The Diastema News

UCLA ASDA Gives Kids A SmileThuy Tran Hoang, 2009

bridging the information gap Winter 2008

InsideThis Issue

Give Kids A Smile 1Legislative Update 2Exhibitor’s Fair 2Western Regional 3Second Year 4PPID Program 4Ask a Dental Student 5Dean Park’s Dinner 5BDP Update 6ASB Camping Trip 6Pedo Club 7HDA Update 7Faculty Interview 8Dental Diversions 12

Editorial Disclaimer: Theopinions contained herein donot necessarily reflect those ofUCLA or of the UCLA School ofDentistry in particular.

Editor in ChiefKristen Lowe

Section EditorsNancy Chen

Sherry DarabiTamar Sardarian

Grant StuckiWilliam Trevor

Photo EditorMelissa Bailey

SubmissionsIf you would like to

submit an article forThe Diastema News orhave a suggestion forus, please email the

editor at:Diastema.News@gmail.com

Volume 6, Issue 2

In the spirit of National Children’s Dental Health Month, UCLA dental students came out to InglewoodChildren’s Dental Center (CDC) for “Give Kids a Smile Day” on February 2, 2008. On this seeminglyquiet Saturday, over 50 enthusiastic UCLA dental students, residents, faculty and community memberscame together to give children screenings, dental treatment, oral hygiene instructions and nutritionalcounseling. Created six years ago by the American DentalAssociation (ADA), “Give Kids a Smile” is part of anationwide effort to raise children’s dental healthawareness. The ADA describes this program as a“national model” for oral health care access inwhich dental professionals and corporate sponsorswork as a team to increase access to dental care. Inglewood’s “Give Kids a Smile Day” wasorganized by UCLA ASDA Community Service andClinical Director, Dr. Steven Uranga McKane, andOutreach Manager, Tara Bultema, of The Children’sDental Center of Greater Los Angeles. Reflecting on the success of the event, NancyChen, ASDA community service chair, said, “It was the collaborative efforts and enthusiasm of all theparticipants that made the event a success. Collectively, we outreached to the underserved childrenin the community by providing oral health education and treatment.” Formerly a residential home, the Inglewood CDC was converted into the Toothfairy Cottage andthe Smile Store. During this particular event, an estimated 170 kids came through the ToothfairyCottage where they were met by first and second year dental students. Children enjoyed an array of

UCLA Smile Makers pose outside the Toothfairy Cottage in Inglewood, CA.

see GKAS, page 10

SAVE THE DATE!!1st Annual

ASDA GOLFTOURNAMENT

Brookside GCPasadena

May 24 @ 10 AM4-man scramble format,

Long Drive Contest,& more!

Info: mrharvey@ucla.edu

Diastema News 2

ASDA News

One of the AmericanS t u d e n t D e n t a lAssociation’s mostimportant duties is tomaintain an activepresence in the nation’scapitol by monitoringand influencing the

legislation and regulations that affectthe dental profession. The ASDALegislative Grassroots Network (LGN) isdedicated to increasing theunderstanding and involvement ofdental students in the political processby working to inform legislators howproposed legislation will affect dentalstudents, dentists, and patients. At thesame time, LGN Legislative Liaisons ateach dental school provide dentalstudents with the information they needto form opinions on political issuesconcerning dentistry, such as amalgambans, dental health aid therapists,medical malpractice reform, andfunding for residency and specialtyprograms. As the ASDA Legislative Liaison forUCLA, it is my job to keep you informed

of significant legislative and political developments and to help youexpress your concerns through letter-writing campaigns, politicalaction committee fundraising, and other political activities. To thisend, you have probably noticed a number of email messages fromme alerting you to recent developments in current legislative issues.In addition to these emails, our local ASDA Legislative Committeeorganizes a number of events on campus for student involvement. During fall quarter, we hosted the very popular “Sushi & Politics”

Legislative Liaison UpdateMelissa Bailey, 2010

event, in which attendees enjoyed a free lunch from Sushi Mac andlearned about the importance of political activity from arepresentative of the ADA Legislative Department. Later, we held afundraising drive for the American Dental Political ActionCommittee (ADPAC), a bipartisan organization that works to electcandidates who understand the importance of dentistry and thenation’s oral health. We raised nearly $500. In March, UCLA sent six delegates to Washington D.C. for theannual ASDA Student Lobby Day. The purpose of Lobby Day is fordental students to inform lawmakers about critical legislation andpetition personally for their support. This is one of the mostimportant legislative events of the year for ASDA. The leadership of ASDA recognizes that legislative issues can havea dramatic impact on the practice and profession of dentistry.Therefore, it is critical that practitioners (and future practitioners)play a substantial role in shaping legislation, both for the benefit ofpatients and the profession as a whole. For this purpose, it is myhope that the ASDA Legislative Committee will continue to provideour students opportunities to be involved with various legislative,regulatory, and public policy initiatives.

Sushi!

Tal Masserman and Gil Ivry, 2010, listen intently at our fall Sushi and Politics event.

Diastema News 3

ASDA News

My phone buzzed to indicate a text messagethat read, “We are sorry to inform you that yourflight to Chicago has been canceled.” This begana string of delays that resulted in our crosscountry journey stretching into the early morninghours of the next day. While the winter snowthreatened to damper the Annual ASDA WesternRegional Meeting, there was no stopping UCLAASDA members from gaining an experience thatwas both inspiring and motivational. The purposes of the ASDA Western RegionalMeeting are to discuss dental issues that arepertinent to dental students in the Western regionand to train newly elected local chapter leadersfor the Annual Session. UCLA ASDA’s leadersparticipated in a mock House of Delegatessession, District Caucus meetings, and

On the evening ofNovember 7th, 2007, ASDAhosted its 13th annualExhibitor’s Fair. TheExhibitor’s Fair is an eventthat allows attendees tointeract with colleagues andother dental professionalswhile they learn about thelatest dental products.Nearly fifty vendors as wellas three hundred students,alumni, and faculty filled theAckerman Grand Ballroomlocated on North campus insupport of the event. Evensome members of theundergraduate pre-dentalclub took the time to makean appearance! At the fair, visitors had the opportunity to place ordersfor merchandise at discounted rates and obtain a fewpromotional items along the way. In the meantime, theevent served the local chapter of ASDA by raising fundsto support other activities throughout the year. Chanel McCreedy, a 2nd year student, noted that shefound the event to be a particularly rewarding, as she isbeginning to spend more time in clinic and canappreciate the clinical relevance of the resources

Exhibitor’s Fair A SuccessDavid Avenetti, 2010

Western Regional Meeting - ChicagoJelson Yalung, 2009

available. During the fair, Chanel was able to engage indialogue and make connections with vendors that shehopes will serve as resources in her future. At the end of the night, many students happily walkedaway with their hands full of valuable raffle prizesdonated by ASDA and various vendors. Such prizesincluded handpieces, iPods, LED headlights, gift cards, andexam preparation courses.

see Chicago, page 10

Chris Chau, Amy Yen, Melissa Bailey and Aldrich Sy recruit new ASDA members at the Exhibitor’s Fair.

Eddie Surger, Kristi Shamburg, Kristen Lowe and Jelson Yalung in Chicago.

Diastema News 4

Campus Life

On August 17th 2007, Dean Park hosted a dinner partyfor the Class of 2009 athis home in Brentwood.The night included alovely outdoor dinneroverlooking Los Angeles.Throughout the night,Dean Park shared storiesand photographs fromhis last trip to China, hisfavorite getaway country. Dr. Carol Bibb was alsopresent and spoke of hertrips to Japan with theU C L A - A s a h i - M e i k a iExchange Program. Mrs.Park took the students ona tour of her beautifulgarden. Several admiringstudents received fresh cut flowers from Mrs. Park. The Parks’ home also includes many spectacularpaintings, several of which Dean Park painted himself!He noted that inspiration for the paintings is derived fromnature, famous paintings, and scenic views from his worldtravels. Throughout the night, students viewed andadmired Dean Park’s artistic talent.

Jane Refela, 2009

Portrait of a Second Year StudentWill Second Year, 2010

As the sun began to set, Dr. Park proposed a deal: anystudent willing to sing would win a ticket to a UCLA home

football game. LeediaRiman was the firstbrave soul and sang thewell-known “Take MeOut to the Ball Game.”Two students impressedthe crowd with foreignsongs. Ryan Hodgessang a beautiful Koreansong that he learnedwhile living in Korea,and Juan CarlosMendoza showed off hisprofessional vocalsduring his rendition of aromantic Spanish song. After sunset, thestudents took

spectacular photos with the city lights on the horizon.The night was so clear that Dodger’s Stadium was visible.Mrs. Park explained that during summer, fireworks fromthe stadium can be seen. At the end of the night, the students were grateful toDean and Mrs. Park for the charming evening offellowship.

A Night with Dean Park

Every dental student reachesa point when it becomesapparent there is no turningback – a moment of anxiousterror at the realization you’vestepped into tar and let yourselfsink. All that can be said inresponse to this epiphany is:Welcome to the second year ofdental school. Of course, the mostredeeming aspect of Second Year

is that it’s only one year in length. Anything more wouldkill the average person and ensure insanity among thesurvivors. That being said, the second year of dentalschool still exacts a bitter mental toll. As first years, we had, at the very least, anacquaintanceship with reason. However, with the passingof the academic year, my acquaintance has reverted to along, lost friend. Undoubtedly, fumes of coloredcompounds and particulate plastic clouds have weatheredmy sanity (and consequently, devastated my respiratory

system beyond repair). But like most around me, mylast marble was lost to the maddening resemblance of leftand right Pilkington-Turner premolars, many of whichwere also lost beneath the benches of the fourth floorlab. In short, the second year of dental school has renderedme more or less insane. I know this because the averageperson thinks about wax once every two months or less.I am above average. By all normal standards, I havedeveloped an unnatural obsession. Whether it’s boxing,utility, or the base plate variety, I am up to my ears inwax, and no tip has enough Q to cleanse the stickinessof my situation. I am immersed. Such is the course of Second Year. Everything iscoming at you, but nothing seems to be going your way.You’re stuck coping with coping, and soldiering on. And,when you feel you might lose your mind, you simply findsanctuary in working all the harder. These are irrationaltimes, indeed. But I suppose we’ll survive, and with thestability and support of our families and friends, justmaybe we’ll manage the retention of a little reason alongthe way.

Class of 2009 members dine at the Parks’ Brentwood residence.

Diastema News 5

Campus Life

Ask a Dental Student

The PPID Experience

Who did you vote for in theCalifornia primaries?

Nancy Chen, 2010

Michael Oladubu, 2009

For the uninitiated, the acronymPPID may not mean much, but to acertain group of students in the UCLASchool of Dentistry, it is an identity thatis borne proudly. PPID, or theProfessional Program for InternationalDentists, is a UCLA initiative aimed atforeign-trained dentists with the dualpurpose of enhancing the training they

already possess and enabling them to obtain U.S.licensure. The program was established in 2002 and hasthus far graduated a total of 39 foreign-trained dentists. The reputation of UCLA as a center for academicexcellence is one of the many reasons dentists fromdifferent corners of the globe come to receive instructionfrom its renowned faculty and researchers. The journeyto become a PPID student at UCLA is often quitechallenging. Over 300 candidates apply to the programper year, 36 of those are interviewed, while only 12 areoffered positions. The nature of the admissions processis very competitive, and applicants often possessadvanced degrees and/or specialty training. Most havecontributed to their respective communities throughvolunteer work or to academia through research. For those candidates who are accepted, UCLA is afavored choice over similar programs at other institutionsbecause students are integrated into the classes andclinics of the traditional dental program. Members of PPIDattend the same didactic lectures, are incorporated intoexisting CPC teams and earn the same DDS degrees asregular students. After completing a very rigoroussummer curriculum (which may be viewed as acondensation of the first 2 years of dental school), PPIDstudents are considered part of the 3rd year class and areheld to identical standards and requirements as thetraditional students. There is another aspect of the integration process thatis perhaps more complex: social integration. Like manytransfer students who attend a school after social bondsand contracts have been formed and negotiated, the PPIDstudents welcome friendly overtures that suggest thatthey are a core part of the larger whole. With time, thePPID students come to know their classmates, instructorsand other administrative staff. From the PPID student’sperspective, it may be regarded as a process ofacculturation, overcoming language and cultural barriersand forming lasting relationships. Perhaps one of thegreatest resources for the PPID student in his/her bid tolearn how to practice dentistry the UCLA way, is the fellowtraditional student who is able to provide answers to amyriad of questions from SOE related issues to theidiosyncrasies of the clinical instructors.

see PPID, page 10

Jason May ‘10“I’m totally for Obama! His optimisminspires me, and I think he’d do a goodjob.”

JennaMcDonald ‘11“I voted for Hillary because after watching a

few of the debates, I’m convinced she hasthe experience and moral values needed in

our next president.”

Robert Sharobiem ‘09“I voted for Hillary Clinton in the primarybecause Bill Clinton was the first femalepresident, and she did a wonderful job, soI expect her husband to do the same.”

Konita Wilks ‘11“Veering outside my party lines, I voted for

McCain; he offers something that ourcountry desperately longs for – a renewed

faith and trust in our nation’s politicalleadership. He makes decisions based on his

beliefs in what is right, even if it does notalign with his party or popular opinion at

the time.”

Clubs & Community

Diastema News 6

Basic Dental Principles

Israel Trujillo, 2009

Kristen Lowe, 2009

The Basic Dental Principles (BDP)course was founded by UCLA dentalstudents as an innovative approachto addressing the imminent facultyshortage facing thenation’s dental schools.

It is a weekly course taught to undergraduatesby third year dental students during winterand spring quarters. The objectives of thecourse are to train D.D.S. students to becomeeffective educators through guidedworkshops and to provide pre-dental studentsan overview of the profession through lectureand laboratory experiences. The course is led this year by EdwardSurger and Kristen Lowe (2009) under thementorship of Drs. Karen Lefever and CarolBibb. Currently in its fourth cycle, the coursehas expanded to include nearly one hundredstudents in the lecture series and thirty students in thelaboratory series. Lectures cover a wide variety of dentaltopics, including seminars on the dental admissionsprocess, dental anatomy and dental specialties. Second years Lindsay Constantino and ChanelMcCreedy have done outstanding work to coordinate the

laboratory portion of the course, organizing andrecruiting volunteers for the largest laboratory sectionin BDP history. They enlisted over thirty volunteers forthe first lab session, during which pre-dental students hadpersonal tutors guide them through their very first Class

I preparation. The course hasproven to be extremelyrewarding for both thepre-dental and dentalstudents involved. Theundergraduates oftengo on to be some of themost prepared andenthusiastic dentalstudents, and dentalstudents areconfidently able tomeet the oft dauntingchallenge of lecturing

in front of a large audience. D3 lecturer Adrienne Hechtnoted that she, “has gained a great deal of respect forfaculty” from her experiences thus far in the program.

We departed for our adventure at 8:30 P.M. Two hoursinto our drive, we stopped at a local gas station to refillour tank and buy a few snacks. Cynthia Morford departedfrom the gas station with a new cowboy hat ready tofinish the trek to our destination. After another hour, we reached 3,000 feet and pulledover to admire the scenery from a lookout spot. The skywas very clear, and the stars were just as bright as thecity below. We opened the doors of the van to step outside,and we realized that it was going to be a very cold night. We got to the camping spot and set up the tents ataround 12:30 A.M. All of us had a rough night; the coldwoke us up often, but we made it through. The nextmorning, Dan Nelson prepared a vegetarian sausage andegg breakfast feast with his portable gas stove. Wediscussed the long night over breakfast while Raquel andher husband, Greg, made hot chocolate and coffee. The sun started to rise, and we started our activities.Dan, Cynthia, and Katherine (2008) went for a naturewalk and were lucky enough to see a coyote dash by.We were all famished by lunch, so we headed to BigBear Lake for a picnic. Afterward, we visited the local

Oktoberfest and later went for a walk at the localboardwalk. As the sun began to show signs of the days’ end, wediscussed the cold night ahead of us and ultimatelydecided to rent a cabin. We packed up the campsite andsettled in at our newly rented cabin. The night consistedof us eating “ketchup and beer” marinated steak,cooking s’mores, and drinking beer and Irish Carbombs

ASB Big Bear Camping Trip

see BDP, page 10

Daniel Jun, ‘10 walks a pre-dent through his first prep.

see ASB, page 11

Chilly campers warm up wtih some coffee and breakfast.

Clubs & Community

Diastema News 7

Hispanic Dental AssociationMichelle Alvarez, 2011

The fireworks have popped, the ball has dropped, 2008has officially made its way around, and the StudentChapter of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry(SCAAPD) has kicked into full gear. By expanding yourminds to research and service, westrive to enhance your pre-doctoralexperience with children in order tobetter equip you with the skills tosuccessfully overcome thechallenges that practicing dentistrybeyond dental school entails. This year, SCAAPD will offerarticle reviews and informal lunchand learns on topics includinghealth literacy, motivationalinterviewing techniques, riskassessment methods, and oralhealth disparities. If there’s something specific you wantto learn more about, please let us know, and we will gladly

Pediatric Dentistry ClubMarissa Faeldan and Anne Reeves, 2009

add it to the list! Outreach events include the UCLA/VeniceGive Kids A Smile Day held on February 23 and the SpecialOlympics this spring. We will also sponsor an

informative event in the spring quarter for thoseinterested in pediatric externship programs that willallow you to interact with pediatric dentists and residentsand find out more about the ins and outs of applying foran externship program suited for you. In February, a joint

event was held by SCAAPD andthe Student Chapter of GeneralDentistry featuring Dr. Armenian,a general dentist and graduate ofUCLA who has focused herpractice serving the populationshe loves best – kids! Sheeloquently shared how she builta successful private practicedoing what she loves most whilestill giving back to thecommunity. If you have been looking for a

way to get involved and to get to know students who holdthe same interest for children’s oral health as you, we urgeyou to come to any of our events. We believe children’soral health issues cut across all disciplines, so everybodyis encouraged to be a part of our growing family!

With over seventy members, the Hispanic DentalAssociation (HDA) chapter at UCLA has rapidly expandedsince its establishment at UCLA in 2004. Its growth isprobably due to the chapter’s dedication to promotingand improving oral health care in underserved and low-income communities. Upon asking Geraldine Hidalgo, anew member and HDA Class of 2011 Liaison, why shejoined, she responded: “It’s heartbreaking to go into manyL.A. areas and see people who need oral health care butcan’t afford it. It was natural for me to join anorganization that steps in to treat and educate those whoneed it.”

This school year, HDA visited both Proyecto Pastoralafterschool program in Boyle Heights and DickisonElementary School in Compton. K-8 students wereinstructed in proper flossing and brushing techniquesand were given both toothbrushes and toothpastes topractice their newly refined skill. Similarly, HDAparticipated in the Placita Olvera Health Fair lastNovember; the organization provided dental screenings,toothbrushes, toothpastes, and bilingual oral healthbrochures to children and adults. One of HDA’s proudestaccomplishments was organizing a Spanish oral healthparent seminar at Centro Alegria Child Care Center in EastLos Angeles. The parents learned about baby bottle caries,

the importance of oralhygiene and properbrushing techniques. During the 2007holiday season, HDAmembers participatedin Project Santa Claus,an annual event thatgives children fromc o m m u n i t i e ssurrounding King/

HDA in action!see HDA, page 11

Diastema News 8

Faculty Interview

Dr. John Beumer

“If you can find something that you enjoyand have a passion for it, it doesn’t matterhow much money you make, you’re goingto enjoy your professional life, and anenjoyable and rewarding professional lifewill spill over into your personal life.”

Dr. John Beumer has contributed countless hours of effort mentoring andteaching students and residents at the UCLA School of Dentistry. He wasrecently interviewed by The Diastema News’ Grant Stucki to spotlight hispersonal history and asked for his advice for the students at the UCLASchool of Dentistry.

Concerning his undergraduatetime at UC Berkeley, Dr. Beumer saidthe following, “I had a wonderfultime. In those days, [the early 1960’s]it was a wonderful place to be.” Dr.Beumer attended UCSF School ofDentistry and noted, “That was theperfect school for me, just likeBerkeley. It was a very strong clinicalschool. It was not as strong inresearch in those days. Now it’s kindof the opposite; it’s a very strongresearch school but a weak clinicalschool. It was perfect for me becausewe obtained a lot of clinicalexperience, and we had manydedicated clinical faculty who werewonderful role models.” Interestingly enough, Dr. Beumerdid not go into prosthodontictraining immediately after dentalschool. Upon graduation, hecompleted an oral medicineresidency program, obtained an M.S.in oral biology, and then served for 2years on the UCSF faculty beforecoming to UCLA in 1972 to run theMaxillofacial Clinic. He then enrolledin the postgraduate training programin prosthodontics directed by Dr. F. J.Kratochvil. Dr. Beumer was one of

the first two residents enrolled in thisnew program. In both oral medicineand prosthodontics, Dr. Beumer feltlike he had, “two of the best mentorsanyone could possibly have,” for Dr.F. J. Kratochvil (prosthodontics) andDr. Sol Silverman (oral medicine)were giants in their respectivedisciplines. “I was pretty lucky. I liketo call that a Beumer bounce.” Nowadays, one of Dr. Beumer’sfavorite pastimes is the internationaloutreach program he conducts. “Forthe last thirty years, I have had theopportunity to go all over the worldand set up programs devoted to therehabilitation of head and neckcancer patients. It all started in 1978in Egypt. “I went on an outreachmission on behalf of a charitablegroup called ProjectHope. I spent threemonths at the Facultyof Dentistry at theUniversity ofAlexandria in Egyptand set up aMaxillofacial Clinicand trained theirfaculty. I’ve beendoing that ever since.

Last December, I was in Indiabasically doing the same thing at amajor cancer hospital in India (TataMemorial in Mumbai). This has beeninteresting, exciting and rewardingwork. I have had the opportunity towork with many talented andaccomplished people over the yearsand have developed friendships withcolleagues in every part of the world.” When asked for words of wisdomfor dental students who are trying tofigure out what specialty to go into,Dr. Beumer responded with thefollowing, “First, don’t worry aboutthe financial return. You’ve got to findsomething that you enjoy. You’re notgoing to be good at anything unlessyou really like it. If you can findsomething that you enjoy and have apassion for it, it doesn’t matter how

“Dentistry is a wonderful profession.You can make a very good living,provide valuable services for peopleand dramatically impact the qualityof their lives. I highly recommend it. Ihave no regrets.”

Diastema News 9

Faculty Interview

much money you make, you’re goingto enjoy your professional life, andan enjoyable and rewardingprofessional life will spill over intoyour personal life. That’s the advicemy father gave me when I was ayoung man, and that’s the advice thatI give to young people. If you’re notsure whether to pursue specialtytraining or are undecided aboutwhich specialty to pursue, spend acouple of years in practice. However,I would definitely recommendspecialty training because I think intoday’s environment you can have amore fulfilling career. “In addition, dental specialties aremuch more developed and advancedthan when I got out of school.Periodontics is a good example. Periowasn’t much of a specialty when Igraduated, but today it has amuch wider range: you’replacing implants, extractingteeth, doing dentoalveolarsurgery in preparation forimplant placement, andconducting bone grafts.You’re doing a lot ofinteresting things that werea not a part of the practice ofperiodontics 35 or 40 yearsago. “Prosthodontics is muchmore interesting than whenI started... Besidesc o n v e n t i o n a lprosthodontics, there is nowimplant prosthodontics,maxillofacial prosthodontics,and those who wish can betrained to perform implantsurgery. So, my advice is findsomething that you enjoy. Ifyou enjoy it, you’re going tobe good at it . When you find aspecialty that blends your talentswith your desires, dentistry can be avery fulfilling career. Otherwise, itcan be pure drudgery.” Along with this helpful adviceabout choosing a specialty, Dr.Beumer also has encouraging wordsfor the students and faculty in the

wake of the recent negative publicitythat the school has received. As chairof the Faculty Executive Committee,Dr. Beumer was involved in thecontroversy concerning theorthodontics program last fall. Weasked him for his comments. “Myresignation letter as chair of the FECspeaks for itself. In my view, suchpractices are quite inappropriate forany university, let alone a publicuniversity, such as UCLA. Since The[Daily] Bruin article, severaladditional people have come forwardto corroborate the allegations. Thecontinued denials by theorthodontics faculty, as recentlypublished in The Bruin Orthodontist,are disingenuous andcounterproductive and furtherdamage the credibility of the section

Although the actions of a few havedisappointed Dr. Beumer, he has apositive message for students. “Iwouldn’t be disheartened. Thesethings are part of the humancondition. Our profession is notimmune to such incidents. What ismost important is to maintain a highlevel of professional and personalintegrity and stand up for those basicprinciples in which we believe. Whenthese facts were brought to myattention, I was disappointed, angryand ashamed. However, appropriatecorrections have been made, and inthe long term, the institution will bebetter off because of this experience.I am confident such things will neverhappen again.” Dr. Beumer has a strongconviction that UCLA dental

graduates are the cream of the crop.He believes in their abilities andencourages them to work hard andmaintain the excellent reputationthat former UCLA students havecreated for the school. “The best wayfor UCLA students to represent theschool is to continue to do theexcellent job that our students have

Dr. Beumer and the UCLA Prosthodontics Group.

see Beumer, page 11

of orthodontics and the School ofDentistry. I believe the FECaddressed the problem veryeffectively. They developed a veryspecific conflict of interest statementthat clearly delineates what isappropriate what is inappropriatewith regards to the evaluation andselection of potential residents.”

Diastema News 10

activities including oral hygiene instructions, monsterteeth art projects and toothfairy puppet shows. Over 60children were screened by third and fourth year dentalstudents. The Smile Store was a bustling clinic, and 44 childrenwere treated in one day. Third and fourth year studentsprovided pediatric treatment, which included sealants,extractions, composite fillings, fluoride and stainless steelcrowns. “Give Kids a Smile Day was an excellent way to giveback to the community,” said third year Jennifer Egli.“There was an excellent turnout for the event. We wereable to provide many children with the oralhealth care that they needed in order for them to continueto grow up healthy and strong.”

networking luncheons with the national ASDA leaders.The meeting also provided an avenue for dental studentsto voice their concerns regarding issues such aslicensure, access to care and professional ethics. It wasalso interesting to learn about the successes of eachparticipating chapter. UCLA ASDA continues to carry thereputation as one of the nation’s strongest chapters. While the majority of the meetings were held in bigconference rooms, the Chicago nightlife provided anexcellent backdrop for dental students to socialize.Chicago’s small town, big city feel made everyone feelcomfortable. From local bars to trendy lounges, studentsfound themselves enjoying the best of what Chicago hadto offer. Many ASDA members also found that trueChicago pizza was no joke. A local hotspot, Giordano’sPizza, proved to be a favorite as many of us indulged ingiant thick-crusted Chicago style pizza. The snowyweather also helped add some winter-y fun as somemembers ice-skated in an outdoor ice-skating rink. Overall, the trip was a great way to learn aboutorganized dentistry and become an active leader in theprofession. Many lasting friendships were made and willcontinue. I encourage you who are interested to contactyour class ASDA rep and become involved at our localchapter.

GKAS - continued from page 1

Nini Chaichanasakul ‘09 poses with a happy patient at GKAS 2008.

Shamburg & Lowe with ASDA national leaders at Giordano’s.

Chicago - continued from page 3 For many PPID students, the reason for undertakinganother 2 years of dental school transcends a desire tolive the American dream and its attendant promises ofopportunity and prosperity. There is often a compellingpersonal story to be told. From a desire to be with a lovedone here in the United States to fleeing religiouspersecution for freedom of worship and/or speech topursuits of economic security, advanced training andcareer satisfaction, the motivation to leave their homecountries and forge a new life in America are as real andas diverse as the PPID students themselves. It is not a difficult task to identify a PPID student. Theyoften have front row seats in every class, speak Englishwith more than a hint of a foreign accent and have adeferential mien towards their instructors. Thedemographics of the PPID class tend toward being femaleand married. By virtue of the fact that most are alreadyexperienced dentists in their home countries, they tendto be older than the average age of the regular class.Perhaps because of this, they are more acutely aware oftheir own limitations than the traditional students andtherefore embrace the opportunity to (re)learn thedidactic and clinical lessons that can be translated tosuccess after dental school. Beyond these, however, thereis a commonality of purpose, drive, and hard work thatcharacterizes the PPID students as a whole.

The course directors arealways open to passionatepeople interested incontributing to the course. Ifyou would like more informationabout the course or how tobecome involved, please visit ourwebsite: http://www.uclabdp.blogspot.com oremail Eddie and Kristen at:uclabdp@gmail.com.

BDP - continued from page 6

PPID - continued from page 5

Chanel and Lindsay rock.

Diastema News 11

while playing a came called “Mafia.” The night was fun,and we were all glad that we didn’t have to freeze. Thefire kept us warm all night and erased the stresses ofdental school from our minds. The next morning, wepacked up and headed back home relaxed and ready foranother year of dental school.

ASB - continued from page 6

HDA - continued from page 7

Drew Medical Center an opportunity to meet Santa, playgames, and receive a toy. Additionally, HDA fundraisedover $400 for the HDA Sponsor a Family event; HDAmembers hand delivered toys and shared dinner with agrateful family of six. Furthermore, HDA organized both recreational andeducational events for dental students this year. InJanuary, they hosted an exhilarating Salsa Night atMonsoon’s in Santa Monica. HDA also hosted a successful“operative dentistry tutorial” for first year members. Inthe upcoming months, HDA plans to continue itsdedication to serving the community and students. If youare interested in joining HDA at UCLA or would like moreinformation, please contact UCLA_HDA@yahoo.com.

HDA OHI school visit.

done in the past when they go off into residency andpractice. “When you look at our students, 50-60% of them gointo residency training programs. UCLA graduates arehighly sought after - much more so than, for example,students from my old school. At my old school, UCSF, onlyabout 25-30% of their kids gain entrance into specialtyprograms. I’m sure a lot of them do fine, but UCLA kidshave a big advantage because the people who havepreceded them have done so well. “One of the challenges we face as a faculty is tomaintain the balance we have been able to achieve amongour three missions – education, research and service. Iam particularly proud of the balance we have been ableto strike in our division. With the creation of theWeintraub Center and the addition of Ichiro Nishimura,Neal Garrett and Tak Ogawa, we have created the bestresearch group in prosthodontics in the world todaywithout compromising the quality of our educationalprograms. Indeed, with the continued development ofour implant curriculum and the addition of Drs. KumarShah, Niki Moghami and Bhavani Venkatachalam to our

Beumer - continued from page 9

clinical faculty, I believe our predoctoral curriculum isstronger than it has ever been. In addition, I am veryconfident in its future because of the excellent leadershipbeing provided by Drs. Eleni Roumanas and Ting-LingChang.” According to Dr. Beumer, real satisfaction in life comesfrom being the best you can be in your profession. Inprosthodontics, he has found an element of flexibility andforgiveness that is satisfying. “I know the sleepless nightsI have had in my life were when I screwed up- when I’vemade mistakes on patients that have impacted their formand function. One of the things I love aboutprosthodontics is that you can go back and fix yourmistakes. If you’re a surgeon or a periodontist or evenan orthodontist, many of the mistakes you make areirreversible. I think that’s tough to live with. You know,mistakes happen; nobody’s perfect. We all makemistakes, or sometimes outcomes of our therapies arenot what we expect. Particularly in the surgicaldisciplines, you can execute a perfect surgical procedure,but the outcome isn’t what you expect because there areso many variables that come in to play. In prosthodontics,most of the things we do are reversible. You can say toyourself, ‘You know, this isn’t quite done at the level thatI would like it to be done; I’m going to go back and do itover again.’ I know when I was in school, I had this phobiaabout doing things over again. Once I got over thatbarrier, and I was working on human beings, thesedecisions were easy. I’d think, ‘Well, this isn’t quite right.Let’s just scrap it and start over again, or let’s go back tothe previous step and do it over again.’ And then you gohome, and you sleep at night, and you feel good aboutyourself. Dentistry is a wonderful profession. You canmake a very good living, provide valuable services forpeople and dramatically impact the quality of their lives.I highly recommend it. I have no regrets.” If you’re wondering if you’re cut out for pros, Dr.Beumer mentions a few skills you should have. “You haveto enjoy making things and not be bothered by thetedium of laboratory work. Even now, I sometimes sitdown in the lab and do some work. All goodprosthodontists I know are artistically inclined. They arevery creative and have an excellent sense of color andshape. If you have an artistic flare, you should considermaxillofacial prosthodontics. It presents the clinicianwith some terrific challenges, and every patient isdifferent. I’m going to have a tough time giving it upbecause I enjoy it so much, but I realize retirement forme is just around the corner.” When it comes to relaxing, Dr. Beumer doesn’t givefluffy suggestions. “Dentistry by nature is a stressfulprofession...The things that have precipitated stress inmy life are making mistakes and having unfinishedbusiness. If I don’t have all my work done, I becomestressed. If I’ve done something on a patient that doesn’tgo as well as I like – that causes stress. That’s what I likeabout pros: you can re-do it.”

Dental Diversions

Fun Dental FactsTamar Sardarian, 2010

· The most valuable tooth was one anobleman purchased - belonging tothe famous scientist Isaac Newton -for $4,560. It was set in a ring.

· George Washington’s dentures weremade from walrus, hippopotamus,and cows’ teeth, as well as elephanttusks.

· The Mexican version of the ToothFairy is known as the Tooth Mouse,which takes the tooth and leavestreasures in its place.

· A snail can have about 25,000 teeth.· Queen Elizabeth I’s teeth were

noticeably discolored. A Germantraveler, Paul Henter, speculated thatthe discoloration was due to theQueen’s excessive consumption ofsugar, making the first recordedassociation between sugar and toothdecay.

Across4 Congenital condition in which some teeth aremissing (not starting with the letter H) (1 word)7 Fit for a king or his cracked tooth (3 words)10 Superlative Cement (2 words)12 Quarter-turn... (1 word)13 I wouldn’t classify him as obtuse (2 words)15 There’s one in endodontics and one inradiology (2 words)16 Structure-Saver of the Sigmoid Sort(1 letter and 1 word)Down1 A fluoride avoided with porcelain (2 words)2 If ______ were red (1 word)3 The Original Golden Boy (2 letters and 1 word)5 Slanting or inclined in direction or position(1 word)6 As an example, polyacrylic acid or cream rinse(1 word)8 Can be found between 8 and 9 (1 word)9 It’s just a temporary alternative, honest!(1 word)11 An obtuse margin (1 word)14 Our brand is Jet, but it’s too slow to set(1 word)

Dental Crossword Will Grella, Chanel McCreedy, Will Trevor, 2010

Puzzle Mania!Jonathan Hsu, 2010

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1 Dentistry, 2 Amalgam, 3 Lidocaine, 4 Full gold crown, 5 Periodontics