Dental Entrepreneur Woman - Summer 2022

Summer 2022

Driven by Passion Dr. Effie Habsha

The Myth of Core Values Fit Holly Anne Mitchell

Your Inner Gremlin Is Keeping You Stuck Dr. Jessica E. Metcalfe

Jonah's Journey Kandra Sellers

This is Human Trafficking Loren King

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Happy Summer, Dear DeWs!

Summer 2022 Editor and Publisher Anne M. Duffy, RDH Assistant Editor

Mary Fisher-Day Inspired Hygiene Patterson D5 Patterson Fuse

Julia Anabo Project Manager Kudakwashe Mhundwa Creative Consultant Beth Linesch Design and Layout Brian Rummel Production [CURAtive] James B. Kennedy Cover Photo Crown PhotoVideo Inc Summer Contributors Karen K. Daw Dr. Effie Habsha Loren King Dr. Erinne Kennedy Amber Lovatos Dr. Jessica E. Metcalfe Holly Anne Mitchell Dr. Linda C. Niessen Kandra Sellers Crystal Spring Lancette VanGuilder

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Marketing Redwood Designs Web Management Bhakti Kulmala Charter Sponsors A-dec Crest

Advisory Board Emeritus Linda Miles Advisors to the Board Victoria Peterson Katherine Eitel-Belt Board Deborah Carrier Dr. Meghna Dassani Cris Duval Vanessa Emerson Dee Fisher Dr. Hazel Glasper Suzanne Kump Tonya Lanthier Dr. Laura Mach JoAn Majors Samantha J Strain

Junior Board Christie Bailey Dr. Erinne Kennedy Minal Sampat Dr. Amisha Singh

Our goal for DeW Life is to create a society that is not built on competition but one that’s built on cooperation and collaboration. We are a community of relationships that support the personal and professional lives of women in dentistry. Living one's strengths is at the core of our foundation. Richard Rohr says, "Becoming who we really are is a matter of learning how to become more and more deeply connected." If one of us wins, we all win. This is quite evident in our cover story and the writings in our Summer edition. I hope you enjoy Summer DeW as much as I do, and will give yourself the gift of reading this issue cover to cover.

You know something extraordinary happens when two women connect with a like-minded initiative. Dr. Effie Habsha began her mission to raise women in our profession over twelve years ago, and when we discovered each other on social media, we knew we were meant to connect. Thank you, Dr. James Younger and Sarah Woods, for introducing us over Zoom. Effie immediately invited me to her "Pearls of Wisdom" conference in Toronto. Saying yes to Effie's invitation was the first step in building our relationship and realizing we are stronger together.

You will also notice that thread in Crystal & Lancette's, Amber’s, and Erinne & Linda Niesson's articles. Crystal ​​ Spring and Lancette VanGuilder share how they parlayed the synergy of their friendship into a business of elevating others. Amber Lovatos describes the importance of pride and perseverance.

Resilience is another theme. Karen Daw demonstrates how to conjure resilience from within. Kandra Sellers displays the self-determination necessary to champion a child with autism. And Loren King educates us on the powerful potential that dental teams have to identify and aid victims of human trafficking.

Dentistry provides a window into the lives of others. The ways in which we can leverage this view for the benefit of everyone continues to evolve. I thank all the authors in this edition for embracing this process and sharing their stories.

Enjoy!

Peace and love,

Editorial Office 12233 Pine Valley Club Dr Charlotte, NC 28277 704-953-0261 Fax 704-847-3315 anneduffy@dew.life Send materials to: DeW Life Magazine 8334 Pineville Matthews Rd Ste. 103-201 Charlotte, NC 28226 Guidelines go to dew.life

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Summer 2022 D e W e rs

Resilience

D eW D i s h

L i v i n g Y o u r St r en g t h s

Suc c e s

DeWERS

DRIVEN BY PASSION

By Effie Habsha, BSc, DDS

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hy do we need a group for women in dentistry?

Why not women and men in dentistry?

I am often asked these and similar questions when people are introduced to Women in Dentistry: Work. Life. Balance.

Let me be clear. I have a great appreciation and respect for men. Women in Dentistry (WiD) is not about suppressing the success of men or creating a world where all dentists are women. WiD was created to elevate and provide a platform for women in the dental field. The fact of the matter is that a disparity of gender still exists in dentistry today. Focusing on women in the dental industry creates a space for women to succeed.

I was born in Tel Aviv, Israel and moved with my family to Toronto, Canada at the age of four. I grew up in Toronto and remain here today. This is where I have grown my business and my family.

When we first moved to Canada, a friend of my father told him that you need to find three good professionals for your life in Canada: a doctor, a lawyer, and an accountant.

Fittingly, my father can now find these professionals in his children. I became a doctor, my older sister the accountant, and my younger sister the lawyer. Education was very important in my household, growing up. Encouragement was also plentiful.

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My father owned a hardware store and I worked with him there, learning how to be handy and fix things. I believe experiences such as this can be very beneficial for girls, showing them they are capable, and providing a way of developing those capabilities. These experiences for me have definitely contributed to my professional development.

One element of dentistry that appealed to me, as I was developing my professional path, is the combination of arts and sciences it provides. My interest in the health sciences was fulfilled and the manual aspect of dentistry served an artistic need.

Something else that made dentistry attractive to me was the ability to be my own boss. In creating a dental practice, I could set my own hours and make my career work for me. I did not have to cater to someone else’s directions, I could create those directions myself. I also believe this freedom of control is so important for female professionals, in concern to pregnancy and motherhood. I am a mother of four with a 20-year-old daughter, Eden, 17-year-old twin sons, Aaron and Jacob, and a 14-year-old son, Liam. As you can imagine, raising four children, my own journey of motherhood was demanding of my time. Being my own boss has allowed me to build a schedule that optimizes my time.

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DeWERS

The most fulfilling rewards I receive from being a prosthodontist and an entrepreneur are the connections I make with people and the stories of success that I hear.

The most fulfilling rewards I receive from being a prosthodontist and an entrepreneur are the connections I make with people and the stories of success that I hear.

When I can be even a small part of someone’s journey to success, it brings me joy. There are definitely different choices and paths in my profession that are available, ones with greater prestige or larger monetary rewards, but the human element is why I do what I do.

I became the first female prosthodontist in Toronto. I highlight this not to brag, but to demonstrate the meaning of this. To discuss the gender disparity in dentistry, it’s important to examine the statistics and also recognize the anomalies.

Mentorship Having a smart, talented mentor through my school and early career days imprinted on me the importance of mentorship for all. My mentor, Dr. George Zarb, not only taught me so much about dentistry and prosthodontics, but also instilled in me the significance of female mentorship and female leadership. Finding a woman as a mentor in the field, at that time, was not an option for me. Dr. Zarb used that experience to spark my curiosity for what it takes to eventually fill that role myself, and to encourage other women to grow into that role. My other influential mentor was Dr. Izchak Barzilay. Dr. Barzilay was one of my instructors in dental school and had a tremendous impact on my career in clinical practice.

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I joined his practice straight out of graduate school and have been working with him ever since.

I was fortunate to find a good fit for mentorship relatively easily. For others, it can be a longer process. It’s important to enter the mentor-mentee relationship with similar core values and a clear understanding of the mentee’s goals and the mentor’s experience.

In my experience as a mentor, this role is about helping to bring others up to mentorship, as well as providing guidance and support for the mentee.

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DeWERS

Elevating all women in the dental field Women in Dentistry: Work. Life. Balance (WiD) is dedicated to bringing together women to elevate, educate, connect, and empower women in the dental field. This network welcomes dentists, dental specialists, hygienists, assistants, office administrators, denturists, lab technicians, and women in the corporate dental industry who possess a passion for their respective fields and wish to share and learn from each other’s unique perspectives.

Through regular events and initiatives, both live and online, educational programs provide its members with clinically relevant content as well as content related to the business and social aspects of being a woman in the dental field.

The experiences of working toward a healthy balance between work and life resonates with many women, and therefore this community continues to grow. In fact, we now have a global reach. The group was established in Toronto and has opened chapters nationally and internationally to the US, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and it continues to expand to this day. Our leadership and mentorship programs have experienced great success.

Our mentorship program, spearheaded by Dr. Tracey Hendler, connects dental students and newly graduated dentists with experienced mentors. The program has no geographic borders and has paired hundreds of mentees with mentors internationally. The feedback from both the mentors and mentees has been extremely positive.

In 2020, our long-anticipated 10-year anniversary symposium was canceled due to COVID-19. My team and I took this time during the pandemic to pivot and develop the online digital platform. After a two-year hiatus from inperson events, we were able to celebrate the 12th annual symposium in Toronto, Canada on April 29th, 2022. This full-day symposium, Pearls of Wisdom for the Entire Clinical Practice, was curated with the entire dental team in mind. There were clinical lectures, treatment planning lectures, and health and wellness lectures in addition to a concurrent afternoon session specifically designed for team members. Along with the many talented female speakers, one of Canada’s most powerful and influential lawyers and author of the memoir Nothing but the Truth, Ms. Marie Henein gave an inspiring keynote address. The extremely successful symposium was very well attended, and DeW’s very own Anne Duffy graciously showed her support for WiD by attending.

@womensdentistry.

About the author: Dr. Effie Habsha, BSc, DDS, Dip. Prostho., MSc, FRCD(C) Dr. Habsha is a Prosthodontist at Prosthodontic Associates and Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Department of Dentistry, Eastman Institute for Oral Health at the University of Rochester, former Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto and Professor at George Brown College.

She is a fellow and examiner of the Royal College of Dentists of Canada (RCDC), and an Associate Fellow of the Academy of Prosthodontics, Greater New York Academy of Prosthodontics and Fellow of The Pierre Fauchard Academy.

I’m thrilled to have such a wonderful and supportive team at WiD that shares my passion for making a difference in the world of dentistry. It’s greatly fulfilling to continue this work on an increasing scale.

More information can be found on womensdentistry.com and through their Instagram and Facebook accounts

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DeW Dish

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LISA MA, DMD www.waterlakefamilydentistry.com

What obstacles have you overcome in your career?

So many! Over the course of my career, patients have said that I look young, which can sometimes equate to inexperience. I’ve had to demonstrate my skill set and display my confidence to overcome age bias. Recently, building and opening up my new dental office during the pandemic and dealing with all the uncertainties was a major challenge. Also, the initial transition from a DSO employee to a start-up private practice owner had its own growing pains.

What do you do to turn around a bad day?

First, I take a few deep breaths and pray. I try not to dwell on it and move forward. I then take a quick walk outside or call my spouse, who is a great listener.

What advice do you have for the new person in your office?

My advice would be to ask, if you’re not sure, be adaptable, always come with a positive attitude, and have a strong willingness to learn.

What is the best part of your job?

What “DeW” leaders do?

The best part is meeting new people both inside and outside the office, building upon those relationships, and seeing the positive impact I’ve made directly or indirectly.

They inspire, motivate, uplift, and support others. They are transformative individuals who enact change.

Who has been the most influential woman in your life?

My grandmother was a phenomenal woman! She was funny, strong-willed, and a great cook. She helped my parents open up their first Chinese restaurant while taking care of my three sisters and two brothers. She taught me to always persevere and that in the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity.

How do you measure your success?

Many people measure success with money and the things they have, but I believe that success is a measurement of one’s feeling of their quality of life. It’s a feeling of how content you are with your own self in that moment of time.

What is your favorite Indoor/Outdoor Activity?

I enjoy trying new recipes in the kitchen, streaming movies, and taking long walks outdoors to mentally unwind.

They are playing your theme song as you walk on stage. Name that tune!

“Walking on Sunshine” by Katrina and the Waves

What is your dream vacation?

A sunset view on Bora Bora Island.

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IRENE IANCU Toothlife Studio Inc www.toothlifestudio.ca

How do you measure your success?

The interesting thing is that success is so different for every person, and I guess I have a variety of different ways that I measure it, depending on what part of my business we're referring to. When it comes to my dental office, of course, metrics are the way that we measure success, by looking at our costs and comparing them to our billables.

Sadly, the part about owning a dental office is that it has to be extremely structured, otherwise the overhead will run away from you. On my personal side, with regards to speaking, writing, and social media, I measure success based on the joy I get to bring people. The more love I receive, the more it tells me I'm doing the right thing.

What obstacles have you overcome in your career?

Being a dental hygienist who owns a dental office has posed to be very challenging. The adversity that I received from colleagues has been challenging but motivating at times. Opening a dental office during a global pandemic has been extremely challenging as well and required a lot of pivoting and rethinking of how to make a successful business from a model that was not what I had planned.

What is the best part of your job?

I prefer the word career over job. I feel like a job is something that you do to pay the bills, but a career is something that you do because of passion and love for the industry. I love my career as a dental hygienist because not only am I able to provide the best care for my patients, but I can really connect with them on a humanistic side.

As a business owner, I get to make and call my own shots, which can be extremely stressful at times but also extremely rewarding.

Who has been the most influential woman in your life?

I know this is going to sound cliche, but my mom is my biggest influencer. She is the one that molded me to be the hard-working individual that I am, and perhaps it’s time with a little tough love, but she really did help me become the woman I am today and I will be forever grateful to her.

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What obstacles have you overcome in your life?

How far back do you want to go? I was born and raised in a communist country, my parents were refugees from Romania, and growing up, I didn't speak much English.

Interestingly enough, I've become a professional speaker; not sure how that happened, but it did. Over the course of my life, I struggled to make friends because I didn't look or talk like everyone else in my elementary school. I was the kid with the jeans bought second-hand from Goodwill and the boy haircut that didn't make me feel like much of a young lady.

What do you do to turn around a bad day?

Usually, a cup of coffee and a walk outside helps me clear my thoughts and mind. Sitting in the bathtub for 2 hours (don't judge) or simply giving my little poodle some very big hugs.

MICHELLE GABRIELSON Director of Partnerships; Itrac, LLC www.itracllc.com

What “DeW” leaders do?

DeW leaders are examples of authentic women! Their leadership empowers other women throughout our industry and even outside of our Dental Community! They demonstrate strong self worth, motivation, determination, and kindness!

What does balance look like?

Waking up every morning with a smile on my face... knowing that I am grateful for having the flexibility to work from home and see my kids daily...to feel passion for what I do in every aspect of my life...then see results as I am able to balance my family/work/social life and still smile!

What movie always makes you laugh?

A Christmas Story

What is the best gift you ever received?

What is the best part of your job?

I feel like the best part of my career is ABSOLUTELY the relationships that I have formed and fostered! I am so grateful for every relationship and value their uniqueness!

I have genuinely met some of the MOST brilliant minds in dentistry!

What do you do to turn around a bad day?

I remind myself that in life...it really is only 10% the challenge and 90% attitude! Our character evolves from our adversities! Therefore, I always look within and find my inner flame on a bad day...remind myself to NEVER give up and then watch my flame burn brighter than any fire in my path!

What advice do you have for the new person in your office?

Wow...I have a couple of thoughts. I would remind them to remember to stay positive, believe in themselves, enjoy every moment, ask questions, listen, and see every day as a new day...new opportunity!

My three children are most definitely the BEST gift that I have EVER received!

How do you take your coffee?

I love a little coffee with a lot of flavored creamer :)

What is the best gift you ever gave?

I believe that the best gift that I have ever given is my time. I always make an effort to give my time to friends, partners, family and even strangers! Sometimes, you really aren't even aware of how priceless your time and a smile can be to others!

What is your motto? #lovinlife There are "NO" coincidences in life; our reflection is mirrored in every moment. We are always a teacher and a student. Therefore, always appreciate the lesson and teach by example, no matter what your role is in life!

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who, wear, when

Tenley Desjardins, Cheryl Schafer & Susan Cotten

Julie Friesen and Chrissy Ford DeW chatting

DeWs at the National Mobile & Teledentistry Conference

Deneen Dismore & Lauren Seymore at DENTSPLY Sirona

Cindy Rogers & Melissa Turner at NMTC

Kristie Boltz, Joanna Scott, Lynda Sherman, Dr Sharon Parsons DEW Meetup Columbus, OH

Shelly Renee & Melinda Hereford Dental Festival

Joanna Scott, Dr Laura Collatz & Vanessa Vitagliano

Cheryl Shafer, Karese Laguerre, Brittny Sciarra Murphy

Anne & Becky Flammang’s At Dental Festival

Kari Carter- Cherelus & Debora McKenzie Carrier at the Hinman

Audra Morris & Crystal Nelsen Spring at ADHA.

Dr. Rania Saleh at DF

Alyssa Aberle, Stephanie Botts & Tina Clarke connecting ADHA CMW 2022

Amanda Cole Hill & Kathryn Kamish Gillian in Virginia

Christi Bintliff, Emme Sanders, Tija Boyd Hunter, Adele Reische at SCN

Melissa Calhoun & Kat Sanders at CMW

DeW DATES Mark your calendars:

The Dental Festival July 6 - 10, 2022 Nashville, TN

AADOM September 8 -12, 2022 Scottsdale, AZ

Dykema July 13 -15 Gaylord Rockies Resort Aurora, CO

Dentsply Sirona World 2022 September 15-17 Las Vegas,NV

RDH Under One Roof July 21 -23 Gaylord Palms Resort Orlando, FL

DeW Life Retreat November 10 – 12, 2022 Charlotte, NC

The DeW Learning Crew Virtual Tuesday, August 16 7:00 – 8:30 EDT

Dew meet ups TBD: look out on the DeW life Crew Facebook page for meeting dates

LIVING YOUR STRENGTHS

THE MYTH OF CORE VALUES FIT By Holly Anne Mitchell

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alues are unearthed by behavior, a product of intentional leadership, not extrinsic to themselves. The fruits of integrity, persistence, creativity, a sense of humor, these are universal qualities of the human spirit, borne from the supportive soil of intentional root systems, and the careful tending of a compassionate, consistent gardener as manager.

In 1994, Jim Collins and Jerry Porras published the book Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies, and the principle of establishing an organization’s core values swept through the nation. Today, 80% of the Fortune 100 possess publicly touted core values. Meanwhile, turnover has risen to an all time high of 22%, and many managers have chalked it up to a poor core values fit, blaming those “flaky” millennials, while refocusing their efforts on a more rigorous candidate screening process. True, millennials account for about 50% of current turnover, and almost a third of employees who left did so within the first year. One study1 cited that inclusive leadership methods that help a new team member to integrate and increase their feelings of belonging would reduce turnover risk by up to 50%. Maybe these millennials (I’m including myself in the cohort) just want to fit in, so they can feel safe to thrive.

Immediately I am transported back in time to my freshman year of high school. Like many of my middle school friends, I was navigating a complex social web and rigorous academic schedule. It was a warm October morning on a Monday, and everyone was buzzing about the events of my close friend Rachel’s birthday party, an event to which I had not been invited. I, bewildered and full of chagrin, confronted my friends about the lack of my invitation. Rachel informed me matter-offactly: “Sorry, but we couldn’t invite you. You’re different and no one else would have come.” It was Lord of the Flies in a private

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school uniform; the result: a socialized slaughter.

Is it possible that today’s leadership teams in their effervescent enthusiasm around values are at risk of becoming divisive cliques where one is either one of “us” or against us? How quickly are we to discount a “different” candidate who might bring “different” strengths, thus forcing our teams to grow in our self-awareness, flexibility, tolerance, and ultimately our revenue, a result of the synergetic multiplication of combined and diverse resources? When work becomes identity, the American vehicle of mission and life purpose, we are gravely at risk of feeling combative toward anyone or anything that threatens the ideal.

I can remember many times when I was frustrated by a new hire’s inability to succeed in their role or gel with the bunch.

So much promise at the interview, so much disappointment shortly thereafter. The tipping point arrived after a number of sleepless nights from firing one particular hire, someone who was clearly skilled in so many ways, but her personality branded her “not a team player.” Somehow I felt like I failed her, because I was unable to facilitate her integration into the team to harness her strengths to our mutual benefit. I saw the potential but couldn’t manage the change, and I vowed to get better at managing our expectations and embarked on educating our company on the DISC assessment, so that we could learn to identify the needs, strengths, and styles of a broader range of personalities.

Here’s a provocative question: when are core values a tool for motivation and alignment around common goals, and when do core values become a crutch for lazy leadership, spawning a homogeneous workforce, one that is intolerant of diversity and devoid of innovation? I have a great deal of

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Living your strengths respect and admiration for the brilliant business minds of the Jim Collins era, still here is my hypothesis rising: there is no one, nor has there ever been anyone on your team, who does not possess the core values you seek.

As a master practitioner (MP) of NLP, a coaching methodology of influence, change, and communication, I’ve been trained to question and listen closely in order to identify a person’s hierarchy of values. This is the prioritized order of values that drives a person’s decision making and ultimately to express themselves in the person’s goals, choices, preferences, and presenting personality. Much like Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, once one’s survival needs are satisfied, they are permitted to access the Core values of the human spirit such as growth, compassion, creativity, and self-expression. Each person’s hierarchy of values is unique to their nature and nurture, a product of their life experiences. However, at the Core of all humans, according to the work of psychologists and NLP contributors Connierae and Steve Andreas, our deepest values are the same, and given the right conditions, these values have the freedom to express themselves through behavior.

When it comes to personality and work styles, we all possess, at minimum, two personalities, not dissimilar to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: our personality under stress and our personality when we’re relaxed. When I’m stressed, I find I’m suddenly intolerant of the slightest thing going against my daily plans, and emotionally reactive to whatever circumstances are unfairly plaguing me. In short, I’m not a fun person to be around. But when I’m in a relaxed state, I have access to the highest parts of me: I’m a songwriter and a poet, a comedian and a lover, a dreamer and an eternal optimist. This is the me I strive to be, and then my (nervous) nervous system somehow gets in the way. Once I realize that my role as the leader of my organization is to gain access to the Core parts of myself, so that I can in turn bring out the best in those around me, my primary aim therefore becomes the following: make people feel safe, relaxed, and confident while we are facing the challenges and uncertainty that come with growth. I become the parasympathetic nervous system of my entrepreneurial organism: regulating and cultivating our collective resilience to change.

If your company’s core value is growth, and a team member seems resistant to growing, perhaps it isn’t that they don’t value growth, but maybe there is a higher value at risk for them.

As leaders, through the practice of Humble Inquiry, beautifully outlined in the short, powerful book by Edgar Schein, we can discover what that value is and how we can assist in its satisfaction. For example, maybe one team member feels safe to grow, as long as we preserve quality standards and the relationships of our patients or customers. Another may be concerned how change might threaten their ability to receive the respect and admiration of those around them. If we can identify these higher values and find a way to creatively meet them, we allow space for growth and change to climb up Maslow’s pyramid and to share themselves with the world. It’s not growth at the expense of quality, relationships, or respect,

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it’s both/and.

In The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey writes “Synergy is the highest activity of life. It creates new untapped alternatives; it values and exploits the mental, emotional and psychological differences between people.” Synergy can only be achieved through empathy, communication, and safety— these are the nutrients of compassionate leadership, the soil of an attentive gardener/manager. The final tool in the gardening shed to harvest the fruits of our core values: a systems playbook of our values, expressed through action.

“Our habits become our character, our character becomes our destiny,” Lao Tzu famously said, so if we are what we eat, and we become what we do, let us practice our values through an aligned playbook of systems which demonstrate our values in action. Leave the checklists to a minimum—because what we do is not as proprietary as how we do it. Want to get the best out of your team? Take your values and turn them into a playbook: HOW do you answer the phone with ENTHUSIASM? HOW do you greet a patient with COMPASSION? Each role, each process in your practice then comes alive with a value, creating more value for the organization, and helping the employee practice the embodiment of the values you aspire to express.

In closing, I’m proposing a new values movement: one that recognizes that all team members intrinsically possess our values; those values merely require cultivation through compassionate leadership that prioritizes psychological safety, and a proprietary playbook that practices our values through systems and habits. For the brave leaders who strive to remain humble while managing the complex challenges of performance, we can continue to build the confidence and capabilities of our employees, manage the natural stress that comes with change, develop trust in diversity, and unlock the intrinsic growth potential of ourselves, our team, and our organizations.

1. Catalyst, Quick Take: Turnover and Retention (April 16, 2020) About the author: Holly Anne Mitchell is a speaker, life and business coach, hypnotist, performing artist, and mental health advocate. Her life can be summed up in two words: post-traumatic growth.

Holly moved to New York City from rural Florida at the age of 18 with dreams of Broadway. From actress, to homeless, to dental C-suite, to struggling entrepreneur, after a crisis of burnout, she found her way to hypnosis and neurolinguistic programming, forever changing her brain, and her life. Holly combines her training as a hypnotist, life coach, dental business coach, and master practitioner in NLP to help entrepreneurs and creatives to live and lead well. Holly is the founder of the LeadWell Network and the Dental Avengers for Mental Wellness. She is a member of the National Speakers Association, an esteemed two-time TEDx speaker, a singer-songwriter-actor-playwright, soon-to-be published author, and aspiring dog owner.

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LIVING YOUR STRENGTHS

YOUR INNER GREMLIN IS KEEPING YOU STUCK By Dr. Jessica E. Metcalfe

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et me paint you a picture: you’re getting ready to start a procedure, or a new job, or run the morning huddle, and your heart starts racing, you begin to sweat, and this creeping sense of dread sweeps over you. Your thought, “This must be perfect, otherwise they’ll know I’m not good enough.”

I know I’m not the only one who has experienced these thoughts and feelings. In fact, I recently had a social media post where I received hundreds of responses from women sharing what their inner gremlin says to them on repeat, as if it’s like a broken record. Here are some examples: “You haven’t done enough today.”

“It’s too hard and you’ll fail.”

“You’re failing everyone—your kids, your husband, your parents.”

“No one is going to be there for you; no one cares.”

“You have to work yourself to death in order to feel seen or heard.”

“No matter what you do, it’s never enough.”

“Do more to prove your worth.”

This inner voice, the one I like to call 'inner gremlin' uses these words against you time and time again, keeping you stuck from reaching your fullest potential. That inner gremlin activates your flight-or-fight response, confusing you by thinking you can’t do something because of the anxiousness you feel. What you may not have realized

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is that in those moments, your subconscious is questioning something far bigger than you would have ever thought.

Do you ever underestimate your abilities, explain away your successes, or question whether it’s luck that has got you this far? Do you feel that others are smarter or work harder than you? Are you afraid of making a mistake or expecting perfection?

These are the bigger questions that we choose not to answer because it’s easier to be mean to ourselves by saying “you’re not enough” than it is to step in and own our confidence.

Listen here: you aren’t alone in thinking these thoughts and you can put a name to what you are experiencing: Impostor Phenomenon (you may have heard Imposter Syndrome). It is an experience where high-achieving women don’t believe that their own success and accomplishments are because of their own skills and effort. It is a perceived notion of intellectual phoniness, when in fact, you’re more than qualified, educated and credentialed.

So why is it easier to listen to your inner gremlin?

Because it has taken you to where you are today. It has motivated you, kept you safe, and steered you on the right path. However, I’m here to tell you that it doesn’t have to be the only voice you hear. For years, your inner gremlin has likely kept you stuck by overworking or having you avoid it because you didn’t want to feel that anxiousness. Instead of stepping into your dreams, confidence, or strength, it was easier to stick to the comfort zone, because your inner gremlin said so.

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Living your strengths

Instead of stepping into your dreams, confidence, or strength, it was easier to stick to the comfort zone, because your inner gremlin said so.

However, you can train a new inner voice to be kinder and compassionate. This voice I like to call 'inner cheerleader', which is the voice that gets you out from being stuck. Your inner cheerleader finds the good, pushes you outside your comfort zone, and reminds you that even when you step out, you will still be okay. Your inner cheerleader reminds you of your past successes and shows you the evidence that you can be confident. Your inner cheerleader comes from within and isn’t the google reviews or patient/staff compliments; it is the internal validation that you find deep inside when you are having both a good and bad day.

The difference between your inner gremlin and your inner cheerleader is that your inner gremlin is mean and full of believable lies. Its goal is to keep you small and stuck by using horrible words on repeat. Here’s the thing: both the inner gremlin and inner cheerleader are your voices.

The choice is yours: which one do you want to hear? The words you choose to use matter and have meaning.

How do you go about changing your inner gremlin so that your inner cheerleader is the prominent voice? By reframing what your inner gremlin is saying. Let’s use one of the examples from above, “It’s too hard and you’ll fail.”

First off, there is a massive expectation that you must get something on the first try or attempt, but when you are growing and learning, there is always the potential of not understanding or experiencing shortfalls. Does that mean you have failed or that you can’t do something? Hells no! That just means you need to reassess whether it’s something you want to be doing and if so, figure out what needs to change or be done differently. Stepping into a different perspective instead of condemning yourself allows you to stay open-minded.

really, that’s why the inner gremlin keeps you stuck. Your inner gremlin has been programmed to keep you safe from shame and judgement, but in doing so, it keeps you from stepping into your confidence. The reframe gives your mind more information about the situation as a whole and allows for the unexpected and unknown to happen without the fear of failure.

Reframing your inner gremlin can be quite cumbersome in the moment, especially when that voice is extremely loud. However, over time, when you practice reframing and choosing to listen to your inner cheerleader, you will recognize it becomes the more prominent voice. This is neuroplasticity at its finest, the brain’s ability to create new neural networks. And that is what you are doing by choosing kinder and more compassionate words to speak to yourself with. Let me tell you, you are more than enough and you are absolutely worthy. You now only need to believe it.

About the author: Dr. Jessica is a confidence coach on a mission to empower as many women as possible in her lifetime. Her experience working with cancer patients, her own mental health journey, and getting her life coaching certificate has allowed her to coach hundreds of women with impostor phenomenon, perfectionism, burnout, and darkness in and out of dentistry. She has spoken to American Dental Association, Pacific Dental Conference, Boston University, Key Media, Women in Wealth Management, and Princess Margaret Cancer Centre among other international organizations and companies. She has also appeared on over 15 podcasts and has a book coming out in the Fall 2022 called, Speak Kindly, You’re Listening.

Now let’s go about reframing what your inner gremlin said to what your cheerleader would say. “This is more difficult and I’m curious how it will go.” Read that again. And, again. This is now your inner cheerleader who has brought a touch of informed optimism (not toxic positivity). Toxic positivity is when you are trying to convince yourself that whatever is happening is good when in fact it’s hard and challenging. Informed optimism is knowing that it’s hard and challenging and that you’ll find a way through it.

Thus, the reframe stated above allows you to reset your expectations instead of assuming you’ll fall flat on your face and be absolutely embarrassed or criticized, because

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LIVING YOUR STRENGTHS

DREAMING BIG TOGETHER

By Crystal Spring & Lancette VanGuilder

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wo dental hygienists on a mission to support and encourage others to dream big, lead with kindness, increase access to care, and promote medicaldental integration.

At the risk of sounding a little silly—or like a stalker—our friendship started from a mutual feeling of OMG, I love this lady; I love her energy, her confidence; she is so cool; we are going to be the best of friends. We have all been drawn to someone who makes us want to be our best selves, someone who genuinely likes you for who you are right now and helps us to see who we could become. Our professional paths took many of the same roads over the years: a passion for the underserved/access to care/policy change, and a need to see a world that makes sense. You might imagine that our need to create change would be considered straight-up crazy to most, but for us, and so many more, it just meant we had found our people. I can’t begin to count the amount of times we have reached out to each other over the years for help with strategy, verbiage, human resources advice—you name it. Something that I will never forget about Lancette that irrevocably solidified who she would be to me was when Cara Reck and I were forming our nonprofit. There were several times when we needed advice, support—whatever it be, Lancette was always there. As so many of us have experienced, we had quickly learned that entrepreneurship is not for the weak

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of heart. Not everyone was for us; mobile and schoolbased programs run by RDHs were definitely a new way of doing things. When you are a pioneer, at the forefront of a changing field, when you are the changemakers, it can be scary and lonely, but we were there for each other.

We didn’t see another program as a threat, we looked at each other as allies in the fight against oral health disparities. Selflessness and the desire to do what is right is something that drives change.

Fast forward through the next few years, as we both continued to grow in our professional careers, there were multiple times that we were able to show up for each other, to encourage each other to rise together.

We believe that there is space for all of us to be great; that it is better to see other people doing the same thing as allies/partners rather than competition. There is no competition in rising to help others.

“Niceness stays quiet, kindness speaks up.” Crystal and I have had our share of ups and downs during our professional journey. We have won awards, we have battled opposition during our quest to bring dental care to vulnerable populations, we have celebrated and cried (alone and together) more times than we can count.

What we found is that all of these situations are more manageable when you have a community by your side.

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We believe that there is space for all of us to be great; that it is better to see other people doing the same thing as allies/partners rather than competition.

There were times in our career when we didn’t have empowering leaders supporting us; we had the exact opposite. We had been criticized and discouraged from pursuing our dreams. Doubt and frustration started to creep in. Being trailblazers at times was not only scary, but also lonely. We attended meetings and conferences that were fueled by others trying to deter us, but we knew the dental space had the potential to be so much more.

We knew that we deserved more. We wanted change and decided to speak up and do something about it. We wanted professional development and leadership to be fun, creative, and a safe zone for dreaming big and being your best, authentic self. What the hard times taught us was simple: pursue what you want and envision for the future and surround yourself with others that bring out the best in you and can help make it happen. Seek out the light bringers, the magic makers, the dreamers, the group that wants you to win. We know that there is a gap in the dental industry, so we created small, boutique-style retreats to help encourage others to be their best self, to lead with kindness, humility, and grace. We no longer tolerate the mean girls club, the bullies, the manipulators, the gaslighters, the haters, those who tear people down for thinking outside the box, seeing the world in a different light, and for being brave enough to put their dreams into action.

We decided to dream big together and our business relationship and personal friendship continues to evolve and deepen with each RISE experience that we have hosted. And on the hardest of days, when we may be doubting ourselves, our impact, our ability to be the change we want to see in the world, we are gently reminded through a call, a message, or a shout out on social media what RISE means to so many. By leveraging our friendship, our past hurts and disappointments, and trusting in visionary ideas for community, we have been able to help others, help ourselves, and build a legacy for future generations. And we get to do all of this while having fun! We continue to challenge each other, we make

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mistakes, we learn, we grow and we laugh…a lot! We RISE by being authentic. We RISE by investing in ourselves. We RISE by lifting others.

We are so thankful for the DeW community and Anne for her love and support, for her belief that there is more than enough room at the table for other women doing great things. Anne graciously opened our Rise Destin retreat with words of encouragement and a sincere message of support. This is what DeWs do! So many women in dentistry are looking for support, craving a community, and pushing boundaries to make the world a better place.

The DeW Retreat and The Rise Experience are just two examples of retreats/conferences designed to bring people together to inspire and drive change. There has never been a better time to invest in yourself, participate in as many events as you can, and build a broad network of cheerleaders.

To learn more about Lancette and Crystal’s RISE Experience, visit:https://sites.google.com/ yellowstoneevaluation.org/the-rise-experience/home About the authors: Crystal Spring Entrepreneur, Public Health Dental Hygienist, National Speaker, Disability and Medical Dental Integration Advocate Lancette VanGuilder COVID-19 Vaccinator, Entrepreneur, International Speaker, Public Health Hygienist, Clinical Airway Director, Complete Health Clinician, Lobbyist

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RESILIENCE

JONAH’S JOURNEY

By Kandra Sellars

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t is amazing how everything in life happens for a reason, even when at the time it may not seem like it. I believe that there is no such thing as a coincidence, instead our paths cross for a reason. We have certain jobs or experiences for a reason that will serve us well in the future. Little did I know that working at a group home for severely disabled adults for six years, while going to dental hygiene school, would help me raise four children that are on the autism spectrum. With current stats that 1 in every 44 children are on the spectrum, I hope that this short story helps you look at children and adults that are on the spectrum with more understanding of their inner beauty and specialness they give to all they come in contact with. They are gifts from God, just like any other child. Being on the spectrum actually includes many labels and severities—autism, Asperger’s, depression, bipolar, schizophrenia, OCD, ADHD, and ADD, just to name a few. I call them labels, because we should never let labels define who we are and limit our possibilities of living a fulfilling life.

I want to give you the story of my son, Jonah, who is severely autistic. He functions on a 3-5 year-old level. I came into the kids’ lives when they were all very young, their mother passed away unexpectedly. I was a single woman with a dog, living life, when—bam—I fell in love with my husband John. It was the easiest relationship I had ever been in, we just worked! Being married was the

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easy part, raising four kids on the spectrum was the hard part. You’re probably wondering why in the world I would take this on… I sometimes wonder this myself when I reflect back. However, I know I would not trade it for the world and trust in my creator to put me where I can serve the most purpose in my life on this earth. At the time, we only knew Jonah was autistic. You see, the other three kids had signs but nothing severe. Besides, their mother had recently passed away and what child wouldn’t act out? The kids were six months old, two, five, and eight when their mom passed.

Jonah was two and a half years old, and while a handful, he was such a happy and bright kiddo with a silly sense of humor, which I am sure he got from his mom. He had in-home therapy and then was mainstreamed into the public school system. When he was in fourth grade, we placed him in a private setting with all autistic kids, which I heard was the worst thing we could do.

Thankfully, it was one of the best things we ever did!

He flourished. He was surrounded by teachers that specialized in autism and knew how to work with his sensory issues and behaviors. We never looked back!

Jonah continued to go there till he was 14 years old and we were not able to manage his behaviors any longer. At 14, Jonah had already grown to be as tall as me, 5’7”, and wore a size 11 shoe. He was a BIG kid for his age. He currently wears a 2XXL, he takes after his

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grandfather and uncle, tall and big, to help put his size into perspective.

We had several nannies that we had over the years, which in itself I could write about, and eventually went to a livein, as it was clear Jonah needed 24/7 supervision and activity. He also loved and thought it was hilarious to flee from our home. He looked for the right opportunity and within seconds was gone. We had a watch that he wore that had a GPS on it. He figured out how to remove the pin and take it off, so we couldn’t find him. I was literally on the phone with the watch company one day that he got away from me. I took my eyes off him for one minute, and he was gone. We have had search and rescue at our house, which turned into hoping for a body recovery…

Jonah was at the local Mejier grocery, because he wanted a slushy! He, to this day, is very wise about his caregiver’s size and whereabouts and will take advantage to meet his needs. Whatever he is OCDing over at the time, he will drive to get it. Determination is evident in his make up!

Our family was in crisis. We had a live-in nanny, yet with three adults in our home, we could not manage the aggressive behavior we were faced with. We could not keep Jonah, our other children, or ourselves safe anymore. We started working with the state to get

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funding for residential placement. The last straw was when I was out of town on business and my husband had left the house for an hour. I was in the MSP airport when I got an alert on my phone that my daughter’s phone had activated 911. I finally got her to answer and all I heard was screaming in the background—an obvious struggle was happening with Jonah and our nanny. I was helpless!

My daughter was screaming and crying in fear, “there is blood flying everywhere.” Our nanny sustained a broken nose, several cuts, bumps, bruises, broken glasses, and a concussion from being head-butted by Jonah. Imagine not feeling safe in your own home. Imagine, even with two adults in your home, it was not enough to keep everyone safe. Imagine your other kids not ever being able to have friends over, because their friends’ parents would not allow their kids to come to our house due to Jonah’s aggressive behaviors and outbursts. I get it, it was scary for us too! It was hard to allow the other kids to have any type of a normal childhood, which broke my heart!

We had gotten to a point where he was attacking us or the bus drivers while on his drive to school. The school district did not support his therapy school, so this was all self-funded by us and our medical insurances. We drove 50 minutes to his school, one way, every day so that he could have the support that he needed. He thought it was

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great to break anything that was glass, and kick through doors and windows. It was dangerous. We got to the point of having to use handcuffs on his hands and legs just to try to keep everyone safe and reverse locking his bedroom door. Trust me when I say we tried less aggressive approaches, and he broke through them all and people got hurt. These outbursts would go on for hours. I remember one time restraining him for up to 3-4 hours. My daughter said, “Kandra, are you crying?” I said, “no I am drenched in sweat.” I was exhausted in more ways than one.

What no one had done for me was to prepare me for the judgment we would face from family, friends, neighbors, the school district, and some of the police in our community during and once Jonah was going to be placed in a residential facility. Maybe you’re judging me now, but honestly, I don’t care. Until you have walked in our shoes, you cannot judge what we were going through.

Deciding our 14-year-old son needed to live somewhere else was not an easy decision. It was not one we took lightly, but one that was needed to keep him and everyone else safe, and to give our other kids a sense or normal. We never thought we would have to make this kind of decision for a 14-year-old!

We had an amazing advocate from a state agency, as well as a hired advocate that helped represent us at school district meetings. The school district was not on our side

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and fought us on funding residential placement. They went as far as turning us into child protection services!

Yes, that is right! Our first meeting with the team at the school district, I will never forget. They wanted to get to business and my husband stopped them and said, “Before we get started, do any of you feel unsafe in your own home?” There was silence! “Do any of you have a special needs child that lives with you?” Silence again! I am sure the 10 people in the room were well-educated and book-smart but had no idea of the hell we were living in.

When you're being abused by a spouse, there is so much support, but when you're being abused by your own child and the safety of your other kids is in jeopardy, people turn on you.

We had 20 crisis packets out to facilities to see if they would accept Jonah. No one was responding. We had started this process in August and I finally received a call in March from Corey from Hope Learning Academy in Springfield, IL. It was 7:00pm and he called me to apologize, the crisis packet had gone to his spam folder.

We talked for over 2 hours. Corey was our shining light. He assured me he was going to do whatever it took to accept Jonah. He worked his magic and made it happen. The other bright spot in all of this was the person at the state agency, Crystal, that got Jonah funding for life! Corey explained, this is incredibly hard to achieve, but we did it.

The worries of who would take Jonah when we could not

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Resilience care for him any longer was taken care of. This was such a concern of ours. Which one of the other kids would step up?

We didn’t have to worry about that anymore. Our paths cross with certain people for a reason and I wholeheartedly believe both Corey and Crystal entered our lives at the right time and for the right reasons. God had a plan for the safety and growth of Jonah.

Drop off day. How would you feel if you’re dropping your child off to others that will care for them? Imagine your child not having the intellect to understand what is happening and you can’t see your child for at least 30 days. This was one of the hardest days of my life…only about to get harder. We said our good-byes. Both my husband and I were crying as we were escorted out of the building. We could hear Jonah being aggressive to the team there. We were sitting in our car; the rain was pouring down as we both sobbed. There was a knock on our van window by one of the team at Hope. “You need to come back inside, there is a problem.” Our immediate thought was that Jonah hurt someone. I asked if he could share what was happening and he said we will talk once we get back in the boardroom. We entered the room. The entire team was in tears! “There’s a problem. Jonah is on a medication that we cannot support here, Marinol.” We had put him on this med to try and calm him and decrease the aggressive episode. The resolution was a blessing in disguise. I had to stay with Jonah in a hotel for one week while he weaned off the Marinol. During this time, I was there to integrate him into his classroom and his new home, his “college house.” We called it his college house, because his older brother had gone to college and now he was too. Every night we went to his college house to join in with activities with his college buddies. I got to know the other residents and the staff that would be taking care of my son.

I got to know his teacher, Mr. A, and the support staff in the classroom. I got to experience everything that he was going to experience. Personally, I think all families should be able to transition their child in the way that we were forced to. It was a blessing. The hard part of this: we had to say goodbye a second time! We grieved for a long time, this was a big change.

We felt like failures and we miss our son!

Jonah has been at Hope for four years now. He just turned 18 years old, and we just went to court to obtain guardianship of him. He is thriving! They quickly realized that sitting in a classroom was not appropriate for him and enrolled him in their vocational school. He learns life skills that will serve him all his life. They integrate the vocational activity with learning math, reading, and other school-type learning. He is technically in his senior year, however, can stay at Hope and the vocational school till he is 22. He is in many different sports for Special Olympics, volleyball skills, softball skills, basketball skills, bowling, and track. He attends youth group at a church on Wednesdays and church every other Sunday.

He is in Boy Scouts. We could have never supported all this activity, but he now has a village to support his needs, which is allowing him to learn and excel in his life.

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If you have a child on the spectrum or know someone who does, know there is support. Do not allow judgment to cloud your decisions and tear you down. We do the best we can for those we love. God has a plan, and there is no such thing as a coincidence. Trust in the path that you are being led down; you know what is right and what doesn’t feel right. Jonah’s journey will continue…

About the author: Kandra Sellers, BA, RDH, is creator and CEO of TIPS Medical Billing, which focuses on medical billing as the gateway to dental-medical collaborative success. Kandra is now viewed as a predominant educator in the field of oral systemic health intertwined with medical dental billing. Having been a successful executive coach for the nation’s largest practice management company, and having worked in the dental industry for over 30 years in many different roles, she is a sought after coach that will ensure successful implementation of medical billing into your practice. Contact her at kandra@tipsmedicalbilling.com or visit her website at tipsmedicalbilling.com.

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RESILIENCE

THIS IS HUMAN TRAFFICKING By Loren King, RDH

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here’s this awful feeling in your stomach when you know you are not wanted.” “I couldn’t believe how much I made in one night. I thought I could control what happened from there.” “He gave my family a computer and phones, my friends didn’t have those, so I felt proud.” “I just didn’t realize that the person I thought was helping me, and keeping me protected…he was really my pimp.” “I loved him, I thought he loved me, but then he started saying ‘rent’s not free’.”

This is Human Trafficking.

You and I are going to go on a journey together today. On this journey, I am going to give you a superpower: awareness. But first, I am going to tell you two real stories of two different humans.

Human #1 testimony: “I was sexually assaulted for the first time when I was 7 years old. He was an extended family member, someone I trusted. He said to me ‘say yes to whatever I’m about to ask you to do.’ So, I did. I was sexually assaulted for the second time when I was 21. Again, by a different extended family member. He helped co-sign one of my college student loans and asked me for a sexual favor in return. Being older and unfortunately having had experience in this type of trauma, I was able to talk my way out of that one. My parents were both alcoholics with severe depression and clinical anxiety. Both have now turned their lives around, but I am still currently in therapy for my childhood trauma bleeding into my adult life and being raised by parents with their own trauma. It isn’t their fault. They couldn’t be everywhere all the time and they did the best they could to

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raise a newborn at the ages of 17 and 21. I forgive the two men who sexually assaulted me. I am surviving every day, but I don’t think I’ll ever stop healing.”

Human #2 testimony: I am now going to share Mary’s story with you. Mary isn’t her real name, but this is her real story. Mary, at the young age of 12, was raped by 56 different men in 12 hours. By the end of it, her trafficker made $60,000 off of her. She was eventually thrown out by her trafficker and sent back to her parents. She was getting “too old to sell.” Typically, around the teenage years, you are no longer considered a profit. So, you are either abandoned or killed. In an interview, her parents said, “we got her back, but we got her back damaged.”

Shortly after returning home, Mary committed suicide.

Think about what she must have been going through mentally—even the man that trafficked her eventually gave up on her and abandoned her. After what had been done to her body, I can only imagine. There is a lot of shame that comes with trauma of any kind, especially sexual trauma. Not every human survives that shame.

That is the reality we live in.

Professionals of dentistry, you might not realize this, but you are given the chance every day to be a hero. There are humans on this planet that need you to educate yourself to become aware. That is what I am going to teach you by the end of this article. So, stay with me right now, because we have to start talking about the uncomfortable or we will always remain uncomfortable.

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Resilience The facts: human trafficking is the fastest growing organized crime in the world. Even ahead of drugs. Why? Because you can sell one drug once, but you can sell one human up to 40 times in one day. That’s what the reported data tells us. Now I want you to think about cost.

An ounce of weed, good weed that is, (yes, I know it isn’t legal in every state yet, relax and stay with me) is going to run you about $250. To sell a human being for sex is going to run you about $90. Unless, you are being trafficked by someone who has a high rapport and sells you at around $1,000 for each violation, like Mary’s trafficker did. Even worse, if you get arrested for either of these crimes, selling drugs will keep you in prison ten-fold, compared to selling a human being.

Human trafficking, which involves the recruitment and exploitation of women, men, and children across or within national borders for the purposes of sexual, labor, and other forms of exploitation, is a serious human rights violation and an important public health issue.1

or bruising from being gagged or choked. If it’s hard for them to open, more light bulbs should start going off. Dentists, you have the biggest responsibility of all—you are the leader and decision maker for your team. Encourage them to feel comfortable enough to come to you and speak up, so that you can further assess and start making life-saving decisions. Look everywhere all the time, just like your team.

Because it’s there, right in front of your eyes.

I want you to ASSESS; I never want you to ASSUME. When you assume, you’re risking creating a situation that didn’t exist or possibly being the cause of worsening the situation.

I am telling you these certain signs so that little light bulbs go off in your head to pay closer attention. To say to yourself, that doesn’t look right or something feels off. Then I want you to start assessing and documenting in your notes like you are saving someone’s life. Because the reality is, you just might be. Have a well-established procedure in place.

Everyone in the clinic/practice should know the traumainformed procedure. Know your local and state agencies and phone numbers.

The current estimates of people trapped in some form of Trafficking is somewhere between 20-40 million people— men, women and children. The number is so wide and vast I want you to please take down this number—pull out your because human trafficking is, by nature, a hidden crime.2 phone to take a picture, write it on your hand, or even write it on someone’s forehead sitting next to you while reading this 75% of human trafficking and sexual assault cases are (you can tell them I told you it was necessary. Also, call me if solved by ordinary citizens, not law enforcement alone. you need bail money.) But seriously, this number could save a They are able to do this by knowing the signs and by taking life: 1-888-373-7888, the National Human Trafficking Hotline. a second look. Slow down and realize that it’s happening in You can also text ‘INFO’ or ‘HELP’ to BEFREE (233733). plain sight all around you. However, you don’t know what you don’t know. That’s why I am here—to make sure you know.

I want you to have courage in your hearts, so remember what Margaret Reade said, “Never doubt that a small group More facts: 26.9% of human trafficking victims each year of thoughtful, committed people could change the world. In visit their dentist. Unfortunately, only a few of them are fact, it is the only thing that ever has.” rescued because of lack of awareness and education by dental professionals. 50% of injuries from abuse, which One last thing – do you remember the testimony of Human happens in human trafficking, are to the head and the neck. #1? Well, that human is me.

With trauma to the head being the most frequent cause of death. We are specialists of the head and the neck—we have Sources: the opportunity to be their heroes.

Trafficking in Persons Report. Washington, DC: US Department of So, here is what to look for in the best way I can describe, State; 2006. without photos or videos. Front office staff, when your https://www.endslaverynow.org/blog/articles/ patients walk in, be hyper-aware of their clothing and their human-trafficking-awareness-2022 hygiene. When reviewing their medical history, check for very ILO Global Estimate of Forced Labour: Results and Methodology. vague history or no history at all, no government documents Geneva, Switzerland: International Labour Office; 2012.

or forms of ID. Assistants and dental hygienists, when you are walking your patient back, watch their gait and how they are walking. When they sit in the chair, watch to see if it’s difficult for them to sit down. During your intraoral exam, look for petechiae—they are tiny clusters of purple, red or brown spots. Think of what a bruise looks like. They present after blunt force trauma and cause bleeding under the skin.

In this case, concerning the examination of a child and their soft palate, it would mean looking for signs of forced oral sex. When taking x-rays, pay attention to the commissures at the corner of their mouth to check for any tears of the skin

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About the author: Loren King is an international speaker that brings awareness to topics like Human Trafficking Awareness, Dental Sleep Medicine, Dental Hygiene Education and Performance, as well as Human Motivation. She is a Registered Dental Hygienist, Saleswoman, Lecturer, Mentor, Coach and is publishing her first book this year.

Loren happens to also be a licensed skydiver who has jumped out of a perfectly good airplane, solo, 34 times—which speaks to her resilience to conquer hard things.

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RESILIENCE

YOUR IMMENSE SUPERPOWER By Karen Daw

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few years ago, I went through one of the most difficult experiences of my life: I was the caretaker of a spouse who suffered from ongoing mental and physical illness and who chronically abused drugs and alcohol. At the same time, I watched as my sister went through chemotherapy. I desperately hoped she’d win the war against Stage 3 breast cancer but was incessantly haunted by fears of losing her to this horrible disease. At the same time, I noticed that my mother’s memory was slowly fading, and it wrecked me to witness her anxiety concerning my sister’s illness.

This time left me feeling overwhelmed, hopeless, and extremely uncertain, and I had no idea at the time how I would possibly make it through what seemed like insurmountable challenges. I didn’t realize then that out of my greatest hardships would spring something so powerful that it would completely transform me, as well as my entire life.

In this article, I want to share with you an immense power that you can cultivate, one that can give you everything you’ve ever wanted and will ever want. In short, this power, if nurtured and mastered, will so radically change your life that you will believe you have in your possession a magic wand.

how we live our lives. We believe what we were taught to believe; we believe we are who we think we are. We believe things are as they are, and that in most cases, we are powerless to change them.

Most believe that we are victims—not creators—of circumstances. For example, take how some behave in traffic if someone cuts them off. They think that they have been wronged, that the other driver is the perpetrator and they are the victim. Or take for example, when in a restaurant, if the food takes a long time to arrive, they believe someone has wronged them and again that they are the victim.

In today’s society, many live in this constant state of victimhood, believing they are true victims.

However, nothing could be further from the truth. The truth is that we are divine beings who can become the masters of our realities and in so doing, become victors!

Take any great story and you’ll see that there’s a great hero or heroine that somehow, through immense hardships, tragedies, and trials, triumphs over it all.

Here’s the thing, the power that creates unforgettable fictitious characters is the same that creates real-life Most of us have been taught that we have little say in heroes and heroines. All the great people in history

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Resilience

Many speak of resilience as if it’s an afterthought. Yet without it, there would be no progress. With it, you will be able to manifest whatever you want. possessed this special power, including Albert Einstein, a life-altering one for me. Through these trials, I learned Cleopatra, Tesla, Madame Curie, Joan of Arc, Mozart, first-hand how I needed to carefully select my thoughts George Washington, and Queen Elizabeth. and actions. I didn’t have the luxury anymore of allowing my fears to run the show, because there were too many But what you perhaps don’t realize is that we all—yes, of them. Had I listened to my fears, I probably would have every one of us, even YOU—have this power within that will fallen into an eternal state of hopelessness, depression, allow us to conquer everything life throws at us. and misery.

The overwhelmingly stressful events I experienced a few To bounce back from my adversities, first, I had to get years ago led me to understand how to harness this power through the terror barrier of my own fears and thoughts. for my benefit. And it has allowed me to manifest things I I needed to face my fears and feelings, honor them, and once never even dreamed of. release them. Then I had to become very clear about what I wanted moving forward. Although I couldn’t change the Not only is this power essential to surviving, but also to outcome of certain situations, I knew how I wanted to feel thriving in this lifetime. If we do not cultivate this power, and that I wanted to make choices from love and not fear. then defeat, ultimate failure, and hopelessness would be the order of the day. Fear would rule our lives, and there I realized I needed to nurture my resilience with optimism, would be no progress. positivity, hope, faith, kindness, love, determination, good thoughts, appreciation, unconditional love, and courage.

So, what is this power?

Through this process, I often wondered why we don’t It is resilience. teach more resilience in school. Adversity doesn’t discriminate, and we will all experience hardships in our Many speak of resilience as if it’s an afterthought. Yet lives. Anyone who has experienced adversity, hardship, or without it, there would be no progress. With it, you will be trauma (whether that be with a little ‘t’ or a big ‘T’) needs able to manifest whatever you want. this quality. The thing is, as I learned to be more resilient, I realized that resilience is not something we can buy or So, what exactly is resilience? Psychology Today states even learn from someone else. It is something we must that it is the psychological quality that allows someone cultivate in our own lives, and hone with experience and to bounce back quickly after adversities, often becoming time. It is something we learn by doing, not by reading or stronger and more able than before the adversity. Another listening to a lecture. way of putting it is that to be resilient means that we are mentally fit, strong, flexible, and that we have the ability to To become more resilient, I had to prioritize my selfadapt to any situation. development. I had to start listening to the wisdom of my heart and start living for what I wanted. Instead Adding to that, resilience is a smorgasbord of many of shrinking myself or withdrawing when I felt pain, I different qualities—all which empower us. At its core lies listened to myself, really listened to myself, for the first the stellar mindset of unreasonable determination to not time. Instead of burying my pains and fears, I started to only bounce back from life’s hardships, but to become acknowledge them and welcome them, a technique which even better than before. In addition, resilience is about allowed me to release them. turning any situation in your favor.

I also took on a radically optimistic view of life. Not But here’s the catch: we don’t just choose to be resilient. because I believed everything was great and awesome, but because I knew that if I consciously hunted for the You see, resilience is a byproduct of choosing power- good stuff, I’d find it. I mined the riches of my life, the inducing thoughts and actions. smiles, the beauty, the love, the experiences, the joy…

And this was why my experience a few years ago was such

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I did this because I realized there are an infinite number

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Resilience of things to focus on, and I fully understood that my attention was the mightiest force in the Universe. I only gave my attention to what gave me energy!

But consider this: Our thoughts are also our environment, and the most important environment of all. So, choose them wisely!

Every situation has a negative and positive side to it, and resilient people know that their power lies in where they direct this attention. Where we focus our attention will create our reality. The truth is, whatever you think about, whatever you pay attention to or focus on—inside your mind and out in the world—that is what creates your reality. So, if you want to change your reality, change your thinking!

I also accepted that contrast was part of every human existence and didn’t see myself exempt from it. Instead, I focused on what I was grateful for rather than what I thought was missing.

Another part of changing my focus was learning to ask better questions. To become more resilient, we can ask this amazing question: “Is what I’m thinking, doing, or how I’m acting, helping or harming me? Helping or harming others?” It’s a simple question but so powerful when faced with a choice. Another great question is: “How else can I see this?”

But what I’ve learned is that nothing is more expensive than losing your resilience, because in the process of doing so, you lose hope, and faith, and trust, and love. You lose your power.

When I was trying to decide whether or not to stay in my marriage, I had to first become clear whether the relationship was helping or hurting me. I did this by asking the right questions and always made sure to come from a place of unconditional love for my spouse and myself.

It took some practice, but I started to choose where I placed my precious attention. I chose to focus on the things I could change and accepted the things I couldn’t.

This was when things started to get really good and I felt the clouds of fear start to lift.

I also experienced a major breakthrough when I started trusting in a greater power than my own. You see, we all work with the same magnificent, infinite power. In the universe, there is a source from which we receive information, inspiration, knowledge and strength. We can trust this intelligence with our very lives because it is the intelligence that created us. However, for us humans, it’s not easy to trust without reservation or without fear. But the more we trust, the more we realize that the universe is on our side.

I also started to choose better environments for myself, including my intimate relationships. As adults, we can almost always choose our environments. We might not have the best family members, but even so, we can choose whether or not to see them. We choose our work environments, our friends, where we live, etc. Consistent environment trumps will. Every. Single. Time. For example, being in an abusive marriage will eventually harm you emotionally and mentally. No one is so strong that they can keep outside forces from entering in. Environment can either nurture or destroy resilience.

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Now, am I resilient all the freaking time? No. There have been times in my life when I was highly resilient, and there have been times when I have not had any resilience at all.

Resilience is no lightweight afterthought-of-a-virtue. If more people were more resilient, this world would be an infinitely better place, a more beautiful place, a kinder place, and a happier place. Why? Resilience looks like making art from the broken pieces of your heart, creating a beautiful garden from your pain.

It is competence in the face of stress, the loving despite having lost. It connects us, empowers us, and inspires us and others to our own greatness. It transforms pain to beauty, and ultimately, helps us become the person who loves unconditionally and who fears nothing.

And really, living in a world like that, with those kinds of people, what could be more amazing than that?

About the author: Karen Daw, MBA, CECM, CDIPC, is an award-winning national speaker, author of numerous articles and CE courses on safety in dentistry, Authorized OSHA Trainer, and a consultant for practices, corporations, colleges, and healthcare systems across the country. She earned her BA from the Ohio State University and her MBA with concentrations in Healthcare Administration and Business Management. After graduating, Karen was recruited from the Emergency Department to the role of Assistant Director of Sterilization Monitoring, and Health and Safety Director for the OSU College of Dentistry.

Karen is part of the inaugural class to earn a CDIPC credential, and is a proud member of the Organization for Safety Asepsis and Prevention (OSAP), where she also served as co-chair for their Annual Conference and Infection Control Boot Camp.

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Resilience

F O R VOTING U S B E ST D E N TA L PO D CASTS O F 20 2 1 We are honored to share the stories of people who lift up the dental industry so all may benefit.

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SUCCESS

THE LATINA RDH

By Amber Lovatos, RDH, BSDH, MAADH

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atina is who I am. A strong independent woman of Latin American descent who will overcome the obstacles put in her way with sazon (flavor). I feel strength in being Latina. Being Latina is my happiness; it is my being. It encompasses all I am in one word. There is nothing like the heart of a Latina, the heart that pushes me to serve. This heart has compelled me to share my stories. My stories on abuse, public health dentistry, and my comunidad (community). That same heart drove me to represent my gente (people) vocally, to give us loud and proud representation. I want to do more than share my stories. I want to pave the way for other Latin dental hygienists.

When I look on stage, I do not see my abuelitas (grandmothers), tias (aunts), hermanas (sisters), or primas (cousins). I do not see myself represented. I do not have a Latin mentor to confide in and ask for guidance or someone to aspire to be. All I have is me and my dreams.

Becoming The Latina RDH was purposeful. I wanted to be that representation for myself and my Latin RDH gente (people). The first time I called myself The Latina RDH was in front of hundreds of people on a national stage. I asked the master of ceremonies (MC) to call me "The Latina RDH," but the MC refused because they were concerned it

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would offend people. They struggled to say my last name, and I risked being on a national stage without my name being spoken. I could not and would not let the first time a Latina stepped on that national stage representing a huge brand be without vocal representation; OUR names need to be said. We do not often get these opportunities, so we need to make every opportunity count. I told the MC I would say my name and introduce myself loud and proudly. I would be The Latina RDH. As I prepared to speak, I was scared of the potential backlash I would receive from a mostly non-people-of-color audience, but that is not what happened. Instead, people connected with my stories of hardship and triumph. My stories of a daughter's love for her father. And the Latinas in the audience connected with my name. They connected with my cultura (culture). They connected with my heart. That is why I call myself The Latina RDH. It is to inspire my fellow Latino/a/es. It Is to make my ancestors proud.

Challenges and the Fuerza (strength) of a Latina Being vocally Latina has not been easy. I have often heard things such as that I am not a "real" Mexican, that my Spanish is not good enough, and that I do not look

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Success Mexican. On one occasion, a dental professional told me to speak in "American." Another said that I talk like a "Mexican." I have also been told the reason for my success is because I am diverse, and that it is popular right now.

The truth is that I speak more on abuse and public health dentistry than I do about the Latin community. The truth is that I am a good speaker. The truth is that I have overcome a lot to get to where I am. The truth is that you do not have to devalue someone else's accomplishments to bring yourself up. Yes, I am Latina, but I also work hard. I also do not let others' opinions bring me down. I use people's negativity to fuel me, push me, and reach new levels, not just as a Latina but as a dental hygienist, woman, daughter, and mother. I work this hard so no one can call me a token. I work this hard because I take the responsibility of being a Latina leader seriously. I do it because I am privileged to represent mi gente (my people).

Fostering Change & Supporting My Comunidad As a first-generation high school and college graduate, there was no one to look up to for inspiration. There was not a single family member who had navigated the things that I now had to do independently. I made many mistakes academically and financially as I tried to survive. When I graduated from college, I became the first person in my immediate and extended family to earn a degree. I do not think I grasped the magnitude of that milestone.

When I received my diploma, I understood that if I could do it, my family could too. I graduated from dental hygiene school in 2013, my older sister in 2017, and my cousin— who I taught—in 2018. I like to think that I played a part in their path to dental hygiene, just as my amiga, Maxine, played a role in my path. Maxine Cordova and I worked as dental assistants at the same practice in 2006. We were both in our late teens, both first-generation MexicanAmericans and obsessed with the Spanish pop band, Rebelde. While we shared many similarities, Maxine was always wiser and more forward-thinking than I was. She is the sole reason I became a dental hygienist. I was aimlessly navigating college when Maxine pointed me toward dental hygiene. The conversation was short, "We should become dental hygienists." she said. I responded with, "okay."

I used to be embarrassed that I did not have a feel-good story about why I became a dental hygienist. The truth is, I didn't even know what a dental hygienist was until Maxine explained it to me. While my work has primarily been in community-based dentistry, I did not become a dental hygienist because I had a passion for dentistry. I became a dental hygienist because I needed to provide for my

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boys. Ultimately, I think dental hygiene and public health dentistry are where I was meant to be. I wish I could say that my childhood dental hygienist inspired me to seek this career, but the truth is that I did not have access to dental care as a child. I did not receive restorative or preventative dental care until I was an adult. Maxine is the sole reason I became a dental hygienist, and I cannot imagine where I would be if it weren't for the mentorship Maxine provided me.

Just as Maxine mentored me, I want to do my part in guiding my fellow Latino/a/es in navigating their dental hygiene career. The lack of dental hygiene representation in dental key opinion leaders and dental stages is why I founded Latin RDH. Latin RDH is a non-profit dedicated to providing mentorship and professional development to Latins in the dental hygiene community. Our goal is to assist dental hygienists in achieving their professional goals. We have provided free speaker, educator, and goal setting courses. We also provide community and a safe space for people to share through our charlas (chats). I also have a Spanglish dental hygiene podcast, "Un Cuento De Dos Higienistas", where we aim to elevate Latin voices in the industry.

For my non-dental Latin community, I provide care in low-income and underserved areas. I also offer my nonSpanish-speaking dental professionals free basic dental Spanish tutorials on Instagram @thelatinardh and teach courses on cultural considerations for my community.

My drive has always been to help others. It has been to make an impact and serve others, but I cannot do it alone.

You can help me in my mission by saying our names. It does not matter if you mispronounce our names, say them. Say our names in rooms with thought and industry leaders. Say our names, not just for your Latin colleagues but for our ancestors too.

About the author: Amber Lovatos, RDH, BSDH, MAADH, “The Latina RDH” is a clinician, educator, author, and champion for public health issues.

Amber hosts "A Cuento De Dos Higienistas", a Spanglish dental hygiene podcast. Amber is recipient of numerous national and state awards and academic scholarships including being named 2021’s Dimensions of Dental Hygiene Six Dental Hygienists You Want to Know & 2022 Sunstar Award of Distinction recipient.

Amber is also the co-author of Smiles Por Vida a Spanish & Spanglish not for profit children’s dental book. Amber is the founder of Latin RDH, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering the Latin dental hygiene community. In her free time, Amber teaches dental Spanish on Instagram @thelatinardh. Amber can be reached at amLovatos@gmail.com

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SUCCESS

YES, AND: THE STORY OF POSITIVITY WHEN BUILDING A DENTAL SCHOOL DURING A GLOBAL PANDEMIC By Erinne Kennedy, DMD & Linda C. Niessen, DMD

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n 2022, Kansas City University (KCU) College of Dental Medicine (CDM), located in Joplin, Missouri, became the 70th dental school in the US to receive “initial accreditation” from the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA). KCU is an example of a community and academic organization rooted in action and change and working together to rebuild Joplin, MO. In 2011, the community of Joplin, MO suffered a devastating tornado that took the lives of 160 individuals, completely destroying many homes and moving the foundation of St. John’s Hospital.

Through commitment, courage, and determination, the community of Joplin, MO began rebuilding. As part of the rebuilding, the overwhelming community support lead to Kansas City University College of Osteopathic Medicine (COM) coming to fruition. In 2017, the KCU’s first medical students enrolled in KCU-Joplin and graduated in 2021.

With the success of the College of Osteopathic Medicine, KCU and the Joplin community leaders again worked together to develop a College of Dental Medicine. The groundbreaking for the CDM was held on May 22, 2021, ten years to the day after the devastating tornado. Like the phoenix, hope, in the form of education and a bright future for health professionals in Joplin, rose from the ashes.

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The construction of the new Kansas City University College of Dental Medicine followed the launch of the KCU College of Osteopathic Medicine (KCU COM) and expanded the health professions campus that is on the site of the former FEMA Hospital which arrived after the 2011 tornado. The Sisters of Mercy donated the facility to KCU after a new Mercy Hospital was built in Joplin. The FEMA hospital was completely renovated for the College of Osteopathic Medicine and includes classrooms, laboratories, simulated patient areas, student study spaces and faculty offices. This facility will house the dental school along with a new threestory Oral Health Center which is the dental clinical facility that will include 92 dental operatories, an 84 dental simulation laboratory, and a digital design lab which is in process of being completed.

The college recently earned initial accreditation from the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA), and will enroll the first class in July 2023. Dr. Linda Niessen, KCU-Joplin College of Dental Medicine Founding Dean & Vice Provost for Oral Health Affairs, is leading this effort, with her “Joptimistic” spirit.

Dean Niessen has built a leadership team who will

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Success

- Kansas City University Groundbreaking Ceremony May 22, 2021. Photo participants listed from left to right: Back row: Dr. Dennis Abbott Front row: Dr. Sharon Gordon, Dr. Kathryn Champion, Dean Linda Niessen, Dr. Erinne Kennedy, Dr. Kathleen T. O'Loughlin, and Dr. Diane Ede-Nichols

Just Say “Yes And” Dean Niessen has built a leadership team with a foundational mindset and bias for saying “yes”. What started out as a “just say yes” motto, shifted to a “yes, and” perspective, similar to the framework for improv comedy.

Our entire team has adopted this principle from Yes, and: Lessons from The Second City by Kelly Leonard, and Tom Yorton. By saying “yes and”, you give every idea an equal opportunity for exploration and evaluation. Academic

design and bring the curriculum and clinical facility of the KCU CDM to life. These leaders include: Dr. Sharon Gordon, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Research, Dr. Diane Ede-Nichols, Associate Dean for Clinical Education and Patient Care, Dr. Erinne Kennedy, Director for Pre-doctoral Education, Dr. Kathryn Champion, Director for Clinical Operations, Dr. Latasha Vick, Director of Community Based Education and Outreach, and Dr. Dennis Abbott, Assistant Director of Integrated Biomedical Sciences. Her focus for hiring has been on capacity building and preparing leaders for the future of dentistry and dental education, including women and underrepresented minority faculty.

Tips for Starting a Dental School: Starting a new dental school shows a number of parallels with starting a new company. Our team has learned and adapted a few key principles on how we operate and build each component of the program. In saying yes, being cross trained, and filling the halls with “Joptimism”, we have found that adaptability is key to a successful academic start-up.

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- Architectural rendering of the Kansas City University College of Dental Medicine Oral Health Center

startups, like business startups, require constant creativity in thinking, design, and re-design. Saying “yes, and” is how our team brings ideas to meetings and vets these ideas regularly.

Cross Train Dean Linda Niessen has a saying, “we are the Southwest Airlines of dental education.” You might be asking, so are you offering dental education in flight? No, but we are cross-training faculty and staff to share roles where possible. This cross-training and team approach help revise processes, address gaps, and improve the training mechanism for team members. If you happen to stop by KCU and see pretzels or peanuts, you know we are really embracing this mindset!

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Success

Optimism A cornerstone, of our team philosophy was developed in the midst of preparing for our hybrid CODA site visit. In a mock site visit, when the team was questioned whether our team was naïve about certain procedures, Dr. Katie Champion realized that we were not naïve. In fact, she coined the term “Joptimism” to describe the fact that the team has overwhelming optimism. This “joptimism” was what our team displayed in the face of what felt like an overwhelming amount of work required to prepare for the site visit. While from the outside, it might have seemed impossible, our team was “joptimistic” that anything is possible.

Curriculum Design Our organizational culture that is positive, innovative, and adaptable, has enabled the team to continue to redesign our curriculum to focus on integrated coursework, interprofessional education, and academic coaching.

Integration The first year of the College of Dental Medicine focuses on foundational knowledge, i.e. learning the basic sciences, that will form the basis of the clinical sciences in which they will treat patients. All of the basic sciences outside of anatomy will be taught around 60-common medical conditions. Students will prepare for class using integrated learning modules that are rooted in learning theory. The first year will also include early clinical experiences in the community including experiences providing oral health education and screening examinations in elementary schools.

During the second year of the program, the students will take part in increasingly more clinically-focused work and will have clinical courses that offer integrated and modular coursework. Instead of each discipline having its own course, the curriculum will be taught in the context, sequence, and integrated nature of comprehensive patient care.

During the third year, the students will provide comprehensive dental care to patients in a team-based model in the Oral Health Center. During the fourth year, the dental school has a unique community-based curriculum where students will rotate to regional health systems, community health centers or federal qualified health centers. Throughout the curriculum, the dental students

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will work with medical students and doctor of psychology students. Working under the supervision of faculty preceptors, KCU’s fourth-year dental students will provide oral health care in clinical partner sites throughout the four-corner region.

Coaching KCU is implementing a coaching program for medical and dental students based on the American Medical Association model for coaching. The academic coaches will conduct a series of checkpoints with the student throughout the year. These checkpoint meetings will focus not on academic advising but on building relationships with the student, and supporting their efforts to implement the skills learned in the workshops.

For dental students, the coaches will help them decide on how they will best use their professional development for healthy lifestyle choices and professional clinical experiences.

Being a part of an academic start-up feels like a once in a lifetime opportunity. The team lead by Dean Linda Niessen has put on their hard hats, and participated in building the future of dentistry by building a team, culture, physical spaces, and curriculum. During this phase we have had

the opportunity to be change agents for the profession of dentistry, and for the community of Joplin, MO. About the authors: Erinne Kennedy, DMD, MPH, MMSc graduated from Nova Southeastern College of Dental Medicine in 2015. She completed a GPR residency at a VA Hospital in 2016, a Dental Public Health residency in 2018, and a MMSc in Dental Education at Harvard School of Dental Medicine in 2019. She serves as the director of pre-doctoral education at Kansas City University College of Dental Medicine in Joplin, MO. Linda C. Niessen, DMD, MPH, MPP serves as the Vice Provost for Oral Health Affairs for Kansas City University and Founding Dean of KCU College of Dental Medicine in Joplin, MO. She is a Diplomate of the American Board of Dental Public Health and the American Board of Special Care Dentistry and has provided dental care to patients with medically complex conditions. She received her DMD, MPH and MPP, all from Harvard University.

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Success

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For You, About You,

By You!

DeW Life Magazine is both a digital and a print publication devoted to highlighting and empowering all women in dentistry. Our goal is to inspire women to connect and move each other forward lifting one another up to heights we only dreamed possible.

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No child should have to suffer from tooth decay!

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Together, we can create a future where every child has a healthy smile!

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DeW Learning Crew Burnout and Stress

with Kari Carter-Cherelus and Dr. Laura Brenner Tuesday, August 16 7:00-8:30pm EST

DeW hosts quarterly virtual events focused on personal development, professional development, and connection! It features two keynote speakers and breakout sessions, followed by a virtual happy hour to connect with your DeW community! At the upcoming DeW Learning Crew event Laura Brenner, D.D.S. and Kari Carter-Cherelus discuss issues around ,“Properly Diagnosing Your Burnout to Find the Right Treatment Plan.”

The World Health Organization has officially designated workplace burnout as an occupational hazard, and dental professionals are not immune. In fact, due to the stresses and pressures that dental professionals face, burnout is happening early and often. Burnout cannot be ignored, as it affects engagement in the office and in our personal lives.

In today's world, there are more resources than ever to help us resolve work-related burnout.

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