Southeastern District

Travis A. Schmitt

Associate Editor

204 4th Street SW, Suite 144

Austin, MN 55912-4427

The Pleasure of Your Company is Respectfully Requested...

The Annual Meeting of the Southeastern District Dental Society will be held Friday, August 27, in Owatonna. This meeting will provide you with entertaining and informative information about digital photography, which will be useful for your practice and your life at home. Better yet, you’ll get CE credits. Even better, you’ll see old friends and maybe even make some new ones. Golf at the Owatonna Country Club is supposed to be fantastic! Our District president, Jeff Huxford, is “pulling out the red carpet” for us. It should be a classic meeting.

Please make an effort to attend. (Or perhaps you and your staff would rather work on Friday, August 27?) The Owatonna member dentists have put a lot of effort into providing a quality meeting and having a good time. We should show our support by taking advantage of all of the opportunities available through their efforts. The cost is minimal, and the topic is interesting. Last year's host city, Austin, had about 80 attendees. Dr. Huxford would like to double that. The Southeastern District has approximately 300 member dentists. Add staff to that, and 160 sounds more than reasonable.

The District Executive Committee would like input from the membership regarding the Annual Meeting. Please e-mail your comments to District Secretary Travis Schmitt at tschmitt@smig.net.

For members who haven’t been table partners with an SEDDS historian, I thought some background on the Annual Meeting might be nice. Our district encompasses a relatively large geographical area, and its Annual Meeting changes venue each year, the cycle including Owatonna, Red Wing, Albert Lea, Winona, Rochester, Faribault/Northfield, and Austin. Attendance appears to vary from year to year, and the Executive Committee believes that meeting location has a strong influence on attendance. We would like to know if, in fact, the meeting site does make a difference to you all.

Will you, for instance, drive to Albert Lea to a dental meeting that starts at 8:30 a.m.? If you live in Winona, the drive is probably just shy of two hours. If the same meeting was held in Rochester, would you attend? Some areas, such as Red Wing, offer points of interest such as shopping, dining, and the casino.

Each meeting’s structure is determined by the District president. Recently, the meeting has consisted of social time, CE program, business meeting, lunch, and golf. Historically, the Annual Meeting was more of an event, stretching over two days and including a strong involvement from the spouses.

Please remember that attendance at our meeting is not only about the CE credits. It is also about socializing and making and strengthening friendships. The effort to attend may pay dividends you don’t even imagine now. Thank you — and you’ll be very welcome.

TAS

Zumbro Valley Dental Society

The day started with thunderstorms and wind, but by the time the ZVDS Spring Golf Outing got underway, the weather was cooperative and the assembled duffers enjoyed a great afternoon of golf followed by a burger buffet at the Rochester Country Club. Mike Lose led the way with low gross of 82 in spite of unpredictable wet greens. Leon Ernster took honors with a handicap-adjusted net of 65 — we are investigating whether it was really him or a ringer cleverly disguised. Lowest-cost-per-shot honors were taken by Joel Michelson in a close battle with Paul Donnay. Thanks to all who donated prizes, and to Bernie Bouquet and John Lawson for their hard work in organizing the day.

Kenya 2004

Steve Brown, Reporter

As I blow off the heavy red dust from my carry-on luggage, I can’t help but reminisce about my recent trip to Cheppema, Kenya in March. Joel Michelson, his 16-year-old daughter Julie, my 16-year-old daughter Jessica, and I joined a group of 12 people from Rochester and 12 more from Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania for a short-term mission trip. Together we set out to help with the ongoing daily work in this small village in the Rift Valley.

After 17 hours of air travel, we arrived safely in Nairobi on a beautiful summer-like evening. We were glad for a night’s rest prior to setting out again on the tarmac for our final destination.

Cheppema houses an orphanage and primary school with approximately 75 children. From Tuesday through Saturday, our team conducted medical clinics, dental clinics, eyeglass clinics, taught classes in the school for grades 1-8, vacation Bible school, men's and woman's Bible studies, completed clinic and duplex-housing buildings, and constructed cabinets and furniture for the clinic, with everything being accomplished on time!

The dental clinics went better than we expected. Actually, we weren’t quite sure what to expect, but we had some idea from previous trips to other areas. Marked fluorosis was evident, yet even so, caries was prevalent. Many sets of “donkey teeth” were extracted. (Maxillary cuspids which have erupted in labial version are considered a curse and the object of much ridicule.) Since no hope for orthodontic intervention exists in the area, more radical forms of treatment prevailed. We saw more than 300 patients and performed more than 450 teeth. Unlike previous trips, we were able to see just about every patient desiring attention.

We worked with the Kalenjin tribe primarily. In addition to being the tribe from which former Kenyan president Moi comes (his ranch was next to the village), Kalenjins have won the lion’s share of international distance races for decades. They impressed us as being very stoic and pleasant. Even young children tolerated chair time with the crazy “muzungu” (white) dentists without shedding a tear.

Highlights of village time included sharing Kenyaji tea (similar to chai), unimaginably red-dusty roads (March is the end of the dry season), new friends made, and, in contrast to previous trips, real beds to sleep on at night and wood-heated hot showers. We also enjoyed a brief overnight at Nakuru Game Park on our way back to Nairobi. Waiting for passes at the park gate proved interesting, with several vervet monkeys using the occasion to climb into one of the vans. They are known for carrying off shiny things like sunglasses and cameras, but were limited on this occasion to two overripe avocados. Morning and evening game drives yielded photo ops including ostriches, white and black rhinos, Cape buffalo, myriads of antelope and gazelles of various species, water bucks, elands, thousands of flamingos, giraffes, and even a lion, which we were glad did not decide to climb into the van.

The final day of our trip was spent touring the Kibera slum, home to hundreds of thousands of impoverished people. It smells of raw sewage mixed with smoke, rotting food, and animal waste. Individuals pay rent for a space in this slum to erect shelters that range from a very modest mud hut to a room defined by pieces of cardboard. When the rains come, you can imagine the consequences. Needless to say, we all had an increased appreciation for the comfortable homes to which we would return.

Both of our daughters survived their experience with a deepened sense of the needs and perils that are faced daily by most of the world. When asked if they would go on another mission trip in the future, both enthusiastically said yes.

Southern District

Carlin L. Wiemers

Associate Editor

120 East Main

Mankato, MN 56001

It’s Our Once-a-Year “You Are Here”

The Southern District Dental Society cordially invites every last one of its members to attend our Fall Meeting in Fairmont September 10 and 11. On Friday, September 10, there will be an 8:00 a.m. business meeting, followed by lunch. No meeting would be complete without golf, of course, and this year’s rounds will begin at 11:30 Friday morning. Friday evening means the banquet, which will begin at 6:30 p.m. Dr. John Bengtson is the Honored Guest this year. On Saturday, September 11, at 8:30 a.m. there will be a presentation by Dr. Brian LeSage. His topic will be “Vital Principles for Excellent Veneer and Crown Restoration”. This is an outstanding opportunity for dentists and their staffs to combine education and a chance to meet with dental colleagues.

 CLW

Open Door Clinic Moves to New Facilities in Mankato

Timothy J. Flor, Reporter

In 1990, initial surveys and studies were conducted by a planning group called the Health Action Council (HAC) to review the major health-related problems in the Greater Mankato area. The research revealed that the Greater Mankato area had a significant population of underinsured and uninsured people. Major concerns among these groups of people were dental care, the ability to pay for prescriptions, and the ability to afford access to acute health care, especially among women and children.

The HAC then obtained funding from both an ISJ hospital grant and a $6,000 grant from Region Nine to develop a not-for-profit corporation called the Open Door Health Center (ODHC). Its purpose was to complement the existing systems, with an emphasis on helping its clients access care into existing medical and dental systems. It quickly became evident that many of the people served at ODHC were unable to access the existing systems. In other words, they made too much money to be eligible for government insurance programs, but they did not make enough moeny to afford private insurance. Further surveys of these patients revealed that they needed more than just prevention services. The need to also provide treatment for acute and chronic illnesses was very evident.

The ODHC has existed until recently on donations, grants, fundraisers, and fees. But with funding mechanisms coming into short supply, a serious effort is being undertaken to become self-sufficient by utiliizing a fee-for-service philosophy with a directive that no one seeking care will be turned away regardless of ability to pay for treatment services. The ODHC has been working hard to provide health care that is affordable, accessible, safe, and effective.

In April of 2002, the physicians at the Orthopedic and Fracture Clinic in Mankato donated the entire building of their recently vacated facility to ODHC. The Board of Directors realized that funding for this facility and for ever-increasing treatment services relied on stable, dependable income sources. The concept of becoming a Federally Qualified Health Care Facility (FQHC) was discussed and pursued. Timothy Flor, D.D.S., from Waseca, had recently become Dental Director,

and he articulated the serious need for increased dental services and further access for dental services. The FQHC places dental prevention and treatment as a primary requirement to qualify for this status. Dr. Flor, along with Dr. Bill Dobbs, previous ODHC Dental Director from St. Peter, and Mr. Larry Kohanek, Facilities Manager for Minnestoa State University, developed a new dental treatment facility within the ODHC which would qualify the center for FQHC status and further stability.

By mid-January 2004, the newly expanded dental facility at ODHC was completed, and by utilizing a modified fee-for-service system, became a functioning reality.

The expanded dental facility has state-of-the-art equipment and products to serve their dental clients. The dental treatment provided includes comprehensive examination and periodontal care, restorative care, fixed and removable prosthodontics, endodontics, and oral surgery. The dental staff is comprised of one DDS, one dental hygienist, two CRDAs and volunteer dentists from the South Central Dental Study Club and representatives from the Southern District of the Minnesota Dental Association.

Working relationships were formed with Minnesota State University School of Dental Hygiene, the dental assistant program at SouthCentral Technical College,

and initial contact has been made with the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry for incorporation of undergraduate clinical dental education.

The ODHC dental clinic is currently on track to treat between 5,000 and 6,000 underserved patient visits in 2004. This represents clients from nine surrounding counties, which have among them population from seven ethnic backgrounds who speak eight different languages. The recent completion of the new dental clinic within ODHC is the last piece of the FQHC puzzle to be placed, and with the help of Governor Tim Pawlenty’s office, the DHHS, the ODHC staff, and volunteers from the dental community, the FQHC’s status appears to be on track for approval by the federal government for fiscal 2005. By this same time next year, the ODHC dental clinic may represent the first rural/outstate FQHC in Minnesota to serve the general public.

For more information on the ODHC dental clinic or referral of patients to the clinic, please call (507) 388-2120 and ask for form DOO1 or visit us on our Web site at www.ODHC.org.

Saint Paul District

Laura M. Eng

Associate Editor

411 Main Street, Suite 308

Saint Paul, MN 55102-1080

As Good As His Dog Thinks He Is

Dr. Brad Rindal has succeeded Dr. Keith Erickson as president of the Saint Paul District Dental Society. He was installed at the May 26 Spouses’ Night and Installation Dinner at the Commodore Hotel. Dr. Rindal graduated from the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry in 1975. He is on staff at HealthPartners and limits his practice to TMD and orofacial pain.

Brad served on the SPDDS Executive Council for four years and held the office of treasurer from 1999-2003. He also served as an SPDDS delegate to the MDA

House of Delegates. In addition, he has been a part of the MDA’s Member Initiative efforts, serving as a team leader focusing on large group practices.

Brad and his wife, Diane, enjoy long walks with the dog, volunteering at a church-sponsored thrift store, and just hanging out together. Running with their dog, Franny, is Brad’s exercise of choice. Brad has a son who graduated from dental school last year and is practicing in Brainerd. His daughter is completing her second year of medical school.

Brad plans to build on the Keith Erickson’s work during the past year. The primary goal for the upcoming year is to create new opportunities for member involvement in the SPDDS.

Showtime

We have amazing leadership in the SPDDS. Good work is a given, but who knew we would be endowed with a string of leaders who continually captivate the audience with their entertaining style at the SPDDS Annual Installation of Officers and Spouses Night? Ever since Don Erickson and Donna Stenberg sang their rendition of “I Was President, Now You’re President” during the 2002 installation ceremony, there has been a conflagration of bursting into song. Once new president Brad Rindal was installed at the Commodore May 26, the two immediate past Ericksons got up and sang him a song titled “Mr. TMJ Man”. He was then presented with a few unusual objects to asssist him throughout his presidency.

The evening also brought recognition and thanks for Drs. Tom Arnold and Stuart Lorberbaum’s six-year terms of service on the District Executive Council. Their contributions and expertise have been warmly appreciated.

The District extends its congratulations to the following members who comprise the 2004-2005 SPDDS Executive Council:

President: Brad Rindal

President-Elect: Laura Eng

Treasurer: Howard Taylor

Secretary: Mary Johnston-Pariseau

MDA Trustee: Donald Erickson

Council members:

Pete Cannon

Elizabeth Cooper

Brent Florine

Bill Harrison

Christine Hermanson

Jason Jenny

Angela Rake

David Resch

Greg Sheehan

Loren Taple

Scott Timmons

Kou Vang

Summer Means Tix

Join the fun at Valleyfair and purchase your discount tickets through the District office. This offer is open to all members, staff, family, and friends. Please call the SPDDS office for ticket prices and information at (651) 697-0831.

Welcome, New Members

The SPDDS is pleased to welcome the following new members to its ranks.

• Dr. Sharlene K.D. Arnason is a 2000 graduate from the U of M School of Dentistry. She is in general practice in Stillwater and resides with her husband, Jon, on the beautiful Marine-on-St.-Croix.

• Dr. Paul C. Johnson is in general practice in Inver Grove Heights. He graduated from Marquette University in 2003. Dr. Johnson and his wife, Maria, reside in Hastings.

• Dr. Nicole Peters graduated in 1992 from the University Evangelica of El Salvadore. In 1995 she received her degree in orthodontics at the University of Minnesota. She practices in Woodbury and also resides there with her husband, Michael.

• Dr. Haseen Syed attended M.R. Ambedkar Dental College and Hospital and graduated in 1996. She practices in an associateship in Inver Grove Heights. Dr. Syed and her husband, Ilyasamin, reside in Inver Grove Heights.

• Dr. Ba Thanh Lam is in general practice at Park Dental in Inver Grove Heights. He graduated in 2000 from the University of Minnesota and then took an advanced education program at the GPR VA Medical Center in 2001.

• Dr. William H. Vold is a 1986 University of Minnesota graduate. He is in a group practice at Park Dental in Maplewood. Dr. Vold and his wife, Susan, reside in Mahtomedi.

And I’ll See You There

Wednesday, September 8, 2004

SPDDS Caucus

Friday, December 3, 2003

51st Annual Midwinter Meeting

Saturday, February 2005

Children’s Dental Health Day

Where the Heart Is

For those of you who have been following the wartime endeavors of SPDDS’ Kristin Rajala, I am happy to report that she has returned to Minnesota safe and sound. Kristin is now looking back on her experience and is making plans to return

to work.

Kristin is a member of the Minnesota Army National Guard, and her husband, Jerry Steinke, is a member of the Minnesota Army Reserves. Late last fall, Kristin was called to active duty and assigned to serve in Iraq, with deployment in January. As reported in the January-February 2004 Northwest Dentistry, Kristin struggled with the decision of what to do with her solo dental practice in Maplewood. Before she left, she sold her practice to Metro Dental Care so that her patients would not have an interruption in their care and her employees could continue to work and stay with those patients.

Before going to Kuwait, Kristin was sent to Fort Bliss, Texas, the U.S. staging area for many soldiers leaving for Iraq. There she received her final shots, spare eyeglasses, and prescription sunglasses. (She was going to a sunny desert location, after all.) She was issued three duffel bags and a footlocker of gear for the desert environment, including her desert tan uniform, boots, polypropylene long underwear, and weapon. Then, she was sent to Camp Udairi in Kuwait, a U.S. Mobilization Site that serves as a second staging area to prepare soldiers new to duty in Iraq. The soldiers spend two to four weeks at this site, where they acclimate to the new time zone, receive field training, get a health assessment, and take care of dental emergencies. This is where Kristin came in.

Kristin reported in the March-April Northwest Dentistry about the conditions under which she worked, with rudimentary supplies and equipment. Because of this, many times she needed to be flexible and learned to improvise to provide the treatment her patients needed.

“I was the only dentist at my base of 14,000 soldiers, and I also provided dental care for a nearby base of 12,000, as well as a number of smaller bases.”

Kristin was hoping to be the first dentist to work in the new dental clinic that was being built, but it wasn’t finished by the time she left. Thus, all her work was done in the dental tent. She felt like she was doing “mission work, but for America, not a third world country.” The soldiers were extremely patient even when waiting a long time to be seen. She remarked that “it may have been because while they were waiting to see me, they were excused from any of their regular duties.”

In March, while Kristin was still in Kuwait, her husband was called up and sent to Baghdad for a year-long tour of duty.

“Although he could only give me clues as to his whereabouts, I was able to figure out where he would arrive and arranged to get a ride to see him,” Kristin said. His work is in logistics, accounting for materiel from soldiers leaving Iraq and overseeing its distribution to the next group. The few times he has left the base, he has felt safer traveling in helicopters, even though they speed along at 150 mph just above ground level and go up and over power lines like a ride at ValleyFair.

When asked about her impression of her experience, Kristin said that “the military is remarkably well-organized; it was an eye-opener to see how well it all works. I was awed by the incredible might of the American Army, and thought of myself as an important component of this amazing machine.”

When asked about the possibility of being called back, Kristin said, “it probably wouldn’t be for another two to three years, depending on the U.S. presence in Iraq ... but if they need me, I’ll go.”

Kristin came through her time in Kuwait totally unscathed. But ironically, soon after arriving home, she was involved in a car accident and is now recovering from back and neck injuries. In spite of this, Kristin looks forward to going back to work in August for Metro Dental.

LME

Minneapolis District

Jonathan C. Moren

Associate Editor

4940 Viking Drive

Suite 127

Edina, MN 55435

Coming Soon

A final heads-up for the trapshoot tournament Wednesday, August 25, at the Metro Gun Club in Blaine. The not-to-be missed gourmet wild game dinner (and the prizes, of course) finish the day in style. You don’t have to be in the tournament to participate, so when we say everyone is welcome, that is exactly what we mean.

Summer events wrap up with the September 8 Greater Twin Cities Tennis Mixer for the MDDS and its Saint Paul counterpart. Outdoor clay and indoor hard courts host all-doubles competition, novice to advanced, from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.; dinner follows.

Registration forms are available in the July Brush-Up, from the District Office at (651)631-9845, or on the MDDS Web site: www.mdds@mplsdds.org.

CE Program Committee

Puts the Pro in Proactive

Our CE Program Committee and its chair, Melissa Zettler, have already put together two outstanding programs for the upcoming year. As well, they decided, after review of the membership survey, to keep the location for District General Assembly Meetings at the Golden Valley Golf and Country Club for the upcoming year. Please join us for these outstanding lectures, connect with colleagues you haven’t seen in a while, and support the dental society.

The first program, “Hot Topics from the Minnesota Board of Dentistry”, will be Thursday, October 28.

The second program will be Thursday, February 10, 2005; speaker and program to be announced. The topic will be human resource issues for the dental practice.

Midwinter Meeting Speaker Will Be Roger Levin

The Continuing Education Committee has planned an outstanding speaker this year. Dr. Roger Levin is scheduled to present his brand new lecture, “Teaming Up for Success: How Winning Teams Build Winning Practices”.

The seminar’s objectives are (1) to establish, document, and implement a systemized method for operating an efficient and growing dental practice, and (2) to emphasize the significant value of the team in building a stress-less, profitable practice. Highlights will include:

• finding the profit in the practice,

• developing the high-powered team,

• creating a high-motivation environment,

• communicating clearly every time,

• increasing patient case acceptance rates,

• and many more ...

The date is Friday, December 10, 2004, at the Marriott City Center Hotel in downtown Minneapolis. The program is for dentists and the entire dental team.

Nicely Done

Oral & Maxillifacial Surgery (OMS) Specialists, P.A. held their second annual golf tournament at the Wild’s Golf Club June 7. The event was organized to generate charitable contributions to Mary Jo Copeland’s Sharing and Caring Hands Dental Clinic in downtown Minneapolis. This year, with the participation and generous contributions from area dentists and vendors, OMS was able to donate more than $6,000. Everyone involved enjoyed a great day of golf, camaraderie, and excellent food. The event was a huge success and will continue to support Mary Jo’s efforts to help with the dental needs of those at Sharing and Caring Hands.

Welcome, New Members

• Joshua Campbell, D.D.S.

• Scott D. Carlson, D.D.S.

• Mark W. Davies, D.D.S.

• Reed D. Dill, D.D.S.

• Craig D. Frerichs, D.D.S.

• Jamie M. Graham, D.D.S.

• Robert T. Griffith, D.D.S.

• Jeremy G. Johnson, D.D.S.

• Mai-Trinh T. Le, D.D.S.

• Kevin D. Molldrem, D.D.S.

• Shamram Salimy, D.D.S.

• Gayathri Sambasivan, D.D.S.

• Jasmine Sethi, D.D.S.

• Tracy Shilling-Husjullen, D.D.S.

• Ann Marie Thiele Burt, D.D.S.

New Calendar Items

Thursday, October 28, 2004

General Assembly Meeting

Speakers:            Representatives from the  Minnesota Board of Dentistry

Subject:             “Hot Topics from the Minnesota Board of Dentistry”

Golden Valley Golf and Country Club

Golden Valley, Minnesota

Friday, December 10, 2004

79th Annual Midwinter Meeting

Speaker:             Roger P. Levin, D.D.S.

Subject:             “Teaming Up for Success: How Winning Teams Build Winning Practices”

Minneapolis Marriott 

   City Center Hotel

Downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota

Thursday, February 12, 2005

General Assembly Meeting

Golden Valley Golf and Country Club

Golden Valley, Minnesota

Minnesota Student District

Atty D. Smith

Associate Editor

9125 Alamo Street N.E.

Blaine, MN 55449-5661

How To Catch a Dental Student

Chapter Two of my share in chronicling the Student District for Northwest Dentistry is filled with behind-the-scenes work preparing and strategizing for the upcoming school year. 

We kicked off June with our annual leadership meeting. Planning, brainstorming, budget, and goal setting started the day off, and a little barbeque provided a nice way to unwind and enjoy these precious summer evenings.

Some say that there is an old tale that wherever there is free food you will find hungry students. I think we are at least seeing a definite pattern here. We started with an appreciation dinner to do our part to keep the tale going, but mostly to say thank you to all the hardworking student leaders who provided their time and energy this past year to keep our ASDA chapter one of the strongest in the country. This also allowed us the opportunity to say thank you to a few key people who continue to support us in all our endeavors. A special thanks must be given to MDA Executive Director Dick Diercks, MDA president Tim Langguth, and MDA staff person Dawn Jensen.

To add further to the tale of free food and students, at the end of June we held our annual ASDA picnic.  After a long day in the pre-clinic or clinic, this event provides a great opportunity to relax and mingle with fellow students and their family members.  This picnic is our end-of-the-year celebration and our way of thanking all the student members for their participation and support.

On June 17, we held an informational discussion session with students, faculty, and MDA Communications Director Carol Embertson concerning the amalgam issue we are facing in our state. With this, students were able to walk away with information that will help educate our patients.

As summer makes its halfway point, we turn our energy toward planning and organizing our events for the upcoming year. One that is going to be new for us is a golf outing for students and dentists. The Open Wide Open will be held Saturday, September 18, at the beautiful Troy Burne Golf Club just outside of Hudson, Wisconsin. So practice your tee shots and brush up on some strategies to get out of those tricky bunkers.  September 18 will be here before you know it. For more information and registration materials, please contact our ASDA chapter chair Mitch Ellingson at elli0430@umn.edu or call him at (651)269-6177.

ADS

Northeastern District

William E. Stein

Associate Editor

18 Third Street S.W.

Aitkin, MN 56431

The following article is reprinted with permission from the Grand Rapids Herald-Review, May 9, 2004.

Local Pride...

It’s a rarity within large metropolitan areas — so it’s remarkable for Grand Rapids — to have three local dentists, Drs. Lee Jess, Mike Miskovich, and Dean Singsank, currently serving in leadership positions at the district and state levels.

Drs. Jess and Miskovich represent the Northeastern District of the Minnesota Dental Association. Dr. Singsank represents the public interest of dentistry statewide as a member of the Minnesota Board of Dentistry.

Serving as the Northeastern District Trustee to the MDA, Lee Jess represents one of eight districts of the association which provides support to its nearly 3,000 dentist members. In addition to his role as trustee, he is actively involved in other MDA committee work, currently serving as board liaison to the Membership Committee and as a member of the Minnesota Dental Foundation, as well as the MDA Building Committee.

Dr. Miskovich is currently serving as the president of the Northeastern District Dental Society. In this position, he serves a key role in providing leadership to the dentists in northeastern Minnesota and their shared purpose of professional development and dedication to public oral health. He leads the district in activities that promote professional education for members, oral health education for patients, and community involvement.

Appointed by Governor Pawlenty in January 2004, Dean Singsank is serving a four-year term on the Minnesota Board of Dentistry, the state’s dental licensing and regulatory board. This prestigious appointment is a tribute to Dr. Singsank’s 25-year career in dentistry and his ongoing commitment to professional excellence.

All three dentists also are members of the Itasca Dental Association, Northeast District Dental Association, and the American Dental Association, as well as the MDA.

Dedicated to preventive and cost-effective dentistry, the MDA provides continuing dental education and information to promote dental awareness and to improve the health of the public. The MDA represents more than 80% of all practicing dentists in Minnesota.

And Young Lions

At long last the Northeastern District has its first woman president. Dr. Eileen Patterson was sworn in by Trustee Lee Jess at the May business meeting held at the historic Kitchi Gammi Club in Duluth.

Eileen practices in Duluth. She has served the District in many capacities since her arrival in the Port City, most notably as its long-suffering secretary/treasurer and

as chairperson of the Committee on the New Dentist. Eileen is an avid golfer and frequent winner of the long drive contest at the annual tournament. I have even witnessed Eileen and her husband Mike hauling immense muskies out of the Lake

of the Woods.

Assisting Eileen in her administration will be First Vice-President Steve Dahlgren, and Second Vice-President Steve Johnson, and Secretary/Treasurer Steve L’Abbe. Congratulations and thanks to these dedicated leaders of the great Northeastern District.

WES

West Central District

No report in this issue

Northwestern District

John E. Lueth

Associate Editor

P.O. Box 310

Bemidji, MN 56619

Goose Bumps and Lockjaw

Friday, June 25 was billed as the “Summer” Meeting of the Northwestern District Dental Society. Having only two district-wide meetings a year, we are accustomed to relatively light attendance for this one — our January meeting provides a warm place to gather whilst in the grip of winter, whereas our members have warm weather activities on their minds in June. Not so this year! With nighttime temperatures hovering around the upper 30s/low 40s, water temperatures giving the fish lockjaw and watersports enthusiasts goosebumps, and several comments overheard about the possibility of snow in July, a fine number of dentists and staff turned out for a good program.

Dr. Larry Wolff devoted the better part of a day to “Periodontal Medicine and Therapy”. Dr. Wolff’s extensive knowledge in areas related to the use of antimicrobials in dentistry and systemic conditions as related to susceptibility to treatment of periodontal disease provided a wealth of information for the entire dental team. Topical agents were thoroughly discussed in addition to the indications for the use of local delivery and systemic antibiotics. The material was interesting, worthwhile, and of definite clinical usefulness.

Dr. Ralph Morris found himself in the toughest spot: 3:00 p.m. Friday in front of a dental staff audience, speaking on bioterrorism and mass preparedness issues for our region. With no critical infrastructure targets such as bridges, nuclear plants, or Hugedale-like buildings, we have primarily weather-related events as our focus.

We welcomed new members Travis Hanel, Kennedy, and Erick Skatvold, Moorhead, to the District.

Our thanks to incoming MDA president Pat Foy, who literally had to “go the extra mile” to attend our business meeting. He updated us on MDA activities and helped us present our officers for the next year, who are John Lueth, president; Bill Erickson, president-elect; Jane Gracza, vice-president; Roger Sjulson, secretry/treasurer; Bryce Bray, delegate; and Kristine Riewer, alternate delegate. Our thanks to them all, with special thanks to our outgoing president Sister Anita Whalen for her leadership over the past year.

Life Finds a Way

An exciting development here is the recent establishment of the Park Rapids Community Clinic. With its goal of providing dental services to public assistance patients of the area, this new model for delivery has come about through the collaborative efforts of community members and entities. Drs. Dave Anderson, Guy Reich, and other community dentists were instrumenttal in creating the clinic. Having built community support to address the access issue, and with the extremely important support of St. Joseph’s Hospital and its director, Peter Jacobson, the clinic became a possibility. Then Dr. Dan Rose stepped in to devote his experience, expertise, and vision to make it a reality. Dr. Rose has the great ability to communicate with the community in a way that they have understood and taken to heart. Dental care access is a public health issue. It is not solely dentistry’s problem and needs to be addressed by communities as such.

In operation now for several months, the clinic is getting up to speed and is a model on which others may want to keep an eye. We will keep you updated.

The Puck Drops Here

The 2005 International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Hockey Championship Tournament will take place in Grand Forks and Thief River Falls from December 25, 2004 through January 4, 2005. This is a ten-nation tournament featuring the best players under the age of 20 in the world. The U.S. will face off against Russia in the opening round!

Dr. John Seaverson has been very involved in all the arrangements, including requirements that an entire cadre of health care professionals, including dentists, be available for players and entourage should emergency services be necessary. They must be in place during all games and practices or “no hockey may be played”. Volunteers are being recruited now, and slots for dentists may be still be open, though they were filling up fast. Contact Dr. Seaverson at Box 424, Thief River Falls, MN 56701, or at (218) 681-4041.

Long Shadows...

Our next meeting will be January 2005 in Moorhead. For those with the long view and good palm pilots, January 2006 will find us at Sportman’s Lodge in Lake of the Woods.

If You’re Going to Win One, Might as Well Make It a Good One

There are many fine anglers in the Northwestern District, but none was better than Walker dentist Mike Pederson at the end of the day June 6. With his partner Steve Fuller, a Bemidji lawyer, Mike won their first major tournament championship, the Evinrude Walleye Classic on Leech Lake. After two days of fishing, Pederson and Fuller took the top place out of 200 teams by bringing to the scales 12 fish that weighed 44.76 pounds!

Mike and Steve figured out how to hook this season’s finicky-biting fish to lead to the $25,300 cash prize and a Lund-Evinrude boat, motor, and trailer package worth $26,000. Mike attributed their success to patience and knowledge of Leech Lake. The key was using big redtail chubs — the largest they could find. They said it’s a pattern they always test on Leech in early June, and one that usually produces.

Interviewed for a local gazette, Steve Fuller told them, “It was an emotional victory for both anglers, who paid tribute to their fathers. My father, Bud Fuller, died 20 years ago. In the 50s he was regarded as one of the best fishermen on Leech Lake, so it carried even a little more meaning to be able to win this tournament. Mike’s father was killed in a car accident 10 years ago. His father and I were the best of friends. When his dad died, Mike asked me if I would fish in his dad’s place. I said it would be an honor to do that, so I took Big Dan’s seat in the boat.”

It has been a good relationship. Mike and Steve have two fourths and were 15th last year in the Classic. Congratulations, guys!

JEL