The University of Texas School of Dentistry - Houston, Texas
Houston
FILL
The
UTSD HOUSTON
Issue 13 May 2016
success in the clinical years OBSERVATIONS FROM RYAN QUOCK, DDS p. 10
FITNESS IN DENTAL SCHOOL AN INTERVIEW WITH
RALPH A. COOLEY, DDS, FICD p. 36
ANDREW NAEGER NATIONAL DELEGATE OF THE YEAR p. 14
faculty flashback
VIEW PHOTOS OF UTSD FACULTY IN THEIR MUCH YOUNGER DAYS THROUGHOUT THIS ISSUE
ThANK YOU to our Annual Session 2016 Sponsors 1 May 2016 p. 30
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President |Tanya Sue Maestas ‘18 President Elect | katie Richardson ‘19 Immediate Past President | Andrew Naeger ‘17 Treasurer | Courtney Cunningham ’18 Advocacy Chair | Samin “Huck” Huque ’18 Legislative Liason | Glennis Katzmark ’17 & Rana Shammas ‘19 Ethics Chairs | Jon Vogel ‘18 & Natalie Gallerano ‘18 Pre-Dental Chair | Anthony Tran ‘18 Pre-Dental Coordinator | Alex Edergly ‘17 & Devon Kooi ‘19 Communication & Media Chair | Kaylea Orsak ‘18 Publications Editors | Michelle Boecker ‘17 Social Media Chair | Raven Grant ‘19 Website Editors | Matthew Franzen ’17 & Allison Haynie ’18 Events Chair | Mariangela Arata ‘18 Events Coordinator | Mary Becker ‘17 Lunch and Learn Coordinator | Megan Short ‘19 Social Chair | Daniel Cortez ‘18 & Mallory Baum ‘18 Community Service Chair | Sarah Woernley ’18 Community Service Coordinators | Clara Yoo ’17 & Jade Blair ‘19 Leadership Development Chair | Lauro Tijerina ’18 Wellness Chair | Adrienne Rhodes ‘18 Gold Crown Award Chair | Allie Long ‘18 & Tiffany Pham ‘18 Historian | Hieu Pham ’17 & DonBosco Dan ‘19 Golf Tournament Chair| Austin Green ’17 & Larson Wayman ’18 2
Issue 13
TABLE OF
UTSD Houston ASDA
CONTENTS
4 5 6-7 8-9 10-13 14-15 16 17 18-19 20-21 22 23-29 30-31 32-33 34-35 36-37 38-39 40-41
Letter from the President The Road to District 9 Trustee What is ASDA? Welcome Class of 2020 Is the Exam Going to be Cumulative? -Observations on success in the clincial years National Delegate of the Year ASDA Fever Award Winner Annual Session Information House of Delegates District Caucus Keynote Address Breakout Sessions Annual Session Sponsors National Lobby Day National Lobby Day Success Managing Emotional Wellness in Dental School Healthy Avacado Chicken Salad Brushing up on Fitness in Dental School
CONNECT WITH US @UtsdASDA @utsdhoustonasda UtsdHoustonASDA houstonASDA HoustonASDA UTSD @UTSDASDA
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Letter from the
PRESIDENT
What a year it has been! It is hard to believe that another year has come and gone by! May is always an exciting time—4th years graduate, a new group of 1st years get ready to start, and everyone gets one step closer to graduation and reaching their dream. While summer still is a busy time, it is a wonderful time to reflect on the year and prepare for a new school year to begin in the fall.
This year has been a very eventful one for Houston ASDA. In March, we traveled to Dallas, Texas for this year’s ASDA’s Annual Session. During this meeting we had the opportunity to participate in leadership breakout sessions and vote for our national leadership. Additionally, chapters were recognized for their hard work and accomplishments from the year. Because of the hard work of our officers, committee members, and all Houston ASDA members, Houston ASDA was awarded some prestigious awards. We were recognized as Outstanding Membership and Communications, received the ASDA/Crest Oral-B Community Dentistry Award, and Andrew Naeger was recognized as Delegate of the year. Furthermore, I ran to become our District 9 trustee and was fortunate to be elected to this position. Upon return from Annual Session we began our transition of officers and introduction of new committee members. We are very excited to announce that our officer team has grown to include 72 students! We have also created a new Wellness Committee, Communications and Media Committee, as well as a Video Production Manager! We are very excited for what is to come in the next year for our chapter! I am humbled an honored to have the opportunity to serve as your Chapter President and District 9 Trustee this year. All of our successes are due to the strength of our membership who continuously push us forward to reach new goals. We are always looking for more ways to make Houston ASDA better. If you have any comments, questions, suggestions, or concerns—please feel free to contact me. We are here to serve you! Congratulations to the Class of 2016! We wish you all the best and look forward to celebrating your future endeavors. Let’s make this summer a great one! UTSD HOUSTON
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Tanya Sue Maestas Houston ASDA President District 9 Trustee
UTSD Houston ASDA
The Road to District 9
TRUSTEE Summary by: Tanya Sue Maestas
Having the opportunity to serve on Houston ASDA’s leadership has been a rewarding experience. I enjoy working with fellow students at Houston who share the same passion of promoting organized dentistry and pushing our profession to greater heights. Being a part of Houston ASDA has also allowed me to meet leadership from other chapters across the nation. I always enjoy when we get to idea share and find ways to grow our chapters-it is invigorating and fuels the passion we have for ASDA. Last year I had the opportunity to serve as a Communications associate on the District 9 Cabinet. In my position I worked alongside our past trustee Kyle Larsen and the entire cabinet who made strides to make what District 9 is today. Through my involvement I was impassioned to continue to keep our district working towards success. Additionally, I knew wanted to find ways to further the transparency that the district has with all the students in the 5 schools that it encompasses. With all this in mind, I decided to run to become the next District 9 trustee. During our District 9 caucus we had during Annual Session, I had the opportunity to address our District and answer any questions that they had for me. I explained the goals that I wanted to accomplish and I conveyed the eagerness that I had to get to work right away. At the end of the caucus I was told that I was voted in as our next District 9 Trustee. I couldn’t have been more excited and honored! Since being elected, our cabinet has been chosen which encompasses 32 students including 12 from Houston. We are in the process of planning our summer district retreat and District 9 meeting to be held in January in Breckenridge. We are also working on ways to make our District better. I look forward to an exciting year of serving as your Houston ASDA President and District 9 trustee. If at any point you have any ideas or questions, I would love to talk with you. I hope to continue to work to make our chapter proud and to keep our District 9 so fine!
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UTSD HoustonASDA is a student organization involved with any and all issues that dental students face during their time in school. We aim to expose our members to organized dentistry and encourage a lifetime commitment to the field of Dentistry and its preservation.
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nts Lea d
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Adv oca 6
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UTSD HOUSTONASDA
l
MISSION STATEMENT
What is ASDA
MISSION STATEMENT
UTSD Houston ASDA
NATIONAL ASDA
The American Student Dental Association is a national student-run organization that protects and advances the rights, interests and welfare of dental students. It introduces students to lifelong involvement in organized dentistry and provides services, information, education, representation and advocacy. Jon Vogel currently holds a National ASDA Leadership Position: Legislative Coordinator for Districts 8 & 9
divided into 11 districts
OKLAHOMA
HOUSTON
COLORADO
BAYLOR
SAN ANTONIO
DISTRICT 9 ASDA
UTSD Houston ASDA leaders that serve on District 9 Council are: Tanya Sue Maestas, Rana Shammas, Kaylea Orsak, Ryan Rodriguez, Francisco Escobar, Lauro Tijerina, Mariangela Arata, Raven Grant, Alicia Morris, Kanwal Kirani, Allison Haynie & Jeremy Pope
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WELCOME CLASS OF 2020 FIRST YEAR
KNOWLEDGE BOMBS &THINGSTO GETEXCITED ABOUT
WRITTEN BY THE CLASS OF 2019
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• You can still have a life in dental school! You will be stressed but enjoy life and the Houston restaurants! • It’s okay to fail a test (or 3), just try your hardest. • Ask your professors for help in wax lab and operative. They are there to help you become the best dentist possible. • Ask questions, even if you think it’s silly beucase someone else is thinking the same thing! • SHARE study materials via Facebook/ Google Drive with your classmates to help everyone succeed.
• When you enter dental school, you get 99 (or 100) more friends. Don’t be a stranger to any of them! You don’t want to make enemies; they are your family for the next four years. Be kind and friendly- you will be suprised at who you will meet, and everyone has something very unique and awe-inspiring to bring to the table. • There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that you can do this! You were admitted becuase the admissions committee knew you could do this.
UTSD Houston ASDA • It’s not so much the quality of information that is overwhelming, it’s the quantity! • Expect to start using your hand skills on day 1 in wax lab. You can use the carving method or the build up method (ask us DENTAL OLYMPICS for help!) In 2017, the Dental Olympics will be hosted in • If you need a pep Houston! Get excited & start practicing! talk, seek the company of someone you trust or care about (even your classmate)! • If you need a break, then perhaps you should TREAT YOURSELF! • Make time for your family, friends, and OPERATIVE yourself. The last operative practical & • Take dental school everybody is still smiling!!!! :) one day at a time! • Get plenty of sleep & excersise! It helps to keep your stress level down.
• Don’t be afraid to ask the class of 2019 for help!
DON’T WAIT UTILL THE NIGHT BEFORE TO STUDY … for your sanity & maybe your GPA.
You might have to change your study habits from undergrad (unless you already mastered studying) Don’t underestimate ANY class.. especially Oral Biology II and Foundations
#ClinicallyAppropriateShoes • are not worn every day in first year (only clinc days) • Leather or leather-like (may not have any mesh) Don’t get overwhelmed! • Biomed is front-loaded so it DOES get easier Tired of scrubs? • wear business attire • scrub pant + UTSD T-shirt (avaiable in book store)
Like to print? • Printing is available at the library for a nominal per page fee. You can buy a print card incase you don’t want to/forget to print at home • $0.08/page (black & white) • $0.16/page (color) Take good notes! • Subject matter repeats (& repeats) in different courses
CLASS POTLUCK CELEBRATIONS
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IS THE EXAM GOING TO BE CUMULATIVE? Observations on success in the clinical years
Introduction
One of the most common questions that is asked of faculty members in didactic or pre-clinical courses is whether examinations will be cumulative. Students want to know what they need to study for exams, and this is fair enough – faculty are well aware of the challenge of having to account for masses of information in the midst of dental school’s rather intense testing schedule.
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By: Ryan Quock, DDS
Associate Professor and Vice-Chair, Department of Restorative Dentistry & Prosthodontics University of Texas School of Dentistry at Houston
of that information, is expected. In other words, every patient encounter is an “exam,” and the basic requirement is cumulative knowledge of everything that While individual courses may or came before. may not use cumulative assessments to determine basic com- What a daunting task! The readpetency, it must be noted that in er may be tempted to shut down the realm of patient care the ac- mentally at the enormity of this cumulation of pertinent knowl- call, but that would be the wrong edge, and proper assimilation response. Student dentists alPartially for this reason, many course directors elect for their unit exams to not be cumulative, in the acute sense.
UTSD Houston ASDA
pal anesthesia to with any most always have the potential • Do you know the complete given technique? What soft medical history of your pato meet this challenge, and intissue structures should you tient? If quizzed on any asdeed they must – after four short expect to anesthetize? pect of their systemic condiyears, a doctorate is awarded tions or medications, would and an incredibly wide scope of you be able to answer? Say- These are just examples of some practice is granted as a right aping that you just inherited this areas that the author regularly pertaining to that degree. Conpatient from an upperclass- observes student dentists not sistent accountability for what man is not an excuse – do not being accountable for; the most has been learned, and the proper successful students in the clinical treat a stranger! application of this knowledge on a regular basis, is what this au- • Hypertension: Can you (and years embrace their role as oral do you) take blood pres- physicians. thor has observed relates most sure readings with the anstrongly to success in the clinical eroid sphygmomanometer Dentists are years of dental school. And the and stethoscope? What are Diagnosticians following aims to serve as a rethe systolic and/or diastolic Although when we think of denminder of a few key concepts that thresholds for the different tistry images of syringes, handwill likely prove to be helpful for stages of hypertension? What pieces, and forceps may come the conscientious student denare the clinical recommen- to mind, arguably the most imtist. WARNING: You may have some work to do! dations for dental treatment portant step in treatment is the when a patient presents with initial diagnostic phase. Being blood pressure at the various able to technically perform surgiDentists are thresholds? What are the im- cal procedures is not useful (and Oral Physicians plications of stressing a hy- perhaps even dangerous) if diagAlthough there is an ongoing inpertensive patient’s cardio- nosis and planning is minimized. tellectual discourse regarding the vascular system? Would you Although this stage may not be extent to which dentists should be able to handle the medical the most lucrative, it is absolutebe accountable for systemic emergency if an episode oc- ly essential to the management medicine, there is no doubt that curred? of your patients. The School of dentistry has worked very hard • Diabetes: What was your pa- Dentistry follows a systematic to establish its sole ownership of tient’s fasting blood glucose approach to diagnosis and treatexpertise in oral health. Rightfuland/or H1Ac levels today? ment planning so that needs ly the specialists who take care of Did the patient take their dia- are logically addressed and that our patients’ oral health needs, betes medications before the nothing is missed. dentists are able to have a seat appointment? Did the patient at the overall health care table have something to eat before Challenge Question: Do you because of our correct insistence coming in? What would you know this systematic approach by that oral health is the gateway to do if the patient had a hy- heart, and do you follow it? systemic health. poglycemic episode in your chair? Would you recognize • The first stage in diagnosis Challenge Question: Do you the signs? actually care about the patient’s and treatment planning is • Local anesthesia: Generally overall health? information that the patient speaking, how do dental local reports to you – medical hisanesthetics work? What is the The following are some example tory and dental history. This purpose of vasoconstrictors, questions that you need to know is a baseline from which you like epinephrine, in our lothe answer to – if you don’t, then begin gathering important incal anesthetics? What teeth you need to find the answers (this formation. should you expect to get pullist is not exhaustive) May 2016
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• Are there any emergency needs? This requires some judgment, but generally speaking emergencies typically involve pain that debilitates to the point of interfering with basic functions, and/ or infection that presents an imminent threat to systemic health. At this point, if there are any true emergency needs, they would be addressed. • Radiographic images and interpretation. Appropriate radiographic images will be vital for the diagnosis of periodontal status, caries status, and pathology. Appropriate interpretation of the images will guide treatment planning. • Extraoral/intraoral exam. Basically checking the outside and the inside of the oral cavity for suspicious “lumps and bumps” – pathology. Here you may encounter manifestations of systemic conditions. • Periodontal exam is next. It will be a temptation to rush into the examination of the teeth, but that would be illogical. The periodontium represents the very foundation that the dentition rests upon; determination of stability of that foundation has direct ramifications for the prognosis of teeth and any restorations that will be done. Do the perio, and do it well. • Hard tissue exam. Besides recording missing teeth and existing restorations, this is basically the caries evaluation. Thus, you need to
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perform a caries risk assessment (fill out form), and also determine a schedule for non-invasive management strategies – fluoride varnish, silver diamine fluoride, Prevident, etc. When evaluating for caries activity, use the ICDAS scale for pit-and-fissure caries and the best evidence for radiographic interproximal lesions. Pictoral guides for both can be found under “Links” in the HER. • Advanced restorative/Prosthodontic evaluation. If the patient is missing any teeth, or has severely broken down teeth that need cuspal coverage, more analysis often needs to be done. Preliminary discussions of options can occur at this point, but definitive decisions may not happen until after diagnostic casts are evaluated with a GPD and/or prosthodontist. This listing represents a logical progression for diagnosis and treatment planning. Successful student dentists embrace their role as diagnosticians, and navigate this sequence consistently and efficiently.
Dentists are Dental Surgeons
One of the primary attractions of dentistry as a profession for many is the “hands-on” aspect. Indeed, dentists acquire an impressive array of surgical abilities. The amazing thing about dental surgery is that in most cases the procedures are invasive, and in many cases irreversible.
This reality is what separates the scope of practice for dentists (as doctors) from other dental auxiliaries. Thus, the student dentist better know what he or she is doing! Challenge Question: Would you be able to describe each step in a procedure to a faculty member, with clarity and precision, before preforming it? If not, why should you be allowed to perform it on a human being? As amazing as it seems, some students carry on as if it is acceptable to simply show up for clinic having done no intellectual preparation for any given procedure. If you have never done this procedure on a live patient, nothing can be done about that lack of experiential knowledge. However, you are definitely accountable for the didactic and pre-clinical knowledge. If you don’t remember, spend some time the night before reading the lecture notes and textbooks. Faculty are always happy to discuss cases in advance as well. Successful student dentists embrace their role as surgeons, and take surgical preparation very seriously.
Dentists are Materials Experts
Advances in dental materials science have this an exciting era for the practice of dentistry. However, these advances also make this an extremely confusing time as well – there are so many products available that it is difficult to
UTSD Houston ASDA
keep up. But keep up you must, because you are placing these materials in a patient’s mouth. Is it wise to put something mysterious into your own mouth? Why is okay to do so in a patient’s mouth?
perts, and demonstrate this in their knowledge and selection of the appropriate materials. If you don’t know what material to use or its vital characteristics, it is your responsibility to study up ahead of time.
Challenge Question: In addition to knowing the technical aspects of any surgical procedure, would you be able to describe accurately the biological, chemical, and mechanical aspects of the dental materials that you use?
Dentists are Professionals
Some examples of some areas of confusion that the author has observed include: • What is the mechanism of action of a primer in an adhesive system? • What is the difference between Theracal and Vitrebond? How about Dycal? What are the generic names for these products? • What “coupling agent” do composite and ceramic restorations typically need to be treated with before cementation occurs? Why? • What is the difference between Fuji II LC and Fuji IX? What type of material is each? • What is the chemical difference between Rely X Unicem, Rely X Luting, and Rely X Adhesive Cements? Indications and contraindications? • If a core buildup is being done with a dual-cure material, like Luxacore, what adhesive system should be used? Why? Successful student dentists embrace their role as material ex-
Dentistry is a self-governing profession. The autonomy of individual practitioners and the profession will only be honored by the public as long as we are honorable. Much of this higher standard that we are called to can be summed up by putting the interests and needs over others ahead of our own. This is not a natural thing for most people. Challenge Question: Do I daily put the needs of the patient and others around me ahead of my own? Some practical examples to ponder: • Do I honor my patients’ time? Is my operatory set up before clinic begins? Am I mentally prepared for what needs to be done….am I ready to be efficient with that time? • Do I honor my faculty’s time? Is my work area organized and inviting for teaching? Is my mind organized and inviting for teaching? Do I have my EHR record ready in a timely fashion to review with faculty? • Do I offer and manage treatment in a way that leads to optimal health for my patient, or am I more concerned with
performing procedures to graduate? Would I compromise my patient’s systemic health to get more PCUs? Successful student dentists put the needs of other ahead of their own – they realize that we are part of a service profession.
Conclusion
There are likely a number of other areas that could be mentioned in this article. However, the ideas mentioned here represent a good starting point. Dentists are oral physicians, diagnosticians, surgeons, materials experts, and professionals. This is what you signed on for when you were welcomed as colleagues into our profession – daunting, but doable. You will have to apply yourself, and the faculty are here to support you. So, is the exam going to be cumulative? Absolutely, and it will be so for the rest of your career. You can do it!
Check social media for answers.
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2016 NATIONAL The Houston Fill
DELEGATE OF THE YEAR “Congrats Andrew on receiving Delegate of the Year! I cannot think of a more deserving person to win this award. You have been so actively involved in not only our local ASDA chapter, but nationally as well, and I am honored to work on a team with such outstanding officers!!” -Katie Richardson ‘19 “Andrew, thank you so much for your dedication to ASDA. Your positive attitude and willingness to back your officers has made my first year in ASDA a great experience.” - Megan Short ‘19 “Thank you so much Andrew for all you have done for UTSD ASDA and for all of us. You have worked really hard for this but all your efforts were completely worth it. Thank you for being awesome and again, congratulations on this wonderful achievement! You deserve every bit of this success!” - Rana Shammas ‘19
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“Andrew! I am totes proud of all your hard work and dedication to ASDA! You rock! Don’t ever change :)” Jade Blair ‘19
“Congratulations, Andrew! I can think of no one more deserving of this honor. Since I started dental school and became involved in ASDA, I have admired your dedication to your peers and our profession. You empower everyone around you to use their gifts to better serve the dental field, and your commitment to advocacy, service, and community is nothing short of inspiring. You rock!” -Raven Grant ‘19 “Working alongside Andrew this past year has been an absolute joy. It is clear that our leadership styles are similar, but I am so blessed to have learned so much and have grown as a leader because of Andrew. Seeing the passion Andrew has for ASDA truly rekindles the ASDA fever our chapter has. I look forward to following his footsteps this next year.” - Tanya Sue Maestas ‘18 “Andrew’s amazing personality is absolutely perfect for leadership. He makes everyone on the team feel welcomed, valued, and important. I don’t know how he does it, but he makes me want to work harder just so I don’t disappoint him. I can tell he’s going to have a rocking dental practice and staff!” - Samin “Huck” Huque ‘18 “Andrew Naeger is a true American hero and I would follow him into battle any day!” - Matt Franzen ‘17
“To simply put it, Andrew is the man! He genuinely cares about others and has always been there to give support, weather it was through much needed advice or simply a helping hand. Andrew, congrats and thank you for everything; it’s been an absolute pleasure working with you.” - Anthony Tran ‘18 “Andrew has been one of the
best student leaders I’ve had the pleasure of working under. He was always supportive of the Events & Social committee and helped us any way he could. Not to mention, he was receptive to my ideas while bringing his own to the table. Most importantly, Andrew always kept the students’ best interest in mind and his passion for our organization has lead the Houston ASDA chapter to continuing success during the last year. I’m convinced that he will be a great leader in the dental field and active supporter of organized dentistry. “ - Mariangela Arata ‘18 “I am so excited that your passion and dedication towards ASDA has finailly gotten the recognition it deserves. I had never heard of ASDA before you spoke to us about it, and within the first few minutes I had “ASDA Fever.” Thanks so much for everything you do, and I am so honored to get the chance to work with and learn from you.” - Kaylea Orsak ‘18 “Andrew is a gifted leader and friend. I have learned so much from him. He is a pleasure to know and one of my all time favorite Aggies.” - Glennis Katzmark ‘17
UTSD Houston ASDA “Congratulations Andrew! You are such an inspiring leader. I am so blessed to have had the opportunity to work under you. It takes a special person to touch, motivate, and encourage everyone they encounter and you do that everyday. Thank you for representing our school so well! I am looking forward to seeing the great things you will do with our profession.” - Sarah Wornley “I cannot think of anyone more deserving to be recognized as the national delegate of the year as Andrew Naeger. Andrew has worked so hard to reinvent our ASDA chapter to allow more members to become involved. He has always lead by example and sacrificed his time and energy to help us as chairs accomplish our goals. I am certain that we would not be near as productive or successful an ASDA chapter if it weren’t for Andrew and his efforts. I’m so glad he was recognized for all he has done! Thank you Andrew!!” - Mary Becker ‘17 “Andrew is a unique kind of leader. It is not everyday that you find someone who cares so much about individuals that you feel like you are running into an old friend every time you see him. He would also go out of his way to make sure that as many people could be included as wanted the opportunity. He is someone that you want to help and would do anything for.” - Kyle Larsen, Colorado “Andrew has been the forefront of this organization. I’ve seen it grow exponentially since he has taken a hold of it. He has helped so many people and made everyone feel welcome in asda! We are so lucky to have had a president like him!” - Michelle Boecker ‘17
“It’s been awesome to watch Naeger grow as a leader while working beside him over the last few years. He has taken our Houston ASDA chapter places that it has never been before and created membership involvement that was unheard of in previous years. It is also easy to see that Naeger has set our local chapter on track to be one of the best in the country. With Naeger being recognized on a national level, it truly shows how fortunate we were to have him as a leader for Houston ASDA. It’s been awesome to watch Naeger grow as a leader while working beside him over the last few years. He has taken our Houston ASDA chapter places that it has never been before and created membership involvement that was unheard of in previous years. It is also easy to see that Naeger has set our local chapter on track to be one of the best in the country. With Naeger being recognized on a national level, it truly shows how fortunate we were to have him as a leader for Houston ASDA. Also, I can’t wait for Naeger to be ADA president.” - Alex Edgerly ‘17 “I could not think of anyone more deserving of delegate of the year than Andrew Naeger. He is a driven leader who is passionate about ASDA and dentistry. Andrew always listens to others ideas and excels at working with a team. His compassionate nature and outgoing personality make him an excellent ASDA president and an exceptional friend. Congratulations, Andrew!! We are lucky to have you in our UT Houston ASDA organization!” - Laura Nelson ‘16 May 2016
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ASDA FEVER AWARD WINNER AUSTIN FAULK When Tanya told me I had won the ASDA Fever Award I was very surprised. I was already planning on attending Annual Session and hearing that I had earned a trip made it much sweeter. The ASDA Fever Award is given to the member who accumulates the most points throughout the previous semester. These points are earned in a variety of ways such as attending community service events, being 16
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THE ASDA MEMBER WITH THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF POINTS BY THE END OF THE FALL SEMESTER WILL BE SPONSORED TO ATTEND ASDA ANNUAL SESSION THE FOLLOWING SPRING SEMESTER. FOR THE MEMBER THAT HOLDS THE MOST POINTS IN THE SPRING SEMESTER WILL BE SPONSORED TO ATTEND NATIONAL LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE IN CHICAGO IN NOVEMBER OF THE FOLLOWING FALL SEMESTER
on a committee, or writing for ASDA publications. Annual Session was everything I thought it would be and more! Our days were packed full of different events such as breakout sessions, networking lunches, and the House of Delegates meetings. One of my favorite parts of Annual Session was electing our new national leaders. I loved hearing all the candidates speak and show their passion for ASDA.
The Gold Crown Awards was another favorite event of mine. Seeing Houston ASDA get so much recognition at the national level really pumped us up to try and win the Ideal Chapter Award next year. Overall it was a great experience to meet other dental students and learn more about what ASDA does for us each and every day. I would highly recommend that you attend next year!
UTSD Houston ASDA
ANNUAL SESSION DALLAS 2016 Annual Session is the official gathering of ASDA’s House of Delegates, where policyt is set and leaders are elected.
ANNUAL SESSION PRESENTATIONS You can download the Annual Session 2016 presentations at: https://www.asdanet.org/AnnualSession/ (asdanet.org>Events>Annual Session>Download Presentations)
WRITE FOR ASDA PUBLICATIONS Earn points to win The ASDA Fever Award to be funded to go on National Leadership Conference this Fall or Annual Session 2017.
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FACULTY FLASBACK Check social media for answers.
If you are interested in writing for The Houston Fill, please email: utsd.asda.newsletter@gmail.com
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HOUSE
OF DELEGATES T
he House of Delegates meetings were comprised of 4 individual sessions, each a continuum of the last. The first meeting was an introduction; a gathering of nearly 800 students from across the Nation, brought together to be to learn how the process and purpose of the
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sessions. The keynote speaker then presented, Mr. Chris Bashinelli. The topic was “Ignoring the ‘Noise’ and Discovering your passion.” In the second meeting, ASDA’s strategic plan was presented as well as a financial report. The candidates running for the Executive Com-
Summary by: Jon Vogel
mittee and Speaker of the House were then given an opportunity to speak, introducing themselves to the delegate and vy for our support. The third meeting consisted of an introduction to Parliamentary procedure, so that delegates or members at the
UTSD Houston ASDA
2016 HOUSE OF DELEGATES ADOPTED RESOLUTIONS
PHOTO CREDIT: AMERICAN STUDENT DENTAL ASSOCIATION
session c o u l d properly give feedback during the resolution hearings. Resolutions were then discussed, with sometimes heated debate between the sponsors and Reference committees. Resolutions were then voted upon, with most being minor verbiage changes or procedural changes
going unopposed. Two resolutions that were more memorable, or that got cheers from the audience included: 1) A change in verbiage to correct poor grammar 2) A change in ASDA policy to formally encourage schools to allow students to participate in organized dentistry without repercussion In the fourth meeting, the Executive committee was voted upon, and Sohaib Soliman was named the
The following are some examples of adopted resolutions: Education & Licensure • Resolution 200-2016 Medicaid Patients • Resolution 201-2016 Adoption of Interim Policy: Current Statements of Position or Policy ‘L-1 Initial Licensure Pathways’ • Resolution 202-2016 Rescission of Current Statements of Position or Policy ‘L-3 Definition of Curriculum Integrated Format’ • Resolution 203-2016 Amendment to Current Statements of Position or Policy ‘B-4 Externships’ Membership & Professional Issues • Resolution 300-2016 ASDA Membership Dues Increase • Resolution 303-2016 Dental Student Participation in Lobby Days and Organized Dentistry Events • Resolution 305-2016 Supporting the Academic Success and Professional Development of Pregnant, Postpartum, and Parenting Dental Students • Resolution 306-2016 Amendment of Bylaws Article V Organization, Section 2. Chapter – to Reinstate Predental Chapters Governance • Resolution 400RC-2016 Amendment to Bylaws Article IV Leadership, Section 4. Eligibility • Resolution 401-2016 Amendment to Standing Rules of the House of Delegates Section 7. Elections, B. ‘Election Code of Conduct’ • Resolution 402-2016 Amendment to Standing Rules of the House of Delegates Section 7. Elections, C. ‘Presentation of Platform to the House of Delegates’ • Resolution 403-2016 Amendment to Standing Rules of the House of Delegates Section 7. Elections, D. ‘Questioning of Advancing Candidates’ All resolution & details can be viewed at: http://www. asdanet.org/_AboutPage_wAdd.aspx?id=11375&terms=resolutions
2016 President of ASDA, with Aaron Henderson and Jordan Telin being named VicePresident. Matthew Bridge’s was selected as Speaker of the House. The delegate meetings were then adjourned for the remainder of the session. May 2016
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UTSD Houston ASDA
District Caucus A caucus is “a meeting of the members of a legislative body who are members of a particular political party, to select candidates or decide policy.” Selecting candidates and deciding policy is exactly what we did in our district caucus meetings this week. Throughout the conference we had multiple caucuses where we would meet as Districts 8 (Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, and Nebraska) and 9 (San Antonio, Dallas, Houston, Oklahoma, and Colorado). At Thursday’s district caucus we formulated and decided on what questions we would ask the executive committee (president and two vice presi-
dents) and speaker of the house candidates. Thereafter we had the opportunity to discuss the resolutions that would be voted on at the House of Delegates the next day. On Friday’s district caucus we interviewed the six executive committee and two speaker candidates. Thereafter we gathered as a group and discussed who we thought would be the best to serve as our National ASDA leaders for the next year. On Saturday’s district caucus we only gathered as District 9 to vote on who would be our next District 9 trustee. We interviewed the two candidates and our very own Tanya Sue Maestas was voted on to become our District 9 trustee!
“
Summary by: Samin “Huck” Huque
...our very own Tanya Sue Maestas was voted on to become our District 9 trustee! May 2016
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ASDA LEADER TIPS OBTAINING NO-COST INSURANCE & A $500 CHAPTER REWARD
Speakers: Jaclyn Agy, Andrew Naeger, Andrew Burton, & Brian Platt Summary by: Devon Kooi
The purpose of this class was to raise awareness within our chapters of the totally free disability and life insurance that is available to us students through ASDA. It is a free benefit, but it does require the additional step of signing up for the policy. It was an open class where we discussed possible reasons for nonenrolled members. One of the biggest reasons was that students were simply not aware of this free benefit. Another common reason was that many students do not feel like they need insurance. The speaker shared stories of how many times a day that either a disabled dentist or their loved one is on the phone with the insurance company filing claims. The big take home lesson was to be active leaders in our own chapters by reminding our classmates to get signed up.
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PHOTO CREDIT: AMERICAN STUDENT DENTAL ASSOCIATION
KEYNOTE ADDRESS
CHRIS BASHINELLI Summary by: Katie Richardson
“NOISE IN THE MODERN WORLD IS CONSTANT AND SERVES TO DISTRACT US NOT ONLY FROM OUR GREATER GOALS, BUT ALSO FROM OUR INTERNAL DECISION MAKER – OUR HEART. BEFORE WE CAN IDENTIFY OUR UNIQUE TALENTS AND OFFER THEM TO THE WORLD, WE FIRST MUST LEARN TO IGNORE THE NOISE. BY PUTTING DOWN OUR SMART PHONES AND TURNING OUR ATTENTION INSIDE WE OFTEN GAIN INSIGHTS INTO SOME OF OUR MOST PRESSING CHALLENGES.” -CHRIS BASHINELLI
C
hris Bashinelli left his dream of being an actor to pursue his true passion of using media to promote intercultural acceptance and learn how people live throughout the world by walking in their shoes. Bashinelli encourages us as dental students to become what he calls “global citizens” by cultivating a culture of compassion for our patients
UTSD Houston ASDA
and people we encounter in our daily lives. As future leaders in healthcare, it is important that we harness our unique set of skills and use them to make a positive difference in our patient’s lives. The “Stoop” is a metaphor Bashinelli used for building strong connections with people across generational and cultural boundaries. The “Stoop” is a place where people can communicate without boundaries of judgment, and is a place of universal acceptance. Creating a “Stoop” in our workplace will facilitate a comfortable environment for communication with patients and our colleagues. Building strong relationships and striving to serve our community across cultural boundaries will enable us to create lasting careers making a positive difference in our patients lives.
BREAKOUT SESSIONS THE REAL NEW DENTIST OF DALLAS
Speakers: Dr. Ernesto Trevino, Dr. Shane Ricci, Dr. Alex Barton, Dr. Drew Vanderbook, Dr. Andrea Janik Summary by: Victoria Tindol
We had the opportunity to hear from five different dentists that are working in various locations, such as Dallas, Denver, and the Rio Grande Valley. Each doctor had a unique perspective to share, as they worked in practices with different styles: DSO operated, private practice, endodontics, associateship, and pediatrics. A resounding theme amongst the panel was the importance of being involved in ASDA throughout dental school and organized dentistry thereafter. The doctors shared some things they know “now” that they wish they would have known “then.” • ∙ Be adaptable to your situation—have a plan for after dental school, but have an open mind • You have options after dental school—you can tailor your future practice to your personal preference and the kind of dentistry that you like to do (i.e. pediatric focus, sedation, restorative) • Be prepared for fiscal responsibility after graduating from dental school—plan for the things that go into owning a practice • Have a mentor and cultivate that relationship—develop things that are lacking in the partnership through CE, have multiple mentors to turn to for different things, you can never have too many resources • When trying to move into a new state/location—take advantage of ASDA contacts, ADA staff, the TDA (look into classified job listings), be prepared to work right away • If looking into a GPR/AEGD— there is no hurt in applying, be open to opportunities to better yourself as a clinician, you will gain confidence and get to do complex procedures without the repercussions you will find in private practice • When interviewing for an associateship—learn about the practice culture, ask to shadow in the office for several days before accepting the job • As a new dentist—accept that debt is a part of dentistry (studentdebt, practice buy in, house mortgage), manage your debt, live within your means until you have the flexibility to spend recreationally 23 May 2016
BREA KOUT SESS IONS
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DENTAL EMERGENCIES Speaker: Dr. Pamela Cotton
Speaker: Dr. Brittany Seymour
Summary by: Mary Becker
Summary by: Glennis Katzmark
Dr. Pamela Cotton of the U.S. Army talked about different types of trauma and emergencies that might present in a dental office. She explained that during the initial assessment, the dentist should quickly review the medical and dental history if the patient, clean the area, and find out more information related to the incident such as where/when/how did it occur, has the bite changed, what is hurting, and assessing whether or not it might be a medical emergency. The following tools should be used to determine type of trauma: patient description, visual evidence, percussion, mobility, and radiographs. She then covered the different types of trauma and how to treat them. Please go tohttp://www.asdanet.org/presentations/2016annual session.aspxto review the powerpoint. It has great visual aids and instructions for how to diagnose and treat dental trauma.
Dr. Seymour serves as an assistant professor at Harvard in epidemiology and focuses on increasing oral health literacy in communities. She trains students to effectively communicate dental education to patients and elucidate misunderstandings about issues that concern our patients from fluoride to amalgam use. As providers of dental care we will be looked to provide perspective for our patients who are exposed to a significant amount of misinformation using social media platforms. With this in mind, it is critical that students become aware about misinformation, and an understanding of the basic science. The most critical skill in this scenario is developing communication strategies to educate our patients.
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SOCIAL MEDIA’S IMPACT ON PATIENTS’ HEALTH CARE DECISIONS
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This talk has inspired me to improve my verbal and communication skills to best serve my patient base. The future of dentistry will require clinicians who are competent about current changes in the field, and evidence based answers.
Like most of us in dental school, we don’t exactly know what to expect in life after dental school. Do we join the military or DSO, become an associate, or build our own practice from the ground up? Each door has its unique pros and cons. The military route allows you the option of dictating your treatment, but you are constantly being relocated; becoming an associate allows you ownership and authority over a practice, but it is pricey; DSO’s are less responsibility on the business end, but you also have less say in the set up and materials used in the practice. So where do you go with all of this information? While the decision depends on each individual preference, Dr. Preston Schraeder, a 2013 graduate from Creighton University School of Dentistry, has given us a testimony of his life after dental school. Throughout dental school, he heard over and over again about the terrors of DSO’s and had a bad taste towards them from the getgo. He sought out these other options but none seemed to work out for him. That is, until he joined a DSO. 2 years in the real world and he has found out he loves working for a DSO. He is the owner of Firewheel Modern Dentistry – a private practice model DSO branch of Pacific Dental. He has been given the flexibility of being an owner while also having less to worry about on the business side. Dr. Schraeder lays out a few things that have led to his success emphasizing the
NS
Summary by: Jade Blair
importance of patient experience. He states, “Patients remain loyal when experiences exceed expectations.” He’s learned that although new patients are important, building solid trusting relationships with current patients is even more important. Being a good doctor speaks for itself and your patients will speak it louder than you can yourself. This in mind, it is also important to serve your patients with unparalleled service and convenience recognizing that they and their time is important. Dr. Schraeder has taken these ideals and placed them in his practice by being on time, listening and understanding his patients’ wants and needs, making himself and his practice convenient, and following up with his patients. He says these aspects have made all the difference in his practice being successful. Not only so, but he loves the relationships he has with his patients and being able to serve them to the fullest.
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Speaker: Dr. Preston Schraeder
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WHAT REALLY HAPPENS AFTER DENTAL SCHOOL
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Advocacy &Houston Professional issues General Session UTSD ASDA
After dental school, life is significantly different than school and the routes we take are equally different. No matter where you choose to work, however, the way you treat your patients will dictate both success and your feeling of appreciation for your career. So, choose to work where your best fit is and keep your patients as #1 in your heart (you’ll probably end up as #1 in there’s if you do so and that can only make practicing dentistry more enjoyable.) May 2016
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TRENDS IN DENTISTRY
Speaker: Cassandra Yarbrough Summary by: Katie Womack
Cassie Yarbrough, M.P.P. is a health policy researcher. Mrs. Yarbrough shed light on different trends in dentistry, as the title suggests. The three main trends discussed were dental spending, utilization and coverage, and dentist earnings and busyness. At the heart of her statistics was the turning point in 2008/2009 when the recession hit. National dental expenditure per capita steadily increased since 1990, but leveled off in 2008 when the recession started. Spending has not recovered for dental care, coffee and tea, and legal services. However spending has recovered for cell phone service, package tours, alcoholic beverages, and education. The percentage of people who have dental benefits have varied from 20002013 over 3 different age groups. For children ages 218 the percentage of uninsured has steadily decreased, while the percentage who have become covered by CHIP/Medicaid has increased about 18%. The percent who are covered with private dental benefits have also decreased over the years. For adults ages 1964 and elderly over the age of 65, these percentages have remained pretty steady. Therefore it is no surprise that the percentage of the population with a dental visit in that time span was the lowest for adults and highest for children. 40% of adults say that cost is the reason they avoid the dentist. People, especially adults ages 1864 chose to forgo their dental health due to cost. UTSD HOUSTON Dentist earnings, unfortunately, have tak-
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en a slight down turn since the recession. With the peak earnings being in the 20022005 time period, the decrease for general dentists took a hit of over $30,000 annually (this is the mean real net income), which is pretty significant. One statistic looked at the percentage of dentists who are “not busy enough”. An interesting finding is that in 2011 about 38% of dentists in the study reported not being busy enough, however that percentage has dropped some to about 34% in 2014. Cassandra rounded out the lecture by talking about current forces that are in play that have an effect on our trends. These are Medicaid, increased consumerism, and new(ish) practice models. With the Affordable Care Act, there was an expansion in the number of adults who received dental benefits under Medicaid, which is great. The downside to this is that the reimbursement rate is not keeping up with it. The pediatric dental medicaid feeforservice reimbursement as a percentage of commercial dental insurance charges in 2013 was a meek 59.5% for Texas and in West Virginia with the highest percentage it was still only 69.9%. The same trend follows for adult reimbursement. Consumerism has increased over the years since the recession. On average, 49% of the total population will negotiate a discount with their dentist, 41% will research dental prices online, 34% will receive their dental treatment at
Speaker: Dr. David Rice Summary by: Mallory Baum
Dr. David Rice, founder of igniteDDS, spoke about dental implants in one of the more educationbased breakout sessions of the event. Dr. Rice has dedicated much of his time to informing dental students about topics that may not be extensively covered in dental school, but he also works in private practice in New York three times a week. In his presentation, Dr. Rice explained that dental implants are a valuable piece of our future. An important piece
May 2016
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CRUSHING DENTAL IMPLANTS
ESSIO
Please find her full presentation here: http://asdanet.org/uploadedFiles/ Events/Annual_Session/130%20 PM%2 0Trends%20in%20Dentistry_ Yarbrough.pdf
of “CRUSHing” dental implants is to start mastering treatment planning and occlusion while we are in dental school. We learn basics as students, but as cases become more complex, so will the treatment planning. Thus, we must spend the time to learn it very well; we, as students and as practicing dentists after graduation, should invest time and money in ourselves because our patients deserve it. Dental implant programs that offer extended curricula may be worthwhile, but be wary of weekend courses that don’t teach the material very well. In general studies, it has been shown that people who tried to be good at everything are less successful than people who focused on one thing. Dr. Rice suggested mastering dental implants as a priority for young dentists because older dentists avoid the technique due to fear of technology. Thus, knowing how to place implants can make you a valuable asset to a possible future employer. After convincing us of the importance of mastering dental implants, Dr. Rice dove into the topic of what makes implants fail. He cited retained cement as the major reason of failed implants, because it can cause bone resorption. Additionally, occlusal loading and the choice of material may cause an implant to fail. In all, the presentation was spectacular in not only discussing the importance of learning the art of implants, but also some practical and easytodigest introductory information about placing implants.
S KOUT
a dental school or community health clinic, and 11% will use a “daily deal” website to buy a dental service. The landscape of our practice models is changing and we must be cognizant of what our patients value. Mrs. Yarbrough showed a really helpful graphic to visualize that our focus is changing from provider centric to patient centric. Our objective is not to just treat disease, but has changed to become preventive and includes health and wellness overall.
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Advocacy &Houston Professional General Session UTSD ASDAissues
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THE POLISHED PROFESSIONAL Speaker: Dr. Colleen Greene Summary by: Marisa Zitterich
Pediatric dentist Colleen Greene discussed how you should present yourself and follow through as a “Polished Professional.”
Externships
1. Treat them as an audition. Realize that residents and faculty are watching everything you do and say. Your externship will pretty much determine your potential fate with that program.
Interview
1. Physical Appearancefirst impressions are everything. Be professional, avoid standing out in a negative way. 2. Focused FlowLet them know that you know how to hold a conversation. Be yourself. 3. Follow upVia email or thank you letter
Ethics
1. Be honest. Never Lie.
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Issue 13
ACTIVITIES AND FUNDRAISING
Speakers: Chelsea Rajagopalan, Tabitha Dunham Summary by: Mariangela Arata
The Activities and Fundraising session was part of the BIG Idea Exchange which consisted of five breakout sessions focused on brainstorming and sharing ideas amongst chapters. By dividing the attendees into smaller groups, we were able to converse about the successes and failures that we encountered while planning events at our respective institutions. The events that were discussed ranged from Lunch and Learns to Vendor Fair to silent auctions. All in all, I learned that branding is a very important part of marketing an event, so this something I would like to continue to improve at our local chapter in years to come. At UT Houston, we are very fortunate to have faculty and staff who support the purpose and vision of ASDA. This is crucial to successfully plan and execute events, as downfalls arise when there is a lack of communication between the faculty and the students.
How do you become a clinic rockstar? It can be accomplish by following a simple acronym: SOAP.
S
for strategizing– the first step to is become successful in clinic. Strategizing includes creating a plan and prioritizing the tasks that make up your plan. Clinic is a balancing act and can get very busy to the point that you may feel overwhelmed. With that being said, you need to come to grips with the fact that it’s okay to say ‘no’ and you must take care of yourself.
O
is for organize– find what works for you. Some techniques that have work for other student dentists include, compiling a list of requirements/ todo list, utilizing a day planner, or colorcoding with highlighters.
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Summary by: Cliff Houston
Speakers: Dr. Ben Youel, Dr. Ryan Dulde, & Dr. Manuel Cordero
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Speakers: Erin Fraundorf & Adam Saltz
SPECIALTY TREATMENT DEVLIVERED BY THE GENERAL DENTIST
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HOW TO BECOME A CLINIC ROCKSTAR
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Advocacy &Houston Professional issues UTSD ASDA General Session
Summary by: Marisa Zitterich
Three general dentists walked through two large cases that they had completed in private practice. They explained the importance of knowing when to refer and how to work with the specialists to make sure they all have the same end result in mind. They talked about the importance of getting to know the specialists in your area and knowing their strengths so that you know which specialist could handle what case better. Essentially, dentistry is teamwork especially for complex cases that require more than one clinician to achieve the best results.
A
is for attitude– having a positive attitude is crucial to be a successful clinician. Take on every day with a smile and be nice to everyone, even when you have had a bad day. You must be prepared to take on anything and be ready to adapt when needed. It is important to practice humility, while being a team player. And last but not least, network, network, network.
P
i s for presentation– “Fake it, till you make it!” Remember that you are providing a service, so keep it clean and professional.
FACULTY FLASBACK
3
Check social media for answers.
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SPONSORS
THANK YOU
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ASPEN DENTAL MARIANGELA ARATA
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This year’s ASDA Annual Session in Dallas, Texas was nothing short of an amazing experience! Our schedule for the week consisted of district caucuses, house of delegates’ meetings, and numerous breakout sessions focused on personal, chapter, and career development. Most importantly, students elected a new president, two Vice Presidents, and Speaker of the House. The caliber of candidates was astounding, allowing for a close race. Furthermore, several students were able to experience for the very first time the power of ASDA fever and the impact that our organization has on our profession. Particularly, Houston ASDA was able to send over 30 students, some which were graciously sponsored by companies. The amount of participation that our chapter showed at Annual Session reaffirmed that Houston ASDA is rapidly growing and constantly improving in order to find ways to best cater to our student body. Personally, I was able to attend this conference with the help of Aspen Dental. The sponsorship I received from this nationwide company to participate in Annual Session allowed me to continue to improve my leadership skills and, at the same time, network with fellow student dentists around the country. With 475 locations across the states and over 5,000 employees, Aspen has a unique mentoring and development program along with an innovative business model that allows for a competitive salary and benefits that meet the needs of graduates looking for opportunities such as this. All in all, as future dentists, we should constantly educate ourselves about the benefits of working within the profession either in individual or group practice or with established organizations such as Aspen Dental. Thank you for the sponsorship! Issue 13
TOMMY HARRISON, DDS KATIE WOMACK
I had the pleasure of attending ASDA Annual Session for the first time this year in Dallas. After attending the National Leadership Conference in Chicago last fall, I was inspired to be more involved with ASDA and I wanted to continue attending these amazing meetings. This would not have been possible without the help of Dr. Tommy Harrison! His gracious sponsorship allowed me to gain first hand experience in how ASDA discusses issues, votes on issues, and elects leaders. This is something I can one day carry over to the TDA and ADA and I am so thankful for that. During the session I was able to network with dental students from all over the country, attend a huge vendor fair and network with vendors, and learn exciting things in breakout sessions. One of the things that stood out to me the most was the caucuses and House of Delegates meetings. In the caucuses, we met as a district to discuss the candidates running for the executive committee of ASDA. We worked together to come up with pertinent questions to ask each candidate and then discussed the positives and negatives of each one and then cast our vote. Similarly at the House of Delegates meetings, issues were discussed following parliamentary procedure and then voted on. It really hit home that we have a voice in ASDA and I am honored that I got to be a part of that. I would like to give a huge thank you to Dr. Harrison for his support and making this experience possible!
TDA PERKS
XITE REALTY
ALEX EDGERLY
MARISA ZITTERICH
I would like to thank the TDA Perks Program for allowing me to attend the 2016 ASDA Annual Session in Dallas, Texas. With their sponsorship, I was able to connect with fellow dental students from around the country, learn invaluable lessons during breakout sessions, and gather firsthand information about what ASDA is doing for us as dental students. Without the help of The TDA Perks Program, I would not have been able to attend the biggest ASDA Annual Session to date and come back to my school’s chapter with so much information to share.
Xite Realty played a huge role in making it possible for me to attend the 2016 ASDA Annual Session. Each year I have gained a different perspective at annual session depending on which year of dental school I was in. As a fourth year, I was able to learn tips and make connections that were relevant to me graduating and starting to practice in a few months. Without Xite Realty, I wouldn’t have been able to attend the meeting and I am so thankful for their help and support. ASDA has made a huge impact in my life that will translate over to my role and contribution to the ADA and TDA.
CRAIG S. ARMSTRONG, DDS, MAGD
igniteDDS
PRESIDENT OF THE TDA VICTORIA TINDOL
Dr. Craig Armstrong graciously sponsored me in attending this year’s ASDA Annual Session. This was my first time to attend, and the experience was incredible. Not only was I able to connect with dental students from all over the country, I also met many dentists and vendors and learned more about dentistry from a professional aspect. I truly feel that this experience has made a major impact in my outlook as a dental student and future as a dentist! My experience at Annual Session this year has inspired me to get more involved in ASDA through the UTSD Houston ASDA Chapter. I now plan to serve on ASDA committees in the upcoming year and throughout the rest of my dental education, as well as continuing to attend other events in support of organized dentistry. The realizations that I have gained through attending Annual Session and becoming involved in organized dentistry would not have been possible without the sponsorship of Dr. Craig Armstrong, and for his contribution and support I am so grateful.
THANK YOU
UTSD Houston ASDA Business & Financial Leadership
MALLORY BAUM
This month, Dr. David Rice and igniteDDS gave me the opportunity to attend ASDA Annual Session in Dallas, TX. I was excited for the nation’s largest event for dental students, but it was not until after the conference that I realized the impact it would have on my future in dentistry. Annual Session was full of networking events, break out sessions to expand my knowledge about a career in dentistry, and House of Delegates meetings. Throughout the entire 4 day conference, I was busy meeting dental students from other schools and discussing their opinions, problems, and goals for their career and their school’s ASDA chapter. The House of Delegates meetings opened my eyes to just how loud of a voice ASDA has in determining the incorporation of new laws, because each member also has a voice in ASDA and thus the ability to shape their own future. Overall, ASDA Annual Session was an absolutely amazing event that changed my outlook on my future career and gave me ideas to improve our local ASDA chapter in Houston. Thank you igniteDDS & Dr. Rice for making my attendance possible! May 2016
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NATIONAL Lobby Day
T
his past April, I was fortunate enough to attend National Dental Student Lobby Day in Washington, D.C. Along with hundreds of other dental school students from all across the United States, we advocated for the passage of three bills—the return of subsidized loans for students in professional school, the option to refinance loans, and access to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) funds for use in projects like Missions of Mercy. Lobby Day took place over the course of two days. On the first day, all of the dental students were put in a huge conference room where we were presented with the three different bills that were to be lobbied for. We were taught how to speak to staffers, or the employees of the congressmen and women, and trained on what to say (mentioning the big ideas, pointing out specific things that would appeal to each party, the importance of
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using a personal anecdote, etc.). On the second day, we took our training to the fields and lobbied with the staffers of almost every single state. A total of 16 people from UTSD and 2 from TAMBCD represented Texas in D.C., speaking with almost 40 members of congress.
Now, I am going to stop right there, because I can tell you are already getting bored. Who cares about politics anyway, right? It is one of those of things that you should never talk about at a dinner table, and it is a topic so polarizing that it can divide families and even countries. Not to mention, on the grand scheme of things, these big laws do not really affect the little people, and if they do, it will take years before anything actually changes. Someone else out there that cares more about these issues—most of which are irrelevant to the small civilians anyway—will take care of it. Trust can be placed in oth-
ers to vote for what is right, which makes it okay to sit back and not lift a finger. These are things I do and tell myself when I am faced with politics. However, they are really just big excuses to not care, and I learned in D.C. that politics is, first and foremost, about being passionate for change. I initially signed up to go to Capitol Hill, because I knew I would miss school, get to sightsee, and grub on some amazing food. I did all of these things, do not get me wrong, but I also learned the importance of advocating and caring about my profession. On the first day before we were dismissed to our teams to work on what we would say, some political experts opened up the floor to questions about the policies. To my surprise, a bunch of dental students lined up at each of the three microphones and flooded them with their concerns and comments. They asked questions I would probably
Business FinancialASDA Leadership UTSD&Houston
have never thought to ask in my lifetime, and I knew then that it was because they truly cared about the dental profession. They had already thought much deeper and further into their future than me— something I had completely forgotten to care about, as I was painfully studying for human biology or head and neck and just trying to make it through the semester. I eagerly listened to what everyone had to say and was humbled. I could feel myself starting to become more passion-
ate about the profession. While this passion for dental legislation and politics is just a flicker, I predict it will grow even more as I progress through my career. It is easy to not care about politics, but the challenge here—and even in life—is the actual passion part. Going to Lobby Day was a unique experience that I was glad I took advantage of. I care more about dentistry than ever before. Never had I felt more in control of my future than when I was on the Hill, and
I believe every dental student should make an effort to go and fight for their future. No matter where you stand—republican or democrat, conservative or liberal, team Britney or team Christina—consider standing with your fellow dental students in making an impact on your profession. Take the challenge of caring so that you can make a difference and so that your practice, your colleagues, and the dental profession can continue to prosper. Summary by: Christine Nguyen
UTSD HOUSTON ASDA SENT 16 STUDENTS TO LOBBY May 2016
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new co-sponsors new co-sponsors new co-sponsors
Action for Dental Student Loan POST GRAD Act Refinancing Act Health Act 34
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LO BB YD AY SU CC ESS
UTSD Houston ASDA
H.R. 539
A bill to amend part B of title III of the Public Health Service Act to improve essential oral health care for lower income individuals by breaking down barA bill to amend riers to care, and for the Higher Eduother purposes. cation Act of 1965 to reinstate the authority of the Secretary of Education to make A bill to authoFederal Direct rize borrowers of Stafford Loans loans under the to graduate and William D. Ford professional stuFederal Direct dents. Loan Program to modify the interest rate of such loans to be equal to the interYOU can take est rate for such action by writing loans at the time your lawmarers! of modification.
H.R. 4223
H.R. 649
http://cqrcengage.com/ asda/home
May 2016
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Managing
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EMOTIONAL WELLNESS IN DENTAL SCHOOL As the fall season kicks off, you may find yourself feeling a variety of emotions. Perhaps you’re a little sad that summer is coming to an end, excited to see classmates who have returned back for school, or confused already about an assignment or subject in a certain class. Feeling any and all of these things is totally normal! In fact, being able to identify and articulate your feelings is just one important aspect of emotional wellness. It’s important to highlight emotional wellness as its own entity because it deserves as much attention as physical, intellectual or any other aspect of wellness. Emotional wellness is the ability to characterize your thoughts, feelings and reactions to various situations and stressors, as well as the ability to respond appropriately and make changes when necessary. This is especially important for students who—between studying, classes, extracurriculars and home life—have a 36
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lot on their plates and may occasionally need help identifying why they are feeling overwhelmed, anxious or depressed, and how to cope with the stressors in a healthy way. In undergrad, I learned a trick for dealing with stressful situations that can be helpful to anyone feeling like they have too much going on and just don’t know where to begin. Start with a paper and pen. Make a 2×2 chart, where the columns are for situations you can control or those you can’t, and the rows are situations that are important or unimportant. The picture below will make this clearer.
Next, start to categorize whatever is causing you stress based on whether it is important or unimportant and within your control or out of your control. Different situations will weigh in as more important or less important from person to person, so this exercise is great as it lets you decide which stressors are more pressing. Looking at the examples provided, let’s start with the one that is unimportant and out of your control (in green). Hopefully you get your refund for the cancelled concert, but other than finding other plans, you really don’t have too much of a problem to solve. That’sx the plus side to a problem that is unimportant and out of your control – you can immediately cross it off of the list of things to worry about since you can’t do anything about it and it probably won’t matter in the long run. The problem in yellow is a little tricky because it is important to fulfill clinical requirements, however you can’t force a patient
to show up to his appointment. Instead of worrying about the no-show, work on the problems you can control or find a creative solution, such as asking a classmate if they have any perio cases to spare. Maybe you could even help your classmate out in exchange!
overwhelming and difficult to decide where to start when it comes to solving the problems or realizing that they aren’t worth stressing over. This exercise helps you at least find a starting point by visually showing you which problems are more important and manageable.
Now let’s look at the problem in orange: the dirty roommate scenario. As far as stressors go, this is relatively unimportant (although depending on the severity of the problem and personal preference, this could go in the important column). Luckily, it is within your control, and you can face the problem head-on by discussing your problem with your roommate. That leaves the last problem in red, which is important and within your control. Try to budget your time in the weeks leading up to the three exams in a way that will allow you to attend the shower. If, looking over the material, you really don’t think you can afford taking a few hours that day to celebrate, apologize and explain the situation to your sister. Hopefully she will understand and you can make it up to her when your schedule is not so crazy. When we have many stressful situations going on at one time, it can be
While this may only be one way to address your emotional wellness when starting off the academic year, the most important thing to remember is to check in and identify your emotions and what may be causing them from time to time. Acknowledgement of what’s going on in your head and in your heart is a great first step to a healthier you, and it likely will promote additional healthy behaviors throughout the course of the year. Good luck, keep a positive frame of mind, and you got this! For more life hacks to help jumpstart your school year, check out ASDA’s past Life Hacks Week posts. If you have hacks that you’d like to share with your peers, leave comments in the section below! ~Dana Weikel, Maryland ’18 Reprinted from “Mouthing Off” blog of American Student Dental Association, Sept. 2, 2015
National ASDA’s Wellness Initiative encourages you to make well being a priority with a focus on 5 demensions of your life
#BEWELLASDA
UTSD Houston ASDA
Emotional Physical Intellectual Occupational Environmental Each month, ASDA issues a Wellness Challenge that asks you to change your behavior in a way that will positively affect your wellness. For more information and resources visit: http://www. asdanet.org/wellness/
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SPECIAL CHEF
HEALTHY AVOCADO
CHICKEN Recipe Submitted By: Christine Nguyen
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UTSD Houston ASDA
M
* LY
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P CI
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UM Y . BY
EVERYBODY’S
FAVORITE I
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f I had a dollar for every time I have made chicken salad, I would be filthy, stinking rich. But I would only have ONE for every time that I actually loved how it turned out and how it tasted! I got this recipe from a website called Yummly*. The recipe makes 5 servings, which is
Notes/Tips:
great if you want to meal-prep for school. It’s also easy to make and, therefore, easy to double if you need to make more roommates, family, significant others, etc.! Without further ado, here are the ingredients and directions:
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• • • •
For the chicken, I buy a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store and tear off the chicken from the bone. It saves me the time to cook chicken, is about 2 cups worth, and tastes better than any sort of chicken I could ever make. HEB* has a naturally seasoned one with no antibiotics added, no artificial ingredients, and no preservatives. Cut the avocado in the skin before adding it to the bowl! In my opinion, Greek yogurt as a replacement for sour cream in most things tastes just as good and is better for you. You can also buy cilantro pre-chopped. It’s more expensive than just buying it fresh, but saves you the time of chopping it. These named companies have not paid me to advertise their brand. You are welcome to use any other website or grocery store for these ingredients.
INGREDIENTS
&
DIRECTIONS
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here is the link: http://www.yummly.com/recipe/ Healthy-Avocado-Chicken-Salad-1240806
2 cups shredded chicken 1 avocado ½ teaspoon garlic powder ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon pepper 2 teaspoons of lime juice 1 teaspoon fresh cilantro, chopped ¼ cup of mayo ¼ cup plain Greek Yogurt
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 20-30 minutes to let the flavors blend together.
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Brushing Upon Fitness
Transitioning into dental school presents a number of unique challenges, and maintaining physical fitness and wellbeing is no exception. In the midst of adjusting to a new sleep schedule, countless examinations, and clinically acceptable hand skills, finding a consistent workout regimen may float to the bottom of the to-do list. Exercising in dental school also presents the additional obstacle of how we maintain our fitness. Many dental students grew up playing all sorts of contact sports and are familiar with the bruises, sprains, and jammed fingers that accompany them. In our more youthful days, the consequences of these injuries were relatively mild- we might sit out the next few games, ice the wrist for a couple of days, or perhaps hobble around on crutches for a month. In dental school, however, missing a few days or weeks of lab or clinic can be catastrophic in regards to staying on top of requirements. In a worst case scenario, a bad injury could permanently jeopardize our ability to do dentistry. Does committing to the dental profession insinuate a lifetime of yawn-worthy elliptical workouts? Former Texas Dentist of the Year and fellow Rice Owl, Dr. Ralph Cooley, reassures us that this
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in Dental School
is not the case. I had the opportunity to visit with him, and in the process, gain countless knowledge regarding the fundamentals of taking a smart approach to fitness as a dental professional. Dr. Cooley’s path to dentistry could be described as all but fate. While studying at Rice, he was originally interested in pursuing a career in veterinary medicine. During a time of reflection at church, however, he felt called to explore the dental profession. It was obviously a perfect fit, and the rest, as they say, is history. When he’s not teaching students in Operative I or staying abreast of things in Green Practice, Dr. Cooley performs a plethora of activities to stay fit. “I mainly played basketball in high school, but at Rice I played baseball... I love all kinds of sports”, he comments. For the most part, nothing changed when he started dental school. When asked if he avoided any sports or activities because of the risk of injury to his eyes or hands, he quickly shook his head. He notes that his peers didn’t hold back either. “It’s mainly about using common sense. There is no need to give up anything; just
Written By Raven Grant ‘19
recognize that it isn’t the World Series. There’s no need to go sliding into bases hands first or diving into the ground for a ball. Play as hard as you wish, but don’t put your career at risk.” While Dr. Cooley is still recognized as one of UTSD’s biggest baseball fans, he now chooses different forms of exercise to to stay healthy. “I love spinning. I am also a fan of body pump (a fast paced class combining cardio and strength training)”. Dr. Cooley continues to push his physical limits by participating in challenges and races like the MS 150, a 150 mile bike ride from Houston to Austin to raise funds and awareness for Multiple Sclerosis.
Ralph Cooley, DDS
With upperclassmen effortlessly clocking well over 10,000 steps in clinic and first years constantly tensing their upper bodies in simulation lab as they refine their operative skills, I thought, why should we make time for fitness in dental school? Isn’t dental school a workout in itself? According to Dr. Cooley, our lifestyles as dental professionals are precisely the reason we need to prioritize physical fitness. Approximately 30% of dentists who retire early do so because of a musculoskeletal disorder, and a whopping 70% of dental students suffer from musculoskeletal pain by their third year in dental school (1). These startling statistics can be partially attributed to less than stellar ergonomics. Most professionals will agree that ideal posture and positioning in the operatory isn’t always attainable, but many dental students also tend to be too lenient when it comes to ergonomic standards. As we know, slouching, awkward neck angles, and holding instruments incorrectly can have catastrophic consequences with time. Another explanation for this trend in musculoskeletal pain across the dental profession is a lack of knowledge regarding the specific exercises dentists should be doing. Because we are constantly working the same muscle groups, it is crucial for us to stretch those overused muscles as well as engage the muscles we tend to neglect. “Over 50% of our muscles are contracted when we are practicing dentistry,” notes Dr. Cooley. With some of our muscles growing disproportionately larger due to more use, it is important to work the opposing muscles to avoid discomfort and chronic injury.
UTSD Houston ASDA
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CARDIO
We’ve all heard it a million times, but there is real gravitas in the results of consistent cardio routines. “Shoot for at least four sessions of cardio activity per week, each lasting for at least 30 minutes”, says Dr. Cooley. This needn’t imply a boring thirty minutes on a treadmill, however. Spinning, rowing, tennis, even a brisk walk around the medical center will do. “The goal is to maintain an elevated heart rate. It does wonders in terms of longevity and increased blood flow to the muscles and the brain”. Any dental student will attest to the necessity of that brain boost.
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STRENGTH TRAINING
We’ve all heard it a million times, but there is real gravitas in the results of consistent cardio routines. “Shoot for at least four sessions of cardio activity per week, each lasting for at least 30 minutes”, says Dr. Cooley. This needn’t imply a boring thirty minutes on a treadmill, however. Spinning, rowing, tennis, even a brisk walk around the medical center will do. “The goal is to maintain an elevated heart rate. It does wonders in terms of longevity and increased blood flow to the muscles and the brain”. Any dental student will attest to the necessity of that brain boost.
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STRETCH
Perhaps the most overlooked principle in this trifecta is stretching. We have learned a few stretches to implement in the clinical setting, but we often rush through stretches during our exercise time. “Ideally, you should be stretching before and after a workout. Always after, but a warm up isn’t a bad idea.” Because the muscles of the head and neck are already contracting in most cases, these muscle groups can undergo a cold stretch, although this should be avoided whenever possible. As previously mentioned, stretching the muscles should take time. Contrary to popular opinion of 10 seconds, and ideal stretch is held for 20-30 seconds. Upon being asked if there is anything he would have done differently if he could go back to his time in dental school, Dr. Cooley gave a definitive answer. “Had I known about these stretches, I would have done them.”
students at the UT Health Recreation Center for intramural sports, classes, or perhaps a simple pickup game on the basketball court. Better yet, grab a few members of the UTSD family and start training for the next Dental Olympics, which will be held here Knowledge of muscular anatomy, a on our territory. disciplined approach to an exercise schedule, and reasonable goals can Interested in learning more about make all the difference in a dental fitness in dental school? Curious career and daily life. Find a physical about specific exercises and muscle activity that you love, get your heart isolations? Be on the lookout for the Dr. Cooley emphasizes three core rate up, cross train, and don’t forget brand new Dental Fitness elective pillars for a safe, efficient, fitness to stretch it out. Not sure where taught by our very own Dr. Cooley regime. to start? Join a number of dental this fall! Dr. Cooley’s advice to dental students who seek longevity and physical health in their dental careers is simple. “Have a plan,” he says. “It makes all the difference.”
References: (1) Cooley, Ralph, DDS. “Introduction to Ergonomics.” 2016. Lecture.
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UTSD HOUSTON
University of Texas School of Dentistry at Houston 7500 Cambridge Street Houston, TX 77054 www.houstonasda.com
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