SmileCon offers place for new dentists
Curated courses focus on career, wellness, clinical skills
SmileCon offers an experience just for new dentists — from fun opportunities to network with peers who are in the same stage of their careers to courses focused on the subjects that interest them most.
“When I went to the ADA annual session many years ago, there was a new dentist conference, and that is where I could find my people,” said Kayla Klingensmith, D.M.D., new dentist member on the ADA Advisory Committee on Annual Meetings and District 3 representative on the ADA New Dentist Committee. “Now, the new dentist experience is interspersed throughout SmileCon, allowing you to interact more with all attendees. I loved my experience throughout the conference last year, but the new dentist events were my home base.”
New dentists and dental students won’t want to miss the New Dentist After Party, an exclusive get-together featuring food, drinks, music and games from 8-10 p.m. Oct. 6 at Descend 21 at the Hyatt Regency Orlando. The party is sponsored by Aspen Dental.
During the Dental Olympics on Oct. 6-7 in Dental Central, student teams from four dental schools will compete head-to-head in dental trivia, a social media contest and more, as their fellow students, alumni and supporters cheer them on. The event is sponsored by Pacific Dental Services.
The 10 Under 10 Awards celebration, which is open to anyone to attend, will honor the accomplishments of the award winners — 10 new dentists who have demonstrated excellence in the dental profession. It takes place 1-2:30 p.m. Oct. 6 in the ADA Hub at Dental Central.
Some of the specially curated courses for new dentists tackle career-related topics, helping them to build a foundation for success today and in the future.
One career-related course is the New Dentist Committee Town Hall: Career Path Mentorship (6143) from 3:30-5 p.m. Oct. 5 in the ADA Hub in Dental Central.
“I am most excited for the town hall because hosting a career path town hall this past spring was the highlight of my first year on the New Dentist Committee. It is truly incredible all the different routes our careers can go,” Dr. Klingensmith said. “I am also excited for the 10 Under 10 Awards celebration. These 10 new dentists have done incredible work in their community, for research, and for advocacy, and I cannot wait to meet them.”
In the town hall, the New Dentist Committee will facilitate a discussion on mentorship in dentistry. New dentists who attend will learn how to find a mentor, grow or reduce a mentoring responsibility, and maximize their success in a mentoring relationship. Following a planned panel discussion, there will be time for a Q&A and meet-and-greet session.
The moderator is Bryce A. Larson, D.M.D., District 8 representative on the New Dentist Committee, and panelists include Aman Kaur, founder and president of Women in DSO; Gabriel B. Holdwick, D.D.S., District 9 representative on the New Dentist Committee; Alexandra Fitzgerald, D.D.S., president-elect of the Maryland State Dental Association and recipient of a 2023 ADA 10 Under 10 Award; and LaJoi Wiggins, D.M.D., an ADA Success speaker.
Other career-focused courses will discuss contracts, associateships and more. Courses highlighting the importance of wellness will share the experiences of experts and dentists who have found ways to balance busy careers and healthy lifestyles.
One such wellness course, again hosted by the New Dentist Committee, is Managing the Big Three: Burnout, Anxiety, Depression (6150), taking place from 10-11 a.m. Oct. 6 in the Wellness Hub in Dental Central. In this course, the presenters will share their experiences with depression, anxiety and other mental health challenges, ways to support each other during tough times and resources to strengthen overall well-being.
The moderator is Jarod W. Johnson, D.D.S., District 10 representative on the New Dentist Committee and mental health advocate, and panelists include Alayna Schoblaske, D.M.D., District 11 representative on the New Dentist Committee, and Julie A. Spaniel, D.D.S., and Amisha Singh, D.D.S., ADA wellness ambassadors and members of the ADA Dental Wellness Advisory Committee.
Another course being led by the New Dentist Committee focuses on financial wellness. Dark Cloud of Debt, Where to Look for the Rainbow (5140) will take place from 2-3 p.m. Oct. 5 in the Wellness Hub.
Kellie McGinley, D.D.S., District 14 representative on the New Dentist Committee, will serve as moderator of a panel that includes Sean Aiken, D.M.D., District 6 representative on the New Dentist Committee; Santo LoPorto, a financial professional at Equitable Advisors; and Stephen B. Dunbar III, J.D, executive vice president of Equitable Advisors. The panel will cover ways to manage money even with irregular income and sky-high student debt and discuss the role student debt plays in planning for a family and the future.
New dentists looking to sharpen their clinical skills and make their practices stand out have several courses at their disposal. One is Cases That Haunt Us: React, Rebound, and Recover from Failures (5122) from 2-5 p.m. Oct. 5 in Room S310G. The speaker is Mark E. Hyman, D.D.S., adjunct full professor and special assistant to the Office of the Dean at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Adams School of Dentistry.
In this course, Dr. Hyman will explain how to discuss a patient’s wants and needs to minimize misunderstandings, engage the team for successful case acceptance and react when things go wrong.
SmileCon takes place Oct. 5-7 in Orlando, Florida. To learn more and register, visit SmileCon.org.
