There are very few individuals in the world who have achieved both a doctor of dental surgery degree (DDS) AND a doctor of philosophy in dental sciences degree (PhD). Dr. Esra Salihoğlu-Yener is one of them, and we are honored to have had the opportunity to work with such a gifted and talented mind in the field of dentistry. It is with great sadness that we are announcing Dr. Yener’s departure from our dental group. We have loved every minute of working with Dr. Yener, and we wish her the best of luck as she continues her amazing career in dentistry.
Dr. Esra Salihoğlu-Yener was born in Istanbul. She graduated with a Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) from the University of Marmara in Istanbul in 2004, after which she worked as a Research Fellow and Resident at the University of Yeditepe in the Department of Prosthodontics. She also worked as a part-time general dentist at private practice during this time. She defended her PhD thesis in 2009, entitled “A Comparative Study of Biaxial Flexural Strength and Vickers Microhardness of Different Zirconia Materials after Glazing and Thermal Cycling” at the University of Yeditepe.
After graduation from her PhD and Residency, she worked as a prosthodontist at private practice in Istanbul between 2009 and 2013. She then was accepted to the Advanced Standing Program for International Dentists (ASPID) at Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of the University of Southern California (USC) in 2014 and graduated from the program in May 2016. Upon graduation, she was awarded a certificate from Special Care Dentistry Association for providing dental care to special needs patients during her years at USC.
Dr. Yener then joined the Harvard School of Dental Medicine (HSDM) as a full-time faculty upon graduation from USC. She had worked at HSDM as a Senior Tutor and Instructor in the Department of Restorative Dentistry and Biomaterials Sciences for three years. She had taught comprehensive treatment planning, fixed and removable prosthodontics, implant dentistry, operative dentistry both in preclinical and clinical settings. She was teaching and overseeing the Interprofessional Education (IPE) Series at HSDM to help students understand the importance of the link between oral and systemic health. Dr. Yener did her Fellowship in Medical Education where she improved her IPE project at Harvard Medical School between 2018 and 2019. Dr. Yener practiced at Harvard Dental Center Faculty Group Practice for three years and provided high-quality prosthetic, implant, esthetic, and general dentistry procedures.
Dr. Yener is moving to Palo Alto, California, as her husband has accepted a faculty position at the Stanford Medicine Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences. She plans on continuing her career in dentistry in California, but not before a long deserved break, with excursions planned in the Mediterranean and Aegean Coast.
We’ll miss you Dr. Yener! Have fun! And make sure to pack plenty of sunblock 🧴