Departments & Divisions
Rochisha Singh Marwaha, DDS, MPH
Clinical Assistant Professor, Comprehensive Dentistry
Assistant Director, DPH Residency Program
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 serves as the Assistant Director for the Dental Public Health Residency program. She is Board-Certified and a 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 in the United States and internationally and has worked in a variety of settings, including private practice, community health centers and academia.
Dr. Marwaha graduated from Baba Farid University of Health Sciences in Punjab, India with a Bachelor’s Degree in Dental Surgery, followed by completion of a hospital based one-year internship where she completed clinical rotations in all dental departments and select medical departments including general medicine, surgery and emergency medicine. 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 complete a postdoctoral advanced dental education residency program 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.
Dr. Marwaha has been involved and received federally funding as a co-principal investigator and an investigator on several grants in primary care and geriatric dentistry. She has also authored and co-authored numerous abstract presentations presented at national conferences and published several articles pertinent to her research. Dr. Marwaha’s research interests include 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 and rural populations in South Texas.
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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
Grants
Predoctoral training in General, Pediatric and Public Health Dentistry Grant
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.
Postdoctoral training in General, Pediatric and Public Health Dentistry Grant
Agency: Human Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)
Active Period: 2020-2025
Role: Co-Principal Investigator
Funding: $13,000,000
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 Grant
Agency: Centers of Medicare Services (CMS)
Active Period: 8/2019 - 2023
Role: Investigator
Funding: $5.7 million
Grant Details: This 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
Invited Speaker, Dental workshop on Local Anesthesia and Pain Management for physicians, UT Alamo Interprofessional Emergency Medicine, February 2023.
Speaker, Pain Control and Opioid Use in Dentistry, Interprofessional Education for Dental Residents Workshop, UT Health School of Dentistry, San Antonio, April 2022.
Keynote Speaker, “Call to Action: Role of Dentists in Combatting the United States Opioid Epidemic,” National Network of Oral Health Access Conference, November 2021
Community
Special Olympics Special Smiles Screening Event, San Antonio, TX, May 2022
headStart Varnish programs, San Antonio, TX. 2019-present
School-based sealant program, San Antonio, TX, 2019-present
ADA give Kids a Smile, UT Health San Antonio, TX, 2019-20, 2022-present
Archcare, New York, NY - 2017-18
Elder Smile program, New York, NY - 2017-18
ProjectStay Program, New York, NY - 2017-18
New Orleans Medical Reserve Corps, New Orleans, LA - 2016-17
Dental outreach programs, Pujab, India - 2013-14
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Publications
Publications:
Marwaha, R.S., Bland L., Hicks, J., Hendrickson, W., Aguilar, R., de la Torre, M., Pao, W., Challa, S., “An Interprofessional Education Initiative: Incorporating a Local Anesthesia Dental Course for Physician Assistant and Nursing Students,” Submitted to: Journal of Dental Education, accepted April 7th, 2023.
Shelke, G., Marwaha, R., Shah, P., & Challa, S. (2022). Impact of Prenatal Health Conditions and Health Behaviors in Pregnant Women on Infant Birth Defects in the United States Using CDC-PRAMS 2018 survey.
Shelke GS, Marwaha RS, Shah P, Challa S. Role of Patient’s Ethnicity in Seeking Preventive Dental Services at the Community Health Centers of South-Central Texas: A Cross-Sectional Study. Dentistry Journal. 2023; 11(2):32.
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. Gen Dent. 2022 Nov-Dec;70(6):13-20. PMID: 36288070.
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.
Hendricson WD, Challa S, de la Torre M, Marwaha RS, Hicks J, Aguilar R. Residents' Online Activity Report (ROAR) for Oral Health Care in Remote Rural Communities. J Dent Educ. 2022 May 17. doi: 10.1002/jdd.12963.
Hicks JL, Challa SN, Hendricson WD, de la Torre MA, Marwaha, RS. The Primary Care Dentistry for South Texas Project at the UT Health San Antonio School of Dentistry. Tx Dent J, September 2021;138(9):586-595.
Hicks JL, Challa SN, Hendricson WD, de la Torre MA, Marwaha, RS. The State of Oral Health Care Access in Texas. Tx Dent J, August 2021;138(8):534-547.
Select poster abstracts:
Shakir, H., Marwaha, R.S., Shah, P., Challa, S., “Effectiveness of Silver Diamine Fluoride in Arresting dental caries in residents living in nursing homes: A Randomized Controlled Trail. National Oral Health Conference (NOHC) 2023, Orlando, FL.
Gnanaprakasam N., Marwaha R.S., Shah P., Challa S. Impact of Physical and Physiological Limitations in Adults with Special Needs on Oral Health. National Oral Health Conference (NOHC) 2023, Orlando, FL.
Mangapit R.A., Dhar S., Shah P., Marwaha R.S., Challa S. Oral Health Related Quality of Life in Nursing Home Residents: A Cross-Sectional Study. National Oral Health Conference (NOHC) 2023, Orlando, FL.
Brownlee T., Dhar S., Shah P., Marwaha R.S., Challa S. Insurance Utilization of Emergency Room Visits for Dental Conditions from 2016-2019 in the United States. National Oral Health Conference (NOHC) 2023, Orlando, FL.
de la Torre M., Aguilar R., Marwaha R.S., Hendricson W., Hicks J., Challa S. DENT ECHO: a Telementoring Model for Texas Dental Practitioners in Remote Areas, Texas Public Health Association (TPHA) Conference, May 2022
Marwaha R.S., de la Torre M., Hendricson W., Aguilar R., Hicks J., Challa S. Enhancing dental residents primary care skills to serve rural populations, National Oral Health Conference (NOHC), Fort Worth, TX, April 2022
de la Torre M., Marwaha R.S., Hendricson W., Aguilar R., Hicks J., Challa S. Using Case Studies to Teach Dental Public Health Competencies, National Oral Health Conference (NOHC), Fort Worth, TX, April 2022
Shakir, H., Marwaha, R.S., Shah, P., Challa, S. The Association Between Dental Caries and Body Mass Index (BMI) Among Adults: A Cross Sectional Study. National Oral Health Conference (NOHC), Fort Worth, TX, April 2022
Dumbuya J., Marwaha, R.S., Shah, P., Challa, S. The Knowledge, Attitude, and Confidence of Caregivers and Staff towards the Oral Health of Nursing Home Residents in San Antonio, Texas. National Oral Health Conference (NOHC), Fort Worth, TX, April 2022
Shelke G.S., Marwaha, R.S., Shah, P., Challa, S. Impact of prenatal health conditions and health behaviors in pregnant women on birth defects in United States. National Oral Health Conference (NOHC), Fort Worth, TX, April 2022
Marwaha R.S., Hicks J., Bland L., Hendricson W., Aguilar R.P., de la Torre M., Challa S. Interprofessional Local Anesthesia Workshop for Physician Assistant Students. American Dental Education Association (ADEA) Conference, Philadelphia, PA, March 2022
de la Torre M., Marwaha R.S., Hicks J., Bland L., Hendricson W., Aguilar R.P., Challa S. DENT ECHO: A Virtual Mentoring Network and Learning Community for Dental Providers Working in Remote Areas with Underserved Communities. American Dental Education Association (ADEA) Conference, Philadelphia, PA, March 2022
Shelke G.S., Marwaha, R.S., Shah, P., Challa, S. Impact of prenatal health conditions and health behaviors in pregnant women on birth defects in United States. 40th Research and Clinical Symposium, UT Health San Antonio, TX, February 2022
Marwaha, R.S., Aljamal F., Anthony R., Challa, S. Impact of an Educational Symposium on Opioid Prescribing Knowledge and Practices of Dental Residents. National Oral Health Conference (NOHC), Virtual, April 2021
Franklin A., Marwaha, R.S., Shah, P., Challa, S. Dental care for pregnant patients: a survey to assess the current practices of Alabama dentists. National Oral Health Conference (NOHC), Virtual, April 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. Virtual, April 2021
Challa SN, Hicks JL, Hendricson WD, de la Torre MA, Marwaha, RS. Primary Care Dentistry for South Texas (PCDST): Impacting Oral Health for Vulnerable Populations. National Oral Health Conference (NOHC), Virtual, April 2021
Marwaha R.S., Hasselgren G, Douglas-Broten S., Ahluwalia K.P. The Opioid Epidemic: Role of Endodontists. Birnberg Research Day at Columbia University, College of Dental Medicine, New York, NY, April 2018 (Honorable mention awarded)
Marwaha R.S., Hasselgren G, Eisig S., Douglas-Broten S., Ahluwalia K.P. The Opioid Epidemic: Role of Dental Specialists. National Oral Health Conference (NOHC), Louisville, KY, April 2018
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Clinical
Board Certifications
- 2021 - Board Certified Specialist - American Board of Dental Public Health