Faculty

Dr. Peter Vitruk earned his PhD degree in Physics from the Moscow Physics and Technology Institute, Moscowin the late 1980s, and has since held a variety of research and development positions around the globe. In the 1990s he held a Research Scientist position with The Academy of Sciences in the former USSR, followed by a Royal Society Visiting Research Fellow position at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. He later worked as a Senior Scientist with Synrad Inc.and then as Chief Scientist with Luxar/ESC/Lumenis, both in Seattle, WA. His work contributed to the development of high power RF-excited CO2 lasers and atomic Xe lasers. His most recent interests include the physics of soft tissue surgery and dentistry.

In 2002 Dr. Vitruk founded Luxarcare LLC – an exclusive certified Luxar laser service and accessories provider for 12,000+ surgical Luxar laser installations around the globe. In 2005 Dr. Vitruk founded LightScalpel LLC – the only American-based designer and manufacturer of surgical CO2 laser for the small office out-patient market. Dr. Vitruk has authored 10 patents and over 20 articles on CO2 lasers, and is a Member of The Institute of Physics, UK, and a Member of the Academy of Laser Dentistry, USA. He is married to his wife of 34 years, Natasha, and they have two children together, Olga and Alexander.

Maureen Perry, DDS, MPA, MAEd, is a Professor of Special Care Dentistry and the Director of the Center for Advanced Oral Health at A.T. Still University, Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health (ATSU-ASDOH), Mesa, Arizona. She received her bachelor’s degree from Adelphi University and her DDS from New York University College of Dentistry.

Following a general practice residency at Staten Island University Hospital, Dr. Perry completed a two-year New York State Consortium of Medical Education in Developmental Disabilities Fellowship in Special Care Dentistry. She received her Master in Public Administration with a concentration in healthcare administration from Long Island University, and later received an MA in education from the Benerd School of Education of the University of the Pacific.

Dr. Perry has had a 25-year career both practicing and teaching special care dentistry, as well as lecturing and publishing at the national and international level. Her areas of expertise include autism, restraint and consent, rare syndromes, pre-doctoral education, and self-injurious behavior. Dr. Perry’s current research focus is on fluoride delivery systems for patients undergoing radiation therapy for head and neck cancer.

Dr. Perry is a fellow of the Academy of Dentistry for Persons with Disabilities and is a Diplomate of the American Board of Special Care Dentistry. She is a past President of the Special Care Dental Association and serves as the United States council member for the International Association for Disability & Oral Health. In addition, she has served as a subject matter expert in special care dentistry for the US Navy (USNS Comfort Hospital Ship), the Hamad HealthCare Corporation of Qatar, and the Republic of Ireland.

Following dental school graduation and a two-year tour in the U.S. Navy, Dr. Jack Dillenberg spent two years as the staff dentist at the Southbury Training School’s residential facility for severely developmentally-disabled individuals in Connecticut. This was a life-changing experience in many ways and emphasized the critical oral health needs of this special population.

Dr. Dillenberg then relocated to Negril, Jamaica, West Indies where he worked for the Jamaican Ministry of Health in a health clinic in Green Island, a small fishing village on the west side of the island. Living and working in rural Jamaica was an incredible and enjoyable experience. Realizing, however, that he wanted to steer rather than row the boat, Dr. Dillenberg decided to pursue a Master of Public Health from Harvard and subsequently joined its Dental School faculty in Public Health. Simultaneously, he worked as a Public Health Specialist for the World Bank travelling to Calcutta, India twice a year for six years.

Dr. Dillenberg relocated to Phoenix, AZ and began his journey in the Arizona Department of Health Services initially as Chief of the Office of Oral Health and ultimately as its Director for over four years. He then moved to California and worked in LA County as a Public Health Area Director. Four years later, Dr. Dillenberg returned to Arizona where he helped formulate the unique vision and mission of the state’s first dental school, A.T. Still University, Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health (ATSU-ASDOH), Mesa, Arizona. He was selected as its inaugural Dean and recently retired after fifteen years, having been awarded the status of Dean Emeritus.

Dr. Seena Patel is an oral medicine and orofacial pain dentist. She currently serves as the Director of Oral Medicine and is an Associate Professor at A.T. Still University, Arizona School of Dentistry and Oral Health (ATSU-ASDOH), Mesa, Arizona. She is also an associate at Southwest Orofacial Group in Phoenix, AZ, limiting her practice to orofacial pain, oral medicine, and dental sleep medicine.

Dr. Patel is a Diplomate of both the American Board of Orofacial Pain and the American Board of Oral Medicine. She simultaneously earned her dental and master’s in public health degrees from ATSU-ASDOH, and thereafter, completed her residency in both orofacial pain and oral medicine at the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry at the University of Southern California.

Dr. Patel’s educational and research interests include myofascial pain, neuropathic pain, oral mucosal diseases, management of obstructive sleep apnea with mandibular advancement devices, and the dental management of patients undergoing head and neck cancer therapy. She is passionate about helping her patients, and enjoys speaking at medical and dental conferences, teaching, and research. She is well-published and has been involved in several research projects.

Dr. Patel maintains her membership in the American Academy of Orofacial Pain, American Academy of Oral Medicine, Arizona Dental Association, American Dental Association, and American Dental Education Association.