| Pumpkins & Politics EVENT THIS WEDNESDAY |
| Join us this week to carve pumpkins in the Atrium at 2pm during this week’s flextime. |
 This event is the kick-off for our 2012 ADPAC Drive! It is free for all ADPAC members. Non-ADPAC members will be charged $5 to join. ADPAC is the American Dental Political Action Committee. It is a bipartisan legislative arm of the ADA, giving a political voice to thousands of dental students and dentists through supporting congressional candidates who are committed to improving the nation’s oral health. ADPAC membership is $5. |
Dental School Survival Guide per Dr. Salierno
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- Be stressed but not too stressed: There is a balance of stress in which people find themselves happiest. Take on things that you find rewarding but realize when to stop before pulling out all your hair.
- Be great- don’t get stuck on the grades: The top three considerations of most grad programs are your Part I board scores (which is changing with P/F), letters of recommendations, and activities. Grades are likely fourth on the list of considerations. Spare yourself the stress of comparing answers in the hall after the exam and focus on learning and being great.
- Patients care about function, pain-free, and beauty. Aim for the perfect margin and tertiary anatomy of that amazing amalgam restoration, but in the end, focus on your patient. They do not know or care what the margin of their crown looks like - they do care about restored function, looks, and if the treatment was relatively pain-free.
- Remain organized in dental school. Both in finances and in communicating.
a. Finances: Know the process of repayment for what you are using and borrow just what you need.
b. Communication: An outline to keep in mind from treatment plans to presentations
i. “Thank you…”
ii. State Objective
iii. Argument
iv. Summarize
* Try to present larger treatment plans out of the dental chair and in a consultation room since the dental chair can make patients anxious.
For more great advice on dental techniques and leadership as well as this full presentation, from past ASDA President and ADA New Dentist Council Member Dr. Salierno, visit thecuriousdentist.com. |
| Benefits of organized dentistry per Dr. Norman: |
- Communicate with colleagues
- Intellectual knowledge (electronic libraries, journals, white pages, etc)
- Management (Advice on ADA.org for insurance, patient exams, recording, etc)
- ADA oversea volunteer opportunities
- ADVOCACY (The ADA represents the majority of dentists in a common objective in a reliable and influential organization. The membership is the true power of the ADA in influencing policies affecting dentistry.)
Dr. Charles Norman is ADA Trustee of District #16 |
Advocacy: Your treatment options: do something or do nothing
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| If you choose to do nothing, policies you don’t want, like the repeal of Stafford unsubsidized loans in 2012, will progress like caries progressing to pulpal infection if doing nothing is chosen.Policies and politics affect us, such as our dental education cost, our state dental licensure, regulatory mandates like HIPPA, and more. This is why ADA members were surveyed to rate political ADVOCACY as the #1 benefit of organized dentistry. |
Political Preventative Dentistry per Dr. Oyster
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- Don’t wait for a crisis - Develop relationships with decision makers
- Developing relationships takes time and money
- Continuously nourish these relationships
- Establish new relationships with newly elected public officials
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| Legislative To-Do per Dr. Oyster |
- Learn the political process in your state
- Learn about issues important to our future
- Be involved!
- Join organized dentistry
- Have passion for our profession
Contact: Dr. Gary Oyster
oystergd@aol.com
ADPAC 16th District Representative |
Learn more about the central Regional Meeting and how to get more involved at Michigan and Nationally from your ASDA Representatives!
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November 18th Lunch and Learn is Pizza Politics presented by
Michael Brzica
Congressional Lobbyist, Department of Congressional Affairs, American Dental Association |
