Brittany Lovely

 and KaBOOM! build Las Vegas playground to promote healthy smiles and healthy play.

Playgrounds are not the setting where you would expect to find a gathering of dentists on a Sunday afternoon. But for professional members of 

, a referral service that connects patients with trusted dentists, the location was the perfect spot for their 13

This specific event, which took place on October 20, 2018, was a partnership between The Smile Generation, Futuro Academy Public Charter School, Chicanos Por La Cause, Inc., and KaBOOM! the non-profit that works to develop safe PLAYces for children in mostly underserved communities.

The afternoon event brought members of dental practices from around the Irvine, California area to build participate with community members to complete a playground at an empty site on the Futuro Academy Campus. The executive director of Futuro Academy, Ignacio Prado, said. “Our families are so excited for a space that will promote safe play, fun, and a sense of community for our students.”

While some dentists took up the manual labor of building the physical structure for future generations of children to enjoy, others partnered with the Pacific Dental Services Foundation to operate their Mobile Dental Clinic.

All told, the dentists who volunteered their time totaled about $45,000 worth of services and treatments including cleanings, x-rays, scaling and root planing, restorations, and extractions.

The afternoon was one of many service events members of the Pacific Dental Services DSO participate in annually. Kyle Guerin, director of The Pacific Dental Services Foundation said, “We’re passionate about helping people get healthier and happier. What better way to do that than by building a playground to benefit the children of the local community?”

Futuro Academy and the children who will play on the newly constructed playground are displaying happy and healthy smiles thanks to this initiative.

Are there service opportunities out there for your organization? As you plan your 

, try to look for ways to engage your community in a way that will not only allow your employees to give back, but promote oral health!

Articles

Over 200 volunteers came together, donating their time and dental expertise, to promote healthy smiles by building a playground at the Futuro Academy Public Charter School.

Building Community: For Dentists, Giving Back Leads to Healthy Smiles

Make sure Mouth Monsters don't over stay their welcome this Halloween!

Trick or Treat? As the end of Oral Health Month approaches, so does the biggest sugar rush day of the year — Halloween. As children go around collecting bags full of candy, indulging inn sugary drinks and snacks at parties and school gatherings, it’s important to take steps to avoid any lingering monsters in their mouths.  

“Sweet treats impact teeth in different ways,” says Dr. Joseph Castellano, president of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) in a press release. “Some are better or worse for your children’s smiles. Try to avoid chewy or sticky candies like caramels, gummies and sour candies.”

There are alternative options that can help curb a sweet tooth, like chocolate milk, pretzels, and crackers. While it may be hard to avoid candy all together, looking for sugar-free options and darker chocolates are a bit better than their counterparts.

If you are planning, or participating in a Halloween event, make sure to offer healthy treats, and distribute non-food items as treats — rubber balls, temporary tattoos, and key chains are all great alternatives.

This doesn’t mean that all the fun is off the table. Advise your patients (and their parents) that one Reese’s Cup is not the end of the world. But encourage them to brush their teeth and swish their mouths with water after indulging on the peanut butter and chocolate delight.

When returning home from a night of trick-or-treating, make sure that parents screen the bag of candy. If you are getting rid of candy, you can tell your child that you ate it (who knows you may even end up on Jimmy Kimmel),or let them upgrade their bag of candy for another treat.

Of course, once the candy is away from the child, it is also important for adults to practice the same measures to maintain their personal oral health!

About the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry is the recognized authority on children’s oral health. As advocates for children’s oral health, the AAPD promotes evidence-based policies and clinical recommendations; educates and informs policymakers, parents and guardians, and other health care professionals; fosters research; and provides continuing professional education for pediatric dentists and general dentists who treat children. Founded in 1947, the AAPD is a not for-profit professional membership association representing the specialty of pediatric dentistry. Its 10,800 members provide primary care and comprehensive dental specialty treatments for infants, children, adolescents and individuals with special health care needs. For further information, visit the AAPD website at 

Dental Hygienist Makes Her Mark as Real-Life Tooth Fairy

New Tech Might Replace Established Treatment Options for Enamel Loss

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry has released some helpful guidelines to ensure that your patients walk away from Halloween without any frightful dental damage.

How Your Patients Can Avoid Mouth Monsters This Halloween

Student debt plagues just about every person with a graduate degree. The healthcare industry is no different with debt weighing down every graduate from vets to medical assistants.

Dentists are not immune to the cost of funding their education.

According to a recent analysis of 91,000 graduate degree holders dentists rank among the top five of highest monthly debt-to-income ratio.

Dentists take the number four spot for the worst debt-to-income ratio according the 

’s study with over 10% of their monthly income going towards debt repayment.

Currently, dentistry has the second-longest repayment outlook with nearly 15 years of repayment facing new dentists after graduation. Veterinarians, pharmacists, and healthcare admins are not far behind.

Here is a look at the top five professions with the highest debt-to-income ratio.

	The lack of balance in between income and outgoing student debt repayments could mean students may look to lower their payments by spreading them out over many years. However, this tactic will only add more money to the loan balance as interest builds.

	The earlier dentists, and other graduates, examine their post-graduate options, the better prepared they will be for the first few months and years of their career.

Students, as early as high school, should participate in financial planning courses. Sometimes the salary of the job they are studying to achieve masks the reality of the cost it will take to get there.

Preparation for those first few years out of graduate school can help students better prepare to save where and while they can.

Dental students especially are looking at an unsustainable ratio with a median loan balance of $236,739 and a median income of about $150,000. The latter number can change depending on where they live, how quickly they can gain employment after graduation.

“There’s been progress in providing access to information about what college will actually cost,” says Stephen Dash, founder and CEO of Credible. “But we need more transparency to help students get a handle on what they will earn after graduation, and how much debt those earnings will support.”

 offers a few financial planning resources including a pamphlet on common issues facing dental graduates. Included in the pamphlet are contacts for free student loan contract analysis services, professional success financial calculators, and new dentist representatives for student members.

There is relief for some practitioners. Student repayment programs can ease the burden of high interest repayment programs. Additionally, some graduates may qualify for student loan forgiveness plans.

Taking jobs in underserved areas, state-by-state programs exist, but they all come with their own rules and qualifications.

For more on student loan forgiveness plans: 

But be advised, it is extremely important to do your homework. Scams are common masking behind the guise of federal agencies offering consolidation programs. The Federal Student Aid website has a website dedicated to scam programs. When in doubt, do your due diligence and get in contact with as many people as possible.

While the reality of student debt appears intimidating on the surface, pursuing a career serving others, especially one that you are passionate about will pay off. Just remember to keep payments on time, focus your attention to post-graduate life early, and you’ll set yourself up for financial success down the road.

Dentists graduate with tremendous debt. Education around student loan repayment programs, loan forgiveness, and career path planning can help.