Management + Leadership

DIY your own business cards

business card 2 First impressions are everything. Your business card is the small token of you that someone will carry with them. Whether attending a lobby day, ASDA conference or simply an appointment with a new patient, a business card is a simple way to market yourself.

Advice from our very own ASDA Vice-President Jason Watts: “Business cards are extensions of the person you are. A good card will leave a lasting impression.” Let’s leave a lasting impression and figure out just how to create a great business card.

You might be thinking… What should be on my business card? Read on to find out!

News + Issues

Are you willing to brush with chocolate?

IMG_0152-2Ever wonder what brushing with chocolate-flavored toothpaste would be like? Crest® released a new flavored toothpastes, Mint Chocolate Trek, as part of their “Be” campaign. With a phrase “Be Adventurous” on the box, I took the challenge and tried out the new flavored toothpaste. Dental students also weighed in on the new flavor and the results were surprising. Are you adventurous enough to brush with chocolate?

Chapter Focus

One year later: lessons we learned about becoming auto-enroll

150132_3832698421233_1094973017_nAs ASDA leaders, we all want to convince our administrations to automatically enroll all students with an ASDA and ADA student membership from day one. This means students’ ASDA/ADA membership is paid for as part of tuition and fees or by the dental school rather than out of a students’ personal budget. The result is a student body that are all members and can participate in events, serve as chapter leaders and spend time planning events instead of recruiting students to join.

News + Issues

Buying teeth online: students look for another option

TeethOne night, after ordering my books online, I randomly looked up “Extracted teeth” and found several websites based all across the globe selling extracted human teeth. Surprisingly, none of these websites mentioned how the teeth were acquired and whether they were collected for sale ethically upon receiving patient consent.

News + Issues

Tattoos in dentistry: self expression or unprofessional?

dental-tattsWhen I tell people I have a tattoo the first thing I see are widened eyes followed by shocked gasps. “What!” they exclaim “you have a tattoo? Where?”Their opinion of me automatically changes within those first few minutes after the revelation. I suddenly transform from the boring dental student to the rebellious night-crawler.

Tattoos have a long history since the first evidence of their existence dating back to 2000 B.C. in Ancient Egypt. In the past tattoos may have served as amulets, status symbols, declarations of love, signs of religious beliefs, adornments and even forms of punishment, today they are a common form of personal expression. But do they belong in dentistry?

Management + Leadership

Your [online] reputation as a future dentist

online reputationLast summer, I read an article on Forbes.com titled “20 Things 20-Year-Olds Don’t Get.” While the title may make you bristle, it’s a good read with some great advice. Here’s one point that stood out and reminded me of my work with dental students: “Your reputation is priceless, don’t damage it – over time, your reputation is the most valuable currency you have in business. It’s the invisible key that either opens or closes doors of professional opportunity. Especially in an age where everything is forever recorded and accessible, your reputation has to be guarded like the most sacred treasure. It’s the one item that, once lost, you can never get back.”

News + Issues

Get curious! A review of The Curious Dentist’s videos

Screen Shot 2014-04-22 at 8.14.08 AMI was recently introduced to a website called The Curious Dentist, which is a collection of blog posts and videos by Dr. Chris Salierno. Fun Fact: Dr. Salierno is a past National ASDA President and a current member of the ADA New Dentist Committee, which certainly piqued my curiosity! His blog has all sorts of helpful information related to clinical dentistry and practice management.