East Carolina students step up in the wake of Hurricane Florence

Hurricane Florence made landfall south of Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, on Sept. 14. Classified at its peak as a Category 4 hurricane, the storm’s winds reached speeds of 130 mph. It caused 53 casualties and at least $12.7 billion worth of damage from flooding to the area in its path, according to an Oct. 24, 2018, Engineering News-Record article. The hurricane might be over, but flooding remains. In some areas, it may take years to rebuild from the damage.

What dental students should know about risk management

Risk management is our best defense to ensure a healthy and prosperous dental practice. Ranging from malpractice claims to employee claims, becoming familiar with common lawsuits in dentistry is critical. It is also vital to practice risk management in your dental practice. Risk management is significant in combating and defending yourself against claims and lawsuits. Outlined are essential details to recognize when considering risk management in your dental practice.

Call to action: Reflecting on a year of community service

This year, ASDA focused its efforts on community service and highlighting underserved populations. The first special population we focused on was patients with special needs, which we highlighted over the summer. In addition, we shared posts on ASDA’s Facebook page as well as Mouthing Off. We heard a personal story from an ASDA member with family members who have autism and learned tips on treating patients from an IDD hygienist.

Maintain your bicycle wheel to achieve balance

Shivers practicing yoga to stay balanced As I come to my mat, I inhale my thoughts: “The eye orbit consists of which bones?” “I have 3 assignments due by midnight.” “I work at 5 on Thursday.” Then I exhale, bringing myself to my practice and letting go of the stress.

I picked up yoga and a few other activities last year after speaking with a co-worker, Dr. Michelle Pearson (North Carolina ‘03). She saw me become restless and drained at work as the months passed, and she shared with me the importance of taking time for yourself.

2016 nominees for best articles and blog post

writingEach year, ASDA members publish more than 100 articles in ASDA News, more than 50 articles in Mouth and at least 156 posts to this blog. That’s a lot of content. Behind the scenes of these publications is ASDA’s Editorial Board–eight dental students who dedicate their time to planning, writing and editing your ASDA publications. It’s thanks to them that you read about millennials, creative diagnosis, and lasers this past year. They are also the folks that bring you Life Hacks Week and “just for fun” posts here on the blog.

ASDA’s Editorial Board sifted through all the articles and blog posts of 2015 to narrow down nominees for three Gold Crown Awards: Best News Article, Best Feature Article and Best Blog Post. Criteria included relevance, originality, research and presentation. For blog posts, number of visits, social shares and Facebook likes were also weighed in the decision. Here are the nominees for the 2016 Gold Crown Awards for best articles and blog post…

Deah’s legacy carried in Haiti dental mission trip

IMG-20151124-WA0032It was early 2015 when we heard how Chapel Hill shooting victims, Deah Shaddy Barakat, Yusar Mohammad Abu-Salha, and Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha were tragically killed. Deah was a second-year student at the University of North Carolina School of Dentistry, and a committed ASDA member. Deah left behind a tremendous legacy to inspire others. His life was filled with moments of love and caring for people around him and beyond. Not only did he choose dentistry as a means to serve people but he also undertook a mission trip to Palestine. He won the hearts of so many and was planning to go on another dental mission trip to Turkey. In remembrance of Deah, the United Muslim Relief (UMR) conducted a Haiti dental mission trip in November 2015.