Stephen Campbell, professor and head of restorative dentistry at the University of Illinois at Chicago, was named Educator of the Year by the American College of Prosthodontists.

The award, which recognizes outstanding contributions to prosthodontics, overall achievement in academic dentistry, and contributions to the sciences or health professions, was presented at the organization’s annual meeting in San Diego.

Campbell has long been a leader in prosthodontics, a dental specialty involving the aesthetic restoration and replacement of teeth, including bridges, crowns, caps, dental implants, dentures, partial dentures, teeth whitening and veneers.

He was influential in modifying the certification program of the American Board of Prosthodontics, and most recently he played an integral role in revising the Commission on Dental Accreditation Standards as they relate to prosthodontics.

Those changes will have a significant impact on the core education students receive while training to be dentists, Campbell said, and will strengthen their preparedness to provide the most appropriate care.

“Over the past several years, prosthodontics has seen a great many changes, and we want to do what is best not only for our patients, but also our students,” he said. One of the revisions in the standards was to ensure that all graduating students are competent in screenings for head and neck cancer.

Campbell has also been instrumental in integrating an evidence-based dental medicine curriculum in the UIC College of Dentistry. The practice applies information from clinical studies to assess the quality of evidence, risks, and benefits of treatments for patients.

“Dental education is preparing a new generation of practitioners who will have the skills to integrate the tools of evidence-based dental medicine into their clinical practice, to foster a commitment to their life-long learning and use it as a life tool,” he said.

Campbell has been at UIC for 17 years, and during that time he has been “an extraordinary leader not only in our college but nationally as well,” said Bruce Graham, dean of the UIC College of Dentistry.

“Steve has consistently encouraged our faculty and me to embrace significant innovations to improve the learning environment of our students,” Graham said. “This award recognizes his tremendous contributions to the field of prosthodontics, and he truly sets the standard for excellence in dental education at UIC.”

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