New faculty spotlight: Jenna Hubacz, DMD

Jenna Hubacz, DMD, is a new faculty member at UNMC.

• Name: Jenna Hubacz, DMD
• Title at UNMC: Associate professor, prosthodontist/adult restorative dentistry, UNMC College of Dentistry
• Hometown: I grew up in a small town of North Brookfield, Massachusetts, a rural community in central Massachusetts. I was raised on a farm where my family has lived for more than a century.

Education:

• BA, biology and music, Assumption College, Worcester, Massachusetts
• DMD, Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, Boston
• AEGD Residency/Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study, University of Oklahoma College of Dentistry, Oklahoma City
• MDS, University of Tennessee College of Dentistry, Memphis
• Certification of Specialty Training in Advanced Prosthodontics, University of Tennessee College of Dentistry, Memphis

Research and professional interests:

From a research standpoint, I am most interested in evaluating current materials and modern fabrication techniques in comparison to long-established industry standards. Innovation in dentistry is advancing at such a rapid pace today, but I always stop to ask, “Is this truly better? Or at least equal? How do we know for sure?”

My teaching interests are similarly aligned. I’m passionate about creating high-quality lecture content that educates students on achieving the highest levels of clinical excellence and helping them unlock their potential to reach these heights. I don’t necessarily believe in “old dentistry” versus “new dentistry.” I believe in “good dentistry,” and that’s what I aim to communicate to both students and patients. I’m focused on educating clinicians and patients about the wide range of resources available to help solve oral health problems using materials and methods that provide predictable, safe and high-quality outcomes.

How did you fall in love with dentistry?

I first developed an interest in dentistry when I was 8 years old. I was curious about health professions, and dentistry struck me as “a fun job.” In high school, I began to explore the profession more seriously and was fortunate to be warmly welcomed by my general dentist and three orthodontists, who opened their practices to me and encouraged my participation in patient care. Not only did these four clinicians share decades of combined dental knowledge with me, but also they provided a clear picture of what it means to be an upstanding professional and member of society. They were outstanding role models for a young person.

From these experiences, I knew early on that dentistry was not only “fun,” but also a fulfilling and viable career option. As my career has progressed, I have been incredibly fortunate to continue meeting truly talented and kind professionals who had immense faith in my potential and became friends and mentors through our shared love for the pursuit of excellence in dentistry and dental education. It is these colleagues (students and retirees alike), along with the many gracious patients I have encountered, whose trust continually humbles me and fuels my enthusiasm for our work to this day.

Three things people may not know about me:

• As an undergraduate student, I studied abroad for a semester at Cambridge University, where I did my DAT studying in an 800-year-old library.
• I have taken two solo backpacking trips across Europe.
• I love to cook and host dinner parties.