Dr Trudy Lin

Intrinsic worth of every human

Advocacy, Inclusion and diversity, Leadership / February 15, 2023

A question from a listener during my interview with @radio_italiana_531:

What is your advice to a young woman in a fast-paced, male-dominated career who has a strong passion to help community but at the same time balancing looking after their own mental health?

The answer that came to mind straight away stemmed from the reason I believe so strongly in inclusion:

My advice was to remember that you are 100% worthy the way you are.

You are not defined by what you do. You are defined by who you are. You are a unique person, who holds so much intrinsic value because there is no other you. Every experience, memory, feeling, conversation and moment that has made the unique sum of who you are, is completely unique. There is no one else with that same unique lived experience as you that has ever existed in the history of our universe, and there will never be another you who will exist in the future. This intrinsic value and worth that exists in you, and uniquely in every single human cannot be taken away. But our worth can be forgotten. It can be easy to forget when we are bombarded daily by messages from social media, or advertisements that tell us that we are not enough: not thin enough, not pretty enough, not smart enough – then these external voices we absorb become our self-critical internal voices.

Taking action and contributing to our community from a mindset where you know you are not doing it to “earn” your worth, because you are already inherently worthy, will help you be kind to yourself and to others, and help them see their own value and worth. So no matter what the external world is telling you about your value being based on external measures, remember that intrinsically you are enough, that you have everything you need, and you are perfect as the unique human you are.

Listen to the full interview here: Dr. Trudy Lin – 2022 SA Young Australian of the Year – Club G – Radio Italiana 531-Interviews – Omny.fm

Pay our respects

Advocacy / February 4, 2023

It was deeply moving to be a part of a powerful tribute this morning, paying our respects to the lives of the 60 Australian Women who were murdered in 2022. As a Specialist in Special Needs Dentistry, I have cared for women who have experienced domestic violence, who fear for the safety of their lives and/or their children’s lives, and so thank you to Gillian Lewis and Stacey Nelan for bringing women and men from all walks of life together for this event to honour the lives lost and shine a spotlight on the important issue of violence against women. I held the placard representing the 60th Australian woman who was murdered last year, and it was heart-wrenching to hear the stories of each woman before her who lost their lives. Even just one life lost is one too many, as every human holds value as a unique person who is irreplaceable, in addition to the ongoing impact on those who have lost a mother, daughter, granddaughter, grandmother, sister, niece, cousin or friend.

By promoting respect and equality for every person, we can prevent violence against any person, not only women, and work toward a future where we no longer have to mourn lives lost to violence.

Citizenship ceremony speech

Inclusion and diversity, Keynote Speaking, Leadership / February 3, 2023

It was an honour to be a part of the City of Unley’s Citizenship Ceremony and address our new Australian Citizens with a message to embrace every part of their history, their cultural heritage, and their story – because this shapes who we are, and each person’s uniqueness and diversity contributes to enriching our community and makes Australia an amazing place to call our home.

Australia Day is a day which holds great significance for many Australians. It is important to acknowledge and respect the diversity of views within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities surrounding January 26. There are parts of our history that are painful, and there are also parts in which we can derive hope, and pride.

I take great pride in the fact that Australia is home to the oldest continuing living culture in the entire world. And I also take pride in the fact that when half a million Europeans were displaced by World War II, Australia granted asylum to many refugees. Every part of our history forms the rich tapestry of who we are as a nation today and will continue to be an integral part of who we become in the future.

I see Australia Day as an opportunity to promote understanding, respect and reconciliation. We can all play a part to ensure Australia Day is one of inclusion and unity for all Australians, by being open and respectfully hearing every person’s view of what this day represents for them.

Today I reflect upon how grateful I am to be an Australian, in a community with a wonderful diversity of people and cultures, from our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who have been here for more than 65,000 years, to the people who have come from all corners of the globe to call our country home.

#inclusionanddiversity #australiaday #alwaysisandalwayswillbe #ausoftheyear

Patient advocacy

Advocacy, Leadership / February 3, 2023

I believe that as healthcare professionals, it is important for us to be a voice for our patients who cannot, or are not in a position to speak up for themselves. Persistence is an important part of advocacy. For so many years my patient’s oral health struggles remained unheard, unseen and invisible. It was privilege to bring visibility to my patient’s struggles to the South Australian Minister for Health and Wellbeing, the Honourable Chris Picton, Gemma Paech, Minister Picton’s Chief of Staff, and Peter Jensen, Health Adviser to Minister Picton, and have a fruitful discussion on avenues to improve equitable access to oral healthcare for South Australians. Thank you to all the oral health advocates who have come before me and continue to advocate for our patients – their struggles are being seen and our collective voices are being heard.

#advocacy #oralhealth #specialneedsdentistry

YLead Altitude Day keynote

Keynote Speaking, Leadership / February 3, 2023

Speaking on leadership at yLead’s Altitude Day stands out as one of the most rewarding experiences of 2022. Equipping young people with the skills and tools to tackle the challenges that come their way, whilst empowering them to have a positive impact on their community is more important than ever in the complex world we live in. And so, I am thrilled to be delivering the keynote at YLead’s 2023 Australian Student Leadership Conference this weekend and bringing my passion in leadership coaching to Year 11 and 12 students across South Australia. Thank you YLead for supporting young people to unlock their potential, as age is not a limiting factor for impact.

#leadership #keynotespeaker #youngleaders

Truly inclusive oral healthcare

Advocacy, Inclusion and diversity, Special needs dentistry / February 3, 2023

Every person deserves access to oral healthcare, but there are barriers which exclude many people from attending a clinic or a hospital. This includes people with physical disability or mobility challenges due to chronic pain, people with autism who have sensory sensitivities, people who find it difficult to leave their homes due to agoraphobia, anxiety or multiple severe allergies. Aligning with my passion for inclusion and reaching those who face the most barriers to accessing care, it has been an incredible first week partnering with Respect Dental’s mobile dental service and creating access to specialist oral healthcare services for people who otherwise would not be able to receive it, in the comfort of their own homes and living facilities.

I am looking forward to contributing to this truly inclusive service in our shared mission of creating more equitable oral health outcomes for every person, regardless of their age, race, gender, medical status and whether or not they have a disability, as every person deserves the right to eat, speak and smile freely.

#oralhealthcare #specialneedsdentistry #mobiledentalservices #equityandinclusion #patientcentredcare

Leadership keynote

Keynote Speaking, Leadership / February 3, 2023

Congratulations to the Australian Chinese Medical Association SA for celebrating their 30th Anniversary this year. It was an honour to be the keynote speaker at their Charity Gala Dinner supporting Citizen Advocacy South Australia Inc, and share my passion for leadership building.

My leadership transformation started in 2017 when I undertook a 12 month leadership program, and then became a leadership coach the following year. Over the years my concept of leadership has evolved to these two sentences:

1. Leadership is not a role, position, or title.

2. Leadership is one life influencing another.

This concept of leadership means that every one of us is a leader. Whether we know it or not, whether we like it or not, we are all influencing others on a daily basis through our words, attitudes and actions, and it’s up to us to decide what kind of an influence we want to make.

The calibre of the audience’s participation in our leadership deep dive was formidable! Thank you to the Honourable Chris Picton, South Australian Minister for Health and Wellbeing for your attendence and engagement – looking forward to continuing to collaborate in the leadership space!

We are all leaders. What separates an impactful leader is whether they are conscious and intentional about their influence. As 2022 draws to a close, let’s all reflect on what kind of leadership do we want to consciously cultivate in 2023, for our colleagues, our families and our community

Wishing you all a fulfilling new year!

#leadership #keynotespeaker #advocacy

ABC Adelaide oral health tips

Advocacy, Special needs dentistry / February 3, 2023

Thank you to ABC Adelaide and Emma Pedler for the opportunity to share practical strategies on how to look after you and your loved one’s oral health over the festive season!

You can listen from this link, starts at 1 hour 31 minutes: https://www.abc.net.au/adel…/programs/drive/drive/14122200

Emma asked what my wish was for 2023, my answer was for as many people as possible to spread the message that “Brushing teeth saves lives” to help prevent oral health from being a barrier to people living the full length of their life and their full quality of life through being able to eat, speak and smile! The life that every person has the right to live.

#specialneedsdentistry #oralhealthadvocacy

The right to smile

Advocacy, Keynote Speaking, Special needs dentistry / February 3, 2023

David Washington and I first started our conversations about inclusion and oral healthcare in a Q&A with over 700 people at the Australian of the Year Luncheon. Last week, we continued the conversation in studio, with a deep dive into oral health inequities, my views on disability as a social construct as opposed to a medicalised model, solutions I have been advocating for throughout this year with reflections on its impact, and a sneak preview into initiatives I will be working on in future.

Thank you David for the opportunity for these important messages to reach more listeners through the @indaily podcast: https://omny.fm/shows/notes-on-adelaide/the-right-to-smile

#specialneedsdentistry #oralhealthadvocacy #inclusionadvocacy #ausoftheyear

Camp quality service medallion

Special needs dentistry / February 3, 2023

So delighted to receive this volunteer service medallion from Camp Quality and support their mission to improve the quality of life for children living with cancer and their families.

Drawing upon the experiences of my family members with cancer and my patients with head and neck cancer, I’ve seen how support and connection is a critical part of determining cancer treatment outcomes, and this is now confirmed by studies which show social support affects the prognosis, survival and quality of life for people with cancer and other chronic diseases. So an integral part of caring for my patients involves  connecting them with support services, and it was through facilitating these connections that I discovered Camp Quality. What I loved about their programs was they support not only the children, but also the siblings and parents – recognising that cancer doesn’t just impact the individual, it impacts the families and those that support them.

Wanting to help my patients beyond my role as a dentist, over the last 5 years I’ve volunteered for their camps and events, and have seen the healing power created through shared experience and fostering hope and optimism. I am grateful to be a part of the important contributions of Camp Quality and look forward to serving for many years to come!

#campquality #volunteering #specialneedsdentistry #headandneckcancer#cancersupport