NYU Langone Dental Medicine's PEDS Program attended the AAPD Advocacy Conference 2023 last week, March 12-15, 2023!
Below is an insight from our Pediatric Dentistry Resident, Dr. Revling:
"The AAPD Advocacy Conference was an eye-opening experience for me as a pediatric dental resident. During the conference, I learned more about the advocacy process on a national level. I now understand how the AAPD’s legislative leadership has been advocating for children across the country, and how their actions have benefitted the profession in recent years. Without the acts of the AAPD’s advocacy team, the profession would not be as strong as it is today.
I had the opportunity to advocate on behalf of the children of Oregon and speak to my legislators’ staff. This experience forced me to step out of my comfort zone, speaking to strangers! Because we are the experts on pediatric dentistry, we are the best people to go and speak with congress. I was able to share impactful stories about my patients with congress and share my perspective as a pediatric dentist. The legislative staff were all understanding of our needs and seemed very supportive of our goals.
The conference was a great opportunity to connect with other pediatric dental advocates from across the country and share stories. We are all in this together and I left feeling very hopeful for the future of pediatric dentistry. When I begin my career, I plan to continue advocating for pediatric dentistry on an individual, community, and national level."
