New York City Stands Tall

Pictured: The Statue of Liberty in dental loupes is dressed in the new standard of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)— respirator, face shield, surgical gown, gloves— and grasps a glowing handpiece in place of the torch. In the background, the Empire State Building decorated with toothbrushes and the Chrysler Building decorated with tooth-shaped lighting fixtures stands tall. Floss containers stand in place of arches of the Brooklyn Bridge and floss strings act as the suspension cables. Floss picks support the base of the bridge. The sky glows from the rising sun.

Alongside the many communities braving the pandemic, the dental community continues to persevere through the challenges of practicing amidst the “new normal.” This artwork was created with the intention to reflect the strength of New York City healthcare workers, particularly highlighting dentists who have played a subtle but not insignificant role in flattening the curve. From limiting patient schedules to completely closing clinics, and donating PPE to potentially taking part in vaccine administration efforts, dentists and dental offices across the United States have actively taken part in efforts to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic.

Writer’s Note: A different version of this artwork appears on Columbia ASDA’s “The Columbia Crown” Fall 2020 newsletter. Both pieces were created by Rachel Utomo and Rebecca Li (CDM ‘24).

---

This post was contributed by Rachel Utomo, Media Chair at ADEA COSRF District 2 and student at Columbia University College of Dental Medicine ('24). Instagram: @Utoothmo