Seattle King County Dental Society Membership Quarterly Spring 2020

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MEMBERSHIP

Quarterly SPRING 2020

VOL 18 / ISSUE 4

Election Results Dental Action Day Life Member Bios

1111 Har vard Avenue

Seattle, WA 98122-4205

206.448.6620 www.skcds.org 2020 SKCDS SPRING MEMBERSHIP QUARTERLY l

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SPRING 2020 Volume 18, Issue 4

Seattle-King County Dental Society Membership Quarterly

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Contributors: Ms. Sandra Anderson Dr. Lisa Egbert Dr. Randy Ogata Publisher: Bill Newcomer, BNC Printing & Graphics, Vancouver, WA OFFICERS Dr. Austin Baruffi , President Dr. Adam Kennedy, President-Elect Dr. Lisa Egbert, Past-President Dr. Katie DeWood, Secretary Dr. Scott Parker, Treasurer EXECUTIVE COUNCIL Dr. Elizabeth A. Kutcipal, Executive Council 2021 Dr. Amanda Spivey, Executive Council 2021 Dr. Joe Vaughn, Executive Council 2021 Dr. Mark Egbert, Executive Council 2022 Dr. Emily Yepez, Executive Council 2022 Dr. Kate Christian, Executive Council 2023 Dr. Rica Mackert, , Executive Council 2023 Dr. Randy Ogata, Executive Director Contact and Change of Address: To ensure continued receipt of issues, change of address must be reported to: SKCDS Central Office , 1111 Harvard Avenue, Seattle, WA 98122-4205, as soon as possible -Phone: 206.448.6620 | Fax: 206.443.9308. Email: skcds@skcds.com | website: www.skcds.org The information in this publication is for the exclusive benefit of Seattle-King County Dental Society members. Neither the Society nor the publisher makes any express or implied warranties as to the information herein, including the contents of any advertising. Opinions in The Quarterly do not necessarily express the official policies of the Seattle-King County Dental Society, nor the opinions of the editor, unless so stated. Publications of advertising is not an endorsement, qualification, approval or guarantee of either advertisers or product. For advertising and publishing details, contact: Mr. Bill Newcomer, BNC Printing & Graphics, 503.318.5916, bill@bncprinting.com; www.bncprinting.com

Office Team / Contact................................................................................3 President’s Message...................................................................................4 From the Desk of Dr. Ogata ........................................................................5 New Members...........................................................................................7 Best Practices.............................................................................................8 Dental Action Day.......................................................................................9 Life Members Biographies 2020................................................................10 Members Meeting Goes Virtual..........................................................................13 Give Kids a Smile 2020..................................................................................17 Member Spotlight ...........................................................................................18 Election Results...............................................................................................20 Dr. Munk........................................................................................................22

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PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

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Cover Photo: COVID-19 impacts dentistry nationwide 2020 SKCDS SPRING MEMBERSHIP QUARTERLY l 3


The

President’s Message

accountants, attorneys, infection control specialists and other professionals in order to move forward thoughtfully and intentionally. These resources would have been incredibly difficult and expensive to navigate alone. The SKCDS Executive Council has worked tirelessly this year to make our Society more member-centric. With a desire to include all dentists and to provide meaningful benefits, SKCDS encourages feedback from members as to what more the Society can provide, and from non-members as to what is necessary to make them feel welcome. While each dentist has a unique story, we share a significant part of our lives. We are dentists. Through organized dentistry, individual dentists become Team Dentist. As Team Dentist, we learn from one another, speak as one voice advocating for our patients and profession, and provide community service on a scale that is impossible alone. It has been an honor to be the President and cheer captain for SKCDS this year.

Dr. Lisa Egbert

Go, Team Dentist!

Go Team Dentist! Sincerely,

Dr. Lisa Egbert

I was never a cheerleader. I tried out once, in seventh grade, but did not Dr. Lisa Egbert get the votes required to be awarded the coveted pom poms. Even though I was filled with school spirit, the suburban junior high wasn’t ready for a somewhat awkward Math Olympiad team captain, and designated science What’s class dissector, to also don a cheerleading uniform.

your practice worth?

Over the years, I cheered for many teams in an unofficial capacity. The Sonics, Storm, Seahawks, Reign and Sounders have brought championship trophies to Seattle. I dream that one day, the Mariners will win the World Series. As I write this, however, all sporting events are cancelled and I find myself cheering for more significant teams. I cheer for humanity, recovering from a pandemic. I cheer for my country, community, and family. I cheer for our profession. Recently, dentists have met unimaginable challenges with grace and grit. No dentist expects to be unemployed or to risk personal safety by treating patients, yet most of our members have had these experiences, through no fault of their own. To save practices from financial ruin and to continue serving the needs of patients in a changing environment, dentists have exhibited the same common qualities used to succeed in dental school: attention to detail, resilience and raw hard work. While businesses of all types have struggled, the resources of the ADA, WSDA and SKCDS have been pooled to interpret information and provide clinical and financial guidance in the new and ever-changing landscape of the pandemic. Dentists have been provided daily updates and access to 4 l 2020 SKCDS SPRING MEMBERSHIP QUARTERLY

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From the desk of Dr. Randy Ogata

Spring­ 2020

Executive Director

A Dentist & Executive Director The transition from clinical orthodontist to executive director of the largest and best component society in Washington State has been an unexpectedly wild ride. Never in my 25 years of practice could I have imagined that in my first four months guiding the Seattle-King County Dental Society we would face a pandemic of a magnitude not seen since the time of the Spanish flu. As a clinician I worry about my team, my practice, and my patients and when we will be allowed to return to practice – and when we return, what will that landscape look like. As SKCDS Executive Director I stay up at night worrying about the Christine Shigakis, Mario Choraks, Danny Tremblays and Karla Aylens of this world and the 2,500+ dentists who practice in the greater King County area. I’m worried about their practices, their patients, their teams, and their families. All of us wondering if there will be enough PPE’s to care for our patients safely, once we are given permission to resume treatments. Alone, don’t think that any one of us has all the answers; but know we are better together and will get through this crisis. Support for All Dentists SKCDS member dentists and non-member dentists are my charge now. Servant leadership means looking past “just” the Seattle King County landscape and towards the needs of the whole dental profession. Early on in this crisis, Joe Coury of OMNI Practice Group, contacted me with an idea we hatched over lunch; launching the “Leadership Through Crisis” webinar series to provide dentists with information they wanted, when they needed it. SKCDS fielded a lot of desperate calls and we helped put each of these dentists in touch with the resources that they needed, often dialing up assistance from the WSDA or ADA. During this same time, SKCDS also received some angry messages stating SKCDS was doing too little or not moving fast enough. With the fears of losing their practice looming over member’s heads, we were upset too. So, we rolled up our sleeves, dug in our heals and strived to provide everyone with the information that they sought or needed to start addressing their particular situation. Initially, the volume of information bombarding everyone was staggering. SKCDS sought to filter out the fluff and provide overwhelmed dentists with accurate information free of “spin” and heavy on truths but, sometimes being correct was not synonymous with speed. Currently SKCDS has teamed up with WAGD, University of Washington School of Dentistry, Pierce County Dental Society, CARDP and the Snohomish County Dental Society, Omni Practice Group, Patterson Dental and Komet, USA to co-sponsor the “WAGD Stay Home, Stay Healthy” CE which is FREE to ALL DENTISTS. As we all prepare to reassemble our teams, SKCDS has on retainer, Mr. Paul Schaber to consult with members on human resource issues – a unique benefit – to help you make the right decisions and contribute to your success. (continued on page 6) New Executive Director, Dr. Randy Ogata, and his family 2020 SKCDS SPRING MEMBERSHIP QUARTERLY l 5


Organized Dentistry – One Voice, One Profession ADA President, Dr. Chad Gehani commissioned a Task Force on Dental Practice Recovery to develop guidance for offices as we prepare to return to practice. The Task Force is taking input from CDC guidelines, ADA Scientific Affairs, and other outside experts, to determine what will be appropriate PPEs, plus are working behind the scenes to address the PPE shortages. ADA, WSDA and SKCDS know that this is information that not just member dentists, but ALL dentists will need once this moratorium is lifted. The Tripartite is working with DQAC to allow dental licensure candidates to be evaluated by the Dental Licensure Objective Structured Clinical Examination this year under emergency rules. WSDA and the component societies have been pushing DQAC for exemptions on licensure expirations due to CE requirements like Sedation, Suicide Prevention & CPR. Mike Graham, ADA Public and Government Affairs is calling the contacts that he has in Washington DC to secure additional funds for the EIDL and PPP programs; while at the same time lobbying to get rules on the PPP modified so they make sense for small business owners. Organized Dentistry – One Voice, One Profession. We are looking out for all dentists, so dentists can take care of their practices and families. We will work hard, until we can’t go any longer, for your success contributes to our success; and our success means that every dentist matters.

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Please welcome our new members JANUARY

Dr. Sue J. Choi Dr. Ngoc Hannah Doan Dr. Peter Douglas Dr. Afsoon Fazeli Dr. Jeel Kesaria Dr. Paul H. Krzeszowski Dr. Brian Liao Dr. Audrey Michelle Mikkelson Dr. Grant P. Reschenthaler Dr. Atriya Salamati Dr. Gene Wang Dr. Kimberly Nealy Dr. Thuy Nguyen

FEBRUARY Dr. Sarah Baik Dr. Tyler A. Buchanan Dr. Addie Chang Dr. Alan D. Cooper Dr. Miles DiSabella Dr. Jessica Hsu Dr. Sahar Kamkar Dr. Ashley Koh Dr. Sam Ngo Dr. Eric Rosengren Dr. Sogole Tabatabaiepur Dr. Sonia K. Takasaki Dr. Jordan Wiley

MARCH Dr. Christopher Fanger Dr. Jordan Ha Dr. Young Ting Hsu Dr. Lauren Kersjes Dr. Akira Nakada Dr. Teja Neral

APRIL Dr. Yin Ying Dr. Anika Frostad-Thomas

Members of SKCDS are encouraged to invite non-member dentists who are practicing in King County to join the Dental Society. A quick call to the WSDA Office at 206.973.5210 is all that is needed forthem to apply for membership at all three levels: Seattle-King County Dental Society, Washington State Dental Association and the American Dental Association.

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Best Practices A New Graduate Perspective A fresh graduate, with less than 2 years of work experience, faces some unique challenges. These young dentists aren’t considered seasoned in the industry, nor are they as ‘naïve’ as dental students. It makes being a fresh graduate complicated and interesting. There’s a multitude of choices to take right after school, some of those choices can make or break your career, instill bad habits, or on the other hand, help strengthen your core values. Some choices can test your patience, and others can make your question your ‘why’. I made some mistakes in my first year out of school. I don’t think I was unique in any way but some of the mistakes definitely hit me hard. I also feel like had I been more disciplined, I could have avoided most of those mistakes, or at least I could have avoided the emotional anguish I put myself through. When I moved back to Seattle for my second associateship, I spent a lot of time reflecting on what I could do differently now that I was back home. It was then that I realized that some of the best practices I can invest in, to make myself a better dentist, are not related to clinical dentistry at all. Here’s 5 of the ones I’ve found that have helped me become a more disciplined person, and in return a more compassionate dentist: 1. Take the time to reflect. Julia Cameron (Author of The Artists’ Way), Paullette Perhach (Author of Welcome to the Writer’s life) and our very own Dr. Stephanie Zeller, all espouse ‘Morning Pages’ for good reason. Morning Pages are pages that you write first thing in the morning, pen to paper, about whatever is on your mind. This simple habit creates a way for one to reflect on the day before, guide the day ahead, and develop more mindfulness in the interim. 2. Wake up before 5 AM. I had convinced myself, as a teenager, that I wasn’t a morning person, so instilling this habit was difficult at first. However, waking up early is one of the best things you can gift yourself. I use the word gift because it is truly a blessing to wake up before anyone else in the house does and experience the peace and quiet in those wee hours. It’s just you, your coffee and your computer. The reason I feel most dentists NEED this, is because we live our whole working lives ‘reactively’. Our patients feel pain, so we fix their teeth, our assistants complain, so we solve their problems, we read an email about insurance, so we pay the bills. Very little that goes on in our day starts with us initiating something. So, I enjoy waking up early- it’s the one time in the day that I am taking initiative. 3. Join an awesome study club. Dentistry can be very isolating. Most of us do not meet a fellow dentist for weeks. While interacting with the team is fun, it is hard to be vulnerable and admit mistakes, or keep yourself motivated to excel. I cannot describe the feeling in words, when I met 3 of my classmates at our study club and compared notes on how our first years had been. We shared our failures openly and without fear of judgement. It was the nicest feeling in the whole world, because I realized I wasn’t alone. Keep in mind, not all study clubs are created equal. Some clubs have a comprehensive approach to dentistry and are a great networking opportunity. Others may have a specific business or new graduate focus and help you connect with people with similar interests as you. Taking your time to discover a club where you feel like you belong will be an excellent investment in terms of money, time spent and good mental health. 4. Discover a podcast. A lot of people will recommend finding a mentor, while you’re a student or as soon as you graduate. Some will even recommend having your boss as a mentor. Let me be the first to say that having your boss as a mentor is an incredibly lucky, if not rare, scenario. I love mentors and I am fortunate to have a few but it has not been easy to find them. Finding people who you can trust takes time and a lot of courage. Being an introvert, like most other dentists, I found some of the nicest people in our industry via podcasts and social media (Facebook and Instagram). The podcast that I got hooked onto last year (Shared Practices) became so important for me at one point, that I took an online course hosted by its founders, asked them several questions over Instagram, and later took their advice on other follow up courses to take. Some of those courses have been more valuable to my professional development than other CE courses that I’ve spent more money on. One of those courses led me to find two other mentors! 5. ‘For every hour of clinical CE you take, read a book, attend a business seminar, or take leadership advise from a dentist you admire.’ Sound words I heard from a banker in San Francisco. It amazes me how little we learn about leadership and business in dental school. Most problems we face in the real world are due to a lack of knowledge or experience in either one of those categories. I’m a big fan of John Maxwell, Atul Gawande, Robin Sharma and Danny Meyers, and I’m constantly on the lookout for more books to add to my library. These are mentors too; they just sit on the shelf in your living room until you decide to listen to what they say! I hope these practices help somebody the way they did me. Because I am big learner, I would love to get feedback on this article as well as anything else! Please feel free to reach out to me directly, and happy #dentisting as always. Dr. Sampada Deshpande is a general dentist practicing in Seattle. A foreign trained dentist from India, she completed her DDS equivalency from the University of Washington in 2018. Sampada is a founding member of the New Dentist Business Study Club and a contributing member of her local Spear Study Club. You can reach her directly @dr.deshpande on Instagram. 8 l 2020 SKCDS SPRING MEMBERSHIP QUARTERLY


DENTAL ACTION DAY 2020 procedures, and, if permitted under a written practice plan, contract with a supervising dentist, provide services without the prior examination or diagnosis of the dentist and without the dentist being on site.

I am a private dental practitioner and own a dental practice in Bellevue, Washington. I am also a dentist in the US Army Reserves and I get to see the functioning of dentistry as a civilian and as a dentist in the US Military. My wife is a dentist as well, and owns an office in Redmond. We spend our daily lives running busy with our tasks at hand, working tirelessly. Sometimes we complain about the challenges we face, but many of those hardly change and we keep repeating our actions, almost like Tom Cruise did in Edge of Tomorrow: Live, Die, Repeat. Very few of us take note that we work around the dental policies that have taken effect over the past decades. Just like everyone else, we are governed by the rules and regulations around our field and the only way to bring real change to is to get involved with the people who make these policies. Talking to Senators and Representatives of our districts who represent us, is what drives real change in the policies that affect our profession. I was in Olympia for the Dental Action Day, organized by the WSDA, this January. I was able to sit down with the representatives and senators of Washington State, and learn about how advocacy plays a real role in championing day-to-day issues that affect us, such as dental insurance, water fluoridation, state taxes, and much more. We were able to talk about the bill on Dental Therapists amongst other bills. Under this legislation, dental therapists would have been allowed to supervise EFDAs and dental assistants, perform irreversible

was that hardly any private practitioners were there, probably busy in their dental offices, seeing patients, concerned about daily productions, following their versions of Live, Die, Repeat. Even though, they are the ones who get affected by these policies the most. That is the exact reason Because of the efforts of volunteers from WSDA and why I would make it a point to go next year as SKCDS, we were able to successfully defend against well. I owe it to my profession, which has given legislation like this, that creates more dental me so much; and also to the future dentists who providers like dental therapists. We were able to are going to follow my footsteps. talk about the dearth of support staff including dental hygienists and assistants that we face in our offices. Adding dental providers would have affected By Dr. Max Saxena received his DDS from the our profession conversely, especially at a time like University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine this when dental clinics are shut down and only and a degree in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery in seeing emergency procedures due to COVID-19. Ahmedabad, India. He is father to two boys, and enjoys skiing, hiking and football. We were able to meet with the policy-makers for a dinner before the Dental Action Day, an informal gathering where they got to know what we do every day and we were able to talk to them about our daily challenges. During the Dental Action Day, we were divided according to our legislative districts and talked to the specific representatives of our area. I realized that our representatives in Olympia are super busy individuals and are very busy people, working on a myriad of policies. Without us talking to them, there is no way they can understand what challenges we face every day. One thing to note in particular was that most of the dentists in attendance were dentists from UW, office bearers in WSDA, SKCDS and mostly dental students. I found out that this was a yearly routine for dental students. The ironic thing 2020 SKCDS SPRING MEMBERSHIP QUARTERLY l 9


LIFE MEMBER BIOS Dr. Debra L Cederbaum Dr. Debra Cederbaum is a 31 year member of the tripartite. Dr. Debra Cederbaum is originally from Connecticut. After graduating from the University of Vermont with a Bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences, Dr. Cederbaum crossed the country to attend dental school at the University of Washington. She liked it here so much she never left. She graduated from UW in 1985. Dr. Cederbaum earned two advanced degrees at the University of Washington, a Doctor of Pharmacy and a Doctor of Dental Science. She maintains her licenses in both dentistry and pharmacy, Dr. Cederbaum is married with three wonderful children. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, baking, knitting, and traveling. Dr. Cederbaum gives back to the local community by volunteering her time to a charitable organization called Donated Dental Services. She practices in Seattle. Dr. James W Cherberg With over 35 years of dental experience, a born and raised Seattle native, Dr. Cherberg graduated with honors from the University of Washington, School of Dentistry and is an accredited specialist in fixed prosthodontics. He was elected Omicron Kappa Upsilon, the Honorary Dental Society. Dr. Cherberg served as a Captain, in the U.S. Army Dental Corps, from 1971-1973. His past and present involvement includes: active member of local, regional, national and international prosthodontic societies and academies; assistant Professor in Restorative Dentistry; and has lectured in the United States, Canada, and abroad. Dr. Cherberg has submitted several articles for publication. He is a 36-year member of the ADA. Dr. Ronald L Danforth Dr. Ronald Danforth practiced in Redmond, Washington for many years before selling his practice to Dr. Kale Eckland. He now works part-time for Dr. Eckland. He’s a General Practice dentist who graduated from the University of Washington, class of 1980. He is a 41 year member of the ADA. Dr. Jeffrey D Dodson Dr. Dodson is a general dentist who has practiced in northeast Seattle for many years. He is a 38 year member of the tripartite and a 1975 graduate of the Harvard School of Dentistry. Dr. J. Scott Henricksen I started my dental practice in the Phinney Ridge neighborhood of Seattle following graduation from the University of Washington School of Dentistry in 1980. In 1994, design and construction of our current facility in Shoreline was completed. Being a dentist was a dream of mine in childhood (hard to imagine for many of you, but it’s true!), and I have never wavered in my enthusiasm for this profession. I plan to practice dentistry for many years to come. I continue to grow and keep up to date in continuing dental education and the refinement of my abilities and knowledge, and after more than 30 years in practice consider myself expert in providing the best and most appropriate care to each individual, with a belief that teeth can and should last a lifetime in comfort and health. My wife Karen and I have lived in Shoreline since 1982. We have three children and two grandchildren. Dr. Howard P. Jensen Dr. Jensen is a 39 year member of the American Dental Association, Washington State Dental Association, American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, Academy of Osseointegration, Seattle-King County Dental Society, and the Greater Eastside Study Club. His Father, Dr. Howard K. Jensen, was one of the first dentists to establish a practice in Bellevue in the early 1940’s. The two worked together for a period of time before Howard Jr. took over the practice. Dr. Jensen is a 1981 graduate of the University of Washington School of Dentistry. Dr. Carl K Johnson Dr. Carl Johnson grew up in a small mining town in Nevada. He didn’t always know that he wanted to be an oral surgeon; rather, he discovered his interest in dentistry while he was studying for his undergraduate degree. While working for a professor in an embryology lab with his cousin, Dr. Carl realized that he wanted a career in a field that could help people. This work, combined with the inspiration from his father being an orthodontist, led him to go to dental school. When he first started dental school, Dr. Carl had no intentions of specializing in oral surgery. After a couple of years of education and training, however, he realized oral and maxillofacial surgery appealed to him. He was interested in providing patients with more comprehensive care than he could give them as a dentist. He attended Brigham Young University and graduated in 1982 with a bachelor’s degree in zoology. He continued to the University of Nebraska College of Dentistry, where he graduated with honors in 1986. Following dental school, Dr. Carl left the west (continued on page 11) 10 l 2020 SKCDS SPRING MEMBERSHIP QUARTERLY


coast to complete his oral and maxillofacial residency at Sinai Hospital of Detroit in Michigan. Dr. Johnson has offices in five locations and shares his practice with his two sons (Drs. Ben Johnson and Michael Johnson) and good friend, Dr. Rick Edwards. In his spare time, Dr. Carl enjoys a wide variety of activities. He loves scuba diving and even dabbles as an amateur astronomer. He and his wife have three sons, two daughters, and nine grandchildren who keep him extremely busy. Even when he’s not in the office working, Dr. Carl enjoys meeting with the other doctors at least once a week to talk about the practice and make sure all bases are covered. He is a 35 year member of the tripartite. Dr. Craig P Johnston Dr. Johnston is Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon who received his dental degree from Baylor University in 1981. He did his graduate training at Parkland Memorial Hospital, in Texas, graduating in 1985. He practices in Issaquah. Dr. Steven R Lee Dr. Steven Lee is a native of Renton, Washington, graduating from Hazen High School. Dr. Lee completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Washington and then was accepted to the University of Washington School of Dentistry where he earned his dental degree in 1980. He has had a private practice in Renton for over 35 years. Dr. Lee enjoys getting to know his patients and working with them. Dr. Lee and his wife Gay raised their two daughters in the Renton area. In his spare time he is an avid woodworker, providing our office décor with all of his works of art. He is a 41 year member of the ADA. Dr. Steven C Lockett Dr. Steven Lockett was born and raised in Burien, Washington . After graduating from Highline High School (Class of ‘73), he earned his BS degrees in Biology and Chemistry at Western Washington University (1977) and his DMD from Tufts University School of Dental Medicine in Boston, MA (1980). Armed with knowledge, determination…and a shiny new degree…he moved home and set up shop in West Seattle, where he practiced until bringing his talents to the Fairwood area in 2009. When asked to recall one of the many rewarding experiences throughout his career, Steve replied, “I was working at the VA, just outside of Boston. One of my patients was a cancer survivor who had undergone extremely aggressive chemo and radiation treatments. He lost his teeth as a result – along with part of his upper jaw, lower jaw, and his nose. His daughter was getting married, and he didn’t want to look ‘hideous’ at her wedding. As a part of the surgical reconstruction team working on his case, I got to see his reaction when he saw his new face and teeth. That reaction will stay with me for the rest of my life.” Dr. Lockett is a member of the American Dental Association, Washington State Dental Association, Seattle-King County Dental Association, and belongs to the Seattle Study Club, the TMJ/TMD/Periodontal Study Club, and Core Sleep Medicine Study Club. He is actively involved in the study of sleep medicine and has completed a variety of courses on the subject. He and his wife, Nancy, have lived in Normandy Park for over 28 years and have three grown children: Craig, Daniel, and Emily. When not in the office you might find Dr. Lockett at his favorite fishing spot, scuba diving (off the coast of Redondo), or in the kitchen (testing out a new recipe on Nancy). He is also a lover of competitive sports, both team and individual. Whether he’s donning his catcher’s gear or fine tuning his tennis game, he finds participation to be a fun and enjoyable way to stay healthy and fit. (continued on page 12)

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2020 SKCDS SPRING MEMBERSHIP QUARTERLY l 11


Dr. Anthony T Lovrovich Dr. Lovrovich has two Bachelors degrees both for the University of Washington. One is in Environmental Health and the other in Architecture. He did his dental school training at UW SOD and did his postdoctoral training in Orthodontics at the Eastman Dental Center, University of Rochester, in New York. He is involved with the World Society of Orthodontists, American Association of Orthodontists, American Dental Association, American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine, Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists, Washington State Society of Orthodontists, Washington State Dental Society, and the Seattle-King County Dental Society. Dr. Lovrovich is a Board-Certified Orthodontist and a Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics. The American Dental Association recognizes this as the only orthodontic specialty board. He is amongst the 35% of orthodontists who are currently board certified. Over the years, Dr. Lovrovich has been very active with SKCDS serving on the Leadership Committee from 2007 through 2010 and the Bylaws committee from 1999 through 2007. He also served as the Bylaws Committee Chair. He was a representative to the WSDA House of Delegates from 2010 through 2013. In his free time, Dr. Lovrovich enjoys spending time with his wife and watching their three sons play sports. His hobbies include fishing, watching sporting events, skiing and playing golf. Dr. Lovrovich sponsors local Little League baseball teams and is actively involved in his local church in Seattle. Dr. David Silver Dr. David Silver has been setting the highest standards of excellence in dentistry for over 30 years. He earned his Doctorate of Dental Surgery degree from the University of Southern California. Dr. Silver is an active member of many leading dental organizations including the American Dental Association, Washington State Dental Association and the Seattle-King County Dental Society. Dr. Silver has been very active in SKCDS over the years. He has severed on the following committees: ABCD Committee, 5 years; and served as the Co-Chair for 3 years. He was on the Access to Care Committee for 1 year, and the Peer Review Committee for 20 years. In his spare time away from the office, Dr. Silver enjoys computers, skiing and bike riding. Dr. Rodney B Wentworth Dr. Rodney B. Wentworth has been an active member of tripartite for 38 years. He is a native of Detroit, Michigan, and graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in Microbiology, in 1976. He graduated from the University of Washington School of Dentistry in 1981 and practiced in Bellevue until March 2019. Over the years, Dr. Wentworth has served in numerous roles at the national, state and local level of organized dentistry. He was the ADA Chair of the Ethics, Bylaws and Judicial Affairs Committee in 2011, and sat on the Committee from 2007 through 2011. Dr. Wentworth was also a Delegate to the ADA House of Delegates from 2011 through 2013. He was the WSDA President in 2011-2012 and on the WSDA Board of Directors from 2003-2013. Locally, he served as Executive Council President for SKCDS, from 2003-2004. He has been involved with the following committees: Forensics Committee, 9 years, Nominations Committee, 4 years, and served as the Chair of the committee for 2 years. He has been on the Peer Review Committee for 19 years, the Program committee for 6 years and the strategic planning Committee for 6 years. Dr. Wentworth has also sat on numerous committees at the state level. He has been an Affiliate Faculty Member at the University of Washington School of Dentistry for 28 years. Additionally, he is activewith The Pierre Fauchard Academy, the Fellowship of American College of Dentists, the American Society for Dental Ethics and the American Dental Education Association. He has published several papers and spoken extensively on Dental Ethics. Dr. Wentworth is currently working as a Founder and Board Member of the Washington Healthcare Insurance Company, an independent insurer developed in 2017. When he’s not working, he enjoys fishing and travel with his wife Jill. They live Sammamish.

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MEMBER MEETING GOES VIRTUAL: Dr. Denny Bradshaw Addresses Society via Zoom

SKCDS held its first virtual Members Meeting Tuesday, April 28, and provided our members with the latest vetted information. Attendees heard an Actual and Factual Update from WSDA President Dr. Dennis Bradshaw, with a guest appearance from 11th District Trustee Dr. Linda Edgar, on what the ADA and WSDA are doing for our profession to pave the way towards a return to practice. We had over 125 members, and community, participating in the virtual meeting. Dr. Bradshaw shared his experiences and perspective on the current status of dentistry in Washington. After his remarks, Dr. Bradshaw opened the virtual floor to questions from participants. Members asked for information on a variety of aspects around the COVID-19 pandemic. When asked about the availability of PPE, he stated the WSDA is pro-actively working with dental suppliers to access PPE for members in Washington. Dr. Linda Edgar, and staff from the WSDA, also shared that the ADA is undertaking an aggressive marketing campaign to encourage the public to go to the dentist when they are allowed to do so. The campaign reminds the public that going to the dentist is both safe and necessary. At the local level, SKCDS has provided access to over 20 hours of CDE; providing timely information when dentists need it. We are updating our website, Facebook and Instagram accounts as news breaks with relevant links to help all dentists. At the state level, WSDA is in constant dialogue with the Governor’s office and the Department of Health, on our behalf, lobbying to establish a clear pathway towards re-opening plus securing commitments with other allied health care providers to be included in the distribution of PPE once offices reopen. In addition, every week WSDA is updating all of the component executives and Presidents on what is actual and factual so that we can better serve all of the member and non-member dentists in our areas. At the Member Meeting, WSDA initiated a write in campaign to Olympia, since we truly are better together. Finally, the ADA has stepped up to provide the science and national clout we need to go to bat for our profession: they have been lobbying non-stop for relief funds, petitioning FEMA for the release of more PPE to all health care professions, ADA Council on Dental Practice and an ADA Task Force commissioned by President Gehani worked tirelessly with CDC to craft recommendations that came out as the Tool Kit on Monday. All of this is in response to what we heard dentists wanted, needed and the Tripartite is delivering. SKCDS has moved aggressively into the world of virtual meetings during this time of public non-contact. SKCDS has taken the lead on learning how to facilitate and execute Zoom meetings, allowing committees to meet despite of the “stay home” orders from the Governor. Online classes have been held and our spring meeting went off with flying colors! In addition to Dr. Bradshaw’s presentation, we honored our Life Members, and welcomed our newly elected officials (see page 20) for the Society. Special thanks to our sponsor, Knutzen - McVay.

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Give Kids a Smile 2020: SKCDS Members Reach Out This February the ADA’s Give Kids A Smile (GKAS) program celebrated 17 years of providing dental care to underserved children in our community. Give Kids a Smile is the largest children’s oral health charitable program in the country. Because of this program, 6 million children have been given free dental care since 2003. What began as a singular event held by Drs. Jeff Dalin and B. Ray Storm, in 2002, has served more than 6 million of those in need of dental care. When Drs. Dalin and Storm started GKAS they provided dental care to 400 children in St. Louis. Since 2003, when the ADA, Henry Schein, Proctor & Gamble, and DEXIS adopted the program nationally, over half a million volunteers have participated.

Give Kids A Smile remains a critical piece of the ADA’s Action for Dental Health, a nationwide, community-based movement aimed at ending the dental health crisis facing America today. It is designed to address the dental health crisis in three distinct areas: 1. Provide care now to people who are suffering from untreated disease; 2. Strengthen and expand the public/private safety net; and 3. Bring disease prevention and education into communities. Across the United States, in 2020, there were 1,448 events, reaching 349,717 children. The ADA reported the 6,495 dentists participated along with 26,566 additional volunteers. As every year, Seattle-King County Dental Society showed full support for Give Kids A Smile program. Our volunteer doctors and their staff took time from their busy schedules to go out in the community and talk to kids about oral health. At the Central Office, SKCDS staff delivered approximately 500 goodie bags that included toothbrushes, timers, toothpastes, and floss. The supplies were made possible by a grant provided by the Arcora Foundation. We appreciate their generous support. Special thanks to Drs. Ellen Vyas, Max Saxena, Erica Yang, Paula Stepp and Stephanie Su. Also, Marta Card, RDH. The schools and daycare centers they visited included Cherry Crest School, Bennett Elementary, Childtime, Bright Horizons, and Learning Land, as well as others. Our volunteers spoke to kids in Seattle, Bellevue, Renton, Auburn and Redmond. Early education is especially important in developing life-long oral health habits. By volunteering with GKAS, our members are impacting their neighborhoods for a healthy future. Thank you for all your participation and support.

2020 SKCDS SPRING MEMBERSHIP QUARTERLY l 17


Member Spotlight: Dr. Emily Yepez Tell us about yourself: My name is Dr. Emily Yepez, and I am a dentist who is working in medical imaging at a Seattle hospital during the COVID-19 crisis. Prior to the pandemic, I was working full-time as an associate dentist in addition to working two days a week as a MRI technologist. My parents told me as a child that my name meant “industrious” and working hard was in my nature. Their encouragement stuck and I have been working at this pace since getting my first job during high school. I am from Everett, Washington, and was raised in Lake Stevens. My husband, Dr. Zach Usa, is from Illinois. I graduated in 2017, he the following year from the University of Washington School of Dentistry. We live in Seattle, share a passion for volunteering, make encaustic paintings with wax, have a manageable obsession with house plants, and are the proud parents of a beautiful panther chameleon named Pascal. We have lobbied together in our state and nation’s capital for dental advocacy and I’ve held local and national positions with the American Student Dental Association. I started serving on the SKCDS Executive Council in 2019 on an interim basis and was officially elected to the position this year! How has COVID-19 impacted your life? On March 18th, along with most dentists in the country, I was laid off. Suddenly, my part-time MRI job went from being our source of medical and dental insurance, to my sole source of income and one of the few reasons I have to leave home during this quarantine. While working 36 hours as a dentist and 24 hours in MRI per week may sound exhausting, know that it became much easier after graduating from dental school! My weekend income allowed me to take out fewer student loans to cover living expenses, which is significant since tuition and fees are over $350,000. Thankfully, our government held student loans and interest have been temporarily suspended until September. My classmates who refinanced do not have that same relief. My husband and I are both laid off as dentists and were approved for unemployment. As many know, the maximum benefit per week is often not enough to cover the cost of living in Seattle. To complicate matters further, Washington State considers my weekend MRI income as “Excess Earnings”. Therefore, I don’t qualify to receive any of the $20,000 of funds that my employers and I have paid into unemployment insurance over the past year. Losing 32 hours a week of dentist income is not offset by maintaining 24 hours a week of technologist income. The situation feels like being punished for being a hard worker. How did you get into the medical field? Since 2003, I have been working in imaging at local hospitals including Swedish, Harborview, UW, Virginia Mason, Valley Medical, and Skagit Valley. MRI is a great career, but I wanted to have the skills to treat my patients, not just scan them. It’s rare to see a person again after performing their exam, which is positive since it usually means that they are in good health. Being placed into a narrow MRI tube for 45-minutes with a helmet over your head while a machine nearly as loud as a jackhammer takes your pictures can be a daunting experience. If you thought people disliked going to the dentist, the percentage of people needing sedation for their MRI claustrophobia is significantly higher. I spend the weekdays hearing about how dentists are hated and the weekends hearing about MRI fear. I pride myself on making the process as comfortable, efficient, and informed for patients as possible: skills that also help my dental patients overcome their anxiety. I fell in love with dentistry while shadowing at a pediatric clinic. A little girl was having a checkup visit with the same dentist who had treated her mother and grandmother when they were kids. In one operatory, there were three generations of patients, friendship, stories, and oral health! Dentistry is so unique since you can meet a patient for an exam, provide a diagnosis and prognosis, treat the condition potentially that same day, and see them again every six months for their checkups. I tell people that I like dentistry so much that I do it for free: volunteering with Union Gospel Mission, Medical Teams International, and the Seattle/King County Dental Clinic. What does your medical work look like now? My hospital is utilizing this time before our city’s predicted outbreak peak to prepare. All employees have documented their skills and readiness to cover other roles into a database for staffing triage. If Seattle faces the difficulties other cities affect by COVID 19 have seen, I will be ready to use my skills in dental surgery, moderate sedation, intubation, adult and pediatric advanced life support, and medical imaging. I am proud to be a dentist and an imaging technologist. As with all local dentists, I will continue to serve the doctors, nurses of my hospital and the people in my community with pride. My part-time hospital job negates the unemployment income that I was approved for when laid off as a dentist during Governor Inslee’s protective ban on non-emergent dental procedure. However, it is the place where I can still be of service as a medical professional, where I qualify for insurance, and where I have had a second home for the past 14 years. I have much to be grateful for and count my blessings for health, loving family and friends, organized dentistry peers, and a phenomenal community. Just as our 150+ house plants are flourishing under the extra attention right now, so will the relationships with our community when dentists can safely return to full service. 18 l 2020 SKCDS SPRING MEMBERSHIP QUARTERLY


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Election Results are Final! Congratulations to the winners of the Seattle-King County Dental Society’s most recent election. We appreciate all the members who ran for elected office. Their dedication to organized dentistry is both vital to our success and deeply appreciated. Our new president is Dr. Austin Baruffi. Dr. Baruffi is a general dentist who practices in Tukwila. After graduating from Loyola Marymount University, he attended the University of Southern California’s Dental School. Having grown up in Bellevue, he returned to the Pacific Northwest and joined the practice of his father, Dr. Jerome Baruffi. Dr. Austin Baruffi has served SKCDS for many years including a one-year term as Secretary for the Dental Society in 2016, Chair of the New Dentist Committee from 2015 to 2018, and attended the WSDA House of Delegates 2016-2019. He has also served on the Executive Search Committee 2018, 2019 and was Executive Council President-Elect. Close to his family, he enjoys traveling, scuba diving and skiing in his spare time. Dr. Adam Kennedy. Our new President-Elect is a general dentist in Bellevue. Hailing from the Windy City, he received his Bachelor’s degree in Biology at Loyola University Chicago before attending Case Western Reserve University for his DMD. After graduation, he completed a GPR at the University of Washington. He has since returned as an affiliate instructor to guide students through IV sedation in the AGD clinic. He can be found running the local trails with his wife, Janelle, and mini-Bernedoodle, Hank. Finally, SKCDS would like to honor Dr. Lisa Egbert as she assumes the role of past-president, mentor and sage, helping to position Drs.Baruffi, Kennedy and the whole Executive Council for the future success. Dr. Katherine (Kate) Christian was born and raised in a small town on the Central Coast of California. She attended Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo before moving across the country to Boston to earn her Dental Degree at Tufts University. Since moving to Seattle in 2004, she has studied and practiced with some of the leading experts in Dental Sleep Medicine. Dr. Christian is a Diplomat of the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine, and has her own practice in downtown Seattle. She has been a member of the Peer Review Committee with SKCDS for the past 4 years. She and her husband enjoy a relaxed lifestyle in West Seattle. When she’s not making her patients feel better, Dr. Christian can be found gardening, reading, and chasing after her two beautiful, sweet, active girls. Dr. Rica Mackert works with patients at HealthPoint CHC in Des Moines and Bothell. She earned her degree from the University of Washington School of Dentistry in 2016 and completed her AEGD with NYU Langone Health. Dr. Mackert chose to work at HealthPoint because she feels strongly everyone deserves access to great oral care in our community. Outside the clinic, her interests are meeting new people, traveling, cooking, and spending quality time with family and friends. She is married to Dr. Joe Vaughn who she had met during dental school when he was a UW GPR resident and they live in Seattle. Dr. Mackert is a drum corps and Husky Marching Band alumni- although Dr. Mackert spent most of her childhood growing up in Georgia, she considers herself a Washington native and a very proud Husky! Dr. Emily Yepez is a 2017 graduate of the University of Washington School of Dentistry. She is also trained as an MRI Technician, which she still practices along with being an Associate Dentist in Federal Way. Dr. Yepez was raised in Everett and enjoys volunteering, house plants and her pet chameleon, Pascal. Several Seattle-King County Dental Society members were elected to serve as delegates to the Washington State Dental Association’s governing body, the House of Delegates. Each member will serve a three-year term. The Class of 2022 includes Dr. J. Adam Kennedy, president-elect, and Drs. Christopher Jean, Ryan Lemke, Greg Ogata, Tofunmi Osundeko, Stephen Pong, Harlyn Susarla, Kim Trieu and Nam Thien Vu. Dr. Christopher Jean was elecetd to a 2-year term and Dr. Tofunmi Osundeko was elected to a 1-year term. Last but not least, the Society thanks our outgoing Executive Council members and delegates for their dedication over the years. Please join us in thanking Dr. Kirk King, past president, Dr. Jamie Kuo, our secretary and Dr. Noah Letwin of the Executive Council. We also wish to recognize all of our ‘Class of 2019’ SKCDS delegates to the WSDA House: Drs. Kirk King, Christine Kirchner, Greg Ogata, Jeffrey Schur, Christine Shigaki and Judson Werner. We also wish to thank this year’s alternate delegates: Drs. Amy Cook, Shane Ness and Princy Rekhi. These individuals fulfilled a three-year term to represent the members of SKCDS at the annual WSDA House of Delegates, each year in September. Thank you to all of the members who work so hard on behalf of our membership!

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Virus Life By Al Munk DDS Nine weeks off. That’s how many weeks I will be gone from the office before the governor gives us the OK to go back to work. And who knows if things will be back to normal by then, as the world is increasingly looking like a pandemic horror movie. The last time I had nine weeks off was 1977. I was 27 years old then, and I just finished a public health job running around British Columbia in a mobile clinic. I was single then, and was living on about $200 a month. Hard to believe, but Seattle was a cheap place to live back then. I was renting a room in a rooming house near the university for about $60 a month. After a few months of bumming around Seattle, I started to get bored, and felt it was time to go back to work.

Both my grown children have been laid off their jobs and are hanging around my house a lot. We thought we were rid of them long ago, but now they are eating here, and stealing our toilet paper. Who ever thought that toilet paper would become a major trade commodity? And who would ever believe that the mountain of toilet paper at Costco would ever be gone?

So what to do with the next couple of months. I made some resolutions, like you would at the New Year, most of which I have already broken—lose weight, exercise more, etc. To tell you how bored I have become, I have become the main chef in the house. My wife is both delighted and astounded. I am actually a pretty good cook. I am not good about following recipes, but I do like to eat, which seems to be the major requirement of a good cook. I also vowed to watch less TV, and read more. But wait a So I am home now. It’s been a couple of weeks. I go in to the office every minute, I am a man after all, and how could I miss the replay of a 10 year few days to pull a tooth, or other emergent problem, just to stay in practice. old baseball game on ESPN that I remember seeing the first time around The ski slopes are closed, the golf courses are closed, parks, stores, theatres, ten years ago? libraries are closed. We aren’t supposed to leave home except for groceries. This is not exactly what I would call a vacation. My yard is looking real good. I Since every night now is Friday night, I can stay up late, and sleep in as am mowing it about twice a day, just for something to do. The dogs are starting long as I want. Right. I still fall asleep at my usual time of 10:00 P.M., and to wonder what I am up to. still arise at 6:00 A.M. My body is well-trained to the schedule, and it will take more than a virus break to un-train it. And you would think, that with I am trying to recall my sterile technique I learned in oral surgery back in every night being a weekend, that I could have sex more often. Ya, right. dental school. Take the grocery store, for example: I don gloves and mask I am 69 years old, and my wife is 68. There’s only so much Viagra can do. upon entering the store. I fill my basket with groceries, get checked out, then Enough said. reach for my credit card. Oops! Pocket and wallet now contaminated. Go to the car, now car is contaminated. Get home, how do I sterilize bananas? That’s all for now from Ballard. Can I run them through the autoclave? It is hard enough to maintain sterile technique in the surgery operatory, but how do you do so at home? How long do the viruses live on surfaces? Can I get it from a banana? I read today that older men are the most susceptible to this virus. That’s me, I believe. I haven’t taken a sick day yet in 45 years, except for the day I missed when I broke my leg. Let’s hope this virus does not mar my perfect attendance.

EXPOSURES

So I went back to work, for 40 years or so, now they tell me I can’t go to work for awhile. It seems this virus has something to do with saliva, a fluid which we in the dental community are very familiar with. It appears that those of us who work in the oral cavity are at an increased risk of encountering this Corona virus, as we go about our daily jobs. Just to make it more interesting, we suddenly cannot get the masks and gloves necessary to somewhat protect ourselves, because the whole world is walking around with Personal Protective Equpment attire.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or official policy of the Seattle-King County Dental Society.

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