Pediatric dentist and entrepreneur Dr. Ashley Lerman joins little teeth, BIG Smiles to chat with Dr. Berg about her company First Grin and how its unique approach to teaching families about oral health care. Dr. Lerman shares how First Grin was born out of her experience right out of residency, working in a clinic, seeing dozens of high-risk patients a day who often had little-to-no prevention knowledge. She explains the original First Grin kit designed for expectant parents to set families up for success with the tools and knowledge needed for at-home preventive care. Dr. Lerman also delves into how First Grin is finding success partnering with payers and hospital networks to flag early oral health care as a priority issue amongst medical professionals outside of dentistry. 

Guest Bio:  

Dr. Ashley Lerman is a board-certified pediatric dentist, public health advocate, and founder of First Grin, a digital prevention platform that brings oral health into everyday family life. Through First Grin's app and educational kits, she helps families, payers and health systems connect dental care with overall wellness, starting in pregnancy and continuing through childhood and beyond for adults.  

Dr. Lerman works with major payers, employers, and baby registry partners to make preventive oral health education more accessible at-scale. Her work focuses on building sustainable tech – enabled models that improve engagement, reduce stress, reduce disease, and make oral care easier for families to start early and stick with over time. She's also the voice behind @pediatricdentistmom, a popular social media platform reaching millions of parents for its relatable evidence-based guidance on children's oral health. Her approach blends clinical expertise with empathy, helping parents build healthy habits without guilt or overwhelming them. 

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Host Dr. Joel Berg is joined by American Dental Association (ADA) President Dr. Richard Rosato. In this conversation, Dr. Rosato shares his journey from shifting gears from pediatric medicine to pediatric dentistry as a student and how his relationships have affected his participation in organized dentistry. 

Dr. Rosato shares his experience as a private practitioner and business owner, and how that mentality and passion influence the impact he hopes to have during his time as ADA President. In particular, Dr. Rosato speaks about the importance of practitioner and patient mental wellbeing. 

Guest Bio: 

Dr. Rosato is a native New Englander. He was born in Revere, MA, and raised in Danvers, MA. He moved to NH in 1986 to attend Saint Anselm College. After college, he attended Tufts University School of Dental Medicine and graduated in 1994. Then he was off to Chicago to the University of Illinois Medical Center, Cook County Hospital, Michael Reese Hospital, Mercy Hospital, and the West Side VA for his residency in oral and maxillofacial surgery which was completed in 1998. He then moved back to New England and practiced initially in Rhode Island before finding a home back in NH in 2000. He quickly enjoyed being a part of shaping the profession of dentistry and advocating for patients through leadership. Initially, he served the NH Dental Society as the Council on Government Affairs Chair for 5 years before ascending through the leadership ladder from 2006-10 culminating with becoming president of the NH Dental Society in 2010. 

Following his year as president he was appointed to the American Dental Society Council on Ethics, Bylaws, and Judicial Affairs and served as chair in his final and fourth year on the Council in 2015. During his national leadership time, he also continued to serve the NH Dental Society as Long Term Delegate for 8 years 2011-2019. He was then appointed to serve from 2015 to 2019 as caucus chair of the ADA First District representing all 6 New England States. Following this he ran and was elected to the ADA board of trustees to serve from 2019-2023. While on the ADA BOT, he also served as compensation chair, ADA Business Enterprise Inc. as a board member, and a board member of the Innovation Advisory Committee. He has a tremendous calling to be at the tip of the profession fighting for oral healthcare so that everyone can have a dental home. 

He resides in Concord with his wife, Dr. Laurie Rosato, and three children, Richard Jr, Colin, and Madison. He cherishes family time and enjoys golf, the Boston Bruins, and car rides with his labradoodle Roma.

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Host Dr. Joel Berg is joined by Dr. Tim Wright on this episode of little teeth, BIG Smiles for a discussion of hot topics in dentistry and how those topics make it into the profession’s academic publications. Dr. Wright also delves into his experience as Editor of JADA, the Journal of the American Dental Association. Now in his fourth year, he explains the manuscript submission and review process, as well as the topics he anticipates being the next big “cover stories” and emerging topics. 

Guest Bio: 

Tim Wright received his DDS degree from West Virginia University and completed his Pediatric Dentistry training and Master of Science Degree at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He currently is a Professor in the Division of Pediatric Dentistry and Public Health at The Adams School of Dentistry at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, where he has served as Pediatric Dentistry Department Chair and Department of Endodontics Interim Chair. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry, a Fellow of the American Academy for the Advancement of Science, and a Past President of the American Association of Dental Research. He has Chaired the Counsel of Scientific Affairs for the American Dental Association and American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. He has published over 200 peer reviewed scientific manuscripts, edited three textbooks and authored 27 text chapters. Dr. Wright is the Editor in Chief of the Journal of the American Dental Association and Chair of the AAPD Evidence Based Dentistry Committee.

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Host Dr. Joel Berg speaks with Dr. Chelsea Fosse, Vice President of the AAPD Research and Policy Center (RPC) on the current hot topics in public health and how the RPC is working to make an impact. They delve into how pediatric dentistry can continue to lead the way among the other dental specialties and with our medical peers on care for those children and adults with disabilities and other special healthcare needs. Dr. Fosse also shares how AAPD members and other healthcare professionals can turn to the RPC for support with state-specific questions relating to Medicaid or other legislation.  

Guest Bio: 

Chelsea Fosse, DMD, MPH is the Vice President, Research & Policy Center at the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD). She is boarded in dental public health. Before shifting her career to work in oral health policy research, she worked as a general dentist treating adults with disabilities.   

At AAPD, Chelsea leads a team focused on Medicaid policy and program administration, evidence-based dental care, access to high quality and safe dental care, the pediatric dental workforce, and other contemporary issues in oral health, public health, and health policy. She was previously at the American Dental Association (ADA) Health Policy Institute (HPI) where she led policy analysis for issues related to Medicaid and studied the oral health workforce and the industry's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Before dental school, she worked in the Division of Children with Special Needs at the American Academy of Pediatrics. She currently serves as President of the Board of Directors at Well Child Center, a community-based organization offering WIC, dental, and other social and health services in Elgin, IL.   

Chelsea received her bachelor's from The University of Texas in 2009, DMD from Rutgers in 2017, and MPH from Columbia University in 2019. She completed a general practice residency at Helen Hayes Hospital in 2018 and a dental public health residency at Jacobi Medical Center in 2020. 

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Dr. David Carsten joins little teeth, BIG Smiles host Dr. Joel Berg for a conversation on waterline safety. A previous Chair of Infection Control for the Washington State Dental Commission, Dr. Carsten shares information on how waterlines can be compromised and what practitioners can do to maintain waterline safety to protect their patients and themselves. 

Guest Bio: 

David Carsten, DDS, is a dentist anesthesiologist. He has a BS in Biochemistry from Washington State University, with a background in Medical Bacteriology and virology. His DDS is from the University of Washington. He has 5 publications in the scientific literature. He received the Award of Distinction in Continuing Education from the Academy of Dentistry International in 2005. 

He lectures often, internally and externally, on many topics. For example, Dave did more than 30 lectures regarding the COVID-19 pandemic from 10 January 2020 to the present and has consulted dentists and entities regarding mitigation. 

He is an Assistant Professor in Hospital Dentistry at Oregon Health Sciences University, General Practice Residency program. That program focuses on patients that fall within the broad definition of special needs and are thirteen years old or older. He was on the ADA Steering Committee for the DLOSCE. He mentors the interdisciplinary lecture group at OHSU, the Tilikum Crossing Seminar Series. He is a Chair for the Department of Health, Washington State Dental Commission, also chairing the Infection Control Committee. Dave lives in Vancouver with his wife, Sharon, his son, Davin, and their dog, Kiki. He has been a member of the Spiritual Care Team at Salmon Creek Legacy Hospital since 2012.

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Dr. Jeanette MacLean, a trailblazer in minimally invasive SDF practices, joins Dr. Joel Berg to discuss how observations and a willingness to try a different approach can positively benefit both providers and patients. Dr. MacLean shares how her own learning experiences seeing the same patients year after year in private practice led to her desire to consider less aggressive treatment options. She also delves into how the collaborative pediatric dental community was imperative in guiding her path.  

Guest Bio:  

Dr. Jeanette MacLean has been in private practice as an Owner for 20 years. As an appointee to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry’s Speakers Bureau and has provided lectures across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, as well as webinars viewed in over 40 countries. 

Dr. MacLean graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Northern Arizona University in 1999. She received her dental degree, with honors, from the University of Southern California in 2003 and completed her specialty training in pediatric dentistry in 2005 at the Sunrise Children’s Hospital through the University of Nevada School of Medicine. 

Dr. MacLean is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, Fellow of the American College of Dentists, Fellow of the Pierre Fauchard Academy, and Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry. Her research has been published in the journals Pediatric Dentistry, the Journal of Clinical Pediatric Dentistry, the British Dental Journal, and Compendium. She has been featured twice in the New York Times: 

She is also an active member of the Central Arizona Dental Society, the Arizona Dental Association, the American Dental Association, the Arizona Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. 

She is married to Timothy Budd, an attorney, and they have a son, Charlie, and a daughter, Sabrina. She has donated her time to underprivileged children both locally and in Mexico, Belize, and Costa Rica, and has been honored for her volunteer work and humanitarian achievements. She speaks conversational Spanish, and her interests include party planning, crafts, Jazzercise and all things Disney. She is also active in Local First Arizona, the Arizona Dental Associations’ AHCCCS Subcommittee and Women in Dentistry group. 

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LTBS host Dr. Joel Berg sits down with incoming American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry President Dr. Tom Ison to talk about his leadership journey. Dr. Ison shares how he felt the pull to specialize in pediatrics after practicing as a general dentist, and how that choice impacted him as a rural practitioner. He also delves into his agenda for the 25-26 Academy year, including honoring the legacy of the leaders who came before him. Recorded in front of a live audience at AAPD 2025, the conversation is a testament to the importance of professional organizations and the role they play in sharing expert information. 

Guest Bio: 

Dr. Thomas G. Ison is in private practice in Newburgh, Ind. He received his dental degree and certificate in pediatric dentistry from the University of Kentucky College of Dentistry and Chandler Medical Center in Lexington, Ky., and completed a Fellowship in Pediatric Dentistry at Indiana University School of Dentistry. He previously held appointments as an assistant professor at the University of Kentucky College of Dentistry and Chief of Dentistry at Norton Children’s Hospital, in Louisville. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and American College of Dentists, as well as a Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry. He has completed the AAPD Leadership Institute at Kellogg and the Advanced Leadership at Wharton. He served as a consultant to the AAPD Council of Clinical Affairs, District III (now Southeastern) Trustee and is a Past President of the Southeastern Society of Pediatric Dentistry and Kentucky Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Dr. Ison has been an examiner for the ABPD Oral Clinical Exam as well as committee member and part leader for the Renewal of Certification Examination. He resides in Evansville, Ind., with his wife, Connie, and daughter, Maggie.

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Dr. Carolyn Strom joins host Dr. Joel Berg to discuss the impact of literacy on how the brain continues to learn and process information. Dr. Strom shares her experience as a first-grade teacher in an area with high rates of intergenerational illiteracy and how her interactions with parents and students led her to dive deeper into the neurosciences of learning and comprehension, particularly in relation to dyslexia. She speaks to how implementing the science of learning matters as the brain learns new skills – and how this thinking can also be utilized in the dental sphere. 

Guest Bio:  

Carolyn Strom is a clinical professor, reading specialist, and former first grade teacher. She collaborates widely with school districts, families, educators, and ed tech companies to bridge the disconnect between neuroscientific research and educational practice. Dr. Strom is a recent recipient of NYU Steinhardt's Teaching Excellence Award and has published her work in The Reading Teacher, The Reading League Journal, and The Handbook of Learning Disabilities. She maintains a clinical practice in New York working with children who have dyslexia. 

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On this exciting episode of LTBS, host Dr. Joel Berg is joined by AAPD 2025 keynote speaker Mick Ebeling for a candid conversation delving into Mick’s mantra of “commit, then figure it out.” Sharing the story of an accidental invention that made the seemingly impossible possible, he highlights his unique problem-solving approach that brings together passionate and talented people to create solutions that better the world. Mick also speaks to the impact that grounding yourself in the belief that something that’s possible today was once considered impossible can have on your ability to make change. 

Guest Bio: 

Named Fortune’s Top 50 World’s Greatest Leaders and honored with the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian of the Year Award, Mick Ebeling is a groundbreaking innovator dedicated to changing the world through innovation and story. As the Founder of Not Impossible Labs – an innovation incubator disrupting the status quo and tackling seemingly impossible problems – Mick has spent over a decade driving a movement of positive impact for the sake of humanity. Through his “Help One. Help Many” approach, Mick and his team have created some of the most internationally celebrated inventions, including The Eyewriter, Project Daniel, and Don’s Voice, as well as their most recent spin-off companies, Bento (formerly Hunger: Not Impossible) and Music: Not Impossible. His work has been recognized as a 3x recipient of TIME’s Best Inventions and Fast Company's World Changing Ideas. Mick continues to inspire, empower, and teach individuals, organizations, and communities to take bold action, so they too can make the impossible, NOT impossible.

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Host Dr. Joel Berg is joined by Rose Dodson, founder and CEO of Sedation Resources for this episode of little teeth, BIG Smiles. Dodson discusses the importance in a strong foundation for sedation management and how emergency training is an integral piece of a practitioner’s overall skill set. She also delves into the latest updates in technology supporting safety. 

Guest Bio: 

Rose Dodson is the founder and CEO of Sedation Resource, a long-time Silver Sponsor of the AAPD. For over 20 years, Rose and her team have been dedicated to patient safety and supporting dental sedation practitioners. Rose has a Master’s in Business Leadership and Management and a deep understanding of sedation equipment and emergency preparedness. She even developed an amplified Bluetooth pre-tracheal stethoscope to improve patient monitoring. Most recently, she collaborated with the "Ten Minutes Saves a Life" initiative to create the Simulation Toolkit, designed to help with emergency response training. Rose shares her expertise through presentations and articles, always focused on practical solutions for sedation practitioners, and she has been directly involved in the hands-on participation sessions at the AAPD’s sedation courses. She also enjoys sharing insights on safety, innovation, and how she’s working to support the pediatric dental community.

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