North Texas Dentistry Volume 5 Issue 7 | Page 12

TDA news The Encouraging Results of Mentoring TEXAS DENTAL ASSOCIATION M by Dr. William H. Gerlach Texas Dental Association Board of Directors, Northeast Division Vice President entoring is perhaps the greatest legacy a dentist can provide a younger colleague. Multiple examples exist within the TDA, all aimed at making our Association relevant, timely and responsive. The TDA has the Committee on New Dentists, we award the New Dentist of the Year at our Annual Session, and we have found creative ways to integrate young dentists and dental students into the TDA House of Delegates. Of course, we must include their critical involvement with the Texas Mission of Mercy program! However, as a direct result of mentoring, our very own Texas A&M Baylor College of Dentistry has students so engaged in the future of their profession, that they have taken advocacy to a new level. Fall 2014 found a group of D3’s and D4’s (junior and senior dental students) ramping up an idea to shed light on political issues affecting dentistry. Not knowing how many students would attend, they were astonished when dozens of dental students attended a “political table clinic” where five pertinent issues were explained and discussed. Expanding on last year’s success, they decided to hold the event once again. On Friday evening, September 30, 2015, they had 55 students in attendance. Their five chosen topics were 1) the ethics of licensure using live patient exams, 2) student debt, 12 NORTH TEXAS DENTISTRY | www.northtexasdentistry.com 3) anesthesia delivered by dental hygienists, 4) mid-level providers, and 5) the importance of donating to dental Political Action Committees such as DENPAC. The event was chaired by Laura Albarracin, and the topics were timely and pertinent. Baylor’s student advocacy group is called the Legislative Liaison Committee, and their Chairperson is Stephanie Ganter, a dynamic D4. Ethics of live patient exams. Regarding dental licensure utilizing live patients rather than a “portfolio exam”, their general consensus was unfavorable of continuing live patient exams. Although no decisions have been made, this is consistent with early discussions within the ADA House of Delegates. According to Ms. Ganter, they are trained for four years to put the patient first, and then they are incentivized via licensure to think of the patient as a “lesion” rather than a person. Where are the ethics in that? Student debt. Student debt was a broadly discussed topic. The average graduating senior dental student has $247,227 (1) worth of student debt, a burden which limits their options upon graduating. While practice expectations vary, many graduating dentists forfeit their original plan of practice ownership and management. Why? Debt and economic reality limit the option