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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
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UTSD Houston ASDA
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
Advocacy
4 Why is Advocacy Important?
Leadership
6 Mentor Game
Pre-Dental
8 UTSD ASDA Lab Mixer
Service
10 Serving the Community
Wellness
12 What is wellness? 14 Incisal Bites
Dental & MORE 16 18 20 22 25 26 30
ASDA Fever Award Winners To-Do List Exploring Academia as a Dental Student Adults with Special Health Care Needs Tooth Cupcakes The Hardest Year of Dental School Printouts
CONNECT WITH US @UtsdASDA @utsdhoustonasda UtsdHoustonASDA houstonASDA HoustonASDA UTSD @UTSDASDA
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W hy is
Advocacy
By: Simon “Huck” Mean
H
ow did 60 mph get chosen to be the speed limit on the highway? Six out of the ten people sitting at a table chose to make it so, it wasn’t based on scientific evidence or something. That’s a hypothetical example, but politics is about being at the table when a decision is being made. The chance to let our Texas representatives know what’s on our mind as dental students is coming up on February 22, 2017, the official date of the TDA (Texas Dental Association) Legislative Day. The first
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time I went was as a first year and I took advantage of the opportunity as it comes around only every two years. The Greater Houston Dental Society sponsored a large coach bus, and we rode as a group of more than thirty students from UTSD to Austin. There we had a breakfast and listened to prominent speakers within organized dentistry and learned about what issues to bring up with the congressmen. Not only is this a fun (and free) trip with your friends, but it helps make a real difference because our
important?
representatives come from a wide array of professions, from farmers to accountants, who don’t really know much about dentistry. Many of our representatives don’t even know that dental school is a four-year endeavor. If they don’t understand the costs and the commitment behind dental school, why would they, for example, support funding dental students to work in rural areas in exchange for loan forgiveness? Even though the bill for this loan forgiveness has already passed, they could allocate that money for
UTSD Houston ASDA
BY: Simon “Huck” Suh-Mean
other programs. If we aren’t there to let the congressmen know that we are interested in loan forgiveness, then other groups may convince them to institute a new type of provider that can do irreversible procedures, such as extracting teeth or placing fillings, like a dental therapist. This is exactly what had happened two years ago when the mid-level provider bill was introduced in Texas. Changes are constantly being made that affect how you will be able to practice dentistry upon graduation. For example, if you want
to prescribe anti-anxiety medication to help make appointments easier for nervous patients (which is a great practice builder), it is currently being proposed that the education requirements should be increased from 24 to 60 CE hours, which could be an estimated extra cost of $30,000 to $50,000 to you, and ultimately raise costs for patients. Another recent change to the practice of dentistry in Texas involves sleep apnea. The TSBDE (Texas State Board of Dental Examiners) revised their rules and regulations to now
only allow a dentist to create an oral appliance to help patients with sleep apnea if a sleep doctor has prescribed one. I’m not saying these changes are necessarily good or bad because some changes may protect patients more, while others will just make it more difficult for patients to get the treatment they need. The point is that having your voice included will allow for better policy to be made. If you aren’t at the table, then you’re probably on the menu.
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By: Chris Thorburn In the immortal words of Bill Withers, “We all need somebody to lean on” (hopefully that song is stuck in your head while reading this now). Everyone of us has been there: being a pre-dental is tough, being a dental student is tough, and being a dentist is tough. For many of us our egos and pride can get in the way of admitting when we need just a little help or advice. With that in mind, I’m here to say don’t be that guy or gal. Dentistry is arguably the top profession in America and that isn’t by mistake. The industry was built, fostered, and developed by amazing men and women who are more than willing to help if simply asked.
Life lesson #1) Actively seek out
potential mentors by finding people who you think have the success level you’d like to achieve. Shadowing is a great way to open the door for a mentorship as a student while joining networking groups, breakfast clubs, and business organizations are more suited towards a new dentist.
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Life lesson #2) Success is not only
about finances and business. Being a great parent, spouse, and leader are likely roles all of us will step into during our time as dentists. Don’t just seek out other dentists as mentors but also look to family, business owners, or people you meet in passing.
Life lesson #3) You need more than one mentor. We all know the saying “nobody is perfect” and it’s true. Don’t put all of your eggs into one basket when it comes to a mentor. Learn from different people who have different experiences from different walks of life. The key is to find people who are experienced and have a vested interest in seeing you succeed (more on that next).
Life lesson #4) Give back in anyway you can. One of my partners constantly tells me, “What you give away comes back 10 fold.” As a dental student or new dentist what you lack in experience and credibility you can make up for in time and effort. Join ASDA or one of the community outreach groups at school. Work at
Leadership
free clinics when available. In Texas we have TMOM which is not only a great opportunity for dental and predental students to get experience, it’s also a great opportunity to meet a mentor. The dentists giving back their time and expertise at free clinics are the type of people who are a) outgoing b) successful enough to budget time to charity and c) the type of people who are likely to bring you under their wing if asked.
Life lesson #5) Be a mentor. If you’ve made it into dental school congrats, there’s a legion of pre-dents out there seeking advice and help on getting into dental school. Who is more qualified to help someone get into dental school than a current dental student? When I was a student I had multiple pre-dents come shadow me. It was a great opportunity for them to see normal daily life for a dental student and network with the faculty. Life lesson #6)
Mentors come and go. Maybe one of you moves, maybe circumstances change, and maybe you simply become friends instead of mentor/mentee. Either way keep a line open to the past and future potential mentors in your life. Our successes in life come with all of the help and hope of the people who were with us along the way. Keep
that in mind as you find your life and career growing. At one point you were simply a kid working hard and preparing to apply for dental school. Soon people will call you “doctor” and give you implicit trust because they know the hard work that went into earning that title. But the hard work and growth doesn’t end after school, it is only beginning. So, final thoughts. When I have presented on this topic to pre-dents and dental students I’m often asked about breaking the ice and opening the door to a potential mentor. After all, none of us wants to be a pest right? In the business world many new relationships that won’t necessarily bring a financial opportunity are started over coffee or breakfast. These are networking opportunities with fixed time limit that don’t take place during business hours. Same goes for finding a mentor. Once a relationship is started - via shadowing or a charity clinic, etc. - just reach out and invite the person to breakfast, coffee, or lunch. Make sure you get some time away from the office when patients and work-related issues won’t pop up. I promise that with a little effort you’ll meet incredibly interesting and successful people who are more than willing to help you grow beyond your wildest dreams.
CRUSH Challenge: Break the ice. Force yourself to reach out to someone you know and respect and invite them out to breakfast in the next week. Start fostering those relationships to develop a mentorship. If all else fails, you can email Jason Watts.
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UTSD ASDA
Lab Mixer
By: Natalia Salazar
The ASDA Lab Mixer at UTSD this morning was so wonderful and eyeopening. I woke up bright and early for this event, not knowing just how much I’d enjoy it and be even more inspired to become a dentist.
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Pre-Dental
We were welcomed by very excited UTSD students, encouraging us to grab some breakfast and meet new people. There were around thirty students there, all undergraduates from a wide array of universities, like Rice University, University of St. Thomas, University of Houston, and many more. We participated in a few interesting lab skills—like waxing, taking impressions, and pouring stone models—which were my favorite parts of the event. We later watched a few presentations about ASDA and dental politics, as well as had a question & answer session with a panel of around ten dental students from many different backgrounds. After eating a light breakfast, we went straight into waxing, which I had never done before. It was an interesting procedure in which we were given small plastic tooth models, a various array of equipment, wax, and a Bunsen burner. After telling us that this was the first task they had to do on their first day of dental school, the UTSD students showed us a short demonstrational video and encouraged us to begin waxing. It was quite challenging at first, but the dental students were very helpful and taught us many shortcuts to get the waxing done accurately and efficiently. We then took impressions on typodonts and poured stone models, which was a challenging but interesting experience. During the ASDA presentation, we learned about the many opportunities offered by the organization. It was very interesting how the ADA, with which the ASDA is directly associated, has membership of over 70% of dentists in
the U.S., meaning that it is reputable and speaks for a large number of professionals. The convenience and support provided by this organization includes many political factors as well, such as justification against certain insurance policies in order to best benefit the well-being of the patient and dentist, rather than to satisfy a quota set by corporate dental offices. During the Q&A session, UTSD students gave us personal advice about the admissions process, the different years of dental school, and other experiences as dental students. This was a very casual panel, where we learned about the social atmosphere of dental school, the academic rigor and lab tasks required, as well as the interview process and the different backgrounds with which students came into dental school—such as having come directly after graduating from college, taking gap years, or after having gone to graduate school. Their passion for dentistry and for helping us reach our goals was clearly expressed and greatly appreciated. This was a wonderful environment to meet so many people with a passion for dentistry, which can be rare at colleges since it is a relatively small field. I had so much fun getting to learn these skills and meeting other students from different backgrounds, as well as hearing personal advice from enthusiastic and relatable dental students.
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By: Ryan Rodriguez
HOUSE The American Student Dental Association (ASDA) chapter at Houston strives to build mutually beneficial relationships between student dentists and their local community. Most recently, students 10
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had the opportunity to provide oral hygiene instruction and oral exams to participants of a local health fair at the Chinese Community Center. The Chinese Community Center empowers Houston’s senior
population with access to employment, social and health care services. Many seniors have limited access to dental care, and therefore have not received cleanings or instruction on how to properly care for their oral health.
Service
Students of UTSD at Houston served over 130 adults and children with proper oral health instruction, while donating toothbrush and toothpaste samples. If patients had a particular concern, students offered oral exams under the supervision of UTSD faculty members, Dr. Gary Frey and Dr. Debra Stewart. Fortytwo patients were given oral exams and directed toward a clinic that best
suited their particular dental and financial situation. UTSD dental student, Raven Grant, found that “spending time with patients has always been the most rewarding reminder of why [she] decided to join this profession.� ASDA continues to seek opportunities to build bridges with the local community and promote oral health in a personal and practical way. December 2016
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What is
?
By: Adriene Rhodes What does it mean to be well? Is it a certain body fat percentage? A balanced diet? Absence of systemic disease? While many of us associate wellness with being healthy, it can become vague when we try to pinpoint areas of our life where we are or are not well. The National Wellness Institute defines wellness as an active process through which people become aware of, and make choices toward, a more successful existence. It requires an active choice, every day, to focus on living the best way our bodies can. To help us achieve this, a Six Dimension model has been proposed: occupational, emotional, spiritual, intellectual, physical, and social. 12
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Occupational:
It is important that our jobs are fulfilling. Focus should be less on financial gain and more on our personal values and beliefs. Luckily, we have chosen very rewarding careers! Now it is our job to remind ourselves of why we chose dentistry and to never let financial gain guide the way we treat our patients.
Emotional:
To be emotionally well means to accept your feelings. Negative ideas and feelings will arise in our life, but having the attitude of an optimist throughout life’s challenges is important in maintaining our health in the emotional realm.
Spiritual:
Humans desire a purpose for their life. Being spiritually well means to consider our own meaning of life while being open to others’ beliefs. Our lives should be in line with our own values and beliefs.
Wellness
Intellectual:
Intellectual wellness is all about challenging your mind. While in dental school, we are constantly being challenged intellectually. So how should we look at this facet of wellness? By reminding yourself not to get in a rut. Studying dentistry first semester of school was a new, fun challenge. Studying dentistry during your third year can feel monotonous. Don’t forget to take opportunities to learn about things completely unrelated to school. Go to an art museum. Learn a new skill. Read about other topics. Never let dental school completely consume your thoughts or your life. Wellness is about balance.
Physical:
This is the one most people think of when they hear the word wellness. Physical activity and nutrition are important in keeping the body in its optimum state. Remember, some activity is better than no activity. Merely taking an opportunity to stop studying and stretch on those long nights can do great things for the body.
Social:
Social wellness focuses on our place within the community. We find more joy out of life when we contribute to the good of the community than when we focus on ourselves. Focusing on your social wellness means to focus on how you affect the lives of others, and how others affect your life in turn. As we emphasize each of the six areas of wellness, we begin to realize how the six categories are interrelated. To be truly well, all six areas should be functioning in harmony. Will we ever master all six dimensions? No. Life is hard. We are not perfect. Part of being well is recognizing areas where we have messed up, forgiving ourselves, then trying to do December 2016
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TANGY & SOUR CHIKEN
CHICKEN ENCHILADAS
- 1 lb groud beef - pre-cooked potates - 1 tbs garlic salt - 1 tbs oregano - 1 tbs basil - 1 tbs chili powder - 2 bay leaves - mustard (to taste) - ketchup (to taste)
- chicken legs - cooking spray - butter - 1/2 cup soy sauce - green onions - pineapple chunks
- corn tortillas - shredded chicken - oil - cheese - green chili sauce
Instructions: Add all ingredients into a skillet and sautee until meat is fully cooked.
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Instructions: Coat pan with cooking spray and season chiken to your liking. Place chicken legs in pan and top with butter, soy sauce, green onions, and pineapple chunks with juice. Close off pan using saran wrap and foil. Referigerate over night. Place in oven at 375 for 2 hours.
Instructions: Preheat oven to 350. Drizzle oil on bottom of dish. Roll chicken into tortillas and place in dish, and top with oil, green chili sauce and then cheese. Cook for about 15 minutes
For more recipes...
HEARTY MEAT AND POTATOES
SUSCRIBE
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UTSD Houston ASDA
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ASDA FEVER AWARD WINNERS
Traveling to Chicago to meet 600 individuals, from all different walks of life, with a uniting passion for dentistry is most definitely one of the coolest things I’ve ever gotten to experience. There is just something about being surrounded by people who are motivated by the same things you are that is unexplainable. Attending NLC and experiencing ASDA fever firsthand was like a refresher for the inevitable third year “lull”.
ALLIE LONG
Our days were packed with many speakers and breakout sessions that focused on anything from managing debt after dental school to how to deal with the daily stresses we encounter in our profession. Each session was uniquely tailored to different aspects of our lives as dental students: personal wellness, career planning, maintaining relationships while in dental school, etc. I personally really enjoyed the few sessions that I went to that were more Q&A with a panel of recent graduates. We were able to discuss everything from worrying about student debt to taking time off for pregnancies. It is always comforting to speak with someone who has been through where you are and made it to the other side! The rest of our time was spent networking with other dental students and young dentists who have a passion for organized dentistry. I was able to meet students from many different chapters of ASDA across the U.S. While it was exciting to meet new students from all over the country, I was also able to form stronger friendships and spend time with some classmates from my school. Our busy schedule doesn’t always allow for lots of free time, so it was nice to be able to get to know some of the students from UTSD that I may not have if it wasn’t for this trip. Without winning this award, I would never have had the opportunity to attend the conference. I am so grateful for ASDA giving me the ability to learn so much from other students and travel to Chicago. I encourage each and every student at UTSD to become and stay active in ASDA and take advantage of all of the resources we are given as student members. ASDA fever is no joke! 16 Issue 14
UTSD Houston ASDA
When Tanya Sue (aka ASDA Madam Prez and District 9 Trustee) called me over the summer to congratulate me on winning the ASDA Fever Award for the Spring 2015 semester, I’ll be honest… I had totally forgotten that the award even existed. The award is given to the most involved ASDA member each semester and the winner gets the opportunity to go to ASDA National Leadership Conference (NLC) or Annual Session fully funded. Incidentally, I got the award because I was an overeager first year with a severe case of FOMO; I just didn’t want to miss out on anything.
ALEXANDRA McCALLUM
Travelling to Chicago and attending NLC was an unforgettable experience. Our days were filled with motivational speakers, educational seminars, and personal wellness sessions, while our nights were spent socializing with other dental students at happy hours (and even a cruise one night!). I networked and made connections with students and dentists from all over the country. Beyond meeting and getting to know students from other schools, I was also able to form stronger friendships with those from my own school. It was comforting to spend time with over 600 people going through the same grueling process of dental school because whether stranger or friend, it reminded me that I’m not alone. It’s hard to grasp the extent of national ASDA when you’re just sitting at a lunch and learn in 4310, but attending NLC made me feel like I was a part of something bigger, a greater community. Winning the ASDA Fever award was, as cliché as it may sound, an honor and a privilege. Without it and the funding it provided, I may have never had the opportunity to go to NLC, to travel, to learn, to build new relationships and to grow old ones. I may have won the award accidentally, but I’ve come back with more passion for ASDA than ever before and can’t wait until the next NLC or Annual Session I can attend. Having experienced NLC firsthand, I’m keeping that ASDA fever running high. I encourage everyone to actively participate in ASDA events, because (1) you get free food (and free advice) at L&Ls, (2) the social events are fun, (3) community service events are fun AND you get to help people (which is why we’re all here, right?!), and (4) next year, this could be you writing about your incredible experience at ASDA NLC or Annual Session! ASDA Fever is real, y’all.
HOW
CAN I WIN? 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. For the member that holds the most points in the Spring semester will be sponsored to attend National Leadership Conference in the following Fall semester.
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TO-DO LIST
TIPS & ADVICE FROM A SECOND YEAR By: Christine K. Nguyen
W
hile I wish I had some cold, hard advice that would guarantee success in dental school, I do not and probably never will. I am still trying to figure out a lot of things myself—for example, how to wake up more than half an hour before class and get the day started, how to stay focused in class and not look up dog videos, and, most importantly, how to tell my hands to STOP HAVING A MIND OF THEIR OWN WHEN I DRILL AND JUST LISTEN TO MY BRAIN FOR ONCE!! But I digress. (Disclaimer: my hand skills are not terrible—you can trust me). As I look to my fellow D2 colleagues and see them working SO hard through
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needed more to add on to your daily to-do list, right? These items require little time and effort and are more for your sanity than they are for academics:
1
Do not compare yourself to others! You are ALL so brilliant and so smart. If you were not capable of doing the present work that you are doing, the school and admissions committee would not have accepted you into the program. Believe in yourself as your own entity, separate from everyone else and not as someone to be compared. Not to mention, you probably would not want anyone less competitive, less intelligent, or any less passionate about the profession than your
this challenging year, I feel compelled to write this “advice letter” almost as a reminder to my classmates, myself, and anyone who is struggling to balance everything going on in their life. Do not get me wrong—I have learned a ton in my short time here at UTSD. My hand skills have improved dramatically in the past year, and I can talk to my friends and family about the importance of diet in oral care and what the difference is between caries and a cavity. But while I am cramming all this information into my head, I often find it useful to interject a few pieces of encouragement every now and then to get me through the journey, and I want to share them with you. I know, I know—as if you
UTSD Houston ASDA
classmates to take care of you and your loved ones. You will all be dentists, and I think I can speak on behalf of almost everyone that you want only the best for yourself and your loved ones. So yes, everyone around you is great, but so are you. Focus on being the best that YOU can be.
2
Do not give up! We all have our fair share of bad tests, bad days, bad weeks, and maybe even bad months! However, you are not alone and “having one of those days” does not determine the rest of your life (or day, for that matter). There are at least 99 other people going through the exact same thing as you, and they are all your friends and family. Not to mention, there are dozens of professors at UTSD who are willing to help you succeed. Failing may not be a familiar concept to you, but I whole-heartedly urge you to fail and fail again. Mistakes are not mistakes if you learn something from it, so do not give up if you hit a wall. It just might take a little longer to climb over, but you will be stronger and gain so much
more from failing and trying again than failing and giving up.
3
Do stuff that makes you happy! Whether that be hanging out with friends, getting tapioca, eating SO MUCH GOOD FOOD THAT HOUSTON HAS TO OFFER—whatever! You need to find your happiness outside of school and stick to it. This is absolutely pertinent to your sanity and, actually, the rest of your life. This is not to say your happiness is mutually exclusive from dental school as you can be happy here as well. I am and that is no lie! I am thankful for my friends and the faculty here, but I also love living my own life away from teeth. It is important to have a good surrounding, but you do not by any means have to have only one surrounding.
4
Be humble and thankful! I know you are all hard working. You would not be so miserable from lack of sleep if you did not work as hard as you did! However, remembering why you are here, what you did to
get to dental school, and the reasons you pursue dentistry are all important in making it out of this fouryear institution. So while you are sleep-deprived, exhausted, eating that fifth bag of ramen because you did not have time to cook this week, remember to be thankful for where you are and by whom you are surrounded. I will be the first to admit that I am not perfect. I am human, after all. Dental school is very much a challenge and can be, at times, discouraging (thankyou, no-thank-you to wax lab exposing this lack of talent in my skill set). However, dental school is also so multi-faceted and there are so many aspects to it that one little test or one little practical is not the end-all, be-all. I do not have a 100 average, but I am also no quitter. Neither are you. So use discouragement as a motivation factor, and use the challenge as an opportunity to grow. These next four years will be trying, but it is something you have to do to get to where you want to be.
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EXPLORING ACADEMIA as a dental student By: Travis Bauer
W
hen I began dental school, I always felt that my professors were pressuring me to think about how I planned to further dentistry. Thus, I was particularly reflective at the beginning of dental school, and I found myself thinking (perhaps too often) about my role in this field. Some students get involved with public health, while others wanted to get involved in politics. But that stuff wasn’t UTSD HOUSTON for me. I asked
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Then exams began and I postponed my reflective thoughts for later. It wasn’t until one my classmates approached me and several weeks of tutoring her that I realized I had a passion for something important.
We decided to work one-on-one through the next exam in the hopes of improving her grade. I was to be a tutor and she was to be my pupil. While I was familiar with the content, I wasn’t yet confident in my teaching abilities; my help was a sort of “Hail Mary” for her grade.
“I am really struggling in this Biomed course,” she sighed. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to pass.”
Over the coming weeks, I found myself enjoying the time I spent teaching. I enjoyed breaking down
myself: “how can I make an impact in dentistry?”
UTSD Houston ASDA
complex concepts and explaining them in simple, clinically relevant terms. Each day after class, we met with a few other students. I gave a small review. I asked questions and expected answers. I worked through the difficult content. After the exam, my classmate told me she made high marks, which proved her mastery and understanding of the material. I slowly came to realize that I wasn’t half bad at teaching. “I don’t know how I can repay you.” At the time I remember nodding and telling her, “it was no big deal.” And yet inside I grinned from cheek to cheek. I knew that teaching was a calling for me. I recently joined ADEA’s Academic Dental Career Fellowship Program (ADCFP), which is for students who are interested in academia. I have two faculty mentors – Drs. Jeter and Busaidy – both of whom I approach with any questions about their careers in teaching. Together,
we are helping me explore the world of academia, and this has given me the opportunity to think more seriously about my long-term goals. I have given a lecture, shadowed and interviewed faculty members, and I’ve even designed an educational research project. In short, joining the ADCFP has shown me more and more about this career path. By now whoever is reading this is probably bored. So I’ll summarize everything with a wise suggestion: my advice is for all students to think about how they plan on furthering dentistry. For me, I think academia is that passion. I love learning. I love teaching. Most of all, I love the idea of making a lasting impact on dentistry through education.
About the Author
He will say that his most fun fact is that he is from TRAVIS County, AUSTIN, Texas but actually born in California. However, TRAVIS AUSTIN Bauer is one of the coolest, smartest, yet humblest students of the class of 2019. He is currently doing research on the relationship between Parkinson’s disease and oral health and is also working on an education research project to assess students’ preparedness for clinic. When he is not doing research, Travis is often found in the library tutoring his friends for their next upcoming test, and in what little free time he has left after that, he reads, runs, and swims. While all of this certainly impressive, Travis is, most importantly, finding his place in dentistry. The following article details his journey into the field as not just a bright-eyed and hopeful practitioner, but also a role player in academia. - Christine Nguyen
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ADULTS WITH SPECIAL HEALTH CARE NEEDS By: Lara Raney
Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs) are often referred to as “special needs” patients due to their unique dental treatment needs. Patients with intellectual disabilities may require behavior management during stressful dental treatments, and those with physical impairments require that the dentist be prepared to manage dental emergencies or modify their techniques to make the 22
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patient more comfortable. However, the term “special” ascribed to this patient population is appropriate not only due to their need for treatment adjustments. Despite the chronic medical ailments with which many IDD patients are afflicted, these patients display a unique resilience and are often the most gregarious and loving members of our society. For this reason and many others, we must do our
best as healthcare providers to provide them with quality and accessible care. Unfortunately, despite dentists’ best efforts to reach the most underserved members of society, adults with special needs have fallen through the cracks. In a retrospective study from dental records of 4,732 adults with IDDs, the prevalence of untreated caries in the study population was
UTSD Houston ASDA
32.2%, of periodontitis was 80.3% and of edentulism was 10.9%1. One reason for these unsettling statistics is the difficulty of finding a new dental provider upon reaching adulthood. Children with special needs are usually cared for by pediatric dentists, who are well-trained in behavior management. However, finding a general dentist able totreattheiradultperiodontal, restorative, and prosthetic needs while also managing the medical complexities and behavioral challenges of this population is difficult. Additionally, many national programs and scholarships encourage treatment of socioeconomically disadvantaged patients and racial minorities, but there are few opportunities or incentives for dentists to treat patients with special needs. General dentists are also wary of accepting these patients due to a lack of familiarity with treating this patient population. Moreover, treating patients with special needs is time consuming. Several appointments may be needed just to get the patient acclimated to the dental operatory and establish rapport with the provider before
beginning treatment. Medical complexity is another concern for dentists, as patients with special needs may be more susceptible to seizures, uncontrolled bleeding, or other medical emergencies. Issues of consent, especially involving legal guardianship, also present barriers to dental care. Although adults with special needs lack access to care, this trend may be reversed by adding more dental school courses and clinical experiences involving patients with special needs to help new dentists feel more comfortable treating this population. The University of Louisville School of Dentistry requires that all fourth-year dental students complete a clinical rotation at the Lee Specialty Clinic, a clinic which provides comprehensive medical and dental care for patients with special needs. Dental students and dentists should be encouraged to reach out to the community and hold dental screenings at events, such as Special Olympics, or to initiate screenings at local churches and schools. Even if the dentist or dental student is not prepared to treat the population, oral
hygiene instructions can be reinforced and the patient could be referred to a dentist for emergent needs. Furthermore, practicing dentists should ensure that their practices are wheelchair accessible and, if possible, provide discounted care to patients with special needs due to the great financial burden of medical expenses afflicting these patients and their families. Infact,programsencouraging UTSD dental students to treat patients with special needs are being implemented for the following semester. In the spring of 2017, UTSD will be hosting it’s first Day for Special Smiles event, which will provide free dental treatment for patients with special needs. All students and faculty are welcome to volunteer at this event so that we all can become more comfortable treating this population and improve the lives of patients that are deserving of quality care. References Morgan JP, Minihan PM, Stark PC, et al. The oral health status of 4,732 adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Journal of the American Dental Association (1939). 2012;143(8):838-846.
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UTSD Houston ASDA
DENTAL TREATS
Tooth
Cupcakes
MATERIALS • Pre-made vanilla cupcakes in pink cupcake liners • White frosting • White fondant • Powdered sugar • Rolling pin • Spatula • Sharp knife
DIRECTIONS
1. Bake cupcakes and allow to cool completely. 2. Crumble 2-3 cupcakes in a bowl and mix with a few tablespoons of frosting until the consistency is malleable. 3. Apply a thin coat of frosting to the tops of the cupcakes and start forming cusps out of the cake-frosting mixture using a spatula. 4. Refrigerate cupcakes at least 30 minutes 5. Roll out fondant to 1/4″ thickness (dust with powdered sugar to prevent sticking). 6. Cut out circles slightly larger than the diameter of the cupcakes and drape over cusps. 7. Use a sharp knife to trim the edges and tuck the edges in with your fingers. December 2016
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The Houston Fill
THE HARDEST YEAR of Dental School By: Raven-Deneice Grant
It’s 11:32 am, and the lingual cusp of your wax-up just fractured onto the intricate granite pattern of the preclinical lab. To be fair, what you had before didn’t resemble a maxillary premolar at all. Regardless, the tooth is due in less than twenty minutes. Is this a joke? Of course you didn’t have time to work on it all weekend because you were trying to cram practice board questions for Dental Anatomy in between memorizing orange complex bacteria for Oral Bio and attempting to master metabolism for seemingly the 20th time in your life. You look down at the pine-colored, literal hot mess that you’re undoubtedly going to submit without checking the proximal contact one last time. This doesn’t reflect the 10 lectures you Panopto-ed over the weekend. It doesn’t matter that you signed up for an extra learning issue in Clin Apps 26
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this week. You’re indescribably grateful to finally be in dental school, but what Tom Hanks depicted in Castaway was nothing compared to the 14-course semester you’re enduring. Without a doubt, first year must be the hardest year of dental school. It’s 8:37 pm, and you’re ready to lead a Dental Students Against Amalgam campaign. The fourth marginal ridge you’ve attempted to recreate on your Class II looks unloved at best, and you still need to practice at least one prep before the practical tomorrow. You refuse to think about the number of drugs you need to memorize for your next Pharmacology exam, or when you’ll finish the occlusal rims for your dentures. Famished and weary, you attempt to distract yourself with pleasant thoughts of ChickFil-A Lunch and Learns. But why does
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everyone keep talking about Boards? Those first years have no idea what they’re in for. It’s an all-nighter and a no-brainer; second year is the hardest year of dental school. Most dental students have experienced the moment. You know how it goes. You ask a fellow dental student in the year above you how life is going, and they give you an exhaustive list of reasons why [insert year] is the hardest of dental school. You, reflecting upon your dental woes which now seem much less relevant, nod quietly. 3 minutes later, a fellow student in the year below you comes with a list of grievances, and you, freshly inspired and infinitely wiser, dismiss their grievances like a runaway penny from your wallet in the grocery store. It’s 10:12 am, and your favorite patient cancelled without warning. Again. It’s fine. You’ve only been waiting for an open chair in Treatment Planning since the summertime. As you sit in your lonely, PPE-laden operatory, you wonder if you should hustle down to Urgent Care, catch up on lab work and swipes, or just breathe. You become less phased by the four exams coming up in four days when you remember you’re seeing the four other patients this week. Perhaps now would be a good time to memorize the location of everything at the dispensary, or actually find that one form on EHR. It’s 7:00 pm. ‘Twas the night before WREB, and all through the house, you can’t stop sweating through your favorite blouse. Four years of hard work will culminate in a few
days of quality treatment delivered under high operator pressure. Assuming your patient shows up. As if the process isn’t stressful enough, you can’t stop calculating the number of requirements you have left with the number of days until graduation. You have no idea what happens if you don’t finish, but the thought of telling your family not to book flights to Houston in May basically triturates all the contents of your stomach. I admit moderate naivety and speculation when imagining what happens during the two and a half years I have left in dental school, but I think I am right in at least one conclusion: Each year brings its own trials and tribulations. Every single course and every new task within the eight semesters demands more of us than we may have imagined. These growing pains are both commonplace to the profession and exclusive to every student. I won’t go as far as to say the darkest times are necessary (though I reserve the right to retract this statement after obtaining my degree), but these experiences are undoubtedly formative. Dental school may not be equally challenging for each DDS and DH candidate, but it is transformative for all of us, the loved ones who support us, and each member of the profession with whom we interact. So what’s wrong with a little tough love? Most students in the years above us wish us nothing but the best. Helpfulness and informative caring have preserved the mentor-mentee system and positive relationships between the classes. Most
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upperclassmen only mean to warn us for the rigorous waves ahead when we panic about the splashes of the kiddie pool. So what’s the harm in ensuring that the newbies know their hell weeks now can’t compare to what’s coming in a semester or two? Of invalidating the woes of those who wear less faded scrubs? Of worshipping a countdown timer to Spring Break, to clinic, to graduation? The danger in comparing the years of dental school is almost too simple to state: it’s inaccurate, inconclusive, and infecund. First, when we compare our years of dental school, we often fail to acknowledge that our class profile, our professors, and even our curriculum changes. Although the courses offered every semester do not vary much from year to year, the microadjustments made within a class definitely impact and define the trajectory of one’s year. I carelessly declare second year to be the hardest year of dental school now, but who knows what I would say if I had to conquer both Biomed and Neuroscience in my first semester of dental school (and most likely, my first time balancing 14 courses at once)? I imagine fourth year as a glamorous 10 month period demarcated by potential residency interviews, classmates’ weddings, and the most consistent gym schedule I’ve had since high school. But depending on how I am progressing in clinic and the state of my graduation requirements and such, I can also imagine that year being the most stressful and panic-inducing of them all. Who are we to declare our neighbor’s trials less significant when, as they say, “you really had to be there to get it”? To borrow another cliche, hindsight is 20/20. When we are asked to summarize each year, 28
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it’s easiest to recall the weeks we spent more hours watching Panopto than sleeping, the practicals after which we left the lab crying, the day someone in clinic made us feel more useless than a dirty disposable glove, and the tests for which we left more questions flagged than unflagged on ExamSoft. As previously mentioned, these moments have their place in our dental school experience, but we should be aware that sharing only the grueling, gut-check moments of X year of dental school paints an incomplete tale, and of course makes whichever year we reference seem more agonizing than any other. We should be wary to belittle the stress of another dental student’s year when we can barely recall our previous week’s activities. Additionally, each class has its plethora of strengths and weaknesses. Those who prefer heavy science courses to clinical courses will likely prefer certain semesters of school to others. For those who excel at lab work but struggle with EHR, there will be differing opinions on the hardest year of dental school. Strict attendance policies will have an impact on those who prefer to Panopto from the library. Furthermore, to quote John Lennon, “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.” Unexpected deaths, wedding planning, and mystery viruses don’t care how many exams you need to study for or how many patients you need to call for the upcoming week. The perfect academic year may be the perfect storm for a trying personal year. Lastly, when we repress or disregard the highs and lows of any year of dental school we are enduring, we don’t give ourselves a chance to enjoy the fruits (both bitter and sweet) of the experience. If we’re only focused on conquering the heavy schedule
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of first year, we just might miss the fact that our hand skills have improved dramatically, and that premolar is looking mighty fine in that typodont. If we rush through clinic assists so we can go fill another plastic tooth in Sim Lab, we may forgo some incredible learning and bonding moments inside and outside of the alcove. If we’re too focused on boards, licensing, and graduation, we may fail to appreciate just how beautifully we have progressed, and how close we have been to our degrees the entire time. Chances are, we may not miss the lack of free time, income, and spontaneity associated with dental school. But there’s also a chance that we’ll miss laughing at life with our lab partners, drilling classy Class IIs on a Saturday in Sim Lab, or spending an extra 45 minutes listening to your favorite elderly patient tell you gushing stories about their grandchildren. If we’ve established that each year brings its unique milestones and gold medals, why are we so dismissive of our unique hurdles? This isn’t meant to be a scolding article.
Anyone who knows me closely knows the exhausted, unfiltered, sometimes crestfallen, and often frantic persona that dental school (and specifically this year) has brought out of me. I am not here to say we shouldn’t complain about dental school because frankly, it can be quite cathartic. I am here to remind us to encourage and empathize with everyone in our UTSD family. We are all facing very real challenges, and many of us are being pushed beyond what we thought we were capable of accomplishing. To borrow a final cliche, comparison is the thief of joy. When we diminish the individual trials of another, we rob that person of a victory dance across the finish line that we cross (or are dragged across) during dental school together. So support your smurfs in their struggles. Be gracious to the 103 shades of grey sauntering around clinic. Listen to the clinic tales of the light blue scrubs. And never ignore the needs of our navy-wearing 4th years. Each of us is enduring the hardest year of dental school, and acknowledging that common bond should make us all feel stronger than enamel. December 2016
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printouts! Print out pages 31-34 visual aids to help educate patients about common dental procedures
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Basic tooth anatomy Enamel Pulp Dentin
cementum
Images by: UTSD HOUSTON ASDA
Dental Caries
Dental Filling
Caries removal
Images by: UTSD HOUSTON ASDA
Severe Dental Caries
caries removal & build-up
Crown Preperation
Crown Placement
Images by: UTSD HOUSTON ASDA
Puplal Involvement remove pulp
Gutta Percha & Build UP
Crown Preperation
Images by: UTSD HOUSTON ASDA
Crown placement
UTSD Houston ASDA
It’s Here
Download:
Houston ASDA
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The Houston Fill
UTSD HOUSTON
University of Texas School of Dentistry at Houston 7500 Cambridge Street Houston, TX 77054 www.houstonasda.com
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