Brace Yourself

With oral hygiene playing a crucial role in disease prevention, preventative dentistry is at the forefront of our patient care, along with evidence based practice. Toothbrushing and interdental cleaning often have various beliefs and myths we hear from day to day conversation in our field.

In this episode, we are joined by Zainab Noor from La Trobe University, and Michelle Zhang from the University of Queensland, with a special guest, Dr Elizabeth Milford, a dentist and lecturer at the University of Melbourne and representative for Oral B, in the role of professional and academic relations consultant in Australia and New Zealand. Dr Milford will be discussing what the evidence suggests behind these common beliefs with answers to common questions we often cannot find a straightforward answer to without some thorough research.

Thank you all for tuning in to season 2 of Brace Yourself. It has been a fantastic year and we wish you all well for 2022!

Furqaan, Cherine and Peter

In this episode, Phillip Nguyen (DEN5, LTU), ADSA's Immediate Past President, along with Lachie Berry (DEN5, LTU) and Jake Templar (DEN5, LTU) have a chat about their time in final year and have an extensive discussion with our special guest for this episode, Dr Jay Hsing. Tune in as these three final year students from La Trobe ask Dr Jay some enticing questions related to student life, graduate life and his experiences so far.

A little about Dr Jay:

Dr Jay Hsing

BDSc (Hons I), FICD, FPFA

Dr Jay graduated with his dental degree from UQ in 2007 with First Class Honours. Since then, he has worked as a general dentist in private practice and also as a clinical supervisor at UQ’s Dental School.

Dr Jay also participates in dental volunteering including with Homeless Connect Australia and Tzu Chi International Medical Association.  He has been volunteering with the latter, which runs free Dental Fairs for recently arrived refugees, ever since when he was still a dental student.

Dr Jay is a Board member of the Australian Dental Association, Queensland branch and is the current Junior Vice President.  Earlier this year, he initiated the establishment of a Volunteering in Dentistry Committee at ADAQ and is serving as its Chair.  He is also the current Chair of the Asset Management Committee.

He is a member of the Australian Prosthodontic Society and the Cadmus Society, of which he is a past President. Dr Jay is a Fellow of the International College of Dentists and the Pierre Fauchard Academy.

In this episode, Lisa Zhu, a 4th year dentistry student and the ADSA representative from the University of Queensland, is joined by An Tran (BDS5) and Sian Denton (BDS4) to discuss an area of dentistry which we all struggle with in our early clinic days, patient management and communication. Tune in to find out what they have learned from their experience so far and how to optimise patient centred care in situations you may not expect, including tips on how to maximise your communication and your approach to anxious or unhappy patients.

In this episode Cheree He, a 2nd year dental student and the ADSA representative from Griffith University, is joined by Jakob (DEN2, GUDSA academic committee) and Richie (DEN4, GUDSA President) on how to prepare for your upcoming exams, as well as general study advice which will no doubt benefit you. If you are new to the university exam scene, or are preparing for your final exams, these tips and reminders will definitely serve as a motivational reminder for all of us to try our best in the most smart and productive way possible.

No doubt life in the clinics may be exciting yet daunting for all of us, as it is a new chapter of our university life in Dentistry and Oral Health. Join Laura Vu (BDS2), the ADSA representative from JCU, along with Sowmya Bolla (BDS4) and Lesley Daley (BDS5) as they discuss how they have found their clinical experience so far, what they wish they knew before entering the clinics and general tips for students in all year levels. Lesley shares how life at a rural placement has been an incredible and rewarding journey for her as a final student. 

In this episode, Lilly Liu, a 2nd year DMD student from UWA, is joined by Ethan Lloyd (DMD3, UDSS President) and Pauline Wong (DMD3, UDSS Secretary) to discuss some key advice for all students wanting to make the most of their time at dental school, especially 1st year students. Many of us experience very similar challenges, whether it is learning new skills in preclinical or being overly consumed in study only, so our colleagues from UWA share their experiences and perspectives on how to live a well-balanced university life. No matter what year level you are in, there is no doubt you will relate to most, if not all of what they have discussed, as well as tips for your future or current clinical years.

Welcome to season 2 of Brace Yourself! In this episode, Furqaan Ahmad and Cherine Lit from the publications team of ADSA's 2021 committee introduce us to what to look forward to in a brand new season of the Brace Yourself Podcast. 

Our goal is to make your life in dentistry a tad bit easier by bringing you the fun, the hardships, the embarrassments and the educational experiences shared by your fellow peers and mentors across Australia. Episodes will be published on the first Wednesday of each month and lead by hosts from different dental universities across Australia – exciting! Massive thanks to Peter Ho (Publications Subcommittee and ADSA convenor) for the music and editing to ensure our podcasts sound amazing. We would LOVE to hear your questions and feedback in the google form posted on our social media platforms, so just look us up on Facebook/Instagram (@AusDSA) or on our website: www.adsa.org.au. Enjoy!

In this episode, our current ADSA President, Phillip, is joined by two past presidents, Emma and Dr Nicole to discuss their experiences as part of the ADSA committee and how it has opened doors of opportunity for them. They talk about their fondest ADSA memories as well as the challenges of being responsible for an entire association of dentistry and oral health students.

Are you considering joining a university club? Perhaps thinking how it could impact your future in the dental industry? In this episode: we listen to Chloe Benedickter from Central Queensland University discuss with fellow classmates about their experiences at their oral health school in Rockhampton and she is joined by a graduate from CQU who has all the experience by being involved during her university years and how it has affected her job prospects since graduating from university. Tune in to listen to how this episode can motivate you to get involved and grow throughout your time at university to help you flourish into an inspiring dental professional in the future!

There are endless amounts of myths regarding health and Dentistry is no exception.

Myths are a stubborn thing and will be one of the prime factors of shaping a patient’s oral hygiene routine or habits. Though it may not seem like an immediate danger, it could be detrimental to one’s oral health in the long run. Thus, it is our jobs as future dentists to actively eliminate them and steer people to the right path.

To explore the common myths patients have regarding oral health, we will interview our fellow Griffith Dental student Afnaan Rahman and Chrishan Fernando. Afnaan has had years of clinical experience as an oral health therapist before entering dentistry and Chrishan, vice president of GUDSA (Griffith University Dental Student Association), is a senior dental student who is currently treating patients in the school clinic. Together they talk about their clinical experience and what common dental myths they dealt with when seeing patients. Furthermore, they debunk some of the myths and misconceptions freshman dental students may have about Dental school.

Heads up! You will most likely encounter these myths while venturing through your dental journey and it is always better to be prepared.