I was never much of a coffee drinker when I was younger, but this quickly changed once I got into dental school. Starting with the occasional cup on early mornings, it eventually progressed into a daily routine around Boards studying. I would set the coffee maker to brew the next morning at 6:45am so I could come upstairs to the smell of fresh-brewed, dark roast coffee. Most people—including myself—associate frequent coffee consumption with somewhat of a negative effect – especially esthetically. Staining of teeth and restorations are a common side effect of consistent coffee indulgence. Caffeine is an addictive substance, and can be responsible for withdrawals, producing symptoms such as fatigue and irritability. A person’s circadian rhythm can be affected, which can result in sleep disturbances. What I didn’t realize until reading an article last month in the Journal of the Academy of General Dentistry is that coffee has an incredible number of benefits, summarized as follows:

Liver: Coffee consumption is shown to be inversely related to the development of liver fibrosis. A European study done on over 500,000 men and women over the course of 11 years drew the conclusion that people who consume significant amounts of coffee (3+ cups per day) as opposed to very little (less than 1/2 cup per day) were 72% less likely to develop hepatocellular carcinoma.

Metabolism: Many studies have shown that people who consume coffee on a regular basis are 15-30% less likely to develop Type 2 diabetes.

Mind: The development of Parkinson disease is nearly 25% less likely in males who drink 4 cups of coffee per day, and 40% less likely in women who drink the same amount.

Cancer risk: The presence of chlorogenic acid, an antioxidant that repairs DNA, is likely to explain coffee’s protective effect against numerous cancers.

Heart health & strokes: A negative association has been discovered between coffee consumption and mortality due to heart disease and stroke. This is contradictory to coffee’s short-term side effects of increased heart rate and blood pressure, which is most likely due to the presence of chlorogenic acids and polyphenols.

Kidneys: Protective effects of the kidney associated with the consumption of moderate amounts of coffee, including increased efficiency of kidney filtration. ¹ 

While I’m not advocating for people to start drinking exorbitant amounts of coffee, it is nice to know the great benefits that it offers. More importantly, this is valuable information that we can bestow upon inquisitive patients when asked whether significant coffee consumption can be harmful. Patients will be excited to learn that coffee does more good than harm. So spread the good word on coffee consumption, and go enjoy those pumpkin spice lattes this October!

1. Sideman, L. M., K. N. Eckenrode, I.T. Bloom, & N. Bashirelahi. (2016). What every dentist should know about coffee. Academy of General Dentistry, 64(4). Retrieved from   http://www.agd.org/mtools/imis/contactmanagement/sign_in.aspx?returnurl=/mtools/lqpredirect.aspx&agdredirect= http://www.agd.org/publications-media/publications/general-dentistry/general-dentistry-archives.aspx.

You know that story that you hear from a friend of a friend that their friend was accepted into dental school days before the school year started? Well…that was me. And let me tell you…that was a complete disaster turned serendipitous blessing. However, let me rewind for a hot minute. I had a pre-December interview for CU (cue the excitement). Walking out of the interview, I thought I had nailed it. The interviewer even laughed during it, yet I eventually received the crushing news that I was waitlisted. If I didn’t get in, I wasn’t sure what I was going to do. At the time, I was working for AppleCare as their technology support specialist. I thought about taking a year off and continuing my work for Apple. This would give me ample time to improve my dental resume with more shadowing hours, retake the DAT, rewrite my personal statement, and attend various missions and outreach opportunities. However, on the Wednesday before Orientation Week, I was sitting in Pei Wei enjoying some Pad Thai when I got a call from Barbara telling me of my acceptance…I have never danced for joy as much as I did in Pei Wei at that very moment (and probably scarred some people with my horribly happy dance moves). My future was no longer uncertain! I packed up my entire house in the following two days and left for Colorado on a 16-hour drive from Arizona. Tack on a new apartment search, transportation, endless paperwork, and you can see why my life felt like COMPLETE CHAOS.

Fast-forward two weeks….

I was finally settled in and came to a realization that a mini life crisis had ended. I could now appreciate how amazing CU is and what I had to look forward to for four years. First of all, the campus is beautiful (from the classrooms to the grassy hangout areas). Everyone in my class is a gem, and the upperclassmen are extremely helpful with tips on how to succeed in different courses and wax labs. Thus far, I have learned so much academically – I’ve probably learned more information this month than I have from all of undergrad – and so much about myself. I have learned that my brain will absorb the most information between the hours of 8pm and midnight and that study groups do actually work. Over these next four years, I look forward to growing my involvement in and outside of the school. With all the constant studying, taking a break to volunteer, grab dinner, or even hangout in downtown Denver will definitely benefit the brain and give it a rest. This is a great place to call home right now.

Like many others, not everyone gets into the school of their choice on December 1^st, so I would say:

• Never give up. This is especially true with your personal statement – I can honestly say I went through at least five drafts, with two of those starting completely over. I would suggest asking different types of people (your acquaintance who knows everything about dentistry, your friend who obsesses over rap music, the tutor at your local library, etc.) to read your statement and ask for critical, honest feedback from their point of view. Variety is key. One more thing, I would advise you to not ask for feedback from your parents (at least I didn’t). They might not be the best choice to give you the blunt, constructive criticism you need.
• When people say that the hardest part is getting in, it is true. Once you are in, the faculty sincerely want you to succeed (one of my professors even offered us his lunch hour every day to come in for help for the exam).
• Life throws you curveballs, so take the risk and catch as many as you can. Be adaptable.
• Apply to the school you actually see yourself going to
• If you get waitlisted, write a letter of intent…or many (I wrote about five to Barbara. And yes, the admissions committee does actually read them. On my very first day of orientation, Barbara told me how excited she was for me because she knew how much I wanted it).

Good luck!

A few summers ago, my parents purchased a new German Shepherd puppy named Heidi. Heidi turned out to be a handful, as we soon learned that she was cleverer and more enthusiastic than any of our previous family dogs. For the next few months, we learned how to train a highly intelligent puppy to be obedient without being neurotic, to be playful without using her canine cuspids (ha, geddit?) to greet people, and to accept us into her “pack” (terminology used by the breeders themselves). As she grew, Heidi’s attention span doubled from about two seconds to four. In order to get Heidi to stay focused on learning how to sit, lay down, and heel, the breeders encouraged us to do two things: 1. Use little bits of hot dog as treats. 2. Keep the treats at our eye level and give Heidi the command, “EYES”, every time her attention slipped away to the endlessly more amusing pinecones in our backyard. The moments when Heidi successfully looked us in the eye before learning a new command, her success rate – and hot dog rewards – skyrocketed.

Having next to zero previous training working with patients, performing intraoral and extraoral exams, navigating Axium’s labyrinth, or staying afloat with lectures and lab work, second year of dental school is enough to make me feel uncannily like an untrained German Shepherd puppy. Dental school (the obedience training program) is meant to teach us dental pups how to be competent without overstepping our limitations, to be affable with patients without showing our frustrations, and eventually to be accepted into a highly respected and vital healthcare profession (our very own dental “pack”). As we graduate from first year to second year to third and fourth, our attention spans (hopefully) lengthen from about two hours to ten.

The analogy came full circle to me while listening to Dr. Sutton lecture: “Keep your eyes on me. That’s all you have to do. If you keep your eyes on mine, and your attention on what I’m doing, you will have no choice but to absorb at least eighty percent of what I’m saying. I just need your eyes.” At a time when everything we’re taught is new information and each tidbit could be beneficial for future success in clinic, I’ll gratefully take eighty percent of these dental school “hot dogs” – the skills that can lead to better patient care. While it’s easy to be distracted by fatigue, e-mails, Facebook (heaven forbid), and the Colorado Quickset blog during class, it’s just as easy to keep my eyes on the doctor standing at the front. The game gets easier still when I’m learning in the clinic setting -- undistracted by my shiny computer screen.

Whenever I find my focus slipping because I’ve been sitting in class for six straight hours, all I have to do is think of Heidi’s eyes looking up at me, eager to learn something new, and I am reminded how indispensable her attention is for her success. Attention is simple. If it works for a dog (who is undoubtedly smarter than I am), I trust that it can work for me too.

“Just do it already! Call him!” I say to myself as I pace around my apartment. I think back to my last conversation with J (I’ll shorten my patient’s name for the privacy savvy folk out there): “Have you done this before?” He asks this nervously. “Oh yes, absolutely, I’ve done a ton of these…you’re in good hands.” Sim Clinic counts, right? All the while, my inner voice is taunting me by calling me a phony. I practiced a more eloquent version of that line a few hundred times, anticipating this was going to be the natural progression of our conversation. As hard as I try the ol’ “fake it ‘til you make it” mantra, I am quite certain J knows that he is dealing with a newbie. The phone rings three times and goes to voicemail. I take a deep breath, my faux confidence dominating, and I leave my pre-rehearsed voicemail. Nailed it! All right, I think to myself, let’s try the cell phone. The phone rings once, and then goes straight to voicemail, and I am convinced he ignored my call. At this point, I am preparing myself to listen to another week of elated classmates talk about their first real patient experiences, and it will become increasingly difficult to feign excitement for them.

Exhaustion creeps in after checking my phone every thirty seconds for a return call, and I attempt to go to sleep—my phone just inches away from my pillow. At 7:00 AM, I am roused from sleep by the melodic sound of my ringtone and a surprisingly chipper man on the other end. “Hi, this is J! What floor are we on today!!?” In my head I am thinking, “WHY DIDN’T YOU ANSWER MY CALLS YESTERDAY!?” Restraining myself, I manage to say, “It’s nice to hear from you, J! We are on the second floor today. I hope you’re excited!” If you’re wondering…yes, I really did ask him if he’s excited.

Fortunately, the rest of the story is as smooth as a freshly polished composite. I did not prep the wrong tooth. I did not cause paresthesia. I did not cause a pulp exposure. I did not cut straight through his cheek with my #12 blade (a fun story an instructor likes to tell about a previous student). Instead, I broke my contacts, excavated caries, and filled that class II prep like a boss—all in only 2.5 hours of course!

Entering clinic has been absolutely terrifying, and I wish I could say I was the type of person to jump for joy at the thought of performing irreversible dental procedures on a human being for the first time. You know what I have learned though? It’s okay to be nervous. Unless you’re one of the lucky few whose mother, uncle, brother, or dog is a dentist and you’ve been prepping crowns since your 8^th birthday, understand that it’s okay to be nervous!

After a few weeks in clinic, this fear of the unknown has turned into excitement, and I love my clinical experience! There are so many more “firsts” to come while in dental school, and each time I will hear that inner voice (aka Dr. DeLapp) telling me to put on my “big girl pants” and go for it!

Dear Class of 2020,

Welcome to the big leagues! Now that you have weathered the long days and (hopefully) fun nights of Orientation Week, the real journey into dental school begins. I would like to offer a few bits of advice as you all navigate the starting blocks of first year.

1. Embrace your variety. The people in your class come from a diverse background. You’ll have those who come from dental dynasties and those who are blazing a brand new trail. You’ll have those who are undergoing a career change and those who are fresh off the college campus. You’ll have those who can speak three languages and those with a killer topspin serve. Everyone in your class has something unique to offer. It may not be obvious this month or this semester, but pay attention and everyone will surprise you at some point over the next few years. That’s the awesome thing about having a small class; you will make friends that you’ll have for the rest of your life.

2. Stop planning for the future. I know this is a difficult one. It’s easy at the beginning to get so caught up in all of the things you have looming in the distant future…a seemingly scary amount of finals, seeing your first patients in clinic, graduation, life as a practicing dentist, etc. Stop it. Live in the present. That’s not to say you should ignore future events altogether, but don’t be consumed by them. Enjoy your time as first years. Even if at times things seem irrelevant or tedious. You will be much less stressed if you take each challenge of dental school one day at a time. (And for the love of all things dental, do not start asking about Boards until at least January…)

3. Take a day off. Memorizing endless anatomy will get stressful, and exams will pile up. You will get tired of burning yourself with wax. You will get frustrated with some of the people around you. When that time hits, give yourself a mental break. Go fishing. Go to a movie. Go adopt a puppy (just kidding, don’t do this on a whim). Take the time to disconnect from school and stress. It’s that reset that is the key to success—not how many sleepless nights you can spend making flashcards.

4. Trial-by-fire is an excellent way to learn. You’ll quickly realize that with dentistry, what is applicable in lecture is limited. You can learn only so much be listening and visualizing. At some point, you just have to do. This can be a frustrating transition, but it’s a transition that will force you to grow and become a better dental student. And this is not just limited to getting your hand skills in lab. Go assist some upperclassmen in clinic. You may not be in the driver seat, but you will learn some lessons that the classroom will never teach you.

5. This is much more than just “school” or the beginning of a “career.” This is the rest of your life. Be extraordinary.

Cheers!

Your ASDA Electronic Editor,

Luke A. Harden

(Shoutout to the nine from Costa Rica '15 for the sand molar...see, you can have fun in dental school)

Oral hygiene is important--no matter how furry you may be. Happy Summer Break to all! --Milo, the Samoyed 

ALL LICENSURE PATHWAYS NOW ACCEPTED IN COLORADO FOLLOWING A STATE DENTAL BOARD POLICY AMENDMENT

DENVER, Colorado—The Colorado Dental Board voted to amend their licensure policy to accept all existing licensure pathways including all regional clinical examinations, PGY-1, hybrid-portfolio, and the OSCE.

ASDA has been working for some time now to make changes to the current licensure model that includes the use of live-patient exams. Little by little, steps have been taken in Colorado to ensure that this change would happen.

In 2013, DORA released a document as part of the Sunset Review stating that one of their top 3 “Key Recommendations” was to revise the clinical examination requirements for the state in order to allow acceptance of alternative licensure pathways including those that do not require a live patient.

In 2014, the state adopted new wording to the Dental Practice Act adding letter C to statute 12-35-119 (1) saying that the state will accept “other methodology, as determined by the board, designed to test the applicant’s clinical skills and knowledge, which may include residency and portfolio models” in lieu of a traditional live-patient clinical exam.

And lastly, just this year, the Colorado Dental Board amended their 1.A Clinical Examination policy to officially accept all existing licensure pathways in the US including all regional clinical examinations (ADEX administered by CITA and CDCA, CRDTS, SRTA, and WREB), the completion of a PGY-1 program or hybrid-portfolio model from the state or jurisdiction where licensure was originally obtained, and the Canadian OSCE for initial licensure, making Colorado the first state to make this change.

Here is what we know:

• You can take any regional clinical examination to apply for initial licensure in Colorado
• You can take the Canadian OSCE to apply for initial licensure in Colorado
• If you went to school in California and were licensed via the hybrid-portfolio model, you can now apply for licensure in Colorado
• If you went to school and were licensed in a state that accepts PGY-1 (a one-year residency), you can now apply for licensure in Colorado

Although some details are not known at this time, this is a huge step forward for licensure reform in the United States.

Stay tuned for updates and more information as we receive it. Get all the news first right here with Colorado ASDA on your number one advocacy blog—the Colorado Quickset.

At this point, you’ve probably discovered that dental school is much like drinking water from a fire hydrant. And, once you start studying for Part 1 Boards, you’ll realize why. To be entirely honest, there’s no way to feel completely prepared to take the exam—regardless of how hard you studied or how well you typically performed in your didactic classes, you’ll undoubtedly feel like you absolutely bombed it. This being said, the national pass rate is astronomically high. According to the ADA’s most recent release of testing data, only 6.3% of students failed in 2013. And, as rumor has it, CU’s pass rate is above the national average. So, to say the least, the odds are in your favor.

Format and Scoring:

The test’s format is pretty basic—a mere 400 multiple-choice questions. Although the questions are broken down into four categories (anatomical sciences, biochemistry/physiology, microbiology/pathology, and dental anatomy/occlusion), you will receive questions at random. In other words, you may have a question regarding the central incisor right after one on kidney pathology. Once you answer 200 questions, you will be rewarded with an optional one hour break—you may take as much of this as you desire. Your score is based off how many questions you answered correctly, and then it is scaled to account for differences in difficulty across exams. Although no one knows for certain, every exam is different, but similar questions do pop up between different versions.

It is rumored that a 55-60% percent score will suffice as a “passing” grade. That being said, the strategy in taking this test is very different from your typical dental exam—read on below to ensure you get that pass.

Studying tips:

• Start early
  • It’s always best to do a small amount of studying every day instead of saving it for the last few days before the test. Many of my classmates and I began about one month out. It is generally suggested that anywhere between three and five weeks is adequate, but this all depends on your individual studying style.
• Make a schedule
  • The more organized and diligent you are about setting and sticking to a schedule of studying, the less stress you will experience and the more likely you will pass.
  • If you’re using the decks, break them down into categories, doing a certain number of cards everyday.
  • Leave yourself the day before your exam to relax and do something fun!
  • Base your schedule and exam date off other exams for your didactic classes—it’s easy to forget about your day-to-day responsibilities!
  • Don’t reinvent the wheel—there are plenty of pre-made schedules floating around that are very easy to follow.
• Diversify your materials
  • There are typically two main sources of study material that students utilize—the Dental Boards Mastery App and the Dental Decks flash cards (from a variety of years). I highly suggest that you use both in some capacity.
  • Chose one source to read thoroughly—use the other simply as flashcards to gain exposure at a high volume.
• Study smarter, not harder
  • Remember—there’s truly no way to be completely prepared to take the exam. It’s important to realize that the test is extremely hard and that you will miss many questions—don’t overdo it! Understand it’s virtually impossible to get an A—all you need is to pass (actually, you won’t ever see your score)!
  • Focus on the high yield topics—dental anatomy/occlusion and general anatomy. These sections will make or break you—but if you know them well, you can almost guarantee passing. The categories of biochemistry/physiology and microbiology/pathology are so vast that developing a thorough understanding of every detail is unrealistic. Definitely study these topics, but only for surface-level understanding.
  • Implement the sandwich technique—start off with dental anatomy and general anatomy, move on to the lower yield topics, and finish with dental anatomy and general anatomy—this will give you double exposure to the high yield topics, while still making you familiar with the low yield topics.

A day in the life:

Below you will find a play-by-play of a typical day of boards studying:

7:00: Wake up, drink coffee

7:30-10:00—STUDY. Go through the Dental Boards Mastery App, reading thoroughly each card

10:00-12:00—Class

12:00-1:00—Lunch

1:00-3:00—Class

3:00-5:00—Workout or do something active

5:00-6:00—Eat Dinner

6:00-9:00—STUDY. Repeat the same cards from the morning, or use an alternate source as quick flash cards