Rita O’Dwyer, DDS, MPH

Meet Stony Brook, NY Endodontist Dr. Rita O’Dwyer

Dr. O’Dwyer was born and raised in Long Island, NY. She grew up in St. James and graduated from Smithtown High School in 2005. She has been in the dental field since 2008 and has maintained a reputation of providing personalized, gentle, and compassionate dental care to her patients.

She is a root canal specialist that provides endodontic treatments utilizing the latest techniques with the most advanced technologies. She is actively involved in research to maintain the best practices and deliver cutting-edge treatment and evidence-based dental care.

In her spare time, Dr. O'Dwyer enjoys spending time with her family, boating, traveling, and visiting Long Island’s beautiful beaches, parks and museums.

Education and Training

Dr. O’Dwyer graduated from the University at Albany in 2009, where she received a Bachelor of Science in Biology. She pursued her interests in oral health and community service and received a Master of Public Health from A.T. Still University. She earned her dental degree at Stony Brook University School of Dental Medicine in 2017.

After dental school, she began her post-doctoral training at New York Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital, General Practice Residency. Dr. O’Dwyer worked as a General Dentist for two years until completing an Advanced Education Program in Endodontics at Stony Brook University School of Dental Medicine.

Awards

Throughout her dental career, Dr. O’Dwyer has received numerous awards in endodontics, clinical care, and community service. She has published research in the Journal of Endodontics involving the use of cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) and her research project in regenerative endodontics was awarded funding by the American Association of Endodontists Foundation.

Outreach

She enjoys giving back to the community and being involved in dental outreach and oral health care programs. Her past volunteer experiences include a 4-week dental mission to Madagascar, several weekend missions to Tennessee and Virginia, and numerous State and local health fairs.

Professional Organizations

Dr. O’Dwyer is an active member of the:

• American Association of Endodontists
• American Dental Association
• New York State Association of Endodontists
• Suffolk County Dental Society
• International Association for Dental Research

Presentations and Publications

• O’Dwyer RS, Simon, M, Rafailovich, M, Manders, M, Li, J, Feng, KC, Li, K, Cymerman, JJ. Comparison of Gelatin Scaffolds for Regenerative Endodontic Procedures, an In Vitro Evaluation using Human Dental Pulp Stem Cells. 2020; (Master’s thesis in preparation). Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York.
• O’Dwyer RS. Minimally invasive endodontics.  Poster presented at: Greater New York Dental Meeting; 2017 Nov 26; New York, NY.
• Cymerman, JJ, Cymerman, DH, O’Dwyer, RS. Evaluation of odontogenic maxillary sinusitis using cone-beam computed tomography: Three case reports. Journal of Endodontics 2011; 37(10): 1465-1469.