Newsletters from the Valley Valley District Dental Society Newsletter The 2009-2010 newsletters listed here are representations of the newsletter that was mailed to all active members of the Valley District Dental Society. Please note that you must be logged on as a member to view the newsletter. Newsletter December 2010 PRESIDENT'S REPORT Well, this is it! The final paper print version of the Valley District Newsletter. Please read it in full, save it if you wish and get ready to go high tech electronic. In addition check your e-mail on a regular basis for any important developments both at the Valley and state level. By now, most of us are aware of the two most important issues before us, that of Delta Dental and the insurance commissioner and the issue of fee capping on non covered procedures. Since this is well covered by Drs. Wolman, Boschetti and Welch in their reports, I will not belabor the issue. I do however, want to report that I have recently submitted a grassroots organization plan, as was requested by the MDS coordinator, Victoria Ryan for the purpose of organizing a rapid response capability with our legislators. In the last few years, with our Legislators Nights, our district has built a solid, meaningful relationship with our legislators and has been recognized by the state for doing it right. We must keep capitalizing on these existing professional and social networks and more. If not already, some of you may be contacted, in the next few weeks, either by VDDS or MDS to renew your willingness as a contact person with a certain legislator, as you have previously done or asked to be a new one. This response team would be contacted when an issue such as the non-covered fee cap is brought before or voted on in the legislature, plus be the contact person for our night with the legislators. I urge you to consider and respond "yes" when contacted. Please support our Yankee Dental Congress is January. A great meeting and a wonderful get away in the winter. I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving last week and on behalf of the executive committee I would like to wish everyone a great upcoming holiday season. Joseph F. Wegiel, D.D.S. V.D.D.S. President SECRETARY'S REPORT The VDDS Executive Committee and General Business Meeting was held at the Log Cabin on September 21, 2010 chaired by Dr Wegiel.Various committee reports were given and are available on the website. The Budget and Finance Committee recommended several measures to try to change the continued losses in the budget which average $10,000.00 per year and are separate from the endowment funds.The measures were passed and are also available on the website.There were several suggestions made regarding the website and possible vendor advertising which would need VDDS disclaimers.This is being looked into, as the website continues to evolve. PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THIS ISTHE LAST NEWSLETTER WHICH WILL COME TO YOU BY MAIL.AFTER JANUARY 2011, THE VALLEY WILL COMMUNICATE BY E-MAIL AND THE WEBSITE.IF YOU HAVE NOT GIVEN JACKIE OR DR. MASLOWSKI YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS PLEASE DO SO NOW. I hope everyone had a great fall season as the weather was great and the colors were spectacular. See you in January. Mary H. Kreitzer, D.M.D. V.D.D.S. Secretary ValleyDistrictDental.org The Valley is going forward with online communication in this coming year.Therefore, it is important that a current e-mail address, one at which you wish to receive VDDS emailings, be registered into the database.If you did not receive an email entitled "VDDS email verification", then we do not have your current email address.The email would have been generated on December 5, 2010 from valleydistrictdental@gmail.com. If you did not receive this email, either register online via" Contact Us" or call Jackie.Also check your spam file and allow mail to be receivedthis web address.The need for mailings through the post office will be gradually eliminated over the next year. My future communications will be directed to those who are actually online.Further announcements will be released in the coming months concerning online registration ; payment through PAYPAL will allow for secure credit card transactions. A monthly online newsletter is being developed so that we can receive more timely information from the VDDS and MDS.Look for the first issue this January! James E Maslowski DMD V.D.D.S. Webmaster TRUSTEE REPORT Delta Dental & Insurance Commissioner The Insurance Commissioner has tentatively accepted the proposal offered by Delta Dental. Before any meaningful response can be made, it will be necessary to gather information. This will help to enable the consultant working for the MDS to make a meaningful analysis. It is necessary for five hundred responses to be received from each category, urban, suburban and rural for a proper analysis. At this time only 45 responses have been received. The MDS has sent an email to their members that provides a link to the form and instructions. If there is a problem call me at (413) 584-3223. Legislative You will receive an email asking for you to contact your state legislator. This is in regard to non-covered services and the attempt by insurance companies to control fees after the benefit has been exhausted. It is important for us to contact our legislators. Yankee Dental The Wall of Wines will be back again this year. It is a fund raiser for the M.D.S. Foundation. If you can donate a bottle of wine or make a contribution, it will be appreciated. The value of the wine ranges from $20 to $100. Register for Yankee Dental now. There are promotions that are available for early registration. Edward J. Welch, Jr., D.D.S. V.D.D.S. Trustee INSURANCE COMMITTEE REPORT By now, you are all aware of the massive changes in Delta Dental's reimbursement mechanism. I am also aware that many of you are so distressed over this that you are ready to stick your head in the oven and turn on the gas. Well, I am here to tell you to calm down, get out of the oven, breathe some fresh air and pay close attention. On November 3, several members of your Executive Committee, myself included, attended a Regional Leadership Meeting hosted by MDS President Dr. John Fisher and MDS executive personnel. We were told about the MDS "Economic Impact Tool" which can be found on the MDS website. This is what you should do: 1. Call Provider Relations at Delta Dental and request the "fee profile analysis" for your practice. You will need the "frequency numbers" and your current fee profile from that document. 2. Go to www.massdental.org. Click on "Economic Impact Tool" located in the middle of the MDS home page under the "For the Professional" section. 3. You will need your MDS password to sign in to the spreadsheet tool page. If you do not have a password, call Theresa at ext. 233. 4. To request the proper spreadsheet, you will need to indicate your "region" number (located on the fee schedule that you received from Delta). Once you provide the requested information, the proper spreadsheet will be emailed to you within 24 hours. If you request the spreadsheet over the weekend, the turn-around time may be longer, since there is no one in the office to respond to your request. 5. Follow the instructions for completing the spreadsheet. I.E. put your # of procedures and your fee profile information into the proper columns on the sheet "1. Fee Schedules." The fee data information and the three graphs at the end will automatically be generated as you enter the data. 6. When finished, email your completed spreadsheet to: tsnail@crai.com. Dr. Snail is compiling this data from members statewide in order to get a better picture of the overall impact of the new payment methodology. Do Not Send this email to the MDS as this would be a violation of Federal anti-trust laws. The data, as an aggregate, will be given to the MDS for future use in appearances before the State Insurance Commission. Once you have filled out the spreadsheet you will be able to compare your own fees per procedure with the Delta maximum allowable amount. You may use this information in any way you see fit. Steven A. Wolman, D.M.D., M.Sc.D. V.D.D.S. Committee CPR REPORT The 2010 CPR BLS Guidelines were released to the public in October 2010. There are several changes involved with the new guidelines based on scientific evidence. For the professional or layperson rescuer on the street, mall, etc., hands only CPR, no breathing, no pulse. Check hands only CPR. Handout C-AB appropriate. For professionals in dental offices there is no change ABC's (Airway-Breathing-Circulation) are still appropriate in office setting. Remember, if a CPR course taken at a fire house or a dental meeting, you must be sure there is a defibrillator component. It is recommend that a defibrillator should be in the operatory and easily accessible. Statistics show that if a witnessed cardiac event occurs in your office and the patient is shocked within 3 minutes the chances of survival is 97% to a normal life. If you have to wait 5, 10, 15 minutes the chances of survival is decreased. Defibrillation is part of CPR-BLS program. Alan D. Sampson, D.M.D. C.P. R. Chairman EDUCATION COMMITTEE REPORT The fall has brought two wonderful speakers to the Valley both of which were very well attended. Our first speaker in September was the world renowned speaker and educator a Perio-Prosthodontist, Dr. Dennis Tarnow from New York. Dr. Tarnow kept the entire crowd until past 4:00 o'clock utilizing his very unique teaching style updating us on all of the current thinking and future work in the world of dental implants. Dr. Tarnow was one of the few speakers we have ever had in which over 98% of the course evaluations were overwhelmingly positive. In November, Dr. John Suzuki presented a program on "Contemporary Clinical Concepts of Periodontics: an Update in Diagnosis and Treatment Planning". This course was well attended by both doctors and hygienists updating us here in the Valley as to the most current thinking in the world of Periodontal care. On behalf of our membership, I personally thanked both Dr. Tarnow and Dr. Jon Suzuki for sharing their time and knowledge with our group this past fall. Moving into 2011 we have Adrienne Wilkins, whose background includes consulting and coaching of some of New England's premier dental practices. His focus for our membership will be on case presentation and treatment planning for the general dentist interested in comprehensive care dentistry. This program especially will benefit both doctors and staff. Finally in May, Dr. Julian Osorio, a Prosthodontist and inventor of the original CAD CAM Atlantis Abutments will be presenting a program on prosthetic management of dental implants and computer designed abutment technology. This program in part will be supported by York Dental. As chairman and on behalf of all members of our Education Committee I want to thank our membership for your continued support in keeping our Valley Dental Society District Membership at the cutting edge of dentistry today. Vincent J. Mariano, DMD, FASP Co-Chairman, V.D.D.S. Education Committee DENTAL CONNECTIONS REPORT Future Programs March 1, 2010 - Tuesday MaryJane Hanlon-Rogers, D. M. D. Stop the Cancellations April 13, 2010 - Wednesday Mina Paul, D. M. D. Chair, BORID BORID & the new Mass Dental Practice Act Both of these presentations should be of great interest at this time. Early registration is suggested to assure admission. Registration forms will be mailed to the dental offices approximately a month in advance of each event. Each of the Dental Connections meetings will take place at The Log Cabin in Holyoke. The meetings begin with a social hour at 6 p.m., including a light dinner. At 7 p.m. sharp our guest speaker presents a two-hour program, which is oriented to dental assistants, hygienists and business office personnel. Each program provides two hours of continuing education credits for auxiliaries and helps them meet current educational requirements. The Proctor & Gamble Company will sponsor both of our programs. Crest-Oral-B has been very generous over the past few years to Dental Connections with both financial and product support. Our committee is always looking for new and interesting topics and speakers. Any auxiliary or doctor with ideas or contacts for future programs should contact me or one of the auxiliary committee members at a Dental Connections meeting. Thomas M. Cleary, D.M.D. Co-chairman, V.D.D.S. Education Committee MDS WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP TASK FORCE Women dentists, please join us for a wine and cheese reception at Yankee Dental Congress 36 on Saturday, January 29th at 4:45 PM. The reception will follow the women's conference, but please feel free to stop by for the reception regardless of whether or not you register for the conference.If you have any questions, please call me at (413) 733-3019.Thank you. Kelly Bouchard, D.M.D. Women's Task Force NEW MEMBERS Adesh Chawla, D.M.D. Andleeb Shabahat, D.D.S. Christopher Steed, D.D.S. Demi Z. Athans, D.M.D. Laleh J. Sotoodeh, D.M.D. Richard Szal, D.D.S. Winna G. Gorham, D.M.D. Albert St. Germain, D.D.S. CLASSIFIEDS *Small General dental practice for Sale. Practice has been established fifty years in Springfield and would be ideal as a startup. Great potential. Financing available. Call for details (413) 733-6611. *Well established group dental practice looking for an experienced associate dentist part time leading to full time with the possibility of a full partnership. Candidate must be a caring individual who is committed to providing quality patient care. Our practice continues to grow and we have a great working atmosphere. Most of our dedicated staff has been with us for many years. Western Massachusetts is a great area to live and work in. If you are interested, please send resume to Dr. Frank J. Mitera, Ludlow Family Dentistry, 257 Kendall St. Ludlow, MA 01056. Email: f.mitera@ludlowfamilydentistry.net. Fax (413) 547-8909. *For Sale: One day old VT , [Volumetric Tomography], Pan, Ceph www.instrumentariumdental.com Full 1 yr. warranty, free installation, full training and taxes already paid. Original price $88,000.00 asking $70,000.00. Also, 2 Biolase/Waterlase MD hard/soft tissue lasers. Brand new, 1 year warranty (a $3,900.00 value), new wave guide and many accessories. Completely reconditioned to brand new specifications. www.biolase.com Original price $74,500.00, asking $40,000.00. [$35,000.00 for second one] . Dental Loops (Denmat) brand new 4.0 magnification will take best offer. Call: John J. Sullivan IV, DMD, Your Dental Health 32 Crescent Ridge Road, Westfield, MA 01085 [413] 568-8339 [home], [413] 847-0226 [cell] email: drjaydmd@comcast.net PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THIS ISTHE LAST NEWSLETTER WHICH WILL COME TO YOU BY MAIL.AFTER JANUARY 2011, THE VALLEY WILL COMMUNICATE BY E-MAIL AND THE WEBSITE.IF YOU HAVE NOT GIVEN JACKIE OR DR. MASLOWSKI YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS PLEASE DO SO NOW AT VDENTALSOCIETY@VERIZON.NET COUNCIL ON PUBLIC AFFAIRS I have included some Highlights for the upcoming Year 2011-2012 from the MDS Council on Public Affairs for your review. 2011-2012 Legislative Agenda The MDS will be re-filing bills for the upcoming year. These bills include An Act Relative to Pupil Dental Health, An Act Relative to Anesthesia Coverage for Children Hospitalized for Dental Treatment, An Act to Conduct a Comprehensive Study of Oral Injuries in School Sports, and the major bill concerned, An Act Relative to Financial Services Contracts for Dental Benefits Corporations. We will keep you updated, as to the status of these bills, throughout the year. Implementation of Omnibus Oral Health Bill (Chapter 530) Here is an update by the MDS on the motions set forth by the Omnibus Oral Health Bill that was signed into law in January 2009. The bill created new positions for the dental team including the public health dental hygienist and the expanded function dental assistant, and also appointed dental directors in the state's Office of Oral Health, Department of Public Health, and MassHealth program. A dentist has already started working in the MassHealth program, as Dental Director. Dr. Brent Martin is his name. We are also waiting to have the necessary dental assisting regulations promulgated as quickly as possible. It appears that the final regulations may be coming out after the first of the year. We will let you know when they become official. Grassroots Initiatives MDS grassroots organizing plan was implemented this fall starting with the Berkshire district. The new grassroots organizing strategy includes identifying organizers, forming advocate teams, and meeting with legislators in small groups either at meetings in the dental office or some other mutually convenient location, possibly for breakfast at the beginning of the legislator's day, rather than in the evening. Meeting in the beginning of the legislator's day usually works out better for all parties. Scheduling the meeting for the first appointment of the day, rather than the last, seems to minimize last minute change of plans by legislators, who sometimes get tied up in legislative meetings, hearings, etc. in Boston and can't make it back to Western MA in time for the evening meeting. Please remember that it is vitally important for all dentists to be in contact with Senators and Representatives from their districts. Since we and our colleagues are the experts in Oral Health, we always want to have open lines of communications between all parties for any questions they may have or, concerns we may have, relative to quality oral health care for all Massachusetts residents. The MDS will identify organizers for every senate district before proceeding to representative districts. The new grassroots organizing plan has been well-received so far. The MDS notes that grassroots advocacy is vital for legislative support, especially in the non-covered services bill. Transit Advertising Campaign The Standing Committee on Communications and Public Awareness launched a statewide transit advertising campaign 2 weeks ago. The transit ads are present in subways and buses in Boston, Worcester, and Springfield, including approximately 17 Boston subway stations on all of the main MBTA lines. The Committee will measure the success of the campaign by determining if there is an increase in the number of visits to the MDS Web site, which prominently appears on the transit ads. Public Opinion Survey The MDS Standing Committee on Communications and Public Awareness has engaged the services of DAPA Research, Inc. to create a public opinion survey and gather public perceptions related to dentists and dental professions. The survey will be conducted in February 2011. Communication with Members on Non-Covered Services The Standing Committee on Communications and Public Awareness will launch an internal campaign on the issue of non-covered services and promote grassroots participation to advocate for this issue. Please remember this is an important issue for all dentists to be concerned about. Please get involved. The campaign will be promoted through direct mailings and publications in the MDS newsletter. Word of Mouth Anniversary Issue The Standing Committee on Communications and Public Awareness will publish the 10th anniversary issue of Word of Mouth in January with special features, including a calendar insert. Student Advisory Committee The Standing Committee on Communications and Public Awareness will create a Student Advisory Committee entitled "Smart Mouths," shortened from Students Meeting to Advise and Reach Teens, to help better communicate with students on oral health issues. The Committee is sending letters to 25 Metro West high schools and will also use Facebook to obtain valuable feedback from participating students. Nonprofit Tagline Awards MDS's tagline "Your Mouth Can Say A Lot About You" has won first place in its program category in a national awards competition. Player Safety Coalition The MDS is looking to join together with other like-minded organizations in a "Player Safety Coalition" to advocate for issues surrounding student injuries in athletic sports. This coalition will bring together organizations, including the American Heart Association and the Brain Injury Association, to discuss shared interests in improving sports-playing conditions for student athletes. The initial meeting to discuss this possible coalition will be on November 17, 2010. Dental Insurance Please don't forget to read the VDDS Insurance Committee Report from Dr. Wolman! All VDDS members who are Delta Dental providers should be calculating their new reimbursement fees using the online tool on the MDS website and submit the results to Dr. Tim Snail before the start of the year. The VDDS Council on Public Affairs wants to remind and inform all of its' member dentists to follow through on this important process. It affects many of you. If anyone has any questions, please feel free to contact me by E-Mail through the VDDS Website. Anthony Boschetti, D.M.D., Chairman of the V.D.D.S. Council on Public Affairs