President’s message

Dear friends and colleagues,

Looking back over the past year, sometimes we wonder, “What did I accomplish that will make a difference?” As we contemplate our answers, we might consider this counsel from American writer Leo Rosten:

The purpose of life is not just to be happy . . . It is to be useful, to be honorable. It is to be compassionate. It is to matter, to have it make some difference that you lived.

These are not just lofty words—they are keys to living well. Put into action, they build character, shape a positive outlook, and bless the lives of others as well as our own.

In this issue, we are sharing various aspects of dental service. It is awesome to see the myriad ways in which dentists have chosen to share their skills with others to help improve dental health in underserved areas. As you read or peruse the Service Section of our website, you may be inspired to join with your team, your dental friends, and perhaps your family to go help the needy patients who are longing for the service you can give.

As we mention “Academy Service” we must acknowledge that a major impetus for the growth in service areas over the past 13 years has been the input and direction of Dr. Jerry Summerhays. He has served as our “Project Development and Church Relations” specialist. Jerry does service in many aspects of his life and is going to be the new Rotary Governor for Utah. With that demanding position and opportunity, he is needing to leave our executive team and participate with the Academy as a member from the sidelines. Our sincere gratitude and respect goes to Jerry for all he has done to help create our emphasis on many aspects and venues of Dental Service.

As we make our plans for the future, may we choose to be useful, honorable, and compassionate. We will then find that our lives have indeed mattered, that it has made some difference that we have lived.

At the beginning of every year we encourage our members to renew their Academy memberships so our organization can continue to grow and remain a viable influence in our profession. As involved members of the Church, we often have assignments that sometimes conflict with the Academy schedule; thus we are not always able to attend the annual conference.

We have noticed that many associate the annual conference registration with keeping their membership dues current. Dues and the conference are two separate items. Of course, current Academy members are given reduced conference fees. Membership dues, whether or not you attend the conference, are essential to enable us to fulfill the purposes of the Academy. When each member is current with his or her dues, we are able to accomplish so much more. We thank you in advance for responding when you see a dues reminder.

May you have great experiences as you participate with the Academy and as you share your professional skills with others.

John A. Gerritsen, DDS 2010–2012 President

T H E A C A D E M Y O F L D S D E N T I S T S N E W S L E T T E R • W I N T E R 2 0 1 2

2010–12 academy councilPresident: John A. GerritsenVice President: Evan Roundy

Secretary/Treasurer: Laurence PalmerPast President: David Geddes

Founder: Gordon Christensen

Academy Examiner

Special Humanitarian Service Update Edition

2

At the Utah Dental Association’s Annual Convention in February, two members of the Academy of LDS Dentists will receive distinguished service awards for outstanding humanitarian service: the Academy’s service chairman, Wayne Chisholm, and Alex Larsen. Congratulations. We are proud of your accomplishments.

alex larsenAlex grew up on his family’s dairy farm in Fairview, Idaho, outside Preston. He graduated from Utah State University with a degree in English and received his DDS from the University of the Pacific in San Francisco. He served as a dental

officer for three years in the U.S. Army Dental Corps, stationed at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. He’s been in private practice for 31 years in Utah County.Dr. Larsen has served as president of the Provo District Dental Society and of the UDA. He is on the advisory committee for the Utah Valley University dental hygiene program and currently serves as chair of the Utah Dental Advisory Board. He serves as an examiner for the Western Regional Examining Board and on the Utah Controlled Substance Advisory Board.He has three children and eight grandchildren. He feels that the rewards of his service in dentistry have been the wonderful friendships and associations he has made.

Wayne chisholmWayne was born and raised in Holladay, Utah and attended the University of Utah. He received his DDS from Washington University in St. Louis in 1972. After gradua-tion, he served as the chief dental officer with PHS Indian Services at

the Navajo Hospital in Winslow, Arizona. He then had a private practice in Winslow until 1978, when he moved to Utah and set up a practice in Monroe, where he contin-ues to practice. He has served as president of the Central District Dental Society and as a delegate for several years to the UDA. He was also president of the Central Park Association and the Richfield Music Guild, and district chairman of the Fishlake District, Boy Scouts of America.Since 1995 he and his wife Jeannine have made annual trips to the South Pacific, doing service projects in Tonga, Samoa, Kiribati, Fiji, and Vanuatu. He has set up volunteer clinics in Tonga, Samoa, and Kiribati. He coordinates with other dentists and dental personnel, helping them to ar-range travel, accommodations, and licensure to work in these countries. Wayne is a member of the executive board of the Academy of LDS Dentists over service projects. He is also a dental advisor to Deseret International Foundation. Wayne and Jeannine are the parents of five children, three of whom are dentists. They have 19 grandchildren.

acad·e·my reP·re·sen·ta·tive noun: \ə-ˈka-də-mē\ \ˌre-pri-ˈzen-tə-tiv-\ one who serves as an agent of the Academy of LDS Dentists and identifies others who are not members of the Academy, then reports their names to the leadership for possible membership; any member of the organization can assist.Over 70 of our members have agreed to be Academy Representatives. The main responsibilities are to identify potential Academy members in their respective areas and give names and contact information to the Academy. It is surprising how many LDS dentists are not aware of the Academy in spite of its almost 35 years of service. Our goals of EDUCATION, SERVICE and FELLOWSHIP have enabled members to better themselves, bless their fellow man, and strengthen their families and friends. We frequently find LDS dentists who are pleased to learn of the Academy. We are always looking for ways to increase awareness of the Academy.Several Academy Representatives have identified ways to identify LDS dentists who are not members of the Academy:Michael Smuin of Vernal, Utah: “I really don’t have a complex strategy. I just looked at the list of names and recognized dentists who are members of the Church who were not listed on the Academy membership list.”

Rob McDonald of Superior, Colorado: “I talk to friends about the Academy; use the tactic of referrals.” Fred Deal of Centerton, Arkansas: “Knowing the stake presidents in the area, I wrote letters asking for the names of dentists in their respective stakes. I also mentioned that the LDS Church wants to staff the Guatemala Dental Clinic with LDS dentists—for this reason, I was inquiring about the names of LDS dentists in Arkansas who could help with the clinic.”Drew Cahoon of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada: “Just ask around in various wards; ask the area leaders as to the LDS dentists they know in the area.”Glen Golden of Westerville, Ohio: “It really helps if I wear the Academy’s lapel pin and people see it and ask what it is, since most brethren do not wear lapel pins to church activities...” You can assist the Academy significantly because you know the dentists in your area and we do not! To invite a dentist to the Academy, go to www.AcademyofLDSDentists.com, click on “Join,” then “Invite a Dentist.” Or if you can e-mail a list to: LDSDentists@gmail.com.

SERVICE UPDATE

the origin of salt lake donated dental services by Ralph B. Montgomery http://www.donateddental.org/

As a Rotary International dental volun-teer in 1989, I worked in the Vietnam Refugee Camp on the island of

Palawan in the Philippines. I accompanied the local physi-cian to mountain villages where we treated tuberculosis patients, and as he said, every one of them had a tooth-ache. When I got home I applied to Rotary International for a grant to build a mobile dental clinic. I was granted $387,000 for a mobile dental clinic that included sleeping spaces and a shower that doubled as a dark room. The clinic would be on the road for a week at a time. I brought the clinic to Salt Lake City for a trial run. I placed it in the parking lot of the St. Vincent DePaul/Weigand Homeless Day Center and it was an-nounced there would be free dentistry for a week. Dr. Wally Brown and I treated patients that week and found that the homeless of Salt Lake City were doing just as poorly dental-wise as the villagers in Palawan. I resolved that when I got the clinic established in Palawan I would do something in my hometown. On 6 August 1990 we opened the doors of Salt Lake Donated Dental Services in a small room in the St. Vincent DePaul Center. I called 60 of my dental colleagues and asked them to give me one day each month to serve the homeless. Fifty-six of them said yes. With the help of Intermountain Health Care and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we moved to the Fourth Street Clinic at 400 South and 400 West. After sharing space with that medical clinic for two years, we moved into a sepa-rate part of the building. In 2006 I met with city officials and discussed the pos-sibility of a new clinic in the Sorensen Unity Center in the Glendale neighborhood. The city agreed to build a five-chair clinic if we would provide the dental equipment and free dental services to those below the poverty level. In 2006 the clinic was opened.This is the 21st anniversary of Salt Lake Donated Dental Services. We have treated about 90,000 patients and per-formed services valued at more than $13,000,000. More than 200 dentists volunteered during those years, and at present 70 dentists volunteer on a rotating basis. I am grateful to my colleagues who have given their services. Editor’s Note: This is a great model that could work in any local area of the USA. Let the Academy leadership know if you have a model that has worked in your area.

3

The South Pacific Islands are in need of volunteer dentists. If you’d like to have a working vacation with your spouse, or

even with your whole family, you may want to look at Tonga, Samoa or the Republic of Kiribati. Deseret International, are partners with the Academy of LDS Dentists and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has set up permanent dental clinics on the Church School campuses offline, Pesega,

and Moroni in these beautiful island countries.

The options are open as to which island you would like to serve. There are people ready and willing to arrange housing and transpor-

tation and help you in any way needed.

If you have interest in providing dental care in the South Pacific,

contact Wayne or Jeannine Chisholm at wchisholm@live.com

cell: (435) 896-7688.

opportunities in the south Pacific islands

SERVICE UPDATEuganda and rWanda, east africa By Tom Sorensen www.adoptanafricanclinic.org

Uganda—In October 2011, Dr. Drew Cahoon, a few others, and I began this area’s 16th humanitarian dental expedi-tion. The first week of our trip was spent with the Rotary Outreach Program initiated by Dr. Cahoon in 2007. We visited schools with the public health

dental officers and did some outreach. We also evaluated the current program, introduced a new computerized reporting system, and secured funding for next year. The program is doing well. Rwanda—A shipping container filled with 15 dental units, two Panorex units and other equipment from the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada) arrived at the Kigali Health Institute (KHI) in Rwanda one week before we did. More than 300 blankets and 80 pairs of shoes were added to the contain-er and are being distributed to hospitals near Kigali.Six dental clinics in district or regional hospitals through-

out Rwanda and the dental school at KHI were prepared to re-ceive the equipment. Each clinic had minimal supplies for restorative dentistry, and at present 98% of procedures are tooth extractions.

In February, another expedition of eight dentists, three hygienists and other auxiliaries will visit Rwanda. The first week will consist of teaching dentists and therapists with staff from the KHI Dental School. The second week will incorporate hands-on mentoring by clinicians. Adopt an African Clinic—This program, developed by Dr. Drew Cahoon from Alberta, Canada, is intended to create dental education treatment sites in East Africa. Six dental practices in North America—all LDS dentists and members of the Academy—have each sponsored a rural Rwandan clinic through Adopt an African Clinic. They will be respon-sible for funding, training, continuing education, mentor-ing, and participating in outreach with “their” clinic. With equipment in place, we will be able to significantly enhance preventive and restorative dentistry in Rwanda. In October 2012, we will introduce a Composite Restoration Course and in February 2013 an Anterior Endodontics Course for practitioners at these clinics. Each course will be followed by a week of mentoring by our clinicians.

This program is working with the ministries of health in Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania to prepare for the installa-tion of 60 A-dec dental chairs donated by the University of Alberta for distribution in East Africa. More North American dental clinics are needed to adopt African clinics. To find out more, please contact Dr. Drew G. Cahoon at (406) 260-6518 or dgcahoon@gmail.com

flying samaritansBy Greg Hatch www.flyingsamaritans.net

Flying Samaritans, in existence for more than 40 years, is a volunteer organization that operates free medical and dental clinics in Baja California, Mexico. Ten chapters from California and Arizona support these clinics. Each chapter organizes and plans a monthly trip to the clinics supported by that chapter. Most of these clinics have dental operato-ries all set up and ready to use. Procedures generally per-formed include fillings, extractions and cleanings. The trips are all on weekends, so by taking a Friday off work, you can have a great humanitarian experience and help many. We fly to Mexico in mostly single-engine pri-vate aircraft with four to six seats. Volunteers are assigned to an aircraft and pilot. After clearing Mexico customs at a port of entry, we continue the trip, landing on an airstrip close to the clinic. We stay in modest hotels in Mexico, usually for two nights each trip. Each participant pays his own way, including hotel, food, visa and a portion of the aircraft fuel cost. Typically the total cost per person is around $250. I have had the opportunity to take my wife and all of my children, on each of these dental service trips. All of my family has had the opportunity to serve others, and all have gained a great appreciation of the need to serve oth-ers, particularly those with very limited options. My oldest daughter, Jennifer, was so moved by how much good a single person could do that she decided to be-come a dentist. She and her husband Mason have just started dental school in San Antonio, Texas. They both ac-companied me last December to Laguna San Ignacio and helped to provide dental care to those in need. They were both extremely touched by the people and wish to con-tinue with humanitarian work after they graduate.Because of all the experiences and opportunities I have had, I encourage everyone to find a way to provide ser-vice to others. I have received so much more than I have provided. While I have been able to combine my love of flying, dentistry and Spanish in traveling to Mexico and Latin America, there are many opportunities throughout the world, as well in our local communities, to provide service. It may take some work to find these opportuni-ties, but it is worth it.

4

Atraumatic Restoritive Treatment

5

dental volunteers for israel (dvi) in Jerusalemby John Goodrich • http://www.dental-dvi.co.il/

The Dental Volunteers for Israel program operates a free dental clinic in Jerusalem for disadvantaged children and youth-at-risk aged 5-18. The clinic is staffed by dentists from around the world who volunteer for periods of 1–4 weeks.

In the clinic there are 6 dental work-stations, trained dental assistants, and have equip-ment and supplies sufficient to treat the Israeli and Palestinian children. Prevention tech-

niques are taught and required of the children before they can be treated. There are condos for the visiting dentists and family to stay in while working at the clinic. The clinic is open only until 1:00 PM each week day. This leaves each af-ternoon open to tour and explore the many Holy Sights in Jerusalem.. Also their weekdays are Sunday through Thursday because the true Sabbath to them begins Friday night and goes through Saturday. Therefore, the clinic expects a working commitment on Sunday. That all works

out because LDS church services at the Jerusalem center are on Saturday also. I think that is by agreement between the Israeli govern-ment and the church since the church doesn’t actually own the Jerusalem Center. It is leased from the Israelis and as long as we follow their guidelines we will continue to have privileges there. We began our trip to Jordan and then went on

to Israel. It was so amazing that after going in February, I went back with my entire family and a single-adult group for three more weeks in June 2011! I’m glad I went to Petra and the holy sites in Jordan on the way to Israel. In Israel we visited almost every holy site, including going north to Galilee and Nazareth. Christ spent most of his life in Nazareth and most of his ministry around Galilee, Lake Tiberias, and especially Capernaum, nicknamed “City of Jesus.” Of course, the Garden of Gethsemane and the Garden Tomb are among the most powerful holy sites,

but many others you will never forget. The New Testament will come to life as you literally walk where Jesus walked. The Jerusalem Center was a real eye-opener for me. I had no idea how influential that facility is and the good that it represents in Jerusalem for the re-stored Church. The Israelis and especially the Jews revere it highly. The children’s clinic or DVI is an amazing opportunity that I coordinated my trip around. I was lucky to be able to work in the clinic both times I went to Jerusalem in 2011. The clinic managers insist on providing decent housing for the volunteers, free of charge. If anyone is interested in getting involved in this great adventure, feel free to contact me at goodrichdds@gmail.com.

chinaBy Karl R. Koerner

Two humanitarian trips to China are scheduled for spring 2012. We still have openings for participants, both dentists and hygienists. Our hosts in China are gracious and accommodating. Translators are there to help us. In the modern facilities provided, we treat or-phans and other needy people. It is a rewarding experience. The all-inclusive cost is about $2,000.

For many, it is the experience of a lifetime. We work hard doing humanitarian service for five days and then enjoy two days as tourists. The trips are: April 20–30—Suquian (near Nanjing), including two days of sightseeing in the beautiful city of Guilin and by the fa-mous Li River. May 11–21—Xi’an, which also includes two days of sightsee-ing. It is the home of the Terra-cotta Warriors. These an-cient statues were discovered under farm fields in 1978. Contact Karl R. Koerner karlrkoerner@comcast.net soon for the adventure of your life!

SERVICE UPDATE

“The Muslims say you aren’t a “real” Muslim unless you have made

your trek to Mecca. After visiting and experiencing the Holy Land, I feel that way about us Christians and the need to visit this

area considered “the center of the world,” where it ALL began.”

SERVICE UPDATE

6

teaching Providers in needy countries by Dale Linton

A few years ago, Gordon Christensen suggested we could help developing countries in a number of ways. One was to de-liver much-needed dental care to a few. A second was to raise the level of care offered by local dentists. I have felt fortunate to accompany Gordon Christensen, Karl Koerner, George Bailey, and Scott Healey to teach in countries

including India, Thailand, China, Brazil, Mexico, Columbia, Guatemala, Venezuela, Peru, and Chile.We have shared our knowledge and experience with numerous doctors and dental school educators in these countries. We also have held discussion sessions. Gordon has shared his update course and passed on tips they can take home and use with their own patients.

If between 200 and 600 dentists attend each of our lectures, and each dentist has 1,000 pa-tients, we raise the level of care for 200,000 to 600,000 patients. Usually we give these courses to four or five groups of dentists in each country.

We have met wonderful people in these countries and have been able to introduce them to the Academy, the Church, and our belief in Jesus Christ. We are always in-vited out for supper, and we invite the local mission presi-dent, his wife and two missionaries to introduce them to the leaders of the dental community. It is a real pleasure to be involved with these great dentists in this service project over the years. If you are interested in serving on a team of instructors, write to: email@AcademyofLDSDentists.com.

Paraguay, south americaBy Dwayne Zobell

The Area Presidency asked me to treat the indigenous pop-ulation of Paraguay in November 2011. I have worked many years with these people and know the area fairly well.Over three days, I was able to provide

care for 95 patients—mainly extractions and restorative procedures. I worked out of one of the Health Care rooms constructed in La Abundancia a few years ago. Donations were received for composite restorative materials and local anesthetics, and I supplemented these from my personal office.The people in Paraguay have mainly a subsistence living, and most work during the week for local Mennonite ranch-ers and farmers. Their diet is very high in refined carbohy-drates, and consequently their level of tooth decay is very high. Prevention is not a priority. After much thought and with the aid of inspiration, a local dental contact was found. Marcos Mendoza is a 62-year-old Nivaclete native who worked as a dentist in a Mennonite health care system for many years. Although recently retired, he has been constructing a dental office in an extension of his home. We talked and invited him to see the clinic. It was an answer to prayer. He came to the clinic and was shown how to work with light-cured composite materials; we left the excess materials with him. Also, he is now able to offer removable prosthodontic services and has quite a few supplies. The portable dental unit and compressor were left at the local LDS Institute building in downtown Asunción for use in future service projects. As with most projects, the need is great and there is more work to do. Travel to Paraguay is a bit more involved, though all our luggage and supplies passed quickly through customs without any delay or payment of duty. For questions on serving in South America, contact Dr. Dwayne Zobell, the Academy’s Area Coordinator for South America, at DDZDDS@mac.com.

In the Classroom in India

Drs. Mendoza and Zobell

“We have met wonderful people in these countries

and have been able to introduce them to the Academy, the Church, and

our belief in Jesus Christ.”

SERVICE UPDATE

guatemala dental clinic: Summary of Services Provided since the clinic began less than 30 months ago

Approximately 488 future missionaries referred by local priesthood leaders have had all their dental work completed to mission

standards, greatly increasing the number of youth able to serve missions in a country where the dentist to popula-tion ratio is less than 1:10,000 (compared to Utah County at 1:867) and the cost for dental care is a major barrier to missionary service.Over 631 missionaries in the Guatemala MTC have been brought to mission standards through the screening and clinical work pro-vided. Approximately a third of potential Latino missionaries exhibit significant problems that would require treatment during their mission at significant cost and liability to the Church.Over 232 missionaries currently serving in Guatemala have received emergency dental care while on their mis-sions at no cost to the Church after experiencing acute dental need.Approximately 900 local orphans from six different orphanages in Guatemala receive regular dental care through the program, giving visibility and credibility to the Church’s mission of caring for the poor and needy.The clinic provides an opportunity for service and training in humanitarian service to dentists who volunteer through the LDS Academy of Dentists and other humanitarian or-ganizations, and to local Guatemalan dental students.It provides training in dental assisting skills to youth in the Church and orphanages, allowing for job opportunities and career development through a pilot training program.

Consider Volunteering in Guatemala

The Academy has joined efforts with the LDS Church in establishing this clinic as a potential model for providing service in a “community of need” and to serve potential and current missionaries.

You have an open-ended invitation to visit this dental clinic whenever it is convenient for you. At 5,000 feet, the climate is ideal year-round in the capital of Guatemala. Your work will be varied (as you can see from the above statistics). The five state-of-the-art dental units and hand-pieces might be some of the best you’ve ever used! The Calls and the Johnsons will recommend accommodations, restaurants, and local sites of interest. Consider an excur-sion to the clinic sometime this year.Contact Elder or Sister Call or Johnson at GuatemalaClinic@gmail.com to arrange a time to volunteer at the clinic.

Puerto vallarta, mexicoby Gordon Croft

While several dentists were interested in serving in Puerto Vallarta in early 2011, for one reason or another they could not go this year. I did succeed in recruiting Dr. Brion Lowry of Boise, Idaho, so my team consisted of our wives and us. We also had a pre-dental student from BYU; Brandon Robbins accompanied us and speaks Spanish well.We were in Puerto Vallarta January 14–23, 2011. While there, we treated children at the two orphanages as we have in other years. We saw no activity that made us feel unsecure or in danger. Overall we enjoyed our trip to warm, beautiful Puerto Vallarta. As always, doing dental work for the children is satisfying. We have decided that we will go back in early 2013. We’ll announce the dates when they are known. With the present economic situation and other factors, I feel it would be better to have three or four leaders who are familiar with the proj-ect so one or two leaders can rotate out for a year here and there. Any Spanish-speaking dentists who would like to help lead teams in Puerto Vallarta, please let me know. We could possibly take you down on this next trip to give you experience so you can help lead future teams. If you have any questions, please write me, Gordon Croft, at gacroft@msn.com.

7

If you are at retirement age, speak Spanish, and would like to serve a full-time

6-23 month mission in this ideal setting,

please contact Elder Rich Call.

Your services are needed in this area

of the world.

1 2 3 412 13 14 15 16 17 1819 20 21 22 23 24 2526 27 28 29 30 31

August 20125 6 7 8 9 10 11

Address Service Requested

Brigham Young UniversityConferences and Workshops115 Harman Continuing Education BuildingProvo, Utah 84602

Academy ExaminerAcademy membership is on a

calendar-year basis. You need to sign up EVERY year. When members pay

their dues in the first quarter, it helps us realize our projects and goals for the year. We encourage you to be-

come a 2012 Academy member.

Membership dues are still only $100 for dentists, $50 for hygienists, and free for students and new gradu-

ates until two years after graduation. To become current as a member,

go to AcademyofLDSDentists.com and click on “Join,” then “Join the Academy.” There are four different

ways to become a member. We look forward to your participation with

the Academy!

it’s time to Become current With your 2012 membership!

like us on facebook • check us out at: academyofldsdentists.com

We need your email address!

If you have not been getting the monthly Academy Headlines by e-mail and would like to receive it, let us know. On the Academy’s home page, click “Join,” then “Update your info” and fill in your information—especially your e-mail address. Duplicate information is OK—new information is even better! Thank you.

save the date for the 35th annual conference August 10–11 • BYU in Provo, UtahGary Takacs—Practice Management

Sam Low, DDS, MS—Periodontics and Implants

Terence E. Donovan, DDS—Fixed and Removable Prosthodontics

Jeffrey P. Okeson, DMD—Occlusion

Charles Blair, DDS—Insurance and Coding with Confidence

Peter L. Jacobsen, PhD, DDS—Pharmacology

Gordon J. Christensen, DDS, MSD, PhD—What’s New 2012

NONPROFITORGANIZATIONU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDPROVO, UTAHPERMIT NO. 49