This award recognizes a graduate from the past 10 years whose accomplishments enhance the perception of the dental profession and who has demonstrated remarkable service to the community. The 2020 award honors Andrew Swiatowicz, DDS ’10, FAGD, DABDSM, for his early-career contributions to special care dentistry and lifelong learning.

For the past decade, Swiatowicz has been committed to advancing special care dentistry and improving access to that care. A resident of Newark, Del., he operates two distinct practices in the state. One, a general restorative practice located in Wilmington, is dedicated to the needs of patients with intellectual disabilities or those who are medically compromised. A second practice, comprising Wilmington and Dover offices, is the first of its kind in Delaware, and is dedicated to dental sleep medicine.

Initially drawn to special care dentistry while a UMSOD student, Swiatowicz, who holds a Professional Administrative Certification of Excellence, also is deeply interested in lifelong learning. He has served for nearly a decade as an attending dentist at the ChristianaCare General Practice Residency, teaching removable prosthodontics and dental sleep medicine. He recently was named guest faculty at the Pankey Institute, where he presents on dental sleep medicine. A board member of the Delaware Academy of General Dentistry since 2017, he is the president-elect.

Swiatowicz was integral to the development of Delaware’s new adult dental Medicaid program and worked closely with the state to form a comprehensive program for patients. With the creation of this program, which is scheduled to be launched in October 2020, more than 100,000 previously underserved residents will have access to dental care.

Additionally, in 2015, Swiatowicz earned a fellowship in the Academy of General Dentistry. Earlier this year, he became a diplomate of the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine and is a member of the American Dental Association, Academy of General Dentistry, American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine, and American Academy of Sleep Medicine.