2019 Dentists’ the Dr. Hill -Rudy MarchLiddell 11-12, 2019 - Page 2021 Dentist ofDay theon Year — Page 282
VOL. 33, NO. 3 • MAY/JUNE • LEADERSHIP ISSUE
A PUBLICATION OF THE FLORIDA DENTAL ASSOCIATION
DENTAL LEADERS HIRING BASICS
WHAT'S YOUR LEADERSHIP STYLE?
7 TIPS TO MANAGE STRESS
FDC2021 EXHIBIT HALL
Farewell to FDA Editor Dr. John Paul Page 34
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HELPING MEMBERS SUCCEED VOL. 33, NO. 3 • May/June 2021
in every issue 3 Staff Roster 5 President's Message 16 Did You Know? 19 Legislative Corner 22 Info Bytes 24 news@fda 83 Diagnostic Discussion 88 Career Center 91 Advertising Index 92 Off the Cusp
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Hiring Basics
12
Reducing Stress and Minimizing Mistakes in the Hiring Process
28
2021 Dentist of the Year Dr. Rudy Liddell
34
Let Us Tell You a Story ...
38
What's Your Leadership Style?
42
Feels Like Home Even in Unfamiliar Environments
44
Leading Your Dental Team, Leading Your Community
48
Getting More Out of People Than They Knew They Had to Give
50
A PUBLICATION OF THE FLORIDA DENTAL ASSOCIATION
66
Things to Know Before You Go
68
FDC2021 Speaker Preview: Total Health Dentistry: What’s it All About?
70
FDC2021 Speaker Preview: A More Natural Approach to Oral Health
72
FDC2021 Exhibit Hall
Does Teamwork Make the Dream Work?
54
Leadership Can Take on Many Forms
74
Common Email Complaints and HIPAA-compliance Confusion
80
56
New Strategy to Address Dental Assistant Recruitment and Training
58
Cover photo: Dr. John Paul, his wife Sharon, and daughters, Harper (L) and Brogan (R), and Angus the dog.
Reduce Your Stress for Health and Happiness
7 Tips to Manage Stress
TODAY'S FDA ONLINE: floridadental.org
As outgoing trustees, they will be honored at the Awards Luncheon on June 25, 2021 in Orlando at the Florida Dental Convention.
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OUTGOING FDA EDITOR:
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DENTAL STUDENT AWARD Ms. Ashley Wagler DENTIST OF THE YEAR Dr. Rudy Liddell
2021
FRIDAY, JUNE 25, 2021
2021
Dr. Howard Pranikoff, CFDDA 2013-2021
Dr. John Paul, WCDDA 2012-2021
NEW DENTAL LEADER Dr. Jenna Pascoli
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HELPING MEMBERS SUCCEED TEAM IMPACT AWARD Ms. Rachel Stys
PUBLIC SERVICE AWARD Dr. Ken Owens Dr. Al Warren J. LEON SCHWARTZ LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD Dr. Cesar Sabates
The FDA would like to thank the following board members for their dedication and years of service.
LEADERSHIP AWARD Dr. Rebecca Warnken
DENTAL STUDENT AWARD Ms. Ashley Wagler
MAY/JUNE 2021 VOL. 33, NO. 3
DENTIST OF THE YEAR Dr. Rudy Liddell
NEW DENTAL LEADER Dr. Jenna Pascoli
PRESIDENT’S AWARD Dr. Andy Brown
FLORIDA DENTAL ASSOCIATION
Dr. Dan Gesek, Jacksonville • Dr. Karen Glerum, Boynton Beach Dr. Reese Harrison, Lynn Haven • Dr. Bernard Kahn, Maitland Dr. Gina Marcus, Coral Gables • Dr. Irene Marron-Tarrazzi, Miami Dr. Eddie Martin, Pensacola • Dr. Rick Mullens, Jacksonville Dr. Paul Palo, Winter Haven • Dr. Howard Pranikoff, Ormond Beach Dr. Mike Starr, Wellington • Dr. Stephen Zuknick, Brandon Dr. Don Ilkka, Leesburg, speaker of the house Dr. Rodrigo Romano, Miami, treasurer • Dr. John Paul, Lakeland, editor
PUBLISHING INFORMATION
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Today’s FDA (ISSN 1048-5317/USPS 004-666) is published bimonthly, plus one special issue, by the Florida Dental Association, 545 John Knox Road, Ste. 200, Tallahassee, Fla. 32303 . FDA membership dues include a complimentary subscription to Today’s FDA. Non-member subscriptions are $150 per year; foreign, $188. Periodical postage paid at Tallahassee, Fla. and additional entry offices. Copyright 2021 Florida Dental Association. All rights reserved. Today’s FDA is a refereed publication. POSTMASTER: Please send form 3579 for returns and changes of address to Today’s FDA, 545 John Knox Road, Ste. 200, Tallahassee, Fla. 32303.
EDITORIAL AND ADVERTISING POLICIES Editorial and advertising copy are carefully reviewed, but publication in this journal does not necessarily imply that the Florida Dental Association endorses any products or services that are advertised, unless the advertisement specifically says so. Similarly, views and conclusions expressed in editorials, commentaries and/or news columns or articles that are published in the journal are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the editors, staff, officials, Board of Trustees or members of the Florida Dental Association.
EDITORIAL CONTACT INFORMATION All Today’s FDA editorial correspondence should be sent to Dr. John Paul, Today’s FDA Editor, Florida Dental Association, 545 John Knox Road, Ste. 200, Tallahassee, Fla. 32303. FDA office numbers: 800.877.9922, 850.681.3629; fax 850.561.0504; email address, fda@floridadental.org; website address, floridadental.org.
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TODAY'S FDA MAY/JUNE 2021
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2021
AWARD RECIPIENTS 2021
AWARDS LUNCHEON PRESIDENT’S AWARD Dr. Andy Brown
NEW DENTAL LEADER Dr. Jenna Pascoli
DENTIST OF THE YEAR Dr. Rudy Liddell
DENTAL STUDENT AWARD Ms. Ashley Wagler
J. LEON SCHWARTZ LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD Dr. Cesar Sabates
PUBLIC SERVICE AWARD Dr. Ken Owens Dr. Al Warren
LEADERSHIP AWARD Dr. Rebecca Warnken
HELPING MEMBERS SUCCEED TEAM IMPACT AWARD Ms. Rachel Stys
JUNE 25, 2021 | 11:30 AM-1 PM
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leadership
THE PHOENIX HAS RISEN! This last year has been a whirlwind of changes on so many fronts, but to paraphrase my first message on these pages, the “Phoenix has risen,” and dentistry is almost on as sure a footing as we had back in early 2020. In fact, with some of the things we’ve learned and developed over the last year, we’ve gotten even better! My predecessor, Dr. Rudy Liddell, did so much getting the systems in place for our state — and the country — on taskforces at the outset of the pandemic. Likewise, as recounted here throughout the year, our own Florida Dental Association (FDA) professionals have taken the ball and run with it! Our FDA is a stable, successful, member-driven organization we can all be proud of, and honestly, the rest of the country is envious. We’ve been forced to leap forward while also taking time to review our office practice protocols in order to take advantage of virtual options and redouble our efforts with the clinical and office safety protocols in our practices. The pandemic made us introspective for a bit and caused us to recognize options and opportunities in how we work and practice. We need to remain ever vigilant and carry this forward as the pandemic designation lifts. With meeting limitations, shutdown offices and new communication options available, how we were able to react to outside forces that affect dentistry changed significantly as FLORIDADENTAL.ORG
well. With the Florida Board of Dentistry and our liaison, Dr. Joe Calderone, and our Governmental Affairs team and their legislative interactions and workflow, all have made lots of “lemonade” along the way given the situations we were in. They have been remarkably successful with the outcomes achieved for our practices and our profession! Even with those successes in place, we have embarked on a governance review of the FDA, considering all bylaws, manuals and operations in their scope, efficiency and effectiveness. (Reading that is about all that gets me to sleep at night sometimes!) This taskforce is being led by Dr. Drew Johnson and we have an excellent group of our trending younger members and leaders doing this work for us. Much akin to our offices themselves, we should occasionally step back to review what is working well and, certainly, what we can do better. In this case, know that the FDA systems are running very smoothly for sure! Our intent, nonetheless, is to look forward at what may need tweaking for the most effective governance that will impact our next generation(s) of members, volunteers and leaders. We want to give as many options and opportunities as possible to encourage all members to be involved, contribute and feel their voices are being heard going forward — to make sure ALL members succeed!
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE ANDY BROWN, DDS, MS FDA PRESIDENT
Dr. Brown can be reached at abrown@bot.floridadental.org.
SEE PAGE 7 TODAY'S FDA MAY/JUNE 2021
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PEOPLE.
PURPOSE.
PASSION.
PATHWAYS TO SUCCESS THE OFFICIAL MEETING OF THE FDA
HOT TOPICS:
- BOTOX IN THE DENTAL PRACTICE - DAWSON SEMINAR 2 - HEAD & NECK CANCER SYMPOSIUM - HOMEOPATHIC TRENDS - SLEEP DENTISTRY - AND MUCH MORE! FLORIDADENTALCONVENTION.COM
leadership
FROM PAGE 5
Dentistry is BACK, full steam! During the past few months, I’ve attended district events that are increasing in size and our Florida Dental Convention registration numbers look very strong! We look forward to our previously delayed Florida Mission of Mercy event in Jacksonville on July 30-31. We all aspire to continue bringing quality dental care to all the citizens of Florida, including discussion with our state agencies to bring that same care to our populations of need in the state. Dentistry has been a wonderful calling for both myself and my family. Dealing with the outcomes of the pandemic will certainly define my presidency, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m grateful I had the opportunity to work with the aforementioned band of FDA professionals who are always laboring on our behalf. I still wake up every day excited to see the patients in my offices. I still look forward to helping the next generations of dental professionals continue to navigate the waters to success as well! It has been a great ride this year!
FLORIDADENTAL.ORG
“
Our FDA is a stable, successful, member-driven organization we can all be proud of, and honestly, the rest of the country is envious.
” TODAY'S FDA MAY/JUNE 2021
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human relations
HIRING BASICS DEBORAH S. MINNIS
Ms. Minnis practices labor and employment law at Ausley McMullen, and she also represents various local government bodies. She can be reached at dminnis@ausley.com. This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional legal advice. If you have a specific concern or need legal advice regarding your dental practice, you should contact a qualified attorney.
Hiring employees is one of the more significant functions in helping a practice to succeed. Having thousands of dollars of hightech equipment alone will not make a practice successful if there is no one to operate it. More importantly, simply having high-tech equipment is not what gives patients a sense of comfort and trust in the competence and abilities of the practice to meet their needs — it’s the people they interface with. This article will provide you with a general overview of some issues that should be considered in the hiring process.
Applicable Laws The following laws may apply to your hiring process: 1. 42 U.S.C. Section 1981: prohibits discrimination based on race, national origin and alienage (applies to all employers). 2. Title VII: prohibits discrimination based on race, gender, religion, national origin and color (applies to employers with 15 or more employees). 3. Age Discrimination in Employment Act: prohibits discrimination against persons 40 and older (applies to employers with 20 or more employees).
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4. Florida Civil Rights Act: prohibits discrimination based on race, age, color, gender, religion, national origin and disability (applies to employers with 15 or more employees). 5. Americans with Disabilities Act (AwDA): prohibits discrimination based on disability (applies to employers with 15 or more employees). 6. Negligent Hiring: (applies to all employers). Because of the number of laws that could apply to the hiring process, maintaining adequate documentation of all aspects of the hiring process is important.
Prescreening Prescreening can be a valuable tool in weeding out those candidates who truly aren’t qualified for the position being filled. For consistency, the prescreening should be conducted by the same person and the same questions should be asked of all potential applicants. The questions should center around the qualifications of the position. It is not advisable to automatically screen out entire groups of potential applications, i.e., anyone who has been arrested or all older applicants. The prescreener should maintain objective notes on the reasons a potential applicant does not make it through the prescreening process. FLORIDADENTAL.ORG
Prehire Inquiries At this point, your prescreener has identified potential candidates, they have completed the application and are being interviewed. Because all employers can be subject to some claim of discrimination, care also should be exercised during this phase in the hiring process. Certain areas of questioning or discussion either on the application or during the interview process can expose the employer to potential claims if the decision is to not hire the individual. Examples of topics of questions and discussions that should be avoided are: n decisions to have children. n whether the applicant is or is not pregnant. n childcare issues. n date of graduation from high school (can be used to extrapolate the applicant’s age). n religious observances. FLORIDADENTAL.ORG
n arrests (generally believed to have a disparate impact on minority applicants who are allegedly arrested more frequently). n convictions that bear no relation to the position requirements. n physical abilities (can generally describe the duties of the position and inquire if the person is able to perform those duties or meet the job requirements). n the applicant’s accent or nationality. n sexual orientation/gender status issues. You may be thinking these are obvious and you would never ask such questions directly. However, to avoid accidentally venturing into questionable areas of inquiry, take care. A wise practice, particularly during the interview process, would be to create a list of job-related questions and stick to those. Open-
SEE PAGE 10 TODAY'S FDA MAY/JUNE 2021
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human relations
“
A wise practice, particularly during the interview process, would be to create a list of job-related questions and stick to those. Open-ended questions or becoming too informal during the interviewing process can lead to problems.
” FROM PAGE 9
ended questions or becoming too informal during the interviewing process can lead to problems. For example, what the interviewer believed to be a casual conversation about religion led to a charge of religious discrimination when the individual did not get the job.
Prehire Investigations/Credit Checks The title may give the impression that its provisions apply only in situations relating to applications for credit, loans mortgages, etc., but the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) also applies to consumer reports obtained from a third party in the business of conducting background checks and that are used in the employment determination process. There are two types of consumer reports, a general consumer report and an investigative consumer report. Generally, a consumer report is defined as a communication obtained from a consumer
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reporting agency, whether oral or written, that provides information relating to an individual’s consumer credit worthiness, credit standing, credit capacity, character, general reputation, personal characteristics or mode of living. An investigative consumer report is a consumer report where the information relating to the individual’s general reputation, consumer characteristics, personal characteristics or mode of living is obtained by interviews with neighbors, friends or associates. Before obtaining either type of consumer report, all employers must provide written notice to the individual that a consumer report may be obtained. This notice must be in writing and must be the only item contained in the document. In addition, the employer must have a signed authorization from the individual agreeing to the procurement of the consumer report. If the requested report is to be an investigative report, the
FLORIDADENTAL.ORG
notice must contain a statement advising the individual of the right to request additional disclosures detailing the nature and scope of the investigative report. If requested by the individual, the employer must provide a written copy of the summary of consumer rights under the FCRA. If an adverse employment decision is based in whole or in part on any information contained in a consumer report, whether a general report or investigative report, the individual must be provided detailed information on which the decision was based and a written copy of the summary of consumer rights under the FCRA. Willful violation of the provisions of the FCRA can result in liability for actual damages suffered by the individual with awards ranging from a minimum of $100 to a maximum of $1,000. The individual also can be awarded punitive damages and attorney’s fees.
Social Media Screening Many employers conduct social media screening to gather additional information about potential employees. No laws or rules prohibit this, but care should be exercised if this screening process is used. If social media screening is used for one applicant, it must be done for all applicants. Be aware that if a third-party entity is hired to conduct a social media review, the FCRA will likely apply. More importantly, posts on social media platforms frequently contain information relating to areas of inquiry that could expose the employer to liability under the various discrimination laws as discussed above. An example would be noticing several posts by the individual of pictures of the individual holding drinks or attending parties. If the person is not hired, they can attempt to bring a claim under the AwDA that the potential employer perceived them to be disabled, perhaps suffering from alcoholism, and did not hire them for that reason.
FLORIDADENTAL.ORG
Even if the employer does not have enough employees to be covered by discrimination laws, information contained in the individual’s social media posts still has the potential to subject all employers to liability. For example, in a claim for negligent hire, one element of the cause of action is that the employer had knowledge of the perpetrator’s propensity for certain inappropriate behavior but hired them anyway. If the person referenced above is hired and injures a co-worker or patient because they were under the influence of alcohol while at work, an allegation of negligent hiring is likely to be made. The assertion being that the employer either knew or should have known the person had a drinking problem before he or she was hired.
Summary Deciding on the right person to become a part of your team is an especially important decision. As with all important decisions relating to your practice, you should document the reason for your decision. The types of documentation that should be maintained are (1) interview questions, if any, (2) any notes of the hiring authority made upon reviewing applications or during interviews, (3) any scores or rankings, if such systems are used, (4) any applications or resumes submitted, (5) any test scores if tests are used, (6) documentation of notices required under the FCRA, if consumer reports are used and (7) other documentation obtained during the selection process. It is recommended that this documentation be maintained for a minimum of four years. As noted above, there are pitfalls that must be avoided during the hiring process. In the event you cannot avoid allegations of discrimination, negligence or violation of the FCRA, having proper documentation of the hiring process can be offered to defend and support your decision and your hiring process.
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personal perspective
REDUCING STRESS AND MINIMIZING MISTAKES IN THE HIRING PROCESS
DR. GARY E. STOUGH
Dr. Stough is a past editor and past president of the Georgia Academy of General Dentistry. He also is co-president of Partners in Practice Consultants and can be reached at gstoughdmd@gmail.com. For legal considerations on the hiring process, please see page 8.
A dentist should always treat the hiring of a new staff member as if casting for an ensemble play. Every team member has a starring, as well as a supportive, role some time during each patients’ visit. Two major concepts must be kept in mind here: consistency and congruency. This is an obvious objective, but staffrelated issues ranked in the top tier of dental practice stressors in the National Survey of Dental Practice Stressors. Ideally, dysfunctional staff could all be fired and the doctor, having learned from experience, could start all over again assembling a new staff — but this is not realistic. With lessons learned, the next best scenario is to make wiser decisions in the future. Reforming the process is the key to minimizing future problems. The following are some ideas to consider. When casting the net for a new hire, no matter what search sites or methods you use, clearly state: n the position, full or part time n specific work experience requirements n education level n computer, interpersonal and language skills required n geographic location n expanded duties certification
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n CPR training n perhaps a salary range n other as desired Use words like dependable, outgoing, caring and service-oriented. Ask for suggestions from current and former/retired team members, contact assisting and hygiene schools, or ask your reps for possibilities. Use available online hiring sites, but don’t dismiss placing an ad in the local newspaper. To limit wasted time on too many unqualified applicants, I suggest a phone number and a designated screener (“Ask for Joan”) who will have a list of questions, some which may not be covered on a resume, and can evaluate the applicants’ qualifications, phone manners, command of the English language (or other), communication skills, and general suitability before requesting an application be picked up at the office in person. Simply having downloaded applications and resumes sent online or to the office or P.O. Box is fraught with problems because too many unqualified people will require wasted time and effort culling from real possibilities. Having suitably screened applicants come by the office to pick up an application (dental application forms can be found online) gives your preliminary screener, and the doctor when convenient, an opportunity to evaluate the candidates visually before an interview is FLORIDADENTAL.ORG
granted. Although it’s an additional step in the hiring process, it can pay dividends. Only after an application and resume review and follow-up on all references will an applicant be granted an interview. At first, seeking only experienced applicants seems like the ideal way to proceed because they are aware of procedures and terminology and may require much less training. But beware: All experience circumstances are not equal. You must carefully evaluate their past environment(s) in relation to your office environment. It may not be close. You want someone who is a good fit. If they came from a slow-paced setting, they might not be able to adapt to a faster-paced scenario. If your office does surgical procedures, you don’t want to hire an assistant with no surgical experience who cannot stand the sight of blood, or a front office individual who will be tasked to discuss money issues, present treatment plans or follow up on past due accounts but emotionally cannot handle such tasks. Experienced people often resist change (old dogs, new tricks) and tend to make comparisons, which can influence other FLORIDADENTAL.ORG
staff negatively. Except for hygiene, I suggest you consider the larger pool of dentally non-experienced individuals and train them in your office, but only if you have the ability, time, patience and current staff willingness to do so. Many of my best hires came from this potential pool because I was more interested in surrounding myself with people who had outgoing personalities, great interpersonal skills and a service-oriented attitude. You may have had the opportunity to observe such people in other environments and been impressed. One assistant, Patti, worked as the assistant manager of a local Tastee Freeze and another assistant, Deanna, in customer service at a local business. The insurance clerk, Joan, handled billing at a local hardware store. This works best when such people consider your job a step up. Unfortunately, many new hires are a result of an emergency need or a knee-jerk reaction, and often end in disaster. This is one reason for cross-training personnel in basics and using
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personal perspective
FROM PAGE 13
“
One often overlooked evaluation tool is for you or a staff person to check out a person’s social media presence because some interesting and oftentimes damaging information presents itself.* * See page 11 for legal considerations on social media screening.
”
the services of retired employees or having trained someone outside of the office who can be available on short notice. Our office trained a young lady as an assistant and receptionist who was not interested in a full-time job but was happy to fill in periodically for an employee on vacation or out for other reasons. Our assistants willingly agreed to learn to schedule and take payments. We had two retired hygienists who were available to step in when necessary. These precautions reduced stress, kept our practice running smoothly and we did not miss a beat. Always examine resumes carefully. Always follow up in person on references. A short phone call can save a lot of headaches. If you sense a former employer, even those who may have written a fairly positive recommendation, might be hesitant to say anything negative over the phone simply ask them, if that particular position opened up again in their office, would they hire this individual back. Just a simple yes or no and you might be surprised at their answer. Always look for red flags on the resume like gaps in employment or job hoppers. If there are lingering questions, have the screener call the applicant to clarify to your satisfaction. Once you personally review the application and resume and grant an interview, have a list of questions prepared. If an application had not been personally picked up at your office, this is your first opportunity to evaluate physical appearance, speech, demeanor and personality, and consider if this is really someone you want representing your office. Many dentists are uncomfortable with the hiring process, and find it hard to make a decision and delegate the process to an office manager or other staff member. A trusted staff member can do a good deal of the preliminary screening and even sit in on the interview, which is highly suggested, to create some additional buy-in of the candidate, but the doctor(s) alone should always make the final hiring decision. I suggest only the doctor(s) be present when salary is discussed. The following are 15 suggested questions to be asked at the interview and can be tailored to the job opening.
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1. Why are you seeking an employment change? (Immediately dismiss anyone who trashes a former employer.) 2. Tell me more about your previous work experience. 3. Tell me a little about yourself and background (interesting negatives at times). 4. Tell me about your computer skills and what systems you have experience with. 5. What traits can you bring to this office to enhance efficiency and continued success? What are your strengths? 6. What are your weaknesses? 7. If I were to talk to your former co-workers, how would they describe you? 8. Dentistry can be stressful at times. How well do you handle stressful circumstances? 9. What traits do you find unsettling when dealing with co-workers and people in general? 10. Would you be willing to cross-train in other areas if required in an emergency? 11. What are your long-term goals? 12. What are you seeking in so far as hourly compensation and benefits (may price themselves out of contention)? 13. Would you be willing to agree to a 60-day trial period for evaluation? 14. We have asked a lot of questions. Are there any you would like to provide more input or clarify further? Is there any information about you we have not covered? 15. Are there any questions you have for me before we end this interview? If impressed with the applicant, you may wish to further discuss hourly compensation, benefits and work schedule at this time, and possibly give them a tour of the office and introduce current team members. Some dentists like to have their phone screener ask up front at the initial phone screening, what FLORIDADENTAL.ORG
someone desires as far as hourly compensation, which may price them out of contention immediately and save you time and trouble. The screener should only respond to any question on the subject that compensation is based on experience, job suitability and interview results, and will be discussed at the appropriate time with those individuals you call back for follow-up interviews. Inform the final pool of applicants that they will be contacted regarding their status. Do not burn any bridges but personally thank each finalist and tell them you will make a final decision on the person you consider most qualified for the immediate opening but, even if not hired at this time, they may be considered for future openings and thank them for their time. You never know, and it is good public relations if done correctly. One often overlooked evaluation tool is for you or a staff person to check out a person’s social media presence because some interesting and oftentimes damaging information presents itself. Remember, your employees represent you in or out of the office setting. One surefire finishing touch I have had great luck using over the years is having my entire staff take any finalist(s) out to lunch. Remember, they are the ones who will be working closely with this individual on a day-to-day basis and their input is important. Block off a little additional time in your schedule so they have time to really evaluate the person and not feel rushed. On several occasions, their negative feedback about an applicant kept me from making a major mistake. Anyone we hired following positive feedback never became an issue. Once you have narrowed down your choice, inform them of your decision and bring them back to be given a written offer of employment and to discuss specifics. If they accept the position, require them to sign a statement stating their review and acceptance of the position, job description, office policy manual, salary, work schedule, benefits package, disciplinary protocol, 60-day evaluation period and willingness to do some cross-training, as necessary. Even when following these suggestions, there’s never a guarantee that future problems may not occur, but it is assured they will be minimized. What do you have to lose? TODAY'S FDA MAY/JUNE 2021
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BOD
DID YOU KNOW?
DR. JOE CALDERONE FDA LIAISON TO THE FLORIDA BOARD OF DENTISTRY
DENTAL ASSISTANTS AND HYGIENISTS
CASEY STOUTAMIRE FDA DIRECTOR OF THIRD PARTY PAYER & PROFESSIONAL AFFAIRS
Did you know that the Florida Dental Association (FDA) website has a chart of remediable tasks delegable to dental assistants and hygienists? This member-only benefit lists the various remediable tasks with the corresponding level of supervision required. In addition, it lists the level of training required before the assistant or hygienist can perform the task. To access the chart, please visit floridadental.org/advocacy/delegation-of-duties.
If you have any questions, please contact FDA Liaison to the Florida Board of Dentistry Dr. Joe Calderon at drcalderone@gmail.com or 407.509.1493 or Director of Third Party Payer and Professional Affairs Casey Stoutamire, Esq. at cstoutamire@floridadental.org or 850.350.7202.
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To view the entire rule of tasks delegable to dental hygienists and assistants, please visit bit.ly/2PSBtAC. For a full list of the rules governing the practice of dentistry please visit: bit.ly/39LLt5U. If you have further questions on remediable tasks, supervision levels or other Florida Board of Dentistry (BOD) rules, please contact BOD Liaison Dr. Joe Calderone or FDA Director of Third Party Payers and Professional Affairs Ms. Casey Stoutamire.
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now you know INFORMATION FROM THE FDA GO TO SUMMARY All health care providers must include non-opioid alternatives for pain and pain management in their discussions with patients before providing anesthesia, or prescribing, ordering, dispensing or administering a schedule II controlled substance for the treatment of pain. Effective July 1, 2019.
OPIOIDS
Non-opioid Alternatives Law bit.ly/2KXvZ2h
HEALTH CARE PROVIDER CHECKLIST INFORM
Non-opioid alternatives for pain treatment, which may include non-opioid medicinal drugs or drug products are available.
Non-opioid interventional procedures or
treatments, which may include: acupuncture, chiropractic treatments, massage, physical or occupational therapy, or other appropriate therapy are available.
DISCUSS
Advantages and disadvantages of non-opioid alternatives.
Patient’s risk or history of controlled
substance abuse or misuse, and patient’s personal preferences.
DOCUMENT IN PATIENT’S RECORD
Non-opioid alternatives considered.
Your
BACKSTAGE
PROVIDE
“Alternatives to Opioids,” an educational
ALL ACCESS
ur FDA YoEXCLUSIVE
information pamphlet created by the Florida Department of Health (required, available at bit.ly/2KXvZ2h). Also, a checklist and poster.
MEMBER BENEFIT
For the latest on opioids, go to: floridadental.org/nyk FLORIDADENTAL.ORG
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ARE YOU A MEMBER OF FDAPAC CENTURY CLUB? Join now: floridadental.org/centuryclub A portion of your required dues is transferred to the Florida Dental Association Political Action Committee (FDAPAC). FDAPAC provides campaign contributions to dental-friendly candidates. FDAPAC Century Club members provide additional financial support of $150 or more for state campaigns. FDAPAC dues and contributions are not deductible for federal income-tax purposes.
Dr. Gerald Bird FDAPAC Chair
FDA Foundation: Amazon Smile Foundation: Amzon Smile
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legislative corner
STAY ON MESSAGE – IT MATTERS! Wear a mask. Don’t wear a mask. Wipe down surfaces. You don’t need to wipe down surfaces. Collectively, over the past year, we’ve had to rethink our way of living and working mostly by the messages we’ve received from either federal, state or local entities. Many times, those messages have been unclear, specifically about how we should implement them to ensure our safety. Sometimes those messages change so quickly that even before we’re able to apply the current rules, we’re told that we need to do something different. As you can see (and I’m sure you’ve experienced), mixed messages can create confusion, uncertainty and inevitably establish an attitude of mistrust. As we apply this concept to legislative advocacy, staying on message is imperative. The Florida Dental Association’s (FDA) Governmental Affairs Office tackles this important endeavor each legislative session. Whether it’s an issue the FDA supports or opposes, staying on message is critical to the success of any legislative effort. Undoubtedly, this can be very challenging for our volunteer members who we encourage to reach out to their legislators throughout the year. It can be difficult to restrain from expressing an opinion or a position that you may feel strongly about but isn’t on message. It can be hard to stick to your talking points when you feel that it would be helpful to add on some spontaneous information that may dilute the original message. Unfortunately, going off message could have unintended consequences and, ultimately, become detrimental to your initial intent.
JOE ANNE HART FDA CHIEF LEGISLATIVE OFFICER
For additional information on legislative issues, you can reach Joe Anne Hart at jahart@floridadental.org or 850.350.7205.
The FDA dedicates substantial time and attention to creating messages to help advocate for FDA legislative priorities. Without fail, each year we contend with misleading and false information posted on social media platforms, opinion pieces in newspapers and presentations at oral health-related conferences. It’s so tempting to want to quickly respond and react in these types of situations. But the FDA’s successes haven’t come from knee-jerk responses, but from thoughtful and well-prepared statements that reinforce the overall message of that specific issue. This concept is not just limited to advocacy, but can be used in your office, within your volunteer social groups and even within your family. Messaging is important and it matters, especially when we want to instill a certain level of trust with our audience. So, remember to stay on message to ensure your point is well-received. It matters!
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SAVE THE DATE! 2022 DENTISTS’ DAY ON THE HILL
Tuesday, February 1, 2022 Tallahassee
HENRY SCHEIN ONE
info bytes
LEAD, FOLLOW OR GET OUT OF THE WAY The last year has proven that leadership is essential, particularly during a crisis like a pandemic. Also, not surprisingly, technology has played a vital role in providing the tools needed to successfully lead even in these challenging times. Let’s look at a couple of these tool categories and some examples the Florida Dental Association (FDA) uses.
Collaboration LARRY DARNELL, MBA, CAE FDA DIRECTOR OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS
Mr. Darnell can be reached at ldarnell@floridadental.org.
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Collaboration used to be as easy as walking over to your co-worker’s desk and discussing options. Now, we have so many people working from home, collaboration became harder. At its base level, collaboration is simply an organized way to communicate with individuals or groups. Some still use email and instant message options as collaboration tools, but that has its limits. Some of the best collaboration tools are cloud-based. Technology tools for collaboration existed before 2020, but their adoption was progressing slowly. There’s nothing like being forced to use technology to change your perspective. One of the tools we deployed at the FDA was Microsoft Teams. By the nature of our work, we naturally exist in teams or departments. Teams allows for collaboration no matter where someone is; all that’s required is the Microsoft Teams application. As an added benefit, it integrates with all of our other Microsoft Office applications. It immediately helped in our intradepartmental efforts and allowed us to keep functioning at an efficient
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level. Slack and Flowdock are two other collaboration tools that exist.
Project/Task Management I remember using a project management technology tool in its early days that practically required its own degree just to use it. Thankfully, those tools have grown up and gotten better. If you examine your regular workflow, you’ll see tendencies or even the repetitiveness of the work you do over time. You can consider those tendencies or repeated work efforts as tasks or projects. At the FDA, we have several projects that are virtually the same month after month or year after year. These tend to involve people both inside and outside the organization. Managing projects of this nature is important so key elements do not get forgotten. We use a tool called Freedcamp to help us manage our projects. The promo for it says it will streamline projects, processes, workflows, track time and issues. It has certainly done that for us in our limited adoption of it so far. The problem with project and time management tools is that it takes time to set them up — time you often feel like you don’t have. But in this case, you’re investing that time wisely. There are other tools that do similar things, such as Asana, Trello and Monday.com.
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The Bottom Line The three keys to finding the right technology solutions that enhance your leadership abilities are the following: n They enhance communication. n They can easily be adopted across your organization. n They are used. No one wants a pretty, shiny (expensive) toy that is never played with by its owner. Determine if collaboration tools or list/task/project management tools are needed in your life and then look at reviews (and not just sponsored reviews). Look at all sides and even consult a user of these tools for a unique insight. Technology for technology’s sake is not a good enough reason to use it. Technology should help make your life easier. If it doesn’t do that, you’re wasting your time and money.
“
Technology should help make your life easier. If it doesn’t do that, you’re wasting your time and money.
”
E-VAC INC.
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updates for members *PLEASE NOTE THAT FDA MEMBERS HAVE THEIR NAMES LISTED IN BOLD.
The FDA’s Governance Structure
In an effort to help demystify the Florida Dental Association’s (FDA) governance structure, the Leadership Development Committee (LDC) initiated the development of an explainer video to help break it down for FDA members, staff, and district and affiliate leaders. This video can be used to help educate yourself and others about the leadership and governance structure within the FDA, districts and affiliates. View the video at vimeo.com/542702306.
Leaders Emerging Among Dentistry On Friday, April 16, the LDC continued its tradition of holding annual leadership develLEADERS EMERGING AMONG DENTISTRY opment training in LEAD: Leaders Emerging Among Dentistry. Like many other events, this year’s session was held virtually. Dr. Millie Tannen provided excellent tips and pointers on public speaking and FDA Director of Third Party Payer and Professional Affairs Casey Stoutamire followed with useful ways to conduct successful in-person and virtual meetings. Liz Underwood from the Moore Agency provided helpful social media dos and don’ts, and offered ways to control your branding both as a dental leader and personally. This year’s LEAD concluded with a fabulous panel of diverse leaders moderated by LDC chair Dr. Angie McNeight: Drs. Mariana Velazquez, Reza Iranmanesh, Mike Starr and Arnelle Wright provided their unique insights and wisdom from each of their own leadership experiences. If you would like to experience LEAD
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2021 for yourself, please visit the video recording at vimeo. com/537852704. Our heartfelt thanks goes out to every member of the LDC Committee, the presenters, and all the FDA staff who helped make it happen. We also would like to thank FDA Services for sponsoring this year’s event.
Reintroducing This month, the FDA has reintroduced its “Chew on This” video segments as part of the Beyond the Bite blog. The new structure is different from the previously used rapid-question format in that it will focus on a single topic discussed with a subject matter expert. In the updated format, FDA Executive Director Drew Eason interviews guests with experience and expertise in an area of interest, such as public speaking, motivation or working with new dentists. The idea is to present useful material that members can immediately apply to their lives and their practices. In the debut piece, which is now available, Drew talks with Moore Agency Senior Vice President Jordan Jacobs about online reviews. A lot of questions are answered, including: How do you respond to a negative review on social media? Why does it seem like online reviews have increased? Should reviews be directly addressed or should they be ignored? Aren’t there privacy limitations? What’s the best way to build positive comments? Be sure to check out this month’s “Chew on This” at blog.floridadental.org and tune in regularly to see what’s next. Also, by subscribing to Beyond the Bite and receiving email notices with new posts, you can be entered into a monthly drawing for a $10 Starbucks gift card!
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Perfect Attendance Award Dr. Gustavo Fuentes attended every general meeting of the Lee County Dental Society (LCDS) this past year. LCDS President Dr. Peter Gostout introduced him at the latest meeting and said, “We would like to honor one individual who was here for every meeting of the season. He braved the virus, endured wearing a mask and sitting isolated. His dedication is incredible, he probably would have been here during a hurricane. Hopefully, he came for knowledge and comradery and not as an excuse to get out of the house.”
Dentists, Dental Students Encouraged to Apply for NHSC Opportunities The Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Bureau of Health Workforce has opened its loan repayment and scholarship application cycles for health professionals and students. HRSA received $900 million in the American Rescue Plan to support, recruit and retain qualified health professionals through the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) and Nurse Corps programs, ADA News reports. The American Dental Association, which advocated for the funding, is encouraging dentists and dental students to apply for NHSC opportunities. Under the NHSC Loan Repayment Program, dentists commit to two years of practice in underserved communities and receive up to $50,000, with the possibility of receiving further debt relief by extending their service. Dental students who apply for the NHSC Scholarship Program agree to serve at least two years in underserved areas and receive financial support for each year of service, for up to four years.
Alert: Postcard Disguised as Official OCR Communication
The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has been made aware of postcards being sent to health care organizations informing the recipients that they are required to participate in a “Required Security Risk Assessment” and are directed to send their risk assessment to hsaudit.org. The link directs individuals to a non-governmental marketing consulting services website. Please be advised that this postcard notification did not come from OCR or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This communication is from a private entity — it is NOT an HHS/OCR communication. HIPAA-covered entities and business associates should alert their workforce members to this misleading communication. Covered entities and business associates can verify that a communication is from OCR by looking for the OCR address or email address, which will end in “@hhs.gov,” on any communication that purports to be from OCR, and asking for a confirming email from the OCR investigator’s hhs.gov email address. The addresses for OCR’s HQ and Regional Offices are available on the OCR website at hhs.gov/ocr. If organizations have additional questions or concerns, please send an email to OCRMail@hhs.gov. Suspected incidents of individuals posing as federal law enforcement should be reported to the FBI.
For more information, read the ADA News article at bit.ly/3mTWKGr.
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updates for members FROM PAGE 25
Welcome New FDA Members
Dr. Jason Brewer, Kissimmee
The following dentists recently joined the FDA. Their memberships allow them to develop a strong network of fellow professionals who understand the day-to-day triumphs and tribulations of practicing dentistry.
Dr. Gary Cardoso, Merritt Island
Northwest District Dental Association
Dr. Elizabeta Cokovska, Orlando
Dr. Bradley Harrelson, Niceville
Dr. Josh Gunnell, Satellite Beach
Dr. Nathan Kupperman, Tallahassee
Dr. Sweta Gunnell, Satellite Beach
Dr. April Lee, Tallahassee
Atlantic Coast District Dental Association Dr. Dalia Al-Azzawi, Palm Beach Gardens Dr. Miguelina Arocha, Plantation Dr. Gregory Bialek, Palm City Dr. John Empkey, Palm Beach Dr. Nigel Grandison, Plantation Dr. Brien Hedstrom, Palm Beach Gardens Dr. Mona Herold, Loxahatchee Dr. Adil Khan, Fort Lauderdale Dr. Boris Lipovetskiy, Fort Lauderdale Dr. Tiffany Moncrieffe, Delray Beach Dr. Alex Planes, Vero Beach Dr. Amanda Rodman, Boynton Beach
Dr. Mary Hunter, Ocoee Dr. Kathryn Kaleel, Gainesville Dr. Craig Koslica, The Villages Dr. Aliuska Lopez, Ocoee Dr. Ursula McGuckin, Melbourne Dr. Rajeev Motwani, Gainesville Dr. Ammar Mousa, Wildwood Dr. Alfredo Muñoz Fernández, Kissimmee Dr. Christopher Nowacki, Palm Bay Dr. Anadela Perez Burgos, Orlando Dr. Adriana Rodriguez, Altamonte Springs Dr. Camille Rose Kong, Ocoee
Northeast District Dental Association
Dr. Stavros Sofos, Fort Lauderdale
Dr. Mark Dawley, Jacksonville
Dr. Silona Thomas, Jupiter
Dr. Ryan Garske, Jacksonville Dr. Hailey McKinley, St. Augustine
Central Florida District Dental Association Dr. Julie Barrons Olsen, Gainesville Dr. Michael Bell, Lake Mary
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Dr. Melissa Nixon, Jacksonville Dr. Tarak Patel, Jacksonville Dr. Matthew Yekikian, Jacksonville
South Florida District Dental Association Dr. Ankur Agrawal, Miramar Dr. Elizabeth Amador, Cooper City Dr. Despina Angelakis, Hollywood Dr. Yong-Jin Chang, Doral Dr. Ramiro Esparragoza, Miami Dr. Jorge Fornaris, Miami Dr. Stephanie Hernandez, Miami Dr. Alberto Mantovani, Miami Beach Dr. Rocio Martinez Saroza, Cutler Bay Dr. Yenisey Montero Broche, Hialeah Dr. Amanda Moore, Miami Dr. Susel Perez Nieves, North Miami Dr. Marlie Sanchez, Hialeah Gardens Dr. Roselyn Suarez Rosa, Hialeah Dr. Lorena Wilkins, Pembroke Pines
West Coast Dental Association Dr. Ilan Abramowitz, Bartow Dr. Keya Brown, Cape Coral Dr. Roderick Davies, Odessa
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Dr. Jaime Estrada, Tarpon Springs
Dr. Zaid Mohammad, Winter Haven
Dr. Marlon Foote, Riverview
Dr. Bradly Mouritsen, Estero
Dr. Beth Genho, Dade City
Dr. Mathew Mouritsen, Bonita Springs
Dr. Whitney Haidet, Naples
Dr. Monica Perez, Tampa
Dr. Nadeen Jamal, Westchase
Dr. Mamata Ponnaganti, Clearwater
Dr. Stephen Klement, St. Petersburg
Dr. Samantha Reed, Tarpon Springs
Dr. Kevin Kuo, Tampa
Dr. David Rice, St. Petersburg
Dr. Jacob Labauve, Clearwater
Dr. Carlos Rodriguez, Orlando
Dr. Suemee Lee, Fort Myers
Dr. Todd Sharp, Fort Myers
Dr. Alan Levin, Sarasota
Dr. Evgeny Titov, Naples
Dr. Maria Camille Little, Bartow
Dr. Ruben Viloria, Tampa
In Memoriam The FDA honors the memory and passing of the following member: Dr. Randy Feldman Tampa, FL Died: 03/03/2021 Age: 68
Dr. Jose Matos, Tampa
FDA: Well-being program Tobacco Free Florida
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1.
2.
2020-2021 Dentist of the Year
5.
6.
3.
4.
Dr. Rudy Liddell
7.
8.
dentist of the year
Tell us about your family, how you spend your How did you get involved in the FDA and how leisure time and how you decided on becoming has your involvement in organized dentistry ina dentist? fluenced your own practice and commitment? Anybody who has served with me over the years has most likely met my family. My wife, Sherri, accompanies me to almost all major Florida Dental Association (FDA) functions. We have been married for 37 years. We have two boys, Michael and Brian. Michael is married to Ashley and they both work in the financial sector. Brian is married to Savannah, who is doing her medical school residency in Rochester, Minn. at the Mayo Clinic. Brian works as an assistant research director at St. Mary’s Hospital at the Mayo Clinic. Sherri and I spend most of our free time at our beach condo on North Hutchison Island. We enjoy travelling and I play a little golf. My interest in dentistry increased when I became friends with the base dentist at West Point, N.Y., as a second-year cadet. I used to visit the clinic when I could, and the interest grew from there.
I always say that my involvement in organized dentistry was somewhat of an accident. The Hillsborough County Dental Association (HCDA) had two openings one year and the president asked me if I would consider running since I was there for every meeting anyway. I was selected as a board member for the HCDA. After serving as president, I was asked by the West Coast District Dental Association (WCDDA) to serve on their executive council. I then served for several years as an alternate trustee and trustee to the FDA. When it came time to choose a successor to Dr. Terry Buckenheimer, I was chosen by the leaders of the WCDDA to become the new FDA secretary. I’ve had the good fortune of practicing in a small group since 1992, so the flexibility of having others cover my schedule while I did the work of the FDA was very beneficial.
“
Rudy’s leadership and knowledge base were already acknowledged as he was elected by his peers as the chair of the ADA’s Council on Dental Practice the year before COVID hit, and was serendipitously in position to become the co-chair of the ADA’s Advisory Task Force on Dental Recovery. He also was subsequently added to the State of Florida Governor’s Re-opening Task Force as well ... the only actual practicing health care provider on the panel. These were herculean tasks in terms of time and effort that he jumped at the chance to tackle.
— Dr. Andy Brown, FDA President
”
What advice would you give to dental students? New dentists?
Why is being a legislative contact dentist (LCD) so important and vital to legislative advocacy?
The advice that I would give to dental students is to take advantage of every opportunity to learn clinical skills while you are in school. Participate in the American Student Dental Association (ASDA) and get involved in ASDA activities. The advice that I would give to new dentists is to stay involved in organized dentistry. If you don’t, you can become isolated from your peers. Dentistry is a very social profession and the more contacts that you have, the more experience that you can access in times of need.
When polled, our members always rank advocacy at the top of the list. When you become an LCD and interact with individual legislators, you realize that they are just like you and me, except that they’re not experts in dentistry. They want us to share our knowledge about dental-related legislation so that they can make informed decisions. The other thing that you come to realize is just how effective our lobbyists are and the respect that they have in Tallahassee.
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As a trustee, what are your predictions for dentistry over the next four years for Florida? Nationally? What should dentists be paying attention to? I’ve only been serving on the American Dental Association (ADA) Board of Trustees for about six months, and so far, there’s been no in-person meetings. One topic that has come up a lot so far in board discussions is diversity and inclusion and how the makeup of leadership at the ADA does not reflect the current makeup of the workforce. There will be an intentional push to involve younger dentists and members of minority groups in leadership opportunities at the state and national level. The other issue that has gained traction due to the pandemic is the move away from high-stakes, live-patient board exams. The ADA has developed an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) and the American Board of Dental Examiners has a highly regarded OSCE exam that has been administered in the state of Florida the last two testing cycles and will be again this testing cycle due to the governor’s executive order. The good news is that there is great correlation between the OSCE and a live-patient exam that is predictive of clinical success.
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You were involved with COVID (Governor’s Task Force and the ADA Task Force). Can you describe your role, what you learned, how the task force helped FDA members and any other information you feel is beneficial. I had the distinct pleasure of being asked to co-chair the ADA’s Back to Work Task Force. It became apparent to us after the first meeting that the magnitude of what we were asked to do, as well as how quickly we needed to develop the toolkit, was going to be extremely crucial to our members’ success in returning to work. The task group, working with the staff at ADA headquarters, was singularly focused on collating current information regarding the virus as well as the best practices for returning to work. During this time, our lobbyists reached out to the governor’s office to let them know that I would be interested in serving on the governor’s “return to work” task force, even before there was talk of having one. After the first telephone meeting, I received a call from the governor’s office requesting that I give a presentation outlining dentistry’s thoughts about getting to work, which I gave the following day.
At the beginning of the pandemic when dental offices were, except for emergencies, shut down, the FDA received a lot of calls from members who were upset and confused by the shutdown. Dr. Liddell jumped right in and called many directly to explain what was happening and what the ADA and FDA were doing to help members. He never once told us he didn’t have time to call a member.
— Drew Eason, FDA Executive Director
While there are many FDA members, there are not as many involved in advocacy. Do you think it’s important that number increase? I do think that number needs to increase. Like a lot of things that are unfamiliar to us, getting involved in the LCD program is a little intimidating. But once you have a taste of establishing relationships with legislators in a one-onone manner, you realize that you can affect the trajectory of dental-related legislation.
Photos:
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1. Dr. Liddell and family at his son, Michael, and daugther-in-law, Ashley’s wedding. 2. Dr. Liddells son Brian and daugther-in-law Savannah. 3. Dr. and Mrs. Liddell at Dr. Andy Brown’s wedding. 4. Sen. Aaron Bean and Dr. Liddell at Pebble Beach. 5. Rep. Kevin McCarthy and Dr. Liddell at a fundraiser for Rep. Greg Stuebe. 6. University of Florida dental students and Dr. Liddell at the 2019 ADA Dentist and Student Lobby Day. 7. Ashley, Michael, Dr. Liddell and his wife, Sherrie, relaxing at the Gaylord Palms. 8. Students from LECOM (Ashley Wagler in the back, who received the 2021 FDA Dental Student Award).
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Let Us Tell You a Story ... 1.
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Dr. Paul is the kind of leader who encourages you to do your best, celebrates your successes, and helps you grow as a person both personally and professionally. Working under his leadership has helped TFDA flourish and become the journal it is today. 34
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dr. paul I was fresh in my new position as the communications and media coordinator at the Florida Dental Association (FDA) nine years ago when our journal, Today’s FDA (TFDA), got a new editor. Dr. John Paul has been the editor during my entire career at the FDA, and it’s hard to believe that so much time has passed. He’s been a steadfast and encouraging leader during the past nine years to Director of Publications Jill Runyan, (now retired) Marketing Coordinator Lynne Knight, me and, more recently, Director of Communications Renee Thompson and Graphic Coordinator AJ Gillis. This June concludes Dr. Paul’s tenure as the FDA editor. The time has come for him to take his place in the executive line, beginning as FDA secretary at the June House of Delegates and becoming FDA president in 2025. We knew this day was coming, but now that it’s here, it’s bittersweet. One of the best things Dr. Paul has done as editor is allow us to take the creative reins and run with it. He’s provided us with the insight into the dentist’s mind, helping us to understand how our members would perceive something, which helped us shape strategy and creative content. His dry sense of humor was wellreceived within our department, which helped develop a strong and collegial rapport. We always looked forward to our annual meeting to plan out the following year’s editorial calendar for TFDA and everything the communications and publications department touched. He was always open to suggestions and would ask us to correct him if his perceptions were off the mark — they rarely ever were — but the ability to do so was there. He played into our strengths and encouraged me to write about something I’m passionate about (dogs) not once, not twice, but three times for TFDA. I’m incredibly grateful for those opportunities because it led me on a fulfilling path of volunteering with homeless dogs in my local animal shelter and continuing my education into applied animal behavior. I credit the research I did for that first (therapy dog) article to changing my life, and Dr. Paul was part of it. Dr. Paul has gone to bat for us numerous times and any time he was paid a compliment on the journal, he was quick to give us the credit. We’re a team; we truly felt that, and I think it showed in the output of what we created. We don’t know how we got so lucky to have him as our editor, but we thank the editorial gods for it. He was involved just the right amount — he trusted us to do our jobs, so he never micromanaged. He was always available when we needed him, which was often. “You’re the professionals,” he would say. He was “just there to guide” us. He provided answers to the things we didn’t understand since we weren’t the ones with the dental degree. Dr. Paul welcomed new and interesting ideas, so it was fun to pitch concepts and themes. The support and respect he showed helped to grow my confidence in my abilities and encouraged our team. Sometimes an idea might be out of left field and he could see the value in it, even if it was only a part of it. “Tell me a story,” he is famous for saying. How can we spin
JESSICA LAURIA COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA COORDINATOR
Ms. Lauria can be reached at jlauria@floridadental.org or 850.350.7115.
This marks Dr. John Paul’s final issue as FDA editor. We thank Dr. Paul for his nine years of dedicated service in this role as he moves on to serve as the FDA secretary.
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5. this topic to ask someone to write in a manner that told an interesting story, something that would make members want to pick up the journal and read it? The stories that connected to the human spirit and made you want to keep reading were like editorial gold. One of our favorite TFDA features is his (award-winning, ahem!) column, “Off the Cusp,” and we especially delighted in the random appearance of the (in)famous Mrs. Ida Mae Gruntbuns. This fictional character was a hoot and a half and represented anyone from the ill-advised patient who didn’t know any better all the way to supportive patient to cheer up a dentist exhausted by the perils of the pandemic we are in. Dr. Paul is the kind of leader who encourages you to do your best, celebrates your successes, and helps you grow as a person both personally and professionally. Working under his leadership has helped TFDA flourish and become the journal it is today. FLORIDADENTAL.ORG
Dr. Paul, we hope you know how much you are appreciated and will be missed. We hope to hear from you and Mrs. Gruntbuns soon.
Photos: 1. Dr. Paul, his wife, Sharon, and daughters, Brogan and Harper, enjoy a fun run. 2. Dr. Paul, Brogan and Harper spend a fun day at the beach. 3. Our 2020 department annual meeting with Dr. Paul and team. L to R: Renee Thompson, AJ Gillis, Jessica Lauria, Jill Runyan and Dr. Paul. 4. Dr. Paul accepting his many Charlie Awards. 5. Dr. Paul, Brogan and Harper on their way to a Valentine's Day dance. 6. This is what we do ... at our 2018 department annual meeting with Dr. Paul and team. L to R: Jessica Lauria, Dr. Paul, Lynne Knight (now retired) and Jill Runyan.
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1
leadership
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Coach
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Bureaucratic
Visionary
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9 Transactional
Transformational
What’s Your Leadership Style?
Servant
Autocratic
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8 Laissez-faire or hands-off
Pacesetter
7
Democratic
5
6 Dentists are leaders in their practices and their communities. While a certain leadership style may be impactful in a specific job, the best leadership is using a blend of these styles. Knowing what style to enforce in workplace situations comes with time, practice and emotional intelligence. Most leaders borrow from a variety of styles to achieve various goals at different times in their careers. By understanding each of these leadership styles and the outcomes they’re designed to achieve, you can select the right leadership style for any given situation.
1
Coach Described as: motivational
You may be a coaching leader if you: • • • • •
are supportive. offer guidance instead of giving commands. value learning as a way of growing. ask guided questions. balance relaying knowledge and helping others find it themselves. • are self-aware.
Source: indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/10-common-leadership-styles
Benefits Coaching leadership is positive in nature. It promotes the development of new skills, free-thinking and empowerment; it revisits company objectives and fosters a confident company culture. Leaders who coach often are seen as valuable mentors.
Challenges While this style has many advantages, it is more time consuming as it requires oneon-one time with employees. This may be difficult to obtain in a fast-paced environment with time-sensitive priorities.
2
Visionary Described as:
progress-focused and inspirational
Benefits Visionary leadership can help companies grow, unite teams and the overall company, and improve outdated technologies or practices.
You may be a visionary leader if you are: • • • • • • •
persistent and bold. strategic. willing to take risks. inspirational. optimistic. innovative. magnetic.
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Servant Described as:
humble and protective
You may be a servant leader if you: • • • • •
4
motivate your team. have excellent communication skills. personally care about your team. encourage collaboration and engagement. commit to growing your team professionally.
Autocratic Described as:
authoritarian and results-focused
You may be an autocratic leader if you: • • • • • • •
have self-confidence. are self-motivated. communicate clearly and consistently. follow the rules. are dependable. value highly structured environments. believe in supervised work environments.
Challenges Visionary leaders may miss important details or other opportunities because they’re so focused on the big picture. They also may sacrifice the resolution of present-day issues because they are so future-oriented, which could leave their teams feeling unheard.
Benefits Servant leaders have the capacity to boost employee loyalty and productivity, improve employee development and decision-making, cultivate trust and create future leaders.
Challenges Servant leaders can become burnt out as they may put the needs of their team above their own. They may have a hard time being authoritative when they need to be and the organization’s goals may be at risk if the servant leader is only focused on the needs of his or her immediate team.
Benefits Autocratic leaders can promote productivity through delegation, provide clear and direct communication, and reduce employee stress by making decisions quickly on their own.
Challenges This style of leadership can cause stress to the leader by bearing all the weight of the decision-making. The lack of flexibility and rigidness, as well as the lack of interest in hearing the ideas from others, can cause resentment on the team.
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Laissez-faire Described as:
autocratic and delegatory
You may be a laissez-faire leader if you: • • • • • • •
6
delegate effectively. believe in freedom of choice. provide sufficient resources and tools. take control if needed. offer constructive criticism. foster leadership qualities in your team. promote an autonomous work environment.
Democratic Described as:
supportive and innovative
You may be a democratic leader if you: • value group discussions. • provide all information to your team when making decisions. • promote a work environment where everyone shares their ideas. • are rational. • are flexible. • are good at mediation.
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Pacesetter Described as:
helpful and motivational
You may be a pacesetter leader if you: • • • • • •
set a high bar. focus on goals. are slow to praise. will jump in to hit goals if needed. are highly competent. value performance over soft skills.
Benefits This style encourages accountability, creativity and a relaxed work environment. Because of this, it also can increase employee retention.
Challenges This style does not work well for new employees, as they need guidance and hands-on support in their early days. This method also can lead to a lack of structure, leadership confusion and employees feeling a lack of support.
Benefits Under this leadership style, employees can feel empowered, valued and unified. It has the power to boost retention and morale. It also requires less managerial oversight, as employees are typically part of decision-making processes and know what they need to do.
Challenges This leadership style has the potential to be inefficient and costly as it takes a long time to organize big group discussions, obtain ideas and feedback, discuss possible outcomes and communicate a decision. It also can add social pressure to members of the team who don’t like sharing ideas in group settings.
Benefits Pacesetting leadership pushes employees to hit goals and accomplish business objectives. It promotes high-energy and dynamic work environments.
Challenges Pacesetting leadership also can lead to stressed-out employees as they are always pushing toward a goal or deadline. The fast-paced work environment fostered under this style can create miscommunications or a lack of clear instructions.
8 8 Transformational Transformational
Benefits Benefits
Transformational leadership valuesvalues per- perTransformational leadership sonal connection with their team, which sonal connection with their team, which Described as: as: Described can boost company morale and retention. can boost company morale and retention. challenging and communicative challenging and communicative It alsoItvalues the ethics of theof company also values the ethics the company and team of being overlyoverly focused on achieving and instead team instead of being focused on achieving You may a transformational leader if you: You be may be a transformational leader if you: goals.goals. • have respect with your • mutual have mutual respect withteam. your team. Challenges • provide encouragement. Challenges • provide encouragement. • inspire othersothers to achieve their goals. • inspire to achieve their goals. Since Since transformational leaders look at transformational leaders look at • think of theof big picture. • think the big picture. individuals, it can itcause team or company individuals, can cause team or company • place value value on intellectually challenging your your • place on intellectually challenging wins to go to unnoticed. TheseThese leaders also also wins go unnoticed. leaders team.team. can overlook detailsdetails as they big-piccan overlook asare they are big-pic• are •creative. are creative. ture thinkers. ture thinkers. • have gooda understanding of organizational • ahave good understanding of organizational needs.needs.
9 9
Transactional Transactional Described as: as: Described
performance-focused performance-focused
Benefits Benefits
Transactional leaders facilitate the achieveTransactional leaders facilitate the achievement ment of accomplishments through short-shortof accomplishments through term goals clearly defined structure. term and goalsa and a clearly defined structure.
You may a transactional leader if you: You be may be a transactional leader if you: • • • • • •
10 10
value corporate structure. • value corporate structure. micromanage. • micromanage. don’t question authority. • don’t question authority. are •practical and pragmatic. are practical and pragmatic. value goal-hitting. • value goal-hitting. are •reactionary. are reactionary.
Bureaucratic Bureaucratic
Challenges Challenges
BeingBeing overlyoverly focused on short-term goals goals focused on short-term and not having long-term goals can and not having long-term goalscause can cause a company to struggle with adversity. a company to struggle with adversity. This style creativity and isand unmotiThis stifles style stifles creativity is unmotivatingvating to employees who aren’t incentivized by moneto employees who aren’t incentivized by monetary rewards. tary rewards.
Benefits Benefits
This leadership style can efficient in orgaThis leadership stylebecan be efficient in organizations that need to follow strict rules and nizations that need to follow strict rules and Described as: as: Described regulations. Each person in thein team/comparegulations. Each person the team/compahierarchial and duty-focused hierarchial and duty-focused ny hasny a clearly defined role, which leads leads to has a clearly defined role, which to efficiency. These leaders separate work from efficiency. These leaders separate work relationfrom relationYou may a bureaucratic leader if you: You be may be a bureaucratic leader if you: ships to avoid clouding the team’s abilityability to hit to goals. ships to avoid clouding the team’s hit goals. • are •detail-oriented and task-focused. are detail-oriented and task-focused. • value rules and Challenges • value rulesstructure. and structure. Challenges • have great work ethic. • ahave a great work ethic. This style promote creativiThis does style not does not promote creativi• are •strong-willed. are strong-willed. ty, which can feel to some ty, which canrestricting feel restricting to some • have commitment to your • ahave a commitment toorganization. your organization. employees. This leadership style also employees. This leadership styleisalso is • are •self-disciplined. are self-disciplined. slow to change and doesn’t thrivethrive in an in an slow to change and doesn’t environment that needs to be to dynamic. environment that needs be dynamic.
FEELS LIKE HOME EVEN IN UNFAMILIAR ENVIRONMENTS Each time I visit Tallahassee I am struck by its differences to South Florida. Driving northbound and away from the glare of heat and sun through the palm trees, you eventually find yourself traveling these breezy, romantic roads lined with pine trees and the fragrant open spaces of magnolias and camellias. Is this a different state?
DR. QUEANH PHAN
Dr. Phan is general dentist in Naples, Fla. and can be reached at dr.phan@fantasticdentalarts. com. This article was originally published in Capital Report, Vol. 28, No. 2.
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During a recent visit to our state capital, I found myself walking down a quiet path in a forest when memories from my childhood spent in Vietnam came to me — peace and happiness walking among bamboo. What an interesting experience that one can have the exact same emotions in such different worlds, that you can feel “at home” even in
TODAY'S FDA MAY/JUNE 2021
unfamiliar environments when the setting is just right. For me, this idea hit home when I had the opportunity to serve as a Legislative Contact Dentist (LCD) on behalf of the Florida Dental Association (FDA). Talk about a different landscape of experience! As a first time LCD, I got to meet with our state senators and representatives. The role of an LCD involves discussing important dental issues and the latest professional matters that are vital to our dental profession. It is a chance to be a voice for our dentists and learn about the policies and laws that impact our work. I was excited, and yet terrified. After all, I may be an expert in dentistry, but not in politics. How can I talk to lawmakers FLORIDADENTAL.ORG
and politicians? In a tortuous throwback to dental school, I studied for nights on end, absorbing as much information as I could on issues that we are fighting for and memorizing exactly what to say.
LCD
The morning of my appointment, I wanted to tell our FDA staff that I was completely prepared and wanted to make them proud. To my surprise, Joe Anne Hart said, “Don’t worry, we are coming with you. You can relax and speak whenever you please.” I was touched, as a weight lifted off my shoulders and realized that I had just found something reassuringly positive and familiar in a strange land — the feeling of support and camaraderie. Our lobbyists, Joe Anne Hart and Alexandra Abboud, are incredibly knowledgeable, professional and encouraging. They knew every legislator in the Capitol we met with and were quick to introduce me. Meetings with lawmakers that day turned out to be a wonderful experience and very productive. It was professional yet relaxed, and a fascinating look into how policies and laws are made. I realized that the strange and often rocky terrain of politics is populated by normal people like you and me. It is obvious that a politician’s knowledge of dentistry is small in scope and they rely on our expertise to inform them about important industry issues. The LCD program develops that relationship with local legislators with community events and campaign support. Indeed, I am proud to say that we are the Tooth Party that supports candidates who advocate for our profession. I am grateful to our FDA leadership who have shown such commitment and would like to recognize Drs. Rudy Liddell, Zack Kalarickal, Andy Brown and Jerry Bird. These dentists have made it their mission to represent us well at the Capitol. They serve as my role models and I hope yours, too. Join us as an LCD to help improve our profession, create our vision and have your voice heard. And do not worry about the different landscape — you will always see friendly, familiar faces. Wishing everyone a healthy 2021!
FLORIDADENTAL.ORG
Dr. Queanh Phan with Rep. Bob Rommell during an LCD visit to Tallahassee.
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It is a chance to be a voice for our dentists and learn about the policies and laws that impact our work.
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leadership
LEADING YOUR DENTAL TEAM, LEADING YOUR COMMUNITY While in dental school or starting out in practice, I would have never imagined myself as a good leader. I’m sure my friends and professors from back then are laughing as they read about me writing on the topic of leadership. Some people are born leaders but, in my case, it was developed over time. So, if you feel like you may fit into my shoes, I have some advice that has helped me to become a leader in practice and the greater community.
DR. BRIAN RASK
Dr. Rask is a general dentist in Pompano Beach and can be reached at braskdmd@yahoo. com.
Photo: Dr. Rask and his team take some time to enjoy the Christmas holiday.
I was exposed to some excellent leadership, management and customer service principles through The Pankey Institute continuum and Seattle Study Club meetings and symposiums, particularly “Dentist as CEO.” Not only did I learn approaches and techniques from great dentists and leaders of business and industry, but also these presenters recommended many terrific books that led to my development as a leader. If you can implement just a few principles from a worthwhile book or TED talk, you’ll see your leadership skills steadily grow. Most dentists are micromanagers, but that’s a tough way to lead a dental team. Being a teacher and guiding your staff to an elevated level of competency in their roles will allow you to step back and empower your team. I’ve learned systems taught by others that I’ve incorporated into my practice and they steer the ship. As a leader, you need to provide continuous training for your team. Whether it is one-on-one for a specific task or team
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meetings and continuing education courses for everyone, plan time in your schedule to educate your team. While being a leader, make sure you still have fun and don’t hesitate to do a job below your paygrade. Sometimes a team member will not buy into your philosophies or be able to carry out their duties to your expectations, even with your best training efforts. For me, the toughest job as a leader is to be able to let someone go, no matter how much you may like the person. Remember, you cannot be a successful leader without a great team. They’re the ones who allow you to confidently walk into or out of a room knowing that all the bases are covered. When I was starting out as an associate dentist, I didn’t have a leading senior dentist to help me develop. I recently hired my first associate and I’m learning and implementing a whole new direction of leadership skills. For a new graduate transferring from corporate dentistry to a comprehensive and interdisciplinary focused practice, I’ve had him watch and practice exams and procedures the way we perform them before completing them on his own. We have weekly case reviews to discuss the best way to treat his upcoming patients, reflect on what has gone well thus far and plan improvements on future cases. Also, giving hands-on training with procedures, lab work and new technologies before seeing patients will dramatically build up FLORIDADENTAL.ORG
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Sometimes you meet or exceed your expectations, but when you don’t, it’s not failure, but rather an opportunity.
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their competency to your expectations. Releasing control is one of the hardest things for me, but this type of developmental leadership is something that will allow me to let go confidently and will help my leadership skills further grow.
Another way being a leader has benefitted my personal growth and my practice is in the community. By being a member and past president of the Pompano Beach Exchange Club (a service organization), a committee chair for local Chamber of Commerce events and numerous fundraisers, a past area director for the Broward County Dental Association, youth sports coach, and class representative for the University of Florida College of Dentistry Academy of Alumni and Friends, I’ve gained confidence in public speaking, planning and goal setting, adaptation and accountability. I’ve learned to set the bar high and try things differently. Sometimes you meet or exceed your expectations, but when you don’t, it’s not failure, but FLORIDADENTAL.ORG
rather an opportunity. Leaders learn from their past experiences and improve their strategies as they try again. If you desire to grow further or need to hone your leadership skills, I suggest signing up for courses at The Pankey Institute, which not only teach you how to perform excellent dentistry, but also become a great leader, manage your finances and balance your life. Get involved in your community, organized dentistry or your local government to make a positive difference. Finally, some books that I would recommend reading include: “The Dichotomy of Leadership,” “The Fred Factor,” “7 Tenets of Taxi Terry,” “Leaders Eat Last,” “The One Thing,” “The Potential Principle” and “Principle Centered Leadership.” I would like to thank Drs. Irwin Becker, Lee Ann Brady and Steve Rimer, as well as Kirk Behrendt, who are some of the many individuals who have helped me develop on my journey as a leader in my practice and beyond. TODAY'S FDA
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The Paragon Program
American Sensor Tech Aftco
Your
BACKSTAGE
ALL ACCESS
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leadership
GETTING MORE OUT OF PEOPLE THAN THEY KNEW THEY HAD TO GIVE
DR. ARNELLE R. WRIGHT
Dr. Wright is a general dentist in Winter Springs. She is the 17th District representative to the ADA New Dentist Committee and editor for the Dental Society of Greater Orlando. She can be reached at arnellewrightdmd@gmail.com.
Photo: Dr. Wright and her team.
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Leadership in dentistry is one of my favorite topics to discuss. This is primarily because of the value I place on my role as the leader of the team, while being the clinician, among other things. In general, I believe there’s a leader within each of us; however, some are more inclined to exercise the skill than others. Although the dental team is comprised of various positions that contribute to the daily operation of the practice, I believe that the expressed expectation(s) of the dentist only empowers others to perform their roles with ease. Leadership is considered a glamorous role to some, while others understand that the person with the title has shared responsibility in both the challenges and successes of the operation, whatever that may be. When I graduated from the University of Florida College of Dentistry, I set out to begin my career by implementing all that I’d learned clinically, while also partnering with the team I’d eventually work with, and well, lead. Although it has evolved over time, here’s what that looks like for me: I started by investing time in evaluating the contribution each team member makes to the practice, despite their official “title.” This includes several engaging discussions to understand
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what they love, what they do well and areas where improvements can be made. I’ve modeled this approach after the overall concept in the book, “Strengths Finder 2.0,” by Tom Rath. After reading this text, I embraced the simple, yet underused idea of a strengthsbased approach to my life, and it easily infiltrates my work. Apart from evaluating parts of the whole, I believe that my interest in both patient care and smooth operations conveys a level of commitment to the team that increases their engagement. As a member of the American Dental Association (ADA) New Dentist Committee, I’m constantly adding to my leadership skill set and interests. I have the unique opportunity to work alongside various dentists across the country who, like me, take pride in contributing our knowledge, perspective and experiences to advance the dental field at large. The ADA New Dentist Committee is filled with innovative, progressive thinkers who also help me continue to do the same. I’m able to learn more about organized dentistry, which its value was ingrained into my dental DNA during my predoctoral training. Because of what I’m learning, I’m also able to teach it to my close colleagues and my team. In my role on the ADA New Dentist Committee, I hope FLORIDADENTAL.ORG
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to bring fresh ideas to the 17th District and serve new dentists by introducing them to practical ideas of organized dentistry, while also bridging the gap between my seasoned and newly practicing colleagues. This affords me growth opportunities while representing new dentists, the tripartite, my team and myself well. When I grow as a clinician and leader, those connected to me will have the opportunity to do the same.
My idea of leadership isn’t the one where I’m at the center, although that is an accepted concept of old. After reading the book, “Multipliers,” by Liz Wiseman, I realized just how strongly I resonated with the ideal leadership culture of “getting more out of people than they knew they had to give.” That in mind, my primary goal as a leader of any group is to exercise foresight for the direction of the practice, while inviting my team to partner with me in its execution.
FLORIDADENTAL.ORG
Although the dental team is comprised of various positions that contribute to the daily operation of the practice, I believe that the expressed expectation(s) of the dentist only empowers others to perform their roles with ease.
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leadership
DOES TEAMWORK MAKE THE DREAM WORK?
DR. ADRIAN PARUAS
Dr. Paruas is a general dentist is Hollywood, Fla. and can be reached at adrianparuasdmd@ gmail.com.
Photos: 1. Dr. Paruas with sons, Adrian “AJ” and Dominic. 2. Dr. Paruas and his team take some time to celebrate a team member’s birthday.
Teamwork makes the dream work. This is a statement we all heard for years, but is it truth or is it just another cliché? I can tell you without any uncertainty that it’s true. How do we incorporate such a statement into our dental practices? For me, it was easy — I chose to practice dentistry how I live my life. This includes some very simple principles. 1) Honesty is always the best policy. 2) Practice what you preach. And my favorite principle is: 3) Don’t talk about it, be about it. What does this all really mean? In our practice, it involves leading by example. Gaining our team’s respect by common sense treatment plans and being empathetic and compassionate in the most difficult of scenarios. I always look at a situation as if I were the patient. What would be ideal and make the most logical sense if it were my mouth that needed the dental work? Don’t sacrifice your moral compass for the financial gain of the business. At times this may be difficult, but it ensures that you gain not only the patients’ trust, but also the trust of your staff. Having a staff whose doctors are moral and ethical goes a long way. You are breeding a culture in your office that will rub off on those around you. When they know that you care, they care. It really is that simple. How does a new practitioner get to this point? It takes time. Be patient and trust in what you have learned in your moral/ethical decision-making. I’ve been blessed to have worked with many great and honest dentists
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who have shown me the way things should be. I also was fortunate to find a business partner whose dental ideologies mimic mine. This is crucial for those who want to partner with a dentist or become an associate for a dental office. Like minds produce like results. Everyone needs to be on the same page. Discussing problems as they arise is key. Never avoid office problems, as they will only grow in time. In my practice, our office manager, partner and I discuss issues almost daily. Although we try to keep it to regular business hours, it sometimes will carry on into the evening with some casual text messages back and forth to resolve any lingering issues. Leveraging this technology has opened the lines of communication for us and given us transparency that prior to texting, dental offices did not have. Having them as my teammates has made dentistry easier and alleviated some of the tumultuous stress of running a dental practice. Lastly, how does a practice thrive if your mental and physical health is not optimal? This is something that we stress in our practice. Coming full circle of leading by example is how we motivate our staff. Simply put, it’s how we live our daily lives. How we carry ourselves in and out of the practice. Being respected by not only our community, but also by our peers. We also have active personal lives. I am a devoted husband, father of two boys (11 and 9) and dentist. Our staff knows our healthy lifestyle of eating a well-balanced FLORIDADENTAL.ORG
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Be patient and trust in what you have learned in your moral/ethical decision-making.
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diet, exercising and training hard in the gym. This in turn helps us to work just as hard in our day-to-day practice. The mind, body and soul must always be in harmony. When you achieve this, you will achieve greatness in your dental practices. So, you see, teamwork does make the dream work. Lead by example, and it will continue to pay dividends.
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Photo: Drs. Ryan Caudill and Angie McNeight along with their team.
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Leadership in the dental field takes on many forms. From leading our own team members in the office every day to our involvement in organized dentistry and in our communities, we find ourselves called to be leaders more often than we realize. Effective leaders are passionate, committed, inquisitive, solicitous and available. They lead with integrity, handle conflict fairly and maintain confidentiality where required. While some of these qualities are inherent to the individual’s personality, many of these traits and abilities can be improved through learning opportunities and practice. Leadership within a dental practice is frequently combined with management, and the lines are commonly blurred between the two. Leaders formulate ideas and motivate their teams to understand the vision they have set forth. Managers focus on the day-to-day activities, setting measurable goals to report
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success. In small businesses, these two roles often are combined and frequently overlap. My partner, Dr. Ryan Caudill, and I own and manage our office, and we work hard to be as organized and clear as possible to our 18 team members. We spend time training them, outlining expectations and cultivating problem-solving skills to improve selfawareness. Our morning huddles, monthly team meetings, and yearly staff reviews keep everyone focused on common goals and ensure processes are consistently followed. We also take each team member to lunch once a year on their own with the doctors to get to know each other better. Our yearly patient appreciation parties and team-building days outside the office setting are some of our favorite memories together and help strengthen these relationships. I am a more effective leader when I better understand the person I am leading. FLORIDADENTAL.ORG
Leadership outside the office in our communities and professional organizations can be a challenge with varying personalities and leadership styles. Staying positive and focusing on the task at hand are helpful in achieving a favorable result that benefits everyone. At Dentists’ Day on the Hill each year, I am reminded that community leaders are looking to us for guidance on critical issues, and actively listening to understand others is the first step. I’ve found that the most important piece of leadership is cultivating personal relationships. Becoming genuinely interested in others and getting to know them on a personal level builds trust and rapport. I aim to bring others into the conversation as much as possible, creating a safe space to voice opinions while encouraging others to listen and reflect attentively. This is especially important in our virtual (Zoom) meeting spaces, where having your camera on, being engaged and calling on those who may be more reserved is essential for ensuring everyone’s perspectives are heard and team decisions are made. As a leader, I also strive to be as available and responsive as possible, ensuring fellow colleagues and community members have my cellphone number so they can easily reach me at any time. Responding to emails, texts, phone calls and social media messages in a timely manner (aka as quickly as possible) is a vital sign of respect. As the Leadership Development Committee (LDC) chair of the Florida Dental Association, my charge is to improve leadership within our association. Our yearly LEAD: Leaders Emerging Among Dentistry event is one of the opportunities you can take part in to improve your own leadership skills with seminars related to public speaking, social media for leaders and effective meeting management. As a committee, we work together to find people who are interested in leadership positions within the FDA and help guide them on their leadership journeys. We also collect applications and nominate candidates for the speaker of the house, treasurer/treasurer-elect and editor positions of the FDA. One of the most important jobs of every volunteer leader is to find your own replacement. You know what it takes to do the job better than anyone, so finding the right person to fill your shoes will ensure they continue on a forward path, building on what you put in place. Encouraging colleagues to join a committee is wonderful but mentoring them along the way is what truly fosters leadership. The LDC helps find these leaders and cultivates them for success.
leadership
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I’ve found that the most important piece of leadership is cultivating personal relationships. Becoming genuinely interested in others and getting to know them on a personal level builds trust and rapport.
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I strive every day to improve my own leadership skills through building relationships, communicating clearly and showing integrity. Reflecting on your leadership strengths as well as areas that need improvement will help you become the best leader you can for your team, your colleagues and your community.
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leadership
REDUCE YOUR STRESS FOR HEALTH AND HAPPINESS Stress: We all know it, feel it, hate it. And we all deal with it differently. Stress can make some of us ill, while others say they thrive in their high-stress modes. But what is it doing to us, our bodies, our families and our work families? And what in the world can we do to decrease our stress, or at the very least, deal with it effectively?
DR. JENEE WARE
Dr. Ware is a general dentist in Vero Beach and can be reached at jware@warefamilydentistry. com.
Photo: Dr. Ware and team get ready to hit the COVID piñata.
As a small-business owner, dentist, mom, wife and cancer warrior, I’d say I know stress pretty well. For the past few years, I’ve had to find some new and creative ways to deal with stress to keep it from taking over my body and my life. So, what do you do? I’m no expert, but here are some tips I’ve learned along my journey to health and happiness. First, you must take care of yourself as the leader, the owner, the bread winner. Take a break, maybe even take a day off work (gasp!). I know, your family, patients and staff all rely on you! But a day off won’t kill anyone, while not taking a needed break may push you past that imaginary threshold and put you into crisis management or full-blown mental breakdown territory. So, just do it! Relax, try something new: yoga, massage, a day at the beach. Something to recharge and refuel your mind, body and soul, so you can be the best leader and best dentist possible. Plan to do this regularly. Now that we’re all relaxed — ha! — how can we help our staffs? Especially now, with all the changes due to COVID-19, staff stress levels are at an all-time high. We spend so
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much time at work with our staffs that my first suggestion is to make sure you have the right staff. Staff that supports you, has a great attitude and takes care of your patients like family. If you don’t, then it’s time to make a change. I was always told to hire slow and fire fast. Getting rid of that toxic, energy-sucking employee will change your office, your life, your team members’ lives and your patients’ experiences. Set that toxic employee free, so they can find their happiness somewhere else. If you have a name in mind — you know, that one employee who drains you, demands the world, is never happy —that’s the one who needs to go. Then celebrate freeing them and watch the changes in your office. It’s amazing! On that same note, I had a mentor tell me once that the best thing you could ever do for your staff was to dismiss the patients that drain them. Once a year, ask your staff to name three patients who they cringe at when their name is on the schedule or fight over who answers the phone when their name pops up on caller ID. Trust me, your staff will know these names off the top of their heads. They may all even have the same names in mind. Then dismiss them; maybe one, or maybe the top three problem makers. If you want your staff to have your back, you must have theirs — always. Allow these unhappy patients to find the right dental home for themselves. Now that you have the right staff and fewer problem patients, take some time to appreciFLORIDADENTAL.ORG
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If you’re not having morning huddles and team meetings, start there. It’s important that everyone starts the day on the same page and anticipates any issues.
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FLORIDADENTAL.ORG
ate your rock stars and their hard work. If you’re not having morning huddles and team meetings, start there. It’s important that everyone starts the day on the same page and anticipates any issues. Make the first few meetings boring. Go over the numbers, the price of gloves, put out any fires, talk about any issues that you just never have time to resolve. Then schedule a meeting and surprise them with something fun. It could be anything from a simple catered lunch to a day at the spa to anything in between. Something not dental-related for the staff to enjoy and have some fun together (socially distanced, of course!). Last year, everyone was stressed after coming back from being shut down from COVID-19. Too many new protocols, too much personal protective equipment (PPE), skyrocketing prices for PPE and budgets blown. We needed an outlet. What better way to take it out on COVID-19 itself? So, I ordered a COVID piñata, filled it with chocolate, scratch offs and tiny bottles of liquor (all the essentials, of course), and let my staff beat that piñata with all they had. It was the most fun the staff had had together in a while! You don’t have to be a party planner to plan something fun. I’m terrible at coming up with ideas, so I rely on friends, Facebook groups and Google. We’ll always have stress — difficult patients, staff issues, family and life in general. However, we all must cope with it and do our best by intentionally taking the time to better ourselves, our staff and our families. Remember, your staff needs you to take care of them, so they will always take care of you! To all the doctors out there, I wish you all the best in your journey to stay stress-free.
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TIPS TO MANAGE STRESS Stress. It’s safe to say we have all felt it, especially this past year of wearing masks and social distancing. You’re seeing it in your patients with increases in grinding and cracked teeth, but what about you and your dental team? Stress can affect nearly every part of our health, such as increasing our risk for heart disease and inhibiting the immune system, plus it can even affect those around you as well. As humans, we are in tune with each other and can sense someone else’s stress, which can then stress us out. It becomes a snowball within the practice or at home. Thankfully, there are ways we can actively reduce that stress snowball and improve our mental and physical health as a whole!
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Daily Activity
In the words of “Legally Blond” character Elle Woods, “Exercise gives you endorphins, and endorphins make you happy!” She’s correct: Exercise reduces the levels of adrenaline and cortisol in the body and increases our endorphins. Studies have shown that, over time, regular exercise helps us better respond to stressful situations and can improve overall mental health, as well as our physical strength, mobility, flexibility and cardiorespiratory health! Whatever activity you enjoy can make a difference, such as lifting weights, running, dancing, swimming, gardening or even playing tag with your kids. Current physical activity guidelines recommend 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise a week to gain these benefits, or 30 minutes of exercise five days a week.
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Sunshine
Have you ever gone for a walk through the park and you just felt so at ease? The warm sun on your face, birds chirping, trees rustling, kids laughing on the playground— it feels nice just thinking about it, right? Being outside in nature is shown to have a calming effect on the mind and can even have an energizing effect. Next time you’re feeling manic at the office, head outside for a quick walk during your lunch break. You’ll be able to get away for a moment and come back refreshed and ready for the afternoon.
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Balance Meals and Snacks
managing stress
It’s no secret that food is the fuel for our body, and when it’s properly fueled, it can more readily handle the everyday stresses of patients, leading a team and home life. Without proper fuel, that’s another layer of stress the body must handle. This is where you might have heard the term “hangry” before. It’s good practice to make sure all meals and snacks have a balance of carbohydrates, proteins and fats so that our cells have all the fuel necessary to keep us happy and functioning. All three macronutrients are crucial, but the exact ratio is up to you and your dietitian, of course. RACHEL STYS FDA SYSTEMS ADMINISTRATOR
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Ms. Stys can be reached at rstys@floridadental.org or 850.350.7153. She’s an ACEcertified group fitness instructor, specializing in Pilates and barre. She teaches people that exercise is about more than just weight loss and is acquiring her nutritional therapy practitioner credentials.
Mindful Quietness
This can take on many different forms — meditation, deep breathing exercises, prayer, yoga, etc. — but mindful quietness is the practice of turning off the outside world to focus within. Studies have shown just adding diaphragmatic breathing to your routine can reduce cortisol levels and can be effective for depression and anxiety as well as stress. So next time you’re ready to scream, find a quiet place even for just five minutes to breathe.
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Time Off
Just like stepping away for a quick walk outside or to practice some mindful quietness, sometimes we need to actually step away from the office. Whether it’s a day or a week, vacation time can help curb burnout and restore our energy.
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References:
Saying “No”
Although easier said than done, sometimes when we are already under a lot of stress, we still try to bring on more work and opportunities. However, we only have so much mental capacity. That one more thing could be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. Here’s where we must learn to say “no.” Are the benefits of this opportunity worth the stress of adding one more thing to your plate? Could something else be taken off your plate instead to make room for that new opportunity? You might have to say “no” to some things for the sake of your sanity, and that is perfectly OK.
urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?ContentTy peID=1&ContentID=2171#:~:text=Studies%20suggest%20 that%20the%20high,plaque%20deposits%20in%20the%20 arteries. health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/exercising-to-relax apa.org/monitor/2020/04/nurtured-nature ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2290997/ ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5455070/ acefitness.org/education-and-resources/professional/ certified/april-2019/7253/how-to-apply-the-new-physicalactivity-guidelines-for-americans-to-the-ace-integratedfitness-training-reg-model/
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Seek Help
Last, but certainly not least, I’d be remiss not to mention this crucial part: even professionals need professionals. Whether it’s confiding in a trusted colleague or family member, or seeking out a mental health professional, the help of others is crucial to our overall mental health. It could be as simple as asking someone to help cover some smaller tasks so you can concentrate on the larger one at hand or speaking with a counselor about how to handle certain thoughts and feelings. Seeking help can be a huge weight off your shoulders that can only help in the long run. Ultimately, taking control of our stress levels will not only benefit your own health, but also your dental team and patients as well!
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Books Books SHELF SHELF We need your help! bookshelf is overflowingand and we we are of of space! OurOur bookshelf is overflowing arerunning runningout out space! us make roomfor forthe thefuture future textbooks receive. HelpHelp us make room textbookswewe receive.
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Visit floridadental.org/books to view our Books on the Shelf and read past reviews written by your colleagues.
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Your requested book is sent to you to read and review. Book review guidelines are provided on floridadental. org/books.
Send the review to communications@floridadental.org and we’ll post your review on our website. Keep the book — at NO CHARGE — and add it to your own bookshelf!
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FLORIDA DENTAL ASSOCIATION GROUP PURCHASING ORGANIZATION AGREEMENT Pursuant to an agreement with TDSC.com, powered by Henry Schein (the “Agreement”), the Florida Dental Association (“FDA”) has formed a group purchasing organization (“GPO”). The GPO consists of all FDA members. By virtue of your FDA membership, you are a member of this GPO. The GPO was formed to leverage purchases of dental supplies from TDSC.com, powered by Henry Schein (“TDSC”). The FDA’s GPO enables members to secure discounts for these dental supplies from TDSC and create a revenue source for FDA. In addition to the discounts the GPO obtains for FDA members on their purchases FDA will receive an administrative fee not to exceed 3% of net sales during the first 5 years of the term of the Agreement. “Net sales” meaning gross sales of products purchased by GPO members through the TDSC website less returns, allowances, credits, sales or use taxes, shipping charges, etc. FDA shall disclose to the GPO members annually the total amount of administrative fees received by FDA and any other information it is required to disclose pursuant to 42 C.F.R. 1001.952(j) and other applicable law. FDA members are free to purchase dental supplies from any source they like. The establishment of the FDA GPO was only to secure discounts for FDA members on quality dental supplies and generate a revenue source for FDA. There is no obligation on the part of FDA members to utilize the GPO for their purchases of dental supplies. By purchasing dental supplies through TDSC you acknowledge the establishment of the GPO, your appointment of FDA as the administrator of the GPO, your agreement that you are a GPO member and your agreement to the terms described above. Please contact Scott Ruthstrom, at 850.681.2996, or by email at scott.ruthstrom@fdaservices.com, if you have any questions.
March 2021
FDAS: The Dentist Supply Company
Want to save more on supplies than you pay in dues? There is no better time to be an association member! Your benefits now include big savings on dental supplies and small equipment through TDSC.com, Powered by Henry Schein. Plus, with thousands of products available to ship next business day, it’s easier and more affordable to get the supplies you love from the brands you trust.
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Things to Know Before You Go … 1. COVID-19 ON-SITE PROTOCOLS
n The Florida Dental Convention (FDC) is closely monitor- ing the COVID-19 situation and will follow the advice and recommendations of the Centers for Disease Con trol and Prevention, Florida governor and local county and hotel ordinances. FDC will update attendees with finalized on-site protocols via email and on the FDC website three weeks prior to the convention.
n THURSDAY, JUNE 24 – 11 AM-6 PM n FRIDAY, JUNE 25 – 8:45 AM-6 PM n SATURDAY, JUNE 26 – 9 AM-2 PM n View the current exhibitor listing and find FDC-exclusive exhibitor coupons at exhibithall.floridadentalconvention. com.
n Play the NEW Tooth Hunt game for a chance to win a $100 Visa gift card! n To play, download the free FDC Mobile App, click on “scavenger hunt,” and log in using your FDC registration information.
n WEDNESDAY, JUNE 23 – 4-9 PM, HOTEL LOBBY n THURSDAY, JUNE 24 – 7 AM-8 PM, CITY HALL LOBBY or 4-9 PM, HOTEL LOBBY n FRIDAY, JUNE 25 – 7 AM-6 PM, CITY HALL LOBBY n SATURDAY, JUNE 26 – 7 AM-3 PM, CITY HALL LOBBY n If you are registered as “Exhibit Hall Only,” you will pick up your badge at the first-floor rotunda outside the Exhibit Hall.
8. LUNCH VOUCHER
3. ROOM FINDER/MOBILE APP
Download the FDC Mobile App to view your personal- ized FDC2021 course schedule and room locations. You also can download handouts, search exhibitors, view the event schedule, access the Gaylord Palms restaurant menus and much more! Search “FDC2021” in the Apple App store or Google Play to download beginning in June.
4. DOWNLOAD COURSE HANDOUTS n n
7. PLAY THE NEW TOOTH HUNT GAME IN THE APP
2. ON-SITE BADGE PICKUP
n n n
6. EXHIBIT HALL HOURS
Course handouts will be available within your online FDC2021 registration dashboard the beginning of June. In an effort to “go green,” FDC will not provide handouts on-site. Please print, download on your mobile device or view in the FDC2021 mobile app on-site.
n n
If you have purchased a Thursday morning and afternoon course, you will receive a $20 lunch voucher for Exhibit Hall concessions. Vouchers can be used Thursday through Saturday. Your lunch voucher will be automatically loaded onto your badge. Just tap and go during checkout!
9. SPEAKER HOST ORIENTATION
n If you have volunteered as an FDC Speaker Host, plan on attending an orientation meeting the day of your hosted course. o Morning hosted courses: 7-7:30 AM meeting o Afternoon hosted course: 11-11:30 AM meeting n You will pick up your host packet and your $20 lunch voucher will be activated at this meeting. n Interested in hosting? Volunteer at education.floridadentalconvention.com.
10. CE REPORTING
5. FREE PARKING & SHUTTLE SERVICE
n Per the Florida Board of Dentistry, to receive one hour of CE credit, you must be present in a course a minimum of 50 of the 60 minutes. n Your CE certificate will be emailed to you by Monday, June 28, or print yours at FDC each day from 7 AM- 5:30 PM. n CE credit will be reported to CE Broker for all Florida- licensed attendees by July 24, 2021.
n Free parking and shuttle service to the Gaylord Palms will be available at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports (700 S Victo- ry Way, Reunion, FL 34747). n Shuttle Hours: o THURSDAY, JUNE 24 – 7 AM-11:30 PM o FRIDAY, JUNE 25 – 7 AM-11 PM o SATURDAY, JUNE 26 – 7 AM-6 PM n Please allow ample time (at least one hour prior to course start) for parking and shuttle service.
JUNE 24-26, 2021
GAYLORD PALMS RESORT & CONVENTION CENTER
n
ORLANDO, FL
n
FLORIDADENTALCONVENTION.COM
DAWSON @ FDC2021! Dawson Seminar 2: ACHIEVING PREDICTABLE ESTHETIC RESULTS C06
DAWSON Seminar 2 C06 DR. LEONARD HESS & DR. DEWITT WILKERSON THURSDAY, JUNE 24 & FRIDAY, JUNE 25 9 AM-5 PM, BOTH DAYS OCCLUSION CE CREDITS: 14 AUDIENCE: DENTISTS, LABORATORY TECHNICIANS REGULAR
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Achieving Predictable Esthetic Results is the second dental seminar in The Dawson Academy’s “Concept of Complete Dentistry® Series.” This restorative dentistry course will provide attendees with the procedural knowledge to perform contemporary restorative procedures at the highest level. This course will leave each attendee with a clear understanding of the four options of treatment: reshaping, repositioning, restoring and surgical alternatives. Attendees will leave this course with an understanding of preliminary mouth preparation, such as necessary periodontal procedures and occlusal equilibration, necessary soft-tissue surgical procedures that provide an ideal gingival backdrop, tooth preparation for crowns and veneers, and soft-tissue management in conjunction with final impressioning techniques. Dawson Seminar 1 is not a prerequisite for this course.
register now at Floridadentalconvention.com
JUNE 24-26, 2021 GAYLORD PALMS RESORT & CONVENTION CENTER ORLANDO, FLORIDA
BEING OFFERED IN-PERSON FOR THE FIRST TIME AT FDC2021!
FDC2021 Speaker Preview
Total Health Dentistry: What’s it All About? What a strange and turbulent time to be in dental practice and leadership. All eyes are on us as to how we navigate for ourselves and our at-risk patients through this systemic disease threat. By now you know that dentists and hygienists are at the very top of the list of occupationally hazardous professions for COVID-19. This leaves many of us feeling anxious and wanting to help. DR. SUSAN MAPLES
Dr. Maples is the founder of Total Health Academy and developer of Hands-on Learning Lab and can be reached at susan@drsusanmaples.com. She is an FDC2021 speaker and will be presenting three courses. On Friday, June 25, “Seeing in the Mouth with Super Powered Eyes: Total Health Dentistry” is at 2 p.m. On Saturday, June 26, “Slaying Dragons: Acid Reflux and Diabetes Detection” is at 9 a.m. and “Creating Powerful Co-referral Relationships with Medical Professionals: Becoming a Practice of Distinction” is at 2 p.m.
This is a unique time — when every person asks themselves if they would be at risk of death or disability with an inadvertent COVID-19 exposure. We know that that the most at-risk segment of our population is those who are afflicted with airway disorders, obesity, insulin resistance (the precursor to diabetes) and metabolic syndrome. If you live a typical American lifestyle, these risks more than likely include YOU. But what does any of this have to do with the mouth? Everything! It wasn’t too long ago that dentists thought the mouth was its own private domain, that not much of what went on in there was linked to the rest of the body — and vice versa. Today, we understand that the most prevalent life-altering and life-threatening conditions we encounter have early telltale signs in the mouth. If you haven’t yet explored these, hang on to your seat — the evidence is staggering. Only a short time ago, dentists and hygienists didn’t know (for examples) that:
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Most sleep and airway disorders can be prevented by addressing structural/development concerns in newborns, babies and toddlers. Tooth decay is a preventable bacterial infection passed to babies from their caregivers’ saliva. Periodontal disease is a major risk factor for heart attack, stroke, dementia and erectile disfunction. Diabetes has a bidirectional relationship with periodontal disease, each making the other worse. Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection from oral sex would replace smoking as the single biggest risk factor for oral pharyngeal cancer. And this list goes on and on! Our patients’ weakened host-immune response is mostly a result of the most common ailments in our culture: oxygen/sleep deprivation; a defective, sugared-up food supply; and, a sedentary lifestyle. When a patient visits you for his or her three- or sixmonth preventive appointment, they bring you all the evidence. The mouth illuminates all the signs, and once you “see” them, it makes it impossible to “unsee” them. It’s time to embrace a personalized model for dental care, focused on far more than your teeth, gums, joints and muscles. By learning
FLORIDADENTAL.ORG
to identify the countless links and causes between systemic health and oral health, your entire dental team will soon play critical roles in helping each one of your patients (from age 1-100) live a healthier, happier and sexier life! In today’s health care environment, which is focused on using a host of medications to put out small fires, helping your patients identify the root cause of their diseases becomes a rare GIFT. From there, helping individualize a wellness track does several things for your practice: With your total health reputation, you will attract patients who value their health from a wide sweep around your practice location. By earning trust, you’ll also earn the right to perform some significant restorative dentistry. By collaborating with other health professionals, you’ll build a remarkable network of co-referral relationships and enhance the quality of your patient base. By focusing on integrative health, you’ll add value to the hygienists’ role and enhanced hygiene profitability through adjunctive testing. Through developing this sought-after niche, you’ll get the golden keys to insurance independence, if that is something you seek.
FLORIDADENTAL.ORG
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The mouth illuminates all the signs, and once you 'see' them, it makes it impossible to 'unsee' them.
”
If you thought enhancing a smile was exciting, try giving someone a new lease on a vital life, while you restore their mouth to optimal health as well. It won’t take long before it becomes your new passion. Total health dentistry is more than a compelling morale builder — it’s a way of life.
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FDC2021 Speaker Preview
A More Natural Approach to Oral Health
LANCETTE VANGUILDER, RDH, BS
Ms. VanGuilder is a clinician in private practice, owns and operates an independent mobile dental hygiene practice and is an internationally recognized continuing education speaker. She can be reached at lancettevg@gmail.com. She is an FDC2021 speaker and will be presenting three courses. On Friday, June 25, “Au Naturale: Oral Health and Homeopathic Trends” is at 9 a.m. and “The Jawbone is Connected to the Ankle Bone” is at 2 p.m. On Saturday, June 26, “Periodontal Disease Does Not Discriminate Based on Age” is at 9 a.m.
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There is a growing trend among the U.S. population to desire and seek out more natural options to treat and prevent disease and enhance the quality of life.1 Across the globe, natural practices are widely accepted and up to 80% of the world population uses complementary and alternative medicine.2 It’s estimated that at least 30% of the U.S. population have tried complementary and integrated health practices. Not only is this approach becoming more popular among the general population, but it’s also taught in medical schools and used by hospitals, home health, hospice and the U.S. military.3 The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting medical research within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and includes 27 institutes and centers.4 In 2014, the NIH renamed the department responsible for complementary and alternative medicine to more accurately reflect the combined use of conventional western medicine and the wide array of nonconventional practices.5 The new name is the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), which is the umbrella term used to describe the merge of conventional medicine and mind/body practices (yoga, meditation, self-care), natural products (vitamins, probiotics), complementary medicine (alternative medicine used in conjunction with conventional medicine), homeopathy (medicine formulated in a certain way from natural substances) and others, such as traditional Chinese medicine.6 The intent of
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this department is to support research using an integrative approach to enhance overall health, prevent disease and alleviate symptoms. When discussing various health approaches with our patients, it’s important to reiterate the NCCIH’s intent and stress that complementary and integrative health is not intended to cure disease, but instead to help people function and feel better. To date, some nonconventional practices have been well-studied, like acupuncture and chiropractic care, and are proven to be effective; others have not. Some have shown promise for certain conditions, but not others. Aloe, for instance, has been proven to help with lichen planus and herpes simplex, but is still under investigation for dental plaque and burning mouth syndrome.7 There are many reasons our patients may be seeking more natural ways to achieve health and wellness. Some may choose due to their upbringing and cultural background or where they live geographically. Some choose due to the cost effectiveness or accessibility, and many people are simply curious about new ways of doing things. Dental professionals are poised to be a collaborative partner in the health care delivery system. Being culturally sensitive to patients who prefer a more natural approach to oral health will enable better health outcomes, increased case acceptance and enhance the ability to deliver personalized, patientcentered care. I’m sure most of you have encountered patients who do not believe
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in fluoride or amalgam fillings. Many of you may have heard about brushing with charcoal for whitening and swishing with coconut oil to kill germs. Well, the newer oral health trends include toothpaste-making parties, Baltic amber teething beads, essential oils, CBD and aloe. Unfortunately, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (US-FDA) does not have the authority to test the safety and effectiveness of these products before they hit the market and federal law does not require them to do so.8 Dental practitioners can educate their patients on the lack of US-FDA involvement; citing concerns about safety, effectiveness and false hope. Natural doesn’t always mean safe and surely isn’t a cure-all for all that ails them. The health care of tomorrow will require the blending of research, science and being sensitive to people’s needs, wants and lifestyle preferences. The American Dental Association defines evidence-based dentistry as “an approach to oral health care that requires the judicious integration of systematic assessments of clinically relevant scientific evidence, relating to the patient’s oral and medical condition and history, with the dentist’s clinical expertise and the patient’s treatment needs and preferences.”9 It’s imperative for dental practitioners to be aware of the rising trends in more natural options and patient preferences. Dental practitioners also are encouraged to seek out resources when providing guidance on new and evolving trends. When looking for research, some options that may be helpful include searching sites like PubMed and NCCIH, consulting other health care providers, contacting manufacturers for evidence to back up claims, and attending continuing education on complementary and integrative health. It’s important for practitioners to be open minded about complementary and integrative health and the need for staying abreast about evolving science and research outside of conventional medicine.
Homemade Toothpaste Recipe Curious about a recipe for homemade toothpaste?* Try this one! q 2 Tablespoons coconut oil q 1 teaspoon xylitol q 1 teaspoon baking soda q 10 drops of essential oils (total); may blend several together. q Store in a sealed, glass container. *Intended for mild tooth cleaning. Not intended to prevent, treat or cure dental disease. Source: thethingswellmake.com/natural-homemadetoothpaste-recipes-tips-dentist
References: 1. verywellhealth.com/alternative-medicine-usage-in-the-us-88732 2. disabled-world.com/medical/alternative/holistic/care-statistics.php 3. nccih.nih.gov/#:~:text=Information%20and%20resources%20from%20 the%20National%20Center%20for,their%20roles%20in%20improving%20 health%20and%20health%20care. 4. nih.gov 5. nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/nih-complementary-integrativehealth-agency-gets-new-name 6. usnews.com/news/healthcare-of-tomorrow/articles/2017-07-12/whatis-alternative-medicine 7. nccih.nih.gov/health/aloe-vera 8. fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/fda-101-dietary-supplements 9. ebd.ada.org/en/about
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FDC2021 EXHIBIT HALL The 2021 Florida Dental Convention (FDC) presents industry leading exhibitors with the latest products, services and technologies. Stop by the booths of your current suppliers and connect with new ones for exclusive convention-only deals and to thank them for their support of FDC. Support the companies that support the Florida Dental Convention!
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Discover the latest products and services from vendors in these free 45-minute sessions created to help you succeed! Add these in your FDC2021 registration. View the list of Corporate Learning Corner sessions at education.floridadentalconvention.com.
EXHIBIT HALL HOURS Thursday, June 24 11 AM-6 PM Friday, June 25 8:45 AM-6 PM Saturday, June 26 9 AM-2 PM
FDC2021 EXHIBITOR LIST IA-
D
I-L.
A-dec Inc. A~flexX Assist Arm Abyde ACTEON North America ADA Practice Transitions ADS Dental System Inc. Advantage Technologies Affordable Dentures and Implants Air Techniques Alphaeon Credit American Dental Assistants Association Argen Refining ARKRAY USA Aseptico Inc. Aspen Dental Atlanta Dental Supply Atlantic Dental Solutions Augma Biomaterials Avalon Biomed
Dansereau Health Products Dental Care Alliance Dental Dynamic Staffing Dental Equipment Liquidators Inc. Dental Intelligence Dental Tribune America DentalHQ DentaSpa Seminars Dentistry Today Designs for Vision Inc. Diamond Dental Supply Digital Doc LLC Digital Resource DigitalHealthcareProfessionals Doctor’s Choice Doctors Internet Doral Refining Corp. DPC Technology DryShield
iCoreConnect.com iDental Credential Imetric 4D Imaging Sarl IMPLADENT LTD Implant Cases Now Implant Seminars Innovent Inc. Intelliscan 3D iTemp Dental Staffing KaVo Kenwood | CGX Videos Kerr Kettenbach Knight Dental Group KOMET USA Kuraray America Legally Mine Liberty Dental LumaDent Inc.
E-F
Mavrik Dental Systems Inc. MCNA Dental Plans MediLoupes Meisinger USA Microcopy Midnight Oil Dental Solutions Modern Doc Myofunctional Research Co. NADA PAYMENTS Neodent NichePractice Noble Metal Refining Noris Medical NSK America Corp. NSU-College of Dental Medicine
B BARKSDALE DENTAL LAB Beaverstate Dental Systems Benco Dental Bento Big Case Marketing LLC BioHorizons BIOLASE BlueBox Dental BrandMax Inc. Brasseler USA Brewer Company
C Capital Preservation Services LLC Carestream Dental Carl Zeiss Meditec Inc. CARR Christian Dental Association Christian Dental Society Classic Craft Dental Lab ClearCollect Coastal Professional Contracting Inc. Colgate COLTENE Cool Jaw By Medico Core Scientific Cortel Loupes CreditBench Powered by First Home Bank
Econologics Financial Advisors EdgeDental Specialties Elevate Oral Care Elite Payment Group FDA Foundation Five Lakes Dental Practice Solutions Florida Dental Association Florida Dental Association Services Florida Medical Advisors Florida PDMP Foundation/E-FORCSE Florida Probe Fotona LLC Four Quadrants Advisory
G-HI Garfield Refining Garrison Dental Solutions General Refining Corp. General Scientific/SurgiTel Systems Getsee & DeMeola LLC Glidewell Dental Gracey-Backer/Fortress Insurance Company GradFin Halyard Hawaiian Moon Henry Schein Professional Practice Trans Hiossen Hunza Dental
M-NI
O-PI Oozle Media Orascoptic Oxyfresh Pan-Am Dental Laboratory Perio Protect Peter J. Freuler Jr., PA, CPA Planmeca Podium Porter instrument PostcardMania Practice Alpha Practice Protection Predictable Surgical Technologies Provide
Q-RI
Quintessence Publishing Co Inc. Radiation Dectection Company RGP Dental Inc. Ritter Dental USA Royal Dental Group
SI Salvin Dental Specialities SciCan Inc. / Coltene Scratchpay SDI (North America) Inc. Shamrock Dental Company Inc. Shatkin F.I.R.S.T. LLC Shofu Dental Corporation Showcase Dental Laboratory LLC Simplifeye SmileFaith Snap On Optics Sodium Dental Southern Implants North America Special Olympics Florida Steszewski Medina, P.A. Straumann Streamhealth Group Summus Medical Laser Suncoast Credit Union Sunrise Dental Equipment Inc Superior Dental Designs & Upholstery Symmetry Dental Equipment
T-UI The Doctors Company The Solutions Team, Inc. The Transitions Group LLC Tomalty Dental Care Total Dental Implant Solutions Ultimate 3D Printing Store Ultradent Products Inc. Ultralight Optics Inc. Unified Smiles US Navy Medical Officer Programs
V-ZI Vatech America Inc. Vector Research & Development Video Dental Concepts Viora Virtus Financial Partner VitalertKit™ Water Pik Inc. Weave White Towel Services Inc. YAPI
Q-Optics & Quality Aspirators Exhibitor Listing as of April 27, 2021
hipaa
COMMON EMAIL COMPLAINTS AND HIPAA-COMPLIANCE CONFUSION To say “not all HIPAA-compliant email services are created equally” is a bit of an understatement.
ROBERT MCDERMOTT PRESIDENT AND CEO, ICORECONNECT
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Cloud-based, secure email has many benefits, especially in high-security, high-compliance and high-functionality industries like dentistry. Consider that security, compliance and functionality are the primary building blocks of your practice’s email. They must all connect in a way that makes your workflow faster and simpler. Many services show you something that looks great on the surface but lacks the infrastructure to truly improve your business. A key example is that many cloud services claim to be HIPAA compliant, but
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an unsettling number may only loosely meet federal law. Use this information to choose a secure email service that speeds up your workflow, reduces cost and provides full HIPAA-compliance protection.
It’s free and it claims to be HIPAA compliant! Many email services offer low- or no-cost service and claim compliance. Remember, you often get what you pay for. Many of these services provide only encryption as protection at the “free” level. While encryption is
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critical because it makes it harder to open a message traveling across the internet if a cybercriminal intercepts it, encryption alone doesn’t cut it. It’s just one of the requirements for compliance. HIPAA-compliant email must: authenticate recipients. control access with auto logoffs and more. transmit emails securely (encryption).
I can’t attach this large imaging file! Eliminate the error message telling you that your attachment is too big. The right service won’t restrict you to a certain size or number of files allowed in an attachment. Be sure to talk with your potential cloud service to make sure they do, indeed, offer a flexible service without file size limits, and at no additional cost.
I spend a lot of time logging in and out of various windows!
provide an audit trail for every message.
To speed up your workflow, look for a cloud-based service that integrates your regular email — Gmail, Hotmail, AOL, etc. — into the same interface as your HIPAA-compliant email. That means one login to access all email options.
securely store your electronic protected health information (ePHI) for six years to prevent loss, theft or damage.
It is worth taking a few minutes to evaluate the effectiveness and compliance level of your “secure” email. The simple change to an efficient, truly compliant email service can speed up your workflow, reduce stress and save money.
keep copies of unaltered records that are stored securely to prevent tampering.
I don’t want to get hacked! Spam and phishing attacks are the primary ways cybercriminals target dental practices. The most secure cloud-based service will be built on the DIRECT protocol, the federal government’s preferred standard for exchanging ePHI.
iCoreConnect is an FDA Services Crown Savings merchant. iCoreConnect's cloud-based, HIPAA-compliant email, iCoreExchange, is designed to speed up your workflow by eliminating unnecessary steps in your day and reducing the cost of doing business. Visit iCoreConnect.com/FDA for special pricing and a free iCoreExchange demo or call 888.810.7706.
“
Many email services offer low- or no-cost service and claim compliance. Remember, you often get what you pay for.
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iCoreConnect
Abyde
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Came for the insurance ... stayed to support my profession.
FDAS: Cyber Coverage
WARNING: YOUR DIGITAL PRACTICE FILES MAY BE AT RISK.
FDA Services strongly advises adding cyber coverage to your insurance portfolio. This is a growing threat and we are seeing the amount of claims increasing drastically. Call FDA Services today to get this coverage in place as soon as possible.
CALL OR TEXT US AT 850.681.2996.
FDC2021 Course Recordings PEOPLE.
PURPOSE.
PASSION.
PATHWAYS TO SUCCESS
Can’t make it in person to the 2021 Florida Dental Convention? Want your team to listen to courses they couldn’t attend? FDC2021 offers course recordings for you to purchase! Listen to the FDC2021 courses at the convenience of your home or office with these MP4 audio recordings! Course recordings are $20 each, or purchase all 75+ recorded sessions for $199*. Purchase your course recordings today at education.floridadentalconvention.com. * Discounted $199 offer expires on 7/10/2021. After this date, the price to purchase the full-convention package is $299.
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beyond the bite THE OFFICIAL BLOG OF THE FDA
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FDA: Radiography
AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHY IS GREAT FOR VACATIONS (JUST NOT GREAT FOR RADIOGRAPHY) Amateur radiography has no place in your practice. Don’t expect professional results without professional training. Be sure your dental assistants have the training and certification required by Florida law before they expose their first radiograph. The Florida Dental Association (FDA) Online Radiography program delivers what your assistants need and keeps you in compliance with the law. No travel. No time away from work. They train online, at their convenience and at their own pace. You sign off on their success. It’s affordable too! Just $285 per student for FDA members. Bring your entire team to visit us at booth #917 at the Florida Dental Convention June 24-26. They’ll have the chance to win a free voucher for radiography training or an instant camera! You can also learn more at MyDentalRadiography.com/fda.
radiography
NEW STRATEGY TO ADDRESS DENTAL ASSISTANT RECRUITMENT AND TRAINING Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, it was challenging to recruit and retain trained dental assistants. Many dental assistants who were unemployed as a result of the pandemicrelated closure of dental practices reconsidered their career choices when practices were able to reopen. For some, fear of contagion may have played a role in their decision not to return to work. Others who had been working for many years determined it was an opportune time to retire. Those who returned to work may have been uncomfortable with the new personal protection equipment required to practice safely and simply quit. Replacing the dental assistants who have left the workforce can be a challenge, especially since Florida is the third largest employer of dental assistants, behind California and Texas. Dentists across the country are raising the alarm about the shortage of dental assistants, a profession whose unemployment rate is just 2.4%, according to a recent U.S. News & World Report article. High demand and low unemployment rates create an environment in which dentists must find new ways to keep dental assistants on their teams and attract the new talent they need. Of course, a good income is attractive to prospective dental assistants. As non-degree jobs go, dental assisting is the 14th best field to go into, the U.S. News article asserts. Nationwide, the median pay for dental assists is $27 per hour, or $40,080 per year, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook, last updated in September 2020, states. In Florida, the average dental assistant earns $39,590, Forbes reported in January. The average wage paid to dental assistants in Florida increased just 10.6% between 2015 and 2019, while the inflation rate for the same period totaled 9.1%. Perhaps looking at what your practice pays dental assistants is one avenue to
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explore. Another time-honored but underused way to attract and keep your dental assistants is to provide good benefits. Paying part of employees’ health insurance premiums through a group health plan is a strong strategy to deploy. FDA Services (FDAS) can help you with health plans for your practice. Don’t overlook the value of establishing a 401K plan to help build the loyalty of all your employees. Contributions to health insurance premiums and 401K plans can be tax deductible; discuss this with your tax professional.
Grow Your Own Although there is a plethora of public and private programs for dental assisting that prepare your assistants well, often a non-clinical employee is advanced into a dental assistant position. In such cases, on-the-job training is essential. One component of such training should include radiography. Since anyone who exposes radiographs in a dental office is required to be certified to do so by the state of Florida, providing radiography training can be one of the biggest hurdles to overcome when onboarding a new home-grown dental assistant.
Remote Radiography Training Fortunately, the Florida Dental Association (FDA) offers an online radiography course to help you get any untrained dental assistant certified by the state. The FDA Online Radiography Training Program provides the professional development assistants want and need. The course is completed at the student’s leisure, safely from home, office or coffee shop — anywhere that has a reliable Wi-Fi connection. The training is interactive and provides foundational knowledge paired with hands-on experience. Here’s how it works.
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n First, the supervising dentist creates an account at mydentalradiography.com/fda and completes a brief tutorial about how the training works and their related responsibilities. Once the dentist’s tutorial is completed, which takes about 20 minutes, training vouchers for their assistant(s) can be purchased. Each voucher costs $285 for an FDA-member dentist. Non-members pay $385. When the voucher is purchased, the dental assistant that voucher is assigned to will receive an email advising that he or she has been enrolled in the training. n The assistant follows the link in the email to create an account and get started. The training is completed online at the student’s convenience. Start and stop at will, and the program remembers where the student left off. Do it by smartphone, tablet or desktop computer. There are nine sections in the course and each section has a quiz. Once all modules have been completed, the student takes an online test and passes it with a score of 80% or more. There are unlimited retakes! After the test is passed, the dental assistant has one more challenge: Successfully exposing a set of full-mouth radiographs, including four bitewings, under the supervising dentist’s supervision. There can be up to five retakes. Here are the final steps: n The supervising dentist logs into his or her account and signs off on the full-mouth radiographs for the student to receive a certificate of completion. The certificate is always available in the student’s account. n The student then submits the certificate of completion to the state of Florida, which issues its certification.
What Your Peers Think Since the FDA began offering mydentalradiography.com training in 2019, more than 225 dental assistants have completed the course under the supervision of some 200 dentists. Several dentists have used the program to train multiple assistants. “The decision to have our assistants enroll in the FDA Online Radiography Program was an no-brainer decision for us. We were confident they were receiving the most updated information possible in an easy to understand way. The online portal was user-friendly for doctors to enroll their team members and for team members to navigate through the course. My team liked not having to physically go anywhere else to take the course. Highly recommend!”— Dr. Angela McNeight FLORIDADENTAL.ORG
The ability for an employee to complete the training on his or her own schedule, and without time away from other obligations, is valued by Dr. Rudy Liddell, of Tampa. “When my hygiene assistant, who is a single mom, inquired about getting her radiography certification, I immediately thought of the FDA Online Radiography program,” Dr. Liddell said. “This is a program that can be administered online and training provided in the office. In a few short weeks, she completed the program and received her radiography certification. Great program!”
Investing in Your Dental Assistants Recognizing the contributions dental assistants make to your team can go a long way toward making them feel valued and appreciated. In addition to the small voucher fee to ensure your dental assistants are trained and certified in radiography, show them you appreciate their expertise by investing in their professionalism. Consider paying for their membership in the American Dental Assistants Association. National membership costs $125 and includes $50,000 professional dental assisting liability insurance and $2,000 accidental death and dismemberment insurance; state dues are $25. Encourage your assistants to participate in their association’s activities and professional development. There doesn’t appear to be any relief from the dental assistant shortage on the horizon. By deploying some of the strategies contained in this article, and by using the FDA Online Radiography Training program, you will have a fighting chance to retain the dental assistants you have, be able to maximum their skills, and get the upper hand in recruiting new assistants by including the benefits you offer in your employment ads or social media posts. If you have questions about providing benefits to your dental team, contact FDAS at 800.877.7597. To learn more about the FDA Online Radiography Training program, call 850.681.3629. Stop by booth 917 at the Florida Dental Convention, June 25-26, in Orlando to learn more about the program and for a chance to win a free training voucher or a instant camera.
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PSC Group, Inc.
DRS. AUSTIN BELKNAP*, DONALD M. COHEN, NEEL BHATTACHARYYA, AND NADIM M. ISLAM
A 37-year-old male was referred to the Oral Medicine Clinic at the University of Florida College of Dentistry for evaluation of painful and diffuse ulcerations throughout the oral cavity that began six months prior. The patient was previously evaluated by an oral surgeon, ENT and GI specialist who attempted multiple treatment modalities, including antifungal, antibiotic, and both systemic and topical steroids. The GI specialist did an esophageal biopsy, which proved to be a nonspecific ulcer. The patient stated that only the topical steroids provided temporary symptomatic relief. The medical history was mostly non-contributory except for a significant 30-pound weight loss due to difficulty eating and extreme fatigue. This also was affecting the patient’s ability to perform well in his occupation. Intraoral examination was difficult to complete due to limited mouth opening. Extensive diffuse ulcerations and sloughing of the mucosa was present throughout the oral cavity as seen in Fig. 1a-c. The ulcerations extended to the oropharynx; the lips were dry but not involved (Fig. 1d). The patient reported no other mucosal or cutaneous lesions. Two incisional biopsies were completed that same day. One sample was submitted in formalin and the other sample submitted in Michel’s solution for direct immunofluorescence antibody staining to our Oral Pathology Biopsy Service.
Question: Based on the given history, panoramic radiograph and CBCT images, what is the most likely diagnosis?
A. Erythema multiforme
B. Herpetic ulcers
C. Benign mucous membrane pemphigoid
D. Erosive lichen planus
E. Pemphigus vulgaris
Fig. 1: Diffuse ulceration and mucosal sloughing prominent on the facial a) maxillary gingiva and b) mandibular gingiva, c) large ulceration of the right buccal mucosa, and d) coated tongue and posterior palatal extension of ulcerations. SEE PAGE 84
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diagnostics FROM PAGE 83
Diagnostic Discussion A. Erythema multiforme Great guess, but incorrect. Erythema multiforme (EM) causes severe diffuse blisters throughout the oral cavity, which to some extent appears similar to our case. However, two main clinical features are missing for this diagnosis: the lips are not involved, and the characteristic “bull’s-eye” cutaneous lesions were not reported. In addition, EM often is cyclical with intermittent periods of remission and recurrence, which was not seen here. EM also is less likely to significantly affect the gingiva. EM is an acute mucocutaneous condition that is caused by a hypersensitivity reaction. The etiopathogenesis still remains uncertain, but the clinical presentation of this reaction is characterized by the presentation of skin and oral lesions. Literature states that the frequency of oral involvement ranges from 25%-70% and exhibits a wide spectrum of manifestations. The oral involvement can clinically appear as ulcerations to diffuse sloughing and erosions that affect the non-keratinized mucosa. Oral lesions begin as erythematous patches that ulcerate and evolve into large, shallow erosions and ulcerations with irregular borders. As stated previously, hemorrhagic crusting of the vermilion zone of lips is a significant feature of EM. The classic skin lesions of EM have a classic “bull’s-eye” or target appearance that typically affect the flexor surfaces of the extremities. EM is more common in young adults in their 20s or 30s with females being slightly affected more frequently than males. Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is implicated as a predisposing condition in 61%-100% of recurrent EM cases in adults and 35% in children, though some recent studies have demonstrated an incidence closer to 25%. This possibly occurs due to antigen mimicry resulting in an autoimmune reaction. EM is usually self-limiting, lasting two to six weeks. The diagnosis of EM often is made clinically, but histology and immunofluorescence can help distinguish EM from other vesiculobullous conditions. Histologically, EM and lichenoid drug reactions share some common features. Clinically, EM lesions lack the characteristic peripheral striae that are seen in lichenoid drug eruptions. Management with topical or systemic corticoste-
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roids, especially in the early stages of the disease, along with anti-viral therapy, such as valacyclovir, results in rapid and striking resolution of the lesions. Patients may often report variable numbers of recurrences.
B. Herpetic ulcers Incorrect — Herpetic ulcerations initially appear as vesicles upon clinical examination, which is not seen in our case. In addition, lesions do not persist for weeks or months as presented here. Moreover, temporary relief is not seen with topical steroids. The causative agent of herpetic ulcerations of the oral cavity is HSV type 1 (HSV-1). The spread of HSV-1 is predominately through saliva. As stated previously, the initial clinical presentation of primary or secondary herpes simplex infection is the formation of vesicles. These vesicles can eventually collapse or rupture leaving small 2-5 mm ulcerations. However, herpetic ulcers are rarely as significant and erosive as seen in our case. In addition, multiple lesions may coalesce to form significantly large, deep and painful ulcers. The oral lesions can occur on the lips, gingiva, palate and the tongue. The natural history of HSV infection includes primary infection, latency and recurrent infection. Primary herpetic infections typically are seen in younger patients but affected patients may exhibit a wide age range from 6 months to 60 years old. Trauma, stress and UV light are the common triggers of recurrent herpetic infections. These recurrent lesions may occur either at the site of primary inoculation or in adjacent areas. Recurrent herpetic lesions typically are limited to the keratinized or masticatory mucosa, which is the palate or the attached gingiva. One final difference from our case is the duration; herpetic lesions rarely last beyond a week or two unless the patient is immunosuppressed. Our patient has been suffering with his oral ulcerations for six months.
C. Benign mucous membrane pemphigoid Incorrect, the presence of bloody blisters with a positive Nikolsky sign is the clinical hallmark of this diagnosis. These lesions are mostly limited to the gingiva in two-thirds of cases, which is not comparable with the diffuse ulcerations of our case. Benign mucous membrane pemphigoid (BMMP) is a chronic, vesiculobullous autoimmune disease in which tissue-bound autoantibodies attack the adhesion molecules of the basement membrane of mucosa. Gingival lesions are invariably seen, but other extraoral mucosal sites, such as conjunctival, esophaFLORIDADENTAL.ORG
geal, nasal, laryngeal and vaginal may be affected. Oral lesions begin as either vesicles or bullae, which often are filled with blood. These blood blisters are considered highly diagnostic clinically findings of BMMP. These blisters may last for days to weeks, eventually rupturing, leaving behind superficial, ragged, and denuded areas that are usually painful and persist for weeks to months when untreated. Women are affected twice as commonly as men and BMMP usually affects older women around 60 years of age. The most significant complication is the eye involvement, which occurs in one-fourth to one-third of the patients with oral lesions. The ocular lesions often follow oral involvement. A biopsy must be taken from perilesional mucosa for both histology and immunofluorescence for an accurate diagnosis. BMMP often is controlled with topical corticosteroids, although severe or widespread cases will require systemic therapy.
D. Erosive lichen planus Incorrect. Lichen planus (LP) most often presents as symmetric and multifocal ulcerations invariably with white peripheral striae, but our patient is suffering from diffuse and painful ulcerations with striae throughout the oral cavity. LP is a chronic mucocutaneous disease that affects about 1%-3% of the population, with an unknown cause. The typical clinical presentation of LP in the oral cavity is bilateral white lesions, which are periodically associated with ulcerations. There are multiple types of lichen planus: reticular, plaque, erythematous, erosive and bullous. Of these several types, the oral presentation of our case is most similar to the erosive form of LP. The clinical oral presentation of erosive LP are atrophic erythematous areas with central ulcerations that slightly vary in size. The primary site for this variant is the trauma-prone areas of the oral cavity, such as the buccal mucosa and lateral tongue. Similar to our case, up to two-thirds of the patients will report symptomatic lesions. For a definitive diagnosis of LP, the submission of tissue for immunofluorescence is highly recommended. As for treatment, LP cannot be cured, but most lesions are linked to a trigger. The two most common triggers are trauma and medications. If a trigger can be linked with these lesions, management of the condition can begin. Corticosteroids can assist with the management of LP by the modulation of inflammation.
E. Pemphigus vulgaris Correct! Pemphigus vulgaris (PV) is an uncommon immunobullous disease and is the most common of the four pemphigus variants. The other variant that can affect oral mucosa is pemphigus vegetans, which is considered an extremely rare condition. The estimated incidence of PV is one to five cases per million people diagnosed each year in the general population. The pathogenesis of PV is due to the development of immunoglobulin G (IgG) autoantibody directed against desmosomal components. PV typically affects younger adults, with an average age of 50 years, with no sex predilection. Rare cases have been reported in childhood and mostly seen in people of Mediterranean, South Asian or Jewish heritage. Patients usually present with refractory oral mucosal lesions that can affect all mucosal surfaces with a predilection for the posterior regions. Clinical examination of the oral lesions shows ragged erosions that can be superficial or deep ulcerations. The oral mucosal is the most frequently affected site with oral lesions preceding skin lesions in 60% of cases. The oral lesions frequently cause dysphagia and weight loss. As seen in our case, other mucosal surfaces can be involved, including the esophageal, pharyngo-laryngeal, genital, anal and conjunctival mucosa. Unlike pemphigoid, the ocular lesions of pemphigus typically do not cause scarring and symblepharon (conjunctival adhesions) formation. A positive Nikolsky sign is a feature of both BMMP and PV, in which a bulla can be induced when a firm, lateral pressure is exerted. Microscopically, a prominent finding from a biopsy of the perilesional mucosa lesion shows intraepithelial separation, which occurs just above the basal cell layer of the epithelium, sometimes leaving only the basal layer arranged to resemble a “row of tombstones.” The cells of the spinous layer of the surface epithelium typically exhibit “acantholysis” with “ballooning degeneration” and large almost pleomorphic-looking cells are termed “Tzanck cells.” Direct immunofluorescence is required for confirmation of the diagnosis. The mortality among PV patients has drastically diminished in the United States to less than 5% due to the adjuvant use of immunosuppressants. The treatment of PV is mostly dependent on the extent of involvement and diagnosis. The typical treatment includes systemic corticosteroids and/or steroidsparing immunosuppressants. As for our patient, he was immediately referred to the UF Dermatopathology Clinic where he was prescribed high doses of corticosteroids. Following the SEE PAGE 86
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diagnostics Diagnostic Discussion is contributed by UFCD professors, Drs. Don Cohen, Indraneel Bhattacharyya and Nadim Islam who provide insight and feedback on common, important, new and challenging oral diseases.
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tapering of the corticosteroids, the patient began an IV and oral regimen of immunosuppressants. As seen in Fig. 2, which is 14 months from the initial visit, one ulceration was noted on the mucosa of the right tuberosity. The patient is asymptomatic and reported weight gain. DR. COHEN
The dental professors operate a large, multi-state biopsy service. The column’s case studies originate from the more than 12,000 specimens the service receives every year from all over the United States. Clinicians are invited to submit cases from their own practices. Cases may be used in the “Diagnostic Discussion,” with credit given to the submitter.
DR. BHATTACHARYYA Drs. Bhattacharyya, Cohen and Islam, can
be reached at oralpath@dental.ufl.edu. Conflict of Interest Disclosure: None reported for Drs. Bhattacharyya, Cohen and Islam.
Arduino, Paolo G., et al. “Long-term evaluation of pemphigus vulgaris: A retrospective consideration of 98 patients treated in an oral medicine unit in north-west Italy.” Journal of Oral Pathology & Medicine, vol. 48, no. 5, 2019, pp. 406-412.
The Florida Dental Association is an ADA CERP Recognized Provider. ADA CERP is a service of the American Dental Association to assist dental professionals in DR. ISLAM 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. Concerns or complaints about a CE provider may be directed to the provider or to ADA CERP at ada.org/goto/cerp.
Fitzpatrick, S.G., Cohen, D.M. & Clark, A.N. Ulcerated Lesions of the Oral Mucosa: Clinical and Histologic Review. Head and Neck Pathol 13, 2019, pp. 91–102.
*Third-year resident in Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology University of Florida College of Dentistry.
Fig. 2: Fourteen months after initial intraoral photos of the facial a) maxillary gingiva and b) mandibular gingiva, c) scar tissue in area of previous large ulceration of the right buccal mucosa and d) non-coated tongue and lesion-free palatal mucosa.
References:
Kridin, K. Pemphigus group: overview, epidemiology, mortality, and comorbidities. Immunol Res 66, 2018, 255–270. Lerch, Marianne, et al. “Current Perspectives on Erythema Multiforme.” Clinical Reviews in Allergy & Immunology, vol. 54, no. 1, 2018, pp. 177-184. Neville, BW, et al. Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology. Elsevier, 2016.
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Henry Schein Professional Practice Transitions
career center The FDA’s online Career Center allows you to conveniently browse, place, modify and pay for your ads online, 24 hours a day. Our intent is to provide our advertisers with increased flexibility and enhanced options to personalize and draw attention to your online classified ads! Post an ad on the FDA Career Center and it will be published in our journal, Today’s FDA, at no additional cost! Today’s FDA is bimonthly; therefore the basic text of all active ads will be extracted from the Career Center on roughly the 10th of every other month (e.g., Jan. 10 for the Jan/Feb issue, March 10 for the March/April issue, etc). Please note: Ads for the Nov/Dec issue must be received no later than Nov. 1. Please visit the FDA’s Career Center at careers.floridadental.org. RDH needed — Ormond Beach. Progressive dental office in need of full time or part time Registered Dental Hygienist. Must be committed to educating and advocating for their patients while providing the treatment they need and deserve. Must be people-oriented, experienced in periodontal care, and dedicated to detail and follow-up. We provide continuing education opportunities as well as leadership training to help you grow personally and professionally. Great compensation and benefits. For a challenging career opportunity, please email your resume to: johanna@saradeandental.com. RDH with at least 1 year experience. General Dentist — Sign-On Bonus $7,500 — Gainesville, FL. If you're looking to make your professional mark on a community and help continue to lead a well-established and successful dental practice, this is your chance. Build valuable relationships with your patients and be involved with the greater community of Gainesville, FL while providing top-notch dental care. Our talented and dedicated support team will work alongside you to help ensure your success. You'll enjoy the following: Base salary with performance incentives to earn more. Sign-on bonus of $7,500. Full time and part time benefits package. Family friendly days/hours. Wellness Program. Full-service center to support you in your mission for providing great care: Marketing, Revenue Cycle, IT, Human Resources, Accounting, Call Center and Leadership Teams. New Grads Welcome to Apply! Job Link: bit.ly/2QQL2RD. Equal Opportunity Employer/Drug Free Workplace. Contact: Brad Cabibi - Director of Clinical Recruiting @ 561-866-8187 or email bradcabibi@puredentalbrands. com. puredentalbrands.com. #WeHaveWhatMakesYouSmile. #LoveWhereYouWork. Candidate must be licensed to practice in the State of Florida with no board reprimands or issues and have a valid DEA license and be up to date on all required CE. Prefer experienced General Dentist with additional skills in molar endodontics, oral surgery and placement/ restoration of implants. NOTES: Employer will assist with relocation costs. Additional Salary Information: Opportunities to earn more based on production. Pediatric Dentist — Pembroke Pines. Multi Location Private Pediatric/Orthodontic Practice requires Full-Time/Part-Time Pediatric Dentist to join our staff. We accept all PPO plans and Children’s Medicaid. BENEFITS: Professional Liability Insurance; Company will provide CE for doctors and staff on various topics of interest; Dentists practice with complete autonomy to treatment plan and treat patients as they see fit; Competitive base salary with bonuses based on percentage of Collections. Visit careers.floridadental.org/ jobs/14770573. General Dentist — Fort Lauderdale. Dentist-General in the greater Ft. Lauderdale area (Broward County). Associate position that can lead to ownership. Work at your own pace. State-of-the-art technology, materials and great teamwork in order to provide quality care. Fun environment working alongside another general dentist. Plenty of mentoring from other dentists and specialists within the organization. Dental group is dentist owned so employee retention and patient care always comes first! Opportunities available for ownership and equity. Please include CV/resume. NOTES: 2 openings. Visit careers.floridadental.org/jobs/14756830. 6 Operatory Asset Sale Only — Martin County. A 6 operatory, 1900 square foot space in Jensen Beach is available. This would be an asset only sale- No patients. Sale would include workstation computers (excluding server), recently upholstered chairs, digital sensors, Panoramic Machine, compressor, vacuum, some small equipment, instruments and some supplies. It is located in a busy Publix shopping center. This is an opportunity for an existing office to expand or a dentist wanting to own a practice with little upfront cost. Buyer would assume current lease- $4400/month-includes fees and taxes. Buyer could
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potentially start seeing patients day one, just from walk in traffic. Asking $50,000. Visit careers.floridadental.org/jobs/14750072. General Dentist — Crestview. Looking for a well-established dental practice in sunny, no income tax Florida? Look no further! Practice is located adjacent to busy FL Hwy 85 and 3 blocks north of FL Hwy 90 in the heart of the rapidly growing Community of Crestview. Crestview is located approximately 25 miles north of the white sand beaches of the Gulf of Mexico and a comfortable distance from hurricanes. The city features many amenities in addition to Universities and numerous high quality local schools. Eglin Air Force base is nearby. The Dental Office is a generous 2400 Sqft. Including: large waiting room, large reception and record area, large private office with 3/4 bath, washer and dryer, large laboratory area, kitchen and five operatories. Digital radiographs including Planmeca ProMax 2D unit. Experienced staff includes: 2 Dental Hygienists, 2 Certified Expanded Functions Dental Assistants, 1 Receptionist (also RDA), and 1 Office Manager. Opportunity for energetic dentist as: A. Associate B. Purchase Practice C. Purchase office complex, including 2 revenue generating office spaces. Revenue is upwards of 1 million dollars per year, with a four-day work week. Experienced practitioner could move to next level! Practice has been in the same location for over 40 years. Google rates practice 4.4 of 5. Facebook rates practice 5.0 of 5. Please contact: Michelle 850-682-4516 or Richie 850-585-5432. Must Have Current Active Florida Dental License. Visit careers.floridadental.org/jobs/14735502. Dentist — Miami. We are looking for a dentist looking for a private practice that focuses on relationships and long-term health. Why working with us makes sense: 1) We offer one dental home with all dental specialties within our practices. Collaborate with specialties and colleagues to deliver the best care. We believe and implement in best-in-class dentistry. 2) Ample time is given to every patient during their visit. Our patients leave extremely satisfied and their experience means everything to us and our team. 3) Sign-on bonus. 4) Partnership opportunity after 1 year. Medical/ Dental/ Vision; AFLAC HII; Life Insurance; FSA or HRA; Long/Short Term Disability; Student Loan Refinancing; Malpractice Insurance; NO Lab fees; 401(K) Plan & Match. Come join our dental family! NOTES: 2 openings. Employer will assist with relocation costs. Additional Salary Information: $15,000 Signing Bonus. Visit careers.floridadental.org/jobs/14722206. Endodontist — Fort Lauderdale. Full time or part time. Zeiss microscope and new CBCT. Family-owned group practice. Full schedules. Please send resume and best time to contact. Endodontist specialty certificate. Visit careers.floridadental.org/jobs/14718064. Registered Dental Hygienist — Oviedo. Now is the time to join Oviedo Smiles Dentistry. You will have opportunities to learn new skills from our team of experienced professionals. If you're ready to take your career to the next level and gain valuable experience, apply today! Overview: Responsibilities: Actively participate in the Perfect Patient Experience™ by striving to keep your patients focused on optimal treatment while attending to their individual concerns and promoting the good qualities of your doctor. Remove deposits and strains from teeth by scaling and root planning. Select and use appropriate fluoride treatments and polish tooth restorations. Assist in the prevention and control of dental caries (decay) and gum disease. Obtain and review dental history and/or records from patient (review patient health history and care slips). Ensure that the health history is updated for all returning patients. Educate patients regarding the importance of oral hygiene, as well as instruction and demonstration of effective oral hygiene methods. Maintain strict compliance with State, Federal, and other regulations, (e.g., OSHA, WC, Dental Board, HIPAA, ADA, FEHA, DOL, HR policies and practices). Qualifications: Degree or certification for Hygiene from an accredited college or technical school; or equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to meet state licensure requirements. Commitment
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to continuing education for hygiene and dentistry. Valid and current Registered Dental Hygienist license in accordance with applicable state licensure requirements. Advanced degree (e.g., Masters) for Hygiene from an accredited college or technical school; or equivalent combination of education and experience preferred. Benefits: Medical, dental and vision insurance; Paid time off; Tuition Reimbursement; Childcare assistance; 401K. Pacific Dental Services is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment based on race, color, religion, national origin, age, gender, sex, ancestry, citizenship status, mental or physical disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, veteran status, or military status. Visit: careers.floridadental.org/ jobs/14708358. Registered Dental Hygienist — Mount Dora. Now is the time to join Mount Dora Modern Dentistry. You will have opportunities to learn new skills from our team of experienced professionals. If you're ready to take your career to the next level and gain valuable experience, apply today! Overview: Responsibilities: Actively participate in the Perfect Patient Experience™ by striving to keep your patients focused on optimal treatment while attending to their individual concerns and promoting the good qualities of your doctor. Remove deposits and strains from teeth by scaling and root planning. Select and use appropriate fluoride treatments and polish tooth restorations. Assist in the prevention and control of dental caries (decay) and gum disease. Obtain and review dental history and/or records from patient (review patient health history and care slips). Ensure that the health history is updated for all returning patients. Educate patients regarding the importance of oral hygiene, as well as instruction and demonstration of effective oral hygiene methods. Maintain strict compliance with State, Federal, and other regulations, (e.g., OSHA, WC, Dental Board, HIPAA, ADA, FEHA, DOL, HR policies and practices). Qualifications: Degree or certification for Hygiene from an accredited college or technical school; or equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to meet state licensure requirements. Commitment to continuing education for hygiene and dentistry. Valid and current Registered Dental Hygienist license in accordance with applicable state licensure requirements. Advanced degree (e.g., Masters) for Hygiene from an accredited college or technical school; or equivalent combination of education and experience preferred. Benefits: Medical, dental and vision insurance; Paid time off; Tuition Reimbursement; Childcare assistance; 401K. Pacific Dental Services is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment based on race, color, religion, national origin, age, gender, sex, ancestry, citizenship status, mental or physical disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, veteran status, or military status. Visit: careers.floridadental.org/jobs/14708307. Registered Dental Hygienist — Clermont. Now is the time to join Clermont Smiles Dentistry. You will have opportunities to learn new skills from our team of experienced professionals. If you're ready to take your career to the next level and gain valuable experience, apply today! Overview: Responsibilities: Actively participate in the Perfect Patient Experience™ by striving to keep your patients focused on optimal treatment while attending to their individual concerns and promoting the good qualities of your doctor. Remove deposits and strains from teeth by scaling and root planning. Select and use appropriate fluoride treatments and polish tooth restorations. Assist in the prevention and control of dental caries (decay) and gum disease. Obtain and review dental history and/or records from patient (review patient health history and care slips). Ensure that the health history is updated for all returning patients. Educate patients regarding the importance of oral hygiene, as well as instruction and demonstration of effective oral hygiene methods. Maintain strict compliance with State, Federal, and other regulations, (e.g., OSHA, WC, Dental Board, HIPAA, ADA, FEHA, DOL, HR policies and practices). Qualifications: Degree or certification for Hygiene from an accredited college or technical school; or equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to meet state licensure requirements. Commitment to continuing education for hygiene and dentistry. Valid and current Registered Dental Hygienist license in accordance with applicable state licensure requirements. Advanced degree (e.g., Masters) for Hygiene from an accredited college or technical school; or equivalent combination of education and experience preferred. Benefits: Medical, dental and vision insurance; Paid time off; Tuition Reimbursement; Childcare assistance; 401K. Pacific Dental Services is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment based on race, color, religion, national origin, age, gender, sex, ancestry, citizenship status, mental or physical disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, veteran status, or military status. Visit: careers.floridadental.org/jobs/14708343. General Dentist — Orlando. Now is the time to join Doctor Phillips Modern Dentistry. You will have opportunities to learn new skills from our team of experienced professionals. If you're ready to take your career to the next level and gain valuable experience, apply today! Overview: Let us allow you to do what you do best by doing the dentistry that you diagnose while exploring future partnership opportunities. We follow through on our promise to clinicians with our culture of patient centric care, our ability to deliver comprehensive integrated care, and our ability to support modern dentistry. PDS supported owner dentists know that being backed by the country's leading dental support organization
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allows them to focus on providing patient centric and clinically excellent care. Benefits: Competitive Compensation and Benefit Package; Modern offices equipped with the latest dental technology; Malpractice Insurance; Healthcare Benefits (Medical, Prescription Drugs, Dental and Vision); 401(k) Savings Plan. The average full-time PDS-supported Dentist earns $160,000 - $390,000. Testimonial from Dr. Callaway-Nelson: “Partnering with PDS has given me the opportunity to realize my dream of practice ownership. I am able to do the dentistry that I love.” Pacific Dental Services is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment based on race, color, religion, national origin, age, gender, sex, ancestry, citizenship status, mental or physical disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, veteran status, or military status. Visit careers.floridadental.org/jobs/14705037. Operations Manager — Naples. Now is the time to join the Dentists of South Naples. You will have opportunities to learn new skills from our team of experienced professionals. If you're ready to take your career to the next level and gain valuable experience, apply today! Overview: As an Operations Manager at Pacific Dental Services, you'll have the opportunity to build a promising career—and a bright future. At Pacific Dental Services, we'll help you take your drive and dedication as far as you want to go. When you join us as an Operations Manager/Trainee, you'll have the tools and resources you need to build a rewarding career. That support starts with a carefully designed training program including unique online components and valuable mentorship. And as you build your future with us, you'll discover additional opportunities for continued education and training, helping you attain your professional goals. In this entrepreneurial role, you'll use your team-building skills to help us establish a new, state-of-the-art office. If you're looking for an opportunity to enjoy both professional excellence and a balanced lifestyle, join us at Pacific Dental Services. Responsibilities: Achieve financial performance and revenue growth goals while supporting our culture and mission; Act as an expert in the local market, employing best practices for patient acquisition and retention; Provide direct individual and team leadership to achieve success in an entrepreneurial environment. Preferred background: Bachelor's degree; 5 years of relevant work experience, or equivalent; Coursework or onthe-job training in the fields of dentistry, business or training; Strong retail management and leadership skills; Experience leading a team, mentoring and coaching subordinates. A life of service is the highest calling, and we live it every day. Join us as an Operations Manager/Trainee at Pacific Dental Services and help us improve the quality of life for millions of people. Pacific Dental Services is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment based on race, color, religion, national origin, age, gender, sex, ancestry, citizenship status, mental or physical disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, veteran status, or military status. Visit careers.floridadental. org/jobs/14705029. Pensacola, Florida Area — General Dental Practice for Sale. A well-established solo general dental practice located near the beautiful white sand beaches of the Gulf of Mexico in Northwest Florida. Attractive 3,000 square foot office with 6 operatories located near both city and beach communities on high visibility road. Annual gross collections are between $1,100,000 and $1,200,000 with over $600,000 of net income on a four day/week schedule. For more information, contact pensacolapracticeforsale@gmail.com. General Dentist with Pediatric Experience — Palm Springs. Looking for a self-motivated general dentist with experience in pediatric dentistry to join our team as a part time associate. Newly grads are welcome to apply. A Spanish speaking candidate is desirable but not required. Please forward your resume to be considered. Florida Dental License. NOTES: 2 openings. Visit careers.floridadental.org/jobs/14704772. Pediatric Dentist — Palm Springs. Looking for a self-motivated pediatric dentist to join our team as a part time associate. The candidate must be proficient on behavior management. We are a specialized dental facility suited to provide dental treatment under Nitrous Oxide, Oral Sedation or General Anesthesia when is needed to accomplish the treatment. We advocate minimal to no physical restrain. Easy going not corporate environment. Regular pediatric patients as well as special needs patients are treated at this facility. A Spanish speaking candidate is desirable but not required. Newly grads are welcome to apply. Please forward resume to be considered. You will be called. Florida Dental License. H1B visa sponsorship if needed. NOTES: 2 openings. Visit careers.floridadental.org/ jobs/14704750. Clinical Assistant/Associate Professor of General Dentistry — Gainesville. The University of Florida College of Dentistry is seeking applications for a full-time clinical track faculty position in the Department of Restorative Dental Sciences, Division of General Dentistry at the Assistant/Associate Professor rank. The University of Florida College of Dentistry (UFCD) is one of the leading dental schools in the United States devoted to improving and promoting oral health throughout Florida, the nation and worldwide through excellence in teaching, research, patient care and service. Responsibilities for this position will center on learner-centered pre-doctoral level didactic, pre-clinical and clinical instruction in general dentistry, including serving as a course director, participation in intramural faculty
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FROM PAGE 89 practice, distinction in academic pursuits and service, and include opportunities for participation in the development of departmental research and/or other scholarly activities. UFCD currently ranks among the top-five U.S. dental schools in terms of NIH research funding. The University of Florida (UF), a member of the AAU, is the largest and most comprehensive public university in the state of Florida, with large undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate educational programs. UF currently ranks 8th among the nation’s top-10 public universities. The UF Health Science Center and its six colleges (Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Public Health and Health Professions, Veterinary Medicine) are colocated on the Gainesville campus, with additional teaching, research, and patient care sites throughout Florida, and beyond. The University of Florida is an Equal Opportunity Employer dedicated to building a broadly diverse and inclusive faculty and staff. The University of Florida invites all qualified applicants to apply. The University of Florida is a public institution and subject to all requirements under Florida Sunshine and Public Records laws. Initial review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until an applicant pool is identified. To apply, please go to http://jobs.ufl.edu/ and search for job number 72341. Applicants should attach a curriculum vitae, a cover letter describing their interest containing a statement of academic objectives, and a contact list of three references with their application for consideration. For more information about the University of Florida College of Dentistry, visit: dental.ufl.edu. Applicants should possess the skills and knowledge to provide clinical coverage in all aspects of general dentistry. As well as being a strong clinician, applicants should be organized, open minded, dedicated to excellence in teaching students according to the guidelines set by the department, proficient with technology and the use of electronic health records, abreast of current evidence-based dentistry and possess excellent communication skills. The position’s requirements include a DDS, DMD or equivalent degree. Teaching and private practice experience are preferred. Salary and rank are commensurate with credentials and experience. Visit careers.floridadental.org/jobs/14685664. Clinical Assistant Professor, Pediatric Dentist — College of Dental Medicine Illinois. [This is a shortened version of the classified ad.] The CDMI curriculum comprises integrated oral health science and basic sciences emphasizing knowledge, skills and values in clinical general dentistry, including specific disciplines of dentistry (e.g., Pediatrics, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Prosthodontics, Periodontics, etc.) as required for pre-doctoral education in general comprehensive dentistry. The Pediatric Clinical Assistant Professor is responsible for Pediatric Dentistry instruction of predoctoral students, direct provision of patient care, didactic instruction of predoctoral students, contribution to the development of the CDMI curriculum and, as assigned, faculty calibration. The Full-time Pediatric Clinical Assistant Professor reports to the Assistant/Associate Dean, Clinical Education. The Full-time Pediatric Clinical Assistant Professor will be expected to serve as the CDMI content expert for the Pediatric curriculum and will work closely with the Assistant/Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and appropriate committees. The Full-time Pediatric Clinical Assistant Professor interacts significantly with the Assistant/Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Assistant/Associate Dean for Preclinical Education and the Assistant/Associate Dean for Clinical Education. The Pediatric Dentist must communicate effectively with all CDMI General Practice Faculty and support staff. The Full-time Pediatric Clinical Assistant Professor must interact with all faculty, students and staff in a humanistic and professional manner consistent with the CDMI Professional Standards and all applicable Midwestern University policies. Please visit careers.floridadental.org/jobs/14678491 to read the full classified ad. Clinical Assistant Professor — IL College of Dental Medicine. The Clinical Assistant Professor Faculty should have earned a DDS/DMD degree, having a minimum of five (5) years’ experience in general dentistry. S/he should be a person committed to educating and empowering students with a wide range of clinical and academic abilities. The Clinical Assistant Professor Faculty must be eligible for and obtain licensure in the state of Illinois. Reporting to the Associate Dean for Clinical Sciences, the Clinical Faculty will: Work directly with students in the patient clinic, supervising all areas of general dentistry. Interact positively with students, treating all students as future colleagues. Demonstrate dental procedures on patients to students as needed. Be competent treating patient in all areas of general dentistry. Be a positive role model for students in professionalism. Have strong clinical experience in the use of CAD/CAM dentistry and lasers, being competent in training pre-doctoral students in these technologies. Be an example of an active life-long learner in dentistry, through learning and mentoring new techniques, emerging technologies, new materials and treatment protocols as needed by the college. Adopt different teaching techniques and styles to meet the needs of individual students. Be willing to serve on committees within the college or university. Interact professionally with all faculty and staff, treating all faculty and staff with respect and collegiality. Be timely in completing all notes and codes in patient charts. Evaluate students in a timely manner (daily, quarterly or weekly) as required by the college. Meet with the Associate Dean for Clinical Sciences, the Clinical Faculty for reviews. Be competent in the use of the college’s patient digital record
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keeping system. Work professionally with specialists, mentoring to students the ideal of a positive working relationship of a general dentist with dental specialists. Be a positive influence on the MWU CDMI program. Be willing to mentor students in small groups on projects or special needs, as requested by the college. Be willing to work as a member of a team of faculty, accepting calibration of college protocols as necessary in the college teaching environment. Assume other responsibilities as needed, at the request of the clinical dean. Applicants may send inquiries to Rebecca Siscel, DDS: Associate Dean of Clinical Education of the Dental Institute Midwestern University Illinois at rsisce@midwestern.edu. Midwestern University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer that does not discriminate against an employee or applicant based upon race; color; religion; creed; national origin or ancestry; ethnicity; sex (including pregnancy); gender (including gender expressions, gender identity; and sexual orientation); marital status; age; disability; citizenship; past, current, or prospective service in the uniformed services; genetic information; or any other protected class, in accord with all federal, state and local laws, including 41 C.F.R. 60-1.4(a), 250.5(a), 300.5(a) and 741.5(a). Midwestern University complies with the Smoke-Free Arizona Act (A.R.S. 36-601.01) and the Smoke Free Illinois Act (410 ILCS 82/). Midwestern University complies with the Illinois Equal Pay Act of 2003 and Arizona Equal Pay Acts. Visit careers.floridadental.org/jobs/14678487. Associate Dentist — St. Augustine. [This is a shortened version of the classified ad.] If you are that forward thinker that is self driven, adaptable, and eager to learn more and grow as a professional, but can also remain humbly confident then this opportunity is for you! This is for you if you are that true energy giver with a selfless and contagious positive personality. Harbour Dental Care is looking for that Rockstar DENTIST to fill a full time position at our beautiful ST. AUGUSTINE location. Who we are! Harbour Dental Care is a practice that EMPOWERS CONFIDENCE by removing barriers to provide PREMIERE EXPERIENCES! Harbour Dental Care is a locally owned private practice with currently 2 locations and plans for future locations. CORE VALUES: Adaptable, Growth Oriented, Forward Thinking, Humbly Confident. Core FOCUS: Empowering Confidence! We strive to: Help guide our patients through the pathway to health to achieve the highest level of health possible; Treat the patient’s needs with the highest level of care, skill and comfort; Change, grow and evolve with our profession and society; Maintain a safe and healthy environment for our patients and ourselves; Openly and honestly share our ideas, opinions and feelings so we can be sure to keep the channels of communication open, and to maintain office harmony and teamwork; Check out our Facebook page (www.facebook. com/harbourdentaljax) to see how our culture and team health is important to us! We love having FUN! St. Augustine Location Details: (check out our office tour online). 7 OPS: 4 doctor ops and 3 hyg. (2 ops per doc, unless 1 doctor day). Harbour Dental Care executive team: Director of Ops, Director of Employee Experience, Integrator (COO) are company leaders that support each location. 2-3 Hygienist, 5 EFDA, 3 admin. Dr. Snyder and other doctors provide intensive mentoring to get you to the next level. We will throw as much at you as you can handle! We are innovative and strive to have doctors performing high level services with CONFIDENCE. Beautiful, updated practice in the heart of St. Augustine with ample parking. PPO insurance only. No Medicaid, No HMO, No Captation insurance. Implants, Cosmetic, Extractions, Restorative, Endo, Bone-Grafting. Mostly adult practice, not a lot of pedo. Intraoral dental cameras. CEREC Primescan + Mill on site (NO MORE impressions!) Sirona SL3D conebeam. We make our own surgical guides for implants in office with CEREC guide 2. Waterlase all tissue laser. XTG (like a nomad) – radiography with Dexis titanium sensors. Dentrix Practice management software. 2nd floor of practice is a HUGE breakroom, office space with a balcony you can eat lunch and see the view of the intracoastal waterway. Several excellent bistros, café's nearby to walk to for lunch. This is literally a neighborhood dental practice that has all of the structure and accountability of any corporate office, BUT none of the corporate BS. Please visit careers.floridadental.org/ jobs/14671093 to read the full ad. Clinical Assistant/Associate Professor and Clinic Director of Wildlight — Yulee. The University of Florida, College of Dentistry (UFCD) is recruiting qualified applicants for a Clinical Assistant/Associate Professor and Clinic Director (non-tenure accruing track). This position will oversee all aspects of UF Health Dentistry at Wildlight including providing patient care, working with specialists and scheduling, supervision of clinical and administrative staff, in a new, patient-centered six-operatory dental center. The dental center is part of the ambulatory care center located in Wildlight, a new community under development near Yulee, Nassau County, Florida. In addition to offering general dentistry, orthodontics, pediatric dentistry and other dental specialty services, the 40,000 sq. ft. ambulatory care building includes office and medical space with a patient-centered focus on prevention and early diagnosis, an urgent care clinic, imaging services, internal medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, mental health services, and a medical laboratory. Major responsibilities include providing comprehensive dental care with opportunity for teaching, oversight of all clinical functions, and administrative duties associated with management of a clinical practice. The Dental Center Director will be responsible for the financial oversight of the practice and scheduling to ensure efficient rotation of specialty dentists. Applicants must be able to deliver care in all aspects of general dentistry including comprehensive treatment planning, preventive dentistry, operative, fixed and removable prosthodontics, and
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esthetic dentistry. UFCD is one of the leading dental schools in the United States devoted to improving and promoting oral health throughout Florida, the nation and worldwide through excellence in teaching, research, patient care and service. UFCD currently ranks among the top-five U.S. dental schools in terms of NIH research funding. The University of Florida (UF), a member of the AAU, is the largest and most comprehensive public university in the state of Florida, with large undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate educational programs. UF currently ranks 8th among the nation’s top-10 public universities. The UF Health Science Center and its six colleges (Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Public Health and Health Professions, Veterinary Medicine) are co-located on the Gainesville campus, with additional teaching, research, and patient care sites throughout Florida, and beyond. The University of Florida is an Equal Opportunity Employer dedicated to building a broadly diverse and inclusive faculty and staff. The University of Florida invites all qualified applicants to apply. The University of Florida is a public institution and subject to all requirements under Florida Sunshine and Public Records laws. The review of applications will begin immediately. To apply, please go to http://jobs.ufl.edu/ and search for job number 72452. Applicants should attach a curriculum vitae, a cover letter describing their interest, and a contact list of three references with their application for consideration. For more information about the University of Florida College of Dentistry, visit: dental.ufl. edu. Minimum requirements include a DDS, DMD, or equivalent dental degree, at least five years of clinical practice experience, commitment to working with and building teams and an active Florida Dental License upon hire. Preferred qualifications include previous experience as an owner/director of a private practice and/or advanced training (AEGD/GPR). As well as being an experienced clinician, the successful applicant should be organized, familiar with digital dentistry technology and proficient with the use of electronic health records, abreast of current evidence-based dentistry and possess excellent communication and patient management skills. Salary and rank are commensurate with credentials and experience. Visit careers.floridadental.org/jobs/14650791. Associate Dentist — Fort Pierce. Part- time Associate Dentist position available, centrally located in the Florida beachside community of Fort Pierce in the heart of the beautiful Treasure Coast. Ideal candidate would be lifelong learner, interested in CE and mentorship opportunities in oral surgery, selective implant placement, some endo, Invisalign, kids five and over, Botox and all phases of general dentistry. A one-two day workweek, initially, offering $650 per day or 35% of collections whichever is greater. This practice prefers a W-2 classification. Practice pays all lab bills. Long established prominent private practice with consistent growth and collections ranking in the top 1% nationally providing excellent potential for a candidate looking for more than just a job. The office is freestanding, in a professional neighborhood across the street from a regional HCA trauma capable hospital. A $1,000,000 complete renovation of the 3000 square foot office space was finished three years ago, to include 10 ops including a dedicated surgical suite, all Adec equipment, and two private doctor offices each with private bath. The office is fully digital including Itero scanners, intraoral x-rays, cone beam, and EHRs. We are fully engaged with an active social media presence. Work with a well-trained staff of 13, half of whom have been with the practice between 20 and 30 years. There are many longstanding patient relationships, providing wonderful opportunities for a rewarding work experience. Visit careers. floridadental.org/jobs/14535822. Complete Dental Office Available for Rent — Trinity. This is an opportunity to move into an almost fully equipped Dental office 3,000 sq ft. A Veterans Administration dental clinic is moving and is leaving a built-out facility complete with lab. There may also be an opportunity to work with another dentist who would like to work at the facility part time if you so desire. The location is in the New Port Richey/Trinity area on a high visibility road with excellent access and very high roof top count. Dental market here is excellent with a paucity of dentists for this growing population. Please contact me at anytime at 727-271-2595 to discuss. Must be a dentist. NOTES: 3 openings. Visit careers.floridadental. org/jobs/14535779. North Central Florida Fee-For-Service General Practice with Real Estate — Belleview. 10-year General Dental Practice centrally located among several 55+ communities with many single-family homes being built in immediate vicinity. Modern free-standing building with two operatories, plumbed for 3, on 1 acre of land on busy US 301. Chartless office is equipped with new Patterson Fuse cloud-based software and digital sensors. This would be a great open slate for a mid-career practitioner looking for quality of life or a young dentist wanting low overhead to develop into the dream practice. Picture gallery at: bit.ly/2Sy9aZF. $500k includes practice and real estate. Visit careers.floridadental.org/ jobs/13686503. Associate Dentist Part Time in Private Practice, Fort Pierce FL. Part- time Associate Dentist position available, centrally located in the Florida beachside community of Fort Pierce in the heart of the beautiful Treasure Coast. Ideal candidate would be lifelong learner, interested in CE and mentorship opportunities in oral surgery, selective implant placement, some endo, Invisalign, kids five and over, Botox and all phases of general dentistry. A one-two day workweek, initially, offering $650 per day or 35% of collections whichever
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is greater. This practice prefers a W-2 classification. Practice pays all lab bills. Long established prominent private practice with consistent growth and collections ranking in the top 1% nationally providing excellent potential for a candidate looking for more than just a job. The office is freestanding, in a professional neighborhood across the street from a regional HCA trauma capable hospital. A $1,000,000 complete renovation of the 3000 square foot office space was finished three years ago, to include 10 ops including a dedicated surgical suite, all Adec equipment, and two private doctor offices each with private bath. The office is fully digital including Itero scanners, intraoral x-rays, cone beam, and EHRs. We are fully engaged with an active social media presence. Work with a well-trained staff of 13, half of whom have been with the practice between 20 and 30 years. There are many longstanding patient relationships, providing wonderful opportunities for a rewarding work experience. Visit careers.floridadental.org/jobs/14797848. Greater Tampa General Practice for Sale. This general dental practice on the market in the greater Tampa area shows massive growth potential. This is your opportunity to join a thriving practice on the verge of making it big! THE CURRENT DOCTOR IS INTERESTED IN A PARTNERSHIP OR AFFILIATION WITH A GROUP TO CONTINUE THE UPWARD TREND OF THE PRACTICE. Currently, it’s located in a large, free-standing building and there is opportunity for significant expansion via build-out. FOR AN OVERVIEW OF THIS GROWING GENERAL PRACTICE NEAR TAMPA: 4 fully equipped operatories; significant expansion opportunity; collections of $1.4 million; EBITDA $350,000; 1300 active patients; 30 new patients per month. To learn more about this burgeoning general practice outside Tampa, please reach out to Sam Schoenecker with Professional Transition Strategies: sam@professionaltransition.com or give us a call: 719.694.8320. We look forward to speaking with you! Visit professionaltransition.com/properties-list/expanding-greater-tampa-generalpractice-for-sale.
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off the cusp
MAY
JOHN PAUL, DMD FDA EDITOR
CONTINUE ...
Dr. Paul can be reached at jpaul@bot.floridadental.org.
I am fond of the quote, “If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.”1 Dr. Hugh Wunderlich is fond of adding that, in my case, those were some sturdy giants. One of those giants was Richard Dom Ph.D. He taught anatomy at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. It was an interesting place to attend school in the 80s. The labs were open 24 hours a day for students and the beaches were oh so nearby. Anatomy was taught in the summer prior to the usual start of freshman year in the fall. That summer it was not uncommon to attend class in the morning, attend the beach in the afternoon and lab in the evening (or late night). Dr. Dom was a man whose personality was not always evident. He didn’t mind when we studied his topic as long as we studied it thoroughly. He also was known for particularly hard tests. We had a nickname for him that none of us were brave enough to call him to his face. One evening near midnight, I was in the lab with a few classmates when, like a specter, Dr. Dom materialized behind me. “JP, I understand the class calls me ‘BOHICA’ when they think I cannot hear. What does that mean?” Too surprised to think up a good lie, I answered, “Bend Over, Here it Comes Again”— a reference to the spankings his exams usually provided even the gunners in our class. He smiled, nodded his head and said, “You may continue.” The reason his lab tests were so hard was because he would not put the pin directly in what you were to identify. He told us every day, “This is not about you knowing the name of something I hold in front of you. All the information you need to identify what the pin must be in is before you. I want you to understand the relationship of the parts, so you can understand how and why they do what they do.”
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Turns out, this was one of those life lessons that keeps on giving. Relationships are the important thing. Knowing someone who can bring lawyers, guns and money when times are tough can make all the difference. Being someone who stands in front, beside or behind their friends (depending on their needs) is what defines character. I have found folks like this in the Florida Dental Association (FDA), and I hope I’ve been that person whenever needed. I probably could have found all you folks without the FDA, but it was so much faster to meet you when we came together for continuing education or governance. If my future moves forward as I expect, this will be the last time I command the back page of Today’s FDA. Any success I’ve had here has been because of the giants that make me look like a rock star and let me claim the credit for their good works. Jill Runyan, Jessica Lauria, Lynne Knight (retired), thank you for everything. Renee Thompson and AJ Gillis, thanks for adding your talents to this team. Thank you everyone in the home office who makes the FDA what other associations wish they could be. Thank you also constant readers, without you, I would wander with no clear direction to steer.
1. Sir Isaac Newton, circa 1657
JOHN PAUL, DMD, EDITOR, TODAY'S FDA
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