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The Voice of General Dentistry
First off, I want to express to all of you that this is one of the proudest
days of my life. I appreciate the trust all of you have for me to fill shoes
of my predecessors as the president of the WAGD. I will continue in the WAGD’s quest to provide it’s constituents with a strong, active board committed to education and representation for the general dentist. I will improve our relationship with Marquette’s educational process with the students through services like mentoring and the glide-path to fellowship programs. The students will have the ability to join the AGD at no charge in their junior year and have their dues paid for through the dental student’s graduation. |
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Hopefully our commitment to our young colleagues now will pay off in the future as
possible associates or long-term active Academy general dentists. I will also push actively to have continuing education courses at MUSoD taught by their faculty or noted lectures in the dental circles. To make sure these important tasks are accomplished, I have decided to remain the membership chair person.
I want to make sure that tasks that are presented by the board are carried out to completion through
deadlines and competency. To do this, an active dated schedule will be followed and abided by. We
have excellent chair-people in place, a new Regional Chair (Dr. Lou Boryc.) Phone meetings will be
used to confirm committee and sub-committee tasks saving the WAGD money. Face-to-face meetings will wrap tasks up quickly. E-mail will be the mainstay of the communication process throughout. A calendar of events, deadlines, meetings and tasks will be developed and adhered to.
Through my tenure as president I want our constituents and students to be heard. A constituent/
student survey will be distributed to facilitate a knowledge base as to what our board and national
elected officers can provide for them. Our Website will provide all of us an up-to-date method of
communication and insight into the activities of the WAGD. The “Mirror” will be slightly revamped
to provide all the constituents with AGD news and articles.
Again, I am thrilled and excited to be your president and look forward to my tenure in office.
John Olsen
Dr. John Olsen, FAGD |
Dr. Ara Nazarian comments on just completed Wisconsin
AGD MDI Seminar in Green Bay ...
“I’m pleased to report that the lecture and hands-on portion of the IMTEC MDI mini-implant system held in Green Bay on March 17 &18 was a great success! On the 17th the initial response from the doctors was quite positive and there was great interest in the placement and restorative protocol. In fact, the majority of the audience invested in the basic MDI placement kit the first day. The hands-on portion that took place on the 18th really complemented the lecture. The attendees were excited to see two live patient surgeries. The first patient was a straightforward case where (as was the second) there was so much resorption that we reflected a flap in order to place some MDI’s. |
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The audience seemed pleased to see two different types of cases. As you know, Drs. Richard Winter and Chris Hansen assisted and also successfully placed some MDI’s. They were a joy to work with. These two doctors’ passion for dentistry definitely got everyone excited. IMTEC has a wonderful product and it was a pleasure to speak on your company’s behalf. As you know, the Sendax MDI not only helps frustrated patients with their denture problems, but also offers a product that allows dentists to become successful and productive.”
- Ara Nazarian, DDS - Troy, Michigan dmazarian@premierdentalcenter.com
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Dr. Richard Winter’s course appraisal...
“To: Doretta Anderson and Michele Pollard - IMTEC. It was a sincere pleasure working with you on such a wonderful course in Green Bay with Dr. Nazarian. He is a wonderful speaker with great presentation abilities and materials. It was thrilling for Dr. Nazarian to oversee Dr. Hansen and myself doing the MDI surgeries and retrofitting the dentures. As he has pointed out, we got to experience straightforward and very challenging patients. I even got to throw in a short lecture that complemented Dr. Nazarian’s materials on traditional implant overdentures/
precision attachment overdentures/root overdentures, etc. So, Ara and I really clicked and will maintain a good friendship for years to come - another win-win. I will also be suggesting Dr. Nazarian’s MDI course to the Illinois AGD and look forward to hosting him again in the future here in Milwaukee or back in Green Bay. Dr. Hansen has an outstanding facility that really facilitated a meaningful learning experience. Again, thanks for the efforts and I look forward to using your products and a lasting good relationship with your company. You were a pleasure to work with. In fact, I may even need to call Michelle weekly so I don’t get withdrawal as she always brightens a
person’s day, even on the phone. Thanks on behalf of the Wisconsin Academy of General Dentistry and myself personally.”
- Richard Winter, DDS, FAGD rwinter3@wi.rr.com |
To The Point
By Peter M. Muehleis D.D.S., FAGD
Editor
After having written on some rather politically charged issues in our last few publications, it occurred to me that there should be an issue we can all agree on. The issue of good nutrition comes to mind, specifically the prevalence of soft drinks in our schools. I am old enough to remember a time when soft drinks were not even offered in elementary or high school. It was generally recognized by those in charge that the food served should be minimally nutritious, if not always yummy.Today’s children seem not to be getting the message from many parents and fewer public schools.
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As a dental community we have recognized the problem and have instituted the “Sip All Day, Get Decay” advertisement, which is designed to educate the public on the risks associated with soft drink consumption.
What I have not seen happen is to address the problem in schools. What kind of mixed message is being sent when on the one hand we run the ads warning of the problem, and on the other, we have school administrators who not only tolerate soft drinks in schools but actually invite the Cokes and Pepsis into their schools. Now I know why they do. For the right to set up shop, they pay the school or offer to buy a scoreboard or other equipment. This of course is an attractive relationship for many schools. Never mind the fact that everyone should be aware of the decay risk, having kids wired on caffeine is not conducive in a setting where learning should take place.
I believe it’s time we use our influence and resources to not only educate the public at large but specifically target our schools. We as individual dentists certainly can and should be more vocal in dealing with this issue in the schools where we have direct connections, and we as the AGD, perhaps in unison with the ADA can also send a strong message to our public schools. |
AGD Briefings
AGD to the Hill
On Tuesday, March 14, 2006, the Council on Legislative and Governmental Affairs (LGA) made its annual trip to the offices of senators and representatives on Capitol Hill to lobby for issues germane to the general dentist. In Washington, D.C., the council promoted H. Res. 722, a resolution promoting oral health, the AGD and its members, asking for co-sponsors in the House of Representatives and possible sponsors in the Senate to move the Oral Health Care Resolution through both houses of Congress. Additionally, the council lobbied for Title VII funding, but even with approximately 42 to 56 percent of graduates entering practice in underserved areas, this program is in danger of being cut. As OSHA bills have passed the House, the council asked senators to pass Senator Enzi’s bill regarding OSHA reform, which would have a beneficial impact for small business owners.
AGD in Congress
U.S. Representative Jeb Bradley from New Hampshire introduced into the U.S. House of Representatives a resolution honoring AGD and its members. House Resolution 722, the Oral Health Care Resolution, recognizes AGD’s work in “continuing education and professionalism through its earned professional designation programs known as Mastership, Fellowship and Lifelong Learning and Service Recognition.” It also urges the House to recognize AGD and its members for “their role in promoting excellence in continuing dental education, and for helping to address the treatment and prevention of oral health disease.”
Rep. Tom Allen from Maine co-sponsored this resolution with Rep. Bradley. On Tuesday,
March 14, 2006, AGD’s Council on Legislative and Governmental Affairs held a press conference
in the Capitol during which both reps were honored with granite plaques for their dedication to dentistry. The AGD would like to get unanimous support for the passage of this resolution and ideally a companion bill introduced in the Senate.
Survey Results
The Council on Legislative and Governmental Affairs annually sends a survey by constituent
legislative chairs, inquiring about issues general dentists face on a local level. By receiving
information and feedback from state constituents, the council can be more effective in articulating
positions on current issues. From the 2006 Annual Survey of AGD Constituent Legislative
Issues, the biggest issue for constituents continues to be access to care. Of the responses
received, 78 percent of constituents rated access to care as an issue in their state.
By ranking, the most common issues faced by AGD constituents are:
• Access to care: 78 percent
• Expanded functions for dental hygienists and dental assistants: 68 percent
• Anesthesia and other sedation issues: 50 percent
• Medicaid or SCHIP reimbursement levels: 50 percent
• Fluoridation: 50 percent
• Amalgam/mercury/wastewater issues: 46 percent |
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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. Todd Reich, Black River Falls
Dr. Leon Oselka, Wausau
Dr. Benjamin Farrow, Madison
Dr. Sarah Martin, Hartland
Dr. Adam Klein, New Richmond
Dr. Lorraine Pagel, Whitefish Bay
Dr. Blane Christman, Ladysmith
Dr. James Roadt, Big Bend
Dr. Jared Zimmet, Milwaukee
Dr. Dirk Newman, Eau Claire
Dr. Daniel Iverson, Westby
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Marquette University School of Dentistry
Continuing Dental Education
Spring 2006
May 2, 9, 11, 16 or 17 Radiology for Dental Auxiliaries
June 2 Digital Photography: A Valuable Tool to Improve Lab Communication and Patient Presentations
June 9 & 10 The ABC’s of Crown Lengthening and Osseous Surgery
August 25 New Aspects of Dentistry - 2006 |
Register by calling 414-288-3093 |
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