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Hello Everyone!

Welcome to another year of James Cook University Dental Students Association’s ‘The Grind’ – and I

have to say, 2011 has proven to be hectic semester from day one. The year started as planned, with

the second years beginning their statistics intensive at the end of January, only to have it halted by

the arrival of Cyclone Yasi on February 3rd. While some students elected to stay in Cairns, travel

home or evacuate further from Yasi, we were lucky that Cairns remained relatively undamaged, and

that all of our students and their families remained safe.

Elections for JCUDSA were held in March this year, and we welcome the new members to our

student association. All of the committee members have been working hard behind the scenes in

their various areas since then, organising upcoming events, meeting with lecturers to discuss the

course, and working on the JCUDSA website. The new committee has also proposed changes to the

JCUDSA constitution this year - from 2011 onwards, elections for committee positions will be done in

the first three weeks of semester 2. These newly appointed students will shadow the students who

held their roles previously, who will then take over their role at the start of the new year. This is an

efficient way to ensure a smooth transition for students wishing to join the association.

This year also marks the opening of the new dental building, which was thankfully spared the wrath

of Yasi. We haven’t hesitated in taking advantage of the new amazing facilities we have, including

the new prosthodontic, microbiology and simulation laboratories and oral health clinic. The first

years have especially reaped the benefits of the new anatomy lab with cadavers kept onsite, which

has helped the anatomy learning process dramatically. Everyone has spent probably more hours

than they will publicly admit at the homerooms for late night study sessions, group assignment work

and general social interaction (oh, we’re a sad bunch of individuals...)

Highlights for this semester include O-week activities, the third year clinical experience, second year

school visits, the upcoming JCUDSA promotional dance video, and the recently highly successful

Australia’s Biggest Morning Tea. While we are currently at the end of the semester, approaching

exams and waiting in wings for the midyear break, everyone is keen to have some time off. Overall,

this semester has been incredibly rewarding, albeit busy, for everyone, and given the committee’s

plans for semester two, there are no signs of JCU Dentistry slowing down!

If you have any suggestions, issues or would like to contribute to ‘The Grind’, please email me at

louise.hanrahan@my.jcu.edu.au.

AUSTRALIAN DENTAL STUDENT ASSOCIATION (ADSA)

Yasi paused the year a little; however, it didn’t stop O-week going on in full swing, starting the

semester with events including Party Bus, our Freshers vs Fossils touch football game and a bus tour

throughout Cairns. These events, as well as a series of home group dinners, have successfully

introduced our new intake of students into our very close group of second and third years

To begin O-week, our dentistry mentors in second year did an excellent job of integrating the new

first years into the course. Walking tours throughout Cairns campus, as well as an extensive look

through the new dentistry building (which, for some of us, was the first look too!) in small groups

was a great way to break the ice with the new students. Feeling nostalgic for our first week as a part

of JCU dentistry, we answered a barrage of questions ranging from the subject workload, to how

terrible exams were, to what it was like to work in sim lab and if the placements in the uni breaks

were particularly hard to do. We assured them that first year would be a great experience for them,

as it had been for us, and that we were a support system they could rely on throughout the year

should they get stressed – whether it be advice on how to prepare during swotvac to who was

tutoring Chemistry and how soon they could start.

After the initial meeting of first years and, well, the rest of us, the next big event was the Fresher v

Fossils touch football game, played out at the university oval. It was a very enjoyable evening, with

most of the course tagging along to play or watch the games. While the second years put up a good

fight, the third years were (sadly) better, and won all of their games. The first years, however, did

put up a solid battle in both games, and should improve enough next year for a repeat of what was a

fantastic night. We all left a little grassy, muddy and sore, but after having such a successful night,

highly anticipating the remaining events of the week.

Party bus was a memorable experience for some of the cohort, and a great night for everyone who

attended. It was, really, an epic start to the year, leaving from the student lodge taking us to our first

point: Blue Sky Brewery in the city. From here, everyone got a little hazy, but a great night was had

by all, and for those in first year who were old enough to attend, it was an excellent way to integrate

with the second and third years. The bus stopped and started at the main party points in Cairns,

organised competitions for the group throughout the evening and left us to our own devices to finish

our night. I have yet to hear a bad report for the evening, though I can attest that a few people were

poorly the next morning.

Luckily, though, JCUDSA had foreseen this and organised a Hangover Breakfast at Trinity Beach. It

was a slow start to the day, with many people surviving on a few, if any, hours of sleep and clutching

bottles of water as they drove to the beach. Those who did make it enjoyed the hot breakfast

cooked by our volunteers, as well as a refreshing dip in the water to wake themselves up and begin

the last weekend off before semester one began.

I can definitely say that, despite the Yasi-delayed statistics course being held over O week, it was an

excellent start to the year and has set a high standard for O week events in years to come. I am

personally looking forward to more events such as these for the coming semester, as well as

suggested events for next year, including Dental Camp which sadly was cancelled this year. Our

major upcoming event for next semester is, of course, Dental Ball, to be held on September 17th this

year. This highly anticipated event is in its third year, and will be the biggest ball yet. The venue is yet

Events Of

2011

to be announced, and when we begin next semester our Social Committee will have plenty of

information regarding the evening. So, keep your ears open for more updates and your wallets ready

for tickets when they become available!

2011 is an exciting year for JCU Dentistry - the highly anticipated Dentistry building is finally open,

along with its new labs and clinic. It’s also the first time that third year students get to experience

the clinical environment, as they enter the JCU Clinic and the Oral Health Clinic on Sheridan Street.

At first, we were nervous about getting our first patients. We didn’t know what to expect: we knew

we had to take a medical history, then do some charting, but what after that? So many things were

going through our heads as we entered into our first clinical session. We had practiced on each other

prior to that, but it isn’t really the same as practicing on someone you don’t know. We found

ourselves racking our brains, trying to remember as much as we could from the last two years of

study to help us get through our first patient.

It was very exciting and nervous at the same time. It was great to finally be putting what we learnt

into practice. Initially, we had a few problems in the clinic, such as practicing one handed dentistry

and getting used to no having someone to help you chart or constantly guide you. But, as more and

more sessions went on, we became comfortable and eventually developed our own working rhythm

to go by. The supervisors and nurses have been fantastic - they’re always willing to lend a hand and

are very supportive.

Another of our clinical sessions this semester was working in the Oral Health Clinic on Sheridan

Street. It’s a Queensland Health clinic, where we each saw a patient needing a dental prosthesis

(being a denture or removable partial denture), developed a treatment plan and made them the

prosthesis they required. This aspect of our clinical experience has helped us improve our

prosthodontic skills, as well as helped us become familiar with working in the public health area.

So far, the clinical year has been a great experience for us. It is definitely exciting having patients and

putting things we’ve learnt over the last two years into practice. We’re lucky to have a new building

with great facilities and dentists, academics and staff to guide us.

-Jose Frias

Stories From Our Members

Clinical Experience

Early this semester, JCU Dentistry organised teams to play for the indoor cricket fundraiser held by

the JCU Student Association, sponsored by WESTPAC and hosted by Manunda Indoor Sports Centre.

Our team was called the LA Likers – though it’s beyond us how we got the name. Jono Aspinall,

Stuart Craig, Noy Gliksman, CJ Rickter, Madeleine Coleman, Stevie Dilley, Ryan Aspinall, Connor Craig

(not from dentistry) and myself made the team. There were a total of six teams, starting with us

divided into two pools of three teams. These three teams then played each other, and the top two

from each pool went into the semi's.

The LA Likers won their first two games, then beat Rob Guenbeck’s, head of the JCU Student

Association, team in the semi’s and eventually won the final against a team of young-uns called

Grilled. I was named player of the Tournament, with CJ named player of the final. Basically, it was

dentistry students running amok, winning each game by around or over 100 runs. The first game was

170 runs, them -70, us 98. It definitely helped that a few of us have played cricket before; though

Connor, Noy, Stevie and Maddie hadn't, they really improved to the stage that they were top scorers

in the final.

It was a really fun afternoon. Lots of run outs, stumpings, diving catches, epic sixers and a few girls

screaming when the ball got hammered at them. We’re looking forward to playing again next year,

and hopefully rounding up some more dentistry students for a couple of extra teams!

-Declan Collins

JCU Cricket Cup

Throughout this semester the second year students visited local primary schools for oral health

visits. The three Cairns primary schools we visited were recognised to have students from lower

socio-economic backgrounds. These were, Balaclava State School, Cairns West State School and

Paramatta State School. Before we began our visits, Principle Mike Hansen from Cairns West kindly

came to speak to us about the schools and students and what to expect. Mike Hansen speech was

very inspiring and was an appropriate and necessary introduction into the current situation at some

of the schools in Cairns.

The Bright Smiles Bright Futures program, designed by Colgate, also came to speak to us and gave us

oral health packs. We were equipped with toothbrushes, toothpaste, pamphlets on how to brush

your teeth, colouring in pages, booklets, sing-along songs and an interactive DVD of games and

cartoon clips to educate the children on oral hygiene. After receiving our kits and talking among our

allocated groups, many of us were rather excited to visit the schools.

Week One was a real eye-opener. Firstly, we did not expect the children to be so happy, excited and

welcoming towards us. It was refreshing to walk into a room of bright bubbly children and the

teachers were very helpful with behaviour management when it was (scarcely) needed. Secondly, on

a sadder note, we were surprised at the amount of decay that was visible in the students and quite a

few made comments to us about current dental pain and receiving extractions in the past.

Despite our formal attire, we quickly learnt that these children were very accepting of us and were

so excited to see us every week! In the second week, we brushed their teeth for the first time. Some

of the children seemed to have never used a tooth brush and there was a fair amount of “material”

produced once they began brushing. Over the weeks, there was a noticeable improvement on the

amount of “material” that was produced, which indicated that they were also brushing their teeth at

home. We also gave the children extra tooth brushes to take home and emphasised the individual

responsibility involved in brushing their teeth by themselves at home. As students, our main goal

was to teach kids how to brush their teeth and educate them on their oral health. With the in-class

exercises and the small group brushing sessions, we feel we achieved our goal.

Olivia Neate

Oral Health Visits to Local Primary Schools

On 1 May, the President and I ventured to Stoney Creek Falls for a bout of filming. These shots were

to form part of the promotional video for the Asia-Pacific Dental Students Association Congress,

which is to be held in Cairns next year.

Leaving behind the comforts of the President’s car, we trekked through the rainforest to find the

ideal waterfall. Any notions of a pleasant reconnection with nature were rudely dashed by my

incessant grumbling over the lack of foresight about the mosquito presence.

Upon reaching the fabled spot, we expeditiously set up the tripod and video camera, taking care not

to be lose our footing on the rocks and so be swept away by the rapids in that order. The President

proved to be a deft improviser, breaking off a branch which was swept away in front of the camera

as if the viewer had just discovered the waterfall.

Shooting wrapped up with the President taking a plunge into a pool from a zip-line. Whether or not

this shameless display of narcissism will make the final cut remains to be seen. Stay tuned.

-Anthony Ngu

Risking Limb and Neck with the President

Getting’ me clinical eye on, son

The President and the waterfall

JCUDSA is looking at producing a fun promo video for the school this project will involve dancing

acting and general shenanigans. This video will be used as an informal promotional video for JCU

Dentistry. It’s for prospective students, conferences that may be held at JCU (such as ADA Dental

Student Conference or Asia Pacific Conference) and for just general fun. An event was created earlier

this month to register interest and the responses were great. We currently have a working team of

60+ people keen to get involved. The storyboard has been written and it will be great! The story will

be revealed only to those who participate - to those who aren’t involved, you’ll just have to wait and

see.

The video is a dance music video format to the song Party Rock Anthem by LMFAO. Before filming

can occur, a few things need to be arranged. The video will require several groups of individuals or

groups of people to do little dance segments about 10-15 seconds. Please, let me know if you want

to do this so that we can begin planning for filming straight away!

There will be a big final choreographed piece in the last 20-30 seconds of the music video in which

we need everyone to participate in. The date of filming has not yet been established, but we are

planning to film early in week 1 or week 2 of semester 2. Only planning and organizing of individual

dancers and group dancers will occur this semester. No filming will be undertaken and rehearsal for

the end choreographed piece will be in next semester.

If you wish to partake in the choreographed piece let me know, our head choreographer is be Kate

Long in third year. The release date will be at the halfway dinner for the third years (around late July,

to which everyone can attend); if, due to post production, we can’t make that date or due to

changing of the halfway dinner, a release date sometime in early to mid August will be tried for.

It’s not too late to register interest for this project! Please, if you are interested let me know and we

will definitely find you a spot. We are mainly looking for people who want to partake in the video,

i.e. dancers, actors etc. There will be no signing involved, and you do not need to shuffle in the

video. You can dance any way you want: flailing of arms is acceptable, even swaying on the spot is

welcomed! So if you want more information just stop me in the foyer of the dent building or

wherever you see me, or email/facebook me. Better yet, check out the JCU Dentistry Facebook page

for more information.

We will be planning a meeting to which everyone who wants to participate should attend! The date

of this meeting will be released soon.

Regards,

Jose Frias.

News & Notices

JCUDSA Dance Video

The Tony Rotondo Memorial Lecture Series is the next upcoming dental conference. The conference

is to be held on the 10th and 11th of June at the Townsville Entertainment and Convention Centre.

JCUDSA has decided to partially sponsor six students to attend, with three of these positions

currently filled.

The conference weekend is in dedication of the late Tony Rotondo, who was greatly revered

amongst the north Queensland dental community. Dr Rotondo worked as a general dentist in

Ingham over forty years ago, and has been described by his peers as the definition of a true health

professional: a person who uses their skills and knowledge, even if it should inhibit their finances, for

the benefit of their patients. He was popularly acclaimed by his entire community for not only his

skills as a dentist, but also his contributions in helping others and protecting the community. He

mentored dentists throughout his years of work, and lived and practiced in Ingham. He rigorously

kept up with high professional standards until the day he died, which sadly occurred after seeing a

patient after-hours on a Saturday at his clinic. He was ahead of his time regarding dentistry, and

proved the misconception that small-town dentists are less skilled than those in large cities entirely

false. His work ethic, efficiency and standards surpassed most practicing dentists in major cities

during his years of practice. He was a truly humble, skilled and generous person whose priority was

always his patients and his community, and is someone we, as rural dental students, should look to

as a role model.

This year’s conference promises to be an exciting event with lectures provided by Townsville

orthodontist Dr Desmond Ong; periodontist Dr Gary Yip; endodontist Dr Matthew Filei; and

prosthodontist Dr Garald Clausen, all from Melbourne. These highly regarded specialists will be

presenting many interesting topics, including the Orthodontic perspective of compromised First

Permanent Molars; successful aesthetic outcomes in upper anterior replacements; immature

traumatized anterior teeth management; and dento-legal issues regarding implants, respectively.

It is hoped that the students that attend the conference will find the experience enriching, valuable

and that they increase their knowledge and interests in various areas of dentistry. The lecturers

presenting are especially knowledgeable in their fields, are highly respected in their specialties and

have lectured at other dental schools throughout Australia. JCUDSA would like to encourage

students to take hold of this amazing opportunity. Registration for students has been heavily

subsidized from $700 to $150. Registration will close soon, and further details are available from

www.toroconference.com.

The Tony Rotondo Memorial Lecture Series 2011

SPONSORS

Without sponsorship, JCUDSA would not be able to host events and sponsorship convention for

students. JCUDSA would like to warmly thank MIPS (Medical Indemnity Protection Society) for its

generous donations to JCUDSA and the James Cook University School of Dentistry for its ongoing

support. We greatly appreciate your support.

Remember, if you have any suggestions, issues or would like to contribute to ‘The Grind’, please

email me! Good luck with exams, and we’ll see you next semester!

Louise Hanrahan

Publications Officer

JCUDSA

Summary &

Thankyous