Departments & Divisions
Rochisha Singh Marwaha, BDS, MPH
Clinical Assistant Professor
Dr. Rochisha Singh Marwaha is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Comprehensive Dentistry at the University of Texas Health San Antonio, School of Dentistry and currently serves as an Assisstant Director for the Dental Public Health Residency program. She is a Board -Certified Diplomate of American Board of Dental Public Health. Dr. Marwaha has experience providing culturally competent care to a diverse group of patients and populations both nationally and internationally and in a variety of settings, including academia, community health settings and private practice.
Dr. Marwaha graduated from Baba Farid University of Health Sciences in Punjab, India with a Degree in Dental Surgery, followed by completion of a one-year internship. She practiced as an Associate Dentist before moving to the United States in 2015 to pursue a Master’s degree in Public Health with a specialization in Epidemiology from Tulane University, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans. Her passion to improve oral health in underserved and vulnerable populations motivated her to earn an Advanced Education Residency Program cetificate in Dental Public Health at Columbia University, College of Dental Medicine in New York City. Following residency, she completed a clinical fellowship in Dental Public Health at University of Texas Health San Antonio, School of Dentistry in 2019.
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Professional Background
Education
- 2018 - Advanced Education Residency Program - Dental Public Health - Columbia University, College of Dental Medicine
- 2017 - Master of Public Health - Epidemiology - Tulane University, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine
- 2013 - Bachelor of Dental Surgery - Dentistry - Baba Farid University of Health Sciences
Training
- 2020 - School of Dentistry Emerging Leaders program - Leadership - UT Health San Antonio, School of Dentistry
- 2019 - Postdoctoral Clinical Fellowship - UT Health San Antonio, School of Dentistry
Appointments
- 2022-Present - Assistant Director, Dental Public Health Residency program - UT Health San Antonio, School of Dentistry
- 2019- Present - Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Comprehensive Dentistry - UT Health San Antonio, School of Dentistry
- 2016-2017 - Graduate Teaching Assistant and Research Intern - Tulane University, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine
- 2014-2015 - Associate Dentist - 32 Dental Clinic
- 2013-2014 - Dental Intern - Gian Sagar Dental School and Hospital
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Instruction & Training
- 2021- Present , Clinical Preventive Dentistry (COMD 7050), Course Director, UT Health San Antonio, School of Dentistry
- 2021- Present , Patient Care Foundations (DIPC 5001), Clinical Module/Rotation Director, UT Health San Antonio, School of Dentistry
- 2021- Present , Patient Care Foundations (DIPC 6002), Clinical Module/Rotation Director , UT Health San Antonio, School of Dentistry
- 2020 - Present , Biostatistics for Dental Residents (MSDS 5121), Course Faculty/Module Director , UT Health San Antonio, School of Dentistry
- 2018- Present, Advanced Education in Dental Public Health I (PBHL 5011), Course Faculty , UT Health San Antonio, School of Dentistry
- 2018- Present, Advanced Education in Dental Public Health II (PBHL 5012),Course Faculty , UT Health San Antonio, School of Dentistry
- 2018- Present, Research Methodology in Dental Public Health I (PBHL 5014), Course Faculty , UT Health San Antonio, School of Dentistry
- 2018- Present, Research Methodology in Dental Public Health II (PBHL 5015), Course Faculty , UT Health San Antonio, School of Dentistry
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Research & Grants
Dr. Marwaha's research interest includes opioid-related prescribing knowledge, opinions and behaviors of dentists and dental specialists and the role of dentists in combatting the opioid epidemic in the United States. She is currently working on several collaborative initiatives that focus on addressing oral health disparities through Interprofessional Education (IPE) initiatives and reducing the overall opioid prescriptions filled by health professionals. Some of her work addresses issues that arise from lack of access to oral healthcare in vulnerable populations (older adults living in nursing homes and long-term care facilities) and rural populations in South Texas.
Grants
Federal Grants
Predoctoral training in General, Pediatric and Public Health Dentistry and Dental Hygiene
Agency: Human Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)
Active Period: 2022-2027
Role: Investigator
Funding: $4,500,000
Grant Detail: The aim of the Augmenting Resources for Rural & Special Needs Oral-health Workforce (ARROW) Project at the UT Health San Antonio, School of Dentistry is to expand the number, capacity and self-efficacy of dental, dental hygiene and other health professions students to provide oral health care within the context of Social Determinants of Health for patients in rural communities and other vulnerable populations with emphasis on individuals with disabilities and/or complex health co-morbidities
Post-Doctoral Training in General, Pediatric and Public Health Dentistry and Dental Hygiene
Agency: Human Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)
Active Period: 2020-2025
Role: Co-Investigator
Grant Detail:
Primary Care Dentistry for South Texas (PCDST) Project will use innovative linking of primary care dental residency programs (AEGD, DPH and Pediatric Dentistry) at the University of Texas Health San Antonio, School of Dentistry, to generate an increased number of culturally competent oral health providers who are cross-trained to manage oral health problems, evaluate systems of care, design surveillance systems to measure oral health status to address the oral health needs of children and adults and reduce oral health disparities. This award provides educational and experiential learning that promotes knowledge and skills in postdoctoral residents/trainees to serve underserved and vulnerable populations. This grant proposes to increase the number of postdoctoral trained dentists who choose to practice in rural and/or underserved areas and with vulnerable populations and use telehealth to connect, inform and advise patients/providers in rural areas.
Comprehensive Oral Health Care and Facility Education Status
Agency: Centers of Medicare Services (CMS)
Active Period: 8/2019 - 7/2022
Role: Contributor
Grant Details:
This $5.7 million grant from the Center for Medicare Services is to provide comprehensive oral healthcare services to nursing home residents in and around the San Antonio area. Oral health is integral to overall health and access to dental services is essential to promoting and maintaining that. Using state-of-the-art mobile dental offices, dental care will be provided in local nursing home facilities. In addition, the project will involve presenting oral health education to the facility’s residents, caregivers and staff by our dental students, residents and faculty.
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Service
School
Secretary, Committee of Committees, School of Dentistry
Appointed Member, Diversity and Inclusion Committee, School of Dentistry
Institutional
Senator, Academic Affairs Committee, UT Health Faculty Senate
School of Dentistry Representative, Comprehensive Health and Wellness Advisory Committee
Service to the Profession
Peer-Reviewed Manuscripts
Akiyama N, Akiyama T, Sato H, Shiroiwa T, Kishi M., “Comparison of physicians and dentist’s incident reports in open data from Japan council for quality care: a retrospective mixed methods study,” BMC Oral Health, November 2022
National
Keynote Speaker, “Call to Action: Role of Dentists in Combatting the United States Opioid Epidemic,” National Network of Oral Health Access Conference, November 2021
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Publications
- Rochisha S. Marwaha, BDS, MPH, Fahad Aljamal, BDS, MS Ravikumar Anthony, BDS, MDS, MS Suman Challa, BDS, MSPH, Impact of an Educational Symposium on Opioid Prescribing Knowledge and Practices of Dental Residents, NOHC 2021
- Arealle E. Franklin, DMD, MPH, Suman Challa, BDS, MSPH, Rochisha S. Marwaha, BDS, MPH, Dental care for pregnant patients: a survey to assess the current practices of Alabama dentists, NOHC 2021
- Suman Challa, BDS, MSPH; Jeffery Hicks, DDS; Rochisha S. Marwaha, BDS, MPH; Magda de la Torre, RDH, MPH; William Hendricson MS, MA, Primary Care Dentistry for South Texas (PCDST): Impacting Oral Health for Vulnerable Populations, NOHC 2021
- Elwazeer, S., Bland, L., Stokes, T. J., Carreon, M., Marwaha, R. S., Challa, S. N., and de la Torre, M. A., Towards Equitable Oral Health: A Cultural Competency and Interprofessional Education (IPE) Model, NOHC 2021
- Elwazeer, S., Marwaha, R. S., Shah, D. P., and Challa, S. N., Impact of Social Determinants of Health on Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) Vaccination among Texas Teenagers, APHA Annual meeting and Expo 2020
- Marwaha R.S., Hasselgren G., Douglas-Broten S., Eisig S., Ahluwalia A., The Opioid Epidemic: Role of Dental Specialists, NOHC 2018
- Marwaha R.S., Hasselgren G., Douglas-Broten S., Ahluwalia A., The Opioid Epidemic: Role of Endodontists. Presented at Columbia University, College of Dental Medicine, Section of Population Oral Health, Birnberg Research Day, April 2018
Publications:
1. Franklin AE, Marwaha RS, Shah P, Challa S. Malpractice allegations among US dentists: association of malpractice allegation with the severity of the alleged malpractice injury. General Dentistry. 2022 Nov-Dec;70(6):13-20. PMID: 36288070.
2. Hendricson, W. D., Challa, S., de la Torre, M., Marwaha, R. S., Hicks, J., & Aguilar, R. (2022). Residents' Online Activity Report (ROAR) for Oral Health Care in Remote Rural Communities. Journal of dental education.
3. Franklin AE, Challa S, Marwaha RS. Dental care for pregnant patients: a survey to assess the current practices of Alabama dentists. Gen Dent. 2022 Jul-Aug;70(4):16-21. PMID: 35749241.
4. Hicks, J., Challa, S., Hendricson, W. D. de la Torre, M., Marwaha, R.S. (October 2021). Primary care Dentistry for South Texas Project. Texas Dental Journal 138(9):586-595
5. Hicks, J., Challa, S., Hendricson, W. D. de la Torre, M., Marwaha, R.S. (October 2021). State of Oral Health care Access in Texas. Texas Dental Journal 138(8):534-547
Select Abstracts:
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Clinical
Board Certifications
- 2021 - Board Certified Specialist - American Board of Dental Public Health