Greetings from your Chapter President! Congratulations on making it through another semester at BCD! Your ASDA chapter leadership has been hard at work this semester trying to help you get the most out of your membership. I hope you have had an opportunity to par-ticipate in our campus-wide events such as our vendor fair, the Back-to-School Volleyball social, to D1 waxing tutorials, community service opportunities, and others. Our chapter has also been involved with organized den-tistry off of our campus with partnerships with the Dallas County Dental Society, TDA Student

by Allie Lossing, Baylor ‘14

Vol 1 | Issue 1Fall 2013

The

NewsletterBaylor BridgeThe

organization, and ASDA national leadership. As a chapter, we hope that we can continue

to open doors and create opportunities for students to get involved with organized dentistry. For the upcoming semester we have plans for more vendor fairs, lunch & learns, collaborations with other ASDA chapters nation-ally, and much more. To keep up with these and other chapter activities, like us on facebook and check out our website bcdasda.org. We want your voice to be heard! If you have any ideas on how your ASDA chapter could

better serve our student body, contact us via the website. Enjoy your Holiday break, you’ve earned it!

In this IssueChampioning dental advocacy

ASDA National Leadership Conference

Making the most of your Tri-partite membership

Upcoming ASDA Events

Fall ASDA Events Recap

Championing Dental Advocacy by Baylor ASDA Legislative Liaison Committee

Amidst the disarray of federal health-

care reform, the American Dental Association

(ADA) remains steadfast in its commitment

to support the future of oral healthcare. As

unwavering advocates for dental health, the

ADA has maintained lobbying activities aimed at

impressing the importance of dental health to

Congressional members.

Successful in their struggle, the ADA

has succeeded in advocating for the passage of

numerous bills and policies which advance den-

tal health in America. As quoted from the Wall

Street Journal, “the American Dental Associa-

tion is one of the most influential trade lobbies

in the country Committee (ADPAC) is a “heavy

hitter on the Washington political scene Action

Committee (ADPAC), the largest dental related

political action committee in Washington, DC,

has worked to advance the dental profession by

educating and supporting members of Congress

who understand the link between oral health

and overall health. At a time when debates

on progressive healthcare reform occur daily,

educated voices are required for supporting

the successful future of oral healthcare. Without

a voice in politics, the dental profession is de-

fenseless when it comes to crippling legislation

and healthcare laws. “If you’re not at the table,

you’re on the menu,” relates Mike Graham, Se-

nior Vice Preåsident of Government and Public

Affairs at the ADA.

Currently, Senator Bernie Sanders

(D-VT) has introduced a bill to reform dentistry

in America. Titled “The Comprehensive Dental

Reform Act of 2013,” this bill is aimed at solving

issues related to access to dental care. Focusing

on five main agendas (coverage, access points,

workforce, education and research), this bill

institutes many new initiatives within dental

healthcare. Among the initiatives, extend-

ing comprehensive coverage to all Medicare,

Medicaid, and VA beneficiaries, as well as

including dental services as an essential benefit

of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), are

a few of the bill’s answers to increase access

to dental care. With regards to increasing the

dental workforce, some of the bill’s strategies

concentrate on creating a federal oral health

professional student loan program, to help

with the obstacle of student debt burden, as

well as authorizing various scholarships and

loan repayment plans for practicing dentistry in

underserved communities.

The ADA submitted a seven-page

letter to Senator Sanders, thanking him for his

efforts to help “break down the barrier that

impedes tens of millions of Americans from

receiving regular dental care.”

Although not entirely supported

by the ADA, Sanders’ bill contains “many provi-

sions” which are “enthusiastically” supported.

The ADA also included recommendations for

further improvements, and recognized that

the access to dental care issue is a “multifac-

eted problem.”

With over 160,000 members, the

ADA has a strong voice in championing dental

advocacy on Capitol Hill. Likewise, the ADPAC

maintains effective efforts in its agenda, due to

its active membership. Both organizations are

open to student membership, and although

auto-enrollment at the TAMU Baylor College

of Dentistry places its students in ADA student

membership, ADPAC student membership

requires additional efforts. An ADPAC student

membership drive will occur during the up-

coming spring semester, and ADPAC student

membership will be available for only $5. As

ASDA and ADA members and future dentists,

all TAMBCD students are encouraged to join

ADPAC and help make dentistry’s voice heard

in Washington, DC.

Legislative committee members: Taylor Koren, Katelyn Kennedy, Stephanie Ganter, and Neema Dad

2013 ASDA National Leadership Conference Recap ASDA’s National Leadership Conference

focuses on helping students learn about

leadership and bridging the gap between

school and the real world. Through inspira-

tional keynote speakers and informational

breakout sessions, this conference offers

students a chance to develop personally

and professionally. The various track pro-

grams at the conference included: 1) ASDA

and Organized Dentistry, 2) Career Plan-

ning and Business Leadership, 3) Advocacy,

Politics, and Professional Issues, and 4)

Chapter Leadership and Management. One

of the keynote speeches that stuck with me

most was by Luke Williams, who is a profes-

sor at the New York University Stern School

of business. Professor Williams presented the

idea of “disruptive thinking.” Disruptive thinking

involves being creative and disregarding best

practices, which essentially are business clichés.

According to Professor Williams, we are enter-

ing a Disruptive Age where the richest areas of

growth are not the troubled aspects, but

rather the unbroken ones. For instance,

why buy-matching pairs of socks when

you can buy three socks none of which

match? Thinking disruptively means

making unreasonable provocations as

“nothing kills a new idea faster than com-

mon sense.” Professor Williams divided

disruptive thinking into three questions:

1) What can you invent?, 2)What can you

deny?, and 3) What can you scale? The

message he is making is one of cultural

change. It’s time we become creative

rather than conservative in our thinking

and challenge ourselves to be innovative,

entrepreneurial leaders.

by Neema Dad, Baylor ‘16

(left to right) Sara Mahmood (‘15), Katelynn Kennedy (‘15), and Neema Dad (‘16) at the 2013 ASDA National Leadership Conference in Chicago, IL

Fall 2013ASDA EventsBack 2 School Social

TMOM AmarilloVendor Fair

National Leadership Conference

Winter Clothing Drive

Spring Semester Baylor ASDA Events

Making the Most of Your Tripartite Membership What do you think of when you

hear the phrase, “Tripartite membership?” Our

ASDA dues include membership in national,

state, and local dental organizations. While

national organizations like the ADA grab the

headlines and have so much to offer, the other

two parts of our tripartite membership, the

Texas Dental Association (TDA) and the Dallas

County Dental Society (DCDS), may be under-

appreciated.

Membership in these local organizations

provides some of the most tangible benefits to

dental students.

To illustrate, I would like to high-

light a recent DCDS general membership

meeting and touch on a few key points that

are relevant to students. Specifically, these

meetings are convenient, a great way to meet

people, and provide an opportunity to expand

your dental horizons.

As dental students, our schedules

are crammed with lab, lecture, and clinic, and

it can be difficult to make time for additional

dental related activities outside of school.

DCDS meetings are scheduled and structured

to be as convenient as possible. Meetings are

held at the DCDS offices, which are a 20 – 30

minute drive from campus, and scrubs or

business casual are acceptable. An informal

reception kicks things off from 6 - 7pm, includ-

ing a catered dinner. The November meeting

was held in conjunction with the Dallas Indo-

American Dental Association, and attendees

were treated with a delicious spread of Indian

cuisine. A brief business meeting begins at

7pm and is followed by a presentation which

wraps up between 8 and 8:30 pm. It’s a unique

opportunity to have these meetings so close

and set up in a way that works with our school

schedules.

One of my experiences illustrates

how these meetings can be a great way to

meet people and network Before the meeting

I met a dentist who had recently retired from

a long career in the VA system. Later that

evening I reconnected with an old high school

classmate who happens to be a recent BCD

grad and is starting a position at the same VA

hospital that the previous dentist just retired

from! DCDS meetings create an excellent

environment to make new connections, and

among other things, students in attendance

are invited to stand at the beginning of the

meeting to be recognized as special guests.

Whether or not you plan on practicing in

Dallas, it makes sense to start locally when

building your dental network.

Attending DCDS meetings is also

a great way to expand your dental horizons.

Dentistry is a big world, and we can only be

exposed to so much of it in school. These

meetings offer up to date, CE quality presenta-

tions that are an excellent way to stay current

and get a taste of what else is out there. At

the November meeting an internationally

experienced periodontist, Dr. Kumar Vadivel,

presented Socket Grafting for General Dentists.

He offered his perspective on the best surgical

techniques and materials to preserve extrac-

tion sites and prepare them for implant place-

ment. Also, the business meeting is conducted

in parliamentary style, which is a great preview

of how you might see an ASDA or ADA annual

session operate.

Next time you hear the phrase

“tripartite membership,” reflect on how your

ASDA membership provides access to conve-

nient opportunities to network and expand

your dental horizons through organizations

such as the Dallas County Dental Society.

Find DCDS events listed on the TAMBCD ASDA

calendar(http://www.bcdasda.org/calendar/).

Learn more at www.dcds.org, or by contacting

Robbie Schaack (D4), TAMBCD ASDA liaison to

the DCDS.

Newsletter Editors:Phil Hurst, Public Relations ChairSara Mahmood, President-elect

by Phil Hurst, Baylor ‘16

1/29 Lunch & Learn: “Outsourcing Practice Management”, Heartland Dental, Stacey Smith and Nicole Lauer

1/30 – 2/1: Southwest Dental Conference

2/7 – 2/8: Houston TMOM

2/12 Lunch & Learn: “The Truth About Insurance”, Wallace Specialty Insurance, Topics Include: Types of insurance available to

dental professionals, what you need/don’t need and why

2/18: DCDS General Membership Meeting

2/26 – 3/1: ASDA Annual Session

3/26: Lunch & Learn: “What You Need to Know About Real Estate and Dental Space Advisors, The Reynolds Company

4/7 – 4/8: National Dental Student Lobby Day

4/23 Lunch & Learn: “Protecting and Defending Your License and Livelihood”, Fortress Insurance Company, Topics Include:

Risk Management, Dental Malpractice, Dental Board Compliance & Dental Board Complaints

*Dates for Vendor Fair and Annual Golf Tournament TBD*