GDA Action

ACTIONTHE JOURNAL OF THE GEORGIA DENTAL ASSOCIATION JUNE 2010

MENTORSCreating A Dental Family

GDAction 0610.qxd 6/17/10 1:39 PM Page 1


AFTCO Transition Consultants . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Atlanta Age Management Medicine . . . . . . . . .15

CGI Communications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Center for TMJ Therapy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31

DDD Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

DOCS Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

Dental Care Alliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

G2 Computer Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

GDA Dental Recovery Network . . . . . . . . . . . .32

GDA President’s Cruise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Georgia Association of Orthodontists . . . . . . .33

Georgia Dental Insurance Services . . . . . . . . .36

Great Expressions Dental Centers . . . . . . . . . .32

Law Office of Stuart J. Oberman . . . . . . . . . . .27

Medical Protective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Officite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

Paragon Dental Practice Transitions . . . . . . . .30

Professional Debt Recovery Services . . . . . . .28

Professional Practice Management . . . . . . . . .33

Southeast Transitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31

index of advertisers

GDA ACTION (ISSN 0273-5989) The official publication ofthe Georgia Dental Association (GDA) is published monthly.POSTMASTER: Send address changes to GDA Action at7000 Peachtree Dunwoody Road N.E., Suite 200,Building 17, Atlanta, GA 30328. Phone numbers in state are(404) 636-7553 and (800) 432-4357. www.gadental.org.

Closing date for copy: first of the month preceding publicationmonth. Subscriptions: $17 of membership dues is for thenewsletter; all others, $75 per year. Periodicals postage paidat Atlanta, GA.

Dr. Jonathan Dubin Delaine HallGDA Editor GDA Managing Editor2970 Clairmont Rd 7000 Peachtree Dunwoody Rd NESuite 195 Suite 200, Building 17Atlanta, GA 30329 Atlanta, GA 30328

2009-2010 Georgia Dental Association Officers Kent H. Percy, DDS, PresidentJohn F. Harrington Jr., DDS, President ElectMichael O. Vernon, DMD, Vice PresidentJames B. Hall III, DDS, MS, Secretary/TreasurerJonathan S. Dubin, DMD, Editor

GDA/GDIS/PDRS Executive Office Staff Members

Martha S. Phillips, Executive DirectorCarrie Carter, Administrative Assistant

Nelda Greene, MBA, Associate Executive Director

Delaine Hall, Director of Communications

Skip Jones, Director of Operations (PDRS)

Courtney Layfield, Director of Member Services

Victoria LeMaire, Medical Accounts Manager

Melana Kopman McClatchey, General Counsel

Denis Mucha, Director of Operations (GDIS)

Margo Null, Property and Casualty Accounts Manager

Phyllis Willich, Administrative Assistant

Pamela Yungk, Director of Membership & Finance

GDA Action seeks to be an issues-driven journal focusing on current mattersaffecting Georgia dentists, patients, and their treatment, accomplished throughdisseminating information and providing a forum for member commentary.

© Copyright 2010 by the Georgia Dental Association. All rights reserved. No partof this publication may be reproduced without written permission. Publicationof any article or advertisement should not be deemed an endorsement of theopinions expressed or products advertised. The Association expressly reservesthe right to refuse publication of any article, photograph, or advertisement.

8 Georgia Dentists CelebrateChildren’s Dental Health Month

10 GDA Members Lobby for Dentistry in Washington

14 Dentists Learning How to Make Membership Valuable

16 GDA Legislative Advocacy Update:Governor Strikes Blow Against Georgia’s Children

18 Register for the 2010 GDA Annual Meeting

26 Three “Quick Fixes” forBroken Appointments

4 Parting Shots

5 Editorial

6 News and Views

7 Calendar of Events

29 Classifieds

34 Breaking the Mold

Mentorship requires someone caring enoughto offer an array of advice, guidance, friendship,and reinforcement. Ask yourself—do you havewhat it takes to be a mentor? Mentorshipstrengthens the profession of dentistry.Organized dentistry is strong becausedentist mentors help make it that way.Enjoy the editorial about mentorship onpage 5 and the essay “The Value of aMentor” on page 24. Then share your storyabout a mentor or mentors who helpedyou. Email Editor Dr. Jonathan Dubin [email protected].

ACTIONTHE JOURNAL OF THE GEORGIA DENTAL ASSOCIATION JUNE 2010

MENTORSCreating A Dental Family

other features sections

on the cover

Member Publication American Association of Dental Editors

ACTION

V O L U M E 3 0 , N U M B E R 6 • J U N E 2 0 1 0

Note: Publication of an advertisement is not to be construed as anendorsement or approval by the GDA or any of its subsidiaries,committees, or task forces of the product or service offered in the

advertisement unless the advertisement specifically includes anauthorized statement that such approval or endorsement hasbeen granted.


4 GDA ACTIONJUNE 2010


When I started dental school, just a few yearsback, I didn’t know the difference between amolar and a premolar. Four years later Ithought I knew it all. In reality, I knew so verylittle. I did catch on that continuing educationwas not just a requirement for licensure, butrather a necessity to build upon the foundation,the basics, that dental school gave me.After participating in hundreds (and nowthousands) of continuing education hours inevery dental discipline, I felt like I was able tocare for my patients the way I wanted andthey deserved.

The point is that coming out of dentalschool, new doctors are thirsty for knowledgeand not only in the treatment disciplines. Themajority of these newly minted dentists go outinto the world without knowing with certaintywhere and how to practice. But they aresponges ready to soak up whatever they can,be it from the business side, the patientmanagement side, or the clinical side ofdentistry. Some are fortunate to have beenborn into a family of dentists and have thatwealth of knowledge and guidance toenlighten them. Most, like me, had to flailabout or rely on the benevolence of older,wiser practicing dentists. I felt and still feelthe warmth and caring of my ‘dental family.’No, I was not born into a family of dentists,but rather, I was adopted by the GeorgiaDental Association and the Hinman DentalSociety families. There, I found mentors will-ing to share their wisdom, offer counsel, andimpart the benefits of experiences I may ormay not have wanted to undergo. That is whydentistry is a profession and not a guild.

Those older, wiser dentists who sharedtheir wisdom with me were my mentors.Mentorship is a matter of trust. Mentorshiprequires someone caring enough to offer anarray of advice, guidance, friendship, andreinforcement. Ask yourself if you have whatit takes to be a mentor. Are you experienced asa dentist? Open and honest? Open-minded?Do you have character? A mentor shouldshare his or her experiences and successes andfailures, both; they are powerful teachers. A

mentor is not a parent, although that does notpreclude one from being both, but it doesoffer the mentor satisfaction and maybe pridein helping a younger professional grow andbecome successful. There is a certain joy inimparting some knowledge as if your legacywill live on through generations. At the veryleast, mentorship strengthens the professionof dentistry. Organized dentistry is strongbecause we make it that way. Unlike politicalparties, we are all-inclusive for the bettermentof all. It’s a win-win. And like any joint venture,it requires at least two parties to participate.The learning dentist, or mentee, must beopen-minded as well, and willing to listen.The mentoring partnership must not be asmothering relationship nor a demanding one.The trust will grow with respect for oneanother as it matures.

I hope you read the April 2010 Actionarticle “The Value of a Mentor” that Dr. JohnVollenweider wrote about his mentor whorecently passed away. What a tribute it was tohis late friend Dr. Bill Richards. The articleended, ‘He didn’t really know me when heallowed me to join him in his practice over 30years ago, but he extended his hand of friend-ship and experience to me. I have to honestlysay I didn’t realize at the time how lucky I wasto start my career as a dentist with Dr. WilliamT. “Bill” Richards—Doc. I’ll be forevergrateful for his generosity, his wisdom heshared so freely, his guidance, and mostly hisfriendship.’ What an impact Dr. Richards hadon the career and life of Dr. Vollenweider. Notall mentorships may become that powerful—their dental practice partnership fueled theirmentor relationship—but why not take thechance?

5GDA ACTIONJUNE 2010

The Family of Dentistry

Jonathan S. Dubin, DMD

editorialperspective

Your Stories Are Wanted: Share your story about a mentor

or mentors who helped you as

a dental student, new dentist,

established dentist, entrepreneur,

business person, or some other

way in the profession of dentistry.

Email Editor Dr. Jonathan

Dubin at [email protected] or

Managing Editor Delaine Hall

at [email protected]. Thank you.


GDA Past President David Allen, DDS,was named to the Franklin D. RooseveltWarm Springs Memorial AdvisoryCommittee by Gov. Sonny Perdue. Dr.Allen is the founder of Oral SurgeryAssociates and Dr. J. David Allen andAssociates. He is past president of theDeKalb unit of the American CancerSociety, the Southeastern Society of Oraland Maxillofacial Surgeons, and theAmerican Board of Oral and MaxillofacialSurgery. He was the chairman of the boardof the Georgia Chamber of Commerce in2007. Dr. Allen serves on the boards ofEmory University, Emory Healthcare, TheEmory Children’s Center, WoodruffHealth Sciences Center, the Emory Clinic,and Zoo Atlanta.

Atlanta periodontist Laura Braswell,DDS, thanks all GDA and Georgia DentalDiversity Group members who contributedto health kits for earthquake victims inHaiti. The donations were combined withtoothbrushes donated by Patterson Dentaland assembled by Boy Scout Troop 1011.The kits were then sent to Haiti throughMt. Bethel United Methodist Church.Further help is still needed to rebuild theStine Family Dental Clinic there. The clin-ic is seeking dental chairs and equipmentas well as monetary donations. If you havepotential donations, contact Dr. Braswellat (404) 261-9593.

Joe Ellis, Senior Vice President of WellsFargo Insurance Services, USA, sendskudos to Atlanta dentist Nancy Ferrara,DDS. He writes in a note sent to the GDAoffice: “[Dr. Ferrara] was gracious enoughto give her time and dental services to alittle girl who is here from Paraguay andstaying with our family through Childspring ...while she gets a prosthetic leg. Nancy met“C” when our kids were playing and sheasked if she could have her come by for anexam. Good thing she did because shehad three cavities and Nancy had toreplace an old one that was done poorly.It took over two hours! [This was a] nice

gesture by one of your members that madea lot of difference in this young girl’s life.”

Hugh Flax, DDS, of Atlanta was inauguratedas president of the American Academy ofCosmetic Dentistry on May 1, 2010, duringthe group’s 26th annual session. He hasbeen a member of the AACD since 1994.He was president of the group’s AtlantaChapter in 1996-98. He is the foundingpresident of the Georgia Academy ofCosmetic Dentistry, and remains on itsboard. “The Academy has a terrific andcommitted core of members, volunteers,and Executive Office,” he posted on hisFacebook.com page. “I am proud tohave them as colleagues and friends, aswell as serve as their President. The futureis bright!”

Mark Sayeg, DDS, of Atlanta was featuredin May 2010 on CBS-Atlanta television. A2-minute news segment called “PositivelyGeorgia” highlighted his practice’s plan todonate proceeds from whitening proceduresdone throughout May to Give Back a Smile,a program sponsored by the AmericanAcademy of Cosmetic Dentistry CharitableFoundation to provide dental care at no costto qualified survivors of domestic violence.Do you know a person, group, or businessthat makes Georgia a better place to live?Share your story with CBS-Atlanta. [email protected], or visit the PositivelyGeorgia web site at www.cbsatlanta.com/positively-georgia/index.html.

The U.S. Senate in late May unanimouslyapproved an amendment offered by Sen.Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) that wouldexempt dental practices from thejurisdiction of the Consumer FinancialProtection Bureau as proposed in theRestoring American Financial StabilityAct (S. 3217). The amendment would exemptsmall businesses as defined by the SmallBusiness Administration (SBA), whichincludes 99.8% of all dental practices. Thesmall number of dental offices not covered

by the SBA definition will be exemptthrough another provision in the bill.Without this amendment, dental practicesand other small businesses that allow theirpatients or customers to pay in installmentswould have been subject to the sameregulations as large banks and credit cardcompanies. The ADA lobbied hard onthis issue, working with senators of bothparties, as well as business groups andother dental and medical organizations,to bring the matter to the attention oflawmakers and to develop an acceptablesolution.

The ADA congratulates the Wm. WrigleyJr. Co. for renewing its StrategicPartnership with the ADA. During2010-2011, Wrigley will continue tosupport Give Kids A Smile expansionefforts. Wrigley also will sponsor theHealth Screening Program at the ADAAnnual Session and support the Samuel D.Harris Fund for Children’s Dental Healthand ADA Foundation Dental StudentScholarship Program and UnderrepresentedMinority Dental Student ScholarshipProgram. Wrigley’s ongoing supportpermits the ADA to engage in manyworthwhile activities that otherwise wouldrequire dues-dollar support.

The ADA has released the QuarterlySurvey of Economic Confidence for theFirst Quarter of 2010. Survey recipientswere asked to compare the fourthquarter of 2009 and the first quarterof 2010 on eight practice metricsincluding gross billings, net income,and open appointment times, and toreport how confident they are thateconomic conditions will improve inthe next year. The ADA Survey Centerreceived 1,966 responses to this emailsurvey. Those surveyed were asked toprovide directional indications for keymetrics—“higher,” “lower,” or “about thesame.” Several key metrics were, overall,more favorable during the 1st quarter of2010 relative to the 4th quarter of 2009.For example:

• The percentage of respondents reportingthat net income had increased rose to 27%.


generalnews

ADAAmerican Dental Association

NDDSNorthern District



• One-third (30%) of the respondents indi-cated an increase in gross billings.

• Approximately one-fifth of the respon-dents (19%) indicated a decrease in openappointment times.

• The percentage of respondents reportingthat the number of new patients hadincreased rose to 21%.

In addition to the above figures, themajority of dentists remain confidentabout future economic conditions.Specifically, 64% reported that they areeither “Somewhat confident” or “Very con-fident” that future economic conditionswould improve. You may view the report atwww.ada.org/goto/freereports.

FTC Investigating AlabamaDental Association

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission(FTC) Bureau of Competition in Aprilbegan an investigation “to determinewhether the Alabama Dental Association(ALDA) or others may be engaging in ormay have engaged in conduct in violationof Section 5 of the Federal TradeCommission Act ... by engaging inconcerted refusals to deal with competingdentists, in particular, low-cost, nonprofit,and public oral health care providers.”The letter stated that the FTC wouldreview communications between ALDAand individuals at the University ofAlabama at Birmingham (UAB) Schoolof Dentistry, and between ALDA and anyother dental care provider, regardingnon-profit and public oral health clinics.

The UAB dental school in April endedits association with Sarrell Dental Clinic,an eight-office Alabama corporationserving primarily Medicaid-eligiblechildren. UAB dental students had pre-viously rotated through Sarrell officessince 2005. The school claims the endingof the agreement with Sarrell stems fromconcerns over appropriate supervision ofstudents within the clinic’s offices. Sarrellargues that the school severed its ties withthe company after an ALDA meetingwhere members discussed the clinic andits relationship with the school.

GENERALGeneral News

June 19: GDA Board of TrusteesMeeting at the GDA Office.

June 24-27: GDA Mission of MercyTask Force members attendM.O.M. event in Wisconsin. Look for updates from their trip in the August 2010 Action!*

July 5: GDA Office Closed forFourth of July Holiday.

July 12: Northern District ExecutiveCouncil Meeting at the GDA Office.

July 22: GDA House of Delegatesat The Ritz-Carlton in Amelia Island,Florida.

July 22-25: GDA Annual Meetingat The Ritz-Carlton in Amelia Island,Florida.

August 4: Northern DistrictLeadership Conference, Druid Hills Golf Club.

August 14: GDA Board of Trustees /Committee Orientation Meeting at the GDA Office.

August 21: GDA Special OlympicsScreenings in Warner Robins.

Dentist volunteers are needed toscreen athletes participating in theGeorgia Special Olympics Master’sBowling Tournament. The athletes willreceive dental sealants as well. Othervolunteers are needed to educate ath-letes about good oral health, enterpatient care information onto comput-ers, and distribute goody bags.Interested? Email Dr. Jonathan Dubinat [email protected].

August 28: Northern District Galafor Smiles at the Druid Hills Golf Club.

September 6: GDA Office Closedfor Labor Day Holiday.

September 9: Central DistrictOfficers Meeting.

September 10-12: ADA Fifth District(GA, AL, MS) Meeting in Atlanta.

September 16: GDA Officer Visitto Western District.

September 17: Southeastern andSouthwestern District Fall Meetings.

September 24-26: AllianceWellbeing Retreat in Tallulah Falls.

See www.gadental.org for registrationforms.

October 9-11: ADA Annual SessionExhibit Hall Open (Orlando, FL).

October 9-12: ADA Annual SessionContinuing Education (Orlando, FL)

October 9-13: ADA Annual SessionHouse of Delegates (Orlando, FL).

October 28: GDA Officer Visitto Northern District.

Expanded Duties Dental AssistantCourses Announced for August 6-7,2010, at Columbus Technical College.Obtain a registration packet by calling(800) 432-4357 or (404) 636-7553,emailing [email protected], or visitingwww.gadental.org. Courses offered on afirst come, first served basis. Registrationcloses 30 days prior to course date.Course IV: Denture Repair, NightGuards, Face Bow Transfer, RetractionCord Placement, Provisional Restorations.Course V: Periodontal Dressing Placement(Pack), In-Office Bleaching, Liner andBase, Dentin Bonding, Densensitization.Course VI: Monitor Nitrous, FluorideApplication, Sealants, Dry SocketRedressing. (Course 6 should be the onlycourse that pediatric assistants need.)

*Save the Date! The GDA is bringinga Mission of Mercy (M.O.M.) charitabledental treatment program to Georgia!The dates are August 11-13, 2011, andthe GDA thanks The First BaptistChurch of Woodstock in CherokeeCounty for providing the treatmentvenue. The August 2010 Action willcontain information on how you canvolunteer to provide care for hundredsof low-income Georgians during theG.M.O.M.

Upcoming Events of Note



The GDA thanks the Council on Dental Health (CDH) members anddentists who submitted information on Children’s Dental Health Month(CDHM) activities. This information was received by May 21, 2010.

Eastern District (CDH Chair Jennifer Wells, DMD) thanks thefollowing dentists for screening 400 students and educating 3,367students with oral health presentations. In addition, RichardGolden, DDS, performed two root canals on a student referredfrom the district’s Give Kids A Smile program, and WhitneySwann, DMD, donated two veneers and two crowns on a studentreferred from the program. Thanks to Doug Clepper, DMD;Gregory Clepper, DDS; Celia Dunn, DMD; Greg Griffin, DMD;Holland Maness, DMD; Phillip Miller, DMD; Thomas Neal,DMD; Laura Scott, DMD; DeAnn Smith, DMD; BarrettTrotter, DMD; and Barbara Utermark, DMD. (Note: Dr.Wells also provided screenings and education in area schools.)

Western District (CDH Chair Al Lugo, DMD) states the districtreached 1,680 children at 21 educational facilities during CDHM.Thanks to the district volunteers: Alan Arrington, DMD; PaulGarcia; DDS; Jay Harris, DMD; Meredith Hoffman, DMD;Douglas Kersey, DMD; Scott Niette, DMD; and PhillipTully, DMD. (Note: Dr. Lugo also volunteered at schools in his area.)

Julie Addis, DMD, in Dublin (Central District) along with MichelleLord, RDH, reached 170 pre-K students and demonstrated properbrushing and flossing techniques using handmade “teeth.”

Marietta’s Michael Leingang, DDS, educated 180 children at anelementary school attended by his first-grade son Cole (four-year-oldson Brooks assisted).

Jenn Roberson, DMD, of Macon along with assistants Joy Booth,Moe Kitchens, and Michelle Mercer reached 275 children in theCentral District with videos, brushing demonstrations, nutritionaltalks, and goody bags.

John Talton, DDS, of Vidalia (Southeastern District) along withstaff visited several elementary schools, day cares, and preschools,and delivered baskets of oral care aids to middle and high schoolsfor the guidance counselors to distribute.

Marietta pediatric dentist John Taylor, DMD (NorthwesternDistrict) reports that Judy Cone, RDH, visited 61 area preschoolsand reached 1,003 students. This is Judy’s 18th year as a CDHM vol-unteer.

Janice Wilmot, DDS, an orthodontist in Lilburn (NorthernDistrict) and staff celebrated with preschoolers in Stone Mountainand let children develop brushing skills by using the practice’sgiant toothbrush and typodont.

Georgia Dentists Celebrate Children’s Dental Health Month

Dr. Janice Wilmot relays a positive oral health message topreschoolers in Stone Mountain.

Dr. Julie Addis and dental hygienist Michelle Lord at a Dublin,Georgia, preschool, with students sporting “teeth” created bythe volunteers.

Dr. John Talton, GDA Mascot Gabby, and office staff donatedbrushes to and visited Vidalia area schools.

Save the Date! Give Kids A Smile Dayis February 4, 2011.


9



In Georgia, the appearance of a yellow rain of pollen is theharbinger of hope for a change to spring. While Washington, DCis spared our astronomical pollen count, the presence of the atten-dees of the Washington Leadership Conference (WLC) on CapitolHill may certainly be viewed as the harbinger of hope for legisla-tive change. Thanks to the debates on health care this year, manySenators and Representatives are experiencing increased competi-tion for the positions they hold.

This year 22 Georgia dentists and Alliance dental spousemembers attended the WLC (see the list above in the summary).We were there to present the positions of the American DentalAssociation (ADA) to Georgia’s national elected officials. Muchlike our GDA LAW Day volunteers, WLC volunteers speak to our

elected officials in Washington to inform them of concerns andissues that affect our dental practices.

Our Washington legislators were extremely appreciative of thecommitment and dedication exhibited by WLC attendees.Whether we met with the legislator, their chief of staff, or theirpersonal staff representative, they were impressed by our groupand our message. Legislators well remember the groups that are sopassionate about an issue that they make a personal sacrifice toexpress their concerns.

ADA Presents Special SpeakersThe conference began on Monday with Breakout Sessions.Georgia’s Sharon Hawkins spoke on the Alliance, and ADA staffand corporate communicator Bill Graham spoke on legislativeissues and persuasive communication. ADA President Dr. RonTankersley and ADA Executive Director Dr. Kathleen O’Loughlingave welcoming remarks. A panel of doctors presented an issuesreview. Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID) was the Keynote Speaker. Rep.Simpson, a dentist, spoke on dentists’ responsibility to educateCongress about the profession.

Tuesday, speakers were ADA President Elect Dr. RaymondGist, as well as Reps. Pete Sessions (R-TX) and Chris Van Hollen(D-MD), and Sens. Ron Wyden (D-OR) and John Barrasso (R-WY).Their topics ranged from how and why the Republican Partyshould win back the majority in 2010 (Sessions), the benefits of thenew health care system (Van Hollen), suggestions that Medicareand Medicaid be eliminated and all participants be placed into thenew health exchanges (Wyden), and a suggestion that health careplans should include malpractice immunity for doctors treatingMedicaid and Medicare patients (Barrasso).

WLC Attendees Lobby on Three BillsThere were three main bills that potentially could impact ourdental practices that claimed the bulk of the WLC attendees’attention. The first was H.R. 3763, which dealt with exemptingsmall businesses, including dental practices, from the “RedFlag Rules” originating from 2003’s Fair and AccurateCredit Transactions Act (FACTA). While these rules requiredfinancial institutions and creditors to develop and implement writ-ten identity theft programs, neither FACTA nor the final ruleissued by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) specifically men-tions dentists or other health care providers. Nonetheless, the FTCdetermined that if a health care provider, including dentists, filedinsurance for their patients or allowed their patients to pay ininstallments, then the “Red Flag Rules” would apply. In the ADA’sopinion, this went beyond the intent of Congress.

Thanks to the lobbying efforts of the ADA, its grassrootsmembers, and other health care organizations, the House of

GDA Members Lobby for Dentistry at Washington Leadership ConferenceDoug Torbush, DDS (with additional information from Bruce Camp, DMD)

President Kent Percy and Executive Director Martha

Phillips, along with Drs. Janine Bethea-Freihaut, Jack

Bickford, Bruce Camp (GDA WLC liaison), Jonathan

Dubin, Ed Green, Jay Harrington, Jim Hutson, Stuart

Loos, Marshall Mann, Donna Thomas Moses, Terry

O’Shea, Robin Reich, Marie Schweinebraten, Jimmy

Talbot, Doug Torbush, Mike Vernon, and Richard Weinman,

as well as Alliance dental spouse members Molly

Bickford, Steve Reich, and Tammie Talbot and MCG

dental student Jack O’Neill, attended the ADA

Washington Leadership Conference in May 2010.

The group spoke to Georgia’s Congressional delegation

about supporting legislation exempting dental

offices from the Red Flag Rule, repealing the

McCarran-Ferguson Act, and prohibiting caps on

non-covered services. Members interested in attending

this conference in 2011 should call the GDA office.



Representatives approved H.R. 3763 by a 400-0 vote. Thisresolution exempts dental offices with 20 or fewer employees fromhaving to comply with the law. This bill has not yet passed theSenate despite intense lobbying. The FTC had previouslyextended the implementation date for the Red Flag Rule untilJune 1, 2010. Now, the FTC has enacted another enforcementdelay until January 1, 2011. The ADA has learned since the WLCthat FTC staff is working with Senate Banking Committee staffto come up with a fix and include it in the regulatory reformconference report. While the situation is still fluid, a carve-out formedical professionals including dental practices with fewer than 20employees appears to be in the works.

The second piece of legislation involved the McCarran-Ferguson Act, which exempts insurers from some federalantitrust laws. H.R. 4626, the “Health Insurance IndustryFair Competition Act,” would repeal this unfair exemptionheld by the insurance industry. This bill could help encouragecompetition in the insurance marketplace and help consumers.Again, with the efforts the ADA presented on behalf of its mem-bership, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 4626 over-whelmingly by a 406-19 vote. It is currently in the hands of theSenate for consideration. Your WLC representatives encouragedeach Georgia Senator to support these two pieces of legislation.

We also discussed a third piece of legislation called “TheDental Coverage Value and Transparency Act of 2010”—HR 5000.This Act would prohibit all health plans that offer dentalbenefits from dictating fees for procedures that the plandoes not cover, require uniform coordination of benefits

between insurance companies when the consumers arecovered by more than one plan, permit consumers todesignate payment of dental benefits to a provider who isnot in network, and assure that consumers receive the fullvalue of their coverage for a given procedure whetherthe provider is in or out of the network. Other benefits tothe consumer would be prohibiting insurance companies fromsystematically bundling procedures. For example, the insurance

LEADERSHIP CONFERENCEContinued on page 12

Drs. Mann, Dubin, Torbush, Harrington, Camp, Vernon, Moses,O’Shea, Loos, and Weinman with Congressman John Lewis.


company could not include making a crown build up as a part ofa crown code. Under this Act, an insurance company would alsobe prohibited from changing a benefit code to a less complex(lower cost) procedure if such actions are inconsistent with thedental code.

GDA Takes WLC Award for Second Year RunningThe GDA won an ADA award for fundraising efforts conducted onbehalf of Dr. Lee Hawkins. This GDA past president is running forCongress from the Ninth District. The criteria for the award wasto have raised the most money for the candidate, had the largestaudience, or was the most influential / had the greatest impact. TheGDA has raised almost $125,000 for Dr. Hawkins’ Congressionalcampaign. The GDA won this award last year for a fundraiser heldon behalf of State Senator Greg Goggans. Great job!

Did You Know—Legislators and Social MediaIssues other than legislative ones were presented as well. MonteLutz, Senior Vice-President of Digital Public Affairs for EdelmanCompany informed us that over 90% of Congressional offices useblogs, or “weblogs.” In fact, 64% of Congressional officesprefer using electronic communications like blogs, Facebook, andTwitter for the relaying of constituent concerns, passions, andstands on the various issues.

Ya’ll Come to the 2011 WLC and LAW DaysIn retrospect, despite the multitude of tasks assigned andbeing out of my office for three days, I can say that the experiencewas both enjoyable and well worth my time to attend. Havingthe opportunity to meet both my Representative and Senator todiscuss issues and concerns that affect me personally is, as thecommercial states, “priceless.” I urge each of you to seriouslyconsider attending the 2011 Washington Leadership Conferenceas well as the various 2011 GDA LAW Days. Your efforts in theseendeavors will certainly make a difference in the profession ofdentistry. Next year’s WLC is scheduled for May 9-11, 2011. If youare interested, contact Dr. Bruce Camp at (770) 459-1663. TheGDA LAW Day schedule is on page 17. Contact Nelda Greene atthe GDA office at [email protected] to sign up.

Drs. Vernon, Bickford, Camp, Hutson, Loos, and Dubin, andMrs. Molly Bickford, with Congressman Paul Broun.

Dr. Harrington holds the ADA award the GDA received for fundraising efforts on behalf of Dr. Lee Hawkins. Supporting Dr. Harringtonare Drs. Talbot, Bethea-Freihaut, O’Shea, Weinman, Torbush, Camp, Moses, Vernon, Reich, Bickford, Schweinebraten,Green, and Mann.


LEADERSHIP CONFERENCEContinued from page 11





The GDA sent a strong group to attendthe American Dental Association’s (ADA)2010 Annual Conference on Recruitmentand Retention in Chicago. I appreciatethat the Eastern, Central, Northern,Northwestern, and Southwesterndistricts responded to a call from ourcommittee and sent their districtmembership chairs to Chicago. Thanksto Dr. Keith Crummey, Dr. Matt Elder, Dr.Amber Lawson, Dr. Wendy Mitchell, andDr. Zach Powell for taking time away fromtheir practices to accompany me and GDADirector of Membership Pam Yungk to thisencouraging and informative conference.

The 145 dentists and dental societysupport staff who attended the conferencewere “Working Together for MembershipSuccess—A New Era of Collaboration.”The emphasis was on how enhancedcollaboration throughout the tripartite(district, state, and national) is vital toretaining our current members andrecruiting new ones.

The Opening Session keynote addresspresented by Patricia Fripp entertaininglyaddressed membership success. To achievethis success she emphasized that we musteffectively and persuasively sell our valuefrom our member’s point of view.

During lunch the first day, Amber,Matt, and Keith, (who had never visited theADA headquarters before) took a tour ofthe ADA building and were very impressedwith the “bricks and mortar” that their dueshelp to maintain.

The “Best Practice Idea Swap” portionof the conference inspired our committee toconsider the following ideas to assist members:

• “Speed interviewing” (think of speeddating) to connect dentists getting readyto sell their practices or hire an associatewith graduating and new dentists. Thedentists looking to sell or hire would handout practice brochures, while the dentistslooking to buy or associate drop off theirresumes as they move along in 10-minuteintervals.

• Beginning a “New Dentist After-Hour”event as well as a new member email list.

Breakout workshops were held Friday.In “Social Media One Year Later” we

shared our experiences using social mediain our states and learned what was andwas not working. Only one state hadexperienced some negative fan feedbackand the state let the negative commentstand on the page for 24 hours as an exper-iment. The page received a tremendousnumber of positive rebuttals that out-weighed the negative by far. Most states

have a Facebook page, and a good numberalso utilize Twitter and YouTube to reachtheir members. We viewed a sample“Minute Update” video. I feel videomessaging is something the GDA can use tokeep members informed on political issues,charitable endeavors like the upcomingMission of Mercy event, and importantdeadlines such as licensure renewal.

Your GDA committee members heldan effective meeting Friday evening. Wereviewed our policy manual and came upwith questions relevant to recruitment andretention we will request to have includedin the GDA membership survey beingdistributed this fall. We also reviewedthe status of our planned recruitmentand retention activities. For example, theNorthwestern District held a “SpringCleaning Shred-a-Thon” in conjunctionwith their May general membershipmeeting. Other districts were encouragedto discuss holding similar events.

The committee also reviewed a letterthat was subsequently sent to all GDAmembers hitting the 25 consecutive yearsof membership milestone in 2010 aswell as the format for recognizing 25-year

Dentists Learning How to Make Membership ValuableKaryn Stockwell, DMDChair, Recruitment and Retention Committee

(L to r): Dr. Keith Crummey, Dr. Amber Lawson, Dr. Wendy Mitchell, Dr. KarynStockwell, Dr. Matt Elder, Ms. Pam Yungk, and Dr. Zach Powell attended the ADAMembership Conference in 2010.

I feel video messaging is

something the GDA can use

to keep members informed

on political issues, charitable

endeavors like the upcoming

Mission of Mercy event, and

important deadlines such as

licensure renewal.



members at the GDA Annual Meeting andat the district level. We are happy to seethis recommendation by our committeecoming to fruition. Members alsoreceived a “Call A Non-Renew” guide andcalling tips prepared by Dr. Mitchell inadvance of our upcoming recruit a memberphone effort.

Saturday morning featured discussionsof “Hot Topics” (Retired / RetiringDentists, Access to Care, and MembershipValue). I feel that Georgia is on the righttrack as far as addressing Retiring andRetired dentists with our proposal for amonthly “Lunch Bunch” Group for thisdemographic.

The next conference will be April 1-2,2011, in Chicago. Once again, I’d like tostrongly request that each district fund arepresentative to attend. Our goal isfor 100% district representation! I can’temphasize enough how very helpfulattendance at this workshop is to help gaina national perspective, to network with

other states, to share successful programs,to refocus and hone our recruiting efforts ofnew members and volunteers, and to keepthe momentum going when we return toour districts. There is no cost for theworkshop which includes breakfast Fridayand Saturday, and lunch and a reception onFriday. We hold our committee meeting atdinner, so districts need only to budget forairfare and two nights’ accommodations.

Thank you for the opportunity to serveon this committee, and thank you to PamYungk and committee members Dr. AmberLawson (C), Dr. Matthew Elder (E), Dr.Zach Powell (N), Dr. Wendy Mitchell(NW), Dr. Walker Pendarvis (SE), Dr.Keith Crummey (SW), and Dr. Jeff Serff(W) who continue to work hard to letGeorgia dentists know about the value ofmembership.

Saturday morning featured discussions of “Hot Topics”

(Retired / Retiring Dentists, Access to Care, and Membership

Value). I feel that Georgia is on the right track as far as

addressing Retiring and Retired dentists with our proposal for

a monthly “Lunch Bunch” Group for this demographic.



16

Georgia’s children and dentists suffereda blow on June 8, the last day thatGovernor Sonny Perdue had to eithersign or veto bills sent to him by the statelegislature. Two of the three majorbills the GDA supported during thesession, one advocating for a singleadministrator for dental Medicaidand one including ERISA plans inthe state’s prompt pay law, wereultimately vetoed by the Governor.

“We are very disappointed in thesevetoes,” said GDA President Dr. KentPercy. “The legislators saw the commonsense in these bills, saw how our patientswould benefit, and passed them by widemargins. Our goal now is to work to passthe bills again during the 2011 session, andinform the governor who will take office inJanuary 2011 about the benefits of signingthe bills into law.”

The Governor’s office issued statementsabout each of the 27 bills that he vetoed.The statements on the two GDA-backedbills are as follows:

“HB321, the “prompt pay” bill, is a bill Iwould have liked the opportunity to sign.Unfortunately, the Medical Association ofGeorgia insisted (over the objections ofmany) on including language that likelyviolates the Employee Retirement IncomeSecurity Act (ERISA), a federal law thatpreempts portions of HB321 as written.Because the Supremacy Clause of theUnited States Constitution precludesstate law from violating federal law, I willnot sign a bill that contravenes ERISA.Accordingly, I veto HB321.”

“HB1407 would require the Departmentof Community Health to contract with asingle administrator to provide dentalservices to recipients of medical assistanceand participants in the PeachCare forKids program. In 2008, I signed[HB1234], which provided a balancedapproach to addressing some health careproviders’ concerns with Georgia’smanaged Medicaid program, and which

maintained the healthy tension betweenproviders and the Care ManagementOrganizations that have been so successfulin reducing the growth of Georgia’sMedicaid budget. I said then that Iwould not support further legislativeencroachment upon this very successfulprogram, which has trimmed the annualgrowth rate of Medicaid spending from12 to 14 percent a year to four to fivepercent a year. This is saving the stateover $1 billion annually at a timewhere any budget savings are critical.For these reasons, and the unknownfiscal consequences associated withthis legislation, I veto HB1407.”

The prompt pay bill sought to addself-insured ERISA plans to Georgia’sexisting law requiring insurers to payclean claims within 15 days. This billwould require payment of clean claimsin 15 working days for electronicallysubmitted claims and 30 days for writtenpaper claims. Self-insured ERISA plansare approximately 65% of Georgia’sinsurance market so this would havebeen a huge victory for all providers.Supporters of HB321 apart from the GDAincluded many insurance companiesoperating in Georgia, the MedicalAssociation of Georgia, the GeorgiaHospital Association, the GeorgiaChiropractic Association, the GeorgiaOptometric Association, the GeorgiaPharmacy Association, and several medicalspecialty societies.

The single administrator bill proposedto save the state money and ensure theviability of the dental Medicaid andPeachCare for Kids provider networks byrequiring the state to directly contractwith a single administrator for dentalMedicaid benefits. This would be in starkcontrast to the current system, wherethe state contracts with three CareManagement Organizations who each inturn subcontract with DentaQuest toadminister dental benefits for enrollees.Eliminating multiple layers of administrative

costs and profits by having a single dentaladministrator would have allowed the stateto continue the managed care plan with norisk, freed up more money for dental careservices, and helped to ensure thatGeorgia’s children continue to have accessto quality dental care. The bill was passedby the House on March 26 by a vote of 157to 4. The bill passed the Senate Health andHuman Services Committee unanimouslyon April 19. On the next-to-last day of thesession the bill passed the Senate 47 to 1.The lone no vote was the Governor’s floorleader, Sen. Bill Heath.

The GDA Governmental AffairsCommittee thanks all dentists whoresponded to the GDA’s Legislative Alertsasking them to contact the Governor’soffice and urge him to sign both billsinto law. The Committee believes thatnext year will bring a better outcomefor these worthy bills, and urges everydentist to sign up for a LAW Day andvoice their support of GDA-supportedlegislation. (See the schedule at right andat www.gadental.org.)

Update on OtherLegislative News

Elections and GADPAC ActivityThe 2010 party primaries will be held July20, and the General Election is November2. The Governmental Affairs Committeeand GADPAC board will closely watch theoutcomes of each race. Re-evaluation ofcampaign contributions and legislativeadvocacy efforts will be an ongoing processthrough the 2011 legislative session.

The GADPAC board met via conferencecalls to discuss contribution recommendationsfor state legislators, as well as candidatesfor House, Senate, and other statewideraces of interest during this election cycle.The board approved the distribution ofover $100,000 to legislators and candidatesfor this initial phase of the 2010 elections.Per GADPAC protocol, letters havebeen sent to legislators who were granted

Gov. Perdue Vetoes Medicaid Single Administrator Bill;Also Stamps Out Prompt Pay Bill

Fierce Blow Dealt to Georgia Children’s Oral Health



contributions, while campaign checks weresent to directly to the legislators’ contactdentists for hand delivery.

Thanks to GADPAC board membersDr. Richard Weinman, who chairs theboard, Dr. Janine Bethea-Freihaut, Dr.Paul Fraysure, Dr. David Perry, Dr. DavidRemaley, Dr. Jimmy Talbot, Dr. KevinDickinson, Dr. Robert Moss, Dr. HenryCook Sr., Dr. Ty Ivey, Dr. Bruce Camp, Dr.Bob Vaught, Dr. Don Benton, Dr. JackBickford, and Dr. Kent Percy for theirservice.

2011 LAW Day ProgramBelow are the dates and districtassignments for 2011. Please let GDAExecutive Director Nelda Greene knowif you can attend one or more sessions.Call her at (800) 432-4357 or [email protected]. You do not have toattend on your district’s day! However, it iscritical that you let the GDA office knowwhen you are attending so that we cannotify you if there is a change in theschedule or meeting location.

January 26 MCG Dental Students

February 2 Alliance and NorthernDistrict Eastern Branch

February 9 Southeastern Districtand Northern DistrictHall County andCentral Branches

February 16 Northern DistrictNorthern Branch

February 23 Eastern District andNorthern DistrictSouthern Branch

March 2 Northwestern District

March 9 Central District

March 16 Southwestern District

March 23 Western District,Georgia Dental Society,and North GeorgiaDental Society

Congratulations to the CentralDistrict for winning the 2010 LAW DayChallenge for having the highest percent-age of its membership attend a LAW Day.Central District has won this challengefor the sixth time in seven years. Andcongratulations to the NorthwesternDistrict for having the highest percentageof first-time LAW Day attendees based onofficial district counts.

Contact Dentist ProgramThe Contact Dentist Program is thefoundation of the GDA’s grassrootspolitical advocacy. The GDA invites allmembers to play a key role in strengtheningthe Association’s grassroots efforts bybecoming a contact. The goal is to involvedentists at the ground level and establish astrong presence for dentistry in each andevery legislative district. Welcome to Dr.

LEGISLATIVEContinued on page 28



Register early for the opportunity toreceive one of 250 limited edition printsby artist Elizabeth Shick. The printswill be created from an originalpainting featuring GDA state andAlliance leaders (see below)! Raffle

tickets for the painting will be soldduring the meeting (proceeds to benefitGADPAC). You can also save big whenyou register early, as registration andevent ticket prices increase on July 1.Use the registration form in this journal,

print a form at www.gadental.org, orregister with a Visa or MasterCard atwww.gadental.org. All tour andchildren’s events have July 2 registrationdeadline. Fishing excursions have aJune 18 deadline!

Thursday, July 227A - 3P; 5 - 7:30P Registration Open.

7 - 8:30ACaucus Breakfast Meetings.

8:30A - 3PHouse of Delegates.

10A – NoonTour: Amelia Island Cruise (page 22).

10:30A - 1:30PTour: Amelia Island By Bike (page 22).

2 - 5PADA Delegation Meeting.

5 - 7:30PWelcome Reception (page 21).

5 - 7:30PExhibit Hall Open (page 21).

Friday, July 237A - 1P Registration Open.

7:15 - 8A Business Meeting / GDA Elections.

8 - 10A Children’s Breakfast (page 19).

8 - 10A Kickoff Breakfast (page 19).

10A - 12:15P Tour: Ft. George by Segway (page 22).

10A - 2P Exhibit Hall Open (page 21).

10:30A - 12:30P CE: Ms. Kelli Vrla (Page 20).

12:15 - 4P Tour: Horse Drawn Carriage (page 22).

1 - 2:30P CE: Mr. John Carl (Page 20).

1:30 - 2:30P Alliance Circle of Golden Charm.

2 - 5P CE: Dr. Gerard Chiche (Page 20).

2:30 - 4:30P Alliance Board Meeting.

4 - 5P New Dentist Reception.

5 - 6P Alliance Drop In Social.

6 - 10PLet the Good Times Roll! (Page 19).

Saturday, July 24 6:30 - 7:30A 5K Beach Fun Run (Page 22).

6:30 - 11A Fishing Excursions (page 22).

7 - 8:15A ACD / ICD / PFA Breakfast.

7 - 10A Tour: Birdwatching (Page 22).

8A - Noon Registration Open.

8A - Noon Exhibit Hall Open (Page 21).

8:30A - Noon Tour: Kayaking (Page 22).

9 - 11:30A Alliance Business Breakfast.

9 - 11:30A CE: Dr. Henry Gremillion (Page 21).

10A - 2:30P Tour: Cumberland Island (Page 22).

Noon - 1P Ga. Society of Periodontists Lunch.

1 - 3P Tour: Beach Horseback Riding(Page 22).

1 - 5P Golf Tournament (Page 22).

1 - 5P Tennis Tournament (Page 22).

1:30 - 3:30P CE: Dr. Gerard Chiche (Page 20).

2 - 4:30P CE: Dr. Tom McDonald (Page 21).

6:30 - 11:30P Children’s Dinner (Page 19).

6:30 - 11:30P Mardi Gras / Cirque Dinner (Page 19).

Sunday, July 25 8 - 10A Children’s Breakfast (Page 19).

8 - 10A Awards & Officer InstallationBreakfast (Page 19).

Register for the GDA Annual Meeting by July 1 to Save Money!

Schedule of Events


The Kickoff Breakfast (Friday 8-10 a.m.)

features a buffet of eggs, hash browns,

bacon, muffins, yogurt, pastries, and fruit

and Keynote Speaker Kelli Vrla on “Stress

Busting with Humor: Calm Amidst the

Chaos.” She’ll help you find a balance

between work and home so you can

focus on moving over, under, around, and

through your daily challenges! This event

is one of the most popular at every GDA

meeting! Remember to register for the

Friday Children’s Breakfast. Ages 4+

will enjoy a “Nature is Neat!” program on

the beach hunting for sea turtles and a

buffet of eggs, pancakes, cereals, and

fruit.

Friday Night: Let the Good Times Roll

for All Ages! (Friday 6-10 p.m.) Laissez

les Bon Temps Rouler and enjoy games,

fun food (pizza, chicken fingers, spring

rolls, corn dogs, popcorn, shaved ice), and

a DJ on The Ritz’s beachfront lawn.

Just a few of the treats in store include

spirited team competitions, a 38-foot-tall

“Titanic” slide and obstacle course, laser

tag, oversized hippity hop races, human

bowling, motorized toilet races, and

much more! This event delivers fun

for everyone!

Awards & Officer Installation Breakfast

(Sunday 8-10 a.m.) The GDA honors

dentists who make a difference this

morning. After a buffet of eggs, hash

browns, bacon, muffins, yogurt, pastries,

and fruit, the GDA will recognize

Honorable Fellows, Life Members, 50

and 25 Year Dentists, Community Service

honorees,and Presidential Commendation

winners. Dr. Jay Harrington will become

the new GDA president, and new state

and district officers will take office.

Sign up for the Sunday Children’s

Breakfast. Ages 4+ will enjoy a

“Carnival Fun!” program and a buffet of

eggs, pancakes, cereals, and fruit.

GDA Annual Meeting Offers “Big Four” Social Events

Dinner Dance:“Mardi Gras & Cirque” (Saturday 6:30-11:30 p.m.)

Six one-of-a-kind Cirque acts (like the one below) will surprise

and delight you! Before this unique show, enjoy a cocktail

reception and seated dinner. After, enjoy dancing! Don costumes

and masks and come as your own krewe! Dinner is Florida field

greens with citrus vinaigrette; choice of either grilled beef

tenderloin with Vidalia onion relish, horseradish potatoes, and

goat cheese spring roll OR bronzed Florida grouper with

Caribbean root vegetables succotash and cilantro chimmichurri;

and vanilla bean crème brulee with fresh berries and pistachio

biscotti. In addition to the fantastic camaraderie, wonderful

meal, and unmatched entertainment, the evening will also

feature prizes. THIS IS A LIMITED TICKET EVENT AND WILL

SELL OUT! Don’t forget to register for the Saturday Children’s

Dinner. Ages 4+ will enjoy a “Dive In Movie,”games, and buffet

of pizza, veggies, dip, corn on the cob, and dessert.

GDA ACTIONJUNE 2010

19

Register byJuly 1

to save big!


Friday, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Ms.Kelli Vrla on “Customer Service:How to WOW NOW! Jaw DroppingPatient Service (Lecture / 2 CEUS). Itcosts five times as much to get apatient as it does to keep one. Thispresentation will engage and delightwith fresh-look tools to serve upWOW NOW helpings of patient care,ultimately boosting your bottom line.Ms. Vrla will teach you to: 1) Tactfullyhandle a situation when the patient

caused the problem; 2) Keep from getting drawn into an argu-ment; 3) Employ listening techniques before choosing a com-munication style; 4) Learn important information from body lan-guage and voice; 5) Enhance patient / staff relations and buildreferrals; and 6) Keep moving forward despite challenges andunexpected setbacks.

Friday, 1-2:30 p.m. Mr. John Carl on“How to Raise & Hatch Your NestEgg” (Lecture / 1.5 CEUS). Mr. Carl,brought to you by GDA endorsedprovider UBS Financial Services, willhelp you explore ways to maximizeyour tax-sheltered income throughretirement plans and other tax shel-ters. Cover topics from IRAs to 401(K)sand cash balance plans to annuities.Learn about the conversion of IRAs toRoth IRAs for 2010 and receive a tem-

perature gauge on the economy and markets. Mr. Carl will laythe groundwork for what successful dentists should be doing inpreparation for retirement.

Friday (2-5 p.m.) and Saturday(1:30-2:30 p.m.) Dr. Gerard Chicheon “Recipes for Predictable AnteriorEsthetics (Lecture / 5 CEUS total).Dr. Chiche will discuss efficientesthetic diagnosis and smile designdesigned to achieve predictableesthetic results with optimum occlusionand laboratory support. He will alsooffer an outline of all necessaryprosthetic and adhesive techniquesfor tooth preparations, bonding

sequence, and cementation for all-ceramic crowns andporcelain veneers. The course objectives are: 1) Learn thekey factors for treatment planning of anterior restorations;2) Evaluate the key factors critical to a positive estheticoutcome; 3) Establish a prognosis for esthetic success; 4) Shadetaking in three simple steps; 5) Identify the typical shadingeffects for the young tooth; 6) Plan the arrangement andprescribe imperfections for life-like restorations; 7) Discussessential strategies for communication with the laboratory; 8)Establish selection criteria between ceramic systems based onesthetic performance; 9) Systematize all-ceramic crown systemsfor cement selection; 10) Establish simple precautions tomaximize the prognosis of all-ceramic crowns; 11) Demonstratea predictable all-porcelain crown cementation technique; 12)Discuss preparation variations for porcelain veneers andthree-quarter crowns; 13) Discuss cement selection andbonding for porcelain veneers; 14) Set strategies for presentingand managing elective restorative treatment; and 15) Discussesthetic-restorative and periodontal restorative complications.

Meeting Features Outstanding CE Courses


Mardi Grasat the Beach! GDA Annual Meeting,

July 22-25, 2010,Amelia Island, Florida.



Saturday, 9-11:30 a.m. Dr. HenryGremillion on “Dynamics andFunction of the MasticatorySystem: Multiple (Inter)faces ofOcclusion (Lecture / 2.5 CEUs). Afterattending this course, dentists willunderstand the basic principles ofanatomy and function of the masticatorysystem; recognize the clinical signs /symptoms of maladaptive occlusion;understand the dentist’s role in thediagnosis and management of sleep

disturbances, specifically nocturnal bruxism; and betterappreciate the role of occlusal orthoses in patient care. Thispresentation will include a recommended protocol forpatient evaluation. Dr. Gremillion will highlight the molecularbiological factors currently recognized to result from excessivemechanical stresses applied to these structures, and discussproposed etiologic and maintaining factors of subgroupstemporomandibular disorders and their management.

Saturday, 2-4:30 p.m. Dr. TomMcDonald on “Planning ComplexEsthetic Restorative Cases”(Lecture / 2.5 CEUs). Treating com-plex cases and making them last canbe the most rewarding or the mostfrustrating thing for the restorativedentist. Comprehensive diagnosis,precise planning, and propersequencing can create a long-termprocess that is best for the patientand enjoyable for the clinician. Dr.

McDonald will discuss the functional principles that define theparameters of esthetics and affect the long-term stability ofrestorative treatment. A step-by-step patient evaluation andtreatment planning system will be presented for meticulous,comprehensive, esthetic restorative treatment. After attendingthis course, participants should be able to identify the require-ments for a comprehensive patient evaluation, understand thefunctional principles that define the parameters of diagnosisand treatment in restorative practice, perform a laboratory diag-nostic evaluation using data gathered from the clinical evalua-tion, and list the proper sequence for complex restoration andthe steps required to maintain stability throughout treatment.

The Hall is open Thursday, July 22 from 5-7:30 p.m.;Friday, July 23 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.; and Saturday, July 24from 8 a.m.-Noon. Make contact with sales people you know,investigate new companies, make needed purchases, and takeadvantage of special events and prize drawings. Hall highlightsinclude:

• The Welcome Reception at 5 p.m. on Thursday features cashdrawings and free hors d’oeuvres!

• Cash prize drawings will be held EVERY hour the Hall is open!

• Dentists,play the GDA exhibitor game for a $1,000 cash drawing!

GDA Exhibit Hall Features Attractions for All

3M ESPEAir Techniques, Inc.AflacAshleigh Branstetter, LLCAtlanta Business BankAtlanta DentalBeijo Bags and AccessoriesBenco Dental CompanyBlue Cross and Blue Shield of GABlue Frog ConstructionBobby Morse/Zoll Dental InstrumentsBrasseler USACGI Communications, Inc.ColgateCrown Tenant Advisors

Delta DentalDelta GlovesDentaQuestDentalOne Partners / DentalWorksDesigns For VisionDEXIS Digital X-RayDiscus Dental, LLCDOCS EducationG2 Computer Solutions, IncGeorgia Dental Insurance Services

(GDIS)Henry Schein DentalHiossen, Inc.John HancockKomet USA

Law Office of Stuart J. ObermanMacPractice, IncMcMillian & AssociatesMedical ProtectiveNew Image Dental LaboratoryOrascopticPan-Am Dental LabPatterson Dental CompanyProfessional Debt Recovery Services

(PDRS)Philips SonicarePittman Dental LaboratoryPlanmeca, IncPracticeWorks/Kodak Dental SystemsProcter & Gamble

RGP DentalRose Micro SolutionsShever Dental LabSolmeteXSouthern Craft Dental LabStraumann USATeleVoxTransFirst Health ServicesTriodent CorporationUBS Finanical Services Inc.Ultradent Products, IncUltralight OpticsUS Army Health Care TeamYodle Dental Marketing

Thanks To Our 2010 Exhibitors



Featured ToursAll tours must meet minimumregistration requirements by JULY 2or be cancelled!

• Amelia Island Scenic Cruise (Thursday10 a.m.-Noon) Set sail on a two-hourscenic cruise of the Intracoastal Waterway.Learn fascinating facts about AmeliaIsland and Cumberland Island fromyour historian guide. Your trip includestransportation to / from resort, guide,cruise, and gratuities. Minimum of 30registrants / maximum 45.

• Biking Through Time (Thursday 10:30a.m.-1:45 p.m.) This guided, pleasantlypaced, 7.5-mile tour will transport youthrough the colorful past of AmeliaIsland. Your tour begins at Ft. Clinchand proceeds through the downtownhistoric district. Your trip includestransportation to / from resort,bikes, guide, and gratuities. Minimumof 10 registrants / maximum 30.Casual attire / walking shoes arehighly recommended.

• Ft. George / Kingston Plantation bySegway (10 a.m.-12:15 p.m.) Thisguided, 4-mile Segway tour begins andends at the historic Ribault Club andincludes a visit to Kingsley Plantation, aSea Island Cotton Plantation complexfrom the 1800s. Riders must be 13years of age or older. Your trip includestransportation to / from resort, Segways,safety equipment, guide, and gratuities.Minimum of 10 registrants / maximum 10.

• Historic Fernandina by Horse DrawnCarriage (Friday 12:15-4 p.m.) On yourride, a guide will speak about landmarksand architecture in the Fernandinahistoric district. Relax and relive storiesof ghosts, pirates, and days gone by.Your trip includes transportation to /from resort, guide, carriage trip, andgratuities. Minimum 6 registrants / nomaximum.

• Bird Watching (Saturday 7-10 a.m.)Join bird expert Dr. Ty Ivey of Macon tospot the feathered residents of AmeliaIsland. Dr. Ivey, a Georgia OrnithologicalSociety leader and professional birdphotographer, will also provide youwith tips on birding in Georgia.Participants must bring their ownbinoculars, and will receive a GDAmeeting T-shirt. No minimum.

• Tidal Creek Kayaking (Saturday 8:30a.m.-Noon) Kayak along Amelia’s tidalcreeks and waterways. Guides willmatch you with a kayak (each kayakcan hold persons up to 300 pounds;under age 12 participants must be intandem with an adult). Everyonemust wear a personal floatationdevice (provided). Your trip includestransportation to / from resort, guides,kayaks, and gratuities. Minimum 8registrants / 40 maximum. Footwearthat can get wet / light windbreaker arerecommended.

• Cumberland Island Cruise and Hike(Saturday 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m.) Enjoy a45-minute cruise aboard the CumberlandPrincess on the St. Mary’s River and aguided hiking tour of majesticCumberland Island. Your trip includestransportation to / from resort, cruise,guide, and gratuities. Minimum 30 reg-istrants / 90 maximum.

• Beach Horseback Riding (Saturday1-3 p.m.) Professional guides will helpyou select a gentle, well-trained horse,then take you on a tour of the beachesof southern Amelia Island! The ride isfive miles, which takes about 1 hour.There is a 230-pound weight limit.Height requirement is 4’10” and ridersmust be at least 12 years of age. Anadult must accompany anyone under18 years of age. Your trip includestransportation to / from resort, horses,guide, and gratuities. Minimum 10registrants / 12 maximum.

Saturday’s Sporting EventsAll fishing boats must be reserved byJune 18, or boats will be cancelled.TheGDA cannot reserve partially filledboats.

• 5K Beach Fun Run (Saturday 6:30-7:30a.m.) Prizes awarded to the fastestrunners and runners who can finish theclosest to a guessed time (you choosewhich prize you are running for beforeyou start the race). Runners will receivea GDA meeting T-shirt, and be providedwith water and fruit.

• Deep Sea and Backwater TrollingFishing Excursions (Saturday 6:30-11 a.m.)Deep sea fishers will sail on six-personcharters; backwater fishers will trollAmelia’s creeks and eddies in 3-personboats. Your trip includes fishing license,bait and tackle, taxes, and gratuities. Nopartial boats can be reserved.

• Golf Tournament (Saturday 1-5 p.m.)The format for this popular tournamentat the Golf Club of Amelia Island is a4-Person Handicap Shamble. Tourneyfeatures men’s and women’s divisionsand prizes! A shotgun start requires aminimum of 37 players.

• Tennis Tournament (Saturday 1-5 p.m.)Tennis chair Dr. Doug Torbush willarrange the tournament on the Ritzcourts based on the registrant count.Your ticket includes balls, water, andtowels. Prizes will be awarded in variousdivisions.

Round Out Your Annual MeetingExperience with Sports, Tours


23


When I first decided that I wanted toattend dental school, I knew it would be atough goal to attain. Not only is gettingaccepted hard enough, but the curriculumand requirements of dental school are arigorous challenge as well. I am luckyenough to know this firsthand as my oldestsister, Amy, has passed her board examsand graduated in May. She has been agreat resource and source of support forme in my quest to obtain a dental degree.I am currently studying for the DAT andapplying this June for the Fall 2011 cycleat the Medical College of Georgia.

From everything Amy went throughto gain acceptance into dental school Ilearned two qualities that are important inthe process: focus and persistence. Onemust stay focused their goals and worktirelessly to achieve them. Dental schoolapplicants all have different intentions inthe dental field as far as specializing,

owning their own practices, working inrural settings, etc. I too have my ownpersonal aspirations but for now, I’mconcentrating on the goal at hand: gettingan acceptance letter to the dentalschool of my choice. Staying focusedmeans all the things we already know suchas keeping a high GPA, a high score onthe DAT, shadowing, volunteering, andextracurricular activities. Being persistentmeans continuing to improve thesethings on my application until I havemy acceptance letter. These two traitsreally go hand in hand if you want to besuccessful in dental school because it is atough process that doesn’t always go asyou expect.

Obtaining admission into dentalschool is difficult enough, but once thathappens, it’s not even half the battle. Whatawaits you is four years of classes, patients,rotations, lab work, board exams, and latenights studying. I know that in dentalschool, my sister was always busy withsomething and never took breaks. In her

first two years, her focus was on classesand studying, while the last two yearsthe focus shifted to patient care,perfecting techniques, and passingboard exams. I have seen for myselfthe time commitments and sacrifices

that my sister has made in order tocomplete the requirements of

dental school. Her apartment wascovered in dental textbooks,note cards, mouth / teeth diagramson the walls, and all sorts ofpapers. She always had some-thing to study and there neverseemed to be time to relax.She told me about her fullcourse loads, which led to anoverwhelming number of finalsin a short amount of time,hours of lab work with waxmodels, and patients she has tokeep up with. She would go toschool from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and

after that would have to studyfor class while trying to find time

to eat and sleep! In addition, there is nosuch thing as spring break or summervacations. It was a very stressful and diffi-cult time, but I am glad I know firsthandwhat to expect. I always knew that therewould be a great deal of studying indental school, but one thing I did notrealize was the amount of time spentworking with patients and doing rotations.This seems like the best way to learndentistry—by doing. There are a certainamount of procedures that you arerequired to complete in dental school, andat the same time, you get to work on yourown patients. You also go out of townworking in different dental settings.This is the aspect of dental school that I


The Value of a Mentor: Teaching Me How to SucceedJohn Camba

As GDA Editor Dr. Jonathan Dubin

was writing his mentorship

editorial, he asked aspiring

dental student and friend John

Camba to share what is motivating

him to enter the profession. John

gives full credit to his sister and

mentor Dr. Amy Camba, who

graduated from the Medical

College of Georgia School of

Dentistry in May 2010, with

showing him what it means to

succeed.

John Camba and Dr. Amy Camba on the cam-pus of the Medical College of Georgia Schoolof Dentistry.


As I complete four years of dental school, I realize that those years

went by faster than lightning. My experience has been positive despite

some of its difficulties such as long nights of studying, long nights in the

lab re-doing die-systems, or accidently double-booking a patient. It has

been grueling at times and of course, rewarding.

Being one of the first in my family to enter the field of dentistry in the

United States, I had no idea what the curriculum would be like. In my first

two years, the classes seemed longer, the tests harder, and the language of

dentistry more foreign that what I had seen before dental school. I learned

early on that I had to get used to it quickly because it was either sink

or swim.

It started to get easier as the class load decreased and more lab work

was incorporated. That too presented challenges. I learned that it was

important to be patient with lab work. Skipping too many steps would

eventually lead to more troubles down the road. I also learned to trust my

hand skills and when that happened, approaching challenges were not so

daunting.

Eventually, treating patients came into the picture. This portion of

dental school is very rewarding. I was getting elbow deep in what my

future was really going to be like. Interacting with patients proved to be

another challenge. You establish rapport quickly. The greatest lesson

learned was that all the work you put into a case is returned and patients

are so thankful and appreciative of your time and efforts.

I know I am well trained for dentistry and ready to meet new

challenges. I suppose every new graduate doubts himself or herself about

one thing or the other or if we learned everything we needed to know.

But as we have all learned in dental school, the more you practice those

self-doubts disappear. I am happy and excited for it to be done and move

on to the next challenge.

Moving On to the Next ChallengeDr. Amy Camba


am looking forward to most because it isthe most hands-on and will give medirect insight into what I really want toaccomplish in dentistry.

My sister’s dental school experiencehas only strengthened my desire to be adentist. I want to put myself through thesame struggles and challenges she faced sothat at the end of four years I really feellike I earned something worthwhile andmeaningful. Knowing what I learnedfrom her experience would be enoughto scare some people from dentalschool. But for me, this is something Ireally want to do and have set my mindon accomplishing.

If I still have the same desire

to go to dental school after

seeing everything my sister

went through, I am confident

that dentistry is what I want

to do in life. One time I tried to complain to my sisterabout studying for the DATs, and she toldme that’s actually the easy part. Shethought it was hard at the time, but afterfour years of dental school she can easilysay that the DATs were a piece of cake.Her advice really helped me keep things inperspective and know that no matter howtough I think the process is it’s only goingto get more challenging in dentalschool. I am not going to shy away fromthis challenge, but welcome it and try toovercome it. I expect dental school to bethe most arduous four years of my life butalso be the most rewarding and memorablegrowing experience. I am looking forwardto the challenge of becoming a dentistand one day having a dental degree likemy sister Amy.



Last minute cancellations and no-showscan cost a practice thousands of dollarsin lost production and cause significantstress for the entire team. To fix theproblem of broken appointments, let’sfirst look at the three primary causes.The first is accountability. Manypractices do not have a dedicated teammember responsible for managing theschedule to meet production goals.The second cause of no shows andcancellations is the patient’s attitudetoward care. They just don’t “feel”it’s important for them to keep theappointment. The third reason patientsfail to keep appointments revolvesaround their financial situation. Once adentist and their team understandthe reasons for broken appointments,they can develop new strategies andsystems to help fix them.

Give A Team MemberAccountabilityIf “no one” is given the responsibility tomanage the schedule, then “no one” willdo it. The first step is scheduling to meetyour production goals. Take your annualproduction goal and break it down to adaily goal that details both the hygieneand clinical production needs. Thenempower one person on the team tomake sure you are scheduled to meet agoal and that appointments are kept andopen holes are filled. Provide a rewardsystem to recognize accomplishments.Give your dedicated staff member thetools and techniques necessary to“confirm” appointments in such a waythat the patient is even more committedto the dentistry and to turn cancellationcalls into kept appointments. Forexample, it’s important that confirmationcalls happen 24 hours in advance. Andthat, during the call, the team memberaccountable for the schedule reinforcesthe patient’s responsibility to keep their

appointment by using language like,“you have reserved time on the schedulewith the Doctor on Tuesday at 9:00.”Another proven technique is to send outreminder postcards on Thursday sopatients with appointments on Mondayare aware of their reserved time. I rec-ommend using the message “We lookforward to seeing you in the office onMonday. Have a great weekend!” Do notinclude language on the postcard thatgives the patient an “out,” such as “Ifyou need to cancel, please call within24 hours.”

Give PatientsAccountabilityEven if the schedule is booked out tomeet production goals, open time will

appear if the patient does not “own”their dentistry. This critical step happensduring the treatment presentationwhere the dentist clearly explainsthe benefits of treatment–and theconsequences of delaying or decliningcare. I am not talking about using scaretactics to make sure patients say “yes,”I’m talking about a truthful conversationthat doesn’t protect patients from therealities of their oral health situation. Alltoo often, the dentist doesn’t want to bethe “bad guy” or give patients bad news,but without truth there is no under-standing. Without understanding, thepatient has no way of “valuing” the den-tistry or placing urgency on care.Additionally, it’s important that the teambe able to effectively address patients’spoken and unspoken concerns. Even if

Three “Quick Fixes” for Broken AppointmentsSandy PardueDirector of Consulting, Classic Practice Resources



they value the dentistry, if they haveextreme fear of pain, scheduling issues,or cost concerns, they may still breaktheir appointment. The team must askone simple question as they are schedul-ing treatment: “Do you have any con-cerns about your treatment, financialresponsibility, or other areas of yourdaily life that may keep you from keep-ing this appointment?” This opens upthe door for the patient to share theirconcerns and life circumstances.

Take Care of Finances Upfront In between scheduling their appointmentand treatment time, often patientsexperience changes in their financialsituation. That’s why it’s importantthat the dental team handle financialarrangements in advance of treatment,

so the patient is not concerned withcost at the last minute—leading tocancellations and no-shows. The bestway to do this is by providing patientswith a financial policy that outlines whenpayment is expected and their paymentoptions. In this economy, it’s even moreimportant to offer several different paymentchoices as part of your practice’s financialpolicy, including cash, check, credit cards,and a patient financing program such asCareCredit (the company, a GDA-endorsedservice provider, offers a sample financialpolicy on its web site). For treatmentover $500, it can be beneficial to breakthe whole amount down into low monthlypayments, which can help the patient fittreatment into their budget.

Ultimately, we need to communicateto patients that the doctor’s time is valuableand that you are reserving time with the

doctor just for them. And if they valueand own the dentistry and are not concernedwith cost because the financial arrange-ments have been made, only unavoid-able life circumstances will cause brokenappointments at your practice.

Ms. Pardue has assisted dentalteams with practice expansion,staff development, efficient officesystems, and increased production.Sandy Pardue’s free audio CD “StressLess and Produce More” is availablecomplements of CareCredit, a GDAendorsed service provider. Call(800) 300-3046 for your copy oraccess the CareCredit audio library atwww.carecredit.com/resource-center.



Bill Argo who has been appointed as thenew Contact Dentist Liaison and will takeover in August 2011. He plans to spear-head a project to review the entire ContactDentist Program to see where new dentistsare needed to volunteer.

Dr. Lee Hawkins’ Campaign for CongressGDA Past President Lee Hawkins lost inhis June 8 bid to fill the Ninth DistrictCongressional seat resigned by NathanDeal during his gubernatorial run throughthe end of the year. He was defeated in aninterim election runoff by former StateRep. Tom Graves by a vote of 22,684 to17,499. Dr. Hawkins, Graves, and fiveother Republicans are now aiming all theirefforts at the July 20 primary that willdetermine the candidate who will be onthe ballot in November with a chance totake office as a full-term Congressman inJanuary.

Dr. Hawkins said in an email tosupporters June 9 that he had gainedvotes in every county, and said that hiscampaign’s message was “beginning to

reach throughout the Ninth District.”Dentists interested in supporting Dr.Hawkins’ campaign are urged to visitwww.leehawkinsforcongress.com.

LEGISLATIVEContinued from page 17

Alliance Hosting WellbeingConference in September 2010 Relax, Renew, and Recharge with The Alliance of the Georgia DentalAssociation September 24-26, 2010, at The Lodge of Tallulah Falls. TheAlliance’s Well-Being Committee has planned a delightful weekend with afocus on women’s health and wellness. This beautiful setting in the NorthGeorgia Mountains provides the perfect place to gather in front of a cozy fireand visit with old friends, meet new friends, and learn ways to maintain ahealthy, well-balanced life. This time of rejuvenation includes sessions onwomen’s health, nutrition, exercise, and maintaining life balance as well asplenty of social time. You don’t want to miss this wonderful weekend soregister now! Visit the Alliance page at www.gadental.org to download a PDFdocument with all the registration details.



classified ads

DENTAL RELATED SERVICES

X-RAY SAFETY CERTIFICATION forassistants is required by Georgia law. Thisup-to-date take-home course has effective-ly certified thousands of x-ray machineoperators. Send $149.99 per registrantwith name(s) to: Dr. Rick Waters, 385Pinewood Circle, Athens, GA 30606. Visitwww.gaxray.com for credit card paymentor to use the immediate-access onlineversion. Call (706) 255-4499 for moreinformation.

Would you like the Finance Area ofyour practice managed by a CPA?Services include: Accounting (bill pay thrufinancials), HR and Payroll Management,Budgeting and Tax Return Preparation.Call Lisa Wright, CPA at (770) 484-0037.Here is what Paul Korb, DMD, PC, has tosay: “Her greatest asset is her commitmentto the financial success of my practice. Lisaprovides me with a cover of financialmanagement, which in part allows me tofocus on providing the best surgical care Iam capable of.”

OSHA, HIPAA, & MSDS—Freewalk-through (WT) of your practice:With over 15 years’ experience, TotalMedical Compliance (TMC) provideshealthcare consulting services, includingonsite training, required labeling and doc-umentation, regulation updates, plusinvaluable ongoing support for office andstaff. Call us at 1-888-862-6742 or [email protected] Code GDA510 for yourfree WT.

DENTISTS AVAILABLE FOR LOCUM TENENS

Dentist Available Daily (DAD): Dentistavailable during vacations, emergenciesand CE courses. Leave your practice inwell-trained hands. I am licensed, insuredand have a DEA registration number so Ican write prescriptions. Call Dr. RichardPatrick at (770) 993-8838.

Dentist will fill in for illness, vacation, orcontinuing education. Licensed, insured,DEA #. call (404) 786-0229 or [email protected].

Dentist available during emergencies,vacation, CDE courses. I have a currentlicense, DEA certificate, and insurance.Contact me at (706) 291-2254 or cell (706)802-7760. I hope I can be of service to you.Patrick A. Parrino, DDS, MAGD.

DENTIST: Need Part Time Fill In?Vacation, Illness, Maternity? GENERALDENTIST SOLD LONG ESTAB-LISHED PRACTICE. GA & DEALICENSED. (Available Expanded AtlantaArea.) Cell: (404) 219-4097; Home: (404)842-1196. Jesse Hader, DDS.

EQUIPMENT FOR SALE

For Sale: Air Tech Peripro X-Ray FilmProcesser, MOD 900000, Ser # 55837.Like New, Low Hours, Extras. $750.00.Call Dr. Jim (770) 251-4061 or [email protected].

Waterlase MD—2008—Only usedapproximately 15 times. 2 Gold hand-pieces and a variety of tips. Back upbattery included. Must sell! $50K or bestoffer. (706) 481-8811.

POSITIONS AVAILABLE

Associate Position: Northwest GeorgiaDentistry, meeting the dental needs ofpatients in a tri-state area for over 38 years,seeks motivated associate. Emphasizingquality patient care to address the com-plete dental needs of patients, we offergeneral, family, and esthetic dentistry.Competitive salary, 401K, health and dis-ability insurance. Future opportunity forpartnership available. Contact Teri Bracy,(706) 935-2206, [email protected].

How GDA members canplace classified ads

AD FORM: Submit all ads on a GDA ClassifiedAdvertisement Form. To obtain aform, call Courtney Layfield at (800)432-4357 or (404) 636-7553, or [email protected]. (Note: The GDAmay accept or reject any ad for any reasonand in its sole discretion.)

AD DEADLINE: Ads and ad check payments are due by thefirst of the month before the publicationmonth (i.e., Dec. 1 for January).

AD RATES: ADA member dentists pay $75.00 per60-word ad per month. There is a 25 centsper-word charge for each word over 60.Non-dentist-owned companies (real estatefirms, etc.) pay $195 per 60-word ad permonth (additional word charges as above).Non-member dentists may notplace ads.

LATE FEE:Ads for which full prepayment is notreceived by the first day of the ad’spublication month (i.e.; Nov. 1 for aNovember ad) will incur a $25 late fee inaddition to the ad rate.

FORMS OF PAYMENT: Submit a check or money order with the adform. (Make checks payable to GDA.)Credit cards are not accepted as payment.

WEB SITE PLACEMENT: Prepaid ads will appear on the GDA Website www.gadental.org for the month thead appears in print. Non-prepaid ads willNOT be placed online. CLASSIFIEDS

Continued on page 30



Busy, established practice in theBuford area is seeking an experiencedgeneral dentist to join our team. Excellentlocation in a fast growing area with adedicated staff. Great opportunity.Call (770) 962-0515 or fax CV to (770)962-1244.

Pediatric Dentist Needed in AtlantaPractice. Pediatric Dentist withenthusiasm and high energy needed inwell-established Atlanta area practice.Competitive salary and benefits includingpaid professional liability insurance, vacation,and holiday pay! Experienced pediatricdentists and new graduates are encouragedto apply. Forward resume to Jackie [email protected] orfax to (404) 349-8459. For more informationon our practice, visit us on the webwww.familyandchildrensdentistry.com.

Full time general dentist needed inthe Acworth area. High tech office,excellent team, and great workingenvironment. Prefer someone with GPRor two years experience. Please emailresume to: [email protected].

Associate Dentist. Established dynamicpractice offers a unique opportunity formotivated professionals. Multiple locationsavailable. No empty chairs … Noinsurance claims problems … With careerhigh income potential and no daily office /overhead challenges. Contact Tina Titshawat [email protected], call (678)413-8130, or fax resume to (770) 760-1375.

PRACTICES / OFFICESPACE AVAILABLE

Duluth, GA. Modern Pediatric DentalOffice Space. 2620 sq ft and lots ofstorage. With Lease Hold Improvements,Equipment, Furnishings. Easy start upwith min. costs. High traffic area nearGwinnett Place Mall. Available August2010. Tammy or Fran at (770) 497-9111.

Kennesaw / Cobb County: Beautifuldental suite available immediately. 3operatories plumbed. Suite is available forsale / lease / rent to any dental specialist.Sale is preferable. Contact Dr KayKalantari at (404) 452-0786.

CLASSIFIEDSContinued from page 29

GDA Classifieds Available at www.gadental.org

Did you know that all classifieds are also available at the GDA web site? Visitwww.gadental.org for all the latest ads and to print a classified ad or displayad order form. Or, email [email protected] for advertising information.



Brand new, state-of-the-art, 3,500 sq.ft. dental facility with large conferenceroom not used to capacity by generaldentist, owner. Fabulous location alongbusy street in outparcel of a Target inMarietta, East Cobb area alongShallowford Road. Dentist looking toshare space with a specialist. Great placefor start-up or satellite with a low start-upinvestment. If interested in talking aboutthe possibilities, please call or emailDr. Clemans at (404) 786-3202 [email protected].

Well-established practice for sale inNorthlake Tucker area. Strictly fee-for-service, no managed care plans. 2,300sq. ft. at $10 / sq. ft. Motivated sellerdue to disability, send inquiries andresume to [email protected] or call(770) 641-1666.

CLASSIFIEDSContinued on page 32



Dental practice space available forlease in Gwinnett County near GwinnettMedical Center. 2,100 sq. ft ready foroccupancy; 4 treatment rooms, lab, darkroom, adequate storage. Located in multi-specialty complex with Internal Medicine,Pediatric, and OB-GYN practices. Sendinquiries to [email protected] or call(770) 272-4502 for more information.

GAINESVILLE, GA: This is a beautiful5-operatory practice in a great location.Practice collected over $1M in 2009 withvery low overhead. Open 4 days per weekand averages 70 new patients per month!Seller is pre-occupied with other projects.Call Southeast Transitions at (678) 482-7305or email [email protected] visit www.southeasttransitions.com formore details on this and other opportunities.

BEAUTIFUL NORTH GEORGIA. Thisall fee-for-service practice that grossed wellover a million in 2009 is located just 35 minutesnorth of Midtown Atlanta. This 5-operatorypractice is in a 2,400 sq. ft. free-standingbuilding which is also for sale. It has oneroom plumbed for an additional operatory.The practice has been in its current locationfor 35 years and is very accessible. CallSoutheast Transitions at (678) 482-7305 oremail [email protected] visit www.southeasttransitions.com for moredetails on this and other opportunities.

CENTRAL GA: Well-established practiceof 27 years. Great opportunity to practiceideal dentistry on an extremely appre-ciative and well-resourced patient basewith solid new patient flow. 100% FFS,production approximately $80K per monthon 38% overhead! Attractive, stand-alone4-op building (real estate is optional).Practice dentistry as it was meant to bepracticed. Call Southeast Transitions at(678) 482-7305 or email [email protected] or visit www.southeast-transitions.com for more details on thisand other opportunities.

SAVANNAH GA. All FFS practice grossing$600K+. This practice would be a greatopportunity to merge patients into yourfacility or bring your patients to this facility.Either way you will benefit from this all-FFS patient base. The seller is retiring andwould like to transition his staff andpatients over the next few months. Thefacility is also for sale. Call SoutheastTransitions at (678) 482-7305 or [email protected] or visitwww.southeasttransitions.com for moredetails on this and other opportunities.

Available: ATLANTA: Partnership. $2.4million FFS practice. 9 operatories. EASTCOBB: Grossing $854,000. FFS, 6 opera-tories. GWINNETT: Grossing $823,000, 8operatories. JOHNS CREEK: Gorgeous, 4operatories grossing $289,000. JOHNSCREEK: Merger opportunity. FFS gross-ing $900,000. NORCROSS: Grossing$580,000, 4 operatories. SNELLVILLE:Grossing $569,000, FFS, 5 operatories.Contact Richane Swedenburg, New SouthDental Transitions: (770) 630-0436, Checkweb site for all listings: www.newsouthden-tal.com; [email protected]

CLASSIFIEDSContinued from page 31



Practices for Sale: ATLANTA #6276Gross collections $240,015; 4 days; 3 oper-atories; 926 sq. ft. office space. ATLANTA#8575 Gross collections $456,922; 4 days;5 operatories; 1,838 sq. ft. office space;additional plumbed but unequipped oper-atory. ATLANTA #8548 Great opportuni-ty! At $197,000 it is less than 1/2 the priceof a start-up! 6 operatories; 1,900 sq. ft.office space. ATLANTA #6689 Gross col-lections $1,623,532; 4 days; 7 operatories;2850 sq. ft. office space. AUGUSTA AREA- ORTHO #8681 1 operatory / 2 chairs;Gross collections $268,032; 3.5 days, 960sq. ft. office space. CARROLL COUNTY#8428 Gross collections $619,384; 4 days;4 operatories; 2,000 sq. ft. office space;additional plumbed but unequipped oper-atory. NW GEORGIA #8193 PRICEREDUCED! Gross collections $1.04Million; 4 days; 5 operatories; 1,800 sq. ft.office space. NW GEORGIA #8455 GrossCollections $1.06 Million; 4 days; 5 opera-tories; 2450 sq. ft. office space. NWGEORGIA #8562 Gross collections$670,375; 4 days; 6 operatories; 2,881 sq.ft. office space; additional plumbed but

unequipped operatory. SOUTHEASTERNGEORGIA #8172 Gross collections$752,638; 4 days; 5 operatories; 1,732 sq.ft. office space. PAULDING COUNTY#3001 Gross collections $643,500; 4 days 5operatories; 2,000 sq. ft. office space. Forinformation, call Dr. Earl Douglas, (770)664-1982 or email [email protected].

VACATION RENTAL

Great Location on St. Simons Islandacross from The King & Prince Hotel.Close to the beach, bike paths, shoppingand dining. Three bedrooms, 2.5 baths,screen porch, large backyard, two livingareas, 1 King, 4 Twins, 1 Queen sofa bed.No pets allowed. 2 floors. Sleeps 6 to 8.Call (912) 634-9243.



Macon dentist Dr. David Kalish had startedto read books related to pottery some 15years ago but never had the courage totake a class despite his growing interest.“Then, one day I took part in a groupexercise based on the book The Artist’sWay by Julia Cameron,” said Dr. Kalish. “Idecided at that point to take a hands-onpottery course. I was hooked and beganattending classes twice a week. My learningprocess continued for over a year and thenour instructor, David Bernard, had usenter our work in a craft show. As anyartist can relate, this was most intimidatingto have your pieces judged for purchase.”

Despite his initial fears, Dr. Kalishsold several pieces at his first show and waselated. “My confidence soared,” he said.“So, I bought a used pottery wheel and kilnand set out on my passion.”

Dr. Kalish relates that working withclay on a pottery wheel is very much likeperforming any dental process. “You mustbe calm, have steady hands, and possess agood sense of positive and negative space,”he said. “First you weigh out an amount ofclay with a finished object in mind. Thenyou knead the clay to remove any airbubbles which could cause the piece to bedamaged upon firing. Then the lump of

clay is centered on the wheel, opened, andpulled up to the desired form.”

The Emory University dental schoolgraduate often finds that when he works inclay he becomes so absorbed that he losesall sense of time. “I go to a very peacefulplace mentally,” Dr. Kalish said. “I have setup a studio in my barn and can work athome.”

He is currently incorporating thenew clay skills, glazing techniques, andkiln firing methods he learned in 2009during a week-long visit to the famedJohn C. Campbell Folk School inBrasstown, North Carolina. “I prefer towork on the wheel but have done someslab work,” said Dr. Kalish. “I like to makecanisters with lids and tops, teapots,and pitchers with handles. I enjoydecorating and experimenting withcommercial glazes and carving designsinto the piece to enhance its interest. Ihave lots of my work on display at myoffice and sometimes sell pieces forholiday gifts or give it away if so inclined.They even make great wedding gifts!”

As he grows more expert in the craft,he realizes more and more not only thepersonal impact the finished pottery hason him, but the impact the artist has on

the end product. “Each piece is unique,”said Dr. Kalish. “When you pick up apot you can feel the hands of the potter ineach work.”

breaking the mold

Dr. David Kalish Takes Clay for Spin to Produce Functional Pottery

Are you a dentist with an interesting

hobby? Know a dentist with an

interesting hobby? Email Delaine

Hall at [email protected] to submit

information for a future “Breaking

the Mold.” A display of functional pottery createdand decorated by Macon dentist Dr.David Kalish.

Dr. Kalish turns a pottery piece on thewheel in his Macon, Georgia, home studio.

Dr. Kalish prepares to place severalturned pottery pieces into his studio kilnfor firing. Most pottery goes through abisque firing before it is glazed and thenfired again to melt the glaze and fuse itto the clay body.

[When I work in clay] “I go

to a very peaceful place

mentally,” Dr. Kalish said. “I

have set up a studio in my

barn and can work at home.”



Suite 200, Building 17, 7000 Peachtree Dunwoody RoadAtlanta, Georgia 30328-1655

www.gadental.org

ACTIONInside This Issue

• Governor Strikes Blow to Georgia Children’s Oral Health

• GDA Dentists Lobby forProfession in Washington

DATED MATERIALPLEASE DELIVER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE


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