TENNESSEALANT | Winter 2019 by UTHSC ASDA

WINTER 2019 | Volume 8 | Issue 4 Photo Credit: Kayla Webb, â&#x20AC;&#x2122;22

CONTENTS 4

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Advocacy 101 Pros & Cons: Expanded Functions Dental Auxiliary Marketing in Dentistry Advocacy Minute Guide to Memphis: Downtown Treats The Bitewing: Soft Sugar Cookies

Photo Credit: Pexels

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Signing Off We have made it through another semester! Whether you are in your last lap or just finishing up your first semester of dental school, congratulations on making it through. For me, this marks the fourth and final issue of Tennessealant published during my year as Editor in Chief. As the new year nears, resolutions are made and Allison Poget, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;21 goals are set for new accomplishments for the Chapter Editor-in-Chief next year. The new year is also a great time for reflection. Reflecting on the past year of publishing for UTHSC ASDA we have more than quadrupled our blog engagement, won District 4 Stainless Steel Crown Awards for our excellence in predental engagement with our newsletter Pit & Fissure, and had multiple professors and general body ASDA members write for us. All of this on top of increasing our photography content from members by forming a committee of photography contributors. I have treasured serving this past year, and I cannot wait to see the new heights reached in 2020! The broad theme of this issue of theTENNESSEALANT is advocacy. In this issue we will hear about what itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like to lobby in DC and read up on how you, too, can get involved in advocacy. Take a peek into the world of marketing in dentistry and learn all about expanded functions dental assistants. All this and more can be found in the following pages.

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ADVOCACY 101: What it’s like to lobby in DC with ASDA

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Photo Credit: Jennifer Lenning, ’21

In April, more than 1,000 dental professionals head to Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. to advocate for the   dental profession at ADA Dentist and Student Lobby Day. There are many sessions and activities lined up throughout the event leading up to the actual lobbying on The Hill. At the beginning of the event, dentists and dental students have the opportunity to network with others from around the country at the Welcome Reception.

Photo Credit: Jennifer Lenning, ’21

The next day, attendees participate in several sessions to prepare them for successful congressional appointments. For example, there are sessions outlining and explaining the issues that will be discussed with the legislators. There is even a video explanation about how to lobby and what to expect during the meetings on The Hill. These sessions are followed by state strategy sessions where participants finalize talking points and a plan for the next day on The Hill. When you arrive on The Hill for your appointments, you first check-in with the legislator's front desk staff. During most of the meetings, the dentists and dental students meet with legislator’s staff because the legislator is in session or visiting their constituents. The issues are discussed with the legislator or staffer. A packet of information is left behind along with contact information for any follow-up questions. One thing that is important to know is anyone can lobby! One of the main reasons ADA Dentist and Student Lobby Day is so successful is because of the sheer volume of people that participate. The purpose of organized dentistry is strength in numbers to deliver benefits to the dentist and patient. We as dentists and students advocate for the betterment of this profession because if we don’t, no one else

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Photo Credit: Jennifer Lenning, â&#x20AC;&#x2122;21

will. When the legislators and staffers see how many people come and participate, they listen and consider our issues seriously. When we lobby as dentists and dental students on Capitol Hill, we do not associate with any particular party; we are the tooth party. Our interests are what is best for the profession and even more importantly, what is best for the patients. All of the issues that were discussed with legislators and staffers are bipartisan supported. We as dentists and dental students know more about oral health than any legislator on Capitol Hill. By using our voices as a united front, we are making an impact. Save the date for ADA Dentist and Student Lobby Day, April 26-28, 2020! Jennifer Lenning, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;21 Chapter Legislative Liaison-Elect

Photo Credit: Jennifer Lenning, â&#x20AC;&#x2122;21

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PROS & CONS

Expanded Function Dental Auxiliary An Expanded Function Dental Auxiliary, commonly known as an “EFDA” is a dental assistant or dental hygienist who has received further training or certification that enables them to perform an extended amount of procedures such as placing restorations, applying sealants and taking impressions. In order to learn more about the program, I met with the director of UTHSC’s EFDA program, Dr. Jerry McKinney. When Dr. McKinney was asked about the pros and cons, he simply replied with, “there are no cons.” Dr. McKinney believes that having an EFDA on your staff can only serve to benefit you. A recent survey found that by just having 1 EFDA the average increase in gross production of the dental office was 40%. The top 2 benefits listed by dentists of having an EFDA on staff are using time more efficiently and seeing more patients daily. Dr. McKinney says that the major advantage of having EFDAs is the increased access to care for patients. With the growing population, especially in TN, EFDAs will help minimize the barrier to oral health care allowing more people to have access to the care that they need. Leah Efird, ’20 Chapter Social Co-Chair

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Photo Credit: Pexels

Dr. Bob Hatch

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Dr. Bob Hatch

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All of these photos come from the UTHSC Expanded Functions Dental Auxiliary Courses throughout the years!

Dr. Bob Hatch

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Marketing in Dentistry The Single Most Important Element to Growing your Dental Practice As a dental student you are taught how to restore a patientâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s oral health, from physical examination and radiography to utilizing a dental drill to remove decay and reconstruct sound tooth structure. The foundation of a dental education is rooted in science and technical competence. G.V. Black pioneered the basis of cavity design where materials used demand a specific framework to ensure longevity. The amalgamation of aesthetics and scientific research lead to flawless, functional restorations that ultimately result in a successful practice. However, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more to dentistry than meets the eye and the mirror and restoring a class I prep or placing that beautiful zirconia crown can only get you so far.

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Photo Credit: Pexels

The Brand Branding is arguably the most important marketing strategy and is non-negotiable for transforming your business to the next level. Your brand is the feeling that people get when they see or envision your name or company. It’s the positive or negative perception of you in the community of potential patients. Developing a brand consists of your mission statement and values, defining the purpose of your company and vision to inspire and motivate your practice for long term success. There should be a set of guidelines, aka your “business bible,” that supports your goals, differentiates you from competitors, and gives customers a glimpse into how you operate. The name, logo, and website are key to how you will be perceived by the community and how your patients will spread your image. A brand is the foundation for market flow, it’s a promise and an action that if upheld will build reputation and loyalty.

Social Media and Internet Marketing Social media is a powerhouse for marketing and with its quick and effortless spread of information it can be invaluable in reaching new patients and engaging with current ones. Many new dentists will create an internet presence but neglect strategy and fail to remain active, which is equally as bad as having no presence at all. You can build a personal website with photos and biographies to make a connection with patients. Share an Instagram page to educate and showcase before and after treatment outcomes to market your product. Make YouTube videos to introduce yourself and your staff and share patient testimonials and success stories. Add a blog to your website or engage in other blogs to communicate effective oral hygiene and advertise your many services and benefits. Have other patients, referring doctors, and businesses mention and recommend your practice that will garner popularity and lead to awards and nominations as a top dentist. All of these social networking strategies need to be maintained in order to help you stay on top of your game. With fresh content, you will be playing to Google’s algorithm and staying ahead of the competition as your business pops up first in the search menu.

Direct Marketing via Fliers and Mail Having your name and image appear on a billboard in the city, an eye-catching flier, or an animated email promoting your business can quickly have your name coming out of everyone’s mouth. Data collection including phone numbers, address, and email is the first step in direct marketing and can help quickly spread the word of your growing practice. Whether it’s people who visit your office, friends and family

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of current patients, people visiting your website, or data mining software, there are many avenues to collecting prospective patient information. There are even services that collect user data after logging into your Wi-Fi and direct them to your website or social media page. Examples of effective advertising campaigns through mail can include financial incentives for services, give-away contests, and newsletters. Don’t forget to include offers and incentives for services at a discounted rate or gift cards for popular restaurant and retail chains.

Financial Plans and Incentives A large proportion of dental practices still adopt the business practices of old: strict requirements for paying in full and exorbitant down payments. Your practice suddenly appears more attractive when patients have the option to finance their oral health with an affordable down payment and a payment plan while keeping treatment cost the same. Depending on the location, customized payment plans can be beneficial for the dentist and patient who would otherwise not be able to afford treatment and seek care elsewhere. As research has shown, these types of financial arrangements should be checked and balanced with monthly bank drafts to guarantee adequate and timely payment.

Service and Giving-Back Participating in service organizations to give back to the community plays a big part in being a successful dentist. Whether it’s joining a local charity or national organization such as Mission of Mercy, the act of providing non-profit service to disadvantaged patients will give a positive perception to your brand. Coordinating local events and creating your own charitable organization with other doctors is a great way to treat patients who cannot afford to seek oral health. This could include providing healthcare to impoverished schools, elementary or high school, and giving out free toothbrushes and pamphlets with information on the importance of dental health. It is our duty as future dentists to engage in responsible and moral healthcare practices that will benefit the practitioners and show their patients and the community a standard of care they can appreciate.

Fun Marketing Ideas There are countless ways to promote your business, but in the end marketing should be fun and incite feelings of happiness in your audience to have them coming back. Referral awards can be given to those patients who refer a friend or family member who ultimately become a new patient, usually in the form of credit for the referrer. Gift bags with whitening, toothbrushes, and even a company t-shirt can be given for new patients and for patients seen at charity events. In addition to

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artwork around the office, having videos of patient testimonials and before and after treatment outcomes can positively influence new or wary patients. Make custom art or have TV screens above the dental chair that will create a positive and stress-reducing experience for the patient. Create a dance or song routine after a patient receives a new smile and have it shared on social media.Â

Lance Myers, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;22 Chapter Editor Elect

Few dental schools teach you how to manage a dental practice, quickly and efficiently deliver patient care, and increase patient flow. In the current everchanging and demanding economic environment, marketing and visibility is as important as diagnosis and treatment. Relying on referrals is only the start to a productive dental practice, the dentist who consistently attracts new patients will win every time. Direct-to-consumer marketing is proven time and time again to stimulate productivity, especially when economic decline tends to minimize the number of referrals as those doctors focus on their own practices. There are endless possibilities to promote your business, so put down the mirror and the drill and think outside of the mouth to kick-start your dental career.

References 1. Shen G, Chiou J, Hsiao C, Wang C, Li H (2015) Effective marketing communication via social networking site: The moderating role of the social tie, Journal of Business Research 69:2265-2270

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Advocacy Minute

By becoming involved in advocacy, dental students play an integral role in shaping our lives and practices as current students and future dentists, educators, and community leaders. Congressional actions have a lasting impact on dental education and practices. Therefore, it is imperative that dental students remain up to date on current issues and stay involved in advocating for our profession and oral health. The first step in becoming an effective student advocate is staying informed on current issues affecting our profession. ASDA offers a variety of webinars that allow students to navigate political noise and understand important issues. In addition to staying in the know, you can also stay involved by joining ASDA’s Council on Advocacy or UTHSC’s Advocacy Committee. ASDA hosts a variety of activities on both national and local levels which allow students to actively participate in reform. On the national level, ASDA hosts an ADA Dentist and Student Lobby Day in Washington D.C. each Spring. Lobby Day provides an opportunity to network with dental students and dentists while receiving training on lobbying your lawmakers. On a local level, UTHSC’s Advocacy Committee hosts multiple events during November’s Advocacy Week. This year’s events included a webinar, lunch and learn, and voter registration. It is important that dental students adopt a passion for advocacy now that they continue to uphold throughout their dental careers. We must take an active role in lobbying for our profession and working to advance public policies that will improve dentistry and our nation’s overall public health. Lauren Martin, ‘20 Chapter Social Co-Chair

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Photo Credit: Pexels

Guide to Memphis: Downtown Treats There is no better way to get a stressful group of dental school students together than with desserts. One of the staple parts of Memphis that helps us all is having great places to binge on desserts during exams! Downtown Memphis in particular has a few places that are worth going to! For all you cheesecake lovers, the best place to get your cheesecake fix in Memphis is this small, quaint restaurant called The Cheesecake Corner. It is open every day, but the cheesecake does run out based on the selection that day. It is a nice place to take your study material and get a slice of cheesecake and coffee. There are toppings set up on each table, so it is worth eating at the restaurant! My particular favorite is the cheesecake brownie, but for all those experimenters out there they even have a sweet potato cheesecake! Many of us enjoy going to downtown to walk on Main Street on the weekends. This pedestrian friendly street is the best area to eat in downtown. The place to binge on

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There is no better way to get a stressful group of dental school students together than with desserts. One of the staple parts of Memphis that helps us all is having great places to binge on desserts during exams! Downtown Memphis in particular has a few   places that are worth going to! For all you cheesecake lovers, the best place to get your cheesecake fix in Memphis is this small, quaint restaurant called The Cheesecake Corner. It is open every day, but the cheesecake does run out based on the selection that day. It is a nice place to take your study material and get a slice of cheesecake and coffee. There are toppings set up on each table, so it is worth eating at the restaurant! My particular favorite is the cheesecake brownie, but for all those experimenters out there they even have a sweet potato cheesecake! Many of us enjoy going to downtown to walk on Main Street on the weekends. This pedestrian friendly street is the best area to eat in downtown. The place to binge on ice cream after dinner in this area is called Maggie Moo’s. It’s a small place that is very easy to just walk by. They have all the ice cream flavors you could possibly want, but really the best part of this place is the ice cream floats! The best combination I have tried is the birthday cake flavor with Dr. Pepper! Need a last minute cake for a friend? Maggie Moo’s also has delicious ice cream cakes that you can pick up. At this dessert place you honestly can not go wrong with any order. A lot of Memphis locals enjoy eating dinner at Kooky Canuck. People are constantly raving about their dessert selection. I often find myself skipping dinner and going straight for the amazing dessert. They have two particular categories: the avalanches and the skillet desserts. If you go here for your birthday the Birthday Avalanche is a must. It consists of 18 scoops of ice Cream, loads of toppings and a bunch of fun party favors! The skillet desserts come in shareable portions and personalized portions. If you are eating at Kooky always save room for dessert! The dessert scene in Memphis is not limited to only downtown. There are plenty of other places to satisfy your sweet tooth! A few classics are: Mempops, Area 51, Sweet Noshings and Muddy’s Bake Shop. If you come across new dessert favorites always be sure to share with your fellow colleagues. Remember you can never go wrong with dessert, happy eating!

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Nidhi Shah, ‘20 Chapter Fundraising Chair

The

BITEWING Soft Sugar Cookies

Ingredients: • • • • • • • • •

2/3 cup shortening 2/3 cup butter 1 ½ cup white sugar 2 eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 1/3 cup granulated sugar for decoration

Britta Ristau, ‘21 Chapter Vendor Fair Chair

Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees 2. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, shortening and sugar. Stir in eggs and vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Stir into the creamed mixture until dough comes together. For plain sugar cookies, roll dough into walnut sized balls and roll the balls in the sugar. For cookies to decorate, roll out dough and cut into desired cookie shape. 3. Bake cookies 10 to 12 minutes until bottom is light brown. Remove from baking sheets to cool on wire racks. Perfect for decorating with friends and family!

Photo Credit: Pexels

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La Cha nce My pter ers Edit , ‘22 or E lect

Kaiti Walker, ‘21 Editorial Board

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Megan Huynh, ’22 Photography Contributor

Chelsea Schwind, ‘20 Chapter Secretary

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Talia Hardgrave, ’21 Editorial Board

MEET THE UTHSC ASDA

Editorial Board

Get Involved! Email apoget@uthsc.edu to get involved with our writing or photography teams!

Photo: ASDAnet.org

Check out asdanet.org to get involved with National ASDA publications! theTENNESSEALANT | 21

Mark Your Calendars!

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March 6-8, 2020 Memphis, TN

THANK YOU TO

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