volume 69 † number 4 † fall 2015 † san francisco dental ...dr. david rothman – 2015 acd...

Volume 69 • Number 4 • Fall 2015 • San Francisco Dental Society Organized 1869

San Francisco Dental Society •

2015 SAN FRANCISCO DENTAL SOCIETY OFFICERS AND

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

2015 Executive CommitteePresident

Dennis Song, DDS, MD

President-Elect Joseph Gabany, DMD, MSD

Immediate Past-President Paul Weller, DDS, MS

SecretaryVlad V. Shuster, DMD

TreasurerCarlos Nogueiro, DDS

CDA TrusteesIrene Hilton, DDS, MPH

Gail Duffala, DDS

Executive DirectorDeborah A. Elam, MS CAE

THE BRIDGE Interim EditorCraig S. Yarborough, DDS

DirectorsCarolyn L. Brown, DDS

Earl Capuli, DDSWayne Del Carlo, DDSDavid Ehsan, DDS, MD

Courtney Fitzpatrick, DDSThomas A. Jacobs, DDS

William Lee, DDSCurtis D. Raff, DDSSima Salimi, DDS

Clint K. Taura, DDSRussell H. Taylor, DMD

SFDS TeamAlfonso Estera, Jr. – Membership Administrator

Saushe Young – Administrative & Advertising Assistant

2015 Committee Chairs & Vice Chairs

Community Dental Health - Jeff Jang, DDS & Allen Wong, DDS,

Ethics - Mark Wiesen, DDS

Executive - Dennis Song, DDS, MD

Finance - Carlos Nogueiro, DDS

Governance - Vlad V. Shuster, DMD

Legislative - Claudia Masouredis, DDS MPH

Membership/New Dentist - Terry Im, DDS, MS & Earl Capuli, DDS

Peer Review - Stephanie Jee, DDS

Poster Contest - Dennis D. Shinbori, DDS & Stafford Duhn, DDS

Professional DevelopmentMatthew Young, DDS

Well-Being - Bruce Hiura, DDS(Confidential assistance to professionals,

spouse and staff for drug and alcohol abuse, call (415) 776-5855)

Dr. David Rothman – 2015 ACD Fellow

On November 5, 2015 the American College ofDentists inducted 284 New Fellows at theGrand Hyatt Washington, Washington, D.C.Among them was SFDS Member and formereditor, Dr. David Rothman. CongratulationsDr. Rothman!

Dr. Howard Pollick - ADA Expert SpokespersonHoward F. Pollick, BDS, MPH was reappointed to serve as aspokesperson on fluoridation for the American DentalAssociation. Dr. Pollick is a consultant to the NationalFluoridation Advisory Committee and was honored with theFluoridation Merit Award. He is a clinical professor in theDepartment of Preventive and Restorative Dental Sciences atthe University of California San Francisco.

SFDS MOVERS AND SHAKERS

Dr. Dennis Song – SF Medical Society Political ActionCommittee Board

SFDS President, also a member of the SF Medical Society, wasasked to serve on the SF Medical Society’s PAC Board.Congratulations Dr. Song.

Dr. Tolstunov Releasing Two Professional Books

Dr. Len Tolstunov has just finished editing two books: Horizontal Alveolar RidgeAugmentation in Implant Dentistry: A Surgical Manual 1st Edition and Vertical Augmentationof the Alveolar Ridge in Implant Dentistry. Both will be available in early 2016.

ADA’s Dr. Kathy O'Loughlin Recognized As OutstandingInnovator in Dentistry

ADA's Executive Director Dr. Kathy O'Loughlin was recently awarded the Shils Award by the Dr. Edward B. ShilsEntrepreneurial Fund, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to innovative leadership in health care. The Fundrecognized "her leadership as a health educator, business executive, and professional society leader, as well as herstaunch advocacy for improved oral health literacy, prevention and care for underserved populations."


Another opportunity this year includedthe increased interaction with the SanFrancisco Medical Society (SFMS). I wasinvited to attend the Board and PAC ofSFMS and we also had their President,Dr. Roger Eng, attend our Board meet-ing. With our own SFDS PAC undergo-ing positive growth and changes, thiscollaboration between societies will fur-ther our goals for the health of SanFranciscans via legislative, fund raising,and volunteer efforts. We will continuethis cooperative process to strengthenour stance for patient care.

Other exciting changes this year includ-ed improving our delivery of continuingeducation and expanding our socialengagements including the Crab Feedwith student research poster boards andselecting venues throughout the city forour social hours. Our Board listened toyou with our Table of Fives project andyou voiced your thoughts and ideas ofwhat makes our Society great and whatneeds improvement. I thank all the den-tists who took time out of their day tomeet with us or speak on the phone toprovide this invaluable feedback. I havebeen so fortunate to meet dentists fromall over the city and at all stages of theircareers to listen to their stories. Everyone of these comments has been added

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGEDennis Song, DDS, MD

to our database so that we can findtrends to improve our work.

Sadly, we lost one of our long time col-leagues, Dr. Steve Leighty fromSacramento actively working at theCalifornia Dental Association House ofDelegates in November. None of the 222delegates, staff, and leaders expectedsuch an occurrence and such eventsmake us realize that in every new daythere are unknown unknowns. Out ofrespect and with much heartfelt sadness,the meeting was postponed for us toreturn in a few months.

Reflecting on his passing, we may notrealize the amount of time spent in pas-sionate discussion in preparation fordebate and voting for resolutions thatimpact our profession and way of life.None of us do this for credit and wespend hours, evenings, and days awayfrom friends, family, and practice solelyfor our belief in our organization to rep-resent our profession, promote health,and instill legislative change to protectour members and public. Even with ourstrained budget, we CAN and AREdoing it with no small part from theSFDS administrative team led byExecutive Director Deborah Elam who isalso celebrating 15 years with us!

Thank you for allowing me to serve you.It has been an invaluable experience and I look forward to seeing you atanother SFDS or CDA event. I am proud of the work that our Board andcommittee members have completedthis past year. I have strong confidencethat Dr. Gabany will lead our Society towherever it needs to go and withoutlimit. It CAN be done. ❖

There is no limit to what a mancan do or where he can go if hedoesn’t mind who gets the credit.

It CAN be done. - Ronald Reagan.

As quickly as we started the year, we areending the year and it has been one ofchange and adaptation. A sign of thingsto come, we began with a storm delay-ing our installation of officers fromDecember to January. Without thestorm, we would never have realized thepositive aspects of having the installa-tion in January. The Board has nowdecided to make this change permanent.

I didn’t realize it at the time, but Dr.Robert Lustig who presented on sugarand its systemic effects and theinstalling officer Dr. Featherstone whohas completed extensive research on flu-oride represented the intimate relation-ship of oral to general health. Dr.Lustig’s work is on preventing sugarfrom entering the mouth and Dr.Featherstone’s work is on defending theteeth against the sugar that makes itthrough - a great illustration of medi-cine and dentistry working togethertowards common goals.

Our component won the prestigiousADA Golden Apple award for its collabo-rative efforts for the work on the SanFrancisco Children’s Oral HealthStrategic Plan which brought togetherdentists, physicians, allied health profes-sionals, public school administrators,and city officials to promote fluorideadministration and decrease caries in ourchildren in San Francisco. This was aclear sign that our profession and leader-ship are guiding us in the direction thatour members value and subscribe to.

It CAN Be Done

“...a great illustration

of medicine and

dentistry working

together...”


EDITORIALCraig Yarborough, DDS, Editor

The 2015 California DentalAssociation Annual Session ofthe House lasted little more

than an hour. Less than 12 hoursprior to the 7:00 am Friday start, thenCDA president Walt Weber and presi-dent-elect Ken Wallis valiantly provid-ed basic life support to delegate Dr.Steve Leighty on the first floor of ourCDA building at 1201 K Street. Dr.Leighty - a father, husband, friend andoral surgeon from Roseville andAuburn – was taken to the hospitalwhere attempts to revive him wereunsuccessful.

The CDA Executive Committee imme-diately held an emergency meeting todiscuss next steps. The first impulsewas to “soldier on”, it’s what we havealways been taught to do. “Soldier on”is generally defined as to continue orpersist despite adversity, difficulty andpressure. Additionally, “soldier on” canmean continuing on with one’s lifeafter an event as is nothing happened.Could the House continue less than ahalf day after the passing of a memberof the CDA family? Should we?

Friday morning, the ExecutiveCommittee’s recommendation toCDA’s 45th Session of the House wasto accept a modified agenda, postpon-ing the remainder of the agenda for aspecial session in three to six months.After a thirty minute recess for thedelegates to discuss the motionamongst themselves, the motion todefinitely postpone was on the floor.The president and president-elect ofthe Sacramento District DentalSociety were the only two delegates tostep to the floor microphone. Bothspoke emotionally and eloquently insupport of the motion to postpone.They related how they had originallycome to the House that morning todo what Steve Leighty would havewanted, to “soldier on.” They alsorealized the raw emotion Steve’s pass-ing had brought out among the mem-bers of the SDDS, the other delegatesand the Executive Committee. WouldSteve really have wanted the businessof the House to be conducted undersuch an emotional cloud of grieving?The House, under a majority vote,said no – People above process. ❖

The sentiment turned when our exec-utive director, Peter DuBois, recount-ed the history of hockey player’s firstwearing helmets. He referred to thetipping point in August 1979 whenthe league mandated incoming playerswear helmets. The rule eliminated theneed for players to prove their machis-

mo by not wearing a helmet. Mr.DuBois challenged the executive com-mittee that it was “time to put on ourhelmets.” There was no overwhelmingreason that most of the business ofthe House could not be postponed togrieve the loss of a CDA family mem-ber. People above process.

People Above Process

“Mr. DuBois

challenged the

executive committee...

People above

process.”


I Would Like to Brag

EXECUTIVE PERSPECTIVEDeborah Elam, MS, CAE, Executive Director

Using data initially generated from ourSFDS/DPH School Screening program,we had a starting point. Now in thelaunch/execution phase of the 3-yearplan, workgroups meet monthly toensure that the plan moves forward.

A huge round of applause goes to allthe stakeholders and especially to mem-bers of the SFCOHP Partnership and toour SFDS members who support thiseffort. Most importantly, a huge thank-you to all of our members who haveparticipated in our KindergartenSchool Screening Program. SFDS canbe proud that we are a part of the solu-tion...we are making a difference.

Excellence in Member-RelatedBenefits/Services

The other award is for the SFDS 2014Job Fair. SFDS leaders, envisioning anopportunity for our newest members tofind gainful employment, and withhopes that our established memberscould fill open positions, worked tire-lessly to host a Job Fair. In addition tograduating and new dentists, the SFDSDental Job Fair was open to dentalassistants, hygienists, front and backoffice team members seeking employ-ment, thus helping to meet the staffingneeds of our more established mem-bers. The SFDS Job Fair highlights thevalue of being a member of an organi-zation that cares and seeks to help itsmembers with one of their most press-ing needs as a new graduate. The SFDSprovided a variety of workshops for jobseekers and employers, alike, as well as

contract reviews and resume reviews.We are particularly grateful to all thevolunteers who made this event possi-ble. Again, we are making a difference!

These awards were not easy to achieve.The various ADA selection committeesreviewed submissions from State andLocal Dental Societies from around thecountry. Not only am I proud that allthis hard work is transforming ourSociety, but I am also honored that oursuccesses have been recognized on thenational stage by the ADA. Kudos to all of our committed volunteers andleaders – you make us proud!

And on that note, I want to recognizethe leadership of outgoing president,Dr. Dennis Song. He promised a year ofchange and it has been a year of change.We’ve launched many new programs,initiatives, and collaborations—and weare reaping the rewards. Thank you for afantastic, productive year, Dr. Song. Jobwell done! It has been a pleasure. ❖

Iwould like to brag about ourSociety a little. We recently receivednot one, but two ADA Golden

Apple Awards. Now in its 27th year, the American Dental Association’s(ADA) Golden Apple Awards Programhas 14 entry categories for state andlocal dental societies to gain recogni-tion for their leaders, members andstaff to showcase programs and activi-ties produced between June 1, 2014 and May 31, 2015.

Excellence in InterprofessionalRelations

New for 2015 is the category Excellencein Interprofessional Relations open to“coalitions that include a local or statedental association, which works inter-professionally in communities toimprove oral health...that includes twoor more health professions...” TheSFDS received recognition for our col-laboration with the San FranciscoHealth Improvement Partnership, acoalition of stakeholders (health careproviders, agencies, dentists, and oth-ers) working together on a city-wideoral health strategic plan guided by thevision of “All children in San Franciscoto be caries-free”. The need for coordi-nated, city wide strategic planning wasborne in 2012 when a group of oralhealth advocates, SF HIP, began meet-ings. The plan, published in November2014, represents a challenge “to identifyand address what would make thegreatest impact on children’s oralhealth in San Francisco.”


of the Member Relationship Survey. Weare increasingly a data driven organiza-tion. According to the survey, impor-tant qualities that members and non-members value include CDA as profes-sional, trustworthy, offering a uniqueset of programs and benefits, and beingeffective with its resources. Often valueis associated with the frequency oftouch. We need to reach out often. CDAstaff is available to present the completesurvey findings to component ExecutiveCommittees and/or boards to assist inassessing and developing member serv-ices and programs.

The board spent time discussing possi-ble strategies for the implementation ofvarious recommendations from theGovernance Review AdvisoryCommittee (GRAC), should the CDAHouse approve them. Guidelines andstrategies were discussed to aid in therecruitment and selection of membersfor Task Forces. The use of task forceswill allow CDA to respond to issues in amore timely manner.

Conflict of Interest policies were clari-fied with respect to the Peer Review andJudicial Councils. The Council on PeerReview is being charged to develop andimplement a mediation phase into theexisting peer review process. This isexpected to reduce operational expensein the long term. Short term expensesmay increase due to training of media-tors in the implementation phase.

In closed session the board discussed apetition from the Western Los AngelesDental Society that will be bought upbefore the House of Delegates.

TRUSTEE REPORTBy Irene Hilton, DDS, MPH and Gail Duffala, DDS

Please do not hesitate to contact yourtwo Trustees with any questions or con-cerns regarding this report or otherissues. Thank you.

BOT Meeting October 21, 2015

On October 16, a difficult decision wasmade BY THE HOUSE to postponethe agenda of the 2015 HOD due to theloss of a fellow delegate during his vol-unteer service at this event. The delegatewas Dr. Steve Leighty, Sacramento, pastpresident of his dental class UCSF1991. He will be missed. As our Speakerof the House Dr. Yarborough statedCDA “puts people above process”. Onlyessential business to ensure effectivefunctioning/leadership of our organiza-tion (i.e.: installation of officers andbudget) was voted on.

A special session has been tentativelyscheduled for March 4-5 at the HyattRegency in Sacramento.

Subsequently, a brief meeting of theBoard of Trustees was held on October21, 2015. Dr. Ken Wallis presided as ournew CDA President.

Ratifications of PresidentialAppointments were approved including:Irene Hilton DDS, as Chair of theNominating Committee; Natasha LeeDDS as Chair of the PolicyDevelopment Committee; and Dr. CraigYarborough as Chair of GovernanceReview Subcommittee and ExecutiveCommittee Liaison to IAC.

Funds were approved to pay the 2016CAPP dues, and to cover the expensesassociated with the software update tothe CDA general ledger system adoptedin 2010. Management Objectives for the CDA Executive Director were alsopresented and approved. ❖

BOT Meeting September 18, 2015

The CDA Board of Trustees (BOT) helda meeting on September 18, 2015 inSacramento. SFDS members in atten-dance included CDA Speaker CraigYarborough, DDS, Secretary NatashaLee DDS and Trustees Irene Hilton,DDS, MPH and Gail Duffala DDS.

One of the first orders of business wasapproval of the 2016 budget. Due toour stability in membership, success ofCDA Presents, fiscal management ofour expenses and reserves, and theCDAHCI dividend, CDA expects to pro-duce a net surplus of $337,212 that willbe returned to reserves. The benefit toour members is that our annual duesstructure for 2016 will remainunchanged-- no increase in dues!

We are pleased to announce that ourSFDS’ own Dan Davidson, DMD wasselected to Chair the Budget andFinance Committee for ADA at theAnnual House of Delegates.

The new California state dental directorJayanth Kumar DDS, MPH, providedan update on his work so far. He beganhis tenure on August 1st and bringsover 25 years experience with the NewYork State Bureau of Dental Health. Hewill be developing a comprehensivestate oral health plan for California andwill collaborate with the Department ofHealth Care Services in managing oralhealth programs. He stated that moremust be done on the local level inCalifornia to reduce oral health caredisparities among our children.

A portion of the board meeting wasspent continuing to review the findings

Board of Trustees Summary


The 20th Annual Chinatown Community Health Fair was another very successful, well-coordinated, crisply planned andsmoothly run event! It took place at the Chinatown YMCA on October 17, 2015 (10:00 am-3:00 pm). Part of this year's focuswas improving children's oral health.

This year, Pacific Dugoni had two stations: Dental Screenings and Children's Activities/Education. 160 people received dentalscreenings and oral disease prevention education (50 of whom were children also received fluoride varnish applications).Approx. 90 children received oral health education in the Children's Area.

Over 70 volunteers participated:

• 60 Pacific Dugoni dental students, faculty and staff (Dr. Bonnie Jue and SCOPE student leaders and volunteers, Dr. DavidLee, Jan Fricke RDA and Juan Carlos Zaldana (manager) from the Pediatric Dentistry Dept.)

• 6 volunteers from the National Children's Oral Health Foundation (America's Tooth Fairy), including Gabrielle Jones

• 4 SFDS dentist/hygienist volunteers:

o Mary Fong DDS

o Ken Ng DDS with his daughter Morgan,

o Frank Wong DDS and Wendy Leung RDH and their son, Conrad

CHINATOWN COMMUNITY HEALTH FAIR


CITY SMILES CONNECTThe SFDS Community Dental Health Committee has been busy readying for the launch of aLarell Denture (City Smiles Connect) project in partnership with Project Homeless Connect(PHC). Project Homeless Connect has clients that live on the streets and cannot find a job dueto their physical appearance of edentulism and cannot afford to get to the same office for 6consecutive appointments over a period of several weeks. Having an efficient way of denturedelivery would improve their chances of employment and improved health. The Larell Denturesystem is an answer to that challenge. SFDS members gathered at the offices of Dr. SandyShih, September 29, to learn from Dr. Allen Wong how to provide care using this system. Our members continue to amaze and inspire with their generosity of service. Thank you to Drs.Ben Amini, Kenneth Bianchi, Norman Choy, Jeff Jang, Roy Kim, Sandy Shih, Russell Taylor,Kat Vo, Allen Wong and Noelle Bianchi, RDH, Emily Cohen of PHC and the PHC client whoagreed to participate in this training session. We are making a difference!


AB 502 (Chau) Dental Hygiene Practice:This bill as amended would allow anRDHAP in a Dental Health ProfessionsShortage Area (DHPSA) to maintainindependent practice and would man-date that those hygiene services if cov-ered under a 3rd party dental benefitplan would be paid at the same reim-bursement rate as that of a dentist whenthat RDHAP is acting independently andis not directly employed by or function-ing as an independent contractor of alicensed dentist. As initially proposed,this bill would have eliminated therequirement that patients obtain a pre-scription for RDHAP care and wouldhave allowed RDHAPs to continue prac-ticing in a DHPSA after that area losesthat designation. In this amended form,CDA supports AB 502.Legislative Action: This bill was passed by bothhouses and signed into law by the Governor.The author of this bill is developing stricter cri-teria around how an RDHAP can continue topractice in a DHPSA and how to insure thatthe objective of the program is expansion ofaccess to oral hygiene services for underservedpopulations.

AB 880 (Ridley-Thomas) Free ClinicPractice by Final Year Dental Students:This bill would permit a last year dentalstudent to practice, without compensa-tion and under the supervision of alicensed dentist, in a community-basedfree clinic or health fair. Currently, a den-tal student can practice in a communityor free clinic if that facility is accreditedas a teaching site by a California DentalSchool and is supervised by affiliatedteaching faculty.

SB 203 (Monning) Safety Warnings onSugar-Sweetened Beverages: This billwould mandate a warning label on mostsugar-sweetened beverages sold in theState of California. These beverages

ON YOUR BEHALFBy Claudia Masouredis, DDS, MPH, Chair Legislative Committee

would have a label stating, “Drinkingbeverages with added sugar contributesto obesity, diabetes and tooth decay.”Legislative Action: Senator Monning intro-duced a similar bill, SB 1000, which failed pas-sage in the Assembly last year after passage bythe Senate.

AB 648 (Low) Virtual Dental HomeGrant: This year CDA co-sponsored AB648 which would establish a VirtualDental Home (VDH) grant programusing both private and public funding toexpand this model into the state’s areasof greatest need. Four million dollarswould be allocated by the state for train-ing, equipment and technical support todevelop the VDH model.Legislative Action: Currently AB 648 enactedOctober 1, 2015.

SB 482 (Lara) Prescription Control: TheCDA is opposed to this bill which wouldrequire prescribers to check a patient’sprescription history before prescribing aschedule II or III substance for the firsttime. In addition, this bill includes disci-plinary action for lack of complianceunless the state’s Controlled SubstanceUtilization Review and EvaluationSystem (CURES) online database orinternet access is not functional. Thiswould be difficult to substantiate andwould put dentists at risk for unneces-sary disciplinary actions.Legislative Action: This bill is on hold and willbe reconsidered by the Legislature next year.

Please consult the CDA website for leg-islative updates and stay informed ofissues that will affect dentistry.Mobilizing support or opposition is bestaccomplished BEFORE proposed legisla-tion becomes law.

To SFDS Members and Families – Have a Happy Holiday Season! ❖

Anumber of bills were under con-sideration this year that couldimpact dentistry. Detailed infor-

mation regarding the bills can beaccessed through the CDA website(www.cda.org/advocacy/legislation) orthe State Legislative website.

AB 179 (Bonilla) Dental Board ofCalifornia Sunset Review: This billwould extend provisions of the DentalBoard of California to 2020. Legislative Action: Dental Board sunset reviewlegislation enacted this year (AB 179) raisesthe limit on dental licensure fees from$525 to $650 as of Jan. 1, 2016, and to$800 in 2018. The bill also exemptsspousal care by dentists from the defini-tion of professional misconduct (CDAdid not take a position on the bill, butensured that the spousal care exemptionwas included).

AB 366 (Bonta) & SB 243 (Hernandez)Medi-Cal/Denti-Cal Provider Rates: AB366 and a companion bill SB 243 wouldimmediately repeal prior year Medi-Caland Denti-Cal rate reductions and estab-lish future reimbursement rates on a parwith federal fee-for-service and managedcare programs. Currently the state hashad a huge increase in Denti-Cal andMedi-Cal eligible individuals without aconcomitant increase in the number ofpractitioners who will accept patientsdue to the low rate of reimbursement. Legislative Action: Any actual change in reim-bursement rates will only come by budgetnegotiations with the Governor’s office andwill require strong advocates in both theAssembly and Senate. The Governor’s officehas only recently shown an interest in address-ing low reimbursement levels. Currently,California Medi-Cal/Denti-Cal reimburse-ment rates for most common procedures are35% of the national average.

2015 Legislative Review

Emma Abramayan, DDS; GP; UOP 2015;Office Address Pending

Amy Blake, DDS; GP; UOP 2015; OfficeAddress Pending

David Erik R. Burke, DDS; GP; Universityof Detroit Mercy 2015; GPR UCSF 2015

Jade Castro, DDS; GP; UCSF 2015;AEGD Lutheran Medical Center 2016

Ashley Chan, DDS; GP; UOP 2014;Office Address Pending

Chia I. Chi, DDS; GP; UCSF 2015; GPRVA San Diego 2016

Jane Y. Choi, DDS; GP; UNC 2010; 698Vermont St

Mathew J. Chow, DDS; GP; UOP 2015;500 Sutter St, Ste 819

Renee Chow, DDS; GP; UCSF 2014;Office Address Pending

Janelle Greene, DDS; GP; UCSF 2015;Office Address Pending

Ramon M. Gutierrez, DDS; GP; UCSF2015; Office Address Pending

Theodore B. Haley, DDS; GP; UCSF2014; 707 Parnassus Ave

Tiffany C. Hsu, DDS; GP; UCSF 2015;GPR VA Northern California 2016

Ying-Yien M. Lin, DDS; GP; UOP 2015;AEGD Lutheran Medical Center 2016

Roy Lagemann, DDS; GP; UCSF 2015;GPR Community Medical Centers Fresno2016

Vienna C. Liu, DDS; GP; UOP 2015; GPRRancho Los Amigos 2016

Kurtis J. Louie, DDS; GP; WesternUniversity 2014; Office Address Pending

Eve Lofthus, DDS; GP; UMKC 2015; GPRVA San Francisco 2016

Casey Luu, DDS; GP; UOP 2014; OfficeAddress Pending

Karen Mei, DDS; GP; Western University2014; 2817 San Bruno Ave

Nader A. Nadershahi, DDS; GP; UOP1994; 155 Fifth St

Alexa Navasero, DDS; GP; UCSF 2015;Office Address Pending

Nancy Nguyen, DDS; GP; UOP 2015;Office Address Pending

Derek Nishimori, DDS; GP; UOP 2015; 1Daniel Burnham Ct, Ste 305C

Julia Nishioka, DDS; GP; UOP 2015;Office Address Pending

Iroshini Perera, DDS; Orthodontics; USC2012, UOP 2014; Office Address Pending

Anh Pham, DDS; GP; UCSF 2015;Periodontics UCSF 2018

Ani Pilikyan, DDS; GP; UOP 2015; OfficeAddress Pending

Mark Jerome S. Ramos, DDS; GP; UOP2015; Office Address Pending

Shiv S. Sharma, DDS; GP; UOP 2015;Office Address Pending

Laura Stewart, DDS; GP; UOP 2014;Office Address Pending

Inessa Sosis, DDS; GP; University ofIllinois at Chicago 1997; 3200 Fulton St

Susan Tran, DDS; GP; UCSF 1995; 2323Noriega St, Ste 212

Jennifer L. Watters, DDS; Periodontics;UCSF 1991; Washington 1993; 697Monterey Blvd

Martin A. Weinstein, DDS; GP; UCSF2015; GPR VA Northern California 2016

Valentina V. Yasinsky, DDS; GP; MoscowMedical Stomatology Institute 1997;4225 Geary Blvd

A STANDING OVATION… TO WELCOME OUR NEWEST SFDS MEMBERS:


BITS & PIECES...

Retired Membership with ADA/CDA/SFDS:Members retired from dentistry can become Retired Members with the ADA/CDA/SFDS, and get a reduction on dues if youfill out an affidavit before March 31, 2016. The only qualifier for Retired Membership is that you must not be collectingany income from work that requires having a dental license - whether employed as dental faculty, in private practice, work-ing as a dental hygienist, being paid to speak on topics relating to dentistry, or doing any dental-related consultant work.For more details, call the SFDS at (415) 928-7337.

Paid Sick Leave Law accrual caps and usage:

Employers with fewer than 10 employees can cap paid sick leave accrual at 48 hours, while employers with more than 10 can set a cap of at least 72 hours. These caps are not an ‘annual limit’ of how much leave can be used, and are instead alimit of how many sick leave hours are available ‘in the bank’ for use at any one time. Once an employee hits their cap onpaid sick leave, they would not accrue any additional leave unless hours already saved ‘in the bank’ are used. For example, if an employee at a 8-person office hits their cap of 48 hours of accrued paid sick leave, then uses 30 hours due to illness, he or she can accrue additional hours of paid sick leave once back at work until they reach the 48 hour cap. (Source – www.sfgov.org/olse/pslo)

Don’t forget to update your information with the Dental Board:The Dental Board of California requires that all dentists must notify them of any changes in your place of practice, orchanges to your address on file, within 30 days. For name changes, the DBC requires a notification within 10 days. Updateforms can be found on the DBC website, www.dbc.ca.gov. (Source - www.cda.org/practicesupport)


otherwise provided by a collective bar-gaining agreement.

If the employee is exempt and per-formed any work during the workweek,you must pay the exempt employee forthe entire week. You cannot makedeductions from an exempt employee’ssalary for absences caused by jury dutyor attendance as a witness if within anyseven consecutive 24-hour periods, theexempt employee performed work.However, you can make deductionsfrom an exempt employee’s pay if theemployee performs no work at all in theworkweek.

It is unlikely that an exemptemployee will perform nowork at all during a work-week. Exempt employees

often will check messagesbefore or after jury service, work on aweekend or any other time they are notengaged in jury duty.

Employees cannot be exempted fromjury duty merely because they don’twant to serve, it’s inconvenient or theyare needed at work. Employers cannotget an employee excused from jury duty.Employees may request a onetime post-ponement of jury service for personal orbusiness reasons. For example, anemployee might ask for a postpone-ment because of a planned vacation,business trip or other conflict. Theemployee will be required to serve onjury duty at a later date, which can beup to six months from the originallyscheduled date.

Documentation of Jury or WitnessDuty

You can require employees to provideadvance notice for jury or witness duty,where it is reasonable to do so. If theemployee is unable to give advancenotice, employers cannot take anyaction against the employee if he/shecan provide certification of the need forleave within a reasonable amount oftime after the absence. An employeecalled for jury duty will receive a sum-mons from the court and can requestproof of service from the jury clerk ifhe/she has to report for duty. The sum-mons or proof of service from the courtis sufficient certification.

Return to Work from Jury or WitnessDuty

You cannot discriminate against anemployee who takes time off for jury orwitness duty. Unless there are extenuat-ing circumstances, such as layoffs, youmust reinstate the employee to his/herjob. If you must lay off an employeewho takes jury or witness duty leave, theemployee has the same rights and sen-iority as if he/she had been at work.

For more information on jury duty andyour obligations as an employer, visitthe California Courts Jury Service web-site at: http://www.courts.ca.gov/jury-service.htm. ❖

Sources: Labor Code section 230 andCalifornia Chamber of Commerce’sHRCalifornia.

Employees are protected whenthey are called to serve on a juryor appear in court in compliance

with a subpoena or court order as a wit-ness. Absences from work for these rea-sons are protected by law; you cannotdeny the employee the time off.

This requirement applies to all employ-ers, regardless of size. You cannot ter-minate or discriminate against anyemployee who takes time off of work toserve on a jury or as a witness asrequired by law, if the employee givesyou reasonable notice of the need fortime off. Any employee terminated,threatened with termination, demoted,suspended or discriminated against inany way because of time taken off toserve on a jury or as a witness is entitledto reinstatement and back wages andbenefits.

Employee Pay While on Jury orWitness Duty

Whether you must pay wages to anemployee who takes time off for jury orwitness duty depends on his/her statusas exempt or nonexempt. You’re notlegally required to pay a nonexemptemployee’s wages while the employeeserves on jury duty or as a witness.However, many employers voluntarilymaintain a pay policy for employees onjury duty or serving as a witness, usuallyin the range of three to 20 days per year.

Rather than take unpaid time, a nonex-empt employee who takes time off workto serve on a jury or as a witness canuse vacation or personal leave, unless

Jury or Witness Duty Leave – What You Need To Know

!


Tax specialist & CPA, Mr. Dave Riemer, talked about the benefits numbers have when build-ing a successful practice. He covered the different ways numbers can be used to measurepatient satisfaction, employee efficiency, and proficiency in providing quality patient care.

We would like to give thanks to our event sponsors – TDIC Insurance Solutions, CarestreamDental, US Bank and the American Dental Association’s grant funding for this program. ❖

SEPTEMBER 9 CE

How Do Numbers Measure the Success of Your Practice?

SF City Services311 or 701-2311

www.sf311.org

Mayor ’s Office ..................................554-6141

[email protected]

Neighborhood Services ...................554-7111

www.sfgov.org/mons

Office of Labor Standards Enforcement

(OLSE) http://sfgsa.org/index.aspx?page=391

OLSE – Paid Leave...........................554-6271

[email protected]

OLSE – Health Care........................554-7892

[email protected]

OLSE – Minimum Wage................554-6292

[email protected]

OLSE – Family Friendly Workplace.. 554-6424

[email protected]

OLSE – Fair Chance .......................554-5192

[email protected]

SF District Attorney-Family Violence Project

...............................................................553-9044www.sfdistrictattorney.org

Emergency Services:Emergency Dispatch SF ....911 or 553-8090Police - Anonymous Tip Line ........885-5187www.sf-police.org

Police - Non-Emergency..................553-0123

Police – Domestic Violence ............553-9225

Fire Dept. – Non Emergency .........558-3200

www.sf-fire.org

Poison Control .......................(800) 222-1222

www.calpoison.org

Supervisors - 1 Dr. Carlton B. GoodlettPlace, Room 244, San Francisco, CA94102-4689

D-1 Eric Mar..................................554-7410 [email protected] Mark Farrell [email protected] Julie [email protected] D-4 Katy [email protected] D-5 London Breed [email protected] Jane Kim.................................554-7970Jane.Kim@sfgov.orgD-7 Norman Yee.......................... [email protected] Scott [email protected]

R

D-9 David Campos [email protected] D-10 Malia Cohen ...................... [email protected] John Avalos [email protected]

Additional Toll Free NumbersADA...........................................(312) 440-2500

CDA Contact Center.............(800) 232-7645

TDIC/TDIC Ins. Solutions .(800) 733-0633

Denti-Cal Referral .................(800) 322-6384

HMO Consumer Complaint Hotline

....................................................(888) 466-2219

SOME IMPORTANT NUMBERS:


Ben Amini, DDSMichael J. Antonini, DDSKenneth A. Bianchi, DDSCynthia K. Brattesani, DDSBarry Burstein, DDSJack P. Chow, DMD, MScGregory J. Conte, DMDFrank B. Dal Santo, DDS, MDDaniel G. Davidson, DMDWayne D. Del Carlo, DDSGail H. Duffala, DDSRichard A. Felton, DDSCourtney K. Fitzpatrick, DDSJohn Fong, DDSJoseph A. Gabany, DMD, MSDPaola Guglielmoni, DDS, MSMichael A. Hack, DMDJames T. Hayashi, DDSEddie K. Hayashida, DDS, MBAIrene V. Hilton, DDS, MPHPaul S. Hoyt, DDSJerry O. Humeniuk, DMD

Donna B. Hurowitz, DDSThomas A. Jacobs, DDSPeter L. Jacobsen, DDSGail C. Jang, DDSJeffrey S. Jang, DDSStephanie A. Jee, DDSHelen F. Jow, DDSNatasha A. Lee, DDSRodney S. Lee, DDSRichard E. Leeds, DDSMike Y. Li, DDSHana D. Litterman, DDSJennifer Litton-Navasero, DMDLawrence R. Ludwigsen, Jr., DDSThomas J. Madill, DDSClaudia M. Masouredis, DDS, MPHDonald M. Missirlian, DDSCharles R. Mohn, DDSKathy I. Mueller, DMDCarlos J. Nogueiro, DDSGary G. Nomura, DDSMichael N. Parrett, DDS

Curtis D. Raff, DDSGarry A. Rayant, BDS, DDS, MSPeter V. Rengstorff, DDSPolly D. Rivas, DDSWilliam J. Shea, DDSDavid T. Shen, DMDDennis Song, DDS, MDMichael T. Tiller, DDSLeandra D. Tolosa, DMDGalen W. Wagnild, DDSJames E. Watson, DDSPaul J. Weller, DDS, MSAllen Wong, DDSWallace S. Woo, DDSCraig S. Yarborough, DDSDavid G. Yee, DDSGlen C. Young, DDS

Back the PAC with your $40 SFDS PACcontribution - on your 2016 Dues Invoice.

I BACK THE PAC! Will you? Thank you - 2015 SFDS PAC Supporters:

SAN FRANCISCO DENTAL SOCIET Y

� In Memory �Our condolences to family and colleagues…

Dr. Daniel Frederickson (1939-2015)

Member 1993-2015

SFDS Retired Member, Dr. Daniel Frederickson graduated from the Loma Linda UniversitySchool of Dentistry, Class of 1964. Dr. Frederickson taught at the University of the Pacific ArthurA. Dugoni School of Dentistry and practiced at 1 Embarcadero Center for a number of years before retiring in 2007. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the AmericanDiabetes Association, the Belvedere-Tiburon Landmarks Society, or a charity of your choice. ❖


September 2015

• Ratified the actions of the August Executive committee to engage attorney to evaluate the current status/gaps of the SFDS PAC and make recommendations tocorrect deficiencies; initiate dialogue with the PAC officers to hold a PAC Boardmeeting no later than October 31; referral to PD committee to evaluate the possibledevelopment of an 8-hour IC/DPA course for DAs; support and sign the Stand WithSave Lives CA petition to raise the tobacco tax.

• There being no additional candidates by petition and in accordance with SFDSBylaws, Secretary Shuster cast the ballot for the election of 2016 slate of officers,directors, delegates and alternate delegates as follows: President – Dr. Joseph Gabany, President-elect—Dr. Matthew Young,Secretary—Dr. Vlad Shuster; Directors: Dr. Sima Salimi, Dr. Curtis Raff, Dr. Courtney Fitzpatrick, and Dr. Susan Soderstrom;Delegates for 2016: Drs, Gabany, Young, Del Carlo, Raff, Nogueiro, Salimi, Fitzpatrick, Shuster and Song; Alternate Delegatesfor 2016, Drs: Soderstrom (1st Alt), Weller, Ehsan, Taylor, Lee, Hebel and Jacobs.

• Approved issuing a CE voucher for all dues paying members, with the exception of life active, life retired, retired, RD0 (year oflicensure), PGM, disabled, and HSW, issued at the time the dues are paid and that the voucher can only be used in the year forwhich dues are paid.

• Approved the 2016 Operating Budget

November 2015

• Special Order of Business: Ms. Tiffany Ren, RDA, Director of City College Dental Assisting Program provided an update onthe state of the RDA program in response to demand for dental assistants.

• Approved contacting the Community College Chancellor to highlight the shortage of RDAs

• Approved formation of a task force of 4-5 people to look at needs and options regarding dental staffing shortages in SanFrancisco

• Approved presidential appointment of Dr. Carsen Bentley to the Community Dental Health Committee, term to expireDecember 2017

• Approved nomination/elections process change to allow electronic mail, or any other means of electronic transmissionapproved by the board for notification and election of officers, directors and delegates and that the requisite bylaws sectionsare amended accordingly to reflect these changes.

• Approved Governance Committee policy review recommendations to:

Rescind Policy 1-F Board Meeting Location Policy, Policy IV-D1 Advancement of Funds for Professional DevelopmentCommittee, and Policy IV-C1 New Member CE Invite; extend Sunset Review Dates to 2019 for the following Policies I-GCommittee Report Submission Guideline, I-I SFDS Contract Policy, II-A CDA First Alt Delegate Reimbursement, IV-D2Review of Non-ADA Member Speakers and V-B Member Media Contact.

• Approved the 2015-2018 Marketing and Communications Plan

• Approved the job descriptions for President, President-Elect and Immediate Past President to include serving on the SF PACBoard

• Strategic Plan/Action Plan: Updated plan with accomplishments provided to the board in preparation for the 2016 boardretreat. Executive Director Elam reported that two ADA Funded projects, Oktoberfest and Video Initiative did not material-ized in 2015 and funds will be returned to the ADA.

• Nominations for Award of Merit and Committee Person of the Year approved.

• President Song, on behalf of the Board, thanked and presented Executive Director Elam with a plaque/gift for her 15 years ofservice to the Society

BOARD HIGHLIGHTS


• State your termination date, includ-ing the last day you will be availablefor emergency care.

• Include a separate authorization formfor patients to allow release of theirrecords to the buyer or to anotherdental practice.

• Give the name, address, and phonenumber of the location where copiesof dental records can be obtainedafter the termination date.

• Be sent no less than 30 days prior to your withdrawal from practice. 60 days notice is the recommendedperiod of notice.

If you are leaving the practice of den-tistry and no one is assuming responsi-bility for the provision of emergencycare, send written notification to yourpatients in sufficient time before closingyour practice to allow them to secure theservices of another dentist and to havedental records copied and forwarded. A copy of the letter should be placed inthe patient’s chart.

Note: For sample forms, check outCDA:

• Records Release Form at:http://www.cda.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=jBQfm_nI-Mo%3d&portal-id=0.

• The sample notification letter of adentist retiring or relocating at:http://www.cda.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=riQ3gDGOPJA%3d&portal-id=0.

• The Separating from Practice check-list at:http://www.cda.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=C0gKpZdcy28%3d&portal-id=0. ❖

State and federal information pri-vacy laws require dentists takeprecautions to safeguard patient

information during a practice transition.Practice sellers should limit or de-identi-fy patient information provided topotential buyers to ensure compliancewith Civil Code Section 56.10.

If you are selling or transferring yourpractice, be sure to address two things inyour contract: (1) transfer responsibilityand liability for proper storage and dis-posal of records to the new practiceowner and (2) ensure your continuedaccess to those records for an indefiniteperiod for the purpose of responding toany litigation. The new owner may agreeto have custody of the patient record(the alternative is that the former ownerretains the records), but the new practiceowner cannot use the information in therecords until a patient has providedauthorization. The custodian of therecords is legally responsible for ensur-ing the contents are secure and, if therecords are to be destroyed, ensuring theprocess renders the contents unreadable.

The seller of the practice should informall active patients of the transition. Inthe case of a sale, the buyer shouldreview the notification letter for compli-ance with the terms of the sales contract.The notification letter should:

THE PRACTICE SUPPORT CORNERBy CDA Practice Support

Managing Patient Records in a Practice Transition

®

“...the new practice

owner cannot use the

information in the

records until a

patient has provided

authorization.”

OCTOBER 29th SOCIAL HOUR AT SUNSET RESERVOIRWith Halloween only days away, SFDS Members gathered at the Sunset Reservoir Brewing Company for the October Social Hour.

San Francisco Firefighters (SFFD) were also fundraising for their annual Toy Program, and attendees had a chance to see anAerial silk performance by one of the city’s very own firefighters. A special thank-you to Dr. Earl Capuli for his creative can-doresolve, to Dr. Monica Chmiel for her invaluable assistance in hosting this fun night out and to the SFDS members for ponying

up the $20 donation to support the SFFD fundraiser.

San Francisco Dental Society • Page 14


RESULTS GUARANTEED Conditions apply, call for details.

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• Gift Cards• Email Marketing• Social Sharing

TION

A HUGE SHOUT-OUT OF THANKS TO OUR 2015 CDA CARES VOLUNTEERS...

CDA Cares Fresno, October 2-3, 2015Cynthia Brattesani, DDS

Natasha, Lee, DDS Sheila Leffall, DDSLisa Nguyen, DDS

Russell Taylor, DDS Allen Wong, DDS

Bing Xia, DDS PhDCraig Yarborough, DDS

CDA Cares Sacramento, March 27-28, 2015

Cynthia Brattesani, DDS Gail Duffala, DDS

Jeff Jang, DDS Natasha Lee, DDS

Angela Malhotra, DDS Sajini Sasthri, DMD

Erin Shah, DDSDennis Song, DDS

Russell Taylor, DDS Michael Tiller, DDS

Allen Wong, DDSCraig Yarborough, DDS

How Can You Help? For more information visit: http://www.cdafoundation.org/cda-cares


A Big Round of Applause to Our 2014-2015 Kindergarten School Screening Program volunteers, Drs.:

WAYNE DEL CARLO• Geo. Washington Carver • Cleveland ES• Dr. Charles Drew College

Preparatory Academy• Bret Harte • Malcolm X Academy• Junipero Serra

DAVID LEE• John Yehall Chin• Garfield• Gordon J Lau • Jean Parker • Yick Wo

RICHARD CHOI • Bessie Carmichael • Daniel Webster• Marshall• Sherman• Tenderloin Community

LINDA KUO• Cesar Chavez• Clarendon Alternative• John Muir• Rooftop K-8

REBECCA ARMEL• Miraloma• Jose Ortega• Commodore Sloat• Sunnyside

MARISA COLAS• Chinese Education Center• Visitacion Valley• El Dorado• Longfellow

CALVERT JANG• Jefferson • Lakeshore Alternative• Lawton Alternative K-8• YU Alternative K-8

ROBERT MOSTOVOY• Bryant• Leonard R Flynn• Starr King • Daniel Webster

KENNETH NG• Francis Scott Key• Robert Louis Stevenson• Sunset• Ulloa

BERGEN JAMES• Hillcrest• Mission Education Center• George R Moscone • Edward R Taylor

JAMES HAN• Glen Park• Guadalupe

DAVID SHEN• Claire Lilienthal K-8• Sutro

LAUREN HEBEL• Grattan • Harvey Milk

NATALIA SVENSSON • Frank McCoppin • Monroe

RAVI KOKA• Rosa Parks• Redding

ROSIE MARTIN• Dr William L Cobb• SF Public Montessori

JACQUELINE DELA ROSA• Alamo• Lafayette

BETTY WONG • Ulloa

CHAD LYEW• Sheridan

CURTIS RAFF• Dianne Feinstein

ANDY DUONG• Argonne

DARREN MACHULE • Alvarado

GABRIELLA PINA• West Portal

DAVID ZOVICKIAN• Buena Vista Horace Mann K-8

KATHERINE VO • Chinese Immersion School at De Avila

RUSSELL YOUNG• Fairmount

JOHN FONG• Spring Valley

SAM THACHER• Paul Revere K-8

SANDY SHIH• Glenn Park

VIVIAN BROADWAY• Creative Arts Charter

SFDS hosted a “Thank-you” receptionfor our 2014-2015 School ScreeningVolunteers & San Francisco Departmentof Public Health Program AdministratorClaire Sit.

To volunteer, contact Saushe Young at theSFDS: (415) 928-7337 or [email protected].


COMMUNITY CORNER – YOUR COMMUNITY NEEDS YOU!

Program/Agency

What is it? Date/Time/Loc. Contact

K School Screening Partnership with SFDPH & SFUSD to screen kindergarteners

Morning/Afternoon 2-3 hoursSF Public Elementary Schools

SFDS [email protected]

Project Homeless Connect

Partnership with SFDPH to provide dental care to homeless individuals and families

Half or full dayBill Graham Civic Center/Southeast Health Center

SFDS [email protected]

Everyday Connect

Seeking dental services for those who are at risk of becoming homeless, currently homeless or recently transitioned into permanent housing

Ongoing.Project Homeless Connect25 Van Ness AveSte 340SF, CA 94102

Helpline 1-855-588-7968; Everyday Connect staff will respond to voicemail messages or email staff at [email protected]

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The Bridge is distributed to over1000 dentists, auxillaries and students.

Submission deadlines: February 1,June 1, Sept 1, and Nov. 1 forpublication the following months.Submission by email only:[email protected]


You are also not a sales goal or market segment. You are a dentist.

And we are The Dentists Insurance Company, TDIC, where business is

about doing what’s best for you, our policyholders. Here, you receive

the respect and care deserving of a member of your profession. You

have access to an in-house claims team, razor-sharp legal team, and

industry-leading resources to manage risk. Why go to such lengths?

Because with us, protecting dentists is all that matters.

You are not a policy number.

Protecting dentists. It’s all we do.®

800.733.0633 | tdicsolutions.com | CA Insurance Lic. #0652783

Endorsed by the San Francisco Dental Society

March2 Annual Crab Feed 5:30-9:00 pm/ St. Mary's Cathedral,

1111 Gough Street

16 CPR BLS Renewal 6 PM/SFDS, 2143 Lombard St.

24 SFDS Board of Directors6:30 PM/SFDS, 2143 Lombard St.

SFDS Calendar of EventsDecember17 SFDS Executive Committee6:30 pm/SFDS, 2143 Lombard St.

24 Christmas Eve SFDS Early Closure 1 pm

25-Jan 1 Christmas/New Year SFDS Offices -

Holiday Closure;

Reopen January 4, 2016

January 2016 13 SFDS Annual Meeting & Volunteer Recognition Night6:00-9:00 pm/Marines' Memorial

609 Sutter Street

18 MLK JR Day Holiday – SFDS Office Closed

20 CPR BLS Renewal6 PM/SFDS, 2143 Lombard St.

23 SFDS Board of Directors6:30 PM/SFDS, 2143 Lombard St.

February2 Membership/NDC6:30 PM/SFDS, 2143 Lombard St

9 New Dentist Seminar 6:00 PM/SFDS, 2143 Lombard St

10 Infection Control & Dental Practice Act 8:30 AM-12:30 PM/SFDS

2143 Lombard St

11 Professional Development Committee6:30 PM/SFDS, 2143 Lombard St

15 Presidents’ DayHoliday – SFDS Office Closed

17 CPR BLS Renewal6 PM/SFDS, 2143 Lombard St.

23 SFDS CDHC Meeting 6:30 PM/SFDS, 2143 Lombard St.


HEADSUP!

• ADA Explanation of Benefits Model Now Available: The 2014 House of Delegates adoptedResolution 103 that called for the development of a model Explanation of Benefits (EOB) statementfor the reporting of dental claim adjudication that could become the industry standard. TheCouncil on Dental Benefit Programs developed a model EOB and shared it with several planproviders in the hope that it will become the standard. Visit the ADA Center for ProfessionalSuccess to download the model. For concerns about EOB language or questions about dental bene-fits, email [email protected] or call (800) 621-8099.

• Online dues renewal for CDA members is now open. Members can renew their dues in full or enrollin the electronic dues payment program (EDP) and pay in equal monthly installments automaticallydeducted from a designated checking account. For more information about online dues renewal, goto www.cda.org and click on the button:

• 2016 EDP auto renew: All members who were on the EDP program in 2015 will automaticallyrenew through EDP for 2016. If you would like to change their banking information, you can do soby completing the 2016 EDP Form available from CDA at www.cda.org. If you would like to cancelEDP, you can do so by mailing payment in full, calling CDA to make payment by credit card oremailing [email protected] with your request to cancel EDP. If a request to cancel EDP isreceived, CDA will re-bill for the 2016 membership dues.


Risk management articles andseminars often look at problem-atic cases where things go wrong

during dental treatment, but let’s turnthe tables and see what happens when acase goes right.

The following case involves the place-ment of dental veneers, a procedure thatgenerates numerous questions, accord-ing to risk management analysts at TheDentists Insurance Company. TDICreports regular calls to its Advice Lineabout veneer-related situations, andnumbers show that veneer cases are sentto claims more frequently than casesinvolving other dental issues. In a recenttwo-month timeframe, Advice Line callsrevealed 10 of 12 veneer-related callsended up in the claims department.“Veneer cases can be difficult,” said asenior risk management analyst withTDIC. “There is not one easy answer.”

Risk management analysts are clear,however, that dialing the Advice Linedoes not mean your call is automaticallysent to claims. Based on the facts of thecall, the analyst may determine the caseis beyond risk management and referthe caller to the claims department.

Some veneer cases have a more positiveoutlook than others. Here’s an example:Last October, a Northern Californiadentist placed five anterior veneers on a29-year-old patient. The dentist dis-cussed the procedure with the patient,and she signed an informed consent

form. The dentist also charted the dis-cussion and procedure and took photos,including a final photo of the smilingpatient with the new veneers in place.The patient even gave a “thumbs up” inthe photo.

The dentist was surprised when thepatient called a month later anddemanded a refund. She said anotherdentist had to “fix” the veneers. The den-tist called TDIC’s Advice Line to discussoptions about the best way to proceed.

The risk management analyst asked thedentist about documentation surround-ing the case. He had appropriate chartdocumentation, photos and theinformed consent form. He said he tooktime to explain the procedure, includingtooth preparation, and noted the con-versation in the dental record. This doc-umentation gave the dentist an advan-tage because he felt the veneers wereclinically sound, and he had the evi-dence to back it up.

The TDIC analyst recommended thedentist tell the patient he was willing toinvestigate further. The dentist shouldthen ask the patient for permission tospeak with the new dentist who fixedthe veneers, so he could learn what wasallegedly wrong.

In this case, the burden is on the patientto prove there is a complication with theveneers, and the dentist is poised for afavorable outcome thanks to good clinical work and recordkeeping.Unfortunately, not all cases go this way.

“Some would say we preach documenta-tion,” said a TDIC risk managementanalyst. “Yet, in too many cases we findthe documentation is spotty or incom-plete. What we see is a lack of signedinformed consent forms for invasiveprocedures such as veneers and no documented patient esthetic approvalprior to the permanent cementation of veneers.”

Dentists have told analysts that patientsoften assume if they do not like theveneers, then the veneers can just beremoved with no consideration of toothcoverage. The issue is whether the doc-tor was clear during the informed con-sent discussion that the tooth prepara-tion is irreversible and veneers cannotsimply be taken off.

Informed consent discussions aboutveneers include essential information

RM MATTERSBy TDIC Risk Management Staff

Precise Documentation is an Advantage in Veneer Cases

continued to page 23


about tooth preparation, potential con-sequences and possible alternatives. Iforthodontics or periodontal surgery isrecommended but the patient choosesveneers instead, be clear verbally and inwriting about the risks, benefits andalternatives to veneers.

Equally as important are questionsabout what the patient expects from thetreatment. Patients may bring picturesof celebrities they admire. Often thepatient is looking at the overall appear-ance in the photo rather than just theteeth. Other times the patient is seekinga more youthful appearance. As aprominent dental attorney advises,“There needs to be a meeting of theminds about the patient’s expectationsand the limitations of dentistry.Communicate what you can accomplishcompared to what the patient expects,and make sure the patient hears you.”

Document the conversation and includethe patient’s comments and questions.Keep consistent records throughout thetreatment including progress notes,

findings, patient and clinician concerns,and photographs. Claims professionalsemphasize the importance of the dentalrecord for continuity of care and keep-ing the facts straight. Without consis-tent and thorough recordkeeping, it isdifficult to remember everything forevery patient, especially relating to treat-ment that may have happened severalmonths or even years ago.

Additionally, risk management expertsalways advise dentists to pay attentionto any intuition they may have about apatient. This is especially true during aninformed consent discussion aboutveneers. The desire for cosmetic proce-dures may be tied in with complex emo-tions, and the patient may be seeking acure-all or miracle that even superiordental work cannot deliver. You are notobligated to take on every case thatcomes your way. As one well-knownesthetic dentist put it, “In one instance,my best cosmetic case was one that Inever started.”

Key Recommendations

To boost the success of veneer cases,TDIC strongly recommends the following:

• Communicate clearly with the patientabout the irreversible aspect of porce-lain veneers. Discuss tooth prepara-tion, potential consequences andalternatives.

• Ask the patient to sign an informedconsent form. Informed consentforms are available atthedentists.com.

• Chart the informed consent discus-sion, treatment plan and progressnotes in sufficient detail.

• Photograph the procedure from startto finish.

• Prior to cementation of veneers, askthe patient to sign an estheticapproval form. Esthetic approvalforms are available atthedentists.com. ❖

TDIC’s Risk Management Advice Line can bereached at 800.733.0634.

RM MATTERS

Precise Documentationis an Advantage in Veneer Casescontinued from page 22

Published by theSan Francisco Dental Society

2143 Lombard Street, San Francisco, CA 94123415.928.7337 • Fax 415.928.5297

Email: [email protected]/Design - SowleWork • Printing - Sundance Press

Advertising rates and information sent upon request. Acceptance of advertising in The Bridge in no way constitutes approval or endorsement by the SanFrancisco Dental Society of products or services advertised. The SFDS reserves the right to reject any advertisement. Opinions expressed by authors are

their own, and not necessarily those of the SFDS or The Bridge editorial board. The SFDS reserves the right to edit all contributions for clarity and length, as well as reject any material submitted. The Bridge is published bi-monthly by the SFDS, 2143 Lombard Street, San Francisco, CA 94123, 415.928.7337.

Subscriptions are $40 per year for SFDS/$45 per issue for non-members.� 2015, San Francisco Dental Society. All rights reserved.

Deadline for March 2016 publication is: February 1, 2016

2143 Lombard St., San Francisco, CA 94123

volume 69 † number 4 † fall 2015 † san francisco dental ...dr. david rothman – 2015 acd...

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