By Darby Kendall
It’s a well-known truth that most children don’t love going to the dentist, but for Hunter Rothfus, the dentists’ office has always felt like home. Growing up with two parents working in the same practice, Rothfus has fond memories that motivated the education he’s receiving today.
“I was a very hyper kid. My parents tell me stories of when patients would come by, and I’d be crawling up the scaffolding on the outside of the dental office building,” Rothfus laughed. “I was raised in the dental office, so it’s an environment that I was very comfortable in. For me, it was always this fun place, like a little playground.”
Though Rothfus felt comfortable in the dental environment, he wasn’t always sure it was a career he wanted to pursue. After receiving a bachelor’s degree from the University of Portland with a major in biology, Rothfus knew he wanted to venture into the health care field, but it was ultimately dentistry that called him home.
“Once I started looking more into dentistry, I just realized how great of a career it is. You get to help people,” Rothfus said. “If you’re interested in science and anatomy, it’s a great fit. That was huge part of it for me, too.”
Regenerative research
Rothfus is now a second-year D.M.D. student at the OHSU School of Dentistry, where he’s enjoying research opportunities provided by the school. Before classes began his first year, Rothfus started a pre-matriculation research project under the mentorship of Yifan Zhang D.D.S., Ph.D., an assistant professor of pediatric dentistry. The project was only intended to last the two months prior to school, but under Zhang’s guidance, Rothfus has continued his research and last year earned an honorable mention for an outstanding poster presentation in clinical research at the Hinman Symposium, held in Memphis, Tennessee.
“These opportunities kept popping up, and I felt it was necessary to keep taking advantage of them as they came,” Rothfus said. “Dr. Zhang has been working with me consistently since before school on this project. She was that guiding hand, because I didn’t know what I was doing at all with research when I first started. Her direction has been incredibly helpful.”
In his research, Rothfus has studied the pulp of the tooth, which is made up of connective tissue, nerves and blood vessels in the tooth’s innermost layer. His efforts focus on the treatment of pulp after cavities, particularly in pediatric patients. “When a tooth is maturing, the bottom of the root isn’t quite closed yet. If that tooth gets infected by a cavity and killed, it will never close. Dentists can do regenerative endodontic therapy, which means they go into the dead pulp, and they regenerate that to bring the tooth back to life so the end of the root can close,” Rothfus explained. “What I wanted to see is whether that regenerative endodontic therapy would work on baby teeth that have already been fully developed but have died due to cavities, and whether they can be brought back to life. Currently, the primary treatment for that is a pulpectomy, which is a root canal, and that can weaken the tooth.”
Rothfus is still analyzing work from other dentists to reach conclusions on the effects of regenerative endodontic therapy, and he looks forward to specializing in endodontics after graduation. This experiential and immersive nature of dental school at OHSU has been Rothfus’ favorite part of his education so far. He remembers his first day of classes and being surprised at how quickly the instructors took them into the in-depth world of oral health.
“It was super hands-on. They threw us into the simulation clinic immediately,” Rothfus said. “We learned how to identify each tooth on the first day. It’s something I’ve really enjoyed, that they get us in person and working on learning things right away.”
Hands-on learning
Along with the active education he’s receiving, Rothfus enjoys the volunteer clinics and professional development programs offered at OHSU. “In the past, I’ve struggled to find opportunities, whether it was volunteering or research. Here, that’s been completely different,” Rothfus said. “There’s the Scholars of Well-Being Program; I did that my first year, and that’s a program directed at helping us become better leaders. And there’s the volunteering experiences as well. We have the Bridges Clinic, which I’ve volunteered at before, and I’m scheduled to do it again. I think the opportunities that they present have been great.”
When it comes to academic empowerment, Rothfus has also benefited from student aid. In 2023, he received the Camilla Rietman Dentistry Scholarship, backing his dental education.
“Receiving the Camilla Reitman Dentistry Scholarship was an honor, and the financial support has definitely helped make dental school a little less stressful,” Rothfus said. “Every bit of assistance goes a long way in allowing me to focus on my education.”
Gazing down the road at the next two years of his education, Rothfus is eager to get even more hands-on experience once he starts participating in the school’s student clinics. Though he’s no longer scampering around the dental office like he did as a child, Rothfus is happy to feel at home in his professional career while doing his best to help others.
“I’m really looking forward to getting into the clinic that starts in June. We’ll get our own patients, and we’ll be mostly in clinic from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with some classes dispersed in between,” Rothfus said. “Being able to apply everything I’ve learned and make a real impact in the lives of my patients is what I’m truly excited for.”
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