by Cassidy Bummer

The full D9 crew

ASDA’s District 9 meeting was on in full force January 10-13 at the YMCA of the Rockies near Granby, CO. Students from Colorado and three Texas schools, along with a couple of visitors from Alabama, came together to network and attend a series of exceptional presentations from different professionals and sponsors. The weekend began with dinner, snow tubing, and ice skating sponsored by Pacific Dental. Many students that were not used to the cold, and disappointingly some that were, did not make it very long in the evening mountain temperatures. For those that toughed it out, relaxing rides down quickly turned into competitive races with Colorado’s own Jake Holtzmann coming out as the undeniable snow tubing champ.

The next morning, our presentation series was kicked off with a visit from the Aurora PD. Officer Nghiem shared her story of the challenges that came with being a five-foot tall woman making her way and proving herself in a male-dominated field. She joked about sharing a lot of the same clients with us by showing pictures of the “meth-mouth” that she deals with on a daily basis, causing a good laugh in the room. We even learned how to get out of a chokehold by popular demand as she wrapped up. After a day full of intriguing presentations, Heartland Dental sponsored a bowling night with appetizers, drinks, and pizza for all dental students. Obviously, not all dental students are bowling prodigies as finishing scores varied from a solid 32 to a 220.

The Colorado delegation

The majority of Sunday was a free day that students took full advantage of by going skiing at Winter Park, snowshoeing on the YMCA trails, and exploring the surrounding towns. Many people were full of excitement, as this would be their first time experiencing some of the winter activities. Unfortunately, we had one vehicle of these excited students that didn’t have quite as great of morning as the others—calling a tow truck to pull your car out of the ditch isn’t exactly the ideal morning. Luckily, everyone was okay and were good sports about the inevitable jokes they later received.

The session reconvened in the afternoon where students were made aware of generous fundraising options that Oral-B offers for ASDA chapters. Following Oral-B, the national ASDA vice president Khai Huang, presented on dental photography (Dr. DeLapp really missed out on that one). He gave pointers on what equipment to choose and used a student volunteer to show us how to take the beautiful pictures that we all admire from his Instagram page. The presentation series was wrapped up with an informational session on occurrence vs claims-made malpractice insurance policies by the session’s largest sponsor, MedPro. A pizza social followed as an opportunity to mingle with fellow students and sponsors.

Many Colorado students returned for classes on Monday, but a majority of the group stayed to get in an extra day of skiing and other mountain activities. Overall, the committee for putting on this year’s district meeting did an incredible job at putting on a fun and successful session.

About the Author

Cassidy Bummer is a second-year student at the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine. She grew up in rural Montana before attending college at Gonzaga University in Spokane, WA. Cassidy’s passion as a future dentist is to provide quality and accessible dentistry to the underserved communities of Northeastern Montana. In her free time, she enjoys fishing, hunting, traveling, hiking, and discovering new breweries.

by Shannon Galegher

Chicago: the city that brought America such renowned delicacies as deep-dish pizza, the Ferris wheel, and even Hugh Hefner’s original Playboy mansion. But unknown to me until recently, Chicago is also the home of the American Student Dental Association (ASDA), and its big brother, the American Dental Association. And so, in late October, over 800 bright-eyed dental students from all over the country descended upon the city for a weekend at the ASDA National Leadership Conference. Over 20 of those in attendance hailed from the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine. CO ASDA’s Madam President, Jillian Stacey, was proud of her robust herd, and we were honored to represent the school.

“Over 20 of those in attendance hailed from the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine”

The conference began on a Friday morning in November with “The Buried Life” star Ben Nemtin, one of four friends on a quest to complete the ultimate bucket list, living life with “no ragrets.” After the keynote speaker, the rest of the weekend was filled with 45-minute break-out sessions and students had their pick of many topics. Each session fit into a category relevant to the development of young dentists and the field as a whole. They included career planning, cutting edge technology (think lasers and 3D printing!), leadership fundamentals, personal development and wellness, and advocacy (think dental insurance – oofda). [Definition: Oofda, also uffda. Midwestern exclamation meaning almost whatever you want it to, but most commonly ‘oh boy.’]

Some of the sessions expanded on subjects discussed in dental school, like fluoride. It’s used to fortify your water, decrease prevalence of cavities, and is supported by years of research. “Now that’s what I call high quality H2O.” Other sessions dove into ideas that are not predominantly discussed in dental school. We learn to be clinicians, not politicians or business owners, but a dentist can wear many hats. We may be versed in advocacy issues like insurance and licensure, as well as providing awareness and advising on additional products outside of the dental office. Discussing topics such as these are just the start of why myself and my peers trekked to Chicago to hear speakers share their “floss-ophies” on all things dentistry.

“Dental students have fun too”

Now, you might be thinking, ‘Surely you didn’t go all the way to Chicago just to sit in a conference hall for three days??’ And I would promise you that no, dental students have fun too. “And don’t call me Shirley”. My favorite evening adventure was the multilevel yacht that sailed many of the attendees, in their best Halloween costumes, around Chicago’s Navy Pier. With the number of attendees, I thought, “you’re going to need a bigger boat”. We wined, and dined, and danced until we docked having met even more students from all across the country.

The next day was filled with more sessions, my personal favorite being a student-led brainstorming session about fundraising ideas for our ASDA chapter. There may be a dental related spelling bee in our future with words such as xerostomia and sialodochoplasty. That evening we were costumed again, and one of our very own, second year Isabelle Rusden, won the costume contest as a very authentic looking Southwest flight attendant.

“Over the weekend we learned together, challenged one another, and continued to develop the skills it takes to be a dentist and a leader”

The weekend was both educational and entertaining. I was able to meet and collaborate with like-minded students from around the country and learn how their ASDA organizations and programs operate. I was inspired by the energy of the speakers, and the eagerness of my colleagues to absorb and implement our newfound knowledge. Over the weekend we learned together, challenged one another, and continued to develop the skills it takes to be a dentist and a leader. I would be pleased to “volunteer as tribute” to attend this conference again. Maybe I would even ride the Ferris “…Bueller…Bueller…” wheel.

For now, I would like to sincerely thank those who made it possible for our crew to attend the conference and provided me with the tools be the best dentist I can be. (And a special shout-out to our professor for allowing us to miss Friday class for the conference…thanks, Dr. “WIIIILLLSOOOON”!)

Did you recognize all of the movie quotes?

“No ragrets” – We’re the Millers (2013)

“Now that’s what I call high quality H2O” – Waterboy (1998)

“And don’t call me Shirley” – Airplane! (1980)

“You’re going to need a bigger boat” – Jaws (1975)

“Volunteer as tribute” – The Hunger Games (2012)

“…Bueller…Bueller…” – Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)

“WIIIILLLSOOOON” – Castaway (2000)

About the Author

Shannon Galegher is a second-year dental student at the University of Colorado and is the current Associate Fundraising Chair for Colorado ASDA. Originally from Thompson, North Dakota, she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Health and Medical Sciences from Minnesota State University Moorhead. In her free time, she enjoys watching movies to memorize new quotes, playing basketball with her classmates, and spending time with family and friends.

by Catherine Petty

Welcome to the Colorado Quickset! It’s a new year for Colorado ASDA, and I’ll be in charge of our blog for this term. I’m going to kick off the posts for this year by recapping my experience at the Executive Board retreat that we had just this past weekend.

I’m new to Colorado ASDA, but I’ve heard countless times that as an organization, we like to work hard and play hard. Retreat weekend certainly lived up to that reputation! We all met in what we were told was Jefferson, Colorado…but it was really the middle of nowhere. Our house had a beautiful view of the mountains during the day and breathtaking views of the stars at night. Naturally, with about 30 board members in attendance, the house was huge! I mean, I slept in a room with triple-decker bunk beds! There was plenty of room for all of our work and play.

Check out our cool cornhole pieces!

Friday night of the retreat consisted of group introductions and forming teams for various tournaments (cornhole, etc.) that we had on Saturday. My team name? Full Mouth Rehab, 40k (shoutout to Shannon, Jeremy, and Tyler). A group of us also tried to coax the limited Wi-Fi into letting us stream the Nuggets game, which went into quadruple overtime (!!!) and did not end in our favor. Somehow, I got coaxed into agreeing to a freezing cold jog the next morning. I pretend that altitude doesn’t affect me after a year in Colorado, but running at over 9,000 feet in Jefferson is absolutely different than running in the Mile High City. Thankfully, Health and Wellness Chair Sierra was ready to teach a relaxing yoga class when we returned.

            Most of Saturday’s activities were of the “work hard” variety. Madame President Jillian gave a presentation outlining her goals for the year and what ASDA means to her. We also heard from a few other board members before breaking up into our furcations to discuss specific goals and action plans. For me, that involved meeting with Sansriti, who will be running the CEJ this year (that’s The Colorado Extraoral Journal, our official newsletter), and president-elect Aaron, who is our furcation lead. After lunch, everyone came back together to recap their furcation goals and discuss how they planned to achieve them. We also heard from VP Tyler about DISC personality types and how to be intentional in working with each type. Finally, Aaron and Ty wrapped up the workday with how to give our ASDA “elevator pitch.”

            Saturday night consisted mostly of a giant Catch Phrase tournament and a bonfire. Regarding the former, I can’t remember the last time I laughed so hard! This weekend made me excited about what’s to come for Colorado ASDA this year. We’ve got some fantastic people on the board who are fired up and ready to achieve some really awesome things. Make sure to stay tuned to the blog and follow our social media to keep up with all of it! And as always, don’t hesitate to reach out to me if you’d like to be a contributor to the Colorado Quickset. :)

Facebook: Colorado ASDA

Instagram: @coloradoasda

About the Author

Catherine Petty is the Electronic Editor for Colorado ASDA and a current DS1. Originally from Stillwater, Oklahoma, she received a B.A. in Biology with a minor in Spanish from Clemson University. In her spare time, Catherine loves to hike, ski, and read.

1. It’s okay to take time for yourself

Going in to dental school we all are warned of the horrors of how difficult it is. How going to dental school is life encompassing. While these statements were not untrue. I felt that they were warnings that I should do nothing but school. My first semester I got groceries once a month, if I was lucky. I had a next to impossible time allowing myself to do anything but study. Looking back, spending that time on myself would not have only improved my grades but my overall health. As I progressed through school I started focusing on myself more. I tried kickboxing which to no surprise I was horrible at. I also started eating more than Chick-Fil-A daily.

1. Don’t Panic if you have no idea what you are doing

Starting off in sim clinic, taking your first impressions, dissecting a cadaver, these tasks can make it seem like you are learning in a different language. It is perfectly normal to not know what you are doing. If you are lucky enough to know what you are doing then good luck knowing if you are performing the lab work correctly. The Sunday night before Sim Clinic started I went in to sim clinic to practice placing rubber dams. It took 25 minutes to finally place an acceptable rubber dam. Looking back, I wish I had not panicked because of my lack of knowledge of all things dental. You will get there, at least that’s what I hear. You will learn and understand the information. Who knows you may even be the winner of the “rubber dam rodeo” in transition clinic.

1. Dental school is humbling

You will not do well on everything. We all got in to dental school because we care about our grades, our school work, and we may be slight perfectionists. In dental school, you must remember you cannot always be perfect, whether it’s a test or a lab assignment. There will be something you just aren’t good at the first, second, or maybe thirtieth time. While we are all accustomed to being top of the class and the best at everything you won’t be. Use this humbling experience to motivate you. Do not let a failure in dental school stop you. Use it to try twice as hard the next time, because you will be humbled. It’s part of the process. Learn from it.

Last weekend I flew from Denver to Albuquerque to visit my brother, Zach. He had just moved to Albuquerque to be with his finance. Zach is two years older than me and next October, I am honored to be able to stand shoulder to shoulder as he marries the woman of his dreams. I saw my brother just two months ago when we both happened to be passing through my hometown of Fountain, CO, but we had yet to do our annual brother’s only trip. In 2015, a family friend told us that her two sons, would meet once a year without the parents present. They started when they were both single and over the course of their lives, the meeting grew to incorporate new girlfriends, wives, and then kids. Today, the brother’s and their new families continue to meet up once a year, saving Thanksgiving and Christmas for larger family gatherings.

Zach and I grew up and have remained close over the last 24 years, when he initially welcomed me into his family. For our inaugural start in 2016, we backpacked in Lost Creek Wilderness, CO. We had an incredible experience and further bonded over the course of hiking 33 miles in two days. It was one of the first times that we had spent time together since we had finished college and although we both grew throughout our educations, we did not grow apart. We still knew the foundations that shaped each of us. No one else in this world can share in experiences like stealing a box of Oreos from the pantry and sitting in our dog’s house to indulge in those heavenly delights. I think subconsciously we knew the repercussion of our decision and started to make ourselves feel at home.

This year, with a busier schedule for both of us, we decided to play it a little more low-key and stick around Albuquerque. Zach had not spent more than a week in his new house and I was looking to escape the drama of my Denver house. Zach let me practice my dusty skill of driving stick, we picked some New Mexico peppers, which were roasted on the farm, and we ventured over to the Sandia Mountains to do what we are most passionate about. We laced up shoes, ditched the shirts and hit the dirt trails. Over the course of a few miles, we caught up on new jobs, semesters, girls, friends, homes and how our parents just got back from three weeks in Ireland and France. We also mentioned that because we both have interests in investment, it wouldn’t be long before the Brother’s Trip took us to a castle in Ireland. Between trying to match pitch to Josh Turner while cooking dinner and reading each other’s minds about splitting plates at restaurants, the best part about our weekend was simply being in the same room.

Zach with a pepper pail.

Dental school can be taxing on students and loved ones, but I implore everyone to take a moment to think about how they got into dental school. It is through the support of family and friends that we have made it this far and it is with their help that we will make it through. No matter how busy we might think we are, there is always time to appreciate and continue to enrich the relationships that are most meaningful to us. I value hanging out with friends, I rely on my parent’s advice for problems, but I look forward to my Annual Brother’s Trip the most.

Gabe and Zach.

In 2010 my friend Jordan bet me $43 that I couldn’t finish the mega-stack meal from the Coach House Restaurant in Coos Bay, Oregon. Two full racks of spicy ribs and a side of mashed potatoes later I was victorious, but also in the men’s room regretting my decision. In dental school, pride can be dangerous.  If achieving an ends causes you to become physically sick, maybe you should re-evaluate your goal of getting an A on the Radiology final.

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As a youngster, I didn’t know the difference between an alpaca and a llama.  Eventually I learned that llamas are much bigger and can be characterized by their long banana shaped ears.

In dental school, just because something looks the same, doesn’t mean it is the same.  The mandibular lateral incisors have incisal edges with banana shaped distolingual twists when compared to their mandibular central counterparts. The details are important, pay attention to them, especially if they are banana shaped.

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In elementary school, my favorite class was recess.

In dental school, my favorite class is playing Spike Ball at lunch. It’s important to find a balance between acing tests and acing your classmates with a rubber ball and net.

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In 8^th grade my middle school hosted a pig scramble in November. Nothing quite says Thanksgiving like running after a greased pig. I ran that unfortunate hog down, clutched it tight, and held on to receive my blue ribbon. Somehow still, this triumph didn’t land me a date to the 8^th grade graduation dance.

In dental school, your goals may be slippery and illusive, but if you hold on tight to them, you will eventually get a stable job in a respected profession. This however does not guarantee you will find a spouse. That takes actual charisma and a personality.

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One summer day, I was biking around town with a couple older grade-schoolers. After landing the jump successfully himself, one of the 5^th graders convinced me to try to jump a creek on my bike by saying “it will be fun and you’ll be cool”. With that compelling argument and a head full of steam, I soared directly into creek.

In dental school, upperclassmen provide you with lots of good advice. Listen to that advice. They also have some bad advice. Don’t listen to that advice. If you do, you may very will wind up in the middle of a creek.  Just because one person had success with a particular method doesn’t mean that it will work for you.  

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In high school, I wrote for the school newspaper.  There was one occasion where I was having serious writers block the night before a print deadline. I ended up writing a story about how my childhood experiences had helped me get through high school.  The article was mediocre but the art departments papier-mache masterpieces it contributed to were outstanding.

In dental school, when you have a print deadline for an ASDA blog and you have serious writers block, just go ahead and write an article about how your childhood experiences have helped you survive dental school.  Likely your blog will be a flop, but regardless, thank your readers for making it to the very end and just be internally thankful this blog is digital and your hard work won’t wind up a papier-mache parrot.

Sam doing cool stuff as a kid.

I can still vividly recall that fateful day in August of 2010, when my childhood dream of becoming a dentist finally came to fruition, graduating from Islamic International Dental College, Pakistan with a Bachelor of Dental Surgery degree. Like every other dental school graduate, I had worn my white coat many a times during the course of my studies, but donning one as a professional truly filled me with a sense of mission and pride. I was truly excited to become part of a noble system that provided care for people who silently suffered in pain under the presumption that dental health is only secondary. My determination was not only patient care, but to treat them with a sense of compassion, dignity and otherwise bring change to society through education and service. First venture outside the boundaries of dental school brought me to Pakistan Institute of Medical Science (PIMS), thinking what better place to start a career than a hospital with the largest dental department in the city. I was shocked to witness the state of disarray and utter chaos, when I was first introduced to the emergency room. Often illiterate and with minimal financial resources, these patients were usually referred to other departments for lab work, without adequate directions. I could personally feel their sense of vulnerability further heightened by such insensitive however unintentional treatment, from the very individuals that had taken the hippocratic oath.

Bound by crippling poverty and illetracy, dental care for the poor enmass in Pakistan has primarily been relegated to streetside dentists. Albeit a cheaper alternative, these quacks have exacerbated the spread of hepatitis and other bloodborne infections. See the links below, which provides an overview of the services administered by these street side quacks and their impact on the health of those with limited financial means.

Youtube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09XY0u0CQOM

BBC Article: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-25370775

My first week of contact, I remember attending to a middle-aged patient complaining of severe discomfort. Further examination revealed a self-cure acrylic prosthesis installed by one of these quack dentists, where the monomer had caused a hypersensitivity reaction, requiring a healing period followed up with fabrication of partial dentures. How could a person be allowed to endure such pain, only because they were unaware or lacked the means (whether financial or accessibility) for proper treatment? Anger eventually gave way to acceptance and I made it my goal to help those in need. Over the course of the next three years serving at public institutions in Pakistan, I witnessed several other incidents of this nature but instead of being demoralized, it gave me the strength and determination to continue my passion of helping those less fortunate.

Living in Pakistan, a country deeply mired in the clutches of corruption and violence has sowed in me the desire to effect major change in the way we manage healthcare for the needy. It must become a priority for all dental professionals including recent graduates, practicing professionals and industry veterans to actively organize and participate in dental awareness campaigns and advocate access to affordable healthcare and medication for the poor across all communities and nations alike.

Happy Summer to us! As we enter into the beginning of another year of dental school, I wanted to take some time to thank all of Colorado’s students for taking interest in the blog. This year I have goals to expand the audience of both our writers and readers. I envision CU to be a place of camaraderie and I believe we can start with the blog.

This year, the Blog’s mission displays, “The aim of the Colorado ASDA blog is to celebrate the diversity of the students and faculty here at CU. The hope of the blog is to inspire dental minds and attitudes in an enjoyable reading format.” Not only is the blog meant to collaborate on dental topics, but it is also aiming to shine on our accomplishments and stories outside of dentistry.

I hope you can all look forward to reading the Colorado ASDA blog in the coming months. We have so many exciting changes this year and we want you to be a part of them! You can expect an email in the coming weeks on how to apply to write for Colorado ASDA.

I also want to congratulate the incoming Class of 2021! I am excited to meet you all and I am sure my ASDA colleagues can say the same.

Best,

Sierra