MEET DR. FERRO

Dr. Keith Ferro began his bachelors studies at the University of Rochester (Rochester, NY). Course subjects were diverse with concentration in microbiology. He was given the seminal opportunity to be mentored by Dr. Robert Marquis, Chairman of Microbiology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. With Dr. Marquis' direction, Dr. Ferro completed research in the discovery of a protein that neutralized the tooth-destructive acids of oral bacteria.*1 Dr. Ferro continued his dental education at Boston University graduating in 1986. While in dental school, he continued working part-time on oral microbiology research with Harvard professor Dr. Hans Van Houte at The Forsyth Institute (Boston, MA).

Boston University School of Dental Medicine offered a foundation for dentistry. Dr. Ferro made all of his dental school required crowns and dentures with direct supervision of the Boston University dental technicians. It was an invaluable practical experience to learn applications of dental material science. He continued additional hands-on ceramic technique courses by expert master ceramists. After completion of his DMD degree at Boston University and dental board certification, he completed a clinical fellowship at the Forsyth Institute, in 1987. There, he practiced general dentistry and observed dental implant surgeries by Professor Leonard Shulman, a pioneer in dental implantology. He continued his education with the completion of an advanced (specialty) program in prosthodontics at The Eastman Institute of Oral Health, University of Rochester (Rochester, NY). Eastman was one of five North American research centers of the Branemark dental Implant (Nobel Biocare). It was also the site for the first published research on immediate placement of dental implants in tooth extraction sites. Dr. Ferro knew Eastman Dental Center was the premier center of learning about dental implants when his former Boston University surgery professors visited Eastman for dental implant training during his residency.

Eastman is a special place where recent dental graduates can advance new dental techniques with validation by applied sciences under the direction of full-time professors from the University of Rochester, School of Medicine and Dentistry. Professors never discouraged new ideas, and often encouraged peer-review with presentations of new clinical techniques at professional dental meetings. Eastman has been a pioneering research center for dental caries, denture technique, dental implants and tooth bonding techniques.

As a post-doctoral resident, Dr. Ferro presented resin-to-metal bonding research from the work by Dr. Izchak Barzilay.*2 Even 30 years after learning techniques by Dr. Barzilay, the bonding of resin-to-metal has been one of Dr. Ferro's current research interests.*5 Results of his  resin-metal bonding research was presented to the Academy of Prosthodontics meeting in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico in 2010.

The emerging aesthetic ceramic materials intrigued Dr. Ferro. He consulted with researchers at the world renown Corning Glassworks on technical aspects for testing the resistance to fracture of a new glass-ceramic used in making artificial crowns. Dr. Ferro presented his research results at a premier dental meeting, the Greater New York Academy of Prosthodontics in New York.*3

Since 1986, Dr. Ferro has clinical experience with many aspects of rehabilitation as a result of tooth infections, trauma, and cancer. He had been appointed assistant professor at University of Connecticut (1990-2013), director of graduate prosthodontics at Harvard University (2013-2015), associate professor at Boston University (2015-2019), and an attending prosthodontist at Montefiore Hospital, NY (2019-2020). Currently, Dr. Ferro's hospital staff appointment is at Saint Francis Hospital (1994-current). He maintains a solo clinical practice with a full-service laboratory in West Hartford (1990-current).

Dr. Ferro specializes in treating dental and facial problems that involve restoring missing teeth and jaw structures. His clinical acumen includes aesthetics, dental implants, crowns, bridges, and dentures.