The UNMC College of Dentistry’s two newest residency program leaders — Alexandra Bilunas, DDS, and Kristy Marker, DDS — took time to talk about themselves and their programs as the new academic year begins.
Kristy Marker, DDS, joined the college in August as the endodontics residency program director. The two-year program has five residents currently, and Dr. Marker, coming most recently from private practice, is excited to return to the academic arena.
Endodontics, or the study of care for dental pulp and tissues surrounding the root of the teeth, was a specialty Dr. Marker discovered gradually.
“After graduating dental school in 1999, I thought I wanted to go into oral surgery, but then I decided endodontics was for me. The interest developed over time – after I had time to practice for a few years.”
Dr. Marker specialized in endodontics and graduated from University of Iowa College of Dentistry in 2008. She worked in private practice for 13 years and then decided to transition to academics. “I was tired of being a lone wolf in private practice. I really missed the academic environment.”
Dr. Marker first began exploring a move to academic dentistry in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic derailed a potential educational role.
“I was thrilled when I found this opportunity,” she said.
“I’m also excited about developing a program that trains UNMC endodontic residency graduates to obtain board certification,” she said. “This has always been a very strong clinical program, but I want to drive home some of the things that will encourage the graduates to obtain board certification and be at the top of their game.”
Dr. Marker’s two-year program results in a certificate in endodontics or, in three years, students can receive a master’s in endodontics.
Alexandra Bilunas, DDS, has been with the college a bit longer than Dr. Marker, joining in June 2024 and taking over in April 2025 as the program director of the pediatric dentistry residency program.
Her 24-month program, which is for a certificate in pediatric dentistry, currently has nine residents.
Dr. Bilunas said she fell in love with pediatric dentistry while a student at Meharry Medical College in Nashville.
“Most of our pediatric dental experiences were getting on a mobile unit and traveling to small towns in Tennessee,” she said. “Some stops were juvenile detention centers. Some were different schools, where we would do screenings.
“I always encourage students entering dental college to have an open mind,” she said. “The beauty in pediatric dentistry is, it’s a lively, upbeat, fast-paced environment. But you also are in that spot of teaching someone better oral hygiene or better diet.
“We can grow and learn to take care of the permanent teeth, the adult teeth,” she said. “Whereas in general dentistry, I was seeing, unfortunately, people who are maybe having their teeth removed, and now we’re looking at prosthetic appliances for them.”
One aspect of academic medicine Dr. Bilunas appreciates is access to hospital procedures, something she didn’t have in private clinical practice.
“In private practice, we’re able to easily take care of the healthy children,” she said. “But if I had a child with special health care needs, I’d refer them to a residency program.
“There’s also the teaching aspect,” she said. “I didn’t realize how much I would enjoy showing residents even how to do a crown prep. I enjoy the ‘A-ha!’ moments the residents have as they learn new things.”