THE FLORIDA KEY DISTRICT 17
SPRING 2024
Welcome New Florida Fellows – Class of 2023
Inducted in Orlando at the 2023 International College of Dentists Annual Convocation were Drs. Daniel M. Branca, Shana Hernandez Capra, Natalie Carr Bustillo, Bradley Cherry, Thanhphuong Dinh, S. Donovan Essen, Deborah George, Craig Kara, Luis E. Martinez, Stephanie Mazariegos, Samira Meymand, Joseph Richardson, Michael J. Roseff and Samuel S. Wakim.
UPCOMING EVENTS
May 31
ICD/ACD/PFA
MoMs Reception
Lake Parker Room
RP Funding Center
Lakeland, Florida
June 21
ICD/ACD/PFA Breakfast
Orange Blossom Room
Kissimmee, Florida
September 7
ICD Annual Convocation
Nashville, Tennessee
Welcome Doctors to the Fellowship. If you know of a colleague worthy of Fellowship, you have until May 15 of this year to submit an application. Please note the ICD Annual Convention is not in conjunction with ADA SmileCon this year. It will be in Nashville, Tennessee on September 6-7, 2024. Please see the ICD website for details.
ICD/ACD/PFA MISSION OF MERCY RECEPTION REGISTRATION
WHO: ICD/ACD/PFA Florida Fellows
WHAT: Evening Reception for ICD/ACD/PFA MoMs Volunteers
WHEN: May 31, 2024, 6:30-9:30 pm after Friday Session Mission of Mercy
WHERE: Lake Parker Room, RP Funding Room, Lakeland, Florida
WHY: Fellowship, Food and Fun for furnishing free dental services
RSVP: This free reception is provided to Florida Fellows, but you must register before May 5 contacting ICD Treasurer, Dr. Paul Miller at molar01@msn.com. Please include your name and any dietary restrictions.
ICD/ACD/PFA FDC ANNUAL BREAKFAST MEETING REGISTRATION
WHO: ICD/ACD/PFA Florida Fellows
WHAT: Annual ICD breakfast meeting and fellowship
WHEN: June 21, 2024, 6:30am during FDC
WHERE: Orange Blossom Room, Gaylord Palms, Kissimmee, Florida
WHY: Fellowship and updating a program to provide grants to approved Florida humanitarian projects. Special Guest will entertain. Money back if disappointed.
RSVP: This free meal is provided to Florida Fellows, but you must register before May 24 contacting ICD Treasurer, Dr. Paul Miller at molar01@msn.com. Please include your name and any dietary restrictions.
NOMINATE A FELLOW BY MAY 15, 2024
The International College of Dentists is a leading honorary dental organization dedicated to the recognition of outstanding professional achievement, meritorious service, and the continued progress of the profession of dentistry for the benefit of all humankind. Any member in good standing may "Sponsor" a dentist within the USA Section for Fellowship through the Constituent Chapter/State in which the candidate resides.
Per our Bylaws, prerequisites to Fellowship are:
• Membership in a national dental organization recognized by the USA Section Board of Regents
• Must have been at least 5 years in his/her dental career
• Must be a graduate of a recognized dental school
• Must be recognized as an active contributor to the dental profession and/or community
• Must have high integrity and character
NOMINATE
A FELLOW
New Florida Fellow on a Mission
Dr. Shana Capra and a team of dedicated professionals embarked on a transformative journey. Their recent trip was a dental mission with the Fundacion Monsenor on October 10-15, 2023, to the primary school San Martin de Porres in San Francisco, Dominican Republic. With compassion as their compass, they provided essential dental care to 793 patients, administering over 2,000 procedures. The impact was profound, as many individuals received comprehensive treatment, fulfilling their dental needs. Taking it a step further, they extended the outreach by inviting the president of the Dominican Dental Association (equivalent to the ADA), fostering a valuable connection between local authorities and the dental community. Additionally, they facilitated a liaison between local commissioners and the dental school, ensuring the continuation of dental care for these patients beyond the mission trip. Amidst the vibrant energy of San Francisco, these efforts not only brought smiles to the faces of those treated but also symbolized hope and renewed oral health for the community. It was a testament to the power of collaboration and service, leaving an enduring legacy of care and kindness in the hearts of all involved. Many thanks to the Florida Section of the ICD for their support.
Florida Section of the ICD Mission Grant Guidelines and Application
The purpose of the grant is to support Missions that promote the motto of the organization.
“Recognizing Service and the Opportunity to Serve.”
These words express the values that define the International College of Dentists in our projects throughout the world. The Florida Section of ICD supports and funds our Florida Fellow’s humanitarian and educational oral health care programs and initiatives around the world, especially in developing communities where the needs are greatest. This grant may be applied for expenses only related to student and dental ancillary, travel, room and board. The cost of shipping donated supplies can also be reimbursed. The maximum Grant for each Mission that qualifies is $5000. The Florida ICD Officers will evaluate the applications for merit based on satisfaction of the ICD motto.
By accepting this grant the applicants and their affiliated non-profits agree to allow the Florida ICD to share this information and to provide properly cleared pictures of the event for publicity purposes.
The guidelines may be changed by the discretion of the Officers if special circumstances should exist. Funding is also limited to $5000 per mission and subject to availability of funds.
By accepting a grant, you agree to provide a written final report of your accomplishments with pictures of volunteers, patients and the work environment with proper releases. By accepting this grant, you and your volunteers approve of the use of your images. If you have a pending Mission trip with these values, Contact our Florida Regent Dr. Rodrigo Romano at drromano@romanoperio.com for an application.
ICD DISTRICT 17 LEADERSHIP
Regent: Dr. Rodrigo Romano, 7701 SW 62 Avenue, Suite A-1, Miami, FL 33143; (305) 403-3682; Fax: (305) 403-4222; C: (305) 781-0410; drromano@romanoperio.com
Vice/Deputy Regent (Central): Dr. Reza Iranmanesh, 2814 W. Waters Avenue, Tampa, FL 33614, (813) 933-6705, iranmaneshdmd@gmail.com
Deputy Regent (North): Dr. Jeffrey C. Ottley, 5908 Berryhill Road, Milton, FL 32570-8294; (850) 623-0137; C: (850) 293-8302; dmdottley@yahoo.com
Deputy Regent (South): Dr. Jason Portnof, Surgical Arts of Boca Raton, 9980 North Central Park Boulevard, #113, Boca Raton, FL 33428, (561) 717-3660, C: (954) 952-4153, jeportnof@gmail.com
Treasurer: Dr. Paul R. Miller, 5045 Westshore Drive, New Port Richey, FL 34652; (727) 514-9886; molar01@msn.com
Editor: Dr. Hugh T. Wunderlich, 6100 Seaside Drive, New Port Richey, FL 34652; (727) 534-5381 htwdds@gmail.com
Please send District 17 articles and news to the ICD/ Florida Key Editorial committee to htwdds@gmail.com.
What makes a good dentist; the importance of practicing self-assessment.
By Jean L. Creasey DDSI often joked to my husband (who is also a dentist), that the most critical time for a composite restoration to look its best was in the parking lot. That is where you could inevitably observe patients assessing the treatment results in their rear-view mirrors after exiting your office.
Practice long enough though, and for better or worse, you will assess the real quality of these restorations. You will get to assess the condition, function, and esthetics after a few years of chewing, chomping and grinding.
Often during a recall exam, a restoration catches your eye and you are quick to check the records and ascertain if you placed it and when. If it looks great you pat yourself on the back. You really nailed the shade and morphology on that central!
Sometimes you may discover that a dental material, then all the rage, did not live up to its manufacturers claims. Other times you may see an open margin (cringe) that you didn’t realize existed until seeing the current set of films. This “revisiting” of past treatment can be a doubleedged sword but serves as an essential element for professional growth.
The ability to critically assess our own work requires a growth mindset that appreciates we are
not machines and do not perform with 100% success rates. It takes a mindset willing to learn from mistakes and a commitment to improve our outcomes. Dentistry is a long game, and our work is best evaluated over several years. Opportunities to track the long-term success of our restorations or the accuracy of our diagnosis, holding ourselves accountable when they fall short can only occur when we practice in one place over a period of several years. On a practical level, re-evaluating our work (and repairing what doesn’t last) has proven to be a timetested mechanism of maintaining practice reputations and patient loyalty. It has also been one of the ways we self-police our own profession.
As today’s dentists enjoy greater practice mobility than ever before, the question arises whether increased mobility carries an unintended downside of losing opportunities to honestly assess the quality of care we provide. It makes me wonder “is there an ethical obligation for dentists to commit to practicing in one place for a certain period of time?” According to the ADA Health Policy Institute, as a percentage of the profession, more and more dentists are opting to be employees instead of practice owners. Geographic mobility has become a common experience for “employee” dentists as a spouse changes jobs or simply to experience living in another climate. With the proliferation of DSO and FQHC employment opportunities, new jobs are in ready supply for those who wish to relocate. Meanwhile “employer dentists”, for obvious reasons, are more likely to stay rooted in one community.
This trend is not unique to dentistry. Physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician’s assistants are all increasingly transient. It has become more common to see a different medical provider at each primary care visit. Re-explaining the nuances of our medical histories to different providers can make it difficult to build the trusting relationship that is considered optimal in medical care.
While no one should begrudge younger dentists career flexibility, we should also recognize and appreciate the virtues of long-term commitments to a single practice. If more transient dentists
have little opportunity to assess the quality of their care beyond the current moment, what effect might it have on their own professional development? What effect might it have on the public trust when the dentist whose restoration fails after only a year is nowhere to be found? There are many variables influencing the career paths of dentists these days; student debt, geographic preferences and perceived readiness for practice ownership to name a few. At the same time, industry trends continue to evolve regardless of the ethical aspirations promoted by organizations such as the ACD, ICD, ADA and others who strive to set the ethical bar high. The collective public trust and good will towards the profession, so hard-earned, however may be at risk if our professional culture disregards the value of committed patient-provider relationships. (Reprinted with permission from the author)