jan/feb/march journal

“The Path to Perfection – is there only one way?”“The Path to Perfection – is there only one way?”

January / February / March Volume 18, Issue 1

A publication of the Harbor Dental Society

PrescriptiveX-ray

Protocols

What isPrivileged

Communication?

Knowing When YourQuest for Perfection

is a Problem

SamsonLanderosCA Lic. #0E95304

• Professional Liability• Office Property• Employment Practices Liability• Workers’ Compensation• Life/Health/Disability• Long-Term Care• Business Overhead Expense• Home & Auto

800.733.0633tdicsolutions.comCA Insurance Lic. #0652783

Coverage specifically underwritten by The Dentists Insurance Company includes professional liability,office property, and employment practices liability. Workers’ compensation, life, health, disability, long-term care, business overhead expense, home and auto products are underwritten by other insurance carriers, brokered through TDIC Insurance Solutions.

Protecting dentists. It’s all we do.

Endorsed by

Pam ConwayCA Lic. #0B82663

Harbor8x4.5.pdf 1 3/12/10 8:47 AM

Low Group Rates on Credit Card ProcessingHarbor Dental Society Endorsed Program

Why pay individual, retail rates?

Evaluate Our Program and credentials!

> Special rates on Visa & MasterCard for Dentists only > Five new ways for Doctors to accept Visa & MasterCard > No Set-up, Installation, or Training fees > Process with a 150 year-old institution > Largest in-house credit card processor in the industry > On the board of directors of Visa > Our clients receive up to 40-80% off with OfficeMax

with no membership fees and free over night shipping

Harbor members have been using this program since 1994

Bonus: Our exclusive practice management program is included Our goal is to have every patient pay at the time of

treatment with our exclusive practice financial management techniques. Increase payment at the time of treatment by

75% Guaranteed!

Contact Trae Speake @ 1-800-337-3630 for a free consultation

RETRIEVER MEDICAL / DENTAL PAYMENTS INC.

Philip Kempler, D.M.D., Broker 511 E. 1st Street, Suite C, Tustin, CA 92780-3333 Days (714) 544-4341 * Evenings (949) 362-4749 FAX (714) 731-7296 * Email ([email protected])

Rancho Santa MargaritaOrthodontic practice in shopping center – 4 operatories + 1 plumbed currently used as Dr private office – cash & insurance only – 20 years goodwill – $4750 full child’s case – net income in 2009 of approx. $210,000 on 3 easy days/week – great starter practice or place to relocate your practice – Dr. selling for personal reasons is your gain

MontebelloOrthodontic private practice – 4 operatories in 1250 sq. ft. single-story duplex – private insurance and cash – digital orthopantomograph for panorex and cephs – last year gross collections of $270,000 on 2 days/week – over 30 years goodwill – priced for quick sale due to owner’s illness – option to buy the building as well

Torrance Orthodontic private practice – 4 operatories in 1250 sq. ft. single-story duplex – private insurance and cash – digital orthopantomograph for panorex and cephs – last year gross collections of $440,000 on 2 days/week – over 30 years goodwill – priced for quick sale due to owner’s illness

Torrance Orthodontic private practice – 4 operatories in 1250 sq. ft. single-story duplex – private insurance and cash – digital orthopantomograph for panorex and cephs – last year gross collections of $440,000 on 2 days/week – over 30 years goodwill – priced for quick sale due to owner’s illness

WE ARE SELLING PRACTICES SO

FAST THAT WE ARE ACTIVELY SEEKING NEW PRACTICES TO SELL AT A SPECIAL LOW RATE FOR A

LIMITED TIME ONLY

Practices for Sale

www.harbordentalsociety.org January/February/March 2011 | The Journal 3

HARBORD E N T A L S O C I E T Y

Harbor Dental Journal2225 E. 28th Street

Suite 500Signal Hill, CA 90755-2101

Phone: (562) 595-6302Fax: (562) 426-4550

E-Mail: [email protected]

EDITORSJames Blake, D.D.S.

(562) 431-2929

John Blake, D.D.S.(562) 933-2501

MANAGING EDITORMary Crawford-Raasveld, CAE

CO- MANAGING EDITORVicky Brodsky

(562) 595-6303

Harbor Dental Society serves these communities:

Artesia NorwalkAvalon ParamountBellflower Rancho DominguezCarson Rancho Palos VerdesCerritos RossmoorCompton San PedroGardena Santa Fe SpringsHarbor City Seal BeachHawaiian Gardens Signal HillLakewood SurfsideLa Mirada TorranceLomita WhittierLong Beach WilmingtonLos Alamitos

American Societyof Dental Editors

The HDS Journal is published by Harbor Dental Society, a component of the California Dental Association and the American Dental Association. Society office hours are 8:30 to 5:00, Monday thru Friday. The Journal will publish signed articles relating to all phases of dentistry, but assumes no responsibility for opinions expressed by the contributors. The Harbor Dental Society, although formally accepting and publishing reports of various committees and the essays read before or submitted to it, holds itself without responsibility for the opinions, theories or criticisms therein contained, except when otherwise decided by special request. Advertising rates and distribution data are available upon request.

F E AT U R E S

4 | What is Privileged Communication?7 | Knowing When Your Quest for Perfection is a Problem 8 | Prescriptive X-ray Protocols10 | Children’s Dental Health Clinic Open House11 | After Hours Emergency Coverage14 | Fires, Before and After

D E PA R T M E N T S

4 | President’s Message5 | Membership Meetings 6 | Editor’s Corner6 | Recruiting Update10 | Harbor Salutes12 | Harbor News15 | Classified16 | Calendar

contents JAN/FEB/MAR 2011

THE VISION: THE HARBOR DENTAL SOCIETY IS RECOGNIZED AS THE TRUSTED LEADER, RESPECTED BY ITS MEMBERS, PEERS AND THE PUBLIC FOR SUPPORT, ADVOCACY AND EDUCATION.

THE MISSION OF THE HARBOR DENTAL SOCIETY IS TO PROMOTE EXCELLENCE IN DENTISTRY, SERVE ITS MEMBERS, AND LEAD THE DENTAL COMMUNITY IN ITS RESPONSIBILITY TO THE PUBLIC.

4 The Journal | January/February/March 2011 www.harbordentalsociety.org

As Americans across the country gather with family and friends, I want to personally wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year.

This is always a hopeful time as we celebrate the end of one year and the beginning of another. And while 2010 was difficult for many Americans, we must look back on this year with the knowl-edge that brighter days are ahead of us. Although our challenges are great, each of us has the courage and determination to rise up and meet them. It is the spirit that has kept the American Dream alive for generations, and it is that spirit that will keep it alive for generations to come.

I want to extend a personal thanks to all the Harbor Dental Soci-ety members for their dedication, loyalty, and support in the RAM events, fundraiser for the Harbor Dental Foundation to support the Children’s Dental Health Clinic and all the sponsors to our con-tinuing education programs in 2010. The Leadership of Dr. Ronald Antimarino made this a banner year with ensuring that we pro-mote excellence in dentistry, service to its members, and lead the dental community in its responsibility to the public. I must also give praise to our fine staff, Vicky Brodsky, Janis Bendle, and Mary Raasvald. These three young ladies has dedicated themselves to endless hours of preparation and work to carry out our mission this past year. Their inspiration and continuous support will main-tain a high level of success in pursuing our goals for 2011.

My New Years resolutions will include membership growth and expansion as a top priority with increase emphasis on membership participation and en-gagement. We need to also recruit and mentor new leaders that can take an active role in our dental society as well as being a re-source of new ideas. Organizational excellence means financial stability and a well funded reserve that can meet the needs of our members and to ensure a sound financial base for our staff in the future. We need to be a active participant in our legislative arena to ensure we have a voice representing our dental profession. We need to continue to work with CDA, and the local community to provide access to dental care in a more innovative way to provide care for more people with fewer resources and dollars.

I look forward to this coming year with great anticipation and to the many challenges that will test our will to be innovative, re-sourcefulness, our work ethic, and our courage to take risk to meet the goals for our society. I ask all of you for a commitment to help support the society by coming to our continuing education pro-grams, taking an active role in one our committees, and give us your ideas in how we can better serve our members. Our Lead-ership Conference this year will be held at Hotel Del Coronado, in San Diego, California on January 7-9, 2011. We would love to have you join us in this retreat to set our goals for 2011. Thank you again for being a member of the Harbor Dental Society.

president’smessage membershipmeetingsby GEORGE M. SOOHOO, DDS, MS, MPH

RM Matters

What is Privileged Communication?by YASICA CORUM RISK MANAGEMENT ANALYST

Privileged communication is the exchange of information be-tween two individuals, which is confidential due to the nature of the relationship, such as a doctor-patient relationship.

Doctor-patient confidentiality begins when a patient seeks the advice, care, and/or treatment of a dentist. This applies to dental consultations as well. Patients seeking dental treatment or advice should not fear that their dental concerns, medical conditions or personal information will be disclosed to others. The expectation is for dentists to hold that personal health information in confi-dence and use it exclusively for the benefit of the patient.

Maintaining confidentiality covers not only what a patient may reveal to the dentist, but also what a dentist may independently conclude or form an opinion about, based on an examination or assessment of the patient. Confidentiality covers all of the dental record (including radiographs, lab reports, and billing) as well as all communications between the dentist and patient. It includes communication between the patient and dental staff and phone conversations between dental staff and third-party payers. The duty to preserve privacy even continues after a patient is no lon-ger part of the practice.

Divulging health information is a privilege belonging to the pa-tient, not the dentist. Only the patient may waive that privilege. In general, dentists should not release health information to a third party without getting a release signed by the patient. A common exception occurs when two dentists are treating the same patient and they consult each other regarding treatment. To obtain a sam-ple “Release of Patient Records” form, visit the Risk Management section of the TDIC website at www.thedentists.com.

Medical issues warranting special confidentiality include mental health information, drug and alcohol abuse records, and HIV test results. Do not release this information unless you have express written permission from the patient or the patient’s legal repre-sentative allowing you to do so.

If you have questions regarding the information presented in this article or you need to discuss another Risk Management issue af-fecting your practice, please call the TDIC Risk Management Ad-vice Line at 800.733.0634.

Reprinted with permission from TDIC.


membershipmeetingsJanuary 14, 2011

OSHA, Infection Control and Dental Law

Marcella OsterThe Centre At Sycamore Plaza 5000 Clark Street, Lakewood

8:00 - 4:00, 7 CEU’s

About our Program: Learn about the diseases that are relevant in dental settings and how to protect yourself and your patients. The current CDC Guidelines an State regulations for Infection Control will be presented along with a look at new strategies to meet those recommendations. Strategies for selecting and using the most effective prod-ucts and practices may be discussed, sampled and compared. Slide presentation, some hands-on participation.

February 10, 2011What Does An Ideal

Abutment For A Cemented Implant

Restoration Look Like?Winston Chee, DDS, FACP

The Centre At Sycamore Plaza 5000 Clark Street, Lakewood

5:00 - 9:00,3 CEU’s

About our Speaker and Program: Dr. Winston Chee, being involved with the graduate prosthodontic program at USC Dental School for over twenty years, is uniquely qualified to speak on the subject of implants, of which he is also the director of the implant program. Not only does he help train prosthodontic residents but he is a wet fingered dentist with a thriving part-time private practice with an international client list due to his extensive reputation.

Winston Chee is the ultimate educator, having taught dental students as well as prosthodontic residents for over twenty years, he has an uncanny ability to demystify the subject of implant restorative procedures and techniques that will simplify our everyday treatment protocols. Working in an environment where many of the unmanageable failures from private practice end up, Dr. Chee will share insights on how these difficult cases are managed and eventually resolved. He will discuss pitfalls to avoid and show us how to design custom abutments to handle vari-ous implant positions.

We are indeed fortunate to have a speaker who has lectured internationally on all aspects of implant dentistry in-cluding the subject of screw versus cement type restorations and other topics of interest as related to implant den-tistry. Dr. Chee has written over 85 articles in peer reviewed journals as well as contributed to a book.

ADA Member Dentist 3 CEU: . . . . . . $75.00

5 CEU Programs:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $150.00

7 CEU Programs:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $175.00

Hygienist (all classes):. . . . . . . . . . . $60.00

Auxiliary/Assistant/Guest: . . . . . . . $40.00

New Member (2 years): . (1/2 Member Fee)

Retired Member: . . . . . . . (1/2 Member Fee)

Non ADA Member Dentists: 3 CEU: $125.00

5 CEU: $225.00 & 7 CEU: $275.00

Four ways to register: By mail: Envelope enclosed By fax: (562) 426-4550 By phone: (562) 595-6303 By website: harbordentalsociety.org

Three ways to pay: By check By Visa/MasterCard

March 11, 2011My Patient Keeps Getting

Cavities And I Don’t Know What To Do!

Brian Novy, DDSThe Centre At Sycamore Plaza 5000 Clark Street, Lakewood

8:00 - 4:00, 7 CEU’s

About our Program: There are secrets within dentistry that you have never been told. How much do you really know about saliva? Why doesn’t fluoride always work and what better preventive agents might exist? In order to un-derstand oral disease, you have to understand the processes at work within the mouth. Come find out a whole bunch of stuff you were never taught and how to apply this new knowledge to help your patients stop getting cavities.

About our Speaker: Dr. Nový is an assistant professor of restorative dentistry at Loma Linda University, where he teaches a variety of courses including cariology, evidence-based dentistry, research design, and operative den-tistry. He maintains a private practice in New-hall, California and acts as clinical director for two non-profit dental clinics in southern California. In his spare time he serves as the Vice President of the Foundation for Worldwide Health (a NGO dedicated to improving professional healthcare and health education in developing countries). Dr. Nový lectures throughout the world on advances in the science of dental caries. While he spends a lot of time re-searching the predictive quality of saliva in relation to microbial growth patterns, he is actively involved in orga-nized dentistry and serves as the co-chair of the western CAMBRA coalition. He is determined to change the way dental professionals treat and pre-vent tooth decay. Dr. Nový has presented at the World Health Organization’s Global Conference on Health in Geneva, Switzerland, and the California Dental Association Foundation presented him with the Dugoni Award for “Outstanding contributions to dental education”. In 2009, the American Dental As-sociation awarded Dr. Nový and his office the title, “Adult Preventive Care Practice of the Year.”

Program Prepaid Members Please Note:

Although you have prepaid for the entire year’s programs, you still need to register with the HDS office before the meeting. We ask that you please call or fax your reservation by the Friday before the meeting so that we have your name badge and C.E. credits ready for you.

Thank you.

April 7, 2011A Change of SceneRound Table Forum

The Centre At Sycamore Plaza 5000 Clark Street, Lakewood

5:00 - 9:00, 3 CEU’s

About our Program: In an effort to offer our members a variety of learning formats, our 2011 Continuing Educa-tion Program Committee has brought together several experts on hot topics we think members might value in helping them evaluate/implement these concepts in their own dental office. The round table format allows more opportunities for attendees to ask questions of the experts and to discuss concerns with their colleagues.

Attendees will have the choice of two of the following topics:• PracticeAcquisition• PaperlessPractice• “Marketing”InYouDentalPractice• CEREC• Ceramics…FromtheLaboratoryTechnician’sPointofView• DigitalPhotography

NEW APPLICANTS:Any Member of the Harbor Dental Society having knowledge relative to qualifica-tions for membership of the applicants, please contact the membership chairman.

CONGRATULATIONS NEW MEMBERS:The following applicants have fulfilled requirements for membership:

ANGELLOTTI, JULIE L., DDS Transfer from WLADS 455 E. Columbia Street Long Beach, CA 90806-1620 (562) 933-2501 University of Illinois – Chicago 2006

recruitingupdate

HUYNH, LOAN, DDS 1045 Atlantic Ave #602 Long Beach, CA 90813-3419 (562) 435-5388 USC 2009

SAYEED, AFREEN, DDS (713) 499-0058 14545 Telegraph Road La Mirada, CA 90638 University of Texas 2010


The Long Beach Airport recorded 10.41 inches of rain this past December. Normally, a paltry 1.76 inches falls in that month. For those into numbers, that’s 591% above the norm. For those into astrology, get back to work! The Mayan calendar which began in 3113 B.C. ends December 21, 2012 - doomsday for those so inclined.

Needless to say, it’s been a wet winter so far. I take soggy com-fort in the fact that only 7 of the 10.41 inches of rain have actually leaked through the annoying flat spot in my office roof.

Fortunately though, with our practices in California, the weather does precious little to affect our daily workflow.

Consider a typical winter day for some of our colleagues, however.

Paul Fredrikson practices in Fargo, North Dakota. When we went to press, the Monday high was 12F, with the low at -1F. Dr. Paul’s wife claims he would work 24/7 if the staff would let him - he loves

dentistry that much. I think it really just beats being outside.

Shawn Murphy has another problem. He practices in Ha-nalei, Hawaii. You can’t miss his of-fice, as it’s right across from Ba-nana Joe’s Fruit Stand. The recent report shows a 30% chance of showers with a high of 77F, and a tolerable low of 69F. Dr. Shawn won’t miss work on account of the weather. Another report, however might

greatly threaten the patients sched-uled this week: High Surf Advisory with a 10 foot swell headed for Ha-nalei Bay. If the patients want to see Dr. Shawn, it will be in the wa-ter first, and perhaps the office later.

Jim Harding loves the winter weather. He is the official dental provider to the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Teams. Should your Back-side Rodeo (Coming off a jump and turning your back down the hill, flipping 540, and landing fakie or rotating a total of 720 and landing regular) end in semi-disaster, you would hope: a) some-one caught it on video, and b) Dr. Harding is nearby to put your avulsed tooth in it’s proper place. In Boulder, at the Center for Ad-vanced Dentistry there is an 80% chance of snow, with a high of 18F, and a low of 11F.

The weather in Jacksonville, Florida doesn’t seem to bother Rob-ert Gatling much. In fact, the mild climate allows him to pursue his other passion beyond dentistry - hunting large alligators. I should think this makes dentistry look easy by comparison. Should the doctor choose to hunt this week, Jacksonville will be 66F, with a low of 48F.

Dr. Kelly Maixnerwill perhaps be the happiest to see winter turn to spring. He practices in Nome, Alaska. The weather there usu-ally does not get above freezing until April. But every other year around March, the town of Nome is happy to have snow on the ground - it’s the Iditarod. Racers mush their dogs from Anchorage to Nome over some 1150 miles of the roughest terrain imaginable. Dr. Kelly’s 16 dogs have been training the better part of the year for the upcoming race. A native of North Dakota, he finds his fa-miliarity with bird dogs to translate well to sled dogs - both need to be confident and strong. Current temperature in Nome as of this writing was 24F.

As Mark Twain once said, “ a great, great deal has been said about the weather, but very little has ever been done.” While we may have a good deal of things to complain about in our fair state, for-tunately, the weather is typically not one of them. Yes, I have called the roofer, who calmly reassured me he would get to my roof after a few straight days of sun and the 3 jobs ahead of mine.

editor’scorner by JAMES H. BLAKE, D.D.S.

Meteorology meets Odontology


Knowing When Your Quest for Perfection Is a Problemby JOANNE CHAN

Society puts quite a premium on perfection, for good reason. Per-fection fascinates and inspires. I am particularly drawn to the sym-metry and complexity of buildings, bridges, and visual art, often staring at such creations with awe and wonder at how such per-fection was achieved.

In addition to architecture and art, perfection is expected in voca-tions where the slightest mistake could be tragic. This is no less true for anyone than it is for surgeons. Surgeons strive for perfec-tion from the moment they make their first incision to the mo-ment they suture the exposed insides of someone’s body. When performing something as invasive as surgery, one can do great harm and when the rare mistake is made, the consequences could be just as great. Part of me feels badly for surgeons because they are, after all, human. The other part of me is comforted to know that they have such high standards because if they didn’t, I may think twice before seeking medical treatment.

All this to say that there is validity in striving for perfection. Sur-geons strive for perfection. However, it is best kept contained within the context of their work. Outside of their profession, it would likely be too draining for them to maintain such high stan-dards of living in everything they do.

For the rest of us, it may feel necessary to obtain perfection in our work, relationships, or appearances to achieve a level of fulfillment in life. However, if the pursuit of perfection is excessive within a particular situation and leads you to feel disconnected from your-self or others, it might be time to look at this issue more closely.

In my practice, I believe perfectionism is at the root of a variety of issues that people seek help for: work-related stress, marital issues, feeling lonely and isolated, body image issues, and obsessive-compulsive behavior. In order to determine whether the perfection you are striving to obtain negatively im-pacts your life, try answering the following questions:

– Have you ever avoided doing a task or activity be-cause you were afraid you wouldn’t meet the ex-pectations you set for yourself?

– Have other people given you feedback that you have unrealistically high standards for yourself?

– Do you have trouble letting go of guilt and/regret when you “failed” to meet your own expectations?

– Are you constantly wondering what people think of you? Do you think your worries about what others think of you are excessive?

– Does your quest for doing things perfectly or be-ing perfect hinder you in any way?

If your answers to these questions are predominantly ‘yes’, then it is likely that perfectionism is becoming a problem for you. Although the treatment approaches may vary for different issues, a common thread that connects them is the importance of accepting yourself in the moment. Accepting yourself in the moment does not mean that you should stop growing and improving

upon yourself. We are all in the process of maturing. It does mean that at each moment of your growth process, you are self-satisfied and content.

If you choose to embark in the process of self-discovery, be aware that perfec-tionism can hinder you from accept-ing yourself as you are in the moment. Instead, it can convince you that you will only be happy or fulfilled if you have achieved ___(you fill in the blank)____. Be aware of the false messages and empty promises being perfect sends.

If living your life ‘perfectly’ is the only way you allow yourself to be, the interesting imperfections that make you a complex, unique, individual will not be realized.

If you no longer want to be bound by the need to be perfect, try taking on an open, curious attitude at each moment so that the unique parts of your self will reveal themselves to you. Only then, will it be possible to evolve into the special person you were in-tended to be.

Dr. Joanne Chan is a therapist with Palo Alto Therapy and uses a combination of cognitive-behavioral therapy and interpersonal ap-proaches, carefully tailoring treatment according to clients’ needs. Although her area of special interest is treatment of anxiety problems such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, hoarding, and post-traumatic stress, she also has extensive experience providing therapy for many other areas such as work stress, relationship difficulties, depression, and addictions.

Let Patterson be your> one-source supplier

Patterson Dentalis a proud sponsor of the Harbor Dental Society

Los Angeles Branch185 S. Douglas St., Suite 100

El Segundo, CA 90245310-426-3100

P111

117(1/11)

P111117_OneSource.qxd:Layout 1 1/11/11 12:49 PM Page 1

8 The Journal | January/February/March 2011 www.harbordentalsociety.org8 The Journal | January/February/March 2011 www.harbordentalsociety.org

Dental teams are often placed in an awkward position when patients refuse or question the need for x-rays. X-ray protocols should reflect the dentist’s treatment philosophy as well as each patient’s individual needs. It is no unusual for two or more den-tists to differ in their clinical philosophy, which is why each dentist needs to define his/her x-ray protocols. The intent of this article is to raise the importance of having a written x-ray protocol to clarify your team members’ responsibilities for taking the baseline x-rays you require for screening new patients. Having a written prescrip-tive x-ray protocol removes the question of a team member “diag-nosing” what x-rays a patient needs.

Keeping in line with ethical and professional principles, the den-tist should always determine the need for x-rays and make the di-agnosis. Written x-ray protocols eliminate confusion when team members are well-trained and understand the radiograph guide-lines prescribed by the doctor. Without a clear x-ray protocol, a staff member could be inadvertently diagnosing the needs of the patient. According to NORDIC, a risk liability carrier in Washington State, written prescriptive protocols can be developed to iden-tify the basic films that are necessary to accomplish a new patient oral examination and evaluation. After the requisite films needed to examine the patient are taken, staff should consult with the doctor to determine if additional films are necessary. If a patient brings films to the appointment, staff should ask the dentist to re-view the films to determine if other films may be necessary.

1. Full mouth series (FMX)

A full mouth series (D0210) is an intraoral series of 14-22 peri-apical x-rays and four bitewings. However, some insurance companies consider four bitewings and a panoramic film to be an FMX.

• An intraoral full mount set of x-rays is more diagnostic when the patient has a “mouthful” of restorations, visible decay, fractured teeth, or obvious periodontal disease. Within the FMX set, vertical bitewing x-rays are typically recommended for patients with periodontal disease. The need for vertical bitewings should be determined after the doctor reviews the initial screening films keeping in mind that the diagnosis of periodontal disease should only be made by the doctor.

• If the patient presents with a relatively clean mouth, a pan-oramic x-ray and bitewings may suffice. If, upon taking the x-rays, previously treated endodontic teeth are present, a periapical x-ray of those teeth should be considered. In ad-dition, if the patient has a symptomatic problem, a peri-apical of the affected area may be in order. Note that most dental plans will combine the fees for all films taken on a given date and pay an alternate FMX benefit.

• If a full series of intraoral x-rays is taken and an additional panoramic film is necessary for diagnosis, some dentists do not charge for the panoramic film. Most insurance com-panies will not reimburse for both, and this creates good-will for the patient. If you charge separately for panoramic films taken on the same day as an intraoral FMX, be sure to

inform the patient of the fee in advance.• FMX Frequency: FMS should be taken based upon the

patient’s needs. If a patient has extensive caries or peri-odontal disease, it may be in his/her best interest to have an FMX every three years. If the patient has a clean, healthy mouth, an FMX may only be needed every five to eight years.

• Does your team review each patient’s chart at each ap-pointment to determine the last FMX? Some dental prac-tices have only one person (usually administrative staff) specifically responsible for checking patient records to identify when the last FMX was taken. The date of the last FMX for each patient should be noted on the daily sched-ule. Some practices track FMX frequencies on their practice management software. However, this may not capture pa-tients who bring an FMX from a previous dentist.

2. New patient x-ray protocols

Do you every have new patients who refuse x-rays? Have you had patients insist that they just want their teeth cleaned? How about new patients who refuse both the exam and x-rays? Risk liability carriers typically advise dentists to refuse seeing new patients who refuse and exam and x-rays.

• The new patient who has current x-rays elsewhere A doctor sets him/herself up for a difficult patient right from the beginning if he/she accepts a new patient into the practice without x-rays. The new patient should be told, politely and professionally, that the doctor cannot treat the patient without diagnostic quality x-rays. Patients should be forewarned that duplicating x-rays sometimes lowers their diagnostic quality. When this occurs, new x-rays will be necessary.

• Poor quality x-rays Have you ever received a set of duplicate x-rays that you could not read? The new patient is in your chair and is ada-mantly refusing new x-rays. Now what do you do? Consider having the patient present the x-rays upon check-in. Prior to completing the new patient paperwork, the staff should bring the x-rays to the doctor for review. If the x-rays are not diagnostic quality, the new patient should be informed that new x-rays will be necessary.

• Previous x-rays fail to arrive If a new patient had x-rays taken by another dentist but the previous office hasn’t sent them (and the patient did not bring them), it is best to reschedule the new patient exam. To maintain goodwill, if the new patient has a specific problem, you may offer to see the patient and take limited films as needed to address the new patient’s immediate problem. Make a note on your calendar to follow up if you have not received a patient’s x-rays within 48-72 hours of the appointment.

3. The established patient who refuses x-rays

While dental laws vary from state to state, we all have heard stories of dentists who have been found guilty of supervised

Prescriptive X-ray ProtocolsI don’t want x-rays—I just want my teeth cleaned!by RHONDA R. SAVAGE, DDS

www.harbordentalsociety.org January/February/March 2011 | The Journal 9www.harbordentalsociety.org January/February/March 2011 | The Journal 9

neglect when treating patients without x-rays. Even patients who have signed a form acknowledging that they have refused x-rays later claim that they did not know what they were signing. So, always contact your risk liability carrier before relying on an informed refusal form.

When I was still practicing, I allowed certain patients to defer taking x-rays for a period of time, depending on their condition. However, when I felt x-rays were absolutely necessary to provide accurate diagnosis, I did not hesitate to sit down with the patient privately in the operatory and say the following:

“Sam, I really enjoy you as a patient, but you need to know that I am concerned because we haven’t taken x-rays in “X” months. I cannot provide you with the care that you deserve without x-rays. It is like asking me to take off my glasses, put one hand behind my back and still give you quality care. X-rays provide 50% of my ability to let you know what is happening in your mouth. We will keep your x-rays to a minimum and, if necessary, take more as needed. We are okay for today. However, if we can’t take x-rays at your next appointment, I am sorry to have to tell you that you will need to find another dental provider. Can we plan to take x-rays during your next visit?”

What about the patient who refuses x-rays each time claiming she’s trying to get pregnant? You might respond as follows:

“Sarah, I understand your concern, but it is so important that we be able to take certain x-rays. X-rays provide 50% of our ability to diagnose the health of your teeth and bone support. We are okay for today, but prior to your next cleaning appointment, please call us on the first day of your cycle, so we can get you in for your necessary films. I will make a note in your chart that you will call us sometime during the next six months so we can get you in right away to take the necessary x-rays.”

4. Children and panoramic films

A panoramic film may be needed at various stages of a child’s development, such as to verify development of permanent teeth on a four-to-five-year-old or to look for ectopically erupting canines when the child is eight to nine years only. In both of these age categories, early orthodontic referral may be necessary. In addition, a panoramic film is often taken to check for third molar development on fifteen to sixteen year old patients.

5. Periodontal disease and referral

From an initial screening standpoint, it is possible to have bone loss without clinical signs of periodontal disease. If horizontal bitewings are taken and are not diagnostic for bone loss, consider vertical bitewings. Vertical bitewings often capture the level of crestal bone loss in moderate to advanced periodontal disease more effectively than horizontal bitewings. Furcation involvement may also be more visible with vertical bitewings.

For moderate to advance periodontal disease, I often referred patients to a periodontist. The periodontist I worked with preferred a current (two year or less) intraoral full mouth series with vertical bitewings.

6. The emergency patient

Well trained assistants and hygienists can do a variety of test (i.e., percussion, bite, palpation, hot and cold, etc.) and ask questions about the patient’s symptoms. Through prescriptive x-ray protocols, doctors can direct their staff to take periapical(s) and/or bitewings for certain areas of concern.

7. Frequency of x-rays

The ADA’s position is that the need for x-rays varies for each patient. Below is an excerpt from the ADA guidelines:

“How often X-rays (radiographs) should be taken depends on your present oral health, your age, you risk for disease, and any signs and symptoms of oral disease you may be experiencing. For example, children may require x-rays more often than adults. This is because their teeth and jaws are still developing. Also their teeth are more likely to be affected by tooth decay than those of adults. Your dentist will review your history, examine your mouth and then decide whether or not you need radiographs. If you are a new patient, the dentist may recommend radiographs to determine the present status of your oral health and to help identify changes that may occur later. A new set of x-rays may be needed to help your dentist detect any new cavities, determine the status of your gum health or evaluate the growth and development of your teeth. If a previous dentist has any radiographs of you, your new dentist may ask you for copies of them.” (http://www.ada.org/2760.aspx)

In Summary

Clearly written prescriptive x-ray protocols increase practice efficiency by clarifying for staff which basic x-rays are needed for common situations. At the doctor’s discretion, additional x-rays may be required beyond those needed for initial screening. At each hygiene appointment, dentists should anticipate the x-rays that a patient will need at his/her next visit and document those needs in the patient’s chart and on the schedule.

If your hygiene recall/reactivation program is strong and you preschedule your hygiene patients for their follow-up visits, you should be seeing 85% of your patient base. (For a free copy of our recall/reactivation program, send an email to [email protected] with “Recall Reactivation” in the subject line.) You should also measure your FMX ratio to your patient base. For example, if you have 2,000 patients of record and an FMX is taken every five years (on average); you would ideally be taking 400 full mouth series a year. If you analyze your production reports and see that you took 340 full mouth series last year, this indicates that you were approximately 85% effective.

Consider using this article as a guideline for discussion at your next team meeting, and ask your staff: “How effective are we in meeting out patients’ radiographic needs?


harborsalutes

JANUARY

50 Years Arthur Marshall

40 Years John Faris III

35 Years John Evans Robert Girardi Ronald Kaminishi

30 Years Terrie St. Germain

20 Years Gilbert Mak C. Janice Matsuyama Michael Papadopoulos

FEBRUARY

35 Years Philip Jen Kin

20 Years John Leyman Paula Leyman Scott Wathen

5 Years Cecille Ho Jessica Ilagan-Avergonzado Bich N. Le Dora Lee

1 Year Farjam Shadaiee-Yashmerani Jasmine Minasyan Gary Trombatore

MARCH

45 Years Bernard Fishman Leonard Russo

40 Years Howard Igasaki

25 Years Terrence McCarthy Ronald Surdi Michael Winter

15 Years Daewoo Kim Elizabeth Marcelo Maged Nessim John Wallace Joseph Yang

5 Years Violeta Manabat Jeffrey Neal Frank Patonai Hahn V. Tran

1 Year Ruth English Carlos L. Ilem S. Stephen Sollitt

HDS congratulates the following members who celebrated a membership anniversary during the months of January, February and March. Our thanks for their contribution to our profession through their membership.

Dr. John Blake, Director of the Children’s Dental Health Clinic, accepting the gift of $20,000 from the Harbor Dental Society’s Foundation president, Dr. Dora Lee (Pedo-Los Alamitos).

Photos courtesy of Mr. Bruce Woods, Secretary, Children’s Dental Health Foundation.

Children’s Dental Health Clinic Open HouseThe Children’s Dental Health Clinic held an open house at their clinic on January 5, 2011 to recognize the many volunteers who have supported the clinic. Members of the Harbor Dental Society and our Dental Health Foundation were happy to attend and pres-ent a check to the clinic as a result of our very successful benefit, “Puttin’ On The Ritz” held on Friday, October 11, 2010. Our founda-tion’s goal for this event was to double the amount raised at their benefit in 2008, ($9,700.) We did that plus a bit more, with a check in the amount of $20,000!

Dr. Russell Chang (Ortho-Los Alamitos) was one of the honorees at the event for his contributions in support of establishing an orthodontic treatment unit at the Children’s Dental Clinic. Shown with Dr. Chang are Mary Raasveld (HDS Executive Director) Dora Lee (HDS Foundation President) and Janis Bendle (HDS Administrative Assistant).


After Hours Emergency CoverageA very big thank you to the following Harbor members who have volunteered to help the HDS offer an afterhours Emergency Cov-erage service for patients who do not have a ‘dental home’.

Simona Arcan, DMD, MD (Oral Surgery, Huntington Beach)

Laurene Duke, DDS (GP, Bellflower)

Chip Houske (GP, Torrance)

Ronald Kaminishi (Oral Surgery, Bellflower)

Tiffany Lee (GP, Torrance)

Michael Marshall (Oral, Huntington Beach)

Maged Nessim (GP, Long Beach)

Rebecca Pena (GP, Lakewood)

Christi Peterson (GP, Los Alamitos)

Gerald Roodzant (GP, Whittier)

Gregory Smith (GP, Norwalk)

Ravipan Smith (Perio, Seal Beach)

Interested in treating new patients?

You’d like to volunteer some time with the Society, but your free time is limited?

The HDS EMERGENCY REFERRAL SERVICE is an excellent way to get involved and it does not require large amounts of time while providing an important service to our society and the public.

As a participating dentist, you can choose a two-week commit-ment (you can volunteer for additional weeks if you like) during which you may receive calls from the Society’s answering service to care for patients who have no dentist of record and have a den-tal emergency occurring after normal business hours, on week-ends or holidays. This is a great opportunity to build your practice, help your community and contribute to the Society.

As a Participating HDS Emergency Referral dentists We ask that you agree to:

1. Willingness to accept new patient referrals as well as after-hour emergency referrals.

2. Have a system in place in your office where patients can reach you at anytime.

3. “Life Happens” Should you be unable to serve a portion of your scheduled weeks on the Emergency Referral Service, we ask that you find an HDS member replacement for your Emer-gency Referral commitment AND inform the HDS office of the change if you are unable to serve during your two week com-mitment at (562) 595-6303.

Enjoy playing golf? Mark your calendar now as the Western Los Angeles Dental Society is hosting a golf tournament and has invited all the dentists in the five Los Angeles county dental societies to join in the fun… For more information, contact the WLADS at 310-349-2199.

SAVE THE DATEMonday, May 2, 2011

Annual WLADS Golf Tournament

Mountain Gate Country Club

12445 Mountaingate Dr. Los Angeles, CA 90049

SAVE THE DATEMonday, May 2, 2011

Annual WLADS Golf Tournament

Mountain Gate Country Club

12445 Mountaingate Dr. Los Angeles, CA 90049

Help is one step away…The CDA Well-Being Program

If you’re concerned that someone you

know or maybe even yourself may have

an alcohol or chemical dependency

problem, support is available through

the CDA Well-Being program.

Southern California Well-Being Committee 310.406.6319 or 818.437.3204 Harbor Dental Society 562.595.6303 California Dental Association 800.232.7645 ext. 4961

harbornews


Keeping in Touch…Harbor would like to congratulate Drs. Greg Miller and Helaine Kan on the birth of their daughter Olivia Kelsey born on December 15, 2010.

Congratulations to Harbor member, Dr. Nagaraja P. Murthy (G.P.-Compton) for his unceasing dedica-tion and inspired contributions to the fight to restore adult dental ben-efits in the Denti-Cal program. Dr. Murthy was recognized for his efforts on behalf of his profession at the CDA 2010 House of Del-egates meeting in November.

A big thank you to Dr. Gary Glasband (G.P.-Long Beach) for his commitment and dedication in serving as Harbor’s Trustee to the California Dental Association for the past six years. We are honored to have Dr. Glasband continue to serve on Harbor’s Board of Directors in the capacities of Leadership Development Co-Chair, member of the 2012 Program Planning Committee and Barriers To Care Committee.

CDA House of Delegates

Front (l-r) Drs. George SooHoo, Toan Nguyen. Second(l-r)Mary Raasveld, Exec., Drs. Belinda Balais, Dora Lee, Gary Glasband. Back (l-r) Ashok Mehta, Max Martinez, Michael Marshall, and Ronald Antimarino.

Note: If you would like to change your photo on our website, please email new photo to:

[email protected].

Frank C. Blair, DDSJuly 1, 1918 – January 3, 2011

Frank C. Blair, DDS, a member of Harbor Dental Society for 68 years, passed away on January 3, 2011. A graduate of USC School of Dentistry, class of 1942, he joined the Navy and was assigned as the first dentist aboard the U.S.S. New Jersey for the battle ship’s inaugural tour of duty in the South Pacific. Dr. Blair returned to his home in Long Beach to practice general dentistry until his retire-ment in 1996. Very active in the Long Beach Community, Dr. Blair served as Harbor’s 40th President (1956-57). He campaigned vig-orously and was instrumental in achieving fluoridation of Long Beach water. He was the first dentist to be appointed to the Long Beach Board of Health. Survived by his wife, Ruth, and four chil-dren, his oldest son, Frank Blair, III, also a Harbor member, prac-tices dentistry in Long Beach.

Ronald T. Wong, DDSSeptember 1, 1919 – October 8, 2010

Dr. Ronald Wong, a graduate of the University of California-San Francisco in 1946, began his practice in Long Beach 1949, joining the Harbor Dental Society that same year. A dedicated member of organized dentistry for forty-one years, Dr. Wong retired from his practice in 1990. He was a Life Member of Harbor Dental Society, California and the American Dental Associations.

Arthur Berke, DDSA graduate of the University of California, San Francisco in 1945, Dr. Berke practiced dentistry for children in Torrance for over forty years. He was a life member of the Harbor Dental Society, Califor-nia and American Dental Association, Dr. Berke retired in 1987.

In Memoriam

Our hats are off to Harbor Members serving on councils and committees of the California Dental Association for 2011. Our Congratulations to Ronald Antimarino (G.P. Long Beach) and Ronald Surdi (G.P. San Pedro) for their appointments to the CDA Judicial Council, and to Drs. John Blake (G.P. Long Beach) and Gary Glasband (G.P. Long Beach) for their appointments to the CDA Policy Development Council, and Dr. Santos Cortez (Pedo-Long Beach) for his continued service as a member of the CDA Government Affairs Council. Thank you to Drs. Belinda Balais (G.P. Long Beach) and Michael Marshall (Oral Surgery Huntington Beach) for serving so ably as Harbor’s Trustees to the California Dental Association.

harbornews


Annual Leadership ConferenceHarbor Dental Society’s Board of Directors went south to San Diego’s beautiful Hotel Del Coronado for their Annual Leadership Conference the weekend of January 7-9, 2011. Much is achieved at this important meeting, beginning with a strategic planning session to review and update the boards’ goals and tactics for success in the coming year, led by moderator Dr. Phil Melnick. Taking a break from Strategic Planning (for some of Coronado Island’s great ocean air) are (Front row, left to right) Drs. Dora Lee, Michael Marshall, Toan Nguyen and Ravi Smith. Second row (left to right) Drs. Belinda Balais, Santos Cortez, George SooHoo (2011 HDS President), Ashok Mehta, Patrick Emigh and Mary Raasveld (Exec. Director). Third row (left to right) Drs. Ronald Antimarino, Phil Melnick, Charles Brodsky, Max Martinez, Sam Berro and Robert Emigh.

Enjoying the light side of strategic planning are (left to right) Drs. Toan Nguyen (New Professionals and Regional Meetings), Patrick Emigh (Director), Robert Emigh (Peer Review Chair), Michael Marshall (Trustee) and Ron Antimarino (Immediate Past President). Editor’s note: the crutch behind Dr. Marshall is for real and a result of a skiing injury and broken foot the previous week. (HDS greatly appreciates Dr. Marshall’s commitment to the Society in spite of the many stairs he had to take during the weekend event.)

Clowning for the photographer during a quick break are Drs. Gary Glasband (Barriers to Care Chair), Dora Lee (Secretary) and Charles Brodsky (Director and Web Master).


Fires, Before and Afterby ROBERT E. PETERSON, DDS AND RICHARD E. WATKINS, RPA (Registered Professional Adjuster)

A little story before proceeding with the “what to do-when.” I got a call from my ophthalmologist friend in our building on a Sunday afternoon. He said you had better get out here to our office build-ing as it is on fire. He had left his coffee pot on Saturday. Needless to say we got there and the Gladstone Fire Dept. was fighting the fire. We stood on the hill across the street at watched. My biggest fear was that we were in the middle of changing software pro-grams and I wanted to get my computer out of there and I had not backed up what we input Friday. Pucker factor was REALLY high! Although the fire was at the other end of the building, the fire marshal would not let me in the building until late that evening. We will come back to this later.

Those of us practicing dentistry don’t have much of a chance to study the effects of a serious fire until it occurs. I had to learn the hard way, but was lucky to have a good friend and a great wife to guide me.

Before you have to deal with adjustors, insurance companies, a place to practice, staff and stress, just to name the major factors, here is what you should do.

1. Take a video with voice over as well as digital photos (they can be enlarged to show detail) of everything in your office. I can assure you that you will not remember every detail. Make three copies, one for the office computer, take one home and the other in a safety deposit box. Update whenever you add or change anything.

2. Have an auxiliary do an inventory on a CD with voice over (again make three) of all supplies, name, amount and cost. Update once a month.

3. Video the outside of your building from all angles (you could include this in #1).

4. Have a plan with your study club or colleagues for emergency coverage of your practice. You will need a place to practice while you rebuild or relocate.

5. Insurance is important! You are operating a business so take a business approach that addresses possible practice interrup-tion so that you will be duly covered. A good insurance agent can give you advice on how best to do this. It is a big item! Li-ability, mal-practice, life, health, practice interruption, etc.

AFTER THE FIRE1. Start a log IMMEDIATELY. Do not depend on your memory!

Date, time, mileage and make notes on every telephone conversation.

2. Contact your insurance company. Be patient with your insur-ance agent as he/she has a job to fulfill. Many times things can be salvaged, but a little common sense goes a long way here. Your dental supplier can help.

3. Get IMMEDIATE professional help with computers and other electronic equipment including cameras. You can lose valu-able data by procrastinating!

4. Even though you may have practice interruption insurance, income will be reduced. Check with friends to possibly work in their office on their day off. The important thing here is that you back up everything every night so that you know what your schedule would have been.

5. We had to work from our house for almost six months and it can be quite chaotic but there may not be another choice. We put in two extra phone lines and let patients know how to get in touch with our office. All files and staff were at our house and even though they had been through hypobaric oxygen treatment there was still a smoke odor for a long time. We av-eraged about two days a week in a dental office.

6. Finally, try to maintain a sense of humor. Someday this horror will pass and you will look back and be glad you took time to follow these suggestions.

Harbor Dental Society’s Annual

“BRUNCH WITH A VIEW”

Please Join Us Old Ranch Country Club

3901 Lampson Ave Seal Beach, CA 90740

Sunday, March 27, 2011

9:00-12:00 noonWith

Bruce J. Crispin DDS, MS Founder & Director

Esthetic Professionals Dental Education Center

2 units Continuing EducationThis program, in seminar style, is clinical and practical, with

information that can be put into immediate use.

Join us for the great food and beautiful atmosphere of the beautiful Old Ranch Country Club in Seal Beach.

$31.95 per person For Reservations, Call HDS (562) 595-6303

Fax: (562) 426-4550 or Email: [email protected] or Register on line at our website: www.harbordentalsociety.org

classifieds


Space SharingSUBLEASE SPACE IN MANHATTAN BEACH/REDONDO BEACH AREA. State of the art office. Great opportunity for specialist starting out. Call (310) 490-1050.INDEPENDENT ORTHODONTIST OR OTHER SPECIALIST wanted to share space in Newport Beach near Hoag Hospital. Perfect opportunity to offer your patients more convenient location for appointments and to expand your practice in Orange County. State-of-the-art operatory, sterilization equipment. “Call 949-642-9928 for Quotes.”EAGLESOFT paperless charting, PANOREX, SCHICK digital xrays, and services of office manager can be included. NO ORTHODONTIST available in this entire 3 story medical dental building. New dental office 4 chairs in PRIME location with newly renovated building available for rent per day on a monthly or yearly basis to start a practice. Please call (949) 642-”9928” or email [email protected] for more information. SPACE SHARE: Lost your lease? Need to upgrade your office? Or need to move to a new location? Con-sider space sharing in a bright, beautiful 2500 sq. ft., eight op office in Bixby Knolls (Long Beach). Ameni-ties such as administration services, sterile & non-sterile labs, panorex, darkroom, large patient reception area, restrooms, private conference room, staff lounge, doctor & business offices. Accessible parking with elevator for handicapped patients. Option to buy-in. Call Debbie 562-595-4123.PRIME BEVERLY HILLS – Excellent opportunity for dentist starting own practice or slowing down. Modern well equipped 6 operatories available to share M, Th, Fri, Sat. Terms negotiable. Please call 310-657-5577.

Rent or LeaseOFFICE FOR LEASE - BEST LOCATION IN LONG BEACH: 2nd Street Plaza in the heart of Belmont Shore has an approximately 750 sq. ft. office with 3 Rooms, Bathroom, Waiting Area, Reception Counter, Wet Counter, and more for only $1950 per month. Call before it is gone: 562-222-4919.PRIME LOCATION FOR RENT FOR SPECIALISTS ONLY: 1600 W. Redondo Beach Blvd, Gardena. Call Dr. Eli Tabari at (310) 515-0579.FOR LEASE: Prime location dental building, Valley View St., where the 405 and 22 fwys meet. 1,000 sq. ft. @ $1.52/sq ft. % leasehold paid as bonus. Call Gary @ 714-893-0045.REDONDO BEACH OFFICE FOR LEASE: 915 South Catalina Avenue. 1,100 to 2,200 SF. Built out dental suites in established dental location. Building to be renovated. Steve Miller, Brk (310) 517-4868.FOR LEASE: 2 suites located in City of Orange. 3,800 and 1,200 sq. ft. in prime shopping center on busy retail corridor. Call (949) 248-2883. Julius Coronado, Real Estate Broker.

Practice for SaleLOS ANGELES PRACTICE AND BUILDING FOR SALE: Highly Successful, 2009 Gross $2.3M, 12 OPS, Asking $1.2M For Practice, $1.9M For Building. Call 888-277-6633 or [email protected] FOR SALE/ GARDENA. State Of Arts with 5 ops fully equipped/4 x-rays digital high tech. GP. good location and price. Please call (562) 746-2776.PRACTICE FOR SALE: Prime Beverly Hills General Family Practice for Sale. Ground floor corner, 1100 square feet with Operatories. Email contact: [email protected] FOR SALE: Dr. Rebecca Irene A. Pena. 1066 Atlantic Ave., Suite B, Long Beach, CA 90813 (562) 495-6266. 3 ops. fully equipped, digital x-ray, intraoral camera 1350 sq. ft.PRACTICE FOR SALE: Long Beach, Excellent location. Please Leave message for call back (951) 640-8068.

Equipment For SaleNEW EQUIPMENT FOR SALE: METALIFT CROWN AND BRIDGE REMOVAL SYSTEM KIT- includes technical manual and all items in great condition, hardly used, look up details of use at www.metalift.com, new sells for $525, selling for $250. Contact [email protected] or Dr. D at (562)430-1013NEW EQUIPMENT FOR SALE: WHALEDENT PERFECTTCS ELECTROSURGE UNIT 400E- perfect working order, comes with multiple tips/ video/ manual/ hard carrying case, new model sells for $1200, selling for $500. Contact [email protected] or Dr. D at (562)430-1013FOR SALE: Precision semiadjustable articulator Hanau model 96HZO and Facebow style SM for $375.00 Phone: (562) 630-5886 Contact: Lourdes. FOR SALE: TULSA ENDO FILES. Series 29 – .06 tapered, .04 tapered. Retail price: $44.50 per box. Will sell: $30.00 per box. Please contact (714) 404-6363.CEREC ‘07 4 Sale. Latest MCXL Milling unit, Acquisition System, Ivoclar furnace. Sale by original owner. Lightly used. 626-552-8844. [email protected] VACUMAT 40T PORCELAIN OVEN: Works great for in office glazing & staining of crowns, add contacts on crowns that come back shy from the lab. Gently used for 3 years in a small private prac-tice. Looks and works like brand new. Comes with touchscreen control pad and built in vacuum. This is a solid workhorse that has never let me down. If you own cerec, it’s pre-programmed for all emax crys-talization schedules, as well as run of the mill glazing of PFMS or vita crowns. 2999.00 retails new for 5145.00. Email [email protected] or contact me at (310) 367-6584 for more details or pictures.FOR SALE: Orthoceph OC100 & Orthopantomograph OP100 with OrthoID. $8,000. AT 2000 XR Processor. $2,500. Both excellent working condition. Well maintained. Contact Dr. Baker at (310) 523-2161.DENTRIX IMAGECAM INTRAORAL CAMERA SYSTEM with 2 docking stations. “The Wand” local anes-thesia delivery system with 300 handpiece syringes $1,200. (562) 421-3747.FOR SALE: Smart PReP 2, a platelet concentrate system that naturally stimulates the healing process. (Model#5MP2-115 from Harvest Tech.) Best offer $$ Please call (562) 598-8604.INTRA ORAL CAMERA R.F. SYSTEM - like new. Used only one year. Changed system to digital x-rays and intraoral camera. Will help train and install 3 monitors and 3 pole arms, printer, DVD player, etc. Call Dr. Parikh (310) 639-7970. FOR SALE: WATERLASE from Biolase. Excellent working condition, barely used, with two hand pieces. Call for information. Pick up only. Price negotiable. (310) 539-9307.

FOR SALE: Instrumentarium OP 100 Panorex unit with A T 2000 Developer. The Panorex unit is digital upgradable - $7,000 for both. Please call (562) 598-8604.FOR SALE DENOPTIX DIGITAL IMAGING SYSTEM: Included DenOptix Laser Scanner w/cable, VixWin Soft-ware CD-ROM, Intraoral Carousel, Panoramic Carousel, Panoramic Imaging Plate, 20 New Size 0 Imaging Plates, 60 New Size 2 Imaging Plates, 2 New Size 4 Imaging Plates, 300+ New Size 0 Disposable Barrier Envelopes, 10,000+ New Size 2 Disposable Barrier Envelopes, 50 New Size 4 Disposable Barrier Envelopes, User Manual and Installation Guide, Preventive Maintenance Kit, and more. Asking Price $15,000 OBO. Cell (310) 539-9307.

OpportunitiesLARGE PRACTICE IN LAKEWOOD AND CERRITOS SEEKING EXPERIENCED PEDODONTIST, who is willing to build and grow with our practice. Prefer specialist who is already credentialed with HMO plans. For consideration please e-mail resume to [email protected] RDA with outstanding verbal and communication skills for highly professional private practice in La Habra , just minutes from the 60 freeway. All levels of experience may apply. Please send resume to FAX 562-690-6181 or e-mail [email protected] Douglas S. Daniels, Daniels Dental Care 562-694-3660640 E. Whittier Blvd. La Habra Ca 90631WANTED: TREATMENT/FINANCIAL COORDINATOR for 3 months while current team member is on maternity leave. Prefer experience with dental benefits and treatment presentation. Position will tran-sition into a front and back office floater. RDA/Xray license highly desirable. Please forward resumes to [email protected] ASSISTANT: Bi-lingual F/T, x-ray license, minimum 1 year exp. Fax resume to (562) 861-2601/ Downey (562) 961-4011. RITESCAN - DENTAL CT SCAN CENTER Seeking dental personnel with xray license. Computer knowl-edge required (will train). Please submit resume to: fax (562) 683-0473 or e-mail to [email protected], LONG-TERM GENERAL DENTIST wanted in Torrance group practice. No endodontics or pedodontics required. Prefer experience in implant restoration, extractions, digital radiography, paperless office systems. Flexible hours. FAX resume to 310 347-4099. LOS ALAMITOS, CA – LOOKING FOR A PART-TIME RDA to cover maternity leave for at least 3 months. RDA must have at least 2 years orthodontic experience and must have computer skills and be a self motivated team player. Please fax resume to (562) 598-0005.THE ‘PEARLY WHITES’ OF YOUR PRACTICE MAY NEED MY ADDED TOUCH! Experienced gen-eral dentist, with specialization in pediatric dentistry. History of hospital privileges. I grew up in Long Beach and have returned after 35 years. USC Dental ‘75. Available part time. Alan Samuel, DDS. Cell (707)834-4017.PULSE - CPR AND SAFETY TRAINING. Steven Guest D.D.S. retired. Member of American Dental As-sociation since 1974. I come to you or you choose online class with practical session in your office. (562) 708-8055 or [email protected]. EXPERIENCED GP SEEKING PT/FT JOB. Also available to work during illness, vacation, pregnancy leaves. Call (310) 694-1055.SEEKING ASSOCIATE to work independently doing hygiene and general restorative treatment. PT/FT & days are flexible. The practice is general and cosmetic in San Pedro, No DMO’s or Medi-cal. Fax resume to (310) 832-5470.WANTED: Dental Assistant, X-ray license, motivated, good communication skills. Call Dr. Alice Trinh, (714) 757-8471.D.A WANTED IN ORANGE COUNTY: Part time (2-3 days per week) English/Spanish, fast learner/hard working/multi-task, great benefit program. Email resume: [email protected] (562)298-7664.WELL ESTABLISHED GENERAL DENTIST: looking for an associate dentist to work part time 1-2 days a week in Los Alamitos. Call for more information (562) 596-4439.WANTED: FRONT DESK/MANAGER/ASSISTANT in Lomita general dental office. Fax resume to (310) 530-3246 or call (310) 530-3790.ORTHODONTIST seeking temporary or part-time employment. Ultra-competent and loveable. Call (310) 519-1210.HAPPIER PATIENTS • Anesthesiologist will minimize stress for you and your patients • Industry recog-nized • Board Certified • 20 years experience • Call 310-283-3333 or [email protected] DENTAL ASSOCIATE with intent to Partner. Growing practice with 1.3 million gross. Friendly rural community, great schools, slow pace lifestyle. Contact Dr. Harry Johnson or Dr. Karen Beck, 1955 Central Ave, Mckinleyville, CA 95519, 707-839-1100 or [email protected]: Looking for full time Dental Assistant in a private office in Bellflower. Please fax resume to (562) 866-0943.GENERAL PRACTITIONER LOOKING FOR DIAGNOSTIC AND MANAGEMENT POSITION. 3 ½ years experience of working in high volume pedo office as a treatment and management dentist. Please call (310) 462-3310. WANTED: Associates, Hygienist, Front Office and Dental Assistant, F/PT. Friendly, fast-paced office in Tor-rance looking for self-motivated team players. (310) 779-6611. Fax Resume to (310) 377-5020.DENTAL ASSISTING PROGRAM: Are you looking for qualified Dental Assistants to work in your office? Southeast ROP (Regional Occupational Program) offers placement of students to do internship in your dental office at NO COST TO YOU! For more information contact: Denise Alimentario, Dental Assisting In-structor, (562) 860-1927, Ext: 442.

Equipment WantedWANTED: Small Model Trimmer, new or used in good working condition. Please call (562) 924-0558. WANTED: J4 Myo Monitor, Stratos 100 Ivoclar-Vivadent Articulator. Please call (562) 924-0558.(Classifieds are available to our members at $5.00 per add. Call or fax your ad to the Society at (562) 595-6303 or (562) 426-4550 (fax).

“The Path to Perfection – is there only one way?”“The Path to Perfection – is there only one way?”

January / February / March Volume 18, Issue 1

A publication of the Harbor Dental Society

PrescriptiveX-ray

Protocols

What isPrivileged

Communication?

Knowing When YourQuest for Perfection

is a Problem

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY1

2 3 4 5CPR

6 7Leadership Conf.

8Leadership Conf.

9Leadership Conf.

10 11 12 13 14Membership Meeting

15

16 17Foundation Board Mtg.

18 19 20Long Beach Oral Health

21 22

23/30 24/31Executive Comm.

25 26 27 28 29

January5 CPR7-10 Leadership Conference - Hotel Del

Coronado14 HDS Membership/Continuing

Education “OSHA/Infection Control/Dental Law” Marcella Oster

17 Foundation Board Meeting 20 Long Beach Oral Health Task Force24 HDS Executive Committee Meeting

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8Board Meeting

9 10Membership Meeting

11 12

13 14 15CPR

16 17 18 19

20 21 22 23 24 25 26

27 28Executive Committee

29 30

February8 HDS Board of Directors Meeting10 HDS Membership/Continuing

Education “Prosthodontics for the G.P.” Dr. Winston Chee

15 CPR28 HDS Executive Committee

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8Board Meeting

9 10 11Membership Meeting

12

13 14Nominating Committee

15CPR

16 17 18 19

20 21 22 23 24New Professionals

25 26

27Brunch with a View

28Executive Committee

29 30

March8 HDS Board of Directors Meeting11 HDS Membership/Continuing

Education “Minimal Evasive Restorative Techniques” Dr. Brian Novy

14 Nominating Committee Meeting15 CPR24 New Professionals Seminar27 Brunch with a View – Bruce J. Crispin

DDS, MS28 HDS Executive Committee

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY1 2

3 4 5 6 7Membership Meeting

8 9

10 11 12 13 14Long Beach Oral Health

15 16

17 18 19 20CPR

21New Professionals

22 23

24Easter

25Executive Comm.

26 27 28 29 30

April7 HDS Membership/Continuing

Education “Round Table Forum-Interactive EDU”

14 Long Beach Oral Health Task Force20 CPR21 New Professionals Business Seminar24 Easter25 HDS Executive Committee

jan/feb/march journal

Documents