Summer 2013 - Georgia Academy of General Dentistry

GAGD
The
Dedicated to the Interests of General Dentists in Georgia
Official Publication of the Georgia Academy of General Dentistry
Summer 2013
Plan for the New Year Now: Mark Your
Calendar for the GAGD 2014 Annual Meeting
Continuing education courses focus on the latest in profitability, oral and maxillofacial surgery,
adhesive and esthetic dentistry and posterior composite
A
re we really talking about New Year’s resolutions already?
It’s only Back to School time. Well, it’s not too early to start
thinking about your practice, professional development
and production next year. Mark your calendar now for the
GAGD 2014 Annual Meeting on January 24 and 25 at the Marriott
Century Center, Atlanta, GA.
Leaders in the dental field from across
the Southeast will offer two days of intensive training, professional development,
and knowledge sharing. These speakers
and topics include:
Focus on Profitability for the
Efficient Practice
Charles Blair, DDS, is chief executive
officer of Dr. Charles Blair & Associates,
Inc. located in North Carolina. A graduate
of Erskine College, he earned his Doctorate of Dental Surgery at the University of
North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In addition, Dr. Blair holds degrees in Account-
ing, Business Administration, and Mathematics.
Dr. Charles Blair is dentistry’s leading authority on practice profitability, fee
analysis, insurance coding strategies, and
overhead control. He has individually
consulted with thousands of practices,
helping them identify and implement
new strategies for greater productivity
and profitability. A widely-read and highly-respected author and publisher, Dr.
Blair has authored and co-authored several business and finance books, as well
Charles Blair, DDS
Explorer
See 2014 Annual Meeting page 2
Inside this issue
Plan for the New Year Now: Mark
Your Calendar for the GAGD 2014
Annual Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Resolutions Highly Debated
Amongst 2013 House Delegates . . 4
Editorial: The Golden Rule . . . . . . . . 2
Cyber Security for Dental Practices 6
Message from the President . . . . . 3
Are Denture Patients Driving
You Crazy? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Member Spotlight . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Branding— Aligning Impressions . 5
John Gammichia,
DMD, FAGD
Henry W. Ferguson, DMD
Harald Heymann,
DDS, MEd
Executive Office
2711 Irvin Way, Suite 111
Decatur, GA 30030
(404) 299-7987
(404) 299-7029 fax
Michelle Crider, Executive Director • [email protected]
Lasa Joiner, Executive Consultant • [email protected]
Kathryn Stempler, Director of Membership Services • [email protected]
Megan Haight, Director of Education • [email protected]
Erica Abello, Account Executive • [email protected]
Amanda Butler, Account Executive • [email protected]
www.gagd.org
EDITORIAL
The Golden Rule
I
’ve seen dentistry painted in a negative light in
the news a few times lately due to the choices of
some of our colleagues. The issues in the media
have ranged from improper sterilization to insurance fraud. Thankfully, as AGD members we hold
ourselves to a higher standard that eliminates most
of these major issues, but we are all faced with everyday decisions that have an ethical basis.
By Tina (Heil) Herington,
DMD, FAGD
My mother was a big fan of the Golden Rule, which boils down to “Treat others the way
you would like to be treated.” I believe this can be applied to almost every decision we make,
whether it is treatment planning, employee relations, or general business practices. If it is not
the way we would treat our own friends or family members, then it is not the way we should
treat our patients. Keeping this simple rule in mind seems to keep me out of trouble most of the
time, and I’m sure my mother would be proud of that.
2013 Senior Dental
Student Award Winner
Mark Ritz Memorial Scholarship winner Destiny Foote, DMD with Barry
Hammond, DMD, Director, Dental
Continuing Education at GRU College
of Dental Medicine. Dr. Foote was announced the winner and received the
$500 scholarship on May 9, 2013.
2014 Annual Meeting
continued from page 1
as contributed numerous articles in various
dental publications. He currently offers two
publications, Coding with Confidence: The
“Go To” Dental Insurance Guide and the Insurance Solutions Newsletter. Also through
his expertise, he has created the CDT Code
Advisor through www.practicebooster.com,
which offers practical guidance for the real
world application of CDT codes.
PARTICIPATION COURSE: Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery for the General Practitioner
Henry W. Ferguson, DMD, is vice chairman of the Georgia Regents University Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
and Director of Post-Graduate Training. He
earned his dental degree from the University
of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine. He
completed his Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
training at the Eisenhower Army Medical
Center, Fort Gordon, GA. After retiring from
active duty at the rank of Colonel, Dr. Ferguson joined the faculty in the department of
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the Georgia
Health Sciences University, College of Dental
Medicine as an Associate Professor. He is a
Diplomate of the American Board of Oral and
Maxillofacial Surgery, a member of the American Dental Association, and a Fellow of the
American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and the American Dental Society
of Anesthesia. His special interests in oral and
2 • GEORGIA ACADEMY OF GENERAL DENTISTRY
maxillofacial surgery are dental implants, facial reconstruction, and trauma.
critical to consistent long-term success in conservative esthetic dentistry.
Bread and Butter: Adhesive and Esthetic
Dentistry
Harald Heymann, DDS, MEd, is a professor of Operative Dentistry at the University
of North Carolina School of Dentistry and
was formerly the chairman and graduate program director of the Department of Operative
Dentistry. Dr. Heymann is particularly active
in the clinical research of esthetic restorative
materials and participates in a dental practice
devoted largely to esthetic dentistry.
He is a member of the Academy of Operative Dentistry and the International Association of Dental Research, and is Past-President
and a Fellow of the American Academy of
Esthetic Dentistry. He is also a Fellow in the
International College of Dentists, the American College of Dentists, and the Academy of
Dental Materials. He also serves as a consultant to the ADA.
Dr. Heymann is the author of more than
185 scientific publications, Editor-in-Chief of
the Journal of Esthetic and Restorative Dentistry, and has given more than 1,200 lectures
on various aspects of esthetic dentistry worldwide.
His presentation will cover a “bottom line”
approach to what works in adhesive and esthetic dentistry, providing real-world, timeproven information on a variety of topics
Bringing Sexy Back to the Posterior
Composite
John Gammichia, DMD, FAGD, is a
second-generation private practice dentist in
Orlando, FL. In addition, he is a lecturer and
blogger. As the author of “What You Need to
Know About the First Five Years of Practice,”
lecture series aimed at helping young dentists
entering the field, Dr. Gammichia has been
published in numerous dental publications
and has presented nationally. In addition, he
has attended over 1,500 CE hours and five
continuums and special studies course at the
LD Pankey Institute.
From 2004 to 2008, he served on the Communication Council and became the official
blogger for the AGD. The blog, “The Daily
Grind,” has been voted one of the top dental
blogs with over 1,000 readers per week.
Dr. Gammichia graduated from the University of Florida College of Dentistry. When he
is not in his practice or lecturing, he is spending time with his four children, running marathons, or watching Gator sports.
Visit www.gagd.org/annual-meeting.
html to stay up to speed on registration, exhibit, and CE information. See
you there!
Message from the President
Today’s dentistry is a game that you must be willing to play in order to excel. It is not a spectator sport!
Dear fellow AGD dentists,
I am honored to be your president for the
upcoming year. Having served in a leadership
capacity in the GAGD for 5 years under the
likes of Tom Price, DDS, MAGD, Brittany
Thome Hoover, DMD, and John Sieweke,
DDS, MAGD, I understand the impact of my
role as your president and will do everything
in my power to ensure this great Georgia constituent continues to help its members strive
through the many obstacles we face today. In
addition, I have several goals in mind that I
believe will improve our access to young dentists and our operations as an organization.
First of all, my role as membership chair
has allowed me to see how exposure to the
GAGD for the dental student can seriously affect the impression that student has once he
or she graduates. When we were students,
we were like sponges and had many mentors
to look up to, but as we graduated, our eyesight for mentors grew smaller. For me, one
of my mentors, John Coke, DDS who was
and still is the GPR coordinator at University
of Alabama-Birmingham, helped me understand how important AGD was to help me
grow and prosper as a dentist. Many students,
residents, and young dentists today may not
have that one person who can enlighten them
in these important areas. That is why I believe
we must improve our influence on the young
dental mind by witnessing to the students at
Georgia Regents University Dental School in
Augusta and sharing our wisdom and knowl-
edge about the realities of practicing dentistry
and the pitfalls to avoid. In addition, as graduates become dentists, our very own AGD
mentor program serves as a vehicle to help
the young dentist make important decisions.
I encourage those of you who would like to
visit GRU and perhaps even provide a continuing education lecture to the 3rd and 4th
year students at their monthly Fellowtrack
meetings, to contact me personally. And, to
become a mentor or a mentee, go to AGD.org
and click Member Connections. Young dentists are the profession’s future and not only
do they need guidance, they will also be the
leaders of tomorrow, which we all know is an
uncertain future.
The AGD sets the standards for quality CE
in dentistry today, and as this year’s president,
I vow to lead the Board’s efforts in continuing to provide CE programs that help you improve your skills and subsequently help your
patients. Our CE chairperson, Robin Wise,
DDS, MAGD, and I are working on the slate
for 2014’s meetings, and we are always open
to suggestions for subject matter and speakers.
My final goal for this year is to increase participation in our board and committee activities. I am aware of the many great personalities and leaders we have in our membership,
and I urge you to get involved. Committee
and Board participation is not as time-consuming as some other organizations’, and the
benefits include teamwork and camaraderie
with other passionate dentists through fun-
filled
retreats
and meetings,
as well as offering
first-hand
contributions towards the quality
of CE programs
put on by our
great constituent. I personally invite you
to start by joinBy Travis Watson, DMD,
ing a committee
FAGD
in the area that
interests you. If
you have questions or are interested in volunteering, contact me personally at [email protected].
Finally, in the area of advocacy, for those
dentists that continue to sit on the sidelines
and watch the slow evolution of mid-level
providers in our country, I am concerned.
As dentists, are we going to allow insurance
companies to increase their stranglehold on
our treatment decisions? How about our beloved patients and the general public? Is their
health at risk as a result of these issues? I ask
you, as an AGD dentist colleague, to go out
and ask these questions to your non-member
friends. Ask them to join the fight, develop
themselves as dentists, and help our patients
get the care they deserve. Dentistry is not a
spectator sport! You’ve got to play to win!
—Travis Watson, DMD, FAGD
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: DRS. THOMAS AND LOUIS SHELTON
D
rs. Thomas and Louis Shelton don’t just share the same profession and office
space- they also share very similar DNA. They are identical twin dentists practicing in Perry, Georgia.
The twins, as they are known around town, were born and raised right in Perry
where they attended the Westfield schools and then on to the University of Georgia. After
graduating from the Medical College of Georgia School of Dentistry in 1994, they both decided to move back to their hometown and go into practice. They took over the practice of the
late Dr. Bill Jerles, a long time AGD member and member of the Georgia Board of Dentistry.
Thomas is married to Bristol Davis Shelton of Perry and has five children. Louis married
Tesa Garrett Shelton of Macon and has four children. Both brothers enjoy hunting and outdoor activities and are very active in their churches. However, they receive the most joy by
doing different activities with family. They’ve both been members of the AGD since graduating
from dental school and are very proud that our profession has such an organization to draw
from for continuing education and other helpful and specific benefits.
GAGD EXPLORER • SUMMER 2013 • 3
Resolutions Highly Debated Amongst
2013 House of Delegates
I
n addition to a weekend filled with parties, dental camaraderie, and magnificent continuing education, there was work to be done. The 200 delegates from all 20 regions of the AGD debated over the course of regional
caucuses, reference committees, and eventually the HOD floor on several
key issues that affect the future of the AGD as well as dentistry as a whole. The
following were 5 key resolutions and their eventual outcome at the HOD:
• Resolution 201, originally presented as an
attempt to allow students to earn up to
50 hours of self-instruction towards Fellowship, was augmented and approved to
instead mirror the overall Fellowship requirements by allowing students to earn
up to 15 hours of self-instruction credit.
• Resolution 303 was approved to adopt a
policy which encourages AGD constituents to lobby their state dental licensing
authorities to expand the scope of practice
for general dentists to include the admin-
istration of facial injectables for therapeutic and cosmetic purposes.
• Resolution 306 was approved and confirms that the AGD supports the administration of influenza vaccinations and other
vaccinations by general dentists who have
attained the training and education to do
so.
• Resolution 307 was debated heavily and
was passed to resolve that the AGD supports general dentists’ utilizing cone beam
imaging of the head and neck after receiv-
ing education on the capture and interpretation of such images.
• Finally, resolution 314 was passed, providing for 2 additional delegates to represent
dental students. ASDA will recommend
the 2 leaders, bringing the total delegates
from 200 to 202.
The House of Delegates continues to serve
all members of the AGD as well as the interests
of all general dentists in the US and Canada.
This year’s HOD was another great example
of how leader dentists can carry out healthy
debates while focusing on the needs of the
dentists they represent. Region 19 (GA, SC,
NC, and AL) once again led the way in arguments in the reference committees and on the
House floor. It is safe to say that you, the GA
constituent, are in good hands.
Atlanta TMD Dentist
Mark Allan Padolsky
DDS MAGD FAOS FACMS FICOI
Dr. Padolsky would be pleased to assist you in treating patients with
temporomandibular joint disorders. He enjoys the challenge of
helping these patients.
• Taught TMD courses for the University of Pittsburgh
and the University of Alabama
• Provides Phase I diagnostic and Phase II TMD services.
• Comfortable with a multi-disciplinary approach
• Dr. Padolsky is accepting TMD referrals
www.atlantatmjdentist.com
[email protected]
404.876.8123
4 • GEORGIA ACADEMY OF GENERAL DENTISTRY
Branding – Aligning Impressions
W
By Alexa S. Chilcutt, PhD and Debbie Druey, MBA
hat does “branding” really mean? Let’s ask another question…what is your organizational body language saying
about your practice? Websites, Facebook, advertisements,
and the like, are all ways to put your business “face” out there
to the public, but are you making conscientious choices that are aligned
with what patients are experiencing when they walk through your door?
Think about “brands” that you relate to. A
recent New York Times article highlights the
trend changes in magazine covers. In years
past, top-selling covers have gone from top
models to glamorous movie stars to what’s
hot today: music icons, reality TV stars (Cosmopolitan reported their best-selling cover
this year featured Kim Kardashian), and
famous people with a “cause” (Angelina Jolie
has broken all the records).
Why? Because these people are in our living room, we feel as if we “know” them and
have a personal connection to them.
The most successful brands today are
exactly that; they are a mirror image of
you, your team, your core beliefs and the
persona you create every day. Just like we
make assumptions and gain insight about
an individual based solely on their appearance and body language (including vocal
qualities), organizations have their own body
language as well. In a 2013 academic journal,
Rane states:
It is said that physical facilities in a busi-
ness organization constitute the first step
in communicating with the customers and
visitors. As such, an organization ‘expresses
itself’ through office design and layout, office arrangement, space management, distance
and locations, color combinations of the
buildings and other infrastructures, imagerypictures, photographs, signs, symbols, logo,
emblem, etc., that one becomes happy at the
mention of the name of the organization and
it should convey the right message.
Your patient’s interpretation of your
“brand” is based on their perception of their
experience with you, with your team, in
your office – did you listen, care, understand
and try to solve their problem? If all these
answers are “yes!” then back them up with
personalized media advertising that communicates your message.
See Branding page 9
Kenneth Tralongo, D.D.S. has acquired the practice of
David C. Haydon, D.D.S. - Marietta, Georgia
Call 1-800-232-3826 or visit us
online at www.AFTCO.net for
a free practice appraisal, a
$2,500 value!
Amy Mathew, D.M.D. has acquired the practice of
Oletha D. Simmons, D.D.S. - Decatur, Georgia
AFTCO is pleased to have represented
all parties in these transitions.
Download our new AFTCO app from iTunes or Google!
AFTCO is the oldest and largest dental practice transition
consulting firm in the United States. AFTCO assists dentists
with associateships, purchasing and selling of practices,
and retirement plans. We are there to serve you
through all stages of your career.
“Over $1.5 Billion
in Practice Sales”
GAGD EXPLORER • SUMMER 2013 • 5
Cyber Security for Dental Practices
T
By Stuart J. Overman, Esq.
he provision of health care is changing at a rapid pace as health
care providers endeavor to maintain maximum efficiency while
navigating the technology rich climate. As a result of the reliance
on electronic data, dental practices have become vulnerable to
cyber security threats. The growing volume and sophistication of cyberattacks suggest that dental practices will have to grow increasingly vigilant
to ward off these threats. A breach of cyber security will inevitably lead
to significant expenses, both financial and reputational, which can wreak
havoc on a practice.
Many dentists believe that cyber criminals
are not a threat to their office. However, when
choosing between a large corporation or bank
with security teams and firewalls preventing
access to databases and a dental office with
no firewall or security team, the dental practice will be the chosen target. In fact, many
hackers specifically target small dental offices
because they believe that the small business
may not have the resources for sophisticated
security devices and do not enforce employee
security policies.
Dental practices are an increasing target
for cyber criminals. These offices hold a vast
amount of data, including names, health history, addresses, birthdates, social security
numbers, and even banking information of
hundreds, if not thousands, of patients. The
threat of this information being stolen by a
staff member or a cyber-criminal is great, and
dental practice owners must address this concern before a theft creates a legal nightmare
for their practice.
Health care organizations make up roughly
thirty-three percent (33%) of all data security
breaches across all industries and the health
care industry is the most breached industry
in the United States. According to the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services,
almost 21,000,000 health records have been
compromised since September 2009. It has
been shown that human error causes the
majority of personal health information data
breaches, and that actions of health care employees cause three times as many breaches as
external attacks. The most common causes of
data breaches in health care organizations are
theft, hacking, unauthorized access or disclosure, lost records and devices, and improper
disposal of records. A significant proportion
of health care breaches are a result of lost or
stolen mobile devices, tablets and laptops.
6 • GEORGIA ACADEMY OF GENERAL DENTISTRY
In addition, security breaches are not solely
inflicted upon the large health maintenance
organizations, as more than half of all organizations that suffer from security breaches have
fewer than 1,000 employees.
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requires health care
providers to maintain the privacy of patient
health information and to take security measures to protect this information from abuse
by staff members, hackers, and thieves. The
penalties imposed upon health care providers
for HIPAA violations are great. The monetary
penalties can range from a fine of $100.00
to a fine of $50,000.00 per violation, with a
$1,500,000.00 maximum annual penalty. In
addition to the federal penalties, dentists may
face penalties imposed at the state level as well
as lawsuits filed by disgruntled patients whose
health information has been compromised.
It is crucial for dentists to take steps to
ensure that their practice is in compliance
with HIPAA provisions regarding computer
security. Because the majority of data security breaches occur when staff members fail
to follow office procedures or exercise poor
judgment, the location of computers in the
office is key. All computers should be placed
in areas where the computer screens are not
visible to patients and visitors, and encrypt-
ed passwords should protect access to each
computer. Passwords should contain mixedcase letters and include numbers or symbols
and should be changed regularly. In addition,
passwords should not be written down under
keyboards or kept on desks or surfaces where
the public may be able to access them. Dentists should ensure that all staff members understand the importance of maintaining the
privacy of patient health information.
Every practice should have a policy that
includes steps for safeguarding patient information and educate staff members as to
how to comply with the office policy. A strict
Internet and computer use policy should be
enforced that prohibits staff members from
checking personal email accounts or visiting
non work-related Internet websites. It is also
important that dentists ensure that all firewalls, operating systems, hardware and software devices are up to date, strong and secure
and that wireless networks are shielded from
public view. Anti-virus software should be installed on every computer, kept updated and
checked regularly.
When accessing office data remotely, dentists should use only trusted Wi-Fi hot spots
and never use shared computers. Smartphones and tablets should be password protected to prevent easy access to patient information in case the device is lost or stolen. In
addition, all hard copies of documents with
patient information should be shredded.
Finally, to ensure that a practice is HIPAA
compliant, data transmitted to payers, health
plans, labs and other health care providers
may need to be encrypted to ensure that a
hacker will not have access to this data.
Because dental practices are subject to
heightened government enforcement and the
scope of fines and penalties for data breaches
have increased, many practices have relied on
cyber insurance for protection in the event of
a breach of cyber security. These insurance
policies cover the cost of investigating a theft,
compensate the insured for all state and federal fines and penalties imposed, and fund all
related lawsuits and legal fees, thus relieving
dentists of the financial and time burdens imposed as a result of the breach in security.
It would be prudent for all dentists to invest in data security and in the proper training of staff members as to acceptable use of
See Cyber Security page 9
Are Denture Patients Driving You Crazy?
D
By Dr. Joseph Thornton
espite advancements in dentistry, tooth loss remains a major
problem. More than 34 million Americans, one eighth of the
population, wear at least one removable denture. With life expectancies increasing, this number is expected to climb to almost 38 million by the year 2020.
Implant placement can help many of these
patients. However, for a number of reasons,
not all patients can receive implant therapy.
Even in cases where implants are utilized, the
quality of the prosthesis is critical to successful treatment outcome.
Patient selection and evaluation, and treatment planning for success are just a few of
the issues facing the practitioner in treating
the complete denture patient. In addition, aging patients can have compromised medical
conditions making denture treatment a challenge.
In September, I will present a continuing
education course in Savannah, GA, about this
very topic. The course will discuss various
problems commonly associated with edentulous patients and methods to discover and
intercept these problems. In addition, various impressioning techniques for edentulous,
partially edentulous, and implant patients will
be discussed and demonstrated. A predictable
method of accurately recording the patient’s
centric relation and desired tooth placement
(without conventional wax rims!) will be
shown in detail, along with a discussion about
overcoming some of the most common problems with implant overdentures and labora-
Save the date!
June 26 to 29, 2014
REV UP YOUR EDUCATION
WITH HIGH-OCTANE CE
tory communications.
My colleague and friend, William Lobel,
DMD, a faculty member at Tufts University
Dental School, will also join me during this
session and provide additional insights into
treatment of these patients.
I hope you will join us for an informative
and enlightening discussion on September
13, at the Hilton Savannah DeSoto. For more
information and to register, visit www.gagd.
org or contact the Executive Office.
Joseph Thornton
maintains a private dental practice focused on
removable and implant
prosthetics in Snellville,
GA.
Fall Continuing Education
Friday, September 13, 2013 • Savannah, GA
Complete Dentures: Anticipating and Overcoming Common
Problems • Joseph P. Thornton, DDS, FAGD
6 hours Participation Credit Available
Friday, October 11, 2013 • Athens, GA
The Evolution of Endodontic Technique • Lynne Brock, DDS
6 hours Participation Credit Available
Friday, November 1, 2013 • Albany, GA
Topics in Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology • Rafik Abdelsayed,
DDS, MAGD • 6 hours Lecture Credit Available
The AGD is headed to Detroit.
The AGD 2014 Annual Meeting & Exhibits—the drive your education needs.
CE Credit: These educational activities qualify for a maximum
of 6 hours participation credit (Savannah, Athens Courses) or
6 hours lecture credit (Albany Course). The Georgia Academy
of General Dentistry is designated as an approved PACE
Program Provider by the Academy of General Dentistry. The
formal continuing dental education programs of this program
provider are accepted by AGD for Fellowship/Mastership and
membership maintenance credit. Approval does not imply
acceptance by a state or provincial board of dentistry or AGD
endorsement. The current term of approval extends from
11/1/2011 to 10/31/2015. Provider #219296.
Register online: www.gagd.org or call the GAGD Executive
Office at (404) 299-7987.
GAGD EXPLORER • SUMMER 2013 • 7
MasterTrack V Start your journey to becoming a better dentist! The fifth continuum of Georgia’s acclaimed Mastership program begins in February 2014. Register now to claim your seat! “Participating in MasterTrack has been the most important professional decision that I have made since
graduating from dental school. Aside from the knowledge that I have gained, the friendships that I have
made and the wonderful people that I have met over the past 10 years have changed my life.”
- Michael Davis, DMD, FAGD ~ MasterTrack IV Participant
The Georgia MasterTrack program exceeds all requirements for participation and lecture hours in every discipline required for AGD Mastership. The Georgia MasterTrack series features: •
An established, nationally recognized program (often replicated, never duplicated!) •
Meets or exceeds all requirements for participation and lecture hours in every discipline required for AGD Mastership •
Weekend meetings over a 5 year period (once per quarter vs. other programs that meet monthly for 2 years) •
First-­‐class course content and instructors •
Cost of the program averages only $30 per hour of CE, and includes 576 hours of participation! •
Convenient Atlanta location •
Small class size •
Camaraderie with a group of elite, like-­‐minded peers This unique program provides general dentists with opportunities to: •
Interact with renowned instructors specializing in different fields; with evidence-­‐based, research supported insights into the latest advancements in the profession. •
Compile a body of reference material for practical, immediate use in your practice. •
Develop camaraderie with like-­‐minded, excellence-­‐driven dentists. This course is both fun and challenging! •
Deepen knowledge for newly licensed dentists or introduce new skills for experienced dentists. For more information or to register for the program, please contact Michelle Crider at the GAGD Executive Office at 404-­‐299-­‐7987 or [email protected]. 8 • GEORGIA ACADEMY OF GENERAL DENTISTRY
Congratulations 2013 Fellows!
Branding
continued from page 5
How?
First – stay away from canned, stock,
generic images and advertising content that is
ignored anyway.
Second – remove barriers whenever possible, such as too-harsh office policies or
confusing language about dental insurance.
Address questions and situations, one at a
time, specific to the circumstances involved.
Third - The most important skill any
service business can learn is Empathy. Your
greatest opportunity is the patient you are
speaking with, right now. Meet people where
they are, and appreciate that they made the
decision to choose you to help them. Offer
scheduling, treatment and financial solutions that fit your business objectives – this
sounds easier than it is , it requires constant
attention, consideration and planning. When
faced with “how do I handle this?” always
start with a conversation. Ask questions to
understand and take a moment to formulate
a plan that is a win-win for all parties.
Finally, internal and external marketing
and impressions must match up. The inside
of your office and the impressions you make
on patients must be congruent with what
they recognize to be your “brand” in any
external marketing.
Reference: Rane D. Effective Body Language for
Organizational Success. IUP Journal Of Soft Skills
[serial online]. December 2010;4(4):17-26.
On Newsstands, Allure of the Film Actress
Fades. New York Times; www.nytimes.com
2013/06/06.
Alexa S. Chilcutt, PhD
is an Organizational
Consultant /Team Retreat
Facilitator and
Member of the Symphony Dental Strategic
Advisor Team.
Email [email protected]
Deborah Druey, MBA
is President and Client
Marketing Advisor for
Symphony Dental. Email
[email protected]
Pictured left to right: (front row) Rosalind Prattas, DMD, FAGD; Amber Lawson, DMD, FAGD; Jay Kansal, DMD, FAGD; (back
row) Eric W. Jones, DMD, FAGD; Jon Klevansky, DMD, FAGD; Patricia J. Bradley, DMD, FAGD; Craig Fisk, DDS, FAGD. Not
pictured: Eric N. Hall, DMD, FAGD; Bradley R. Hepler, DDS, FAGD; Larry J. Payne, DMD, FAGD.
Cyber Security
continued from page 6
office computers. If plans and policies are
put in place proactively and steps are followed
to ensure HIPAA security compliance, a practice should be able to prevent the significant
cost and headache involved in responding to
a cyber-breach.
If a security breach in a dental office does
occur, it is imperative that appropriate action
is taken immediately, which includes determining how the breach occurred, and the
extent of the security breach. In addition, if
a security breach does occur, the owner(s) of
a practice must be very careful who they initially contact and provide information to. Any
improper or accidental disclosure to a thirdparty other than legal counsel for the practice
owner may be subject to the rules of discovery
if litigation occurs, which could increase the
liability exposure of the practice owner.
Stuart J. Oberman,
Esq. handles a wide
range of legal issues for
the dental profession
including practice sales,
real estate transactions,
lease agreements, HIPAA
and OSHA compliance,
board complaints, employment law, and entity
formation. For questions or comments regarding this article please call (770) 554-1400 or visit
www.gadentalattorney.com.
Please visit us at:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/
Oberman-Law/246795745395840\ and www.
facebook.com/pages/GA-Dental-Attorney/336509179716069
Twitter: twitter.com/#!/obermanlaw
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/stuartobermanlaw
Blog: obermanlawfirm.wordpress.com
GAGD EXPLORER • SUMMER 2013 • 9
Georgia Academy of General Dentistry
Executive Office
2711 Irvin Way, Suite 111
Decatur, GA 30030
(404) 299-7987
(404) 299-7029 fax
www.gagd.org
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