Minnesota Districts

Southeastern District

Travis A. Schmitt
Associate Editor
204 4th Street SW, Suite 144
Austin, MN 55912-4427

SEDDS Annual Meeting Held Despite Flooding

The Southeastern District Dental Society held its Annual Meeting in Winona on Friday, August 24 despite devastating flooding in the surrounding area. To say the meeting was well attended would be an understatement considering what it took to get there. A great helping of kudos goes to Dr. Gary Marcoux and his staff for being with us. Their office had water up to the countertops. Thanks for coming, Gary, and the District hopes you can get back to your practice soon!

The line-up of speakers for the day included Drs. Sreenivas Koka, Jon Ebbert, and Larry Baddour of the Mayo Clinic. Wow — great speakers, informative and fun. The topics were “Biphosphonate-Associated Jaw Necrosis”, “Helping Smokeless Tobacco Users in the Dental Setting”, and AHA’s “Revised Guidelines for Infective Endocarditis”. The advantage of the three-speaker set-up is that each one speaks for an hour and then is done. If you are starting to droop a little bit, then wham: new guy, new topic. It does make it difficult to sleep. For those of you who chose not to attend, please consider coming to our next CE meeting in Rochester
March 7, 2008.

After the lectures, the business meeting was held. Your new line-up of officers for the 2007-2008 year is
as follows: Duane Price, President, Rochester; Warren Johnson, President-Elect, Faribault; Eric Overby, First Vice-President, Austin; Mike Flynn, Trustee, Winona; Travis Schmitt, Secretary/Treasurer, Austin.

Please contact one of these people or your community representative with questions or concerns.

Following the business meeting, about 20 attendees headed over to the Minnesota Marine Art Museum to see the exhibits and enjoy wine tasting. A special thank you to Drs. Chris Carroll and Mike Flynn (AND THEIR STAFF!) for hosting a great meeting.

SEDDS Invades Duluth

The MDA House of Delegates was held September 7 and 8 in Duluth. Our District had submitted three resolutions for deliberation at the 2007 House.

1. A mandate that all districts contribute $50 per member to a technology fund for the MDA to use for web-conferencing.

2. To update the MDA website to have an MDA store and online functions for prepaid dues etc.

3. A change in the bylaws for remote meetings (via web cam etc.) to only require a majority vote instead of a two-thirds vote.

The focus for our district was to increase the awareness and importance of technology. The result of our efforts was the passage of the remote meetings resolution and the creation of a task force to look into technology issues. Technology is our future — especially to our younger members and our future members who are now currently in diapers. 

Austin Dental Society Does Football

The Austin Dental Society made 120 mouthguards for Austin youth football in August. The group had a great time, and many, many parents were thankful not having to do their annual “boiling”.

TAS

Minneapolis District

James D. Nickman
Associate Editor
500 Osborne Road, Suite 345
Fridley, Minnesota 55432

Everyone Goes Home a Winner

The annual Trapshoot Event drew 110 MDDS members and guests to Blaine’s Metro Gun Club August 22. Byron Korus from Chuck Wagon/Special Events Catering again prepared the member-donated wild game for the dinner, which followed competition in Duck Tower, Skeet, Sporting Clays, Trap, and Wobble Trap.

Ah, the eating. A buffet of wild hors d’oeuvres, an international cheese and fruit display, and the entrees: Caesar salad with wild rice venison sausage, venison-sausage-stuffed mushrooms, goose and duck fricassee, pheasant in mushroom crème sauce, chicken-fried venison, venison chili, assorted line-caught fish, firecracker salmon, paella, baked beans, all enjoyed with family, friends, and industry representatives. Thanks to all who donated game to our annual showstopper, and to our sponsors for making so much possible.

The evening’s shotgun raffle drawing traditionally precedes the trophies. This year’s winner was Al Doucette, a guest of Herb Schulte. After a whole bunch of years in attendance, Al couldn’t believe his number was finally drawn!

Special thanks to Chair Michael Gallagher and the Trapshoot Committee!

The MDDS gratefully acknowledges the following companies for their support of the Annual Trapshoot Event.

Boos Dental Laboratory
Gateway Bank
Marcus Dental Laboratory
Maguire & Stickland Refining, Inc.

Medalist Awards

Minneapolis District Dental Society
Patterson Dental
Schein Dental
Udell Dental Laboratory
W.E. Mowrey, Co.

Mixing It Up

On September 5 the courts were buzzing at the Greater Twin Cities Tennis Mixer at Lifetime Athletic Club in Eden Prairie. A picture-perfect blue-sky day…but 90 degrees outside!  People were actually saying it was too hot for tennis! Next year’s tennis event will be another hot ticket - thanks to Jessie Veil, we’re moving to Bearpath. Put a post-it on the frig for Wednesday, September 9, 2008.

Back to this year: Renovations at the club meant we picnicked with lunch and dinner catered. Oh, yes, and — the winners were: Christine Swanson and Wendy Gulden (tied in the women’s division), Jonathan Twomey, and Kent Gulden, Wendy’s dad, on his first time with us. Congratulations to all!

Bravo to event co-chair Rob Derr, who stepped in for Julie Chavez who was “elsewhere” — i.e., the U.S. Open. I guess you can’t really call that a conflict of interest. Julie is looking for Tennis Planning Committee members. Please contact her at (952) 929-4644 or call Michelle at the District Office.

MDA House of Delegates

The MDDS was very active at the House of Delegates, held September 7 and 8 in Duluth. The many resolutions presented, discussed at length, and passed are covered in Minnesota News in this issue.

We would like to congratulate Saint Paul’s Dick Wiberg for his many years of service to the MDA, culminating this year as its president. Todd Tsuchiya was re-elected to a three-year term as Treasurer; Bruce Templeton was installed as First Vice-President. And, the new President of the Minnesota Dental Association installed for the upcoming year is our own Jamie Sledd, who practices in Maple Grove. Dr. Sledd will be working on the member communications and updating the website to include many new items. Congratulations, Jamie! We look forward to a wonderful year.

Thanks to the following members who served as delegates:

Officer Delegates: Gregory Lawton, president; James Nickman, president-elect, Gary Bolmgren, secretary/treasurer, and Vice-President Alejandro Aguirre, who missed the House due to a cancelled flight out of Chicago.

Delegates: Bashar Bakdash, Bruce Betterman, Rob Derr, Andrew Doroschak, Michael Doroschak, John Gulon, Sandy Houck, Christopher Johnson, Mary Beth Johnson, Robert Kochenderfer, Woody Kwon, Venetia Laganis, Douglas Lambert, Patrick Lloyd, Todd Marshall, Daniel Marvin, Frank Mork, Chuck Puffer, Michelle Reynolds, Sally Schutte, Clayton Shepard, Herb Schulte, Christopher Steele, Cale Strait, Gary Williams, Thomas Karn, and Thomas Pink.

Welcome, New Members

Congratulations to the following new members of the District. Membership allows them to develop a strong network of fellow professionals who understand the day-to-day triumphs and tribulations of practicing dentistry. Please take a minute to welcome them to organized dentistry at our next component meeting.

Rizwan K. Alvi, D.D.S.
Gerald C. Anderson, D.D.S.
Andrew S. Atchison, D.D.S.
Nichole J. Edwards, D.D.S.
Leslie A. Hollevoet, D.D.S.
Eric R. Mintalar, D.D.S.
Chad M. Nelson, D.D.S.
Grant E. Raykowski, D.D.S.
Sheila C. Thorstenson, D.D.S.
Gina Torres, D.D.S.

Sooner Than You Know
Thursday, January 24, 2008
General Assembly Meeting
Speaker: Dr. Noah Sandler
Subject: “Changes in Sedation and How It
Affects Your Dental Practice”
Golden Valley Golf and Country Club
Golden Valley, Minnesota

JDN

 

Saint Paul District

David R. Resch
Associate Editor
1371 7th Street West
Saint Paul, MN 55102

House of Delegates 2007

The MDA’s House of Delegates for 2007 was held at the Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center September 7 and 8. The Saint Paul District extends its gratitude and appreciation to the following delegates for their participation and important contribution.

David Resch, Chair
John Aamodt
Karl Andreasen
Pete Cannon
Elizabeth Cooper
Jennifer Eisenhuth
William Harrison
Christine Hermanson
Polly Logan
Rosalie Perpich
Joni Richmond
EmmaLee Spahl
Donna Stenberg
Loren Taple
Howard Taylor
Richard Weisbecker

Current and Choice

The Saint Paul District Dental Society is very proud of the hard work and contributions made by outgoing MDA president Dick Wiberg. You have served us well. Thank you, Dr. Wiberg!

Donna Stenberg was nominated and elected MDA Trustee for the Saint Paul District. She replaces Saint Paul’s Don Erickson, who has stepped down.

Bring a Friend

The Saint Paul District welcomes the following new members to organized dentistry!
Mari M. Bellmont, D.D.S.
Jonathan J. Falkowski, D.D.S.
Samuel S. LaChance, D.D.S.
Charles N. Miller, D.D.S.
Lezlie A. Nelson, D.D.S.
Chad M. Rasmussen, D.D.S.
Katie L. Schelling, D.D.S.
Ernest S. Reeh, D.D.S.
Christina L. Rohr, D.D.S.
Joseph Schara, D.D.S.
Stacy M. Shearen, D.D.S.

The First Thing You’ll See …

The first thing you’ll see when you turn to your 2008 calendar should be the star for the SPDDS Midwinter Meeting Friday, January 4. This very special meeting is for all SPDDS member-dentists, their staffs, and colleagues. Join us at the Crown
Plaza Saint Paul Riverfront for exhibitors, speakers, and CE credits. Programs will be mailed to SPDDS members in October; outstate members can contact the District Office at (651) 697-0831 to receive a program by mail.

And I’ll Meet You There
February 1-2, 2008            
Give Kids A Smile Day

February 16, 2008             
SPDDS Children’s Dental Health Day
Minnesota Children’s Museum

In a Perfect World …

A practice transition is something you always hope goes the way you planned. Ideally, it is something you want to plan well in advance of the actual event. This only benefits the dentist, his or her patients, and anyone else who is involved. What happens, however, when you don’t have a plan, or you are not able to fully implement the one you do have because you find yourself without the lead time you would have wanted? This is the situation that fellow Saint Paul dentist Dr. Stuart Lorberbaum found himself in this past year. I recently spent some time with Dr. Lorberbaum reviewing the circumstances surrounding the transition he faced which ultimately forced him to close down his practice. I think his story is unique, and hopefully it will shed some light on possibilities that perhaps we have not really considered as we plan for our own departure from practice.LAT

Dr. Taple: What is the overview of your practice history?

Dr. Lorberbaum: After receiving my dental degree in 1978, I associated with Dr. Saul Kanun on the 10th floor of the Pioneer Endicott Building in downtown Saint Paul on 4th and Robert Streets. I had purchased the practice, and shortly thereafter moved it to the first floor of the same building, practicing from three operatories for the next 27 years.

Dr. Taple: What were the circumstances surrounding closing your office?

Dr. Lorberbaum: Over my 28 years of practice, I’d had three different landlords. When the building was shut down this past May, only one other tenant among those who were left had been there longer than I had. The landlord who owned the building for the last two years was US Bank. So what happened was not totally unexpected because US Bank had moved its operations to a new facility outside the downtown area. This left the Pioneer Building about 80% vacant. However, though US Bank had left the building, their lease did not end until May of 2007.

The Pioneer Building is listed on the National Register of Historic Buildings, and as such, its landlord receives certain tax breaks. In return, the building is required to be publicly accessible on its first three floors. US Bank was never able to find another tenant, and eventually sold the building to my last landlord, who was based in Texas and had no ties to the area or the remaining tenants.

Of course, I had been hoping things would just carry on as they were. I had “in-a-perfect-world” thoughts that there was actually a fair chance of that happening. After all, the building was on the National Register; landlords were desperate for businesses to stay in the downtown area; those of us who remained were long-term, stable tenants. For about a year before I had to close my office, it had been implied many times that I might be able to carry on “as is”. As it turned out, things did not work that way. Two weeks prior to the US Bank lease ending, we remaining few tenants were given eviction notices.

Dr. Taple: What options did you see yourself as having at that point?

Dr. Lorberbaum: Because I had known about the possibility of this happening for about a year, I did have a few choices. One, I could merge my office with another practice; two, I could relocate the practice and build a new office space; or three, I could just close down.

Dr. Taple: Had you made preparations for retiring before this all occurred?

Dr. Lorberbaum: For about the last four or five years I had been working on a part-time basis, and I would say had partially retired. I was in the office two days a week, and my goal had been to continue doing that for another two or three years. Given that, it was not worth it to build a new office anywhere. That left merging with another office or shutting down. By noon on Monday, May 7, I had seen my last patient in my office, and by May 9 I had totally vacated the space.

Dr. Taple: How did you handle equipment and records?

Dr. Lorberbaum: Because I did not have a lot of time to dispose of the records and equipment, I ran an ad in Northwest Dentistry and the Saint Paul District’s newsletter. I also looked into agencies in town that would take donations. Most of them, such as the Union Gospel Mission, already had most everything they needed in regard to equipment. Looking to charities outside the country changes a donation to a financial contribution because of costs involved with packing and shipping. It also becomes logistically complicated. So I was left with the options of putting it all in storage until I could get rid of it or simply throwing it away, an option I did not like.

Dr. Taple: I understand serendipity prevailed, and you were able to donate.

Dr. Lorberbaum: Yes. One day after I had rented storage space, I found Mano a Mano (Hand to Hand), a non-religiously-affiliated organization right here in Mendota Heights, which was willing to take all my equipment and include it in a shipping container they were putting together for Bolivia. All three operatories, my waiting room, and supplies went to Bolivia! Mano a Mano is a group which, working with physicians, nurses, and dentists, has, over the last 26 years, set up about 27 clinics in the poorest areas of the country.

As far as the records went, I made arrangements with a couple of dentists close to my office who I felt would serve my patients as I would have, and that proximity would put no extra burden on them.

Dr. Taple: In what other ways has this transition affected you?

Dr. Lorberbaum: It was difficult on my family. My wife felt the reason for the transition was not fair, and in reality, sometimes it just isn’t. I felt a person could handle something like this in one of two ways: You could get angry and frustrated, or you could decide to take it as a challenge, rise to the occasion, and in the process hopefully do some good. The bottom line is, it is not all about the money. The other side of dentistry is that it is about humanity and the human condition. At the end of the day you have to be able to look back and be proud of how the transition went and that you were, hopefully, able to do the most good for the most people. I felt I was able to achieve that. Looking back with five or six months’ hindsight, one of the harder things for me was the lack of contact with patients. After that many years in practice, you develop relationships, you look forward to seeing the patients on a regular basis, and when it is all over there is an emotional component to not being able to do that.

Dr. Taple: What did you find helpful?

Dr. Lorberbaum: Once I applied for retired status with the ADA, they sent a packet “for the newly retired dentist”. The materials were very helpful. However, it would have been even more helpful to have received it a year before the transition. One other thing people should know is that when you close down a practice you have to contact all of the governmental agencies with which you have licenses. Each group has to inspect the site before it will sign off on your proper handling of certain items: How did you dispose of your X-ray equipment, how did you handle your hazardous waste, and so on. Dental supply companies are also helpful for helping to dismantle equipment and put a valuation on it.

Dr. Taple: You were obviously committed to the downtown area. What are your thoughts on the downtown Saint Paul business climate?

Dr. Lorberbaum: I feel dentists and other small businesses are in trouble there. But things have been like this for at least the last 12 years. Fifteen years ago, the last time my lease was up, I could have moved my practice out of downtown as did most of the dentists in the Lowry Building. I felt that would leave downtown deserted. My practice was stable, so I stayed, but that is part of the reason I eventually cut back to a part-time, two-day week. I feel downtown has been on an economic downturn for years. Large anchor companies have continued leaving. I don’t know how they will turn it around. Of the remaining eight tenants in my building, three relocated, and five, including restaurants, simply closed.

Dr. Taple: What advice could you give to someone in a similar situation?

Dr. Lorberbaum: I would say definitely have a plan. Have that plan fit your practice philosophy, which includes your practice life, your personal life, and your spiritual life. This is more than just the practice of dentistry. Make sure you are prepared to take into account the emotional aspects of the change. Most people tend to look at transition planning from a business numbers point of view. That is important, but it’s not what you take to bed with you at night. When people go from a work activity on which they have based their identity to areas that are brand new, it can be very scary. These new areas are, for a lot of people, the beginning of the final chapter of their lives. I don’t know that there is a good way to prepare yourself for that. Keep yourself as physically and mentally fit as possible, and it is a good idea to have a lot of friendship resources.

Editor’s note: You may find Mano a Mano at 774 Sibley Memorial Hwy, Mendota Heights, MN 55118.

Northwestern District

John E. Lueth
Associate Editor
P.O. Box 310
Bemidji, MN 56619

I Have an Afternoon Nap on My Life List, Too

Bill Erickson, Reporter

John Lueth tells me the world is wondering “what crazy trip Bill took his family on this summer”. Let’s see — Did we climb the Himalayas? Nope. Did we walk the Great Wall of China? Nope. Did we visit the penguins in the Antarctic? Nope. I put us on a plane to fabulous Las Vegas for Beatlefest 2007!

Beatlefest was formed in 1974. When its founder asked John Lennon if that would be okay, Lennon said, “Hey, I like the Beatles too.” The first performance was held in New Jersey.

Our trip marked the first Beatlefest in Las Vegas, at the Mirage Hotel. By the way, if anyone is in Vegas, that is a really nice hotel with a wonderful pool area with great waterfalls. It was July 1-3, and, of course, quite hot. But not a problem with AC and that pool.

Well, it was interesting. As my wife Mona said, “I feel like I’m in a cult here” because all the time we were at the Fest, they kept talking about being in the “Beatles family”. I guess I can finally cross joining a cult off my “life list”.

Beatlefest is a combination of lectures and autograph signings in the afternoon and two concerts every night. The performers included Peter and Gordon; a reunion of three former Wings members; Pete Best (the original Beatles drummer, replaced by Ringo); and a band called Liverpool that backed everyone and even did Sgt. Pepper from start to finish one night — which the Beatles did not think they ever could do live!

We did a lot of stuff in Vegas, including a wonderful family lunch at the top of the more than thousand-foot Stratosphere Tower. The tower rotates 360 degrees in about an hour. I would highly recommend it to anyone. Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum was across the street, and a real hoot. Of course, my daughter Jean and I would have to peek at the sports book area that weekend and see how the Twins and Yankee game was. (Not good for the Twins.) We also saw the Beatles Love show at the Mirage. It was unreal, and I honestly cannot describe it. It was an audio-visual miracle. I guarantee no one would ever be disappointed by this one.

One afternoon, when the family was taking the afternoon nap, I decided to try to get in the Beatles Trivia Contest. There are four rounds of four people who qualify to be in the final round of four. I somehow got into the first round. Beatlefest had people from all 50 states and four continents, so I was a little intimidated. But — I won round one pretty quickly. I then called my daughter’s cell and said I was in the finals. After a quick poll, they thought the afternoon nap took precedence. I gave my camcorder to a nice person who filmed and documented the finals. I remember that one of the contestants was from London, one was from Liverpool, and I don’t know where the other was from.

Early on I could never hit my button fast enough, and some of the questions got really tough. Halfway through, I strung together three correct answers in a row (five correct wins) and ended up in second place. I got a nice Beatles book that was signed by the author, who was at the finals.

One morning, we had tickets to have brunch with the photographer who took the Beatles’ pictures in India when they were with the Maharishi. There were about 50 people there, but I think we were the only table with kids (although they are 17 and 19). The photographer, Paul Salzman, was very nice and visited with people before the brunch. Many of the people there had seen the Beatles in person or on the Ed Sullivan Show. However, after the one-on-one, Mr. Salzman wanted everyone to introduce him- or herself and tell how the Beatles had changed their lives. He really did. The first thing Mona said was, “You have to do it!”

Halfway through this little exercise, my daughter Jean said, “This sounds like an AA meeting.” So when they got to our table, I introduced myself by saying, “Hi, I’m Bill, and I’m a Beatleholic.” After which everyone said, “Hi, Bill.” Hmmm.

I don’t know if the Beatles ever changed my life. I think that Mona, Jean, and Bill Jr. did that. Music and the Beatles were just an outlet to listen to or read something by to relax after a busy day. And maybe that is my message here. Do something silly, have some fun, and create memories for you and your family.

And For Our Next Request …

Next on the agenda for the Northwestern District is the return of the Lake of the Woods Ice Fishing and Dental C.E. weekend January 25-27, 2008. Please contact Roger Sjulson at rwdds@gvtel.com and/or look for further information in the ad located in this issue of Northwest Dentistry.

And remember our motto: “If you don’t have fun…it’s your own fault!”

Tidbits from the Northwestern District:

Under the category “Any reason as an excuse”:

A retired former university professor and true blue Scandinavian patient of mine (complete with accent so thick you’d swear he was “yust off da boot”) recently was in the office for a recall appointment. He had undergone placement of a single dental implant to replace missing tooth #19, and only days before had the implant uncovered and healing cap placed. As we discussed whether he had any questions or concerns about anything relating to his oral health, Kermit said that for about two hours after the healing cap was placed his “tongue said it felt funny”.

I responded teasingly, “Well, you’ve got a metal post in your jaw!”

To which he replied, “You know, I just got to thinkin’, I ‘spose when it gets cold soon my tongue will stick to it. I guess I’ll just have to go south for the winter!”

New Guidelines for When to Retire

A fisherman should retire when his net income is falling off.

A publisher should quit when he can’t handle the volume anymore.

An actor can tell he’s done when he can’t make the scene.

A dentist will know when he’s had his fill.

A photographer better retire when he just doesn’t click anymore.

A teacher should retire if she has no class.

An accountant ought to retire before his number comes up.

But a writer can go on writing until the very end.

Remember the Burma-Shave Signs?
Slow down, Pa,
Sakes alive!
Ma missed signs
Four and five
Burma-Shave.

Within this vale
Of toil and sin
Your head grows bald
But not on your chin
Burma-Shave.

Does your husband misbehave?
Grunt and grumble. Rant and wave?
Shoot the brute some
Burma-Shave.

If you dislike Big traffic fines
Slow down
Till you can read these signs
Burma-Shave.

                                                JEL

 

Northeastern District

Gary Hedin
Associate Editor
927 Trettle Lane
Cloquet, MN 55720

Not a Single Day in Grayscale

As I write this, the grouse and bow-hunting openers are only a week away. While this may not seem too exciting to some, I know there are a lot of hunters eagerly preparing for the upcoming seasons. The local outdoors and hunting shops are full of people stocking up on things they need - and probably a few they don’t. Meanwhile, the golfers are fretting about their season gradually winding down, although with our new warm climate up here I know a few of you will be out looking for your ball in early December. Fall is a great time of the year up here in the Northeastern District, and it’s pretty apparent that people from all over the state think so as well.

Just a Different Kind of Exploration

All the way back in mid-July, Jim Swanstrom and his wife Barbara were kind enough to host the annual barbeque and get-together for the Medical Arts dentists, their spouses, and alumni. The gathering took place at the Swanstroms’ home on Pike Lake, just outside of Duluth. While the weather kept threatening to douse us, ultimately the sun did come out, and everyone was able to spend some quality time on the deck. Bill Kubiak, newly retired, took his traditional role as grill master, and did not disappoint us. From my perspective as a newcomer to the Medical Arts community, it was especially fun to visit with some of the fellows who retired from the dental profession a number of years ago. They still clearly have a passion for dentistry, even after a few years of not having a mirror and explorer in hand.

The Leisure of Their Company

During the month of August, the folks at Northern Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons held their annual party in Duluth. This year the event was held on the Vista Star cruise boat and featured not only some great food and drinks, but also a trip out onto Lake Superior to watch the sun go down over the hill. Unfortunately, my wife and I were on vacation in the U.P. of Michigan, so we were unable to attend. Everyone I have talked to said they had a great time, though, and I’d like to thank Greg Kaake very much for taking pictures of the event!

But — Dentists Know How to Unseal Lips

At the end of August, I was fortunate enough to go on a fishing trip to Lac Seul, Ontario, with Jerry and Nathan Pedersen, Mike Zakula, Eric Sjodin from Lakeland Dental Lab, and Mike’s friend Cliff. We had some outstanding walleye fishing and enjoyed the peacefulness of our remote cabin. Mike is probably worried that I’m going to give away the hot spots right here on the pages of Northwest Dentistry, but rest assured my lips are sealed.

Duty Bound, or They Saved Dessert for Last

Finally, Duluth played host to the MDA’s House of Delegates this past weekend at the DECC. The weather was far too nice to be inside at meetings all day, but sometimes that’s just how it goes. I won’t go into much detail because there will be other upcoming articles on the event. Suffice to say that the two-day meeting went quite smoothly, and a number of very good resolutions were passed, several of which
originated from our own Northeastern District.

John Conry did a great job chairing Reference Committee B, while Steve L’Abbe served as a member of the Reference Committee A. The delegates and alternates present from our district included John Conry, Chuck Babst, Mike Hagley, Gary Hedin, Steve L’Abbe, Mike Ludwig, Willie Shuldt, Matt Anzelc, Lisa Johnson, and Mike Zakula. The Friday evening session ended with a stand-up dinner and social hour, followed by a dessert cruise on the Vista Star. I wasn’t on the cruise to chaperone those from our delegation who were, but everyone made it to the Saturday session intact! 

I think it’s time for me to head out to my favorite hunting store to pick up a few of those not-really-necessary items. Don’t tell my wife!

 GJH

 

Southern District

Gregory P. Miller
Associate Editor
1140 South Avenue
North Mankato, MN 56003

Inventive Focus Marks Annual Fall Meeting

The Southern District held its annual fall meeting August 23-25, 2007 at Jackpot Junction in Morton, Minnesota. The weekend began with a caucus on Thursday afternoon with MDA Executive Director Dick Diercks and MDA president for 2007-2008 Jamie Sledd joining us for that meeting.

Friday morning started with the Southern District business meeting. Our trustee, Ed McNiece, updated all of us on the many issues facing dentistry in Minnesota. After much discussion and a luncheon, most members went off to enjoy an afternoon of golf at the Dakota Ridge Golf Club.

The annual banquet was held Friday night, with the spotlight this year on Guest of Honor Mankato periodontist and inventor Gary Jernberg. Dr. Jernberg was accompanied by his wife, Mary Jeanne, and his daughter, Anne. Mary Jeanne holds an MBA degree and is an entrepreneur in her own right. Anne recently graduated from the Arizona School of Dentistry and Oral Health.

Dr. Jernberg spoke to us about his “journey”. Before dentistry, Gary was a chemical engineer for General Mills and for Economics Lab. He has used his engineering background along with his knowledge and expertise in periodontics to develop eight different patents. He also has two patents pending and two that are in the writing stage. The best known of his patents is Arestin, which is now the largest-selling local delivery system for antibiotics in periodontal disease.

Gary first began working on Arestin when his daughter Anne was two years old. After years of research and development, Arestin finally went on the market when Anne was 21 years old. Gary is developing methods of delivering various agents through synthetic vascular grafts and cardiac stents, and he holds patents on tissue regeneration and a drug delivery system.

Mankato and Southern Minnesota are very fortunate indeed to have a distinguished inventor and excellent clinician such as Dr. Gary Jernberg.

The continuing education program on Saturday was presented by Drs. Daniel Shaw and Robert Feigal, who offered us “A Pediatric Dentistry Update”. This covered early childhood caries, prevention (with the latest information on fluoride and sealants), traumatic injuries, behavior management, and more.

On a personal note, I didn’t realize how much I needed to update my knowledge on pediatric dentistry. One of the most interesting parts of the presentation for me was videos of Dr. Shaw doing examination and treatment for kids from two to four years of age.

All in all it was a very enjoyable and rewarding weekend. The biggest benefit was the interaction and camaraderie with our fellow dentists and dental auxiliaries from Southern Minnesota.

Upcoming Meetings
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Subject: Implants
Speaker: Scott Lingle, D.D.S.
Mankato, Minnesota
Program for both dentists and staff

Saturday, September 6, 2008
Subject: “Dental Care for Our Aging Population”
Speaker: Patrick Lloyd, D.D.S., Dean, University of Minnesota School of Dentistry
Marshall, Minnesota

GPM

 

West Central District

No report in this issue.

Student District

Bradley Anderson
Associate Editor
2799 Rustic Place, # 308
Little Canada, MN 55117

Calling Something “Annual” Only Proves How Fast a Year Goes By

It has been a busy couple of months for the Student District. At school, we have all rotated through our three-week fall breaks. It allowed us some much needed rest and relaxation. For the first time, third-year students also had the opportunity to work in the clinics full time when their groups were not on break. It was nice to get a larger taste of our future.

The dental school also welcomed
a new first-year class August 8. The class consists of 96 students from Minnesota and other states around the country. Our American Student Dental Association chapter held “ASDA 101” for the first-years September 5. This is traditionally our first Lunch and Learn event of the year, and for this one we explain membership benefits, the committee structure, and how to get involved in ASDA to the students. This year ASDA 101 was again a huge success.

The Minnesota ASDA chapter was also able to have eight delegates and alternates represent the dental students of Minnesota at the 37th ASDA Annual Session. This occurred August 29 through September 2 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. ASDA passed a number of resolutions this year, lead by a number of resolutions on student ethics. Other topics dealt with included collaboration among dental student organizations, ease of communication with our members, and a definition of a curriculum-integrated format for clinical licensure tests. It is my belief that the resolutions that were passed will allow ASDA to have a very productive year.

ASDA also elected national leaders for the 2007-2008 year, and I am pleased to announce that Minnesota’s own Amy Truong was selected to be District Eight trustee. The Annual Session also included the President’s Dance, which was held Saturday night. The theme this year was country-western. All the students in attendance were treated to dinner and line-dancing. This year at the Annual Session the Minnesota ASDA chapter was able to take home second place in the Crest Healthy Smiles contest for our work helping put on Give Kids a Smile day at our school.

Upon completion of the Annual Session, our students returned to school for a week, after which eight more of them headed up to Duluth to participate in the MDA House of Delegates. This is always an event the students who attend really enjoy, and this year was no exception. Being able to discuss the resolutions with the MDA leaders gives us a great opportunity to learn what is going on in our state, and allows us to be better resources for the other students at the University.

We also have a number of exciting/important upcoming events at the School. The third- and fourth-years will be taking the pros and endo portions of CRDTS the weekend of September 22 and 23. We also have our membership and ADPAC drives scheduled to kick off October 5. Later in October we will be having our annual Vendor Fair. That event will be held Wednesday, October 24. Lastly, the ASDA Eighth District meeting will be held in Minnesota this year. The meeting will be held sometime in late October or early November, and we look forward to the opportunity to show off our new pre-clinical area to some of the other schools in our region.

BA