TENNESSEALANT | Spring 2012 by UTHSC ASDA

Big thanks to ASDA web master Blain Reynolds for creating an esthetic, highly functional web page. Visit the site now by CLICKING HERE Then save it to your favorites folder!

Dr. Clint Newman has established a highly successful practice serving the Green Hills population of Nashville, Tennessee. As a personal friend and positive mentor, Dr. Newman has offered encouragement and advice the entire duration of my three year journey throughout dental school. He has endured the hardships we now face and has celebrated the same milestones with which we measure our progress. Besides my immediate family, no one expressed more excitement when I was accepted to The University of Tennessee College of Dentistry. In that celebratory conversation, he emphasized the importance of joining the ASDA. He is one of the many alumni we should strive to emulate because of his success and passion for dentistry. As a strong advocate for the ASDA and ADA, Dr. Newman continues his selfless nature by taking the time to sharing his experience as a student and successful dentist.

- Jeff Trembley 2

I KNOW YOUʼRE A FAMILY MAN. TELL US MORE! My wife Lacey and I have been married for 6 years. I met her after she graduate from The College of Charleston and moved to Nashville for a new job. She now sells real estate in the area, is a great wife and an even better mother to my two kids Victoria (3) and Pierce (8 months).

MOST MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE AS A UTCoD STUDENT IN MEMPHIS: This May will make 11 years since I gradated from UTCoD… man how time flies! I can honestly say that I have mostly fond memories of my experience at Tennessee-Memphis. The four year "grind" prepares you well for what life is like after you leave the Dunn Building. Dentistry is a one of the best professions in the world, and it is a honor to go to work everyday and do something that is rewarding both mentally as well as financially. I feel truly blessed to be where I am 10 years into my career.

YOUR GREATEST HARDSHIP AS A DENTAL STUDENT? I think the hard part of being a dental student is seeing the big picture and putting things into perspective. The hours are long and the classes are challenging, so it is almost impossible to imagine how blessed you are to have the opportunity to be a part of such a great profession. Trust me, you are. The "grind" is just beginning, but it's honest, hard work that will pay off. There are no shortcuts in this business, I can promise you that!

EXPLAIN THE BENEFITS OF A MEMBERSHIP WITH THE ADA: The ADA is a great resource for you and your classmates. Joining the local dental society will keep you involved in your community and more importantly, involved with fellow members. Although dentistry can be very competitive, spending time listening and learning from your peers through organized dentistry will help you grow as a clinician. There are plenty of patients for everyone, so become friends with fellow dentists in your community. The best way to do that is through the American Dental Association.

WORDS OF WISDOM FOR CURRENT UTCoD STUDENTS & EXITING SENIORS? In my opinion there are a few things that are key to making your dental career prosper beyond anything you have imagined. First, do excellent work every day. Every dentist has specific skill sets that bring out their best. Find out what you enjoy, pursue continuous training relative to those procedures, and perform them at the highest level. Only you know what you’ve place intraorally, so take pride in your work and the patients will fill your chairs. Never conduct procedures or use material you wouldn’t provide for family or yourself! Secondly, hire a great staff. If you want your practice to be thought of as "top-notch," then you must have "top notch" people working for you. Hire individuals who can communicate and perform at the highest level. I've seen many great clinicians underperform or not reach their true potential because their staff counteracts their efforts. You can produce excellent dental work, but without a superior staff to coordinate your effort, your skill will not fully translate to your patients. Third, learn how to run a business. Whether you are starting out as an associate with an existing practice, or "hanging a shingle" on your own, you MUST learn how to run your practice with efficiency. There are unlimited resources provided by the ADA and local dental societies to help, and in my opinion, it is of paramount importance to know your business through and through. If your business is running smoothly, you will be a much happier individual, I promise.

Before and After pictures from Dr Newmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cosmetic and Family Dentistry Practice BEFORE

AFTER

This issue’s “Creative Inspiration” comes from artist, Seth Casteel, also known as the “Under Water Dog Guy.” You may ask yourself, “what does this have to do with dentistry?” Nothing besides canines, creativity and imagination. Remember, creativity and imagination are two of the most important professional tools we utilize in dentistry. Canines are significant as well.

“ Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.” -Albert Einsteine

For more under-water-dog images, visit LittleFriendsPhoto.com or follow Seth Casteel on Twitter @LTLFriendsPhoto.

The Prophy Cup The Prophy Cup Golf Tournament held every year brings sponsors and students together, giving everyone a chance to have fun outside of school while keeping dentistry in the mix. It will be held this year at Stonebridge golf course on April 28th. Raffle items, prizes for closest-to-the-pin and hole-in-ones, central BBQ and a lot of beer should make this Saturday slightly more fun than one spent studying for PAR. If you don’t have golf clubs you can rent them from the pro shop and hack around aimlessly. There will be beverage carts constantly circling the golf course when you need more putting fuel. If you hit a hole-in-one I will also give you an extra $100. So please don’t. For ASDA members you'll get your green fee, range balls, golf cart with GPS, raffle ticket, tshirt, unlimited “beverage” and Central BBQ dinner for $60. Student non-members pay $65. Non-school players/vendors pay $75. If you just want to eat, drink and ride around its $30 (significant others welcome - you'll get your own cart but please make it 2 people per). These are awesome prices so even if you're a horrendous golfer, put a team together and come have fun. The winners of the tournament will get a free round of golf at Stonebridge and $100 for the team. If you have any questions let me know. Also, If you hit a hole-in-one I will also give you an extra $100, so please don’t.

Stonebridge Golf Course 3 0 4 9 D av i e s P l a n t a t i o n Ro a d Lakeland, TN 38002 (901) 382-1886 Click Here for the Stonebridge Website

-Will Jones ASDA President-elect

Vendor Fair On Thursday, March 29, 2012, ASDA hosted the Spring Vendor Fair, which proved to be a huge hit with both the students and the vendors alike! Students from all four classes came to Memphis Central Station at 5:30 to check out the likes Crest + Oral B, Henry Schein, Oral Arts Labs, and Ultimate Dental, among many others! Vendors brought promotional items to hand out as the students made their way around the vendor tables. Classmates were seen hustling to get their “Vendor Check-Off” sheets signed by representatives from each company present. The vendors offered students a glimpse into many different facets of the profession of dentistry, from oral hygiene to eye magnification, malpractice insurance and even practice transition advice for those students on the verge of graduation!

Students interested in a particular vendor’s product or promotion could leave contact information with the representative and expect follow-up in the near future. Potentially long-lasting relationships were made, as students and vendors exchanged ideas on the latest technology and reflected on the future of the great profession of dentistry. ASDA’s Prize Drawing culminated the night, and many lucky students went home with prizes such as gift cards, a set of composite instruments, a digital wax carver, and the new iPad 3. In sum, the 2012 Spring Vendor Fair was truly an unforgettable night that will stand out as a genuinely worthwhile experience for all the students who attended. -Blake

Bowman

A SDA would like to t han k t he follo w ing sponsors for making t he 20 12 Vendor Fair possible *Premium Sponsor

ADS South Aspen Dental Benco BioHorizons Brasseler *Crest + Oral B* Designs For Vision

GlaxoSmithKline *Henry Schein* Hu-Friedy Komet Kool Smiles MacPractice Medical Protective

Ocean Dental *Oral Arts Dental Labs* Paragon Patterson Dental R-Dent Dental Labs *Ultimate Dental*

Our ASDA chapter strives to get students involved in the community and reaching out to those in need. One of the ways we do this is by serving monthly dinners to the families staying at the Target House, a facility for families whose children undergo long-term treatment at St. Jude. It is hard for us to imagine the hardship these families experience, but we provide a touch of comfort by providing nutritious sustenance. After a long day at the hospital, we’ve learned that nothing satisfies like a warm dinner. This semester, our chapter provided volunteers each month help serve family dinners from: Central BBQ, Tellini's Pasta Market, Chick-fil-a, and we even grill hamburgers and hotdogs. Not only do we have the opportunity to serve dinner, but we also interact with the children at The Target House by helping them with crafts while helping them escape from the tumultuous hospital environment. This semester has been a great success for Target House outreach events and we appreciate all of the students who dedicate time out of their busy schedule to serve those in need. It would not be possible without your help!

-Stefanie Gardner Meek  Community Service 13

There is currently an intense debate going on in dentistry about midlevel providers (aka dental therapists). A midlevel dental provider is “an individual who may perform irreversible procedures on the public who is not a dentist with four years of post collegiate education.”[1] Both sides agree there is a problem, a large under-served population with no dental care, but how to deal with the problem is where the debate arises. The proponents of midlevel providers say they are not receiving care from dentists, so we should educate new dental providers to meet the need. The opponents say it is a problem of mal-distribution and Dentists can meet the need, all they need is incentive to go into these under-served areas. There are currently 4 mid-level provider models out there. (The ASDA has a good chart here summarizing them). Alaska and Minnesota are currently the only states that have implemented a dental therapist program. Alaska’s program started in 2005 and is currently the only with practicing mid-level providers. Minnesota’s program started in 2009 with 7 students that are currently still in school. Below is a summary of the models. •

Community Dental Health Coordinator (CDHC) – this is the ADA’s model. CDHC’s are kind of like a “dental coach”. The provide education & preventative care. Their goal is to (1) remove barriers (2) educate the public and (3) promote good oral health habits. It doesn’t allow any dental procedures like fillings or extractions, only teeth cleanings. There are currently pilot training programs in 3 sites which end in 2012.

•

Dental Health Aide Therapist (DHAT) – this is Alaska’s program aimed at remote villages of Native Alaskan tribes. DHAT’s have been providing care since 2005, even though the ADA sued to try to stop it, under the federal Indian Health Care Improvement Act. The first students were sent to New Zealand in 2003 to train and the state currently has about two dozen dental therapists. PBS NewsHour (video flash only, sorry iDevices) did a video on this program. The DHAT can do simple fillings, simple extractions and cleanings after 2 years of education after high school. They communicate electronically with a dentist about the case and the radiographs and the dentist makes the final call. They do all this without the dentist on-site. A study done in 2010 found that “safe, competent, and appropriate care” was provided. The most recent study (Oct 2011) found that “the DHAT model can provide much-needed access to urgent care and is beneficial from a comprehensive cultural perspective.” 14

•

Advanced Dental Hygiene Practitioner (ADHP) – this is a proposed model by the American Dental Hygienists Association. They would be allowed to do fillings, extractions, stainless steel crowns, fixed & removable repairs, along with others.

•

Dental Therapist (DT) & Advanced Dental Therapist (ADT) – this is Minnesota’s program aimed at the under-served and rural community of the state. The first class started in 2009 with 7 students in the DT program. They recently graduated in the summer of 2011 from the DT program and all chose to continue their education in the ADT program. Besides the obvious more schooling and fewer procedures allowed, the main difference between a DT and an ADT is a DT is required to have a dentist onsite where an ADT does not. [2]

The dental therapist “movement” is also reaching to other states such as Kansas, New Mexico, Ohio, Vermont, and Washington. The dental therapist model began in in the 1920′s in New Zealand and just recently moved to the US in the past decade. It will be interesting what the future holds but whatever happens remember that we all have a common goal: to provide dental care to the under-served population of the country. [1] National ASDA on Midlevel Providers [2] DrBicuspid – Minnesota’s Dental Therapists

Blain Reynolds Web Master

Twelve term Congressman from Texas, Dr. Ron Paul, is one of the senior members of The United States Congress.

As the ASDA Legislative Liaison, I was invited to Washington D.C. for National Dental Student Lobby Day. The current ASDA president, Adam Davis and I made the two day trip together. The various conferences and speakers informed us about the lobbying process, and the method by which bills are passed. Specifically, we were introduced to the two bills up for vote that affect dental students. •

Breaking Barriers to Oral Health Act of 2011 (H.R. 1666) hopes to promote oral health care in under-served populations. The $20 million dollar bill aims to increase oral health awareness while preventing oral diseases. The money would be transferred from tax payers to government organizations in hopes their method of allocating resources and education will extend beyond social barriers such as geography, education and culture. This bill also offers tax funded support for state and local programs to provide free dental services to under-served populations.

•

Student Loan Forgiveness Act of 2012 (H.R. 4170), directly affects us as students. Dental school is the most expensive professional program in the United States; on average a dental student will graduate with $250,000 in debt. This bill consists of a 10/10 loan repayment plan stating that student loans up to $45,000.00 (one year of out-of-state tuition) can be forgiven if 10% of the student’s income for 10 years is exchanged for the loan payment (resist the urge to break out the calculator, seriously). Another part of this bill goes along with H.R. 1666 stating that any graduate who works in an under-served area would receive loans forgiven in 5 years instead of 10. The last part of the bill, the most important for dental students, would cap the interest rate on federal loans at 3.4% rather than 6.8%.

After the first day of learning the ways of Washington D.C., we were instructed to lobby for the two bills. Our very own Tennessee Senators Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker made an appearance to shake our hands and listened with interest as we repeated the information we’d learned from the lobbying process. We also spoke to representatives for Mark Pryor (Arkansas Senator), Congressman Stephen Fincher and John Martin. Overall, it was a great learning experience and it was awesome to go to D.C. for the first time!

-Ma!am Habib Legislative Chair

ASDA’s 2012 Annual Session was in chilly Minneapolis, Minnesota from February 29th to March 3rd. The University of Tennessee College of Dentistry sent 7 contributors to the largest Annual Session to date. 430 members attended representing 61 schools. Opening Ceremonies commenced Wednesday afternoon, followed by a cocktail hour offering a great chance for people to network and reconnect with old friends. The real work began Thursday morning with Orientation, followed by the first of many UT College of Dentistry House of Delegates meetings. Two delegates 2012 Annual Session Attendees from each school voted on the next Executive Council and resolutions to ASDA policy. Each day, breakout sessions allowed members to discuss topics such as National Board Specialty Exams, universal health care, licensure and midlevel providers. The twelve districts met in caucuses throughout the weekend to meet the Executive Council candidates and to vote on issues for the upcoming year. Each evening, ASDA members to attended special events. Thursday was an Exhibit Fair with over 60 vendors and the first annual Poster Session. Friday was the Gold Crown Awards Ceremony where outstanding chapters and members were recognized and celebrated. Saturday after finishing up all the voting and district caucus meetings members attended the President’s Reception and Dinner Dance. The theme was 90’s TV and costumes ranged from The Rugrats to The Ghostbusters to the one and only Richard Simmons (Richard Simmons used one of Adam Davis’s facebook pictures as his doppelgänger image last year). Annual Session was a great mix of fun and function and we are all looking forward to 2013’s in Atlanta, Georgia.

-Emalie Bent Lunch & Learn

The ASDA Officers choose to dedicate the first online edition of THE TENNESSEALANT to our president, Adam Davis. His friendly and organized leadership motivates us to act not as pedestrians, but as participants with the intent to continuously elevate the standards of our chapter. The abundance of time and energy Adam has, and continues to invests in the ASDA is apparent through his acute guidance and understanding of our specific duties. His thankless efforts behind closed doors will continue to trickle down for years with the implementation of an organized procedure manual specific for each officer position. We are grateful and hope this dedication indicates that your efforts are noticed and appreciated by all.