Probe 2021 - issue 2

July 2021, Issue 2

THE PROBE UWA DENTAL STUDENTS' SOCIETY MAGAZINE

WHAT'S INSIDE:

ADSA Report

Sports report

Welfare week

Dental Alumni

Joanna

Rachael

A MESSAGE FROM YOUR 2021 MEDIA REPS JOANNA & RACHAEL Hello!!! One semester down, one more to go. Although the first semester had a few hiccups with a few lockdowns popping up here and there, UDSS was still able to pull off many amazing events. From ice-skating to Dr. Daniel Sundaresan's last seminar. From the ADSA blood drive to Health Day. The dental school has also had their fair share of exciting news, with the reveal of the new chairs. All of which you can read about in this issue.

Both of us, Joanna and Rachael, have captured precious moments of fun within the dental school community and with other facilities in this issue of the Probe. With so many exciting things happening at the dental school besides studying and clinic, we invite you to read through the Probe and enjoy!!! :)

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CONTENTS

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SPORTS REPORT

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ADSA REPORT

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WELFARE WEEK

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EDUCATION REPORT

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Fundraisers Soup for the soul Relay for life

Education Journal club Quiz Night

Sports

Winter volleyball & netball

Social Events GV Black Dental Dinner

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SPORTS REPORT ICE SKATING On Friday the 21st of May, UDSS held their annual sports day at...drum roll please...COCKBURN ICE ARENA! It was a fantastic turnout with 40 registrations made up of DMD1, DMD2 and DMD3’s. We even had some special guests from the ADA, namely Amanda Phoon- one of our fave oral med specialists! AND Beck Penco who was a previous UWA dental student and, with honourable mention, one of the past UDSS Presidents! We all skated into the night from 7:3010:30pm. Experienced skaters worked their skills and also kindly helped many that were skating for their first time! We all gained many tips and tricks and even played a racing game down the rink! It was a wonderful way to end off the first semester of 2021!

Looking forward to the next sports event. Keep your eye out on the Facebook and Instagram page for future updates! We hope to see you all there!

Amy Zhang & Mona He

UDSS 2021 Sports Reps

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BADMINTON (UDSS VS PMSS) By: Amy Zhang & Mona He UDSS 2021 Sports Reps On the 9th of April, UDSS co-hosted the first ever badminton competition with UWA Podiatric Medical Students Society! The whole recreational centre was filled with over 40 participants. We had 20 teams, 6 full courts, and 2 hours to see which faculty would prevail as the best at badminton. The goal was to score the most points for one’s faculty.

After the opening 20 teams played, we were down to the top 10 teams, then the final. We had Jordon Wong and Abbas Hashim represent Dentistry in the final match against Podiatry students Eunice Robless and Justin Howard. It was a tough match, with a score of 29-46. The Podiatry finalists celebrated their win with some well-deserved BOUNCE tickets, whilst other players received feet and teeth lollies!

Collectively, Dentistry also finished with 596 points and Podiatry finished with 630 points!

Both incredible scores.

UDSS took on our friends from UWA's Podiatric Medicine Students Society (PMSS) in a game of badminton!

But overall… maybe it was due to all the FEET movement…that Podiatry won! We will take the moral victory with a big SMILE! Everyone played so incredibly well and we would like to say a BIG THANK YOU to everyone who came down to compete, represent UDSS or just came down for a hit! It was a day with the most incredible badminton spirit. We hope to see you all out there at the next sports event!

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Welfare week Amy Zhang & Mona He | UDSS 2021 Sports Reps

Welfare snack week was held at the end of semester 1 to help alleviate stress from uni and upcoming exams.

It turned out deliciously! Each day we had a different theme where Monday was Asian snacks, Tuesday was chocolate, Wednesday and Thursday was health day with fruits and veggies, and Friday was biscuits and chips! Some of the highlights were the Hershey’s chocolates, strawberries, carrot and celery sticks, and Pocky, with a special shoutout to birthday flavoured Oreos and wasabi seaweed which was a surprising hit but worthy mention – there was something for everyone!

Array of snacks!

Well-deserved break!

It was an amazing week to finish off the semester and a wonderful way to de-stress and bond with each other over some yummy munchies.

Despite the upcoming exams, it was so lovely to see everyone smiling and coming together in the common room. Even some of the first years made an appearance! Now there's definitely some irony with dental students eating sugary snacks but if there’s one place to get caries after all that snacking, OHCWA is the right place to be!

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EASTER BAKE SALE By: Lilly Liu UDSS 2021 ADSA Rep

UDSS (University of Western Australia Dental Students' Society) in collaboration with ADSA (Australian Dental Student Association) held an Easter Bake Sale on the 1st of April this year and raised $429.15! There was a huge variety of desserts including cinnamon scrolls, brownies, cookies, muffins and many more.

This event would not have been possible without all the bakers, helpers and everyone who came to support this amazing cause. We are very grateful to everyone who got involved!

The funds went to St Patrick’s Community Centre in Fremantle towards the purchase of dentures for some of their clients. Dentures can have a huge impact on one’s quality of life by not only opening up so many food options but also giving people the confidence to smile and reengage with the community!

The next bake sale coming up next semester will be on R U Okay Day, stay tuned for more updates on that!

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ADSA BLOOD DRIVE By: Lilly Liu UDSS 2021 ADSA Rep

This year the blood drive happened from the 1st of February to the 31st of May, giving the opportunity for staff and students to contribute and give back to the community in a unique way by donating either blood or plasma! UWA students made 10 donations which equates to 30 lives saved! This is an awesome effort, and we hope to beat this next year! Many students donated for their first time but there were also few people who have donated before.

Although the ADSA blood drive is over, the need for blood doesn’t stop and Red Cross is always looking for new donors.

We want to encourage everyone who is eligible to continue to go out there and make an impact. Just one blood donation can save up to 3 lives!!

Just one blood donation can save up to 3 lives!

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DENTAL ALUMNI

What have they been up to?

ALUMNI 1

Year of graduation 2019 Current city Perth What have you learnt since leaving UWA? Stay humble, you are a baby dentist.

What are some challenges you faced as a dentist?

Quality control and time pressures What are some of the best experience/ aspects?

Just being able to take away someones pain.

Tips for future graduate dentists: 1. Don't stress about dental school. Just survive it and move on.

2. You are a baby dentist when you graduate so don't take on too much. Stay humble.

ALUMNI 2

Year of graduation 2018 Current city Perth What have you learnt since leaving UWA? Your DMD is just the beginning of your learning curve!

What are some challenges you faced as a dentist?

Securing a good job with excellent mentorship, patient and time management, getting the most out of CPD and Covid restrictions What are some of the best experiences/ aspects?

Attending ADA Congress and hearing novel ideas from around world, alleviating dental anxiety and building positive working relationships with patients Tips for future graduate dentists: Reach out for help whenever you're unsure, be particular about finding the right fit at your workplace, work hard on mastering fundamentals and balancing your health/happiness and give back where you can.

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ALUMNI 3

Year of graduation 2017 Current city Perth What have you learnt since leaving UWA? currently working as a general dentist & doing PhD in Dental Public Health. I have learnt to keep myself busy and occupied as a result.

What are some challenges you faced as a dentist?

Difficult extractions, difficult endo treatment. difficult patients. through all of which, I have learnt valuable lessons.

What are some of the best experiences/ aspects?

When patients come in with excruciating pain, the best feeling is to get them out of pain and a sense of achievement Tips for future graduate dentists: No-one is ever perfect. Everyone makes mistakes. Just compete with yourself. Be the best that you can be. Keep up to date with your CPD. At the end of the day, getting good grades does not make you a good dentist... However, it can give you options (i.e. getting into a speciality programme) :)

ALUMNI 4

Year of graduation 2019 Current city Perth What have you learnt since leaving UWA? I've learnt how to treatment plan quickly and realisitically for each patient; how to understand patient motivations and effectively discuss costs with them, how to build up my speed, how to work in different practice environments; and many more things!

What are some challenges you faced as a dentist after you graduated?

Having confidence in myself. When I first started, I was worried about many things, ie. running into cases that I couldn't handle, especially on days that I was rostered on my own. I was worried about running over time. I was worried about the one or two procedures I wish I had done more of in school. I was worried about having to present treatment plans that were more than $1000. I was worried that my crowns or fillings would somehow fail and my patients would come back angry at me, even if I had done all the right things.

What are some of the best experiences/ aspects?

The relationship that you build with your patient. As a dentist, you're in a position where your patients really trust you to look after them and they listen to what you say. You get to help real people and their children with their issues, concerns, and problems. You do this by using your knowledge to create the perfect treatment plan that's just for them. You really get to meet lots of people and hear their stories; I've made friends with restaurant owners, hairdressers, bakers, tailors, and often they help you back heaps too! Being able to earn an income from your work is definitely good too; and for me personally working between a few practices is also something I like :) Tips for future graduate dentists: 1. Make the most of your time in dental school - don't be afraid to fail; take on the cases that seem just a little too hard and learn from them. I failed many times in clinic, but now I remember those mistakes and I don't make them again.

2. Don't stress if you feel you're not ready or you don't feel100% with a certain procedure - EVERYONE feels that way, even the people i've spoken to years out of school. Dentistry is one of those careers where you learn as you practice in the real world.

3. Above all, have fun and enjoy the ride, keep in touch with the friends that matter and enjoy your work!

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ALUMNI 5

Year of graduation 2020 Current city Perth What have you learnt since leaving UWA? Mainly the business/admin side of dentistry, like how to convince patients to accept a treatment plan despite the cost, working with a new system, doing payments, a lot about insurance and also government policies. Keeping an open mind is very important, as there is so much more dentistry to be learnt outside of OHCWA. What are some challenges you faced as a dentist after you graduated?

In my first week, I found it difficult to make decisions for my patients without having the safety net of my tutors. Especially since you need to make treatment plans so quickly, literally within the time you do the exam and radiographs. But sometimes if it's complicated, I learnt that you don't rush into things. There's always the option of bringing them back in for a scale and clean and telling them your plan at that appointment. I also found it difficult to tell patients what the cost will be and often undercharged in my first few weeks. However I've learnt that long as you believe the treatment will be beneficial and you communicate that to them well, then the patients will usually be quite okay with paying that amount because they need it.

What are some of the best experiences/ aspects?

The best experience was my first time converting a really anxious 6yo girl into a FRANKL++ patient. She did not want to even open her mouth at the last dentist. In her first appointment with me, she let me do a full exam, bitewings and a small filling. She almost cried so many times during that appointment, thank God for my wonderful nurse and her supportive mum. Second appointment, she only almost cried twice. By the third appointment, she was a brand new person. She didn't even care what I put in her mouth anymore! Just make sure you have a treasure box in your office ;) and a TV helps.

Tips for future graduate dentists: Stay humble, you don't know what you don't know. Always be prepared for the worst, even if it looks easy. And don't compare yourself to others too much, it will stress you out.

In the end, just focus on doing better than yesterday and you'll be surprised at what you can produce. Lastly, always have the patient's best interest at heart. Think what would you do if it was your mouth. Your care and honesty is what will get them to come back to you. Treat the first appointment as an investment for the future and take time to explain things to them.

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OHCWA CLINIC RENOVATION With help from Lisa Bray This has been the biggest renovation at the OHCWA since 2002, with the instalment of 46 new chairs, new vinyl floors and wall paint. Although the previous Adec chairs were sturdy in function and well maintained by the dental nurses, the new chairs from Dentsply Sirona – Intego Pro have a very modern slimline look. Another benefit of the new chairs is the ability to accommodate a higher weight threshold of 185kg. This allows the dental school to treat a larger range of patients, especially bariatric patients.

according to Western Australian conditions. However, the great team at OHCWA were able to adapt and patients received radiographs in the radiology department. The cleaning and maintenance of the chairs have also increased with numerous tasks-‘’O’’rings to grease, changes of filters, and cleaning, including special weekly and monthly cleaning and purging of chairs and water lines. Regardless, the new chairs give OHCWA a more modern feel that benefits OHCWA staff, students, and patients.

The new chairs are also accompanied with a more elaborate control pad and foot control, giving the operator more control over the speed and intensity of the handpieces. Although it took some time for students and dental assistants to learn all the controls, it was very beneficial and efficient.

Other useful changes to the chairs are the placement of the curing light to the chair on the assistance side, motion sensor overhead lights, “CLEAN” button, intraoral camera and computer screens attached to the chairs. These features collectively aim to maximise infection control, efficiency, and engagement with the patient.

Although many of the changes were very welcomed, the transition from new to old did not come without their challenges. For the first few months, the x-ray units in all the chairs could not be used, as they had not received their compliance test

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EDUCATION REPORT

By Youssef and Laura

DR. DANIEL SUNDARESAN'S LECTURE To end of Journal Club for Semester 1, we had the pleasure of having WA’s only special needs specialist Dr Daniel Sundaresan on 21st April. Dr Sundaresan gave us a talk on sedation in dentistry including oral, intravenous and inhalation sedation. The DMD 4 and 3’s had a fascinating debate with Daniel on what sedation everyone would use, whilst the DMD 2 and 1’s watched in admiration and awe. Though we are sad to lose Dr Sundaresan to New Zealand, we are grateful for all the knowledge and wisdom he has imparted to us during his time at UWA.

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Find us at: University of Dental Students' Society 17 Monash Ave Nedlands, Western Australia

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