A Birthday Gift that Keeps on Giving
Gifts to commemorate Noah Chivian’s birthday—he turns 91 on December 8—support endodontic students at the Rutgers School of Dental Medicine.
When endodontist Noah Chivian turned 90, what he wanted for his birthday was not presents, but “presence”—and donations to an endowed fund at Rutgers School of Dental Medicine.
Rather than traditional birthday gifts, he invited his friends and family to come to his party and contribute to the Noah Chivian, DDS Endodontics Education Fund, which he established.
“Their gift was coming to my party—that, and to contribute to the endowment I created,” the Rutgers endodontics professor says. “I didn’t want any more ties or sweaters, things I’d have to take back to the store. I wanted them to join me in supporting the postgraduate students in the endodontics program. So we put that right on the invitation.”
In addition to the $25,000 charitable gift annuity Chivian established for the fund, more than 65 friends and family members contributed nearly $14,000 in his honor. This year, he is again asking anyone who plans to get him a birthday gift for his 91st birthday to support his fund.
“I’ve been fortunate to build a rewarding career in endodontics, and I know firsthand how vital advanced training and mentorship are to success in this field,” he says. “It’s important to me to ensure that future endodontists have resources to learn and grow.”
A Newark Native
Growing up in Newark, Chivian taught himself photography, starting with a Kodak Brownie camera in grade school. In high school, he worked as a sports reporter for the Newark Evening News and The Star-Ledger newspapers covering football, baseball, basketball, and bowling. But observing his father, Jacob Chivian, treat patients in his home-office dental practice in Newark was what inspired him to become a dentist.
“In our two blocks, whatever medical or dental problem you had, we probably had a specialist for that,” he says. “I remember my father being involved in the community, and he emphasized the importance of participating not only with your money but volunteering also.”
Chivian attended the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, where he took classes taught by Louis Grossman, widely recognized as the father of modern endodontics. Grossman’s influence put Chivian on the path to becoming a leader in the field.
After graduating in 1959, he went on to obtain his endodontics certificate from Temple University School of Dentistry in 1961. Two years later, endodontics—which Chivian simplifies to describe as root canal treatment—was officially recognized by the American Dental Association as a dental specialty. He later served as president of the American Association of Endodontists (AAE), the American Academy of Esthetic Dentistry, and the AAE Foundation for Endodontics.
Chivian operated his private practice in endodontics in West Orange for more than 50 years. Then in 2014—the year he turned 80—he started his second career as a faculty member at the Rutgers School of Dental Medicine in Newark. Today, as a half-time faculty member, he goes to the endodontics clinic each week to teach.
His passion for teaching comes from his years of experience in knowing that “if in five years, you’re still doing things the same way, you’re going to be behind the times.”
“Technology and research are ever evolving, and you must continue to keep up,” he says. “I tell the grad students that I’ve done more hardcore reading and study in the last 12 years than I did in the 25 before. I kept up on technique and all the aspects of endodontics that I continue to lecture on, but to go back to basics is something I enjoy. The education we’re providing to our undergraduate and postgraduate students continues to evolve and grow with new techniques and new ideas.”
Support Students
Please consider a gift to support Rutgers endodontics postgraduate students and celebrate the remarkable life of nonagenarian Dr. Noah Chivian.
