GDA Action

ACTIONTHE JOURNAL OF THE GEORGIA DENTAL ASSOCIATION NOVEMBER 2010

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ADS South . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

AFTCO Transition Consultants . . . . . . . . . . .20

Atlanta TMD Dentist—Dr. Padolsky . . . . . . .19

Center for TMJ Therapy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

Crown Tenant Advisors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

Dental Care Alliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

GDA Dental Recovery Network . . . . . . . . . . .25

Georgia Dental Insurance Services . . . . . . . .28

Great Expressions Dental Centers . . . . . . . .25

Law Office of Stuart J. Oberman . . . . . . . . .24

Medical Protective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

Med Tech Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

New Orleans Dental Conference . . . . . . . . . .23

New South Dental Transitions . . . . . . . . . . . .18

Officite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

Paragon Dental Practice Transitions . . . . . .20

Professional Debt Recovery Services . . . . . .14

Professional Practice Management . . . . . . .17

Southeast Transitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

Tripalay Dental Lab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

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

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 2010 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.

9 Dentists Care: Northwestern

Dentists Take Part in “LoveLoud”

13 Staff Members: Employees or

Independent Contractors?

18 GDA Seeks Nominations

for Open Leadership Positions

4 Parting Shots

5 Editorial

6 Other Voices

7 News and Views

8 Calendar of Events

21 Classifieds

26 Breaking the Mold

The state recently attempted to use languagefrom a bill passed by the legislature in 2010as a reason to charge all dentists with in-officex-ray machines at least $300 and in manycases quite a bit more. However, effectiveadvocacy efforts from GDA leadership,members, and staff convinced the state torescind the fee and refund dentists whohad already paid. For details on thisadvocacy success, please turn to page 11.

ACTIONTHE JOURNAL OF THE GEORGIA DENTAL ASSOCIATION NOVEMBER 2010

other features sections

on the cover

Member Publication American Association of Dental Editors

ACTION

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

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.

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4 GDA ACTIONNOVEMBER 2010

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Recently I read a story about a Coloradodentist, Dr. Thomas Grams, who lost his life inAfghanistan while volunteering his time totreat children of poverty. I was saddenedpartly because of the senseless loss of anAmerican life in Afghanistan and partlybecause of the loss of a part of our fraternity,our profession.

I can admire a doctor who spent so muchtime giving of himself trying to make thelives of children, who may never have seen adentist, better. But I was not shocked that itwas a dentist so far away in such a treacheroussituation as is Afghanistan. After all, peoplewho go into dentistry could easily have goneinto many other fields and done well.

Why do we choose dentistry? Haveyou ever asked yourself that? What makesa dentist?

I firmly believe that anyone who goes intoa health field goes in not because they canhandle the curriculum or for financial rewardbut that they want to go into a professionwhere they can make a difference in others’lives. I count myself so fortunate to have beenaccepted into dentistry. It allows me not onlyto provide for my family but also affordsme the opportunity to heal others and toexperience their gratitude. It also affordsme the chance to make a difference insomeone’s life.

I often go back to my childhood Jewisheducation and think about some of the mostpowerful lessons that were planted in my

mind and soul. One such lesson is that if yousave one life, it is as if you have saved theworld. Maybe that dramatizes dentistry toomuch, but then again, maybe not.

Most people probably take their healthfor granted. They probably then take theiroral health for granted as well. We as dentistsknow how much oral health can mean tosomeone who, for whatever circumstances,may not have that health. We often witnesshow much our work can change someone’sself confidence or outlook on life. It wasn’tthat long ago that losing one’s teeth was anexpected part of aging. That is not the caseanymore.

This is the Thanksgiving season onceagain. It is time to not only look at what wehave in terms of our families and our societyas a whole, but to look at what we have as aprofession. What makes a dentist? Do youcount yourself as a healer of the sick? Do youlook upon your work as a job or as a gift?

I can imagine what Thomas Grams felt ashe cared for those children. Some people saythey had a “calling” to go into some field.Maybe it is not a calling for us. Maybe we justwanted to do well by doing good.

Maybe that makes a dentist.

What Makes a Dentist?

5GDA ACTIONNOVEMBER 2010

Jonathan S. Dubin, DMD

editorialperspective

What Are You Thinking?Do you have an opinion about an article published in the GDAjournal or observations about a GDA activity that you would like toshare? Please email your comments to Editor Dr. Jonathan Dubinat [email protected] or Managing Editor Delaine Hall [email protected]. Your comments may be selected for publicationin the GDA journal.

What Are You Doing?Have you won a dental award? Accomplished a dental goal?Participated in a charitable dental event? Conducted an inspiringstaff retreat? Recruited a non-member dentist? Generallyaccomplished something notable and dental related? Let theGDA know! Please email your story idea to Editor Dr. Jonathan

Dubin at [email protected] or Managing Editor Delaine Hall [email protected]. (Dentists with neat “outside the profession”hobbies are invited to contact the GDA journal as well. You could befeatured in Breaking the Mold!)

Where Are You Going?Are you planning to attend a LAW Day? District legislative reception?Other GDA or district event? Feel free to share your photos from theevent with the GDA journal or on the GDA Facebook group page.Please email your photos to Managing Editor Delaine Hall [email protected] or visit the social networking site and search for“Georgia Dental.”

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It first became evident in August 2008. Westarted having more gaps in the appointmentschedule. We had been anticipating aslowdown due to the bobsled ride the stockmarket was experiencing. But the kind ofdrop-off we felt was unanticipated. After thedot-com bubble burst in 2000, we had a 12- to18-month reprieve. At that time, many of ournewly unemployed patients had severancepackages and some continued insurancecoverage that attenuated a steep decline indemand for appointments. During thepresent economic downturn, we have a lotmore discretionary time a lot sooner than weexpected. Realization of this recession wascommunicated at first in a tentative manner.By October, colleagues were quietly asking,“Are you having a slowdown in youroffice?” Everyone seemed to be lookingfor reassurance. The problem was notisolated to one office. Other practices werefeeling the effect of the global economicuncertainty. It made me think back over theups and downs our practice had experienced.How is this episode the same, and how is itdifferent?

While in dental school, we heard aboutthe “busyness” problem.(1) Dentists in privatepractice were experiencing a decrease indemand for services. They were not “busy”enough. The number of graduating dentistswas increasing every year. The peak occurredin 1983. That year, a record 5,736 dentistsgraduated from a total of 60 institutions in theUnited States.(2-4)

Establishing a new practice requiredadditional revenue derived from a second job,working for someone else part time. In myfourth year, one lecturer told us how weshould engage the dentist when we wereinterviewing for positions. He suggestedwe ask to see the appointment book andcomment on what a thriving practice he had.(Practices booking appointments a week ortwo out could surely use an associate, in hisopinion.)

This was the mid-’80s; interest rates hadinflated above 14 percent for conventional

mortgages. My dental school loans totaledfewer than $25,000. Real estate price inflationseemed out of control. Good associatepositions were hard to find, and there werefew positions available in public health inthe Bay Area. My vantage point during the’80s was that of a new graduate. I was at thefirst stage of career building. It was all new,expensive, and uncertain.

By 1991, increasing oil prices, unem-ployment, and the aftermath of the savingsand loan crisis produced another recession.The economic downturn became real for uswhen patients began to relocate to other partsof the country for work. By 1993, the numberof dental graduates bottomed out at 3,778.The next year, 1994, the number of dentalprograms dropped to 54, the fewest since1971.(2-4) My vantage point for the ’90srecession was that of the practitioner startingand developing a practice. I was at the secondstage of career building. Real estate prices haddeclined somewhat, and mortgage interestrates edged below double digits. The recessionprovided the opportunity to purchase abuilding to house our practice. The situationwas no longer new, but it still expensive anduncertain.

With the turn of the century came thedot-com boom and bust. On March 10, 2000,the NASDAQ peaked over 5,000. By October2002, the dot-com bust had lost more than $5trillion in market value for IT companies. Myvantage point for this recession was that of thepractitioner with an established practice and asuddenly anemic investment portfolio. I wasat the third stage of career building: enrich-ment. Our patient pool again experienced awave of emigration. This time the newlyunemployed were relocating to theSoutheast—South Carolina, Georgia, andFlorida—for work. The situation was not asnew, not as expensive, but still very uncertain.

Recession Depression

othervoices

Other Voices brings selected

articles on topics of current

interest to the profession

from around the country to

the attention of GDA member

dentists. If you have read an

article that you believe

could appear in Other Voices,

contact Editor Jonathan Dubin

at [email protected].

Kerry K. Carney, DDS*

OTHER VOICESContinued on page 10

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Kudos to Brad Greenway, DDS, ofNorcross who was named as the NorthernDistrict Dental Society “Michael T.Rainwater Dentist of the Year” during thedistrict’s Gala for Smiles in August. He washonored with a trophy during a specialpresentation.

The district holds the Gala for Smilesto raise funds for charitable dental clinicsin the greater Atlanta area. Benefittingwere the Ben Massell Dental Clinic, DDDFoundation, Good Samaritan HealthCenter, Green Warren Dental Clinic,Hebron Community Dental Clinic,and St. Joseph’s Mercy Care ServicesDental Program.

Dave C. Lee, DMD, of Fayetteville hasbeen named Rotarian of the Year by theRotary Club of Fayetteville. He is a PastPresident of the group and has supportednumerous humanitarian efforts conductedby the organization. His daughter Laurenis a second-year student at the MedicalCollege of Georgia School of Dentistry.

The Alliance presented a dental healtheducation program to the 260-studentTallulah Falls School in September. Theschool is owned by the Georgia Federationof Women’s Clubs. Alliance Past PresidentShari Carter is President of the federationand arranged the presentation. Shari,Molly Bickford, and Gigi Kudyba spokeon oral homecare, the dangers ofsmokeless tobacco, and the dangers ofmethamphetamine use. Each studentreceived a dental care kit and poster.

Other Alliance members whoattended were national Alliance PresidentElect Debbie Torbush, Sherry Kendrick,and national Alliance Well-Being ChairMary Ellen Psaltis from Washington.

The Alliance held its first Well-BeingRetreat in September at the TallulahFalls Resort in North Georgia. AllianceWell-Being committee chairs EileneBarrett and Janelle Kauffman put togethera fantastic weekend! Members came fromall over the state. Guests enjoyed a welcomereception Friday evening, and wellnessclasses and lectures on Saturday followedby an open afternoon and group dinner.

Next year’s retreat is November 4-6 also atthe resort. Dental spouses, mark yourcalendars and come join the Alliance in2011 to Relax, Refresh, and Renew!

The Milken Institute has released its 2010Best-Performing Cities Index, and thetop-ranked large Georgia city isSavannah. The coastal city was ranked40th out of large cities nationwide,slipping one position from 2009.Columbus was ranked 45th, comparedwith being 112th in 2009. Augusta climbedto 71st place, up from 82nd in 2009.Atlanta ranked 126th.

The Index ranks 379 U.S. metropolitanareas (large metros have populations ofmore than 200,000; small metros fewerthan 200,000) by how well they are creatingand sustaining jobs and economic growth.The components include job, wage andsalary, and technology growth.

generalnews

NORTHERNNorthern District

ALLIANCEGDA Dental Spouses

GEORGIAEconomic News

Northern District Dentist of the YearDr. Brad Greenway with wife JoEllen.

(L to r) State Alliance President Molly Bickford, Shari Carter, Debbie Torbush, TallulahFalls School President Larry Peevy, Mary Ellen Psaltis, and Gigi Kudyba at a specialAlliance dental health education event.

NEWS/VIEWSContinued on page 8

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December 3: Atlanta Dental Study GroupMeeting, Ritz Carlton Buckhead.

December 5-7: ADA Board of TrusteesMeeting, Chicago.

December 8: Northwestern District Legislative Reception, Cartersville Country Club.

December 9: NDDS Hall County Branch Legislative Reception,Chattahoochee Country Club.

December 9: Western District Holiday Party.

December 9: Southeastern DistrictLegislative Reception, Cincinnati Club, Savannah.

December 14: Eastern DistrictMembership Meeting.

December 14: Northern DistrictLegislative Reception, Druid Hills Golf Club.

December 24: GDA Office Closed for Christmas Holiday.

December 31: GDA Office Closedfor New Year’s Holiday.

January 3: Northern District ExecutiveCouncil Meeting, GDA Office.

January 5: Northwestern DistrictExecutive Council Meeting, CartersvilleCountry Club.

January 7: GDIS / PDRS / GDHC BoardMeetings, GDA Office.

January 8: Nominating / Finance / Boardof Trustees Meetings, GDA Office.

January 9: GDA House of Delegates,9AM, Marriott Perimeter Center, Atlanta(same location as in January 2010).

January 10: Opening Day of StateLegislature / GDA and Alliance Distribute Dental Kits.

January 12: Northern District CEMeeting, Villa Christina, Atlanta.

January 21: Southwestern DistrictMeeting.

January 21: Southeastern DistrictMeeting / GDA Officer Visit.

January 26: LAW Day (MCG Students),State Capitol.

February 2: LAW Day (Alliance /Northern District Eastern Branch), State Capitol.

February 4: Give Kids a Smile Day.

February 6-8: ADA Board of TrusteesMeeting, Chicago.

February 9: LAW Day (SoutheasternDistrict / Northern District Hall CountyBranch), State Capitol.

February 16: LAW Day (NorthernDistrict Northern Branch), State Capitol.

February 23: LAW Day (Eastern District/ Northern District Southern Branch),State Capitol.

Upcoming Dental Events


The Orlando / Orange County Convention& Visitors Bureau put Orlando, Florida,into the Guinness Book of World Recordsthis fall by sponsoring the creation of theworld’s biggest smiley face. On October 1,World Smile Day, 500 individuals gatheredon top of an Orlando parking garage wear-ing yellow and black ponchos. The groupappeared from above like a gigantic ver-sion of the iconic smiley face created in1963 by artist Harvey Ball. The previousrecord of 261 individuals in a smiley facewas set earlier in 2010 in Baltimore.

More than 65 smiley face volunteerswere winners of Orlando’s World SmileSearch, an international contest wherecontestants—more than 20,000—submit-ted essays about why Orlando with itsmany theme parks and attractions makes

them smile. Winners were awarded with afour-day trip to Orlando and the chance tobe in the smiley face.

The GDA extends sympathy to the familyand colleagues of Britt A. Gilmer, DMD,who died October 8, 2010, at the age of 52.Dr. Gilmer was a member of the GDAthrough the Northwestern District. Hewas a 1987 Medical College of GeorgiaSchool of Dentistry graduate.

NEWS/VIEWSContinued from page 7

PASSAGESIn Memorium

SMILESDental Fun

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The Dentists Care column will regularlyfeature charitable dental efforts created byor supported by GDA member dentists. Ifyou know of a charitable dental event ororganization that could be featured here,contact Delaine Hall at [email protected].

What the Charitable Effort InvolvedLoveLoud is a three-day mission effortsponsored by The First Baptist Church ofWoodstock in Cherokee County. Approximately3,000 church volunteers participate in 150different projects over the three days toassist individuals in need in the community.These projects include everything fromhouse painting to car repairs to medicaland dental care.

Church member Dr. John Peacock, aWoodstock, Georgia, dentist, has volunteeredwith LoveLoud since its inception andcoordinates the dental care project. “OnOctober 21 through 23, 12 volunteersworked at the church to perform dentalscreenings, take digital x-rays, registerpatients, and appoint and transport thepatients to volunteer dental offices,” hesaid of the charitable effort. “We couldonly screen and schedule 80 patients perday on Thursday and Friday, and 47 onSaturday. Patients waited in line most ofthe night and early morning to receive achance at one of the numbers just to bescreened. Many told us of spending thenight in line with blankets.

“The last standby patient I screenedon Saturday morning got his number at3:45 a.m. That morning, at 3:46 a.m., waswhen we told the rest of the individuals inline that they could not be seen that day.We turned hundreds away each day whowere in need of dental services.”

The Volunteers WhoMade a DifferenceA group of 76 people helped Dr. Peacockcare for the patients. This included 21dentists, 32 dental hygienists and dentalassistants, 7 administrative helpers, 5transport drivers, 10 translators, and 1food and drink coordinator.

The GDA dentist volunteers other thanDr. Peacock who served were Dr. ThadBaird, Dr. Tyler Baird, Dr. Jack Bickford,Dr. Damon Bond, Dr. John Carey, Dr. Brenda

Fritz, Dr. Leigh Griffeth, Dr. Spencer Griffeth,Dr. Stan Halpern, Dr. Jim Hutson, Dr. AntheaDrew Mazzawi, Dr. Miles Mazzawi, Dr.Scott Merritt, Dr. David Molina, Dr.Angela Ojibway, Dr. Chris Rautenstrauch,Dr. Mike Razzano, Dr. Scott Rose, Dr.Bobby Shirley, and Dr. Corinne Walker.

Treatment was provided by the volunteersin three private dental offices. Dr. JohnPeacock and Dr. Damon Bond opened theirWoodstock office Friday and Saturday. Dr.Stan Halpern opened his Woodstock officeon Friday. Dr. Corinne Walker donatedthe use of her Canton office on Saturday.In addition to the private offices that wereused, the Georgia Baptist Convention pro-vided a mobile dental unit on Friday andSaturday that was parked at Dr. Peacock’sand Dr. Bond’s office.

The Impact of Dentists’ GivingThe dentist volunteers saw more than 213patients for screenings and x-rays. Thedental teams took 15 panorex images andmore than 240 single x-rays. The dentistvolunteers extracted approximately 205teeth, restored approximately 427 surfaces,placed three chrome steel crowns, placed12 sealants, and performed 12 to 13 otherprocedures. The total estimated treatmentrendered in the project was valued at$150,000.

“There was one patient in particularwho stood out,” said Dr. Peacock. “Dr. LeighGriffeth restored over 24 surfaces andextracted the left maxillary cuspid for ayoung lady who worked as a waitress. Thepatient was so grateful she came back laterthat day with her make-up and hair doneto thank Dr. Griffeth again. She was proudof her new teeth!”

How You Can Become InvolvedThe next LoveLoud will be in late October2011. Dentists interested in volunteeringwith LoveLoud’s dental component maycontact Dr. Peacock at (770) 926-4447 [email protected]. Dr. Peacockalso encourages dentists to sign up asGeorgia Mission of Mercy volunteers (heis the Facilities Lead for the GMOM proj-ect, which will be held at The First BaptistChurch of Woodstock). “GMOM will needhundreds of dental, staff, and communityvolunteers to care for thousands ofpatients August 11-13, 2011,” said Dr.Peacock. “Please visit www.georgiamis-sionofmercy.org for details on how you canvolunteer. The church is very experiencedin making large events like GMOM runsmoothly, so what we need is dentists andstaff to actually provide care to patients.”

Volunteer Dentists Take Part in LoveLoud Program

Dr. Leigh Griffeth of Ellijay (l) cares for a LoveLoud patient assisted by MichelleTucker.

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The present economic downturn hasproduced record low interest rates anda housing market as deflated as a fallensoufflé. We have witnessed a massivedeleveraging of our economy. There maybe opportunities to be had, but for many ofus, it has been an ineluctable, cold, andtreacherous slide downhill to the presentrecession/depression. My vantage point forthis recession should be stage 4, that of thepractitioner looking forward to theprospect of a happy retirement. Instead, Ifind myself entering a fifth stage ofcareer building: grumpy realization thatretirement has receded out of view.

What does it look like from a differentvantage? If you are a new graduate, atstage 1 in your career, you have between$150,000 and $250,000 of student debt.The number of graduating dentists hasbeen on the rise since 1996. In 2007, thenumber of dental school graduatesreached 4,796. (That was the largestgraduating class since 1986.) The 2007ratio of applicants to first-year enrollmentwas 2.88. That is the highest recordedratio.(2-4) Competition for admission todental school and competition in theprofessional arena have increased.

If you are a stage 2 dentist growingyour practice, you may see higherprices as inventories are reduced and ascredit tightens, loans may become moredifficult to obtain. If you are a stage 3dentist who had a healthy portfolio 12months ago, and you did not tailor yourinvestments to asset preservation, thenyou have seen your assets decrease by 35percent to 50 percent.

From every vantage point, today’sdentist surveys an economic landscapestrewn with obstacles and potholes.Today’s dentist surveys an appointmentschedule with more gaps or withappointments no more than a week or twoout. Those practices experiencing theirbest production months ever may still seea disappointing increase in the number ofaccounts sent out to collection. Times aretough, and it looks as though we arestill on a downward trajectory.

No matter what the economicroller-coaster feels like, dentistry is

still a good profession to be in. Despitevariations in the rate of unemployment,the net income of independent generalpractitioners has continued to increaseover time.(5) We are members of arespected profession. We have theprivilege of providing hands-on care toimprove our patients’ lives every day.

Now is the time to make use of yourmembership in CDA and ADA andexplore all the benefits available. Invest inyour practice. Use the array of support anddevelopment tools your membershipmakes accessible. Information is availableaccording to your career stage, tailored toyour needs at different points in yourcareer. Our organizations are partners inour practices.

No matter how much more openspace I see weeks ahead on the schedule, Ido not feel the same degree of uncertaintythat haunts some of my patients. They donot know whether or not there will be adesk for them at work tomorrow. Finally,invest your time in your family, friends,and community. No matter where we arein an economic cycle, they are what makeliving worthwhile.

*This article was originally published inthe April 2009 CDA Journal (Vol 37, No 4),for which Dr. Carney served as Editor.Copyright 2009 California DentalAssociation. Reprinted by permission.

References(1) The busyness problem: can CDA solveit? Journal Calif Dent Assoc 9(5):27-30,May 1981.

(2) Council on Dental Education, supple-ment 11 to the annual report 85/86 dentaleducation, table 9 dental school graduates1970-1985.

(3) 1996/1997 Survey of PredoctoralDental Educational Institutions AcademicPrograms, Enrollment and Graduates,vol., 1 (ADA Survey Center) publishedMay 1997, Table 27, U.S. Dental SchoolGraduates, 1986-87 to 1996-97.

(4) 2006/2007 Survey of Dental EducationAcademic Programs, Enrollment andGraduates, vol. 1 (ADA Survey Center)published March 2008, Table 22 U.S.Dental School Graduates, 1997-2006.

(5) The Current Economic Environmentand Dentistry. Wayne Wendling, PhD,ADA Health Policy Resources Center.Power-Point presentation, Jan. 12, 2009.

Additional ReferenceWaldman HB, What About DentalEconomics for the 1990s? J Calif DentAssoc 21(5):20-3, 1993.

OTHER VOICESContinued from page 6

“My vantage point for this

recession should be stage 4,

that of the practitioner looking

forward to the prospect of a

happy retirement. Instead, I

find myself entering a fifth

stage of career building: grumpy

realization that retirement has

receded out of view …

[T]oday’s dentist surveys an

economic landscape strewn

with obstacles and potholes …

[but] No matter what the

economic roller-coaster feels

like, dentistry is still a good

profession to be in … Now is

the time to make use of your

membership in CDA and ADA

… Our organizations are

partners in our practices.”

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On Monday, October 18, dentists andother health care providers in Georgiaowed the state an annual fee of $300 forregistration of their x-ray equipment. ByThursday, October 21, the state rescindedthe x-ray registration fee.

This sounds like a fairy tale.But in reality, your association’sadvocacy efforts during one weekin October saved all dentists within-office x-ray machines at least $300and in many cases quite a bit more.

The fee was per facility and dentistswith satellite offices could have paid asmuch as $1,000 in fees. In fact, allhealth care providers in the state, fromchiropractors to veterinarians, with x-rayequipment benefitted from the GDA’squick-action efforts. The successfuladvocacy process happened like this:

• GDA members called the GDA office tocomplain about an invoice from the statefor an annual registration fee for

their x-ray equipment. The membersconsidered this to be an unfair actionand nothing more than a “silent tax.”

• GDA President Jay Harringon issuedtwo membership-wide communicationson the issue and the staff immediatelybegan talking with the Department ofCommunity Health (DCH) and theHealthcare Facility Regulation Divisionas well as influential state legislators.

• GDA members were encouraged tocontact their legislators and state officials.

• GDA staff helped mobilize other healthcare organizations to act.

• The state rescinded the annual registrationfee on x-ray equipment.

• GDA leaders and staff remain vigilantfor future activities by the state, andare appreciative of the efforts ofReps. Sharon Cooper and PennyHouston and Sen. Greg Goggans intheir efforts to have the policyrescinded.

“I cannot think of a better demonstrationof the value of GDA membership,” saidDr. Harrington. “Our members benefittedbecause the GDA is a trusted resource fordentists to contact for help, and becauselegislators and state officials know theGDA is an educated and passionateadvocate for the profession and patients.The right people listen to us.”

How the Fee Came AboutDuring the last legislative session,legislators enacted several “user fee” billsto try and shore up Georgia’s enormous

Dentists Benefit After State Rescinds Attempt to Collect $300 Licensure Activity Fee

GDA Advocacy Efforts Make a Difference

ADVOCACYContinued on page 12

“Your GDA dues have just paid for themselves today. You do

NOT have to pay the State of Georgia the new $300 tax / fee for

possessing an x-ray machine. A Big Thanks to GDA Staff and Officers

and Activists!” Central District Past President Dr. Lindsay Holliday

“Thanks for your work in getting the fee rescinded. I never saw the

original letter from DCH. My first knowledge of the fee came in the

[GDA] blast fax. In 13 years of practice I can recall only one state visit

regarding my x-ray equipment … The GDA again provided a very

valuable service. Thanks.” Northern District President Dr. Jeff Kendrick

… “This include[s] medical offices, veterinarian offices, chiropractic

offices, etc … Not only do we owe a debt of gratitude to our amazing

GDA, but so do a whole lot of others!” Northwestern District

Trustee Dr. Robin Reich

“ … If ever we had a reason to encourage all non-members to join

the GDA, I cannot think of a better one than this! Thanks to each of

you who played a part in getting this rescinded!” Eastern District

Secretary / Treasurer Dr. Carole Hanes

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budget deficit. GDA dentists may recallfrom reading their Governmental AffairsBulletin or from attending a GDA LAWDay that one of these fee bills was HB994.

This bill was broad and requiredDCH to establish fees for activities anditems licensed by DCH, including x-raymachines. The bill did not specify whatfees DCH could charge, but did state thatany fee schedule should help defray costsincurred by DCH and that fees could notexceed the costs.

House and Senate budget leaderscreated the user fee bills because of adesire to address the back-breaking deficitand a reluctance to vote for a tax increase,including a proposed “buck a pack” tobac-co tax that many health care providergroups (including the GDA) supported.The legislators learned that most state feeshad not increased in 30 years, and themajority chose the increased user feeoption as the least objectionable alternative.

DCH Rescinds Out-of-Line FeeIn mid-October, DCH mailed invoicenotifications requiring approximately13,000 health care providers statewide topay an annual Licensure Activity Fee fortheir x-ray equipment. For most dentiststhat amounted to $300 per facility. Theinvoice also informed dentists whoplanned to register x-ray equipmentfor the first time of an additional $300registration fee.

The document contained littleexplanation for the request for funds, andeven incorrectly referred to HB994 asHB997. Hundreds of GDA membersflooded the association’s executive officewith calls, demanding to know if theinvoice was real or a scam, and voicingtheir displeasure over the amount due.

“The GDA immediately sent a faxcommunication to the entire membershipwith detailed information and a DCHcontact to call,” said Executive DirectorMartha Phillips. “And the GDA staff hadconversations with Senator Greg Goggansand Representatives Penny Houston andSharon Cooper to inform them of theGDA’s concerns about this issue.”

The GDA also reached out to otherhealth care provider organizations,including the Medical Association ofGeorgia, to encourage them to mobilizetheir members as well. The resultingoutpouring of calls and emails fromconcerned providers was instrumental inDCH’s agreeing to rescind the x-rayLicensure Activity Fee.

“We heard from several legislatorsthat they felt DCH, by implementing thisfee, did not appear to live up to the spiritor intent of HB994,” said Mrs. Phillips.

Already Paid? Refunds are ComingThe state is still ironing out how it willrefund money to providers who alreadypaid the Licensure Activity Fee. If youhave already sent in your payment,please know that DCH is working on aplan to ensure that all dentists whohave paid will be reimbursed. If youhave not yet paid the ActivityLicensure Fee, do not pay it.

Please Thank Dentistry’s FriendsThe GDA encourages you to thankdentistry’s legislative friends for theirefforts to have this “silent tax” so quicklyand rightfully rescinded. Without their helpwe would not have had this great outcome.You can email your thanks to Sen. Goggansat [email protected]; Rep. Houstonat [email protected]; and Rep.Cooper at [email protected].

ADVOCACYContinued from page 11

Dentists! Attend a

GDA LAW Day at the Capitol

in Winter 2011 and learn how

proposed legislation could

impact your profession.

Visit www.gadental.org

for a full list of when

you can attend.

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Properly classifying staff is more importantthan ever before. Federal labor officialsare seeking out employers who misclassifyemployees as independent contractorsto avoid paying unemployment andworkers’ compensation premiums. In fact,President Obama earmarked $25 millionin the 2011 budget for this purpose, andthe Internal Revenue Service plans toaudit approximately 6,000 randomlyselected employers in the next three years.

Financial incentives, particularly inthis economic climate, can be a motivatingfactor in proclaiming a worker to be anindependent contractor. If a worker is anindependent contractor, the businessowner is not required to withhold payrolltaxes, pay other types of withholdings,or pay for state workers’ compensationand unemployment insurance programs.Dentists must be careful here, however.Incorrectly classifying an employee as anindependent contractor can be a costlymistake.

So what is the correct way to define anindependent contractor? Unfortunately,there is no single set of criteria that wouldallow a dentist to easily classify workers asemployees or independent contractors.While the IRS factors used to determineworker classification are similar to what otheragencies such as workers’ compensation andunemployment insurance agencies utilize,the factors are by no means identical. Thus,this article will attempt to explain someof the classification methods used fordistinguishing between independentcontractors and employees and hopefullymake this process a bit simpler.

The Internal Revenue ServiceThe Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has createdwhat is probably the most well knownmethod of distinguishing between anemployee and an independent contractor.According to the IRS, in order to determinewhether an individual is an employee orindependent contractor, a dentist mustconsider all information that provides

evidence of the degree of control andindependence. An individual who performsservices for you is an employee if you cancontrol what they will do and when andhow they will do it. On the other hand,the IRS considers an individual as anindependent contractor if you only havethe right to control the result of theperson’s work, not the means and methodthey use to accomplish their duties.

Say that a dental office hired temporaryclerical staff persons to come in duringregular business hours to assist withinsurance filings. While the temporarystaff had to be present during normalbusiness hours, they were free to workas many or as few hours as they chose(as long as they completed the work). Inaddition, they were paid on a per-job basis(rather than at an hourly rate) regardless ofthe number of hours they worked, andthey were given little or no instruction byregular employees. Would this temporary

worker be an employee or an independentcontractor? Most likely this staff personwould be considered an independentcontractor.

Under the IRS definition, temporaryand full / part-time dental hygienistsand dental assistants would most likelyalways be classified as employees.Because the state Dental Practice Act andthe Georgia Board of Dentistry’s rules

require direct supervision of dentalhygienists and dental assistants, dentistsmay control all aspects of the dentalhygienists’ or dental assistants’ treatmentprovided to patients. Furthermore, notonly must a supervising dentist bephysically present when a dental hygienist

How to Determine Whether Your Staff Membersare Employees or Independent ContractorsMelana Kopman McClatcheyGDA General Counsel

“Properly classifying staff is more important than

ever before. Federal labor officials are seeking out

employers who misclassify employees as independent

contractors to avoid paying unemployment and

workers’ compensation premiums. In fact, President

Obama earmarked $25 million in the 2011 budget for

this purpose, and the Internal Revenue Service plans

to audit approximately 6,000 randomly selected

employers in the next three years.”

STAFF CLASSIFICATIONContinued on page 14

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or dental assistant is providing any treatment,the temporary dental hygienists and dentalassistants are typically assigned towork certain days and hours by thedental office.

Dentists should keep in mind thatonce an individual is deemed to be anemployee under the IRS definition, thedentist must withhold federal incometaxes, withhold and pay Social Securityand Medicare taxes, and pay federalunemployment taxes on wages paid to anemployee. Please be aware that employerscan be held liable not only for federalemployment taxes, but can have penaltiesassessed against them as well, forimproperly classifying individuals asindependent contractors.

Additional information on the IRS’classification of employee versus independentcontractors can be found at www.irs.gov.

Workers’ CompensationThe Georgia Workers’ Compensation Lawoutlines the responsibilities of employersto provide prompt medical and disabilitybenefits for injuries sustained on the job.Under the terms of the law, employerswho regularly employ three or more persons(full time or part time) must provideworkers’ compensation insurance coverage.A dentist who owns a practice must beincluded in this employee count. The lawalso states that while corporate officers ormembers of limited liability companiesmay be exempted from coverage, suchofficers or members will not reduce thenumber of employees for determining theemployer’s responsibilities.

This law contains a more stringentdistinction between employees andindependent contractors than the one theIRS uses. For a person to be classified asan independent contractor under theworkers’ compensation law, all three of thefollowing criteria must be met:

(1) The individual is a party to a contract(written or implied) that establishes anindependent contractor relationship,

(2) The individual can control thetime, manner, and method of the workperformed, and

(3) The individual is paid a set price perjob (rather than on a salary or hourlybasis).

Unless all three of these criteria aremet, the individual will be classified as anemployee for purposes of determiningwhether the employer needs to complywith the state workers’ compensation laws.

Just like the classification methodused by the IRS, dental hygienists anddental assistants would probablyalways be considered employees fordeterminations under the stateworkers’ compensation law. Even if awritten contract purporting to establish anindependent contractor relationship exist-ed and the dental hygienists or dental

STAFF CLASSIFICATIONContinued from page 13

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assistants were paid on a per job basis,dental hygienists and dental assistantscould not pass the second criteria. Again,the times that dental hygienists and dentalassistants work are set by the dentaloffice schedule (as a dentist must alwaysbe physically present in the dental officewhen the dental hygienist or dentalassistant is providing any treatment).Furthermore, the dentist always has theright to control the manner and method ofany work performed by a dental hygienistor dental assistant.

Regardless of how an individual isclassified, most insurance companieswould still recommend that dental officesobtain workers’ compensation coverage onall individuals providing services, whetheras employees or independent contractors.While this may add to the expense ofhiring temporary staff persons, suchcoverage could save the practice money ifa worker was injured on the job.

Additional information on therequirements of the Georgia Workers’Compensation Law can be found athttp://sbwc.georgia.gov.

Georgia Employment Security LawUnder the Georgia Employment SecurityLaw, employers are required to payinto state unemployment reserves forthe benefit of persons unemployedthrough no fault of their own. This lawstates that all services performed by an

individual for wages are deemed to beemployment subject to the state employmenttaxes, unless all of the following threecriteria are met:

STAFF CLASSIFICATIONContinued on page 16

“Unfortunately, there is no “bright line” test that

distinguishes an independent contractor from an

employee. Instead, each worker’s situation has to be

evaluated on a case-by-case basis and should take

into account IRS, Georgia Workers’ Compensation law,

and Georgia Employment Security law criteria along

with the state supervision requirements.”

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(1) The individual has and will be freefrom control or direction over the per-formance of the services provided (whetherunder a contract or in fact),

(2) The individual is providing a servicethat is unrelated to the primary purposeof the business (ex. interior painting at adental office) OR is providing a service ata location other than the usual place ofbusiness, and

(3) The individual is engaged in anindependently established trade, occupation,profession, or business.

In order for this exemption fromstate unemployment taxes to apply, allthree criteria must be met. (Dentistsshould note that a finding by the IRSthat a business was not liable for federalunemployment taxes does not affectrequirements under the GeorgiaEmployment Security Law.)

In the past, the question arose asto whether dental hygienists hired on atemporary basis were exempt fromunemployment taxes under the GeorgiaEmployment Security Law. The GeorgiaDepartment of Labor addressed this issuein a letter written to the Georgia DentalAssociation on May 14, 2003. The letterstated that based on the criteria listedabove, dental hygienists, however

classified, could not be exempt fromunemployment taxes. First, as a dentalhygienist must work under the directsupervision of a licensed dentist, his or herservices were not “free from control ordirection over the performance of [his orher] services.” Second, the dental hygienistwas not “customarily established in anindependently established trade, occupation,profession or business.” Obviously, boththe dentist and dental hygienist providedental services. Based on this analysis,dental assistants hired on a temporaryor permanent basis would probablynot be exempt from state unemploymenttaxes either.

Classification of TemporarilyEmployed DentistsDental offices frequently hire dentists astemporaries to work while other dentistsare out. The same supervision requirementsrequired for dental hygienists and dentalassistants are not (and probably cannot be)imposed on dentists by dental offices.Dentists must be free to make professionaldecisions as they deem appropriate andtheir method of pay can vary. As such,written contractual agreements can beestablished between the dental practiceand the temporary dentist that clearlyestablish employee or independent con-tractor relationships for IRS and GeorgiaWorkers’ Compensation purposes. Dentalpractices should consider consultingattorneys to draft such agreements. If indoubt about whether a staff person is anindependent contractor or employee, playit safe. Consult with a tax attorney or

accountant or consider requesting adetermination letter from the IRS througha form SS-8.

ConclusionUnfortunately, there is no “bright line”test that distinguishes an independentcontractor from an employee. Instead,each worker’s situation has to be evaluatedon a case-by-case basis and should takeinto account IRS, Georgia Workers’Compensation law, and Georgia EmploymentSecurity law criteria along with the statesupervision requirements. While itappears that dental hygienists and dentalassistants will almost always be consideredemployees, there will be exceptions.Dental offices should be careful whenhiring temporary dental hygienists anddental assistants from temporary agencies.Even though such agencies may internallyclassify dental hygienist and dentalassistant temporaries as employees oftheir agency and agree to make paymentsfor federal and state taxes and workers’compensation insurance, dental officesmay still be responsible for such paymentsif the agencies fail to do so.

Please be aware that this article is forinformational purposes only and is notintended to provide legal advice. Dentistsmust consult with their private attorneysfor such advice.

STAFF CLASSIFICATIONContinued from page 15

“Dental offices should be careful when hiring temporary dental hygienists and

dental assistants from temporary agencies. Even though such agencies may

internally classify dental hygienist and dental assistant temporaries as employees of

their agency and agree to make payments for federal and state taxes and workers’

compensation insurance, dental offices may still be responsible for such payments if

the agencies fail to do so.”

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The GDA Nominating Committee willmeet on Saturday, January 8, 2011, at theGDA executive office to considernominations for the following offices:

• GDA Vice President • GDA Board of Trustees

(Three open positions)• ADA Delegation (Five open positions)• Georgia Board of Dentistry

(One open position)

The Speaker of the House ofDelegates is elected annually at theSummer House of Delegates. PresidentDr. Jay Harrington will appoint a NominatingCommittee to submit names for the positionto the July 2011 House of Delegates. TheSpeaker is elected for a one-year term andmay be re-elected for up to five consecutiveterms. Dr. Doug Torbush was elected asSpeaker in July 2010, and is eligible forre-election in July 2011.

Districts must submit official nominationsfor the majority of the open positions.However, the open At-Large positionon the ADA Delegation is open to alldentists. A dentist who plans to run forthis At-Large position is asked to contacttheir district president to advise them ofhis or her interest, but a dentist does notneed district certification or support to runfor the position.

The deadline for districts and individualdentists to submit nomination informationis December 20, 2010. Nominations mustinclude a CV and any required supportingdocumentation. For instance, unless otherwisenoted, a district president or president electmust submit a letter stating a district’s supportof a given candidate.

Below is information on the openpositions. If you have any questions aboutthe specific information required for a particularnomination, contact the GDA office at(800) 432-4357 or (404) 636-7553, [email protected].

GDA Board of TrusteesThe terms of Trustee Dr. Erik Wells(Eastern) and Dr. Byron Colley (Southeastern)

are expiring. These districts are taskedwith submitting official nominations forthese three-year positions that will expirein July 2014. That means that the districtmust submit a letter from the president orpresident elect testifying that the districtofficially supports a given nomination.Since Trustee Dr. Richard Weinman(Northern) is resigning, his term expiringin July 2012 is also open. The district willnominate a replacement for him.

Georgia Board of DentistryThe term of Dr. Clark Carroll (Eastern) expiresin August 2011. The district is tasked withsubmitting an official nomination for hisposition. Districts wishing to nominatecandidates for the Georgia Board of

Dentistry positions must submit fournames and the names should be listed inorder of preference by the district. Allcandidates should be informed that 30days of meetings per year is the typicalrequirement of Board candidates. Nominationsshould be submitted to the GDA officevia official letter from the district president orpresident elect. The House of Delegatesmust approve the nomination, and theGDA will then send a recommended nameto the Governor for consideration.

ADA DelegationThe terms of Delegate Dr. Jim Reynierson(Eastern) and Alternate Delegates Dr.Annette Rainge (Eastern), Dr. DougTorbush (Northern), and Dr. Tom Field(Northern) expire in January 2011. These

Positions Open on Board of Trustees, ADADelegation, and Board of Dentistry

GDA Nominations Due December 20

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districts are tasked with submitting officialnominations for each of these positions,which means that the district must submita letter from the president or presidentelect testifying that the district officiallysupports the nominations. Two names,submitted in alphabetical order, arerequired per ADA Delegation nomination.

The doctors named above are eligibleto return to their slots. Dr. Reyniersonwould normally rotate off the Delegationas he is completing his third term. However,he has been elected to a regional officeand ADA policy waives the rotation rulefor the duration of this office.

The At-Large term of Dr. JoeDufresne also expires in January 2011.Any GDA dentist in good standing maysubmit a CV to the GDA by December 20,2010, and notify the GDA of their intent torun for this At-Large position. Either thecandidate or his or her proxy may speak atthe Sunday, January 10, 2011 House ofDelegates meeting at the Atlanta MarriottPerimeter Center. Voting will continueuntil a single candidate wins a majority ofvotes. Dr. Dufresne is eligible to run againfor this slot.

Nominating Committee MembersEach district has two votes (the districtpresident and president elect). GDAPresident Dr. Jay Harrington has one vote.The total number of votes that can be castis 15. The vice president of each district isencouraged to attend the meeting as anobserver. GDA President Elect Dr.Michael Vernon and Vice President Dr.Sidney Tourial will also serve as observers.

The Committee’s voting members areCentral Drs. Kara Moore and AlfredPeters (observer Dr. Michael Wright);Eastern Drs. Grant Loo and Lee Andrews(observer Dr. Craig Taylor); Northern Drs.Jeff Kendrick and Doug Torbush (observerDr. Tom Jagor); Northwestern Drs. TerryO’Shea and Wilkie Stadeker (observer Dr.Jim Hutson); Southeastern Drs. MarkDusek and Jay McCaslin VI (observer Dr.Donald Nelson); Southwestern Drs. JeffSingleton and Amanda Merritt (observerDr. Keith Crummey); and Western Drs.Jay Harris and Nancy Gallagher (observerDr. Jeff Serff).

All voting is by secret ballot.Candidates or a designated representativemay address the Nominating Committeefor no more than four minutes during theCommittee’s meeting in January 2011.

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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 perregistrant with name(s) to: Dr. Rick Waters,285 Pinewood Circle, Athens, GA 30606.Visit www.gaxray.com for credit cardpayment or to use the immediate-accessonline version. Call (706) 255-4499 formore information.

Dentists Availablefor Locum Tenens

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

Dentist Wanted: Seeking a full-time orpart-time Associate dentist in HabershamCounty. Well-established, fee-for-servicegeneral dental practice. Great place topractice, great place to live. Please e-mailresume or inquiries to [email protected].

Special Dental Associate Opportunity:Are you looking for a place to grow andprosper? Our exceptional practice in WestCobb County is primarily fee-for-serviceand has a robust hygiene department. Wehave a dedicated and well-trained team thatprovides family, cosmetic, sedation, andimplant dentistry in a modern facility.The senior doctor has 22 years of practiceexperience to enrich a unique opportunityfor a special candidate who has similar goalsand values. After an introductory period, aninvitation to purchase a portion of this highquality practice may be extended, withmore buy in potential in the future. Pleaseonly serious inquires for this once in alifetime opportunity need to apply by emailto: [email protected].

Full time general dentist needed in theAcworth area. High tech office, excellentteam, and great working environment. Newgrads are welcome. Please email resume to:[email protected].

Fast growing dental practice is lookingfor a General Dentist to join our team.We specialize in Implant, Cosmetic, andReconstructive Dentistry. This is a wonderfuljob opportunity. We are a paperless officeand use state-of-the-art technology. At least3 years clinical experience is preferred.Knowledge of Spanish is a must. PT hoursavailable; salary BOE; great benefits available.Email resume to [email protected].

Associate Position—For mutual benefit, Ineed a younger dentist who wants to build apractice in Sandy Springs. Role reversal—low overhead (40 year old) practice. [email protected] to make initial contact.

Specialist Wanted: Ideal opportunity inone of Georgia’s fastest growing communities.Great schools and neighborhoods. 1200-3600sf of Class A office space in a dental complex.Existing 50+ year old general practice withon-site cone beam technology, Pediatric andOrthodontic practices. Competitive rent,generous build-out allowance, and existingopportunity for subletting vacated space throughMarch 2011. Any inquiries call (770) 235-2288.

classified ads

How GDA members canplace classified ads

AD FORM: Submit all ads on a GDA ClassifiedAdvertisement Form. To obtain aform, call Courtney Layfield at (800)432-4357 or (404) 636-7553, or [email protected]. (Note: The GDAmay accept or reject any ad for any reasonand 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 22

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Associate Dentist. Established dynamicpractice offers a unique opportunity formotivated professionals. Multiple locationsavailable. No empty chairs … No insuranceclaims problems … With career highincome potential and no daily office / over-head challenges. Contact Tina Titshaw [email protected], call (678) 413-8130,or fax resume to (770) 760-1375.

GEORGIA—ATLANTA. Multiple pediatricdental offices in North Atlanta suburbs areseeking pediatric and general dentists towork full-time or part-time in an extremelysuccessful, expanding business. This is anonce-in-a-lifetime opportunity forsomeone looking for a great place towork with a competitive salary. Candidatesmust have excellent communication skills,be enthusiastic and motivated, and able towork in a team environment. Please fax CVto (770) 874-0826, call (678) 923-4466,email [email protected], or visit ourweb site www.childrensdds.com.

Seeking associate dentists with Georgialicenses to provide prophylactic, restorative,surgical, and prosthetic care to nursinghome residents in our mobile dentalpractice. Complete portable operatory,instruments, supplies, and support staffprovided. Part time positions are currentlyavailable along the I-16 corridor, thesoutheast Georgia coastal area, southwestGeorgia, and northwest Georgia. E-mailDawn at [email protected] for moreinformation. Also, for additional backgroundon our company, Dynamic Mobile Dentistry,visit our website at www.sanforddmd.com.

Practices / Office Space Available

For Sale—Pediatric Dental Practicewith an active patient base of over 2,000patients. The business is located in anupscale suburb SW of Atlanta. It is a fully-equipped digital practice that can beconverted to a General Practice. ContactDr. Watkins at (770) 823-3850.

Looking for an upscale, quality office inwhich to see your patients? New officewith operatories to spare for Part-TimeDentist, one with kids or one looking toavoid hassles of ownership. Duluth /Suwanee. Dr. Bob Finkel—(770) 497-9111.

Well-established practice for sale inNorthlake Tucker Area. Strictly fee for service,no managed care plans, 2300 sq. ft. at $10 /sq ft. Motivated seller due to disability. Sendinquiries and resume to [email protected] or call (770) 641-1666.

Duluth, Georgia. Modern PediatricDental Office Space. 2620 sq. ft. and lotsof storage. With Lease Hold Improvements,Equipment, Furnishings. Easy start up withmin. costs. High traffic area near GwinnettPlace Mall. Available August 2010. Tammyor Fran at (770) 497-9111.

Clayton State University Dept. of DentalHygiene seeks supervising dentist for dentalhygiene clinic. Duties include checkingpatients in / out, administering anesthesia, andsupervising / grading radiographs. Hours:7:30am - 4 or 4:30pm Fridays only. Pay:$42.50 / hour. Interested applicants emailDr. Susan Duley at [email protected].

CLASSIFIEDSContinued from page 21

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Kennesaw / Cobb County: Beautifuldental suite available immediately. Thereare 3 operatories plumbed. General dentistis looking to share space with a specialist.The suite is also available for sale / lease /rent to a dental specialist. Please contact DrKay Kalantari at (404) 452-0786.

SPECIALISTS: North Georgia Mountains.Space available for rent in growing area.Five equipped operatories, business officeand reception furniture in place, wired foryour computer system, ready to move rightin. Eye-catching two story glass building inhigh-traffic area. One general dentist and agovernment agency already in building.Great for satellite office, solo or shared, orfull-time. (706) 745-6848.

North Georgia Mountains: Well-establishedPRACTICE for sale in beautiful consistentlygrowing area. Modern equipment.Computers in all operatories. Mountainviews. Enthusiastic cross-trained staff. Idealfor solo or group practice. Also for sale tenyear old eye-catching glass professionalBUILDING available separately or withpractice. National recognition for officedesign. 10,000 square feet housing thispractice plus a state agency. Highly traveledhighway frontage. The best of a big-citypractice in a relaxed country atmosphereand a warm, friendly patient environment.(706) 745-6848.

DEKALB COUNTY—DUNWOODY, GA.Beautiful dental office suite availableimmediately. Five operatories plumbed—three installed units may be purchased.Great location in professional building withample parking. High traffic area—RentNegotiable. Call—John Forte, D.C. (678)205-5095 or Robert Forte (201) 444-1048.

PEACHTREE CITY AREA, GEORGIA.Want to make over $300K your first year?This is a FFS / PPO, bread and butter practicegrossing $750K. Hygiene 30%. Well-establishedpractice of over 30 years. 5 equippedoperatories. Average of 30 new patients permonth. Seller is retiring and flexible withtransition plans. Call (678) 482-7305 oremail [email protected] or visitwww.southeasttransitions.com for moredetails.

CLASSIFIEDSContinued on page 24

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STONE MOUNTAIN, GA. Practice collects$600K per year. 7 equipped operatories.Seller is retiring and flexible with transitionplans. Call (678) 482-7305 or [email protected] or visitwww.southeasttransitions.com for moredetails.

Available: ALPHARETTA: Beautiful, new,4 ops, satellite 2 days/week. GWINNETT:Grossing $823,000, 8 operatories. JASPER:Grossing $350,000. NORCROSS: Grossing$500,000, 4 operatories. SNELLVILLE:Merger into beautiful new facility. MERGEROPPORTUNITIES: Buckhead, Duluth,Gainesville, Midtown, Norcross, PeachtreeCity. Contact Richane Swedenburg, NewSouth Dental Transitions: (770) 630-0436,Check new listings, www.newsouthdental.com;[email protected].

HOSCHTON / BRASELTON, GA:20,000 square foot dental office buildingfor lease w/ option to purchase in the #4most economically developing area in thecountry! In the design phase and slated tobe opened in June 2011 (perfect timing forgraduating residents). Great lease rates &TI allowance available. Goal is to create a“one-stop” dental facility in the fastestgrowing area around! ORTHO alreadycommitted … Looking for PEDO, ENDO,PERIO, ORAL, PROS, etc. in a highlyvisible area where NO specialists arelocated at this time! Be the first in thearea for a promising long term careerlocation. 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 on afirst come / first serve basis. Please e-mail:[email protected] more information.

Practices for Sale: ATLANTA #8108—Gross collections $666,077; 4 days; 5operatories; 2200 sq. ft. office space.ATLANTA #6276—Gross collections$240,015; 4 days; 3 operatories; 926 sq. ft.office space. ATLANTA #8575—Grosscollections $456,922; 4 days; 5 operatories;1,838 sq. ft. office space; additionalplumbed but unequipped operatory.AUGUSTA #8747—Gross collections$1.22M; 6 days; 7 operatories; 5000 sq. ft.office space. CARROLL COUNTY#8428—Gross collections $619,384; 4 days;4 operatories; 2,000 sq. ft. office space;additional plumbed but unequipped opera-tory. SOUTHEASTERN GEORGIA#8172—Gross collections $752,638; 4 days;5 operatories; 1,732 sq. ft. office space.LAKE LANIER #8734—Gross Collections$385,377; 4 days; 3 operatories; 1plumbed but not equipped; 1800 sq. ft.office space. For information, call Dr. EarlDouglas, (770) 664-1982 or [email protected].

CLASSIFIEDSContinued from page 23

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breaking the mold

His father kept bees during his childhood,but it was domestic diva Martha Stewartwho launched Sugar Hill Prosthodontists’Dr. Paul Kudyba into the joys of beekeeping.

“I reluctantly assisted my father whowas a hobbyist beekeeper when I was achild,” said the specialist. “But I had notconsidered keeping bees myself until afterI was married and Gigi and I bought our farm.”

That farm purchase, and the influenceof one fateful episode of the MarthaStewart show.

“On the show, a beekeeper broughthives to a garden Stewart owned so theplants could be pollinated,” said Dr.Kudyba. “We had just started a garden,and Gigi decided to buy me a beehive tohelp the plants along. The hive came witha book called The Queen and I which gavestep-by-step instructions on beekeepingand that put us on the path.”

The first years were a struggle to keepthe bees healthy. Bee populations worldwide

were being sickened and killed by infestationsof the parasitic Varroa destructor mite. “Now,we have access to a strain of honeybeesthat were bred in Siberian Russia,” saidDr. Kudyba. “They were imported from

Russia, quarantined in Louisiana, andpropagated and distributed through sevenU.S. centers. So far, the strain seems tomite-resistant.”

Dr. Kudyba receives his bees throughthe mail. “There is nothing quite like adelivery of 3,000 bees all equipped withstingers,” he said. “It is an experience to putthem in their hive, nurture, and maintain them.”

Two years ago Dr. Kudyba had twomite-resistant hives. Last year, he was ableto split those two hives into four. This year,he had 20 hives. The plan next year is tohave 50 or even more hives. Each healthyhive can have 60,000 to 70,000 bees.

“I learned how to split hives and moreof the finer points of beekeeping throughour local bee club, the Northeast GeorgiaMountain Beekeeping Association,” saidDr. Kudyba. “The area of Georgia aroundBuford, Clarkesville, and Athens is amecca for beekeeping. We have expertsfrom the University of Georgia Honey BeeProgram like Dr. Keith Delaplane and hisgraduate students who speak to our club,as well as extension agents and otherexpert beekeepers. We have severalMaster Beekeepers and commercial bee-keepers as members.”

As the current club president, Dr.Kudyba not only works to improve his ownbeekeeping skills, but also to educate thewider community about the value of bees.“One project we have involves the BoyScouts,” he said. “Years ago, they dropped theirbeekeeping Merit Badge. We’re workingto have that badge reinstated. We are alsoworking with North Georgia TechnicalCollege in Clarkesville, holding classes forinterested students about beekeeping.”

Another step would be for the club tohave its own “honey house” where beekeeperscould have honey extracted from theircombs according to state standards. “Weare looking into using part of a canneryfacility in Clarkesville for that purpose,”said Dr. Kudyba. “We definitely have theinterest here to support a major effortlike this.”

Dr. Kudyba does not sell the honeyhis bees produce. As he says, “So far, I’venever had too much honey.” However, thelimited quantity of honey from his bees isof high quality. “We had a honey tastingcompetition in our club this year, and mysourwood honey finished second to honeyproduced by beekeepers Carl and VirginiaWebb. They were winners of the worldhoney competition in 2005 and 2009,”he said.

Although his bees produce sourwood,clover, wildflower, gallberry, and otherflowery flavored honey, Dr. Kudyba saysthe favorite of his dental office staff ispurple star thistle. “It is fun to holdtastings and see the reactions people haveto the different tastes, aromas, colors, andeven consistencies honey can have,” hesaid. “The range is amazing.”

Though beekeeping held no interestfor the child Paul Kudyba, the intricaciesof raising healthy bees is now endlesslyfascinating to the Emory dental schoolgraduate. “I’m learning how to control theswarming actions of bees in the spring tomaximize how they work to producehoney, graft queen bees to start new hives,and keep bees resistant to mites and otherdiseases,” he said. “It is incredible to thinkthat one-third of what we eat depends onhaving healthy bees to pollinate crops.Plus, maintaining the species geneticallyand learning how these insects communicateand work is very interesting.”

And his six children? Do they feelabout their father’s bee hobby like he didwhen he was a child?

“Some of the kids are more eager thanothers,” he laughed. “One will climb to thetop of the highest pine tree to retrieve arogue swarm of bees. One will dive rightinto a hive. Some want nothing to do withthe hobby at all!”

But when it comes to enjoying thefruits of the bees’ labor? “The whole familyloves to eat the honey,” he said. “Thatmakes everyone happy.”

Dr. Paul Kudyba Buzzes About theSweet Possibilities of Beekeeping Hobby

Dr. Paul Kudyba with a frame from ahoney bee hive. The prosthodontisthopes to have 50 or more hives on hisfarm in 2011.

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