PerioDash Spotlight: Navy Perio

PerioDash Military Spotlight: Navy Perio

Dr. Jin Hwang, United States Navy Periodontics program

What first motivated your program to take part in PerioDash?
I am spearheading the planning for PerioDash in our program as the AAP Foundation Student Ambassador and acting chief resident. I have participated the past two years, and this year I wanted to organize the event for our Navy Perio team to support the Foundation and highlight our specialty. The Navy Perio team is a periodontics residency program at the Naval Postgraduate Dental School, which graduates 3 or 4 periodontists yearly who then go on and serve Sailors, Marines and their families around the world.

What will your team’s 2025 event look like?
We are planning an organized 5K run on base with our perio staff, residents, assistants, and family and friends. We will run as team “Navy Perio” and may invite other specialty departments from our graduate school to join us. Documenting the event with photos and sharing them through our Navy Perio network will help extend the impact beyond the day itself.

What makes PerioDash valuable for your program and community?
PerioDash highlights our specialty and reinforces healthy living, which aligns with our mission in the Navy - to develop the future leaders of the Periodontal Community, Dental Corps, and Navy Medicine. For the wider Navy dental community, it creates a shared experience even when we are stationed in different places. Here at our base, it builds connections within our team.

How do you see the advocacy component shaping your team’s involvement?
The advocacy component is a good fit for our program. Having access to the Foundation’s social media graphics, educational handout, and talking points allows us to share information not only within our department but also across the larger Navy dental community and the families connected to it.

What would you say to other programs or practices considering PerioDash?
PerioDash works in any setting. For us, it is a base run that combines physical activity, professional pride, and community outreach, but it can be shaped to fit any community. Go Navy, Beat Army!