Summer 2011_Newsletter HDA - Hispanic Dental Association

News
&
Reports
National Headquarters:
3085 Stevenson Drive, Suite 200
Springfield, IL 62703
Phone: 217.529.6517
www.hdassoc.org
Issue Number 165 - Summer 2011
“As the leading voice for Hispanic oral health we provide SERVICE, EDUCATION, ADVOCACY, and
LEADERSHIP for the elimination of oral health disparities in the Hispanic community.” HDA Professional Chapter Council
Meets in Plano, Texas
HDA’s first President Dr. Francisco Rivera
Hidalgo with current President Margo
Melchor, RDH, MEd
The HDA Professional Chapter Council which consists of the President and Vice President
of each Chapter gathered together with HDA national leaders, President Margo Melchor,
RDH, MEd, President-Elect Dr. Lilia Larin, Treasurer Dr. Tyrone Rodriguez, Executive
Director Dr. C. Yolanda Bonta, and Associate Director Rita Brummett. The two-day
meeting event sponsored by the DentaQuest Foundation was held at the Marriott Hotel
in Plano, Texas on June 10-11, 2011. The purpose of the Council is to provide a venue for
support and collaborative actions between the national component of the HDA and the
local component Professional Chapters. Special guest speakers included Therese Long,
Organization for Safety, Asepsis and Prevention (OSAP) Executive Director, Craig Harlan,
Procter & Gamble Regional Manager – Southwest, Dana Moon, Procter & Gamble District
Manager – Southeast, Robyn Miller, Procter & Gamble Territory Manager – Dallas, and Dr.
Doyle Williams, Chief Dental Officer for DentaQuest. There was a very special surprise
guest as well – Dr. Francisco Rivera Hidalgo – the very first President of the Hispanic Dental
Association stopped by to greet everyone!
The HDA has nine Professional Chapters in the following geographic regions: Boston,
Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Antonio, San Diego, and Eastern
Washington. Each of the Chapter representatives were given an opportunity to share
with the Council about their Chapter activities, exchange ideas, strategize and network
with their peers. Dr. Bonta reviewed with the Council the results of the pre-meeting
See Council Meets page 5
Some of the council participants included
Dr. Zuzana Mendez (Boston), Dr.
Eduardo Tanur (Dallas), Dr. Christina
Gonzales (San Antonio), Dr. Regina
Espinoza (Los Angeles).
Colgate-Palmolive Partners with
the HDA to Kick off 2011
“Oral Health Month” Campaign
Campaign targets U.S. Hispanic community to
join the “fight for zero cavities” through free
oral health education and screenings
The Colgate-Palmolive Company has joined the Hispanic
Dental Association (HDA) to celebrate the kick off of
Colgate’s “Oral Health Month.” This annual campaign encourages the U.S. Hispanic
community to join Colgate’s “fight for zero cavities” by educating families about the
importance of proper oral care.
See Oral Health Month on page 8
Message from the President
Greetings members,
2011 Board of Trustees
President
Margo Y. Melchor, RDH, MEd
Houston, Texas
President Elect
Lilia Larin, DDS
National City, California
Vice President
Maritza Morell, DDS, MS, MPH
Boston, Massachusetts
Treasurer
Tyrone Rodriguez, DDS
Houston, Texas
Immediate Past President
Victor Rodriguez, DDS
Houston, Texas
Trustees
Vidal Balderas, DDS, MPH
San Antonio, Texas
Irubiel Barbosa, DDS
Los Angeles, California
Manuel Cordero, DDS, MAGD
Sewell, New Jersey
Lauro Medrano-Saldana
Brooklyn, New York
Tatiana Ramirez, RDH, MEd
Stafford, Texas
Esperanza Rodriguez, DDS
Bronx, New York
Adriana Segura, DDS, MS
San Antonio, Texas
Myriam Zambrano, RDH, BSDH
Houston, Texas
Student Trustee
Ricardo Lugo
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Executive Director
C. Yolanda Bonta, DMD, MS, MS
Somerset, New Jersey
I hope everyone is having a nice summer. Here in Texas,
we are ready for winter!
It has been very busy for HDA. You will be pleased
to know that your association is shining with much
visibility across the nation. We were invited to attend,
give greetings or be recognized at the California Dental
Association, California Dental Hygienists’ Association, the
Organization for Safety, Asepsis and Prevention, American Margo Y. Melchor, RDH, MEd
President, HDA
Dental Hygienists’ Association, and American Association
of Women Dentists. Also, I was asked to be a panelist for the National
Association of School Nurses with other representatives from the Association of Pediatrics,
Pediatric Dentistry, NYU Nursing, ADHA, and ADA. At this meeting, I was shocked to
learn that there are quite a number of schools in our nation who do not have a school
nurse. So, you can see there is a need to support school nurses in their efforts to keep
our children healthy and ready to learn. The outcome was to encourage and improve
collaboration between school nurses and oral health professionals/organizations by
providing resources and any means of delivery of oral health.
In June, through the DentaQuest grant, we were able to hold the second annual Chapter
Council meeting. Two leaders from each HDA professional chapter had the opportunity
to share, network, and plan under our Strategic Plan. An outcome from this meeting is
the implementation of the HDA national Career Recruitment Day in September (during
Hispanic Heritage Month). Each professional and student chapter is encouraged to go
out in their community into a middle school and present a presentation on promoting
oral health professions. Many thanks to the Greater North Texas chapter for their
wonderful, Texas hospitality at the meeting!
Also through the grant, HDA will hold its first Congressional Briefing in Washington
D.C. on September 21, 2011. Many thanks to our Advocacy Consultant, Andrew Kaffes,
who is coordinating this monumental event! This event will enable HDA to present
information of the IOM report with the need to reduce oral health disparities, and stress
the importance of cultural awareness to congressional attendees.
The May 2011 issue of Hispanic Business really grabbed my attention with its cover:
“Explosive Hispanic Presence.” Their article on the 2010 Census was quite informative.
There were several facts which caught my interest, and I wanted to share them with you:
There are 50.5 million Hispanics in the U.S. (a 43 percent increase in 10 years)
One of every six people in the U. S. is Hispanic
One in four children is Hispanic (92 percent of those children are U.S. citizens)
The number of Hispanics with bachelor’s or higher degrees has increased from
8.5 percent in 1985 to 13.2 percent in 2009 (this is well below the 27.3 percent of
the general population that have such degrees)
 The Number of Hispanics in Congress increased from seven in 1985 to 25 in
2010.
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


The 2010 census showed Hispanics not only poised to have a major influence throughout
the nation, but to have increasing influence in years to come. This is an excellent example
of why our HDA Recruitment Day is vital for the future of our youth (look forward to
hearing about the events in the next newsletter).
2  HDA News & Reports  Issue No. 165  Summer 2011
See President’s Message page 3
217.529.6517
President’s Message... Continued from page 2
NEW HDA T-SHIRTS!
HDA Committees are working diligently for our association and its members.
 The Faculty Advisor Committee and the HDA office have reached out to the
appropriate university deans of our student chapters to make sure we have
the correct Faculty Advisor(s) for each active HSDA chapter. Then they plan to
send out a survey to the Faculty Advisors to learn more about their roles and
any needs that HDA can assist them with. The survey outcome will enable the
Committee to develop a HDA Faculty Advisor Manual. HDA knows that being an
active Faculty Advisor (also HDA professional member) takes time beyond their
academic role and we want to assist them in any way possible in mentoring or
steering their student chapter with our mission and SEAL (Service, Education,
Advocacy, Leadership) because these students are the future leaders and members
of HDA. Thanks to Procter and Gamble who will sponsor the Faculty Reception
at our annual meeting. We look forward to seeing those in attendance last year
in Chicago and meeting new colleagues.
 The Governance Committee, chaired by Millie McClain, PhD, has been very busy
reviewing revisions for the HDA Constitution and Bylaws. Their goal is to have
this task completed by September, so it can be distributed to all HDA members
and approved at our annual meeting. Congratulations to Committee member,
Nick Panomitros, DDS, for passing the Chicago bar! His legal expertise will be an
asset to our Association.
 The Public Relations Committee, chaired by Victor Rodriguez, DDS, has been meeting
regularly to discuss how to further expose and increase the visibility of the HDA.
 The Scholarship Committee is preparing for the submissions of the student and
resident scholarship applications.
 The Annual Planning Committee, chaired by Lilia Larin, DDS, has been working
hard to prepare for the annual meeting. This year’s theme is “Hispanic Oral Health
Without Borders”. This meeting will provide great educational and networking
experiences for all attendees! Mark your calendars for November 3-5, 2011 in
beautiful San Diego, California!
Lastly, I want to thank our Associate Director, Rita Brummett for her role with the HDA
the past 4-1/2 years. She leaves us to embark upon a new career adventure and we
wish her all the best!
Members can order them online
at www.hdassoc.org for just $10/
each. Or, by calling the HDA
Office at 800-852-7921.
The shirts are Navy Blue with the
HDA Logo and are available in sizes
small through XXXLg.
Did you also know that there are
great resources available to HDA
Members on the Association
Website?
If you haven’t done so lately,
check out our website at:
www.hdassoc.org.
Sincerely,
Margo Melchor, RDH, MEd
2011 HDA President
Hispanic Oral Health
You can earn up to
15.5 CDE credit hours plus
an additional
6 CDE hours post-conference.
C. Yolanda Bonta, HDA Executive Director
Tamiko Kinkade, Newsletter Editor
Rita Brummett, Associate Director
Hilton San Diego Resort & Spa
1775 East Mission Bay Drive - San Diego, California
HDA Annual Meeting November 3-5, 2011
Register online at www.hdassoc.org
www.hdassoc.org
National Headquarters:
3085 Stevenson Drive, Suite 200
Springfield, IL 62703
Phone: 217.529.6517
Fax: 217.529.9120
E-Mail: hispanicdental@hdassoc.org
www.hdassoc.org
HDA News & Reports is published four
times annually by the Hispanic Dental
Association, and distributed to members
and other dental professionals interested in
the oral health of the Hispanic population.
©2011 Hispanic Dental Association
3  HDA News & Reports  Issue No. 165  Summer 2011
Message from the Executive Director
An All-Inclusive Organization
Originally published in: Compendium of Continuing Education in Dentistry.
Copyright © 2011 to AEGIS Communications. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission from the publisher.
I n 2 0 1 0 , t h e H i s p a n i c D e nt a l
Association (HDA) celebrated its 20th
anniversary, reaffirming its mission to
be the leading voice for Hispanic oral
health, and to provide Service, Education,
Advocacy, and Leadership (SEAL) for the
elimination of oral health disparities in
the Hispanic community. To achieve this
goal, the HDA is reaching out strategically
on a number of fronts—from the local
neighborhood to the online community
to Washington, DC—wherever it can make
an impact on oral health.
Fostering an all-inclusive dental
community is integral to this mission.
The organization’s reach extends well
beyond the Hispanic population, and the
association works closely with a broad
range of individuals and organizations
to communicate with Hispanic and nonHispanic dental professionals alike.
The HDA website, www.hdassoc.org,
details the SEAL philosophy, and the site
has become the organization’s primary
vehicle for disseminating information
to Hispanic dental professionals and
the broader dental community. The
association continues to take significant
strides to make www.hdassoc.org a “go
to” resource for Hispanic oral health data.
Recent additions include a new search
function that accesses all content found
on the site. For instance, a quick search
of the term “caries” brings back HDAgenerated papers, meeting abstracts,
student abstract presentations, and
research findings relevant to the topic.
The site will also include individual pages
specific to each HDA chapter. In addition,
any page on the site created by the HDA
can now be translated into Spanish. (Those
interested in submitting information
to be considered for inclusion on the
organization’s website can contact HDA
national headquarters at 217-529-6517).
... reaffirming its mission to be the leading
voice for Hispanic oral health, and to
provide Service, Education, Advocacy, and
Leadership (SEAL) for the elimination
of oral health disparities in the Hispanic
community. Fostering an all-inclusive
dental community is integral to this mission.
An expanded, improved website is
just one component of the HDA’s plan for
a greater online presence. The association
currently has nine chapters, representing
Boston, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, San
Antonio, San Diego, New York, and Yakima,
Washington, as well as 40 student chapters
in 40 dental schools. In 2011, the HDA
intends to create “cyberchapters,” which
will allow members to become active
with the association on a national level, in
addition to being part of their respective
local dental communities.
To support its long-term goals, HDA has
increased its focus on strategic planning.
With the assistance of a DentaQuest
Foundation grant, the association
has brought on a government affairs
consultant who has worked closely with
the HDA legislative committee and board
of directors to design a 5-year strategic plan
for the organization. That plan will include
expanding the HDA’s advocacy efforts into
the nation’s capital where the association’s
legislative committee will look to further
open the lines of communication with the
Hispanic caucuses, the oral health caucus,
and key policymakers in Washington.
The HDA’s strategic planning efforts
have already led to the formation of
the HDA Council of Chapters, a group
composed of current and incoming
presidents of the association’s nine
chapters. The Council meets twice
annually, developing and implementing
4  HDA News & Reports  Issue No. 165  Summer 2011
C. Yolanda Bonta, DMD, MS, MS
Executive Director, HDA
strategic planning initiatives
for each chapter’s city and
region, as well as generating
projects and programs with
a more national focus.
One national initiative
the HDA has recently
launched is Dia del Dentista,
or “day of the dentist.” The event, which
the organization hopes to expand in 2012,
is a daylong celebration of the dental
professional’s important role. Conceived
by HDA President-Elect Lilia Larin, DDS,
Dia del Dentista was held on February 9 in
honor of Saint Apollonia, the patron saint
of dentistry.
This year, some participating members
combined the celebration with Give Kids a
Smile Day (February 4). As part of the 2011
festivities, Wrigley generously distributed
packs of Orbitz gum throughout the nine
HDA chapters, with a caries prevention
message enclosed in each individual
package.
As a proud participant in this vital
program, the HDA has been a recipient
of the ADA Gives Kids a Smile award
for the past 2 years. Three chapters—
Boston, Dallas, and Los Angeles—were
acknowledged for their outreach work
in their communities. The populations in
these and other HDA chapter cities have
their own unique needs, and each chapter
has taken its own approach to promoting
children’s oral health in their regions. Each
group, however, had the same ultimate
goal of communicating an important
prevention message to patients in a variety
of populations, and the effort displayed
by all of the HDA chapters participating
in the program is indicative of the
collaborative, inclusive spirit that will carry
the organization into 2011 and beyond.
217.529.6517
Council Meets ... Continued from page 1
survey and focused on discussion points. She and President Melchor provided
an update on national HDA activities as well as a review of the national strategic
plan. Dr. Rodriguez (Treasurer, Legislative Chair, and President of the Eastern
Washington HDA) gave an advocacy report to the Council describing all current
legislative activities and plans. Dr. Larin (President Elect and Membership Chair)
offered an overview of the upcoming 2011 HDA Annual Meeting (San Diego, CA –
November 3-5) and discussed with the Council about membership recruitment and
retention along with potential changes in member categories and rates. A large
portion of the meeting was devoted to allowing the Council to have an opportunity
to develop collaborative goals between the national HDA and the local Chapters
to further the mission of the Hispanic Dental Association. The North Texas (Dallas)
HDA Professional Chapter hosted an evening Meet & Greet reception, sponsored by
Procter & Gamble, at the Salata Restaurant in Plano. It was a wonderful opportunity
for all the meeting attendees as well as the local chapter members, dental and dental
hygiene students from Baylor College of Dentistry and Texas Womens University to
network together. Further outcomes will be communicated to the membership.
2011 HDA Chapter Council Participants
 Eastern Washington: Dr. Tyrone Rodriguez and Belen Lopez, Dental
Assistant
 Greater Chicago: Dr. Gene Rome, Jr. and Dr. Cesar Otero
 Greater Houston: Dr. Alexandra Garcia
 Greater San Antonio: Dr. Christina Gonzales and Dr. Norma Reyes
 Los Angeles / LDC: Dr. Regina Espinoza and Carlos Sanchez, RDH, MPH
 Massachusetts: Dr. Zuzana Mendez and Dr. Jose Camillo Segura
 New York: Dr. Esperanza Rodriguez
 North Texas: Dr. Edith Cortes-Rosene and Dr. Eduardo Tanur
 San Diego / Baja: Dr. Glenda Urias and Dr. Mario Orozco
The 2011 HDA Chapter Council was a great success – and we would like to give
special thanks and recognition to those who helped make it happen:
 DentaQuest Foundation
 Organization for Safety, Asepsis and Prevention (OSAP)
 Procter & Gamble
 North Texas HDA
Meet & Greet
San Antonio Chapter Presentation
Dr. Doyle Williams, Chief Dental
Officer, DentaQuest.
The HDA congratulates Dr. Ruth W. Bol as the new President of The Society of American Indian Dentists
(SAID) and thanks Past President Dr. Dave Smith for all of his tremendous contributions in building SAID
and fostering collaborations like those with the HDA and the National Dental Association. Dr. Bol was raised in Bakersfield, CA. She is from the Comanche tribe in Lawton, Oklahoma. She graduated
from Cal-State Bakersfield Magna Cum Laude in 2000. She then attended school at the University of the
Pacific School of Dentistry in San Francisco where she graduated in 2003. Dr. Bol completed her pediatric
residency at UCLA. She also holds a master’s degree in Public Health. Dr. Bol has been very involved in her community and is a part of various dental professional groups such
as: California Dental Association, American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, California Society of Pediatric
Dentists and the Diversity in Leadership Institute. She serves on the board of the CDA Foundation and will
soon be inducted in fellowship of the American College of Dentists. Dr. Bol currently runs a pediatric dental practice in Menifee, CA. She has been a member of SAID since 2004
and has been part of the Executive Committee/Board since 2005. Dr. Bol has great passion for the fostering
and mentoring of leadership. As one of her goals during her presidency, Dr. Bol is starting a campaign on
Recruitment and Retaining New Leadership.
Congratulations!
www.hdassoc.org
5  HDA News & Reports  Issue No. 165  Summer 2011
HDA Advocacy Consultant
HDA Playing Important Role on Capitol Hill
The Advocacy component of HDA’s
“SEAL Program” is taking form. Over the
course of the spring and early summer
a flurry of activity has occurred that has
elevated the visibility of the Hispanic Dental
Association on Capitol Hill and proved the
Andrew Kaffes
organization’sadvocacy effectiveness.
Legislative Consultant
In March, an introductory letter from
HDA President Margo Melchor was sent to targeted congressional
offices. We received several positive responses from congressional
staff indicating that they look forward to working with HDA, including,
most importantly, from the chairmen of the congressional caucuses
with which we aspire to work. We capitalized on this interest by setting
up introductory meetings for HDA, which occurred March 25, 2011.
HDA President Margo Melchor, Legislative Committee Chair Dr. Tyrone
Left to Right: Heidi Ross, Health Policy Advisor, Office of U.S. Rodriguez, and Executive Director Dr. Yolanda Bonta participated.
Congressman Elijah Cummings of Maryland, HDA President Margo The meetings were with the Office of Congressman Elijah Cummings,
Melchor, RDH, MEd, Dr. Tyrone Rodriguez (HDA Treasurer and co-chair, Congressional Oral Health Caucus; Office of Congressman
Legislative Chair), Dr. Rodriguez’ son, and Andrew Kaffes (HDA Mike Simpson, who is the founder and co-chair, Congressional Oral
Health Caucus; and the Office of Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart, chair,
Advocacy Consultant).
Congressional Hispanic Conference.At all three meetings, HDA provided
an overview of the organization, its mission, and service programs to the community.
Moreover, discussions were held about how HDA can help to elevate visibility of oral
health issues through education and outreach while maximizing its resources. In my
opinion, this was an excellent “first step” on Capitol Hill. Key audiences on Capitol Hill
came away with a greater understanding of HDA and what the organization can bring
to the table. Moreover, we continue to follow-up with meetings and communications
with additional congressional offices, including the Office of Congressman Charles
Gonzalez, who chairs the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.
This groundwork proved helpful during a May advocacy campaign to keep the
Division of Oral Health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from being
downgraded. HDA contributed to the effort by garnering congressional support for a
congressional letter that was sent to House appropriators urging them to do what they
can to prevent the downgrade. In total, 46 House members signed the letter.
In April, the Institute of Medicine issued a report brief titled, “Advancing Oral Health
in America” was issued. Among the IOM report brief’s many objectives, it supports HDA’s
calls for cultural competency and oral health literacy as well as a reduction of oral health
Advertise in the HDA News disparities. It also expresses the difficulties underserved populations have in attaining
quality access to care. The IOM report brief provides an excellent opportunity for HDA
& Reports
to spotlight the importance placed on cultural competency, oral health literacy, and the
reduction of oral health disparities by an independent, non-governmental organization,
and I am pleased to state HDA will do with its first-ever congressional briefing hosted in
The HDA News & Reports is a quarterly
cooperation with the Congressional Oral Health Caucus on September 21, 2011. This is
newsletter provided to our members
evidence of yet another exciting step forward for HDA.
and others who share our interest in
Finally, the HDA web site added an “Advocacy” web page thanks to the help of
improving the oral health of the Hispanic
Executive Director Yolanda Bonta and Associate Director Rita Brummett. This is an
community. The deadline for classified
important step to help HDA provide resources of information, legislative developments,
and display advertisements in the Fall
and policy positions. The first piece of resource information provided on the Advocacy
Newsletter is September 1st.
web page is an explanation of the Oral Health Caucus and a link to a listing of its members.
We encourage HDA members to help grow the Oral Health Caucus. Therefore, please
For information about display or
check this page often for legislative updates and key action alerts.
classified advertising, contact the HDA
at hispanicdental@hdassoc.org.
6  HDA News & Reports  Issue No. 165  Summer 2011
217.529.6517
A Demographic
Portrait of Hispanics in
Puerto Rico
The Hispanic Dental Association
in cooperation with
Representatives Mike Simpson and Elijah Cummings
Co-Chairs, Congressional Oral Health Caucus
~ invite you to a briefing ~
Oral Health & Your Overall Well-being:
Why Reducing Health Disparities &
Fostering Cultural Awareness Matter
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
122 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, DC
SPEAKERS
Clemencia Vargas, DDS, PhD, Associate Professor, University of Maryland
Dental School, will share her experiences and findings as a member of the
Committee on An Oral Health Initiative, which issued the Institute of Medicine’s
April 2011 report brief, “Advancing Oral Health in America,” with a focus on
the importance of reducing health disparities.
Sarita Arteaga, DMD, MAGD, Associate Clinical Professor, University of
Connecticut School of Dental Medicine, Department of Reconstructive
Sciences, will stress the importance of fostering cultural awareness in
providing quality oral health care.
The Pew Hispanic Center, a project of
the Pew Research Center, today released
a statistical profile of Hispanics in Puerto
Rico. It describes the demographic and
economic characteristics of Hispanics
living in Puerto Rico, and compares
these characteristics with those of Puerto
Rican-origin Hispanics living in the 50
U.S. states and the District of Columbia
(D.C.) as well as with all Hispanics living
in the 50 U.S. states and D.C. The profile
is based on the Center’s tabulations
of the Census Bureau’s 2009 Puerto
Rican Community Survey and American
Community Survey.
The 2010 U.S. Census counted 3.7
million Hispanics living in Puerto Rico,
a territory of the United States. By
contrast, the population of Puerto
Rican-origin Hispanics in the 50 U.S.
states and D.C. was larger, at 4.6 million,
having surpassed Puerto Rico’s Hispanic
population during the last decade. Nearly a third of Puerto Rican-origin
Hispanics in the 50 U.S. states and D.C.
were born in Puerto Rico, according to
Pew Hispanic Center tabulations from the
2009 American Community Survey.
The statistical profile is available at
the Pew Hispanic Center’s website,
www.pewhispanic.org.
The Pew Hispanic Center, a project of the
Pew Research Center, is a nonpartisan, nonadvocacy research organization based in
Washington, D.C. and is funded by The Pew
Charitable Trusts.
Please RSVP in the affirmative only to the Hispanic Dental Association at
hispanicdental@hdassoc.org by Monday, September 19, 2011. The Hispanic Dental Association (HDA) is a national, non-profit organization
comprised of oral health professionals and students dedicated to promoting and
improving the oral health of the Hispanic community and providing advocacy
for Hispanic oral health professionals across the US. The Association works with
a wide spectrum of individuals and organizations to communicate to Hispanic
and non-Hispanic dental professionals, students, and the public.
www.hdassoc.org
7  HDA News & Reports  Issue No. 165  Summer 2011
Oral Health Month ... Continued from page 1
Association of State
& Territorial Dental
Directors
WEBINAR
Cultural Competency for Hispanic
Populations
Monday, August 29, 2011
3:00 pm ET
Presenter:
Dr. Sarita Arteaga, Hispanic Dental
Association
The Hispanic population currently
represents 14 percent of the U.S.
population (about 41 million people)
and projections by the Census Bureau
place the percentage of Hispanics in
the U.S. at one in three residents by
the year 2050. Better understanding of
the needs of Hispanic populations as
an oral health care provider or dental
public health professional will improve
health care outcomes in the Hispanic
community. This webinar is designed
to increase dental professionals’ cultural
awareness of the needs of Hispanic
populations.
Educational Objectives
 Define issues related to cultural
awareness of the Hispanic
community
 Describe Hispanic cultural values,
health practices and beliefs
 Explain the importance of cultural
awareness and understand how
cultural beliefs shape clinical and
educational encounters in the
provision of oral health care
Call in information will be provided by
e-gram to HDA membership.
Information will also be available on
the HDA website: www.hdassoc.org.
“Our growing Latino population tends
to encounter greater deficiencies in oral
care for a number of reasons, such as
language barriers and lack of familiarity
with healthcare resources,” says Carla
Kelly, General Manager, U.S. Multicultural
Marketing, Colgate-Palmolive Company.
“At Colgate, we care about the health
and well-being of our consumers. We’re
proud to to host our Oral Health Month
campaign again alongside the HDA, in
an effort to provide oral health education
and resources to Hispanic families across
the country.”
The Hispanic population has become the
largest minority group in the United States,
resulting in an increase in oral health care
demands. In fact, minority populations
bear a disproportionate burden of oral
disease in the United States, according to a
recent report by the U.S. Surgeon General.
Current data indicates that Hispanics have
less access to dental care and are half as
likely to visit the dentist regularly - in fact,
approximately 51% of Hispanic adults
(aged 18-64) in the U.S. did not go to the
dentist in 2009.
“Unfortunately, the growing rate of oral
health disparities continues to have a
major impact on Hispanics in the U.S.,”
says Margo Melchor, RDH, MEd, President,
Hispanic Dental Association. “The Hispanic
Dental Association is dedicated to helping
improve oral care among Hispanics and
is proud to support Colgate’s Oral Health
Month. This month, our HDA professional
and student members will be reaching out
to underserved Hispanic communities by
providing free dental screenings and oral
hygiene education to children via Colgate’s
Bright Smiles, Bright FuturesTM program.”
With the support of the HDA, Colgate’s
“Oral Health Month” will target Hispanic
households through bilingual oral health
education materials and activities available
at participating retailers, dental offices,
and online.
Colgate’s flagship program Bright Smiles,
Bright FuturesTM will also travel to underserved communities,in key markets
8  HDA News & Reports  Issue No. 165  Summer 2011
throughout June to provide free oral
health education, dental screenings, and
treatment referrals to children, as well as
education for parents on how they can
maintain their families’ oral health.
To learn more about Colgate’s Oral Health
Month, please visit our bi-lingual website
at www.Colgate.com/OHM or call Colgate’s
Oral Health Month line at 1-888-646-2011
for information on Bright Smiles Bright
FuturesTM van visits, providing free dental
screenings and education to children and
families in need.
Colgate-Palmolive is a leading global
consumer products company, tightly
focused on Oral Care, Personal Care,
Home Care and Pet Nutrition. 0Colgate
sells its products in over 200 countries
and territories around the world under
such internationally recognized brand
names as Colgate, Palmolive, Mennen,
Softsoap, Irish Spring, Protex, Sorriso,
Kolynos, elmex, Tom’s of Maine, Ajax, Axion,
Soupline, and Suavitel, as well as Hill’s
Science Diet and Hill’s Prescription Diet.
0For more information about Colgate’s
global business, visit the Company’s
web site at http://www.colgate.com. To
learn more about Colgate’s global oral
health education program, Bright Smiles,
Bright Futures TM, please visit http://www.
colgatebsbf.com .
Activities scheduled for the month of June,
2011. Geographic Regions to be served:
 Atlanta, Georgia
 Chicago, Illinois
 Dallas, Texas
 Houston, Texas
 Los Angeles, California
 Miami, Florida
 New York, New York
 San Antonio, Texas
There will be a recap of all volunteer
activities in the next HDA newsletter.
217.529.6517
Welcome HDA New Members
New HDA Professional Members as of July 1, 2011
Cindy Almanzar, New York, NY
Giselle Alvarez, San Antonio, TX
Jay Andersen, Westborough, MA
Ryan Andersen, Yakima, WA
Matthew Artho, Sachse, TX
Viviana Avila-Gnau, Boston, MA
Jennifer Bankler, San Antonio, TX
Nilly Borovoy, Dallas, TAS
Emilia Brasil, Brookline, MA
Anthony Callison, Dallas, TX
Liliam Castellanos, San Antonio, TX
Vanesa Clements, Frisco, TX
Maribel De La Rosa, Lawrence , MA
Vilma De Leon, La Crescenta, CA
Mark Doherty, Westborough, MA
Sandra Esparza Elias, Anaheim, CA
Juan Espinoza, Lafayette Hill, PA
Regina Espinoza, Winnetka, CA
Marcia Falloure, Austin, TX
Daniel Figueiredo, Jamaica Plain, MA
Victoria Garcia, Bronx, NY
Carlos Garza, Atlanta, GA
Marlyce Godoy, Buffalo, NY
Marnin Goldenstein, Phoenix , AZ
Ana Gossweiler, Indianapolis, IN
Steven Gounardes, Brooklyn, NY
Marines Guzman, Bronx, NY
Sean Hanson, Salem, OR
Eric Haynam, Davis, CA
Michelle Holmes, Wilmington, NC
Bret Ibarra, Houston, TX
Georgina Jamison, Beaumont, CA
Cristina King, East Syracuse, NY
Katia Lemke, Sugar Land , TX
Kari Lindefjeld Calabi, Greenfield, MA
Belen Lopez, Moses, WA
Susan Lopez, Mountain View, CA
Eduardo Lorenzana, San Antonio, TX
Michael Madden, Minneapolis, MN
Monica Maldonado, Methuen, MA
Karen Marino, Houston, TX
Grecy Martinez, New York, NY
Jose Martinez, Chula Vista, CA
Vickie Martinez, San Antonio, TX
Christina Meiners, San Antonio, TX
Glena Millan, Boston, MA
Angela Morales, Malden, MA
Estela Murillo, Pico Rivera, CA
Alma Nava, Farmington Hills, MI
Adam Ortega, Dallas, TX
Ruben Ovadia, Dallas, TX
Rosa Pelaez-Shelton, Farmington , CT
Carolina Perdomo Ruiz, Cambridge , MA
Daymary Pinero-Aguilar, Wakefield, MA
Corina Ramirez, Monterey Park, CA
Belinda Reyes-Vasquez, Whittier, CA
Felix Rodriguez, Bronx, NY
Michele Roman, Boston, MA
Paola Romero, San Antonio, TX
Chris Roussos, Dallas, TX
Edward, Ruiz, Homewood, IL
Santina, Saldana, San Antonio, TX
Carlos, Sanchez, Burbank, CA
Luis , Sanchez, IRVING, TX
Ilse, Savelli, Chula Vista , CA
Ernesto, Schwedhelm, Seattle, WA
Jose, Segura, Boston , MA
Claudia, Serna, Miami, FL
Genoveba, Smirlian Hagopian, Las Vegas, NV
Carol, Summerhays, San Diego, CA
Jose, Turcois, Little Rock, AR
Valerie , Vargas, Del Rio, TX
Daniel, Vasquez, Oceanside, CA
Guadalupe, Villa, San Diego, CA
Martha, Wade, Houston, TX
Leslie, Winston, Mason, OH
Adriana , Young, Schertz, TX
Guy, Yturralde, Brawley, CA
Karla, Zapata, Houston, TX
Patricia, Zarruk, Little Rock, AR
New HDA Student Members as of July 1, 2011
Carmen Aguiar Altamirano, Los Angeles, CA
Ruth Alvarez, Corona, CA
Rose Amable, Tarrytown, NY
Radha Amin, Philadelphia, PA
Danielle Antal, Tallahassee, FL
Seciah Aquino, Gardena, CA
Daniela Arias, Columbia, SC
Christian Boliere, Augusta, GA
Tonja CalhounMason, Stafford, TX
Adriana Castiblanco, Lilburn, GA
Saige Chavez, Dover, NH
Christopher Cheong, Philadelphia, PA
Samuel Cho, Pittsburgh, PA
Berta Crespin, Daly City, San Francisco, CA
Antonio Diaz, San Francisco, CA
Amy Didato, Augusta, GA
Uyen Do, Kennesaw, GA
James Duncan, Tempe, AZ
Valentina Espinosa, Gainesville, FL
Ruben Espinoza, San Francisco, CA
Vincent Ferretti, San Bernardino, CA
Daniel Figueiredo, Jamaica Plain, MA
www.hdassoc.org
Marie Font, Toa Alta, PR
Sandra Frederick, Sterling Heights, MI
Amir Ghalehgol, Augusta, GA
Carlos Griswold, Augusta, GA
Luis Gutierrez, Sunnyvale, CA
Dana Hailat, Evans, GA
Francisco Herrero-Nater, New York, NY
Andrew Johns, Memphis, TN
Maria Lara, Provo, UT
Priscilla Luna, Commerce, CA
Jennifer Maille, San Antonio, TX
Rubi Marconi, Bayside, NY
Garrick McGrath, North Augusta, SC
Brian Mitchell, North Augusta, GA
June Murakaru, Marietta, GA
Perrice Murray, Sugar Hill, GA
Janine Musheno, Clarks Summit, PA
Jose Navarro, Augusta, GA
Fernando Neira, Guttenberg, NJ
Thao Nguyen, Houston, TX
Sarah Ordonez, Greenlawn, NY
Alejandra Ortega, North Bergen, NJ
Lida Paez, Augusta, GA
Devon Paris, Augusta, GA
Benjamin Pass, New York, NY
Dhara Patel, Norcross, GA
Shivani Patel, Alpharetta, GA
Azadeh Paziraei, Augusta , GA
Arturo Perez, Fort Valley, GA
Rachel Quevedo, Miami, FL
Natalia Restrepo-Kennedy, Iowa City, IA
Genifer Rouse, Martinez, GA
Jilly Shao, Los Angeles, CA
Thomas Suitt, Augusta, GA
Marko Tadros, Martinez, GA
Alicia Thomas, Statesboro, GA
Chad Thomas, Millen, GA
Shannon Thorsteinson, Augusta, GA
Karina Toledo9, Danbury, CT
Ruby Truong, Augusta, GA
Raquel Villalobos, Allen Park, MI
Tameika Wheeler, Augusta, GA
Karrie White, Lompoc, CA
Michael Winstead, Augusta, GA
9  HDA News & Reports  Issue No. 165  Summer 2011
Achieving Total Practice Success
10 Targets that will dramatically improve
practice performance in 2011
Schedule 100% of new patients within 7–10 days. If you make patients wait too
long, they will seek dental care elsewhere. If patients are requesting your services,
you don’t want to make them wait. With too much time on their hands, patients will
either become de-motivated or seek treatment elsewhere.
Reduce no-show rates to 1% or less. Neither the patient nor the doctor benefits
by a broken appointment. Obviously, you can’t treat a patient who isn’t there. Train
your team to build value for appointments and recommended treatment. Confirm all
appointments 48 hours in advance via cell phone, texting and email.
Achieving Total
Practice Success
Setting specific, measurable targets
for your practice and implementing
the systems to achieve those goals
are critical to creating a successful
practice. Targets motivate
you and your team to improve
performance. When supported by
step-by-step systems and value
creation scripting, targets are one
of the best management tools
for jumpstarting growth and
increasing production.
Targets can take your practice from
where it is to where you want it to
be. But targets can’t do it alone. You
need to build systems to achieve
targets, and the best systems are
built using value creation scripting.
These three things—targets, systems
and value creation scripting—are
essential for practices to grow in this
economy and
realize their full potential.
Achieve 90% case acceptance. Patients who say “yes” will have better oral health
outcomes, and your practice will experience greater success. Enhance the verbal
skills of your team. Implement value creation scripting and roleplay scripts during
morning meetings.
Collect 99% of your adjusted production. You deserve to be paid for the work you
perform. Remember, you only have what you collect, not what you produce. Don’t
try to play “banker.” Use patient financing from a dental-knowledgeable company to
make treatment more affordable patients.
Spend 98% of your time on patient care. Delegate administrative tasks such as
scheduling and collections to your well-trained staff who are using step-by-step
systems. Remember, you went to dental school to provide patients the highest
levels of oral health care. You didn’t become a doctor to answer phones and run the
schedule—that’s why you have a team!
Have 98% of your patients on the schedule. Patients should not leave the office
without scheduling their next appointment. It’s always easier dealing with patients
face-to-face than trying to get them on the phone at home or work.
Collect 90% of your accounts receivable within 30 days and the rest within 60
days. The longer it takes to collect, the greater the chance of non-payment. Emphasize
to patients that payment should be made at the time of service, including any
insurance co-payments.
Have at least 40% of your patients refer someone else to your practice. Provide
such a “WOW” experience that they will refer friends and neighbors. “Word-of-mouth”
advertising is the most effective and least expensive form of marketing.
Reduce overhead percentages by 5 - 7%. Growing production is the best way to
reduce overhead as a percentage of collection. In addition, practices should look at
every expense category for opportunities to reduce costs. The target for a GP practice
should be 59% or lower. Specialty practices would have an even lower target.
Roger P. Levin, DDS
Chairman & CEO
Levin Group, Inc.
Grow production by 15% over the next 12 months. Your daily goal should be aligned
with hitting this target. Put in the updated systems—case presentation, marketing,
scheduling, etc. —that fuel practice growth. By consistently hitting the daily target,
you’ll achieve the annual goal.
www.levingroup.com
Copyright© 2011 by Levin Group, Inc. All
rights reserved. Reprinted with permission.
Targets are your key to greater success in 2011. Set challenging targets… update
systems to reach those objectives… use value creation scripting to train your team…
Do all these things and you’ll have a more successful practice this year!
10  HDA News & Reports  Issue No. 165  Summer 2011
217.529.6517
The Maryland Children’s Oral Health Institute is proud to announce the launch of
Smiles Change Lives!
Code Red: The Oral Health Crisis In
Your Classroom© Empowering the Teacher to Teach Oral
Health Education - A curriculum
Resource Reference. HDA thanks all of our dental
professionals who selflessly give
of their time and talents. We would
like to spotlight Drs. Carlos Nurko
and Eduardo Tanur of the North
Texas Hispanic Dental Association
professional chapter for their pro
bono dental services for a young
patient receiving care through
Smiles Change Lives (a non-profit
organization providing medicallynecessary, orthodontic treatment
for children from low-income
families). Edgar Soria is on the road
to a beautiful smile because of our
awesome HDA members!
The Maryland Children’s Oral Health Institute has coordinated this oral health literacy
movement to sensitize teachers to the impact that poor dental health can have on
classroom performance. Our nonprofit organization will work together with dentists,
dental students, physicians, school nurses, corporate supporters, legislative leaders,
government, parents and educators to help advance this undertaking. This handbook
contains many valuable curriculum resources that can help to elevate the wellbeing of
entire families. The commitment of teachers to incorporate oral health education into
their lesson plans is of fundamental importance to the concerted efforts to reduce and
eventually end the oral health crisis in classrooms and throughout society.
Code Red: The Oral Health Crisis In Your Classroom© aims to achieve the following
objectives by empowering primary and secondary school educators to:
 Appreciate the essential need to establish oral health education as part of the
elementary, middle and high school curriculum.
 Integrate oral health lessons with teaching mathematics, reading, music, science,
history and comprehensive health education.
 Access materials and provide literature about proper dental hygiene and oral disease
prevention.
 Have an increased awareness of the devastating effects that tooth decay has on a
student’s ability to learn.
 Identify physical, emotional and behavioral signs and symptoms of dental disease
when a child is in the classroom.
For more information visit: http://www.mycohi.org
Life Outside the Practice
Dr. Eduardo Tanur, President of the North Texas HDA
and his daughter Michelle on a skydiving adventure. www.hdassoc.org
11  HDA News & Reports  Issue No. 165  Summer 2011
HDA Professional Chapter News
The 2011 Greater San Antonio
Hispanic Dental Association Annual Gala
The Greater San Antonio Hispanic Dental Association (GSA HDA) held its 2011 Annual
Gala, on Saturday, May 7, 2011 at the Holiday Inn Riverwalk in the heart of San Antonio,
Texas. This gala celebrated the successes of the past year as GSA HDA continues to
advance its mission, “As the leading voice for Hispanic oral health we provide Service,
Education, Advocacy, and Leadership for the elimination of oral health disparities in
the Hispanic community”.
In attendance were over 280 members, students, honorary guests and friends who have
supported the organization for the last six years. The Gala opened with a social hour
with entertainment provided by a pianist and violinist from the GSA HDA High School
Pre-dental Club. The returning master of ceremonies was the local voice of jazz, David
Munoz.
GSA HDA had the privilege of having the Texas
Secretary of State, the Honorable Esperanza “Hope”
Andrade, give the keynote speech at the Gala.
The key note speaker was the Texas Secretary of State, the Honorable Hope Andrade.
Madam Secretary Andrade spoke of her humble upbringing and joked about her own
dental phobias. She stressed the importance of raising our children to be trilingual; to
speak English, Spanish, and education.
The GSA HDA Presidential Award for Community Service was presented to Kenneth L.
Kalkwarf, D.D.S., M.S., the current Dean of the Dental School at the University of Texas
Health Science Center at San Antonio. Dr. Kalkwarf was selected for his commitment
to the advancement of dental education and numerous collaborative venues between
GSA HDA and the dental school. HDA Past President, Dr. Victor Rodriguez, presented
a plaque to outgoing GSA HDA President, Dr. Frank
Ramos for his outstanding leadership and service on
behalf of HDA.
The presentation continued with the passing of the gavel from the 2009-2011 GSA
HDA President, Frank Ramos, DDS, to the new President, Christina R. Gonzales, DDS, a
board certified pediatric dentist. Dr. Gonzales spoke of the advancements GSA HDA has
made in mentorship and introduced the new B.O.L.D. (Building our Leaders in Dentistry)
mentorship program. The B.O.L.D. program will focus on exposure, mentorship and
service for students in high school through dental school. Students from Health Careers
High School, University of Texas at San Antonio, the University of Incarnate Word, St.
Mary’s University, and Texas A&M Kingsville were in attendance. The new officers were
also introduced and thanked for their dedication.
Vidal Balderas, DDS, MPH, a past president of GSA HDA, and Juanita Lozano-Pineda,
DDS, then awarded scholarships to eight students totaling $3,000. The dental student
recipients were Brigid Buck, Taylor Goggins, Hilda Yanez, and Flor Moreno. The dental
hygiene student recipients were Rocio Flores and Alberto Montemayor. The GSA HDA
High School Pre-dental club members who received a scholarship in recognition for their
early commitment to dentistry and service were Danielle Briones and Roshan George.
Dean of the Dental School at UTHSCSA, Dr.
Kenneth Kalkwarf (left), received the Presidential
Award for Community Service. United States
Congressman Francisco “Quico” Canseco (TX-23),
was also in attendance (right).
The presentation concluded with the presentation of a $500 check to the Mexican
American Hispanic Physicians Association by Roger Campos, DDS, past present of GSA
HDA, to contribute to their scholarship fund honoring the late Barbie Hernandez. Ms.
Hernandez was vital in making GSA HDA’s first Gala a success. GSA HDA would like
to thank its 2011 Annual Gala sponsors for their generous donations; Campos Family
Dental, Absolute Dental Care, BBVA Compass, E. Laura Bonilla, D.D.S., Christina Gonzales,
DDS, Eduardo R. Lorenzana, DDS, MS, Oscar Pineda and Juanita Lozano-Pineda DDS,
and Procter & Gamble/Crest.
12  HDA News & Reports  Issue No. 165  Summer 2011
217.529.6517
HDA Professional Chapter News
Carmen Campos, Dr. Roger Campos (Past President
of GSA HDA), Dr. John Schmitz (President of the
San Antonio District Dental Society).
The 2011-2012 Current GSA HDA Officers
(left to right): President - Dr. Christina
Gonzales, President Elect - Dr. Norma Reyes,
Secretary - Paola Romero RDA, Immediate
Past President - Dr. Frank Ramos. Not
present: Treasurer - Dr. Christina Meiners,
Scientific Chair - Dr. E. Laura Bonilla.
Dr. Juanita Lozano-Pineda (center) with the senior dental
student scholarship recipients: Dr. Brigid Buck, Dr. Flor Moreno,
Dr. Taylor Goggins, and Dr. Hilda Yanez (left to right)
Pre-dental college students pose behind the GSA
HDA ice sculpture.
Pictured are 7 of the 8 Greater Houston Hispanic Dental Association (GHHDA)
Presidents. Back row, Dr. Giancarlo Romero, Dr. Aldo Sordelli,
Dr. Victor Rodriguez. Front row, Margo Melchor, RDH,MEd, Dr. Anna Munne,
Dr. Alexandra Garcia, Tatiana Ramirez, RDH, MEd.
www.hdassoc.org
13  HDA News & Reports  Issue No. 165  Summer 2011
HDA Professional Chapter News
The Los Angeles HDA / Latinos for
Dental Careers Professional Chapter
participated in a volunteer event with
MEND (Meet Each Need With Dignity).
The MEND program is completely
volunteer based – we thank the members
of the HDA who generously gave of their
time and talents.
Dr. Alejandro Hurtado
11PT7160_hispanic
12/9/10
11:23 AM
Dr. Regina
Page
1
Espinoza, Chapter President
Dr. Irubiel Barbosa
Henry Schein Professional
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provide expert guidance for today’s practitioner.
PPT is the nationwide team you
want on your side when you decide
to pursue your professional goals.
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Henry Schein Financial Services is not a bank, does not represent itself as such, and does not conduct banking activities.
© 2011 Henry Schein, Inc. No copying without permission. Not responsible for typographical errors.
14  HDA News & Reports  Issue No. 165  Summer 2011
or e-mail: ppt@henryschein.com
www.henryschein.com/ppt
217.529.6517
www.hdassoc.org
15  HDA News & Reports  Issue No. 165  Summer 2011
HDA Professional Chapter News
Massachusetts HDA Hosted it’s first Symposium in
Dental Careers entitled “Promoting Dentistry as a
Career for Minorities”
Dr. Aidee Nieto Herman, Dr. Merelyn Hong, Dr.
Maritza Morell, Dr. Zuzana Mendez.
Dr. Maritza Morell, HDA Vice
President (second from right),
pictured with meeting attendees.
Dr. R. Ivan Lugo, HDA Past President and Procter & Gamble
Representative pictured with Symposium attendees.
Procter & Gamble/Crest Scholarship Recipients.
16  HDA News & Reports  Issue No. 165  Summer 2011
Dr. John Fisher, President
of Massachusetts Dental
Society & Dr. Jose Segura,
President Elect of MHDA.
217.529.6517
HDA Professional Chapter News
The Massachusetts Hispanic Dental Association (MHDA)
held its First Symposium in Dental Career: “Promoting Dentistry
as a Career for Minorities” at Tufts University School of Dental
Medicine(TUSDM) in Boston, Massachusetts. The event featured
a group of seven Panelists from the Private Practice, Community
Health Center, Academia, and Organized Dentistry. The event
included representatives from Boston Public Schools, teachers
and students from Middle School, High School, College, Tufts
University School of Dental Medicine and Boston University
Henry Goldman School of Dental Medicine. More than 70 people
registered and the dental field was represented by dentists, dental
hygienists and dental assistants.
The Symposium was a great opportunity to bring parents and
students together and remind them to engage in their children’s
education to improve the dropout rate of minority children from
Boston Public Schools.
The event finished with an award ceremony honoring 8
students that are part of the Mentoring Program from MHDA.
Attendees left the evening feeling encouraged by the mission of
the MHDA to improve the oral health of the Hispanic Community in
Massachusetts and to achieve our goal to increase the recruitment
and retention of more minorities in the dental field.
This event was organized by the founder of the 1st Symposium
in Dental Career: Dr. Aidee Nieto-Herman, former President
of HDA, Executive Director of MHDA; Dr. Zuzana Mendez, CoFounder & President MHDA; Dr. Merelyn Hong, Vice-President of
MHDA-Committee chair; Dr. Emilia Brasil, MHDA’s clerk with the
collaboration of all our MHDA Board of Trustees.
The event was published by Univision TV- Show Channel 27,
El Planeta News Paper, and Cueca Vision-MasTV, Channel 26.
Congratulations!
Reported by Dr. Aidee Nieto-Herman
Symposium presenters/presentations included:
n Dr. R. Ivan Lugo, Procter & Gamble Professional &
Scientific Relations North America Region Manager
“Leveraging Private-Public Partnerships to make a difference
in Oral Care”
n Beth Lynn, RDH, Director of Oral Health Massachusetts
Department of Public Health
“The importance of Oral Health and Prevention of Dental
Disease in Minorities in the USA”
n Dr. Wanda G. Wright, Assistant Professor Division Head
Education, Advocacy and Community Outreach, Tufts
University Dental Medicine, Department of Public
Health and Community Service
“Diversity in Academia”
n Dr. Aidee N. Herman, Associate Clinical Professor
of Periodontology Department Chair of the Equal
Educational Opportunity Committee at Tufts University
School of Dental Medicine
“Multicultural Crisis in Oral Health in America and The Role
and Needs of More Mentors and Leaders in the Dental Field”
n Dr. Michael McQueen. Director of Upham’s Corner
Health Center
“Dental Limited License and Staffing at the Health Centers”
n Dr. John Fisher, President of Massachusetts Dental
Society
“The role of Organized Dentistry”
n Jamie E. Russell DA, PHDA, RDH, President of the
Massachusetts Dental Hygiene Association
“Dental Hygiene as Dental Career and the Public Health”
n Ruby Elder-Bush, RDH, BS, Director of Madison Park
Technical Vocational High School, Dental Assistant
Program
“Dental Assistant as a Career”
The MHDA would like to thank all those involved (the
University, volunteers, sponsors, presenters, attendees) who
helped make their first symposium a truly great success!
www.hdassoc.org
17  HDA News & Reports  Issue No. 165  Summer 2011
HDA Student Chapter News
El Centro de Corazon Clinic
Ricardo Munoz, Olufemi Fadahunsi, Valerie Gil,
Magda Valeriano, Reyna Garcia and Juanita
Rodriguez, and Margo Melchor.
Magda Valeriano and Olufemi Fadahunsi
El Centro de Corazon clinic is dedicated to providing affordable healthcare to the
underserved population of the East end and Greater Houston area. On the morning of
Saturday June 25, 2011 the School of Dentistry at Houston HSDA members worked
hand in hand with Dr. Heather Dent, Ms. Margo Melchor, HSDA Faculty Advisor and the
dedicated staff at El Centro de Corazon dental clinic. Valerie Gill, Magda Villariano, Juanita
Rodriguez, Reyna Garcia, Olufemi Fadahunsi, and Ricardo Munoz eagerly provided perio
maintenance treatments, gross debridements, prophys, restorative procedures, as well
as reinforced oral hygiene instructions. The HSDA group will return in September and
November to continue with this collaborative community outreach activity.
Reyna Garcia and Juanita Rodriguez
Ricardo Munoz and Valerie Gil
May 20th was an exciting and informative day
for 84 high school students from the Rio Grande
Valley. These students are involved in their school’s
health careers program and traveled to Houston
to visit several schools in the medical center. The
University of Texas Health Science Center at
Houston, School of Dentistry’s Hispanic Student
Dental Association hosted the visiting students
for this activity. The students were divided into two
groups, each of which was given a tour of the school
and a presentation about the dental and dental hygiene programs offered. During
the presentation, HSDA officers Kallina Mikulencak, Alexandra Aponte, Ricardo Munoz,
Jennifer Miller, Faryn Vela and Sean LaRue spoke with the students about their high
school and college backgrounds before dental school and highly encouraged the
students to consider a career in dentistry. The students were very receptive to the
presentation and were able to ask questions regarding their education and each HSDA
member’s personal experience in dental school. The visiting students then toured
student clinic bays, graduate departments and included an operative demonstration
on typodonts in the lab. The students left the school with a better understanding of
the dental field and inspiring words of encouragement to continue their pursuits in
the health care industry.
Submitted by: Kallina Mikulencak, President of Hispanic Dental Student Association
One of our very own student members – Ms. Evelyn Lucas-Perry of the University of Michigan School of Dentistry HDA Student
Chapter has been reelected and will serve a second one-year term as the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) Vice
President for Students, Residents, and Fellows. She is currently in the final year of her self-initiated five-year DDS/MPH program at
the University of Michigan School of Dentistry. For more information, please visit www.adea.org. Congratulations Evelyn!
18  HDA News & Reports  Issue No. 165  Summer 2011
217.529.6517
HDA Student Chapter News
The Massachusetts HDA held its traditional annual Senior
Recognition Dinner on May 17, 2011 for graduating students
of the Tufts University Hispanic Dental Association student
chapter. Some of the graduating students had completed their
degree from the Dental International Student Program to fulfill
their dreams of being a dentist in the USA.
Pictured at right: Members of the Massachusetts HDA professional
chapter along with students chapter members of Tufts HSDA standing
with Dr. Aidee Nieto-Herman (in the middle in red & black), long
time MHDA Executive Director, professor and mentor.
www.hdassoc.org
19  HDA News & Reports  Issue No. 165  Summer 2011
Feature Article
Advancing Oral Health in America
INSTITUTE of MEDICINE of the National Academies
www.iom.edu/oralhealthinitiative
Advancing Oral Health in
America
The U.S. surgeon general issued a landmark
report in 2000, Oral Health in America,
which described the poor oral health of
our nation as a “silent epidemic.” While
there have been notable improvements
in the oral health of Americans, oral
diseases remain prevalent across the
country, posing a major challenge for the
U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS). These dire circumstances
could be improved if HHS strengthened
its commitment to oral health, made it a
national priority, and partnered with other
stakeholders.
In 2009, the Health Resources and Services
Administration (HRSA) asked the Institute
of Medicine (IOM) to assess the current
oral health care system and recommend
strategic actions for HHS agencies. The
IOM convened a committee to explore
how HHS can enhance its role as a leader in
improving the oral health and oral health
care of the nation.
The Current Oral Health Picture
Dental caries, commonly known as tooth
decay, is a common chronic disease
in the United States and one of the
most common diseases worldwide. The
surgeon general’s report found tooth
decay to be more than five times as
common as asthma among children ages
5 to 17. Evidence shows that oral health
complications may be associated with
adverse pregnancy outcomes, respiratory
disease, cardiovascular disease, and
diabetes. For the most part, tooth decay is a
highly, if not entirely, preventable disease.
However, individuals and many health
care professionals remain unaware of the
risk factors and preventive approaches
for many oral diseases, and they do not
fully appreciate how oral health affects
overall health and well-being. In 2007,
the consequences of poor oral health
received national attention when a 12year-old boy died from an untreated tooth
infection that caused bacteria to spread
to his brain. This served as a wake-up call
for many Americans, including members
of Congress, who began to take notice of
the potential dangers of untreated oral
disease.
Poor oral health can be attributed to a
number of factors, including uneven
and limited access to oral health care
and dental coverage, lack of appropriate
quality measures in oral health care,
inadequate health literacy among the
U.S. populace, and lack of attention to
oral health among primary care providers.
While access has improved over time,
many people—typically those who are
most vulnerable—still lack the oral health
services they need. Accessing oral health
care is particularly difficult for certain
populations, including people whose
income falls below the federal poverty
level, African Americans, Latinos, and
children covered by Medicaid. Dental
coverage largely determines access to
oral health care as well as predicts those
who will seek it, but many people—older
adults, for example—often do not have
dental coverage. Even when individuals
have dental coverage, they frequently
do not receive needed services because
of transportation barriers or a lack of
providers who accept public insurance,
among other factors.
Few quality measures are used in oral
health, and there are no standards in
practice to determine the overall quality
of oral health care in the United States.
Because quality measures do not exist,
patients cannot find information to help
them make decisions about their oral
health care, and best practices are limited.
In addition, many individuals do not have
sufficient health literacy to understand the
importance of oral health and oral health
care and do not know when or how to
seek appropriate care. Compounding the
problem, physicians, nurses, and other
health care professionals generally have
20  HDA News & Reports  Issue No. 165  Summer 2011
not been educated or trained in providing
basic oral health care, including the ability
to recognize oral diseases or teach patients
about self care.
While there have been notable
improvements in the oral
health of Americans, oral
diseases remain prevalent
across the country, posing a
major challenge for the U.S.
Department of Health and
Human Services.
The Role of HHS
HHS’ efforts to improve oral health and oral
health care have been wide ranging, but
the priority placed on these endeavors,
including financial support, has been
inconsistent. Enduring areas of attention
include support for community water
fluoridation, research on the etiology of
oral diseases, dental education, oral health
financing, workforce demonstrations, oral
health surveillance, and recruitment of
oral health care professionals to work in
underserved areas.
HHS aims to broadly reach multiple
populations in need of oral health services.
The department administers programs
such as the Indian Health Service and
Federally Qualified Health Centers,
217.529.6517
Caries - CAN DO...Continued from page 26
which directly provide oral health care
to select populations. Through HRSA’s
Title V program and other initiatives,
HHS provides financial support to states
to develop public health programs for
the delivery of oral health services and
for disease monitoring and surveillance
activities. The Centers for Medicare and
Medicaid Services finances oral health
care through Medicaid and the Children’s
Health Insurance Program. In fact, HHS has
a great role to play in the support of the
overall oral health care system
HHS needs to have consistent
messages for patients and
health care professionals about
the importance of oral health,
but it is as critical for the
department to have consistent
messaging within its own
organization that oral health is
a priority.
Providing New Leadership and
Direction in Oral Health
In the past, HHS has suffered from a lack
of high-level accountability, coordination
among its own agencies, resources,
and sustained interest in oral health. In
2010, however, HHS launched an Oral
Health Initiative—a cross-agency effort
to improve oral health care nationwide.
Echoing the 2000 surgeon general’s report,
the initiative conveys the message that
oral health is integral to overall health.
To augment the recent efforts by HHS, the
IOM committee recommended several
approaches that HHS could take to
help improve the oral health of the
nation. The committee calls this set of
recommendations the New Oral Health
Initiative (NOHI), to distinguish it from
and build upon the current initiative. In
addition, the committee developed a set
of organizing principles based on the areas
in greatest need of attention as well as
approaches that have the most potential
for creating improvements.
www.hdassoc.org
Organizing Principles for a New Oral Health
Initiative
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
Establish high-level accountability.
Emphasize disease prevention and oral health promotion.
Improve oral health literacy and cultural competence.
Reduce oral health disparities.
Explore new models for payment and delivery of care.
Enhance the role of nondental health care professionals.
Expand oral health research and improve data collection.
Promote collaboration among private and public stakeholders.
Measure progress toward short-term and long-term goals
and objectives.
10. Advance the goals and objectives of healthy people 2020.
To guide and evaluate the NOHI, the
committee suggests that HHS use the goals
of Healthy People 2020—an existing set of
benchmarks for achieving better health
for the country—rather than creating
new goals that would be redundant.
The committee stresses three key areas
needed for successfully maintaining oral
health as a priority issue: strong leadership,
sustained interest, and the involvement of
multiple stakeholders.
Conclusion
The committee’s report, Advancing Oral
Health in America, is not meant to redesign
the oral health care system but instead to
highlight the vital role that HHS can play in
improving oral health and oral health care
in the United States. NOHI can succeed if it
has clearly articulated goals, is coordinated
effectively and adequately funded, and
has high-level accountability. HHS needs
to have consistent messages for patients
and health care professionals about the
importance of oral health, but it is as critical
for the department to have consistent
messaging within its own organization
that oral health is a priority. HHS has the
opportunity and responsibility to bring
together different sectors to effect change
in oral health care. There are many reasons
that HHS should seize this opportunity.
However, most important is that in spite
of improvement, the American people
continue to suffer, often silently, from
avoidable and treatable oral diseases.
Advancing Oral Health in America is
available online to read or download
at no charge at: http://www.nap.edu/
catalog.php? record_id=13086.
As a special offer to Hispanic Dental
Association members, National
Academies Press, the publisher for
the IOM, is offering a 25% discount off
the list price for the print version of
the book. Please enter promotional
code FHDA in the NAP shopping cart
to take advantage of the discount.
INSTITUTE of MEDICINE
of the National Academies
The institute of Medicine serves as adviser
to the nation to improve health. Established
in 1970 under the charer of the National
Academy of Scienes, the Institute of
Medicine provides independent, objective,
evidence-based advice to policy makers,
health professionals, the private sector,
and the public.
Copyright 2011 by the National Academy
of Sciences. Reprinted with permission.
21  HDA News & Reports  Issue No. 165  Summer 2011
HDA Notices and Classified Advertisements
IOWA
The University of Iowa’s College of
Dentistry is searching for full-time clinical
or tenure-track faculty in Family Dentistry.
Position available October 1, 2011;
screening begins immediately. Must
have: DDS/DMD from ADA-accredited
dental school OR foreign equivalent of
DDS/DMD (applicants w/out DDS/DMD
from ADA-accredited dental school must
have certificate in Prosthodontics/AEGD/
GPR from ADA-accredited program);
and at least five years of dental practice
experience via private practice, military
or educational environment. Desirable:
Certificate in Prosthodontics/AEGD/
GPR from ADA-accredited program and
relevant teaching experience. Applicants
must apply electronically. To learn more
and/or apply, go to Jobs@UIowa at
http://jobs.uiowa.edu/content/faculty/,
reference Req #59696. AA/EEO employer;
women/minorities encouraged to apply.
Dental Practice Facility for Sale
Dental practice facility for sale suitable for general or specialist practice in South East
Texas on the gulf coast. Includes two operatories fully equipped. Digital Panorex, Dexis.
Furniture and fixtures. Email salvabryan@yahoo.com for more information.
Spanish Childrens Book
This Spanish story book about dental health
is oriented to children ages 1 to 6 years old. It
consists of 32 beautifully colorful illustrated pages
and is an excellent story to teach children about
oral hygiene and to learn about caries disease.
It was written by Dr. Lydia López, HDA member
and past Board of Trustee, from the University of
Puerto Rico School of Dental Medicine. The cost
of the book is $10.00 (no shipping charges).
To order copies, please mail your request with a
money order or check payable to Dr. Lydia López at the following address: Juan de
Borbón Street, Shopping Center Los Jardines, Suite 67, PMB 216, Guaynabo, Puerto
Rico, 00969. You can also contact Dr. López by e-mail at lm_lopez@hotmail.com.
AGD 2011 San DieGO!
Annual Meeting & Exhibits
July 28 to 31, 2011
Register Today!
Visit www.agd.org/sandieGO and click on “Register Now.”
Get Ready for Cool Courses!
An entire year’s worth of quality courses will be offered at the meeting and dentist
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s Pascal Magne, PhD, DrMedDent (“Biomimetic Restorative Dentistry”)
s Harold L. Crossley, DDS, PhD (“What’s the Real Deal About Street and Prescription Drug
Abuse?” and “The 30 Most Physician-Prescribed Medications”)
s Louis Malcmacher, DDS, MAGD (“Total Facial Esthetics for Every Dental Practice”)
GO! to Hear from the Leading Scientist in Genomic Research!
The pioneer researcher who uncovered the sequence
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22  HDA News & Reports  Issue No. 165  Summer 2011
7/11/11 3:53 PM
217.529.6517
HDA Corporate RoundTable Sponsors:
The Hispanic Dental Association recognizes with pride these exceptional companies who support its mission of optimizing the oral
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To learn more about a rewarding partnership with the Hispanic Dental Association, contact the HDA at hispanicdental@hdassoc.org.
www.hdassoc.org
23  HDA News & Reports  Issue No. 165  Summer 2011
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