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.
Outreach has always been a pillar of organized dentistry. Because of this, in 2017, the Council on Professional Issues spearheaded the launch of ASDA’s National Outreach Initiative (NOI). This year, the council plans to maintain the momentum generated by NOI’s inaugural year, while continuing to promote various events and opportunities for involvement throughout 2018 and 2019.
Volunteering in dental clinics is one of the most rewarding experiences predental students can have. The work can show you the clinical side of dentistry and also expose you to challenges you might face in practice.I started volunteering at a local dental clinic as a way to help low income and uninsured children. (The ADA wrote an article about the Kids’ Community Dental Clinic in 2014.) Volunteering here for more than a year taught me a lot about how to advance my career in dentistry. Here are some of the key concepts I learned:
Nova Southeastern University’s Give Kids A Smile (NSU GKAS) event celebrated 11 years of service in February. It has become one of Florida’s premier dental outreach campaigns. Last year alone, we provided dental care to more than 320 children, totaling $115,797 in services. This year, we yielded very similar results, and even expanded treatment to special needs patients. Overall, NSU’s GKAS provides a new perspective to attending patients on the value of a dental home. Overall, NSU’s GKAS provides a new perspective to attending patients on the value of a dental home. It exposes parents and children to the severity of their dental needs and the value of proper home care and hygiene. Their commitment to our program marks a paradigm shift in how our community sees dentistry. We can’t wait to hear about your GKAS event!
A few months ago, I had the chance to attend the ADA’s Annual Session in the exciting city of New Orleans! Like ASDA’s Annual Session, this was an opportunity to attend CE classes, explore the enormous vendor exhibition and network with dental professionals from across the country. Exploring the city after hours was a chance to sample the fantastic food, listen to some great music and experience Halloween on Bourbon Street. But for me, the standout experience of the trip was seeing President Bill Clinton speak! Read on for Kedy’s takeaways from Clinton’s keynote address.
