gda action july 2011

ACTIONTHE JOURNAL OF THE GEORGIA DENTAL ASSOCIATION JULY 2011

Michael Vernon, DMD143rd President

Georgia Dental Association



GDAction 0711 B.qxd 7/20/11 2:05 PM

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index of advertisers

GDA ACTION (ISSN 0273-5989) The official publication ofthe Georgia Dental Association (GDA) is published monthly.POSTMASTER: Send address changes to GDA Action at7000 Peachtree Dunwoody Road N.E., Suite 200,Building 17, Atlanta, GA 30328. Phone numbers in state are(404) 636-7553 and (800) 432-4357. www.gadental.org.

Closing date for copy: first of the month preceding publicationmonth. Subscriptions: $17 of membership dues is for thenewsletter; all others, $75 per year. Periodicals postage paidat Atlanta, GA.

Dr. Jonathan Dubin Delaine HallGDA Editor GDA Managing Editor2970 Clairmont Rd 7000 Peachtree Dunwoody Rd NESuite 195 Suite 200, Building 17Atlanta, GA 30329 Atlanta, GA 30328

2010-2011 Georgia Dental Association Officers John F. Harrington Jr., DDS, PresidentMichael O. Vernon, DMD, President ElectSidney R. Tourial, DDS, Vice PresidentJames B. Hall III, DDS, MS, Secretary/TreasurerJonathan S. Dubin, DMD, Editor

GDA/GDIS/PDRS Executive Office Staff Members

Martha S. Phillips, Executive DirectorNelda Greene, MBA, Associate Executive Director

Delaine Hall, Director of Communications

Skip Jones, Director of Operations (PDRS)

Courtney Layfield, Director of Member Services

Victoria LeMaire, Medical Accounts Manager

Melana Kopman McClatchey, General Counsel

Denis Mucha, Director of Operations (GDIS)

Margo Null, Property and Casualty Accounts Manager

Patrice Williams, Administrative Assistant

Phyllis Willich, Administrative Assistant

Pamela Yungk, Director of Membership & Finance

GDA Action seeks to be an issues-driven journal focusing on current mattersaffecting Georgia dentists, patients, and their treatment, accomplished throughdisseminating information and providing a forum for member commentary.

© Copyright 2011 by the Georgia Dental Association. All rights reserved. No partof this publication may be reproduced without written permission. Publicationof any article or advertisement should not be deemed an endorsement of theopinions expressed or products advertised. The Association expressly reservesthe right to refuse publication of any article, photograph, or advertisement.

10 Dentists Care: Special Athletes,Special Smiles

14 New District, Alliance Presidents:Plans, Hopes, and Projects

16 GMOM: Dental Volunteers Caringfor 2,000 Patients in 2 Days

4 Parting Shots

5 Editorial

6 Member Commentary

7 News and Views

9 Calendar of Events

28 Minutes

29 Classifieds

Michael Vernon, DMD, is a privatepractice dentist in Augusta whobecomes president of the Georgia DentalAssociation in July. His theme is “DoSomething Amazing,” and he talks withGDA Action starting on page 18about his plans to implement a dentistleadership development project, promotethe GDA and the needs of dental patientswithin the legislature, and how he willserve as a Georgia Mission of Mercyvolunteer.

ACTIONTHE JOURNAL OF THE GEORGIA DENTAL ASSOCIATION JULY 2011





other features sections

on the cover

Member Publication American Association of Dental Editors

ACTION

V O L U M E 3 1 , N U M B E R 7 • J U L Y 2 0 1 1

Note: Publication of an advertisement is not to be construed as anendorsement or approval by the GDA or any of its subsidiaries,committees, or task forces of the product or service offered in the

advertisement unless the advertisement specifically includes anauthorized statement that such approval or endorsement hasbeen granted.


4 GDA ACTIONJULY 2011


The Forsyth Center for Evidence-BasedDentistry, which was the first evidence-baseddentistry (EBD) center established in theUnited States, has established a usefuldefinition of the concept. Their web sitesays that the process involves identifyingand evaluating the best clinical evidenceavail able worldwide and developingmethods for integrating that evidence intoclinical practice.

As I see it, therefore, the goal of EBD isto base suggested dental treatment on studiesof scientific literature, with an aim towardestablishing treatment protocols that wouldtheoretically produce the same outcomes forpatients once utilized. This would place asmuch importance on the quality of theresearch and evidence used as the results.And unfortunately, all published studies arenot created equal—some are based onflawed data or have other significantproblems. However, once a problematicstudy is published, it is often perceived asa standard of care because the fact ofpublication gives it an aura of authority.

The Forsyth Center also adds aninteresting addendum to their definition.After the development and integration inpractice phases, the goal becomes to use theclinical and economic findings to supportadvocacy for changes in community, state andnational health care policies and systems.

Having solid information about metricsand outcomes is good. Knowing howtreatments work is important. But data can beused inappropriately and can potentially bedetrimental to the doctor-patient relationship,and even the proper treatment.

The question becomes who makes thedecisions on how to treat our patients, andwho decides what procedures are best for thatpatient?

One problem I can see developing is “payfor play.” Say a controlling entity, in the publicor private sector, decides to mandate paymentonly for an officially approved treatment

protocol. That will then likely becomethe only treatment performed, since mostclinicians like to get paid for their work. Inthat scenario, we risk treating the paymentsource and not the patient.

Have we not seen this situation developin our school systems? When a reward is basedon how a child performs in standardized tests,the emphasis changes from caring about achild’s overall education to teaching to passthe test. Let’s ask the students in the AtlantaPublic School (APS) system how well that isworking out.

I read a telling comment online aboutthe Criterion-Referenced Competency Testcheating scandal currently capturing allheadlines in Atlanta. One educator said inessence that many children and parents werebaffled when they receive high test scores(thanks in many cases to answer falsification)one year, only to fail in a higher grade thenext year. Said the teacher: “They trust thetest scores … the child has been given falseconfidence.”

At first glance, one would think that ifpatient presents with A, you do B. To be sure,there are certain procedures that mostclinicians would perform most of the timewhen a particular symptom or conditionpresents. But each patient is unique andmitigating circumstances coupled with aclinician’s talents and expertise may dictatea different or an additional treatment.Should a public or private entity with nospecific clinical insight into a particularpatient make the decision on that patient’streatment choices? Their primary concernfor the patient is likely to be how much thetreatment would cost.

Have we not seen patients with bilaterallymissing first molars enrolled in insuranceprograms that only pay for a removable partial

Teaching to the Test

5GDA ACTIONJULY 2011

Jonathan S. Dubin, DMD

editorialperspective

“We must educate

consumers as to

how to better care

for their health, but

is it not of even

more importance

to teach them the

value? If we cannot

change their

mindset on value,

how can we expect

the statistics

to change?”EDITORIAL

Continued on page 22


Try to unearth those dismal dental schooldays and late nights buried in the far recessesof your memory. The times around finalswhen you had no clue how your favorite SECfootball team was doing, and all you knewwere the harrowing anatomy lectures. Thefirst few months when you discovered thatyou didn’t only join dental school, but thatschool was actually a military base where youwere the lowest rank. The late nightsspent in the lab finishing that project forDr. “I Always Fail Someone.” The wax tooththat you swore shrunk from its embrasuresbetween the time you turned it in andwhen it was graded. The sleep you lostbecause your scaling and root planing patientdropped out of the program and you didn’thave enough quadrants to graduate. Feelingstressed yet?

These are some of the experiences I’vefound after only being nine months intodental school at Georgia Health SciencesUniversity. There were those late nights of“hell week (or weeks),” the initial sense ofbewilderment with the dental jargon inthat first semester of occlusion, and trying tofigure out how to sculpt that perfect dentalanatomy with indirect vision. It was times likethose when I realized what an advantage thosestudents with dental family members had overme. Coming from Thomson, Georgia, wheremy father is a realtor and my mother is adance teacher, I was eons away from mypeers’ dental experiences.

Not having a dentist in the family tocall on, I felt compelled to provide thisresource that can only be found outside of the


GHSU ASDA “Partners in Profession”Bridges Gap between Classroom and Career

Bob Wilson, Class of 2014Georgia Health Sciences University

(Reading an ASDA publication on atrip to Alaska. That’s dedication!)

membercommentary

Dental Students Want GDA Volunteers!

GUEST COMMENTARYContinued on page 12

Signing up for the GHSU

ASDA “Partners in Profession”

is as easy as punching

holes in a rubber dam (yes,

we still use them). Go to

the GHSU ASDA web site

www.ghsu-asda.org, scroll

over to the “Partners in

Profession” tab located just

below the new school build-

ing picture, and click on the

“Partners in Profession”

application. From there

you will simply follow the

directions listed. Thank you!



Michael B. Rogers, DDS, an orthodontistin Augusta, has been elected the 2011-12President of the American Association ofOrthodontists (AAO), the world’s oldestand largest dental specialty organizationwith more than 16,500 members. Theelection was announced during the AAO’s111th Annual Session, held in Chicagofrom May 13 through May 17.

Dr. Rogers has had an orthodonticpractice in Augusta for 38 years. Lee J.Andrews II, DMD, his son-in-law, hasbeen his partner in practice for the past 41/2 years.

Dr. Rogers attended Emory Universityas an undergraduate and received hisdental degree from Emory UniversitySchool of Dentistry. He served as a captainin the U.S. Army Dental Corps, andreceived the Army Commendation Medal.Dr. Rogers completed the orthodonticresidency and education program at theMedical College of Georgia School ofDentistry. He is a Diplomate of theAmerican Board of Orthodontics (ABO)and a member of the College ofDiplomates of the ABO.

Dr. Rogers has devoted many years ofservice to organized orthodontics and den-tistry. Among his scores of leadership posi-tions, Dr. Rogers has served as Speaker ofthe House of Delegates for both the AAOand the GDA. He has been a Delegate tothe House of Delegates for three organiza-tions: the American Dental Association

(ADA), the GDA, and the AAO.Dr. Rogers joined the AAO Board of

Trustees in 2002, representing theSouthern Association of Orthodontists(SAO). He is a past president of the SAO,the GDA, the Georgia Association ofOrthodontists (GAO), the Augusta DentalSociety, and the Medical College ofGeorgia Orthodontic Alumni Association.

Dr. Rogers and his wife, Beth, areresidents of Augusta. They have fourchildren and nine grandchildren. In hisspare time, Dr. Rogers enjoys playing golfand traveling. An avid runner, Dr. Rogershas competed in 37 26.2 mile marathonssince December 2001. He has qualified forand participated in six Boston Marathonsduring that time, including this year.

Barry Stacey, DMD, was honored in Maywith the John Freihaut LifetimeAchievement Award at the Georgia Societyof Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (GSOMS)spring meeting. Dr. Freihaut’s wife, Dr.Janine Bethea, attended the presentationand received a replica of the award. TheGSOMS established this annual award lastyear to honor the extraordinary life ofservice led by Dr. John Freihaut.

Dr. Stacey has practiced in CobbCounty since 1977. He attended theUniversity of Georgia and the University ofAlabama Birmingham School of Dentistry,graduating in 1972. He served in the U.S.Army Dental Corps in Ft. Riley, Kansas.He completed his oral and maxillofacialsurgery residency at UAB Hospitals andClinics in 1977.

He is a member of the AmericanDental Association, the Georgia DentalAssociation, and the Northwestern DistrictDental Society. He was elected as anHonorable Fellow of the GDA in 2000.

He is a member of the GeorgiaSociety of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeonsand Southeastern Society of Oral andMaxillofacial Surgeons. He served asPresident of the GSOMS from 1994-1996.He is a Fellow of the American Associationof Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons,

American Board of Oral and MaxillofacialSurgeons, American Dental Society ofAnesthesiology, and National DentalBoard of Anesthesiology. Dr. Stacey hasbeen a member of the Georgia Board ofDentistry since 2007.

Dr. Stacey has been a ClinicalProfessor in the Department of OMS atthe University of Alabama-BirminghamSchool of Dentistry since 1980. He hasserved on the volunteer staff of the BenMassell Dental Clinic since 1985. He hasprovided pro bono oral surgery care for theCobb County Schools Child AssistanceProgram since 1994 and for CalvaryChildren’s Home since 1985.

Dr. Stacey and his wife, Jane, reside inMarietta. They have three children and sixgrandchildren.

Executive Director Martha Phillipsrecently received a Service RecognitionAward from the Texas Dental Associationfor her work with the Austin Group. This isthe nickname given to a coalition ofstate delegations to the American DentalAssociation House of Delegates thatworked in 2009 and 2010 to promote theconcept that a dentist should be the onlymember of the dental team to provideirreversible and surgical procedures. Thisconcept was passed in resolution form at

generalnews

NORTHWESTERNNWDDS Dentists

EASTERNEDDS Dentists

GDA STAFFMartha Phillips

Dr. Mike Rogers.

Dr. Barry Stacey.

NEWSContinued on page 8



the 2010 ADA House and was meant tosignal that the delegates to the House werenot in favor of delegating such duties tomidlevel providers.

Georgia’s delegation was a leadingproponent of this concept and severalGeorgia dentist delegation members spokeat the ADA House regarding the issue. Ms.Phillips, as staff support for the Georgiadelegation, became the default “director”of the Austin Group because of Georgia’sleadership position and her nationallyacknowledged political acumen andstrategic planning abilities.

According to an official TDA state-ment about Mrs. Phillips, “One individualstepped up and not only became the stafflead in what became the fight to check thespread of midlevel providers, but moreimportantly acted as a powerful resourcein obtaining facts, suggesting strategy, andcoordinating the floor fight [at the 2010ADA House of Delegates]. Without thisindividual, the ability of the Austin Groupto not only remain organized but ultimate-ly triumph at the 2010 ADA House wouldhave been much more difficult. Therefore,in order to appropriately honor this indi-vidual, be it resolved that a Service

Recognition Award be presented to Ms.Martha S. Phillips, executive director ofthe Georgia Dental Association, for her

tireless work on behalf of the AustinGroup and successful efforts in protectingthe practice of dentistry.”

The College of Dental Medicine at theGeorgia Health Sciences University seeksto honor the artistic talents of Georgia’sdental community by showcasing a collec-tion of works from that community in the268,000-square-foot dental building open-ing this summer. Have you created a paint-ing, sculpture, piece of pottery, textile,photograph, or other artwork that youwould like to see on display in Augusta?Do you own a piece of fine art that youcould donate? Please contact Dr. CelesteCoggin at [email protected] soon as possible to discuss how your art-work could become a part of the newbuilding.

GHSUCall for Artwork

NEWSContinued from page 7

Martha Phillips received a Texas Dental Association Service Recognition Award anda standing ovation from the TDA House of Delegates for her work on behalf of theAustin Group and her successful efforts in protecting the practice of dentistry.Presenting a plaque is TDA President Dr. Ronald Rhea. Jowdy Photography.Courtesy Texas Dental Association.



August 11-13: Georgia Mission of Mercy,First Baptist Church of Woodstock.

August 15: Georgia Legislative SpecialSession (Redistricting).

August 20: Special Olympics Master’sBowling Dental Screenings, WarnerRobins. Dentists and dental team members interested in volunteeringshould email Dr. Jonathan Dubin at [email protected].

August 27: GDA Board of TrusteesMeeting / Committee Orientation, GDA Office.

August 27: Northern District Gala forSmiles, Druid Hills Golf Club.

September 5: GDA Office Closed forLabor Day Holiday.

September 8: Central District Meeting—GDA Officer Visit, Riverside Golf Club.

September 8-10: ADA Fifth DistrictCaucus Meeting, Atlanta (AL, GA, MSdelegations).

September 12: Northern DistrictExecutive Council Meeting, GDA Office.

September 14: Northern District CE Meeting, Villa Christina.

September 15: Western DistrictMeeting—GDA Officer Visit.

September 16: Southwestern DistrictMembership Meeting.

September 22: Northern DistrictLeadership Conference, Druid Hills Golf Club.

September 23: Grand OpeningCeremony, GHSU College of Dental Medicine.

October 10-13: ADA Annual Session, Las Vegas, NV.

October 12: Northern District CEMeeting, Villa Christina.

October 18: Eastern District Meeting—GDA Officer Visit.

October 27: Northern District Meeting—GDA Officer Visit, Druid Hills Golf Club.

October 29: Alliance VolunteersAssemble Legislative Dental Kits, GDA Office.

November 3: Western District LegislativeReception, Infantry Museum, Columbus.

November 4: Spokesperson Training,GDA Office.

November 4-6: Alliance Well-BeingConference, Madison, GA.

November 5: GDA Board of TrusteesMeeting, GDA Office.

November 8: Eastern District (Augusta)Legislative Reception.

November 9: Northwestern DistrictMeeting—GDA Officer Visit.

November 10: Southwestern District(Albany) Legislative Reception.

November 14: Northern DistrictExecutive Council Meeting, GDA Office.

November 15: Eastern District (Athens)Legislative Reception.

November 17: Southwestern District(Valdosta) Legislative Reception.

November 24-25: GDA Office Closed for Thanksgiving Holiday.

November 29: Central DistrictLegislative Reception.

Upcoming Dental Events



The Dentists Care columnfeatures charitable dentalefforts created or supportedby GDA member dentists. Ifyou would like to suggest acharitable dental event ororganization, email DelaineHall at [email protected].

What the Charitable Effort InvolvesSpecial Olympics serves athletes not onlyby providing them venues to show theirskills, but also by offering free healthscreenings and health information at local,regional, and World Games. In theprocess, Special Olympics has become thelargest global public health organizationdedicated to serving people with intellec-tual disabilities.

Special Olympics, Special Smiles(SOSS) is a dental screening, education,and referral program that operates underthe auspices of Special Olympics, Inc. Theprogram was developed by Dr. StevenPerlman in 1993, and was run by theBoston University Goldman School ofDental Medicine until it was officiallyadopted by Special Olympics in 1997. Theprogram is now one of the lead compo-nents of the Special Olympics’ HealthyAthletes initiative. A typical SOSS eventincludes four components:

• One-on-one oral hygiene instruction,typically given by a dental or dentalhygiene student. Sports mouth-guardsare made available to athletes who needthem.

• Non-invasive screenings provided bylicensed dentists, who look for visiblecavities, broken or missing teeth, gingivi-tis, and other problems.

• The collection of non-identifiable healthdata on this population of persons withspecial needs.

• Distribution to athletes of goody bags,instructions on proper oral care, a copyof their screening form, and a list of den-tists or other facilities that provide den-tal care for patients with special needs.

The Georgia SOSS program is 17years old. In 2011, 39 dentists, 8 dentalstudents, 6 dental hygienists, 27 dentalhygiene students, and 7 general volunteerstook part in program activities heldMay 21 at the Georgia Special OlympicsSummer Games on the campus of EmoryUniversity. Volunteer dentists screened422 athletes. For the second year in a row,Georgia volunteers applied fluoride varnishas indicated to many hard-working athletesfollowing their dental screenings.

The Volunteers Who Made a DifferenceDr. Jonathan Dubin is the clinical directorof the Georgia SOSS program. He was onhand May 21 to care for patients and directthe efforts of all volunteers, including Drs.Betsy Ayers, Henry Benson, TammyBregman, Yasheena Cara, Justin Chong,Latonya Wade-Crear, Walter Ray Davis Jr.,Meredith Dempsey, Kendra Derrick,Amesha Edward, Max Ferguson, GregFreeman, Jim Goettl, Narisa Goode, BradGreenway, Ray Gyselinck, Wayne Kerr,Jane Lewis, Carrie Logue, Robert McGuinn,Guy McMaster, Laura Mills, Mayur Nayee,Marina Nguyen, Sandra Oh, Deidra Rondeno,Usman Sajid, Aubrey Scher, AmandaSengel, Meng Su, Brittany Thome, DougTorbush, Duc Tran, Terese Vu, VickiWaits, Sarah Wilsey, and Hanna You.

Georgia Dentists Reach Outto Special Olympics Athletes

dentistscare

Dr. Henry Benson was one of 39 dentist volunteers at the 2011 Special Olympics,Special Smiles program in Georgia. Volunteers screened 422 athletes fordental-related issues.



The dentist volunteers were support-ed by dental students Wendy Cardenas,Monica Chana, Uyen Do, Brett Page,Shivani Patel, Tina Sampat, HaleySwearingen, and Ruby Truong fromGeorgia Health Sciences University, anddental hygienists Sue Dodd, KendallFreeman, Dixianne Parker, CherieRainwater, Wendy Stafford, and AmandaWinn. Dental hygiene students fromGeorgia Perimeter College, LanierTechnical College, and West GeorgiaTechnical College as well as communityvolunteers rounded out the group of dedi-cated caregivers.

Dr. Dubin also notes that the GeorgiaDivision of Public Health Oral HealthUnit donated two portable dental unitsand Help A Child Smile (Dr. MarkShurett) donated a mobile van to facilitatesealant application. 3M ESPE andPulpdent Corporation donated dentalmaterials. Other supporting donors includ-ed Atlanta Dental Supply, The Coca ColaCompany, Delta Dental, Benco Dental,The Cartoon Network, and Colgate.

The Impact of Dentists’ Giving“One of the many benefits of SpecialSmiles is to increase awareness of the den-tal needs of the developmentally disabledpopulation and to condition health profes-sionals in reaching out to this population,”said Dr. Dubin. “Our ever-increasing num-bers of volunteers bears out the success weare having. We also are able to gather oralhealth information about these special ath-letes that is very valuable.”

Apart from the success of the out-reach, education, and data gathering com-ponents of the program, Dr. Dubin esti-mates the value for the services providedin 2011 to be approximately $28,572 basedon the fluoride treatments, sealants, andmouth-guards the athletes received. “Butthe value of the calibration lecture that Igive is priceless!” he adds.

How You Can Become InvolvedAll dentists and dental staff membersare welcome to serve as volunteers atthe annual SOSS program held atEmory, and also at the SOSS programbeing held in conjunction with theSpecial Olympics Master’s Bowling

Tournament on August 20 in WarnerRobins. Dentists may email Dr. Dubinat [email protected] for information.Dentists may also make donations to support

Special Olympics Georgia activities byvisiting www.specialolympicsga.org. Theorganization is a 501(c)(3) charity.

Dr. Meredith Dempsey of Duluth screens a Special Olympics participant on May 21.She and dozens of other volunteers donated their time to improve the oral health ofspecial needs athletes.



classroom for my fellow students. After talking with friends inASDA, the American Student Dental Association, I knew thatstarting a “mentor”-type program with dentists across Georgiawould be the solution.

I contacted our GHSU Associate Dean of Students, Dr.Carole Hanes, about the possibility of launching a mentorprogram. She connected me with Dr. Jason Young, the GDA NewDentist Liaison, and GDA Associate Executive Director NeldaGreene. Since January, I have been working with them to make ourGHSU ASDA “Partners in Profession” a reality. Now, we just needyour participation to make it work.

The potential of this program is well worth your effort, andwould provide many benefits for both students and dentists.Professional interaction will help to motivate students, as well asgive them a better understanding about the practice of dentistryand what to pay even closer attention to in school (becausewe’re always paying attention, right?). Every dentist is a wealth ofinformation for dental students, and many of them have untappedreservoirs of knowledge that could really make a difference in thelife of a dental student.

Student interaction would provide dentists an opportunityto maintain the integrity of their profession by sharing thelessons learned in practice. There is much that is learned aboutevery profession that cannot be learned in a classroom. ASDA“Partners in Profession” offers dentists an opportunity to mold afuture dentist. Participating in the program would also allowdentists insight into what is currently being taught in school. Mostof all, the program could be extremely beneficial to the dentistlooking for a future employee or partner.

ASDA “Partners in Profession” can only benefit dentistry; thepossibilities are endless!

The development of rapport through interaction betweenstudents and dentists will guarantee success. You will haveseveral opportunities to interact with your paired student shouldyou choose to participate. We will have a “Meet and Greet” this fall

GUEST COMMENTARYContinued from page 6

ASDA National Lobby Day in Sen. Saxby Chambliss’ Office with Georgia ASDA members: Wendy Cardenas, past Historian; ChrisClance, Fundraising Chair; Kyrslyne Moore, Treasurer Elect; Shiven Gandhi, Technology Chair; Amir Lamei, Vice President; AnnaSchultz, Past President; Bob Wilson, Legislative Liaison.

National ASDA Convention in Anaheim, CA, with GeorgiaASDA members Andy Benfield, President; Amir Lamei, VicePresident; Leigh Bennett, Communications Chair; and AnnaSchultz, Past President.



to kick off the program, and we will capitalize on several eventsin Atlanta and across the state that ASDA already facilitates withthe GDA, such as the GDA LAW Day at the Capitol and GDAdistrict meetings. Many GHSU students also attend the HinmanDental Meeting in Atlanta in March, so you could connectthere as well.

Basically, we are asking that you be dedicated in making“Partners in Profession” successful by staying in contact with yourstudent and making him or her a part of your dental career.

To ensure a successful mentorship program, students anddentists must be paired appropriately. We have created twosurveys for the student and dentist. Both surveys have beenposted on the GHSU ASDA web site at www.ghsu-asda.org.The surveys ask specific questions to better identify a student’sinterest in their ideal dentist mentor, covering topics such asin what GDA district they would like to practice, the fields ofdentistry in which they’re interested, whether or not they havea family, and other personal information. The dentists have acorresponding survey to better identify their ideal student. Wethen do our best to match each student and dentist based on thegathered survey data.

As of this writing, 46 students have completed the survey.They are interested in every field of dentistry and in practicing inall seven GDA districts. However, we have only had two dentistscomplete the corresponding dentist survey. There is a highdemand for dentist participants from all GDA districts and allfields of dentistry!

I hope that you will consider this invitation to make animpact on dentistry and further strengthen the GDA, GHSU, and

ASDA by completing a survey and agreeing to serve as a mentor.Each of us is capable of much good, but together we will achievethe impossible.

Participants in the ASDA Rock Paper Scissors Tournament forPartners in Peru that raised funds for the GHSU dental clinicin Peru are Georgia ASDA members (l to r): Andy Benfield,President; Kaley Peek; and Kyrslyne Moore, Treasurer Elect.As for the people in the ASDA photos—Anna Schultz andLeigh Bennett helped edit this article, Shiven Gandhi workedon the ASDA web site and online survey, and everyone else isa participant looking for a “Partner in Profession!”



The seven GDA districts, and the GDAAlliance dental spouses group, will welcomenew presidents on July 24. Each willreceive a shiny new gavel during a specialinstallation breakfast, and then depart toshoulder the less glamorous responsibilityof ushering their hundreds of membersthrough a year of meetings, activities, andgoal setting. Thanks to each new leader forsharing the path that brought them to theirpresidency and their plans for their year.

Dr. Alfred PetersCentral District

Family: Wife Georgie, daughter Shantrice,and pets Rusty (miniature Dobermanpinscher) and Dave (conure parrot).

Practice: I am a general dentist inMilledgeville.

School: I graduated from the MCGSchool of Dentistry in 1983.

Hobbies: I enjoy gardening, fishing, andgolf.

Leadership Resources: To Kill aMockingbird by Harper Lee, and WoodBadge training through the Boy Scouts ofAmerica. I have served as an assistantscoutmaster and scoutmaster of a troopthat has produced more than 30 Eaglescouts. In 1991, I received the WoodBadge, which is the highest leadershiptraining award for adults involved in scout-ing.

District’s Biggest Challenge: Maintainingand / or increasing our GDA membershipnumbers.

District’s Strongest Asset: Our districthas several members who are veryknowledgeable about governmentalaffairs, and do a great job of keeping usinformed about state and nationalactivities and getting us involved.

Most Excited About: Creating newprofessional friendships.

Big District Activity: Leading CentralDistrict to repeat as LAW Day Challengeattendance champions. Our district haswon the challenge for eight of the nineyears, so I want to see our streak continue.Our LAW Day will be on February 15,2012, so reserve the day now, Central!

Dr. Lee AndrewsEastern District

Family: Wife Alison, daughters Katie (6),Lauren (4), and Kelly (2), and son Lee III(2 months).

Practice: I am an orthodontist in Augusta.I practice with my father-in-law, Dr. MikeRogers. He served as GDA president in2006, and was just installed as presi-dent of the American Association ofOrthodontists.

School: I attended dental school at theMedical University of South Carolina andgraduated in 2004. I completed myorthodontic residency at the MedicalCollege of Georgia in December 2006.

Hobbies: I love sports, cutting grass withmy riding reel mower, and cheering forUniversity of South Carolina Gamecockfootball.

District’s Biggest Challenge: To contin-ue to find new leaders and others to getinvolved at the district level, as well asto continue to fight for and protect ourprofession.

District’s Strongest Asset: The numberof experienced leaders we have, both pastand present, who maintain a wealth ofknowledge in dealing with complex issuesfacing dentistry in Georgia.

Most Excited About: Having the oppor-tunity to interact with colleagues andto promote involvement in all aspects ofthe GDA.

Dr. Doug TorbushNorthern District

Family: Debbie and I celebrated our 34thanniversary in June. We met during myfirst year of teaching at Avondale HighSchool while Debbie was doing herpractice teaching. Debbie decidedteaching was not for her, so she obtainedher Master’s Degree and later herSpecialist’s Degree in school psychology.Debbie retired three years ago afterspending 30 years as a SchoolPsychologist. We have two children;Ryan (30) and Katherine (24).

Practice: I have a general dental practicein Conyers and have been in the samelocation for 20 years.

School: I attended Emory UniversitySchool of Dentistry, graduating with aDDS in 1988 and completed a GeneralPractice Residency at Emory in 1989.Emory decided to close the dental schoolin February 1985, but continued so thatthe class of 1988 was the final class. Iserved as Class President all four yearswhile at Emory during this transition.

Hobbies: My “hobby” is not only playingtennis, but being the captain of a multi-tude of tennis teams. I also enjoy Bravesbaseball.

Leadership Resources: I received themost guidance from my father. Hisphilosophy was that if you were to be incharge, you would need to be the first onein, the last one out, and not ask anyone todo a job that you would not do yourself. Itwas never about who got the credit for thejob; it was that the job was done correctly.

District’s Biggest Challenge: Membershipis always a challenge and we will need to

District and Alliance Presidents-Elect Discuss Challenges, Hopes, and Plans

PRESIDENT ELECTContinued on page 17



2011-12 GDA Districtand Alliance Presidents

2011-12 GDA Districtand Alliance Presidents



actively pursue methods to inform thedentists within our district of the benefitsof being a part of our organization.

District’s Strongest Asset: The willingnessof our members to participate andvolunteer in the various events and tasksthat occur during the year.

Most Excited About: This year is going tobe a very busy one for the NorthernDistrict. The GMOM program in Augustwill provide an excellent opportunity forour members to provide care forGeorgians who are truly in need. OurNorthern District GALA for Smiles onAugust 27 at the Druid Hills Golf Club willalso raise funds for the many charitabledental clinics in our district. This will beanother way our district can provide directcare to patients in our neighborhood.

Big District Activity: I feel strongly thatthe Northern District needs to increase its

participation in the LAW Day program.This program has proven to be a benefitto our practice of dentistry, both tomembers and non-members. Legislatorswill listen to those who take the time toexpress their concerns and views. Weneed to take the time to be the purveyorsof this information on behalf of ourpatients’ oral health.

Dr. Wilkie StadekerNorthwestern District

Family: Wife Marcia and daughters Kaylaand Alyssa.

Practice: I am a periodontist in Marietta.

School: I attended Northwestern, graduatingwith a DDS in 1997, and graduated frommy periodontal residency in 2000 from theUniversity of Alabama at Birmingham.

Hobbies: Running and being a dad.

District’s Biggest Challenge: Gettingback lost members. We have to communi-cate the value of membership.

District’s Strongest Asset: TheNorthwestern District is the district ofleaders—past GDA and ADA presidents,committee chairs, you name it.

Most Excited About: Working with all ofthe smart dentists in this district!

Big District Activity: Our district is thehome district for the GMOM project inAugust. We have many dentists who areserving as program leads and as volunteers,and we will have a huge district presenceat this event.


PRESIDENT ELECTContinued from page 14



Michael Vernon, DMD, is a privatepractice dentist in Augusta whobecomes president of the Georgia DentalAssociation in July. His theme is “DoSomething Amazing,” and he talks withGDA Action about his plans to implementa dentist leadership development project,promote the GDA and the needs of dentalpatients within the legislature, andhow he will serve as a Georgia Missionof Mercy volunteer.

GDA Action: So, the theme foryour year sounds amazing.Why are you emphasizingthat word?

Dr. Vernon: My theme for this year is“Do Something Amazing.” What inspiredme to select this theme was my observationthat our society—not the GDA, but ourcountry in general—complains aboutproblems or injustices instead of doingsomething about them. I want our dentalsociety to be active in producing solutionsinstead of complaints to situations thatpresent themselves. We can all make a dif-ference if we take the time to becomeinvolved and lead with a positive, purpose-ful direction to a definitive goal and notwait on others to come to our rescue. The“white hat” guys may come too late!

Although my emphasis is on doingsomething and looking ahead, we have afew things already in process that willculminate soon that qualify as amazing.The efforts of Drs. Karyn Stockwell andJonathan Dubin, their Georgia Mission ofMercy (GMOM) Task Force members,and all the other dentists and volunteersworking to put on GMOM are trulyamazing. To treat 2,000 patients in twodays, and make that much of a differenceto the people involved, is remarkable. Weare going to actively treat urgent dentalneed, educate low-income adults about theimportance of oral health, and show ourpolicymakers and legislators how caringdentists are and how complex the access tocare issue is.

I will be proud to be president duringthe grand opening at Georgia HealthSciences University of the most amazingdental school anywhere. If you haven’t hadthe chance, take a tour of this Augustashowplace. Seeing it will make you wishyou could go to dental school all overagain! The open house for the dentalschool building is scheduled forSeptember 23. Many dentists around thestate were inspired to “do something”when asked to help raise the privatemoney needed to make it possible for thebuilding to happen, and the results areamazing.

Lastly, we had amazing success inthe legislature in 2011 with the bills wepromoted and it was all because the LAWDay dentists, our contact dentists, andMartha Phillips and our executive officestaff did something to help carry dentistry’smessage and influence the outcome of keybills. I look forward to continuing thatamazing progress forward into 2012.

GDA Action: The GDA didenjoy several successes underthe Gold Dome in 2011. Canyou talk about what goalsthe GDA wants to accomplishin 2012 at the Capitol, andwhat challenges the Associationwill face?

Dr. Vernon: Many of the challengesnext year will have the same root cause asthe challenges this year—budget issues.There is not enough money in thestate’s coffers to fund the programs andobligations of the state and there will be abattle for those dollars. Adult dentalMedicaid and dental Medicaid benefits forpregnant women were very close to beingcut from the budget this year, and onlyafter great lobbying efforts did the fundingfor the programs get put back in.

One goal will be for us to have themost effective Contact Dentist Programthat we can possibly organize. There are

always exceptions, but we are striving tofind dentists with access to the largest partof the legislator’s ear. Usually, this meansenlisting the legislator’s personal dentistinto the program. Similar to that goal, Iwant have our own legislators from ourdistricts know our names and faces. Itbuilds so many bridges to have our LAWDay and Legislative Reception contactsand to be consistent year after year inorder to brand ourselves and the GDA intheir minds.

Another goal is keep our message infront of the legislators and to educate themabout dentistry and the delivery systemnecessary to provide great oral care. Thereis a misconception that because otherhealth professions may have shortages thatdentistry may have shortages as well. InGeorgia, we definitely do not have ashortage of dentists. We have a veryattractive practice environment inGeorgia. In fact, we attract two times asmany dentists from outside the state tobe licensed here than are graduatedfrom GHSU.

GDA Action: Many stateshave seen bills introducedthat would change themakeup of the dental team.In what ways do you see thetraditional model of dentalpractice—a sole practitionerwith a supporting staff—changing? How can the GDAposition itself to help dentistsas dentistry undergoes change?

Dr. Vernon: A friend of mine has a sonwho graduated from dental school thisyear. The world of dentistry is verydifferent for him than it was for me 30years ago. The mix of services, the materialsavailable, and the advances in technologyare so tremendously different from when Igraduated. Who would have envisionedcomputers in every operatory, lasers for

143rd GDA President Mike Vernon on Leadership, Legislation, and Amazing Dentists



hard and soft tissue work, CAD impressionsand milled restorations, and digital radiographsthen? Not to mention needing our staffmembers to support us as much as they donow. For instance, it is nearly impossi-ble to find a general dentistry office with-out a dental hygienist on staff. The dentalassistants we employ are more highlytrained and able to provide expandedfunctions in many cases.

I am sure we have not seen the end ofchanges in the way we practice. There hasbeen a trend of corporate entities buyingprivate practices and hiring dentists towork for them. With the introduction ofhealth clinics at local “big box” retailers,will it be long before we see dentalclinics there as well? I can’t see theprivate practice of dentistry offeredwith a personal touch and a trustingdoctor-patient relationship ceasing to exist,but people could be enticed to receivecare in a retail clinic based on cost alone.We have already seen this trend inpharmacy and vision care services.

Some change is inevitable, but theGDA will be looking out for our patients.We need to be diligent about ensuring thatonly a trained and licensed dentist canperform irreversible procedures or

diagnose dental disease. By watching trendsnationally and in our state we can be readyto respond to assaults on our ability to lookout for our patient’s wellbeing.

GDA Action: The GDA willneed lots of leaders to carrydentistry’s message in thelegislature and in otherareas. Tell us about yourLeadership DevelopmentProject. What is involved, andwhat impact do you believethe program will make?

Dr. Vernon: An association cannotfunction without adequate leadership. Ourassociation must find those leaders. Wehave to groom them and allow them togrow and become the best they can be. Myexperience is that you have to involvemembers early, give them a job, and letthem see the process and the fruits of theirefforts.

As part of this project, I have askedthe president of each district to identify apotential leader who has not yet had a

chance to serve at any level. I took the listof names, and assigned each dentist toa standing GDA committee. They willnot only observe and learn, but serve asa functioning committee member.Hopefully, each dentist after this initialexposure will continue serving theprofession, become a leader, and stayinvolved throughout his or her career.

Our currently involved dentists andGDA staff are also designing a“Leadership GDA” training effort that willresemble the leadership training that citiesand other groups do to help memberslearn more about the workings of theirorganizations and be more prepared toguide others. Leadership Augusta is oneexample of a program we are emulating. Iwant to identify dentists around the statewho want to be in leadership positions andgive them the opportunity to grow andhave their questions answered. I anticipatethe “training” would include attendance ata House of Delegates meeting, a Board ofTrustees meeting, a LAW Day, and ourGDA spokesperson training. After visiting

VERNONContinued on page 20

(L to r) Office staff Kristen Beckham, dental assistant Debra Whitehead, dental hygienist Andrea Landon,dental assistant Ashley Bradley, office staff Leah Bell, dental hygienist Jenny Weathersbee, office staff TinaChalender, dental hygienist Sarah Vernon, and dental assistant Janine May with Dr. Christopher Moldovan andDr. Mike Vernon in the back.



the Capitol for LAW Day, the participantswill visit the GDA office for a tour anddescription of the departments andresponsibilities of each staff member.The plan is to identify our first class ofparticipants this autumn, and have theindividuals start getting involved at theJanuary 2012 House of Delegates.

GDA Action: Can you describeany other projects you haveplanned for your term?

Dr. Vernon: Jay [GDA President Dr.Harrington] set up a mentoring program

this past year with the dental students atGeorgia Health Sciences University. TheGDA tried to start a mentoring program afew years ago, but we did not have fullengagement from the students. Thistime, the students are really buying intothe effort. The GHSU ASDA chapter hascreated surveys for the students and forinterested dentists. Already, more than 40students have taken the survey and arehoping to be matched with a dentalmentor. Now, our GDA dentists need tostep up and take the dental survey so thematching can begin. We have the potentialfor a viable program.

In addition, I am fully convinced thatour Contact Dentist Program is thelifeblood of our legislative efforts. Withoutthe relationships we create and maintainwith the legislators, our success would bevery limited. Our program liaison Dr. Bill

Argo has made it his goal to find a contactdentist for each legislator, and continuallyevaluate the effectiveness of existingcontacts. He came very close to completingthat task for this year’s session. It is my goalto help him achieve 100% during my termand help him put processes in place tokeep that program strong.

Of course, the groundwork for ourGMOM project was laid during Jay’s year,but it is my goal to have that programreach patients and policymakers in anamazing way in August.

Dr. Vernon with his wife Debbie, son David, daughter-in-law Marlo, daughter Julia, and daughter Sarah with grand-daughters Louisa, Marilla, and Margaret at The Church of the Most Holy Trinity.

VERNONContinued from page 19

VERNONContinued on page 22



I was born just this side of the middle of last century inHopewell, Virginia, to a farm girl from North Carolina andboy from the coal mines of Alabama. I was the oldest of thesecond half of six siblings.

My father, an engineer in the paper industry, wastransferred to Augusta when I was 10. Except for my time atthe University of Georgia in Athens, I have been in Augustaever since.

Debbie and I were married while I was attending UGAand we have three wonderful children. Debbie and herbusiness partner Beverly Allgood own the only true Pilatesstudio in Augusta. They pride themselves on carrying on thelegacy of Joseph and Clara Pilates, teaching true classicalPilates techniques, and emphasizing the mind, body, andspirit connection.

My oldest, my son David, is married to Marlo, aresearch project coordinator at GHSU. They have blessed uswith three granddaughters who never cease to amaze mewith what they say and do. David was a computer major atUGA and owns Vernon Systems, a computer supportcompany. He takes care of the IT and networking needs ofmany of the dental offices and other businesses in Augusta.

Julia graduated from UGA with a finance degree. Shelives in Atlanta with her dog Bailey working as a mortgageloan coordinator for a busy mortgage company.

Sarah, my youngest, is also a UGA graduate whocontinued on to MCG (GHSU) to earn her dental hygienedegree. She has been working with me for the lastthree years.

If I had not gone into dentistry I probably wouldhave pursued a construction or engineering career. I amconstantly designing, building, or repairing something. Ihave a lot of fun conceiving an idea, developing it, andcreating a finished product. I guess that is why I enjoy myprofession so much. One of my inventions that I call theSandwich Bag Trashcan was deemed worthy of a U.S.Patent. It is a bracket that holds a sandwich bag open so youcan conveniently dispose of waste generated during a dentalprocedure. The SBT eliminates cross-contamination ofwaste and allows retrieval of items thrown away accidentally.

The product never produced a real profit, however.In my spare time I like playing golf, woodworking,

traveling, and spending time at Lake Thurmond boating,skiing, and fishing. I spread my time over all these things tothe point that I cannot say I would be described as beingavid of any of them.

Most of all I enjoy spending time with my family andwatching my children, and now my grandchildren, grow andevolve into the wonderful, amazing people they are.

Get to Know More About Your Next GDA President

Dr. Vernon fishing at Lake Thurmond with his grand-daughter Margaret.


GDA Action: Tell us a aboutthe value you see in theGMOM “backyard mission”project that will take placetwo weeks after you becomepresident.

Dr. Vernon: I plan to be there as aGMOM volunteer in Woodstock from startto finish. Although I didn’t really expectanything different, almost all of my staffwants to help out where they can. Theysee the difference they can make inthe lives of the patients that we treat. Itis easy to see all the dental need in theworld and wonder if a Mission of Mercycan make a significant difference. But, tothose 2,000 or so patients we will treat andeducate, this event has the potential tomake a big difference. Every life we touch,every misconception we turn around,every person we can educate will matter.Truly amazing!

GDA Action: Speaking of yourstaff members, tell us aboutthem and your practice.

Dr. Vernon: I went straight fromgraduating from the Medical College ofGeorgia School of Dentistry (now GHSU)in the fall of 1977 to practicing withtwo other family dentists. I enjoyed thatpartnership for almost 11 years until Imoved out on my own and opened a solopractice. Then in 2001, Dr. ChristopherMoldovan joined me and is now my partnerand together we have enjoyed building abusy practice for both of us. Chris hasbeen great and very supportive of myrole in the GDA and I am confident hewill be there for me again this year.

The variety of a general practice iswhat keeps it interesting. When I decidedto go to dental school it was initially just anavenue to oral surgery training. As I gotcloser to graduating, though, I found thepart I liked the most was the “art part” ofrestorative dentistry. I get great satisfac-tion from creating something functionaland beautiful for my patients.

We have a great, well-cross-trainedstaff that can work seamlessly with eitherChris or me in any room of the office. Thedental hygienists or office staff memberscan fall into a dental assistant’s seat if weneed an extra hand and we don’t miss abeat. It is wonderful to have a team thatworks so well together and feels they cancount on each other when help is needed.All my thanks to our office staff of KristenBeckham, Leah Bell, and Tina Chalendar;dental assistants Ashley Bradley, JanineMay, and Debra Whitehead; and dentalhygienists Andrea Landon, Sarah Vernon,and Jenny Weathersbee.

GDA Action: You will be takinga team of dentists and dentalspouses on a president’s tripin 2012. Can you give ussome details?

Dr. Vernon: I am very excited aboutour President’s Trip next year. It will bedifferent than many of the past trips in thatwe will stay on this side of the big pond.We arrive in Montreal then cruise on May26 on the Holland America’s Maasdam upthe St. Lawrence River to the ports ofQuebec City, Charlottetown, Sydney,Halifax, Bar Harbor, and finally intoBoston on June 2. There will be before andafter tours in both Montreal and Bostonthat will give us a longer visit to exploreeach city. Plus, we will have plenty of

chances to explore the other ports. This isa beautiful part of the world and being inour time zone it is easy to get to. Since thetrip is scheduled over Memorial Day thatis one less day you have to take off.Sometimes I think we don’t see the partsof the world in our own backyard and thisis a beautiful part of the world with greathistory and amazing views.

GDA Action: Looking farahead into 2012, tell us aboutyour Annual Meeting.

Dr. Vernon: My kids grew up going tothe Annual Meeting at “Amelia Bedelia,”as they called Amelia Island, so it is espe-cially nice we are going back there July 19-22. My general chairman Dr. JimReynierson has all the committee chairs inplace for a great meeting. Dr. DougClepper has promised an amazing lineupof continuing education. Of course, oursocial events will be meeting highlights!Meanwhile, start training for the first GDAmini-triathlon. We promise to make this2012 meeting the best and most amazingever. I plan to continue the “amazing”theme throughout the meeting. Keep youreyes open. You don’t want to miss a thing.


VERNONContinued from page 20

denture when a more appropriate treatmentchoice would be implants or fixedbridgework? These treatment decisionsshould not be made by an entity not in thatdental office.

To its credit, the American DentalAssociation also has statements to makeabout EBD on its web site. According tothe ADA, EBD should have threeimportant domains, loosely: 1) Scientificevidence; 2) A dentist’s clinical skills andjudgment; and 3) Each individual patient’sneeds and preferences. The ADA statesthat EBD should never mandate a specificcourse of treatment.

Here is a caution. We cannot allowany third party to bastardize the intent ofEBD by using it to limit and dictate dentaltreatment. EBD can only be good to me ifthe process produces general guidelinesand not strict policy. There is no substitutefor a skilled clinician using a trained mindto decipher, diagnose, and treat a patient inconsultation with that patient. EBDshould simply be a tool in the clinician’sarmamentarium—and not the hammer.

EDITORIALContinued from page 5



Dr. Jay McCaslin VISoutheastern District

Family: My wife, Lisa, and I have beenmarried for nine years. We have twochildren, Alston J. McCaslin VII (8) andMary Page (6). We are a family of twos—we have two dogs, two cats, and twochildren. My wife owns a specialtyhome and gift store named Sweet TeaHome and Gifts.

Practice: I am a partner in a pediatricpractice in Savannah. Our practice focuseson all children, healthy and with specialneeds.

School: I graduated dental school in1996 from the University of KentuckyCollege of Dentistry. I then completedmy residency in pediatric dentistry in1998 at the Medical College of Georgia.

Hobbies: Family, fly fishing, boating,and golf.

Leadership Resources: The bestresource on leadership or management forme is most definitely the Bible.

District’s Biggest Challenge: Findingnew young dentists who want to becomeinvolved in organized dentistry. We havehad a hard time filling positions due to oursmall and spread out district and it’s notgetting any easier. I will be challenging allof our members who have never beeninvolved to step up and become aninvolved member who is willing to helpshape our profession.

District’s Strongest Asset: Our unity ascolleagues within our profession. We havea very close-knit group of dentists who getalong and work very well together. That iswhat makes our district one of thestrongest!

Most Excited About: Finishing my yearas president with a feeling that I havedone a good job and done my district a

service. We have had some hard-workingpresidents in the last number of years so Ihave some big shoes to fill!

Big District Activity: Our legislativereception and LAW Day, which is March7. Our legislators are our biggest avenue toimproving the oral health of our patients.Getting to know them through LAW Dayand showing our appreciation to them withour legislative reception is very important!I am hoping to make both of these eventsa priority in my year as president.

Dr. Amanda MerrittSouthwestern District

Family: My husband Jay is Vice Presidentfor Commercial Lending at FlintCommunity Bank in Albany. We have beenmarried for 7 1/2 years and are expectingour first child in August (it’s a boy!). Wehave two cats, Susie and Boots.

Practice: I am part of a somewhat uniquepractice. Our practice has 6 full-timedentists and 4 locations, so I am in a larger




private practice than most dentists. Werotate to work at each practice. It actuallyfeels like a smaller private practicebecause each location has one or twodoctors at any time. I enjoy practicing inthis type of situation because I am able towork at different places with differentpeople every day.

School: I attended the Medical College ofGeorgia and graduated in 2005. I served asClass Treasurer for four years. I then com-pleted (in 2006) a General PracticeResidency at MCG where I served asChief Resident.

Hobbies: I enjoy spending time with myfamily and exercising.

Leadership Resources: My favoriteresources on leadership and managementare my husband and my dad. My husbandis a natural leader and motivator, and hascreative ideas for management. My fatherhas over 20 years’ experience in humanrelations and management. Having them

as resources is more valuable than anybook or blog.

District’s Biggest Challenge: Our districtis large geographically, but has a relativelysmall number of members. This is justdue to the dentists being spread out overthe rural areas. What this means for ourdistrict is members may be asked to servein more than one role.

District’s Strongest Asset: We havesome very talented and strong leaders. Themembers are always willing to volunteerwhere they are needed to make the GDAbetter. We have a cohesive district of peo-ple who are proud to be dentists and proudto be GDA members.

Most Excited About: Over the past threeyears of working through the officerchain, I have met some highly motivatedand talented individuals across the state.As president, I am most looking forward tocontinuing to work with these colleagues.

Big District Activity: The SouthwesternDistrict is proud to offer our membershigh-quality CE locally at a very reason-able cost. We are able to combine our CEwith our quarterly membership meetings.

Dr. Nancy GallagherWestern District

Family: My husband Michael is a CPA inColumbus. I have one daughter, Sophie,who is 5 and getting ready to startKindergarten in August. We have two cats,Jezebel and Sasquatch, and two frogs thathave somehow survived for a year and ahalf. Our current snail Gary X keeps upwith their environment.

Practice: I am a federally employeddentist at Fort Benning.




School: I graduated in 1999 from theMedical College of Georgia.

Hobbies: One of my favorite hobbies isreading, but lately I have not had muchtime for it. Almost my entire life has beenengulfed with my work pet project ofPatient Safety.

Leadership Resources: I am the PatientSafety Officer for the Fort BenningDENTAC and have attended PatientSafety Management courses. I am also atrainer for TeamSTEPPSTM (Team Strategiesand Tools to Enhance Performance andPatient Safety), which is a programdesigned to help create a culture of patientsafety in the medical / dental setting. Itpromotes better communication andteamwork in these settings. It helps toempower all team members to have anactive role to prevent errors from occurring

that could cause harm to patients and tolook at causal factors that may contributeto these errors. Nobody ever goes in towork saying that they are going to harmtheir patients, but we all need to acceptthat certain environments and conditionshappen that make us more prone to this.Through evaluation and communication,we can catch things and improve conditionsbefore patients have to suffer the consequences.

District’s Biggest Challenge: Our districthas the fewest members, so gettinginvolvement from members is our biggestchallenge.

District’s Strongest Asset: Having fewermembers means it is much easier foreveryone to be active. We have a place foryou to be involved!

Most Excited About: Getting out andtrying to get people to take an interest inorganized dentistry. As a leader I want tomake sure that all of our district dentistsknow that they need to voice their opinionsand stay connected. There are so many

issues out there that could have a largeimpact on our conventional dentalmodel. I want us all to feel empoweredto set our own vision, not just wait forothers to dictate where we are headed as aprofession.

Big District Activity: At our last meeting,members seemed interested in a wintersocial event with our significant others. Ilook forward to getting this planned! And Iam very excited about our legislativereception on November 3 at the NationalInfantry Museum in Columbus. We willhave private access to some of the mostspectacular parts of the museum thenhave our social event. This is a uniqueopportunity, and we are hoping for a bigturnout.

Mrs. Helaine SugarmanAlliance

Family: My husband is Dr. RichardSugarman, an Atlanta periodontist. Wehave a blended family of four children,




three married daughters (Marla, Sarah,and Rebecca) and one son (Marty).

School: I have a Bachelor of Science inMiddle School Education, and thebeginners of a Master’s Program. I taughtfor 13 years, and was math coordinator ofgrades 2-5.

Interest: I am a full-time volunteer. Inaddition to becoming Alliance presi-dent, I am co-chair of the Chastain ParkConservancy Fall fundraiser; a Partnerwith Atlanta Families, a granting programfor public school teachers in the AtlantaPublic School System; and active with theNational Council of Jewish Women-IsraelGranting Program.

Hobbies: I enjoy family, cooking,entertaining, needlework, and beginningwood-turning.

Alliance’s Biggest Challenge: Maintainingand increasing a committed membership,keeping the Alliance strong duringstressful times, and supporting our spouses.

Alliance’s Strongest Asset: Thefriendships, camaraderie, and bondsformed by our members; our DentalHealth Education activities statewide; andsupport for the GDA in all areas.

Most Excited About: Continuing thestrong leadership and foundation that hascome before me, and pursuing the goalsand the dreams of our founders.

Big District Activity: The Alliance isplaying a huge support role for theGMOM project in August. We also want tohost the best national Alliance SpringConference ever in 2012 in StoneMountain. You can find out more atwww.allianceada.org. We will havecontinuing education for dentists andgreat enrichment courses for dentalspouses. I am also planning a slate of lunchand learn programs and couples activities,and getting our membership involved inongoing volunteer support for the state’scharitable dental clinics.

2010-11Presidents: Salute!

Thanks to the 2010-11 GDADistrict and Alliance Presidentsfor their service during the pastyear. Your leadership producedspectacular results statewide!

Central: Dr. Kara Moore

Eastern: Dr. Grant Loo

Northern: Dr. Jeff Kendrick

Northwestern: Dr. Terry O’Shea

Southeastern: Dr. Mark Dusek

Southwestern: Dr. Jeff Singleton

Western: Dr. Jay Harris

Alliance: Mrs. Molly Bickford



board minutes

President Jay Harrington convened the Boardof Trustees at 9 a.m. Present: Dr. JayHarrington, chair; Drs. Robert Carpenter,Jonathan Dubin, Nancy Gallagher, BenJernigan, Mike Loden, Jay McCaslin, AmandaMerritt, Kent Percy, Alfred Peters, TerryO’Shea (for Robin Reich), Steve Sample, WilkieStadeker, Craig Taylor (for Lee Andrews),Doug Torbush, Sidney Tourial, Mike Vernon,Erik Wells. Absent: Drs. Byron Colley and JimHall; Guests: PDRS Board of Directors: Dr.Russ Clemmons, Ed Green, Roy McDonald,Peter Shatz; Finance Committee Chair, Dr. JayPhillips; Member Services Chair, Dr. BeckyWeinman; ADA Delegation Chair, Dr. JimReynierson; District Vice Presidents: Drs. KeithCrummey, Stan Halpern, Tom Jagor, JimLopez, Michael Wright. Other guests: Drs. TyIvey, Jeff Kendrick, Marshall Mann, RichardWeinman. GDA staff: Martha Phillips, NeldaGreene, Delaine Hall, Skip Jones, MelanaMcClatchey, Denis Mucha, Pam Yungk.

MinutesThe minutes of the April 2, 2011, BOT meetingwere approved by general consent.

President’s ReportDr. Harrington discussed several topics, includ-ing meetings with GHSU President Dr. RicardoAzziz and Dental Dean Connie Drisko. Dr.Harrington stated that Dr. Azziz has a vision tocreate a nationally recognized university andplans to implement research programs and hirefaculty to achieve these goals. Dr. Harringtonstated he hopes that the meeting with DeanDrisko is the first of many communicationsopportunities with the school.

Professional Debt RecoveryServices (PDRS)PDRS Board of Directors Chair Dr. Ed Greenpresented information concerning PDRS col-lections, inventory, and 2012 proposed budget.As of May 2011, PDRS had collected more than$1.7 million for its clients. One of the criticalissues concerning current accounts is that themajority of them are 365 days or older. Aged

accounts are not only more difficult to collect,but the collection cost to PDRS is higher due tothe additional time and manpower involved.

Ms. Phillips explained the recentlychanged regulatory constraints imposed on col-lection agencies. The Truth in Caller ID Actsigned into law December 2010 eliminatesPDRS’ ability to utilize rotating phone num-bers. There are now stricter laws concerningleaving of messages on answer machines andservices. More strenuous restraints on the useof automated dialers are now in place (forexample, PDRS can no longer use a dialer tocontact cell phones). Other issues impactingPDRS’ viability include the loss of a large clientdue to a change in collections philosophy by theclient, and the fact that insurance companieswill no longer provide protection for class actionlawsuits originating out of actual or allegedviolations of the Telephone ConsumerProtection Act.

Dr. Green reported that these issues andconcerns were presented to the PDRS Board ofDirectors on May 21. At this meeting, thePDRS Board of Directors passed unanimouslythe following resolution: Resolved that thePDRS Board recommends closing PDRS effec-tive August 31, 2011, due to the changes thathave impacted the entire collection industry.Due to the sensitivity of this issue, the PDRSBoard embargoed this information until it couldbe presented to the GDA Board of Trustees atits June 18 meeting.

Based on the recommendation of thePDRS Board of Directors, the GDA Board ofTrustees unanimously passed the followingmotion [11-06.1]: The GDA Board of Trusteesapproves the recommendation of the PDRSBoard of Directors to close PDRS effectiveAugust 31, 2011, due to the changes that haveimpacted the entire collections industry.

Committee ReportsConstitution and BylawsWith the name change of the Medical Collegeof Georgia to Georgia Health SciencesUniversity, there are certain editorial changesthat need to be made to the GDA PolicyManual. [11-6.02] Dr. Mike Vernon moved to

make the editorial change in the GDA PolicyManual to replace any and all references to theMedical College of Georgia (MCG) to GeorgiaHealth Sciences University (GHSU). Themotion passed unanimously.

GMOM Task ForceThe Board discussed the appropriate timelinefor a possible future Georgia Mission of Mercy(GMOM) event. Dr. Harrington stated that itwill be necessary for the GDA Foundation forOral Health to employ a paid part-time GMOMcoordinator. [11-6.03] Dr. Sidney Tourialmoved that the GDA President appoint a taskforce to study and make a recommendationabout a specific date and venue for a futureGMOM event and report their findings at theAugust Board meeting. The motion passedunanimously.

Task Force to Update Quality Assurance ManualThe Task Force presented the recommendedchanges to the GDA Quality AssuranceManual, which is an internal document utilizedby the GDA Peer Review Committee. Therewas a question concerning ‘retreatment’ in theEndodontic Section on page 8 which will beclarified, and an omission of ‘not’ in the chargeon page 24, which will be corrected. [11-6.04]The Board of Trustees moved to accept the rec-ommended changes from the Task Force toUpdate the QA Manual as proposed. Themotion passed unanimously.

Task Force on the Strategic PlanDr. Donna Thomas Moses and the committeepresented the draft of the 2011 GDA StrategicPlan. Dr. Harrington thanked the committeefor their work on the draft document. Hecharged the Board and district officers withsharing the plan with district members andsending any suggestions for changes oreditions by October 1, 2011, for presentationof the edited document at the November Boardmeeting.

Unofficial Minutes of the June 18 Board of Trustees MeetingOnly the persons present, resolutions passed, and key issues discussed at this meeting are printed here. For full minutes, visitwww.gadental.org. If you do not have Internet access, contact Phyllis Willich at (800) 432-4357 for a copy of the minutes.

MINUTESContinued on page 34



Dental Related Services

X-RAY SAFETY CERTIFICATION forassistants is required by Georgia law.This up-to-date take-home course haseffectively certified thousands of x-raymachine operators. Send $149.99 per reg-istrant with name(s) to: Dr. Rick Waters,385 Pinewood Circle, Athens, GA 30606.Visit www.gaxray.com for credit card pay-ment or to use the immediate-accessonline version. Call (706) 255-4499 formore information.

Dentists Availablefor Locum Tenens

Dentist will fill in for illness, vacation, orcontinuing education. Licensed, insured,and DEA #. Call (404) 786-0229 or [email protected].

Dentist Available Daily (DAD): Dentistavailable during vacations, emergencies,and CE courses. Leave your practice inwell-trained hands. I am licensed, insured,and have a DEA registration number so Ican write prescriptions. Call Dr. RichardPatrick at (770) 993-8838.

DENTIST: Need Part Time Fill In?Vacation, Illness, Maternity? GENERALDENTIST SOLD LONG ESTABLISHEDPRACTICE. GA & DEA LICENSED.(Available Expanded Atlanta Area.) Cell:(404) 219-4097. Home: (404) 842-1196.Jesse Hader, DDS.

Dentist available during emergencies,vacation, CDE courses. I have a currentlicense, DEA certificate, and insurance.Contact me at (706) 291-2254 or cell (706)802-7760. I hope I can be of service to you.Patrick A. Parrino, DDS, MAGD.

Positions Available

Very busy Dental Office with multiplelocations in South Central Georgialooking for a productive GeneralDentist. We offer outstanding guaranteebase pay of $400 / day plus incentivecompensation based on percentage ofcollections. Possibility of partnerships infuture endorsements. Ideal candidate—Must be comfortable working in all phasesof General Dentistry, Pedo, Pros, Endo,Oral Surgery, Implants, and Restorative.Integrity and the ability to develop a goodrapport with patients and the team areessential. Only those dentists who takepride in their work and provide qualitydental care will be considered. Candidatewill need to be able to work at leastFriday, possibly Saturday, and canwork at least 4 days a week. Interestedapplicants need to send their C.V. [email protected] or fax to(229) 868-6984.

classified ads

How GDA members canplace classified ads

AD FORM: Submit all ads on a GDA ClassifiedAdvertisement Form. To obtain a form,call Skip Jones at (800) 432-4357 or (404)636-7553, or email [email protected].(Note: The GDA may accept or reject anyad for any reason and in its sole discretion.)

AD DEADLINE: Ads and ad check payments are due by thefirst of the month before the publicationmonth (i.e., Dec. 1 for January).

AD RATES: ADA member dentists pay $75.00 per60-word ad per month. There is a 25 centsper-word charge for each word over 60.Non-dentist-owned companies (real estatefirms, etc.) pay $195 per 60-word ad permonth (additional word charges as above).Non-member dentists may notplace ads.

LATE FEE:Ads for which full prepayment is notreceived by the first day of the ad’spublication month (i.e.; Nov. 1 for aNovember ad) will incur a $25 late fee inaddition to the ad rate.

FORMS OF PAYMENT: Submit a check or money order with the adform. (Make checks payable to GDA.)Credit cards are not accepted as payment.

WEB SITE PLACEMENT: Prepaid ads will appear on the GDA Website www.gadental.org for the month thead appears in print. Non-prepaid ads willNOT be placed online.

CLASSIFIEDSContinued on page 30



Exceptional Opportunity for AssociateDentists. Join Dr. Mark Shurett’sAssociate Team to provide treatment tochildren throughout Georgia. Wellequipped and maintained offices.Positions include F/T, P/T, and LocumTenens. Multiple locations available.Friendly staff with no daily office /overhead challenges. Contact Tina Titshawat [email protected], call (678) 413-8130, or fax resume to (770) 760-1375.

Wiregrass Georgia Technical Collegeis seeking a Full-Time DentistInstructor. Candidate will supervise clini-cal sessions in both DENA and DHYGprograms. Clinical supervision is to includemedical / dental evaluation for dentalservices and administration of anesthesiaPRN. Clinical duties will involve teachingskills that fall within in the scope of dentalassisting and dental hygiene practice.Candidate will teach dental sciencecourses in both DENA and DHYGprograms. Examples include dentalbiology, pharmacology, periodontology,and pathology. Candidate will be requiredto participate in all aspects of programoperation and improvement includingbut not limited to curriculum revision,program evaluation and accreditationactivities, student evaluation andcounseling. Candidate must hold a currentvalid dental license (DMD OR DDS) andbe a graduate of an ADA accreditedschool. Applicants holding a license fromany state other than Georgia must beapproved by Georgia Board of Dentistryfor a faculty license in order to be eligiblefor this position. Previous teaching experienceis preferred. For more information, pleasevisit our Human Resources webpage atwww.wiregrass.edu/about/employment.phpto access our Online Job Center or [email protected] or call(229) 333-5356 option 1.

Associate Dentists—Opportunitiesavailable in several areas of North Carolinain state-of-the-art, digital general practicestreating underserved children and youngadults. A desire to work in a positive, teamoriented environment a must. Full-timepositions in a number of our seven NC locations.

Exc. salary / benefits package. Signing bonusesavailable in select locations. Contact RogerWalters, SmileStarters at (704) 395-6000 oremail [email protected] grads encouraged; a great place tostart your career!

ASSOCIATE DENTIST NEEDED:General family practice with locations inPeachtree City and Newnan looking for apart-time general dentist. Two days perweek with future growth. Candidate mustpractice all aspects of dentistry. Greatopportunity for new graduate. Please emailresume to [email protected].

Practices/Office Space Available

Looking for an upscale, quality officein which to see your patients? Newoffice with operatories to spare for Part-Time Dentist, one with kids or one lookingto avoid hassles of ownership. Duluth /Suwanee. Dr. Bob Finkel at (770) 497-9111.

Duluth, GA. Modern Pediatric DentalOffice Space—2,620 sq ft and lots of stor-age. With Lease Hold Improvements,Equipment, Furnishings. Easy start upwith min. costs. High traffic area nearGwinnett Place Mall. Available Now. CallTammy or Fran at (770) 497-9111.

Midtown Atlanta Dental Office forRent: Ground floor suite near Midtown /Georgia Tech / Atlantic Station. 1,950square feet. Lobby / reception, back office,break room, 5 operatories, bathroom,executive office, and bathroom with show-er, lab/storage. Wired and plumbed fordental. Move-in ready. Free parking. 3blocks from I-75 / 85. Near Arts Center /Midtown Marta stations. Great demo-graphics! Competitive price. Visitwww.barewoodproperties.com, Email:[email protected], orcall Patrick at (404) 873-5162. By owner.

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LAKE OCONEE AREA. Great 4-operatorypractice for sale near Lake Oconee. This allFFS office grossed over $900K in 2010 and isexpandable. Seller will remain post sale forseveral years and currently works 5 days a week.For more information call (678) 482-7305,email [email protected] orvisit www.southeasttransitions.com.

Practices for Sale: ATLANTA #8490—Gross Collections $$1.08M; 4 days; 5operatories. ATLANTA #8558—GrossCollections $785,966; 4 days; 6 operatories;2,780 sq. ft. ATLANTA #8108—Grosscollections $654,993; 4 days; 5 operatories;2,200 sq. ft. office space. ATLANTA#8765—Gross Collections $1.45M; 4 days;6 operatories; 2,780 sq. ft. AUGUSTA#8747—Gross collections $1.28M; 6 days;7 operatories; 5,000 sq. ft. office space.SOUTHEASTERN GEORGIA #8172—Gross collections $752,638; 4 days; 5operatories; 1,732 sq. ft. office space. NWGEORGIA #8562—Gross collections

$670,375; 4 days; 6 ops; 2,881 sq. ft. officespace. NW GEORGIA #8193—PRICEREDUCED! Gross collections $627,978; 4days; 5 ops; 1,800 sq. ft. office space.Savannah Area #8779—Gross Collections$1.05M; 4 days; 5 operatories; 2660 sq. ft.office space. For information, call Dr.Earl Douglas, (770) 664-1982 or [email protected].

Available: BUCKHEAD: Beautiful,prime location. GAINESVILLE: Grossing$720,000, 3 operatories. GWINNETT:Grossing $823,000, 8 operatories. MARI-ETTA MERGER: Grossing $736K. MID-TOWN MERGER: Grossing $680K.NORTH FULTON: Grossing $878,000,free standing building. SNELLVILLE:Merger into beautiful new facility. SUWA-NEE: Grossing $575K, 4 operatories.MERGERS: Buckhead, Duluth,Peachtree City. Contact RichaneSwedenburg, New South DentalTransitions: (770) 630-0436, Check newlistings: www.newsouthdental.com;[email protected].

FLOWERY BRANCH / HOSCHTON /BRASELTON, GA: 20,000 square footdental office building for lease in the #4most economically developing area in thecountry! Under construction and will beopen November 2011! Great lease rates &TI allowance available. Goal is to create a“one-stop” dental facility in the fastestgrowing area around! Looking for PERIO,ENDO & ORAL SURGEON. In a highlyvisible area where NO specialists are locatedat this time! Be the first in the area for apromising long term career location.Whether you want 1,500 or 5,000square feet, space will be tailored toeach individual’s needs. Perfect locationfor a new practice startup or a 2nd satellitelocation! Close to the newly approvedsatellite location for Northeast GeorgiaMedical Center. Demographics are offthe charts and schools are unbelievable …literally one of the most sought afterlocations around! Priority will be given ona first come / first serve basis. Please email:[email protected] more information or call (678) 612-2277.

CLASSIFIEDSContinued from page 30


Membership ServicesThe Board reviewed a request from a dentistwho is requesting an expansion of his currentcontract to teach expanded duties courses toother dental assistants that did not graduatefrom his school. GDA staff reported on requestsfrom other dentists to provide the same courseunder the GDA’s authority and the difficulty itwould create for staff to research and performsite visits.

The GDA did not believe it was appropri-ate to allow one dentist to teach these coursesand deny others. [11-6.05] Dr. Mike Vernonmoved that the GDA not renew the AdjunctFaculty Instructor Agreement with Dr.Jonathan Waldron when it expires in Novemberand suggest that he seek approval for hisexpanded duties courses through other venues.The motion passed unanimously.

Oral Health in Institutional SettingsChairman Jonathan Dubin presented the com-mittee’s Procedure Manual for the Board’s con-sideration. [11-6.06] Dr. Jonathan Dubin

moved for the Board of Trustees to approve theProcedure Manual for the Oral Health inInstitutional Settings Committee. The motionpassed unanimously.

Finance CommitteeDr. Jay Phillips reported that the FinanceCommittee met June 13 to develop the FY2012GDA budget and to handle other matters of theAssociation. He presented the 2011-12 budgetas recommended by the Finance Committee:

• [11-6.07] Dr. Jay Phillips moved for the Boardof Trustees to approve the FY2012 budget asrecommended and presented by the FinanceCommittee. The motion passed unanimously.

• [11-6.08] Dr. Jay Phillips moved for the Boardof Trustees to approve the recommendation ofthe Finance Committee to approve MedicalProtective as an endorsed product. The motionpassed unanimously.

New BusinessThe Northern District requested that the GDAchange the Bylaws for the date of the officialDelegate count to facilitate the districts’ abilityto contact those not renewing by January 31.

[11-6.09] Dr. Ben Jernigan moved that theBoard of Trustees recommend a change to theGDA Bylaws, Article II, Section 1 (B) so thatthe date for determining delegate count is thelast day of February rather than January 31 sothat it will read, “The proportion shall be basedupon the district membership as of the last dayof February each year, as recorded by theExecutive Office of the GDA.” The motionpassed unanimously. This recommendedBylaws change will be forwarded to theSummer House of Delegates for consideration.

The Missouri Dental Association notifiedall the Executive Directors throughout thenation to inform them about a relief fund toassist in the Joplin tornado disaster.Approximately 23 dentists had total destructionof their offices. [11-6.10] Dr. Sidney Tourialmoved for the GDA to donate $2,000 from theGeneral Contingency Fund to the MissouriDental Association Foundation to be used forrelief efforts of the Joplin tornado disaster. Themotion passed unanimously.

AdjournmentBeing no further business, the meetingadjourned at 3:55 p.m.


MINUTESContinued from page 28


Suite 200, Building 17, 7000 Peachtree Dunwoody RoadAtlanta, Georgia 30328-1655

www.gadental.org

ACTIONInside This Issue

• Dentists Care: Special Smiles Program

• New District, AlliancePresidents–Hopes and Plans

DATED MATERIALPLEASE DELIVER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE


gda action july 2011

Documents

dental volunteers caringfor

atlanta tmd dentistdr

gda cruise registration

executive directordelaine

pm page

peachtree dunwoody rd

executive directornelda

medical protective