At this year’s Annual Session, Justina Anigbo was elected to serve as ASDA’s president for the 2022-2023 term. Anigbo, a student at Indiana University School of Dentistry, made history with her appointment, becoming the first African American woman to serve in this position.
Dr. Sophia Saeed is the associate dean for patient care and professor at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Dentistry. She graduated from Harvard School of Dental Medicine in 2007, and then completed her general practice residency and hospital dentistry practice at the University of California, San Francisco in 2008.
When we go to the dentist, we are used to paying for the appointment through a private insurance company or out-of-pocket. Government-funded programs do exist, but their scope is relatively limited. Other places in the world have different models to pay for various health care services.
Any field that requires high precision minimal invasiveness, and whose results are subject to human fatigue, can benefit from implementation of robotics systems. So it comes as no surprise that oral and maxillofacial surgery, particularly implant placement, has seen recent advancements in robotic-assisted surgical techniques.
According to 2016 data from the World Prison Brief, released by the Institute for Criminal Policy Research, the United States has the highest national rate of imprisonment: 655 jailed persons per 100,000 of the national population. Canada and Mexico have rates of 114 and 164, respectively. The United States houses over 2 million inmates in 4,455 facilities that may fall under local, state or federal jurisdiction. Inmates are a huge sector of the American population. They’re a group that may not come to mind when thinking about our country’s most vulnerable populations, yet they face significant barriers to accessing adequate health care.
My first involvement with organized dentistry happened when a dentist from the Great Houston Dental Society (GHDS) invited me to Texas Mission of Mercy. I took on the opportunity, which opened the door for other community service outreach that provided free dental care for veterans and underserved populations. These experiences reminded me that we have the potential to generate a positive impact on others’ lives, even with the smallest amount of help we can provide. Together with our mutual passion and skills, we were able to improve the health of our community. Without this cooperation and guidance, none of this would have been possible.
What more could you ask for? Hundreds of dental professionals on the Hill. Students engaging with experienced dentists and lobbyists. Cherry blossoms in bloom. This was the scene during the 2018 ADA Dentist and Student Lobby Day, held April 8–10, where more than 1,000 dentists and students gathered from across the country to advocate on behalf of our profession.
