nda A publication of the Nebraska Dental Association

Constitutionality of Obamacare and Implementation of Health Care Exchanges are on a Collision Course for 2012. p. 10

In this issue. q Legislative Reception February 6th Adult Dental Medicaid on the Chopping Organized Dentistry Saved My Life. p13 p.9 Block, p. 9

President's Message

Dr. Ken Hermsen

By the t ime you read th is , Chr i s tmas and New Years will be upon us or perhaps over. I hope all of you are hav ing a wonder fu l hol i ­day and that you have the

opportuni ty to share the joy of the sea­son wi th fami ly and f r iends.

For us at the NDA the New Year br ings a new legislat ive season. The Legislat ive Counci l is busy looking at the legislat ive issues that are likely to appear this year. It is the duty of the Legislat ive Counci l to dig deeply into the legislat ive issues affecting the oral health care of the ci t izens of Nebraska and to make recommendat ions to the elected leadership (off icers, Board of Trus tees and House of De lega tes members ) of the organizat ion to deter­mine what s tance or act ion should be taken by the NDA. It is the duty of the elected leadership to be aware of the basics of the legislat ive issues and to take into account the recommendat ion of the Counci l to arr ive at an appropr i ­ate response or act ion.

To facil itate the disseminat ion of infor­mation and to help keep the member­ship better informed of the work ings of the Legislative Counci l , I have asked Scott Morr ison, the current chair of the Counci l , to share the notes and min­utes of the Counci l meet ings with the members of the Board of Trustees and House of Delegates. The Legislative Counc i l m e m b e r s a lso regular ly receive great legislative informat ion and insight f rom our lobbyist, K im Robak. Kim and her f irm do a wonder­ful job keeping the Counci l informed of the bills being introduced in the legisla­ture, the legislative issues associated wi th those bills and t rack ing the progress of the bills through the legisla­ture. To further keep the elected leader­

ship informed, I have asked Kim to include the members of the Trustees and House in her communicat ion to the Legislative Counci l . We are fortunate to have a very active, informed and dedi­cated Legislative Counci l that spends a signif icant amount of t ime examining the bills and doing the due di l igence required in helping guide the organiza­tion through the legislative process. If you have any quest ions or comments regarding a bill or legislation, you can contact any of your elected leadership or Legislative Counci l members .

As of the wri t ing of this message , we have not heard f rom the Hyg iene Assoc ia t ion regard ing our compro ­mise proposal for LB 330 wh ich I reported to you in my last message . You may recall that LB 330 was a bill in t roduced in the last legislat ive ses­sion by the N D H A in which the hygien-ists proposed expanding the dut ies of a Publ ic Health Hyg ien i s t f rom treat ing heal thy chi ldren in a publ ic health set­t ing to include treat ing adults in other hea l th care se t t ings , l ike nurs ing homes. Included in their bill was a pro­vis ion to reduce the hours required of a Publ ic Health Hygienist f rom 3000 hours of pract ice exper ience to zero hours. The NDA agreed with all the provis ions of the bill wi th the excep­tion of el iminat ing the hours required for t reat ing adult populat ions, part icu­larly the elderly. The NDA felt that reduc ing the prerequis i te hours to ze ro for adu l t popu la t i ons cou ld potential ly put those populat ions, par­t icularly the more vu lnerable elderly populat ions, at risk for harm. At this t ime it is unknown whether or not the N D H A will p ropose an a m e n d m e n t to their or iginal bill wh ich ref lects the compromise proposed by the NDA.

In other legislat ive matters, the 407 process is under review and revis ion. Currently, the 407 process requires all p roposed changes in scope of prac­t ices, or including a new credent ia led professional , to submi t an Appl icat ion

that is rev iewed by a Techn ica l Rev iew C o m m i t t e e , the Board of Health and the Chief Medical Officer before going back the Health and Human Serv ices Commi t tee of the Legis lature. The revis ions are being cons idered, as I understand the issue, due to confus ing and redundant lan­g u a g e con ta ined in the cur ren t p rocess . However , ou r Leg is la t i ve Counci l and lobbyist have concerns that the proposed changes in the lan­guage intended to clarify may instead actual ly change the process to make it less r igorous for groups seeking to expand their scope of pract ice. It is still a work in progress and w e are work ing to assist the legislators in the draft ing of the bill.

T h e s e a r c h for a n e w den ta l d i rec ­tor c o n t i n u e s . S ince the r e s i g n a ­t ion of K a r e n S o r e n s o n in Oc tobe r , t he N D A has been w o r k i n g to ass i s t the N e b r a s k a D e p a r t m e n t of Hea l th a n d H u m a n S e r v i c e s in i den t i f y ing a s u i t a b l e r e p l a c e m e n t . W e a re a l so w o r k i n g to t ry to e l e v a t e the pos i t i on w i th in the H H S o r g a n i z a ­t i ona l cha r t to g i ve the n e w den ta l d i rec to r m o r e d i rec t au tho r i t y ove r p r o g r a m s a n d in i t ia t i ves i nvo lv ing ora l hea l th ca re . W e be l i eve tha t h a v i n g g r e a t e r a u t o n o m y a n d au tho r i t y wi l l m a k e it eas ie r to p lan a n d i m p l e m e n t p r o g r a m s d i rec t l y a f fec t ing ora l hea l th c a r e . O n c e a r e p l a c e m e n t is f o u n d , t h e N D A h o p e s to f i nd w a y s to w o r k m o r e c lose l y a n d in c o o p e r a t i o n w i th the n e w d i rec to r to ass is t in w h a t e v e r w a y w e can to dea l w i t h the ora l hea l th ca re i ssues f a c i n g the c i t i ­z e n s of N e b r a s k a and the den ta l c o m m u n i t y .

In c los ing, let me thank all of you w h o have g iven your t ime and talents on behalf of the organizat ion in 2 0 1 1 . Your commi tmen t and invo lvement are what make the organizat ion func­t ion for the benefi t of us al l .

2 Nebraska Dental Assoc ia t ion Nov / Dec 2011

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4 Nebraska Dental Assoc ia t ion Nov / D

Announcements

2012 ANNUAL SESSION Plan to at tend the NDA's Annual Session, April 13-14, 2012, at a NEW location - the LaV is ta Hotel & Convention Center. We have two great days of CE, as well as several social activities that are sure to meet the needs of you and your staff. On Friday, Amy Kirsch will present a full day prac­tice management course, "High Performing Dental Team & Successful Traits of Exceptional Dental Practices". Also on Friday, Dr. Tom Salinas will con­duct a morning lecture, "Strategies for Treating Partially Dentate Patients with Dental Implants" and an af ternoon hands on course, "Understanding the Basics: Hands on Session for Dental Implant Restoration". In the afternoon, Dr. Richard Wil l iamson will present, "Full Mouth Reconstruction via Esthetic-Functionally Stable-Complex Dentures and Implant Prostheses".

Our t rad i t ional NDA Recogn i t ion Luncheon will be held on Friday at noon , as wel l as our Young Pro fess iona ls Lunch & Learn . On Friday evening join us for the first ever NDA President 's Party with duel ing pianos. It's sure to be a fun and excit­ing even ing. On Saturday, we are pleased to we lcome back Dr. Don Cohen and Dr. Neel Bhat tacharyya who will present a full day program, "Update on Oral Pathology & Clinical Oral Medic ine". Dr. Doug Benn will present a morning lecture and an after­noon hands on session on Cone Beam CT. We are also pleased to offer a transit ion seminar by Wells Fargo in the af ternoon. Please mark your calen­dars and plan to at tend!

Are You On Find-A-Dentist?

The NDA's Find-A-Dentist tab shown above is linked to the A D A s Find-A-Dentist website. The service is designed to help members market their practices at no additional cost.

Members can upload a photo of their choosing and update their Find-a-Dentist profile at ADA.org/memberprofile.

2012 Dues Statements The ADA House of Delegates approved a dues increase of $7.00. Invoices are due by January 1, 2012, and you can pay by check, credit card, or online at www.nedental.org. If you participated in the prepaid dues program, you should not receive an invoice but will be billed for the difference in dues as a result of the dues increase. If you have any questions about your invoice, or do not receive one by early December, please give Jody a call at 402-476-1704! THANKS!

Membership Directory In our effort to be f iscal ly responsib le, the NDA Board of Trustees has dec id­ed to NOT publ ish a membersh ip directory in 2012, and in the future, will be publ ishing director ies every other year. We will cont inue to print correct ions and address updates in our newslet ter so we would apprec i ­ate your cont inued cooperat ion in pro­viding us with this in format ion.

Dr. Miyamoto Earns Periodontal Fellowship

Takanari Miyamoto, D.D.S . chair of the Depar tment of Per iodont ics at Creighton Universi ty School of Dentistry, has been awarded the 2011 Bud and Linda Tarrson Fellowship.

The fe l lowship, offered through the American Academy of Periodontology Foundat ion, is the most prestigious career deve lopment award offered to aca- ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ demic periodont ists j p | fek early in their careers. Since 1998, the fel­lowship has been awarded annually to H H | F , \ only one U.S. dental school faculty member £

showing great potential in research and teach ing. The candidate select ion process includes a personal interview by a panel of peers. As part of the fel­lowship, Miyamoto, an assistant profes­sor at the dental school, will receive $36,000 in unrestricted funds over the next three years.

Miyamoto's primary area of expertise focuses on dental implants, and he has published professional articles and lec­tured nationally and internationally on clinical periodontics and implantology. He has served as co-investigator on several Creighton dental research proj­ects and is principal investigator for a study to evaluate the compatibility of gingival fibroblasts with dental restora­tive materials.

He has been named an "Evidence-Based Champion" by the Amer ican Dental Associat ion and received an educator award for excellence in teach­ing and mentoring from the American Academy of Periodontology.

NDA STRATEGIC PLANNING SESSION

The NDA Board of Trustees wil l be ga the r i ng at E m b a s s y Su i tes in Lincoln on Fr iday, J a n u a r y 13th for a day long strategic p lanning session wi th Deb Burnight.

Nebraska Dental Associat ion Nov / Dec 2011 T

From the Trenches Can you trust this face? What face . . . its an oval! Exactly! Not only an oval, a gray oval. Yuck!

This is the image that appears on most of your pro­

files when you click on your name on ADA's Find-A-Dentist.

As one of the many benefits of being an ADA member, you have the ability to place a lot of information about yourself and your practice (including your pretty face) on the ADA Find-A-Dentist page. Nearly 20,000 unique visitors search Find-a-Dentist every month.

I searched the ADA Find-A-Dentist for Lincoln, Nebraska to see how many pro­files I would have to go through until I found a photo. After 20 profiles, Dr. Hinrichs was the winner.

About ADA Professional Resources

HOME » FIND A DENTIST » OR

About ADA Professional Resources Public Resources Education & Care

HOME » FIND A DENTIST » DR R MARK HINRICHS

Dr Gray Ovalface j Dr R Mark Hinrichs

Specialty General Practice

ADA Membership

ADA American Dental Association'

Lincoln District Dental Association

Which Dent ist Wou ld You Choose?

Specialty General Practice

Education University of Nebraska Medical Center

Years in Practice 19 years

Insurance Accepted

ADA Membership

ADA American Dental Association"

Google

1919 S 40tr Lincoln. NE Q Larger k (402;4S8-0

ADA.org 's Find-a-Dent ist a l lows patients to view: Your photo; Your office address with map; Office hours; Office contact information, including a link to your practice website; Education and Specialty; Languages spoken; Years in practice; If your practice accepts insur­ance; Types of payment accepted; Your affiliations with any of the nine ADA rec­ognized specialties. Patients can only view the information you update.

Update your profi le today at ada.org/memberprofi le — it's free and only available to ADA members.

R e c o r d Retent ion

We had an unusually high number of recent calls asking how long should you keep patient records. There is no spe­cific state law that requires retention of patient records.

Participating provider contracts general­ly specify the time following the last patient visit that records must be main­ta ined. There is usually a different

requirement for the retention of records of children; these records must be kept for a certain period after the child reach­es the age of majority. HIPAA also affects recordkeeping requirements for offices that are covered by generally requir ing that such offices maintain patient records for six (6) years and two (2) years after a patient's death. The Nebraska statute of l imitat ions for alleged professional negligence is 10 years (Neb.Rev.Stat. §25-222)

We recommend that offices contact their liability carriers and ask what time peri­od they require.

Whitening Act ion on Hold

Members continue to send us informa­tion about whitening services offered by spas or a "clinic" held over the weekend in a hotel, which I have in turn submitted to the HHS Depar tment of Investigations.

HHS has informed me that they are waiting to see the outcome of the FTC case against the North Carolina Board of Dentistry.

On December 2nd, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ruled that the North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners illegally restrained competi­tion by barring nondentist providers of teeth-whitening services from selling their products to consumers. The board plans to appeal the decision.

M. A l e c Parker , DMD, execu t i ve director of the North Carol ina Dental Soc ie ty , to ld D r B i c u s p i d . c o m . "a l though I am not an attorney, I f ind it hard to unders tand how the FTC could arr ive at that conc lus ion when the dental statutes in North Carol ina speci f ical ly state that removing stains or accret ions f rom teeth const i tutes the pract ice of dentistry."

The wait continues.

6 Nebraska Dental Associat ion Nov / Dec 2011

Emerging Evidence Base in Third-Molar Management

For several generations now, dental treatment of third molars has been based on clinical impressions rather than on pub­lished scientif ic data, says Dr. Matthew Dennis in the November issue of the Journal of the Michigan Dental Association. But, as he notes, "questions about third-molar management are beginning to be answered."

Impacted third molars, because of the lateness of their emergence, should always be evaluated for removal or observat ion. Most impact ions involve arch length that is less than total tooth mass, result ing in inadequate space for eruption to occur.

The average age for eruption of third molars is 20, but some eruptions can occur as late as 25. Predicting eruption is, as Dr. Dennis says, an inexact science, requiring radiographic as well as clinical evaluation.

Dr. Dennis goes over the indications for third molar removal, including findings in the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons' Third Molar Clinical Trials that show an association of third molars and periodontal disease.

"Even when symptom-f ree, two-thirds of young adult sub­jects were found [by the clinical trials] to have periodontal pathology in their third molar regions," he writes. He says that the trials suggest that the inaccessible third molar anatomy can harbor periodontal pathogens in up to four-fifth of patients with third molar symptoms. "A large review of populat ion and clinical studies with more than 8,000 sub­jects showed that patients with third molars had a worsened periodontal status on other teeth in the quadrant over those patients without third molars."

Other conditions that may have greater incidences associated with third molar impactions are pericoronitis and caries.

Dr. Dennis explains how dentists can deal with impacted teeth that may be coming in under prostheses, including fixed den­tal restoratives. "Partially erupted teeth almost always cause problems with an overlying prosthesis and must be removed prior to denture fabrication," he says.

Other indications for third molar removal include reduction of risk for jaw fracture (a small subgroup of patients), treat­ment for facial pain, and post-orthodontic t reatment, a com­mon reason for third molar removal despite a paucity of data linking the retention of third molars and orthodontic relapse or crowding.

Counterindications and complications of third molar removal include age and medical conditions like diabetes. Increased risk of nerve injury or sinus complications is greater in patients with hypercementosis.

Dr. Dennis concludes by stating that all wisdom teeth require either removal or observation over t ime. He notes that patient satisfaction studies show patients prefer extraction to reten­tion. If a patient elects for retention, then he or she is commit­ting to a lifetime of observation and monitorinc

"Dentists are dealing with many unknowns...

One thing I am certain about is my malpractice protection."

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Nebraska Dental Associat ion Nov / Dec 2011 7

O R A L S U R G E R Y A S S O C I A T E S p r e s e n t s

K a r e n B a k e r

I n f e c t i o u s D i s e H Friday, February 24, 2G 1:00 - 5:00 pm Georgetown Club 2440 South 141 s t Circle Omaha, NE

Oral Surgery Associates believes in the importance of continuing education in

the dental community. We invite all area dentists and staff to join us for a free

continuing education program presented by Karen Baker, BS, MS.

Professor Karen A. Baker has been on the Dental College faculty at the University

of Iowa for 30 years and occupies a unique role in dental practice and education.

She is a clinical pharmacist with a Master's degree in clinical pharmacology and

therapeutics and is focused on patient-specific dental drug therapy. She has given over

800 programs nationally and internationally and holds memberships in many denta

and clinical pharmacology and therapeutics organizations. Ms. Baker is on the editoria

board of the Journal of the Academy of General Dentistry. Her dental education-based

pharmacy and drug therapy consultation center is the only one in the United States.

She has authored more than 50 articles and abstracts and lectures extensively in pre-

doctoral and graduate-level courses at the University of iowa.

Please reserve your spot by February 10, 2012 to Amanda at 402.390.0770 ext. 256

or info@omfacialsurgery.com.

ORAL SURGERY ASSOCIATES Specialists in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery

John Andersen | Corey Auch | Steve Coffey | John Engel | Jim Heit j DaviclMarshall Robert Pfeifle | Rudy Schneider | Greg Sears | Steve Wendt | Bert Wood

o m f a c i a l s u r g e r y . c o m

8 Nebraska Dental Associat ion Nov / Dec 2011

a L e g i s l a t i v e R e c e p t i o n

Legislative Update Non-Covered Services In 2010, Senator Gloor int roduced LB 813 to prevent a dental insurer f rom limiting a fee a dent ist may charge an insured pat ient for a serv ice which is not covered under the policy. LB 813 was s igned into law by the Governor on Apri l 12, 2010 and became effec­tive July 15, 2010. Apparent ly, the statute amended by LB 813 did not apply to all insurance compan ies .

This year, w e are asking S e n a t o r G l o o r to a m e n d the insu rance statutes so that the intent of LB 813 wou ld apply to all insurance compa­nies that sell dental insurance.

To date, 26 other states have passed Non-Covered Serv ices legislat ion.

Adult Dental Medicaid In a December 2, 2011 letter to Senators , V iv ianne C h a u m o n t , Nebraska's Medicaid director suggest­ed eliminating adult dental Medicaid.

A port ion of her letter is below:

The federal budget crisis creates uncertainies regarding the federal funding that will be available to the states for financing state Medicaid

Monday, February 6, 2012

5:30-7:30p.m. Renaissance Room Cornhusker Marriott

Lincoln, NE

i programs. Should the federal budget

crisis create across the board cuts

which include the Medicaid program,

the Division of Medicaid and Long-

Term Care proposes the following

additional reductions: 1. The following

services would be eliminated:

a. Dental services for adults exclud­

ing dentures - 37,490 clients; total

savings $9,752,935

b. Dentures for adults - 5,482

clients; total savings $1,909,535

NEBRASKA DENTAL ASSOCIATION

To support the NDA's public policy by collecting voluntary political contributions and making expenditures for assisting candidates supportive of oral health issues to elected office. To enhance the effectiveness of NDA's grassroots lobby­ing by mobilizing dentists, as well as the general public, to gain the support of state legislators for pro oral health legis­lation. NEDPAC supported the following Senators in 2011:

Amanda McGill John Wightman Annette Dubas Kate Sullivan Beau McCoy Kathy Campbell Bill Avery Ken Haar Bob Krist Ken Schilz Brad Ashford Lydia Brasch Brenda Council Mark Christensen Burke Harr Mike Flood Charlie Janssen Mike Gloor Colby Coash Paul Lambert Danielle Conrad Paul Schumacher Dave Bloomfield Pete Pirsch Dennis Utter Russ Karpisek Galen Hadley Scott Lautenbaugh Greg Adams Scott Price Health Mello Steve Lathrop Jeremy Nordquist Tanya Cook Jim Smith Tom Carlson John Harms Tom Hansen John Nelson Tyson Larson

Nebraska Dental Associat ion Nov / Dec 2011 9

Constitutionality of Obamacare Critical Date: June 2012

On November 15, 2 0 1 1 , the United States Supreme Court granted cert io­rari (agreeing to hear an appeal ) on three petit ions concern ing the const i ­tut ional i ty of the Affordable Care Act ("ACA"). Given the Sup reme Court 's t imel ine for the fi l ing of briefs, oral a rgument will l ikely be schedu led for the end of March or beginning of Apri l 2012 . The Supreme Court has set aside f ive and a half hours for oral a rguments on four dif ferent issues. Under this t imel ine, the Court 's f inal ruling wil l l ikely be handed down at the end of J u n e 2012, just before the Cour t r ecesses for the summer . R e m e m b e r this date.

The Court has schedu led oral a rgu­ment into four issues:

1. Whether the individual mandate is a Const i tut ional exerc ise of fed ­eral power.

2. Whether cha l lenges to the indi­v idual mandate are barred by the Ant i - In junct ion Act

3. Whether the individual mandate is severab le f rom other parts of the Act

4 . Whe the r the Medicaid expan ­sion is Const i tut ional .

A s s u m e the A C A is Consi tu t iona l

G o v e r n o r Dave H e i n e m a n is on record say ing Nebraska should hold off on sett ing up its exchange and also supports Nebraska 's lawsuit cha l leng­ing the A C A as listed above.

However, t imel ines conta ined within the A C A don' t a l low a state to "hope"

the Sup reme Court will d e e m it uncon­st i tut ional.

What is an E x c h a n g e ?

A health benefi t exchange is a "one stop shop" webs i te that organizes the health insurance market p lace for indi­v iduals and smal l bus inesses. The heal th benefi t exchange is not an insurance carrier. An exchange pro­v ides a plat form by wh ich consumers can purchase the coverage of their choice f rom the private market . Wes t Virginia has al ready approved the cre­at ion of their exchange . You can see it at http://healthbenefitexchangewv.com/

Last year Nebraska received $1 mil­lion last year for initial p lanning. On N o v e m b e r 30 , 2 0 1 1 , N e b r a s k a received not ice that it will receive more than $5 mil l ion to further plan a health insurance exchange, a "Level One" grant that provides a year of funding to states that have al ready m a d e s o m e progress on p lann ing their exchanges .

L e v e l Two Federa l Grant

Here is the k i c k e r . . . in order to qua l ­ify for a Level Two grant to design and build the Exchange, a state must have legal author i ty in place ( legislat ion) to proceed with the Exchange by J u n e 29, wh ich wou ld al low Nebraska to receive $60 mil l ion to $80 mil l ion to implement its exchange .

Two key componen ts of the legislat ion wou ld address the governance struc­ture of the Exchange and a budget.

The 2012 Leg is la t i ve Sess ion adjourns on Apri l 12th, so unless the Sena to r s w a n t another Spec ia l Sess ion , Heal th Benef i t Exchange legislat ion wil l need to be int roduced and passed dur ing this Sess ion .

Future T imel ine

January 1, 2013 - Feds approve of the State Exchange Plan.

January 1, 2014 - State Exchange

2 0 1 2

must be operat ional .

January 1, 2015 -State Exchange

must be f inancial ly susta inable.

Earl ier this year, the A D A submi t ted

commen ts at an Institute of Medic ine

hear ing concern ing the essent ia l ben­

efit package in addi t ion to meet ing

w i th the Cen te r of C o n s u m e r

Informat ion and Insurance Overs ight

(CCI IO) , a federal agency charged

with develop ing the federal recom­

mendat ions on the essent ia l benefi t

package.

N e b r a s k a ' s E x c h a n g e

Governor He ineman, w h o would like

to see the health care reform law

repealed, said the state will move for­

ward with planning and des ign ing a

sys tem "to protect Nebraska f rom a

federal takeover" if the law surv ives a

court test.

On December 9, 2 0 1 1 , NDA represen­

tat ives met wi th the Depar tment of

Insurance to convey the impor tance of

o rgan i zed dent is t ry ' s input in the

d e v e l o p m e n t and des ign of

Nebraska 's Exchange.

10 Nebraska Dental Associat ion Nov / Dec 2011

P A R I ' S O N Dental Practice Transitions

Let us help you reach you r professional goals, w h e t h e r it be purchasing, selling o r evaluating you r pract ice.

r | • PRACTICE SALES We are pleased to introduce our transition consultant for • MERGERS

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Dr. Peter Dawson & The Dawson Academy

• Dr. Gordon Christensen

Dr. Terry Tanaka • The Pankey Institute,

plus many more!

Learn more at RMDCONLINE.COM

Hosted by the Metro Denver Dental Society

Nebraska Dental Associat ion Nov / Dec 2011 11

Approximately 70% of adult smokers want to quit.

T a l f c l A / i + h

P

Throe mn&toc. of n o v r time-

ooyild add H e a K t o - T h e i r l i v f c - C

N e b r a s k a T o b a c c o Q u i t l i n e

Q u i t N o w . n e . g o v | l - 8 0 0 - Q U I T - N O W

Tobacco Free Nebraska - Nebraska Department of Health & Human Services - Division of Public Health

*U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC)

12 Nebraska Dental Assoc ia t ion Nov / Dec

Membership N E W M E M B E R S :

Dr. Daniel Woodburn 805 S. Maple St.

North Platte, NE. 69101 308-534-1289

Dr. A s h l e y Rainbol t 4640 Champla in Drive, #105

Lincoln, NE. 68521 402-477-5665

Dr. Vimal Patel 105 Fort Crook Road South

Bel levue, NE. 68005 402-650-7405

Dr. R a c h e l B e n s o n 124 E. 2nd Street

Laurel , NE. 68745 402-256-3231

Dr. Mary K e r s e n b r o c k 430 E. Everett

O'Neil l , NE. 68763 402-336-4211

A D D R E S S & D I R E C T O R Y C H A N G E S

& C O R R E C T I O N S :

Dr. S t e p h e n L e e p e r 6933 Sumner St

Lincoln, NE. 68506

Organized Dentistry Saved My Life and My Practice By Kevin J . Hanley, D D S - New York State Dental Journal

Add ing CareCred i t , a heal thcare credit card , as an addi t ional pay­ment opt ion can make it easier for more pat ients to get the care they wan t , w h e n they w a n t it. Ca reCred i t is accep ted at over 90 ,000 den ta l p rac t ices to he lp pat ients schedu le and comp le te recommended dent istry and return for care wi thout hesi tat ion.

CareCred i t is endorsed by the NDA for our members and in celebrat ion of CareCredi t 's 25th Anniversary, you can get started for only $25. Call 800-300-3046, ext. 4519 .

The second meeting of the NYSDA House of delegates is over. It was a rather uneventful meet ing, with not too many controversial resolutions to debate and vote on. The meet ing, held in Albany in June, lacked much of the glamour and exci tement of the first meeting in Chicago last year. Of course, how can you outdo the excite­ment of something new and fresh?

Chad Gehani of Queens County assumed the mantle of power when he was sworn in as president. One of Chad's goals is to increase membership in organized dentistry in general and in NYSDA in particular. Membership is dwindling, and our current members are getting older. It seems younger dentists are not joining organized dentistry in numbers sufficient to keep membership rolls at their current levels, let alone grow our organization. This is not good, for NYSDA or for organized dentistry as a whole.

I wonder why younger dentists are not joining organized dentistry? Is it that they don't see the benefit of paying dues to an organization that, to them, doesn't seem well-defined? It got me thinking about hwy I joined organized dentistry in the first place and what ben­efits I have obtained as a member. I will tell you a little story about what organ­ized dentistry means to me and why I think it is so important.

It was a warm, sunny morning in Disney World. I was there on vacation with my wife, Danielle. I had finished my morn­ing run, was showered, shaved and dressed. Danielle was getting ready, so I went out into the living room of our hotel suite to wait for her to finish. We were going to go to Animal Kingdom that day so we could ride Expedition Everest. Suddenly, I became very short of breath and I was sweating profusely. I collapsed on the floor. Hearing a crash, Danielle came out of the bedroom to see what I had tipped over. She found me on the floor, unconscious. She was able to rouse me and asked what had happened. Not knowing what was

wrong, I tolder her I had no idea but I didn't feel very well. She called 911 at once.

This being Disney Wor ld, response was immediate. The front desk sent the l i feguards from the pool to see if they could help, and the EMS arrived shortly after that. The EMTs hooked me up to a protable EKG and told me I was having a heart attack. They rushed me to the hospital in Celebrat ion, FL, where the ER physi­cian conf i rmed the diagnosis. As they could not treat me there, I was heli­coptered to Florida Hospital in Orlando and taken immediately into the CATH lab, where they performed an angiogram.

The heart surgeon came out to Danielle to tell her what they found. It wasn't good. I had five blockages and would need bypass surgery. When Danielle asked when, he responded, "Right now." They wheeled me from the CATH lab into the OR and five hours later, I was in ICU, recovering from open-heart surgery.

Danielle was beside herself; she didn't know what to do or where to turn. Here we were, in Florida, states away from our home in Buffalo, NY, me in ICU with tubes coming out of me in all directions, her not knowing what to do next. She not only had to cope with the emotional trauma of seeing me in such as state, she also had to think about my practice. What was going to happen to it?

She called David Kinyon, who was then executive director of the Eighth District, to tell him what had happened. Because I was active in organized dentistry, hav­ing served as president of the Eighth District in 2002 and as one of its gover­nors from 2003, Danielle knew Dave very well. He immediately sent an e-mail to the members of the society to tell them of my predicament. Word filtered down to the Eighth District Orthodontic Academy and its president at the time, John Tibbetts. John got together a

continued on page 14

Nebraska Dental Associat ion Nov / Dec 2011 13

Calendar DENTAL SOLUTIONS INC.

• 5 ?

Large and small equipment repair

new and used equipment sales

handpiece repai rs reupholstery

Carl Bertch Service Technician/Owner

Omaha 402-706-3743

UNMC Course Registration - (402) 472-2175

For more information, call (402) 472-9457.

Creighton University registration and information

in Omaha call (402) 280-5054. Outside Omaha, call 1 (888) 273-6576

December 12-13, 2011 Radiology for Dental Auxiliary, UNMC.

January 6, 2012 The Top 50 Most Prescribed Medications / Managing the Dental Patient In Pain; Mary Riempa Ross Theater, Lincoln. UNMC.

February 3-7, 2012 Play and Learn - Costa Rica; Cutting Edge Radiology. Creighton

February 8-February 12, 2012 Dental Education Winter Conference -Advances in Dental Materials. Co-spon­sor UNMC; Crested Butte, Colorado.

February 17, 2011 Clinical Applications of Endodontic Regeneration, Guided Bone Regeneration, Differential Diagnosis of Common Oral Lesions, UNMC.

February 24, 2012 Winter Treat - Are you tired of shoveling and up to your knees in Pathobabel? Creighton

May 18 - May 28, 2012 Pain Control and Analgesics and Use and Abuse of Antibiotics; Location: Holland America ms Noordam Cruise (Mediterranean 10day cruise - 12 hrs CE) UNMC

Organized Dentistry Saved My Life, con't group of orthodontists, who covered my office and saw my patients while I recovered.

I will be forever in the debt of those fel­low dentists who came to my aid in my time of need. They didn't have to do what they did, but they did it anyway. But I doubt they would have responded if not for organized dentistry. It was the connections I made while participating in all the things organized dentistry offered that saved my practice. Without those connections, I shudder to think what would have happened. Certainly my practice would have been severely damaged. When someone asks me why I am a member of organized den­tistry, I give them all the pat answers: organized dentistry is our voice against those out there who will try to make laws that may not be in the pest inter­

ests of patients; and it is our brother­hood, where we watch out for each other and try to do what is best for our patients. Truth is, I love being involved in organized dentistry. I like serving my colleagues in this special way. I have been honored to serve as a delegate to the ADA House of Delegates for seven years. I was privileged to be involved in crafting the new governance structure of NYSDA. I was fortunate to serve as a delegate to the second meeting of the NYSDA House of Delegates and, as your editor, to attend the inaugural meeting of the HOD in 2010. I am privi­leged to serve you now as your editor.

However, organized dentistry will always mean more to me than that. Without it, my wife would have had no place to turn in my hour of greatest need. My practice would have suffered

significant harm and, possibly, my patients as well. I may have not recov­ered as quickly and as uneventfully as I did without the connections and friends I developed through organized den­tistry, who made my life much simpler at an otherwise trying time. I will always be indebted to everyone who came for­ward that fateful fall of 2007.

The next time someone asks what organized dentistry has done for you, just refer them to me. I will be happy to tell them how important the ADA, NYSDA and the component dental soci­eties are. Without them, I might not be here today to write these words. I would not be able to relate to you how I rode the ultimate Disney thrill ride and lived to tell the tale. And, to me, that is worth much more than the cost of dues.

14 Nebraska Dental Associat ion Nov / Dec 2011

Classifieds ASSOCIATE/BUY- IN WANTED for NW Omaha practice. Current owner wants to retire in 2-3 years. 2010 production of $770,000 with 4-day workweek. Contact Box #1011, c/o NE Dental Association, 7160 South 29th Street, Suite 1, Lincoln, NE. 68516.

DENTIST WANTED for an expanding SW Omaha practice. Forward resume to drbeninato@premiersmile.com.

For Sale: Reception room furniture, A-dec cabinetry, 10 ft steri-center for sale. Contact pmaag@yahoo.com.

DENTIST WANTED: Full-time as an independent contractor for Dr. Kutler's Dental Health Center at 7337 Farnam, Omaha. Established, successful general dentistry practice M-F 8-5. Tremendous earnings potential 200K. Possible future buy-in. Call Jayne at (402)397-2323.

Lincoln, Nebraska, Dental Office For Sale - located in the rapidly growing southeast part of Lincoln. Close to 70th & Pioneers. Well designed 3-4 operato-ry office. Modern and very professional appearing. Respond to Maria @ 402-640-7234

Kearney, Nebraska, Dental Office For Sale - Very attractive, well-designed, 4-operatory office. Located in a highly desirable area. Highly visible on the most heavily traveled road in Kearney. For further information, contact Maria @ 402-640-7234.

Dentist Jobs: Aspen Dental offers tremen­dous earning potential and a practice sup­port model that empowers dentists. We eliminate obstacles for dentists to own their own practice. To learn more and apply, please call 866-748-4045 or visit www.aspendentaljobs.com. EOE.

The Trusted Transition Partner: Your practice is the product of your life's work. It deserves the utmost care and respect when you're ready to consider your tran­sition alternatives. For more than forty years, Midwest Dental has served as a trusted transition partner for practice owners seeking discreet, efficient, transi­

tion alternatives. Clinician-led, we offer deep experience in supporting practice owners through the transition process. Like you, we care for patients every day. We are not looking for a transaction. We seek like-minded care providers with a vested interest in the long-term health of their patients and the careers of their staff. Our references are readily available and all discussions are strictly confiden­tial. Importantly, we are a dental practice so there are never any fees involved when working with us. To learn more, please contact Sean Epp, Transition Leader, at (715) 579-4188 or sepp@mid-west-dental.com. You can also visit us online at www.midwest-dental.com.

Edge Dental Recruiting & Consult ing, a l icensed broker in Wiscons in , can help you f ind great emp loymen t opportuni t ies throughout the Midwest and help transit ion dental pract ices. Contact us first at (414)255-5669 or Andy@EdgeDenta lRecru i t ing .com

F O R L E A S E : Highly visible existing dental office building - complete renova­tion of for lease space, walls, ceilings, lighting, windows and all new floors. Some shared space with a very suc­cessful existing long term reputable den­tal practice. Southeast Lincoln location. Features include: Four operatories; ster­ilization area; lab area; private office which includes a private restroom; hand­icap accessible patient restroom; share a newly renovated furnished reception room, receptionist office, and private consultation room; abundant parking. Lessee will provide their own dental equipment (excluding air compressor and vacuum system). You can choose your colors and operator delivery style. Completion, September 1, 2011. For more information or to schedule a tour, please call 402-730-6540.

A S S O C I A T E WANTED: Midwest Dental is seeking associate candidates for Nebraska. Since 1968, our philosophy of supporting doctors and staff has lead to unmatched consistency and paved the way for future growth. Our team is com­mitted to supporting doctors focused on providing optimal patient care. We pride

ourselves on providing doctors the abili­ty to practice in a traditional non-HMO practice environment coupled with the flexibility and rewards that a group can offer. Throughout 2011, we will be work­ing on new opportunities in the Lincoln and Omaha markets. We'd enjoy the opportunity to learn about your practice philosophy along with your career goals and expectations. Please consult our website at wwww.midwest-dental.com for more specific background on our support team. For a direct contact, call 715-926-5050 or e-mail develop-ment@midwest-dental.com.

A S S O C I A T E WANTED: Dental Care Center and Mobile Dental Center are searching for energetic associate den­tists. Dental Care Center is a busy tradi­tional practice in the Ralston area. We are open Monday through Saturday with hours until 8:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Mobile Dental Center pro­vides care to nursing home residents in over twenty facil i t ies in Eastern Nebraska. Interested candidates may apply for full or part-time positions at either practice. Contact Dr. Mike Sweeney at 402-592-1773 or fax cur­riculum vitae to 402-339-3914.

A S S O C I A T E & P A R T N E R S H I P O P P O R T U N I T I E S : Midlands Dental Groups, Jeffrey T Garvey, D.D.S. - Iowa Opportuni t ies: Counci l Bluffs: 20-Minutes from Omaha; Missouri Valley: 30-Minutes from Omaha; Woodbine: 60-Minutes from Omaha. Nebraska Opportunit ies: Omaha and Bel levue. LGa in diagnostic, clinical and treatment planning proficiency 2.Tap 20 years experience from senior doctors 3. Earn an income of $150,000 to $250,000 4. Learn the business of dentistry. Some of our past associates that have worked within our group have been graduates from Creighton University, University of Nebraska and University of Iowa. Some needing interim employment while wait­ing for spouses to graduate, some have opened their own practices and some have become partners within our group. For More Information, Please call Jean: Office: 712-642-4136 Cell : 712-592-6821, Email: grover@loganet.net

Nebraska Dental Associat ion Nov / Dec 2011 15

PUBLISHED BY The Nebraska Dental Association 7160 South 29th, Suite 1, Lincoln, NE. 68516 (402)476-1704 I 1-888-789-2614 I FAX (402) 476-2641 Email: nda@windstream.net I Website: www.nedental.org

Nebraska Dental Association 7160 S. 29 th , Ste. 1 Lincoln, NE 68516

PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE

PAID LINCOLN, NEBRASKA

PERMIT NO. 643

OFFICERS Dr. Ken Hermsen President

Dr. Gary Westerman Treasurer

Dr. Henry St Germain Dr. Jack Wesch President-Elect Immediate Past President

Dr. John Thomas Secretary

Dr. Scott Wieting Vice President

Dr. Deb West Speaker of the House

TRUSTEES Dr. Marty Matz, Omaha Dr. Merlyn Vogt, Lincoln Dr. Travis Kobza, Southeast Dr. Perry Rosenau, Central Dr. Ken Tusha, North Dr. Tom Fagot, Northwest Dr. Jessica Meeske, Southwest Dr. Bill Printz, West

NDA STAFF David J. O'Doherty, Executive Director - davidodoherty@windstream.net

Jody Cameron, Executive Assistant - jodycameron@windstream.net

AFTCO TRANSITION CONSULTANTS

Call 1-800-232-3826 for a

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Elizabeth L. Papineau f D.D.S.

has joined the practice of

James H. Brower, D.D.S.

York, Nebraska

AFTCO is pleased to have represented both parties in this transaction.

Helping dentists buy & sell practices for over 40 years. WWW.AFTCO.NET