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The Voice of General Dentistry
I hope all of you have had a nice summer! This past summer has been
very interestingly busy. It definitely went by too quickly. One of the
favorite things I did was attend the AGD’s annual meeting event in
Denver. Man, the Rocky Mountains were spectacular! The golf outing
for the AGD was held at one of the best courses I have ever played or
have seen. As a delegate for Wisconsin, there were many very important and very heated issues that needed to be discussed and voted upon. Some of the issues were: streamlining the committees to be more effective and less expensive to run; approving the use of
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accumulating credits toward the Masters from the start as a pre-fellow; and the deletion of all the different categories of members in the AGD which bogs down the staffs’ ability to enter them. All of these issues affecting you as members, and more, can be found on the AGD’s web site. We witnessed the new president, Bruce DeGinder, being sworn in and the previous president, Bruce Burton, both excellent leaders. The 2010 initiative designed by the present leaders is in full swing and definitely a welcome plan for all of the membership. The theme for this presidency is membership recruitment. I would like to make this my quest also, that is why I need all of my Wisconsin constituent members to try to get a colleague to join. Enclosed you will find a membership application. Please get our membership to increase in our area so we can be heard and represented as a large group of continuing education and advocacy freaks.
John Olsen
Dr. John Olsen, FAGD |
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To The Point
By Peter M. Muehleis D.D.S., FAGD
Editor
Our Own Worst Enemy
What is it about the profession of dentistry that still remains a mystery to the general public? Why do so many of our legislators not get it, and why do some of our colleagues live in a utopian dream world?
The issue again (still) before us is the expansion of the placement of sealants in non-dental settings, by untrained individuals, to those undeniably in need of much more.
August’s issue of the W. D. A. Journal highlights Senator Glenn Grothman ( RWest Bend) and his alliance with the four Democrats |
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serving on the Joint Committee of Review of Administrative Rules in approving Gov. Doyle’s proposal to allow dental hygienists to bill Medicaid for procedures (including sealants) without a dentist’s diagnosis or exam. The term “ some care is better than no care” that is being used by advocates of this legislation includes, hygienists, legislators, Wisconsin Hospital Association Administrators, and even dentists. Apparently “emotional appeals” by some dental hygienists was enough to have some abandoned their brains in favor of expediency. For some legislators (perhaps Chairman Grothman) this emotional appeal, reaffirmed his stated predisposed notion that a dentist’s level of education is overkill when it comes to the placement of sealants.
This stance is hardly surprising when we see articles such as the one in August’s General Dentistry by Dr. Bufano et. al., whose group did a study on the prevalence of sealants in Maryland third graders. Their conclusion states “school-based and school linked dental sealant programs are viable solutions”. If that’s true, so would be school-based restorations and pulpotomies.
They further state that dentists can support legislation that includes dental sealants as a reimbursable service under Medicaid in public health settings. Their goal may soon arrive in Wisconsin. In concluding they say that “ disparities in dental caries rates are likely to continue if dental sealant prevalence does not increase in the U.S.".
The notion that if we could only slap a sealant on every child’s teeth in the U.S., all would be well, is amazingly ignorant.
One could argue that these academics stick to their research and leave public policy to those with a more rounded appreciation of the real world. Nowhere in any discussion I’ve read in our professional journals, do I ever hear mentioned the difficulty in placing a lasting sealant nor the pre-diagnosis essential in determining that the tooth is in fact decay free.
What is the driving force behind our lack of will to reclaim this technically challenging procedure from our hygiene colleagues? I’m not sure, but sadly, I believe, we are our own worst enemy, unable to agree among ourselves and unable to effectively influence the dialogue.
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Dr. Chris Hansen has been in private practice in Manitowoc and Green Bay since 1985. A native of Milwaukee, WI, he earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee and his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from Marquette University School of Dentistry. Dr. Hansen’s practice is directed toward comprehensive restorative dental treatment, as well as conservative care of patients who suffer with temporomandibular-related disorder. Dr. Hansen lectures extensively both locally and nationally on the subject of the Dentists’ role in the cooperative management of Sleep Disordered breathing. An interest in sleep disorders led him to become a founding member of the Academy of Clinical Sleep Disorders Dentistry, and the Dental
Organization for Sleep Apnea (DOSA). These organizations are involved with the dental management of airway related sleep disorders.
Dr. Daniel Tache, a native of Salem, MA, has been practicing dentistry since 1975. He received his undergraduate degree from
St. Anselm’s College in Manchester, NH, and his Doctor of Dental Medicine degree from Tufts University School of Dental
Medicine. For 16 years, Dr. Tache was in private practice in Houston, TX and served as a guest lecturer and assistant clinical
professor at the University of Texas Dental Branch. During that time, he trained dentists in the field of temporomandibular
dysfunction and orofacial pain. Dr. Tache continues to lecture locally and nationally on the subjects of orofacial pain and sleep
apnea and the pivotal role now placed by the qualified dentist in the management of these serious modalities.
Studies show that over 40% of the patients in your practice snore and of those, most of them show symptoms
of Sleep Apnea. Participants will learn about the principles of sleep medicine from a dental perspective and
show the dentist’s role in the management of airways during sleep. There will be a discussion of the prevalence,
causes and contributing factors to snoring and obstructive sleep apnea and the range of treatments available. The dental exam using acoustic and radiographic imaging will be demonstrated as well as the
dental requirements for successful treatment. The range of oral appliances available will be discussed and the
criteria used to choose the right one for your patient. In the afternoon, we will present the protocols for
screening in your office and providing free screening for the general public. Necessary records, including
informed consent, letters to referring doctors and other communications will be covered. Fees and insurance
as well as the requirements for coverage by third party medical payers will be presented.
The second day will feature a hands-on component for a limited number of participants. Each doctor will
insert an appliance and have an appliance inserted for his/her use or for demonstration purposes. Examination
techniques with acoustic reflection will be demonstrated, as well as techniques for adjustment and titration
of the oral appliances. Vendors will be available to discuss various products discussed in the seminar.
Course Objectives:
At the conclusion of the program, the participants should be able to:
• Provide a basic understanding of sleep medicine and explore dentistry’s vital role in management of sleep
disordered breathing of the patients who do not respond to customary medical treatment.
• Provide a comprehensive, standardized approach to the management of sleep disordered breathing usingoral appliances. Using this information, participants will be able to effectively evaluate and treat patients with snoring and diagnosed with sleep apnea.
• Describe indications for the use of a variety of FDA approved oral appliances and to determine which is
appropriate for each patient.
• Understand the use of airway imaging equipment to evaluate the airway response to repositioning of the mandible.
• Recognize the essential role of the home unattended sleep recorder to determine the efficacy of oral appliance
therapy.
• Educate the dentist and staff in order to make practicing “Sleep Dentistry” efficient and financially profitable. Develop an internal marketing plan for your practice.
• Learn effective methods of building strong relationships and communicating with sleep medicine physicians and sleep centers in your community. |
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Please contact the WIAGD with any questions or for membership information.
Contact the Wisconsin Academy of General Dentistry by email:
Contact Us |
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Advertise Here
WAGD Continues to Grow!
Welcome, New Members!
Dr. Conor T. Casey
Milwaukee
Dr. Marcelle R. Gharibeh
Waukesha
Dr. Chadwich W. Schwitters
Madison
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AGD In Action
Dr. Vincent C. Mayher, DMD, president-elect of the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD), testified
on Sept. 6 in support of using dental amalgam as a viable option to treat dental decay. The hearing
was conducted at the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Joint Meeting of the Dental Products
Panel and the Peripheral and Central Nervous System Drugs Advisory Committee of the Center for
Drug Evaluation and Research.
The hearing was preceded by the FDA’s conclusion, after reviewing 34 research studies, that there
has been no significant new information that would change its determination that mercury-based
fillings do not harm patients, except in the rare case of an allergic reaction. Numerous other witnesses
at the hearing agreed with the FDA’s conclusion.
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