November 2002 Newsletter

Dr. Charles Blair is a former successful practicing dentist who now provides consulting services to the dental industry on a full time basis with Blair/McGill & Co., Inc. in Charlotte, North Carolina, home of The Blair/McGill Advisory Newsletter. A graduate of Erskine College, he earned his D.D.S. degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Blair holds degrees in Accounting, Business Administration, Mathematics and Dental Surgery. Also an author, he has written the E Z Tax Cookbook and co authored Marketing for the Dental Practice and Employing Family Members in Your Practice: A Tax Bonanza!
Dr. Charles Blair is the co editor of the Tax Column for DENTAL ECONOMICS magazine and has published numerous articles in various other dental magazines. Dr. Blair is a nationally recognized speaker for national, state and local dental groups, study clubs and other organizations.
At tonight’s lecture you will discover winning strategies to develop a personalized game plan for reaching financial freedom, including how to control your money rather that letting it control you, get out of debt, increase investment returns, discover tax-free income secrets, iron-clad protection devices, avoid estate planning mistakes, maximize practice tax-saving strategies, slash children’s educational costs up to 50%, and take advantage of huge retirement plan benefits under the new tax law.

In my previous president messages I discussed the virtues of teamwork and perseverance in relation to membership activity within the society.
These themes were intended to motivate our membership into becoming more active in society affairs and perpetuate the groundwork that was set by our previous leadership. I’m very happy to report that our membership will be able to reap the benefits of the efforts of our continuing education committee with this year’s cutting-edge educational programs. A continuing education program generally reflects the “pulse” of a society as well as the state of its affairs. Under the guidance of our program chairperson Dr. Arceli Ziemba, a series of stellar lectures has been assembled for the upcoming year. Not only has she orchestrated this feat, but she has also garnered significant corporate sponsorship to defray the costs to our society. Dr.’s Barnes, Blair and Homoly are not only speaking at our monthly meetings, but they are also presenting full day courses the following day with no cost to our membership. Dr. Ziemba has been working closely with Dr. Ethan Glickman in order to facilitate these programs. This year MCDS will have at its disposal a dynamic and academically appropriate educational series of which we can all be proud and benefit from. In addition to these scheduled lectures, Dr. Mark Schambra has secured a full day program featuring Dr. Dennis Tarnow ,an expert in the field of implantology, with a full day course at the Pines Manor on February 21st, 2003.
This 2002-2003 curriculum demonstrates what can be achieved when there is active participation and synergy among members of the society in key leadership positions.
If I were to literally take the society’s pulse, I would certainly expect it to be strong and bounding. We must not rest on our laurels! We must give kudos to our dedicated leaders and look forward and prepare for the following calendar year (2003-2004).
Respectfully submitted,
Bruce A. Huberman DMD

Attendance: Bloom, Brunsden, Glickman, Huberman, Kahn, Kline, Krantz, Lawson, Leizer, Prabhu, Schambra, Silverstein, Villa, Vitale, Weiner, Ziemba
Acceptance of Minutes-9/10/02-vote unanimous.
President’s Report-B. Huberman
• Our first General Meeting Tuesday, September 17th, on Bio-terrorism, was excellent.
• We appreciate and thank Pfizer for their support at the meeting.
• The Leadership Conference will be held on October 9, 2002 at NJDA (attending will be Drs. Villa, Weiner and Krantz)
• The ID Training Seminar will be held at the Pines Manor on November 14, 2002. Any interested members who want to attend, please contact Dr. Huberman @ 732-738-6555.
• Merry LeBlond attended our board meeting. Ms. LeBlond is the chief of the dental hygiene program at Middlesex County College. We will be developing a relationship with the hygiene school in order to promote job opportunities for the graduates as well as dental assisting employment for their students.
• I would like to wish Marlene Glickman, our Executive Secretary, a very happy birthday.
Treasurer’s Report-R. Kline
See full report in newsletter
Editor’s Report-M. Weiner, B. Silverstein
The editors request as much advanced notice as possible for printing/promotion of special events and courses. The abundance of promoting fall/winter continuing education has taxed our resources in putting together this month’s newsletter. Editor deadlines set for newsletter content and reports to the Executive Secretary must be strictly adhered to in order to make newsletter production more efficient.
ADA Delegate Report-J. Leizer
See full report in newsletter
NJDA Trustee Report-R. Kahn
See full report in newsletter under “NJDA Noteworthy News”
NJDA Council Reports:
Annual Session-A. Ziemba
Plan ahead and save the date:
• Annual Session will be held June 11–13, 2003 in Atlantic City at the Taj Mahal.
• UMDNJ Dental Alumni Luncheon will be held Wednesday, June 11, 2003.
• Free continuing education courses will be offered.
Children’s Dental Health-C. Brunsden
Give Kids a Smile – GKAS – February 21, 2002
• ADA’s first national access day to dental care for those in need.
• Boy’s Club of America and United Way will promote this program to needy groups.
• Crest will donate toothbrushes and toothpaste.
• UMDNJ is providing five sites totaling 68 chairs
• Sites will be staffed with volunteer dentists and staff.
• Patients will receive oral hygiene instruction, diet instruction, emergency treatment and sealants.
Peer Review-J. Fahsbender
There were no new cases this month for Peer Review. One state appeals case ruled no grounds for appeal against the patient.
MCDS Committee Reports:
Mentor-E. Glickman
Dr. Dick Barnes presented his program “ Creating a Successful Cosmetic Practice” on Wednesday, October 16, 2002 at the Clarion Hotel Edison, NJ. We had 91 members and staff registered for this MCDS member benefit seminar.
Dr. Barnes discussed his proven techniques to increase profitability and comfortably convince our patients to have the cosmetic and restorative dentistry they need. Dr. Barnes spoke about his down to earth approach to marketing dentistry and his common sense motivational techniques to provide consistent increases in income and patient flow. Specifically, the Dick Barnes technique gave us, as dentists, a chance to view new perspectives on our practice. By concentrating on simple yet proven ways to motivate patients and staff, Dr. Barnes offered easily implemented changes that will increase production and shared ways that would help us gain the capability of helping our patients want and accept our treatment plan every time. No one can promise us success without hard work. However, Dick Barnes showed us unequivocally that we could learn to work smarter so our hard work pays off the way we want it to!!!
We have two additional Mentor Programs for 2002-2003 being presented:
• Positioning Your Practice for Profit —Wed. Nov. 20, 2002 Dr. Blair
• Case Acceptance-Complete Dentistry—Wed. April 16,2003 Dr. Homoly
These speakers will be presenting a one-hour program at our monthly MCDS meetings on the third Tuesday at the Pines Manor. The following Wednesday morning these same speakers will be presenting their full five (5) hour course at the Clarion Hotel, which is near the Pines Manor
Due to the incredible support from sponsors, we will be able to offer these programs to our members at no cost… WOW !!! The only fee to our members will be for their staff to cover the cost of breakfast. We will also be promoting these programs to NJDA members and non-MCDS dentists at a reasonable fee.
Please register for these programs ASAP since seating will be limited. We will give our members an opportunity to register for these programs before we offer them to NJDA members and non-MCDS dentists.
Please see the insert in the November MCDS newsletter for the Registration Form and Course Descriptions for these programs.
Old Business
Dr. Bob Silverstein discussed having an Oral Myologist present a full day course on a behavioral (non-punitive) approach to help our patients who have digit habits.
Respectfully Submitted,
Steve Lawson

STATE BOARD of DENTISTRY REPORT
The Board newsletter will be published soon for the first time since 1999. All violations since then will be included.
Board is changing the handling of advertising violations. First time violations will most likely result in a warning.
Board will be revisiting the expansion of duties for dental assistants.
The proposed Nitrous Oxide regulations will be published on October 5, 2002.
PRESIDENT ELECTS REPORT
Council on Dental Education met and phase 2 of the Dental Assistant program is set to begin. This phase is designed to get more students to join the 13 dental assistants programs in NJ.
PRESIDENT’S REPORT
At the components meeting in Essex there was a good representation of dental students. There are strategies being worked on with Dean Feldman at UMDNJ to encourage participation between UMDNJ and NJDA.
Discussions took place with UMDNJ on the “Give a Kids a Smile Program.” The school is very interested in helping us with this program.
TREASURER’S REPORT
Dues collection has been helped by the use of an outside telemarketing firm.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT
There are over 800 registrants for the HIPPA Seminar
Dotson Insurance (Workmen’s compensation program) is not going to renew existing policies because they are under capitalized. If they are not purchased, they will go out of business.
TASK FORCE on THE STATE BOARD of DENTISTRY
McGreevey’s Appointment Council asked NJDA for potential Board Appointments.
The Board approved having task force give a one time only list of potential candidates to be forwarded to the governor. The task force submitted the names of Drs. Maria Ambrosio, Alexander Hall and Herbert Dolinsky. In addition it recommended the reappointment of Dr. William Orlacchio recently elected president of the Board who’s term expired in September.

NEW ORLEANS, LA
OCT. 19-23,2002
New President-Elect – Eugene Sekiguchi from California
New Speaker of the House of Delegates – Thomas Soliday from Maryland
PRIORITY ITEMS
• Each ADA council and commission should conduct a self-study to determine its relevance, efficiency and productivity. Examine its mission and duties. Report to the 2003 House of Delegates.
• ADA Member/Partner Network should be instituted as soon as feasible to encourage wider member BUSINESS AND BUDGET MATTERS
• DUES for 2003- $ 435 plus ongoing assessment for renovations $ 30 for a total of $ 465
• BOT should have as its goal achieving and maintaining reserves at 30%. Should reserves go above this they should use the excess in developing the following years operating budgets. This rescinds previous resolutions on the reserve funds.
COMMUNICATION AND MEMBERSHIP SERVICES
• ADA should conduct and fund “Give Kids a Smile Campaign” annually. Report to BOT and HOD on results of campaign.
• Encourages members to apply for retired status if they are not receiving income from dentally related activities for more than a year.
DENTAL BENEFITS, PRACTICE AND HEALTH
Defeated resolution 73S-1-2001 which would allow for the placement of fluoride varnish only under the supervision of a licensed Dentist. This is now being done by Physicians as well as auxiliaries, in underserved areas. Passage of this would in effect deny this treatment to a population who cannot get care in any other way.
• Urges members to educate their patients in the level of fluoride in bottled water as well as the possible removal of fluoride by some home water treatment systems. Include home water source as a question in ADA health history form. Encourage all bottled water to list the fluoride content.
• ADA should help form a coalition of state and local Dental and Medical health organizations to focus attention on detrimental oral and general health effects of frequent exposure to carbonated soft drinks. Make information available to constituent and component societies.
• Continuation of the Direct Reimbursement Marketing Campaign has been approved for another three years.
• ADA as well as Constituents should seek or support legislation which grants immunity to dentists providing services when responding to mass disaster following a declaration by the appropriate authority that an emergency situation exists.
DENTAL EDUCATION AND RELATED MATTERS
• Licensure by Credentials- Immediately prior to applying for licensure by credentials a dentist must be in practice or in full time dental education.
• Specialty Licensure- Guidelines-
Must have taken a general dentistry entry-level exam before being eligible. (Can be in past, not at time of application)
Specialists who have passed a specialty license exam in another state do not have to take another exam.
States are urged to enact provisions by which specialists licensed in another state and holds diplomate status from an ADA-recognized specialty certifying board or has completed an accredited advanced specialty education program will be allowed to practice that specialty.
Above candidate should not be required to take additional general dentistry examinations.
• Foreign-trained dentists who were licensed by their respective jurisdictions prior to implementation of the additional two-year requirement of study in an accredited dental school should be granted the same freedom.
LEGAL AND LEGISLATIVE MATTERS
• ADA should pursue federal legislation requiring self-funded dental benefit plans to provide in the EOB, the name, degree license number and direct phone number of any individual who makes the final decision regarding acceptance or rejection of a dental claim.
SCIENTIFIC MATTERS
• ADA action plan on amalgam in the dental office. This refers to elimination of mercury waste from amalgam using various traps, vacuum collection, recycling or using a commercial waste disposal service. Urges the ADA, constituent and component societies to take immediate steps to increase universal awareness and use the best management practices by dentists to reduce amalgam waste. The ADA acknowledges the need for flexibility based on local conditions.

	(9/6/02)	(10/4/02)
Checking	16,445.34	12,236.43
Money Market	61,564.69	61,681.29
TOTAL	78,890.03	73,917.72

November 2002 Newsletter

President's Message

Let’s check our pulse!!!

MCDS Board of Trustees Report

Treasurer's Report

Balances

NJDA Board of Trustees Report

Announcements