Redwood Empire Dental Society
1400 N. Dutton Ave, Suite 10 Santa Rosa, CA 95401
REDS News
Vol 51, Issue 1, Spring 2017
CDA Achieves Favorable Delta Litigation Outcome
Sacramento CDA achieved a favorable settlement on behalf of dentists in our litigation against Delta Dental. CDA took a stand on your behalf — to protect your right to fair dealings — and we succeeded. During 3 ½ years of hard fought litigation, we successfully blocked Delta’s attempt to reduce reimbursement rates for the Premier Plan, saving providers nearly a half-billion dollars in fee reimbursements. A summary of the settlement is included in a link below. We urge you to read it along with CDA Practice Support resources that offer assistance in managing your practice and evaluating the plans you accept.
In this issue...
1 CDA Achieves Favorable Outcome
2 President’s Message 3 GKAS 2017
4 Reviving The Dead Flies 7 A Few Words 8 2017 CDPA/IC/HIPAA Shred-A-Thon
9 New Members
Kindle Give Away
10 2017 Crab Feed 11 Evidence Based Dentistry Classified
12 Upcoming Events
President’s Message Doug Lewis, DDS
REDS is progressing into 2017 with a new challenge to communicate with more of our members than ever before through the use of the internet. We acquired the necessary equipment to make many of our educational events viewable online. We hope to reach out to our members, particularly in Lake and Mendocino counties. Travel can be burdensome and sometimes hazardous. We want to be sure all of our members have access to this benefit of membership. The majority of patients continue to be served by private practice dentists. If the Denti-Cal system was adequately funded, all patients in our communities would have adequate access to dental care. Given the current
situation, Community Health Clinics serve an important role for the underserved. There are now twelve dental clinics in Sonoma, Lake, and Mendocino Counties. Each operates under the supervision of a Board of Directors selected from clinic patients and the community. My own organization has clinics in Ukiah, Lakeport, and Willits. Even with a combined total of 34 chairs, we can not meet the demands of those living below the poverty level. We currently prioritize children, pregnant women, HIV patients, and the developmentally disabled for available appointments. As the saying goes: Different things for different people. I have been with my organization for over twenty years and I still find it enormously satisfying. Each of our sites has medical, dental, and behavioral health services. The pace of change is much greater in medicine than
dentistry. Part of the challenge of my job is to integrate dental care into the changing world of medicine. All REDS members serve our communities and provide services to the less fortunate. One way they do this is through the CDA Cares events. The next CDA Cares event will be in San Mateo on April 22-23. I can tell you this is a great event that makes a big impact for thousands of patients. If you have not done so, please go to the CDA website and sign up to participate today. I encourage all of my staff dentists to be part of the Redwood Empire Dental Society. I know it is worthwhile. You may know someone who is not yet a member. Take the time to ask them to join! Sometimes that is all it takes, a personal invitation. I hope to see you at some our upcoming events this year.
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Give Kids A Smile 2017 Over 325 needy children were seen at the 13th annual Give Kids A Smile Day. Nine locations throughout Sonoma and one in Mendocino counties held the event on February 3th and 4th. It was sponsored by the ADA here and across the nation. Treatments ranged from general check-ups and cleanings to restorations and extractions. Several private practices participated this year as well as the local clinics opening their doors to patients as well. The private offices included Drs, Sahouria and Reyda as well as Sonoma Pediatric Dentistry. Thanks also to Sonoma County Indian Health Dental Clinic, Petaluma Health Center Dental Clinic in Rohnert Park, the Russian River Dental Clinic, St. Joseph’s Dental Clinic, and the Santa Rosa Jr. College Dental Clinic. Many generous individuals volunteered their time and skill to helping these children. The event was followed on March 5th with a Give Kids A Sealant Day at the SRJC Clinic. This is a fine way to demonstrate dentistry’s dedication to the oral health of this community. A big THANK YOU to everyone who participated in these events! REDS was proud to provide breakfast for volunteers at GKAS and Give Kids A Sealant days.
Reviving The Dead Files: Root Resection Now OK Again? Jim Simonds, DMD, Editor
In light of the emergence of implant ills including peri-implantitis, is it time again to look at saving more teeth? As of 2015, implant pioneer Dennis Tarnow expects that, conservatively, 10% of implants placed today will have some form of peri-implantitis in 10 years. While there will continue to be a debate about dental implant “success” as opposed to “survival”, a systematic review suggests a wider range of peri-implantitis affecting 1% to 47% of dental implants. With the proliferation of dentists placing implants with varied training backgrounds, it is yet to be written how much peri-implantitis will be revealed as the fixtures are placed, restored and maintained. No one is under the illusion that dental implants are “bulletproof” despite the premature observation of apparent resistance of implants to inflammatory disease seen in implants placed in the 80’s and 90’s. The impressive subterrainian integration of titanium to bone seemed to overshadow the inflammation and “pockets” forming above the bone. Whether by error of placement, restorative misfires, mangled maintenance, or patient variations, buried implant threads were eventually bared visably by peri-implant recession or within a deepening pocket through the inflamma-
tory process now recognized as peri-implantitis. Practitioners are tangled in the weeds of treating this malady between metal and tissue. Implants are not teeth and cannot be treated as such. They can’t be “root planed”, and worse yet, the exposed threads now become reservoirs for plaque and debris compounding the etiologic load. While dental implants are an indelible chapter in the progress of dentistry, some practitioners overshoot the mark and give up on teeth too early. There are a range of circumstances where teeth considered for replacement with implants can be reevaluated for retention, including those that could be saved through endodontics and conventional periodontal therapy. In particular maxillary molar teeth with sound bone and a single damaged root should be considered for treatment. Yes, there arereasonable needs to extract such teeth, yet when deciding whether or not to extract, the option of root resection should be ruled out before placing forceps to tooth. No doubt you see through the vernacular veneer of root “resection” as opposed to root “amputation”. Same thing, but root “resection” offers a less offensive image to patients. If you want to scare a patient into replacing an affected molar
with an implant, offer the root amputation option. It’s all in the delivery of the message. A sound endodontically treated maxillary molar with a mesiobuccal periapical lesion or defect could be a candidate for root resection, especially if the palatal root is deeply entrenched into the maxillary sinus. Why swap a broad and solid palatal root for an implant requiring additional sinus surgery? Often the mesiobuccal root can be removed without having to sacrifice an existing crown. But, a root resection cannot be done if it is never considered as an option. There are considerations that are part of the decision making process to exercise the root resection option including root divergence, furcation involvements, nature of defect in the root (endo, crack, resorption . . .), strength of other roots, surgical access, etc. It isn’t a simple matter, but it can be well worth the effort and the activation of your diagnostic prowess. Your local periodontist will happily provide guidance in diagnosis and treatment planning. A properly executed root resection is a challenging but elegant procedure. The surgeon must be able to remove the root without leaving a hint of a “stump” that could retain plaque and the remaining roots must not be damaged during the procedure, all performed without excessive sacrifice of supporting bone.
Tarnow DP. 2016. Increasing prevalence of peri-implantitis: how will we manage? Journal of Dental Research 2016, Vol. 95(1) 7–8 Derks J, Tomasi C. 2015. Peri-implant health and disease: a systematic review of current epidemiology. J Clin Periodontol. 42 Suppl 16:158–171
My concern is the tsunami of implants flooding dentistry is enticing practitioners with the attraction of high profits and diagnostic simplification. The momentum of the implant movement has swept away sometimes reasonable options to save teeth, and despite the benefits of implants, patients would rather have their own, already integrated, natural teeth. Compounding my concern is what I observe as a decline of periodontists performing root resections in favor or implants and the corresponding decrease in periodontist instructors having adequate experience to teach proper root resection and other tooth retaining skills to
periodontal residents. To do root resections well, the surgeon must do a bunch of them while in training. Otherwise, periodontists themselves will preclude difficult procedures in which they should be trained as specialists with extraction and implant placement as the default option. Inertia is required for the trusted dental health gatekeeper, the general dentist, to push back a bit before swapping tooth
to automatically extract and place an implant and to engage thoughtful consideration to save a tooth will provide professional satisfaction and pride and will endear the dentist to a grateful patient.
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A Few Words
Martin Van Tassell, Executive Director V a l u e for your membership remains my top goal. 85% of all dentists in Sonoma, Lake and Mendocino counties continue to be REDS members because we believe in providing quality programs and enjoyable social events. Some of the other plans for 2017 are now kinetic. We are now live streaming most of our educational functions. We had a few hiccups with the audio and lighting. But now I can say we are ready for prime time. We are able to broadcast between three cameras and the projected PowerPoint presentations. All of these are in high definition.
We are looking into placing our events not only on our website, but on our Ustream channel. We are taking one step at a time. We are looking to invite other dentists and staff in other parts of California to participate either live streaming or recorded online. Look for a new membership questionnaire. We have had most of our events on Tuesday evenings and Fridays. That may have stemmed from the days when Wednesdays were a day off for some dentists. Perhaps other weekdays would better fit the schedule of members today. Some other dental societies hold their events on other weekdays or weekends and some hold shorter 4 hour programs as well. Our annual BBQ is scheduled for September 28th. We hope to have a great get together.
We are also planning some get togethers for our new members soon as well. Our Ladies Spa Day is scheduled for the day before Mother’s Day on Saturday May 13th. This has been a successful program and a great staff appreciation event. Our shred-a-thons continue to be popular. The next one is set for Friday July 14 between 2-4pm. Proceeds from that event will go to the REDS Care Fund. Our last Shred-A-Thon raised over $175 for the REDS Care Fund. We also have been advised that the Crowns for Kids program will be transferring to our REDS Care Fund $443 that was generously collected from amalgam and bridgework of offices of REDS members. Any ideas or suggestions are always welcome.
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2017 California Dental Practice Act/Infection Control/ HIPAA
Leslie Canham with her service dog “Mocha” presented this 6 credit program to over 85 attendees at the FountainGrove Inn. A number of vendors helped support the program which included a continental breakfast and buffet lunch on their patio. A good and informative time was had by most everyone. The HIPAA program has proven to be a welcome and needed addition to the otherwise mandatory program. HIPAA regulations are increasingly demanding and with which all members will need to be in compliance. As Ms. Canham stated, the penalties for compliance failure can be severe.
Shred-A-Thon
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Some of the most popular REDS functions are the numerous shredding “parties”; the latest of which occurred on March 24th. The new twist this year is that the REDS Board of Directors has chosen to change how the Shred-A-Thon works. The first five boxes of paper will be taken as always at no charge. Any additional boxes beyond five will cost five dollars which will be donated to the REDS Care Fund. At the last event REDS members helped rase more that $250. As usual, the shredding truck was filled to capacity by eager REDS members trying to clear out old financial and patient records in a safe and secure way. After lifting box after box, we enjoyed pizza and sodas together. Our next Shred-A-Thon is set for Friday July 14th.
Welcome!
Dr. William Mannion 6991 N. State St. Redwood Valley, CA 95407 707-485-5115 1992 UCSF General Dentistry
Dr. Gina Betita 818-319-1363 2017 UCLA General Dentistry
Dr. Sidney Choi 499 E. Chestnut St., Ste C Fort Bragg, CA 95437 707-964-5616 2015 Loma Linda General Dentistry
Dr. Malay Mathur 5900 State Farm Drive Rohnert Park, CA 95437 2016 UCSF General Dentistry
Dr. Prashant Poplai 615 Healdsburg Ave., Unit 303 Santa Rosa, CA 95401 415-297-6589 2013 UCSF General Dentistry
Dr. Bradd Yoshioka 554 3rd Street West Sonoma, CA 95476 707-996-3016 General Dentistry
Kindle Give Away Congratulations to Dr. Gregory Baird of Santa Rosa, who was selected from the timely responses to our membership update request. He won the Kindle HD Fire 8, sponsored by Greg Harder of Edward Jones & Associates. The annual membership update letters is essential to keep REDS, CDA & ADA records up-to-date. This not only allows REDS to produce our membership directory this year and keep its website accurate, but also allows us to keep you up-to-date on upcoming events
Dr. Eddie Kuo 5300 Snyder Ln Ste D Rohnert Park, CA 94928 707-586-1549 2009 UOP General Dentistry
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2017 REDS Crab Feed
This year local crab was back on the menu! The Santa Rosa Golf & Country Club hosted the REDS Annual Crab Feed on January 26th. This event was well attended by REDS members, spouses and staff. Several new members came as guests of REDS and were introduced by our 2017 president Doug Lewis who also introduced the entire board of directors. Each board member donned aprons to help greet and mingle with the membership and there spouses.
Dr. John Savko received a plaque in recognition of his service as 2016 President of REDS
Evidence Based Dentistry
Dr. Ronni Brown presented an invigorating program to 50 members and staff on Tuesday March 7th demonstrating the how dentists can efficiently gather more evidence from research to help guide treatment decisions and improve clinical outcomes. Helpful tips were provided on evaluating the range of research quality and how to access systematic reviews and metadata on the web.
Classified Petaluma Dental Group Associate General Dentist to join our practice. Friendly and warm office atmosphere for our patients and our staff. We have a multi-specialty practice. Contact drmangrum@petalumadental.com Coddingtown Dental Care seeking a part time associate dentist. Must have 2 years experience. Please email resume to: coddingtowndentalcare@gmail.com WANTED: GENERAL DENTIST: Novato dental office seeking an associate dentist for 1 day/ week (Fridays) and 1/day week performing dental hygiene (day flexible) with future opportunity to add a second day of dentistry (Thursdays). Use of CEREC a plus. Compensation package to be discussed during interview. Interested applicants please e-mail CV to Drs. Perry & Tyler at ertylerdds@yahoo.com
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Upcoming Events
REDS
1400 N. Dutton Ave Santa Rosa, CA 94928 Phone: (707) 546-7275 FAX: (707) 546-0413 info@redsdentists.org www.redsdentists.org
President - Doug Lewis President Elect - Amanda Major Treasurer - Austin Griffith Secretary - Anthony Fernandez Imm. Past President - John M. Savko Public Info. Director - Sergio Monraz Editor - James Simonds Directors Mendocino County: Nicholas Khoury J. Robert Ortega Lake County: James Kinsel Parsong Iamsurey Sonoma County: Christopher Daniel Robert Jarvis II Elizabeth Van Tassell Christine Ford Kenji Reyda CDA Delegates: Elizabeth Van Tassell Sergio Monraz CDA Trustee: Richard Graham
CDA Cares San Mateo April 21st - April 23rd San Mateo Event Center, San Mateo CDA Presents Anaheim May 5th- May 8th Anaheim Convention Center Anaheim, CA REDS General Meeting Your Practice & Legal Land Mines Tuesday, May 9th, 6:00pm - 9:00pm Fountain Grove Inn, Santa Rosa REDS CE Meeting Aesthetics Built To Last Friday, May 12th, 8:00am-4:30pm Fountain Grove Inn, Santa Rosa REDS Ladies Spa Day Bliss Organic Day Spa Saterday, May 13th, 10:00am-5:00pm Bliss Organic Day Spa 186 N. Main St,. #230 Sebastopol, CA REDS Board Meeting Tuesday, May 16st, 7:00pm REDS Office, Santa Rosa Shred-O-Thon Friday, August 4th, 2:00pm-4:00pm REDS Office, Santa Rosa CDA Presents August 24th-26th Moscone Center West San Francisco, CA