Dr. Michelle Foigel Siqueira (She/Her)

Organizational Website 

"I am very interested in finding ways to ensure no patient will leave a dental practice with an infection caused by lack of water quality control"

Water Experience

I am a dentist and a researcher. Water is essential during dental treatment, by cooling and irrigating the patient's mouth. Even though water quality is normally monitored by authorities, water can become contaminated when traveling through dental units' waterlines due to backflow and water stagnation that led to biofilm accumulation. Contaminated water used during dental treatment can harm patients, specifically children and immunocompromised individuals with the potential risk of hospitalization and even death. There are gaps in dental education, and proper water management is one of them. I developed an initiative in the College of Dentistry to teach and provide hands-on training to dentistry and dental assisting students, on easy-to-perform water management protocols and water tests to ensure students understand the importance of safeguarding the water quality of our dental units during their education and later on in their professional lives. I also lead projects in Saskatchewan and abroad to ensure the dental community understands the issues that contaminated water can bring to patients.

Opportunities of Interest

• Speaking engagements (e.g., conference panels, keynote addresses)
• Leadership roles (e.g., board member, committees)
• Volunteer opportunities (e.g., community based projects)
• Consulting (e.g., government, industry, not-for-profit sector)
• Research (e.g., academic, not-for-profit, government)
• Being a Mentor
• Having a Mentor

Opportunities Offered

• Graduate student training (e.g., masters, PhD)
• Mentorship Short-term (e.g., attend a mentorship circle or event; 1-3 meetings with an individual)
• Mentorship Long-term (e.g., regular attendance at mentorship circles, frequent meetings 6+ months)
• Student internships
• Visiting Professorships