Meet the Faculty: Dr. Tiffany Tavares

The School of Dentistry welcomes back to campus Tiffany Tavares, DDS, DMSc, a new clinical assistant professor in the Department of Comprehensive Dentistry’s Oral Medicine Clinic. Dr. Tavares earned her Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the Universidade Federal Fluminense in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and her Doctor of Medical Sciences degree from Harvard School of Dental Medicine. She also completed an oral medicine residency at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a teaching hospital affiliated with the Harvard School of Dental Medicine, in 2018. Dr. Tavares comes to the UT Health San Antonio from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry where she also held a clinical assistant professor position in their Department of Oral Pathology, Radiology and Medicine. While trying to expose herself to as many specialties as possible in dental school, Dr. Tavares discovered the thrill of using the diagnostic process to solve clinical mysteries. “I was intrigued by how oral medicine was bridging the gap between medicine and dentistry,” she recalls. “I took advantage of various internship and externship opportunities in oral pathology and oral medicine which further confirmed my desire to pursue oral medicine.” One such externship was completed within the UTHSA School of Dentistry’s Oral Medicine Clinic during Dr. Tavares’ last year of residency. In fact, she credits that experience as a factor for joining the ranks of its top-tier faculty today. “UT Health San Antonio has an excellent reputation in dentistry and dental education,” Dr. Tavares explains. “I appreciated the progressive model for dental education, the oral medicine legacy and support of the specialty within the school, as well as the friendliness and inviting culture fostered here.” Dr. Tavares is particularly grateful to have had supportive mentors throughout her training who encouraged her to pursue not only oral medicine but also academia. As an educator, the “light bulb moment”, the flash of comprehension that overcomes a student, is Dr. Tavares’ favorite part of teaching. “It never gets old,” she says. “I love it when you run into a student or receive some sort of communication that they’ve been able to apply something they learned from you to their clinical setting – that’s what it’s all about!” When Dr. Taveras isn’t sleuthing for a diagnosis, you can find her enjoying live music performances; in a pre-COVID-19 world that is.