Rate My Professor Elizabeth Bortell

Elizabeth B. Bortell, D.D.S., is an Associate Professor and Director of Special Care Dentistry in the Department of Pediatric Dentistry at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry. She earned a B.S. in Biology from Virginia Commonwealth University, a Doctor of Dental Surgery (D.D.S.) from Howard University in 1999, and a Certificate in Pediatric Dentistry from Howard University in 2001. Bortell joined VCU as an Assistant Professor around 2014 and has since advanced to her current position, where she manages clinical services for pediatric patients with special needs and oversees advanced training programs.

Bortell's research specializations include dental care delivery for children with special health care needs, focusing on first dental visits, postoperative outcomes following local anesthesia use in general anesthesia cases, sedation perceptions, and management of patients with complex medical conditions such as status epilepticus. She has served as principal investigator for clinical trials, including a study evaluating local anesthesia effects on postoperative comfort in dental restorative procedures under general anesthesia. Key publications co-authored by Bortell include "The age and primary reason for the first dental visit in children with special health care needs" in Special Care in Dentistry (2024) and "Child Patient with a History of Status Epilepticus Referred for Management of Grossly Decayed Primary Molar" in Dental Clinics of North America (2023). She advises numerous graduate theses on related topics, such as detection of child abuse and neglect, esthetic concerns in primary dentition, and moderate sedation success in pediatric patients. Bortell presents research posters at the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry annual meetings and contributes as a reviewer for journals in pediatric dentistry and public health.

In addition to her academic and research roles, Bortell leads the Dr. Roger Wood Special Care Clinic, which opened in 2025 to improve access to dental services for adults with disabilities transitioning from pediatric care. Her dedication to teaching, scholarship, and service was honored with the Revere Scholar award from the VCU School of Dentistry. She also participates in leadership teams for special care initiatives and guides student advocacy efforts at national conferences focused on developmental medicine and dentistry.