DAS President’s Letter

DENTAL ALUMNI SOCIETY

President’s Letter

I hope you, your families, patients, and team members are all doing well. We live in the greatest time ever in dentistry! Technology has exploded onto the scene from CBCT imaging to intraoral scanning and printing to digital treatment planning, rapidly changing in a positive way how we treat our patients. Ohio State has nearly completed construction of the new dental school, which will provide students cutting-edge training and preparation for the realities of practice. We should all be proud of this achievement and excited for the future of our profession. The Dental Alumni Society is planning events where we can once again gather together allowing us to grow individually and propel our profession forward. Through these events, we look forward to advancing our objectives and growing The OSU DAS Lifetime membership so we can continue support for our students, Ohio State faculty, staff, and alumni.

We have learned so much in the past year and a half. Many families and communities have grown tighter and more empathetic. Focus on healthy living has been put to the forefront of discussions. As dentists we are finding that we can do more with less. Ohio State graduated dental students on time with a tremendous amount of obstacles. We are a resilient group that will constantly strive towards betterment of all. The Ohio State University Dental Alumni Society has constantly been working toward identifying and resolving needs as they arise.

The stated objectives of The Ohio State University Dental Alumni Society when it began in 1976 are as follows:

1. Encourage and support academic and clinical excellence 2. Provide a quarterly publication for the association 3. Promote fellowship among alumni and students

With respect to the third objective, I would propose we include dental school faculty and staff as well. They work so hard to keep everything running and play an integral role in ensuring graduates are properly prepared. I am sure that like me, each of you have had formative interactions with staff during your time in training at Ohio State. One of my goals while president of The OSU DAS, in keeping with the first and third objectives, is to bring Buckeyes together in community to learn and share with each other. Dentistry gives us such great opportunities to help those in need, while at the same time building support among our team members. My support network includes my wonderful wife and children, along with membership to several study clubs and groups at my church. During the shutdown and the long period after, access to these healthy outlets provided guidance to help navigate the unknown. I know many of you have had similar experiences and have a great network of guidance. I strive to make our dental society one of those networks for all graduates of our dental school.

I encourage everyone to reach out to your fellow dental alumni and help us develop our group moving forward. Please join us as Lifetime members by using the QR code. We all need each other and are stronger together.

God Bless and Go Bucks!

Jeffrey C. Kirian, DDS

The Ohio State University College of Dentistry Class of 2006 President, The Ohio State University Dental Alumni Society