Category: news

March 2, 2021 – Register for Juno’s educational webinar on student loans, refinancing, and more!

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Hey Lady Dentist,

AAWD is proud to partner with Juno on the upcoming workshop about the current state of student loans and understanding the finer details of student loan options.

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Juno is an organization that helps folks nationwide in getting lower interest rates on those looking to take out new student loans as well as those who look to refinance their existing loans. Since Juno’s inception, they have assisted thousands of folks through this process and save members over 40 million dollars to this point.

Juno is a completely free resource with no obligations who believes in strength in numbers. In this joint presentation we will discuss the finer details of student loans, items you should be looking out for, the current state of affairs in student loans, and if refinancing/taking a loan makes sense for you.

If you ever have any questions, please feel free to reach  out to them directly: Nick Talamelli

Learn more about the partnership between AAWD and Juno.

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February 23, 2021
Announcing New Local Chapter in North Carolina!

Hello Ladies!

The American Association of Women Dentists (AAWD) is excited to announce the new local chapter in North Carolina! I am so excited to work together for years to come. For those who don’t know me, I’m Lauren Massey-Williams. I graduated from the University of Kentucky College of Dentistry of 2009. For about 7 years I practiced in Texas in just about every avenue of dentistry–public health, corporate offices and private practice. In 2018, I relocated to Shelby, NC to be closer to my family (my dad is from Charlotte) and my sister who lives in North Florida and joined a large, all female group practice. I started in dentistry in public health as a National Health Care Service Corps Scholarship recipient, so my primary focus in dentistry has always been in helping the underserved. Through the AAWD”s Smiles for Success program, I hope to increase the amount of dentistry we, as women, are able to give to those who truly need us. In addition to being president of this chapter of AAWD, I sit on the communications council for the Academy of General Dentistry, am an ambassador to the NHSC and serve on my county’s Healthcare Foundation Board.

This year from AAWD, our vice president, Jordan Hubbard, and I plan to grow our chapter, develop mentorship programs for female dental students, solicit discounts on dental products for our members, and so much more. Jordan lives in Southern Pines, NC and owns her own practice in Pinehurst, NC. She is a new practice owner and graduated from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry in 2017. She is also a member of the Academy of General Dentistry and is working on her fellowship, a member of the Official Mommy Dentists in Business, and a member of the American Dental Association. She cannot wait to meet each of you and grow together.

Finally, one thing I’m very passionate about is supporting women in small business. A friend of mine, Jennifer Snowden, owns the boutique James Ascher in Charleston and has offered us 15 percent off all purchases this season. Her sister and father are both dentists and she wanted me to personally express how much she admires all of our dedication to our careers, families and communities! To shop, click here: https://jamesascher.com/ and use the code TOOTH at checkout to receive your discount.

Please be safe as we start 2021, and do not hesitate to reach out to either of us at any time with ideas you may have for our chapter, questions you may be coming up with, or even just to say, “Hey!”

Warm Wishes,

Lauren Massey Williams, DMD

aawdncchapter@gmail.com

January 15, 2021
New Partnership With Bank of America
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AAWD is happy to announce a partnership with Bank of America in order to offer exciting new member benefits! Bank of America offers premium debt consolidation, flexible payment options, low interest rates, and more.

Practice acquisition promotion and debt consolidation:
- Acquisitions include partnership buy-ins and second location purchases
- Pay off high interest rate business loans, and consolidate into one loan
- Available for minimum loans of $250,000 with flexible repayment options
- Each promotion is available separately or combined for maximum benefit
- You’ll also get a competitive rate through maturity, and you’ll know the rate up front
- Applications must be received by March 31, 2021 and close by June 30, 2021
To apply, contact your Practice Solutions Specialist by visiting bankofamerica.com/practicesolutions or calling 800.428.2847.

Bank of America gives power back to borrowers and allows people to take ownership of their financial future. It is easy for AAWD members to partner with the provided Bank of America benefits, it only takes two minutes. Click below to download the flyer to read about more benefits from your AAWD membership.

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December 28, 2020
Save Thousands with Juno
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AAWD is happy to announce a partnership with a fantastic organization named Juno in order to offer exciting new member benefits! Juno uses the power of group buying to help people get lower interest rates on new student loans and student loan refinancing.

Juno is a completely free resource with no obligation to take the offered deals. Juno gives power back to borrowers and allows people to take ownership of their financial future. They help thousands of people nationwide save on their student loans, and tackle student debt with a plan that works. This free resource has changed the lives of so many who struggle with the rising costs of higher education. Let them help you!

Deals we think you’d love:
- Undergraduate loans: For undergrads who’ve hit the caps on Federal Student Loans. Our deal takes off 1% on interest (ex. 5% ->4%) & has no origination fee.
- Graduate loans: A good alternative to Federal Loans for people with good credit or a co-signer. All graduate deals feature cashback rewards.
- Refinance loans: Best for people with a steady income. Depending on borrower location & occupation, we’ll recommend the best option. Most deals feature cashback or a rate reduction.
- International health insurance: For those looking for a cheaper alternative to signing on with a university’s mandatory insurance plan.
It is easy for AAWD members to partner with the provided Juno benefits, it takes only two minutes. Create your profile and learn more about Juno today by clicking the link below!

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November 9, 2020

Watch AAWD Webinar presented by Dr. Cathy

Dr. Cathy Hung Presents:

“Pulling Wisdom: Filling the Gaps in Cross-Cultural Communication for Healthcare Professionals”

Webinar: November 10, 2020 at 8:00 PM EST

Dr. Cathy Hung

Dr. Cathy Hung A native of Taipei, Taiwan, Dr. Y. Cathy Hung earned a B.A. in Psychology from University of California, Berkeley and a D.D.S. from Columbia University. She received her oral and maxillofacial surgery training from Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center, Bronx, New York. She is a Diplomate of American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons and the owner of Prospect Oral Surgery Center in Monroe Township, New Jersey. She is a participant of American Dental Association’s Institute for Diversity in Leadership program, Class 2019-2020 as well as a guest writer for American Dental Association’s New Dentist Now Blog and Dental Practice Success. She is a book author of “Pulling Wisdom: filling the gaps in cross-cultural communication for healthcare professionals” and her upcoming book “Behind the scalpel: practical guide and stories by women oral and maxillofacial surgeons”. She is also the Founder of Morning Glory Women Dentists Network of New Jersey and Facebook group “The Talented Dentists”. Her passion is to raise awareness of diversity and inclusion within the profession of dentistry.

Please join us on November 10th at 8PM EST to listen in on Dr. Cathy Hung present her webinar “Pulling Wisdom: Filling the Gaps in Cross-Cultural Communication for Healthcare Professionals”.

She will be discussing the following:

Understanding the importance of changing demographics in the U.S. and why diversity and inclusion is imperative in Healthcare.
The obstacles of treating patients whose English is not their first language and the challenges presented in translation.
The challenges in implementing HIPAA with patients of different cultural backgrounds.

Some strategies in breaking through cultural niches and team development success.

We want to thank Care Credit for sponsoring this webinar and allowing Dr. Cathy Hung to share her valuable insight with our membership.

October 23, 2020

PPE from ADA

The ADA has been working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to secure PPE for dentists across the country. FEMA has allotted a significant amount of 3M-made KN95 masks, as well as Level 1 non-surgical polyester isolation gowns for distribution to all dentists at a minimal cost.** AAWD is happy to extend to you ADA’s invitation to place an order for these masks and/or gowns by registering below.

Masks will be shipped in a 50-pack. Those currently in stock are 3M-made KN95 masks (model 9502+) and are FDA and NIOSH approved. These masks have headbands, which are considered to be more comfortable than ear loops. The reimbursement fee** for the 50-pack of masks will be $26.50.

Gowns will be shipped separately in a 25-pack. The pack will include a variety of sizes from Small to XX-Large. These gowns are washable/reusable and are supplied during the COVID-19 pandemic subject to FDA docket 2020-D-1138. The reimbursement fee* for the 25-pack of gowns will be $31.25.

Please note, if you have already placed an order for either the 50-pack of masks or the 25-pack of gowns through the ADA, you will not be able to place another order for that particular item at this time.

To request your PPE, you will need an ADA Number (members and non-members). If you do not know your ADA Number, please contact the ADA Member Service Center via chat. Advisors are available to assist you from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Central Time, Monday through Friday. You may also contact the Member Service Center via email at msc@ada.org. The ADA can only ship this PPE to the 50 U.S. states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

To request PPE, register here.

LINK: https://registration.experientevent.com/ShowDEN202/Flow/PPE?marketingcode=AAWD

You will be asked to:

1. Enter your ADA Number (whether or not you are currently a member) and your last name.

2. Confirm your information (pay close attention to shipping address).

3. Confirm your request to receive 50 KN95 masks.

4. Confirm your request to receive an allotment of gowns.

5. Enter your payment information for your reimbursement fee(s)**.

We strongly encourage you to complete your request immediately, as supplies are limited.

Along with helping you get the PPE you need, you can count on the ADA to bring you the latest evidence-based guidance about COVID-19. The ADA’s extensive suite of COVID-19 resources includes:

Recently updated ADA Return to Work Interim Guidance Toolkit with printable patient letter, evaluation forms and practical infection control protocols
New Patient Return Resource Center, a downloadable suite of communication tools to help educate your patients about what they will experience when returning for non-emergency care (ADA member-exclusive)
New Protocols for Positive COVID-19 Test guide dentists through handling a staff or household member’s positive COVID-19 test (ADA member-exclusive)
The latest on demand digital events, including “Practicing after COVID”
Our community of more than 163,000 ADA members is the reason we’re able to lead the dental profession forward with valuable guidance and PPE to help you practice safely and with confidence. If you are not currently an ADA member, please consider joining. Together with AAWD, we’ll be there to support you through it all.

*Orders will be processed in the order they are received. Following registration, you will receive a confirmation email. Please allow up to 15 business days to receive your PPE. If inventory is not available when you complete your request, you will be placed on a “waiting list” (back order) and informed of such. ADA will send your PPE if and when we receive more product from FEMA. If additional inventory is not received, the fee(s) will be reversed on your credit card.

**The ADA is not charging for the masks and gowns themselves, as they were provided by FEMA at no cost. Also, the ADA is not profiting on this PPE – the ADA is charging only to recoup actual costs to receive, re-package, ship via UPS through our fulfillment partner PBD and credit card / processing fees.

October 1, 2020

Nominations for 2021 Student Awards are Open!

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Nominations are now open for the 2021 Student of the Year Award and Student Chapter of the Year Award!

Student of the Year Award nominations should be made for a student in good standing, who has demonstrated an outstanding and unique leadership style throughout the year that has positively impacted her chapter and AAWD; supported the AAWD mission; and participated in oral health research targeting women issues, a variety of community service activities, several fundraising campaigns, and numerous chapter activities/events.

Student Chapter of Year Award nominations should be made for a student chapter in good standing that has collectively demonstrated support for the AAWD mission and has participated in in oral health research targeting women issues, a variety of community service activities, several fundraising campaigns, and numerous chapter activities/events.

The nomination period will be open for one month and will close on October 21, 2020.

All awards will be presented in person as part of the AAWD One Hundred Year Sailibration Cruise on April 18-23, 2021 aboard the Explorer of the Seas. All awardees and guests are encouraged to celebrate our members and our history as part of this event! Head over the awards page to to download the nomination forms, complete them, and submit all materials to the AAWD National Office no later than October 21, 2020.

Contact the National Office at 800-920-2293 or awards@aawd.org, if you have any questions.

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September 21, 2020
Teledentistry: Risk Management Considerations for Dentists

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The ongoing novel coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic, digital technology advancements, and the need for dentists to more readily consult with colleagues and specialty practices so they can ensure optimal patient outcomes are among the factors driving the expansion of telemedicine into dentistry in the form of teledentistry. Teledentistry involves the use of health information and telecommunications technology to deliver oral care, consultations, and education. As with many advancements, teledentistry carries both benefits and risks. Benefits include the ability to support patient care while mitigating COVID-19 transmission, and easier access to others’ expertise, so dentists and patients can make better treatment decisions; risks include professional liability claims and licensing board actions. To reap benefits and reduce risks, dentists need to follow best practices.

Reasons For Teledentistry
The need to increase access to dental care in underserved areas has led to the rise of new care models that incorporate telehealth technology, or teledentistry. Teledentistry includes the remote provision of dental treatment or advice using encrypted patient electronic data, via the use of electronic health records, videoconferencing, and/or intraoral photographs and radiographic images.

Teledentistry can occur in real-time using synchronous communication methods, or it can be asynchronous, meaning that there is no real-time interaction between the provider and the patient and information is stored and forwarded. For example, a dentist might send a full-mouth radiographic series to another dentist for a second opinion, or a dentist or endodontist might send a CBCT scan to an oral and maxillofacial radiologist for
an interpretation.

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July 23, 2020
The American Association of Women Dentists Awards Yalda Rostamnezhad as 2019 Student of the Year

The American Association of Women Dentists (AAWD) recently selected University of New England’s Yalda Rostamnezhad as the organization’s 2019 Student of The Year.

Yalda Rostamnezhad is a fourth-year student at the University of New England College of Dental Medicine, in Portland, Maine, and will graduate in May 2020. Originally from Westwood, Massachusetts, Rostamnezhad attended Westwood High School. Afterward, she attended the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, where she received her bachelor’s degree in biology with a minor in public health.

According to her nominator, AAWD chapter faculty advisor Dr. Michelle W. Tsao, assistant clinical professor, Rostamnezhad was nominated for her “unwavering dedication to her AAWD student chapter.” The nomination states that Rostamnezhad has been a member of the UNE AWWD chapter since 2016, when she entered dental school, and has been a pivotal player in the successes and achievements of the chapter. Tsao continues, “From the beginning, she has supported the chapter to flourish into what it is now through her community service efforts, spearheading of chapter events and recruitment of new members.” Rostamnezhad also helped spearhead and organize all of AAWD’s events and played a pivotal role in increasing membership numbers this year by more than 40 members.

In keeping with AAWD’s mission is to advance, connect and enrich the lives of women dentists, Rostamnezhad dedicated much of her time and effort in 2019 to organizing numerous events, allowing for members to expand their horizons and explore new opportunities. She organized UNE’s first-ever powderpuff game, called the “Brush Rush,” which focused on member bonding through football; planned the chapter’s first-ever “Prosecco and Pearls Panel,” which featured a team of female faculty members in a discussion about being a woman in dentistry; organized a professional image building workshop for members; participated in the Polar Plunge into Sebago Lake to raise money for the Maine Children’s Cancer Program; volunteered at a local high school to speak to the sophomore class about pursuing a career in dentistry; organized a clothing drive for donations to the Florence House in Portland; organized a monthly lecture series to cover topics in dentistry that members would like to learn more about from faculty members at UNE; and volunteered at the Preble house soup kitchen on Saturdays, preparing meals for women at the shelter.

After dental school, Rostamnezhad plans to move back to Boston and work for a private practice office. “I have always wanted to open my own practice,” Rostamnezhad states, “and will aim to do so within a few years after graduating and learning the ins and outs of running a practice.”

She also states, “Receiving this award is a tremendous honor for me, as AAWD has been a substantial part of my dental school experience. When I first joined AAWD my D1 year, I was inspired by our former president and vice president, Colleen Ahearn and Maeve Daly, for bringing AAWD to our school and establishing our UNE chapter. Since then, I have worked incessantly on improving our AAWD chapter at UNE and expanding our members. I felt that it was my calling to empower the women in our chapter to work together and support each other on this journey to becoming the best providers we can be.”

Rostamnezhad continued, “By enriching their lives with mentorship from other AAWD members and female faculty members, we have united as a tight knit group of strong, independent women. I have learned so much from other chapters this experience has lead me to, such as our exemplary President Dr. Brittany Bergeron, along with all the members of AAWD who have reached out to collaborate with us. Being our chapter president has made me a better leader, a better listener and above all a better provider to my patients. I am so grateful for the steadfastness of the women before us who paved the way for our generation of women and aim to continue their work by eliminating the disparities that women in dentistry still face.”

Rostamnezhad says her message to other AAWD student members and chapters is to strive to leave everything they touch better than when they found it. “Work hard for what you have a passion for, and you will feel truly rewarded when your hard work comes to fruition,” she states.

AAWD President Dr. Brittany Bergeron states, “When I first met Yalda, I knew immediately she was different from other dental students I had encountered. She is a radiant star in our industry, and I’m delighted to be able to present her with this award!”

July 15, 2019
AAWD Position Statement on Sexual Harassment

March 16, 2018

Sexual harassment situations permeate the news headlines today. Sexual harassment is a relevant topic that all successful organizations must address. It can greatly decrease employee morale, reduce productivity and even generate costly lawsuits.

In order to ensure that each AAWD member is treated with respect and dignity, Dr. Karyl Patten, AAWD Immediate Past President, recently led a committee to establish and implement an official position statement for the organization. The AAWD Board approved the official statement on March 16, 2018:

The American Association of Women Dentists both supports and promotes equality and compassion in the workplace, universities, and professional gatherings of any type or size. AAWD upholds a person’s right to work in an environment free of discrimination, harassment, or hostility.

This statement can be found in the AAWD Policy and Procedures Manual.

May 8, 2018