ODA Journal: January/February 2021

January/February 2021| Vol. 112, No. 1

www.okda.org

1

2

journal | January/February 2021

WATER ADVERTISERS Thank you to these businesses who advertise in the ODA Journal

NATURE’S DRINK

Contents

January/February 2021| Vol. 112, No. 1

Inside Front Cover Valliance Bank Inside Back Cover 3000 IG Back Cover Delta Dental of Oklahoma

EDITORIAL ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

0 6 Looking Ahead

© 2020 AMERICAN DENTAL ASSOCIATION

Authentic Dental Laboratory, Inc. Endodontic Associates Endodontic Practice Associates iCoreRX Lewis Health Profession Services ODASuppySource OK Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust

Oklahoma Dental Association

07

February is National Children’s Dental Health Month. Visit ADA.org/NCDHM2021 for activity sheets.

HEALTHY SMILE TIPS

National Children's Dental Health Month SPONSORS

• Brush your teeth twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste.

• Clean between your teeth daily.

• Eat a healthy diet that limits sugary beverages and snacks.

• See your dentist regularly for prevention and treatment of oral disease.

ASSOCIATION 04 Calendar of Events 0 5 New Members 07 National Children's Dental Health Month 08 Thank You to ODA Life Members 10 ODA Rewards Partners Column 1 2 Member Benefit Corner 1 3 ODA Marketing Coach 1 4 Board of Trustees Report 1 4 Actions of the 2020 ADA House of Delegates 1 5 Get Involved at the ODA 4 2 Final Thoughts: Words of Wisdom

THE OKLAHOMA DENTAL ASSOCIATION JOURNAL (ISSN 0164-9442) is the official publication of the Oklahoma Dental Association and is published bimonthly by the Oklahoma Dental Association, 317 NE 13th Street, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, Phone: (405) 848-8873; (800) 876-8890.

Fax: (405) 848-8875. Email: information@ okda.org. Annual subscription rate of $39 for ODA members is included in their annual membership dues.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to OKLAHOMA DENTAL ASSOCIATION JOURNAL, 317 NE 13th Street, Oklahoma City, OK 73104.

LEGISLATIVE LOOP 1 8 Why Do We Need DENPAC?

18

Why Do We Need DENPAC?

FUTURE ^ 21 ODA Member: Lauren Means 2 2 Retired Member: Dr. Cathy Sherry 2 3 Past President: Dr. Krista Jones

28

FEATURES

Keep It Local: Study Club Highlight

24 5 Secrets of Top Performing Practices 25 Differential Diagnosis: Neck Mass 2 8 Keep It Local [NEW SECTION]

Subscriptions: Rates for non-members are $56. Single copy rate is $18, payable in advance.

Opinions and statements expressed in the OKLAHOMA DENTAL ASSOCIATION JOURNAL are those of the author and are not necessarily those of the Oklahoma Dental Association. Neither the Editors nor the Oklahoma Dental Association are in any way responsible for the articles or views published in the OKLAHOMA DENTAL ASSOCIATION JOURNAL. Copyright © 2021 Oklahoma Dental Association.

2 0 2020 DENPAC Campaign Contributions

SPOTLIGHT

Periodical postage paid at Oklahoma City, OK and additional mailing offices.

Reprints: of the Journal are available by contacting the ODA at (405) 848-8873, (800) 876-8890, editor@okda.org.

1 9 Letter to Gov. Stitt

2 9 Hygiene Hotspot: How to Enhance Healthspan 30 Collect What You Produce: Coping With Financial Stress 33 Unit or Spoon It? 34 E-Prescribing: It's Time For Action 37 Cessation 38 Reflections On OkMOM 4 0 Eastern Oklahoma Donated Dental Services

38

Reflections On OkMOM

CLASSIFIEDS 4 1 ODA Classified Listings

Cover Photo: We are looking ahead at 2021!

www.okda.org

3

ODA JOURNAL STAFF EDITOR Mary Hamburg, DDS, MS ASSOCIATE EDITOR Frank J. Miranda, DDS EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS M. Edmund Braly, DDS Daryn Lu, DDS Phoebe Vaughan, DDS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR F. Lynn Means DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS & EDUCATION Stacy Yates OFFICERS 2020-2021 PRESIDENT Paul Mullasseril, DDS president@okda.org

CALENDAR OF EVENTS Visit the ODA’s online calendar at OKDA.ORG/CALENDAR for all upcoming meetings and events.

January 1 ODA Office Closed January 7 New Dentist Conference 5:30 p.m.

Zoom January 8 Council on Nominations Meeting 9:00 a.m.

Zoom

DEPI Meeting 10:00 a.m.

Zoom RDGP Board Meeting 11:30 a.m.

Zoom Council on Governmental Affairs Meeting 1:30 p.m.

Zoom

PRESIDENT-ELECT Chris Fagan, DDS presidentelect@okda.org VICE PRESIDENT Robert Herman, DDS vicepresident@okda.org SECRETARY/TREASURER Mike Gliddon, DDS treasurer@okda.org SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE Doug Auld, DDS speaker@okda.org IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT Dan Wilguess, DDS pastpresident@okda.org ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR F. Lynn Means DIRECTOR OF GOVERNANCE & FINANCE Shelly Frantz DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS & EDUCATION Stacy Yates DIRECTOR OF MEMBERSHIP Kylie Faherty PROGRAMS & OPERATIONS MANAGER Makenzie Dean SPECIAL PROJECTS MANAGER Abby Sholar MEMBERSHIP SERVICES MANAGER Madison Bolton

Stay connected with the ODA!

4

journal | January/February 2021

February 5 Rewards Committee Meeting 9:00 a.m.

Zoom February 12 Annual Meeting Planning Committee 9:00 a.m.

Zoom

February 13 Veterans Dental Day All Day OUCOD February 19 Bylaws Committee Meeting 1:00 p.m.

Zoom

January 15 Annual Meeting Planning Committee 9:00 a.m.

Zoom Membership Council Meeting 10:30 a.m.

Zoom January 28 Journal Editorial Meeting 5:30 p.m.

Zoom February 26 Council on Governmental Affairs Meeting 9:00 a.m.

Zoom Board of Trustees Meeting 1:30 p.m.

Zoom

www.okda.org

5

ODA EDITORIAL

Looking Ahead

Mary Hamburg, DDS ODA Journal Editor

"While the financial setback was stressful it also allowed our practices to slow down and focus on the important and worthwhile ventures."

6

journal | January/February 2021

Woohoo! We made it! This past year has been filled with uncertainty, change and a deep unsettling in our communities. The pandemic halted our lives and livelihoods at the beginning of the year, while later in the year protests and elections upset our social circles and families and pandemic surges disrupted our holiday traditions. The year 2020 has certainly not been a piece of cake! What can we expect from 2021? The calls for our communities to come together to endure and heal are worldwide, but how exactly do we do it? As our society struggles to find solid ground, how do we find common ground? If you think about it, the problems we are facing in our communities are not that different from what we, as leaders, face in our offices. The tools we harnessed in the past to build our teams, patient populations and businesses are already present. Now, more than ever, we must employ those skills to unite our communities.

To bring unity, we must also bring trust into our relationships. Trust in our institutions, leaders and communities is fractured. When people are at their most divisive the best course is to take a step back and listen. Oftentimes fear is the underlying cause of an issue. Fear of sickness, fear of losing income, and fear of the loss of normalcy can erode day-today communications with our neighbors or our teams. Take the time to listen and understand what is driving their fear; with that understanding we can shape our goals to address that fear. By incorporating shared goals and the needs of those around us, we work to prioritize the needs of those on our team and in our communities. These common goals unify teams by working for a shared cause.

(Queue cheesy movie montage music.) Working together can overcome any hurdle as long as we unite, making the change a positive venture instead of a negative outcome.

The pandemic brought fast and furious change into our lives. For businesses, changing a system is the worst of the worst. Change is associated with losing what is known and walking into the unknown. Change is not always a bad thing, but its association with loss has strong ties to negative emotions. Our communities have lost the freedom to not fear each other, the freedom to be present in loved ones’ lives, and the trust in each other to first do no harm. Lack of trust combined with loss makes it very hard to unite.

As for my goals for the new year, I am trying to not let fear motivate my actions. Fear has the consistent effect of causing a “look out for yourself ” mentality, which can paralyze a community or a team. Again and again this past year I found myself discussing with my children a quote from Mr. Rogers: “When I was a boy and would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people that are helping.’” For the new year, I challenge my fellow dental practitioners to be the helpers in their communities. Let unity start with what we do in our practices and continue with works and actions in our communities. Change can either move us forward (positive) or backward (negative). It is up to us decide which path we take for 2021.

Change can be a positive force both in our communities and in our businesses. The pandemic slowed our social networks and our patient flow in one fell swoop. While the financial setback was stressful it also allowed our practices to slow down and focus on the important and worthwhile ventures. Ventures with the best outcomes both mentally and financially. From my own experience, my family has enjoyed more outdoor activities, more eating at home and more time with each other while the boys school at home. While these changes have been stressful, they have also been rewarding, strengthening our family as we experience change together.

FEBRUARY 2021

WATER, NATURE'S DRINK National Children's Dental Health Month

February is officially National Children's Dental Health Month. This month-long national health observance brings together thousands of dedicated professionals, healthcare providers, and educators to promote the benefits of good oral health to children, their caregivers, teachers and many others. This year's focus is: Water, Nature's Drink! The ODA and ADA would like each of our members to consider doing something in February to help bring attention to developing good habits at an early age to help get a good start on a lifetime of healthy teeth and gums.

WATER

Here are a few ways you can get involved!

NATURE’S DRINK

• Host a coloring contest.

• If a patient completes the habit calendar they get a prize.

• Host a children's dental health education night at your office.

• Print copies of the poster and hang them in your office.

• Volunteer to speak at a local school to help educate children on oral health.

© 2020 AMERICAN DENTAL ASSOCIATION

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

• Distribute posters at local elementary schools for each child to take home.

Visit ADA.org/NCDHM2021 for habit calendar, coloring sheets and other printouts.

February is National Children’s Dental Health Month. Visit ADA.org/NCDHM2021 for activity sheets.

HEALTHY SMILE TIPS

SPONSORS

• Brush your teeth twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste.

• Clean between your teeth daily.

• Eat a healthy diet that limits sugary beverages and snacks.

• See your dentist regularly for prevention and treatment of oral disease.

Visit ADA.org/NCDHM2021 for more resources and ideas.

www.okda.org

7

THANK YOU to our Life Members. These individuals have supported organized dentistry for at least 30 years. Members like these are the reason we are the Association we are today.

We thank each and every one of them for their support and want to specifically acknowledge these members for their contributions to organized dentistry.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Dr. Edward Abernethy Dr. John Ainsworth Dr. Gerald Alf Dr. Harold Allen Dr. Michael Allen Dr. Ronald Allison Dr. Jim Ambrose Dr. Richard Amilian Dr. Gunnar Anderson Dr. Jay Anderson Dr. Ronald Anderson Dr. William Anderson Dr. Victor Andrews Dr. Bryan Archer Dr. James Ariana Dr. Glenn Ashmore Dr. Ronald Austin Dr. Kevin Avery Dr. Lon Bair Dr. Bun Baker, Jr. Dr. James Baker Dr. Jack Balenseifen Dr. Thomas Ball Dr. Donald Ballew Dr. Wesley Barker Dr. Harry Barnes Dr. Lillian Barnes Dr. Terry Bass Dr. Robert Baumann Dr. O. Logan Beard, III Dr. William Beasley Dr. Joy Beckerley Dr. William Beeson Dr. Fred Benenati Dr. Terry Bennett Dr. Kenneth Bezan Dr. John Biggs

8

Dr. Terry Blackburne Dr. William Blubaugh Dr. Fred Blythe Dr. Richard Bohlander Dr. David Boone Dr. Brandon Bowers Dr. David Boyd Dr. William Bozalis Dr. Susan Brackett Dr. Larry Bradley Dr. M. Edmund Braly Dr. Gary Breece Dr. Gary Brewer Dr. William Brewer Dr. George Bridges Dr. Doyle Brimberry Dr. Gary Britton Dr. James Brown Dr. William Brown Dr. Charles Bryan Dr. Gary Bryant Dr. John Bubert Dr. James Buchanan Dr. Craig Buntemeyer Dr. Hugh Burch Dr. James Burke Dr. Thomas Burris Dr. Bonnie Burton Dr. J. David Buxton Dr. Alan Cady Dr. Joseph Cain Dr. Dennis Carlile Dr. Charles Carroll Dr. William Carruth Dr. Robert Carson Dr. Conrad Casler, Jr. Dr. William Castles

journal | January/February 2021

Dr. Lee Centracco Dr. Stephen Chastain Dr. Fred Child Dr. Jack Chinn Dr. Bryan Chrz Dr. Stephen Clark Dr. John Clayton Dr. Raymond Clock Dr. Jan Cobble Dr. J. Walter Coffey Dr. Robert Coffey Dr. Larry Coggins Dr. Kent Cohenour Dr. Ray Cohlmia, Sr. Dr. George Colpitts Dr. Leon Conkling Dr. David Cooper Dr. Richard Corley Dr. Richard Corwin Dr. Terry Cotterell Dr. Keith Coulson Dr. Donald Courts Dr. Ameel Coury Dr. Thomas Coury Dr. Karen Cox-Haymaker Dr. Kenneth Coy Dr. Danny Craige Dr. William Croom Dr. Gerald Cross Dr. John Curless ..

Dr. G. Frans Currier Dr. Tanell Dakil Dr. John Darnold Dr. Thomas David Dr. Samuel Davis Dr. Walter Davis Dr. David Deason

Dr. Terry Deason Dr. Darrell Dedrick Dr. Steven Deem Dr. Edward Dehan Dr. Gary Dempsey Dr. Gayle Dennehy Dr. Richard DeVaughn Dr. Bruce Dieterlen Dr. JoAnn Dillard Dr. John Dmytryk Dr. Grady Donathan, III Dr. Bryce Dorrough Dr. James Dougherty Dr. Albert Drake, Jr. Dr. Neill Dubberstein Dr. Michael Duffy Dr. Michael Dugan Dr. Manville Duncanson, Jr. Dr. Lynne Dunham Dr. John Duplessis Dr. Steven Durr Dr. John Dyer Dr. Benjamin Edwards Dr. K. George Elassal Dr. Lee Eliot Dr. Frank Evans Dr. Timothy Fagan Dr. Joseph Fallin, Jr. Dr. Emile Farha Dr. Basem Farhood Dr. James Farley Dr. Barry Farmer Dr. Michael Fauks Dr. Lawrence Feldman Dr. Gary Fincher Dr. Jerry Finnell Dr. Gerhard Fischer

Dr. Gary Fisher Dr. George Forney, Jr. Dr. Michael Forth Dr. Glenn Foster, Jr. Dr. Marc Frazier Dr. Zachary French Dr. Terry Fruits Dr. Lavern Galyen Dr. Gary Gardner Dr. Troy Garrett Dr. LaMont Gee Dr. Ernest Gentile Dr. Thomas Gilbert Dr. Richard Gilman Dr. Bill Gladd Dr. William Glasgow, Jr. Dr. Stephen Glenn Dr. Kenneth Goljan Dr. Alvaro Gonzalez Dr. Warren Good Dr. Randall Graham Dr. Ronald Graves Dr. William Gray Dr. Barry Greenley Dr. Evangeline Greer Dr. Jerry Greer, VI Dr. Steven Gregg Dr. Edward Grimes Dr. Stanley Groom Dr. James Hackler Dr. Bruce Hall Dr. H. Douglas Hall Dr. Michael Hampton Dr. Terrence Hampton Dr. Mark Hanstein Dr. Jackson Haraway Dr. William Hardin

Dr. Greg Hardman Dr. Leslie Hardy, Jr. Dr. Kenneth Harland Dr. David Harrell Dr. Bailey Harrison Dr. Edward Harroz, Jr. Dr. Phillip Hartgraves Dr. Wallace Haskett Dr. Donald Haskins Dr. Richard Haught Dr. Chris Hawthorn Dr. Dorwin Hawthorne Dr. Darrell Hazle Dr. Harry Heget Dr. Gary Henderson Dr. John Henry Dr. Craig Herwig Dr. Robert Hess, Jr. Dr. William Hiatt Dr. Jimmy Highfill Dr. R. Douglas Hill Dr. Ted Hine Dr. C. Mike Hinkle Dr. Jay Hodges Dr. Glen Hoecker Dr. David Hoffman Dr. Steven Hogg Dr. Jon Holman Dr. Lawrence Holmgren Dr. Richard Homsey Dr. Brad Hoopes Dr. Terry Hopkins Dr. Allen Horn Dr. Bruce Horn Dr. Glen Hornbuckle Dr. Glen Houston Dr. Michael Howl Dr. Richard Hudson Dr. Robert Hughes Dr. Timothy Hughes Dr. Nicholas Hunter Dr. Carroll Hutchens Dr. Gilford Hutchens Dr. Howard Iba Dr. John Ingram Dr. Bill Jackson Dr. Douglas Jackson Dr. Richard Jacobi Dr. Bobby James Dr. Richard James Dr. John Jameson Dr. Roger Janitz Dr. W.D. Jett Dr. Charles H. Johnson Dr. Charles R. Johnson Dr. Gregory Johnson Dr. Jeffrey Johnson Dr. John Johnson Dr. Richard Johnson Dr. William Johnson Dr. Krista Jones Dr. Albert Karleskint Dr. Myron Katz Dr. David Keck Dr. Allen Keenan Dr. Michael Keenan Dr. D. Keith Keeter Dr. Charles Keithline Dr. William Kent

Dr. Larson Keso Dr. Carolyn Keyes Dr. James Kierl Dr. Larry Kiner Dr. Thomas Kirkpatrick Dr. Tomas Klein Dr. Herbert Klontz, Jr. Dr. Theodore Kondos Dr. Gene Koop Dr. Jay Kruska Dr. Gary Kuenning Dr. Lamar LaBahn Dr. Robert Lamb Dr. Ronald Lamb Dr. Larry Lander Dr. John Landrum Dr. Gary Lawhon Dr. Larry Leemaster Dr. Dennis Leseberg Dr. Gene Litteken Dr. Cloyce Littlefield, Jr. Dr. Robert Livingston Dr. Jimmy Lloyd Dr. Roman Lobodiak Dr. John Lockard Dr. Robert London Dr. Lael Long Dr. Gary Lott Dr. William LoVellette Dr. Karey Low Dr. Pamela Low Dr. James Lowe Dr. Fred Lucas, Jr. Dr. Wesley Lucas Dr. Angelo Luckett, Jr. Dr. Robert Ludrick Dr. Jack Luman Dr. Jeff Lunday Dr. Raymond Lyle, Jr. Dr. Earl Mabry Dr. James Mabry Dr. John Mackechnie Dr. David Maddox Dr. Joe Maltsberger Dr. Michael Manuel Dr. Philip Marano Dr. David Marks Dr. Robert Mars Dr. Ted Marshall Dr. Mary Martin Dr. Joseph Massad Dr. Richard Mathewson Dr. Stephen Mayer Dr. Richard McBride Dr. Jack McCalmon Dr. Gene McCormick Dr. Stephen McCullough Dr. Thomas McCullough Dr. Thomas McGarry, Jr. Dr. Thomas McGinnity Dr. Roley McIntosh Dr. Stanley McIntosh Dr. Claud McKee Dr. Stephen McKeever Dr. Jack McKinnis Dr. Zach McNickle Dr. Glenn Mead Dr. Joseph Meador Dr. Robert Melton

Dr. Steven Meltzner Dr. Roger Metcalf Dr. Mark Mettry Dr. David Mier Dr. Earl Miller Dr. Robert Miller Dr. Terry Miller Dr. Frank Miranda Dr. Donald Mitchell Dr. Robert Mongrain Dr. Carlton Montgomery Dr. Patrick Montgomery Dr. Dennis Morehart Dr. Robert Morford, III Dr. Robert Morgan Dr. Jack Morrison Dr. Don Morton Dr. John Mose Dr. K. Tim Mount Dr. James Muller Dr. James Murtaugh Dr. Mitchell Myers Dr. Sunshine Myers Dr. George Naifeh Dr. Robert Nail Dr. Ram Nanda Dr. William Neal Dr. Ernest Nelson Dr. Jay Nelson Dr. Rodney Nelson Dr. Mark Nichols Dr. James Nicholson, Jr. Dr. David Nittler Dr. Fred Norton Dr. Van Nowlin Dr. Kevin O’Halloran Dr. James Osgood Dr. James Owens Dr. Stephen Parker Dr. Robert Partak Dr. Stanley Pastor Dr. Jimmie Patterson Dr. Glenda Payas Dr. David Pedicord Dr. Jerry Perkins Dr. Joe Phillippe Dr. Richard Pitts Dr. Paul Plowman Dr. Charles Polk Dr. Bryan Pollard Dr. Benjamin Powell Dr. Steven Powell Dr. Steve Pracht Dr. Dale Prock Dr. Geoffrey Pruett Dr. G.K. Rains, Jr. Dr. Donald Ray Dr. George Razook Dr. Stephen Reagan Dr. William Reeves Dr. J. Robert Reneau Dr. William Reville Dr. Robert Rickey Dr. Terry Rigdon Dr. H.G. Ritchey Dr. James Roane Dr. Don Roberts, Jr. Dr. Edward Roberts Dr. Don Robison

Dr. Douglas Rockwood Dr. Charles Roskamp Dr. James Ruble Dr. Steve Salmon Dr. James Satterlee Dr. Robert Schick Dr. Jerry Schoeffler Dr. Carl Schreiner, III Dr. Terry Schreiner Dr. Steven Scott Dr. Andrea Scoville Dr. James Sellers, Jr. Dr. Susan Settle Dr. Kent Shacklett Dr. Scot Shadid Dr. Greg Shanbour Dr. Patrick Shannon Dr. Stewart Shapiro Dr. John Sheets Dr. Cathy Sherry Dr. Ronald Shipman Dr. Robert Shirley Dr. Steven Shrader Dr. Johnny Siler Dr. Floyd Simon, Jr. Dr. Fred Sims, Jr. Dr. John Sjulin Dr. William Skaggs Dr. Floyd Skarky Dr. Daniel Slanker Dr. John Slice Dr. Donald Smith Dr. Jerry Smith Dr. Jimmy Smith Dr. Larry Smith Dr. Norval Smith Dr. Terry Smith Dr. Paul Sockey Dr. Jerome Solow Dr. Frank Sommer Dr. Denny Southard Dr. James Sparks Dr. D.M. Spradlin Dr. Emilie Stahler Dr. John Starcevich Dr. John Stark Dr. Robert Steele Dr. J. Michael Steffen Dr. Michael Stephens Dr. Richard Stewart Dr. Tom Stewart Dr. John Stobbe Dr. B.D. Storm Dr. Paul Strahan Dr. Tony Stretesky Dr. Gary Suttle Dr. Joe Swink, Jr. Dr. Robert Talley Dr. Bill Taylor Dr. Jim Taylor Dr. Paul Taylor Dr. Gary Theobald Dr. John Theobald Dr. Paul Thomas Dr. Jerry Thorman Dr. Roy Thornbrough Dr. Darwin Tims Dr. Albert Tipton, Jr. Dr. Charles Torbeck, Jr.

Dr. James Torchia Dr. Vic Trammell Dr. Charles Tucker Dr. Samuel Tucker Dr. Philip Tyree Dr. James Underwood Dr. Will Uraneck Dr. William Van De Linder Dr. Ronald Van Tuyl Dr. Terry Vandale Dr. Randall Venk Dr. Eugene Wagner Dr. Richard Walker Dr. Dennis Wallis Dr. Ross Waltzer Dr. David Warden Dr. John Warden Dr. Gregory Watkins Dr. O.A. Watson, Jr. Dr. Robert Watson Dr. Thomas Watts Dr. W. Scott Waugh Dr. Michael Weaver Dr. Robert Webb, III Dr. William Weber Dr. Dennis Weibel Dr. Stephen Weichbrodt Dr. Joe Welch Dr. Donald Welk Dr. Dwight Wells Dr. Wavel Wells Dr. Charles Wesner Dr. James West Dr. Gary Wheatly Dr. Steven White Dr. James Whitehead Dr. Otho Whiteneck, II Dr. Susan Whiteneck Dr. Lowell Whitlock, Jr. Dr. Mark Whitney Dr. Frank Wiebelt Dr. Chester Wilks Dr. Phillip Willey Dr. George Williams, III Dr. Ronald Williams Dr. Thomas Williams Dr. Robert Willis Dr. Charles Wilson Dr. Edwin Wilson, Jr. Dr. Mark Wilson Dr. Ronald Winder Dr. David Womble Dr. C. Rieger Wood, III Dr. John Wood Dr. Khem Wood Dr. Joel Woodburn Dr. Patrick Woods Dr. Douglas Woodson Dr. C.B. Worthington Dr. H.G. Wright Dr. John Wright, Jr. Dr. William Wynn, III Dr. James Yeats Dr. Stephen Young Dr. Gary Youree Dr. Dean Zervas

www.okda.org

9

ODA PARTNERS COLUMN

These are endorsed companies of the ODA that save ODA members money while keeping dues lower by providing royalties to the ODA.

The ODA endorses companies that have been researched and proven to offer products and services that provide real savings. By being an ODA member, you’re automatically eligible for these savings.

Below is information about one of our Partners. Learn about all of the Partners at www.okda.org/rewards-partners.

You could save on your student loan debt!1 As a member of the American Dental Association, you're eligible to receive a special offer from Laurel Road.

Member Benefits

Get a 0.25% rate discount over the life of your student loans when refinancing2

Residents and fellows pay only $100 during training3

As an ADA member, refinancing your loan is an opportunity to do one or more of the following: Lower interest rate

Choose a fixed or variable rate

Lower monthly payment

Reduce number of loans

Pay off loans faster

Save money

At Laurel Road, we’ve helped thousands of people like you—professionals with undergraduate and postgraduate degrees—refinance federal and private school loans.

Nearly $5 billion in total! We’re a brand of KeyBank, one of the nation’s largest bankbased financial services companies and Member FDIC, giving you peace of mind as our customer.

To enroll in this offer, go to laurelroad.com/ADA

10 journal | January/February 2021

OKLAHOMA DENTAL ASSOCIATION REWARDS PARTNERS PROGRAM Insurance Products For You & Your Practice The insurance coverage you need for your business, personal life & employee benefits.

Laurel Road You can save on your student loan debt!

Members are eligible to receive a special offer from Laurel Road. *NEW REWARDS PARTNER*

Tours & Cruises Access to guided ocean, river and land-based tours designed to immerse travelers in the history and culture of people and places.

Debt Collection Services Members receive 10% off Tier 1 pricing.

Patient Payment Plans Help patients get what they need, without delay!

Interpretation Services Save nearly 70% off of interpretation services compared to those who aren’t ODA members.

Scrap Metal Recovery Receive 85-97% of the current market price.

Electronic Insurance Claims Receive e-claims for only .25 cents.

STORE

Computers & Technology Members are eligible to save up to 30% off the everyday public web price of Lenovo’s entire product line.

Bio-Hazard Waste Removal & Treatment Receive special pricing for waste pickup.

Medical Evacuation Members receive reduced membership rates.

Luxury Vehicles Exciting member discounts on Mercedes-Benz vehicles.

Dental & Office Supplies Save on more than 65,000 products.

Secure Communications Solutions Receive preferred pricing & waived set-up fees.

Appliances Access to member-only savings of up to 25% off MSRP on select GE appliances.

Website Design & Marketing Services Members can save on websites.

Emergency Medical Kits Save 10% on emergency medical kits & AEDs.

The Leader In Amalgam Separation Members can receive a free NXT Hg5 Collection Container with Recycle Kit with purchase of an NXT Hg5 Amalgam Separator.

Electronic Credit Card, Check Management & Payroll Processing Services Receive special pricing, efficiently pay your staff & manage general HR needs.

Scrubs, Lab Coats & More Members receive a 15% discount of all purchases in-store and online.

*NEW REWARDS PARTNER*

Empowered ePrescribing Simplify prescriptions with robust functionality and automation.

Special Services & Shipping Discounts Members have access to new & improved flat discount pricing.

*NEW REWARDS PARTNER*

Answers On Employer Dental Plans The solution for dental practices & you receive a $300 discount.

Staff Logo Apparel Save up to 10% on products and logo embroidery.

Point-Earning Credit Card The only credit card endorsed for ADA members.

On-Hold Messaging, Digital Video & Overhead Music Connect with your patients while they wait.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

OKDA.ORG/REWARDS-PROGRAM

www.okda.org These are endorsed companies of the ODA that save members money while keeping dues lower by providing royalties to the Association. 11

ODA MEMBER BENEFIT CORNER Why is a membership with the ODA/ADA so valuable?

The ODA/ADA supports all members at the national, state and local levels. From helping you manage your practice more efficiently and advocating on your behalf to offering you tools and resources that help you find the answers for which you’re looking, we’re there every step of the way.

CONTINUING EDUCATION DURING A PANDEMIC By: Abby Sholar, ODA Special Projects Manager

This past year the COVID-19 pandemic presented several hurdles for the dental profession, one of which was finding ways to fulfill the Continuing Education requirement as countless in-person meetings were cancelled. ODA President Dr. Paul Mullasseril and other dentists contacted the Oklahoma Board of Dentistry and asked for an increased number of hours individuals could earn online during this reporting period due to the circumstances. On June 19, 2020, the Board approved Resolution 2020-3 that states the Board will allow up to 70 percent of required CE hours to be completed online for the reporting period ending June 30, 2021. Live webinars are considered the same as in-person courses.

Your Association provides countless opportunities to earn Continuing Education to reach the required CE hours each reporting period, and this past year was no different. Along with many live webinars, the ODA has recorded webinars for members and their teams to view on-demand on the members-only side of the website.

Although the pandemic required cancellation of the 2020 ODA Annual Meeting in Oklahoma City, many of the scheduled speakers provided live webinars for would-be meeting attendees. In lieu of attending the Annual Meeting in person, 1,559 dentists and their teams were able to attend live webinars hosted by the ODA last spring. These webinars focused on a wide variety of topics, such as employee management and scientific treatment techniques. There were also webinars focused on opioids and ethics, both of which are required CE for each reporting period.

In recent months, the ODA has provided the following webinars that were presented live and are now available to view on-demand from the ODA website: Dental Risk Management, Optimizing Single-Tooth Replacement Therapy in the Digital Age, Being a Medicaid Provider in an Era of Accountability, and Anterior Esthetic Techniques & Materials.

On the ODA website, member dentists and their teams have the exclusive benefits of watching recorded webinars (many of them are FREE) to earn CE. After viewing the recorded videos, participants must take a survey to then receive their CE verification form. These courses can be found at okda.org/members-only/education.

As another member benefit, the ODA partnered with the Arizona Dental Association during the month of November to provide ondemand webinars. Dentists and their staffs were able to earn up to 18.5 hours of CE at their convenience throughout the month!

Looking towards 2021, the ODA will continue to provide quality continuing education courses for our members and all dental professionals whether it be in-person or virtually.

Visit okda.org/education for all upcoming Oklahoma Dental Association CE courses.

LOOKING FOR CE ONLINE? The ODA and ADA have recorded webinars on a wide range of topics.

ODA WEBINARS: bit.ly/2zwv2eP ADA WEBINARS: bit.ly/2XZK71J *The Oklahoma Board of Dentistry allows for 50% of the total requirement of CE hours to be obtained from self-instruction programs, like recorded webinars.

Live webinars are considered the same as in-person courses.

12 journal | January/February 2021

TURN To PAGE 19

ODA MARKETING COACH

MANAGING MARKETING | LEGAL AND ETHICAL ASPECTS OF MARKETING:

PATIENT PRIVACY / SOCIAL MEDIA Patient privacy should never be compromised, yet stories about possible violations, especially via social media outlets, continue to be featured in the news. One recent story detailed a physician losing hospital privileges because of an online post that included information that could be used to identify a specific patient.

Keep in mind that: • Photos and/or messages posted to the practice’s website or social media page, or the personal pages of team members, may violate privacy laws if the post identifies a patient or offers enough of an image or sufficient detail to identify a patient or staff member who has not authorized the disclosure. Releases should always be obtained in writing.

• You can protect patients’ privacy by developing staff policies and procedures regarding the use of social media. Conduct a formal training session to make sure everyone on the team is aware of the practice’s policy and knows what types of posts to avoid. The ADA Practical Guide to Creating an Employee Policy Manual ( found here: https://bit.ly/3gBVTY0 ) contains sample policies as well as information to help you develop your own.

Copyright © 2020 American Dental Association. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission.

For additional resources on how to grow your practice, visit the ADA’s Center for Professional Success at ada.org/success.

Future issues of the ODA Journal will include individual articles from this module, but you can see the module in its entirety at http://success.ada.org/en/practice-management/marketing.

www.okda.org

13

BOARD OF TRUSTEES RECAP The ODA Board of Trustees met on November 6, 2020 The Board voted to co-endorse Laurel Road Student Loan Refinancing with the American Dental Association, and adopted the 2021 operating budget to include income of $1,102,278 and expenses of $1,096,813.

The ODA/OUCOD Veterans Dental Day will be on February 13, 2021 at the OU College of Dentistry. Dr. Douglas Auld, McAlester, announced his candidacy for ADA Second Vice President.

The next meeting of the ODA Board of Trustees is scheduled for February 26, 2021 at 1:30 pm.

AC TI ONS OF THE 2020 A DA HOUSE OF DELEGATE S

The ADA House of Delegates met virtually October 15-19, 2020.

• The term "essential" was added to the definition of dentistry.

• The American Dental Association (1) strongly supports regulatory, legislative, and/or legal action at the federal and/ or state levels to ban the sale and distribution of all e-cigarette and vaping products, with the exception of those approved by the FDA for tobacco cessation purposes and made available by prescription only; and (2) advocates for research funding to study the safety and effectiveness of e-cigarettes and vaping products for tobacco cessation purposes and their effects on the oral cavity.

• Entities not otherwise authorized to query the National Practitioner Data Bank should be prohibited from coercing a provider to provide a self-query as a requirement for employment or to participate in a health insurance plan or for professional liability coverage. National Practitioner Data Bank malpractice payment entries involving dentists should be expunged after seven years, provided a further incident has not been reported.

• The ADA supports its members who may be called to active duty and encourages dentists to volunteer to help maintain the practices of dentists who are temporarily activated into military service. Deployed military dentists who are serving on active duty should be eligible to have their continuing education requirements waived. Dentists who reopen their practices following a period of military deployment should be exempt from having their unemployment insurance premiums increased or incurring any other financial penalties due to unemployed staff having drawn unemployment benefits during the period of office closure.

• The ADA supports Silver Diamine Fluoride as a covered benefit by third-party payers, and if the tooth treated with SDF requires further treatment, that this restorative treatment or extraction of the tooth also remain a covered benefit.

• The policy on Teledentistry was amended to expand the reach of dental professionals, increasing access to care.

• The EOB statement is not the appropriate document to promote

the use of a dentist other than the treating dentist.

• The ADA opposes any third-party contract provisions that establish limits on dentists’ charges for services that are not covered services.

• The ADA supports the utilization of dentists who choose to participate to increase medical capacity during declared local, state or federal public health emergencies to include: 1. Administering critical vaccines 2. Performing FDA-authorized diagnostic tests to screen patients for infectious diseases 3. Taking patient medical histories and triaging medical patients 4. Performing other ancillary medical procedures and activities, as requested by medical personnel, to expand the nation’s surge capacity • Dentists should be granted immunity from personal liability and restrictions on the above listed services they provide for the duration of the emergency.

• Policy on optimizing dental health prior to surgical/medical procedures and treatments was adopted.

• Dentists with the requisite knowledge and skills can order and administer diagnostic medical tests to screen patients for chronic diseases and other medical conditions that could complicate dental care or put the patient and staff at risk. Point-of-care testing to screen is within a dentist’s scope of practice. Point-ofcare testing results should be communicated with the patient and the patient shall be referred to their physician for appropriate diagnoses and treatment. Dentists shall comply with federal and state requirements, as appropriate, to administer the tests.

• The ADA encourages state dental associations to work with their respective state Medicaid agencies to adopt guidelines for Medicaid Dental Reviews and/or in States that use a managed care model to incorporate such guidelines into their request for proposal (RFP) to third-party payers interested in managing the dental benefit.

Continued on page 16

14 journal | January/February 2021

CALL FOR NOMINATIONS Looking to get involved? There are several opportunities for members to be involved in the Oklahoma Dental Association, from positions of leadership within your local dental society to serving on a council that piques your interest. With time commitments ranging from one meeting per year to attendance at a few programs, we are confident you can find a way to serve that suits your needs and interests. Read below to see where you fit!

Council on Budget and Finance The Council on Budget and Finance develops an annual budget for approval by the House of Delegates at the Annual Session and, if necessary, presents a resolution setting forth any change in the dues structure. This Council ensures the Association remains good stewards of its members’ dues.

Council on Bylaws, Policy, and Ethics This Council meets annually to review the Bylaws and governance manuals to ensure that actions of the House of Delegates are properly recorded and to ascertain that the Bylaws have not been violated. The Council also interprets the Bylaws to settle disputes, and drafts and approves text of amendments to the Bylaws and of Council resolutions prior to their submission to the House for action. The Council receives complaints and investigates, mediates and adjudicates such complaints regarding a member’s alleged non-compliance with the American Dental Association’s Guidelines and Principles of Ethics and Code of Professional Conduct.

Council on Dental Care The Council on Dental Care consults and interacts between the dental profession and organizations concerned with the provision of dental health care, private, state or federal. It monitors the dental manpower needs of the state and develops programs to improve dental health care availability in underserved areas. The Mediation Review Program, a member-only benefit which helps settle dentist-patient disputes without litigation, is overseen by this Council.

OHCA and DHS Standing Committee

Council on Membership and Membership Services

This Committee consults and interacts with the Oklahoma Health Care Authority and the Department of Human Services.

This Council develops, plans and executes membership recruitment and retention programs and functions. As the liaison between the Association and the OU College of Dentistry, the Council provides opportunities for dental students to meet ODA members and encourages participation in the Association. This Council also oversees programs that support diverse member sub-categories and special interest groups, including New Dentists.

Council on Dental Education and Public Information This Council conducts dental health education campaigns and programs to communicate the dental health message to the public and improve the public perception of dentistry. It works with charitable entities and the media to provide oral health information to the public.

This Council is also in charge of all ODA member communications, including the ODA Journal and e-communications.

Council on Governmental Affairs The Council on Governmental Affairs consults and interacts with state and federal boards and agencies involved with dental care programs, develops recommendations concerning rules, regulations, or legislation that affect the dental profession or the dental health of the public, and maintains a statewide grassroots program in order to have an effective mechanism for ODA members to contact their legislators. The members also coordinate and supervise ODA lobbying activities, oversee and interact with DENPAC and ADPAC, and develop and conduct educational programs to train ODA members to be legislative advocates.

Council on Nominations The Council on Nominations is comprised of one officer from each of the Component Dental Societies and is responsible for selecting nominees for all elective offices of the Association and for each occurring vacancy in the Councils for election by the House of Delegates.

Interested in serving as an officer of the Association? The Vice President and Speaker of the House of Delegates are elected positions. The Speaker serves three terms and the Vice President proceeds to the offices of President-elect and then President. Want to represent the ODA on the national level? The ODA has five elected Delegates and five elected Alternate Delegates on the American Dental Association House of Delegates, each of which serves four-year terms.

During the ODA House of Delegates meeting in Tulsa, the House will vote to fill open positions. For more information about each Council or Committee, visit the ODA Members-only website at www.okda.org/ members-only. All terms begin upon adjournment of the ODA House of Delegates meeting. Please contact Shelly Frantz, ODA Director of Finance and Governance, at sfrantz@okda.org or 800.876.8890 with any questions. www.okda.org

15

AC TI ONS OF THE 2020 A DA HOUSE OF DELEGATE S C ONTINUED • The ADA member conduct policy was amended.

• The ADA supports tort reform legislation.

• Medical liability reform legislation should not override state limits on non-economic damages.

• Federal Medicaid match for dental care should be enhanced to 90/10 or better.

• Dentists should be allowed to claim a tax credit for the first $10,000 of services provided under the Medicaid program.

The tax credit should be based upon the most recent Code on Dental Procedures and Nomenclature (CDT) codes and credited at a rate consistent with the most recent ADA Survey of Dental Fees for that region or state.

• The American Dental Association supports the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Funds dedicated to the program should be used to provide medical and dental care to children with family income less than or equal to 200 percent of the federal poverty level before any expansion of care to children in families above that level. Decisions to cover children beyond 200 percent of the federal poverty level continue to be made on a state-by-state basis.

• The Active Membership Promotion reduction was changed from up to 50% percent to up to 100% and the Humanitarian Waiver was amended.

16 journal | January/February 2021

• The Life Membership Eligibility was amended to remove the age requirement of 65.

• The ADA supports the development of policy at the federal, state, and local levels that supports the fair, equitable, choice-driven provision of dental care to promote improved health and well-being in elderly patients and that the appropriate agency urge passage of legislation to enable dental offices to offer an in-office membership plan to support direct care for all seniors.

• The House adopted the 2021 operating budget with an $8 dues increase to $573.

• Policy on resources for veterans ineligible for VA dental care was adopted.

• It is the position of the ADA that dentists with the requisite knowledge and skills should be allowed to administer critical vaccines to prevent life-or health-threatening conditions and protect the life and health of patients and staff at the point of care.

• The bylaws were amended to include provisions for operation during an extraordinary emergency.

Reimagining tomorrow, together You can count on the ADA

FEBRUARY 4 & 5, 2022 HEART OF OKLAHOMA EXPO CENTER

to help you tackle current challenges and achieve your long-term goals. Introducing the new ADA Accelerator Series — your hub for financial, leadership and work/life balance tools. Together, we’re reimagining a better tomorrow.

Hit the Accelerator at ADA.org/AcceleratorSeries

LEARN MORE AT OKMOM.ORG www.okda.org

17

LEGISLATIVE LOOP Legislative Overview & Political Update

WHY DO WE NEED DENPAC? DEAR COLLEAGUE: The Oklahoma Dental Political Action Committee (DENPAC) is the non-profit, non-partisan political action committee of the Oklahoma Dental Association. The purpose of DENPAC is to influence lawmakers who have demonstrated their concern for the preservation of dentistry as an independent profession and for the dental health of the citizens of Oklahoma. As we witnessed last March when our profession was shut down, state government plays a vital role in setting policies and regulations on how we run our practices every day. From taxation to scope of practice and licensing, Oklahoma lawmakers make The letter on the following page was recently submitted to Governor Stitt decisions affecting every aspect of asking him to consider dentistry the dental profession. The letter essential healthcare in the future. And on the following page was recently this is just one of MANY ways our submitted to Governor Stitt ODA advocates for our profession every day, every year. asking him to consider dentistry essential healthcare when making future decisions. And this is just one of MANY ways our ODA advocates for our profession every day, every year. How can we help our ODA help our profession even more? By joining DENPAC when paying our 2021 dues. DENPAC’s resources provide the opportunity for our ODA to educate lawmakers on legislation that we favor and oppose. DENPAC ensures that we have a constant presence at our State Capitol. DENPAC members are dentists who see the political process as an opportunity to ensure the integrity of the dental profession stays intact.

WHY DO I BELONG TO DENPAC? State legislators who support dental issues should be able to count on the profession’s support. My membership in organized dentistry and DENPAC provides me with the resources and flexibility to do just that. I view my DENPAC membership as

Dan Wilguess, DDS 2020-2021 DENPAC Chair

18 journal | January/February 2021

an upgrade to my ODA membership – one that protects my practice, my patients, and my profession. The issues facing dentistry today (the current pandemic, the threat of managed Medicaid, insurance, licensure, mid-level providers, OUCOD funding, etc.) are BIG issues. My membership in DENPAC allows me to focus my financial support on those elected officials who have supported my profession. And I know that my small, personal investment in DENPAC allows the ODA to continue to be the voice of dentistry in Oklahoma and the first choice for consultation for legislators when discussing issues that affect us. I have often heard from legislators who tell me they need us to provide information to help them make informed decisions on proposed legislation.

Without our input, they’re merely making decisions based on what sounds good, what makes the fewest people angry, or what is easiest for them. DENPAC FUNDS OUR VOICE. Whether you like it or not, the campaign contributions we make to dentistry-friendly candidates are what open those lines of communication. It’s what reminds legislators once they’re in office to go directly to the ODA for information, and not somewhere else. That’s what my DENPAC investment does for me.

WE NEED YOUR HELP TO CONTINUE TO BE SUCCESSFUL AT THE CAPITOL IN 2021!

WE NEED YOUR HELP TO CONTINUE TO BE SUCCESSFUL AT THE CAPITOL IN 2021.

Please join DENPAC when paying your 2021 dues and know that your DENPAC membership sends a clear message that you feel our profession is worth investing in.

DENPAC also has booster levels: Capitol Club ($470) which can be paid with your 2021 dues, and the DENPAC GRAND Level ($1000). Please contact Kylie Faherty at the ODA to join DENPAC at the GRAND level.

Thank you for your support!

November 1, 2020 Dear Governor Stitt: As Oklahoma continues to work to implement restrictions aimed at combating the resurgence of COVID-19 cases, the Oklahoma Dental Association respectfully urges you to keep dental offices open for patients by including dentistry in Oklahoma’s designation of essential services.

Dentistry is an essential health care service because of its role in evaluating, diagnosing, preventing or treating oral diseases, which can affect systemic health. Beyond teeth and gums, the mouth also serves as a window to the rest of the body and can show signs of infection, nutritional deficiencies and systemic diseases. Quite simply—as the U.S. Surgeon General stated two decades ago—oral health is integral to overall health. Additionally, government agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency have acknowledged dentistry as an essential service needed to maintain the health of Americans so they can sustain their health and livelihoods and live resiliently during the COVID-19 pandemic response.

Oklahoma dentists are committed to the long-term success of keeping our state open and to the safety of all Oklahomans. With implementation of effective protocols from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Dental Association, we are protecting our patients and dental team members against transmission of COVID-19. Building upon already strong infection control protocols, the ADA COVID-19 protocols call for the highest level of PPE available to help protect patients and the dental team, as well as social distancing measures while awaiting appointments and mandatory temperature checks. Like hospitals and other clinical settings, dental offices have procedures to handle patients or team members who may become COVID-19 positive.

Just as hospitals do not close, dentists as infection control experts can assess the correct next steps for their offices. As a result, a new study published in The Journal of the American Dental Association found that 0.9% of U.S. dentists have tested positive for COVID-19.

After the initial onset of the COVID-19 crisis, patients who had been forced to postpone dental care due to state mandates were eager to return to their dentist once practices reopened for the full range of dental care. Some dental practices are still facing a backlog of patients. Shutting down or restricting this much-needed dental care would severely compromise many patients already overdue for critical dental treatments. As you know, we’ve seen a dramatic surge in inpatient hospitalizations due to suspected and confirmed COVID-19 cases, resulting in dangerously low bed availability for trauma cases and those suffering from critical illnesses.

Closing or scaling back services provided at dental offices would seriously exacerbate this problem and further burden hospital emergency departments.

Like hospitals and physician offices, dental practices provide vital healthcare services. Studies show that delaying dental care can negatively affect both oral and overall health and increase treatment costs. The well-being of the people in our state depends on access to the healthcare they need, including dental care.

Once again, on behalf of the 1,600 Oklahoma dentists and all the patients we serve, we strongly urge you to recognize dental care as essential health care and include dentistry in its designation of “essential services.”

Sincerely,

Paul Mullasseril, DDS ODA President

317 NE 13th Street, Oklahoma City, OK 73104 \ 405.848.8873 \ Fax 405.848.8875

www.okda.org

19

2020

DENPAC Campaign Contributions HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Kelley Albright $500 Chelsey Branham $500 Carol Bush $500 Jon Echols $1000 Andy Fugate $500 Kyle Hilbert $1000 Robert Manger $500 Nicole Miller $500 Cyndi Munson $500 Terry O’Donnell $1000 Mike Osburn $500 Melissa Provenzano $500 Todd Russ $500 Lonnie Sims $500

Areyou youananexpert expertinin Are topicrelated relatedtoto a atopic dentistry? dentistry?

Wouldyou youlike liketotoshare share Would thatknowledge knowledgewith with that oklahomadentists dentists oklahoma other ororother dentalprofessionals? professionals? dental The ODA is building a The ODA is building a speaker’s bureau of speaker’s bureau of member dentists who member dentists who are qualified and who are qualified and who desire to speak at desire to events. speak at various | January/February 2021 20 journal various events.

SENATE

Allison Ikley-Freeman Shane Jett Kevin Mathews Dewayne Pemberton Dave Rader Rob Standridge Zack Taylor

$1000 $1000 $1000 $1000 $1000 $1000 $1000

OOkkllaahhoo mm aa DD ee nn tt aa ll AA ss ss oo cc ii aa tt ii oo nn

Speaker’s bureau okda.org/oda-speakers-bureau okda.org/oda-speakers-bureau

FUTURE ^ODA MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Lauren Means : 3rd YEAR DENTAL STUDENT

THE COOKIE DOCTOR By: Abby Sholar, ODA Special Projects Manager As a little girl, Lauren Means would spend time in the kitchen baking cookies with her grandma. Come to find out a few years later, the recipe they used was written on the back of the Nestle Tollhouse package, rather than passed down by generations. Despite that, the memories of baking and eating their creations remain just as special and delicious.

Means, a third-year dental student at the OU College of Dentistry, started her cookie business in June 2020 with her own original recipes, and the Cookie Doctor was born. She first started selling cookies to raise money for Positive Tomorrows, an elementary school specifically for children and families experiencing homelessness.

Although Means had always enjoyed baking in college, she started baking in larger batches and more often during quarantine.

She said, “…with the state of the world, I wanted to use the cookies for something positive, besides me just eating them all!”

As all dentists can attest, dental school is a full-time job. The third year is especially difficult since students see patients all day, from eight to five. Means doesn’t have the time to bake as many cookies as she would like, but she has found a way to study, bake and run her own business. To keep up with Cookie Doctor demand, she bakes during

independent study time on Wednesday afternoons and during the weekends.

“There have been a few times where customers have requested an order on a specific date and I’ve just been unable to have it ready on time due to my obligations at school,” Means said. “My customers have been really understanding about this and we typically just work with one another’s schedules to pick the best day possible for both of us. Communication has been such a big part of this experience so far.”

The Cookie Doctor currently offers a variety of flavors: chocolate chip, funfetti cake, brown sugar cinnamon pop tart, cookies & cream, and kitchen sink (sweet + salty).

For the fall and winter seasons, she also bakes maple pecan cinnamon and pumpkin chocolate chip. Although Means loves all of these flavors, the top sellers are brown sugar cinnamon and cookies & cream. Her cookies are not only tasty, but also huge!

They’re larger and more filling than the average cookie, so when Means received her largest order request of two dozen, it was quite a labor of love to get it completed.

Cookie cakes are a recent edition to the Cookie Doctor repertoire. With decorative icing, sprinkles and more, these treats are especially fun to create and eat. Much to

her classmates’ delight, Means experiments with recipes and flavors by bringing some tester cookies to school. “Over this past year, I would go back and forth between three recipes for a chocolate chip cookie and eventually started changing the amount of flour, sugar, etc., developing my own recipe which is the base for most of the cookies.”

If you would like to place an order for Cookie Doctor sweets, message Lauren Means via her business Instagram (@Cookie-doctor) or Facebook (Cookie Doctor).

FUN FAC T: Positive Tomorrows

provided 73 dental checkups for its students during the past year. Learn more at positivetomorrows.org.

BAKER’S TIP:

When baking chocolate chip cookies from scratch, combine dark brown sugar and light brown sugar and use a plethora of vanilla extract.

www.okda.org

21

RETIRED MEMBER SPOTLIGHT:

Dr. Cathy Sherry By: Madison Bolton, ODA Membership Manager Even though Dr. Cathy Sherry has been retired since 2014, her passion still lies in organized dentistry today! After retiring from her private practice in Yukon, she continued working in corporate dentistry and with the Oklahoma Dental Foundation Mobile Smiles Unit. "I enjoyed working in the Mobile Smiles Unit, spending a week at a time in several small towns and meeting the people of our great state," she said.

Since 2015, Sherry has been a Senior Instructor for the International Association for Orthodontics. Not only has this position helped her overcome her lifelong stage fright, but she has also discovered a passion for raising awareness on the epidemic of mouth breathing. She lectures internationally to dentists and pediatricians, ENTs, chiropractors, lactation consultants, speech therapists, schoolteachers, and parents on the causes and consequences of mouth breathing and the success of myofunctional therapy. She has also organized the Oklahoma Airway Centered Study Club, which allows health care providers to network and learn more about children's health, and aid in their growth and development.

interests, which include gardening, recipe testing for her Family Pandemic Cook Book, and yoga.

Sherry, a Stage III colon cancer survivor, stresses the importance of taking care of one’s body. "My advice for all dentists is to take good care of your body! Dentistry can be hard physically, so plan time for regular exercise and bodywork. Be proactive. I do yoga daily," she said.

Even though she did not enjoy the physical and emotional stress associated with running a dental practice, she considered dentistry a wonderful profession, and she loved being a part of her patients’ lives for 30 years.

Dr. Sherry presenting a table clinic of her journal article on Redirecting Atypical Facial Growth in an Adult Patient.

When she is not mentoring her three daughters (Ki, Annie and Maya) and five grandchildren, Sherry takes the time to mentor others and share her passions through Positive Tomorrows, ODA's Mentorship Program (Go, Taylor Aufill, DS4!), and Oklahoma Missions of Mercy.

A teacher, mentor, mother and grandma, as well as a survivor, Cathy Sherry is a selfless inspiration to all!

Dr. Keith Coulson, Annie Coulson, RDH and Dr. Sherry in front of the Oklahoma Dental Foundation’s Mobile Unit

Even though Sherry stays busy with lecturing, she still finds time for her other

Dr. Sherry during a presentation on Mouth Breathing

Oklahoma Airway Centered Study Club Board : (L-R) Drs. Sherry, Marie Bockus, Erin Robert- Svob and Montika Collins, IBCLC, Sheri Bolay, RDH, Dr. Jamie Cameron

22 journal | January/February 2021

PAST PRESIDENT SPOTLIGHT:

DR. KRISTA JONES (2007-2008) By: Makenzie Dean, ODA Programs and Operations Manager Dr. Krista Jones’ life is full of adventure.

Whether traveling across the world for a medical mission trip or booking a cruise to see a once-in-alifetime total solar eclipse, she lives to tell countless stories. She found her passion in helping people through dentistry and other philanthropic events and committees she’s been involved with. She has been fortunate to be able to combine her love for traveling with her desire to change peoples’ lives.

Jones graduated from the OU College of Dentistry in 1981. As a student, her favorite part of dental school was the camaraderie with her classmates and especially with the seven females (out of seventy-two total students) in her dental school class. Those seven women, along with the females in the other dental school classes, would host gatherings together and even called themselves the G.O.D.S. (Girls of the Dental School). This occurred before the founding of the Oklahoma Association of Women Dentists in 1985, in which Jones is actively involved.

Jones is married to Craig Stinson, a retired Methodist Minister and former executive in the Oklahoma United Methodist Conference. They met while on a medical mission trip to Bolivia in 1987 while he was a pastor in Boise City, Oklahoma. That mission trip was the first of many for the couple. Since then, they have also traveled to Peru, Mexico, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Israel’s West Bank, Kenya, and back to Bolivia to serve.

One very special and life-changing moment for Jones occurred on a mission trip in the West Bank. She was there to work

in Palestinian refugee camps alongside the World Health Organization. She had the opportunity to work closely with an orphanage called the House of Hope in Bethlehem where the majority of children had some form of disability and their families were unable to provide for them.

Jones met a nine-year-old girl named Fatia who had not spoken in six months because of dental pain she was experiencing. A panorex x-ray showed multiple abscesses, granulomas and benign tumors. She spoke with the head of the orphanage and explained that Fatia was in need of surgery. They then found a Jordanian anesthesiologist, and accompanied by an English interpreter, Jones performed the surgery. She was thankful for the number of prayers that she had to guide her hands during the procedure. The tumors were sent back to Jerusalem for pathology; fortunately, they all came back benign.

When she went to check on Fatia the following morning, Fatia smiled, hugged Jones and said, “thank you” -- her first words in six months.

Jones and her husband also love to travel around the world chasing total solar eclipses, which do not occur often and are usually in remote (and not always accessible) parts of the world. The couple has now been lucky enough to see ten eclipses in Mexico, Peru, Turkey, Egypt, Tahiti, Easter Island, Papua New Guinea, Zimbabwe, Africa, the southern Caribbean

by Montserrat and, most recently, Wyoming. The Wyoming eclipse involved twenty-eight minutes and fifteen seconds in the sun’s shadow. Jones says that the diamond ring at the beginning and end of totality brings tears to her eyes each time.

Jones served as the 101st ODA President from 2007 to 2008. During her term, the ODF purchased the first mobile van and

started the ODF Mobile Dentistry Program, with Dr. Lisa Grimes as the chair, to help make dental care accessible in areas where there were no dentists. Since Jones’ presidency, OkMOM has been founded and has helped Oklahomans for over ten years.

She considers OkMOM to be a significant program of outreach for the Oklahoma population and for dentistry and is an incredible blessing to so many people, even though there is such an amazing amount of work for everyone involved.

This year, Jones retired from the practice she started in 1981 where she served her patients and the Edmond community for 39 years. She now has more free time to devote to other passions in her life. She most recently had to cancel a trip to Brazil to see another solar eclipse and a cruise on the Amazon River, due to COVID-19.

Hopefully, she and Craig will have plenty more opportunities to travel and chase their passions!

Dr. Jones with her husband Craig looking at a Solar Eclipse.

Dr. Jones demonstrating how to properly brush your teeth.

www.okda.org

23

ODA FEATURE

5 SECRETS OF TOP PERFORMING PRACTICES by: Roger P. Levin, DDS For the last 30 years Levin Group has been conducting an ongoing study of top 10% performing practices. The most important finding has been that these practices typically don’t have some “special ingredient” that allowed them to reach the top 10%. This is significant because if there had been such an ingredient that was not reproducible across other practices, the study’s outcomes would not be beneficial in helping our clients and the profession improve their practices.

The purpose of the study has not been to move all practices into the top 10%; this would be mathematically impossible. The goal has been to identify opportunities, strategies, systems and ideas that would allow any practice to create a better practice environment, improve performance, and find financial success. Here are five secrets of top performing practices revealed by our study. #1 - THEY DID NOT GET THERE OVERNIGHT. It’s most likely that all you know about iconic companies or superstar entrepreneurs is what you see on TV or read in articles. From that, people develop a view that the company or person has always been amazing. Nothing could be further from the truth. There are thousands of highly successful companies that started off from very meager beginnings. Microsoft started as a small company; HewlettPackard was started in a garage.

This is what we refer to as the chicken/egg philosophy. If you watch an egg hatch, you see a very cute chick emerge. However, if you had been inside the egg watching, you would’ve seen everything that went into the chick’s development. It takes time and lots of steps that we don’t ever see.

We found the same to be true for most top performing dental practices. They took lots of steps (and spent lots of time!) on their path to success. In fact, our data indicates that it took them approximately seven

24 journal | January/February 2021

years (and in some cases twice that) to reach success. There were specific reasons and factors that played into this situation, but the most important question for those seeking to replicate that success is not how fast they got there, but what they did to get there. #2 - THEY ARE NOT LUCKIER OR MORE FORTUNATE THAN OTHERS. It’s not usually location, patient population, or insurance penetration that contributes to practice success. Practices in the top 10% are a mix of all types: insurance-based, all fee-for-service, a hybrid of insurance and fee-for-service, and even all Medicaid.

They’re in urban, suburban and rural locations. Their patient bases have a wide range in wealth. Some of these practices have even moved into the top 10% during recessionary times! Given this, most of the evidence for the success of these practices points not to good fortune but to gradually identifying the right operating models, systems and training, which allow them to go to the next level, and the next, and the next. #3 – THEY HAVE HIGH TEAM LONGEVITY. Did these practices simply hire better?

Did they interview better? Were there more hard-working, highly trained dental staff members available in the area? We found that early on these practices did not perform any better regarding hiring, training or maintaining staff. The key factor was that these practices did not tolerate poor performing team members. Many practices retain underperforming staff for long periods of time even though, in most cases, they know that such team members will not improve, even with coaching.

However, many practices retain them out of a fear of not being able to replace them, and not wanting to undergo the process of recruiting and training new people.

In stark contrast, top performing practices are willing to go through the challenges

of recruiting, interviewing, hiring and training new people if it means getting high-performing team members. When they invested the time to go through this process, these practices gradually found team members that fit the practices and their core values, making it desirable for them to stay. The team members of top performing practices had an average tenure of 10 years longer than most other practices. #4 - THEY HAVE FIVE-STAR CUSTOMER SERVICE. Most top practices have attended seminars or acquired other direct education on how to build a high-level customer service environment. But we also noted that the doctor and team consistently go beyond the normal level of customer service regardless of the type of patient base. One practice that focused mainly on Medicaid patients made it a priority that every patient would leave feeling better about themselves than when they came in. This type of attitude toward customer service was developed and became an important part of the practice culture. Top practices also tend to have excellent systems and scripting, with customer service being a strong part of both factors. #5 - THEY HAVE VERY LOW ANNUAL PATIENT ATTRITION RATES. The average practice lost approximately 12–15% of its patients annually pre-COVID and our data indicates that patient loss will be higher today. Top performing practices tend to lose 7-9% of their patients annually -- approximately half the number of patients lost by most other practices. This means that over the course of a dentist’s career the patient base in a top performing practice could be 360% higher than most other practices! Simply understanding the value of a larger patient base in terms of the opportunity to increase practice production and maintain a successful future was one of the main factors in why these practices had entered the top 10%.

Continued on page 26

DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS: NECK MASS By: Glen D. Houston, DDS, MSD | Diplomate, American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology | gdhdds@heartlandpath.com A 12-year-old male presents to your office, referred by his pediatrician for evaluation of "right facial and neck swelling." According to the parent, this "swelling" is of several days’ duration.

QUESTION #1 Based upon this presentation your differential diagnosis might include (multiple answers): a. Branchial cleft cyst (benign cervical lymphoepithelial cyst) b. Scrofula c. Cat scratch disease d. Infectious mononucleosis e. Odontogenic infection f. Actinomycosis ANSWER #1 Your clinical differential diagnosis should include all of the conditions listed.

The branchial cleft cyst (a), also known as the benign cervical lymphoepithelial cyst, usually occurs on the lateral aspect of the neck. The cyst becomes apparent in late childhood as a painless mass that is typically located anterior to the sternocleidomastoid muscle.

Scrofula (b) is a rare form of the bacterial infection tuberculosis that is usually caused by drinking infected milk. Scrofula presents with enlargement of the oropharyngeal lymphoid tissues and involvement of the cervical neck lymph nodes. This condition may produce one or more palpable lymph nodes.

disorder that begins in the skin but also involves the regional lymph nodes. Nearly every case occurs following contact with a cat. The disease begins several days after the initial scratch. The lymph node changes develop in approximately three weeks and may be accompanied by fever or malaise.

Scratches on the face typically produce cervical lymphadenopathy.

Infectious mononucleosis (d) is a disease resulting from exposure to Epstein-Barr virus. Prominent lymphadenopathy is observed in the majority of these cases and usually presents as enlarged, symmetrical, and tender lymph nodes, frequently with involvement of the posterior and anterior cervical chains.

An odontogenic infection (e) particularly associated with the posterior regions of the maxilla and mandible may manifest clinically as a facial swelling or a tender neck mass. Oral examination and a radiographic survey are useful in confirming or ruling out this condition.

Actinomycosis (f) is an infection of filamentous, branching, gram-positive anaerobic bacteria. The most common site for its development is the cervicofacial region. In this location, this organism spreads into the soft tissues of the submandibular, submental, and cheek areas with the tissue overlying the angle of the mandible being the most affected area. The typical appearance is that of a neck mass or neck swelling.

a. Intraoral examination complete with radiographic survey b. Fine needle aspiration of area c. Biopsy The intraoral examination with radiographic survey (a) is necessary to determine if the etiology of the facial and neck swelling is within the oral cavity. Additionally, a fine needle aspiration (b) and/or a biopsy (c) may be necessary in order to establish a definitive diagnosis and treatment plan for the patient.

To place the patient on antibiotic therapy and schedule a follow-up appointment within 30 days (d) or to advise the parent that the patient has the mumps and refer the patient back to his pediatrician (e) would be of no benefit in the management of this case.

QUESTION #3 The initial fine needle aspiration yields necrotic debris. Biopsy reveals a reactive lymph node with focal granuloma formation, suppuration, necrosis, and foci of epithelioid histiocytes with multinucleated giant cells. Warthin-Starry stains and the Brown-Hopps method of Gram staining reveal pleomorphic bacilli within the areas of granulomatous inflammation. Serologic testing detects antibodies to the bacteria Bartonella henselae.

QUESTION # 2 Which of the following procedures should be accomplished (multiple answers)?

Your diagnosis is:

a. Intraoral examination complete with radiographic survey

c. Infectious mononucleosis

b. Fine needle aspiration of the area c. Biopsy

Cat scratch disease (c) is an infectious

ANSWER #2 The following procedures are indicated in this case:

a. Tuberculosis b. Cat scratch disease d. Histoplasmosis

d. Place the patient on antibiotic therapy and schedule for a follow-up appointment within 30 days

ANSWER #3 The correct answer is cat scratch disease (b).

See "Discussion" section.

e. Advise the parent that the patient has the mumps and refer the patient back to his pediatrician

The other possibilities are not considered here because: Tuberculosis (a) can exhibit a similar microscopic picture as described. However, to make the diagnosis, the organism Mycobacterium tuberculosis must be identified by utilizing special stains.

Continued on page 2625 www.okda.org

5 SECRETS OF TOP PERFORMING PRACTICES Continued from page 24

SUMMARY Top performing practices do not have a special superpower that propelled them into the top 10%. Nor did they get there quickly. In fact, they often went through the same issues as most practices regarding practice building, systems implementation, staff training, staff turnover, dental insurance and changing reimbursements. There was no one main factor that allowed these practices to enter the top 10%. Levin Group’s ongoing 30-year study has identified 15 principles that have been embraced by these top 10% practices. It is important to remember, though, that these practices learned and implemented those principles gradually and over time.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Roger P. Levin, DDS is the CEO and Founder of Levin Group, a leading practice management consulting firm that has worked with over 30,000 practices to increase production. A recognized expert on dental practice management and marketing, Levin has written 67 books and over 4,000 articles and regularly presents seminars in the U.S. and around the world.

To contact Dr. Levin or to join the 40,000 dental professionals who receive his Practice Production Tip of the Day, visit www. levingroup.com or email rlevin@levingroup.com

DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS: NECK MASS Continued from page 25

Infectious mononucleosis (c) has a very unique histologic picture, which exhibits altered lymph node hyperplasia not observed in the present case. Histoplasmosis (d) is also a granulomatous infection as noted above. The organism Histoplasma capsulatum must be identified by special stains in order to establish this diagnosis.

DISCUSSION The first report of cat scratch disease in the literature was by Debre' and associates in 1950. As the name implies, the disease is usually contracted after being scratched by a cat, although dogs and other pets have also been observed to serve as the animal vector. The animal does not exhibit clinical manifestations of the disease and serves only as the carrier of the infection. The causative bacterial agent has recently been identified as a pleomorphic, gram-negative bacillus, Bartonella henselae.

Clinically, the disease can occur at any age, but predominates in children and young adults. A papule usually develops in the area of contact, with subsequent lymph node swelling in the region that drains the scratch site. According to Margileth, 57% of the reported cases have exhibited lymphadenopathy involving the extremities and 43% involved the head and neck. In the head and neck area, the submandibular, cervical, or occipital lymph nodes may be involved. The affected lymph nodes are usually painful, firm, and movable. Occasionally a fistula is encountered.

Fever, malaise, headache, and nausea manifest early in the course of this disease. The neck swelling (mass) of cat scratch disease must be differentiated from tuberculosis (scrofula), other granulomatous diseases, and neoplasia (malignant lymphoma and metastatic carcinoma). A history of a cat scratch or contact with a cat is, of course, helpful in making the diagnosis. Microscopically, the involved lymph node is replaced by focal granulomas composed of histiocytes with multinucleated giant cells and necrotic material. A definitive diagnosis is established with the identification of the presence of the causative bacteria, Bartonella henselae, usually with serologic testing.

Antibiotic therapy for the treatment of this disease is controversial. Although some reports indicate the organism has demonstrated sensitivity to a number of antibiotics, which may shorten the duration of the lymphadenopathy, other researchers have observed no effect. The disease is usually self-limiting and regresses within a period of weeks or months. Extremely tender lymph nodes may require incision and drainage.

REFERENCES Biswas S and Rolain J-M. Bartonella infection: treatment and drug resistance. Future Microbiol. 5:1719-1731, 2010.

English CK, Wear DJ, Margileth AM, et al. Cat scratch disease: isolation and culture of the bacterial agent. JAMA. 259:1347-1352, 1988.

Margileth AM, Wear DJ, and English CK. Systemic cat scratch disease: report of 23 patients with prolonged or recurrent severe bacterial infection. J Infect Dis. 155:390-402, 1987.

Wear DJ, Margileth AM, Hadfield TJ, et al. Cat scratch disease: a bacterial infection. Science. 221:1403-1405, 1983.

26 journal | January/February 2021

www.okda.org

27

KEEP IT LOCAL Study Club: Iclub By: Mary Hamburg, DDS, MS Answering questions is an important parttime job in dentistry. Patient questions, team questions, colleague questions and, of course, your own questions. Even when you feel comfortable with a plan, system or procedure, it never fails that someone is able to do it better or has a different perspective. So instead of being able to answer all questions, I find myself seeking efficient ways of finding the answers.

Initially, joining a study club was an avenue for gaining the CE credits I needed to renew my license. Throughout the years, I’ve learned that my study club colleagues are a wealth of knowledge and resources that I can access when a difficult case, procedure or team issue is presented. By far, being part of a study club is the best investment I’ve made in myself and my dental practice.

Continuing education classes are an important part of our ongoing pursuit of dental knowledge. In Oklahoma, we have a wealth of study clubs available as resources. Through them you can discuss complex treatment plans and coordinate treatment between dentist and specialist -- all for the benefit of the patient.

Mentorship is a major component of study clubs. New dentists can learn from the more experienced, and those that have been in practice for many years can use the newbies for information on current trends and resources. It’s a win-win relationship.

Since not all areas of Oklahoma have access to study clubs, I would like to

launch a study club section in the ODA Journal. The goal would be to have cases submitted by our Oklahoma dentists for teaching and review purposes. Cases can be multi-disciplined and show complex treatment planning scenarios, or they can present techniques that have been finetuned over the years. Dialogue with our colleagues is an important component of advancing our profession. While presenting cases on social media plays an important role in communicating the benefits of dentistry to patients, case presentations for learning is just as important for the practitioner.

Case Presentation: OkMOM During a recent Oklahoma Mission of Mercy (OkMOM) event a patient presented with irreversible pulpitis symptoms associated with tooth #8.

Finances were a concern as she was starting college later that year. She wanted the tooth extracted and a temporary partial denture fabricated. The case involved a mesiodens (supernumerary tooth) fused to tooth #8. To create a temporary partial denture for this space was difficult, due to the larger-thannormal space, making it difficult to address the aesthetic aspects of this case. After consultation with the patient and with the agreement of several practitioners to donate treatment, root canal therapy (provided by Dr. Michael Strand during OkMOM) addressed the chief complaint of pain.

The patient then presented to Dr. Shannon Griffin (Griffin Smiles) for treatment of decay, followed by a consult for orthodontic treatment with Dr. Shannon Lewis (Lewis Orthodontics).

The orthodontic diagnosis noted tooth discrepancies at #8-9, 20 and 29, the

midline shifted by 2mm, mild crowding on the lower arch, and an 80% deep bite with Class III canine relationship. Orthodontic treatment proceeded over the next two years with extraction of #8 completed by Dr. Tracy McIntire (Oral and Maxillofacial Associates in Oklahoma), pontic placement, Damon brackets used for upper high torque at #7-10, leveling, alignment and IPR (interproximal reduction) of the lower 5’s (#20 and 29), class III elastics, and closing space #8 to match #9.

During orthodontic treatment, tooth #3 became an issue (necrotic pulp tissue and symptomatic apical periodontitis).

Treatment continued with Drs. Michael Strand (Broken Arrow Endodontics) and Shannon Griffin. Upon completion of orthodontics, the patient was referred to Dental Implants and Endodontics of Oklahoma in Midwest City to address short clinical crowns and an implant consult. Clinical crown lengthening and #8 implant placement was completed.

After healing for three months, the patient returned to Griffin Smiles and Dr. Taylor Barton for final restoration.

This case lasted over four years with five different offices volunteering their time and expertise to help this patient achieve a smile that would not only get her through college but also into a career path of her choosing. It was a pleasure to work on this case with my colleagues and to see the outcome at its completion. While this case was not specifically associated with a study club, it was advanced through other avenues with the ideals of community dentistry at its core.

If you have a case your study club would like to submit please contact Dr. Mary Hamburg, ODA Journal Editor, at editor@okda.org.

Initial presentation of patient at OkMOM.

Treatment completed at OkMOM by Dr. Strand.

After 2 months healing from crown lengthening with Dr. Hamburg and custom healing abutment in place. Ready to restore.

28 journal | January/February 2021

Impressions for abutment and final restorations with shade selection with Dr. Taylor Barton and Griffin Smiles.

Follow-up evaluation with final prosthesis with Dr. Lewis.

HYGIENE HOTSPOT

HOW TO ENHANCE HEALTHSPAN By: Debbie Ozment, DDS, MS You, as a Dental Professional, are the hope of healthcare. Claim your seat. Do you think this statement is a little too dramatic?

Let me expound a bit! America is currently in a chronic inflammatory disease crisis.

While people are living longer, they are not necessarily living better. They are suffering from an array of ailments that are curtailing their “healthspan” - the period of one’s life when one is healthy and unburdened by chronic disease.

The link between Periodontal Disease (PD) and these chronic inflammatory conditions has attracted much attention in the medical literature. This field of investigation is often aptly referred to as “Periodontal Medicine,” and this is your area of expertise!

This growing global body of literature confirms the link between periodontitis (even early and moderate stages) and many systemic diseases, including gastrointestinal issues, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, respiratory infection, rheumatoid arthritis, autoimmune diseases, and more. For decades, we’ve known about the two-way

street between PD and Type 2 Diabetes, as well as the mountains of research on PD’s impact on vascular inflammation and stroke outcomes. But there’s more: The presence of oral pathogens and their metabolic by-products in the mouth can modulate the immune response far beyond the oral cavity. If you’re thinking these are mostly “old person” diseases, think again! According to the National Diabetes Statistics Report for 2020, Type 2 Diabetes has“significantly increased” in children ages 10 to 18, as well as those ages 18 to 44. If you have been practicing for 20 years or more you’ve witnessed this rise.

Additionally, PD has a surprising impact on adverse pregnancy outcomes, including infertility and miscarriage, which are heartbreaking and all too common these days.

How do you describe your role in the dental office? With the training and skills you already possess, you are indeed the hope of healthcare. You are positively impacting every area of the body and we have the undeniable science of DNA to prove it! People want to feel better longer and will increasingly look to you for answers to many of their health challenges. You know what to do; the key is learning how to accurately and effectively communicate the far-reaching benefits of your expertise. Among many medical professionals, the mouth has historically been, to use the title of my TEDx talk, “The Forgotten Orifice,” but that is rapidly changing and opens many new opportunities for you.

DON’T GET CAUGHT IN THE RAIN.

Disaster Relief Assistance for Dentists

Visit okda.org/ programs/ member-suppor t

As a Dental Professional, you are the hope of healthcare if you accept your responsibility to clearly communicate the implications of our therapies, as well as diagnose and treat all phases of Periodontal Disease including early bleeding on

probing. We must keep learning and be proactive in the assessment of risk factors to halt the inflammatory cascade that leads to destruction in the mouth and negatively impacts all of systemic health. People want a robust healthspan - they want to feel better longer. We have the skills and voice to help them do just that!

You are invited to sign up at www.

DrDebbieOzment.com for my daily fiveminute vlog entitled “Daily Dr. Debbie” where I take an Integrative Medicine approach to enhancing healthspan. Again, as a Dental Professional, you are the hope of healthcare. Claim your seat.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Dr. Debbie Ozment has been a general dentist in private practice since 1985. After graduating from the University of Oklahoma College of Dentistry, she continued her education by completing a master’s degree in Metabolic and Nutritional Medicine from the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine. Trained at the Mayo Clinic, she is a Nationally Board-Certified Health and Wellness Coach, has completed the Bale Doneen Method Preceptorship for Heart Attack and Stroke Prevention, and is a diplomate of the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine. Her practice is limited to oral-systemic assessment and therapy for chronic inflammatory diseases.

An active blogger since 2015, Ozment speaks nationally to dental professionals and corporate executive teams on vitalityrelated issues. In April 2021, she will be launching the Masterclass “Hope for Healthcare” to empower dental teams to simplify the implementation of oral-systemic communication. She is deeply committed to enhancing the patient experience and healthspan outcomes as well as professional workplace fulfillment. She invites you to watch her TEDx Talk, “The Forgotten Orifice.”

www.okda.org

29

Collect What You Produce: COPING WITH FINANCIAL STRESS

By Cathy Jameson, PhD | Part 8 of a ten-part series What is financial stress? American radio show host, author, businessman and financial guru Dave Ramsey says, “Financial stress is worry, fear and anxiety about finances. Sometimes, it can even cause physical symptoms like insomnia, headaches, fatigue and more.” More than half of U.S. employees cite financial health (or lack thereof) as their biggest concern amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. This means that the majority of patients who walk through your door (or their parents) are struggling with financial stress. While financial stresses that have arisen due to the pandemic have been significant such stress is not unique and certainly not new to dentists or their team members and patients. In fact, according to the American Dental Association, financial stress is the number one stress of dental families.

Medical and psychology experts say that stress is a significant factor in approximately 80% of illnesses being treated in America today -- and that was before the pandemic.

A recent survey released by the National Endowment for Financial Education® (NEFE) notes that 88% of Americans say the COVID-19 crisis is causing stress on their personal finances. The NEFE survey also reports the following five issues as major causes of this stress: (1) insufficient savings for emergencies; (2) inability to fund retirement; (3) inability to pay bills; (4) not enough money for housing and utilities; and (5) inability to pay for medical and dental healthcare.

MetLife’s 18th annual U.S. Employee Benefit Trends Study (EBTS) measured the impact of COVID-19 on employees’ financial well-being. It revealed that 29% now earn less as a result of the virus, while 38% say their employment status has been directly impacted by the pandemic, with an additional 36% expecting to be impacted in the future. Employees are more concerned about their finances than any other aspect of their well-being, including physical, mental and social health. Todd Katz, executive vice president of Group Benefits, MetLife, said, “The coronavirus is clearly contributing to employees’ overall stress, especially as it relates to their financial well-being. It should come as no surprise that this is 30 journal | January/February 2021

particularly true among those with incomes below $50,000, and those in healthcare."

While financial stress is not new, it has grown in magnitude. As an employer interested in the health and well-being of your practice, you must first and foremost be interested in your health and wellbeing and that of your team members. The ultimate productivity of your practice will reflect the energy and contributions of your individual team members. When each team member is working well individually and as a unit, the overall productivity of the practice itself will thrive. Controlling stress allows you and the members of your team to focus on the development, management and thriving of your practice, which is based on the care of your patients.

CONTROLLING STRESS If left uncontrolled, stress can take physical, emotional and mental tolls on you. It can then be transferred to your team members, patients and family. You must take care of yourself so that you can take care of others.

To deal with financial stress, develop and utilize a three-part strategic plan as follows: 1. FIND OUT WHERE YOU ARE NOW. TAKE INVENTORY. a. Determine your true numbers -- what we at Jameson Management call your Critical Factors. For example, production and collection, adjustments, accounts receivable, new patients, case acceptances, etc. There are 14 Critical Factors; please contact us at www.jamesonmanagement.com for more information.

2. DETERMINE WHERE YOU WANT TO GO AND/OR WHERE YOU NEED TO GO TO BECOME FINANCIALLY HEALTHY, SOLVENT AND PROFITABLE. a. Develop a vision of what you consider ideal and write this out clearly. Where do you want to go? What do you want to do?

What will your practice look like in one year? Five years? Ten years? b. Develop a vision of your ideal financial life. Create the vision before you move into the actual planning phase of your strategic plan.

c.Prepare. Make a budget (and stick to it).

Find out from a management expert/coach what acceptable overhead percentages/ guidelines are for the various areas of your practice expenditures, and develop your budget accordingly.

If you have overdue bills, arrange them from highest to lowest. Make a payment on every bill every month. As you pay off the smaller bills, take that payment amount and apply it to the next bill up the ladder. Do this with each succeeding bill and they will all be paid off sooner. Then, make sure you stay on budget and are only spending the same amount as you bring in every month.

Do not spend more than you make! Most of you can increase your production -- even in COVID-19 times. If you are past due on bills, call and visit with the respective vendors about your situation. Most of them will work with you if you are honest and upfront with them.

There are three ways to increase profit in your practice: (1) increase production; (2) decrease overhead; and/or (3) increase fees.

Calculations regarding your collections and your expenses should be part of your strategic plan and will tell you if you need to increase production or reduce expenses (much more difficult). You may need to consider raising fees. A slight increase in fees across the board will translate into a substantial increase in profit margin, if there has not been an increase in overhead. According to infection control experts, there has been a 100% increase in infection control costs due to COVID-19 requirements. The ADA recommends an across-the-board increase in fees rather than an additional/separate fee.

3. DEVELOP A PLAN OF ACTION. Here is where you design a carefully orchestrated action plan, where you turn an idea, a dream, a wish into a reality.

According to numerous university studies, only 3% of people or businesses actually write goals and carry out a plan of action to make those goals become a reality. But that 3% accomplish more, including financial security and reward, than the other 97% put together. Be a part of that 3%! This requires that you:

a. Establish goals that are accessible and attainable. Prominent author, speaker, and business consultant Dr. Ken Blanchard says that goals should be SMART: Specific, Motivational, Attainable, Relevant, and Trackable. In a nutshell, writing goals (a part of strategic planning) involves: (1) making them positive, specific and clear; (2) designing a plan of action; (3) identifying all those who need to participate; (4) time-activating each step of the plan with timelines and deadlines; (5) evaluating progress; and (6) celebrating each success along the way. Major university studies and distinguished business scholars and researchers have documented the benefits of written goal setting. When individuals or businesses write goals and carry out a strategic plan of action the following benefits are accomplished: (1) increased productivity – a minimum of 10%; (2) increased personal income; (3) better teamwork and engagement of personnel; and (4) enhanced time management with less procrastination.

Warren Buffet believes in goal writing.

He recommends (and follows) the 25/5 Principle: Write down 25 goals you want to accomplish and circle the five you consider the most important. Then write goals related to those. b. Make a plan to pay off debt, much as was previously discussed to pay off bills. List debts from smallest to largest and make payments every month. Once the smallest is paid in full take the amount you were paying and apply it to the next debt up the ladder – and so on. All of you know about the advantages of pre-paying principal on debts in the early years of any note. If you can, pre-pay the principal for the next month in a separate payment. Early on, principal on a note is usually small and the interest high.

Pre-paying principal can save you thousands on any large loan. c. Don’t buy a new car; buy a used one.

During this pandemic, do you really need to be buying anything? And if you can’t pay cash, reconsider. Be careful not to build up credit card debt. Never charge more than you can pay off in full each month. The interest can be overwhelming. d. Finally, take care of yourself!

12 WAYS TO CONTROL STRESS AND ENERGIZE YOUR LIFE 1. Focus on your mission and the vision of your “ideal.”

2. Write your goals and follow your plan of action.

3. Communicate openly and gently with those with whom you work and live.

4. Be honest with your family, including your children. Tell them of problems. Face your problems head on and with honesty.

5. Exercise on a regular basis—for physical and mental well-being.

6. Eat carefully. Your body needs extra help to combat stress.

7. Feed your mind with positive and inspirational material. Limit TV and screen time.

8. Practice good time management. It’s an asset not to be wasted.

9. Practice good relaxation methodologies: yoga, meditation, Harvard University’s Relaxation Response, prayer, hobbies, massage, etc.

10. Sleep. The average adult needs seven hours of sleep per night.

11. Organize every aspect of your life to eliminate chaos. Chaos breeds stress.

12. Strive for and work toward achieving a balance in your life: work, play, worship and love: (Aristotle, and brought forth into dentistry by Dr. L.D. Pankey) Be optimistic. Optimism attracts its benefits like a magnet does iron filings. Optimism will attract people, success and wealth to you. It shields and protects you from doubts and hopelessness. When adversity comes into your life -- and it visits us all – optimism protects you from despair and prevents you from being overwhelmed by circumstances.

It allows you to see any situation more clearly, so that you can turn adversity into potential success by learning from it and using that knowledge to your benefit.

Value yourself enough to make a decision to be positive. Look for the good things in your work, in your co-workers, and in yourself.

Dr. Ken Blanchard says that, “We find it so easy to catch each other - and ourselves doing something wrong. Work on catching each other – and yourself – doing something right.” This follows a basic premise of humanness: The human being responds better to positive reinforcement than to negative reinforcement. Catch yourself doing something right. Then pass it on.

Let go of things that are not working. This may be difficult; however, when you find that you’re hitting your head against a wall, or not getting the results you want and need, take a look at the systems you’ve been using

and see if it’s time to make adjustments. The inability to change or the unwillingness to adapt to changing times will put you and your business into a tailspin -- a major source of stress!

Take a close and honest look at every system in your practice (a part of step one of Strategic Planning). Keep doing the things that are working well. Alter the things that are not working as well as you’d like. Even if you make small adjustments to your present systems, the sum total of those adjustments will make a positive difference in your practice productivity and your control of stress.

IN SUMMARY Set goals to find better ways to control stress, ways that work for you and move you closer to the healthy, stress-controlled life and practice that you want and deserve. Winston Churchill simply but poignantly said, ”Never, never, never give up.”

REFERENCE BUFFET, WARREN. WARREN BUFFET: THE LIFE,LESSONS & RULES FOR SUCCESS. INDEPENDENTLY PUBLISHED. OMAHA. NE. 2017 (NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR FINANCIAL EDUCATION 2020)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Cathy Jameson, PhD, is the founder of Jameson Management, Inc., an international management, hygiene, and marketing firm which offers proven management and marketing systems for helping organizations improve in a positive, forwardthinking culture.

Jameson holds a doctorate in management from Walden University. She has been inducted into the College of Education Hall of Fame and is a Distinguished Alumna of Oklahoma State University.

Jameson has been named one of the top 25 Women in Dentistry and has received Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Excellence in Dentistry Organization and from the Academy of Dental Office Managers.

Jameson has lectured in all US states and in 31 countries. She has had over 1,500 articles published throughout the US and the world.

She is the author of eight books that can be purchased from Amazon.

For more information on Dr. Jameson’s lecture or personal consulting services, contact her at Cathy@jamesonmanagement.com or www.jamesonmanagement.com

www.okda.org

31

we’re in this together.

AS AN ODA MEMBER, YOU CAN SAVE ON DENTAL SUPPLIES. ODA Supply Source offers:

• • • • •

Only products from direct manufacturers or authorized distributors.

More than 65,000 products from more than 500 brands (most available through dealers).

Product lines of more than 60 direct manufacturers that don’t sell through dealers.

No gray market, expired or counterfeit items.

FREE ground shipping on any order, regardless of size.

Endorsed by the Oklahoma Dental Association

877-659-7310 | support@ODASupplySource.com | Fax 877-659-5004 Customer is available Mon-Fri, 8 am–7 pm.

January/February 2021 32 journal |support

UNIT OR SPOON IT? By: Paul Casamassimo, DDS, MS American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry | paul.casamassimo@nationwidechildrens.org The COVID-19 pandemic has brought infection control front and center in dental practice. Most attention has been on viral transmission through contact and aerosol in our offices, but in the public sector, how long the virus remains viable on various surfaces has been a concern.

Hand and surface cleansing have partnered with social distancing in efforts to control spread. While surface disinfection is a standard protocol in dental practice, an area that has garnered less attention has been the packaging, distribution and handling of dental materials. This article discusses how we use, disinfect, and minimize cross-contamination of these materials.

Some dentists continue to use materials sold in bulk, the obvious benefit being cost-savings. Bulk materials are used as needed at the point of use or in increments prepared and packaged ahead of time by staff for use when needed. Hopefully, the practice of replacing dispensed, but unused, bulk materials is rare (if done at all) due to the risk of wider contamination.

Yet, use of bulk materials can still have contamination risks all along the use chain. The first risk is with the material container itself. We may naively believe that suppliers clean and sterilize containers and packaging, but that is not always the case. In a small study I did several years ago, almost half of bulk packaging yielded pathogens. As we have learned with COVID-19, the supply chain offers ample opportunity to add contamination even if supplies leave the manufacturer in a clean state. Dispensing in the office requires strict attention to surfaces, instruments, barriers used by personnel, sterile receptacles and storage. Other challenges include expiration of bulk materials and ensuring the effectiveness of packaging barriers. Unless a practice can assure all of these, contamination and possible transmission of infectious agents are real risks.

Unit dosing is growing in acceptance in routine dental care, for obvious reasons of convenience and greater assurance of contamination control. The downsides are cost, waste and, if you are environmentally conscious, addition of still more plastic

to our environment. Even unit dosing has its risks if not done properly. Some unit dosing is not really “unitized;” it is really just packaged for easy dosing for multiple patients. Some unit dosing still requires decontamination prior to use.

Don’t assume that a dispenser in a plastic container is sterile, unless it is so stated.

Unit dosing often also has expiration dates, which need to be considered in storage and utilization. Cleaning and disinfecting can be challenging. By definition, unit dosing means “one-and-done” and not meant for reuse. Dentists may want to salvage remaining material and use what’s left for another patient, but in an absolute sense, that is not intended. The recent COVID-19 furor over aerosol suggests that if material is to be saved for later use, rigorous decontamination and preferably separation from the active treatment area should be in place, which may not be possible for all materials. A best practice has to be to ‘choose and use’ only singleuse, single-patient materials. While manufacturers may claim that post-treatment disinfection is possible, it is Find the technique-sensitive and effectiveness for Your can’t be assured.

As a result of the pandemic, we may be required in the future to adhere to a medicalsurgical standard for cleanliness that includes mandated one-use products.

The era of bulk dispensing may end. My advice to dentists reading this is to begin a thoughtful process of introducing unitdose materials into their practices and analyzing the safety,

efficiency and cost impacts. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic the question of tighter control over potential inadvertent transmission of minor and major infectious diseases via vectors known to be controllable is one of when, not if.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Dr. Casamassimo is an ADA member, a member of the ADA’s Establishing a Culture of Safety in Dentistry Workgroup, a member of the Section of Dentistry at Nationwide Children's Hospital and a Professor of Pediatric Dentistry at The Ohio State University College of Dentistry.

RIGHT Buyer Practice

Offer extended: ADA Practice Transitions promotional pricing is now available through Dec 31st!

Hundreds of your colleagues have joined ADA Practice Transitions (ADAPT) to find the right buyer or associate.

Now it’s your turn.

ADAPT finds you like-minded dentists who

“I was really impressed

share your approach to dentistry, ensuring long-

with how seamless the

term success for your practice and patients.

entire process felt. I am so

Visit ADAPracticeTransitions.com.

happy that this program has enabled me to find

Create your ADAPT profile by December 31,

the right person to join

2020 to lock-in 2020 pricing on your next

my practice!”

practice transition.

– Shanna Gagnon, D.M.D.

www.okda.org

33

E-PRESCRIBING: IT’S TIME FOR ACTION By: Robert McDermott, President & Chief Executive Officer It’s been just over a year since the law requiring Electronic Prescribing for Controlled Substances (EPCS) took effect in Oklahoma (January, 2020). Waivers, exempting doctors from compliance at that time, expire 12 months from the date your waiver request was approved. For many of you, that means your one-year reprieve may soon be coming to an end.

The EPCS mandate for Schedule II-V drugs, contained in the 2018 SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act, is designed to address the opioid abuse epidemic. When complying with the law, there are strong arguments for making EVERY prescription electronic.

You can improve patient care and protect your practice as soon as you begin electronic prescribing. e-Prescribing provides substantial benefits to your practice whether you only prescribe antibiotics and antifungals or you also prescribe controlled substances such as Norco, Lortab or Tylenol 3. e-Prescribing is more secure than written prescriptions.

If you do prescribe controlled substances, waivers delaying compliance to electronically prescribing those controlled substances (January 2020 EPCS Law), expire after 12 months. Time is running out to meet the mandate. The law is in effect to combat challenges posed by the opioid and pain killer epidemic. e-Prescribing requires a one-time identity proofing process by a Credential Service Provider (CSP). Identity Proofing prevents someone from impersonating you to access your computer system and illegally write scripts for controlled substances. As the doctor whose name and license are attached to an EPCS account, this is critical to protecting you from anyone attempting to forge a prescription.

Another unique element to e-Prescribing is a multi-factor (two or more) user authentication required each time you prescribe a controlled substance. The two steps of the process are quick and easy, and simply add another layer of protection for all involved.

34 journal | January/February 2021

• e-Prescribing adds benefits to your patients and protects your practice.

• e-Prescribing is the most effective prescription writing system for protection, error reduction and adherence. Studies by the American Journal of Managed Care have shown that e-Prescribing: • helps reduce medication errors and adverse drug events.

• improves formulary adherence by prescribers.

• improves patient adherence to prescription medications, therefore improving quality of care and reducing healthcare costs.

• speeds up your workflow.

Look for the following functions in an e-Prescribing software and make sure they are included in the flat subscription rate.

Benefits to your practice are numerous and may include the flexibility to: • Prescribe on your computer, laptop, tablet or phone. A big benefit of e-Prescribing is the flexibility it provides both in and out of the office.

No matter where you are or what computer or device you are using, your workflow does not change. Your staff can prepare the prescription, which you then can review and send.

• Integrate with your Practice Management System. Your workflow also improves through practice management integration with your e-Prescribing software. With integration into Dentrix, EagleSoft, Open Dental, and other management systems your patient’s information is directly populated into your e-Prescribing software, eliminating duplicate work.

• Access the Oklahoma PMP with a single click. The national average duration to access a state PMP (Prescription Monitoring Program) website is more than four minutes and 50 clicks. However, a comprehensive e-Prescribing cloud software properly integrated with your practice management system can reduce this to one or two clicks.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Robert McDermott is President and Chief Executive Officer of iCoreConnect, an award-winning provider of secure cloud-based communications and productivity software for high-compliance industries, most notably in dentistry.

During McDermott’s first six months on the job, he met with more than 2,000 dental and medical professionals around the country.

Every one of iCoreConnect’s cloud-based services, from our practice management software and HIPAA-compliant email to our ePrescription tool, are designed based on the input of those practicing doctors.

Because of McDermott's commitment to customer and product excellence, iCoreConnect was named one of the United States’ Top 10 Encryption Providers

by Enterprise Security Magazine. iCoreExchange, the company’s HIPAAcompliant email, was named one of Dental Products Report’s Top 50 Products.

Additionally, iCoreConnect was honored as a Top 10 Dental Solution by Healthcare Tech Outlook.

ODA members receive special discount pricing on ODA Rewards Partner, iCoreRx, e-Prescribing software with optional EPCS and PMP add-ons. For more information, visit iCoreConnect. com/oklahoma or call 888.810.7706.

One Talk.

Life-Changing Resolutions.

Current tobacco users are more likely to quit when

Now, 13-to-17-year-olds can receive free help to quit through live text, phone or web chat.

Visit MyLifeMyQuit.com or text “Start My Quit� to 855-891-9989 855-891-9989..

encouraged by their health care provider.

Introduce your patients to the Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline.

Plus, by quitting tobacco, your patient is taking a major step in defending against serious symptoms of COVID-19.

FREE Benefits Include:

At least a two-week supply of patches, gum or lozenges

Access to Quit Coaching

FREE Materials Visit OKhelpline.com to order free promotional materials for your office. You can get brochures, pens, posters, tip cards and more.

24/7 phone, web or text support

www.okda.org

35

Endodontic Practice Associates Norman, Oklahoma

Dr. Spencer Hinckley and Dr. Percy Bolen

Serving the OKC Metro for 43 years - since 1977 Your patient’s experience is top priority 3D CBCT scanning for improved diagnosis Complex endodontic cases welcomed Complex and “heroic” teeth salvage Build-up and post & core placement available Cutting edge instrumentation and disinfection Zeiss microscopes used on every case Specializing in finding 4+ canals in molars Surgical and nonsurgical retreatment General anesthesia and oral sedation Open during pandemic shut-down

W

e pride ourselves in a trusted referral pattern that ensures your patient returns to you holding you in high regard - regardless of the reason for referral. We speak highly of you to your patient and reassure them they are in good hands in your care.

We value communication between you and our office. Give us a call to talk about anything.

We are even happy to help you navigate through a difficult case in your chair.

Phone: 405.329.7936 1.800.238.5215

Fax: 405.329.1722

www.endodonticpracticeassociates.com

36 journal | January/February 2021

CESSATION By: Chantel Hartman, Cessations Systems Coordinator at the Oklahoma State Department of Health Oklahoma acknowledges the traditional and sacred use of tobacco among American Indian people living in Oklahoma. Unless otherwise stated, any reference to tobacco in this article refers to the use of commercial tobacco.

As we embark on a new year, countless tobacco users will strive to start off on a healthier course for themselves and their families by making resolutions to quit tobacco. As a dental provider, you have the unique opportunity to endorse the importance of tobacco cessation by connecting the impact of tobacco use to dental health across one's life span.

Whether during visits for a routine cleaning or other extensive dental procedures, dental professionals in Oklahoma are encouraged to highlight that the likelihood of a successful tobacco cessation journey is increased with a good plan and support. You can also inform patients that incorporating proven cessation methods, such as prescription medications and counseling, into their tobacco cessation journey doubles or even triples their chances of quitting successfully.

More importantly, encounters with patients can be used to emphasize tobacco cessation as a team approach so patients know they are not alone in navigating their cessation options. To help you prepare for these opportunities, the Oklahoma Dental Association (ODA) and the Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) partnered to develop cessation-focused trainings for dental professionals in Oklahoma.

These trainings can be completed by ODA members to obtain Continuing Education credit hours and focus on expanding knowledge in areas such as motivational interviewing and smoking cessation pharmacotherapy. To learn more

about these trainings, visit the “Behind the Curtain” section of the ODA website.

The OSDH is also available to assist dental providers create a tobacco-free healthcare environment and implement a Helpline referral system. For assistance, contact the OSDH at (405) 271-3619 or Cessation@ health.ok.gov.

Here are a few examples of how you can educate patients and staff on the dangers of nicotine poisoning and the importance of remaining tobacco and vape-free: • Update patient intake forms to ask about tobacco and vaping use in plain language.

• Utilize the 5 A’s and motivational interviewing techniques for patients, including teens.

• Directly refer patients to the Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline for free counseling and nicotine replacement therapy by fax, electronic medical record, or through the web. Patients interested in quitting can explore options by calling 1-800-QUIT NOW (1-800-784-8669) or visiting OKhelpline.com.

• Post Oklahoma Tobacco Helpline promotional materials in your waiting room. You can order or download free promotional materials, including pens and posters, by visiting OKhelpline.com.

• Refer younger patients (13-17 years old) to the My Life, My Quit youth cessation program for free live text support, web chat, and phone coaching. To sign up teens can text "Start My Quit" to 855891-9989 or visit MyLifeMyQuit.com.

dangers of tobacco use, including the use of e-cigarettes and vapor products, and that no tobacco does not mean no nicotine.

• Remind patients with small children in the home to never refer to tobacco or medicine as "candy" or another appealing name.

• Remind patients who use tobacco products, including e-cigarettes and vapor products, and have small children in the home to only buy liquid nicotine refills that are in child-resistant packaging and keep tobacco products/ accessories up out of children's reach.

• Remind patients to save or post the Poison Control number, 1-800-2221222, on or near every home telephone and cell phone for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week access in the event of a possible nicotine poisoning.

For more resources and information on how to help patients curb tabacco use visit the Oklahoma State Department if Health's website at oklahoma.gov/health.

• Ensure the entire dental team is confident in communicating the

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Chantel Hartman currently serves as Cessations Systems Coordinator at the Oklahoma State Department of Health. Her duties include the management and oversight of collaborative, population-based cessation assessments and assistance programs for adults and youth in Oklahoma. Hartman received her Master of Public Administration degree with a concentration in Public Health Administration from Troy University and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Auburn University Montgomery.

In addition to completing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Office on Smoking and Health Leadership and Sustainability School, Hartman is a Senior Fellow of the Millennial Policy Initiative Commission on Healthcare , and an abstract reviewer for the Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs section of the American Public Health Association section of the American Public Health Association. www.okda.org

37

REFLECTIONS ON OkMOM:

AN INTERVIEW WITH DR. RIEGER WOOD By: Abby Sholar, ODA Special Projects Manager In August of 2020, Oklahoma Mission of Mercy leadership made the difficult decision to postpone the 2021 OkMOM free dental clinic scheduled to be held in Shawnee, OK. ODA President Dr. Paul Mullasseril made it clear that this decision was made with the health and safety of patients, volunteers and the Shawnee community in mind. In order to serve those in need and to stay accountable to many of the non-profits that pledged to partner with OkMOM, we are holding the 2022 clinic in Shawnee at the Heart of Oklahoma Expo Center. Next year, OkMOM will be more important than ever, as so many people have lost their jobs, dental insurance and overall financial stability from the global pandemic.

Dr. Rieger Wood, who spearheaded the inaugural OkMOM in 2010, has been a vital source of knowledge and leadership since then. He was asked to reminisce on OkMOM’s past and how its purpose has been addressed through the years.

Q: What was the deciding factor when considering bringing a Mission of Mercy to Oklahoma?

THROUGH THE YEARS

RW: ODA leadership decided to send an exploration group to Kansas to study its KMOM operation and determine if Oklahoma wanted to embark on a similar mission of mercy. Each member of our group studied a particular area. I was assigned patient care while others focused on setup, sterilization, patient registration, hospitality, trash management and operations. I watched patient care and was asked if I would like to treat a patient. I jumped in not knowing what I would encounter. My patient was a young man who was a senior in high school. As he approached the chair he was wearing his football letter jacket. He was clean-cut, had a great smile and was very friendly. I thought to myself, “This young man is not

going to need much at all.” Oh, how wrong I was! When he opened his mouth my jaw dropped! There was major decay in every molar. I was astonished. This young man looked like one of my sons. I asked him about his dental background. He explained that he lived in a small town not too far from Manhattan, KS. His dad owned an auto shop that was destroyed in a tornado several years earlier. There was no money for him to receive dental care. The family had just enough money to exist. He was just so happy that his family could come to this event as he had been having discomfort. His parents were really nice people and were just getting by. I worked on him for several hours and provided as much care as I could, but it was not enough. If he had lived near Tulsa, I would have had him come to my office to finish his treatment. As I finished I had tears in my eyes thinking that this young man was easily the type of person you would want your kids to bring home as a friend. At that moment, I said to myself, “I know there are people in Oklahoma just like this young man that need care. We had to hold an event like KMOM to help people of all ages with their worst dental problems.

Q: How has the mission changed over the past 11 years?

RW: For our first event we had dental and medical outreach. We tried to educate people about smoking and drug abuse.

OSU Medical School actually brought in a smoker’s lung and a non-smoker’s lung to allow people to see the difference. We tried to educate the public on health issues. That area took up a lot of space (which we don’t usually have) and had to be discontinued.

I still think it had merit as the patients had to move through the education area to eventually exit. When we started the removable prosthetic area it made big changes in patient smiles. The next big change was the provision of milled crowns.

It created much discussion, but in the end, it was a great move to save those teeth that had been endodontically treated. Also, the breakfast served to the patients was changed after the first year. That year we served hot biscuits and gravy to each patient. It was difficult to balance the clipboard with paperwork and the biscuits along with their water! So starting with year two it was streamlined to today’s sack meal.

Q: What is your most memorable encounter or moment from the past 11 years?

RW: The very first year when we were told on the Wednesday before the event that patients could not stay overnight in the parking garage. There were actually patients already there waiting for OkMOM to open.

I had to go to the Mayor’s Office to get him to make the change to allow the patients to stay. My head of security was Dave Walker, TPD Head Homicide Detective. He went to the Police Chief and together we got the change made. Little did I know that I would continue to fight that battle in almost every city we’ve visited since! I haven’t lost a battle yet!

Q: Why does Oklahoma need the Mission of Mercy?

RW: There are so many folks that fall through the cracks to be able to afford dental care. We are a small safety net aided by the Delta Dental of Oklahoma Foundation and the Oklahoma Dental Foundation to help those in need that rely on our care the most.

Q: Does Oklahoma need OkMOM more, less or the same since 2010?

RW: OkMOM is needed in strategic areas that have populations without access to indigent care. Obviously, the metropolitan areas have the greatest need, but that does not exclude rural areas that have patients without access to care, such as Woodward

TOTAL PROCEDURES PERFORMED SINCE 2010: 103,597

AVERAGE PROCEDURES PERFORMED PER YEAR: 9,418

TOTAL # OF PATIENTS TREATED: 17,381

AVERAGE # OF PATIENTS TREATED EACH YEAR: 1,580

TOTAL VALUE IN DENTAL TREATMENT DONATED: AVERAGE VALUE IN DENTAL TREATMENT DONATED: $14,226,168 $1,293,288

TOTAL COST 2021OF EVENTS SINCE 2010: $1,573,94 38 journal | January/February

AVERAGE COST PER EVENT: $143,086

and Enid. One observation I’ve noted is that areas with strong Native American health care systems serve that population’s needs. If there is a large Native American population, the demand for care will be reduced. But those who are not part of the Indian healthcare system will get much more individual care from OkMOM. Everyone still wins. A success of a mission of mercy is not based on how many people you can get through the door.

The number of procedures completed is most important. So, fewer patients result in more individual care completed.

Q: Have benefits from government programs changed for underserved communities since 2010?

RW: I don’t feel there’s been much improvement except for children’s care. It seems that areas with the least number of Medicaid providers have the most need of our services for children. In areas with a strong provider network, we usually treat fewer children allowing us to focus more on adult care after the children’s needs are provided.

Q: How has COVID-19 harmed the underinsured and uninsured communities specifically?

RW: With many volunteer clinics being closed, there is a strong demand for care.

While the OU College of Dentistry has continued to serve those people in need of care, the avenues for care have diminished statewide.

they were following all ADA guidelines would have been very difficult. We did not want to be identified as a mass spreader of COVID. Q: What are your goals for OkMOM 2022 in Shawnee?

RW: Business as usual!

Q: How would you like to see OkMOM grow in the next 10 years?

RW: I hope younger dentists will continue to see the value of taking care of a population with the most severe dental needs. The more we involve our dental students, the greater the prospects our pipeline of giving will continue to move forward. I also hope we are able to build more relationships and partner with organizations across Oklahoma to assist in the ever-growing financial demands this event entails. This will help ensure we can continue to host OkMOM events and grow its mission well into the future.

Q: What benefits do you see for OkMOM volunteers (dentists, dental students, RDHs, DAs, general, etc.)?

RW: It is an eye-opening and personally moving experience for all volunteers at an OkMOM event. There’s no doubt in my mind that they receive more personal satisfaction than the patients receiving care. OkMOM definitely contributes in the training of young doctors to see the value of giving back to those that need care the most.

Q: Why did the OkMOM Steering Committee postpone the 2021 clinic?

In closing, Dr. Wood offered the following ask for continued financial support to help fund future OkMOM events:

RW: Out of an abundance of caution for our volunteers, we decided not to hold an event this year. Many of our volunteers are older and we did not want to risk people becoming infected with the virus. We also weren’t sure how many people would want to volunteer. We had to consider the facility’s air filtration system and our ability to design a clinic that was safe for our patients. There were too many unknowns to proceed with the event this year. It was a tough call, but in the end with the number of people having COVID-19 increasing, we made the right decision. According to a recently published ADA study we know that the dental office is one of the safest places to be treated.

However, organizing OkMOM’s patient flow and coordinating the volunteers to be sure

RW: America’s Dentists Care Foundation (ACDF) is the organization that supplies all of the equipment needed to host a clinic.

Oklahoma was one of the last states to host a Mission of Mercy in 2020. What was supposed to be a banner year resulted in a financial crisis for those that make these events possible. We were supposed to hold over 28 events and everything was cancelled after the Kansas Mission of Mercy. A staff of seven was reduced to one. Donations and fees dried up and we don’t see any improvement for 2021. Hopefully, the vaccine will allow the clinics to resume. Until then, ADCF will make the necessary changes to stay financially sound. You can see how severe the impact of this pandemic has been on a behind-the-scenes entity that has such

a major influence on the future of mission of mercy events.

Please consider donating to the Oklahoma Mission of Mercy and/or the America’s Dentists Care Foundation. Both organizations are vital to improving the lives and oral health of our citizens, both in Oklahoma and across the nation. To donate to OkMOM and/or ACDF, please visit their respective websites: okmom.org/donate and adcf.net/donate.

The Delta Dental of Oklahoma Foundation co-produces and underwrites Oklahoma Mission of Mercy annual events and serves as a major funder for other dental charities across the state. Terrisa Singleton is the Foundation Director and serves on the OkMOM Steering Committee. Ms. Singleton was asked about other resources available to underserved dental patients.

Q: Where can patients find help until OkMOM resumes?

TS: The decision to postpone the 2021 OkMOM event is prudent and necessary.

We all look forward to coming together in February 2022 to serve patients in Shawnee.

In the meantime, our Foundation is conducting a short-term program to help low-income, uninsured Oklahomans access urgent dental care and avoid hospital emergency department visits during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Now more than ever, free dental clinics are overwhelmed and some people cannot afford even the reduced rates at nonprofit clinics. We have established the COVID-19 Dental Emergency Fund to provide financial assistance for qualifying patients to receive treatment at one of our partnering nonprofit clinics, such as the OU College of Dentistry. We encourage those in need to call our Dental Care HelpLine at 405-607-4747. A dental care navigator will connect them to resources and ascertain if they qualify for financial assistance through our program. Details can be found at DDOKFoundation.org.

www.okda.org

39

EASTERN OKLAHOMA DONATED DENTAL SERVICES, INC. Terri Hadley-Alspach, Chief Executive Officer, EODDS In the summer of 2003, Eastern Oklahoma Donated Dental Services, Inc. (EODDS) launched a non-profit dental program with a mission of facilitating the delivery of donated dental healthcare to eastern Oklahoma’s elderly, disabled and indigent populations. Over the last 17 years, EODDS, through its volunteer dentists, has delivered more than 50 million dollars of dental healthcare to approximately 25 thousand grateful patients. These dental services were delivered in the private offices of the program’s generous volunteers during their regular business hours. EODDS also works with several dental labs that invoice the non-profit at discounted rates.

To qualify for the dental healthcare program, individuals must be 65 or older or receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and provide proof of low-income qualifications. All patients must have a current application on file to be eligible for dental services. Dental procedures provided include comprehensive oral exams, x-rays, cleanings, fillings, root canals, extractions, crowns, bridges, and partial and full dentures. The program has several oral surgeons that work with patients in need of multiple or difficult extractions. We also have endodontists and periodontists that donate their time and services to support the program.

Everyone that supports EODDS is critical to its success. Over the years, different volunteers have stepped up to make a difference in the achievement of our mission. For example, Drs. Robert Mongrain

and T.J. Sprague (Berkshire Dental Group, Broken Arrow) offered to help with patients with medical needs that had to have their dental needs completed before progressing with medical treatment. In a matter of three months they provided dental healthcare to all our medical patients on file. In March of 2020, Dr. Beau Evans offered to help with our ongoing list of people in urgent need of extractions. This came at the perfect time because COVID-19 had begun playing havoc on the scheduling of our applicants.

Dr. Evans provided needed extractions to approximately 20 patients in a short period of time. These patients were then able to receive partials or complete dentures.

Although COVID-19 has affected everyone in one way or another, our financial contributors have continued to be supportive. They understand that the need for dental healthcare does not stop because of a pandemic. If anything, more people needed financial assistance; the pandemic caused many people to put their dental needs on hold if they were not in pain and resulted in reduced availability of volunteers to aid through the EODDS program this year.

Although the year 2020 has been a time of uncertainty for everyone, we definitely want our financial contributors and dental volunteers to know how much their continued support of EODDS has meant not only to us but also to our community.

Anyone that needs dental care and satisfies our program’s qualifications is encouraged to contact our office (918-742-5544) or find us on our website (eodds.org) or on Facebook.

We email bimonthly newsletters with program updates, volunteer recognition and patient success stories. We would like to have you be a part of our social media.

Recent EODDS patient's before and after photos 40 journal | January/February 2021

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Terri Hadley-Alspach was named Chief Executive Officer in April 2016. She joined EODDS in 2010 and served as the operations/ financial manager responsible for coordinating dental programs geared toward vulnerable populations in eastern Oklahoma.

Before joining EODDS, Terri served as the dental director for Platt College where she wrote the dental assisting program curriculum and was honored as both Employee of the Year and Outstanding Instructor. Her career also includes work as a dental office manager, scheduling coordinator, insurance coordinator and chairside assistant. Terri has dedicated her career in dentistry to helping others. “My passion is helping others improve their lives, whether it is assisting in the restoration of someone’s smile, educating patients in maintaining good oral health, educating future dental assistants, or helping the less fortunate enhance their quality of life by improving their oral health through EODDS.”

To volunteer, donate, or get involved with Eastern Oklahoma Donated Dental Services, Inc visit eodds.org/volunteer.

CLASSIFIEDS Looking to fill an open position in your office, need to sell dental equipment or a practice? Check out the latest listings below and visit okda.org/classifieds for additional listings.

PRACTICE FOR SALE

South Central OK General Practice for Sale: ff you’ve been considering a general practice in south-central Oklahoma, wait no longer! New to the market, this practice is busy and continues to grow continuously. The current doctor is open to staying on long term, to ensure a smooth transition. Additionally, the practice is located in a free-standing building with the real estate also potentially for sale. See below for an overview of this excellent OK practice: 7 fully equipped operatories | Collections of $1.6 million | Adjusted EBITDA $325,000 | Real estate opportunity | 4,700 active patients | 20 new patients per month Ideally located between OKC and Dallas, TX the practice is in a hidden gem of a tight-knit community. Don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity. Contact Kaile Vierstra with Professional Transition Strategies to learn more: kaile@professionaltransition.com or give us a call: 719.694.8320. We look forward to hearing from you!

Practice Opportunity in Shawnee, Oklahoma: Various Options. Call Jack at (405)765-6541 Great Opportunity for the Future: Looking for an Associate Dentist/Partner or future business owner to join a private practice in rural western Oklahoma.

Starting salary of at least 125,000 with bonuses negotiable. Other benefits such as moving bonus, lab fees and covering insurance costs can be discussed. Mostly fee for service practice averaging 35-40 patients a month with potential for more. Practice is paperless and digital with up-to-date equipment, technology and extra operatories available in 3400sq foot stand-alone building in great area of town. CO2 laser and scanner already incorporated into everyday clinical care. Practice located in town of around 12,000 people and draws from many smaller towns in the area.Looking for someone of high character and morals who has a passion for dentistry and willing to work hard and continue to learn and grow in the profession. There are great long term opportunities including buy-in/partnership, ownership and expansion. If interested in learning more about the opportunity, please call or email the contact information below.

Garrett Phipps DDS | Phipps Dental Practice: Creating Smiles and Impacting Lives | W(580) 338-7210 C (580) 461-1479 F (580) 338-8318 | phippsdentalpractice@gmail.com Busy Norman, OK General Practice For Sale Busy general practice outside Norman, OK for sale. 5 Fully Equipped dental operatories with room for large expansion. Over 2,200 active patients. Collections of $615,000 & adjusted EBITDA over $150,000. Real estate for sale as well. To learn more, contact Kaile Vierstra with Professional Transition Strategies either by phone at 719.694.8320 or by email at kaile@professionaltransition.com.

JOB OPENING Busy Practice in Muskogee Looking for a FT Associate/Partner Dentist The Dental Care of Muskogee has a very large loyal patient base with a significant number of new patients every month. We are very busy and are having a hard time seeing all of our new and existing patients as quickly as they like because being popular is a good problem to have but is still a problem. We pride ourselves on offering the very best restorative and preventive care for our patients. We offer the best that modern dentistry has to offer, including CBCT and 3D Scanner.

We are looking for an excellent dentist that is motivated, skilled, caring and considerate to join our practice. We are looking for someone during the short term or the long term since there are great advancement opportunities available, including buy-in or partnership options down the road. We offer all employment benefits and a very competitive compensation package with a sign on bonus. New grads are welcome to apply and would receive guidance and mentorship. For more information, please contact either Janie Sherrell at 918-360-4187 jsherrell.dcom@gmail.com; or Moiz Horani, DDS at 918-280-8309 moizhorani@gmail.com.

Full-Time Hygienist & Full-Time Experienced Dental Assistant: Our office is looking for a hygienist and experienced dental assistant. Both positions are full time. We are a private practice located in Grove OK. Please email resumes to lakehavendentalpc@gmail.com.

General Dentist – Greater OKC Metro: Are you tired of the corporate rat race and not truly being able to become your own boss? Are you weary of wondering when your associateship will become ownership? Do you want ownership potential and mentorship to help you prepare for it? If any of these questions strike a chord with you, I believe that I can help. My name is Tim Rudd and I am a dentist in Edmond. I have practiced for 32 years and started two practices from scratch.

I have the experience to be able to help you prepare for practice ownership. This opportunity can start solely as a mentorship and evolve into a partnership in our practice. I currently have a practice in OKC that will soon be needing a new dentist, and I am seeking a long-term working relationship of a driven dentist, who’s willing to put in the time and energy needed to build up a growing practice. If you would like to visit further and discuss your goals and plans and whether we might be a good fit together, please feel free to contact me with a call or text at 405-574-0973

OTHER OFFICE SPACE FOR LEASE : Beautifully finished Dental/Medical office. Four (or five) operatories. 2,600 SQ ft. with large plush private office and bath. Large reception room with private business office. One block north of Westmoore High School with curbside parking. For more information, please contact aj@creekcre.com or Dr. Alton Watson at 405-343-2024.

EQUIPMENT FOR SALE

IntraOral X-Ray Sensor Repair/Sales We repair broken sensors. Save thousands in replacement costs. Specializing in Kodak/Carestream, major brands. We buy/sell sensors. American SensorTech (919)229–0483 www.repairsensor.com

Place a Classified Ad www.okda.org Submitting a classified ad is easy with our online form. Find the form and more information at www.okda.org/classifieds.

41

FINAL THOUGHTS

WORDS OF WISDOM FROM DR. PETER KIERL, OKLAHOMA CITY, OK

1. What "words of wisdom" would you share with a Dentist one year out of school?

I had a high school football coach that used to say to me "Peter, Rome was not built in a day." These words have stayed with me for my lifetime. You cannot expect things to come to you immediately.

Hard work and attention to detail will pay off. In dentistry it is important to remember that if you take care of your patients and build a practice based on the correct principles, good things will come to you. The financial reward of a successful practice will come with doing good ethical work and treating people fairly. Remember that your job is to help people. The best marketing comes from your relationship with patients. That is what will lead to long term success. Doing things the right way and treating people with dignity will lead to a healthy practice.

2. What is your go-to inspirational quote?

Success is peace of mind, which is the direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort

to do your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming. - from John Wooden's Pyramid of Success.

3. Where do you go for answers? (professional and/or personal)

I have a group of about twenty professionals that I communicate with on a regular basis. We meet twice a year to discuss our best practices and the state of our profession. We try to bring younger practitioners into the group to hear new ideas. It is a good group.

4. What's the secret to happiness?

I have always been an "I am third" guy. God first, my family and friends second, and then me. Take what you do seriously but do not take yourself seriously. Always do the right thing. Know right from wrong. Do unto others as you would have done unto you. Tell the truth. Give your best effort and don't look back. Learn to win and learn to lose. Be honest. Live your life to the fullest. Love your family and be a good provider. Live simply. Love deeply. Be committed.

5. How do you define wisdom?

Wisdom is the combination of experience, learning from mistakes, judgement and common sense. You cannot place too high a value on experience. We are the sum of those experiences. Learning from our mistakes and using common sense leads to wisdom.

42 journal | January/February 2021

Why You Should Use 3iG For Workers' Compensation!

It's the LAW! Administered by 3000 Insurance Group: Endorsed by the ODA for more than 45 years!

Great Rates.

Simple Paperwork.

A++ rated carrier by A.M. Best.

Contact Lydia for a quote!

C: 910-233-3011 Lydia@3000ig.com WWW.3000ig.com

www.okda.org

43

Earn CE Credits Virtually with

DDOK Training Sessions Now Available Online!

Delta Dental of Oklahoma is now offering virtual training sessions on OSHA, HIPAA and our new Health through Oral Wellness® (HOW®) enhanced benefits.* Our specialized training programs are facilitated by a live trainer to provide personalized, up-to-date information on regulations and opportunities relevant to your dental practice.

All courses provide Category B Continuing Education (CE) credit and may be scheduled as a single course or a package of multiple courses.

Contact us to schedule your online training course or package today!

405-607-2137 (OKC Metro), 800-522-0188, Ext. 137 (Toll Free) or PR@DeltaDentalOK.org 44 journal | January/February 2021

*HOW® training course is provided at no charge