Treating pediatric patients in underserved areas: Q&A with Dr. Jessica Meeske

Dr. Jessica Meeske, senior partner at Pediatric Dental Specialists of Greater Nebraska, leads a group practice with four locations in diverse cities throughout Nebraska, serving pediatric patients who are on Medicaid. Here, she discusses the challenges and rewards of working in her practice.

On balancing your passions: Q&A with Dr. Erin Bumann

As future dentists, we are often asked, “What do you want to be?” or “What do you want to do when you’re finished with school?” What I have realized is that many of us have goals that span many disciplines and interests, and it’s hard for us to choose just one (or even a couple) upon which to build a career.

Path to academic dentistry: From dental student to professor

Over the past few decades, there has been an increased concern of a national dental faculty shortage. The American Dental Education Association published its first report in 1999 outlining this issue and has been tracking the national shortfall since then. Between the 1990s and 2000s, the number of vacant faculty positions increased more than 50 percent.

Dental care in psychiatric facilities

In college I participated in an internship program that allowed students into psychiatric hospitals to interact with patients with chronic mental illnesses. All interns were required to carry a personal duress alarm system, every corridor was locked on both ends, and patients could wear only the color khaki. At the time, my goal as an intern was to make the patients smile.