Marquette dental professor receives WDA Award of Honor

Dec. 5, 2019

Dr. Joseph BestMILWAUKEE — Dr. Joseph Best, adjunct associate professor in the Marquette University School of Dentistry, recently received a 2019 Award of Honor from the Wisconsin Dental Association at the organization’s annual Pyramid of Pride Awards.

In the News: Best leads dentistry's rehab program on painkillers (Milwaukee Business Journal, 11/28/2019)

Best is the course director for the medical emergencies and pharmacotherapeutics courses at Marquette and lectures extensively in pharmacology, medicine, oral surgery and implant dentistry. Recognizing the state licensure requirements that dentists fulfill continuing education on safe opioid use, he has dedicated his time and expertise with WDA members at dental society meetings across the state.

“The opioid epidemic in our country is a very real problem, and Dr. Best is doing a tremendous job of educating the dental health community on ways to combat it with responsible pain management,” said Dr. William Lobb, dean of the Marquette School of Dentistry. “I want to congratulate him on this honor from the WDA. It is well-deserved and he is an asset to Marquette as both a faculty member and an alumnus.”

In September, Best hosted a continuing education course at Marquette titled “Pain Control in Dentistry in the Age of Prescription Opiate Abuse,” which focused on alternatives to narcotic pain medications and understanding the problems associated with prescription opiate abuse.

Best is a 1989 graduate of the Marquette School of Dentistry and is an oral surgeon in Waukesha.

The WDA honored 14 people at its annual awards dinner, including six Award of Honor recipients, as well as awards for lifetime achievement, philanthropy, community outreach and media awareness. The WDA is the leading voice for dentistry in Wisconsin, with 3,100 member dentists and a number of dental hygienists committed to promoting professional excellence and quality oral health care.

About Kevin Conway

Kevin Conway

Kevin is the associate director for university communication in the Office of University Relations. Contact Kevin at (414) 288-4745 or kevin.m.conway@marquette.edu.