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asda nyuVolunteering abroad for the first time

An ASDA member shares her experiences (pg 7)

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E Treating Your First PatientAdvice from Dr. Palatta

A Hospital, a Hurri-cane, and HopeASDA Philanthropy in ac-tion

Making a Difference in Manta, EcuadorASDA members on out-reach

NYSDA House of Del-egatesNYU Vice-President’s report

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NYSDA at NYUA Message from Dr. Weisfuse

New Dentist Conferece 2012A preview of what’s to come

“Do Good, Help the Ones in Need”An Interview with Dr. Ricardo

NYC Cupcake CrawlSometimes fermentable carbs are good for you

National Leadership Con-ference Photo Gallery

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Immediate Past President Jade Gan volun-teering at Sandy cleanup with Day of Hope

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The Post & Core is an ASDA NYU publication produced by:

NYU students playing soccer with chil-dren in Ecuador while on outreach

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Editor Laura MoonLM1843@nyu.edu

Assistant Editor Christine KimYK868@nyu.edu

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“Completing dental school takes HOW many years?!” is a response that I frequently receive after telling the curious that it takes a minimum of 4 years to acquire a degree as a Doctor of Dental Surgery. Yes, I explain, dental school is a long journey of continuing education that requires its students to quickly master unique and foreign knowledge and skills necessary to become successful dentists.

Sometimes, the learning process can be quickened with invention of a clever mnemonic, such as the one used for remembering what goes through fora-men ovale (hint: O.V.A.L.E.). Other times, we’re fortunate enough to be taught new methods that are intuitive and easy to learn – who can forget the “jiggle, jiggle, flick” modified bass technique? But, most of the time, it’s an uphill battle against a relentless avalanche of dense informa-tion and challenging clinical techniques that require time, patience, and practice-practice-practice. Treating and interacting with patients are skill sets that fall under the latter category.

Whether you’re a D1/D2 preparing to treat your first patient, or a D3/D4 with a rela-tively large amount of patient interactions logged in the books, Dr. Palatta provides some great insight into his first patient experience and passes on a handful of

helpful suggestions regarding how to bet-ter interact with your patients.

Dr. Palatta, Assistant Dean of Student Af-fairs at NYUCD, recalls his first memorable experience like it was yesterday. He was a third year dental student and the treat-ment involved scaling and root planning for 6 mandibular anterior teeth on a middle-aged African American woman. Upon examining the patient’s oral cavity, he immediately noticed a patchy distri-bution of pigmentation on the attached gingiva and suspected it to be associated with a systemic disease. As it turned out, his clinical professor informed him, they were benign melanin deposits that were of no clinical consequence.

Before starting, he applied anesthesia on the patient’s vestibule between the roots, so that she would feel very little to no sensation on the treated teeth. In a few minutes, he would begin to enjoy the unforgettable feeling of removing the

Treating Your First Patient

D1 Ryan Haig gets advice from Dean Palatta

by Ryan Haig (‘16)

(continued)

“The best thing to remem-ber, Dr. Palatta explains, is to put yourself in the patient’s position--physi-cally and psychologically”

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plaque “in large chunks”, one scrape at a time. This was a new, interesting, and REAL material to manipulate.

After successfully completing this procedure, Dr. Palatta thought to himself, “Wow, I’m really good at this dentistry thing!” However, the next patient was a reality check: this one required a maxillary posterior MO between two molars with tight contacts that involved bleeding, drool-

ing, slippery surfaces, pain, nearly choking on the sludge of dental materials, and water drift-ing around in the patient’s mouth. He just hap-

pened to get lucky with a fairly routine and simple first patient, as compared to the second one.

With that in mind, here are some pointers from Dr. Palatta regarding how to prepare for your next patient visit:

1. Understand your patient.The best thing to remember, Dr. Palatta explains, is to put yourself in the patient’s position – physically and psycho-logically. First, set some time aside to sit in your clinical chair and look around you for five to ten minutes. Does it look clean and presentable? Are there any objects placed around the chair that would be unsettling to a new pa-tient? Next, close your eyes and listen to what happens in your clinic. Is there a lot of talking that the patient could hear? Is there are lot of laughing? What do the instru-

ments sound like? Note the sites and sounds of your operatory and put yourself in the mindset of the patient.

2. Collect patient feedback. When your patients come in for their first visit, ask them for feedback from time to time during their treatment. It’s worth noting that there’s no need to ask how they are doing after every single time you scrape off calculus, but you should occasionally stop and ask, “how are we do-ing?” and wait for a response. It’s important to include the word “we” in the question since it will give the patient a sense of being part of a team. Also, inform them to “feel free to raise your hand or finger if you’d like to tell me anything.”

3. Educating the patient = Teamwork.In order to make the patients feel like they are a part of the treatment effort, try explaining the procedure in words that they can easily understand. Adapt your vocab-ulary to their level of healthy literacy. This will accomplish two things: a) it helps the patient understand (seek to be understood) why you’d like to continue with a specific treatment plan, thus relieving anxiety and establishing stakeholder support; and, b) it will improve your com-munication and treatment process by making it feel like a TEAM effort. Rather than saying “I’m going to perform an MO on #18 and #19”, show them what that looks like (i.e., using a typodont, drawing, or computer image), and be sure to explain the procedure in terms of “we” (“we’re go-ing to remove the cavities from these two lower molars”).

Remember – you can’t spell “treatment” without the word “team.”

First Patient (continued)

“It’s important to include the word ‘we’ in the ques-tion since it will give the patient a sense of being part of a team.”

After almost thirty years of serving the NYUCD community, Dean Anthony Palatta will be leav-ing to take a new position as the Senior Direc-tor for Educational Program Development at the American Dental Education Association in Washington D.C. ASDA NYU thanks Dean Pal-atta for his support and wishes him the best!

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(continued)

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A Hospital, A Hurricane,

And Hope

by Svetlana Musheyev (‘13)

There is a glass pavilion in the heart of Long Island

where Dr. Suess’s Cat in the Hat guards on the right. The Christmas trees are brightly deco-rated with blue, red and gold ornaments, and the waiting room looks like a sparkling holiday-themed display straight from Santa’s house. One would be surprised to know that this is the

lobby of Cohen Children’s Hospital of LIJ/ Northshore, whose motto “Let Hope Grow” is quite appropriate. For almost a decade, it has been selected as one of “Amer-ica’s Best Children’s Hospitals” by U.S. News and World Report. However, it is not only the excellent clinicians and state-of-the-art resources that create this high qual-ity hospital. The warm and caring environment at the hospital is truly unique and provides comfort to children and parents in their time of greatest need.

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“Slowly, as...things started returning to normal, we won-dered what more we could do to help those whose lives were affected by this tragedy.”

Having personally known some of the patients who were treated at the hospital, and hearing their touching stories, we were inspired to help support this hospital that is so dedicated to serving the special needs of their pediatric patients.

It was the Second Annual All Student-Run Fundraiser Gala that NYU ASDA put together. ASDA collaborated with American Den-tal Education Association (ADEA), Russian American Dental Asso-ciation (RADA), Pediatrics Club, Aesthetics Club, Marketing and Business Management (MBM), Xi Psi Phi (ZIPs), D1 Class Council, Community Service Club, Canadian Club, Technology in Dentistry Soci-ety, Chinese Students Dental Asso-ciation (CSDA), AP Students Dental Association (APSDA), Society of

Women in Dentistry, Alpha Ome-ga, and the Jewish Students Dental Association (JSDA). The NYU Col-lege of Dentistry also worked with the NYU Dental Hygiene Program, and NYU College of Nursing to put on this event. Together, all these student associations were helping make this glamorous event, to be

held in Manhattan’s Chelsea Man-or, a reality.

However, two weeks before the event, Hurricane Sandy devastated downtown Manhattan, flooding the roads, buildings and business-es, sparing no one in her path. The entire NYU community was affect-ed. Students were displaced from their homes as power and electric-ity was shut off. Many students even had homes in New Jersey and Brooklyn that were irrepara-bly damaged. The NYU Langone Medical Center, dental school, and downtown main campus shut down for more than a week.

In the aftermath of Sandy, how-ever, NYU students came together and reached out to those in need. Those with power invited fellow

Hope (continued)

(continued)

Linh Phan (‘13) and Vincent Scaringi (‘14) show off raffle tickets

Wilson Morocho (‘13), Parthiv Mehta (‘13), Alma Correia (‘13), Hans Hsu (‘13), Marina Kandkhorov (‘13), Fahtema Sadat (‘13)

Stefano Anthony (‘15), Cheryline Pezzullo (‘15), Simon Mosery (‘15), Tess Rebecka (‘15), Ashley Dubois (‘15), Michele Equinda, (‘15) and Kale

McMillan (‘15), Rob Hochberg (‘14)

Photos courtesy of Parthiv Mehta

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“We were thrilled to raise over $6,200 for the Children’s Hospital [and] the Hurricane Sandy Relief Fund.”

students and faculty into their homes, to charge their phones, share a meal, or spend the night. Students volunteered at shelters and the Rockaways with organiza-tions such as HopeNYC. One of our team leaders, Nicole Piasio, of the College of Nursing, helped orga-nize the volunteers to assist with the “Days of Hope” relief work. Slowly, as we came back to school and things started returning to normal, we wondered what more we could do to help those whose lives were affected by this trag-edy. Thus, a dual fundraiser was launched: the NYU Fundraiser Gala for the Cohen Children's Hospital and the American Red Cross Hur-ricane Sandy Relief Fund.

The evening was a spectacular success. Students and faculty from

the NYU community, as well as the Stony Brook, Tufts, and Columbia dental schools came out to sup-port these two causes. We were thrilled to raise over $6,200 for the Children’s Hospital as well as the Hurricane Sandy Relief Fund. Most importantly, the charity event allowed ASDA to engage people both inside and outside the NYU community to do service.

Dental school is a journey filled with ups and downs, from spend-ing hundreds of hours in pre-clinic cutting preps for a practical to the excitement of seeing your first patient. These are all things that are essential and necessary so that we become dedicated, skilled clinicians, but our dental careers are also about embracing our new found positions as members of

society who are greatly respected and looked to as role models. By giving back to the community, whether it be to a children’s hos-pital, to a disaster relief fund, a local soup kitchen or even a friend in need, we can be a part of some-thing bigger. We can come to-gether as a community to support great causes, using our talents to truly make a difference.

Hope (continued)

Martin Szczutkowski (‘14), Michelle Mirza (‘14), Nicole LaDuca (‘14), Rob Hoch berg (‘14), Jordan Klinkner (‘14), Michael Dyme (‘14)

Henry Truong (‘14), Vincent Scaringi (‘14), Mariel Petruk (‘14), David Lam (‘13), Philip Christie, Linh

Phan (‘13)

Srijana Pokhrel (‘14) and Andrew Ramirez (‘14)

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This charity event was made possible by our student leaders:Julia Niyazova, Svetlana Musheyev, Vincent Scaringi, Daniel Rubinshtein, Kristine Hassan, Lihn Phan, Nicole Piasio, Nathan Cain, Gautum Matta, Erez Cohen, Golda Erdfarb, Simon Mosery and Christine Dursanian.

With donated services from Brandon Rubinshtein & Jon Kaplan of WalkUsIn.com and Parthiv Mehta Photography

Thank you also to our sponsors: ASDA, ADEA, RADA, Kaplan, P&G, GC America, Ultradent, Wall Street Bath and Spa and Appetude.com

Our Platinum Sponsor: Dr. Zeck

And our Silver Sponsors: Dr. Wolff, Dr. Peltz, Dr. Studley, Dr. Ross, Dr. Weledniger, Dr. Rochlen, Dr. Ferriolo, Lev Yusupov, Greg Bangiyev, Rose Hagan, Catherine Clarence, Barbara Smith, and Sincere Jenkins.

Parthiv Mehta (‘13) and Gautam Matta (‘12)

Brandon Rubinshtein, Juliz Niyazova (‘13), Svetlana Musheyev (‘13), Kristine Hassan (‘13), Jon Kaplan

Photos courtesy of Parthiv Mehta

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Making a Difference in

ASDA member Sarah Prehn (‘14) went on her first international out-reach trip. For two weeks, she worked long days alongside NYU faculty and students treating patients in Manta, Ecuador. Al-though she had only been in clinic for a few months before going abroad, she found a multitude of op-portunities to bring relief to patients in need and increase her skills on site.

Manta, Ecuador

Sarah Prehn (‘14) performs an extraction of a badly abscessed #9 with assistance from Nikolay Levintov (‘13) and Dr. Rald Sadda

Photo courtesy of Sarah Prehn

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When I got the e-mail that I was accepted onto the out-reach to Manta, Ecuador, I had no idea what lay ahead. Stepping out of the airport in Guayaquil, I felt as though I had entered a whole new world. Many of the towns that we drove through were not really even towns, just a few buildings made of boards held together with a wish and a prayer. Along the way, we saw a family outside of their home waving at us. It was only 9 AM, yet the child in the family was eating a lollipop. I knew that we would have our work cut out there.

Entering the city of Manta, conditions seemed slightly better. The school that we would work at for the next week consisted of one large build-ing, with some smaller buildings surrounding it. Because of the barred windows, they all looked a bit like outdoor jail cells, but inside they had

electricity, running water, bathrooms, desks- everything that a classroom would need.

Regardless of the conditions, we were ready to do preliminary screen-ings are treat patients in the fields of operative dentistry, pediatrics, oral surgery, and endodontics. Our team

consisted of third and fourth year dental students, residents, faculty, deans, outreach managers and a photographer/videographer.

When one thinks about entering a dental clinic, they probably think of dental chairs, big lights, little sinks, etc. Our clinic was much more primi-tive than that. The patients sat in plas-tic lawn chairs and leaned their heads

back onto a stack of papers. All chil-dren, even older ones, were treated knee-to-knee. We had portable units for handpieces and suction, except for oral surgery in which the patients were instructed to spit.

Despite the temporary set-up, the people of Ecuador were to receive the same level of dental care and cleanli-ness that patients receive at NYUCD. All units were disinfected between each patient and the instruments were sterilized. No patient was treat-ed without a medical history, and no restoration was left unpolished. This could be pretty challenging, because not every member of the NYUCD team spokve Spanish-myself includ-ed- so there was often a language barrier. Also, we were performing dentistry upside down and back-wards. Since the patients placed their head back onto a table, we could not stand behind them. We had to hunch over and treat the patient from the

“No patient was treated without a medical his-tory, and no restoration was left unpolished...”

(continued)

Sarah Prehn (‘14), Rebekah Nguyen (‘13), Amanda Budiman (‘14), Dean Stuart Hirsch, Nikolay Levintov (‘13), Dr. Deborah Vargas Benitez, Dr. Maria Acerbo, Dr. Ross, Bobak Bakhshoudeh (‘13)

Photo courtesy of Sarah Prehn

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front or from the side, using loupes and headlamps to help us see. For me as a D3, this was quite an adven-ture- and took some getting used to!

All of the younger children in the school were treated, and preliminary data was taken as part of a research study. This data would allow NYUCD to come back in future years and see how their efforts toward the oral health of the children made a difference. Adult pa-tients were screened to determine their most pressing

dental need, and if we would be able to treat them. It was wonderful to see that some of the children and their parents had previous dental care. There were a few children with braces, and some even had tempo-rary or glass ionomer restorations. Many adults had old anterior composite restorations that they were hoping to have replaced. I had entered the trip think-ing that most operative dentistry would be on severe-ly decayed molars nearing pulpal exposure. However, if given a choice between a carious posterior tooth and replacement of an old, broken down anterior composite, over 80% of the adult patients chose the anterior tooth for treatment. There were many pa-tients who walked out thanking us because now they could give their friends and family a big smile.

Our team was treated like royalty in Ecuador. We stayed in one of the nicest hotels, ate three catered meals a day, and were even given a party in our honor on the last night. We all worked extremely hard from early morning until late at night to address the dental needs of the people, and felt very honored to be given such great accommodations in return.

As a D3 on the trip, everything was a little bit more challenging. It was harder to be accepted for the out-reach, my exams had to be rescheduled, and I had less clinical experience than the D4s. If you decide to go on an outreach as a third year student, the best advice I can give is to accept that you will need a little bit more help performing certain procedures, and to ask for it. I would like to extend a special round of thanks to Dean Hirsch and Dr. Raid Sadda for giving me great guid-ance in the fields of operative dentistry and oral sur-gery, respectively. I definitely left the trip feeling like I was a faster and more competent dentist, and the experience of helping so many people is something I will take with me forever.

Ecuador (continued)

“...the people of Ecuador were to receive the same level of dental care and cleanliness that pa-tients receive at NYUCD...”

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One of the classrooms converted into a temporary clinic

Children at the school coming out to thank the NYU Outreach team

Oral Surgery Clinic

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My first responsibility as the NYU ASDA Vice President was to attend the New York State Dental Association Annual House of Delegates from June 7-9th, 2012, at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City. It was a perfect introduction to Organized Dentistry and reinforced the importance of student involvement. Along with student representatives from Stony Brook, Columbia, and Buffalo, as well as the District 2 Trustee, I sat in on the House proceedings over the course of the Session. As an ASDA District, we are given one vote on the House floor, which attests to the idea that students do have a voice. I listened to the Delegates from the New York State local components discuss resolutions to the NYSDA bylaws. I also joined the New York County Dental Society Caucus, where the pros and cons of the proposed resolutions were weighed, and eventually voted upon on the House Floor.

Throughout the Session, many speakers discussed the importance of the ADA, ADPAC, community service opportunities, and many other topics. I became aware of the pressing issues affecting our profession and quickly came to see the influence of the people in the room in shaping the future of the dental profession. During the Session, I also attended the New Dentist Conference, which included various speakers, who provided a range of information and resources for students making the transition from university clinics to private practice. Finally, I attended several social events and the President’s Dinner Dance, where the incoming and outgoing presidents were honored. My attendance at the NYSDA House of Delegates allowed me to meet numerous representatives from all over New York State and appreciate the passion and dedication with which they serve our profession.

by Michele Equinda (‘15),

ASDA NYU Vice-President

NYSDA House of DelegatesJune, 2012

The Annual House of Delegates meeting is a prime example of the grassroots-style through which NYSDA governs itself and influences the dental profession. ASDA NYU’s Vice-President Michele Equinda (‘15) attended this year’s meeting as a student delegate.

Michele Equinda with conference attend-ees at the House of Delegates

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“As an ASDA Dis-trict, we are given

one vote on the House floor, which attests to the idea

that students do have a voice.”

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or NYSDA, as it is more commonly known.  NYSDA is the state portion of what we term a “tripartite” professional organization, the other 2 parts,

being our national American Dental Association, and our local component, which here in Manhattan, is called the New York County Dental Society.    The ADA is the professional association of dentists that fosters success of our diverse membership and advances the oral health of the public.  We work as a team to make decisions that are in the best interest of the profession.  We are your voice and your advocate.

The New York County Dental Society is the largest component in all of the ADA and is the one in which I have practiced and been an active participant throughout my career.  Each portion of our professional organization emphasizes differing activities in its multi-pronged approach to safeguarding our career investment and the oral health care of the population that we serve.    

I understand that through your Student Association fees, you automatically become an ASDA member. This is convenient in many ways, but sometimes, with all the things on your mind in Dental School, this automaticity may not lead to the involvement that can help build the information background you will need when you finally get out into the real world.  We are here to help you

understand our organization, which is linked to yours and what it stands for.

But some of you might be thinking at this point, ”Why is organized dentistry really important to me?”  It costs a lot to join, doesn’t it? I’m sure that many of you have significant loans as well as concerns regarding how you will buy your first practice, your first home, start a family, not to mention saving for retirement.  Most of life’s demands seem to have serious financial implications.Organized Dentistry Affects You.

There are many reasons why organized dentistry is important and will benefit you in your early years as a practitioner, as well as throughout your professional life. Our charges for membership are graduated during your first five years of practice—starting with no membership fee at all in your first year of practice, only becoming full fee in the fifth year of practice. And, even as students, you are soon to be entitled to participate in many New York County Dental Society Events.  For additional support our organization has many local New Dentist Committees poised to make your transition to an experienced dental professional as easy as possible.

However, I’ll start with something even more relevant to everyone [at NYUCD].

NYSDANew York State

Dental Association

Dr. Deborah Weisfuse, President of NYSDA, came to NYU on Oct. 11th, 2012 to speak to ASDA mem-bers about the importance of organized dentistry for dental students. The fol-lowing is an excerpt from her talk, which was given in conjunction with a pre-sentation by ADA liaison Dr. Steven Gounardes.

at NYUI bring warm greetings from the New York State Dental Association,

“But some of you might be thinking at this point, ‘why is organized dentistry really important to me?’”

(continued)

Photo courtesy of Heather Zanon12

Organized dentistry protects and affects dental education.  Right now, there are several applications filed with the ADA to open dental schools that are very different from the one that you attend. They deliver all the clinical components of dental education from community based health centers or hospitals.  The important point is that these institutions will not be academically based, have no research concerns, and will transition us to an emphasis on “drilling and filling.”  There are some influential educators that believe that this trend will lead to the elimination of the general dentist completely within the next generation.

You will be happy to hear that there are no proposals of this kind at present within New York, but NYSDA and the ADA are active in all arenas possible to protect our profession.

Last year the Center for Disease Control, known as the CDC, proposed to downgrade its division of Oral Health from a Division to a Branch within another Division.  This would have made oral health issues much less of a priority within the CDC, which is a policy leader in our national healthcare.  Our ADA leadership worked hard at the national level to reverse this.

[Also] last year, when the CDC issued their  “new” information on acceptable fluoride levels, a big uproar occurred in the New York City Council, where a bill was introduced to remove all fluoride from the city water sources.  This event, which could have had serious far reaching effects on our public, was largely unnoticed by the press, because NYSDA and your local New York

Component worked hard behind the scenes to cause the bill to be dropped in a quiet manner.

I am proud to note to you that through the efforts of the ADA, nine million more Americans have fluoridated water and its cavity prevention benefits than in 2008.  And additionally, on this topic, New York State Dental Association is gearing up for additional debate this year and instituted its first Fluoride Spokesperson training event,

“Through the efforts of the ADA, nine million more Americans have fluoridated water and its cavity prevention benefits than in 2008.”

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ASDA Vice-President Michele Equinda (‘15)

and President Andrew Ramirez (‘14) with

Dr. Weisfuse. NYSDA hosted a Happy Hour in December for NYU

students.

NYSDA (continued)

(continued)

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hosting one leader from each of our 13 components with professional training and information support this past June.

We monitor issues, keep membership informed, and protect and enhance the profession.

We are proud of four state advocacy achievements this year in Governor Cuomo’s budget. These include:

1. Preservation of adult dental services in the Medicaid Program that were deemed “Optional Health Services” in New York State.

2.  A provision for New York dentists to provide Smoking Cessation Treatment to Medicaid patients who demonstrate need. And, we have also just obtained on May 2, 2012 an opinion from the State Board of Dentistry verifying that Smoking Cessation is within the scope of practice of Dentistry, and that dentists may charge for this care throughout the state.

3. The budget has no proposal to expand the scope of practice of dental hygienists, which was proposed by the New York State Medicaid Redesign team appointed by the governor.

4. And for students, this budget establishes a primary Service Corps Loan Repayment where dentists can now get $32,000 per year loans returned by practicing in an underserved area. We also participate, through our New York State Dental Foundation, in many charitable

grants and projects.  We are currently working on setting up a state event known affectionately as MOM, or Missions of Mercy.   Once securely structured, this enormous community dentistry event will highly benefit the population we serve as well as our own standing within the greater healthcare community of New York State.  

I hope I have given you a dynamic picture of a very special and successful organization that works tirelessly on behalf of its membership and the population they serve.  [This is just] a tiny part of what we do.    

Your demographic is not one that naturally joins organizations and we need to overcome this natural inclination.  You need to understand that no matter what part of dentistry you choose to pursue, this organization we are discussing here today is an essential one for you to support with your membership.  The ADA works for the entire profession tirelessly.  It will become the organization you wish it to be, by your participation.  And if you cannot be involved, your membership support will allow others to do so on your behalf.  

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“You need to understand that no matter what part of dentistry you choose to pursue, this organization...is an essential one for you to support with your membership.”

Photos courtesy of Heather Zanon

NYSDA (continued)

Students net-worked with colleagues and NYSDA members at the NYSDA-hosted Happy Hour

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year’s New Dentist Conference kicked off in our nation’s capital with a brief introduction

to the event and a bit of history. The conference is neatly designed to provide great networking opportunities, continued education courses, social events, motivational speakers, and most importantly to hear what new dentists all over the country are going through! A “new dentist” is someone who has been out of dental school for no more than 10 years. The conference has a reputation of being the “most motivational dental meeting of the year” for new dentists. Friday’s agenda was divided in a few different tracks, to allow the attendees to pick a topic that appealed to them most. The topics included those in politics, hot topics in dentistry, doctor/patient communications, and training in parliamentary procedures. The day wrapped up with productive idea exchanges, and a round of questions by attendees to the panel of ADA’s district trustees, as well as the President and President-elect of the ADA.

It was one of the most amazing things to see how passionate the new dentists were about the future of their careers, licensure, the alternate workforce, finances, and more. Many shared each other’s problems, but some had very unique problems like licensure for international students, membership recruitment at local dental societies, and communicating with various cultural

dental associations. Whatever the case, the dentists were very proactive, engaged, and not afraid to come up to the microphone and challenge the speakers. Let’s not forget that dentists have a reputation of studying hard and partying harder! Friday’s agenda finished off with a reception at the hotel with refreshments and savory hors d’oeuvres (the raw tuna with asian pear was my favorite). This was a great opportunity to speak with new dentists and understand what recent dental school grads go through in their first years out, the challenges they face and

how they overcome them.

The night didn’t end there – our ADA New Dentist District 2 leaders (including VP Chris Salierno) took us out to a dinner at a local hot spot, where the night really kicked off (come to the next conference to find

out more for yourself!). Saturday’s agenda was structured around continued education (CE) courses divided between Management of Perio Patient, Practice Management, and Employee Embezzlement and Fraud. I went to the perio presentation delivered by the past president of American Academy of Periodontology, which was by far the best lecture/presentation I have ever been to. Dr. Samuel Low is a note worthy lecturer to see if you ever get a chance (hint: Furcations Furcations Furcations!). Sunday’s CE courses included Aesthetic and Restorative dentistry, practice management, patient interactions, and implants.

As a student you get a perspective of what happens once you graduate, what to look forward to, and what challenges lie ahead. At the same time you get to meet so many successful new dentist who are passionate about the profession. I wish more students have the chance to attend next year – this is one you don’t want to miss!

One of the many benefits of an ADA membership is the annual New Dentist Conference to help you transition from academia to the real world. What happens at the conference and what is it like? ASDA District 2 Legislative Liaison Alex Sadak attended the 2012 conference to give us a preview.

Alex Sadak is the ASDA District 2 Legislative Liaison for the 2012-2013 academic year. He is cur-rently a D3 at Stony Brook Univer-sity School of Dental Medicine.

New Dentist Conference 2012 in Washington D.C.

A Student’s Perspective

“The conference has a reputation of being the “most motivational dental meeting of the year” for new dentists.”

by Alex Sadak

This

When I started my clinical training, I had no idea what to expect. I am the first one in my family to go into the profession of dentistry. Dr. Bucklan, our director for the D1 pre-clinical course, told us that every once in a while there will be someone who is so amazing that when he/she picks up the drill, it is just an extension of his/her hand. A “Michelangelo,” he would say. I have never been a natural at anything but I naively thought that this time would be different. This was my big chance to shine! The first lab session came and I realized that, yet again, I would have to work on this a lot. So, I started coming in on my own time and practicing as many of us in dental school do. One Saturday afternoon, after practicing for hours in lab, I became really stressed. I got up, ready to give up and leave, but then a stranger in a dress shirt and a bow tie approached me. He said some-thing that to this day I cannot comprehend. “Who is this, what is he saying to me, and why is he saying it so fast?” I remember thinking. He sat me down and showed me how to do the class III I was having trouble with on tooth number 7, which up until that point, I had been doing with my head upside down and basically down the mannikin’s throat. That was how I met Dr. Ricardo Vanegas-Plata, who we all fondly know as Dr. Ricardo. Since then, Dr. Ricardo has been one of the most important people in my clinical education in dentistry. He has taught me how to do every-thing from simple restorations, to dentures, to crowns and bridges. I am definitely not the only one who received his help. He has spent count-less hours of his own time to assist hundreds of students throughout the years who needed the extra help. Ask anyone who knows him and they will tell you he’s energetic, passionate, and genuinely eager to help his students become the

best clinicians that they can be.Dr. Ricardo is now moving on, so I sat down with him to get a final interview before he leaves the NYUCD community.

How long have you been practicing dentistry?I graduated in December 7, 1983 from the Potificia Univerdad Javeriana. Since then I worked as a den-tist ‘till the same day I left my country. And how long have you been teaching at NYUCD?I was appointed NYUCD instructor in August of 2007.Why did you leave Colombia?Sadly and painfully, I was forced to leave my coun-try. Days before fleeing, I was savagely beaten by individuals who claimed to be a part of the Revolu-tionary Armed Forces of Colombia. They left me a document that constituted a serious threat of death to myself. I was opposed to the "social cleansing" in Colombia that included the murder of prostitutes, street children, homosexuals, and especially people living with HIV/AIDS. I worked as a dentist and an

P&CASDA NYU

“Do Good, Help the Ones in Need”

An Interview with Dr. Ricardo

By Armen Akopian (‘14)

15 Dr. Ricardo Vanegas-Plata with Class of 2012 students

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advocate for people living with HIV/AIDS since 1985. It seemed absurd to see how they died without being admitted or were cruelly rejected from medical and dental services. I helped these people with other doctors and public hospitals workers. I was not only a dentist for them, but also, I helped them take baths, shaved their emaciated faces, bought them food, and did all I could to help them so they could die with dignity. I remember helping and carrying the coffin to the cemetery of the people who had died of AIDS, just because their families, for the shame of having seen them die of AIDS, did not want to be identified with the dead. What was one experience that confirmed you that teaching was your passion?When I came to work here at the University, I was dying physically and did not believe in anything or anyone. I had just finished being subjected to medical treatment and it was a complete failure. I had my torso crossed by herpes, I was not laughing because my teeth were falling. I was losing my hair. I was losing weight rapidly. I had no hope and I saw no clear future. I also went through a terrible humilia-tion of filing for bankruptcy. I had no reason to fight, or for whom to fight. Then there you were, the students, distressed discouraged and in the failures of all students I found a reason to live. In January of the following year, I decided to start a new treatment and relive again. I owe my life to the students and devoted my life tirelessly to educate you all. At that moment, I discovered my passion for teaching.What is your favorite part about teaching?What I loved the most was seeing your smile after you learned to do a procedure or made something with your own hands. I loved seeing your confidence after you defeated frustration and intimidation.What is your teaching philosophy?My philosophy is to analyze what and why you do things imperfectly, to try to make you feel better or worse, to convince you that there are some things you should change including your attitude of being inept, and to wait for your smile after getting things done right. How do you find the time to come in on weekends and so many days when you’re not scheduled to be here? And why do you do it?I found long ago in the “Genesis 32:30-31” a motive to use my own time in favor of those who suffer or are in need. When I came here I saw student struggling in the labs after class hours, wasting their time and materials. I wanted to be there to guide you guys.

“You shall multiply your prayers,I shall no listen.Your hands are covered with blood,Wash, make yourselves clean.Take your wrong-doing out of my sight.Cease to do evil.Learn to do good,Search for justice,help the oppressed,be just to the orphan,plead for the widow.”My prayers are in the joy of teaching; I did it because the only way of doing good is sacrifice, and love. Any final advice for your little “grasshoppers?”Do good, help the ones in need, search for justice, and love your work.Thank you so much for your devotion, passion, time and patience. We’ve been lucky to have you by our side and we will not forget all your efforts to make us be the best we can be.

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Do Good (continued)

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Top: Dr. Plata with Class of 2015 studentsBottom: Dr. Plata with Class of 2014 students

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1. Magnolia Bakery (107 E 42nd St.): This was actually the first place I tried when I came to the city for my admissions interview on the recommendation of a doctor I worked for back in Florida. If it wasn’t for the crowds of stampeding tourists, this place could be my version of Christmas—All kinds of cakes, cupcakes, and sweet treats that look absolutely irresistible; especially the cakes, which are sliced to order so that they stay moist. However, for the price, my advice is to stay away from the cakes and cupcakes. Don’t get me wrong, they are delicious,

but the real winner for price to scrumptiousness ratio is the banana pudding. Get the large, trust me. It is basically an amazing blend of vanilla pudding, whipped cream, wafers, and bananas that makes me come back for more and stand in line when I obviously should be doing something else, like studying operative notes.

2. Butter Lane Bakery (240 E. 7th St.): I did not realize cupcakes were such a big thing in NYC, but this was a trend that I was not going to let pass me by. Next on the list was Butter Lane, which I tried with some classmates, one of whom buys four to six cupcakes at every visit like a champion. This charming little shop within walking distance of school specializes in cupcakes primarily. They don’t bother messing with other confectionaries. With a few batter types and numerous flavors of frosting to choose from, you can mix

and match however you like. I tried two different ones to find that the batter itself was nothing special. It was the frosting that won me over—so fluffy and light that store-bought Pillsbury Whipped Frosting should be ashamed. And as long as you’re there on 7th street, you might as well go to Big Gay Ice Cream Shop...

3. Big Gay Ice Cream Shop (125 E. 7th St.): Literally right next door to Butter Lane, this is some of the best soft-serve ice cream I’ve ever had. If the 6-foot unicorn painted on the wall isn’t enough to get you in the

NEW*YORK*CITYcupcake crawl

by Mariel Petruk (‘14)

(continued)

I have to admit that after one of those amazing exams that we all know, all I want is to eat my emotions away into a diabetic coma. I am pretty sure it is built into being a woman...or a dental student...or both. So in an attempt to be a hero, I took on the excruciatingly hard task of trying out some great places around the city to report back my scientific findings. You’re welcome.

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door, the specialty cones should be. I recommend for Big Gay novices the Salty Pimp, which holds a surprise to the taste buds in its sprinkled sea salt. From there, you can not go wrong with Nutella-lined waffle cones, dulce de leche (I’m biased towards favoring anything with this), Nilla wafers, and pretzel chunks. Seriously, go there. If your patient runs late and you do not have time for lunch you can rationalize Big Gay and Butter Lane all in one trip.

4. Sundaes and Cones (95 E. 10th St.): Speaking of ice cream...Sundaes and Cones will more than satisfy the inevitable craving that come when the beautiful spring weather arrives and all you want to do is sit outside on a little bench eating a freshly made waffle cone while gossiping for hours. The best thing about this place is the delectable aroma wafting through the air of waffle cones baking. Sundaes and Cones has enough flavors to try something exciting

every visit. According to their website, ”flavors range from the classics of Vanilla and Chocolate to the striking flavors of Wasabi, Ginger, Corn, Tiramisu and Black Sesame”; perfect to spice up an afternoon. They also make custom ice cream cakes, which must be out of this world, although I have yet to try them.

5. Crumbs Bake Shop (254 Park Ave.): This place can be overwhelming because there are so many choices. With cupcakes the size of footballs, I can barely finish one. I walked in the first time, wishing that each label came with a description, and asked the guy working the counter, “So what do you recommend?” He picked out his favorite for me, the Milkshake cupcake, which is described as “marble cake filled with vanilla cream cheese frosting mixed with chocolate sandwich cookie crumbs topped with vanilla cream cheese frosting and a chocolate cream cheese frosting swirl edged with chocolate crunchies.”

The cupcake batter itself was exceptional in every way—moist and rich beyond expectation. The only thing that I did not like was that the frosting inside the cupcake made the sweetness almost too much to handle. It was a lot of frosting, and mine happened to be vanilla, which is exceptionally decadent. Knowing the intensity of the cupcake content, I will probably vary the flavors next time. And definitely, these beast-like cupcakes are made to be shared with a classmate.

So that is all I have for now, though I am far from being done. There are still plenty of places I have on my To Try list, and I’m always looking for suggestions, or a partner to go try them with, so if you know a great place let me know! As for me, I think I need to spend some time in the gym until the next issue.

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“If your patient runs late and you do not have time for lunch, you can rationalize Big Gay and Butter Lane all in one trip.”

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cupcake (continued)

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P&CASDA NYU

ASDA NYU at the Nation-al Leadership

Conference 2012 inChicago

Photo Gallery

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