Messages from Alumni Chapter Presidents

A welcome from new alumni chapter president

Hi! My name is Dr. Navi Bharj and I am a proud dental alumnus from the University of Alberta (DDS Class of 2019). Originally from Winnipeg, MB, I moved out west to attend the U of A and I enjoyed Alberta so much I stuck around! I have been practicing general

dentistry full time in Fort McMurray, and travel bi-weekly to Fort Chipewyan to provide dental care for the First Nation community and residents of Northern Alberta.

During my dental school studies, I understood we could make a lasting impact on our community beyond our mirrors and explorers. In September 2016, alongside my classmate Dr. Bryan Lim, we founded the Oral Health Total Health (OHTH) Alberta Chapter to help bridge the gap between future dental professionals (DH and DDS students) and those with developmental, congenital, and physical disabilities. This chapter has since grown to new heights with more recent student involvement from both dentistry and dental hygiene. Additionally, alongside my classmate Dr. Dharminder Panesar, we co-chaired the 4th and 5th Annual Dental Student Association (DSA) Health and Wellness Retreat. This retreat focused on collaborative learning and maintaining physical, emotional, and mental wellness for students. More recently, I created and hosted the preliminary episodes of the CDA Podcast: “The Grind”. This was made in conjunction with the Canadian Dental Association to develop and produce a series of podcasts that focuses on the stories, lives, and issues dentistry students face across Canada.

Firstly, I would like to thank the past president of the Dental Alumni Association (DAA), Dr. Mintoo Basahti, for his commitment and leadership of this association for the past several years. I first met Dr. Basahti when we started the OHTH Alberta Chapter and he has been both a supporter of student-led initiatives and mentor. His roles with the DAA and ADA+C over the last number of years show a great commitment in uniting dentists across Alberta and making this profession better for current and recent graduates starting their careers.

As the new president of the DAA, I want to grow on my past commitments to the dental community and maintain the strong leadership and camaraderie Dr. Basahti has led the association with in the past. Looking into the future, the following is the DAA common agenda for collective impact: 1. Maintaining a healthy and collaborative relationship with the University of Alberta 2. Celebrating achievements in our Alumni Dental Community 3. Establishing a networking platform for past graduates, students, and new alumni to diversify our representation

Our alumni board of volunteers are a group of like-minded dentists and community members at the University of Alberta who desire nothing more than to see the growth and celebration of our profession. We will strive to follow these goals to fulfill our commitment to our fellow alumnus.

The future of dentistry has changed considerably since the COVID-19 outbreak. Yet, the purpose and focus of the DAA maintain the same. The DAA is working diligently to expand our presence as oral health advocates in Alberta and maintaining an active voice for dentists who earned their designations from the University of Alberta. We look forward in the near future to announce new initiatives from the DAA in collaboration with the School of Dentistry to spearhead the outlined goals.

Navi Bharj Class of 2019 President, DDS

Recognizing our achievements and resilience

Looking back over the past year, it’s safe to say that we’ve all been through a challenging and rather unusual time in our lives. What started off as chaos and confusion, turned into sweating in PPE, and eventually into anxiously anticipating the vaccine. Despite this rollercoaster, the dental hygienists I have spoken too have found courage, strength, and resilience through these difficult times. So, instead of focusing on the negatives over the last year, let’s focus on celebrating our achievements, milestones, and hard work. I truly appreciate having a career that has allowed me to stay connected to people. It has reminded me how important our job is to our patients’ overall health. Moreover, during the last year, I have come to fully appreciate that as dental hygienists, we are not just ”teeth cleaners” - we are primary oral healthcare providers and proud of it!

One of the ways the Dental Hygiene Alumni Chapter (DHAC) has been working hard over this last year, has been finding ways that we can continue to support our alumni and students safely through online events. While this has been a challenging task, I am excited for our future plans. The DHAC continues to support dental hygiene students through our bursary, as well as through various events such as the Graduation Luncheon and Black & White Affair. For our ever growing alumni, this year we will be hosting our Continuing Education event online. Additionally, the Reunion Reception and our new Coffee with Alumni event, are other ways we plan on providing support, education, and mentoring to our alumni community. Please keep an eye out for further updates regarding these exciting events this year!

Rebecca Lee Class of 2012 President, DH