Novacaine Winter 2016 by nsuasda

Winter 2016

NSU ASDA Chapter Newsletter

Give Kids A Smile • Mission Trip to Dominican Republic • Surviving Your First Year of Dental

NOVAcaine News A student newsletter published by the Nova Southeastern chapter of the American Student Dental Association

President Preston Hansen ‘17 Communications Chair Rachel Dor fner ‘18 Editors Kathr yn Champion ‘18 Rachel Dorfner ‘18

Cover (Left to Right): Shelby Austin, Deeva Bhatt, Rajvi Doshi and Kathryn Champion at Give Kids a Smile

If you have any comments, suggestions or would like to write an article for NOVAcaine News, please contact Rachel Dorfner at rd973@nova.edu

In this Issue...

4 Meet Your New Executive Board 6 The Missing T’s of Dentistry 8 Surviving Your First Year of Dental School 10 Dentist Day on the Hill 12 Expand Your Palate 14 Give Kids A Smile 18 DR Missions Trip 2016 22 National Student Lobby Day

Letter from the Editor

Serving as the Editor for the NovaCaine these past few months has been a wonderful experience, affording me the opportunity to work alongside some talented and motivated individuals. For this issue, we wanted to include some articles showcasing the great work our students at Nova have been accomplishing. We’ve lobbied for student rights via National Student Lobby Day and Dentist’s Day on the Hill, provided necessary dental care to families in need via Missions trips, and helped enhance the smiles of over 700 deserving children right here in our own community through our Give Kids a Smile event. These are only a few of the endeavors that have brought about positive changes in our profession and patients, and I’m happy to say that ASDA members have been involved in them all. As part of the communications team, Rachel and I have also implemented the “Dental, Dam!” series on the NSU ASDA Facebook page that we hope has given you some extra insight into some of your fellow classmates. We plan to expand this in the future and upload features on a more regular basis, and intend to include faculty and support staff as well, because we all know teamwork makes the dream work! Going forward, we aim to make our successive issues increasingly vibrant and informative, and will continue to highlight the exciting things happening with our Nova ASDA members. I hope you enjoy what we’ve put together, and I look forward to making future publications even better. -Katie Champion, Class of 2018 We hope you enjoy this issue and follow us as we continue to grow our newsletter in both content and style! Thank you to our sponsors for their continued support and the ASDA community for giving us the opportunity to create this for everyone! -Rachel Dorfner, Class of 2018

Meet Your New Executive Board

The best part of being part of ASDA is being here to serve all of our members. When I am not running around organizing events, putting out fires, or planning exciting new events, you can find me in the gym, watching TV or movies, or just enjoying local events and restaurants. Please come find me and introduce yourself. I look forward to meeting each and every member. Kalynn Foster, President-Elect Class of 2018

Favorite Color: Red Preston Hansen, President Total Cat Lady Class of 2017 TV Show: Die hard “The Walking Dead” fan Outside of dental school, I love to be in the sun, scuba dive, workout, and travel. I try to make everything I do an adventure to make it worthwhile.

As the Vice President of our school chapter, I oversee community service, social and golf tournament committees, and joining ASDA has taken me different places and given me great learning opportunities that have enriched my dental school experience beyond what I thought possible. When I am not in clinic, studying or conducting research, I like to hangout with friends, go to the beach to catch some sun and paddle board, and read a good book. Shaileen Ejtemai, Vice-President Class of 2018 ASDA is great becomes it offers the ability to network and meet new dentists all over the nation. For fun, I am big runner and racquetball player. I’m always up to run a 5k any day or play a friendly game of racquetball. I am a huge TV junkie - self proclaimed. Favorite shows include Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, Flash, and SHIELD. I am a big traveler and I try to go on one big trip every year. Last year, I visited Ireland and Scotland. This year, I’ll be going to Singapore and Malaysia. I’m looking forward to continuing a great year with ASDA.

Jay Ghiya, Secretary Class of 2017

I love being part of the E-Board mainly because it allows me to work with a number of individuals on several different projects at a time so there’s never a dull moment, the perfect cure for my ADD. I was born in Iran but I grew up in a little town outside of Orlando, called Oviedo. I love playing my saxophone whenever I have down time and I enjoy making all kinds of treats as well as trying out new recipes. So, if there’s ever anything I can help you with, whether it is about ASDA or dental school in general, please don’t hesitate to come up and ask! Sanaz Ghiassi, Treasurer Class of 2018

President’s Message

One thing many people do no about me is that I began my college career as a film major. I am a creative individual who excelled in television production in high school. There was nothing else I wanted to do in college except for film. As I began my first two years of college, I quickly realized that working in the film industry was going to be grueling without much pay. As I began to explore other professions I stumbled upon dentistry. Dentistry was a profession where I would have time to spend with my family, fulfill my need to create, and of course make plenty of money while helping others. Just like that I enrolled in my first science courses and the journey began. Before making it to dental school I was heavily involved with my pre-dental ASDA chapter. Therefore, I knew from the beginning I wanted to be part of ASDA at NSU, but not for one second did I think this would be by serving you as your ASDA President. I can say now that I would not have wanted it any other way. I have grown so much from this experience and have to thank all our wonderful members for this opportunity. As President it has been my goal to increase membership, offer more community service opportunities, and create more family friendly events. As an executive committee we have focused on creating lunch n’ learns and social events that are geared towards existing and potential members. Also, we have created Ultimate ASDA week which focuses on recruiting new members with a week a of exciting social events, informative lunch n’ learns, and plenty of ASDA fever! Additionally community service has been a focus this year for ASDA. We held our first clothing drive and created several volunteer events to give back to our local community. In the near future we plan on going to Project Stable to help with special needs children. ASDA loves being here for all its members, including their families - so for the second year in a row, ASDA held its back-to-school BBQ that invited members and their families to John U Lloyd park for free BBQ and games. A lot of fun has been had this year with our chapter. Now I would like to offer a little advice to my fellow colleagues. If I could say anything I would say to keep your head up high, be humble, and continue to work hard. Dental school can be challenging at times but the reward at the end of the road is greater than any sacrifice you make now and if the stresses seem to becoming too much just remember this advice given to me by a wonderful faculty “It’s just a tooth”. I could not do this job without my amazing executive committee, chair members, and committee members. It takes a lot of people to run an organization of this size so please thank any board member you come across for the amazing job they do. Thank you board members! -Preston

The Missing T’s of Dentistry

By Eytan Austein ‘19

Having moved from New York to South Florida with my wife and children this past August, we expected to encounter many differences in lifestyle and daily living. The weather is different, people drive differently, and they even speak a little differently. In fact, on my first day of orientation at NSU, I heard a lot about something, which sounded like “Denisry” which supposedly was practiced by someone known as “Dennis”. I didn’t know who Dennis was, but I assumed I’d have to meet him in order to follow what was going on. I soon realized that a native New Yorker like myself was accustomed to pronouncing my T’s very strongly, while people down here sort of let their T’s roll along with the rest of the word. So, “Dennis” was really “Dentist”, and “Denisry” was “Dentistry”. All kidding aside, as our D1 year comes to a close, I have learned a few key factors that have helped along the way, all of which begin with the letter T. Tired: Exhaustion is inevitable in Dental School. Since it is usually a longer and more rigorous daily schedule than most are accustomed to, it takes some time to adjust. Caffeine soon becomes your close friend, and eventually you are able to push through towards success. The key is to balance your time, and ensure that you are getting enough rest when you are finished studying. Timely: You have to be on time, not only for class, but for your patients as well. It is impossible to do well if you don’t study in a timely fashion. Avoid cramming, as well as handing in projects and assignments past their due dates. Thorough: One’s work has to be complete and thoroughly checked, aiming for near-perfection. Whether it means making sure that ALL of the rubber dam is removed from the typodont, checking that your wax-up is free of excess wax, or confirming that the pulpal floor on your Class II is totally smooth, you need to ensure that you have done a thorough job. Tidy: Your work area in the Sim Lab should be clean and organized. Your study schedule should also be well balanced and free of distractions. Organization is imperative. Thoughtful: You need to plan ahead and begin projects with the end goal in mind. For example, when starting your Class II preparation, you need to mark the tooth exactly where the contact should be breaking so you don’t over or under open it. Our work is not haphazard; it is carefully thought-out and performed on the casts before we can proceed to the patient. Tenacious: Since all of this is still very new to us, it can get difficult at times. We have to keep pushing through despite the difficult workload that we find ourselves involved in. After much practice, we will be able to develop our hand-skills and confidence. All it takes is persistence, and having our eyes on the ultimate prize…being a successful Dentist and helping our patients!

Surviving Your First Year of Dental School

By Michael Serbin ‘19

Pencils down, eyes up, tests to the front— the time has run out on the final exam of the D1 year. After forcibly tearing yourself away from the last few scantron bubbles you’ve been eyeing nervously, you proceed victoriously up to the front of the auditorium. On your way to hand over the exam to your professors-turned-vigilant proctors, you flashback to the nearly 70 identical marches you’ve made over the past 9 months at Nova Southeastern University. Although the last of these marches is by outward appearance similar to the first, you know that a lot has changed since then. In a short 9 months you have acquired a bevy of concrete skills that once seemed abstract and unattainable. You’ve learned every bone in the body, enough syndromes and conditions to keep the “Grey’s Anatomy”’ writers room satisfied for 25 seasons, the awe-inspiring importance of a good inter-proximal contact, and experienced a 31 credit course-load. Before any of this began, one of our professors said to us “Dental school is like being seated in front of a fire hydrant of information and having the spout aimed at you full blast.” Well, I’m soaked. Yes, it is undoubtedly a challenge, but with the right survival skills you too can gloriously strip off these D1 forest-green scrubs. First things first, get familiar with hitting the books. Not the kind of studying where you clock out at happy hour or in time to catch the Uber into Miami, but the kind that takes you deep into the night, where only ghosts of finals weeks past have taken you before. There will be lectures, practicals, rotations, simulation lab hours, exams, quizzes, projects, dental school events, and lunch-and-learns (yum). There will be blood, metaphorically speaking. As an undergraduate maintaining a schoollife balance was crucial, but as a Dental student school and life meld into one. Unless you plan on discovering two additional daylight-savings-time hours tucked away between 2 and 3 AM, you will need to adapt. My biggest adjustment was to begin treating study time as less of a solitary pursuit and as more of an opportunity to bond with classmates. We socialize to stay connected and happy, so as strange as it may sound, have fun studying! Another important element for survival is to keep your body and mind healthy. Poring over volumes of biochemical pathways in the darkest depths of the library’s annex for days on end may be productive, but it is does not make for a healthy dental student. Unless you’re actually a goblin, this will take its toll. Research has shown that a sedentary lifestyle is correlated with anxiety, depression, cardiovascular disease, and even some cancers. This may sound a bit melodramatic, but the last thing you need is to compound the inexorable stress of coursework with a lifestyle that drains you. When you’re having one of those rigorous stretches, take a little time to re-familiarize yourself with the sun, sing obnoxiously with

friends, or pet a kitty. Go for a swim. Whine to friends and family. If bird watching is more your style, go stare at birds. Find something that fortifies you and use it to your advantage. And finally, remember to keep it all in perspective. Dental school is challenging, time-consuming, and at times spirit shaking. But it’s also a wonderful privilege. The work must be put in, but I contend that there are worse ways to spend your days than sitting in an air-conditioned building, surrounded by 125 new friends, in a tropical paradise. And despite D1 Year’s notoriety, think of the challenges that aren’t involved. In your first year, you won’t experience the anxiety of working on your first real patient. You won’t yet need to deal with the pressure of finding a place to land after graduation. Remember that moment of unadulterated joy when you first read your acceptance letter? Keep that fresh in your mind, and a string of bad marks will seem more like a mole-hill than a mountain.

But wait, there’s more! All the tips and tricks you can acquire before that first week in August will pale in comparison to the lessons you will learn along the way. A certain wild haired German physicist once said “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” I’ve seen friends take up meditation, adopt a raccoon-like nocturnal lifestyle, fly their families into town for morale, and turn their typodonts into horcruxes. As long as you are willing to adjust when a challenge arises, your natural survival instincts- the same ones that got you into Dental school- will power you through it.

Here are some helpful tips from some of my classmates: “Kickboxing, shooting range, good music, and never give up! - Gayane Avakyan

“Focus on understanding the concepts, but when memorization is necessary, make mnemonics and silly stories (the sillier the better)” - Daniel “DK” Krauss

“Take time to pursue your hobbies; it helps in “You will not enjoy it but relaxing from all the work you won’t die so don’t worry.” - Meena Park you have.” - Carl Treyz “No-one likes those that gun their way to the top. Dental school is about professional connections with peers and colleagues. Tackle D1 year as a group.” - Alex Lee

“Elevate others and ye too shall soar” - David Martinez

“No matter how hard it gets you always have to take a break from studying and find time for yourself.” - Anonymous “Make good friends to get good notes.” - Catherine Zhang

“Enjoy the process the best you can. Be respectful, take “Throw away your pride” - Benjamin Yoon a deep breath once in a while and it will all work out.” - Greg Quattlebaum II “Make sure to cry three times a week” - Shima Parhizgar

Dentists Day on the Hill

Lobbying at Dentist Day on the Hill! It was a success! As a D1, Dentist Day on the Hill was my first experience lobbying, so I had absolutely no idea what to expect. I was nervous to say the least, mostly because I didn’t even know what lobbying was, but I quickly found out. Lobbying is an effective way for the constituents of a community or organization to make politicians aware of active bills that affect the community. Dentist Day on the Hill is a day in our state capitol allocated for dentists in Florida to make state senators and representatives aware of active bills that can impede the efficacy of dentistry. I have always been very interested in legislation, and specifically, the legislative aspect of dentistry. Legislation is what dictates not only how we practice, but also how the community can respond to the dentistry that we do. That being said, there is an incredible amount of impact that legislation can have on a population, and that, to me, is really cool! Furthermore, dentists have historically been great at promoting good legislation and demoting bad legislation. We have made our organizations, such as the FDA and ADA, prominent figures in the political community. This means that we have a lot of impact on our profession and consequently on our communities’ oral health. The night before Dentist Day on the Hill, FDA organized a short meeting about the bills we were lobbying. While I walked into the event timid about interacting with so many prominent figures in the FDA, everyone was really welcoming! I met the FDA president, Dr. Ralph Attanasi, and we chatted about his speech at the Class of 2019’s White Coat Ceremony. He introduced me to the FDA Director of Government Affairs, Joe Anne Hart, and we talked about our days and how we were incredibly hungry. Then I met a couple of dental students from LECOM and The University of Florida, and we did as dental students do when they get together-- complain about our sleepless nights and endless projects. That is one of the great things about dentistry. It is a community in which everyone is so nice and eager to meet and help each other. After dinner, we headed straight to bed because we had to be at the state capitol at 8:00 am. Each county of Florida was responsible for meeting all the representatives within their county lines. We met with six representatives including Representative Jared E. Moskowitz, Representative Evan Jenne, and Representative Shevrin Jones.

In additional to lobbying for continued water fluoridation and against mid level providers, the main bill we were advocating for was HB 139/SB 234. This bill is really applicable to us as dental students because it allocates funds into a Dental Care Access Account which can be used to help pay off student loans for recent dental graduates who choose to work in underserved areas of Florida. It was nice to speak to the representatives about out perspective on the bill. I told them about my $380,000 of unsubsidized debt, and it was incredible how much they cared. Every representative we met with thanked us for taking the time out of our schedules to make them aware of our outrageous student debt, and they further assured us that our presence that day would make a clear difference on how they would vote for the bill. It was statements like such that not only made me feel that this experience was worth taking the infamous make-up periodontology exam, but also, it made me realize I could make a real impact on an entire populations oral health. In conclusion, as a member of ASDA and as future dentists, I encourage everybody to become more involved with the legislation. At the very least, become more familiar with the policies and laws that can affect the future of dentistry. It is incredibly rewarding to see how legislation can impact your community.

Expand Your Palate

By Libby Finer ‘18

Pincho factory - Pincho Factory, a Miami based chain, recently popped up in Pembroke Pines, on Pines Blvd and Hiatus. It’s known for their Latin-inspired fusion burgers and pinchos. You have the option to create your own or choose from their already perfected creations. I ordered the Fritanga Burger and substituted the bread buns for fried plantain “buns”. The fried white cheese topping will blow your mind. I paired it with their 627 Ale, which is brewed specifically for them by Wynwood Brewing. I also highly suggest getting their sweet potato tots with a side of apple butter. If you’re a veggie, don’t worry, they have yummy options for you too! Start the new semester off right and make a stop here. It’s so heavenly you’ll have to pinch(o) yourself!

545 Degrees Banh Mi Cafe is located in an Asian/Vietnamese dedicated shopping plaza on the corner of Stirling Rd and Davie Rd. If you're

looking for delicious Vietnamese sandwiches, this is the place. Each of their Banh Mi's are served with pickled carrots, daikon, cucumbers, cilantro, jalapeño and house mayonnaise. For only $4 each I got the Korean BBQ and The Works (suggested by the cashier). They also have fun authentic Vietnamese snacks, drinks and desserts. My "go-to" is the Taro with boba, but fruity flavors are always a favorite too. They're super friendly and provide quick service. Next stop in that plaza will be Sweet Tooth Shavery!

Restaurants soon to take ROOT: BENTO on University Dr. SPRING CHICKEN in Ft. Lauderdale JUGOFRESH @ Whole Foods Davie WAWA in 2017

Give Kids A Smile

By Joanna Theodorou ‘19

This year, NSU was chosen to be the national kickoff site for the nationwide Give Kids A Smile event, and it was definitely a day to remember! From the colorful decorations, to all the wonderful kids that came for treatment, and of course our amazing students and faculty who volunteered, GKAS 2016 was a huge success. None of this would have been possible without the ADA foundation, our sponsors, Dean Niessen, the incredible leadership of Kelly Cundy and Adam Saltz, and our amazing committee who put in hours and hours of hard work to make sure the day ran smoothly. In preparation for the day of the event, committee members went to the Boys and Girls Club to recruit patients in addition to the students who were coming from Park Ridge Elementary and Pompano Elementary as a field trip. It was also important to gather as many supplies as we could as well as samples for goodie bags to give the kids on their way out. Advertisement was also a major goal of ours in order to reach as many families as possible, and was accomplished via media outlets and various forms of social media. Entertainment for the kids was also an important aspect in making the day a success. Elsa and Anna made an appearance singing hit songs from Frozen, there were several tooth fairies, face painters, a clown, Stanley the mascot from the Florida Panthers hockey team, Miami Dolphins football players, and a DJ playing today’s hits. This year was also special because NSU’s medical and pharmacy students joined in to help teach the kids about different medications and organs of the human body which enhanced the kids learning and total health education. Since our event was held on a Friday, unlike previous years where it was on a Saturday, it was mandatory for all dental students. The D1 students were managing the waiting area, D2 students performed prophylaxis, and D3 & D4 students performed more complex procedures including restorative cases. The postdoctoral pediatric residents were also there to lend a helping hand and screen patients. Also, an overwhelming amount of faculty helped when needed and assisted with making sure the clinic was in order and everything was running smoothly.

15 On the day of the event, the clinic and waiting areas were filled with rainbow colored balloons and streamers, hundreds of happy children, and an energy that lifted the air. The upbeat music filled the room and there were smiling faces everywhere you turned. Over 700 children were seen that day and about $300,000 worth of treatment was provided for free. These are the largest numbers produced by GKAS at Nova Southeastern University College of Dental Medicine do date, and it further encourages us to work even harder to make GKAS 2017 an even bigger success!

Missions Trip: Dominican Republic 2016

By Andrea Rodriguez ‘18

Every year the College of Dental Medicine organizes and participates in mission trips to the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Nicaragua; and every year, students eager to begin their clinical career or looking to strengthen their dental skills apply for the opportunity to partake. This spring, I was fortunate to be a part of the first mission trip of the year to the Dominican Republic that took place from March 20th to 24th.

Our group was relatively small, consisting of 4 doctors, 1 dental hygienist, 24 students and 1 volunteer with no healthcare background. D2’s were paired up with D3’s whenever possible which allowed for a less experienced D2 to be guided by a D3, and for both students to assist each other and work more efficiently. We were then divided in 3 groups. Each group worked two shifts of a different discipline a day: Restorative, Oral Surgery and Perio. This rotation system allowed for maximum exposure of students to different cases and group leaders. The trip was centered in the area of San Francisco de Marcoris, and services were provided in some of the surrounding communities: La Malena, Vista al Valle, Bijao, Aguayos and Naranjo Dulce. In coordination with the Catolica Nordestana University (UCNE), hundreds of patients were screened to receive dental care. A total of 464 people of low socio-economic status, including children, benefitted from the services provided. Some such service, were dental extractions, dental cleanings, restorations and fluoride treatment. Additionally, our group was trained in the use of silver diamine fluoride, a fairly new and promising treatment that has been recently approved in the United States for the treatment and arrest of caries. Additionally, patients were instructed on oral hygiene practices and caries prevention.

While much of the trip was clinically based, there were some aspects that allowed us to experience the culture of the Dominican Republic. For instance, it was interesting to try their typical dishes, especially mangu; a Dominican traditional side dish consisting of mashed plantains that can be served for breakfast, lunch or dinner. However, as delicious as mangu is, when youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had it for five consecutive days, you begin to miss breakfast at home. Most of our exposure to the Dominican culture took place on the sites where services were provided and I found that the Dominican people were humble and kind. They were incredibly patient as they waited long lines to be seen, and overall they seemed grateful for our labor and efforts. There is no doubt that providing care on a mission trip, where clinical conditions are less than ideal, is very demanding and requires hard work. Most of the working sites underwent power outages in order to control energy consumption in their communities. This became a problem not only because of the need of energy for the equipment, but also because of the heat of the island. Fortunately, we were prepared for the lack of energy and used power generators to power the dental equipment. However, the heat and lack of a clinical setting were unavoidable circumstances for which we had to prepare to the best of our abilities. Then again, being so eager to provide care to the greatest number of patients, takes priority over oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own comfort. Our journey included a dinner hosted by the UCNE Dean Monsignor Fausto Mejia and the Vice-Dean for Development and International Affairs Dr. Luis Esmurdoc, in honor of the faculty and Doctors that make this trip possible: Dr. Diane Ede-Nichols, Dr. Antonio Otero, Dr. Richmond Hung, Dr. Rafael Urbino and Mrs. Judy Bendit. The dinner concluded with the presentation of the Ballet Folklorico of UCNE. It was an extremely rewarding experience to know that we provided much needed dental services to a group of people who in some cases find it difficult to acquire something as fundamental as a toothbrush. I am thankful for having had such an opportunity to strengthen my dental skills and experience a different culture. It is experiences like these that remind us of the care and compassion that we owe to our patients.

Missions Trip: Dominican Republic 2016

National Student Lobby Day

By Cinthia Funes ‘19

Attending ASDA’s Lobby Day was an enlightening experience where approximately 400 students got to be involved in the legislative process that affects our state. The National Dental Student Lobby Day began filled with preparation on how to influence the politics of Capitol Hill. We learned the politics between the House and Senate and how organized dentistry and special interest groups influence legislators daily. Ultimately, we learned how to convey our personal stories to show legislators how students are affected everyday by legislature and how we work as a unit in representing the best interests of dental students across the nation. Ahmed Elkoussa, Anushka Prabhu, and Cinthia Funes, first year dental students from Nova Southeastern University visited the Hill and got to meet other students eager to take action and gain co-sponsors for three different Acts. Three acts are currently gaining momentum in the House and Senate. One of which is the ‘Action for Dental Health Act H.R. 539’, which allows organizations to directly apply for funds from the Centers for Disease Control to run programs like Mission of Mercy and Give Kids a Smile. Currently, only the state is allowed to apply for these funds; organizations which are the entities utilizing the funds do not have control of the application process. This act has gained strong bipartisan momentum in the last year and we customized talking points to influence legislators to co-sponsor this act, which directly affect patient’s oral health. Additionally, student debt crisis is an alarming reality for many dental students. Many of the students attending the National Lobby Day had a personal story on how their debt will affect their postgraduate career plans. For example, many students were worried that exorbitant student debt will restrict them to private practice as opposed helping communities through public service. The Student Loan Refinancing Act H.R. 649 would allow individuals to refinance their federal student loans more than once. This would permit students to take advantage of lower interest rates at any time during the lifespan of the loan. Similarly, the Protecting Our Students by Terminating Graduate Rates that Add to Debt Act H.R 4223 aims to allow eligible loan borrowers to take advantage of the interest rate subsidy offered to undergraduate students with federal Direct

Subsidized Loans. Student debt is a daunting topic even for legislators therefore our presence on the Hill is imperative to demonstrate our determination. The National Dental Student Lobby Day was hectic, running from appointment to appointment, but overall it was a rewarding experience that was invaluable as a first-year student. As future leaders in dentistry, it is important for students to be involved with the current politics that govern organized Dentistry. Getting together as a strong unit, the dental students attending this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lobby Day were able to make their voices heard.