by Roseman Dental | Sep 14, 2022 | Dental 360, Dental Clinic Blog, Roseman Dental - NV
Welcome to autumn! In this September issue of Dental 360°, discover what xerostomia is and how you can fix it before it becomes a big problem, find out how to prevent gum disease, and meet Dr. Alice Chen, Roseman’s new pediatric dentist.
Roseman Dental & Orthodontics’ Dental 360° is a monthly e-newsletter. Each month you’ll receive a panoramic view of dental health. Dental health is key to your overall health and here at Roseman Dental & Orthodontics, we are dedicated to improving not only your mouth, but your whole self. At our clinic we have an excellent team of licensed dentists, orthodontists, orthodontic residents – 30 to be exact, and dental residents all focused on you and your family’s oral health. Roseman Dental & Orthodontics has been serving its community since 2009 and is a comprehensive, one-stop shop for all your dental needs including dental, orthodontic and craniofacial cleft lip & palate treatment.
We hope you find Dental 360° helpful and informative. We look forward to connecting with you each month.
Dental 360° September Articles
Xerostomia: Causes and Treatments for Dry Mouth
Periodontal Disease and How to Prevent It
Meet Dr. Alice Chen
Back to School! Keeping Kids Healthy In and Out of the Classroom
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by Roseman Dental | Sep 14, 2022 | Dental 360, Dental Clinic Blog, Providers - NV, Roseman Dental - NV
Dr. Chen recently joined Roseman’s College of Dental Medicine as a board-certified Pediatric Dentist at Roseman’s clinics in Henderson and Summerlin, NV. With a warm smile, kind face and gentle way about her, it is immediately obvious that she has a gift for connecting with children. Dr. Chen knew from a young age that she wanted to be a healthcare provider and that she wanted to use her hands in her profession. Shadowing an optometrist and dentist in high school, she connected quickly with the practice of dentistry but she had no particular plans or interest in treating children. Though Dr. Chen is the eldest of two girls in her family, she did not have a great deal of experience with or an affinity towards children, yet she found that her passion for pediatric dentistry grew while in her second year of dental school in Boston. She received her dental degree from Boston University and her specialty training in Pediatric Dentistry at Temple University. Originally from California, Dr. Chen received her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from UCLA with an emphasis in Developmental Psychology. In dental school, Dr. Chen worked alongside caring, compassionate faculty who took a great interest in mentoring her. Through this, she realized how important it was her to not only to provide preventative care, but to also ease pain and discomfort. Dr. Chen was born to parents who guided her not to a specific profession or interest, but toward an ethos, “be helpful and to take care of others.” She has most certainly followed this guidance in her professional life.
After a decade in private practice, in 2021, Dr. Chen made a personal decision to focus more time on the practice of pediatric dentistry and to let go of some of the administrative and business tasks associated with running a practice. When the opportunity arose at Roseman Dental & Orthodontics, it seemed like a perfect fit. “The opportunity at Roseman gave me the chance to place greater focus on doing what I love most—treating children. I couldn’t be happier about the opportunity to work in both of Roseman’s clinics. The entrée into academia also offered her the chance to return some of the goodwill and guidance offered to her by faculty when she was a student. In her new role, Dr. Chen has the chance to shape and inspire future providers.
Roseman Dental & Orthodontics, in addition to providing care to adults and children, is the home of the Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) residency, which hosts 2 residents per year through a partnership with NYU Lutheran Dental Medicine. These dentists receive advanced training through Roseman Dental & Orthodontics and are exposed to more complex cases. In her position, Dr. Chen is able to work alongside these residents, shaping their experiences and developing patient-centered practitioners while treating children. Roseman Dental & Orthodontics’ dental clinic also refers patients to Roseman Dental & Orthodontics’ ortho clinic, which is at the same address and next door.
Dr. Chen also practices at Roseman’s newest dental family member, Roseman Dental – Summerlin, Roseman’s pediatric dental clinic focused exclusively on treating medically compromised children in need of specialized dental care. Dr. Chen works alongside Dr. Michael Cottam, Clinic Director, to treat patients of Roseman’s partner organization, Cure 4 The Kids (C4K). C4K treats children with cancers, blood diseases and other life-threatening diseases. These children often put their dental needs aside, yet they need a dental home with dentists that work alongside their physicians to deliver what is often specialized care.
Dr. Chen is a beloved healthcare provider in the Nevada community. She brings to Roseman extensive experience, a deep commitment to improving the welfare and health of children, and a warm sense of optimism about her work. Dr. Chen and her husband Dr. Matthew Raddue, an anesthesiologist, enjoy being parents to their two children. Welcome Dr. Chen!
by Roseman Dental | Sep 7, 2022 | Clinic Events - UT, Dental 360, Dental Clinic Blog, Roseman Dental - UT
Last month, Roseman Dental held its annual free Back to School Brush-Up™ event where our dental students and faculty provided dental screenings and cleanings to children in grades Kindergarten through 12th grade for the 2022 – 2023 academic school year. Those who attended the event received a voucher to return to Roseman Dental for a free comprehensive exam, free x-rays, and up to $100 in additional care.
While waiting to be treated, participants enjoyed the oral health carnival where they learned about good oral hygiene habits and tips, how to properly brush their teeth and floss and what foods are good and bad for your teeth through several interactive carnival games.
We asked the clients who visited us that day to take an exit survey. These results confirm that the children our students served truly needed and appreciated the services that were provided:
- 55 percent of our patients were presented with 4 or more carious teeth.
- Of those who reported an answer, 81 percent of our patients have no dental insurance (including Medicaid).
- Of those who reported an answer, 44 percent said that it has been over 1 year since their last dental visit.
- 41 percent reported they have no dental home.
- 56 percent reported they have urgent or moderate dental care needs.
- Patients visited us in South Jordan, UT from as far away as Ogden and Payson, UT. For reference, that’s about an hour drive.
This event was not possible without our wonderful sponsors. Thank you to our Presenting Sponsor – Marathon Petroleum. Your contributions allowed us to provide needed dental care to children in our community.
Roseman Dental will be hosting its annual Give Kids a Smile® event on Friday, February 3 where our dental students and faculty will be providing free dental screenings and cleanings to children 18 and under. Those that attend will receive a voucher to return to Roseman Dental for a free comprehensive exam, x-rays, sealants, and up to $100 of additional care. More information about this event will be announced soon.
by Roseman Dental | Sep 7, 2022 | Clinic Events - UT, Dental 360, Dental Clinic Blog, Providers - UT, Roseman Dental - UT
In conjunction with Catholic Community Services of Utah, College of Dental Medicine (CODM) at Roseman University of Health Sciences provided free dental care for 150 refugees living in Utah on August 19, 2022. In recent months, Utah has had an influx of refugees from Ukraine, Afghanistan, Sudan, Venezuela, Honduras, Syria, Uganda, China and Congo.
According to an article in the National Library of Medicine, during periods of displacement, relocation, and adaptation, refugees are often forced to prioritize other immediate needs – such as food, shelter, and safety – before addressing oral health concerns. However, oral health is often a significant health issue. Refugee populations have consistently been shown to have worse oral health even when compared to traditionally disadvantaged and underserved populations in their host country. Factors contributing to this health care disparity include lack of oral health care infrastructure in source countries, challenging migration trajectories, difficulty accessing care upon arrival to host countries, and individual health beliefs and practices.
“As a result of a lack of oral health care, refugees suffer pain, stress, and negative self-perception,” said Dr. Ryan Moffat, Assistant Professor for the CODM at Roseman. “When refugees are placed in cultures which highly value the cosmetic appearance of teeth, poor dentition can carry a strong social stigma, decreasing chances of employability and creating social challenges for children in school. Frequently missing work because of emergency dental treatment needs could result in employment termination and educational opportunities can be affected.”
Give New Utahns a Smile is an effort to address the immediate needs of these refugees. Fortunately, at CODM, many students come from a variety of cultural backgrounds and spoke the language of many of the refugees. Students addressed the immediate dental needs the clients had and provided comprehensive oral examinations, dental cleanings, and dental restorations free of charge.
Among those who received dental care that day was Fareed Poya Masouda, a refugee from Afghanistan, and his wife. Masouda worked as an interpreter for the U.S. Army in Kabul prior to its withdrawal from the country.
“It’s an incredible help,” Masouda said of the dental clinic. “The way I see it, is they are taking care of every part of us, whether it is medical concerns, dental – it’s incredible.”
The Masouda’s have three children ages 7, 5 and 3; the family has been in Utah for three months.
“I really appreciate all the people who helped us, who saved our lives,” Masouda said. “Now we are really happy, with our kids going to school. My wife is happy and there is no stress anymore and no depression anymore. We’re really excited and happy to be here without fear of being threatened, of being killed or tortured.”
Follow-up services will be provided for free to those refugees who participated in the clinic last month.
“We would love to continue this kind of relationship with this community of refugees,” Moffat said. “They are wonderful individuals, and they have a need. We feel like they have a lot to contribute to our community here in Utah. If we can provide them with an opportunity to have a nice-looking smile and good oral health, we feel like that will help these refugees be able to continue to contribute.”
CODM recognizes there are many other refugees in Utah, in addition to the 150 seen last month, who have significant oral health needs. As such, CODM hopes to assist Utah refugees through future similar events.
