Contact
Departments & Divisions
Institutes & Centers
Poornima K Mensinkai, B.D.S., M.S., Ph.D
Associate Professor/Clinical
Director of South Asian Academic Initiatives
Assistant Director, International Dentist Education Program
Poornima Mensinkai, BDS, PhD, MS, was born in Bangalore, India, where she graduated in 2000 from Karnataka University with her Bachelor's in Dental Surgery. Dr. Mensinkai earned her Master of Science and her PhD from the UT Health San Antonio (UTHSA) Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences in 2011 and 2017, respectively.
Dr. Mensinkai is currently appointed at the UTHSA School of Dentistry as Assistant Director for the International Dentist Education Program and full-time Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Comprehensive Dentistry. She serves on the Faculty Senate as Member at large and takes pride in representing the School of Dentistry at UTHSA.
Passionate about training international dentists aspiring to make a career in the U.S., Dr. Mensinkai also holds an appointment as the Director for the Hand Skills CE course at Smile UTHSA. She is also a dedicated member of the School of Dentistry's Admissions Committee for DDS students and the International Dentist Education Program, as well as the Dental Education Outreach Committee and Dentistry Enhancement for Clinical Opportunities (DECO) Task Force for Patient Screening. She completed courses for Teaching Excellence in 2011 and Entering Mentoring in 2017. In service to the profession, Dr. Mensinkai is a member of the Indian Dental Association, the American Dental Education Association, and the International American Dental Research.
-
Professional Background
Education
- 2017 - PhD - Graduate School Of Biomedical Sciences, UTHSCSA
- 2013 - MS - Graduate school of Biomedical Sciences, UTHSCSA
- 2000 - BDS - KLE's Institute of Dental Sciences, Karnataka, India
Training
- 2017 - PhD - Biomedical Sciences - University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio San Antonio , TX
- 2011 - MDS - Biomedical Sciences - University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio San Antonio , TX
Appointments
- 7/2017 - Present - Assistant Professor/Clinical - UT Dentistry, Comprehensive Dentistry, San Antonio, TX
-
Instruction & Training
- 7/2017 - Present, Pre-Doctoral Student Supervision, UT Dentistry
- 7/2017 - Present, Operative Dentistry, UT Dentistry
- 7/14/2021, Hand skill Bench prep course, UT Dentistry
-
Publications
1. P.K. Mensinkai, R.A. Ccahuana-Vasquez, I. Chedjieu, B.T. Amaechi, A.C. Mackey,
T.J.Walker And D.D. Blanken “In situ remineralization of white-spot enamel lesions by
500 and 1,100ppm F dentifrices”, Journal of “Clinical Oral Investigation” July 3, 2011.
2. B.T. Amaechi, R. Karthikeyan, P.K. Mensinkai, K. Najibfard, A.C. Mackey, And R.L.
Karlinsey “Remineralization of Eroded Enamel by a NaF rinse containing a novel calcium
phosphate agent in an in situ model”, Journal of “Clinical Cosmetic and Investigational
Dentistry” August 24, 2010.
3. B. Mcgarrell, P. Mensinkai, I. Chedjieu, P.T. Gakunga, J.P. Hatch, K. Ramalingam,
B.T.Amaechi. “Prevention of Enamel Demineralization around Orthodontic Brackets
Using an Organo-Diselenide Antimicrobial Sealant”: Caries 196 Res 2011; 45:174–242.
4. A. Brown, I. Chedjieu, P.K. Mensinkai, P.T. Gakunga, J. Hatch, and B.T. Amaechi,
“Durability of Products for Prevention of Demineralization around Orthodontic Brackets”.
Journal of Dental Research, Vol. 90, Special Issue A, Abstract # 1105.
5. R.L. Karlinsey, B.T. Amaechi, R. Karthikeyan, P.K. Mensinkai, K. Najibfard And A.C.
Mackey, “In Situ Remineralization of Erosive Lesions with Fluoride Plus TCP-Si-Ur”
Journal of Dental Research, Vol. 89, Special Issue B Abstract # 4188.
6. Amaechi BT, Ramalingam K, Mensinkai PK, Chedjieu I. In situ remineralization of early
caries by a new high-fluoride dentifrice General Dentistry 2012 Jul; 60(4):186-192.
7. Amaechi BT, Porteous N, Ramalingam K, Mensinkai PK, Ccahuana-Vasquez RA,
Sadeghpour A, Nakamoto T. Remineralization of Artificial Enamel lesions by
Theobromine Caries Research 2013 Jan;47:399-405.
8. Amaechi BT, Porteous NB, Ramalingam K, Mensinkai, P.K., Ccahuana Vasquez, R.A.,
Sadeghpour, A, Nakamoto, T. Remineralization of artificial enamel lesions by theobromine
Caries Research 2013 Apr;47:399-405.
9. Amaechi BT, Mathews SM, Mensinkai PK. Effect of theobromine-containing toothpaste
on dentin tubule occlusion in situ Clin Oral Investig 2014 Mar;.
10. Bennett T. Amaechi, Sapna M. Mathews, Karthikeyan Ramalingam, Poornima K.
Mensinkai. Evaluation of Nano hydroxyapatite-containing toothpaste for occluding dentin
tubules Am J Dent 2015 Feb; 28:33-39.
11. Dissertation “Effects of Glycemic Control on Bone Metabolism for Edentulous Patients
with Diabetes”, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, UTHSCSA May 2017.
12. Manuscript under review “Effects of Glycemic Control on Bone Metabolism for
Edentulous Patients with Diabetes”, Mensinkai PK, Oates TW, Fajardo R, JADA 2017
July 2017
13. Stephen H. Abrams, Koneswaran S. Sivagurunathan, Josh D. Silvertown, Bonny Wong,
Adam Hellen, Andreas Mandelis, Warren M.P. Hellen, Gary I. Elman, S.M. Mathew,
Poornima K. Mensinkai, Bennett T. Amaechi “Correlation with caries lesion depth of The
Canary System, DIAGNOdent and ICDAS II”, The Open Dentistry Journal, 11: 679-689
Feb 201