Probe&Mirror www.ao.org/chapter/montreal
Newsletter • Summer 2020
This Month: Articles: • Holistic Dentistry; Full of... • Humanitarian Mission to Uganda International Convention in Los Angeles Scientific Report Ometz Report: Our Garden
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Dear colleagues,
Membership in Alpha Omega not only gives you access to continuing education. It also provides a powerful support network for AO dentists worldwide. It is the only organization, albeit nonsectarian, that will stand up for Jews and Jewish values. Most importantly, if you want to have influence with governing bodies, universities, etc. you need strength in numbers.
This issue of the Probe and Mirror is a testament to a year like no other. For many of us, “Twenty-Twenty” will be remembered as the year in which most of us spent weeks at home while thousands of people (some close to us) died from a virus pandemic and the world slid into an economic nosedive never seen in our lifetimes. Our profession was not spared. Countless dentists suffered serious economic distress. Some older dentists just threw in the towel. The effects of this pandemic will continue to reverberate as many people will no longer be able to afford dental care.
This first year as president has been a learning experience and it is an honour to continue to serve for another one. Of course, without the invaluable help and mentorship from our Mainline members, my task would have been much more challenging.
While graduating with a DMD is a great achievement full of promise, many of today’s young dentists will have a serious struggle in the years to come. Who knows how and when the world economy will recover?
Special thanks go to Drs. Mel Schwartz, Elliot Goldenberg, Harry Wise, and Michael Tenenbaum, the committed “elder statesmen” without whose knowledge and advice we could not function.
The shift in the world order has caused the cancellation of all “live” events such as the Closing Dinner, the president’s Cocktail party, Israel Bonds Event, and live continuing education courses with meals and camaraderie. However, we are resilient and there is always a silver lining to every adversity. We have circumvented some of these difficulties with the use of remote access to our businesses, continuing education webinars and online group meetings with platforms like Zoom.
Jonathan Werbitt, our continuing education manager and new president of the Federation of Dental Societies of Greater Montreal is working on getting us the best CE available. Barry Dolman is an invaluable source of knowledge and experience, having completed an eight-year stint as the president of the Order of Dentists of Quebec. Mainline members Michael Wiseman, Joseph Szwimer, Randi Luxenburg, Fred Elbaz, Jeremie Abikhzer, Michael Beybelezer, and David Baker are all invaluable in keeping our society afloat.
The graduating Alpha Pi members from McGill and Université de Montréal received their Alpha Omega certificates at a very successful virtual meeting organized by the very capable Student Liaison officer, Dr. Sam Malkinson.
Special mention goes out to our very promising future leaders, Alpha Pi students Stephanie Wiseman and Rachel Korman, who are already demonstrating great initiative and superb leadership abilities. I wish you all health and strength.
The continuing education paradigm has shifted, at least for the coming year, into a virtual world. All courses sponsored by the Ordre des dentistes du Québec, the Quebec Dental Surgeons Association, Alpha Omega-Mount Royal Dental Society and the Fédération des sociétés dentaires du grand Montréal will be given exclusively online.
Marcelo Bercovici
The online course given by Dr. Benny Saleh was an unprecedented success BECAUSE of our membership in AO International. We have the ability to reach AO members around the world. Our future courses can also be broadcast to an unlimited audience (although only AO members get CE credits).
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EDITOR’S MESSAGE Dear members.
major advances in other sciences. It is possibly because of the lack of private and government funding medicine gets, when compared with more lucrative scientific projects. Even now, medical research relies greatly on tax-deductible fund-raising to function. Why must individuals rely on crowd-funding in order to acquire medical treatment?
I recently watched a program on the History channel featuring the Lockheed “Skunk Works” project of the 1950-1960’s that worked in the famous Area 51, New Mexico and the lesser known Area 52. Here were developed the reconnaissance machines of the cold war; to be specific, the U-2 (Not the singing group) spy plane, capable of flight at 70,000 feet altitude at 450 MPH so as to outreach Soviet surface-to-air missiles.
Now that the world is in the midst of the worst pandemic since 1918, scientists are being mobilized to develop a vaccine or cure for Covid 19, which has scourged the global population, while other diseases have been left by the wayside such as cancer surgeries and tests, due to the lack of resources. I am overwhelmed by the obscene number of people that have been lost to this pariah and I hope that we will soon have science and medicine prevail. Israel has always been at the forefront of medical research and Corona virus is no exception. We can hope that out of this, there will be major changes to the priorities of research.
This plane was built without the benefit of computers during the 1950’s and was succeeded in the 60’s by the SR-71 Blackbird, capable of Mach 3+ (2200 MPH) at 85,000+ feet altitude; so fast that the exterior skin of the plane’s titanium skin reached over 500 degrees F due to the friction of the air that it traveled through. The pilots needed space suits to keep them alive, since their blood would otherwise boil at the edge of space. Ironically, the titanium which was not available in the US was purchased from the Soviets without their knowledge, by being routed through other countries. All this technology was also done without the benefit of computers.
The world is also reeling with the resurgence of systemic racism and police brutality that is evident, not only to visible minorities, but even a 75 year old “white” man was rendered unconscious, bleeding from his ears as was recently shown
Another breakthrough in aviation in 1970 was the F-117 stealth bomber; a plane that was invisible to radar. 10,000 people worked on this project and it was kept secret for 21 years until it came into service in 1991. The 12 that were built proved to be indispensable when Kuwait was liberated from Iraq by the US in a secret attack that January. This plane was computer controlled, since it was so unstable, that conventional guidance was not possible. All these planes mentioned are all still in use today. To put this in perspective, we commonly use cell phones that have many times more computing power than the computers that originally sent our first astronauts to the Moon and back. The International space station has been visited many times over the years and private companies are now competing for the first trip to Mars. An automobile was recently launched into orbit by Space-x and returned intact, right back to its launch pad. Yet, we still do not have a cure for the common cold, not to mention so many other terrible diseases. It seems that medicine lags behind on every level, compared with the
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EDITOR’S MESSAGE (CONTINUED) on CNN in Buffalo NY. The term “stick time”, new to my vocabulary, describes the use of police batons on anyone of any skin colour, who gets in their way. But this violence has been festering for centuries and I don’t foresee any change anytime soon.
is that what I have stressed in previous editorials. By simply paying one’s dues, does not create entitlement to take and not give. Apathy is not what our society was built on. We realize that times are tough and money is tight, considering that income at this time is non-existent for many and has been replaced with debt and many unknowns ahead.
Many of us are wondering what the future will bring, but there is no simple answer, if any. However, we have our perseverance, our education and others around us that we can rely on for support, so we can just hope that this is just another hurdle to get over and it’s going to be ok. Wishful thinking, perhaps.
Our society depends on your ongoing financial support and participation for it to survive and we will do our best to make membership affordable. Our executive has also been busy brainstorming alternative means to replace some of our activities and will keep you informed.
Now that I have properly vented; in this issue, I have the usual reports from our executive members and some very interesting articles as well, including a special report by Dr. Shalom Benzaquen on his participation in a dental humanitarian mission to Uganda.
Now that some of us are resuming practice, it will be a new experience after 11+ weeks of being away and not without a bit of trepidation for many reasons. I wish you a successful new start and a smooth reopening of your practices. If you know anyone who has not received updates or emails, please let us know and pass this message on, so we can update our database. We have lost touch with many members that have changed their coordinates without notifying us. It is essential for us to communicate with all members, not only for upcoming events, but for CE credits as well. We don’t want to leave anyone uninformed.
There are some excellent on-line courses presented by the ODQ, Schein dental, WAGD and Patterson dental, as well as several from AO that will keep you informed and occupied while staying safe at home. I was hoping to include a sort of forum where members could relate what they were doing to keep occupied while isolating, but as usual, nobody replied. However, I did have an online family reunion with distant relatives from across the continent and hosted a Zoom Seder during Passover as did many others. I even attended some evening services, a Yizkor service and live Israel guided tours with my family synagogue via Zoom.
I hope that you are all safe and healthy and for those that have become ill, I wish you a complete and fast recovery. For those that have lost a family member, I hope that you may be spared any further sorrow.
I have also noticed a huge change in how resourceful people are occupying their abundant free time by walking and cycling. I have always been an avid cyclist and the paths are teeming with other enthusiasts. I find myself having to go outside the city, so as not to collide with the throngs of urban newbies that weave like squirrels along the now crowded paths. Incidentally, with the absence of public bathrooms, it has become a new challenge to find a “discrete” location to answer nature’s call.
As usual, your feedback is welcome. This is my 15th year as editor and I am proud to be part of AO.
Respectfully submitted,
Harry Wise, Editor
wisedentistry@gmail.com
As our President, Marcelo Bercovici mentioned, with all that is not to happen as in the past, members may wonder why they should bother renewing their membership. My answer
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HOLISTIC DENTISTRY; FULL OF…… WHOLES
WHILE BEING DENTISTS, SO CALLED HOLISTIC ONES PROMOTE SOME THERAPIES TYPICALLY ‘NOT TAUGHT IN DENTAL SCHOOL.’ This article first appeared on the McGill OSS website.
DEFINITION OF HOLISTIC
WHAT’S IN A NAME
UK /həˈlɪs.tɪk/ US /hoʊlˈɪs.tɪk/
Holistic or Biological dentistry is a superficial, selfdesignated term adopted by a relatively small number of practitioners who advocate “health-promoting therapies not taught in dental school.” It is not a recognized specialty such as endo or periodontics, nor requires any additional formal training. Any dentist can call themselves a holistic dentist, or any other alluring name. Psychic dentist anyone? Forming proponent organizations like The Holistic Dental Association or even more impressive sounding International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology, many of their member-dentists do not accept mainstream dentistry, believing in an ongoing conspiracy to mask any evidence of harm from traditional treatments.
dealing with or treating the whole of something or someone and not just a part. Ask most people about holistic dentistry and they’ll likely give you a puzzled look, kind of similar to when asked about homeopathy. Having been in practice for nearly 35 years, I find it perplexing how some of my colleagues, mostly well-meaning and dedicated individuals, have adopted a pseudoscientific rather than evidence-based philosophy towards our profession. I imagine that being regular people, some are more easily swayed by smooth talking ‘mentors’, who based largely on weak or anecdotal evidence, spread misinformation and falsehoods. Perhaps others, well aware of the largely susceptible public’s ever increasing appetite to embrace the latest niche health fad, see an opportunity to increase income. So what exactly is holistic dentistry?
IN A NUTSHELL As with conventional clinicians, holistic dentists can vary greatly in their philosophies and practices. Typically, they oppose the use of certain materials and agents deemed toxic like amalgam and fluoride, while rejecting some well established, efficacious therapies such as gum surgery and root canals. While some avoid using amalgam, not unreasonable given vast improvements in composite restorative materials, others falsely alarm patients by making unscientific claims regarding toxicity from tiny amounts of mercury vapour released from silver fillings. They often recommend replacement of sound amalgams, considered an unethical practice
STATING THE OBVIOUS Holistic dentists assert that when treating patients, a whole body approach, comprising one’s overall physical and psychological state should be emphasized. Rather than focusing solely on teeth and gums, dental care is not viewed in isolation but in parallel with comprehensive healthcare. Well, guess that makes me a holistic dentist!
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HOLISTIC DENTISTRY; FULL OF……WHOLES by both American and Canadian Dental Associations. Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral long proven to help prevent tooth decay. While one may argue against adding it to public water supplies, instructing people to avoid fluoridated toothpaste is unscientific and irresponsible.
(CONTINUED)
HYPOCRITIC OATH [SIC] Perhaps most controversial among this group are those whose views are so extremist that they are strongly condemned by the mainstream dental community. These practitioners don’t believe in doing root canals, alleging serious health risk by “sealing” bacteria at root end, while opting for ineffective therapy or extraction. Some recommend removing perfectly functional, asymptomatic teeth with root canals and replacing them with more ‘biocompatible’ and costly implants. This is a grave violation of a dentist’s hippocratic oath to do no harm. Not only are they harming patients, but the whole profession as well. Dentists who undertake these procedures risk serious sanctions from professional regulatory bodies.
BOUNDARIES Simply put, dentists are the doctors of the mouth. While practitioners must have a general health science background, a license to practice dentistry is essentially limited to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the oral cavity. We are taught and obliged to base our practice of the profession on well established, evidence-based protocols conforming to guidelines set forth by our governing bodies. Alternatively, proponents of holistic dentistry subscribe to some treatments outside the legitimate scope of dentistry. That’s why they are not taught in dental school.
BUYER BEWARE In today’s ever- increasing health conscious world, more consumers are seeking out alternative, pseudoscientific treatments. While many holistic dentists are undoubtedly dedicated practitioners, patients should not hesitate to get second opinions regarding certain treatments that fall outside the scope of mainstream dentistry. And that’s the whole truth!
LIONS AND TIGERS AND BEARS (OH MY!) Dentists are aware that we ramble on ad nauseum about the importance of avoiding sugary foods and the perils of smoking, particularly in relation to good oral health. We help our patients overcome fear of dental treatments. But that does not qualify us as dieticians, MDs., or psychologists. Holistic dentists often engage in conversation regarding lifestyle, nutrition, and emotional well-being. Some prescribe blood and hair tests to measure for body chemistry imbalances while marketing expensive ‘detoxification’ formulas and vitamin supplements. Lacking meaningful evidence, they may espouse one type of diet, typically vegan or plant-based as being superior for the maintenance of healthy gums. Alleging specialized care, some charge higher fees than mainstream dentists while promoting unconventional treatments.
Dr. Mark Grossman is a practicing dentist and likes to take a bite out of nonsense when it comes to dental issues
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INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION REPORT
This year’s International convention was held at the Intercontinental Hotel in Century City. It was a perfect location for site seeing and celebrity-watching on Rodeo Drive. Although the Montreal delegation was smaller than usual, our members were well represented. I am happy to report that Jay Waxman was elected as Regent for Canada and Rachel Korman was elected as one of the International Student Representatives. I was honoured when newly elected International President Alan Moltz of Chicago asked me to be his Presidential advisor. Some far reaching resolutions and constitutional changes were presented and past this year. In reflecting with today’s times, our name will be changed to Alpha Omega International Dental Society. Although one of the sides of our triangle remains fraternalism, the term fraternity is no longer appropriate for many reasons. Our conventions after St. Pete in Florida in December will move to the summer and we will rotate between a North American and a nonNorth American location. We hope this will make it more attractive to our members. Given the rise of anti-Semitism, one of our raisons d’être is still as important as ever. As an International body, we voiced our support for faculty members at the University of Toronto who are dealing with this on campus. We are living in difficult and uncertain times. Alpha Omega will be there for you, whether it’s by webinars, or informational sessions for students and young alumni thinking of graduate programs. We support not only our Israeli Dental Schools but perform Tikkun Olam throughout the world. Stay safe. Respectfully submitted,
Michael Tenenbaum
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MY EXPERIENCE AT THE
AO CONVENTION IN LOS ANGELES
In December I had the opportunity to travel to Los Angeles where I attended the Alpha Omega Convention as a student delegate and represented our Montreal chapter with Dr. Michael Tenenbaum and Dr. Jay Waxman. Alpha Omega prides itself on being more than a dental society, but a family. This was clear from the minute I arrived at the convention. Members from the United States, France, Israel, England and Canada, were incredibly warm and welcoming. It was wonderful to be in a room full of people who have created friendships through AO that have lasted throughout their dental careers. I met an amazing group of students and young members. We bonded through our common interests of dentistry and AO. We had a great time talking during Shabbat dinner, between CE lectures, at cocktail hour, while exploring Hollywood and even while axe-throwing. When there was some free time in the schedule, I walked around Hollywood and Century City. I also window shopped on Rodeo Drive and hiked in Runyon Canyon Park. During my time in LA, I made some connections with dentists who kindly invited me to shadow them and reach out if I ever had any questions. I was inspired to get more involved in AO on an international scale and became one of the International Student Representatives. I’m very excited to be on the Board of Directors this year and work to connect the student community of AO! Thank you so much to the Montreal chapter for having me be your student delegate and representing you at the LA convention! Thank you to Dr. Michael Tenenbaum and Dr. Elliot Goldenberg for your encouragement to go to LA! Respectfully submitted, Rachel Korman
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On behalf of my team and Raymond James, I wish you and your family good health and high spirits.
Lewis Rosen Senior Wealth Advisor
performing wealth advisor in Canada, and is a member of Raymond James' prestigious Chairman's Council.
As heard on:
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or www.thehealthcareinvestor.ca The Chairman’s Council is based on annual production and recognized designations. An advisor’s ranking may not be representative of any one client’s experience and is not indicative of the advisor’s future performance.
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UPDATE OF THE ODQ
CONTINUING EDUCATION POLICY
The subject is so important and often confusing that I translated this Document on Continuing Education Regulations and other helpful hints which was prepared and previously posted in French by an amazing contributor to the blog Dr Josée Landry
CONTINUING EDUCATION
The new ODQ continuing education policy. If you navigate on the ODQ site it can be confusing because there are old documents which are not up to date like the policy of July 2018. The ODQ is aware and will modify when they have time. If you go to the home page at the bottom of the page on the right and look under the blue Continuing Education tab, you can have the last update on April 1, 2020. First of all, the new reference period will be from April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2023 (3 years). During this period, you must accumulate 90 continuing education units, including 30 units by organizations or establishments recognized by the ODQ and 60 at your choice but related to the profession. It is now mandatory to obtain at least 15 units per year which means you can not to get your 90 credits in April 2020, during the pandemic of containment time nor wait in 2022 for to start. Another new rules to follow are now a minimum 3 units in CPR (defibrillator (AED) included) and a minimum 3 units in Ethics and professional conduct (This will guided by a communiqué by the ODQ when things a return to normal). This is only a brief summary. Consult the ODQ website for frequently asked questions which has more detail.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
On the ODQ website, you can find the Dentoform CE platform, in place since 2018. To access it, go to the home page at the bottom right under the Continuing Education tab and click on: Online conference (Dentoform). On this platform, there are 3 free online courses. The first is on social media 1.5 units, the second on Legal references concerning the digital world 1.5 units and the third on medical emergencies for 7 units. These 3 training courses recognized by the ODQ will give you a total of 10 units. For the 3rd conference of 7 hours do not trust the title because it is not all on medical emergencies. There are videos on the use of the Autoinjector, preparation of a dose of epinephrine from a glass vial and preparation of a dose of diphenhydramine from a vial as well as on subjects such as anticoagulated patients, anti-resorptive therapies (Fosamax, Prolia ...), complete orthopedic prostheses vs. antibiotic therapy, Regulator (pacemaker) / Cardioversion-defibrillators implanted, endocarditis! This is all really practical knowledge that we can use everyday.
Thank you Josée
Dr Barry Dolman
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DENTAL RESIDENT EMBARKS ON HUMANITARIAN By: Shalom Benzaquen, MISSION TO UGANDA PGY-1 Resident, Kingsbrook IN JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2020 Jewish Medical Center GPR These included access to clean water, restroom facilities, medical or dental care, or even food. For many of these people, we would be the only access to dental care they might receive, and it was clear by the consistent large turnout of people to the villages how much they appreciated our group being there. Many would travel for miles on foot only to have the opportunity to be seen for a tooth ache or a dental prosthesis to replace an anterior tooth which might be a major factor in their likelihood of becoming married.
During my dental education, I realized that I wanted to pursue the opportunity to embark on a dental outreach mission in a foreign country in a region with little access to dental care. I knew that I wanted to give back as a dentist in the future, as I had benefited from vital services offered within the community when my family needed it. When I by chance stumbled upon the Build Your Smile Dental Foundation at a time when they were accepting applicants for their upcoming two-week trip to Uganda, I knew I had to seize on this opportunity. I had never embarked on an organized humanitarian trip before, let alone in a position where I could provide essential health-care services to those in need. I did not know much about what this mission had to offer, but ultimately it was one of the most unique, fulfilling, and life-changing experiences of my life.
One noteworthy occurrence for me was that of a young woman, who was also carrying a young child, and was asking to be seen by our dentists due to dental pain. Unfortunately, she had arrived at the end of our clinical day, as we were beginning to close our clinical facilities. However, she described how she had spent the day travelling to reach us with her child and she had significant dental pain due to an abscessed posterior tooth. She explained to me that the nearest hospital that might possibly treat her would be hours by foot to reach if there was nothing we could do for her. Fortunately, I was able to find the equipment to make sure she could leave without pain. This circumstance allowed me to truly appreciate the significant benefits that our humanitarian travels have been able to offer the people of Uganda and to appreciate the access to care I am afforded in Canada and the USA.
Nineteen volunteer members would take part on this trip led by prosthodontist Dr. Izchak Barzilay, including prosthodontists, periodontists, dentists, dental students, denturists, dental technicians, dental hygienists, and dental assistants. After a twenty-six hour travel from Toronto, Canada to Kabale, Uganda, we were stationed at the locale of Kigezi Healthcare Foundation (KIHEFO). Over the course of two weeks, we would travel by bus to various villages around the Kabale region and complete our makeshift dental treatment arrangement within schools, churches and other available buildings. Complete with an on-site laboratory (for processing dentures for the most necessary cases) and fully electric dental operatory and scaling systems, we could amazingly offer a full range of dental services including screenings, fluoride treatments, oral hygiene instruction, dental scaling, operative procedures, extractions, implant restorations, and even dentures.
Over the course of our mission, I was fortunate enough to be able to make a difference on a large number of patients’ lives in such a short period of time and was even able to deliver four denture cases to patients. What made trip truly special were the bonds and friendships formed along our journeys in Uganda and among the team members. A strong sense of team spirit and camaraderie was felt throughout the often arduous work and journeys we undertook. I could not be happier about my experiences with Build Your Smile Dental Foundation and wish to thank Alpha Omega Montreal Chapter for its grant to help me take on this amazing experience.
What struck me the most about what we were able to do for the people in this region was an extreme contrast between their way of life in their rural communities compared to ours. In a large area of Uganda, the economy relies upon subsistence agriculture, and people must live in small rural communities or villages to be able to maintain their livelihood. Ordinary aspects of every day life that one might take for granted back home were not even an option for the people living there.
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HUMANITARIAN MISSION TO UGANDA (CONTINUED)
OVER 8 CLINICAL DAYS, OUR CLINICAL GROUP SAW: 2034 smiles, including: 1423 children (oral hygiene, fluoride treatments, triaged for restorations and extractions) 503 extraction patients with 830 extractions performed 105 dentures completed and delivered 282 teeth replaced. 98 hygiene and restorative treatments carried out 6 implants restorations and one natural tooth crown inserted.
Resident Dentist Dr. Shalom Benzaquen treating patients in a village school site in the Kabale region.
Children and parents receiving oral hygiene instruction
The on-site dental laboratory for denture fabrication at a village church
The Build Your Smile Dental Foundation 2020 Uganda Dental Outreach Team; Dr. Shalom Benzaquen middle, second row
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OMETZ REPORT
OUR GARDEN my lumberjack skills. There was no Googling “how to cut down a tree” at the time.
On May 8th 2020, in the middle of the COVID-19 crisis, I was looking out my window and watching my garden die. A week before, with great weather, I was optimistic about starting my garden with the new flower and vegetable plants that I germinated indoors and nurtured for two months, watching them grow, watering them and talking to them lovingly. As if it was divinely planned, the weather suddenly turned unseasonably frigid the day after planting them, so I rushed outside to rescue the delicate tomato plants, whose leaves were already protesting the chilly air with curled up leaves. I “exhumed” them and brought them back into the safety of their warm nursery. This is the hobby of gardening, my definition of it being: the act of replacing dead plants.
We built a large garden where the overgrown cedars used to be and it has become a major project every year since. The results are always rewarding. We try new things every year, and sometimes the results are quite surprising. We have planted everything from giant Dahlias to ornamental corn, tropical trumpet plants, wild Lupines brought back in seed form from a trip to the Maritimes, and wild ferns and Preacher-in-the-pulpit plants gleaned from our forest hikes. It is a constant source of pride and satisfaction when the blooms present themselves from the bulbs of spring Tulips, Daffodils, Crocuses and Hyacinths, to the summer extravaganza of colour, to the bright autumn foliage. The pink lady slipper Orchids we discovered alongside a hiking trail in the Eastern Townships found a new home in our garden, thanks to a small spade, some wet paper towels and a plastic bag I kept in my backpack. Rare and hard to cultivate, I painstakingly transplanted them into our garden in the best possible spot (according to research) and in the following spring, low and behold, it pushed its way through the earth after the long, cold winter. You would think by my reaction of pure joy and the happy-dance I did that we were blessed with a newborn baby. The next day, I went outside to check on it and it had disappeared! My wife, who is an aggressive “weeder”, mistakenly “took care of it” and put it in the compost bin with the Dandelions, creeping Charlie, and other invasive weeds. I was not happy.
When we bought our home in 1997, the front of the house was completely overgrown with tall, unkempt cedar “bushes”, which were taller than the building. I guess the original owner’s plan was to have a small, neat privy in front of the small terrace at the entrance to the house. But with either a lack of time or interest on his part, the small bushes grew beyond what a hedge trimmer could handle and thus became a miniature forest in front of our home, preventing light and air from coming in through the bay windows. I love power tools; and gas-powered ones even more so, so my motivation was there to cut down those trees. After a trip to the rental shop with a chain saw in hand, and no idea how to use it, I got to work, winging it so to speak, fortunately with all my digits and limbs intact. Of course, I never told anyone that I was a chainsaw virgin, and I impressed everyone with
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OUR GARDEN (CONTINUED)
Watching the snow fall on May 8th, I sadly anticipated the demise of some of our garden produce. But that is what gardening is all about, replacing dead plants. There are also some other sources of pride, such as outdoing your neighbour! Years ago, he and I both planted a Clematis vine, a beautiful climbing plant that produces a wall of deep purple flowers every year. His was showier than mine, however eventually his died and mine is still growing strong, so I win! But it’s all in good competitive fun.
Our garden has no resemblance to a professionally planned installation. It is random, sometimes with tall plants where short plants should be. There are no straight rows of organized Begonias or colours that follow the rules of what goes with what, but it works; the most important thing being that it is all our own effort, for better or for worse, not the product of a hired gardener. Two years ago, we were on a bike ride and ended up in Ste. Anne de Bellevue, just in time for their renowned annual garlic festival. Meandering from booth to booth, we learned that growing garlic here was easy to do and so with ten bulbs strapped down with bungee cords on my bike rack, we had our starter batch, ready to plant that October. I prepared the garden bed in the back yard, enriched it with our special vintage horse manure from the rescue shelter that my wife volunteers at and after dividing each bulb into individual cloves, we planted two rows of 20 and left them for spring. The following summer, the harvest was spectacular, with beautiful juicy bulbs that oozed with oil when crushed, with no resemblance at all to what you would find at your local IGA. The attached scapes, which are the flower bodies of the plant that look like long green curlicues, are another delicacy that you only find at the market, are worth their weight in gold! Last autumn, we planted many more, and it is exciting now to watch the thick, healthy sprouts grow day-by-day.
I had a wonderful year with the Ometz clinic, up until everything fell apart with this pandemic. We are all struggling with this disaster, both to our professions as well as to our personal lives. This is going to be a trauma that will be hard to come back from, and it is only with strong determination and a great deal of hope for the future that will we get past this. I want to wish you all a happy outcome from this life-altering crisis and a healthy future ahead. With faith, like planting a garden, the harvest will be successful and abundant.
Marty Wise
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SCIENTIFIC REPORT Dear Fraters, With the 2019-2020 Alpha Omega lecture schedule in the books, it is my pleasure to present the scientific report. I would like to start by acknowledging this year’s speakers and extending our gratitude to them for putting together such great presentations. Without them none of this would have been possible. I would also to thank the Jewish General Hospital for continuing to provide us with a venue for our lecture series. We continued our great lecture schedule with an amazing one by Dr. Daniel Turgeon who gave a very interesting lecture titled “Clinical Indications for CBCT”. Dr. Turgeon spoke about the very real benefits on using CBCT in our practices.
I am also currently working on the next group of lectures to be presented in the 2020-2021 AO scientific term. I welcome anybody who is interested to please contact me directly, either by phone or email, in order to discuss potential lecturing opportunities with AO. I am truly very excited to be a part of this fraternity and my goal as the Scientific VP is to develop a valuable, rewarding and educational lecture series. I look forward to seeing you at the next lecture!
Fraternally,
Dr. Jonathan Werbitt jwerbitt@gmail.com 514-567-5105
The next lecture was an informative one by Dr. Frederic Elbaz entitled “Top Challenges in Endodontics and how to overcome them.” Dr. Elbaz lectured on how we can deal with endodontic complications in the year 2020. He also showed a lot of real-world cases that make us all better practitioners. Due to the COVD-19 Pandemic our last lecture was done for the first time via ZOOM and was very well attended. Close to 200 Alpha Omega members from around the world attended Dr. Saleh’s lecture titled “Bone graph Reconstruction and implant Complications”. Dr. Saleh showed a mix of orthognathic cases and implant complications. An extremely interesting topic!
You’re looking out for your patient’s best interest.
We’re looking out for yours.
With the lecture series now officially closed for 2019-2020. I have given a lot of thought on how we can evolve as a fraternity. My first order of business was to record Dr. Salehs lecture and make it readily available to any member of the Montreal Chapter to watch on demand. We will also add any future lectures to this portal and create a library of educational lectures we can re-watch when we need a refresher.
As a dentist, decisions made today will have a significant impact on your future. That’s why MNP is committed to every stage of the professional cycle. From start up to succession, we are continually developing programs and strategies that ensure you’re always ahead of the curve. Contact Derrick Blumenthal, CPA, CA, at 514.315.3675 or derrick.blumenthal@mnp.ca
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P&M SUMMER 2020
ANNOUNCEMENTS It is with great sadness that the Ordre des dentistes du QuÊbec learned of the passing of two of its former presidents during the holiday season. Dr. Marc Boucher, president of the Order from 1982 to 1994, died on December 22 in Quebec City at the Maison Michel-Sarrazin. Then on December 31, in Sherbrooke, Dr. Charles-Émile Gosselin left us. Dr. Gosselin served as president from 1972 to 1978 and subsequently as syndic of the Order from 1983 to 1990 and then as director of professional services. The president of the Order, Dr. Guy Lafrance, and its executive director, Caroline Daoust, join the members of the Board of Directors and employees of the Order to extend their deepest sympathies to the family, friends and relatives of the deceased. It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Dr. Benjamin Sedlezky (endodontist) and first president of the joint AO- MRDS. Condolences to Barrie Siegel and Jeffrey H. Tenser on the passing of their beloved father and father-in-law, Phil Siegel. It is with deep sadness we announce the passing of Therese Bouzaglo mother of Dr Eytan Bouzaglo. It is with deep sadness we announce the passing of Ralph Rothstein, father-in law to Erle Schneidman and grandfather to Jason Schneidman. It is with deep sadness we announce the passing of Zella Hoffman,Beloved Mother and Mother-in-law of Ira and Marilyn Hoffman.
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P&M SUMMER 2020