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Transcript of North Texas Dentistry Volume 1 Issue 3
North Texas
Dentistrya business and lifestyle magazine for north texas dentists
MonarchDentalExperiencing Expansionand Growth in North Texas Profiles
Beaird Harris & Co.Dental Logic
Reflections on Radiology Dr. Pete Benson
Southwest DentalConferenceRecharge for a New Year
Know the RulesCurrent Government Initiatives Could Affect You
VOLUME 1 | ISSUE 3
convention issue
Jorge Fernandezcellular (214) 532-5253 [email protected]
Bruce C. Goodhartzcellular (214) 212-8033 [email protected]
(972) 250-1170(972) 250-0905 fax
www.esa-construction.com17806 Davenport, Suite 107 · Dallas, Texas 75252
Building Your Dream Office TodayYour Partner For The Future
ON THE COVER
Monarch DentalExperiencing Expansion and Growth in North Texas
12
16
North Texas
DentistryPRACTICE MARKETING7 Reasons Your Website Needs a Blog
A blog can improve your search engine rankings, drive patients to your
website, and educate them about your services
PROFILEPaula W. Allgood, CPA
Tap into the expertise of a seasoned advisor who specializes in healthcare
BAYLOR COLLEGE OF DENTISTRYDr. Pete Benson is reflecting on the opportunities in radiology that
have led him to fill new roles in leadership
SMILES IN THE SPOTLIGHTA Case Presentation
In a multidisciplinary collaboration, Dr. Deji V. Fashemo puts a dazzling
new smile on a young face
MISSION DENTISTRY EthiopiaSmile Dental Mission Trip
Dr. Moody Alexander describes an inspiring journey that puts the
stresses and cares of this world in perspective
PROFILEJoseph C. Danna, CDT
Building partnerships between dentists and the laboratory
DENTISTRY IN THE FUTUREWhy DMSOs Will Dominate Dentistry in 2020
Gearing up to survive in a changing industry
COMMUNITY NEWS Recharge for a New Year
The 2012 Southwest Dental Conference will re-energize your new year
KNOW THE RULESHow Current Government Initiatives Could Affect You
What you and your staff should be doing to protect your practice
WINE CELLARSparklers for Special Times
Topping off the old year and the new year with a special sparkle
MONEY MATTERSDisability Income InsuranceWhat you need to know to prepare for your financial future
CONSTRUCTION & DESIGNBuilding or Remodeling on Your Horizon?
What to expect, what to look for, and what to ask
PRACTICE MANAGEMENTYou Can Do a “TON” for the New Year to Grow Your Practice
Don’t just wait to see what the future brings – be proactive!
18
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6 COVER FEATURE: Monarch Dental is
growing and expanding in North Texas.
As part of this expansion, Monarch Dental is
modernizing their centers in North Texas and
upgrading the technology, including the instal-
lation of digital radiography. Monarch Lead
Dentist Dr. Laura Bratcher (pictured) uses
digital images to help patients visualize their
diagnosis and treatment plan.
22
www.northtexasdentistry.com | NORTH TEXAS DENTISTRY 3
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North Texas Dentistry is excited to
present the Convention Issue for the
Southwest Dental Conference. We will
strive to continue to bring the latest news
and information to the North Texas dental
community. I hope to see many of you at
the Southwest Dental Conference, January
12-14 at the Dallas Convention Center.
North Texas Dentistry will be in booth
#1308 so stop by to say hello and tell us
about your practice or business.
I believe 2012 will be a fascinating one for
readers of North Texas Dentistry. In
addition to our great cover features and
compelling editorial, The Special Issue for
2012 will be The Ultimate Dental
Practice. This Special Issue will showcase
all facets to developing the “ideal prac-
tice”… including design and building, den-
tal equipment, computer technology and
software, practice and personnel manage-
ment, specialty equipment and more. If
your business sells to or services the dental
practice, you NEED to be part of this issue.
For this issue’s cover story North Texas
Dentistry features the group dental prac-
tices of Monarch Dental. We examine
Monarch Dental and their expansion into
new locations and updating technology in
their centers.
This issue is packed with lots of great
editorials and information. The North
Texas Dentistry Custom Profile
presents Joseph Danna, CDT of Dental
Logic and Paula W. Allgood, CPA of
Beaird Harris & Co., Beaird Harris
Wealth Management, Inc.
Dr. Moody Alexander shares his experi-
ences with Ethiopia Smile Dental Mission
and this issue’s Smiles in the Spotlight
features an interesting orthodontic case by
Dr. Deji V. Fashemo. Enjoy these articles
and much more!
Don’t miss the Southwest Dental Con-
ference information inside this issue!
Dr. Danette McNew, the 2012 Chair, wel-
comes you to the convention and offers
some conference highlights. Check out the
Special Booth Listing for the North Texas
Dentistry advertisers who are exhibiting
at the conference. Plan to stop by their
booths to see what products and services
they are offering. Let them know you appre-
ciate their support of this publication.
Keep smiling and I will see you at the 2012
Southwest Dental Conference!
LuLu Stavinoha, RDH
LuLu Stavinoha, RDH
Publisher
(214) 629-7110
Use your Smartphone
to find us at
www. northtexasdentistry.com
from the publisher
Publisher | LuLu Stavinoha
Photographer | Ray Bryant, Bryant Studios
Contributing Writers | Dr. J. Moody Alexander,
Tina Cauller, Kim Clarke, Dr. Deji V. Fashemo,
Jorge Fernandez, Marc Fowler, Jenny Fuentes,
R. Kirk Huntsman, Dr. Richard V. Lyschik,
Bob Michaels, Dr. Danette McNew, Sarah Q. Wirskye
Although every effort is made to ensure the
accuracy of editorial material published in North Texas
Dentistry, articles may contain statements, opinions,
and other information subject to interpretation.
Accordingly, the publisher, editors and authors and their
respective employees are not responsible or liable for
inaccurate or misleading data, opinion or other informa-
tion in material supplied by contributing authors.
Copyright 2011. All rights reserved. Reproduction in
part or in whole without written permission is prohibited.
Advertise in North Texas Dentistry
For more information on advertising in North Texas
Dentistry, call LuLu Stavinoha at (214) 629-7110 or
email [email protected]. Send written
correspondence to:
North Texas Dentistry
P.O. Box 12623 Dallas, TX 75225.
North Texas
Dentistry
NORTH TEXAS DENTISTRY | www.northtexasdentistry.com4
North Texas Dentistry, a business and lifestyle
magazine for dentists, is the leader in providing
news and information to the North Texas dental
community.
North Texas
Dentistry1308
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www.northtexasdentistry.com | NORTH TEXAS DENTISTRY 5
AFTCOAFTCO is the oldest and largest national dental
transition network with over 150 programs customized
to meet your needs.
Med+Tech ConstructionSockIt! is a hydrogel wound dressing approved by FDA
for management of oral wounds. When directly applied
to the wound, SockIt! provides drug-free pain relief,
protects oral wounds from contamination, and promotes
optimal healing.
Beaird Harris & Co. is a Certified Public Accounting
firm providing tax, accounting and business
consulting services.
Beaird Harris Wealth Management, Inc. is an independent
fee-only wealth management firm providing sophisticated
financial planning and investment advisory services.
Structures and Interiors is a commercial general
contractor specializing in dental office construction
offering design-build services including new building
construction, interior finish out, office improvements and
renovations.
ESA Construction is a design-build dental general
contractor in the Dallas/ Fort Worth Metroplex specializing
in turn-key dental office solutions since 1994.
RT Edwards & Associates, P.C. is primarily an advisory
firm that also provides tax and accounting services to those
in the dental industry. In addition, the firm offers compre-
hensive, individually tailored, fee-only financial planning,
retirement guidance and investment services to its clients.
Destiny Dental Laboratory is a full service laboratory
specializing in dental implant cases, owned and operated by
Bob Moyer, CDT and Darrell Jackson, CDT.
Med+Tech Construction is a dental-specific general
contractor specializing in design, new construction and/or
renovation of dental, medical and veterinary offices across the
states of Texas & Oklahoma. Med+Tech also serves clients in the
Southeast including Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee, and will
soon be serving Florida. ia
Monarch DentalMonarch Dental offers dentists an alternative to private
practice while providing the latest in comprehensive quality
dental care to its patients.
TDA Financial Services Insurance Program works with
TDA members and their staff in providing life, health,
disability income, employee benefits, long term care
and malpractice insurance. Bob Michaels, CLU has
been an Associate with them for over eight years.
North Texas Dentistry Advertisers2012 Southwest Dental Conference Booth Listing
314
617
619
820
830
910
1127
1210
1214
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TRANSITION CONSULTANTS
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Monarch DentalExperiencing Expansion and Growth in North Texas
by Tina Cauller
NORTH TEXAS DENTISTRY | www.northtexasdentistry.com6
For most dental professionals, a passion for dentistry
fueled the efforts that got them through the rigorous
training that underlies a dental career. However, some
graduates find that in a traditional private practice setting, the
number of “hats” a dentist is required to wear in order to main-
tain a vital, active practice can be daunting. The typical dentist
must continually manage and have some proficiency with busi-
ness, billing, insurance, bookkeeping, IT, interior design, per-
sonnel management, conflict resolution, payroll, equipment
maintenance, marketing, advertising, continuing education
(CE), and real estate – all while practicing dentistry and balanc-
ing family and personal life. Fortunately, most dentists are great
jugglers, but some find the everyday tasks that take them away
from actually practicing dentistry to be increasingly unsatisfy-
ing. After all, their passion is dentistry.
Not surprisingly, some dentists are embracing a different
model. Dr. Melissa Dean is a periodontist with Monarch Dental,
“When you’re following your energy and doing what you
want all the time, the distinction between work and
play dissolves.”– Shakti Gawain, author and teacher
cover feature
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There are currently 128 general dentists and 28 specialists with Monarch Dental in North Texas, and the group is growing to meet increasing demand for
their services.
www.northtexasdentistry.com | NORTH TEXAS DENTISTRY 7
which she joined after completing her training at Baylor College
of Dentistry in 2005. “I went into dentistry because I enjoy talk-
ing with people and sharing experiences. I was drawn to
Monarch because I liked the idea of a large practice with lots of
opportunity for professional interaction. And at Monarch, I
knew I would have the advantage of an established model where
the systems had already been proven to work. When I joined
Monarch, there were four other periodontists on staff and I have
benefitted tremendously from their experience and mentorship.
I have learned so much from their successes, and now I’m in a
position to help support other new dentists coming in.”
Dr. Dean finds her professional environment rewarding and
stimulating, noting, “No man is an island here – there is always
someone close at hand to weigh treatment options or discuss a
challenging case. The frequent discourse with my colleagues is
so helpful and keeps me energized about every patient,
every day.”
Dr. Dean also appreciates the opportunity to focus her attention
on great patient care. “At the end of the day, I follow up with a
call to every single patient I saw that day. I take pride in the per-
sonal care I give.”
While some might wonder if being part of a large group practice
requires a dentist to conform to the group model, Dr. Dean is
pleased by the active role she is able to take in decisions that
impact her practice. “This feels very much like my own practice.
I can tailor my schedule to meet my own personal needs, I am
able to take part in hiring and other staffing decisions, and my
decisions direct patient flow within my practice. I welcome sup-
port when it comes to ancillary operational duties and things
like equipment selection. The research is done and the kinks are
worked out before any new technology is integrated into the
practice, and I receive thorough training so I’m never left to fig-
ure things out on the fly. I have the very real luxury of being able
to focus on what I love doing, without distractions or compro-
mises.”
Dr. Ryan Gordon came to Monarch via a different path, but
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“I have the very real luxury of being able to
focus on what I love doing, without distractions
or compromises.”
Periodontist, Dr. Melissa Dean, finds her professional environment at Monarch Dental rewarding and stimulating and appreciates the opportunity to focus her
attention on great patient care.
shares Dr. Dean’s enthusiasm for the personal and professional
lifestyle his position with the Monarch team affords. After grad-
uating and completing a residency at the University of
Minnesota, he jumped aboard a large dental practice in
Minneapolis and married the love of his life, Ann-Marie. His
new wife, however, was not in love with the Minnesota winters.
The couple decided to make the move to Texas, where
Dr. Gordon joined a private endodontic practice as an associate
for a time before finding Monarch. “I came to Monarch looking
for a venue to become the best endodontist I can be, supported
by outstanding staff and general dentists, all working towards
a common goal of excellence in endodontics. I wanted to work
in a setting with an established referral base, where I could exer-
cise a unique practice philosophy, drawing from my own expe-
rience working for a large group practice. Monarch allows all of
its dentists to diagnose and recommend treatment they feel is
best and most appropriate for the patient. My mentors here
gave me the faith, trust and space to bring what had worked for
me in the past to my practice.”
Dr. Gordon’s practice philosophy is a good fit with the Monarch
model. “My patients are never treated like a number,” he notes.
“Rather than focusing on production, each patient is treated the
way I would want to be treated. There are no shortcuts.
I learned early on in my career that the slowest way is often the
fastest way. Taking the time to do things right the first time pays
off in great outcomes and reproducible results.”
NORTH TEXAS DENTISTRY | www.northtexasdentistry.com8
“Taking time to do things the right way the first
time pays off in reproducible results.”
Dr. Ryan Gordon keeps his knowledge of new technologies and procedures
current and takes pride in what he has accomplished as an endodontist at
Monarch.
cover feature
A digital pan/ceph imaging system is used to assist dentists in diagnosing
and treating patients.
Dr. Gordon is constantly “immersed in the literature” and trav-
els frequently for CE, which he finds “fuels the fire” and sup-
ports his commitment to provide the best possible care. He
keeps his knowledge of new technologies and procedures cur-
rent and takes pride in what he has accomplished at Monarch.
“We recently completed a two-year follow-up for a challenging
trauma case in which we are helping a young patient to hope-
fully regenerate her nerve. This case represents some of the
most advanced regenerative techniques available.”
Now the proud father of a young baby, Dr. Gordon finds that
the Monarch model gives him the freedom to adjust his sched-
ule and enjoy a fulfilling family life as well as sustaining a busy
endodontic practice.
There are currently 128 general dentists and 28 specialists (rep-
resenting oral surgery, orthodontics, pediatric dentistry, peri-
odontics, endodontics, and prosthodontics) with Monarch
Dental in the North Texas area, and the group is growing to
meet increasing demand for dental services. “Patient demand
is strong, even in this economy,” states Dr. Roy Smith, Chief
Dental Officer with Smile Brands Inc., which provides business
support services to Monarch and its other affiliated dental
groups. “They are responding to the quality care, affordable
financing, and convenience Monarch provides.”
Fred Ward, Area Vice President with Smile Brands, describes
the expansion currently underway in North Texas. “We always
welcome input from our affiliated dentists. What we heard con-
sistently last year was that it was time to grow to meet the
increasing demand for dental services. Dentists enjoy being
busy, but never want to be so busy that it hinders their capacity
to provide great care. This meshes perfectly with what we hear
from patients – that they place a high value on Monarch’s con-
venient locations and their confidence in the providers’ com-
mitment to quality care. In response, we have invested $3
million to open three new conveniently located offices and mod-
Dentists have state-of-the-art technology at their fingertips.
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www.northtexasdentistry.com | NORTH TEXAS DENTISTRY 9
ernize five existing ones. We have added operatories and equip-
ment. We’re spending another $5 million to roll out digital radi-
ography and other technology across the area, and expect that
process to be completed by February 2012. Today, 25 of the 55
locations in the North Texas area have been modernized or are
less than three years old.”
According to Mr. Ward, agile response to feedback from the
professionals is just one of several factors that make the
Monarch model so attractive to general dentists and specialists
at all stages of their career. “We have a very low rate of turnover
among our affiliated lead dentists in the North Texas area – less
than 10 percent last year. They believe in the Monarch brand,
trust our leadership and enjoy their work. The new associate
dentists appreciate having access to this committed powerhouse
of peer mentors made up of lead doctors who “grew up” in the
Monarch system. We continue to provide the resources needed
to arm them with mentoring tools. As a direct result of our com-
mitments, we are able to attract and retain an incredible base
of talent for our affiliated dental groups, including local talent.
Twenty percent of the Monarch dentists in the North Texas area
are Baylor graduates.”
Dr. Smith adds, “Just like the original vision behind the
Monarch model, this expansion has tangible benefits for
patients. It allows us to maintain our dedication to high value,
high quality, comprehensive care and supports all the ingredi-
ents necessary to that success. We look forward to 2012 with
tremendous excitement.” n
For more information about Monarch Dental, visit www.monarchdental.com
or call Mike Duda at (972) 212-8222.
cover feature
The use of the intraoral camera enhances patient understanding of the necessary treatment plan.
NORTH TEXAS DENTISTRY | www.northtexasdentistry.com10
“We have a very low rate of turnover among
our affiliated lead dentists in the North Texas
area – less than 10% last year.”
“Twenty percent of the Monarch dentists in the
North Texas area are Baylor graduates.”
In prior articles we discussed the importance of a strong web pres-
ence and mentioned the three key components of optimizing your
website for high rankings in the search engines:
u Title tags
u Inbound links
u Blogging
Today, we’ll look at how a properly utilized blog can improve your
search engine rankings, drive more prospective patients to your
website, and educate them about the benefits of your services,
which then helps build trust and credibility.
Why you need a blog
1) Content is King. You may have heard the phrase “content is
king”. Google and the other search engines are continually chang-
ing the formula they use to rank websites, however the one thing
that has remained constant since they said it over a decade ago is
the fact that they love fresh, relevant, original content. They do
not like stagnant websites where nothing changes. A blog will pre-
vent your website from getting stale.
2) Gain the trust of prospective patients. A blog can provide
valuable content to both current and prospective patients. In
addition to educating them, it also gives them a feel for how you
run your practice, the benefits of the services you provide and
what they can expect when entrusting you with their dental care.
3) Increases your website’s page count. if integrated prop-
erly, each article added to your blog will be treated as a separate
page by the search engines (additional indexed pages), which
improves your site ranking and increases your credibility and
authority with the search engines.
4) Provides original, unique content. Many dental website
design companies utilize the verbatim copy for describing services
across multiple dental websites. This leads to an issue called
duplicate content which negatively affects your website’s ranking
in the search engines. A blog provides content on your website
that doesn’t exist elsewhere on the web.
5) Increases traffic to your website. Good blog content will
bring your website more visitors. When we review website ana-
lytics for our clients, in many cases, their blog articles are the most
visited pages on their websites.
6) Creates content that can be repurposed. Not only can
the article be posted to your blog, but it can also be used as an
update to your Facebook, Twitter and Google+ accounts. We have
developed a process for automating this function so no extra steps
are required.
7) Attracts links to your website. Inbound links (other web-
sites pointing to yours) are an important factor in search engine
rankings. Often, other website owners will find your blog content
and link to it, providing you with a valuable one-way link.
A properly executed blogging strategy has always been a key
component to a successful online marketing strategy, but with
the recent round of updates by Google known as the Panda
Update and the Freshness Update, having an active blog is more
important than ever.
How to get started
Now that you know why blogs are a must-have, you’re probably
wondering how to make all this happen. The first decision is
whether you want to run a stand-alone blog or integrate it into
your existing website architecture. Without a doubt, you want
it integrated into your website. Avoid the free, instant setup
blogs such as Blogger.com.
Next is establishing a system for keeping your blog fresh. Ideally
you’ll create an editorial calendar and regularly add good quality
content. This can be done by you, assigned to someone in your
office or outsourced to an experienced dental writer.
If you would like information on how to properly integrate a
blog into your website or to learn how our team of professional
dental writers can manage your blog for you, please contact us
today. n
Marc Fowler is President of Bullseye Media, LLC, a McKinney, TX based
digital marketing agency that specializes in helping dentists leverage the
internet to grow their practices. He can be reached at 214-592-9393,
[email protected] or by visiting OnlineDentalMarketing.com.
7 ReasonsYour Dental Website Needs a
by Marc Fowler
NORTH TEXAS DENTISTRY | www.northtexasdentistry.com12
To ensure compliance with Treasury Regulations (31 CFR Part
10, §10.35), we inform you that any tax advice contained in this
correspondence was not intended or written by us to be used,
and cannot be used by you or anyone else, for the purpose of
avoiding penalties imposed by the Internal Revenue Code. If
you desire a formal opinion on a particular tax matter for the
purpose of avoiding the imposition of any penalties, we will dis-
cuss the further Treasury requirements that must be met and
whether it is possible to meet those requirements under the cir-
cumstances, as well as the anticipated time and additional fees
involved.
Beaird Harris’s marketing material should not be construed by
any existing or prospective client as a guarantee that they will
experience a certain level of results if they engage the adviser’s
services. This announcement is only intended for interested in-
vestors residing in states in which the adviser is qualified to pro-
vide investment advisory services. Please contact the adviser
to find out if the they are qualified to provide investment advisory
services in the state where you reside. Past performance is no
guarantee of future results.
Paula W. Allgood, CPABeaird Harris & Co., P.C.
Beaird Harris Wealth Management, Inc.
12221 Merit Drive, Suite 750
Dallas, TX 75251
(972) 503-1040
www.bh-co.com
www.bhcocapital.com
Beaird Harris & Co., P.C. is a Certified
Public Accounting firm providing tax,
accounting and business consulting serv-
ices to dental practices of all sizes and
specialties across North Texas.
Beaird Harris Wealth Management,
Inc. is an independent fee-only wealth
management firm providing sophisti-
cated financial planning and investment
advisory services.
Q. Does Beaird Harris haveexperience working withdentists?Paula: Yes; for over twenty years Beaird
Harris has worked with dental practices of
all sizes and specialties. This includes re-
cent graduates working as associates,
sole practitioners as they launch a new
practice or buy an existing one and large
dental groups with multiple owners.
Realizing that our dental clients have spe-
cific tax and financial needs, we’ve assem-
bled a team of CPAs, CFP® Practitioners
and Quickbooks ProAdvisors® to serve this
niche. We provide a complete range of
services designed to address both per-
sonal and business issues, including:
• Tax Planning & Compliance
• Entity Selection & Practice Transitions
• Bookkeeping & Payroll
• Financial Statement Compilation
• Retirement Plan Services
• Financial Planning
• Investment Management
• Estate Planning
Our team provides practical, innovative so-
lutions that can help your company whether
you are a new entrepreneur or an estab-
lished professional.
Q. What makes the Beaird
Harris business model so
attractive to dental clients?Paula: Dentists are extremely busy and
appreciate having all of their tax and finan-
cial needs met under one umbrella.
Proactive tax and financial planning is a
coordinated effort between your tax and fi-
nancial advisors. The synergy created by
working with Beaird Harris provides in-
creased convenience, a deeper under-
standing of your overall financial situation
and peace of mind.
With a full staff of CPAs and CFP® Practi-
tioners, we’re in the enviable position of
being able to consider the tax ramifications
of every investment and financial planning
decision.
Q. What asset protectionstrategies do you recom-mend?Paula: Just as you would encourage a
patient to take preventative measures to
ward off gum disease, it’s prudent to or-
ganize your financial affairs and assets to
guard against risks in advance. This
process is very individualized and the
complexity of an asset protection strategy
will depend on the dentist’s unique
circumstances.
While making a recommendation is be-
yond the scope of this article, the key
point is to employ a strategy early and
work with an experienced advisor to walk
through the pros and cons of the various
alternatives.
Q. What message do youmost wish to communicateto dentists?
Paula: After more than twenty years in the
business, I can say with confidence that
the people who get good advice early in
their careers have a huge jump on those
who wait. There is simply no way to over-
state the importance of avoiding mistakes
that have negative repercussions for many
years to follow.
With regards to financial planning and re-
tirement plan services, it is important to
work with a “fee-only” investment advisor
who doesn’t sell any products and has a
legal, fiduciary duty to put your needs first.
Most dentists find that they make better
financial and tax decisions when they tap
into the expertise of a seasoned advisor
who specializes in healthcare.
Paula W. Allgood, CPABeaird Harris & Co., P.C. / Beaird Harris Wealth Management, Inc.
&AQ
www.northtexasdentistry.com | NORTH TEXAS DENTISTRY 13
Dr. Pete Benson still gets a chuckle from a conversation he had
years ago with his daughter Brittany’s elementary school
teacher. It was an interesting exchange, to say the least.
“I told her I was a dentist, and she looked at me very strangely.
She said, ‘I asked your daughter what you did, and she said you
played video games,’” says Benson, professor and vice chair of
Texas A&M Health Science Center Baylor College of Dentistry’s
Department of Diagnostic Sciences.
It may have been easy for his daughter to make that correlation
at the time, considering Benson spends his days scrutinizing
MRIs, CT scans, digital photographs and radiographs in his
work as director of the dental school’s Oral and Maxillofacial
Imaging Center.
“I also did explain to her what I did for a living,” Benson adds,
pointing out just what drew him to oral and maxillofacial radi-
ology, the newest of the nine recognized dental specialties.
“The best thing about radiology is it’s the most intriguing game
I’ve ever played,” says Benson. “It’s a mystery game.”
There’s no doubt Benson is passionate about what he does. He’s
been in the dental diagnostics and imaging field for more than
27 years, and 24 of those have been spent at TAMHSC-BCD as
a faculty member.
Drawing from past experiences,
filling new leadership roles
Over the years, Benson’s leadership roles in his field have taken
a decidedly upward turn. In May, he was appointed to a three-
year term as the Civilian National Consultant in Oral and
Maxillofacial Radiology to the U.S. Air Force Office of the
Surgeon General. This month, he also was installed as one of
the 30 Commission on Dental Accreditation commissioners
during the American Dental Association’s Annual Session.
It’s been a big year for Benson, and he links the opportunities
back to 1999 when he became president of the American
Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology and the “stars
lined up,” as he puts it.
“It was the 50th anniversary of the academy and it was the year
With an Air Force Surgeon General consultant appointment and a four-year CODAterm on the horizon, Benson reflects on radiology’s unique career opportunities
By Jennifer Fuentes
LeadershipBeckons
NORTH TEXAS DENTISTRY | www.northtexasdentistry.com14
the American Dental Association recog-
nized radiology as a specialty,” Benson
recalls. “We were excited because we
were the first newly recognized specialty
in almost 40 years; it was a monumental
achievement.”
Benson, also a diplomate of the American
Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology
and a past president of that organization,
acknowledges that the size and newness
of his specialty have played a role in his
leadership opportunities.
“It expands my opportunities for leader-
ship,” Benson says. “To me, that is one of
the advantages of a smaller specialty.”
Gaining a broader perspective
Benson’s four-year term with CODA
means he’ll participate in site visits,
review policies, and serve as the chair-
man of the commission’s oral and max-
illofacial radiology review committee.
While Benson won’t have any external
part in TAMHSC-BCD’s upcoming CODA
visit, he predicts serving on the commis-
sion will help him see how other institu-
tions have addressed problems and cre-
ated solutions.
“Gaining that broader perspective will
help me identify policies and procedures
that would increase our effectiveness,”
Benson says.
Benson’s appointment as an Air Force
Surgeon General’s consultant is a natural
extension of his leadership experience
but of a different sort. Benson, who has
two years of active duty experience as a
dental officer in the U.S. Navy and is a
retired Navy Reserve captain, comes
from a long family lineage of military
service.
“I had experience in military health care
so I was excited to do it, from that point
of view,” says Benson. It didn’t hurt that
he had Dr. Diane Flint, an assistant pro-
fessor in diagnostic sciences, oral and
maxillofacial radiologist, and retired
career Air Force dental officer, urging
him to accept the position.
Through it all, Benson has maintained
his teaching role at TAMHSC-BCD for
more than two decades. Among his
favorite memories is hooding his son, Dr.
Andrew Benson, during commencement
five years ago.
Having his son in the dental class pre-
sented some unique, if not humorous,
situations. Benson had started giving a
lecture with PowerPoint slides and
dimmed the lights. He asked if the class
had any questions and was met with
a pause.
“From the darkness I heard a voice say,
‘Hey Dad, I’ve got a question,’” Benson
says, recalling the laughter that res-
onated through the room.
“For the next three years, virtually his
whole class called me Dad,” Benson says
with a laugh. n
Jennifer Eure Fuentes is a communications spe-
cialist at Texas A&M Health Science Center Baylor
College of Dentistry. A 2006 graduate of Texas
Christian University, she has worked in the com-
munications and editorial field for five years.
Founded in 1905, Baylor College of
Dentistry in Dallas is a college of the
Texas A&M Health Science Center.
TAMHSC-BCD is a nationally recognized
center for oral health sciences educa-
tion, research, specialized patient care
and continuing dental education. The
TAMHSC serves the state as a distrib-
uted, statewide health science center
that is present in communities through-
out Texas.
www.northtexasdentistry.com | NORTH TEXAS DENTISTRY 15
NORTH TEXAS DENTISTRY | www.northtexasdentistry.com16
SMILESin theSPOTLIGHTLEADERS IN NORTH TEXAS DENTISTRY
CREATING UNFORGETTABLE SMILES
CASE PRESENTATION
Teenage female patient referred by her dentist for orthodontic evaluation of chief
complaints of ‘underbite’ and ‘poor teeth alignment’. Oral examination revealed
maxillary arch constriction, missing upper right lateral incisor, microdontic left lateral
incisor, delayed exfoliation of mandibular molars, crowded & retroclined lower ante-
rior teeth, and Angle Class III molars. Esthetically and functionally, this patient was
dissatisfied with her occlusion.
Immediate post-op with surgical splint
Pre-treatment
After splint removal
Pre-surgery
After treatment
Pre-surgery
After treatment
www.northtexasdentistry.com | NORTH TEXAS DENTISTRY 17
TREATMENT PLAN
Detailed orthodontic cephalometric analyses showed that the
observed skeletal malocclusion was due to a combination of mild
maxillary hypoplasia and moderate mandibular prognathism.
Adequate, stable correction required combined orthodontic and sur-
gical procedures. Surgical intervention was timed to coincide with
cessation of facial growth. The peg-shaped lateral incisor required
restorative enhancement, and ideally, the missing upper right lateral
incisor required space creation and an implant replacement.
However, the patient/parents opted to accept substitution of the
missing incisor with the canine, the canine with a first bicuspid and
accept a molar Class II finish on the right side.
PROCEDURES
The over-retained lower deciduous molars were extracted, fixed
upper and lower orthodontic appliances were placed after a short
course of rapid palatal expansion. Dental compensations were
removed and progressively, space was created for the resolution of
the crowded dentition. The teeth were aligned, maxillary and
mandibular arches coordinated; orthodontic biomechanics also
ensured creating space mesial and distal to the upper left lateral
incisor for esthetic bonding. Progress/pre-surgical records and
re-evaluation revealed that the best results would be attained by a
2-jaw procedure of Le Fort I maxillary advancement and bilateral
sagittal split ramus osteotomy for mandibular set-back. A hand-wrist
x-ray film was also taken to confirm that the patient’s skeletal growth
has neared completion. Surgical hooks were placed pre-operatively.
An acrylic splint was inserted intra-operatively to aid maxillo-
mandibular positioning based on pre-determined movements as
planned on plaster models. Post-operative observation was done,
and vertical inter-arch elastics utilized for further teeth positioning
after removal of the acrylic splint. After debonding, the patient was
seen by the restorative dentist to build up the left lateral incisor and
re-shape and modify the right canine into a lateral incisor. Retainers
were delivered.
RESULTS
A very pleasing facial balance was achieved with excellent ortho-
dontic and occlusal results; the patient and her family were highly
satisfied with the attained results from a combined multi-disciplinary
collaboration of a restorative dentist, an oral & maxillofacial surgeon,
and orthodontist Dr. Deji Fashemo who coordinated the treatment.
Dr. Fashemo graduated from
University of Ibadan School of
Dentistry in Ibadan, Nigeria in 1992.
After a year at the orthodontic resi-
dency in Lagos University Teaching
Hospital, he moved to the United
States. At the University of
Rochester Eastman Dental Center,
Rochester, N.Y. he underwent two
years of Advanced Education in
General Dentistry (AEGD), and
eventually received the degree of
Master of Public Health (MPH) in clinical research.
In Rochester, Dr. Fashemo continued his clinical training with
a residency in orthodontics; this was followed by a year of clin-
ical fellowship in craniofacial & surgical orthodontics at the
Indiana University School of Dentistry.
Dr. Fashemo came to Texas in 2004 to pioneer a hospital-based
orthodontic program at Driscoll Children’s Hospital in Corpus
Christi and ran that program for five years. His professional
career continues in the Dallas area where he established
Fourth Dimension Orthodontics & Craniofacial Orthopedics –
a unique private orthodontic practice to cater to general ortho-
dontic patients while supporting the craniofacial anomalies
program within Medical City Dallas Hospital where he also
serves as the medical director of craniofacial orthodontics.
He is actively involved in clinical outcomes and health care
access research initiatives, gives lectures at national and inter-
national meetings, and serves on several professional associ-
ation committees and is a reviewer for the Cleft Palate-
Craniofacial Journal.
Dr. Fashemo’s professional memberships include:
• American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association
• American Association of Orthodontists & Southwest Society
of Orthodontists
• American Dental Association, Texas Dental Association, and
Dallas County Dental Society
While not fixing teeth, jaws and faces with braces, Dr. Fashemo
enjoys playing soccer and spending time traveling with his wife
and three daughters.
Deji V. Fashemo, DDS, MPH
For more information concerning this case, contact:
Fourth Dimension Orthodontics & Craniofacial Orthopedics
7777 Forest Ln, Suite C-770, Dallas, TX 75230
Tel: (972) 566-3100 e-fax: (214) 237-6522
www.4dorthodontics.com
AFTER
We thought adopting our new son from the country of
Ethiopia in 2008 was going to be the thing that
changed our family. Little did we realize, that was only
the beginning. Three years and two dental mission trips later, my
family’s life as well as hundreds of others will forever be changed.
The first EthiopiaSmile dental mission trip began as a group of
friends came around the idea using dentistry to love the people of
Ethiopia. In a country of 80 million people with under 100 trained
dentists in the entire country, dental needs are rampant to say the
least. Dental prevention and basic oral hygiene are not a part of the
national culture. Morbidity and even mortality, directly related to
dental infection, is a common occurrence, especially among the
millions living in extreme poverty.
This past September, eight dentists from various places across the
U.S. were joined by 40 other non-dental volunteers and traveled to
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Just under 1,000 patients were treated in
spite of the fact that the majority of our supplies ended up being
held up in customs the entire trip. Partnering with local ministries
and churches, we were able to care for those most vulnerable. In
light of the Biblical passage of James 1:27, we focused on caring for
orphans, widows, the elderly and those children with obvious den-
tal infection.
The majority of our treatment occurred in an incredibly impover-
ished part of Addis Ababa called Korah. Korah is a former leper
colony. Today it is the home to over 100,000 living in severe
poverty, many surviving by scavenging in the city dump.
A large open building with tin roof and walls was converted into a
MASH-style dental clinic. After waiting sometimes for hours, the
patients were screened and assessed for dental needs. Due to lack
of predictable electricity and instruments, our services were limited
to extractions. The patients were taken to an “anesthesia station”
then to the next open “chair” for their extraction or extractions.
Once the dental work was performed and had time to recover, the
patient was given analgesics, oral hygiene instructions and antibi-
otics if indicated.
Keeping with the mission to love the people of Ethiopia as we felt
Jesus would, we had a “buddy system” in place. Non-dental friends
partner with a patient and walk them through the various stations
as they receive treatment. Holding hands, rubbing their backs and
stroking their hair broke down the language barrier and calmed
their fears as most of them had ever seen a dentist before.
Another unique aspect of our trip is the sterilization process that
has been developed. A dear and talented friend reconstructed a
large pressure cooker into a fully functional autoclave. We used
three, continually running, butane-heated autoclaves to keep sterile
instruments available. This was especially important this year due
to the significant amount of supplies held up in customs, not to
mention the area we were serving in is rampant with HIV and other
communicable diseases.
Multiple things impact my life on the EthiopiaSmile trips. God has
EthiopiaSmileDENTAL MISSION TRIP by J. Moody Alexander, DDS, MS
NORTH TEXAS DENTISTRY | www.northtexasdentistry.com18
a way of showing up there. He is seen in the
faces of the patients we treat. The joy that
radiates, in spite of their dire circum-
stances, is infectious. He is evident in the
team working together, with a common
purpose and goal. Seeing the many moving
parts that need to all come together to pull
off the operation is inspiring. It’s a beauti-
ful thing for a dentist to step in, graciously
care for patients in a less than ideal setting
with limited resources to do what he or she
knows how to do. It’s just as beautiful see-
ing an engineer, stay-at-home mom, sales-
man, grandmother or teenager work
outside of their comfort zone as an assis-
tant or patient buddy. All in the spirit of
love, being the hands and feet of God to
these dear people.
Traveling to Ethiopia has a way of chang-
ing you, putting the stresses and cares of
this world in perspective, helping break
out of the small world we live in to see a
larger world full of needs, needs we have
been blessed to be able to meet – at least
in some small way. Our next trip to
Ethiopia will be in June 2012. n
Dr. Moody Alexander is a graduate of the Baylor
College of Dentistry orthodontic program and
an orthodontist in private practice in Arlington
since 1995.
If anyone would like more information, feel free
to contact Dr. Alexander at drmoody@drsalexan-
der.com or visit www.drsalexander.com.
Dr. Alexander and his wife Emily are the proud par-
ents of seven children, three of whom were adopted
from Ethiopia. They are pictured here with Hill, Wick,
Avery, Isabelle, Eyasu, and Abe. Gigi is still in
Ethiopia until her adoption is finalized in the next
month or so.
Ph
oto
: M
ajo
r Im
ag
es P
ho
tog
rap
hy
www.northtexasdentistry.com | NORTH TEXAS DENTISTRY 19
Joseph C. Danna, CDTDental Logic, Inc.
112 Hampshire Lane Suite 105
Richardson, Texas 75080
(972) 234-2219
www.dentallogic-lab.com
Q. The partnership between
dentist and laboratory is so
crucial to good teamwork.
How do you build a rela-
tionship with your dentist-
clients and ensure clear
communication?
A. Getting to know a dentist personally is
central to developing a good working rela-
tionship. I spend one-on-one time with
new clients and visit their office to key in
on how they work and their style of prac-
tice. I also try to meet with the staff, espe-
cially the front desk personnel and lead
dental assistant to discuss how I can best
support their practice and interface with
the office.
Q. How do you support the
restoration goals of your
clients?
A. I try to develop a thorough familiarity
with the team, the patient, the materials,
the procedure, and the overall goals of the
restoration. I am available to visit the office
for a consult if needed on a specific case,
and offer recommendations based on my
experience. I sometimes even meet with
the patient to address any aesthetic consid-
erations. It’s important to be familiar with
the materials the dentist is using and main-
tain thorough, current knowledge of the
product. I spend time to research the pro-
cedure and understand the factors that
form a foundation for excellent results.
Q. How do you ensure qual-
ity and safety?
A. While the materials we use are high-
tech, we still work the old-fashioned way.
There is no assembly line here. All of our
technicians are trained to focus on one case
at a time and stay with the basics. This
means that our restorations take time, but
we keep our commitment to both quality
and timeliness and keep our clients
informed of the status of their product
along the way if needed.
From start to finish, I monitor all critical
stages of the process – from the case design
and impression, to die trim and delivery. I
personally look at each impression and
accompanying instructions within hours of
receiving it. Within the first 24 hours, I
analyze the prep design and spend a lot of
time on the wax-up. I oversee each casting
as the model is poured so there is adequate
time to identify any concerns or needs.
This allows us to order anything we might
need immediately and avoid delays or last-
minute issues. Because our quality is so
carefully controlled, we are able to offer a
5-year warranty on our craftsmanship.
We offer a wide range of dental laboratory
products, and all are manufactured only with
FDA-approved and ADA-accepted materials
purchased from a major, well-known supplier
to ensure the utmost safety, quality and purity
of our final products.
Q. Do you send laboratorywork offshore?
A. No. I prefer to have control over the
entire process rather than trying to com-
pensate for discrepancies in the product. In
order for the final product to be optimally
strong and of the highest quality, the sub-
structure must be perfect, not patched to
correct imperfections. Creating every stage
of every restoration in house directly
impacts our ability to deliver consistent
quality. I invite our clients to x-ray our
products so they can see for themselves
that the quality of the foundation is just as
high as the quality visible to the eye.
Q. Do you allow tours ofyour laboratory?
A. We not only allow them, we encourage
doctors and their assistants to visit our
facility. This almost always leads to a bet-
ter understanding of how we can work
together more effectively to achieve the
best possible results. In fact, we even
encourage patients to come to our facility
for precise shading. While they are here,
we show them how a crown is created, and
often take time to explain why their dentist
has chosen a particular material for their
restoration and discuss the advantages of
that material in language they can easily
understand. Patients are universally
appreciative of this opportunity and
impressed that their dentist has taken
such great care to select the best possible
material for their smile.
Dental Logic, Inc.Joseph C. Danna, CDT
&AQ
NORTH TEXAS DENTISTRY | www.northtexasdentistry.com20
What do you need to compete?
An Action Plan
We’ll show you exactly what steps you must take in order
to preserve your practice and secure your future.
Resources to Compete Effectively
We’ll show you how to use world-class systems and resources
to run your practice with greater revenues, lower overhead,
and higher profits.
A Business Partner with a Demonstrable Track Record of Success
The principals behind Nexus have operated and grown dental
companies from scratch to hundreds of locations and over
$200 million in revenues. Helping you achieve your goals
won’t be a problem.
Multi-Practice Strategy
Many doctors want to diversify beyond one office, but lack
the expertise or confidence. We'll show you how to safely and
profitably expand to meet your income and retirement goals.
No matter what your situation, andespecially if you have a large and thrivingpractice today, you need to know what wehave to share. Your future is at stake!
Even the most successful solo practices face increasing competitive pressure that can threaten their future survival. You need to know what is going on – that’s why we puttogether this informative seminar.
LIMITED SEATING - REGISTER TODAY!
Call (817) 328-6150 or visit
www.nexusdentalalliance.com
They are corporate-owned and operated DMSO (Dental Management Service Organization) practices, with highly
successful and proven business models, very deep pockets and intent on targeting local patients just like yours! In the
greater DFW area alone, there are an estimated 218 corporate owned dental practices – up from less than half of that
just four years ago. Many more are coming in 2012! Over the last two years, New Patient Flow has held steady in these
practices, while independent practices experienced a decline of 50%! What happened in your practice?
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Featured Speaker:
R. Kirk Huntsmann 23 years dental industry experiencen Co-founder of Dental One Partnersn Founding member of Dental Group Practice Associationn CEO ReachOut Healthcare American Founder and CEO Nexus Dental Alliance
Like all professions, the practice of dentistry is evolutionary.
And based on what has happened in other professional
market sectors, the track of that evolutionary path is highly
predictable. What began in antiquity as a crude trade or craft that
could be plied by just about anyone, eventually morphed into a
profession, with clinical standards, regulations, licensing require-
ments, and oversight. Along the way, the charlatans were purged,
the public gained confidence, and the privileged few who met the
high standards for practice began to prosper. Eventually, as the
profession honed its services to the public and as the public came
to value those services as a truly indispensable part of life, the pro-
fessional pursuit evolved further into something far more com-
plex and commercialized. In today’s modern dental practice, the
commercial aspects and economic considerations come to the
forefront, and as already happened to pharmacists, optometrists,
veterinarians, and other professions, large and efficiently run cor-
porate models come to dominate the market as big money seeking
high returns pours in.
Dentistry in the 21st century has clearly moved from the back
alleys of antiquity, through the independent professional model
of the last century, and now finds its future in a corporate model.
Some may take issue with this assessment, but they do so at their
own peril, because the facts are not on their side. Corporate
Dental Management Services Organizations (DMSOs), flush with
huge amounts of capital from Wall Street and large private equity
funds, are expanding rapidly. According to the Dental Group
Practice Association (DGPA), the top tier 20-25 DMSOs alone will
account for over $4 billion in revenues in 2011—and that just
scratches the surface, as smaller DMSOs (under $40 million in
annual revenues) outnumber their large corporate brethren by an
estimated 20 to 1. Overall, an estimated 25-30% of all dental serv-
ices rendered in the US will soon come by way of corporate DMSO
practices.
Why Corporate Dentistry Is Growing
As to why the corporate sponsored DMSO model is winning the
battle for market share, one need look no further than what they
offer the consumer. First, they typically accept all insurance plans
and offer patients convenient appointment times before and after
work in highly visible, modern, well designed facilities with easy
access. Simply put—they are easy to do business with. Second,
many DMSOs offer one-stop, single point of service dental care,
where all specialty services can be obtained. Third, because of
their size and purchasing power, they have lower operating
costs—often a full 20-25% lower than their solo practice competi-
tors. Thus, they can compete on price far more effectively—with-
out compromising quality of care or service. Ironically however,
DMSOs typically receive higher PPO fees than local solo doctors,
again due to their size and negotiating leverage. Fourth, these
companies run like finely tuned business machines, led by pro-
fessional businessmen and women who are smart, focused, and
bring many years of success to their jobs. Fifth, these companies
have huge marketing budgets and have now moved well beyond
their traditional managed care, low end type focus. Modern
DMSOs target the same cross section of Middle America that tra-
ditional solo practices have monopolized for the past 100 years.
Their marketing programs are targeted, sophisticated, and well
executed. Finally, DMSOs have been infused with hundreds of
millions of dollars, and they need to deploy that capital either in
The Future of Dentistry
Why DMSOs WillDominate Dentistry in 2020
by R. Kirk Huntsman
NORTH TEXAS DENTISTRY | www.northtexasdentistry.com22
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Disability Life Health Long Term Care Malpractice
purchasing existing practices or growing them from scratch. Not
many solo practices offer anything close to the total value propo-
sition these corporate competitors offer patients. No wonder more
and more patients are leaving their solo doctors behind in favor
of the corporate practice model.
Options for Solo Doctors
Solo practitioners facing this corporate tsunami basically have two
options: sell out or remain independent and try to compete. Some
few will make that trade by exchanging their independence for a
W-2 from a DMSO. Others will hold out and hope these guys go
away. They won’t. My bet is that the vast majority will actively seek
out ways and means to retain their independence and compete.
Independent solo dentists who wish to compete against the big
boys are not without their options. Nothing prevents them from
partnering up with the right people to form their own multi-loca-
tion, multi-specialty practices. That’s one way they can begin to
operate their practices more like a business, with the same kind
of systems, processes, and disciplines that will allow them to gen-
erate more production at lower cost. With the right team, they’ll
gain access to the same kinds of leveraged discounts that the large
DMSOs enjoy on everyday purchases. One piece of advice—don’t
try to do this without first having a good plan and getting the very
best professional advice available. When put together properly
with the right partners, group practice can be both professionally
and financially rewarding—and in this case it may just be the only
way to survive what’s coming! n
R. Kirk Huntsman has been
active in the dental industry for
over 23 years. In 1988, he
became the Dallas/Ft. Worth
licensee for AFTCO Associates,
a dental practice brokerage
company with over 65 offices
nationwide. Within two years, his
was the top performing office in
the nation. In 1991, he acquired
the Houston license and contin-
ued to rapidly expand. By 1995,
he was ready to begin owning and operating practices, so he
launched Dental One as a dental management services organization,
or DMSO. Under Mr. Huntsman’s leadership and direction, Dental
One (now Dental One Partners) grew from scratch to over 150 offices
in 14 states.
After leaving Dental One Partners in the spring of 2010, Kirk began
working closely with Morgan Stanley Private Equity in their acquisition
of ReachOut Healthcare America, the nation’s largest mobile den-
tistry provider. Mr. Huntsman recently left ReachOut in order to form
Nexus Dental Group, a virtual DMSO providing a wide range of
DMSO-type resources and services to independent dentists.
Mr. Huntsman is a 1981 graduate of Brigham Young University’s Mar-
riott School of Management.
www.northtexasdentistry.com | NORTH TEXAS DENTISTRY 23
The Southwest
Dental Conference
began in 1927 by a
visionary group of
dentists. I can only
imagine that they
were innovative, dar-
ing, and had high
hopes for this dental conference. And their
dreams have come true! Of course it has
changed names through the years but what
we now know as the Southwest Dental
Conference has become the preeminent den-
tal meeting of the southwest. Eighty-five
years since its inception, we are celebrating
the vision of our dental forefathers who pre-
pared the way for its success today.
REGISTER NOW!
Mark your calendars for January 12-14, 2012.
Registration online at www.swdentalconf.org
or you may mail in the registration form in the
2012 SWDC brochure. Make sure you check
out all the speaker choices and topics.
I invite you to start 2012 with an educational
meeting that will set the tone for your dental
practice in this coming year. Come and join
me and your fellow dentists in celebrating the
85th Anniversary of the Southwest Dental
Conference.
Danette McNew DDS
Chairman SWDC 2012
Have you noticed that as the years march
on, trying to keep perspective, energy
and passion alive for our wonderful pro-
fession gets a little harder? The economy
also continues to take a hit and may
assist in driving this downward spiral.
Then why not take advantage of this time
to broaden your dental knowledge and
return to your practice with the excite-
ment of bringing new information, prod-
ucts and services to offer your patients?
Here are 85 reasons to recharge your
New Year by “practicing in the present
while focused on the future”:
6 course updates on sedation and anes-
thesia which prepares you for the recent
changes in sedation regulation in Texas
4 sessions teaching dentists how effec-
tively to manage “more mature” patients
8 courses designed to improve our
esthetic planning and adhesive resin
applications by 10 unique speakers.
5 sessions to help you battle the econ-
omy and be more profitable, productive
and prepared to exit your practice at the
appropriate time
7 current concept courses in implant
dentistry
11 speakers focusing on the health of
the practitioner, the patient, and team
member
4 specialized forums addressing trau-
matology, missions, women health con-
cerns, and new dentist challenges
3 live-patient demonstrations showcas-
ing the latest in dental advancements
1 mobile phone app to try your hand at
3 sessions to learn how sleep apnea
treatments can be a part of your dental
practice
3 courses to incorporate pediatric den-
tistry in 2012
9 topics to boost hygiene productivity
utilizing ultrasonics, new products,
implant maintenance, and oral fluid
diagnostics
7 sessions to improve our endodontic
performance
13 courses for the dental assistant to
manage radiographs, photography, mate-
rials, bleaching, provisionals, and stress,
and
1 celebration of the 85th Anniversary
of the Southwest Dental Conference with
over sixty speakers providing both lec-
tures and hands-on workshops to benefit
the entire team.
NORTH TEXAS DENTISTRY | www.northtexasdentistry.com24
85 REASONSto attend the
2012 SOUTHWEST DENTAL CONFERENCE
Healthcare fraud has been a prior-
ity since the Health Insurance
Portability and Accountability
Act established a National Healthcare
Fraud and Abuse Control Program to
coordinate Federal, State, and Local law
enforcement regarding healthcare fraud
and abuse in 1996. Since that time, the
federal government has recovered over
$18 billion for healthcare fraud and
abuse, $2.5 billion of which was won or
negotiated in fiscal year 2010.
The states have also ramped up their
enforcement efforts in this area in recent
years. In 2010, Texas Medicaid recovered
$418 million and avoided costs of approx-
imately $333,000 due to healthcare fraud
enforcement.
It is no surprise that Medicaid orthodon-
tics have come under attack in Texas
based upon the amount of money paid to
orthodontists. In 2010, providers in Texas
were paid $184 million for Medicaid
orthodontics, and 34 clinics received more
than $1 million during that period.
The conduct being examined in these
investigations is no different than what
the government examines in all health-
care fraud cases. However, there are some
twists based upon how these issues are
applied in the orthodontic and dental
contexts. In light of that, there are some
things that you can do in order to mini-
mize your liability if you find yourself
under audit or investigation. (It is impor-
tant to note that if you are currently under
audit or investigation, you need to retain
an attorney experienced in this area of the
law to guide you through this process and
any changes you may be implementing).
POTENTIALLY PROBLEMATIC
CONDUCT
Services Not Rendered
The government often examines whether
or not services that were billed were actu-
ally rendered. One of the government’s
favorite techniques for doing so is exam-
ining the amount of time the doctor
spends with each patient. In other words,
they divide the number of hours the doc-
tor is in the office by the number of
patients seen during that day. If the time
per patient is unreasonable in the govern-
ment’s opinion, they frequently take the
position that the doctor did not see all of
the patients and/or did not see the
patients long enough to adequately pro-
vide the service. The government has an
even stronger case in situations where the
billing codes are time based. The govern-
ment also often examines a doctor’s travel
records to determine which days he or she
was in the office.
Services not rendered are perhaps one of
the most critical issues that the govern-
ment will examine. If the government
feels that unqualified personnel, such as
dental assistants, instead of doctors must
be treating patients because of the num-
ber of patients seen and/or the doctor is
not spending adequate time with each
patient, the government views this as a
quality of care issue. When there is a qual-
ity of care issue, the government is much
more likely to suspend payments or shut
a clinic down, as opposed to a situation
where there is merely a billing issue.
In the orthodontic and dental context, the
doctor needs to ensure that he or she
is spending adequate time with each
patient. It is helpful to have the doctor
sign the charts contemporaneously upon
treatment. You also need to ensure that
each doctor has a Medicaid provider
number for each clinic in which they
are working.
Necessity
Necessity is another critical issue in gov-
ernment investigations. In certain areas,
such as orthodontics, home health, and
hospice care, if the government can suc-
cessfully challenge the determination
of necessity, they can take the position
that all charges paid for a patient
were improper.
In the orthodontic field, patients who are
under age 12 receiving full braces have
been an area of focus. It is imperative that
with all patients, but particularly these,
necessity be adequately documented.
Upcoding
The government often examines whether
a provider is consistently coding a more
How Current Government Initiatives May Affect Your Practice
by Sarah Q. Wirskye
NORTH TEXAS DENTISTRY | www.northtexasdentistry.com28
complex procedure, for which the reim-
bursement is higher, rather than a less
complex version of that same procedure.
This is called upcoding. This has been
applied in dental cases when the govern-
ment is examining the types and/or mate-
rials of sealants or fillings being used. The
government has focused on upcoding in
orthodontic cases with appliances.
Unbundling
Unbundling is a situation when there is
one procedure that is split up to maximize
reimbursement. For example, two proce-
dures can be performed separately and
are reimbursed at $100 each. However,
when those two procedures are per-
formed together, there is one billing code
which pays $150. When those procedures
are performed together, the third code
must be used instead of “unbundling”
those procedures and billing the two
other codes separately in order to obtain
higher reimbursement. Appliances are an
area that has been an issue in recent den-
tal and orthodontic investigations.
Kickbacks
Kickbacks can be gifts or benefits to refer-
ral sources, beneficiaries, or employees.
These are easier cases for the government
than cases that turn largely on expert tes-
timony regarding complex medical proce-
dures. It is good practice not to make any
substantial gifts to referral sources or any
gifts at all to beneficiaries, such as rebates
or gift cards.
The government could also take the posi-
tion that employee compensation based
upon revenue is a kickback. While this
may not seem as obvious as the conduct
discussed in the previous paragraph, this
is not a good practice and should be dis-
continued.
PROACTIVE MEASURES
Because of what is at stake, it is imperative
that providers are very careful when work-
ing with the government. In addition to
severe monetary sanctions, the govern-
ment has the ability to require a provider
to have a corporate monitor, place a mon-
etary hold or suspend payments to a
provider, exclude a provider from govern-
ment programs, and even put a provider
in jail. The collateral consequences from a
government investigation may also impli-
cate licensure issues with the State Board.
One of the most basic things a provider
can do to minimize liability is to accu-
rately chart. Often, because a provider is
busy, the level of detail in patient records
does not support what was billed. This is
an issue in all healthcare cases. The clini-
cal staff needs to understand that patient
treatment is only half of their job and the
other half is accurately and adequately
documenting the chart.
Providers and their staff must take the
time to learn and follow the often com-
plex Medicaid rules. If an office is big
enough, hire an in-house compliance offi-
cer. If not, find a competent consultant to
advise you. You need to make sure you
are following every procedure in order to
minimize your liability if you find yourself
in the government’s sights. n
Ms. Sarah Wirskye has represented numerous
individuals and entities in civil and criminal dis-
putes with federal and state governments and
private insurers. She is currently representing
several healthcare providers, including den-
tists and orthodontists, in inquiries by both the
state and federal authorities.
For more information contact Ms. Wirskye
at [email protected] or call
(214) 749-2483.
www.northtexasdentistry.com | NORTH TEXAS DENTISTRY 29
NORTH TEXAS DENTISTRY | www.northtexasdentistry.com30
There’s something special about sparkling wine. The word
itself, “sparkling” is a cool word. So is Champagne, an
extra-special sparkling wine from a certain special part
of France. The Holidays always seem to bring out that seasonal
desire to do something special with a bottle of sparkling wine –
give one to a special friend or drink some with special friends.
Behind that special sparkle, however, lie some interesting and
somewhat complicated details about wine-making and labeling.
There’s also the question of which one to buy as there are some
that are more special than others.
History and Process
Wine that sparkled was not always considered a good thing –
cause unknown, it was attributed to faulty winemaking and often
caused the bottles to burst. As it turns out, cold winter tempera-
tures sometimes halted the wine’s original fermentation, leaving
residual sugar and dormant yeast in the wine. Once bottled,
warmer temperatures reactivated the yeast and a secondary fer-
mentation of the wine created the bubbles. This discovery, cou-
pled with the production of stronger glass bottles, gave late-17th
century winemakers better control of the process and allowed
them to deliberately make sparkling wine.
The traditional method (methode traditionnelle or methode cham-
penoise) of making sparkling wine involves adding yeast and sugar
to bottled wine, capping the bottle and allowing the fermentation
to produce carbon dioxide that dissolves in the wine. The bottles
are then placed in racks with the necks slanted downward and
given a slight shake and turn several times a day, allowing the dead
yeast cells (lees) to gravitate toward the bottle opening. When all
the lees have settled out, the neck of the bottle is frozen, the cap is
removed and the pressure pushes the frozen lees plug out of the
bottle, at which time the bottle is topped off with a wine/sugar
mixture and corked to preserve the carbonation.
The amount of sugar used in the “topping off” mixture deter-
mines the sweetness of the sparking wine: “Brut” will have a
small amount of sugar, “Extra Dry” will be sweeter and “Dry”
even sweeter.
Champagne
While many people refer to sparkling wine as Champagne,
European Union laws only allow sparkling wines from the Cham-
pagne province of France to be labeled Champagne.
There are five legally defined wine-producing districts covering
76,000 acres of vineyards around 319 villages that are home to
more than 19,000 grape growers and 5,000 wine producers.
The main business centers are the towns of Reims and Epernay.
The Champagne house of Gosset was founded in 1584 and is the
oldest Champagne house still in operation today. Other well
known houses include Ruinart (1729) Taittinger (1734), Moet
et Chandon (1743) ,Veuve Clicquot (1772), Roederer (1776),
Piper Heidsick (1785), Krug (1843) and Mumm (1847).
Sparkling wines from these historical houses are not inexpensive,
with entry-level prices in the range of $40. The Yellow Label
from Clicquot is a great example of Brut Champagne. The White
Star from Moet et Chandon is an Extra Dry, a bit sweeter than
a Brut with floral and peachy notes that would go great with a
fruit dessert. The Moet Nectar Imperial and the Clicquot
Demi-Sec are dessert-style champagnes with pear, vanilla and al-
mond notes and a long finish – perfect on its own or with choco-
lates after dinner.
Expect premium Champagnes to cost $150 or more. Some of the
more famous ones include Dom Perignon from Moet et Chan-
don, Cristal from Louis Roederer, Belle Epoque from Per-
rier-Jouet, Grand Cuvee from Krug and La Grande Dame
from Veuve Cliquot.
Sparklersfor Special Times
by Kim Clarke
wine cellar
www.northtexasdentistry.com | NORTH TEXAS DENTISTRY 31
Rest of the World
Sparkling Wines
Spanish Cava, French Cremant, Australian
Sparkling Shiraz, Bubbly from New Mexico
– these and thousands more make up the
Sparkling Wine “not Champagne” cate-
gory. The wines are great – in fact, many of
the Champagne houses have outposts in
the new world. Roederer purchased 580
acres in the Anderson Valley of California
in 1982 and today produces 80,000 cases
of Roederer Estate Brut, a perennial 90-
pointer with a price tag of around $20.
Mumm also owns acreage in Napa Valley
and makes 150,000 cases of non-vintage
Brut Prestige selling for around $15 that
always seems to land on the Wine Specta-
tor Top 100 List. Domain Chandon,
owned by Moet et Chandon, was
founded in 1973 and now farms over 1,000
acres of California Pinot Noir, Chardonnay
and Pinot Meunier used to craft a wide
range of sparkling wines. Other outstand-
ing California sparkling wine producers in-
clude Iron Horse, J Vineyards (part of
the Jordan family) and Schramsberg.
Gruet, a New Mexico winery, makes a
variety of sparkling wines that represent
some of the best values of the genre. The
non-vintage Blanc de Noir (around $13)
was recently named #43 on the 2011 Wine
Spectator Top 100 List.
Spanish sparklers, called Cava, are inex-
pensive and good choices to drink on their
own or use for making mimosas or cham-
pagne punch. One of the best I’ve had was
a 2007 Naveran Dama (around $20).
Cordoniu and Segura Viudas are reli-
able producers as well.
Great sparkling wines at reasonable prices
are widely available and worth trying.
Champagne or not, they make any occasion
more festive, unique and, well, special!
Happy Holidays! n
When you educate your patients about the basics of pre-
ventative dentistry, you’re not only showing them how
to keep their smiles beautiful for life. You’re also help-
ing them avoid learning the hard way about the most common
dental disasters—up to and including the loss of their teeth.
But have you prepared as well for your own future—in particular,
your financial future? What if, for example, you suddenly become
disabled—through an accident, an injury, or an illness—and are
unable to work? Are you fully prepared for such a scenario?
Statistics show that disability is much more commonplace than
most people think: In a recent survey more than half of employees
surveyed felt they had less than a 2% chance of becoming disabled
during their working years, but in reality more than 25% of Amer-
icans entering the work force today (1 in 4) will become disabled
before they retire.2
Perhaps you believe that you’re fully covered by a group policy or
the association coverage you may have purchased. While group
DI is often relatively inexpensive and easy to administer, it can
also fall short just when you need it most—leaving you in for some
unpleasant surprises when it’s too late to correct the situation.
Want to be better prepared? Consider the following:
Learn to speak the lingo
The right disability income policy can help you keep your house-
hold going if you suffer a long-term disability. But before you go
shopping for a DI policy, you need to know what features to look
for—and the language the insurance industry uses to describe
them. The following terms are part of the language describing
high-quality policies, and are what you should look for to get cov-
erage you can count on:
Non-cancellable and Guaranteed Renewable. To avoid the
possibility of losing your coverage just when you need it most,
choose a policy that’s non-cancellable and guaranteed renewable
to age 65. This will also guarantee premiums until age 65. With a
group policy, you run the risk of being dropped and left unpro-
tected at a time in your life when, due to your age or to a change
in your medical condition, it could be very difficult to qualify for
coverage with another provider. The premiums for your classifi-
cation can also be increased at any time.
Conditionally renewable for life. Although premiums may
Disability Income InsuranceWhat Every Dentist Needs to Know by Bob Michaels, CLU
NORTH TEXAS DENTISTRY | www.northtexasdentistry.com32
money matters
Bob Michaels, CLU has been in the in-
surance business in Dallas, Texas for
over forty years. He has been an Asso-
ciate with the TDA Financial Services
Insurance Program for the last eight
years. Bob’s scope of operation in the
TDA Insurance Program includes life,
health, disability income, employee
benefits, long term care, and malprac-
tice insurance.
For more information, visit www.TDAmemberinsure.com. You can contact
Bob at [email protected] or call (214) 696-5103.
increase after age 65, your policy should be guaranteed renewable
for life, as long as you are at work full time.
Own-Occupation definition of disability. Own-occupation
coverage defines “totally disabled”—and therefore eligible for ben-
efits—as not able to work in your own occupation even if you are
at work in some other capacity. As a highly skilled professional
who has invested much into your education and training, you
want to make sure you have genuine own-occupation coverage so
that even if you can teach, for example, in your field—but cannot
practice dentistry—you are still eligible for benefits. A few
companies even consider your ADA-recognized specialty your
own occupation.
Residual Disability coverage. Through a rider, a good indi-
vidual DI plan can provide you with a benefit when you suffer a
loss of income as a result of partial disability—even if you have
never suffered a period of total disability. The best policies con-
tinue to pay a benefit even after you have returned to work full-
time so long as you have suffered a 20% loss of income.
A choice of Riders. Riders offer optional additional coverage
such as annual Future Increase Option, Automatic Increase and
Cost of Living Adjustments, or “COLA”.
Protecting your practice, as well as yourself
As a dental professional, you must also protect the source of your
income: the practice you’ve worked hard to establish and grow.
Special business DI policies, available from the same DI providers
who offer high-quality individual coverage, offer your practice
protection while you recover from a disability.
For example, to help meet the expenses of running the office while
you are disabled, consider a separate type of disability coverage
known as Overhead Expense (OE). OE benefits reimburse your
practice for expenses such as rent for your office, electricity, heat,
telephone and utilities, as well as interest on debts and lease pay-
ments on furniture and equipment.
Overhead expense insurance specifically designed for profession-
als reimburses some additional costs not included in regular busi-
ness overhead expense policies—including the salaries of all
regular employees who are not members of your profession. In a
practice such as yours, for example, salaries for your receptionist
and assistant would be covered, but not the salary of your dental
professional partner(s) or employee(s). However, high-quality
professional overhead policies will cover at least part of the salary
of a professional temporary replacement for you, such as a dentist
retained to fill in during your total disability.
Dentists who are partners in a group practice will want to consider
a policy known as a Disability Buy-Out (DBO). In much the same
way that life insurance benefits can be set aside to fund a buy-out
by the remaining partner if the other partner dies, this type of pol-
icy is designed to fund the healthy partner’s purchase of the dis-
abled partner’s share of the practice. With the proper agreement
in place before disability occurs, hard feelings and the conflicts of
interest that can result from a partner’s disability can be avoided.
The fact is, as part of your overall planning, you owe it to yourself
to look into protection for the one thing that makes all the other
planning possible: your ability to earn an income. n
1 CDA 2010 Consumer Disability Awareness Survey.
2 Social Security Administration Fact Sheet, January 2011.
www.northtexasdentistry.com | NORTH TEXAS DENTISTRY 33
Call 1-800-232-3826 today for a free practice appraisal, a $2,500 value!
AFTCO is the oldest and largest dental practice transition
consulting firm in the United States. AFTCO assists dentists with
associateships, purchasing and selling of practices, and
retirement plans. We are there to serve you through all stages of
your career.
Brandon S. Burgar, D.M.D. has acquired the practice of
(Boston University 1999)
Walter J. Thomas, D.D.S. - Mineral Wells, Texas
(University of Texas - Houston 1960)
AFTCO is pleased to have represented both
parties in this transaction.
Helping dentists buy & sell practices for over 40 years.
WWW.AFTCO.NET
“I have learned that an AFTCO analyst is the most
important person in the world when it comes time to
do a proper practice transition. I have been a buyer
and a seller with AFTCO and I am exceptionally
impressed by how dual representation works to the
considerable benefit of BOTH the buyer and the
seller at all times.”
Alan S. Martin, D.D.S. (Duncanville, TX)
If you have considered completing
a build out in a new space, or a
remodel in your existing space or
in a new location, read on for some
helpful guidelines.
This article will help educate you on
what to expect, what to look for in your
space, and some questions to ask dur-
ing your decision process.
It is advised you first choose a lender,
realtor, and contractor with a proven track record in the dental
community. All of those who will work with you should be famil-
iar with the specifics and unique requirements of a dental office.
Part of the process will include establishing a relationship with
one of the many dental equipment companies in the DFW
metroplex. You will also need to choose a lender. It is strongly
suggested you evaluate those who participate in, and are famil-
iar with your field. You will also need to choose a realtor who
can provide updated information and location opportunities.
This will be a critical element of your eventual success.
Numerous items can affect your build out costs, as well as your
monthly utility bills and construction expenses. Is there natural
gas to the building for heating? Electric heat is generally more
expensive, but you may offset some of the electric costs by using
more efficient heat pump units. Does the building have post ten-
sion cables? If so, this can prolong the construction and add to
the costs. Will your drains have sufficient drop based on your
design and expectations? If you are looking at an existing space,
do investigate if asbestos is present. Finding asbestos in an
existing space can be costly to remove. Be sure and inquire
about the age of an existing A/C unit or units. Will the landlord
provide a warranty for the existing unit, or units?
There are several other significant areas you will want to con-
sider, including the following: If the project is a remodel, the
state comptroller’s office requires sales tax paid on the entire
cost of the project, or “sales price”. If the project will be in a new
space (and one never occupied), then only materials’ sales tax
applies. This difference can equate to many thousands of dollars
in costs. Will the project be subject to Road Impact fees levied
by the city as it is being permitted? This has come as a surprise
to clients in the past several years. Make sure you know the
answer on the front end so you can plan for the fees if necessary.
These guidelines and questions are considerations as you move
forward with your objectives and goals of locating, building and
financing your new practice. It is highly recommended you
spend the quality preparation time today to evaluate the indi-
vidual specialists who can assist you in making your dream
office the reality of tomorrow. n
ESA Construction is one of the most experienced and leading design
build dental general contractors in the DFW Metroplex. Specializing in
turn-key dental office solutions since 1994, they truly strive to be “Your
partner for the future”. Jorge Fernandez and Bruce Goodhartz, principals
of ESA, are a step above your typical general contractors. Offering site
selection evaluation, in-house design and engineering, Realtor, financing,
architectural and dental equipment company referrals along with budget
compilation, ESA will ensure that your project runs smoothly from start
to finish. Please check out the many projects completed and services
offered by ESA on the website www.esa-construction.com or call for a
FREE no-obligation consultation or site visit at (972) 250-1170. We can
also be contacted at [email protected]. Our offices are located
at 17806 Davenport, Suite 107, Dallas, TX 75252.
by Jorge Fernandez, Principal, ESA Construction
Is Building or Remodeling
a Practice in Your Near Future?
new office dreams will come tru
e.
Jorge Fernandez
www.northtexasdentistry.com | NORTH TEXAS DENTISTRY 35
construction & design
Case PresentationsProvided by Leading Doctors
in North Texas
SMILESin theSPOTLIGHT
n High Resolution Photography
n Step by Step Details of Treatment
North Texas
Dentistry
For more information on sharing your expertise
in a future Smiles in the Spotlight contact
[email protected] 214-629-7110
NORTH TEXAS DENTISTRY | www.northtexasdentistry.com36
bringing your practice
to the next level
by Richard V. Lyschik, DDS, FAGD
www.northtexasdentistry.com | NORTH TEXAS DENTISTRY 37
The news is generally positive. Are you cautiously optimistic?
Or are you just waiting to see what the future brings to your
practice without doing something about it yourself? Why not
take a different approach; be pro-active! There are a “TON” of
things you can do to improve your practice:
T: TEAM
Is the practice a “zoo” at times? Who “puts out the fires”? Who
starts them? Do you have a “Million Dollar Team” or not? No,
that is not the combined total of their salaries, but the produc-
tion they can easily help your office generate if they are very well
trained, professional, and goal-oriented! Recognize the leaders
on your team. Who can you depend on the most? Everybody?
Somebody? Anybody? Nobody?
O: OPERATIONS
The average dental office is only operating at 40% of its poten-
tial because the dentist is “too busy” in the back. “Being busy”
and “being productive” are not the same thing! Time manage-
ment is the key. Put time on your side! Did you know there are
doctor-hours, patient-hours, and staff-hours that need to be
considered when running a dental office? How well do you keep
those concepts separated to maximize your efficiency? Time
management with creative scheduling can make for a further
efficient and more productive business model. Is there an oper-
ations manual? Are there job descriptions? Is your office run-
ning at its peak efficiency? How would you know?
N: NUMBERS
What are the goals for the day, the week, for the month, for the
year – for the future? Will you exceed last year’s numbers? You
should! Do you read your practice reports at the end of the
month? How many new patients are coming in the door? Is your
average annual production per patient close to $700? Have you
ever looked at your list of incomplete treatment plans? Last
month, over one million dollars in incomplete treatment plans
were found in a Duncanville practice that was for sale. When this
was discovered, the Buyer, without hesitation, offered full price
for the practice! The Seller left a lot of dentistry behind for the
new Buyer. Doctor, don’t let your numbers get away from you!
Do you recognize some of these issues might apply to your prac-
tice? How do you get help to solve the problems, and how do
you get answers to some of the tough questions? Is there any-
one you can turn to and trust enough to point you and your
“baby” in the right direction?
IT’S CONVENTION TIME!
Be sure you take advantage of your exclusive membership to
attend. There are many great minds, creative concepts, and
technological innovations to help your practice rise to the top!
All you need to do is add discipline, structure, and direction.
And if you think you are already doing everything the right way,
then get that second opinion to see if you are on track!
How do you improve your practice’s TEAM, OPERATIONS, and
NUMBERS to get a TON of rewards? Most importantly, how
do you make the positive changes last permanently? Speak to
the experts… the Convention is full of them! n
Richard V. Lyschik, D.D.S., FAGD is one of
AFTCO’s leading innovative Senior Analysts
who has helped over 2,900 dentists in
associating, buying, expanding, or merging and
guided older, disabled and/or “burned out”
dentists to sell their practices. Dr. Lyschik’s
clients have seen the considerable benefits of
incentive programs, pension funding plans and
increased productivity through his guidance.
There is no substitute for experience in this
business. Who better could you choose to talk to about your future transition
plans than a seasoned fellow dentist, a recognized premier transition expert, and
AFTCO Analyst of the Year Award winner? Check out the impressive AFTCO
website at www.AFTCO.net, then call for a free appraisal and a no-obligation
consultation with Dr. Lyschik at your office or the AFTCO office in Dallas, TX at
(214) 893-0410 or 1-800-232-3826.
You Can Do a “TON” for the New Year to Grow Your Practice
practice management
ADVERTISER’S INDEX
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Bob Michaels, CLU .................................................23
Bullseye Media .......................................................38
Dental Keynote Concepts .......................................15
Dental Logic ............................................................31
Destiny Dental Laboratory ......................................38
Edwards & Associates ............................................36
ESA Construction ............................inside front cover
Med Dent Advisors..................................................29
Med+Tech Construction .............................back cover
Nexus Dental Alliance .............................................21
Ray Bryant Photography .........................................11
Sockit! .............................................inside back cover
Southwest Dental Conference ................................25
Structures and Interiors...........................................19
Thiel & Thiel .......................................................26/27
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US Navy Recruiting.................................................33
NORTH TEXAS DENTISTRY | www.northtexasdentistry.com38
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