Looking for ways to increase access to care? Consider GKAS

The ADA’s Give Kids A Smile program has been my gateway into public health as well as an avenue to leadership within the ADA. Like many others, I first learned about GKAS during dental school, where the event was held annually. It was a fun-filled day of free pediatric dentistry, identifying and addressing treatment needs for children who… Read More »

Licensure Reform: The case for eliminating the clinical exam

Some may argue that progress has indeed been made in the administration of the licensure exam over the last 50 years given that regional testing authorities have increased from two in 1971 to the current number of five. Although undoubtedly there has been improvement in the uniformity, the ease of test-taking, and the administration of the examination, the… Read More »

Don’t be afraid of big data

During the first years after I graduated from my first dental school in Iraq in 2009, I had never used to deal with practice statistics, surveys, and digital quality measures. As I moved to other countries where I worked or studied in the dental field, I also did not find many data-driven private practices where I worked at.… Read More »

Business side of dentistry: Hiring for newbie practice owners

Editor’s note: This is the seventh article in a series exploring the business aspects of the dental profession, from starting a practice and marketing to hiring staff and finances. If you live in city like Seattle, you’ve already heard of how difficult it can be to find good team members. I’ve heard these statements repeated so often in… Read More »

Everyone Matters: Seeking leadership diversity in organized dentistry

It has been a long but fulfilling 10 years of hard work in organized dentistry – or “dental-land,” as I like to affectionally call it. I often talk about losing my community of colleagues and friends once dental school graduation happened, and how my work in the associations has brought me a new community. They are the support… Read More »

Is residency worth it?

In my senior year of dental school, I was at a crossroad between pursuing a year of general residency and job opportunities. The opportunities were attractive positions that promised continuing education and a competitive salary. Despite the heavy recruitment efforts, I decided to forgo another year of income to pursue an advanced education in general dentistry program. Like… Read More »