Am I “non-traditional”?

WebinarI love hearing the word “non-traditional” because it gives me a little chip on my shoulder when I describe my journey to where I’m at today. When I first heard non-traditional, I thought it was a bad connotation and got a little discouraged from it. I knew when I graduated from undergraduate that I wasn’t immediately going to apply for dental school. Not by choice, but that’s how life is sometimes.

Non-traditional students have some great stories like this and ASDA will be hosting a webinar tonight at 7p.m. CT on “Non-traditional Paths to Dental School” to highlight some of the paths these students took…

Tips on dressing for ASDA’s Annual Session 2015 in Boston

Coming to Boston for the first time for ASDA Annual Session 2015? Never experienced a New England winter before? You are probably wondering what to expect!
Boston is an awesome city with so many historical sites, touristy attractions, and local eateries worth checking out. We have compiled a list of tips submitted by Boston dental students.

A predental student’s guide to organizing a dental supply drive

toothbrushes

As predental students and future health care professionals, our involvement in our communities can play an integral role in the way that we are perceived by our peers. Volunteering can also be extremely useful for predental students to show admissions committees that they are compassionate individuals who are committed to the well being of other people. One awesome volunteering project for predental students to consider taking on is to organize and conduct a dental supply drive. Read on for tips on organizing your own supply drive.

Diabetes and the impact on oral health

diabetic checking glucose levelsPeople with diabetes are in a higher risk of oral health problem due to uncontrolled blood sugar levels. According to American Diabetes Association, nearly 30 million Americans have diabetes. Due to less control of their blood sugar, these patients have a higher chance of developing oral health problems. Hyperglycemia, or high level of glucose in the blood, makes the saliva have too much glucose. This helps bacteria grow in the mouth. These bacteria could progress plaque formation which could later cause tooth decay or gum disease. If some plaque does not move over a long period of time, they stay above your gum line and turn to calculus. Calculus makes it difficult to brush and floss between your teeth. The gum may become swollen, tender and easily bleed, especially during brushing. These are signs of gingivitis. Read on to learn more about the oral complications associated with diabetes…

Predentals: Don’t fear the gap year

gap-yearWhat if you are passionate about dentistry and you look down at your resume knowing it doesn’t quite reflect your passion? The dental school admissions process is a highly competitive endeavor. According to ADEA, more than 12,000 hopefuls applied to dental school in 2013 for less than 6,000 open spots. Therefore, it’s understandable that you may get overlooked if your resume is lacking.

If this sounds like you then I have one piece of advice: don’t fear the gap year.

Learn new ideas from predentals nationwide

predental-idea-exchangeInterested in new ideas to bolster your predental extracurriculars or to introduce to your local predental club? On January 7, 2015 from 7:00-8:30 p.m. CT, ASDA will offer a free Predental Idea Exchange in a webinar format where student representatives from the Ohio State University, University of Wisconsin, Virginia Tech and University of Central Florida predental clubs will share innovative ideas and practices pertaining to their clubs.

The Best Blogs of Mouthing Off: Predental

Best-of-weekIt’s the middle of the week, and the middle of our blogging rally recognizing the most notable posts of 2014. Today’s blogs are by a special demographic of ASDA. Our Predental writers have really stepped it up this year, and have been accountable for more blogs posts than ever! Our predental writers are not only leaders in their schools and communities, but many have gone on to be accepted to dental schools and soon will be your dental school classmates. ASDA is thankful for predental students who are already catching ASDA fever. Thank you to all the predental authors and members who have contributed or read Mouthing Off in 2014! (We decided to include 4 top blogs today because we just couldn’t resist!)