Lasting Impressions | Fall 2016

NSU COLLEGE OF DENTAL MEDICINE © 23 Chin has been involved in more than 100 clinical trials and is nationally recognized for her work in the pediatric dental specialties of infection control and caries detection and prevention. She has also published extensively on those topics, which makes her a “go to,” especially for the AAPD. “Anytime there is an infection control guideline or something to do with caries prevention, it will come to me or one other individual in the United States to review for the AAPD,” Chin explained. “We have the most knowledge in these areas because we conduct clinical trials. As an educator, we have to keep up on our game, so we provide the most current information going forward to residents in our programs.” e AAPD, founded in 1947, is the authority on pediatric oral health care. Chin was invited to join the group as a member. While at Indiana University, she represented the Midwest District. “You are only allowed to be a representa- tive for a district for ve years,” she said. “ en, if the academy believes that your contributions are valuable, you are asked to continue as a consultant.” For the past eight years, Chin has been steeped in the Council on Clinical A airs, which is charged with writing and reviewing policies and guidelines for the AAPD. ere are fewer than 20 selected consultants who are part of the council. “ ese individuals are known as being national leaders in their respective elds,” she said. As a policy researcher, Chin helps dra recommen- dations or modi es policies based on new information. “ en we meet as a council in November and, line by line, we go over every single policy,” she said. In any given year, there may be 20 AAPD policies or guidelines to be reviewed. Currently, the AAPD Refer- ence Manual has 42 policies and 26 guidelines. e group also works with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, and the American Academy of Pediatrics. “Not only are we tasked with our own policies and guidelines, but we’re also asked on a national level to evaluate what other government bodies are recommending,” she explained. In 2002, the American Dental Association initiated a review of “ e Selection of Patients for X-Ray Examina- tions: Dental Radiographic Examinations.” e AAPD, along with other dental specialty organizations, participated in the review and revision of the guidelines on prescribing dental radiographs for infants, children, adolescents, and individuals with special health care needs. e Food and Drug Administration accepted the guidelines in 2004. Subsequently, the AAPD has been looked to for its review each time guidelines pertaining to the topic are updated. MAJOR POLICY ADOPTED One of the most notable policies Chin authored was in 2006 when the AAPD adopted a policy on xylitol to “assist oral health care professionals making informed decisions about the use of xylitol-based products with the aim of preventing caries in children,” according to the AAPD Reference Manual . Chin became rst author for a 2015 updated policy from a previous revision in 2010. e latest update was based upon a review of current dental and medical literature related to the use of xylitol. She worked with an assigned group from the council. “A er we each did our independent literature reviews, we realized that the new clinical trials coming out didn’t support the guideline anymore,” explained Chin, who was credited as second author on the AAPD’s “Guideline on Xylitol Use in Caries Prevention.” “I’m so honored that I was chosen to write this policy, and I’m honored to represent the CDM.” —Judith Chin Continued on next page