Owen Insel, DMD
New York Presbyterian Hospital-Weill Cornell Medical College
Observership with Daniel Spagnoli, DDS, PhD
November 2021
Southport, NC
Dr. Owen Insel was born and raised in West Hartford, CT. Passionate about oral surgery from early in his educational career, Dr. Insel attended the University of Connecticut’s Combined Undergraduate Program in Dental Medicine, while simultaneously enrolled in their Honors program. He graduated summa cum laude with a BS in Molecular and Cellular Biology and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa.
While a student at the University of Connecticut’s School of Dental Medicine, he pursued multiple volunteer opportunities, which included working at UConn’s AEHC Migrant Farm Worker Dental Clinic and serving in leadership roles for UConn’s Medical and Dental Student Government, Pediatric Dental Society, American Student Dental Association, Student Professionalism and Ethics Association in Dentistry, and the Ambroise Paré OMFS Interest Group. He also participated in multiple service trips and worked with Special Smiles and the American School for the Deaf. Dr. Insel was part of a research study led by Dr. Stayashankara Aditya Tadinata, focused on using CBCT scans to demonstrate an increased bone density in osteoporotic patients on oral anti-resorptive drugs. He received the a variety of awards including: The Horace Wells Senior Student Award, Babbidge Scholar Award, Carter Family Award, Omicron Kappa Upsilon Research Award, New England Scholar Award, and UCONN Innovative Award and Grant.
Dr. Insel was a PGY3 Oral Surgery resident at New York Presbyterian Hospital-Weill Cornell Medical College when he participated in the Clinical Observership Program. In addition to his interests in complex dental implantology, hard and soft tissue regeneration, trauma, orthognathic surgery, virtual surgical planning/digital dentistry, and cosmetics, Dr. Insel is passionate about the treatment of TMJ pain and dysfunction and is actively involved in research activities for improved treatment modalities such as botulinum toxin injections and arthroscopy. Dr. Insel presented data on his TMJ arthroscopy research at The American College of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons 8th Annual Resident Meeting in Texas.
Beyond OMFS, Dr. Insel is passionate about cooking (having done a semester abroad at an Italian culinary school), playing bass, and traveling.