What`sInside - Illinois State Dental Society

Transcription

11
UIC to Close
GPR Program
12
Dentists Give
and Receive
Lots of Smiles
ILLINOIS
DENTAL NEWS
THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE ILLINOIS STATE DENTAL SOCIETY
FEATURE: Sexual Harassment: It’s No Joke
VOLUME 73 ■ ISSUE 4 ■ APRIL 2004
Inside
What’s
2
6
13
15
ADA Trustee’s Report
News Briefs
Editor’s Desk
Classifieds
UIC Pilots Early
Testing Procedure
Graduating University of Illinois at
Chicago College of Dentistry students will
be able to start practicing much sooner
thanks to a pilot testing arrangement
between UIC and CRDTS the Central
Regional Dental Testing Service. UIC Dean
for Patient Care and Clinical Education,
Dr. Frank Licari, approached the agency
last fall about the possibility of arranging
an earlier testing date for graduating
dental students.
“Up to this point, we’ve given the exam
in May, and students would graduate
from dental school a week after taking
the exam. If they passed, they wouldn’t
be notified until about the 4th of July.”
Moving the testing date up to mid-March
will allow passing students to begin
practicing dentistry much sooner after
graduation. “It also gives us the
opportunity to work with a student on
specific areas if they do not pass the
examination, and they can retake it in
May without being penalized,” explained
Dr. Licari. Currently, more than 90%
of graduating dental students pass the
exam the first time.
Efforts were made to adjust certain
components of the curriculum to ensure
that the students would be prepared noted
Dr. Licari. “Our Assistant Dean for
Clinical Education, Dr. William Knight,
worked with our group practice managed
partners in developing the curriculum so
that students would be more prepared to
take the examination in March, line up
patients for the exam, and complete the
necessary steps to prepare for the exam.”
“Procedure” continued on page 14
Dental Students Experience MWM Firsthand
Dental students from Illinois’ two dental
schools once again had the opportunity
to witness first-hand how membership in
organized dentistry directly benefits
member dentists. Some 80 dental students
from Southern Illinois University School
of Dental Medicine and the University of
Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry
participated in the Illinois State Dental
Society’s dental student field trip to the
American Dental Association headquarters
and the Chicago Dental Society’s Midwinter
Meeting. This is the second year ISDS
organized the award-winning studentcentered event.
Jeremy Dixon of SIU had to get up bright
and early for the trip to Chicago, but he said
the experience was well worth it. “The ADA is
much bigger than what we thought. It was
very impressive. You can really understand
what the ADA is doing to safeguard the
profession and how important it is to be
involved in organized dentistry.” Mr. Dixon
and his classmates boarded a chartered
bus at 5:30 am and were welcomed with a
full complement of breakfast foods and
beverages. Upon arrival in Chicago, the
students toured ADA headquarters where
they had an opportunity to visit several
areas that directly benefit member dentists.
Students were particularly impressed
with the resources available at the ADA,
specifically the dental laboratories. “I was
very surprised that they have labs in the
ADA building and they are testing so many
different products,” observed fourth-year
UIC dental student Pauline Lee. “I was
also very impressed with the library. The
reference staff was very helpful, and you
can borrow very expensive textbooks
and all you have to pay for is shipping,”
noted Ms. Lee.
“We made sure the students were well
taken care of. We pre-registered them with
the Chicago Dental Society. They received
credentials in advance, so they wouldn’t
have to stand in line. They entered exhibit
floor as CDS members, and had the
opportunity to tour several areas of the
ADA,” explained Kathy Ridley, ISDS
Director of Education and Membership.
Second-year students enrolled in the UIC
International Dental Program also were
“Students” continued on page 14
ILLINOIS DENTAL NEWS
NEWS STAFF
D. Milton Salzer, DDS • Editor
Lee Ann Beane • Managing Editor
Jennifer Walker • Publications Coordinator
Tess Fyalka • Chief Editorial Assistant
Tara McAndrew • Editorial Assistant
PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE
Dr. Hugo Bertagni, Chair
Dr. Ian Elliott
Dr. Mitchell Myers
Dr. Cheryl Watson-Lowry
OFFICES
Business
Lee Ann Beane, Managing Editor
1010 South Second Street, P.O. Box 376
Springfield, Illinois 62705
217/525-1406
Internet Address: ildent@isds.org
Advertising
Jennifer Walker • 217/525-1406
ISDS Toll Free Number • 800/475-4737
USPS #0257-820 • ISSN #1084-8282
The Illinois State Dental Society is not responsible for the opinions, views or statements made
in any essay, discussion or in the proceedings
which are presented before the Society via the
Illinois Dental News.
The Illinois Dental News is published
monthly by the Illinois State Dental Society,
1010 South Second Street, Springfield, IL
62704. Periodicals postage paid at Springfield,
Illinois, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address corrections to Illinois
Dental News, P.O. Box 376, Springfield, Illinois
62705.
SUBSCRIPTION PRICES
The subscription price is $25.00 annually; nonmembers in the United States $45.00; nonmembers outside of the United States $75.00;
single copies $5.00 each.
CONTRIBUTIONS
Articles submitted for publication should be articles that have not been previously published and
are submitted solely to the News. Such published articles become the property of the Illinois
State Dental Society. Articles published in the
Illinois Dental News may be reproduced or reprinted only after written permission has been
granted by the Illinois Dental News.
Manuscripts should be typewritten, double
spaced. Manuscripts and news items of interest
to the Society’s membership are solicited. The
editor reserves the right to reject or delete material which may be unsuitable for publication.
Early submission of materials, 45 days in
advance of publication is requested.
ADVERTISING
All matters concerning display advertising
should be addressed to the attention of Jennifer
Walker, ISDS, 1010 South Second Street,
Springfield, Illinois 62704.
The News reserves the right to reject any
advertising. All advertising appearing in ISDS
publications must comply with the advertising
policies of the Illinois State Dental Society. The
publication of an advertisement is not to be
construed as an endorsement or approval of
the product or services being offered in the
advertisement by ISDS or any of its associated
entities, unless the advertisement specifically
includes an authorized statement that such
approval or endorsement has been granted.
Display advertising rates are available from
Jennifer Walker at the IDN business office,
phone: 217/525-1406 • fax: 217/525-8872.
A member publication of the American
Association of Dental Editors
ADA Trustee’s Report
by Dr. Perry Tuneberg
I would like to begin with a few “thank
you’s.” Thank you to all ISDS dentists
who joined the over 35,000 participating
dental providers in this year’s Give Kids
A Smile. Millions of dollars in donated
dental supplies and services were given
to needy children across the country,
and the spotlight was once again shined
on the lack of access to oral care for our
nation's needy children. GKAS, Donated
Dental Services, and the hundreds of
millions of donated dental service
dollars given each year give us the
credibility we need to discuss these
access issues with our legislators.
Thank you and congratulations to Dr.
Keith Suchy, Randy Grove, and the
entire CDS Staff and volunteer dentists
for another outstanding Midwinter
Meeting. Your hospitality, along with
excellent continuing education and
exhibitors, cement your reputation as
the premier dental meeting to attend.
The Board of Trustees held its Strategic
Planning Retreat in February. At each
of our board meetings, we have held
discussions on a critical issue, and this
year we will be expanding that process
to include the House of Delegates in
Orlando. I feel this is a great move
forward for our HOD. To quote our
Executive Director Dr. Bramson, “The
hope is that we will continue to do
this in future years, expanding the
discussions and increasing delegate
knowledge so the House focuses more
on overarching policy issues and less on
reacting to the wording of resolutions.”
This year’s topic to the HOD will be
access to care issues, with emphasis
on reimbursement aspects. With an
increased awareness and education of
critical issues, the deliberations and
actions of the House should reach and
maintain a much higher level of
effectiveness and produce greater results
for our patients and our profession.
The BOT retreat featured a lively and
informal half-day discussion on issues
shaping dentistry’s future. The panel
members represented every aspect of
dentistry, such as manufacturers,
suppliers, educators, government,
insurance and business payer/financing
entities. The immediate past president
of ASDA also joined us and gave very
insightful comments on issues critical
to students and new dentists. Topics of
discussion included the practice and
delivery of dentistry in the future, access
issues, financing and insurance coverage. Collaborative efforts between our
organization and various public and
private entities for improving access for
oral health were debated. It was very
enlightening to hear the views from
outside entities as we tend to see these
issues strictly from our perspective as
health care providers.
Our Eighth District representative to the
Committee on the New Dentist, Dr.
Daniel Bills, has announced he will be
moving to Pennsylvania to practice
orthodontics. I want to thank Dan for
his outstanding service representing
Illinois and wish him the best in his
future endeavors. Based upon Dan’s
recommendation, I have appointed Dr.
Brandon Maddox of Springfield to
replace Dan on the committee. Brandon
has been very involved on the ISDS New
Dentist Committee and is a partner with
Dr. Bill Sturm.
The ADA New Dentist Conference will be
held in San Diego June 24-26. This is
an excellent conference and a great way
to meet our newest colleagues and get to
know their needs, concerns, and ideas.
There is a wide variety of continuing
education, and this conference can be
very beneficial for dentists contemplating bringing on an associate or selling
their practices. Information and online
registration is available at ADA.org.
You’re never too old to attend the New
Dentist Conference!
I hope to see all of you at the ISDS
Capitol Conference in April. Dr. Eugene
Sekiguchi will be our featured guest,
and I know you will not want to miss
his introduction by Dr. Dino Nicholas!
Thank you again for the opportunity to
serve all of you.
Upcoming ISDS CE Courses
Wednesday, May 19
8:30 am - 4:00 pm
Mark of the Quad Cities
1201 River Drive
Moline, IL. 61265
309/764-2001
www.themark.org
6 CE credits
Friday, May 21
8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Eagle Creek Resort
Findlay, IL 62534
800-876-EAGLE
www.eaglecreekresort.com
5 CE credits
2 ■ ILLINOIS DENTAL NEWS / APRIL 2004
Predictable Implant Dentistry for the
General Dental Practice
Learning Objectives:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Managing the diagnosis and treatment planning of dental implants
Incorporating dental implants into the dental practice
Effectively communicating with the surgeon
Learning to fabricate an implant template for diagnosis and placement
Recognizing the advantages and disadvantages of dental implants
Learning to restore single stage implants, external and internal
hex implants
7. Fabricating the simple 2 implant supported mandibular denture
8. Learning why every dentist must offer dental implants as a treatment
option
9. Learn how to increase patient acceptance of treatment plans with
dental implants
Dr. Kopp will also address some advances in esthetic techniques.
From bonding to implants see how you can apply these new
techniques in your practice.
Dr. Kevin
Kopp
Stay after
Friday’s CE
course and play
a round of golf
on the beautifully
challenging
6,900-yard course
at Eagle Creek
Resort!
Visit www.isds.org
and Register now!
The Importance of Informed Consent
By Robyn Thomason, Risk Management Coordinator, TDIC
Most professional liability claims include an
allegation of a lack of informed consent.
Patients argue they would have made a different
treatment decision had they known of the possibility of a negative outcome. By law, patients
must be informed about their treatment, and
obtaining informed consent is the best way to
protect the patient and the doctor.
The law also requires that the dentist conduct
the informed consent discussion and not delegate it exclusively to a staff member, video or
form. However, staff can add to the dentistpatient discussion. Patients often feel more
comfortable expressing concerns to the staff
rather than the dentist. Auxiliary staff should
bring inquiries to the dentist’s attention.
• Reinforce what the patient heard and
understood during the discussion.
• Serve as documentation of the facts that
were discussed.
While the forms list the risks, benefits and alternatives, it may not be enough to cover the information a patient may later allege was not clear
prior to treatment. This can be addressed by
using phrases such as: not limited to the following, the information listed on this form covers
only general information, and the doctor has
personally discussed the material with me and I
was given an opportunity to ask questions prior
to treatment and all my questions were
answered to my satisfaction.
It is important to note that a patient’s refusal for
treatment does not allow a dentist to practice
below the standard of care. While patients may
influence the treatment plan to some extent, do
not allow them to request and then consent to
substandard treatment. Nor should patients be
allowed to consent to substandard treatment
based primarily on financial considerations or
insurance coverages.
TDIC has state-specific informed consent forms
Just as a patient should know the risks, benefits,
and alternatives of accepting a treatment
recommendation, he/she should also know the
potential consequences of refusing a proposed
treatment or procedure. For example, a patient
who refuses the recommendation to extract
a completely bony-impacted third molar,
must understand the potential for continued
symptoms, bone loss and serious, potentially
life-threatening infection. Most states impose
a duty on dentists to obtain a patient’s informed
refusal whenever refusal holds potentially
serious complications.
For further details, contact the Risk
Management department at The Dentists
Insurance Company by calling 800/733-0635,
or visit www.thedentists.com. To learn more
about TDIC’s insurance product offerings,
contact ISDS member Rennie Holmes DMD,
Illinois TDIC representative at RH Insurance:
866/834-2487.
As a practicing dentist, you’re also a small
business owner. You need to feel confident
that you and your practice will be covered
in the event of a claim or loss.
Obtaining informed consent is the result of a
dialogue between the dentist and patient, during
which the dentist educates the patient about the
diagnosis, nature of a recommended treatment,
alternative treatment options, and the possible
risks and consequences of both. Doctors should
give patients enough information to make a
decision to accept or refuse treatment. Excessive
questions or high level of apprehension on the
patient’s part are indicators of how much time
and detail should be spent informing the patient
of issues concerning treatment.
There are three areas of informed consent that
ought to be discussed in lay terms. First is the
nature of the recommended treatment and why
the procedure is being recommended. Second
are the risks, complications and benefits of the
treatment. Third are the alternatives to the recommended treatment, including no treatment,
with their risks, complications and benefits.
Many refer to these as the “RBA’s,” an acronym
for the risks, benefits and alternatives.
to assist in patient communication and
documentation including guidelines for using
the forms. Both English and Spanish versions
of the forms may be found in the Risk
Management section of thedentists.com.
Developed after careful research, the
Package, a customized insurance program,
ties professional liability coverage and
business owners insurance in one
convenient Package.
We can tailor your Package to reflect the
key coverages you need most. Obtain professional liability coverage, and an array of
practice coverage options such as: building;
business personal property; general liability;
medical payments; equipment breakdown;
business income; patient records;
commercial auto and workers compensation.
Bringing dentists protection,
wrapped up in one package.
The Package offers the combined knowledge
of select industry experts committed to
helping dentists prevent liability claims and
business losses.
To learn how you can benefit from having all
your practices’ insurance coverages wrapped
up into one Package, call 1-800-4MedPro or
email ddssvcs@GEMedicalProtective.com
for more information.
GE Commercial Insurance
Medical Protective
gecommercialinsurance.com
The informed consent discussion is a process,
not necessarily a signed form. However, the use
of a form has benefits to expand and enrich the
discussion. Forms can:
• Work as a checklist and reminder for the
doctor to cover all information the patient
needs to know to make an informed decision.
• Help the doctor and patient stay focused on
the treatment issues.
• Supplement what the patient could not
comprehend or remember due to anxiety at
the time of the discussion.
All insurance products are underwritten by The Medical Protective Company unless otherwise indicated. The Medical Protective Company ® is licensed in all states and the
District of Columbia. Medical Protective can offer individual physicians and dentists the right to written consent before settling a claim. Contact Medical Protective and see if
you are eligible to receive this important provision at your location. ©2004 GE Employers Reinsurance Corporation.
ILLINOIS DENTAL NEWS / APRIL 2004 ■ 3
Sexual Harassment: It’s No Joke
On a September afternoon in 1997, Dr.
John Kwan was wrapping up his day. A
staff member alerted him that a man in
the waiting room wanted to speak with
him. The gentleman greeted Dr. Kwan
and handed over a summons notifying
him that his former clinical assistant
was suing him; among the charges was
sexual harassment.
For more than three years, Dr. Kwan
had experienced chronic troubles with
this employee. She continually struggled
with numerous personal problems.
“She had divorce issues, boyfriend issues,
and parental issues. There were a lot of
difficult things going on in her life.”
They were problems she brought with
her daily to the office, but his was a
small team, so Dr. Kwan and his staff
tried to be supportive. However, her
numerous personal troubles were
severely affecting her behavior and
performance, and Dr. Kwan knew that
he had to take disciplinary action.
“During her first year, she was put on
probation for insubordinate behavior.
During her second year, she was placed
on probation for attitude problems. She
was placed on probation two more times
for performance and attitude problems.
In my military training, the goal of
giving punishment is rehabilitation,”
explained Dr. Kwan. Indeed, after the
employee was disciplined, her performance would improve at least for a short
period. “Each time we took action, she
would come back and do better, and we
tried to work with that. But eventually it
got to the point where we realized this
wasn’t going to work out.”
Ultimately, steps were taken to terminate
the employee who, by now, had already
voiced to coworkers her plan to seek
revenge on Dr. Kwan. When the
allegations of sexual harassment were
made, Dr. Kwan wasn’t completely
surprised. “She became the type of
person who would try something like
that, which was why she ended up
getting fired in the first place. Her
work ethic and her integrity had
reached a very low standard.”
Dodging the Statistics
Upon opening the summons, Dr. Kwan
realized he had just become a statistic.
The case would drag on for over two
years before being resolved. Like Dr. Kwan,
more and more employers of all sizes
are facing increasing sexual harassment
claims. In fact, each year approximately
15,000 sexual harassment cases are
brought to the Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
Between 1990 and 1997, there was a
42% increase in the number of sex
discrimination cases filed. The number
of claims involving sexual harassment
more than doubled during that
time period and
continued to climb
through 2001. A
1999 survey by
the Society for
Human Resource
Management
found that 62% of
companies offer
sexual harassment
prevention training
programs, and
97% have a written
sexual harassment
policy—two
preemptive steps
that legal experts
say are essential
in avoiding, or, if
necessary, defending
a sexual harassment
claim.
Mimi Moore is a
partner in the
law firm of
McGuireWoods in Chicago. In 1998,
she was a member of the legal team
in the landmark Supreme Court case
Burlington Industries, Inc. vs. Ellerth,
which established the rules of liability for
supervisor harassment in the workplace.
She urges doctors to be proactive. First,
establish a sexual harassment policy.
“All employers should have a policy
against harassment and a policy that
contains a procedure about how to report
harassment once it occurs. The policy
should be posted in the workplace and
distributed to employees. They should be
required to sign to acknowledge that they
have received a copy. Once the employee
is on notice of the policy, they have an
obligation to report harassment according to the policy,” explains Ms. Moore.
According to the human resources firm
Bent Ericksen and Associates, a sexual
harassment policy should include the
following:
• State that sexual harassment will not
be tolerated.
• Define harassment clearly.
• Encourage employees to complain
about sexual harassment. Assure
employees that complaints will be
treated in a confidential manner.
• Inform staff that appropriate
disciplinary action—which may
include discharge—will be taken
against any
offenders.
• Emphasize that
a workplace
free of sexual
harassment
promotes good
employee
relations.
• Outline reporting
channels and
methods.
• Insist that
incidents be
reported to the
employer or
a designated
person
immediately.
Even small
employers,
including dental
practices, are
required to take
necessary steps to
ensure a harassment free environment
for employees. “In fact, under the Illinois
Human Rights Act, any employer with
more than one employee is required to
abide by the Act and make sure that
employees are not working in a sexual
harassing environment,” explains
Ms. Moore.
In addition to establishing and posting
a written policy, Ms. Moore urges dentists
to maintain an open door policy in
which employees are encouraged to
bring concerns to the doctor whether
the issue involves a patient, coworker, or
vendor. The dentist should take steps to
handle complaints of harassment in a
professional and objective manner.
“A dentist should respond with appropriate concern. Tell the employee, ‘I’m
concerned about this. I want you to be
working in a harassment-free work
environment, and if there is a problem
BY TESS FYALKA
I will look into it and deal with it.’”
Then follow through.
Doctor, You are Accused. . .
In the event the doctor is accused of
harassment, practices should provide
an alternative reporting procedure for
employees. “You want to make sure there
is someone else besides the dentist who
would be considered the head of the
office who would handle an employee’s
complaint. You need to take it seriously.
You can’t just avoid it and hope it is
going to go away,” says Ms. Moore.
Appropriate handling of any sexual
harassment claim requires that an
investigation be conducted. Ms. Moore
recommends taking the following steps
in conducting the investigation:
• Determine who the best person is to
investigate and how the investigation
should be conducted. This person
should be in a position of authority
and should not have been a witness to
the incident or an alleged party to the
misconduct.
• If an employee is accusing a dentist of
harassment, have someone else in the
organization or an outside attorney
or human resources professional
conduct the investigation.
• Perform the investigation as quickly
as possible.
• Talk to the complainant. That person
should be interviewed fully and
completely to gather all the information,
evidence, and names of witnesses,
names of persons told about the
incident, voice mail messages, email
messages, collect any and all
information that can be gathered
about the incident.
• Get a statement—in writing—
from the complainant to clarify
exactly what the person is
complaining about.
• Interview the accused and provide
them the opportunity to respond in
detail to all of the complaints. The
interview should be conducted in the
same manner as the other interview.
• Interview all witnesses of the alleged
harassment. Mistakes are often made
at this stage because the investigator
will often choose to interview some
rather than all of the witnesses in an
effort to keep the matter quiet. Ms.
Moore urges practices to interview
everyone who might have knowledge
or information about the alleged
harassment.
• Draw a conclusion.
• Take action.
Mr. Patient, You are Accused. . .
Mary Clare Bonaccorsi is a partner in
the Chicago law firm Bryan Cave. She
regularly counsels medical and dental
offices and has written on the topic of
sexual harassment in the dental practice.
She emphasizes that the majority of cases
in a dental practice involve a patient or
vendor harassing a staff member.
“Typically, a staff member, such as the
hygienist, will go to the employer, the
dentist, and say that she is tired of dealing
with a specific patient because this
individual routinely makes inappropriate
comments, engages in inappropriate
touching, and otherwise creates a hostile
work environment for the employee.
“The dentist is put in a tough spot because
he or she does have a duty to the patient.
You cannot abandon the patient, but as
an employer you have a duty to create an
environment that is free of sexual
harassment and is a non-hostile working
environment,” says Ms. Bonaccorsi.
Therefore, the practice must undertake
an investigation of the incident.
I Know It When I See It
In many alleged harassment situations,
perception is reality. Both Ms. Moore and
Ms. Bonaccorsi say that sexual harassment
allegations often involve cases in which
someone is making jokes or comments
that are considered harmless by the person
making them and wholly inappropriate by
another individual. Fortunately, says Ms.
Bonaccorsi, those situations can be
addressed right away.
Yet understanding what constitutes sexual
harassment and what might be perceived
as sexual harassment requires some
measure of training. “We recommend that
the highest level person in the office and/
or the person responsible for human
resources attend sexual harassment
training so that they can communicate
with the rest of the staff what is and is not
appropriate and what may be offensive to
someone,” says Ms. Moore.
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If an employee alleges that a patient has
harassed them, the patient should be
contacted and alerted to the allegations.
“Each case is different, and you have to
apply a certain level of common sense on
how to handle each case,” emphasizes Ms.
Bonnacorssi. “You are going to handle a
patient who is telling inappropriate jokes
differently than a patient engaging in
inappropriate touching. I urge doctors to
ask the employee what they want to see
happen and document that. Maybe the
hygienist doesn’t want the patient terminated, but maybe they don’t want to see
the patient again or be in the room alone
with the patient, or perhaps they just want
someone to gently speak to that person to
let them know that their off-color jokes and
comments are not funny or appropriate.”
Oftentimes, a doctor may consider the
patient’s actions harmless, but the bottom
line is that once he or she is put on notice
that an employee feels they are being
harassed, steps must be taken. Even if
the determination has been made not to
terminate the doctor-patient relationship,
measures must be put in place to protect
the complaining employee and other staff
members to ensure they are not put in a
position in which they, too, could be
subjected to the same treatment.
In the case of Dr. Kwan, after more
than two years of legal battles, a judge
summarily dismissed the sexual
harassment claim. Today, Dr. Kwan
is far more careful about how he
treats his employees. “I was younger.
I would try to be a friend to my staff.
I still really care about my staff, but
this significantly changed the way I
interact with them.”
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Upcoming Seminar
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NewsBriefs
License Renewal Forms
Coming in June from IDPR
2004 is a licensure year! Dentists and
dental hygienists must earn their required
CE credit hours (32 for dentists, 24 for
dental hygienists) by September 30, 2004
to be in compliance. You may renew your
license online at www.ildpr.com. Please be
sure to notify the Illinois Department of
Professional Regulation of any changes to
your address by mid-May to ensure that you
receive your license renewal form in June.
Governor to Combine
Four Agencies
According to an article in the March 2004
Illinois Issues magazine, Fernando Grillo,
Director of the Illinois Department of
Professional Regulation, has been tapped
to head a new agency that Gov.
Rod Blagojevich is proposing to create by
merging five state offices. Named the
Illinois Department of Financial and
Professional Regulation, the consolidated
agency would include banks and real estate,
professional regulation, financial institutions and insurance. The new agency
would also administer the Comprehensive
Health Insurance Plan (CHIP), which
provides health insurance for Illinoisans
who have pre-existing health conditions
or disabilities that prevent them from
getting private coverage, and would also
oversee regulation and licensing of financial institutions, real estate and insurance
businesses and other professionals.
The consolidation is aimed at cutting
spending for FY 2005, in part by ending
duplicated functions within the various
agencies. The governor’s budget recommendation called for $85.8 million in
expenses for the new department. The
former agencies were budgeted for a combined $99.8 million in 2004. This change
is still subject to legislative approval.
Mandated Reporters of
Elderly Abuse Now Subject
to Penalties
According to a notice from the Illinois
Department on Aging, effective January 1,
2004, any mandated reporter who willfully
fails to report elder abuse is now subject to
penalties. The Elder Abuse and Neglect Act
requires professionals, including dentists, to
report suspected elder abuse, neglect and
financial exploitation to the Department on
Aging’s Elder Abuse and Neglect Program.
Dentists that willfully fail to report will be
referred to the Department of Professional
Regulation for action under Section 23 of
the Illinois Dental Practice Act. A variety
of public and professional education
materials are available through the
Department on Aging by calling the
Senior HelpLine at 800/252-8966.
ADA Congratulates CDTs
The American Dental Association’s Council
on Dental Practice recognizes the following
Illinois Certified Dental Technicians on the
occasion of their service anniversaries and
contribution to the dental profession:
35th Year
Thomas Donnell, O’Fallon
Harold Gaston, Belleville
Donald Klipp, Arlington Heights
25th Year
Jacqueline Franz, Wauconoa
Kennedy Hawxhurst, Lake Forest
Terry Jacobson, Barrington
Ronald Labunski, Skokie
Gregory Wolford, Bloomington
Don’t Forget to Report on
Give Kids A Smile!
All Give Kids A Smile participants are
urged to make sure they're registered on
ADA.org or update the information in
their registrations. The ADA would like to
collect data to verify each program's scope,
corporate sponsors, government entities
and the media and to plan for next year.
Fundraiser Held for Reps.
Miller and Kosel
Dr. and Mrs. Walter Lamacki held a
fundraiser on Sunday, February 8, at the
Gold Sardine Bar for Representative and
ISDS member Dr. David Miller and Rep.
Renée Kosel. Over $7,000 was raised for
their campaigns with approximately 40
attendees present. Rep. Miller faces a fight
to retain the seat in his district.
They were pleased to welcome three thirdyear UIC dental students to this event—
Lynse Briney, Darshana Subbaraju and
John Lippincott, all active participants in
the American Student Dental Association’s
legislative committee.
ISDS Staff
Changes
Kara Manfredo has
joined the Illinois
State Dental Society
staff as administrative
assistant to Conference
Kara Manfredo
Services Director
Jeanne Rice. In her new position, Kara will
provide support to the department by coordinating the registration process for ISDS
Annual Session and Capitol Conference.
She will also generate correspondence in
connection with the Chicago Dental
Society’s Midwinter Meeting and ADA
Annual Meeting and will handle communications related to meeting planning for the
Society. In addition, Kara will maintain the
Events Calendar on ISDS.org.
Kara comes to ISDS with clerical, sales,
and human resources experience at two
placement businesses—Medical Staffing
Network and Staffing Connections—as well
as knowledge of the food and beverage
industry. She resides in Springfield with her
husband and two sons. Contact Kara at
kmanfredo@isds.org.
ISDS staff member
Amy Daniels has been
named Member
Records Coordinator for
the Membership
department under Kathy
Ridley’s direction. Amy
Amy Daniels
joined the ISDS staff in
December 2000 as Administrative Assistant
to Conference Services Director Jeanne Rice.
In her new role, she will be responsible for
member records maintenance, dues statements, member mailing lists and labels,
retirement from practice, change of address
and new member applications. Contact
Amy at adaniels@isds.org.
Official Notice: Springfield
Lockbox Closed to Dues
Payments
Attention, all members—effective
immediately, please discontinue use of
the Springfield lockbox for dues payments.
Please discard any envelopes with
Springfield P.O. 5396 as this address is
no longer valid.
Our Springfield bank has permanently
closed out this box and is redirecting all
mail to Box #955183 in St. Louis. Your
2004 dues statement included a return
envelope imprinted with the new St. Louis
address, but ISDS continues to receive some
payments at the Springfield box. After April
1, any payments mailed to the Springfield
box were returned to sender. Direct
questions to Bookkeeper Sue Irwin at
800/475-4737 or sirwin@isds.org.
Dental Record Starter
Kit Now Includes New
Resource CD
ISDS members may now order the handy
Dental Record Starter Kit and receive a useful new information Resource CD. The
Starter Kit is a great way to examine Dental
Record products and compare them with
the system you now use. It contains samples
of all Dental Record forms, a copy of The
Dentist’s Record Keeping Manual, their
product video, catalog and more. But now,
with the addition of the new Resource CD,
you also get information and tips you can
implement to improve the quality of your
record keeping system.
The Resource CD contains a self-directed
seminar titled, “The Components of a
Quality Dental Record.” The seminar offers
tips and covers valuable information on a
variety of topics including patient record
organization, patient histories, examination
and diagnosis requirements, treatment
planning and documentation, emergency
records, legal issues, informed consent,
financial records, insurance, and
administration.
To order your Dental Record Starter Kit, a
Dental Record Resource CD, or any Dental
Record products call 800/243-4675, or visit
www.dentalrecord.com.
IDPR Actions
The Illinois Department of Professional
Regulation announced the following dental
disciplinary actions taken in January 2004:
Fred S. Weiner, Orland Park – dentist
license indefinitely suspended and fined
$12,000 for allegedly improperly performing orthodontic services upon a number of
patients, improperly preparing teeth for and
improperly placing veneers, crowns, bridges
and dentures on several patients, engaging
in false and misleading advertising, aiding
and abetting the unlicensed practice of
dentistry by his employees, failing to
deliver records to patients, and issuing
prescriptions for controlled substances
while his controlled substance license was
non-renewed.
Save the Date!
Dentists/Hygienists Invited to Free ADA Diabetes Program
The American Dental Association and Colgate
will again partner on a diabetes prevention
program and educational effort. They will
hold “live” continuing education teleconferences in 15 cities across the U.S., with Chicago
being one of the sites. Dentists and dental
hygienists are encouraged to participate. ISDS
and CDS will co-sponsor the event, with CDS
President Dr. Keith Suchy hosting the event.
The evening Chicago teleconference will be
held on: Thursday, May 27,
Marriott Hotel (TBD)
Complimentary dinner to be served.
For late-breaking details, visit the Newsroom
at www.ISDS.org.
Take your next meeting far outside the daily grind.
Call for Resolutions
All resolutions considered by the 2004 House of Delegates must be offered in
writing by: the President, the Board of Trustees, a Society committee, one of the
component societies, or five (5) members in good standing. Such person(s)
should submit them to the Illinois State Dental Society by July 1, 2004, for
inclusion in the Delegate Handbook. Resolutions received after the handbooks
have been mailed will be sent separately, if time allows. Resolutions that amend
the Constitution and Bylaws must be received by ISDS no later than July 1, 2004,
for publication in the Illinois Dental News. Address resolutions to: Robert
Rechner, Illinois State Dental Society, P. O. Box 376, Springfield, IL 62075.
Wanted: Enthusiastic Committee Volunteers
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agle Ridge,
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removed from it all.
Nestled on 6800 acres
with few distractions,
we provide everything
you need to make your
meeting productive and
your down time relaxed.
From fully-equipped
meeting rooms and
award-winning service to
golf, tennis, spa services
and so much more. Eagle
Ridge can give your
meeting a beautiful change
of scene.
Seeking new faces or seasoned leaders to serve on ISDS Standing Committees.
Are you interested, or do you know a member who would make a valuable
contribution to an ISDS committee? For more details, contact Executive
Assistant Lisa Fowler at lfowler@isds.org, or 800/475-4737. Visit
www.ISDS.org for specifics on committee service to ISDS.
For more information, call the
American Dental Association at
1/800-621-8099 ext. 2779
Hwy 20 at the Galena Territory, Galena, IL
Call 1.800.998.6338
www.eagleridge.com
Membership Keeps Growing
ISDS welcomed the following Illinois dentists and dental hygienists into membership during the first quarter 2004:
Dentists
(by local component)
Chicago Dental Society
Gerilyn Alfe
Alexandra Anderson
Mark Barnes
C. W. Barnett
Alexandra Bialy
Bamini Blau
Andrew Bogdanowicz
Lena Casimir
Charles Crowl
Bassel Dulli
Myroslaw Dychly
Agatha Dziedziech
Kesanet Gebrekidan
Michelle Holmes
Thomas Jackson
Han Jang
Shweta Kamal
Iwona Kochanski
Bashir Laban
Irene Lau
Richie Lerias
Desiree Loreno
Ritu Malhotra
Michael Mazukelli
Gregory McBeth
Michael Morgan
Ronald Myczek
Jamie Park
Rina Patel
Lynda Patterson
Brian Penniall
Teresa Perez
Kirk Poldek
Maria-Romana Roman
Mohamed Salahuddin
Sara Schlagel
Ankit Shah
Deval Shah
Craig Snyder
Anshuman Soni
Pablo Torres-Vazquez
Arcady Trogub
Jose Vazquez
Lisa Vihnanek
Michelle Villanueva
Sara Westermeyer
Pirooz Zomorrodi
Brian Zulawinski
Jay Zvolanek
Fox River Valley Dental
Society
John Cook
G. V. Black Dental Society
Atwood Huff
McHenry County Dental
Society
Benjamin Larrabee
Gail Pokorny
McLean County Dental
Society
John Hernandez
Peoria District Dental
Society
Christopher Loudermilk
Nancy DeNio, Byron
Jenea Denny, Waterloo
Jill Donnan, Bloomington
Debra Dudek, Pinckneyville
Andrea Duellman, Chicago
Carla Eagen, Moline
Jane Excell, Addison
Kelly Ferguson, Moline
Pamela Flora, Dekalb
Kimberly Gannon, Chicago
Jovita Gilliam, Calumet City
Denisha Glover, Griffith
Lisa Greco, Chicago
Jane Grodeon, Mascoutah
Gina Guzzo, Mount Prospect
Candice Haar, Frankfort
Julie Hayes, Alton
Leah Hegerle, Chicago
Stephanie Heinen, Evansville
Serena Hemper, Mount Vernon
Jayne Hendricks, Dorsey
Leslie Hess, Mahomet
LaShunda Hill-Alexander,
South Holland
Jamie Hutchcraft-Daugherty,
Atwood
Jennifer Isenberg, Troy
Richard Jacobs, River Grove
Lana Jarjis, Des Plaines
Roberta King, Normal
Jamie Kingston, Urbana
Kathleen Kolendra, Chicago
Teresa Kramer, Park Ridge
Carrie Kroll, Schaumburg
Amy Kruse, Gibson City
Amy LaBash, Lombard
St. Clair District Dental
Society
Edward Miller
Will County Dental Society
Mary Ellen Hoye
Peter Muraglia
Dental Hygienists
Sandra Alms, Coulterville
Susan Antrim, Arlington Heights
Susan Argondizzo-Marshall,
Barrington
Mona Bajzek, Tinley Park
Kathryn Banta, Dekalb
Vicky Barnes, Mokena
Stacy Bays, Crystal Lake
Jill Boone, Oneida
Patricia Boudreau, Oswego
Georgia Boutsikakis, Northbrook
Martha Brady, Galesburg
Patricia Briscoe, Roselle
Kora Brown, Mendota
Sharon Brown, Flossmoor
Susan Bruch, Darien
Melissa Burke, Chicago
Pamela Cacioppo, Champaign
Cheryl Campioni, Thornton
Rochelle Caruso, Streamwood
Karry Cassidy, Litchfield
Sheri Chandler, Monmouth
Melissa Cheek, Moline
Darlene Christensen, New Lenox
Kimberly Clark, Champaign
Holly Cowgill, Joliet
Nicole Danley, Arlington Heights
April Lehman, Glendale Heights
Deborah Lipsmire, Springfield
Elyse Love-Dunmore, Chicago
Wendy Luke, Stockton
Debi Lynch, Tinley Park
Dorothy Mackie, Westmont
Dorothy Mackie, Westmont
Lisa Massey, Elmwood Park
Cheryl Masumoto, Chicago
Barbara McBride-Green, Chicago
Maureen McCarthy, Chicago
Jacquetta Menold, Morton
Jeanne Moreland, East Moline
Jeanne Moreland, East Moline
Wendy Muskopf, Millstadt
Laura Nelson, Fox River Grove
Candace Nester, Crystal Lake
Rachel Neu, Chicago
Shirley Newman, Chicago
Kelly Nichols, Decatur
Jenifer Noyes, Crystal Lake
Virgina Oost, Decatur
Dawn Parisi, Romeoville
Beverly Parota, Wayne
Jennifer Paske, Chicago
Christina Pedroza, Chicago
Cathy Plomos, Rockford
Linda Porec, Highland Park
Dorothy Poulos, Chicago
Katherine Pozzi, Rockford
Charlesetta Pulce, Matteson
Tara Raes, Springfield
Joan Raney, Columbia
Amanda Rehr, Wauconda
Heidi Ruwald, Waterloo
Susan Scher, Naperville
Sherri Scherbring, Loda
Ann Scheuermann, Geneva
Theresa Seemann, Red Bud
Heather Shay, Belvidere
Kari Siebelt, Oak Forest
Amber Slaughter, Tuscola
Kathleen Smith, Libertyville
Cynthia Sokol, Olympia Fields
DeAnn Solon, Geneva
Shannon Stenson,
Harwood Heights
Kathy Stoch, Hickory Hills
Annette Stojanovic, Dundee
Cheryl Stube, Chicago
Mary Swansons, Burbank
Stephanie Sweitzer, Lanark
Mary Szafranski, Tinley Park
Barbara Thoma, Winnetka
Cathy Thurow, Monticello
Deborah Tincher, Joliet
Juliana Tragasz, Palatine
Teresa Tripplett, Middletown
Michele Urbon, Quincy
Yvette Walker, Rockford
Yvette Walker, Rockford
Glenda Webb, Steger
Amy Weis, Du Quoin
Catherine Weiss, Woodridge
Nancy Whitlock, Western Springs
Rhonda Wieczorek, River Grove
Cynthia Williams, Bettendorf
Darcy Woodburn, Pontiac
Look closer at the Office Benefits Program...
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health care plan options and four additional insurance plans.
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needs. The flexible Freedom Plus Health Insurance Plan allows your
practice to offer different health insurance options. Options like: 4 Indemnity
plans and 3 Preferred Provider Option plans to choose from and various
deductibles you can select. This feature allows eligible employees to choose an
insurance plan that’s right for them and their families.
Sponsored by the Illinois State Dental Society.
Create a comprehensive insurance package with these optional plans in the
Dentists’ Office Benefits Program:
• Medical Savings Accounts
• Weekly Disability Coverage
• Supplemental Term Life Insurance
• Dependent Term Life Insurance
Yes! I would like to learn more (including costs, exclusions, limitations and terms of coverage) about the Dentists’ Office Benefits Program.
Name
Date of Birth
Address
City
Phone
State
Zip
E-mail
Number of Employees
Fax this form to 1-847-493-4400, or clip and send to: ISDS Sponsored Insurance Plans,
1440 Renaissance Drive, Park Ridge, IL 60068-1400. Call 1-866-898-0926
In many ways, we believe that what you look at is less
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ATTITUDE.
ILLINOIS STATE DENTAL SOCIETY’S
CAPITOL CONFERENCE 04
(formerly Leadership Conference)
April 28 & 29
Springfield, IL
4
Mark your calendar
and plan to join us!
Crowne Plaza Hotel
3000 South Dirksen Parkway
Springfield, Illinois 62703
217/529-7777
Exit 94 off I-55 (Stevenson Drive)
Reservation cut-off date:
April 1, 2004
CE Credits
Available
Make reservations directly with the hotel by calling
217/529-7777. Be sure to indicate you are with the
Illinois State Dental Society Capitol Conference and ask
for the $124 (single/double) convention rate.
For more information, contact: Jeanne Rice, ISDS
Director of Conference Services 800/475-4737
Visit www.isds.org to register online and view a full schedule of events!
The Illinois State Dental Society is a C.E.R.P. recognized provider.
2004 ISDS CAPITOL CONFERENCE REGISTRATION FORM
Wednesday & Thursday --- April 28-29 ● Registration Deadline: April 15
NOTE!
If you register by April 1, your name will be entered in a drawing for a voucher to be applied toward any Illinois State Dental
Society continuing education seminar.
Name
Spouse/Guest
Please mark the events you plan to attend:
Nickname
ADA #
(indicate number attending in blank space)
Address
City
Component
Telephone
Zip
Conference
No Charge
Please list the Senator and Representative from your District
District #
Senator
District #
Representative
Mail with check payable to: ISDS Capitol Conference, Illinois State Dental Society, P.O. Box 376, Springfield, Illinois 62705
or check appropriate credit card: ❒ VISA ❒ Master Card
Name
Credit Card Billing Address (required)
Legislator/ISDS Reception
No Charge
Recognition Breakfast
$20.00
City, State, Zip
card number:
Spouse Luncheon
$20.00
Expires
Signature
(Cancellation: No refunds will be given after April 15, 2004)
TOTAL
(check enclosed or
charged to credit card)
UIC to Close GPR Program
The University of Illinois at Chicago
College of Dentistry will close its General
Practice Residency Program at the end of
June. The program, which opened in
1995, has provided advanced general
dental education to dental graduates
with an emphasis on the management
of medically, physically, and mentally
challenged patients. The program also
provided access to dental care to the
underserved population in the Chicago
area and served as an instructional venue
for teaching special needs dentistry.
According to UIC College of Dentistry
Dean Bruce Graham, the decision to
close the GPR program came down to
distribution of limited resources. “This
is a large program with 12 residents in
it. There are not sufficient numbers of
faculty members in the program
providing the training, and I needed
to add faculty members to make the
program an excellent program. I no
longer have the financial resources to
add faculty members to this program,
so I have no choice but to close it. The
program has provided the residents with
excellent training, but it needed to be
enhanced, and I just don’t have the
money to enhance it. When you lose
18% of your budget you have to cut
something,” explained Dr. Graham.
Program Director Dr. Zakaria Messieha
says that overall the GPR program has
been a fiscally sound program. “We
were grant-supported for multiple years,
but during the years that we were not
grant-supported, we did not operate in
a deficit,” said Dr. Messieha. The program
was awarded another grant last fall for
$400,000; however, the staff was required
to refuse the monetary award because the
decision had been made to close the program. “Those grants are short-term—
three years in length—that’s not enough
continuity and sustainability for me to
make resource commitments that I don’t
have. The funding was to be used to further expand the size of the GPR program,
which ultimately would have increased
the College’s costs,” said Dr. Graham.
Since its inception, the program has
earned national prominence and has
been active in helping to fill the access
to care void in the Chicago area. “We
serve over 20 special needs facilities
where mentally handicapped patients
who otherwise would not have access to
care reside. They consistently refer those
patients to us for comprehensive dental
care. We also have over 2,700 access
patients in our clinic, 80% of whom
are severely medically compromised or
physically, medically, and mentally
compromised and the majority of
them are medically and economically
underserved,” said Dr. Messieha. Other
programs that provide similar services,
notes Dr. Messieha, are saturated. “This
program has carried a huge load in
caring for that patient population”
Dr. Graham emphasizes that even with
the closure of the GPR program, the
college remains a leader in providing
dental care to underserved populations.
“We serve as the largest safety net in the
state with respect to access to care. We
provide almost $1 million a year in
uncompensated care to patients who
could not receive oral health care any
place else. We are the largest Medicaid
provider in the state. We are doing all
we can to help with the access issue.
we hope we can get to these
programs before they reach
this stage,” explained Dr.
Williams.
“…it is a helpless feeling to
know we are losing a program
like that, but we wanted college
officials to know that if there
was something we could do we
would have gladly done so.”
While the significant budget
cuts are taking their toll, Dr.
Graham says he hopes that the
school’s financial situation will improve
and other dental school programs will not
face closure. “I hope we are going to see
an end to these budget cuts. We’ve been
given preliminary indications that we will
see at least a two percent reduction in
-Dr. John R. Williams
ISDS President
next year’s budget. I’m hoping that is the
end of it and by the time we go through
the next fiscal year, these hard times are
behind us. Of course that is greatly
dependent on the economic recovery in
the state of Illinois.”
“But we are an educational institution,
so our core responsibility is to educate
dentists. We are trying to graduate and
prepare a different Illinois dentist—one
who has competencies that will address
the access to care issue, but I cannot solve
the access to care issue as a dental school.
That is up to the profession of dentistry
and the government of the state of
Illinois,” said Dr. Graham.
Upon learning of the closure, ISDS
President Dr. John Williams wrote to
the Dean and emphasized organized
dentistry’s willingness to provide support
to the college in an effort to preserve the
program. “When we found out about this,
we had concerns, and knowing that it is
a valuable program that in the future
would be hard to restore, we wanted to
offer whatever assistance we could. We
are well aware of the fact that the schools
have serious funding issues. The financial
problems have reached almost epidemic
proportions and any place dental schools
identify where they can save money they
feel like they have to pursue it, and we
can certainly understand that.
“As a dental society, our concern is
that we want to attract quality dentists
practicing dentistry. This is certainly one
of the programs that helped to achieve
that, so it is a helpless feeling to know we
are losing a program like that, but we
wanted college officials to know that if
there was something we could do we
would have gladly done so. In the future
Dentists Give and Receive Lots of Smiles
From Carbondale to Wheaton and at
more than 60 sites in between, children
were lining up for the second annual
Give Kids a Smile event on Feb. 6.,
as dental professionals across the state
mobilized to provide underserved
children free dental education, screening,
and dental care.
With 46 dentists, several student
volunteers, and numerous members
of local organizations volunteering
their time, in Alton, some 175 children
between the ages of 3 and 13 received
check ups, prophies, as well as
significant restorative care at the
Southern Illinois University School
of Dental Medicine.
According to SIU’s Dr. Deb Schwenk, the
coordinator of the dental school’s GKAS
activities, “The full range of dental care
was delivered–everything from preventive
care to extractions to stainless steel
crowns and pulpotomies.” The Madison
and St. Clair District Dental Societies
along with faculty from SIU and Lewis
and Clark Community College dental
hygiene and assisting programs
volunteered their time and resources
to participate in the event, as did the
Alton Wood River Zonta Club, Delta
Theta Tau, and Junior League. At the end
of this very successful event more than
$50,000 in free dental care had been
delivered to needy children.
In the Quad Cities area, ISDS President
Dr. John Williams was one of 77 dentists
from both Iowa and Illinois participating
in the event. On the Illinois side alone
36 dentists participated, including eight
specialists. Overall some 500 children
were treated in the Quad Cities area. “In
our office, we saw 22 children that day
and provided exams, prophies, fluoride
treatments, and X-rays and then determined what follow-up work would be
necessary and scheduled that for a later
date. It usually takes us about three to
four months to take care of all of the
restorative care the patients need.” Dr.
Williams said in all there were 87
children requiring restorative care. “Split
those among 36 dentists, if everyone does
two or three, we can wrap up that care
pretty quickly.”
In addition to numerous area families
coming through the office, Dr. Williams
also welcomed Rep. Mike Boland (D-East
Moline). “This event provides the
opportunity to alert our legislators that
there is a problem and volunteerism is
not a healthcare network. We need
national legislation to improve care
for this population of people. We really
think that a tax credit for dentists
volunteering services to needy families
would go a long way in helping to solve
this problem.”
At the University of Illinois at Chicago
College of Dentistry more than 200
children received oral exams, prophies,
and fluoride treatments. In addition the
dental school volunteered to become the
permanent dental home for 80 children
as follow-up. Also in Chicago at the
Robert R. McCormick Boys & Girls Club,
nearly 175 children were on hand to
have their faces painted with molars or
tooth fairies, take turns answering dental
trivia questions for prizes or eat a healthy
snack. Some 50 of those had signed up
for the GKAS dental examinations at the
Crest Smile Shoppe, one of many dental
clinics Crest sponsors at Boys & Girls
Clubs across the country.
Low-income children were matched
with participating dentists around the
state and in hundreds of communities
across the country. The Give Kids a Smile
event provided the opportunity to educate
both children and their parents on the
importance of proper oral health care
as well as the role of the dentist in
delivering that care.
According to a 2000 Surgeon General’s
Report, one in four children is born into
poverty. Children from families with
annual incomes of $10,000 to $20,000
have 10 times more unmet dental needs
than children whose families earn more
than $50,000. Pain from untreated
dental disease can prevent a child from
properly eating, sleeping, speaking and
paying attention in school, affecting his
or her growth and development. In
addition, research now suggests that
severe gum disease in adults can lead to
increased risk of overall disease, such
as heart attack, stroke, diabetes and
pre-term birth.
A Few Facts on the Illinois Dental Workforce
The ADA Survey Center recently released
the 2002 Survey of Regional Dentist
Workforce Distribution. Data contained
in the survey showed Illinois as one of
the best and youngest in the United
States.
dentist ratio was 1,514:1. Nationally,
the ratio was 1,756:1. The ratios ranged
nationally from a low in Hawaii of
1,221:1 to a high of 3,125:1 in Texas.
Illinois was the best of all Midwestern
states.
The dental workforce in Illinois ranked
tenth best in the country when the
number of practicing dentists is compared
to their states overall population. Using
the 2000 census data for the Illinois
population of 12,419,293 and ADA
dental workforce information from
2001 showing 8,205 practicing dentists in
Illinois, Illinois’ population to practicing
Illinois also ranked third youngest when
comparing the percentage of practicing
dentists that are 55 years of age or older.
Using the ADA data, Illinois only had
23.6% of its practicing dentists over the
age of 54. Only Alaska and Kentucky had
a smaller percentage of dentists nearing
retirement age. Nationally, 27.82% of
practicing dentists were 55 years of age
or older. Leading the states with the
highest percentage was Delaware and
Montana with 38% of their dentists
over 54.
Over the period of 1978 to December of
2003, the number of licensed dentists
increased 11% from 8,644 in 1978 to
9,586 in 2003. The current number of
licensed dentists is about the same as it
was in 1983. The peak number of dentists was reached in 1990 with 10,278.
Since 1978, when the Illinois population
is compared to the number of dental
licenses, 1990 produced the lowest
population to licensed dentist ratio of
1,112:1 while 2000 had a 1,294:1 and
1980 had a 1,254:1 ratio.
EDITOR’S DESK: Image–Perception Becomes Reality
Say, how’s your image? I mean your
personal image—your demeanor,
professionalism, and general manner.
Do we conduct ourselves like the professionals we are? Are we confident and
cool when the going gets tough? Do we
always—or almost always—project the
picture of the consummate professional?
In years past, the public held dentists
in very high esteem. We followed clergy
as number two in respect and admiration. Even our physician friends were
somewhat further down the list. I feel
certain that the time we spend with our
patients developing lasting relationships
contributed to our ranking.
Way back then, there was a professional
demeanor instilled in young dental
students, which they would try to carry
into their professional lives after graduation. The public sensed those qualities
and held dentistry in high regard. Today,
things are different. Collegiality has been
replaced by a competitive mindset. Ethics
is no longer taught in every dental school,
at least not the way it was previously.
Professional attitudes and habits, which
used to be a part of every class grade, no
longer carry the same significance.
Our image in the eyes of the public has
slipped. Today, dentists take out large
yellow page ads which virtually scream
at the reader. These ads and the other
media advertising vehicles shout of one
dentist’s superiority over another, of
one practice being better than their
neighbor’s. We are more outspoken
in criticism of each other, especially
making disparaging remarks about the
quality of the existing dentistry in the
mouths of our patients. Being quick to
criticize the restorative or prosthetics of
a previous dentist does nothing but tear
down the collective respect for our
profession. I am not suggesting covering
up incompetence, but rather listening
more and thinking about the long-lasting
effects of our words before we utter them.
When the ban on professional advertising
was abolished, some dentists were already
lining up with claims of painlessness, low
fees, acceptance of all insurance, and
“catering to cowards.” All of these catchy
phrases were designed to appeal to the
most commonly perceived reasons why
patients don’t regularly go to the dentist.
Self-promotion became pervasive, and
there were no longer any boundaries.
The proverbial envelope was pushed
further and further.
I believe that when this occurred, we just
felt we had to accept it. With these
changes came a general decline in the
prestige we once had. Our image was
changed, probably forever. Many dentists
did not choose these new freedoms to
promote their practices, and instead
continued to do what they had always
done, using only word of mouth to have
patients choose them as their dentist.
Younger dentists, unlike their older peers,
do not, for the most part, see advertising as
anything out of the ordinary. Marketing,
advertising, and practice promotion are
here to stay, but with some concerted
effort, we can try to remove some of the
tarnish from our image, and improve the
public’s perception.
Events like the recent Give Kids a Smile
program on February 6, 2004, raised
our prestige with the public, as more
than 35,000 dental professionals gave
selflessly of their time to render millions
of dollars in pro bono dentistry to the less
fortunate. In dental school clinics, Boys
and Girls Clubs, and private offices,
dentists from all over the United States
donated their time, efforts, and materials
to make a difference in the oral health
of children. Not only did the young
patients receiving the free care notice us,
but their parents as well. In addition,
media coverage–from the opening bell
of the stock market, to rural small town,
city, and suburban newspapers–took note
of this extraordinary day. Most important, though, was the notice taken by our
legislators. The message hopefully got to
them that we must pay more attention to
making dentistry and preventive dental
education available to all children.
The profession and its partners in this
project did, in fact, make a difference.
It was our giving and caring that
enhanced our image in state capitals
and Washington. There, people in power
saw that the dental profession truly
wants to become part of the solution to
the dental health crises in America.
Were you a part of that day’s activities?
Did you do your part to put the spotlight
on the problem of a growing number of
children who have no access to regular
dental care? I hope so, because then you
have personally contributed to raising
the public’s awareness of what we are
trying to do—namely, to increase access
by raising Medicaid reimbursement
levels and taking note of the many
youngsters, who through no fault of
their own fall through the cracks of
our health care system.
None of us can be all things to all
people, but when we combine the
resources of many dental manufacturers
with our clinical and verbal skills, we
can restore our
professional
image to its
rightful place.
We have only
just begun, as
there is so much more that needs to be
accomplished to see that each child in
need receives care, no matter where
they live.
For 2005, we need to double, or even
triple, the media coverage prior to the
day so that more needy parents can
bring their kids to our schools and
offices. More dentists need to step
forward to volunteer their services.
Our senators and congressmen in
Washington, as well as our state
governments, need to understand
that dental health and general health
are totally intertwined.
Our image in the public arena can be
changed for the better if every dentist
keeps in mind that events such as Give
Kids a Smile raise awareness of the
generosity of our profession. People
notice what we say and do—in our
communities, in our dental and nondental activities, and everywhere we go.
This, more that anything, can influence
much opinion, and enhance positive
thoughts in the minds of those with
whom we come in contact.
The opinions expressed by the author
do not necessarily reflect those of the
Illinois State Dental Society.
InMemoriam
James L Demetry 12/4/2003
807 Parkwood Ave
Park Ridge, IL 60068-2233
Loyola University of Chicago
Casimer F Kedzior 1/24/2004
6058 W Wethersfield Dr
Glendale, AZ 85304-1743
Creighton University
Joseph M McAlpin 2/7/2004
411 E Everett St
Marion, IL 62959-3132
Washington University
Bernard F Slaughter 1/2/2004
RR3, Box 47
Robinson, IL 62454-9506
University of Illinois at Chicago
Harold Katz 11/10/2003
3282 NW Twinberry St
Corvallis, OR 97330-3341
Loyola University of Chicago
Philip H Laurence 1/1/2004
2775 Chesterbrook Ct
Jacksonville, FL 32224-4849
Carl H Muller 1/29/2004
2502 Sutton Place Dr S
Carmel, IN 46032-5477
William J Stoppel 7/17/2003
658 56th St
Des Moines, IA 50312-1951
Northwestern University
Dan H Watkins 2/1/2004
3575 8th St
Moline, IL 61265-7157
“Students” continued from cover…
invited to participate this year. Alina
Apel, a student from Romania, plans
to stay in the United States after she
completes the program and says there is
no question as to whether she’ll become
involved in organized dentistry. “I am
very impressed with the organization,
and I will definitely join.”
Mark Zieba of UIC was amazed at the
size of the Midwinter Meeting. “This
is definitely worth the time. It’s good
to see what’s out there in terms of
products and to talk to people who
actually work in dentistry. I really
want to get more involved.”
In addition to touring the ADA building
and visiting the Midwinter Meeting at
McCormick Place, the students had
lunch with ISDS and ADA leadership as
well as mentor dentists. The students
concluded their visit to the Chicago
Midwinter Meeting with a reception for
new dentists at the Hyatt.
The second annual student field trip
was part of ongoing efforts to build
and expand membership in organized
dentistry. The students thoroughly
enjoyed the experience and recommended
ISDS consider pursuing another
student-focused program. “Reach out
to students early in the first and second
year, and do something fun that is a
real stress reliever, and be sure to offer
food. You must have food,” urged UIC
student Anthony Ponzio.” Sounds like
this event certainly met both criteria—
food and fun!
“Procedure” continued from cover…
Most graduating UIC dental students
were scheduled to take the exam in
March, and Dr. Licari says the earlier
exam date has been well received by the
students. In addition, the testing days
have been changed to reduce some of
the difficulties students had in securing
patients. “Previously the exam was
given on a Sunday to Tuesday format,
and we’re now giving it on a Friday to
Sunday format and allowing the clinical
portion to happen on Saturday and
Sunday. We hope this change will make
it easier for students to recruit patients
for the exam. In the past, students
would find patients qualified for the
examination, but the patients weren’t
able to come to the college during the
week because they had to work,” said
Dr. Licari.
Although some regional testing services
give the exam in sections, Dr. Licari
believes it is advantageous for the
students to take the entire exam in
March. “If a student does not pass the
exam, it allows us that time between
March and May to help the student
prepare to pass the exam at the May
date, rather than have the student take
the exam for the first time in May and
graduate,” said Dr. Licari. “If the
student didn’t pass the exam and they
were technically out of school, they had
no options except wait and take the
exam again in August and wait another
six weeks for the results. So the student
would not be able to begin practice until
October or November,” he added.
The change in the testing date is just
one component of an overall effort to
make improvements in the testing and
licensure process for students. UIC
College of Dentistry Dean Dr. Bruce
Graham emphasizes that ultimately he
would like to see a licensure process
that is completed as part of the dental
student’s curriculum of study. “We
have started patient case portfolio
presentations as one means of evaluating
student competency in patient care.
The Illinois State Dental Society’s Board
of Trustees is interested in an examination that doesn’t involve live patient
examination. Patient case portfolios is
one of the methods of examination being
considered. Providing the examination
during the curriculum is an interim step
toward that ultimate goal.”
Dr. Graham said he was very impressed
with the willingness of CRDTS to work
with the University. “I really want to
thank them for their concern and
flexibility. They are as concerned as
we are that our new graduates can
start practicing in a timely manner.”
Keep up with all the latest news at:
DENTISTS’ ATTORNEY
STEVEN H. JESSER
Cost-efficient dentists’ legal services
including practice purchases and sales,
other contracting, collection, licensing
problems, credentialing and immigration.
Representing practitioners since 1980.
(847)424-0200
shj@sjesser.com
www.sjesser.com
790 Frontage Road, Suite 110, Northfield, IL 60093
Classifieds
Classified advertising rates in the Illinois Dental News are $40.00 for 30 words, plus $.35 each additional word. For advertisements with a box number, a charge of $5.00 is added, or a minimum charge of
$45.00, plus $.35 for each additional word. “Boxed” classifieds (2”x2”) are also available on a limited basis for $100. Copy must be received by the 1st of the month, one month prior to the month of publication, with remittance accompanying the ads. All classified advertisements should be addressed as follows: Illinois Dental News, P.O. Box 376, Springfield, IL 62705. Replies to IDN box numbers should be
sent to the same address with the box number marked on the outside of the envelope. Please send all “reply box #” responses to Illinois Dental News, P.O. Box 376, Springfield, Illinois
62705. Please be sure to indicate which box number you’re interested in. ADDED BONUS!!! Place your classified advertising with us and we'll add it to our website for FREE!!!
For Sale
Practice and building for sale in west
central Illinois. Established, modern
practice with room to grow. Excellent
income. Reply Box 40131.
Sterling – nets 45%-plus, $650k plus
collections. Less than two hours from
downtown. Gorgeous office with premiere
location. Offered at $425k with 100%
financing. Great practice near Freeport
$550 plus collections. Elgin – $360 plus
collections, asking $275k. Need practices
in McHenry and Lake counties to sell,
6% or less commissions. Call CJ Ludford
& Practice Transitions, 847/695-3370.
Illinois – The Dental Marketplace/a
member of American Dental Sales. If you
are considering purchasing or selling a
dental practice in Central or Southern
Illinois or near St. Louis, call Guy Jaffe
at 800/221-6927. Belleville – grossing
$550,000. PENDING. Carbondale area –
grossing $730,000. Thriving practice.
Casey – grossing $250,000. Must sell now!
Danville – grossing $300,000. Picturesque
office. Decatur – grossing $900,000.
SOLD. Decatur – grossing $630,000.
Modern office. Springfield – quality
practice with ample growth opportunity.
Ortho - Central Illinois – outstanding
practice with several offices. The Dental
Marketplace. 800/221-6927 or
guy@thedentalmarketplace.com
The Dental Marketplace / American Dental
Sales – practice sales, appraisals, and
consulting. Contact Peter J. Ackerman, CPA at
312/240-9595 or thedentalmarketplace.com.
Chicago North Side – beautiful rehabbed
three flat, owner’s unit top two floors 1,400
square feet, modern general dental practice
street level. Chicago Southwest – great three
operatory, 100% fee-for-service practice with
building. Grossing $435,000 three days/
week. Purchaser’s net after overhead and
100% debt service on both practice and real
estate: $180,000 plus! Northeast Illinois –
located approximately two hours south of
Chicago is ready for an associate buy-in.
100% fee-for-service and poised to break
$1,000,000 in gross revenues with an associate and/or partner. North Central Illinois –
fantastic practice grossing $800,000 plus
in fee-for-service dentistry. New equipment,
high net income, low stress. This is a
wonderful way to practice dentistry!
Northwest Chicago Suburb – three equipped
operatories with room to expand in Long
Grove. Northwest Chicago Suburb – SOLD.
Northwest Chicago Suburb – $400,000 100%
fee-for-service. Three operatories with a
very low overhead. Large Polish population.
Huge net income. Northwest Chicago
Suburb – beautiful six operatory practice
with room to grow. 100% fee-for-service
grossing in the mid - $600,000s. Northwest
Chicago Suburb – six operatory practice
grossing $1,400,000 in fee-for-service
dentistry and still growing. North Lake
County – three operatories, beautiful office
in a professional building, gross low $100s.
Great starter great price. North Lake County
– five operatories, two equipped with room
to expand. Great location, great facility.
Grossing $170,000 in 100% fee-for-service
dentistry, this is a nice starter at a 1/2 of the
price. South Chicago Suburb – free standing
dental building located in Chicago Heights
on a highly traveled street with outstanding
visibility. The two story building is plumbed
and equipped with two operatories and
has additional space to expand. PRICE
REDUCED! South Chicago Suburb –
$485,000, 100% fee-for-service, three
operatory practice. Newer equipment,
free standing building for sale with the
practice. Priced to Sell! South Chicago
Suburb – $680,000 gross, mix of PPO and
fee-for-service, great staff, beautiful office
and five operatories of new equipment.
Southwest Chicago Suburb – grossing
close to $300,000. Highly desirable suburb.
100% fee-for-service. Real estate for sale
with the practice. MUST SELL! Western
Chicago Suburb – SOLD. Ortho Northwest
Suburbs – associate buy-in, two brand new
high quality practices, $1.8 million.
Opportunities
If you want plenty of patients, more than
adequate income, less travel time than the
big city, buy in option after one year, come
to Peoria. Two and one-half hours to
Chicago, 300,000 metropolitan area,
universities, arts, etc. Outstanding
opportunity in a quality family restorative
practice. Enthusiasm and empathy for the
patients wants and needs. Recent graduate
considered. Health, pension, liability
insurance available, dues and education
bonus. Highly motivated staff, two-year-old,
state-of-the art, 3,800 square foot facility. I
am offering $80k with a bonus after $250k
production. G. Rodger Moon, DDS, FAGD,
FACD. Call 309/682-2090, ask for Edie.
Pediatric dentist wanted as part-time
or full-time associate in high quality
children’s practice. Position could lead to
eventual partnership. Office overlooks the
beautiful Fox River in historic Ottawa, IL,
80 miles southwest of Chicago. Enjoy easy
living with a busy practice and all the
advantages access to a big city has to
offer. Send letter of interest with personal
description and CV to: Richard A. Ewald,
DDS, William L. Wrobel, DDS, 1704 Polaris
Circle, Ottawa, IL 61350.
Associate wanted – why reinvent the wheel?
In the first 20 years of practice, we have done
everything wrong that can possibly be done
wrong. All that is left is the best and what
makes a great practice. There is no sense in
suffering in a dead-end PPO practice when
you can step right into a growing, prosperous,
fee-for-service practice, learn from us, and
easily net $150k the first year on four days per
week. It is all in here waiting for you with
eventual partnership if you desire. Experienced
dentist preferred but new grad welcome too.
Call us at 309/347-7055, send resume to Total
Dental Care, 13 Olt Avenue, Pekin, IL 61554.
Check us out at Pekintotaldentalcare.com.
Orthodontist – excellent opportunity for
an orthodontist to join our well-established
multi-specialty group practice in Central
Wisconsin. We are looking for an orthodontist
to join our current orthodontic practice in
serving an ever-increasing patient base. We
offer a new associate an outstanding wage
and benefit package with the potential of
ownership after three years of employment.
This is an excellent opportunity to step into
an active practice and become an equal
partner in a large group practice. If you are
interested, please send CV to Dental Clinic of
Marshfield, 306 West McMillan Road, PO
Box 929, Marshfield, WI 54449, Attn: Mr.
Neil Armitage or call 715/387-1702 for
additional information.
Pediatric dentist- excellent opportunity
for a pediatric dentist to join our wellestablished, multi-specialty group practice
in Central Wisconsin. We are looking for
a pediatric dentist to join our current
practice in serving an ever-increasing patient
base. We offer a new associate an outstanding
wage and benefit package with the potential
of ownership after three years of employment.
This is an excellent opportunity to step into
an active practice and become an equal
partner in a large group practice. If you are
interested, please send CV to Dental Clinic of
Marshfield, 306 West McMillan Road, PO Box
929, Marshfield, WI 54449, Attn: Neil Armitage
or call 715/387-1702 for additional information.
Illinois - looking for a general dentist to cover
emergency and recall patients for maternity
leave. Two operatory practice is located in the
Mt.Vernon area, halfway between St. Louis, MO
and Evansville, IN on I-64. For further information or to apply, please contact. Dr. Kathie
Renner, 4201 Williamson Place, Mt. Vernon, IL
62864, or call 618/244-5120.
For Rent
Park Ridge/Niles – office space for rent.
Four ops. Fully equipped. Beautiful space in
premier location inside enclosed mall.
Modern. Great for dentist just starting out or
looking toward retirement. Reasonable.
847/885-6555.
Michael Vold, DDS, JD
Dental Coordinator, IDPR
for 23 years now available
for dental-legal consultation,
business issues and defense
of dentists at IDPR.
VoldDDS@aol.com
847/272-2900

What`sInside - Illinois State Dental Society

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