WVU School of Dentistry welcomes alumni to leadership positions in Department of Endodontics
The West Virginia University School of Dentistry recently welcomed two new members to leadership positions in the Department of Endodontics. Michael Cavender, DDS, and Gary Johnson, DDS, joined the faculty in December.
“We are very excited to welcome Dr. Cavender and Dr. Johnson to our faculty,” Stephen Pachuta, DDS, dean of the WVU School of Dentistry, said. “Mike and Gary bring a wonderful mix of clinical practice and professional experiences in endodontics to our School. I am especially excited by the fact that both are graduates of our DDS program, and their return brings them full circle in their commitment to our students and to our state.”
Dr. Michael Cavender, chair and clinical assistant professor
Having served on the faculty previously, Dr. Michael Cavender returned to the School as a clinical assistant professor, and he assumed the role of chair of the Department of Endodontics upon the retirement of Dr. Samuel Dorn in January. A West Virginia native and WVU alumnus, Cavender is eager for the opportunity to shape the future of endodontics education at his alma mater.
“My goal is to take the Department of Endodontics at WVU into the future utilizing modern technologies, research, materials and treatment methods that enable us to provide outstanding care to communities across the state of West Virginia,” he said. “In addition, I want to eliminate oral health challenges in the state through the education of dentists on how to save teeth and the education of our residents on the importance of a healthy smile.”
Cavender began his career as a private practice endodontist in 1998 in Charleston. From 2007 to 2017, he practiced in Arizona and California before returning to his home state where he has spent more than five years as an endodontist in Lewisburg and Charleston and served for two years as director of predoctoral endodontics at the School. During his time at WVU, he was honored with the Faculty of the Year and Most Outstanding Teacher awards.
Cavender earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the WVU School of Dentistry in 1994. The following year he completed a general practice residency in dentistry at Charleston Area Medical Center and worked as a general dentistry associate in nearby Huntington upon the completion of his residency. Prior to entering private practice, Cavender earned his postdoctoral certificate in endodontics from Boston University.
Cavender is a member of the American Dental Association and American Association of Endodontics.
Dr. Gary Johnson, program director and assistant professor
Dr. Gary Johnson joined the School as program director for the endodontics advanced education program and as an assistant professor.
Before joining the faculty at the School, Johnson owned and operated a private practice specializing in endodontics in Vienna, Virginia, from 1996 to 2023. Throughout his career, Johnson has worked as an endodontist and general dentist in Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.
Johnson earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the WVU School of Dentistry in 1986, and he completed his postdoctoral certificate in endodontics at Columbia University.
Johnson is a member of the American Dental Association and American Association of Endodontics. He is also a past president of the Northern Virginia Academy of Clinical Dentistry and Alexandria (Virginia) Dental Society.
To learn more about endodontics at the WVU School of Dentistry, visit dentistry.wvu.edu/departments/endodontics.
For more information about how you can help support the Department of Endodontics, please contact Director of Development Dee O’Palko at dopalko@wvuf.org or 304-413-5049. All gifts are made through the WVU Foundation, the nonprofit organization that receives and administers private donations on behalf of the University.
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