Volume 94
Number 3
SUMMER 2009 Www.ksdental.org
A Publication of the Kansas Dental Association
N ew R egulation D efines W hitening By a unanimous 8-0 vote (Dr. Roy was absent), the Kansas Dental Board enacted new Administrative Rules and Regulations during its meeting on Friday, July 24 that will require whitening procedures to be performed under the supervision of a dentist. Specifically, new KAR 71-11-1 states,
as the
P ractice
KAR 71-11-1 will be enacted 14 daysafter its printing in the Kansas Register (the state’s official publication) - around September 1. Should our members come across operations that appear to be in violation with the new regulation, the KDA encourages you to contact the Kansas Dental Board at 785.296.6400.
KMOM to be Smaller Than Previous Years
Because of the size of the facility, the 2010 KMOM project will be smaller than in previous years. As a result, we will need fewer volunteers in most areas and there will likely be less “working space.” The event, the ninth KMOM project, will take place in Independence on
April 16-17 at the Independence Community College Fieldhouse. “We look forward to working with the community of Independence over the next seven months to bring the 2010 KMOM event to the Independence area,” said Greg Hill, Executive Director of the Kansas Dental Charitable Foundation, the organizing committee for the KMOM project. “We will be making contacts within the next few months as we look for community support not only for volunteers, but for monetary and in-kind support to our efforts.” The upcoming project aims to treat about 1500 patients, a smaller amount than the clinic typically treats. “As a result of this decrease in size, the number of patients and providers will be slightly less than in previous years,” Hill said. “We’ll have a better idea of the number of volunteers needed for this project later, but we felt we needed to notify those volunteers in advance.”
Dr. Cindi Sherwood and Greg Hill record a public service announcement for the KMOM project at KIND radio in Independence
In This Issue... Whitening is Practice of Dentistry 1 President’s Message
2
Children’s Dental Health Month
4
From the Office
6
ADA Ruling on Mercury Fillings
7
KDA District Realignment
9
KDCF Update
10
New Access Program for 2010
10
Rhode Island Limits Dental Insurers 13 Classified Advertisements
15
D entistry
of a dentist licensed and practicing in Kansas: a) alters the color or physical condition of natural, restored, or prosthetic teeth; or b) requires the positioning and adjustment of equipment or appliances for the purpose of altering the color or physical condition of natural, restored, or prosthetic teeth.”
“Each nonlicensed person who provides any service or procedure meeting either of the following conditions shall be seemed to be practicing dentistry, unless the person provides the service or procedure under the direct supervision
JKDA Staff Report
of
The Kansas Mission of Mercy project has treated 16,000 patients since its inception in 2003. It has treated approximately 2000 patients and provided $1 million in free dental care at each KMOM project. Information regarding the Kansas Mission of Mercy project, including registration, important updates, and news releases will be made through the Kansas Dental Charitable Foundation website at www.ksdentalfoundation.org.
Red Flags Rule Postponed Again Until November 1 The Federal Trade Commission has announced that it will delay enforcement of the Red Flags Rule until November 1. The Red Flags Rule legislation recognizes dentists and other healthcare providers as “creditors” and requires them to implement a program to detect identity theft. This law was scheduled to take effect May 1. The Red Flags Rule is an anti-fraud regulation, requiring “creditors” and “financial institutions” with covered accounts to implement programs to identify, detect, and respond to the warning signs, or “red flags,” that could indicate identity theft. The financial regulatory agencies, including the FTC, developed the Rule, which was mandated by the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003 (FACTA). FACTA’s definition of “creditor” includes any entity that regularly extends or renews credit – or continued on page 3
CE Session Planned with Sunflower Showdown Mr. Tim Gaigals, CFP, AIC, is an associate with Tax Favored Benefits, Inc., a multi-generational employee benefits and financial services firm specializing in the retirement and financial needs of businesses and individuals. Mr. Gaigals will present, “Insight into the Successful Retirement: Making Sure You’re Planning Correctly for Your Future” on Friday, November 6 at 3:30 pm at the Holiday Inn at the Campus in Manhattan. This is planned to be a casual 1.5 hour CE course for Board Delegates and members attending the KU-KSU Sunflower Showdown the following day. All members, however, are encouraged to attend this FREE CE event. Tax Favored Benefits is a sponsor of the Sunflower Showdown event and will host a KDA reception at the conclusion of the CE course.
KDA Tailgate attendees enjoy barbeque and beverages in Cat Town at the 2007 Sunflower Showdown in Manhattan, KS
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Dr. Brett A. Roufs KDA President
President’s Message Welcome to the summer edition of the JKDA. I want to thank everyone for the opportunity to serve the dentists of Kansas for the next year. It has been a busy summer of meetings as well as planning for the fall meetings that I and the executive committee will be attending. It has been a great experience to learn about and to hear first hand many of the issues that could affect our profession. You can be sure that our ADA is doing everything that it can to keep our profession a distinguished career choice and keeping the dentist leader of our oral health care teams. The ADA wants to make sure that we remain a true profession and not simply a trade of limited training being controlled by people other than well trained dentists. There are many changes that we read about from the DHAT’s in Alaska to the mid-level providers that we will see in Minnesota and Maine. The associations from those states are doing a great job of tackling these issues and keeping the dentist in charge of the patients well being and treatment. Most of the changes you see being proposed are in the name of access to care. Often times the first thing we have to talk about is, what is meant by access. Is it really the ability to obtain an appointment or is it about the cost of getting the treatment patients desire? These are just a couple
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of the questions that arise when the issue of mid-level providers comes up. The executive committee and the KDA staff is doing our best to stay informed if any of these issues come to our state as well as things we can do to develop a strategy to address these and any other issues that we need to be concerned about that may affect our profession. I want to express my apologies to those of you that were interested and planned on attending our semi-annual strategic planning session at Flint Oak in June that was cancelled. I felt that due to the lack of interest as a whole and with financial consideration to you and the KDA it was best to not have that planning session this year but would like to see it return in the future. Your executive committee did meet on that Friday of June in Topeka and had a planning session for the next year. We are going to likely try some new approaches to some of our meetings and want and need input from all of our members. We understand that everybody is stretched with all of the activities and other commitments that we have from family, business, friends as the numerous other things we are all asked to be involved in our communities, but to maintain a viable association we need all of our members to be involved and attend meetings and functions of the KDA. We know you want to have a strong voice with the legislature and the general public and we all want to present a united message. To do this we need to have our members involved enough to come to our KDA board and committee meetings. We thank everyone and appreciate the time and dedication that you have all shown over the years. Now we want to reach out to all dentists to become involved and help continue the strong traditions of our KDA. I hope that everyone has had a great spring and summer and will look forward to seeing many of you at your district meetings in September. Representatives from the executive
committee and the KDA staff are planning on being at all of the district meetings that we can possibly attend and will be there to keep you informed on all that is happening in our state and around the country in dentistry. If you have any questions or concerns please come to your district meeting or any of the other KDA events this fall and discuss them with your friends and colleagues that will be present.
K ansas D ental B oard W ithdraws P roposed S edation R egs Hearing Cancelled Responding to ongoing concerns from dentists and others regarding proposed changes in the administrative rules and regulations that oversee sedation (KAR 71-5-1 – 71-5-13) the Dental Board is going to explore revisions of the language in the proposed sedation regulations relating to training for pediatric sedation. The Dental Board will announce future meeting dates.
O v ercomi ng Lang ua g e Barr ie rs Effective communication among dentists, staff and patients is crucial to the success of a dental practice, says Vincent Keene, a risk management analyst, writing in the May-June issue of Northwest Dentistry. Mr. Keene notes that health care providers who are unable to effectively communicate with patients for whom English is a second language often order additional tests and other costly, and sometimes invasive, procedures to compensate. Obviously, any poor treatment outcomes that result from an inability to communicate can create legal problems. Perhaps the most effective means of addressing language barriers where a significant portion of a patient population does not speak fluent English is for a provider to hire a bilingual staff member to act as interpreter. A trained interpreter, conversant in technical medical language, is preferred, Mr. Keene says, to using a patient’s family member, who might be limited in his or her understanding of complex health care topics. For instance, a Hmong speaker unfamiliar with health care terms might explain “radiation treatment” this way: “We’re going to put fire on you.” This obviously would deter a patient from
J K DA
Journal of the Kansas Dental Association ISSN# 08887063 PUBLISHED QUARTERLY BY Kansas Dental Association 5200 SW Huntoon Topeka, KS 66604-2398 EDITOR Eugene F. McGill, D.D.S. MANAGING EDITOR Kevin J. Robertson, CAE
• The February 5, 2009 minutes were approved as distributed.
Minute Briefs Executive Committee KDA Office June 26, 2009 • The agenda was approved as distributed. seeking certain kinds of cancer therapy. Further a patient might have legitimate reasons not to share information with a friend or family member, such as prior drug use. If a family member is used, it is important to ensure that the patient under-
Red Flag Rules continued from page 1
arranges for others to do so – and includes all entities that regularly permit deferred payments for goods or services. Accepting credit cards as a form of payment does not, by itself, make an entity a creditor. “Financial institutions” include entities that offer accounts that enable consumers to write checks or make payments to third parties through other means, such as other negotiable instruments or telephone transfers. To assist small businesses and other entities, the FTC staff will redouble its efforts to educate them about compliance with the Red Flags Rule and ease compliance by providing additional resources and guidance to clarify whether businesses are covered by the Rule and what they must do to comply. To give creditors and financial institutions more time to review this guidance
PRINTING Jostens 4000 SE Adams Topeka, KS 66609
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KDA Executive Committee
SECRETARY Dr. Jason Wagle TREASURER Dr. Craig Herre IMM. PAST PRESIDENT Dr. Robert Herwig Although the KDA publishes authoratative news, committee reports, articles and essays, it is in no respect responsible for contents or opinions of the writers. Advertising rates and circulation data will be furnished by request. Annual subscription price is $5.00 for member dentists, $25.00 for non-members, and $40.00 for Canada and foreign mailings. Single issue price is $10.00.
• It was moved and seconded to recommend to the Board of Delegates that the KDA organize a Kansas Dental Mission project to be held in February-March 2010. Motion passed. stands that confidential information will be shared. The patient should sign an agreement—in his or her native language or interpreted—stating that he or she understands and agrees to allow the family member or friend to be involved in the overall discussion. All documents that are in English only and require a signature should include the phrase, “The foregoing has been read to [patient’s name] in [language].” and develop and implement written Identity Theft Prevention Programs, the FTC will further delay enforcement of the Rule until November 1. KDA members who want to prepare their practices for the new deadline have several resources at their fingertips: The American Dental Association has prepared a compliance guide for the Red Flags Rule, including sample policies and procedures for identity theft detection and response. These materials will be available in the membersonly section of www.ada.org. The ADA is also asking all members to write their representatives in Congress, asking them to contact the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to express opposition to the FTC’s plan to apply the Red Flags Rule on identity theft to dental practices. The FTC has also created a website with information about compliance and a free downloadable how-to guide for businesses at www.ftc.gov/redflagsrule. If you have questions about the Red Flags Rule, the compliance guide or the sample policies and procedures, contact Kevin or (kevin @ksdental.org) or Greg (greg@ ksdental.org) at the KDA.
Southern District Meeting, Winfield Northwest/Golden Belt District Meeting, Salina ADA District 12 Caucus
September
PRESIDENT Dr. Brett Roufs
VICE PRESIDENT Dr. Hal Hale
• Approved a motion to recommend to the Board of Delegates that the configuration of the KDA Board of Delegates be amended by eliminating the Northeast District Dental Society, the counties of Brown, Marshall, Jackson and Nemaha be added to Topeka District Dental Society, and the counties of Atchison and Leavenworth be added to the First District Dental Society.
August
PRODUCTION Niki Gustafson
PRESIDENT-ELECT Dr. David Hamel
• Approved a motion to encourage the Division of Medicaid to reimburse for the use of the D1330 code when submitted for dental hygiene education when a dentist is not present.
KDA Calendar of Events
14-15 14 16 17 20 21 25-26 28
Wichita District (Tri-District) Meeting, Wichita Seventh District Meeting, Wichita First District Meeting, Kansas City Flint Hills District Meeting, Emporia Southeast District Meeting, Coffeyville Fifth District Meeting, Overland Park Central District Meeting, Hutchinson Topeka District Meeting, Topeka
October 1-6
ADA Annual Session, Honolulu, HI
November 6 7
KDA Board of Delegates Meeting, Manhattan KDA Sunflower Showdown Tailgate, Manhattan
December 3-5
ADA Lobbyist Conference, Charleston, SC
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C h i l d r e n ’ s D e n ta l H e a lt h M on t h 2 0 0 9 . . . . . . . . February marked the twelvth year that the Kansas Dental Association has sponsored Children’s Dental Health Month. This is a statewide event, helping students learn more about oral health. Developing good habits at an early age and scheduling regular dental visits helps children get a good start on a lifetime of healthy teeth and gums.
oral health. As we start winding down this year, we look forward to working with you all again in 2010. Please become a fan of Kansas – Children’s Dental Health on Facebook or visit the KDA website at www.ksdental. org. For more information please contact Tasha Morrissey at the KDA office at 785/272-7360.
Ayline Heredia Oldham Elementary, Leoti, KS Central District
Katelyn Hammer Veritas Christian School, Lawrence, KS First District
Kelsey Bosch Americus Elementary, Americus, KS Flint Hills District
Anusha Induraj MacArthur Elementary, Ft. Leavenworth, KS Northeast District
Faith Leonard Downing Basehor Elementary, Basehor, KS Northeast District
Nicole Timme Concordia Elementary, Concordia, KS NW/GB District
No Picture Sean Engler Maize, KS Wichita District
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“The continuing adventures of T3 the Tough Tooth Team! This episode… Turn Up Your Smile Power!”, was the theme for the 2009 Children’s Dental Health Month drawing contest distributed to Kansas third grade students. The students used what they learned to create a poster that could win them first place in their dental district. A new bicycle was awarded to the first place winner, with various prizes being awarded for second and third place winners. The dentists and schools have been utilizing the KDA library in the effort to teach good
Julissa Salas Westside Elementary, Pittsburg, KS Southeast District
Addyson Miller Roosevelt Elementary, Arkansas City, KS Southern District
Plans Underway for Final Heart of America Dental Symposuim The Kansas and Missouri Dental Associations will come together one last time for the final Heart of America Dental Symposium, June 26-26, 2010 at the Chateau on the Lake Resort Spa and Convention Center in Branson, Missouri. Now is the time to save the date for this exciting event. An impressive lineup of speakers will present informative and exciting programs for the entire office team. There will be an exhibit hall, golf tournament, and more! Aside from all the events the symposium has to offer, Branson is brimming with more to see and do than ever before. The Chateau on the Lake now features Spa Chateau, a stunning $6 million, 14,000 square foot, full-service spa that’s a palace of pure indulgence, where signature treatments blend rich elements of the Ozarks with exotic European therapies. Branson Landing is an amazing place along Taneycomo Lake, where
at the heart, is a vibrant town square terracing down to the $7.5 million spectacular water attraction that features a dazzling interplay of water fountains shooting 120-foot geysers and fire cannons blasting all choreographed to light and music. The water feature is a creation of internationally renowned Wet Design, the producers of world-class shows for Downtown Disney marketplace in Orlando, Universal City Walk in California and the Bellagio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.
Don’t miss this opportunity to bring your family and staff for the rest and relaxation, while getting needed CE hours. Save the date and watch for more information to come. Speakers and courses for the 2010 Heart of America include: • Dr. Hal Crossley: Clues to Your Patients’ Health: The Top 50 Most
Prescribed Medications; Ordinary Patients, Extraordinary Pain: Pharmacologic Management of a Dental Patient in Pain • Dr. Mitch Gardiner: Dental Malpractice: Your Clinical Records Are Your Best Defense in Court • Dr. Harald Heymann: Conservative Esthetic Concepts for Non-Extreme Makeovers; Bread and Butter Adhesive and Restorative Dentistry • Dr. Martin Nager: Hot Topics in Perio; Do More Perio, Hold More Patients, Make More Money • Dr. John Rapley: Current Concepts in Periodontics • Dr. Colleen Shull: Endodontic Potpourri - Anesthesia, NiTi Rotary Instrumentation, and Endodontics in Iraq • Pamela Smith: Eat Well Age Well; Energy For Life • Dental Assistants: EFDA Restorative Course, Basic Skills Review and Exam
W S U’ s D en t a l Re sid e n ts S ta rt S eei ng Pati ents Wichita Business Journal - by Josh Heck Seven dental residents, who are part of Wichita State University’s inaugural Advanced Education in General Dentistry class, saw their first patients. That follows three weeks of orientation and classes. The group started Aug. 3. The inaugural class of the AEG program is (back row, L-R) Stacey Beard, Homaira Avendano, Yvette Chastanet, Dexter Woods, director of the AEGD program, Justin Wu and Sidney Lenox; (front row, l-r) Amy Rodriguez and Jeanette Young.
The residents will provide a full spectrum of dental work at Wichita’s GraceMed Health Clinic, a community health center that is an outreach of the United Methodist Health Ministry and
January 21-23, 2010
supported by Via Christi Health System. Residents also will rotate to the Robert J. Dole Veterans Administration Medical Center. Those sites are being used until construction is complete on a $6.6 million facility, near 29th Street North and Oliver, south of the Eugene M. Hughes Metropolitan Complex, that will house the program. WSU is raising money for the project and hopes to start construction early next year. A clinical facility will allow WSU to expand its dentistry program and provide practical training options for students. The goal is to offset a statewide shortage in dentists. In all, continued on page 12
Dallas Convention Center
Dallas, Texas
Southwest Dental Conference
SponSored by the
Dallas County Dental Society
www.swdentalconf.org
Kansas Dental Association is a regional partner of the SWDC. 5
Kevin Robertson, CAE KDA Executive Director
From The Office
Hopefully the power of organized dentistry has been very apparent to you during the past few months at both the state and federal level. The ADA continues to work hard and has had victories at the federal level with the another postponement of the “Red Flag” Rules regarding identity theft. Originally set to take effect on November 1, 2008, the new regs are now set to start on November 1, 2009 – time for the ADA to convince Congress to exempt dental offices. The ADA has also been busy working with the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) regarding the reclassification of amalgam as a medical device from a class I to class II device. The ADA actually supported this reclassification as the alloy in amalgam was already a class II device, but the mercury was a class I (least restrictive) device. Thanks to the ADA, the new classification came with a statement from the ADA that dental amalgam is considered safe for all persons, and no restrictions were placed on the use of amalgam. On the state level, four years of work has – for the time being – come to an end as the Kansas Dental Board enacted rules and regulations to define whitening as a dental procedure. Over the past four years the KDA has filed complaints, met with attorneys, informed members of the
Kansas Legislature, sought inquiries from the Attorney General, and discussed practices with owners of whitening operations trying to clarify what the practice of dentistry includes. In 2008, the Attorney General Opinion 2008-13 opined that the definition of dentistry in the Dental Practice Act was too general to include whitening, but clear authority was given to the Dental Board to adopt rules and regs to better define dentistry. This was done, and after a few missteps, the Dental Board gave final approval of the rules and regulations. The new regulations should take effect on August 21, 2009. Dr. Bert Oettmeier, 200506 President of the KDA when all this mess began, represented the KDA with his comments before the Kansas Dental Board. Persistence pays off…. Finally, our dentist friends in Rhode Island have shown us
what can be done when insurance companies take actions that are not in the best interest of the patients. Though associations of all types, sizes and professions must be cognizant of anti-trust ramifications when dealing with the insurance industry, advocating for new laws is exempt. The KDA has received many calls from members regarding the new Rhode Island law, and is looking very seriously about working to implement similar legislation in Kansas (see related article). Stay tuned for more exciting work on your behalf by organized dentistry!
Employee Dishonesty on the Rise
Employee theft is one of the most under-reported crimes in the United States and, according to an article by Kristin Heylmun of COPIC Financial, writing in the March issue of Colorado Dentistry, small companies are particularly vulnerable because they usually don’t have the resources to protect themselves, or the deep pockets to absorb losses. But, she writes, there are things small businesses like dental practices can do to combat the problem of employee theft. The best available defense, she writes, is to take care in hiring. Many problems of employee dishonesty stem from hiring the wrong person in the first place. “Some people have theft in mind from the start and you can avoid hiring these candidates by conducting thorough background checks and obtaining previous job references,” Ms. Heylmun writes.
It’s also important to maintain a culture of honesty in the office. The dentist and the office manager play a key role in keeping
employees aligned with the practice’s code of conduct, helping to perpetuate a team-oriented and respectful office culture. Other areas of focus in preventing theft are technology and the use of checks and balances with regard to finances, Ms. Heylmun writes. In addition to these safeguards, she adds, dentists should consider purchasing “employee dishonesty insurance.” Such stand-alone policies are designed to protect businesses from losses through theft, robbery and safe burglaries. Coverage can also include forgery, funds transfer fraud, computer fraud, credit card fraud and other types of fraud.
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FDA Rules Mercury Amalgam Fillings ARE Safe The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s long-awaited final regulation on the use of mercury amalgam for dental fillings issued July 28 deems the mate-
Deceased Dentists 06/01/09
Dr. William D. Miller Bonner Springs, KS First District 08/19/09
Dr. Thomas L. Parry Washington, KS Northwest Golden Belt District 08/22/09
Dr. Ralph M. Atchison Leavenworth, KS Northeast District
rial safe, while at the same time moving the material from the Class I (low risk) medical-device category to Class II (moderate risk). This allows for tighter control over its manufacture and use. The agency had been working toward the regulation since 2002; many dental professionals were concerned that the final ruling would impose restrictions on amalgam’s use.
are not high enough to cause harm in patients.”
Mercury amalgam has been used for decades to repair cavities. It’s the cheapest filling material available, and the American Dental Association (which supports the new regulation) has long warned that restricting its use would deprive dentists of an important tool and likely move needed dental work beyond the reach of low-income patients. But many people have raised concerns about the potential for mercury to “leak” from fillings into the body and cause neurological damage or diseases such as multiple sclerosis.
Last year the FDA expressed caution about mercury amalgam’s use in pregnant women and young children. But the new ruling reverses that stance, saying amalgam is safe for most patients, except those allergic to mercury. The agency reviewed some 200 scientific studies in reaching its decision.
An FDA press release announcing the decision reports: “While elemental mercury has been associated with adverse health effects at high exposures, the levels released by dental amalgam fillings
Still, the agency suggests that amalgam package labels feature a warning to patients about the risk of mercury allergy, a reminder to dental professionals about the risk of working with mercury amalgam without proper ventilation, and “a statement discussing the scientific evidence on the benefits and risk of dental amalgam, including the risks of inhaled mercury vapor. The statement will help dentists and patients make informed decisions about the use of dental amalgam,” according to the press release.
Members Respond to Support the KDA In July, at the direction of the Executive Committee, the KDA mailed each member a request for a voluntary contribution to help offset a budgetary shortfall of about $23,000 that occurred during the 2008-09 fiscal year (July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009). As the letter explained, this past year posed unique challenges for the KDA largely due to the economic factors that have affected the entire nation. Income from KDA Annual Meeting exhibitors and sponsors, endorsed product royalties, and membership dues were all less-thananticipated as many dentists and dental suppliers made difficult decisions to reduce their expenses. In addition, the failure of the KDA’s long-standing bank in August created even more stress on the KDA’s financial accounts.
KANSAS DENTAL LABORATORY ASSOCIATION AMERICAN DENTAL ARTS, INC (D/P) 3015 N St. Clair Wichita, KS 67204 (316) 838-5533 ARIES DENTAL PROSTHETICS LLC (F) 2930 SW Wanamaker Dr PO Box 4476 Topeka, KS 66614 (785) 272-6703 (800) 279-1761 James L. Eddy, CDT
*MIDWEST ORTHODONTIC LAB, CDL (O) STEVE’S PRECISION DENTAL LAB (F) 5755 Foxridge Dr 4567 W Central PO Box 2731 Wichita, KS 67212 Shawnee Mission, KS 66202 (316) 942-8703 (913) 432-6951 Jerry C. Anderson, CDT Stephen C. Hansen, CDT Kent Nye MODERN METHODS DENTAL LAB (C) PO Box 2925 Wichita, KS 67202 (316) 686-6391 Rick Capps
DENTEK, INC. (C/B) 8056 Reeder Lenexa, KS 66214 (913) 599-3361 Alex Sokolovsky
MYRON’S DENTAL LAB, INC (F) 200 N 6th St Kansas City, KS 66101 (913) 281-5552 Timothy J. Sigler, CDT
JADLOW DENTAL LAB (C) 7501 Mission Rd Prairie Village, KS 66208 (913) 649-1522 E. Vic Jadlow, CDT
RECONSTRUCTIVE & IMPLANT DENTAL LAB 10801 W 87th St, Ste 100 Shawnee Mission, KS 66214 (913) 492-4515 Chris Uehlin
MEDALLION DENTAL LAB, INC (C/D) 4650 W 90th Terrace Prairie Village, KS 66207 (913) 642-0039 Michael Finley Sharon Finley
RON’S DENTAL LAB, CDT (F) 106 S Ozark Girard, KS 66743 (620) 724-6108 Ron Layden *ROOT LABORATORY, CDL (F) 5201 College Blvd Leawood, KS 66211 (913) 491-3555 Dan Root, CDT
SUNFLOWER DENTAL STUDIO (C) 1527 NW Tyler PO Box 8032 Topeka, KS 66608 (785) 354-1981 Ron Hoffman Aaron Hoffman Troy Gooden Eric Gooden *TOPEKA DENTAL LAB, CDL (F) 10144 NW 46th St Silver Lake, KS 66539 (785) 582-4760 James A. Thompson YOUVAN DENTAL LAB (C) 700 N Highway 69 Pittsburg, KS 66762 (800) 835-0604 Charles F. Youvan, CDT
LEGEND C=Crown, Bridge & Ceramics D=Dentures F=Full Service O=Orthodontic P=Partials *Certified Dental Lab
Dedicated to serving the dentists of the State of Kansas
Amid this turmoil the KDA has continued to operate and function, ever mindful of our obligation to deliver a high level of member services to our members. That is not to say that the KDA staff, Executive Committee, KDA Council on Finance and Budget and the Board of Delegates have ignored these financial concerns. The KDA administrative office is tightening its belt, reducing expenses and looking for cost savings programs wherever possible. The Executive Committee is exploring new income-producing endorsements and both the Council on Finance and Budget and the Board of Delegates put together a very frugal 2009-10 KDA budget that consisted of NO membership dues increase for 2010 and a small 1.5% increase for KDA staff salaries. At the time of publication, 29 members dentists had responded with voluntary contributions ranging from $25 to $250 to assist the KDA. In all, $3,325 has been contributed from the following dentists. Thanks for your time, membership and ongoing support of the KDA.
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KDA Says Goodbye to Past President, Dr. Ralph Atchison Dr. Ralph M. Atchison, 88, died Saturday, August 22, 2009 in Leavenworth. A longtime dentist and entrepreneur, he served as mayor of Leavenworth during terms as a City Commissioner in the 1960s and 1970s, and was an instrumental figure in transitioning Leavenworth to a City Manager form of government. Dr. Atchison served as KDA President in 1974-75 and was the 1984 KDA Dentist of the Year. A native of Leavenworth, he was born August 15, 1921. After graduating from Leavenworth High School in 1939, he attended Kansas State College (now University) before earning his DDS at Missouri Western Dental School (now University of Missouri-Kansas City) in 1944. He served in the Army reserves during World War II, and was called to active service in 1951. Recipient of the Bronze
Star medal, Atchison commanded the medical company of the 279th Infantry Regiment near the front lines during the Korean War, and was honorably discharged in 1953 after being wounded during an enemy mortar attack. He resumed his dental practice, originally started in 1944, when he returned from Korea. In 2001 he received a Korean War Service citation from the Republic of Korea in recognition of his service during the war. During his sixty-year dental practice he was involved in a number of business ventures and maintained professional interests. He served in a number of roles at the state and national level in dentistry. In addition to KDA President, he was Chair of the American Dental Association’s Council on International Relations, an office which required him to travel extensively overseas. He was a member of the Pierre Fouchard Society, an international fellowship of dentists. Locally, he served on the Board of Directors of Mutual Savings Association. He started several small businesses in the region and was involved in property development. He was a founder of and partner in Heartland Dental Group, which began in 1985. Atchison was actively involved in civic affairs. In 1969 he ran
Dr . J o h n Cart er R eceives A w ard Dr. John W. M. Carter, DDS, MSD, was presented the Dr. Earl E. and Wilma S. Shepard Distinguished Service Award by the American Board of Orthodontics at the annual session of the American Association of Orthodontics in Boston, Massachusetts on May 2. This award recognizes an individual for outstanding dedication and achievement of the ideals and mission of the American Board of Orthodontics. Dr. Carter was President of the College of Diplomates of the American Board of Orthodontics in 2005. He was
presented their “Award of Merit” in 2007. In 2008, he completed his year as president of the Kansas Association of Orthodontics. Dr. Carter has his specialty practice in Overland Park, Kansas. From 2000 to present, Dr. Carter has also been a volunteer Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Kansas Medical Center where he serves as the Orthodontic Consultant on the Cleft Palate and Craniofacial Anomalies Team in the Department of Plastic Surgery.
with four other reforming leaders on the “Citizen’s Slate,” pledged to improve the efficiency of city government. Four of the five, including Atchison, were elected comprising the Commission that was charged with the historic responsibility of hiring Leavenworth’s first City Manager. In 1971, Atchison succeeded pharmacist Ray H. Miller as mayor. Two years later Atchison was followed by fellow Slate candidate and educator Benjamin H. Day in that office. For his service to the Leavenworth community he received the Community Leadership Award from the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 1971. In 1976-77 he was chairman of the Leavenworth Council for St. Mary College. Atchison retired from dentistry in 2004. He was a member of First Christian Church, Leavenworth. He was a Life Member of the American Dental Association. Other memberships included Phi Delta Theta fraternity from his years at K-State, Psi Omega, and the Kansas State University and University of Missouri-Kansas City alumni associations. For much of his life he was an active tennis player and enjoyed his participation in the Rabe Tennis Club. Memorial gifts should be directed to Emmanuel House Seminary, which has established a Dr. Ralph M. Atchison Christian Leadership Fund.
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Executive Committee Agrees with Northeast District on District Realignment A slight aligning of Kansas component dental districts is on schedule for completion prior to the 2010 dues year. Acting on the request of the recommendation of the Northeast Dental District, the Executive Committee approved a motion to recommend to the Board of Delegates that the configuration of the KDA Board of Delegates be amended by eliminating Northeast District Dental Society. The counties of Brown, Marshall, Jackson and Nemaha would be added to Topeka District Dental Society, and the counties of Atchison, Doniphan and Leavenworth counties would be added to the First District Dental Society. At its annual meeting in September 2008, the members of the Northeast District Dental Society voted to dissolve its district and merge into Topeka and First Districts. Though a seemingly simple action, the completion of the realignment requires the amending of Topeka District’s bylaws, approval by First District and ultimately approval from the KDA Board of Delegates. Both Topeka and First District will consider this
change when they meet in September and the KDA Board of Delegates will take the matter under consideration when it meets on November 6 in Manhattan. Currently the KDA has eleven
component society districts: Central, Fifth, First, Flint Hills, Northeast, Northwest/Golden Belt, Seventh, Southeast, Southern, Topeka and Wichita.
Kaiser Health Foundation Ranks Dental Access for Kansas Adults Above the National Average Seventy-one point nine percent (71.9%) of Kansas adults visited the dentist in 2008, which compares to the national average of 71.3%. The percentage of adult Kansans having visited the dentist outpaced our neighboring states of Missouri (62.6%), Oklahoma (57.9%) Colorado (68.4%) and Nebraska (71.3%). This is especially significant because Kansas is the only one of those five state that does NOT have a dental school and the dentist to population ratio in Kansas is the lowest of all.
Though no further data was available other than the pure data, it does beg the question “how could this be true?” Perhaps Kansas’ dental practice model with scaling assistants, RDH general supervision, ECP dental hygienists and community based dental clinics is more efficient than other states…. The study conducted by Statehealthfacts.org is a project of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation and is designed to provide free, up-to-date, and easy-to-use health data on all 50 states. Statehealthfacts.org provides
data on more than 500 health topics and is linked to both the Kaiser Family Foundation website (www.kff.org) and KaiserNetwork.org (www.kaisernetwork.org). The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation is a non-profit, private operating foundation focusing on the major health care issues facing the nation. The Foundation is an independent voice and source of facts and analysis for policymakers, the media, the health care community, and the general public. The Foundation is NOT associated with Kaiser Permanente or Kaiser Industries. “The Kaiser Family Foundation statehealthfacts.org. Data Source: Percentage of Adults Who Visited the Dentist or dental Clinic within the past Year.”
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1/5/09 2:00:47 PM
Greg Hill, JD KDCF Executive Director
KDCF Update As I’m sitting here at my desk on a rainy Tuesday morning in July, waiting on the dental amalgam ruling to come down from the Food and Drug Administration, I’m contemplating the way in which news is shared in 2009. Part of my thoughts are centered on the frustration of reading scanned articles from small Kansas towns of dental related stories that happened weeks ago. Meanwhile, dental stories from across the world, including real-time information coming from patients themselves, are streaming through the online world. So in a way, I’m somewhat humored by the contrast. In another, I’m discouraged that there are dental related stories and activities occurring around the state that we can’t tell you about until weeks after they happen. The role of a professional organization includes many things. In my mind, communication with its members is vitally important, increasingly so as the public and your patients are gathering more information quicker and easier. I’ve always been a “news guy,” so the advent of social networking to me is an exciting new way for us to stay in constant communication with you. At the KDA, we’ve created many ways to communicate with our members and to do so on an hour by hour, minute by minute basis. Whether from the American Dental Association, the Food
and Drug Administration, the Kansas Dental Board or from television news stations across the state or country, dentistry and oral health is a frequently discussed topic and one you as dental professionals need to be kept informed of on a real time basis. We provide you information through various sources as we try to meet you where you are. We’re consistently updating our Facebook and Twitter streams with news as it happens. We share The KDA Video Minute through YouTube. The KDA Network is in place to provide you a comfortable and secure place to communicate with your colleagues and member friends. We’ve brought the “Blog” out of retirement to provide a very important way to share our thoughts and commentary on that news we share with you. But for us to be successful and to provide the best content for our members, we need you to share with us what is going on in your community and your
“When do people actually act? People act there’s pain, when there’s fear and when there’s hope.”
Frances Karamouzis
practice. These information streams are two way. If there is an effort underway in your community regarding oral health, let us know, good or bad. If you feel we are doing something well, let us know. Heck, if there is something we can do better, let us know that too. If you are looking for an associate, a hygienist or dental assistant, use our social networking tools to let your colleagues and the public know. These streams are being followed not just by dentists, but by statewide media and people interested in oral health. Many of you have already found us and receive information from us in one of these ways. If you haven’t, take a minute and visit the KDA website at www. ksdental.org or contact us and we’ll be happy to get you set up, so you too can begin receiving real time dental updates in this real-time world.
Executive Committee Recommends New Access Program for
2010
During its meeting on June 26, the KDA Executive Committee recommended that the KDA hold a Kansas Dental Mission access program in March 2010. This program will be similar to the current Give Kids a Smile Program, but will provide care to all ages of Kansans. Dentists will sign up and agree to fill their schedule with underserved patience that they or their local social services agencies identify. The care will be provided in their dental office. Dentists will be asked to record the procedures completed and report it to the KDA office. Participants will also schedule a follow up day to complete procedures and check on patients seen during the initial day. The KDA hopes to use this program as a pilot and test the efficiency of this program versus the current Medicaid model. A “one-time” program, a favorable pilot will provide information to assist the KDA and/or others to acquire grants, private and public funding to increase the effectiveness of their program in the future and actually reimburse dental offices on a per diem basis.
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NEW MEMBERS
Central District
NW / GB District
Dr. Austin Babcock, McPherson Dr. Richard Clabaugh, Hutchinson Dr. Shawna Harri, Dodge City Dr. Jay Main, Garden City Dr. Carson Hopkins, Pratt
Dr. Tara Pool, Manhattan Dr. Ashley Swisher, Salina
Fifth District
Topeka District
Dr. Lindsay Compton, Overland Park Dr. Larissa Freytag, Overland Park Dr. Susan Kessler, Prairie Village Dr. Karen Potter, Leawood
Southeast District Dr. Mary Heckman, Independence
Dr. Kristy Marker, Topeka Dr. Carrie Peterson, Topeka
Wichita District Dr. Travis Gillespie, Wichita Dr. Terra Pauly, Wichita Dr. Frederick Stark, Derby
First District Dr. Kelly Miller, Lawrence Dr. Rita Philip, Kansas City
Do you know of a new dentist in your community, a recent graduate, or even a new colleague in your practice who is not on this list? Please contact the KDA at 785.272.7360 so we can invite them to become a member.
Four Attend Mid-States Dental Conference KDA President Brett Roufs, Vice-president Hal Hale, 12th District ADA Trustee R. Wayne Thompson and KDA Assistant Executive Director Greg Hill recently attended the Mid-States Dental Leadership Conference at the American Dental Association headquarters in Chicago, IL. The gathering of state leaders was designed to share information, strategies and developing issues facing organized dentistry. Topics included Red Flag Rules, tooth whitening, Medicaid and health care reform proposals, and the various Missions of Mercy across the state.
Dr. Hal Hale
Greg Hill
Dr. R. Wayne Thompson
Dr. Brett Roufs
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11
KDA Assistant Executive Director Reducing Back Pain & Presents at Management Conference Greg Hill of the Kansas Dental Association and Jay Dziwlik Extending of the Indiana Dental Association co-presented two sessions the American Dental Association’s annual Management Careers of atConference. The focus of the presentation was using Web 2.0 tools, including Twitter and Facebook to communicate effecDentists tively with both association members and with the public and
As any dentist knows, back pain is a recurring problem within the profession. Prolonged awkward postures combined with movement over recumbent patients can lead to chronic problems.
Stuart McGill, Ph.D., a professor of spine biomechanics at the University of Waterloo, Ontario, writing in the winter issue of the North Carolina Dental Gazette, provides a list of “spine sparing guidelines” for dentists. The most important thing dentists and other dental professionals should do to spare their backs is to develop worktasks that facilitate variety, Dr. McGill writes. This in essence spreads the load among different parts of the back. Also, it’s important to avoid fully flexing or bending the spine, and to rotate the trunk at the hips. While working, try to keep your hands close, to reduce forward leaning of the torso. Allow time for tissues of the discs and ligaments of the back to regain stiffness after prolonged flexion and don’t immediately perform a subsequent strenuous exertion after performing long procedures. Avoid prolonged sitting. Avoid lifting or bending shortly after rising from bed. Exercise. This usually means more back muscle endurance.
media.
“We focused more this time on ‘hands on’ training,” said Hill. “Last year, in keeping with the theme of the session, I presented in a much more theoretical way. Social networking has really become much more focused on the two major tools of Twitter and Facebook. We decided that it was time to show just how easy it is to communicate in these new medium by
having them actually post messages directly into the ‘conversation.’” Each session was attended by about twenty-five attendees.
Dental Residents See Patients
Missouri-Kansas City.
continued from page 5
Wu and Young already have local connections. Wu is a Wichita native; Young earned a bachelor’s of science degree in chemistry from WSU. The goal for the dentistry program is to increase the number of residents trained each year and broaden the scope of their training. It is the only dental education program in Kansas.
84 Kansas counties, and the cities of Topeka and Wichita, are designated as dentistry-shortage areas, according to the Health Resources and Services Administration. “This is exciting for Wichita State University but, more importantly, it is exciting for the state of Kansas,” said Dexter Woods, the program’s director, in a statement. “It is our hope that this dental residency program is part of the conversation addressing access to care and increasing the number of dental health providers in the state.” The first class of residents includes, chief resident Homaira Avendano, Stacey Beard and Amy Rodriguez, University of Illinois-Chicago; Yvette L. Chastanet, Sidney Lenox and Jeanette Young, Howard University College of Dentistry; and Justin Wu, University of
Once the program is fully implemented, residents will be able to choose a one-year or two-year residency. The one-year residency will provide services for about 2,000 visits per resident in that year. With seven residents, that’s about 14,000 visits. A second-year residency option would place participating residents in under served rural areas of the state. WSU says it has raised two thirds of the money needed to fund the $6.6 million project, which includes cash, pledges and a recent grant $476,000 from the Department of Education. Other donors include Delta Dental of Kansas Inc. and its foundation, W.S. and E.C. Jones Testamentary Trust, Wichita Community Foundation, Fidelity Bank, Wichita Clinic and Foulston Siefken LLP. A nine-member volunteer campaign committee composed of community leaders is assisting the fund-raising effort.
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Rhode Island Passes Law to Limit Dental Insurers from Capping Non Covered Services By Arlene Furlong
working through the state legislature.”
Providence, R.I.—A bill passed in Rhode Island last month will prevent dental plans there from capping the amount dentists can charge for services the plan doesn’t cover.
Rhode Island legislators unanimously passed mirror bills in the state House of Representatives and Senate applying the law to any dental plan operating in the state.
“We’re very proud,” said Dr. Frank Connor, president of the Rhode Island Dental Association. “We got the job done by doing what we had to do—
“No contract between a dental plan of a health care entity and a dentist for the provision of services to patients may require that a dentist provide services to its subscribers at a fee set by the health care entity unless said services are covered services under the applicable subscriber agreement,” the bills say in part.
Dental plans began implementing contract provisions holding dentists to maximum allowed fees for services on patients’ out-of-pocket billings with increasing frequency last year. Delta Dental then projected such a provision would be phased in throughout the country by January 2011. “Obviously we can’t go against state continued on page 14
W hat ’s a De n tis t to Do? With the economy in free fall, dentists, like every other small businessperson, would be wise to implement some protective measures, writes Dr. Doug Carlsen in the winter issue of Monterey SmileLine, the quarterly publication of the Monterey Bay Dental Society. It’s important to take measures to protect your practice’s finances, Dr. Carlsen writes. Among the tactics he recommends: • Get the maximum credit line possible. Keep it clear for practice-related emergencies, not equipment purchases. You should use credit now as a kind of contingency fund, to replace computers lost to theft or fire, for instance. • Do not finance major treatment yourself. In other words, if a patient is having trouble with payments, help them arrange for credit themselves. • Offer a one-time discount on long-term receivables. Sometimes it’s better to take, say, half now rather than risk never collecting on an account already over a year in arrears. • Take a close look at your practice. Schedule a hygiene visit for yourself and visit your own practice as a new patient. Take a look around the waiting room. Is it cluttered? Are you greeted warmly? Remember, you’re in business and business depends on patients’ (i.e., customers’) view of you. • Be understanding of patients who might need creative payment options. Times are tough, and ignoring that could be detrimental to your practice in the long run.
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For details visit rmdconline.com and register beginning August 2009 MDDS is an ADA CERP Recognized Provider. ADA CERP is a service of the American Dental Association to assist dental professionals in identifying quality providers of continuing dental education. ADA CERP does not approve or endorse individual courses or instructors, nor does it imply acceptance of credit hours by boards of dentistry. Metropolitan Denver Dental Society designates this activity for the number of continuing education credits listed with each course summary in the convention program booklet.
KS June_ad.indd 1
MDDS credits are approved by the AGD for Fellowship and Mastership credit.
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6/22/09 12:27:27 PM
AD INDEX AFTCO Associates, Inc - 10
Kansas Dental Lab Association - 7
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas - 8
Kaylor Dental Lab - 15
Butler & Associates - 11
McInnes Group, Inc. - 2
Cincinnati Companies - 11
Metro Denver Dental Society - 13
Dynamic Mgmt Solutions (Classified) - 15
EuGene F. McKenzie, DDS (Classified) - 15
EMA Dental Practice Sales - 6
Medical Protective - 9
EMA Dental Practice Sales (Classified) - 15
Modern Methods - 10
Forest Irons & Associates (Classified) - 15
Paragon, Inc. - 15
Healthcare Practice Mgmt. (Classified) - 15
Professional Solutions - 12
Johnston Fiss Insurance - 2
RLM Services, Inc. - 15
Kansas City Property Company - 8 Rhode Island Limits Dental Insurers continued from page 13
legislation,” Tom Dolatowski, Delta’s vice president of marketing and communication, said about how Delta’s national phase-in plan would change as a result of the legislation. “The potential always exists for the provision to be determined on a state-by-state level.” It was an article in the September 15, 2008, ADA News that alerted Rhode Island members to the issue and got the RIDA initiative off the ground, said Patrick Quinlan, RIDA lead counsel and lobbyist. “A copy of the ADA News article and the contract provision was distributed to educate members,” said Mr. Quinlan. “Dentists wrote to their legislators and attended fund raisers to meet them. As soon as legislators learned about the issue, they ‘got it.’” Scheduled for implementation in January 2010, Delta’s noncovered services provision would have affected more than 90 percent of Rhode Island dentists. The Council on Dental Benefit Programs has prioritized the noncovered services issue among the “Top Ten” member dental benefit concerns. CDBP’s Dental Benefit Information Subcommittee plans to meet with major carriers to discuss such issues at the upcoming National Dental Benefits Conference at ADA Headquarters next month. “The Council has been collecting and analyzing this information from the point it initially surfaced. We have been closely monitoring the developments as they transpired and we have shared our concerns,” said Dr. Joseph Hagenbruch, CDBP chair. “We have articulated our recommendations and look forward to supporting the advocacy efforts of the ADA Council on Government Affairs as they draft legislation similar to that recently enacted in Rhode Island.” The CGA has drafted proposed fed-
14
eral legislation that would get directly at the issue for ERISA plans (federally regulated plans). State legislatures cannot effect changes to ERISA. The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 is a federal law that sets minimum standards for retirement and health benefit plans in private industry. “This issue, as well as other third-party concerns, is on our radar screen,” said Dr. Joseph Crowley, CGA chair. “Mem-
bers can expect some legislative activity at the federal level soon.” The KDA Council on Dental legislation is currently reviewing the Rhode Island legislation for possible inclusion in the 2010 KDA Legislative platform.
W i chit a D i s t r i c t Note s...... Dr. Jon M. Julian will present 1-Day ImplantEZ to kick off the 2009-2010 continuing education year in Wichita. His program, on Monday, September 14, represents the first half of the annual two-day Tri-District Dental Meeting hosted by the Seventh, Southern, and Wichita districts, which will again be held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. Dr. Norman “Skip” Sperber will present Forensic Dentistry in Modern Times on Tuesday, September 15.
This year’s schedule offers an excellent variety of subjects. Six credit hours can be earned each day for attendance.”
The Tri-District each year opens the Wichita continuing education program schedule that provides at least 40 credit hours for the local dentists and auxiliary personnel, as well as those from the surrounding communities.
Patrick J. Sammon, PhD
The remainder of the continuing education programs offered by the WDDS this fall is as follows:
October 12
November 9 Omid D. Termechi, DDS “Simplifying Bone Grafting” Meetings are open to any interested member of the dental team. Contact the WDDS office for meeting and registration materials.
“Prescription Drug Abuse & Addiction: Identification, Intervention & Referral”
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