NSU’s College of Dental Medicine, Garcia-Godoy investigates gingivitis, whitening, and plaque control. At the same time, she is making an important contribution as director of clinical research. During the past four years, she has conducted 15 clinical trials to evaluate the safety and efficacy of oral hygiene products for industry sponsors.
“The research I do has a profound impact on the development of toothbrushes, toothpastes, mouth rinses, and whitening products. It points the industry in the right direction in terms of product effectiveness and improved oral health care,” Garcia-Godoy explains. “What motivates me are challenges, my excellent research team, and the outcome of a research project,” she adds.