Dr . Darleen Oleski , Dr . Karin Brian , Dr . Lauren Yap . |
Dr . Rachel Lewin and Dr . Kayla Klingensmith . |
Dr . Lauren Yap , Dr . Selena Nguyen , |
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Dr . Roopali Kulkarni , Dr . Craig McKenzie . |
Street Fest was the most anticipated social event of the convention where the whole street in front of the convention center was blocked off for SmileCon festivities . There was a live band on stage the whole night , food trucks , and a whole New Dentist VIP lounge . There were also many activities to enjoy , such as leather tag printing , shirt tie-dying , and even being lasso-ed by a cowboy . With fireworks ending the night , Street Fest was a great celebration of the annual meeting and of our dental community coming together .
In addition to Street Fest , that night included numerous social receptions to keep the networking wheel turning ! I attended the Temple alumni reception , the PDA reception , and the New Dentist pool mixer . At every social event I attended during SmileCon there was such an inviting energy present . It was refreshing to see how dental colleagues of all ages , backgrounds and specialties were as eager as I was to network and engage in conversations with each other .
SmileCon closing session ’ s keynote speaker was Leland Melvin . He was a very inspirational and captivating speaker who spoke about his journey to becoming a NASA astronaut while even discussing the dentistry aspects of his space mission . I felt that he was the perfect speaker to tie the convention together at the end as he showcased the themes of new advancements , mentorship , knowledge , philanthropy , and of course , Texas - just as this year ’ s SmileCon had accomplished .
I once again cannot wait to attend the next SmileCon in sunny Orlando , FL in 2023 !
About The Author
Dr . Selena Nguyen graduated from Temple University Maurice H . Kornberg School of Dentistry in 2020 . She practices as a general dentist for Project HOME in Philadelphia . Dr . Nguyen serves as the Corresponding Secretary for the Chester County and Delaware County Dental Society and as a New Dentist Committee member for the Pennsylvania Dental Association . SmileCon 2022 was her first time attending the ADA Annual Meeting as an alternate delegate . Outside of dentistry , she enjoys attending music concerts / festivals and cosplaying her favorite characters in costume at anime / comic conventions .
Closing Session Keynote Speaker Leland Melvin .
JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2023 | PENNSYLVANIA DENTAL JOURNAL 21