Thursday Talks: Steven Toth '07
Next up on our new series, Thursday Talks, is associate professor Steven Toth '07.
Tell us a bit about yourself and what you do at RSDM.
Steven Toth '07
I'm a dentist and associate professor within the Department of Diagnostic Sciences. I just celebrated my 15th year, which is unbelievable how fast that time has gone. In that role, I get to wear a lot of different hats. One of my main focuses is on the Treatment Planning Clinic and Seminars, which is a lot of fun because you get to do examinations with the D3 and D4 students. What's interesting about that is you have to put together these cases almost like a little puzzle, and it's one of the more challenging things for new dentists to learn. I'm also involved in the Ryan White program, which provides oral health services to HIV patients, and it really extends through the entire state of New Jersey. It touches hundreds of clients annually and provides hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of services. So, it's a great program.
For how long have you been here, and why did you decide to come to RSDM?
My story probably isn't the most conventional or orthodox journey. I attended RSDM and graduated in 2007. For my senior year, I ended up doing the CODE I program, which is still in existence, at Somerdale. I had an excellent experience. Right when I was about to finish my program, Dr. Jill York and Dr. Cosmo DeSteno, offered me and a few of my classmates the opportunity to work as staff dentists within the Extramural Clinics at Rutgers. I said, “you know, this seems like a really interesting opportunity” because I'll be able to stay with Rutgers, gain experience, and work with a medically complex population, which was the HIV population in Atlantic County. I ended up taking that job. After a year, Dr. York explained that the program was going to morph into a CODE II site, where RSDM students would come down and join us to treat patients in two-week intense rotational blocks. I availed myself of that opportunity, so that was the impetus for how I got involved in education. That's also how I got involved with the Ryan White program. In 2020, I ended up migrating up here to Newark.
So ever since you started dental school, you actually stayed on.
Yeah, I've been full-time in some way, shape, or form with Rutgers since I first walked through the door in 2003 as a first-year dental student.
What do you like most about RSDM?
One of the things that jumped out at me is the camaraderie around this place. When I walk down the halls through this place, pretty much every single person that I'll pass will say hello. That might sound very small and insignificant, but it's something that I think speaks to the community. I also think that all the different departments are always willing to work together as a team. Even now, we're working on projects across different departments, and that's really nice. So, to me, it would probably be the collaborative aspect of RSDM.
What do you enjoy doing outside the school?
I really enjoy two things: food and travel. It's funny that they kind of go together. Whenever I go traveling someplace, I love to try all the different local cuisines. I just had the opportunity to go to Palermo, Sicily, and I probably gained eight pounds because the pastries were incredible.
