Getting prepared and ‘bear-y’ excited for Advocacy Month

Now, I’m no comedian, but I feel inclined to share a joke with you to get things started:

What did the dental student see at the North Pole?

The same thing that you’ll see again this November — the Molar Bear!

Today is Nov. 1, which means welcome to Advocacy Month. If you aren’t familiar with the Molar Bear, she’s ASDA’s official mascot and is un-bear-ably cute! Throughout the month, she travels from chapter to chapter across the country and encourages dental students to get involved with advocacy and tackle some of its biggest questions like, what is grassroots advocacy? Why is it important? How should I get involved? Bear in mind — these are some important questions we’ll explore.

When we last saw our furry friend, the world looked a little different. COVID-19 forced us out of our clinics and classrooms, and launched us into a new virtual world. It was un-bear-able. While our fire to advocate for our profession and our patients refused to extinguish, advocacy in 2020 was a polar opposite from what we were used to.

But those changes weren’t fur-ever. The Molar Bear is coming out of hi-bear-nation just in time to celebrate. This year, we’re ready to take our advocacy to places we never thought paw-sible. This year, our efforts will focus on Getting Back to Our (Grass) Roots.

Are you still with me? Just bear-ly? Ok, let’s break it down to the bear minimum.

As much as Zoom allowed us to meet, strategize and collaborate, no Zoom meeting can replace the power of in-person grassroots advocacy. Grassroots advocacy means starting locally from the ground-up to influence issues at the state or federal level. We connect with our peers to discuss important issues affecting us today as students and tomorrow as dentists. Issues such as student debt, bear-iers to care and licensure reform keep us bear-ied in thought at the power of effecting change.

You may be wondering: How fur will these puns go? You wouldn’t bear-lieve we have a few more. Here’s how you can get involved this month.

To highlight how grassroots advocacy reaches all corners of the earth, we’re challenging every ASDA chapter to submit their most unique, adventurous and creative video to our “Oh, the Places the Molar Bear Will Go” video competition. Strike a paws with the Molar Bear at a park or in clinic, and show us all the paw-sible places the Molar Bear goes with you. We’re looking for fur-nominal videos, so you better high-tail it to your fur-vorite coffee shop.

Unsure about how to hold an in-person advocacy event after a year on Zoom? Bear sure to join us for our chapter idea exchange on Nov. 9 at 7: fur-ty (7:30) Central time. Whether your chapter has had success with a “Red, White and Brews” event or an advocacy debate, bring your thoughts and ideas as we brainstorm how to bear-gin advocating at the grassroots level. 

Ultimately, this month is about the bear. Sorry, I mean this month is about you. Getting involved in these discussions and building coalitions at the local level are crucial in our pursuit of change.

Tom Peters, acclaimed American writer, stated, “Community organizing is all about building grassroots support. It’s about identifying the people around you with whom you can create a common, passionate cause.” After a year that so quickly separated us from our peers, let’s get back to our (grass) roots.

I’ll leave you with one last joke to kick off our advocacy efforts on a high note: What do you call a toothless bear? A gummy bear, of course!

~Jake Holtzmann, Colorado ’22, ASDA Council on Advocacy Chair

The impact of organized dentistry

Organized dentistry describes the tripartite of dental advocacy though which many different groups work together —
at the local, state, and national levels — to improve and advance the dental profession. Dr. Stephanie Sandretti has been involved in all three levels of advocacy and remains an active member in organized dentistry. Before graduating from the UCLA School of Dentistry in 2013, she was fully invested in advocacy efforts through ASDA and the ADA. Since then, Dr. Sandretti has further expanded her scope of involvement, especially in California dental societies, and she continues to demonstrate steadfast dental leadership in these organized advocacy groups.

CONTOUR: What was your path to organized dentistry?

DR. STEPHANIE SANDRETTI: In dental school, I was very involved with the very active UCLA ASDA chapter. During my third year, I was a district 11 ADA delegate — able to attend the ADA House of Delegates, represent ASDA, vote, etc. Being involved at that level as a student sparked my passion for organized dentistry. I was also involved with the Academy of General Dentistry and went to their lobby day events for two years, becoming active with federal legislation.

Eventually I got more involved with the California Dental Association and have been a member of its Government
Affairs Council since 2016. In addition, I am a guest of the Sacramento District Dental Society, addressing state lawmakers as a professional witness to educate them and the public about the importance of certain topics relevant to dentists and business owners.

Finish reading about Dr. Sandretti in the October issue of Contour magazine.

~Christine Shoemaker, Washington ’23, Chapter Advocacy Chair

How to stay organized and HIPAA-compliant in clinic

Starting clinic in dental school is a refreshing change of pace for students. The excitement and anticipation of treating patients also comes with the responsibility of keeping track of everything you do. For many students who are in charge of contacting their own patients to schedule appointments, it is critical to have a system in place so no one is forgotten. A missed appointment here or a rescheduled visit there can easily cause a patient to slip through the cracks if we aren’t aware of all the care we provide.

The nightmare scenario we want to avoid is forgetting to reschedule a patient for an appointment that should have been done ages ago. What are the best methods we can use to keep track of our patient pool — whether or not you read every patient’s chart every day or week — while staying within the bounds of HIPAA policy?

A quick search online will tell you the 18 identifiers that qualify as patient personal identifiers (name, age, etc.), or protected health information. Our student digital electronic health record systems contain every single one of these identifiers (and more) for a patient. While we are logged in securely at school or through a remote server, it is no issue to keep track of patients. However, most of us do not live at school or are not logged into our EHR all the time. Even those who do have easy access to a remote server may prefer other means of staying organized outside of the software solutions provided to us as clinicians. After discussing with my school’s clinical and security HIPAA compliance experts, I learned best practices to stay compliant to HIPAA while attempting to streamline the multitude of patients, appointments, classes and other responsibilities that dental school throws at us.

Keeping track of patients within your institution’s digital records system

This is probably the easiest, most worry-free method of keeping track of your patient obligations. While operating within the EHR, you can use its multiple features such as the patient’s chart and notes, the universal scratchpad, and even messaging to keep lists of patients’ needs, appointments, etc. While operating within the EHR, you are not assuming any additional risk of exposing private information. However, the downside to this method is the limited capabilities of the features discussed; most are simply word processors with no ability for formatting, tables, checklists or dynamic functions. This approach does work, though, if you’re on top of the patient pool and frequently updating treatments and appointments.

Considerations for other methods of organizing your patient pool

For those who may want to create new ways of managing your workflow, the most important step to safeguard your data is to double-check the security of your method with your school’s HIPAA compliance experts, which may include the clinical director and IT experts. Each school handles their patient data in different ways with different degrees of freedoms. For example, the mail and office productivity client our school uses is HIPAA compliant and, therefore, offers additional software options to manage patient records outside of the EHR. Your school may have other viable options for managing data outside of the digital realm as well, and the best way to find out is to ask.

~Harish Balasubramani, Pittsburgh ‘22, ASDA Electronic Editor

The importance of ASDA policy and submitting resolutions

ASDA policy is a powerful method for communicating between current dentists, dental students and future dental students. It helps define what is important to dental students and the organization, and can be used to form advocacy stances and strategies on the local or national level. Policy also serves as a guide to ensure ASDA’s board acts in accordance with what the student body, or the ASDA House of Delegates, agreed upon. In addition, the ease of access to ASDA’s policy will allow us to look back at the policies when we become dentists and inspire us to continue to aid ASDA, even when we are no longer students.

Broadly speaking, ASDA policy reflects the topics and issues that are important to us as dental students, and we can carry these with us as we move forward in our careers. This year, we have continued to build on the foundation that the ASDA founders laid down in the 1970s.

For example, one of our oldest policies, E-1 Due Process, was created in 1977 to protect dental students in disciplinary proceedings. It encourages dental schools to have due process procedures that allow dental students to have a meaningful defense when charged with misconduct. In spring 2021, we voted on a resolution to expand the policy because when dental students face disciplinary charges, students risk losing their position in dental school, their potential future income, their time spent pursuing dentistry and the student debt they have accumulated in the process.  Where the stakes are high, so, too, should be the burden of proof. Therefore, the due process policy was changed to encourage schools seeking to discipline a student to use “clear and convincing” evidence, as opposed to the “preponderance of the evidence” standard that only requires 51% certainty that a student committed a wrongful act. It is policies such as this that help protect our interests and show where we stand on certain issues.

What is a resolution?

A resolution is the primary method to change current ASDA policy or adopt new policy. Resolutions are presented at Annual Session to be discussed and voted on by the ASDA House of Delegates, which is the “supreme legislative body of the association and is responsible for electing officers and determining policies, initiatives and directives.” The house is comprised of dental students appointed by their chapters.

Submitting a resolution is also a way to raise awareness on an issue that could lead to change, even if it is not adopted into ASDA policy. While there are no technical restrictions on what you submit, your resolution should relate to dental student issues within ASDA’s mission statement.

To increase the probability of your resolution making its way to the voting floor, make sure you thoroughly research your issue so it is well-drafted and supported. You can find a template on ASDA’s website as well as resolutions that have succeeded in the past.

After submission of your resolution, be willing to adjust as recommended by the board. Lastly, be available to defend your resolution at Annual Session, so you can address any questions or concerns the delegates may have.

If you want ASDA to consider taking a position on a certain issue or simply see a change that needs to happen, submit a resolution. All of ASDA’s voting members will be required to read your resolution, and your message will be heard. Ultimately, ASDA policy is powerful because it is the unified voice of dental students. By simply submitting a resolution, you help create the change you wish to see.

Our world is one of increments. Submit a resolution and move our world one inch closer to what you would like it to be.

~Michael Rosales, Roseman ‘22

Student guide to networking

Entering my first ASDA conference as a first-year dental student in 2019, I was anxious about meeting new people and making great first impressions. I relied on 2019–2020 ASDA Vice President Brandon Rensch to guide me through my first networking experience. At a dental conference, Rensch says everyone is in the same awkward situation of not knowing anyone around them. Fortunately, everyone automatically has much in common — we’re all dental students. He suggested asking easy questions like what school they go to and build off that.

The conference ended up being a blast and was a great opportunity to meet other dental students around the nation with similar interests. It can be scary to put yourself out there and meet other people, but hopefully this article can help you make connections.

9 networking tips

According to the 2014 issue of Science of People, networking enables you to exchange information, meet new professional contacts, and build mutually beneficial relationships. Like anything in life, networking takes practice to develop a skill set, but it is something anyone can learn to do. While there are many ways to network, here are nine tips to help you successfully network.

Read all nine tips in the October 2021 issue of Contour magazine.

~Saif Shah, Creighton ’22

Licensure compacts: A way to increase licensure portability

Where do you see yourself living in five years? How about 10 or 20 years?

As a dentist, the answer to this question could be impacted by your ability to get licensed.

If you choose to move to a different licensing jurisdiction from the one in which you were initially licensed, you will need to apply for a new license. Many states do have a licensure-by-credentials process by which currently licensed professionals can apply for a new license. Although many states have a similar list of core requirements that must be met, there are nuances, and the process can be lengthy and expensive.

Why does this matter to you?

Unless you have the next 30-40 years of your professional and personal life planned out, you may end up moving and be required to get a new license in a different jurisdiction in order to keep practicing.

We live in an increasingly mobile society. According to the ADA’s Health Policy Institute, about one in 13 dentists moved to a different state between 2015 and 2020. Among dentists aged 40 or younger, about one in six migrated across state lines during the same period. Dentists who are civilian spouses of those serving in the military move frequently and may be forced to pursue and maintain multiple licenses, which can put undue stress on the support system of our military. Academia is a highly mobile profession and, often, dentist faculty cross state lines to pursue employment. Sometimes, volunteer efforts can be restricted based on the ability of dental professionals to get licensure by credentials.

A new opportunity

The U.S. Department of Defense is providing funding to the Council of State Governments (CSG) to assist professionals in the development of new interstate compacts for occupational licensure portability.  Because the ADA’s Comprehensive Policy on Dental Licensure calls for state dental boards to consider participating in licensure compacts and establishing a common core of credentials for granting licensure,  the ADA’s Council on Dental Education and Licensure submitted an application for assistance from CSG. This application was supported by many dental communities of interest, including ASDA, American Dental Education Association, American Dental Hygienists’ Association, the Coalition for Modernizing Dental Licensure, Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations and the Association of Dental Support Organizations.

We are proud to announce that the Department of Defense selected the professions of dentistry and dental hygiene to receive technical assistance from CSG to develop model interstate compact legislation. CSG hosted a webinar in August 2021 that provided a more in-depth discussion of compacts and an overview of the development process, which will take place over the next few years. Click here to watch the recording.

Looking forward

Back to the question — where do you see yourself in five, 10, 20 years? Although professional mobility may not be your priority right now, consider the positive impact a licensure compact could have on your career over the next few decades. I encourage you to stay involved in organized dentistry and get involved in licensure reform. It’s your future!

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Dr. Jacqueline Plemons is the chair of the ADA Council on Dental Education and Licensure and past president of the Texas Dental Association. A graduate of the Baylor College of Dentistry, she completed a periodontal residency earning a Master of Science in oral biology and a certificate in periodontics. Dr. Plemons also has completed a fellowship in oral medicine. 

This blog post was sponsored by the American Dental Association.

Compassion: The upholding pillar of a dental practice

Entering official clinical practice and starting to care for patients presents a whole new set of challenges. The level of stress can be overwhelming for students, faculty and patients alike. Students are concerned about their requirements to successfully graduate. Faculty are engulfed in academic and curriculum responsibilities. Patients are often concerned about finances, the anxiety-triggering dental procedures and much more. In such straining circumstances, it is easy to abandon each other and to only focus on your own needs instead. In the midst of our own concerns, we cannot forget to be selfless — compassion is the main upholding pillar of an excellent dental practice. 

During the behavioral dentistry course at University of Maryland School of Dentistry, Dr. Isabel Rambob often stressed the importance of one’s well-being in regard to showing compassion. She explained that when on a flight, the cabin crew advises passengers to, in the case of an emergency, place their own oxygen mask on first before helping others. Similarly, a dental provider cannot efficiently serve others if they don’t take care of themselves. That is why it is crucial to address your health needs while working in clinic.

Several dental students miss their lunch because they have to go from one clinical session to another. However, they should make sure to at least have a small snack and some water to recharge and be able to competently perform procedures. To balance the difficulties and challenges of daily life, it is important to have a hobby that is enjoyable. Whether it is talking to friends or listening to music, all such activities are an essential part of one’s well-being. 

Although it is easy to speak on the ideals of compassion and well-being, it can be rather difficult to effectively and genuinely put them into practice. It is helpful to constantly remind ourselves what really matters in the long-run and to continuously challenge ourselves to do what is best for yourself and others. 

As Mary Davis beautifully stated: “We can’t heal the world today, but we can begin with a voice of compassion, a heart of love, an act of kindness.” 

~Ashraf Oreizi, Maryland ‘23

Every gesture helps: Discussing mental health with patients

Eaten up with guilt, shame and fear, I’ll never forget the young teenaged patient who nervously answered “yes” when, while filling out her medical history, I asked if she had any eating disorders. I had been nervously anticipating the day I’d encounter a patient who would respond affirmatively to this question because I’d been in her situation before. 

I paused for a second, debating whether I should disclose to her that I struggled with several bouts of anorexia, bulimia and laxative abuse before asking her for more details. I had gone through that ordeal on my own, not having any support from family or friends. I knew that if one person had reached out to me in my time of need, I could have saved myself from the grief of relapses, damage to my teeth and the countless hours of crying alone in my room, feeling a loneliness that physically overwhelmed me. 

When it comes to talking about mental health, there’s always an amount of uncertainty about how to broach the subject, whether it be with patients, colleagues or even family. When going through health history, few mental health issues make themselves known until there’s a tangible physical side effect from that mental illness. Alcohol abuse, tobacco smoking, drug abuse, eating disorders — these are just a few of the physically visible mental illnesses we are required to document in Axium, and there’s always a pause before anyone discusses these health conditions. What about anxiety? What do you say to the patient who presents with exaggerated linea alba or morsicatio buccarum and a sore TMJ every morning? Is that a subject to be broached with them, or are you being too presumptive and overstepping as the dentist? 

There is too much hesitancy when it comes to discussing mental wellness within the medical field. As the saying goes, you cannot pour from an empty glass. It’s so important for us as providers to look after ourselves before taking care of others. For me, I am always nervous to bring it up because it feels like I’m being too needy and selfish, but I think it would be game changing if professors were just more open in the small moments to offer some sympathy or encouragement. One of my patients walked out on me after I explained to him I could only extract two of the three teeth he wanted out because the other was out of my expertise. I was frazzled, and my anxiety was through the roof as I presented to the faculty, but hearing the amazing Dr. A. Patel say, “I’m sorry that happened to you,” did a lot to calm me down and reassure me that I did nothing wrong. 

“Hey girl, I’m so sorry you’re going through this,” I whispered to my patient as she deliberated how much to tell me about her eating disorder. “I’m here if you want to talk about it.” I watched her eyes well up with tears as she explained her history of bulimia to me. All it took was for me to be open to her, and when I later confided my own history of purging to her, I swear she looked less lonely. 

It’s these little moments that truly have the biggest impact on our mental health. Whether it’s offering a few words of encouragement, some empathy or just being willing to hear out someone’s grievances, a small action could be the catalyst to someone’s mental state improving. 

~Unnati Soni, Temple ‘23, ASDA District 3 Advocacy Committee Co-Chair

World Patient Safety Day and increasing awareness about dental quacking

While visiting the dentist can be uncomfortable, it is important that our patients are well-informed when choosing a provider. Ahead of World Patient Safety Day on Sept.17, we want to raise awareness about an issue that many may not have heard of: dental quacking.

Medical quackery is defined as the act of practicing medicine based on false facts. Quackery in multiple medical fields has been practiced starting from the Middle Ages, peaking in the Renaissance. Charlatans — individuals taking an interest in science and spewing medical terminology to gain popularity — were booming. During this time period, individuals who participated in quackery were not arrested, despite the poor treatment of their patients due to a 1645 physician law, according to an article in the Journal of the California Dental Association. 

Today, quackery is usually present in rural areas of countries or places where there is lack of access to effective treatments, as well as a lack of awareness and financial means among patients. According to a January 2015 study, many patients who visit the dentist cannot afford it because they do not have insurance or the income to support it. In many parts of rural India, for example, a large part of the population falls below the poverty line, so citizens tend to look for cheaper options when seeking medical and dental treatment, a 2017 study reports. 

Lack of awareness and illiteracy also play a significant role in why quackery in dentistry is still happening today. The 2017 study says that quacks prey on individuals who lack the knowledge and caution of what quackery is and how dangerous it potentially can be to the public. These “providers” draw people to their practices with the help of the inaccurate knowledge they spew to their unsuspecting patients, promising to solve their needs.

However, there is a solution to prevent such things from happening to our patients, and that is education. We need to raise awareness of what dental quacking is, how big a danger it can be to our patients and how to look for signs to identify one. The News Minute reports that the first thing all patients should do is check the qualifications of their dental providers and look for red flags, such as the “provider” insisting on pushing medications instead of running tests. 

We need to teach the public to not be afraid to ask medical professionals about their treatment plan because, at the end of the day, if they know what to do, they shouldn’t have a problem explaining it to you. Knowing when and where dental quacks can pop up and how to avoid them is crucial to the safety of our patients. 

~Keerthana Vella, University of South Florida ‘23

Starting a writing club during the pandemic

Ever since my undergraduate years at NYU, writing has always been a passion of mine. I wrote for news site Odyssey Online and had the opportunity to interview NYU students, singer Luke Wade and even ask a question to Sarah Jessica Parker. I loved the concept of journalism and writing because of how often I got to meet new people and write about their stories. 

In a recent leadership seminar, I heard a phrase that stuck with me: Writing can be scary because there is no place to hide, but that is what makes it so powerful. I felt that phrase completely and knew I wanted to take away that fear and turn writing into something hopeful and safe. I never thought about creating a student club that graciously combined writing with dentistry until the pandemic gave us all more time. Personally, the pandemic gave me more time to self-reflect and hold on to what is most important: family, health, friends, aspirations, intentions, and our well-being.

As a third-year dental student in the middle of quarantine, I wanted to start a club that could unite dental students, faculty and alumni. In a time where we could not meet up with each other for months, I wanted to encourage students to stay connected. In a school as large as NYU College of Dentistry, it felt crucial to create a common place and a sense of belonging, especially during a time such as this. 

Since my first year at NYU College of Dentistry, every individual I have gotten to know on a more personal level has been warm and welcoming, and I wanted to embody those feelings in our online publications. I remember contacting numerous professors and students for weeks, and after a few months, I finally got the approval from student government to start this club. I wrote a constitution, created a Wix website and founded my executive team. Together, we edited and published monthly articles written by our peers. Unexpectedly, from our executive team to our editors to our webmaster, our first year as a student club was built on the foundation of strong and inspiring women.

Each piece published begins with an idea and a poll. Every month, our executive team asks for topics from our club members. Thus far, we have published content on wellness, growing from failure, precision medicine and more. We have also interviewed NYU College of Dentistry faculty who were once in our shoes. 

The process for a student writer involves a lot of teamwork. First, the executive team will edit the writer’s piece, and then send it over to our faculty mentors. If the article is approved, from there, the writer will implement the changes and send the revised edition back to me for publication. Our webmaster then uploads all approved articles. With our monthly publications, our goal is to publish only respectful and authentic pieces, and we want to always hold true to that value.

This student club has given us all a place to freely express our thoughts and get to know our student writers beyond dentistry. As we start our second year as a club this year, I hope it continuously serves as a platform for student writers to express their own voice. If given the opportunity, we’d love to help other programs adapt this same format, as it’s been such a gratifying experience for us all. I’m forever thankful for the mentors who believed in us from the beginning. Dentistry is a profession that is so versatile, and there is so much that can be combined with it. Writing happens to be one of my many passions that seems to flow well with my passion for dentistry: to have the ability to help people in the clinic and to also help others by publishing relatable, helpful pieces, demonstrating how grateful I am to be in this profession. 

~Yunah Caroline Chun, New York ‘22

Achieve better overall wellness

With grant funding from Crest + Oral-B, the ADA has spent the last year developing a suite of wellness programs for dentists and their teams. Explore these programs and more that support your financial wellness, your day-to-day clinic work and your overall self-care.

Financial wellness

• A special issue of Dental Practice Success offers Financial Foundations for the New Dentist to support navigating the financial journey from dental school to career.
• Plan Your Financial Journey includes experts from across the ADA’s financial partners offering tips for navigating debt and early career financial concerns. It’s free, and you can earn one CE credit.
• ADA.org/Money is the new home to resources and materials to support dental students and early career dentists in finding answers to financial questions and concerns.
• Read the New Dentist Now blog for peer-to-peer advice for managing student debt.

Physical wellness

• Get moving with Class Pass, a new program that provides free on-demand fitness classes and workouts as well as discounted passes to gyms and in-person classes. Visit ADA.org/ClassPass and enter code ADA2021.
• Read tips and tricks for managing PPE, and view this webinar to learn some workarounds for managing discomfort.

Mental wellness

• Watch “Resilience in the Face of Uncertainty,” by best-selling author, MTV star and mental health advocate Ben Nemtin. This free, on-demand webinar will advise how you can increase your wellbeing in times of stress, anxiety and burnout.
• Watch and share this short video that reminds us to take care of ourselves so we can take care of others. Top it off with a supported breathing exercise to help you take a breather from life’s chatter.
• Learn how to recognize when a colleague is struggling and identify ways to be supportive through the webinar Mental Health, Dentistry & You, from the ADA and NAMI Chicago, available for free to ASDA/ADA student members.

Check out ADA.org/wellness for additional resources, and be well!

This blog post was sponsored by the American Dental Association.

The art of multitasking

Whether you are on the road to embarking on your dental school journey or already immersed in the rollercoaster ride called “dental school,” one of the most valuable assets you can acquire to enjoy the process of this journey is multitasking. However, it’s important to make sure you are multitasking efficiently.

Saying no to distractions is the hardest but most important first step to mastering this skill. Try to say no to two hours of scrolling through Instagram. Maybe you can skip that social gathering on a Tuesday night and leave it for the weekend. If you keep mindlessly watching YouTube videos when you need to focus on your reading, say no to Wi-Fi until you finish that seemingly endless chapter. Doing simple swaps is sure to help you stay focused and avoid wasting time on tasks that need to be done, especially if doing two at the same time.

Prioritize what projects you choose to work on and when, while trying to combine working on the right tasks together. Write down which tasks need to be done as soon as possible, as well as which ones require your full attention. It already can be a little more challenging to jump from task to task since your short-term memory can only handle so much. Make sure the tasks you do pair up have something in common so you can complete each one effectively and in a timely manner. Try listening to your operative lecture while simultaneously applying the knowledge you are hearing by practicing on your simulation mannequin tooth. You can also pair up easy, mindless tasks with ones that need a little more focus. Maybe you can listen to your lecture while making your lunch or exercising, or you can listen to that audiobook you’ve been wanting to read while practicing on your simulation mannequin.

Make sure you give your brain a break. Keeping your mental functioning at the highest level is what will give you the energy to multitask efficiently. Whether it’s by taking time out of your day to meditate, pray, do some yoga, close your eyes for 10 minutes in between lectures or anything that helps your brain not work for a little bit, you will be giving yourself and your brain that extra boost to keep going. Here are a few links that have helped me:

• 10-minute meditations
• Yoga with Adriene
• Nature relaxing music

Learning how to multitask in a way that does not overwhelm you enough to cause even more stress is a skill that needs practice. The good news is anyone who sets their mind to practicing this skill enough — knowing the power of what having it in our world nowadays is — can do it!

~Loulia Al Bitar, Virginia ‘23

Bridging the gap between health care disparities

This summer after my first year of dental school, I had the opportunity to intern at Bridging the Gaps, a community-based summer internship where health care students work with underserved communities in Philadelphia and gain insight into factors that affect health. For anyone interested in gaining experience with social determinants of health or working in public health, I recommend this program or participating in an interdisciplinary health care program like this one.

Here are three lessons I learned participating in this program.

1. Context matters.

This was an important theme discussed throughout the program. When assessing the well-being and attitude of the people we’re serving, it is important to take into account the context of their backgrounds. I worked with the organization Educators for Education to create a six-week online, court-mandated program for Black adolescent boys in the Philadelphia justice system who were at risk or previously involved in crime. The program focused on career development, health knowledge and life skills.

Initially, I anticipated more excitement among the students for learning and more open dialogue during the workshops. However, as I learned more about the challenges the boys were coping with in and out of this program such as technological issues, lack of educational resources and family deaths, I began to understand how challenging it was for them to focus on learning. Context allowed my team and I to empathize and tailor the workshops to their needs. When we evaluated the effectiveness of our program, we considered these external factors that contributed to the attitudes and learning of our students.

2. Interdisciplinary approach to health care is valuable.

One of the most transformative aspects of my internship was the opportunity to work with students from different schools in Philadelphia, representing different health care programs such as nursing, social work and policy, occupational therapy, medicine and veterinary medicine. We discussed patient case studies and the perspective that each profession would bring to patient care.

Although I came into these discussions supporting an interdisciplinary approach to patient care, participating in these discussions brought to life the significance of the perspectives I overlooked as a dental student, simply because I had never learned about it formally. The profession of dentistry can often feel distant from other health care professions, but it doesn’t have to be. I challenge you to meet students from other programs and learn from one another. Working together, we can advocate for our patients effectively.

3. Practice radical empathy, not just empathy.

This internship was the first time I have ever heard the term “radical empathy.” Isabel Wilkerson, author of “Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents” puts it best: “Radical empathy is not about you and what you think you would do in a situation you have never been in … It is the kindred connection from a place of deep knowing that opens your spirit to the pain of another as they perceive it.”

The part of the quote that was most profound to me was the distinction between putting yourself in someone else’s shoes to understand a situation through your lens versus putting yourself in someone else’s shoes to understand a situation through their lens. In tackling health care disparities, it is important to be an ally for those who cannot speak up for themselves. To be a better ally, we need to take initiative to educate ourselves, instead of placing the burden upon vulnerable populations to inform us.

~Hilary Wong, Pennsylvania ’24

Why Packers and Movers in Ghaziabad are necessary?

Have you ever think that how the team of Packers and Movers in Ghaziabad makes the shifting easy. Well, they indeed make the procedure of relocation quick without any worries of theft. Hence, you can explore the genuine one and ask them the way they accomplish tasks. 

Generally, the team of mover and packer work in the manner of packaging each and everything. Rather, it’s related to industrial or household-they make the entire relocation easier. They know how to manage entire packages and stuff. 

How it is important to hire 100% movers and packers?

Yes, it is important to hire them that make the entire procedure easier.

• It saves the time of multiple up-down because they shift all the packages at once. 
• After that, it will be beneficial to relocate all the stuff easily without any worries.
• They suggest transit insurance that covers further damages and theft. 
• Even you don’t need to worry about any kind of packaging and delivering them all at the right location. 

These are the things to know before you’re going to hire any genuine services during relocation from one place to another. 

What are the things to ask before you’re going to hire them?

• How much do you have experience in the logistics business?
• What is the quality of the packaging products?
• Do you think the delivery is on time?
• What about the GST billing system?
• Do you provide an accurate GPS tracker?
• What will be the budget according to the distance and the weight?

Conclusion

According to the above article, it will be better to follow the above guidelines. Even you can also research them at LogisticMart. You’ll find 100% genuine Packers and Movers in Rajnagar Extension. So, be wise and invest with an authentic one. 

Dental spas: A new concept of comfort

Despite advances in dentistry, dental anxiety remains a problem for many. Research in the January 2013 British Dental Journal found that roughly 36 percent of the population experiences dental anxiety while 12% experience extreme dental fear. In efforts to mitigate anxiety, a new business concept — dental spas — is rapidly growing and creating a new face of dentistry.

Distinguishing fear, phobia and anxiety
While “dental fear,” “dental phobia,” and “dental anxiety” are often used interchangeably and aren’t necessarily isolated events, it is important to distinguish the terms. Fear is a reaction to a perceived threat, such as the high-pitched sound of drills at a dental office. Phobia — persistent and intense fear — in a dental setting is known as odontophobia, which can lead to “feelings of hypertension, terror, trepidation, and unease,” according to the March 2016 issue of Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dentistry. Anxiety is the emotional reaction to an unknown danger and/or before the threatening stimuli is encountered. Dental anxiety is common enough across various societies to be considered a general public health concern.

Cycle of dental anxiety
Dental anxiety is not simply an emotion that negatively affects a patient’s dental office experience. Anxiety has long-term implications that, left unchecked, can lead to a vicious cycle of dental anxiety. Patients with dental anxiety delay dental care out of fear, which causes further deterioration of oral health.

Finish reading this article in the August issue of Contour magazine.

~Jane Lee, Houston ’23

Innovating and creating ‘big ideas’ as a dental student

Day in and day out, there are thousands of products and processes whose design and function go by unnoticed. This is usually a sign of good design. A poorly designed product raises questions about how it could be made better. Most of the time, only a few seconds are given to the thought of how to improve something and no further action is taken.

A year ago, my colleague Sean Riazi and I took issue with the plastic barriers in the dental setting, specifically the barriers on air-water sprays and suctions that come in close proximity to patients’ mouths. We find that plastic barriers are cumbersome and contribute to a large amount of plastic waste in the dental setting. Additionally, their sole purpose of infection control is not being met adequately due to their flimsy nature.

Thoughts of how to improve this barrier system kept coming back to us. Soon, we found ourselves pursuing an idea that would offer more a protective, comfortable and sustainable dental barrier cover for our instruments.

Over the course of a year, our alternative idea transformed from a simple thought to prototypes in the making. I’m not quite sure if Sean and I ever envisioned entrepreneurship for ourselves, but this project has stimulated a part of our brains we hadn’t noticed was so inactive. It is easy to get caught in our daily routine as students, focused on our requirements and career, without taking time to broaden our vision and hone our problem-solving skills outside the operatory.

Here at the University of Pittsburgh, we are fortunate to have an amazing innovation center. The Big Idea Center at Pitt hosts year-round events such as pitch competitions and entrepreneur workshops. In the spring, the center hosts The Randall Family Big Idea Competition. During this two-month event, teams are paired up with experienced entrepreneurs and have the opportunity to research and develop their ideas.

Our project, ProSil, took third place this year, and we plan to move forward with prototype testing and further market discovery with the intention of launching this product in the next two years. We look forward to the future of our product and the future of dentistry. Ultimately, our company will be one that improves infection control in the dental setting and offers sustainability to offices by cutting down on plastic waste.

~Vivian Villasenor, Pittsburgh ’22

When should you start looking for disability income insurance?

At our firm, we have always held that disability income insurance is protection that anyone practicing dentistry should secure as soon as possible (read: immediately!). As a financial services professional, I am all too familiar with the common reasons doctors offer for putting off the purchase of this important risk management tool. I’ve heard, “Well, you know what, I am not making any money right now,” or “I’m still paying tuition!”

Disability is one of those things that most people believe “will not happen to me,” until it, unfortunately, does and inevitably upends their life. Being “taken out” by a disability is hard enough physically and emotionally; it need not be exacerbated by the financial hardship that comes from losing your primary source of income.

I would contend that in some ways, you’re probably worth more as a student than you are at any time in the future. Hard to believe? Well, it’s true! As a student, you are “all potential,” and as such, you have all your earning years ahead of you. That’s something to be cherished and protected.

Securing disability income coverage while you are in training may put you in a position to update the coverage once you get out of your training program. Another great part is that once you obtain it, you may be able to update your coverage without regard to any changes that may have occurred in your health history. Again, if you’re a young person and you’re thinking “what kind of health changes?” – generally your body is in its best condition the younger you are.

Also, by the time you graduate, your income likely will have gone up. Most people want to increase their disability income coverage at that point because there’s more at stake. Now that you’re making some “real” money, you want to make sure that you protect that income. Knowing that you have locked in your health history early in your career, it likely will allow you to access better rates for purchasing additional insurance.

You may have heard that some companies offer discounted rates for dental students or residents. They may let you “lock in” a lower rate when you’re in school. Given that most people are in school when they’re younger and in better health, then obviously the rates you lock in will be in your favor. Think about that! Now is a great time to buy disability income insurance. Don’t put it off until after graduation – get it while you can.

The bottom line is that disability income insurance is a kind of asset protection. You would never think of not having health insurance, would you? Of course not. Everything hinges on your physical health, and you want to protect that asset. It helps to think about disability insurance as the insurance you get to protect your financial health. It’s the stopgap measure that kicks in when you are unable to produce an income due to disability.

Just remember, you’re likely the most valuable money-making asset you have.

Treloar & Heisel and Treloar & Heisel Property and Casualty are divisions of Treloar & Heisel, Inc.
Insurance products are offered through Treloar & Heisel, Inc.
This content is intended for general informational purposes only and should not be construed as advice. Please consult with a licensed insurance advisor.
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~Jamie L. Fehrs, MBA, ChFC®, Manager, Financial Services Association Division, Treloar & Heisel

This blog post was sponsored by Treloar & Heisel.

National Fresh Breath Day and the history of halitosis

Aug. 6 is National Fresh Breath Day. Dentists all over would rejoice if this holiday was celebrated every day and not just once a year. Breath smells are something we are all too familiar with, and its remedies are routine parts of our oral hygiene instructions to patients. Unlike the rest of society, we are in a unique position to tell someone their breath smells bad without it being instantly embarrassing. After all, it is our job. Therefore, celebrating this holiday as a dental student is a no-brainer. I’m not sure who came up with the idea for National Fresh Breath Day, but it provides a good reason to share the history of bad breath and, in particular, the word “halitosis.”

Halitosis is a sum of the Latin “halitus,” for breath, and the Greek suffix “-osis,” for disease. Coined in 1874 by Dr. Joseph William Howe in his book “The Breath, and the Diseases Which Give It a Fetid Odor,” the word existed as an obscure medical term confined to the pages of medical dictionaries and known by only the small subset of the population who read them.

In 1879, Listerine was invented by Dr. Joseph Lawrence and Jordan Wheat Lambert as an antiseptic that could be used as a surgical disinfectant, floor cleaner, deodorant, etc., according to the National Museum of American History. It wasn’t until around the 1920s that it began to take on the more familiar form of a mouthwash.

This was when Gerard Lambert, son of one of the inventors of Listerine, decided to use the medical connotation of the word halitosis to his advantage and created one of the most influential advertising campaigns of the century. Lambert and the advertising agency he founded aggressively marketed print campaigns about the detriments of having bad breath. Some ads went as far as quoting statistics from hairdressers that one-third of women visiting salons had “halitoxic” breath. Some ads portrayed young singles looking for love, only to be held back from finding a partner by their terrible, toxic breath.

The tame phrase “bad breath” became the medical diagnosis “halitosis” in the public lexicon. Consumers who saw these ads pushed Listerine sales astronomically high in the 1920s. Listerine had advertised the need for a product rather than the product itself and generated a demand where none had previously existed. Halitosis became a household word. 

Bad breath continues to carry the same social implications as it did a century ago, but, thankfully, doctors can recommend solutions to the problem. Maybe the next time you tell a patient, a friend or a total stranger that their breath smells bad, you can mask any potential awkwardness with the distracting historical tidbit on the origin of the word halitosis.

Whether you celebrate by raising a toast with a tiny cup of mouthwash or by popping a mint, happy National Fresh Breath Day!

~Harish Balasubramani, Pittsburgh ’22, ASDA Electronic Editor

Future technologies in endodontics

As we navigate dental school, explore various specialties and consider potential residencies, we learn about the increasing complexity of cases that specialists handle. Fortunately, technology and research have also progressed to help specialists achieve these new goals and set higher standards. 

For example, in endodontics, there is an increasing emphasis toward minimally invasive procedures as well as a search for new irrigation devices for more complete disinfection. The 2019 president of the American Association of Endodontics (AAE), Dr. Patrick E. Taylor, predicted that advances in technology, such as improved cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) software and irrigation protocols, would help increase the success rate of endodontics treatment. 

Two years later, CBCT and irrigation techniques have definitely proved to be two central themes at this year’s AAE Annual Meeting. Here are some of my takeaways from the meeting in terms of future technologies in endodontics.

Immunomodulation in vital pulp therapy

Recently, there has been some groundbreaking research on human organ regeneration (i.e., heart valves, bladder, trachea, skin, muscle, blood, ear, digits). Could regeneration be applied to endodontics to form pulpal tissue from dental stem cells?

Dr. Avina Paranjpe emphasized the importance of eliminating bacteria. Bacteria can prevent pulp regeneration since they interact with dental stem cells and activate host immune cells to kill them. Because stem cells are undifferentiated, they are more sensitive to immune cells. The current goal is to introduce factors (scaffolds, nanoparticles, growth factors, miRNA, exogenous compounds) to stem cells to encourage their differentiation, therefore desensitizing them to immune cells, prolonging their survival and, hopefully, encouraging regeneration. 

Non-instrumental technique

Endodontics instruments could break inside the tooth, simplifying techniques could make lives easier for both dentists and patients, and the search is still ongoing for an irrigation technique that completely disinfects root canals. So, what if we could clean and shape canals without instruments? 

Dr. Asgeir Sigurdsson discussed GentleWave technology, which is essentially a handpiece that only enters the pulp chamber but not the root canals. The handpiece’s high-speed tip emits sound waves that help clean the whole root canal system. Although studies so far have demonstrated that GentleWave doesn’t remove all debris from the tip of the root, I think Gentlewave could still hold promise as it requires less concentrated irrigation, less invasive technique and has few adverse effects (<1 in 50,000 cases).

Ozone as irrigation

With its antimicrobial, immunostimulating, analgesic and biosynthetic properties, ozone has gained interest in endodontics as a potential alternative to traditional sodium hypochlorite irrigation. However, Dr. Bill Kahler discussed current limitations. In preliminary studies, ozone decreased bacteria significantly but less than sodium hypochlorite, and it was ineffective in increasing the antimicrobial effect of sodium hypochlorite when given together. Therefore, it can neither replace nor complement sodium hypochlorite. However, it still seems potentially useful for other applications, such as internal bleaching or encouraging bone regeneration for implants.

Artificial intelligence

For both CBCT and MRI technologies, Drs. Asma Khan, Frank Setzer and Don Nixdorf discussed developing more sophisticated software to diagnose fractures and periapical lesions. Training technology to help with diagnosis could improve efficiency and accuracy and, thus, promote improved treatment success. 

All in all, what does the future look like for endodontics? Based on the technology track of the AAE Annual Meeting, it seems geared toward regenerative therapy, non-instrumental techniques, and enhanced use of artificial intelligence in diagnosis and treatment planning. Like many specialties of dentistry, the future of endodontics seems exciting and bright, and something to continue keeping up to date with as we head into our residency programs and careers. 

~Eileen (Zeming) Zheng, Columbia ’23, ASDA Electronic Editor 

Defining ourselves as applicants

If you’re like me, you’ve decided to continue your education past dental school. Maybe an introductory course became an interest, which sparked a passion, and now you’ve decided to specialize. Perhaps you want more exposure to the wealth of complex procedures performed by general dentists. Either way, you’ve found yourself at a crossroads. So, you start sifting through programs to pick those that possess traits you believe are valuable to you: kind and experienced faculty, state-of-the-art facilities, a supportive resident culture, etc. Now that their program has made your short list, it’s time to figure out why you should make theirs. 

Before you get started, decide who you are and who you want to be. Once you know that, you can start chasing specific opportunities that will reflect those interests. For example, by the start of my third year in dental school, I knew I wanted to chase three passions in my career. I want to practice, teach and advance my specialty through research. Those three passions define me and how I wanted to present myself when applying to residencies. 

With my passions outlined, I was able to dive right in to strengthening the three pillars that make me who I am. To be the best practitioner I could be, I began shadowing in private practices, seeking out externships and spending every free moment I had assisting the endodontic residents at my school. To pursue my passion for teaching, I sought out opportunities to help with the predoctoral endodontics course. Finally, I knew I wanted to spend my career contributing to the advancement of my specialty, specifically through research. So, I did everything I could to participate in research, both under the guidance of the residents and on my own. 

So, how can you transfer your unique passions onto your application?

Write it down. Before starting down the road to residency, take a moment to outline what you’d like to accomplish by the time you apply. For example, if you know your ultimate goal is to pioneer the application of digital dentistry in underserved populations, you might outline a few goals for yourself. They could include becoming intimately familiar with the software employed in making digital dentures, contributing to the literature surrounding the sub-field of digital dentistry and fabricating prostheses for people who lack access to dental care. Keep these goals visible. Put them on your desk, pin them to the fridge door or write them in the front cover of your favorite notebook. From now until applications open, fill your to do list with sub-tasks aimed at helping you achieve these goals. 

Dig deep. Maybe you don’t have a tidy set of ultimate goals yet. My advice is to start by figuring out what brought you here. Why did you choose dentistry? For example, I grew up watching my mom work as a general dentist. Her skill, compassion and love for her profession encouraged me to follow her example. However, everyone has their own story. Maybe you’re an artist and you love how art and science come together within dentistry. Some dentists are motivated by a desire to give patients their smiles back. Maybe you’ve felt pain before and want to use dentistry to help alleviate the pain that others feel. There are so many paths and passions that can lead someone to this wonderful field. Rediscover what brought you here and decide where you want to take it.  

Get organized. Everyone organizes themselves differently. Some do calendars, others to-do lists. Whatever your method may be, I recommend setting aside specific time slots and deadlines for activities directly related to preparing for applications.

Reach out. You don’t have to do it alone. If I could list every person who has helped me this past year, I would quickly use up the rest of my word limit. Research programs you’re interested in and try to get in contact with current residents and faculty. Talk to upperclassmen and professors at your dental school and see if they have any tips for you. By connecting with others, you can find out if your perspective and goals align well with those of a specific program or specialty. Don’t be afraid to reach out to people who can help guide you on your path. If someone doesn’t respond, try not to take it personally. Just remember that everyone is busy and trying to do their best! 

I hope that these tips will be helpful to you as you pursue your dreams. If you begin by looking inward and figuring out what brought you here, I think you’ll be off to a great start. Past that, don’t forget to write down your goals, organize yourself and reach out to others for guidance. Wishing you all the best! 

~Gabriella Blazquez, Connecticut ’22