Time to Step Out of the Cave

The Southeastern District and Zumbro Valley Dental Societies cordially invite you to a Spring Continuing Education Meeting for the entire staff.

When:  March 11, 2005

             9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Where:  Ramada Hotel (formerly the Best Western Apache).

               Just west of Apache Mall on Hwy 52.

               Rochester, Minnesota.

Program:

Mark Engelstad, D.D.S., M.D., on "Dental Trauma"

Kevin Nakagaki, D.D.S., on "Medical Emergencies in the Dental Office"

Kevin Rieck, D.D.S., M.D., on "Cosmetic Maxillofacial Surgery"

SEDDS and MDA staff on "Current Issues in Dentistry"

Cost of $55.00 per person includes lunch.  The registration deadline is February 28. Please register ASAP — maximum capacity is 120.

For further information, contact Dr. Duane Price at (507) 299-2539.

Special Notice: The Southeastern District Dental Society is calling a Special Meeting following the program on March 11 to vote on proposed changes to the Constitution and Bylaws of our District as recommended by the Ethics, Bylaws and Constitution Committee of the Minnesota Dental Association. This meeting will be short. Additional information will be made available. Please contact Rick Nolting at Nolting@aol.com with any questions or concerns.

Our previous spring continuing education meetings have been excellent. You can support your dental societies by attending and receive quality continuing education credits in the process. Dr. Duane Price has done a tremendous job hosting this meeting. Please show your appreciation by attending.

And...

Please also plan ahead for the SEDDS Annual Meeting in Red Wing on August 26, 2005. Our District president, Dennis Vaillant, is "rolling out the red carpet" for us. Preliminary planning includes golf at the Mississippi National Golf Club, riverboat rides, tours of scenic Red Wing, a great CE program, and a whole lot

of fun. Please consider attending this meeting on August 26th in Red Wing.

TAS

District "do-ers" include

Mike Flynn  A member of the Department of Human Services Access Committee and a licensed "critical care provider", Mike has a strong interest in access to dental care for the underprivileged.

John Noack is the newest member of the District's Executive Council.

 Tony Michelich is the District's Constitution and Bylaws guru.

Associate Editor

Balaton Dental Clinic

123 Third Street

Balaton, MN 56115-9451

A Choice Crowd

The Southern District Dental Society met in Mankato January 13-14, 2005 for the Midwinter Business Meeting and Continuing Education Lecture.  The featured speaker was Dr. James Q. Swift, who presented on "Updates in Oral Surgery for the General Practitioner". He gave a very practical and informative presentation on techniques in oral surgery, pain management, anesthesia/analgesia, and antibiotic prophylaxis. Dr. Swift is Associate Professor and Director of the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department of the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry. 

The District was also honored to have Dr. Patrick Lloyd, the new Dean of the U of M School of Dentistry, present.  He brought an informative and positive outlook

on all the happenings and future perspectives at the School. We were also privileged to have present the MDA's President-Elect James Zenk, First Vice-President Richard Wiberg, Executive Director Dick Diercks, State Board of Dentistry member John Bengston, Midwest Dental Benefits representative David Martini, and our own Southern District Trustee Steve Danielson.  We had great attendance in spite of the -7 degree weather.

Please keep your calendars open for our fall meeting in Mankato September 8-10, 2005. Our guest C.E. speaker on Saturday, September 10 will be Dr. Karen Baker, pharmacologist from the University of Iowa. Dr. Baker always provides an insightful and informative presentation. The golf outing on Friday afternoon will be followed by a fall banquet dinner.  Southern District President Carlin Wiemers can be your point of contact at (507) 388-2989 or by e-mail at cwiemers@hickorytech.net.

Just the Ticket

More than 300 member dentists, dental students, and staff joined in the 79th Annual Midwinter Meeting Friday, December 10. Co-sponsored by the Student District Dental Society, the day ran a steady course from the camaraderie of its breakfast buffet through the presentation on building the successful dental team and a winning practice by speaker Roger Levin, M.B.A. Our thanks to Midwinter Chair Melissa Zettler and committee: Joann Boraas, Scott Bowbly, Douglas Carter, David Curtis, Rick Diehl, Sandra Houck, Doug Lambert, Robert Miller, Stephen Nelson, James Nickman, Michael Perpich, Karen Reese, Stacey Roszkowski, Herb Schulte, Chester Schultz, Jamie Sledd, Tasha Strait, Todd Tsuchiya, student Atty Smith, and Mary Huttenlocher and Luanne Goodnaugh, representing assistants and hygienists, respectively.

Forty-four commercial companies supported the meeting with fiinancial contributions and in the exhibit hall.  The MDDS sincerely appreciates their support, and extends special thanks to them for making it possible for the dental, dental hygiene, and dental assisting students to attend.  Without their continued support this would not be possible.  Our thanks to:

3M-ESPE Dental Products Division

1201 Financial & Insurance Services, Inc.

A-DEC

AFTCO

Allied Professionals, Inc.

BNC Bank

Butler-Sunstar

Casey, Menden, Faust & Nelson, P.A.

Creative Dental Studio

DMR Dental Studio

Dyste Williams Agency

Gateway Bank

GC America, Inc

Good Time Attractions

HealthPartners Dental Group

Hermanson Dental

3i-Implant Innovations, Inc.

Joel Greenwald Financial Advisor

Karkela Construction, Inc.

Maguire & Strickland Refining, Inc.

Marcus Dental Supply Company

Merrill Lynch

Meuwissen, Flygare, Kadrlik & Assoc.

OMNII Oral Pharmaceuticals

OraPharma, Inc.

Orion Wealth Management

Park Dental

Patterson Dental Supply, Inc.

PEB - Professional Economics Bureau of America, Inc.

Peoples Bank of Commerce

Pfizer Consumer Healthcare

Proctor & Gamble - Crest

Renstrom Dental Studio, Inc.

Sabo Dental Lab, Inc.

Scott Builders, Inc.

Shea Practice Transitions, P.A.

Soquist Architects, Inc.

Skillen Financial Services

Sonicare/Philips Oral Healthcare

Springer Collections

Sullivan-Schein Dental Inc.

Udell Dental Laboratory

Virchow, Krause & Company, LLP

Westlund Dental Studio, Inc.

Time to Shine

The MDDS' Installation of Officers and Guest of Honor Evening is April14. Join us in welcoming Jonathan Moren, president; Herb Schulte, president-elect; William Greg Lawton, vice-president; Gary Bolmgren, secretary/treasurer; and Stephen Litton, Guest of Honor.

The District has added two more honorees to our roster. MDA Guest of Honor 2005 is Edgar Ziegler; William Hoffmann is MDA 20005 Humanitarian Service Award winner.  And of course our own Pat Foy is the current MDA president. We are very proud of the way each and all of them represent our district.

JCM

Now Where Did We Leave Off?

As our fall semester continued, the Student District stayed busy with activities, meetings, and new events.  November brought with it another successful Kids' Day, organized by Carly Grothe and Christy Bulman. Two elementary schools were visited, allowing the grade schoolers to learn about good oral hygiene through activities such as listening to stories, shaping clay into teeth, and participating in an interactive play about brushing teeth.

The political atmosphere of November also inspired us to host our first "Pizza and Politics". Mr. John Holtzee made the long trek up from ADA headquarters in Chicago to educate, motivate, and give us some tangible tools we can use when we attend our state and national lobby days as well as in everyday interactions with colleagues. The more we know, the more we can get accomplished and the more seriously our voices will be heard. 

To try to put our new political tools to use, we held our third ADPAC drive. This year we were fortunate to bring in MDA Past-President John Nei and ADA President-Elect Bob Brandjord. Both did an excellent job.  Students were educated, encouraged, and inspired, and 38% became ADPAC members. On behalf of the students, we sent a big thank you to Drs. Nei and Brandjord for taking time out of their busy schedules to visit us.

Our annual Regional Meeting was held this year in Lincoln, Nebraska.  Organized by Emma Otis, our Region 8 trustee, five dental schools attended, all bringing their aspiring leaders. This was a time to illustrate the details and opportunities that ASDA and organized dentistry have to offer. This is one of the many steps that will educate and develop our future leaders.

As growing students, we also need to be fed from time to time. Thus we continued to hold our bi-monthly "Lunch and Learns", organized by Lindell Kemmet. Representatives from Ultradent and Procter and Gamble visited.

As students we do more than just eat; we also give back to our community. The Saint Paul Union Gospel Mission is one avenue by which we can do this. In order to open the eyes of our fellow students and broaden their experiences, Tim Neuner and Mesa Ulwelling gave a great presentation about what the Union Gospel Mission is and how to get involved.

To wrap up the semester, we held our third, and hopefully annual, National Leader Recognition Mingler.  Sponsored by Dean Patrick Lloyd, our three national leaders — Vice-President Camille Walker, Region 8 Trustee Emma Otis, and National Delegate of the Year Kirstin Dussault were honored.  Students, faculty, and staff turned out to recognize these hard-working and dedicated leaders. Minnesota continues to be a strong force for leadership on both the local and national levels. We couldn't have made it this far without the support of the Minnesota Dental Association and our school, so to them we say, one more time, thank you.

 ADS

Midwinter Multitasking

I always loved going to the NEDDS' Midwinter Meeting in Duluth.  Thirty-two years ago it was where Terry and I were introduced to the then Duluth District Dental Society.  There would be an all-day scientific session and time to relax and regroup before the sumptuous dinner and the dancing 'til well past midnight. As years went by the format and venues changed, but now, as the Northeastern District, we are returning to our roots.

After an all-day scientific session on periodontics by Dr. Jeff Carlson, this year's participants returned to their homes or hotels to don their finery and return to toast and feast and dance the night away at the venerable Northland Country Club.

The District's first female president, Eileen Patterson, was resplendent in her evening wear as she was escorted by First Gentleman "Muskie Mike" Patterson. The usual suspects rocked on well into the night and a great time was had by all.

As I write this, I am reminded of the song "I'll Be Home for Christmas". You see, due to my schedule of studies for the Deaconate, Terry and I were not able to attend the Midwinter Meeting, so I wrote this piece from "Only in my dreams"!

WES

Robert P. Gardetto

Associate Editor

111 Lake Street North

Big Lake, MN 55309

Now Reporting ...

While this may seem a little after the fact, starting this article with last August's Don Bongard Golf Tournament is part and parcel of the theme of the West Central District's top priority - namely, member involvement. Case in point: a long-time District tradition, the Bongard Tournament boasted an excellent turnout, some innovative scheduling to pull the crowd, and a nice helping of surprises.

Al Quam organized and hosted the event at the Alexandria Country Club, and Dr. Patrick Lloyd, Dean of the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry, addressed the group after the tournament. But before play began, while a group of well-mannered dentists politely milled around the first tee, Saint Cloud dentist Richard Rajacich decided to shake things up a little. He arrived — make that "made an entrance" — in his golf cart with the theme song from "Caddyshack" blasting from his boom box! "Cinderella boy, outta nowhere, a former groundskeeper now about to be Master's champion!" A classic "Caddyshack" line from Bill Murray's character Carl Spackler.

The West Central District Dental Society held its semi-annual meeting in conjunction with the golf tournament this year. Dr. Don Primley of Centrasota Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery gave an excellent presentation on allografts and implants. The District would like to thank Dr. Primley for the presentation and for his service as 2004 WCDDS president.

Recognition and thanks as well are extended to our current officers, President Phil Lingle, Princeton, and President-elect Jennifer Eckmann, Paynesville. Our Secretary/Treasurer is Mike Winge of Long Prairie. He deserves special note. For many years, Mike has quietly worked on behalf of the WCDDS doing such things as keeping the books, recruiting delegates, making meeting reservations, sending mailings, and taking phone calls on everything from committee appointments to peer review contacts. He does a lot for all of us. Thanks for your dedication, Mike.

Member commitment and contribution continued at the 2004 House of Delegates meeting in Bloomington. The West Central delegation represented the District and the MDA well on several issues that are important to dentists in the WCDDS. We thank Phil Lingle, Jennifer Eckmann, Eric Nordstrom, Mike Winge, Sayeed Attar, Masoud Attar, Mike March, John Nei, Ann Stone Thelen, and Robert Gardetto.

Putting the Future Within Reach

The WCDDS has typically held two District continuing education meetings per year. For a number of years, the WCDDS meeting held at Madden's Resort was recognized by dentists from throughout the state. By the early 1990s, attendance at this meeting (as with many other dental CE meetings) had dwindled to the point where it was no longer feasible to hold the meeting. The WCDDS needs to rebuild the camaraderie and tradition we have lost.

At the August WCDDS meeting, I was the second youngest dentist present. I am 43, and have been in practice for 18 years. We are missing a generation, and that generation is the future.

Some people tell me that "the younger dentists just don't care". That's a lame excuse. As a part-time instructor at the U of M over the past 13 years, I have seen the talented, vibrant, and dedicated people who are coming into the profession. In this electronic world there is more information thrown at us more rapidly than ever before. While meetings tend to be less efficient than electronic communications for transferring information, at the same time, a meeting is a vastly better way of forming interpersonal relationships than is electronic

communication. Those who have graduated in the past 15 years tend to be more adept at wading through the onslaught of information that is out there, and I believe they are less dependent on meetings as a source of information. But the sad and even dangerous side effect of being less dependent on meetings is that we lose the opportunity to develop camaraderie and all that offers on so many levels.

The WCDDS meeting we have scheduled for March 4-5 at the Arrowwood Resort and Waterpark in Alexandria will focus on those in the first 15 to 20 years of practice getting together, having fun, and getting to know the district.

Former MDA president Kim Harms will speak on organized dentistry and the rewards that she has realized from her involvement. It's going to be informal, it's going to be fast, it's going to be fun, and it's going to make those present feel good to be dentists.

There is more to life than dentistry. Balance is the key, and organized dentistry should be part of that balance. Bring your significant others. Bring the kids. This meeting is all about welcome — that's the whole idea. Dentistry does not need to take time away from your family or your private life. Particularly those in their first 15 to 20 years of practice should come and enjoy the weekend at Arrowwood. This is the future.

It will be well worth your time.

RPG

When Grousing is a Good Thing

Among the "quality of life" reasons dentists list for living and practicing in our Northwestern District is closeness to outdoor opportunities. This includes quite a variety of activities and pursuits. Foremost for many folks is that these activities are often just out their back doors. You may get in an hour or two of fishing during spring and summer BEFORE starting your work day, take a noon-time cross-country ski workout, or go wild blueberry picking after work minutes from the office. One favorite activity of many here is hunting, and pursuit of the wiley Ruffed Grouse consumes many hours as fall spreads southward from Canada.

Recently this love saw Paul Stadem of East Grand Forks participating in the 23rd Annual National Ruffed Grouse and Woodcock Hunt near Grand Rapids. Paul competed for Team Winchester with his partner, Curt Halbakken of St. Cloud.

Fifty-three two-person teams competed in the October 14-15 event. They hunted different territory each day accompanied by a "huntsman" (both guide and official). A scoring system included points per bird and for the work of the team's dogs. Paul and Curt bagged six woodcock and five grouse over the two days, earning maximum points for that number of birds. They placed fourth, and even though only the top three teams were awarded trophies, Paul said the opportunity to participate in the hunt was a thrill. "I was honored Curt asked me," he said, "and I'd do it again in a heartbeat."

One for the Record Books

The World Junior Hockey Championship Games that were held at the Ralph Englestad Arenas in Grand Forks, North Dakota, and Thief River Falls, Minnesota had the largest attendance of any WJC ever held in the U.S. — 195,771. Eight international teams showcased the world's best under-age-20 players. Many National Hockey League draftees and some players who had already signed with NHL teams were playing for the respective countries. A total of 31 games were played from December 26 to January 4.

Local dentists in each community volunteered coverage for practices, games, and for dental treatment as needed on an emergency basis. The radio and television reports, along with excellent local and regional newspaper coverage during this time, reported numerous comments by those attending from around the world praising the gracious and friendly people of our area. It was a very well run international hockey series and hopefully will return to our country again in a few years — perhaps even to these two arenas. This was truly hockey on a grand scale.