January 2005 Newsletter

NJDA Officers Meeting and New Life Membership Presentations

Come hear the stories behind the legislative and legal battles won on your behalf by NJDA this year from the dedicated officers. This annual event is an opportunity to meet the NJDA Directors and General Counsel and to witness first hand their dedication to our members. You will never ask the question, “What is organized dentistry doing for me?” after this evening. It will provide you with the opportunity to learn how to use NJDA’s vast resources to get the most of your membership. In addition, a special presentation to our deserving New Life Members will be featured.

The following MCDS members have achieved life membership this year. They have shown a steadfast dedication to their profession and organized dentistry over their careers. They will be formally inducted as life members at this month’s dinner meeting. Each new life member was asked to submit biographical information that is included below.

Harold Cohen
Dr. Harold V. Cohen received his dental degree from the New York University College of Dentistry in 1965, thus initiating his 40 years of dental practice experience.
Dr. Cohen now holds the title of Professor as a faculty member at UMDNJ-New Jersey Dental School- Department of Diagnostic Sciences-Division of Oral Medicine, Newark, NJ. He is clinical supervisor of the Oral Medicine Clinic which treats primarily patients with medically complex issues, orofacial pain/TMD problems, oral medicine pathologies and those with sleep related breathing disorders.
His honors have included election as Fellow International College of Dentists (F.I.C.D) and Fellow Academy of Dentistry Internationale (F.A.D.I.).
He has received the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital award for 25 years of service
Dr. Cohen has served as a consultant to New Jersey State Board of Dentistry.
He has Lectured nationally and internationally and is published in periodicals and textbooks.
He married to Charlotte and has two daughters Elizabeth and Allison, and two grandchildren Olivia and Evan.
Thomas Pluhar
Dr. Thomas Pluhar is a native of NJ, born and raised in Bound Brook and attended local grade school and high school. He attended the University of Oklahoma on a football scholarship until knee and shoulder injuries ended his football days. In 1963 he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and attended medical laboratory technologist school at Gunner Field Montgomery Alabama. Dr. Pluhar holds a certificate as a Registered Medical Technologist. In 1965 he entered American International College, Springfield Massachusetts and graduated in 1967 with a Bachelor of Science in Biology an a minor in Russian Language. He attended Fairleigh Dickinson University School of Dentistry in Hackensack, NJ and graduated in 1971 with a DDS degree. He then joined Dr. Chester T. Karr as an associate from August 1971 until December 1975. In April of 1973 he opened his office in Bound Brook for the practice of General Dentistry with his classmate Dr. Ralf J. Stiebritz. He has been in private practice for thirty three years.
Dr. Pluhar is a member of the ADA and its component societies, the Knights of Columbus, 4th Degree, a life member of the NRA.
Dr. Pluhar is an avid archer and is an active member in many hunting and fishing clubs. He currently resides in Whitehouse Station, NJ with his wife of 42 years, Gale. They have two children: Thomas A. who lives and works in Los Angeles, and Cynthia A. who works in Flemington, NJ and works at home.
Arnold Rosenheck
Dr. Arnold Rosenheck received his DMD degree from Farleigh Dickinson University School of Dentistry and received his postgraduate training at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center with a certificate from Columbia University in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery as well as one year of internship and 2 years of residency at Long Island Jewish/Queens General Hospital’s Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Program. He received training as a resident in the department of pathology at Long Island Jewish hospital.
In a teaching career that spans 30 years, Dr. Rosenheck holds and has held numerous academic and hospital appointments including- acting chairman and clinical professor of the pathology department at Farleigh Dickinson University School of Dentistry, attending at Harlem Hospital Center in the department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in New York City, Director of Pathology curriculum and training at Middlesex County College School of Dental Hygiene, and acting chairman of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Acting Chief of Dental Medicine at University Hospital in Newark (’99-’01). He is currently clinical associate professor in the Pathology department and clinical professor in the Surgery department at UMDNJ-RWJMS and Associate professor in the department of OMS at UMDNJ-NJDS. In addition, he is an attending at RWJUH, St. Peter’s Univ. Medical Center and University Hospital at UMDNJ. He is currently the Assistant Dean at New Jersey Dental School of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.
Before being appointed Assistant Dean for Hospital Affairs and Institutional Development, Dr. Rosenheck was Chairman of the Board of Trustees at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey while engaged in an active clinical practice of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery as a managing doctor of the Oral Surgery Group in New Brunswick. Dr. Rosenheck is currently the Vice President of the New Jersey State Board of dentistry and senior Dental Consultant to the Department of Health and Senior Services State of New Jersey.
A member of numerous professional organizations and a diplomate of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Dr. Rosenheck has served organized dentistry as past-President of MCDS and on the Relief and Peer Review Committees of NJDA.
Talbot Sklar
Dr. Sklar attended Fairleigh Dickinson University in Rutherford, NJ and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Biology in 1961. He attended Temple University School of Dentistry in Philadelphia, PA and graduated in 1965 with a DDS degree. After two years in the US Army as a captain in the Dental Corps, he opened an office in Clark, NJ as a general dentist. Three and a half years later, Dr. Sklar attended the post graduate program in pediatric dentistry at New York University and in 1977 earned a specialty certificate and became a Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry and a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Dr. Sklar is a member of the ADA, Alpha Omega Dental Fraternity, Middlesex County Dental Society, American Orthodontic Society and the Academy of Laser Dentistry, where he will soon attain Advanced Proficiency Status in the Erbium Laser. He has been an attending dentist at John F. Kennedy Medical Center for the past thirty years and is a charter member of the Raritan Valley Study Club and the New Jersey Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. He worked with Dr. Herbert Portnoff for eighteen years and then as a solo practitioner in pediatric dentistry for the past fifteen years in Edison, NJ. In 2002, Dr. Sklar was chosen “Top Dentist” by New Jersey Monthly Magazine.
In his spare time, Dr. Sklar is an avid woodworker, plays piano and flute and has had a keen interest in black and white photography. He resides in Westfield, NJ with his wife of 35 years, Susan. They have three children: Lauren, Matthew and Amy, all living in Manhattan.
Gerald Whiteman
Dr. Gerald Whiteman attended Ohio State University followed by New York University’s School of Dentistry. He graduated in 1963 with a DDS degree. He then successfully completed an oral surgery internship at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City followed by oral surgery residency program at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, NY.
After the completion of his training program, he served as a Captain and Chief of Oral Surgery at Tyndall Air Force Base in Panama City, Florida for two years (1966-1969).
In 1968, he relocated to Old Bridge, NJ where he established a practice limited to Oral Maxillofacial Surgery. He still maintains an active practice in Old Bridge with a very strong focus on implant dentistry.
In his spare time, Dr. Whiteman is an avid skier, sailor and tennis player. Over the years he has done extensive world travel with his wife and family. Dr. Whiteman has been married for 44 years to his wife, Susan, who has shared all of the above with him. They have three children: Andrew, Lisa and Brian who all live here in New Jersey. There are seven grandchildren altogether that round out a very close knit family.

Now that the holiday hiatus from MCDS activities is coming to an end, it is time to gear up for the beginning of another active year for our society. The response to our ’04-’05 program so far has exceeded my expectations. The nearly 260 attendees at the November Jennifer de St. Georges full day course (Sponsored by Benco) is a new MCDS record. The strong support of our membership leaves me optimistic that the remaining months of our program will see similar enthusiasm, as we present seasoned speakers with diverse subject matter: Harold Crossley (Pharmacology), Morton Amsterdam (Periodontal Prosthesis) and David Sirois (Oral Medicine). If you have not done so already, please take advantage of your membership benefits and attend one or all of these lectures. In addition, the Mentor Program will again be offering spring courses on non-OSHA subject matter with dates and topics to be announced. The grand finale to our program will be May’s annual Staff Night. This year, we will change course again from the live music of the past two years and have an entertainment company come in that runs Game Shows to spice things up a bit and get the ‘non-dancers’ involved in the evening. The tireless efforts and organizational skills of this years’ Program Chairman Mark Vitale have been invaluable to our success with the speakers, the sponsors and the membership at large.
The focus of this months’ dinner program will be our state organization, NJDA. Various staff and officers, including Executive Director Arthur Meisel, will address the membership on topics that will better allow us to conduct our practices in the overregulated world that we are forced to make our livings in. The NJDA and MCDS will also be honoring our new Life Members and their career commitment to organized dentistry.
Notification has just been received that our AGD sponsorship has been renewed for another 4 years, after successful completion of the exhaustive renewal application process. All members that had course credits from MCDS put on hold will receive these credits now. I welcome everyone back and wish you all happiness and success in the year to come.

Attendance: Ashmen, Brunsden, Chustckie, Courey, Galkin, Glickman, Kahn, Kline, Krantz, Lawson, Leizer, Rosen, Schambra, Silverstein, Simos, Villa, Vitale, Wasserman, Weiner, Ziemba
Acceptance of Minutes-vote unanimous.
President’s Report-Mitch Weiner
-Thanks to Marlene for preparing CE verification sheets on short notice for our general meeting. This will be done routinely from now on.
-The AGD renewal application has been completed and mailed to the NJAGD representative who forwards it to AGD national. I was informed in a phone conversation with the NJ rep. that there has been a great deal of turnover on the national level at AGD administratively and this may delay our renewal a bit. He would not give an approximate date of renewal. I created many aspects of the renewal application for the first time and copies will be placed with Marlene and Bob for quick reference in the future.
-We must have an MCDS rep. for the Council on Nominations. (Ross Kline was appointed).
-I sent a recommendation/nomination letter on behalf of MCDS Trustee Dr. Richard Kahn, nominating him for ’04-’05 NJDA Treasurer. We have an excellent track record of continued commitment from our past-Presidents on the state level and we are now in the position to share the dedication that Richie has shown on our behalf with NJDA.
Treasurer’s Report-James Courey
According to our accountant, the amount of money we have in reserve is not related to our tax exempt status. There was a deposit error that lead to the difference in ending balance reported in the last newsletter and the beginning balance reported in this newsletter.
See full report on page 3.
Children Dental Health-Cavan Brunsden
There will be no circus this year. We are exploring the possibility of having our program at the Liberty Science Center.
Editor’s Report-Mitch Weiner
-What is the status of the life member bios? The deadline is Thanksgiving and we have not received any yet. Have they been contacted?
Special Olympics/Give Kids a Smile-Cavan Brusden
Special Olympics will be having a silent auction at the annual session, and they are assisting with Give Kids a Smile. NJDA is a Platinum supporter of Special Olympics.
NJDA Council Reports:
Annual Session-Araceli Ziemba
Dates are June 8, 9, 10, 2005 at the Taj Mahal, Atlantic City, NJ
An exciting line up of speakers will be lecturing:
Dr. Roger Levin – Practice Management
Dr. Robert Lowie – Restorative
Dr. Henry Lee – Forensics
Dr. Jeff Okeson – Occlusion
Dr. Frank Celenza – Implants, Ortho, Perio
Dr. Ali Nasseh (Real World Endo) – Endo & Hands On
Dr. Richard Champagne – Sleep Apnea
The Periodontal Society will also have their meeting in conjunction with the Annual Session on Wednesday, June 8, 2005.
We have sold 62 vendor booths to date and are half way to being sold out.
Pre-registration is highly encouraged prior to May 15, 2005 or a nominal late fee will be imposed.
Children’s Dental Health-Cavan Brunsden
Next February will mark the 52nd year in a row for CDHM. This is the only national program that promotes kids dentistry. We will be continuing with the poster contest this year.
Dental Benefits-Mark Vitale
•CRP Statistics were reviewed through October 31, 2004 with 120 complaints year to date. The largest number of complaints involved Horizon of NJ. NJDA resolved 66, 25 were for data purposes, 27 are pending, and 2 were not resolvable.
•The council reviewed Delta’s response to NJDA’s correspondence disputing Delta’s right to establish an amount that a dentist may collect from a patient when that amount is less than the patient’s full legal liability and Delta is the secondary insurer. Delta simply disagrees with NJDA stating that they are serving the public interest. NJDA will continue to pursue this issue.
•Beginning January 1, 2005 NJ State Retirees are being offered a tiered benefit dental plan through Aetna. The plan is a UCR fee for service indemnity plan with a $50 deductible and $1500 maximum. Retirees can enroll between now and March 31, 2005.
Aetna is telling individuals that co-pays will be lower if they go to an Aetna network dentist.
•CDT-2005 is available from the ADA(1-800-947-4746). These codes go into effect January 1, 2005. There are 39 new codes and 47 revised codes. The ADA will present a workshop at the annual convention in June.
•The council is reviewing codes for CDT-2007. Any member having a suggestion or comment on the existing codes should bring them to their council representative before February 2005.
•If you participate in the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers dental plan, which is administered by United Concordia, you may not bill an enrollee or require co-payment for at least 60 days from the date of the EOB. All claims must be pre-determined or they will be denied.
•NJDA is promoting the use of Best Management Practices for amalgam in an effort to demonstrate that NJ dentists are voluntarily complying and that no further regulation is necessary. There is a video available from the ADA or NJDA.
•The new PIP schedule should be available in the December 20, 2004 NJ Register.
•The council reviewed various activities that have been accomplished to have more oral health awareness built into medical disease management programs of health insurers. The council adopted a resolution for consideration by the Board of Trustees to encourage NJDA members to monitor patients’ blood pressure.
Council on Dental Education-Bob Ashmen
Anyone interested in speaking at the NJDA weekend study club, please contact Trish DeCottis at NJDA with a synopsis of course content.
Governmental Affairs-Daniel Krantz
There is no sales tax due on take home bleaching. However, you must still collect sales tax from the patient on in office bleaching procedures that are purely cosmetic (use your best judgment, since this is a purely subjective determination).
Membership-Scott Galkin
The membership council met last month. The council is making a concerted effort to have a presence at UMDNJ. The council has adopted a plan that involves all four classes at the school, giving the students exposure to organized dentistry in every year of their dental education. The council also formed a subcomittee that will try to target recruitng younger dentists and increase their involvement in organized dentistry.
Relief-Ethan Glickman
The annual meeting for the NJDA Relief Council was held at the NJDA building in North Brunswick, NJ, on October 20, 2004. Currently, the NJDA Relief Council in cooperation with the ADA Relief Council is assisting four NJDA members and/or their families. The New Jersey Dental Association’s Council on Relief exists to provide assistance to dentists, dentist’s spouses and minor dependents in need of financial assistance. The NJDA learns about those who need help through colleagues, component societies, the American Dental Association or through direct contact by the doctor or a family member.
Members of the NJDA’s Council on Relief would like to reach all those who require assistance. With your help, we can accomplish this goal. If you are in need, or if you are aware of a dentist, dentist’s spouse or minor dependents in need of financial assistance, please contact: Stan Orenstein, Business Manager-Council on Relief, New Jersey Dental Association, One Dental Plaza, PO BOX 6020, North Brunswick, NJ 08902-6020. Phone # (732) 821-9400
Committee Reports:
Corporate Sponsorship-Constantine Simos, Jeff Chustckie, Ross Kline
town and country lab partnering with osteohealth (amsterdam lecture) confirm with Constantine before going to print
Budget and Finance-Ira Rosen
We will be voting on the budget at next week’s business meeting (11/16/2004).
Mentor-Ethan Glickman
Mathew Giachetti, LifeForce USA presented the program “Annual OSHA Certification Seminar” Thursday, October 21, 2004 from 6:30-8:30PM at St. Peter’s Medical Center, New Brunswick, NJ. 2 CEU credits were awarded to the 89 members and staff who attended.
This program satisfied the OSHA standard on Occupational Exposure to Blood Borne Pathogens, which is required annually for dentists and staff. Each office person trained received certification that they have been properly instructed for this OSHA regulation on Infection Control. Please note that this OSHA program offered elsewhere normally asks for a tuition fee of at least $85. This is another great member benefit for belonging to MCDS !
Old Business
• Establishment of a promotional committee (Ross Kline, Steve Lawson and Mitch Weiner) for dental assisting in MCDS region (Booth for job fairs/hosting our own info session, etc.).
Respectfully Submitted,
Bob Silverstein,
Secretary

January 2005 Newsletter

President's Message

MCDS Board of Trustees Report

Treasurer's Report

Announcements/Articles