A passion for prevention inspires a purposeful gift

After practicing dentistry for nearly 60 years, Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) faculty member Dr. Paul Levi has seen more preventable tooth decay and periodontitis than he’d like to admit. 

“The cause of dental diseases is straightforward—bacterial plaque produces toxins and acids that cause gum inflammation and tooth decay. However, the difficulty is that these toxins cannot be seen by the patient, and thus when doing their daily dental plaque removal patients cannot self-correct,” Levi said. “Coaching is a major part of what clinicians can and must do.” 

Teaching clinicians to be better coaches and advocates for the prevention of oral disease inspired Paul and his wife Patty to give a $250,000 gift to HSDM to establish a Prevention Initiative, which in December of 2024 was dedicated to inspiring dental students to incorporate prevention principles into their future practice. 

“When I attend dental meetings there are rarely any courses in how to teach plaque removal techniques, how to motivate patients, the psychology of patient motivation, or the sociology of understanding cultures and how to properly communicate with our patients. The vast predominance of lectures are about new and innovative ways to repair the damage caused by diseases. Since, when doing repair, we are not treating the cause of the diseases, they will recur unless the patients understand and are motivated as to how to prevent their recurrence,” Levi said. 

“We’re so grateful to Paul and Patty for making this generous gift that will have a lasting impact at HSDM and well beyond,” said Dean William Giannobile. “Paul is a true champion for preventative oral healthcare and a role model for all clinicians.” 

Levi has been a part-time lecturer at HSDM for 30 years and also serves as an adjunct lecturer at Tufts. He has an accomplished career as a periodontologist, teacher, researcher, and mentor. He’s lectured in U.S. dental schools as well as in Barcelona, Spain, where he taught at the Universitat Internacional de Catalunya and was recognized by the university with an honorary doctorate degree. He was also named Clinician of the Year by the Massachusetts Dental Society. 

For Paul and Patty Levi, making the gift to HSDM was an opportunity to give back to the profession and raise the level of awareness for a topic that’s too often overlooked. 

“Harvard, by virtue of its name and excellent reputation for research and quality of education, is known throughout the world. To draw attention to the need to teach prevention, having Harvard School of Dental Medicine inaugurate this most important health-producing effort is critical to gain worldwide exposure.” 

The inaugural Prevention Symposium took place in December 2024 and brought together nearly 300 students and faculty from HSDM, Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, and Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine to learn about effective patient communication strategies to improve both oral and systemic health. The event included several keynotes and thematic panel discussions about motivational behavior, nutrition, brushing techniques, healthy lifestyles, and the oral-systemic connection.

David Kim, DMSc05, associate professor of Oral Medicine, Infection, and Immunity at HSDM, helped organize the inaugural symposium. He deeply admires Levi’s dedication and passion. 

“I have known Dr. Levi for over 20 years, and it’s uncommon to maintain such a long-lasting connection with a mentor. He is always available to speak, whether it’s early in the morning or late in the evening. Many of us fondly recall waking up at 4 or 5 a.m. to meet with him in his office and review treatment plans,” said Kim. “It’s rare to encounter someone so passionate about periodontics—especially in the area of prevention—who has given so much to multiple generations of dentists.” 

Levi is already looking ahead to the next Prevention Symposium in 2026 and anticipates expanding the reach of the event by inviting students from the dental and medical schools in the Boston area, as well as the schools of public health and dental hygiene. An avid runner, Levi knows the road to prevention is a marathon rather than a sprint. He draws connections between the dedication to one’s physical fitness and one’s oral health. 

“Oral health is physical health. One cannot separate an infection in the mouth from an infection in any other part of the body. If an individual has the commitment to do physical exercise to maintain the health of their body, to eat a correct diet to be nutritionally healthy, then doing the correct dental hygiene daily and having regular dental appointments that include proper coaching are absolutely essential.”