The Voice of the Student Body at the Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC

ARTICULATOR
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The ASB

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Ronald Lee Chung

A Glimpse of AYUDA in Cartegena, Columbia

Pehrson Hawkley, 2013

SUBMISSIONS
The ASB Articulator welcomes contributions. Articles should include a title and the authors full name. Photographs are highly encouraged and text is subject to editing for space and clarity. Submit articles to asbarticulator@gmail.com. In April of 2012, a total of sixty volunteers departed for the country of Colombia with a desire to make an impression on the community of Cartagena. Plans were put in place to improve the oral health of children through both clinical as well as educational efforts, and while that was achieved, the most lasting impression at the end of this adventure was the one that the community of Cartagena left on us as AYUDA volunteers. International trip, but for some it was and we were all eager to experience a new country and culture, serve the people there, and to have the chance to spend time with each other growing closer as friends.

Arriving in Colombia, we were met by Dan and Berit Wick who both worked for an organization called Friends for Colombia. They were extremely helpful in the organization of this dental brigade. We were able to check into the Hotel Playa that evening for a little rest The group was composted of thirtyand relaxation before the weeks activione dental and two hygiene students from the University of Southern Calities. The following morning, we set out to the clinic location. Weaving in and fornia, two dental students from the University of British Colombia, eighteen out of traffic on bumpy buses with potlicensed dentists, and seven volunteers. hole filled roads for 35 minutes, we arr(continued on page 6) For many, this wasnt their first AYUDA ---------------------------------------------------------

CDA Dental Day Camp

IN THIS ISSUE
2-3 3 4-5 6-7 8 9 10 11 ASDA GVBS ADEA AYUDA 2013 NBDE LHTS PDSA CDA

Alexandria Grabowski, 2015 The California Dental Association recently teamed up with the Los Angeles Hispanic Dental Association and students from USC and UCLA to host an exciting introduction to dentistry for 100 local eighth grade students at the Ostrow School of Dentistry. The students were not only able to hear speakers and ask questions about dentistry, but they were also able to experience dentistry first hand. (continued on page 11)

ADEA
------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------interested in applying to oral and maxillofacial surgery residency programs. After completion of the examination, applicants will receive an electronic score report within one week from NBME. A copy of the score report will also Chapin Densmore, 2014 be provided to the AAOMS. CBSE scores will not be available to medical schools. Dental students This past March, six Ostrow School Teamwork with a numeric score on Part 1 of of Dentistry students attended the Resilience dental boards are not required to 2012 ADEA Annual Session & Exhi Planning and Organization take the CBSE. bition in Orlando, FL. Over 5 days Ethics and Integrity of lectures, workshops, and disMid-Level Provider cussion groups, many topics were Students will have 3-5 different covered concerning dental educaevaluators each complete an evaluBy now, many of you have probtion and the future of oral health ation. For more information on the ably heard the terms dental care. Some of the topics included PPI and postdoctoral applications therapist or mid-level provider the advance admissions process, visit http://www.adea.org/dental_ being thrown around the dental oral surgery residency entrance education_pathways/pass/Pages/ community. At the ADEA Annual exams, and mid-level providers. A default.aspx. Conference, we were able to hear brief overview of these topics along from students from the Univerwith links to more information is sity of Minnesota where their included below. Oral Surgery Entrance Exam dental therapist (DT) program is now graduating mid-level providAdvance Admissions Process Beginning with 2013-2014 resideners. Faculty, DT students and DDS cies, the National Board of Medical students from the school were on As has been previously discussed in Examiners (NBME) Comprehand to address some of the questhe Articulator, beginning with 2013 hensive Basic Science Examinations/concerns that many of us application cycle, the admissions tion (CBSE) will be a requirement have about these new members of process for postdoctoral programs for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery the dental community. While we is changing with the NBDE Part 1 residency positions. The purpose recognize that there is undoubtExam moving to a pass/fail system. of the exam is to provide OMS apedly a need for access to care in The major change will be the addiplicants an opportunity to measure underserved and rural communition of the Personal Potential Index their understanding of the basic ties, there are obvious concerns (PPI). The PPI is an online evaluasciences and provide an enhanced about the quality of care being tion tool used to evaluate the permechanism for OMS training progiven by a practitioner with consonal attributes of applicants. The grams to evaluate applicants. The siderably less schooling and clinisix categories evaluated are: exam was created to supplement cal experience than one who has the NBDE Part 1 Exam switching to completed a DDS/DMD. There is Knowledge and Creativity the pass/fail system. The NBME also the concern and debate over Communication Skills CBSE is open to all dental students

2012 American Dental Education Association Annual Session Recap

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GVBS
------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------Due to barriers to care issues, mid- For a list of the types of providers, whether these providers cut into level provider pilot programs have what states they can practice in, the business of dentists, as there and what they can do, go to http:// is no governance over where they begun to enter the mainstream www.agd.org/files/webuser/webworld of dental health care. decide to practice once the finish site/advocacy/definitionsmidleveltheir schooling. While there is little ASDA Policy on Midlevel Providers ASDAs policy on midlevel providers providers.pdf. track record to decisively answer these questions, these topics are states that only a qualified dentist not going to go away anytime soon. should perform the following func- If you have any questions concernMore and more states are consider- tions, including but not limited to: ing any of the topics discussed, or anything pertaining to dental eduing adding mid-level providers in a. Examination, diagnosis and cation, please feel free to contact hopes of improving access to care. myself or any of the other ADEA treatment planning Here are some basics on the posib. Prescribing work authoriza- reps at USC. These reps are Robtion (as defined by ASDA). ert Hann (c/o 2013), Austin Baruffi tions What is a midlevel provider? Performing irreversible den- (13), Chapin Densmore (14), and A midlevel provider as an individual c. Michelle Zin (15). tal procedures who may perform irreversible prod. Prescribing drugs and/or cedures on the public who is not a other medications dentist with four years of post collegiate education. ------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------

An Introduction to the G.V. Black Society

Joseph Park, 2014 The Green Vardiman Black Society was primarily established as a means to provide mentorship for incoming dental students through the personal and professional guidance from upperclassmen. Through the GV Black Society, we created a supportive, transitional phase for the 1st years. The club strives to promote, organize and support athletic, cultural, recreational and educational opportunities for its members. Core values the organization fosters are integrity, professionalism and service. was a dental student here at USC, there was already a mentorship system in place for the entire school. Since then, a mentoring, structural organization seems to have dissolved, but eventually we believe organizations like Lucy Hobbs and GV Black can bring that system back. We have paired up mentors with 1st year students honing in on their group practices that they are currently affiliated with. Not only would this increase their face-toface time, but it would also help with future patient transfers and patients for sophomore perio block. Our plans for the upcoming semester would be to introduce ourselves to the new incoming class, lunch and learns with faculty from other disciplines, and implement a system where finding patients not only for comprehensive care but for SPB as well for the Class of 2015 can be a measureable success.

When our advisor, Dr. Parminter ------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------vol. 9 issue 1 page 3

AMERICAN STUDENT DENTAL ASSOCIATION

Ostrow School of Dentistry Represented in D.C. for National Dental Student Lobby Day
Edward Davis Jr. and Moiz Horani, 2015

Each year hundreds of dental students travel to the nations capital from dental schools around the nation to discuss issues important to dental students with members of the U.S. Congress and U.S. Senate. On April 16-17th dental students took to the congressional buildings to meet with their representatives from their respective states. We had the unique opportunity to meet with the office staff of several California congressional representatives from various districts throughout Southern California, including USCs very own 33rd district representative, Congresswoman Karen Bass.
The purpose of these two days spent in Washington, D.C. was for dental students to learn how congress works, how legislation is created and how it becomes a law, and finally how to lobby. These two days teaches students in attendance how they can make a difference in the field of dentistry by making a collective voice heard loud and clear in unison. This year, two bills were the focus of our lobbying efforts. The first is titled Breaking Barriers to Oral Health Act of 2011 [H.R. 1666]. This bill intends to address the large portion of the population, which has little or no access to oral health due to certain barriers such as poverty, geography, lack of oral health education, language, culture, lack of insurance and others. The bill is designed to help oral health stakeholders at the state and local levels to form public-private partnerships to improve oral health education and decrease dental disease. For example, funding partnerships between Ostrow school of Dentistry, and the city of Los Angeles provide programs to supply dental services to underserved communities in Los Angeles. In addition to these partnerships, the bill also offers to supply support by providing funding for local and state programs which are providing free dental programs and services to those who cannot or do not have access to oral health care service. The cost of the bill is $20 million, and was introduced by Congressmen Mike Simpson (R-ID) and Mike Ross (D-AR). The second of the two bills, dealt with loan forgiveness for graduate students. The bill has been named, Student Loan Forgiveness Act of 2012 [H.R. 4170]. Congressman Hansen Clark (D-MI) is the sponsor and creator of the bill. The cost of dental education should not be a prohibitive factor for those wanting to practice in underserved

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areas, pursue careers in teaching, research or public health. As a result, this bill intends to alleviate the financial burden of student loans in three specific areas. (1) Forgiving outstanding student loan debt for those who have made payments equal to 10% of their discretionary income for 10 years (10 for 10 loan repayment plan); (2) Capping interest rates on federal loans at 3.4% (3) Allowing graduates who enter certain public service professions to have their loans forgiven in five years instead of ten years. These bills can work synergistically by having one create programs for underserved areas and the other to allow graduating dentists to work in underserved communities without undertaking financial distress due to the graduate student loan debt burden. It is the hope of these bill to allow graduating students who want to work in underserved communities, the ability to do so while being able to payback graduate school students loans and sustaining a household. Our purpose for meeting with members of congress

was to explain the bills to them, how they will benefit dental students and improve oral health care and ask if they will support the bill by becoming a cosponsor. Congressional offices we met with to discuss these bill with were: Senator Barbara Boxer, Karen Bass (CA-33rd District); Louis Capps (CA-23rd District); Judy Chu (CA-32nd District); David Drier (CA-26th District) and Hansen Clarke (MI-13th District). Each office we visited seemed very receptive of our message and is interested in either receiving more information about the bills and asked to follow up with their office. This was a great first step for gathering support for these issues. Currently both of these bills have been introduced to the Congress and are currently being reviewed by committees before they are up for vote. Hopefully with the help of dental students around the country pushing for these measures with their congressional representatives, these two bills will not be too far from being put into action.

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AYUDA
------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------(continued from page 1) -ived in a humble neighborhood with dirt roads and shanty homes on the outskirts of Cartagena. The clinic location was actually a very nice building that had been constructed in the center of the neighborhood and was the location of the foundation that we were working with called Granitos de Paz. The main goal of the foundation was to teach the neighborhoods inhabitants to become self-sustaining and to learn how to work hard to improve their quality of life. AYUDAs role in this process would be to educate the families on proper oral hygiene as well as prevent and eliminate any signs of active decay. We were there to give them a push start and a reason to be proud of their teeth. The people of Cartagena were wonderful! They worked so well with us and were patient in waiting for the treatments they received. On the international trips, it can sometimes be difficult to gage whether or not the people are happy you are there. Part of it is the language barrier and also just simply being unfamiliar with the care we are trying to provide. But in Cartagena, it was clear that they were very happy to

have us. Steven Kirby, USC class of 2014 and a current AYUDA student director said, The people of Colombia were so grateful for the work that we did for them. There were several times that I can recall when the patients treatment was finished and they gave both the operator and the assistant a huge embrace to show their appreciation.

When a service is appreciated, it makes giving the service that much more meaningful.
After 4 long but amazing days working in the clinic filled with excitement, fear, and relief, we were all able to reflect back on what we had accomplished. We had treated 845 patients with varying treatments ranging from composite, amalgam, pulpotomies and stainless steel crowns, root canals, cleanings, extractions and more for an estimated value of $208,000. These treatments and the education they received will hopefully give the children and adults a reason to care for and improve their oral hygiene. At our traditional

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AYUDA
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - --AYUDA banquet at the end of the trip, it was mentioned various times how special each one of the kids we treated were and that we truly helped them. One student went even farther to say that we were able to help them beyond the oral cavity. Tyler Whitehead, USC class of 2014 said, the restorations we place may not last forever, but the memory of AYUDA coming all the way from North America to help them will never be forgotten. It is our hope that even beyond the dental work we did, we were good examples to the children and that they can remember that example some day to inspire them to continue in school and go on to become good members of their community. A special thanks goes out to all the dental students, hygienists, dentists, and volunteers. Together, we were able to make this trip one of the most memorable of all time! Volunteers and generous sponsors make the services of AYUDA possible. As a private non-profit humanitarian dental and educational organization, AYUDAs mission is to be actively engaged in and dedicated to improving and sustaining the oral health and social betterment of all underserved areas by providing assistance through treatment and training both within the United States and abroad. Today, teams of dentists, dental students, and volunteers travel at their own expense to treat and educate a multitude of deserving people in Belize, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Mexico, Chile, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Russia, Ukraine, Cambodia, and Kenya. To date, AYUDA clinics have treated over 213,000 patients. These projects which influence hundreds of thousands throughout the world are all supported by generous individuals and organizations, which make the services of AYUDA possible. To donate, please visit www.ayudadentaloutreach.org or email ayudatrojans@gmail.com.

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Class of 2013: NBDE Part 1 Success!

Cecilia Liu, 2013 During the summer of 2011, the Class of 2013 struck a deal with Dean Sadan If 90% of the class could pass the NBDE Part I on the first attempt, a huge party would be thrown in celebration. How huge? Nobody knew, except for Dean Sadan. After months of studying and hard work, our class delivered with a 92% first-time passing rate. On the night of March 6, 2012, the Class of 2013 celebrated with an exclusive event at the famous Edison lounge in downtown Los Angeles. Dean Sadan reserved the entire lounge just for our class and it was definitely a night to remember. With a fully stocked open bar, delicious hors doeuvres, and transportation to and from the event, our celebration couldnt do anything but make those who couldnt be there jealous. We kept our end of the deal, but Dean Sadan definitely delivered with an event that by far exceeded anyones expectations. Thank you once again, Dean Sadan, from the Class of 2013 for giving us an opportunity to celebrate with our fellow classmates and administration!

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LUCY HOBBS
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Lucy Hobbs Taylor Society Walks To Fight Womens Cancers

Nicole Ranney, 2014 On May 12th, members of the Lucy Hobbs Taylor Society, including faculty advisor, Dr. Michelle Ikoma, participated in the EIF Revlon Run/Walk for Women. The purpose of this walk, and the organization itself, is to raise funds that will help support the fight against womens cancer. Their website states that the donations help to support cutting-edge womens cancer research, help provide diagnostic treatment services for medically under-served women, and deliver psycho-social services and financial support to women with cancer and their respective families. Since 1994, these events have raised over $60 million dollars to benefit the fight against womens cancers. Although many of us woke up earlier than we normally would have on any given Saturday morning, we knew it was for a good cause- one that would save womens lives. With over 40,000 people participating in this event, including celebrities Halle Berry, Mario Lopez, and Stacy Keibler, the positivity and excitement was overwhelming. The 5K walking/running course spanned the USC campus and its surroundings, leading participants into the Coliseum stadium, greated with refreshments and a live band. This was not only a walk for a great cause, but as Lucy Hobbs Taylor society members we are able to say we made a difference in the fight against womens cancers. The Lucy Hobbs Taylor Society, also known as LHTS, is an organization named after the first female dentist. The club works to promote women in dentistry by creating a cohesive network of USC students who can offer support and friendship to one another. The society involves a big sister-little sister mentoring program concept, to link first year female dental students with upper-class women for sharing advice and promoting camaraderie.

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PDSA
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A Sneak Peek: Persian Dental Student Association

Negar Sadeghein and Sara Hamed, 2014 The Persian Dental Student Association of Ostrow School of Dentistry is a non-political voluntary student organization whose objective is to sponsor social and cultural activities as well as public health events. The Persian Dental Student Association (PDSA) was founded in 2009 and has been active since. We hold activities that promote an understanding of our culture. They also help foster friendships among our students and faculty, and provide a source of union and support for the community at USCSD. Our organization is an officially recognized by the University of Southern California. The major goal of our organization is to unify the Iranian dental students regardless of their religious and political interests, and familiarize the USC community with Persian culture. We bring the growing community
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of dental students closer together through exchange of knowledge, ideas, and forming new alliances with other Iranian-American dental student organizations across the nation. Some of our annual activities and events are career planning and networking events, lunch and learn topics in office management and business operation fundamentals, improving and strengthening our organization, fundraising, cultural activities and shows, and volunteering. The last event we held was during the spring semester for our Persian New Year, Norouz. Norouz marks the first day of spring and the beginning of the year in Iranian calendar. It is celebrated on the day of the astronomical Northward equinox.During the event, which was held on March 19, 2012, we set a traditional haft-seen and served Persian food. We had a great turn out of students and faculty.

The ASB Articulator

CDA
------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------(continued from page 1) After a tasty pizza lunch, the students were assembled in the dental hygiene clinic. An impression of each students maxillary arch was obtained and a cast was made for the students to take home. They loved to see how their own teeth appeared, but they were most impressed with how unique each cast was. They spent some time comparing their cast to their classmates casts.

In the first activity, the students used high-speed hand pieces to prepare plastic teeth. They were then able to restore the teeth with composite. The students were inquisitive with each step of the process and loved to use the hand pieces.

Overall, the day was filled excitement and discovery. It was amazing to hear each students goals for the future and even more amazing to hear that some of them included dentistry.

Next, the students were guided through the process of carving a tooth out of wax. Their artistic skills were evident. One student, an aspiring artist, was thrilled by the possibility of using her passion for art to pursue a career in dentistry.

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The ASB Articulator