Houston, Texas

The University of Texas

School of Dentistry

!
!

The
HOUSTON
Fill

08/

ISSUE

12/

MONTH

14/

YEAR

UT HOUSTON
President | Graham Reed 16
President elect | Andrew Naeger 17
Immediate Past President | Katie Sowa 15
Class Delegate | Andrew Naeger 17 & Tanya Sue
Maestas 18

Treasurer | Hunter Owen 15 & Francisco Nieves

16

Historian | Hieu Pham 17

Outreach Coordinator | Kelsey Edmonson 15,
Shivani Patel 16, Clara Yoo 17, & Sarah
Woernley 18
Legislative Liason | Kyle Hale 16, Glennis
Katzmark 17, & Samin Huck Huque 18
Events/Meetings Coordinator | Andrew Smith
15, Marisa McKee 16, Mary Becker 17, &
Mariangela Arata 18
Pre-Dental Coordinator | Iliana Saavered 15,
Paola Salazar 16, Chris Thorburn 16, Alex
Edgerly 17, & Anthony Tran 18
Publications Editor | Laura Nelson 16, Macey
Cartrite 16, Michelle Boecker 17, & Kaylea
Orsak 18
Website Manager | Andre Nguyen 15 & Matthew
Franzen 17
Leadership Development Chair | Ryan Hyde 17
Social Chair | Steven Balandran 17

ASDA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

President | Kristopher Mendoza, Los
Angeles 15
Vice-presidents | Daryn Lu, Oklahoma 15;
Jason Watts, Nova Southeastern 15
District 9 Trustee | Christopher Thorburn
16
All views in this newsletter are those of the authors and
not necessarily of the American Student Dental Association
or The University of Texas School of Dentistry.

CONTENTS
02/ welcome

08/ NLC

03/ Dentistry, A team

sport

09/ UTSD ASDA Golf

tournament

04/ Tooth Collections

10/ What did You learn at

NLC?

05 - 06/ UPDATE ON
ADVOCACY
07/ facelifts and
dentistry

11 12/ ASDA student Code

of Ethics
13/ Dental Prom

Welcome/
Welcome back to another edition of the Houston Fill. This past fall semester has been
very active for our chapter. From the addition of committee positions to increase member
involvement to the creation of a Predental Award Scholarship we have been making strides to
expand the reach of organized dentistry in our students lives.
This past month we sent ten students to Chicago for the 3rd Annual National
Leadership Conference where they learned valuable leadership skills and networked with
dental students from around the country. If you are interested in attending the next national
ASDA conference make sure you are attending as many ASDA events as possible to earn ASDA
Points. At the end of each semester the student with the most points will be selected to join us
on our next trip.
In the coming months be on the lookout for more ASDA events as our team is hard at
work putting together our next vendor fair on January 15th and lots more lunch and learns for
our members. Everybody on our ASDA team would like to wish everyone good luck on finals
and a happy holiday season.
!

Graham Reed, 16

The team aspect involved in the dental profession is one of the

major reasons that brought me to the field of dentistry; however, I think
it is one of the more underrated parts of the job. The ideal situation
would be to come out of school under an experienced, established
practitioner that shows you the ropes, but what if this does not happen
in your case? What if the office you step into isnt running as efficiently
as it could be? This is where knowing how to lead a dental team
becomes so important.
There are a few different aspects of the dentists role within
the dental team that I want to discuss. The first of which is the

03/
Brady Atkins 17

DENTISTRY ...a team sport

importance of being the leader of your team, or staff. Let me distinguish the word leader from the word boss. Of
course you may be the boss, writing checks, hiring staff, etc., but a leader is more than that. When you lead a team,
you must be the glue that holds the team together. When there are tough decisions to be made, your team does not
come to you simply because you are at the top of the food chain, but because you carry the demeanor of the person
that your staff trusts to lead them through tough decisions.
How do we develop this leadership ability? Sure we can attend a conference or read books about leading,
but the best practice is to dive in to the deep end of the pool and see if you can swim. Step into a leadership position.
Take initiative to interact with your colleagues, network, and really find out what it means to work with other people
while you hold the reigns of a leadership position, much like you may be doing in the near future as a dentist.
Something to keep in mind while doing this is the benefit of the people you are working with. All too often we only
have to deal with and solve our own problems. What would it look like to look through the lenses of others and make
a decision based on multiple peoples desires? Learning how to deal with people is going to be a pivotal skill to have
as a dentist, and its best to start perfecting that skill as early as possible.
Lastly, you may be the team leader of your office, but lets not overlook the importance of being a key player
within the team. Maybe you are working in a multi-doc office, or maybe you are coming in as the young gun working
with an assistant with 20 plus years of experience in that office. Of course you are coming in with a leader mentality
and likely a type A personality, but it is so much so that you do not fit well within the office? Dentistry may seem like
all hand skills and decision-making, but if you cannot play well with others, Im afraid you may find yourself playing
alone in the sandbox.
The way you lead your team both from the helm and from within as a key player will be seen not only by your
staff, but also by your patients. You could be a good dentist, but poor dental professional if these skills are lacking.
Get involved in organizations such as ASDA, Student Council, or the numerous other organizations that allow you to
be a part of a team and at times, lead those around you. Develop your team leading skills - your future colleagues,
employees, and even patients are depending on you.

Alumni

04/

Andrew Naeger 17

Collection
Program
As dental students, we are required to collect extracted teeth throughout our four-year
program. These teeth are used in classes such as Operative, Endodontics, and even the
WREB. In fact, this is one of the first tasks assigned to us once we are accepted to UTSD.
This past summer, my classmate, Matt Franzen, and myself saw a need to collect teeth on
a mass scale. To have the best selection of teeth for lab assignments, the best method is
to have as many teeth as possible to choose from. Most importantly, we wanted 4th Years
to be able to find the highest quality tooth to be used on the WREB.
We found help quickly through the UTSD Alumni Association. Who better would understand
the struggles of dental students? Dr. Dwight Peccora, current president of the
association, assisted us in putting together the Alumni Tooth Collection Program. The
program kicked off at the Alumni Gala on September 19th, at which we handed out jars
and collected contact information. In addition, an e-mail was sent to all alumni to sign up
for the program electronically and begin collecting teeth at their individual offices.
We currently have over 50 dentists signed up and collecting teeth on the behalf of all
students. In the spring, and with the help of student volunteers, we will collect the jars
and provide new ones for the following year. Although this will not alleviate the need to
collect teeth individually, it is my hope that this program will become a great resource to
us. We are truly grateful for the help of the UTSD Alumni Association and look forward to
the growth of this program.

05/

Update
on
Advocacy

Glennis Katzmark 17

I!am!a!huge!fan!of!
a!show!called!Fargo!
starring!Billy!Bob!
Thornton!as!a!
sociopathic!killer.!His!
character!seems!casual!
about!the!lives!of!his!
victims,!but!what!is!most!
troubling!is!his!
characters!ability!to!
becoming!a!totally!
different!person!able!to!
do!evil!deeds!while!
hiding!in!plain!sight.!The!
writers!appear!to!have!
selected!two!professions!
that!are!known!for!soft!
spoken,!nave,!and!
perhaps!boring!
personalities!in!which!
the!character!hides.!In!
one!episode!he!was!a!
priest,!and!in!the!other!a!
dentist.!As!I!watched!the!
episode,!I!got!a!little!
offended.!Then!I!thought!
of!the!popular!movie!
The!Hangover,!in!
which!the!boring!friend!

(Stew)!was!also!a!dentist.!
Who!would!have!thought!
an!entire!profession!
could!be!typecast!as!
boring?!Of!course,!
considering!the!
excitement!of!dentistry!it!
is!difficult!to!believe!that!
the!media!has!selected!
dentists!to!be!the!face!of!
the!really!nice!boring!
guy.!
!
Okay,!so!we!are!
thought!to!be!
predictable,!I!must!admit!
that!I!am!regimented!
myself.!Perhaps,!
dentistry!will!not!be!the!
sexy!profession!that!
will!make!headlines!or!
the!national!news.!
WRONG!!!!!Oh!so!wrong!!
Dentistry!has!recently!
grabbed!center!stage!of!
national!attention!
through!whitening!of!all!
things.!No!not!a!typo.!
North!Carolina!State!

Board!of!Dental!
Examiners!has!recently!
deemed!that!whitening!
is!truly!a!dental!
procedure,!and!therefore!
a!kiosk!in!the!mall!that!
offers!whitening!would!
be!violating!the!law!
stating,!Only!dentists!
can!practice!dentistry.!!
!
Of!course,!this!
wasnt!the!end!of!the!
debate.!The!federal!trade!
commission!stepped!in!
stating!the!North!
Carolina!State!Board!of!
Dental!Examiners!are!
overstepping!their!
bounds!and!limiting!the!
market.!!Many!are!
observing!this!case!
superficially.!For!the!
dentist!argument,!
dentists!are!here!to!
protect!patient!safety,!
which!is!the!whole!
purpose!for!the!State!

Continued on page 6

Are you interested in dental advocacy? Visit ASDAs Engage

page to take action!
www.cqrcengage.com/asda/home

06/

!
Board!of!the!Dental!
Examiners.!!Therefore,!it!
would!make!sense!that!
the!state!board!would!
have!the!power!to!shut!
down!tooth!whitening!
kiosk.!!
!
Here!is!where!it!
gets!really!interesting,!
and!may!very!well!blow!
your!mind.!The!FTC!
makes!the!argument!that!
because!dentistry!is!a!
self!regulated!entity,!
these!boards!are!
inherently!biased!and!
have!too!much!power!
over!the!market.!They!
also!claim!dentists!hide!
behind!their!boards!to!
restrict!competition.!Did!
that!hurt!your!feelings?!
IT!SHOULD!!Okay,!okay!
fine!!FTC!is!stating!that!
dentistry!should!not!
have!a!board!consisting!
of!dentists!that!have!any!

power!over!the!market!
place.!Why!is!this!BIG!
news?!WHY!AM!I!USING!
ALL!CAPS?!Because!
dentists!are!not!the!only!
self!Wregulating!entity;!
this!has!implications!for!
EVERY!professional!
board.!Consider!doctors,!
lawyers,!and!real!estate.!
All!of!these!professions!
are!selfWregulated.!
!
This!is!now!a!
whole!new!case.!It!is!not!
just!about!whitening.!It!
will!have!huge!
implications!on!how!
much!power!our!state!
boards!have,!and!it!may!
also!provide!more!power!
for!the!federal!trade!
commission.!If!the!
Supreme!Court!feels!that!
dentists!do!not!truly!
have!the!interests!of!the!
patients!at!heart,!that!
dentists!are!darker!than!

we!thought,!and!are!
attempting!to!
manipulate!the!market!
for!the!profession!it!will!
absolutely!change!the!
way!you!practice!
dentistry.!!If!you!can!
believe!it,!a!simple!
boring!whitening!case!
has!raised!deep!
fundamental!questions!
about!state!boards.!It!all!
started!with!a!boring!
dental!board.!Who!
would!have!thought?!
!
!

07/
Facelifts
and
dentistry
Reprinted!from!Mouthing!Off!blog!of!the!
American!Student!Dental!Association,!
published!on!Nov.!3,!2014.!

Crows feet wrinkles frown lines just

thinking about these natural parts of aging
gives me anxiety! Botox is probably one of
the first remedies that comes to mind as a solution to the effects of aging. And if you think youre alone in the stress
of aging, youre wrong! The demand for cosmetic procedures and surgery has skyrocketed in the past decade.
According to a review by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, Botox injections jumped 700 percent since
2000. Wouldnt it be great if patient acceptance of dental treatment jumped by those statistics?
But what does this have to do with dentistry? Botox may actually be a very successful treatment in decreasing
muscle soreness, fatigue and headaches caused from teeth grinding. It has also been successful in alleviating
several symptoms of Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) Disorder. According to some estimates, over 10 million
Americans are affected by TMJ disorders. Considering the overwhelming prevalence of TMD, dentists need more
treatment options for their patients. Botox may be a new popular treatment alternative for relief of TMJ disorder
symptoms as compared to more traditional treatments. (Note: delivery of Botox treatment is determined by your
state dental board and therefore differs from state to state. If youre interested in incorporating Botox into your
practice, check that its allowed in your state first.)
At the University of Alberta School of Dental Medicine, training with Botox for dental treatments is already a part of
the courses offered.
The school offers training about Neuromodulators and how substances like Botox, Xeomin, and Dysport can alter
nerve impulse transmission. Many patients suffer from headaches or even migraines due to TMJ disorders. This
treatment has helped patients with these symptoms. As more dental schools begin to realize the success of Botox,
this treatment option can truly help many patients suffering from TMJ related symptoms.
Many people do not realize the diversity of the field of dentistry. Even to date, new applications are being discovered
continuously. What used to be a treatment for the affects of aging is now being used for dental related problems.
The solution to other dental conditions can be right under our noses if we just look.

~Stephanie Mazariegos, LECOM 16, District 5 trustee

ASDA NLC 2014, A First

Year Experience
!

Tanya Sue Maestas 18

08/

Chicago, Il

Earlier this semester I had the opportunity to attend the Third Annual ASDA National
Leadership Conference in Chicago, Illinois. I was very eager and fortunate to have the
opportunity to attend such a prestigious conference as a first year. For a few weeks leading up to
the conference I carefully began to plan the different breakout sessions that I wanted to attend as
well as becoming familiar with the iOS app that ASDA NLC created in anticipation for the
conference. In addition, I also signed up to serve as a mentor to a pre-dental student that would
also be attending the conference. I was excited and ready to attend the conference but also rather
unsure as to what to expect throughout the next few days.
Day one of the conference started off with an inspiring and phenomenal keynote
speakerAdam Braun from Pencils of Promise. Adam shared with us his vision, journey, and
how his non-profit organization came about. His presentation set the tone for the entire
conference, motivating and invigorating every single student present within the ballroom. The
breakout sessions that followed were just as passionate and really fueled every student leader to
return to their perspective dental schools in anticipation of implementing many of the ideas they
collected throughout the weekend.
Throughout the length of the conference, I had the opportunity to meet and interact with
dental students from around the nation. We spoke about an array of things from events that their
ASDA chapters held, to their curriculum structure, to even their goals and aspirations postgraduation. There were so many remarkable students there and it was clear that many of us
shared some of the same passions and visions, one of the most important being that of promoting
organized dentistry.
Attending NLC as a first year was an extreme honor and a truly remarkable experience.
Through that weekend I learned more about ASDA, grew as a leader, exchanged ideas with
fellow ASDA leaders, and further fueled the ASDA fever that I already had. I look forward to
working with our local ASDA leaders in implementing many of the ideas that we learned at the
conference to continually make Houston ASDA one the best in the nation.

ASDA ANNUAL
GOLF TOURNAMENT
OCTOBER 25TH, 2014

09/

floss

HERMAN
PARK GOLF
COURSE

What did you

Learn at
NLC?

10/

I learned that giving a long bio

to someone who presents you
as a public speaker is a bad
idea. Condense, condense,
condense.
- Chris Thorburn
I learned a lot about
progressing myself
about evolving as a
professional, which I am
hopeful to share with my
classmates.
- Glennis Katzmark

I learned how our chapter

differs from others and ideas
to implement, including social
events, sponsorships, and
lunch and learns.
- Stevie Balandran
!

I learned about how to

communicate better with
the student body as a
whole, and better reach
every member.
- Matthew Franzen

I learned a lot from other schools

in regards to fundraising and new
social activities. Also, most of the
dentists that spoke at break out
sessions gave great feedback on
life after dental school and what it
is like to run your practice.
- Marisa Zitterich

11/

ASDA Student Code

of Ethics (2002,
revised 2008, 2009, 2010)

Re-printed from the American Student Dental Association website,

ASDANET.ORG

As dental students, we should always be concerned about ethical practices

in dentistry. In the next several issues, well include a series about ethical dilemmas.
Dr. Boyd Shepherd taught us our very first class in ethics but the learning does not
stop there. Its important to know that ethical practices are the standard of care not
only in school, but in our future as well. Below you will find the ASDA Code of Ethics.
- Katie Sowa, 15

The right of a dentist to professional status rests in the knowledge, skill and experience with which she/he serves her/his
patients and society. Every dentist should strive to continuously improve his/her knowledge of ethics in order to help
achieve higher levels of patient care. These foundational ethical values will serve as a guideline throughout the dentists
career, from predoctoral student fully credentialed professional.
The American Student Dental Association recognizes the importance of high ethical standards in the dental school
setting. Therefore, the Association believes students should conduct themselves in a manner reflecting integrity and
fairness in both the didactic and clinical learning environments. The code outlined below relates most directly to the
dental school environment. To gain a more expansive understanding of ethics in practice, please see the ADA Code of
Ethics.
The following is the ASDA Code of Ethics:
I.
Dental Student conduct
A.
All dental students are obligated to maintain high standards of moral and ethical behavior and to
conduct themselves in a professional manner at all times. This applies to the classroom, clinic,
laboratory, and other institutional facilities; externships, community service, or meetings of professional
organizations.
B.
Ethical and professional behavior by dental students is characterized by honesty, fairness, and integrity
in all professional circumstances; respect for the rights, differences, and property of others; concern for
the welfare of patients, competence in the delivery of care, and preservation of confidentiality in all
situations where this is warranted.
C.
All dental students are obligated to report unethical activity and violations of the honor code to the
appropriate body at the school.
Continued!on!Page!12!

II.

Patient Autonomy ("self-governance")

A.
Informed Consent and Refusal
1.
Students should conduct a thorough discussion with every patient. This must be repeated
whenever there are substantive changes or additions to the treatment plan.
Discussion should include:
a.
Diagnoses
b.
Treatment Plan
c.
Prognosis
d.
Risks/Benefits
e.
Alternatives
- The discussion should be in understandable terms and enable a reasonable patient in
the patients position to make an informed decision regarding care, except in
emergencies, when risks are unknown, commonly known or the patient waives the
right of disclosure.
2.

B.

Students should inform the patient of the consequences of not accepting treatment. The patient
has a right to an informed refusal which should be honored by the student.
Patient Confidentiality
1.
Should follow HIPAA Guidelines.

III.

Nonmaleficence ("do no harm") and Beneficence ("do good")

A.
The student should conduct him/herself with veracity (truthfulness). He/she should always act in a
manner that promotes the welfare of patients and avoids harm to the patient.
B.
Treatment plans should be determined according to patient needs as opposed to unmet requirements of
the student.
C.
No procedures should be started without instructor authorization, and all procedures should be
evaluated by the instructor upon completion.
D.
Referrals to residents, specialists, or staff members should be made when the complexity of the case
exceeds the student's ability to meet the standard of care. The referring student should inform the patient
who will be responsible for dental maintenance and the reason for referral.
E.
Students should exercise discretion in treating family members due to problems associated with medical
history disclosure, confidentiality, objectivity, and professionalism.
F.
Students are encouraged to participate in community outreach programs in order to improve the dental
health of the public.
G.
Students should advocate access to care for patients who are unable to receive care due to physical or
mental disability or financial hardship.

IV.

Justice ('fairness")
A.
Ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability, or infectious disease status
should not influence whether or not a patient is accepted by a student to receive care. Furthermore, all
patients should be treated with the same level of compassion, kindness and respect.
B.
Students must not discriminate against patients in high-risk behavior groups.
C.
The student should not cheat, plagiarize, forge, or falsify official records, patient charts, or
examinations.
D.
The student should not participate in activities involving theft and/or vandalism of school or student
property.
E.
Sexual harassment between colleagues, between health care provider and patient, and between students
and faculty or residents is unacceptable and must be reported.
F.
Students must report suspected abuse/neglect of patients to an appropriate instructor.
G.
Students should exercise respect when working with human cadavers.
H.
Controlled substances
1.
Students have the responsibility of protecting the integrity of the profession by reporting any
suspicions of unethical behavior.
2.
Students must never perform dental procedures while in an impaired condition, regardless of
the source of the impairment.

V.

All members of the American Student Dental Association must comply with the ASDA Code of Ethics

Dental School
Prom Features A
What:
Dental School Prom
When:
Wednesday
December 10, 2014
Where:
The De Gaulle

How:
Purchase a ticket
online at
houstonasda.com or
talk to a
Student Council
member:
Andre Nguyen,
Alicia Bush,
Macey Cartrite, or
Hieu Pham

night in Paris

Its that time

of year again!
Time to dust
off
your
dancing shoes
for a night out
on the town with your fellow
classmates.
This years event will
allow guests to escape to France for
the evening at the Paris-themed
lounge, The De Gaulle. The dcor is
absolutely authentic with superb
service that is sure to please! Tickets
can be purchased in advanced from
student council members. Dont wait;
get your ticket today! Youll be glad
you did!

Like us on Facebook
The UT School of
Dentistry
7500 Cambridge St.
Houston, TX 77054

Macey Cartrite | 16

Who:
Dental students,
faculty,
dental hygiene
students,
and UTSD Alumni

13/