ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR
Gary David Hack, DDS

Gary David Hack has a knack for summoning smiles. Be it easing the pain of patients with sensitive teeth or providing tools to help dentists treat children with cleft palates, Hack is a welcome sight.

An associate professor in the Department of Endodontics, Prosthodontics and Operative Dentistry in the Dental School, Hack is also director of clinical simulation research.

He was co-inventor, with fellow Entrepreneur of the Year winner Leonard Litkowski, on numerous patents regarding important applications of a modified bioactive material, now known as NovaMin. NovaMin-containing products relieve tooth sensitivity, remineralize tooth structure, whiten teeth, and aid in periodontal health. The licensed products are now a significant source of revenue and are being used in a variety of applications.

Hack has submitted more than 16 invention disclosures to the Office of Research and Development at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. As a result, the University has been awarded 35 patents, six in the United States and 29 in foreign countries.

Which is one more reason to smile.