Leadership Educational Conference – Building Leaders

At the conclusion of my winter quarter I had the opportunity to attend the 2013 Leadership Educational Conference (LEC) put on by the CDA.  It is a tremendous opportunity for us as emerging leaders to attend two days of breakout sessions designed to foster our leadership skills and teach us new and better ways to lead a team whether it be in our private offices or at the local, state, or national level in organized dentistry.  It was also a wonderful opportunity for our fellow classmates because we were able to bring along one or two individuals interested in leadership that have not been involved with CDA.  The event was held in Santa Clara, CA and started off with a bang with nationally renowned corporate leadership coach and speaker, Libby Gill as the keynote speaker (www.libbygill.com).  She has a long list of corporate clients that have used her to revamp their businesses from the top down and to help the leaders guide and form the type of environment that can foster innovation and success now and in the future.  She really got the conference off on the right foot and everyone fired up about the following breakout sessions.  These sessions were opportunities for us to choose specific tracts where we could listen to various leaders, coaches, administrators, etc talk on different topics.  It also provided us with an opportunity to network and continue building relationships within the CDA community and with dentists from throughout the state.  We also had the chance to listen to our state leaders in the assembly talk about the future of dentistry and the challenges we are currently facing or may face in the future and what we can do to help keep our profession as relevant and prestigious as it is today.  It was a tremendous weekend especially for those new attendees that had never had the chance to attend a CDA event, and the feedback I heard was nothing but positive and because of that we in the CDA certainly gained new advocates and lifelong members.

Thanks for reading.

Catching Up

It’s amazing how fast time flies and how it just seems to get away from you.  I realized this as I logged on to see I haven’t posted since November and it seems like it was just a few weeks ago.  Well now that we are officially well into 2013 I have some catching up to do.  This time of the year marks a special time for the IDP family here at LLUSD at it signals the end of our program year and our has our seniors preparing for WREBs which are coming up next week.  It also signifies our transition from juniors to seniors and involves moving both literally and figuratively into a more clinically focused period.  Throughout the last 8 weeks of this quarter we have been slowly but steadily building up our patient families during our clinic time and preparing ourselves to go full-time into patient care.  It has been an exciting time as we have also had our 6 or 7 pre-session students that will be comprising the new IDP3 class which was completed by the rest of the incoming class on April 1st.  It is so amazing to see them at the point where we all were just 12 short months ago, yet it seems like literally days ago that we were in that position of being thrust into a completely new environment.  The next months ahead are going to be busy and thrilling for us and the new class.  Stay tuned for my next couple of posts where I will report on the CDA Leadership Conference I attended a few weeks ago and also on the CDA Presents Spring Scientific Session which just concluded yesterday.  Thanks for reading.

LLUSD Admissions Spring 2013 Travel Schedule

Interested in a career in the dental field?  Wondering if you’ve taken the right pre-reqs?  Have questions about the admissions process?

Then you’re in luck because the Office of Admissions is getting ready to travel! Call your campus representative to make an appointment to talk to an LLUSD admissions specialist.

• Pacific Union College, April 22-24

Contact Tanya Healy at (707) 965-6234 for more information.

• Walla Walla University, May 7 & 8

Contact the Career Center at (509) 527-2664 for more information.

2013 CDA Presents

On Thursday, April 11th and Friday April 12th, 2013 representatives from Loma Linda University School of Dentistry will be at the 2013 CDA Presents convention at the Convention Center in Anaheim, California. This convention features various dental schools, hundreds of names in dental technology, and thousands of dental practitioners. LLUSD will have representatives from the Office of Admissions and the SD Alumni Association. Potential students will have an opportunity to speak with Admissions about the various programs offered including graduate and specialty programs for current dentists. Information about Continuing Education courses will also be available for those interested. We are very excited to be involved in this event and look forward to seeing you there!

2013 Alumni Student Convention

With anniversaries being celebrated, classmates reconnecting, and new knowledge being shared, this year’s annual Alumni Student Convention promises to be an exciting one! Preregistration is already underway and from Thursday, February 7^th through Sunday, February 10^th, the Centennial Complex will be a bustle with LLUSD alumni, students, faculty, and staff.

This year marks the 50^th anniversary of the graduating class of 1963, the 20-year anniversary for both the Advanced Specialty Education Program in Pediatric dentistry and the Advanced Specialty Education Program in Prosthodontics. These auspicious events will be honored at various functions throughout the convention and we invite everyone to attend.

Please visit the Alumni page at http://www.llu.edu/dentistry/alumni for more information about continuing education courses and events. Registration can be completed by faxing or mailing in a completed registration form or over the phone at (909) 558-4685.

We look forward to seeing you!

New Year, New Habits

The New Year brings with it new opportunities, new resolutions, and, for some, a new outlook on life.  With the many resolutions being made to exercise both body and mind, why not resolve to improve the dental health of you and your family?  Brushing and flossing of teeth after every meal removes bacteria and other materials that weaken enamel and lead to tooth decay.  This practice is very important for children so they learn to build lifelong healthy habits and healthy teeth.

The American Dental Association designates February as National Children’s Dental Health Month and in order to help spread the word about the importance of dental health, Loma Linda University School of Dentistry Pediatric Dentistry Clinic is offering free brushing workshops for children and their parents.  On February 8^th, 2013, there will be free, 30-minute workshops offered at 10:00 am, 10:30 am, 11:00 am, and 11:30 am.  The purpose of these workshops is to create a fun and entertaining environment where children and parents can learn proper brushing techniques and ask dental health questions.

These clinics will be held in the Center for Dentistry and Orthodontics office located at 159 W. Hospitality, Suite 100, San Bernardino, California 92408.   If you are interested in attending the clinic and have any questions, please call  (909) 558-4960.

Winter Season

The cool autumn weather and changing leaves create the perfect environment for playing sports and enjoying the outdoors. Football, baseball, soccer, and hiking are just a few of the activities that can be enjoyed outside with some apple cider or hot cocoa. Unfortunately many people may find that their activities put their teeth at risk for damage or injury. Here are a few important tips to help your smile stay as beautiful as ever.

Sports injuries can vary from the minor cuts and scrapes to major traumas. Many leagues and sport organizations encourage or require the use of protective gear and one of the most important pieces of safety equipment is the mouthguard. Mouthguards can protect your teeth from fracture and displacement and may also reduce injuries to the jaw.

Still, even after taking all the necessary precautions, dental injuries may unfortunately occur.  A few of the following helpful tips can lessen the damage, speed up recovery time, and prevent expensive dental treatment procedures.  The most important factor in the event of a dental injury is seeing a dental practitioner as soon as possible.  Direct impacts to the mouth may not leave visible damage to the teeth, but soft tissue damage may still take place.

In the event of a chipped or dislodged tooth, make sure to collect all of the pieces, and handle them by the top of the tooth, not the root. In order to decrease damage to the soft tissue on the outside of the root of the tooth, avoid excessive handling, but rinse the tooth in running water. Reinsert the dislodged tooth into the socket so that blood flow to the tooth may be restored, which can help heal the supporting tissues surrounding the tooth. If the tooth cannot be reinserted into the socket, place the tooth in a glass of milk or between through teeth and the cheek. For damage to orthodontic work, cover sharp points of wires with gum or cotton balls to prevent damage to the surrounding soft tissue.  Your dental care provider will remove any embedded tooth or orthodontic fragments to ensure proper healing. (For more information on dental trauma – www.iadt-dentaltrauma.org)

With this season comes a lot of delicious baked goods and candies which can have negative effects on dental health if proper oral health care and regular check ups are ignored. At a minimum, brush and floss twice a day and, when possible, after meals. Try to stick to naturally healthy snacks like vegetables, fruits, and nuts, which contain less sugar than processed snacks and therefore are less damaging to your teeth. Also, try to avoid overly sweetened beverages in favor of naturally flavored ones like fresh apple cider that doesn’t have any added sugar. With so many pictures of friends and family being taken this time of year, make sure your smile is the best one they see.

Dean Goodacre