The Giving Gift Spans Every Season

Oral and Maxillofacial (OMS) Specialists, P.A., held their fifth annual charity golf event at Rush Creek Golf Club in Maple Grove, Minnesota this past May 14. The event also included a new 25- and 50-mile biking route for non-golfers. An amazing total of $12,600 was raised this year to benefit the Sharing and Caring Hands Dental Clinic, located in downtown Minneapolis. OMS, their referring doctors, and local vendors had another great time enjoying another beautiful day together to help support Mary Jo Copeland’s ongoing cause.

Last Chance to Register for the 82nd Annual Midwinter Dental Meeting

If by chance this issue of Northwest Dentistry comes across your desk prior to Friday, December 7, 2007 and you have not registered for the meeting, yes, you can definitely still attend! Please contact the District Office and you can register by telephone: (651) 631-9845. Dr. John A. Molinari will be speaking on “Emerging Diseases and Challenging Issues in Infection Control”.

Advances in medicine and science during the early and mid- twentieth century reinforced the common perception that microbial diseases no longer presented a major concern for human infection. What went unrecognized, however, was the reality that microorganisms have enormous potential for evolution and adaptation to external factors which affect their surrounding environments. As proof, infectious diseases described over the past four decades include those caused by newly discovered microbial pathogens, re-emergent infections with drug-resistant strains, and infections which have become increasingly resistant to previously successful antimicrobials. In addition to presenting threats to the general population, a number of these infections also present occupational risks to health care providers. This seminar will consider infectious challenges presented by two microbial groups and diseases, blood-borne pathogens (Hepatitis B and C), and bio-aerosols (influenza viruses, including avian influenza and tuberculosis) in the context of current epidemiology and scientific evidence. Included in the discussion are features and impact of clinical infection, risk factors, potential for microbial transmission, and appropriate infection control precautions for dental and medical professionals.

As a result of taking this course, the participant should be able to:

• Relate hepatitis and other blood-borne diseases to dentistry.

• Assess emerging diseases (bird flu, resistant bacteria, newly emerging viruses, etc.) and increased antibiotic resistance in dental infections.

• Comply with the new CDC infection control guidelines.

• Determine the practical approach to infection control.

• Assess the infection control practices in dental offices and any changes in standard precautions, glove changes, and mask quality.

• Learn about pandemics and what can be done to prepare for them.

• Learn what precautions to take when traveling in the United States or abroad.

• Learn which appropriate vaccinations should be given to health care workers in today’s world.

• Prevent the spread of microbes in the dental office.

• Learn where health care professionals can find information on medical infection issues that are reliable sources and the most current and up-to-date.

• Learn of the effects of global warming and the progression of disease as well as the effect on our food sources as a source of infectious disease

Participants will earn five infection control continuing education credits for this lecture. This program is recommended for the entire dental team. Again, please call the Minneapolis District Dental Society office at (651) 631-9845 as soon as possible if you wish attend this meeting. We will get you registered!

Will New State Regulations Impact the Practice of Conscious Sedation?

Come and find out at the Thursday, January 24, 2008 MDDS General Assembly Meeting. The continuing education program committee has arranged for Dr. Noah Sandler to join us to provide the latest updates on conscious sedation in your dental practice. Dr. Sandler will have the most current information for everyone to hear from the Minnesota Board of Dentistry.

The practice of conscious sedation is controlled at many levels. National organizations, in addition to individual states, have produced “guidelines” for the safe administration of sedatives in the office. Often these guidelines provide educational, equipment, and emergency protocols. Recently, the state of Minnesota has updated its guidelines for the safe practice of sedation in the office.

The purpose of this lecture will be to review all the NEW state guidelines in the context of existing national and pre-existing Minnesota regulations. A discussion of the potential impact of these guidelines on the practice of anesthesia in the dental office will be highlighted. There will be plenty of time for questions and answers after the lecture.

This lecture is recommended for your entire dental team, and will be one of the most enlightening and practical dental seminars you experience. This is one you will not want to miss. Everyone needs the information that Dr. Sandler will be sharing in this lecture.

Dr. Sandler is in private practice in Savage and Shakopee (Midwest Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery) with Dr. Gregory Hueler. Dr. Sandler graduated from the University of Pennsylvania School of Dentistry in 1991, and from medical school in 1995 at the University of Pittsburgh as part of his residency, which he completed from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in 1998. Dr. Sandler was formerly an instructor at the University of Minnesota (1998-2005), where much of his lecturing and research was in outpatient anesthesia.

Welcome, New Members

Congratulations to the following new members of the District. Their membership allows them to develop a strong network of fellow professionals who understand the day-to-day triumphs and tribulations of practicing dentistry. When you see these doctors at our next component meeting, please take a minute to welcome them to organized dentistry. Consider giving them a telephone call to welcome them to the Minneapolis District. Invite a new colleague to join you at an upcoming District meeting, or take a new member to lunch. Let’s welcome them to the Minneapolis District!

Russell A. Dylla, D.D.S.
Douglas G. Petersen, D.D.S.
Owen J. Thoele, D.D.S.
Morina A. Zigelman, D.D.S.

Upcoming Programs and Events
Friday, December 7, 2007
82nd Annual Midwinter Dental Meeting
Subject: “Emerging Diseases and
   Challenging Issues In Infection Control”
Speaker: Dr. John A. Molinari
Minneapolis Marriott Southwest Hotel
Minnetonka, Minnesota

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

Saturday, February 2, 2008
8th Annual Give Kids a Smile Day
Sharing and Caring Hands Dental Clinic
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Many volunteers necessary.
Please join us for this very worthwhile event!

Thursday, March 13, 2008
General Assembly Meeting
Subject: “The Autistic Dental Patient”
Speaker: Dr. Michael Reiff
Golden Valley Golf and Country Club
Golden Valley, Minnesota
 

Thursday, April 17, 2008
Annual Installation of Officers and Guest of Honor Meeting
2008 Guest of Honor: Bashar Bakdash, D.D.S.
Golden Valley Golf and Country Club
Golden Valley, Minnesota

Eighth Annual Give Kids a Smile Day Planned at Sharing and Caring Hands
In conjunction with the American Dental Association’s Give Kids A Smile Day, and in honor of National Children’s Dental Health Month, the Minneapolis District Dental Society will be sponsoring its 8th Annual Children’s Dental Health Care Day for children in need at the Sharing and Caring Hands Dental Clinic in Minneapolis. This day will serve as a way of helping children with dental exams, X-rays, treatments, and dental education who would otherwise go without. With your help and support, it is guaranteed to be a successful day!

Our event will be held Saturday, February 2, 2008 at Sharing and Caring Hands Dental Clinic, located at 525 North 7th Street, Minneapolis beginning at 9:00 a.m. and concluding at 4:00 p.m.

We need you to make this very special day a continuing success. Please consider volunteering a few hours toward this very worthwhile event. We are in need of dentists, dental hygienists, dental assistants, and dental students to make this day a complete success. To sign up as a volunteer, please contact the District Office at (651) 631-9845. If you have further questions, please contact Dr. Teresa Fong at (763) 786-4260 or the District Office at the number listed above.

International College of Dentists Awards Fellowships to District Members

Drs. Pamela Erickson, Venetia Leganis, Patrick Lloyd, James Nickman, Nelson Rhodus, and Sally Schuette were awarded Fellowship in the International College of Dentists on Friday, September 28, 2007, during their Annual Meeting and Convention in San Francisco, California. We congratulate all of these long-time members of the District on their induction. It is a very high honor to achieve this status.

The International College of Dentists is recognized around the globe as the pre-eminent international dental organization. One of the “objectives” of the college is to advance the art and science of dentistry for the health and welfare of the public internationally.

The International College of
Dentists is a leading honorary dental
organization dedicated to the recognition of outstanding professional achievement and meritorious service and the continued progress of the profession of dentistry for the benefit of all humankind. Congratulations to all!

Why Do We Live Here?

As we move from fall into winter, I find myself entertaining the same thought that crosses my mind every year at this time: Why do I live here, and why do I stay here? I am a born and bred Minn-ah-soh-ton. I often feel I did not pick this place to live; it more or less picked me. Or more correctly, my great-grandparents and grandparents chose to come here. What would have been so wrong with somewhere down south or out west? What were they thinking? Of course, the citizens in California are asking themselves, “Why couldn’t we have settled in, say, Minnesota?” as wildfires burn uncontrollably.

Now don’t get me wrong, for the most part I enjoy living here, and I think you would agree that Minnesota is a hard place to beat. After all, we get a couple of weeks each spring, summer, and fall when the weather is hovering around 70 degrees and there is a nice warm southerly breeze in the air and the mosquitoes aren’t bothering you. That said, I decided to scratch this particular itch and satisfy my curiosity. I decided to ask a few of our fellow Saint Paul District dentists who did not go to school here and who had no prior ties to the area, “What were you thinking when you decided to set up your practice and, in essence, your life here?” According to T.S. Eliot, “Home is where one starts from,” and Saint Paul is where a number of our fellow dentists choose to start from every day.

The first question I asked was, “What brought you to Minnesota, and specifically Saint Paul?” The responses I got included things such as getting engaged to someone who was from here, friends in the area from college…  Being able to live in a small/big town was also appealing. Overwhelmingly, the things that brought people to this area were family and friends. I think it is important to remember that at the end of the day when work is done, it is your family and friends who fill your life and give it meaning. Not one of the dentists queried mentioned coming here primarily for work. It was family, friends, and the opportunity to interact with nature and actually escape work which drew people to this area.

Then I asked them, “What benefits or impediments to practicing dentistry do you see in Saint Paul or the larger state of Minnesota?” By far the biggest concern people had about practicing not only in Saint Paul but within the state was, not surprisingly, the tax burden.  Income tax, combined with the MinnesotaCare tax and the many other “fees” that the state levies on small businesses such as a dental office, was by far the chief impediment to practice here. This burden, as high as it is, however, was apparently not enough to offset most people’s feelings that Saint Paul is still a great place to raise a family and that the people here are truly “Minnesota Nice”. Our natural resources were also mentioned as benefits to living and working here.  It was interesting to note that no one mentioned the winter as an impediment.

Saint Paul, of course, is not without its issues.  The downtown area has lost a steady stream of dentists and other small businesses over the years to the suburbs or other areas of the city.  Making the downtown area relevant continues to be a challenge.  However, as the state of Minnesota prepares to celebrate is sesquicentennial in 2008, Saint Paul continues to be a great place to live and work.  Even people from Minneapolis occasionally sneak across the river and have fun in over here.

If home is where one starts from, a lot of people have decided Saint Paul is that starting place.

The Passing Show

The District welcomes two new members even as it says farewell and have fun to another retiree. Please say hello to:

Joseph M. Opack, D.D.S. Dr. Opack is a 2007 graduate from Creighton University and is practicing at Saint Paul Family Dentistry.

Marty M. Spanish, D.D.S. A 2007 graduate from the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry, Dr. Spanish is an associate at a clinic in South Saint Paul.

And congratulations to Dr. Harold R. Eberhardt on your recent retirement!

And I’ll See You There

January 4, 2008
Midwinter Meeting
Crowne Plaza Saint Paul/Riverfront

February 1-2, 2008
Give Kids a Smile

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

Into the Woods

I am writing this the day before the Minnesota firearms deer hunting opener. It’s a wonder that I can even pay attention to what I am writing! The days upon days of rain have finally ended, and we have been treated to some really nice fall weather lately. I know many of you have taken pheasant hunting trips to places near and far, while others have been chasing golf balls around in the leaves. My wife astutely pointed out that not everyone is a golfer or hunter, so I should also say it’s been nice weather for hiking in the woods, bike riding, running, and shopping (although any weather is good for shopping, I suppose). Many of you have probably also been out doing some fall fishing and have noted the upside to all of our rain, which is an increase in the levels of our northern lakes. Whatever you’ve been up to, it’s also time for District meetings, and another season of NEDDS meetings is upon us. Our district’s get-togethers always provide a great opportunity to visit with old friends and also to meet some of the newer members of the Northeast.

A Conservative September

The September meeting was held at the newly rebuilt Northland Country Club. It served as a great venue for the event, and the new space is very nicely done. Our speaker for the day was Doug Lambert, a good friend of Steve L’Abbe and a well-respected clinician in our state. Doug practices in Edina, (Minnesota, of course) and has lectured throughout the country. His presentation, titled “Contemporary Concepts for the Conservative Dentist/An Esthetic Potpourri”, covered a wide range of subjects from materials to techniques. Doug presented us with a lot of information that can easily be incorporated into our own practices on a day-to-day basis. He showed several cases throughout the day and discussed the rationale behind his treatment decisions. It was good to see a large turnout of dentists and team members at the meeting, and Doug did a nice job engaging the audience throughout the day.

A Varietous October

Our October NEDDS meeting was held at the Radisson Duluth. Joe Stevens, a dentist in private practice in Wichita, Kansas, was the featured presenter. He is also the founder of KISCO, a dental products marketing company that provides a variety of products to dental offices. His presentation, titled “Efficient Dentistry”, focused on methods to streamline virtually every procedure that we do in our offices every day. Joe discussed time-saving techniques, products he feels can speed up our daily work, and his methodology for running a highly efficient dental practice. I think everyone was probably able to take something home from the presentation to use in his or her own practice. Thank you to Joe for making the trip all the way up to Duluth from Kansas!

I Beg Your Pardon? 

I should also mention that in September, Dr. Todd Lund made his “debut” in the Northeastern District at a party held at the Kitchi Gammi Club. Todd has joined the prosthodontics practice of Doug Erickson in the Medical Arts Building and is currently working there one day a week. Todd is a maxillofacial prosthodontist, and brings an extensive background with him to our area. That’s right, a maxillofacial prosthodontist. Look that up on Wikipedia for a good definition. I hadn’t heard of this sub-specialty of prosthodontics either, but after looking into it I’ve found that this is some absolutely amazing stuff!

Dr. Lund is on the teaching staff at Hennepin County Medical Center’s Prosthodontics Clinic, and his areas of interest are impressive, including:

• prosthetic restoration of oral and facial defects created by trauma or by surgical resection of cancer,

• oral and craniofacial implants to retain prosthetic restorations,

• and prosthetic treatment for patients with developmental and craniofacial defects.

Keep an eye out for Todd at future NEDDS meetings, and welcome him to the District. And if you happen to be missing an eye, well, he can probably help you out with that, too!

As the Days Grow Shorter

Well, it’s time to make sure those essentials like long johns, a toothbrush, and the cribbage board are packed in my duffel bag. Stay warm, and stay tuned for the next Northeastern District update!

GJH

Memo to Self: Pick Up a Boat on the Way to Work

Having just spent many and any spare moments this fall in pursuit of waterfowl and other game, I was reminded of the following story as one of those strange-but-true incidents which narrowly averts disaster. What might have gone horribly wrong turned out to be one of those “you’re not gonna believe this!” accounts. It also struck me as a variation on the old joke about the guy who went to a fight … and a hockey game broke out! Or, in this case, a hunter driving to the office on an ordinary workday winds up unexpectedly having a duck hunting story jump right up in front of him.

In this true story, which took place in the Northwestern District, the hero of our tale, Dr. Bill Baker, is an oral and maxillofacial surgeon based in Brainerd with satellite practice locations in the Northwestern District. He is also an avid waterfowl hunter. One midweek workday he was driving to work, and the next thing
he knew …

It was the early a.m. of October 19, 2006…the Thursday of MEA (Minnesota Educator’s Association school conference break). On this particular morning, Bill’s route from Brainerd took him through Wadena, New York Mills, and along miles of rural area to his destination of Detroit Lakes. Departing for Detroit Lakes in the darkest hour of the morning, it was his normal routine to stop at a certain coffee shop along the way at about 5:30 a.m. to get an eye-opener cup of coffee that would help get him safely down the road. On this particular morning, he had for some unknown reason not done so. But at that hour there was no traffic, and the drive was proceeding as quietly as it normally did.

Traveling the speed limit and peering into the pitch dark distance, Bill was cruising uneventfully along when all of a sudden out of the dark appeared an obstacle completely occupying his traffic lane! In a microsecond Bill recognized it was a boat. It was a duck boat. You know the kind: When hunting ducks from a boat, you want one which is camouflaged, dull, with muted colors that blend in with the landscape and offer no glare or reflection to alert the ducks – or, it turns out, drivers of vehicles on a highway!!  The obstacle appeared so quickly – it was parallel in his lane, with the aft of the boat facing him. With no time to react to avoid it, all Bill could do was to line up to straddle it and hit it squarely!

There was a bang as his vehicle crashed into the boat and a terrible, indescribable noise as they continued together down the pavement. Bill was able to keep the Suburban on the road through all of this and finally ended up on the shoulder of the highway.

Once stopped, he got out to check what all had happened so fast.

The boat and its motor were still beneath the Suburban, wedged lengthwise in perfect alignment fore to aft between the wheels. Nice fit, if just a bit squashed!  In fact, it looked almost as if by pushing, pulling, or jumping on it Bill might just be lucky enough to free it from the undercarriage. Try as he might, however, he wasn’t able to budge it.

Soon a pair of headlights appeared. A small truck was coming back down the highway toward Bill. The vehicle slowed as it neared him. It was a pickup with four high school kids, two boys and two girls, in it.

The driver was a 16-year-old boy. He told Bill that they had been going duck hunting on this Thursday morning because it was MEA and they had two days of school vacation. A plan had been hatched the night before at the traditional Wednesday-night-before-MEA high school football game. The two boys had made the arrangements. The driver borrowed his dad’s pickup truck. Then they got the okay to borrow a friend’s brand NEW duck boat, complete with motor. Somewhere along the line they had convinced the two girls to join them for the early morning hunt. One important detail, however, had escaped their attention. When they loaded the boat into the back of the pickup, they had failed to tie it in!

I’m sure those kids were shocked when, on their way down the highway to the hunting spot, they noticed the boat exit out the back end of the truck. Surely not as surprised as Bill was to “find” it, though! And you’re not human if you don’t empathize with what those kids must have been feeling when they saw it all smashed beneath Bill’s Suburban.

Bill had the kids hold on to the front of boat while he tried to back the vehicle off of it, getting the tires smoking in the attempt, but that didn’t work.

One of the kids asked one of the others, “Don’t you live a quarter mile down the road?”

The kid who did replied yes, and set off to retrieve a floor jack. Then they waited.

Tick, tock, we’re all on the clock … Kid came back; they grabbed the jack.

Enough of poetry. They jacked the Suburban up as high as it could go, and proceeded to stomp, jump on, and kick that boat, but they could not shake it loose.

All this time Dr. Baker had been looking at his watch. There would be patients waiting soon, and it was still quite a distance to Detroit Lakes. He tells the kids he has to call a wrecker. Then he tells them that when he does this, a highway patrolman will also arrive.

“Is your license current,” he asks the driver. “Do you have insurance?” All the necessary questions, and one necessary fact: “Sorry, but it’s got to be done.”

Eventually a tow truck arrived. The driver took a Long Island minute to look over the situation. Then he uttered what Bill had been thinking but couldn’t really bear to say to the teenage driver: “Looks like a flat-bottomed boat now!” It was the best line of the day. Too bad it didn’t get the laugh it deserved. Somewhere elsewhere away from the immediate circumstance, the highway patrolman was having a long chat with the kid.

At this point Bill’s first patient was due to land in a chair in about 20 minutes. He needed to get going. Thanks to the deity who watches over these kinds of things, the Suburban actually worked (even with > $1,000 damage), and he motored, sans duck boat, on to Detroit Lakes with quite a tale to tell to his staff.

Sportsmen may be familiar with a regular feature in one of the Field and Stream type magazines which tells the tale of some sportsman’s personal harrowing outdoor encounter and how s/he survived. Dr. Baker is hoping to receive the big payday for his submission if this whopper story is published in an upcoming issue! Watch for it!?

 JEL

Dental Assisting: A Profession

Editor’s Note: The following article was written by Ms. Karon Metz, Director of Dental Assisting at South Central College, North Mankato, Minnesota. Her e-mail is karon.metz@southcentral.edu.

Introduction

In the challenging and exciting career of dental assisting, dedicated and conscientious individuals are evolving into career professionals.  Professionalism is expressed through communication, a broadening of clinical applications of technical skills, and education through advanced courses and techniques to ensure assistants are properly prepared to serve the profession in all aspects required.

A Market-Driven Evolution

With the advances in the practice of dentistry, along with the growth of technology, progressive dental practices are recognizing that dental consumers are expecting more from all dental professionals. Dentistry is changing from traditional methods of delivering patient care to new and innovative dental practices in conjunction with the progression of new technologies, materials, and equipment.

Dental assisting has long been a vital and essential part of the field of dentistry, enabling the dental health team to increase productivity, efficiency, and total care to the dental patient. Developing from a “lady in attendance” role into a modern dental career, dental assisting has continued to be a profession of dedicated, conscientious individuals who are adjusting to the evolution of the changing world of dentistry.

Background

Historically, methods of delivering patient services involved the dental assistant who maintained a passive role in patient health care. Starting with basic dental assisting skills, dental assistants trained in chairside dental assisting, minimal laboratory procedures, and business dental assisting. In the 1960s, expanded function dental assisting came on the scene. Today, the professional dental assistant is providing more direct-care dental services with highly developed technical skills.

A Growing Service Role

Dental assistants are dedicated to more than the clinical application of skills. Assistants’ responsibilities are expanding into additional areas of service such as coordinating patient treatment, as well as involvement in the production of restorative dentistry. This is along with the development of dental marketing strategies, financial management, and administrative skills to insure the total dental health care of the dental patient. In response to the evolution of the modern dental practice, assistants are pursuing advanced courses and/or degrees that will provide the skills needed to ensure they are properly prepared to serve their profession and today’s dental consumers.  Each new expanded function allows the dental assistant to expand and grow in her or his professional capabilities, which now include increasing responsibilities within all aspects, such as expanded functions and restorative dental assisting.

The Patient as Consumer

With the advancement of technology, the highly educated and savvy dental consumer is researching and shopping for a progressive dental practice that will meet and hopefully exceed his or her expectations.  To thrive in this atmosphere of increased awareness on the part of the dental patient, the progressive dental practice must ensure it is able to meet and exceed the expectation of these selective patients.

The dental profession is beginning to appreciate the need for highly educated and skilled dental assistants in order to meet the needs of today’s dental patients who are more knowledgeable. More dentists are acknowledging the demand for levels of patient care and the need to delegate more complex tasks to their trained clinical auxiliaries. The future is now here. Dental assistants are providing more direct patient care services than ever before. This is an important aspect in the development of the scope of dental assisting within each dental practice.

The Future, Here and Now

Since 1969, when Minnesota became the first state in the country to update its Dental Practice Act to include the dental assistant and the Registered Dental Assistant (RDA), dentistry in Minnesota has participated in this rapid evolution and change in how dentistry is practiced. Dental assistants take pride in the role they play in helping to provide the very highest quality of dental services to THEIR patients. As access to care continues to be an issue in rural areas throughout the country, the need for professional dental assistants will continue.

With the growth of technology and the change of scope in aspects of the practice of dentistry, this in an innovative and exciting time in the profession of dental assisting. Professional dental assistants will continue to be a vital and essential part of the dental health team and of patient care.

You Pick ‘Em, We Got ‘Em: Seasonal Greetings and Happy Holidays

Happy holidays to everyone! I hope all is well with the families, friends, patients, and dental practices of all our SEDDS members.

It’s hard to believe another year is almost to an end. Your District Executive Council wants you to know how much it continues to appreciate your past support, and hopes you will once again renew your membership to the American Dental Association, the Minnesota Dental Association, and, of course, your Southeastern District Dental Society. FYI, our district had the largest percentage increase in membership last year to lead the state! President Mike Flynn was presented this award at our 2007 House of Delegates. Having a strong and unified voice to promote good dental policy is extremely important. Again, thank you for your support.

Your district has had a strong tradition of providing quality meetings with timely and informative continuing education topics. If you haven’t been to a meeting lately, please come! You may be surprised by what you’ve been missing. Our 2007-2008 District president Dr. Duane Price is once again in charge of the Spring Meeting, and he will also be coordinating the Annual Meeting.

Mark these dates on your calendar - you won’t be disappointed!

Another important meeting to consider attending is the MDA’s annual Star of the North Meeting, which will be held April 10 to April 12 in 2008. It needs to be noted that this meeting is now starting on Thursday rather than the traditional Saturday with the pre-session seminars on the day before. The Minnesota Dental Association needs you to support this meeting by JUST SHOWING UP. A higher attendance means more money from the vendors attending this meeting, which keeps our dues lower. Also, your district can win an award by having the highest percentage of district members attending this meeting.

Another possible district event for midsummer (if we find there is enough interest) is the Chicago “tour the ADA and see the Cubs weekend”. ADA members can stay at the Ritz Carlton hotel, which is across from the ADA headquarters, for around $200 plus tax per night (a great deal!). The tour of the American Dental Association National Headquarters is well worth your time, especially if you have not been there before. And, of course, sitting outside at Wrigley Field watching a ballgame is tops. Add good restaurants and good shopping (plus the tax deductibility perk) and it’s a can’t miss. If you are interested, please email me at tshmitt00@gmail.com.

Well, that’s a wrap. As the season gallops ahead, just remember you go with our wish that whatever you do and wherever you do it, we hope the spirit moves you to have very Happy Holidays!

 TAS

Just a friendly reminder of important upcoming meeting dates:

• Friday, March 7, 2008   SpringSEDDS/ZVDS Meeting                               
Ramada Hotel in Rochester
Topics and speakers to be announced later
 

• Friday, September 12, 2008   SEDDS Annual Meeting
Rochester will be meeting location
Topic and speaker to be announced later

Leaves on the Calendar Fall Quickly Too

Greetings from the Student District. Fall is traditionally “gear up” time, and the District has had a busy couple of months.

Our ASDA Vendor Fair, one of our biggest events of the year, was held Wednesday, October 24 at the Radisson Hotel right across the street from the School – a very nice venue, and very, very convenient! This year we had more than 50 vendors and approximately 200 students attending the event. It was a great night for students to see what some of the dental companies have to offer. Snacks and drinks were provided, and companies also donated record numbers of door prizes. All this helped contribute to a very fun event.

The Student District has also concluded its membership drive for the year. This year we held our membership drive and ADPAC drive at the same time. I don’t have exact numbers yet, but I think our membership will be right around 90% this year. We are also very excited with the results of our ADPAC drive. Student membership in ADPAC costs $5.00, and by holding the drives together we were able to get our ADPAC numbers up to about 75% for the School. This is an increase of nearly 50% over last year.

This year the ASDA District 8 meeting was held in Minnesota as well. The event was held Saturday, November 10. Approximately 35 students from the University of Minnesota were in attendance, joined by about 25 students from Creighton University, the University of Iowa, the University of Nebraska, and a contingent from Kansas City, too. Discussion centered around the goals of ASDA and ADPAC, presentation of chapter updates, and attendance at a lecture on the oral effects on methamphetamines, a topic that will, unfortunately, be with us for a long time, it appears. Our district is home territory for Mr. Joseph Laudie, ASDAs’ national consultant on professional issues, who joined us to provide an update in his area of expertise. The day finished with a group dinner and social event. This meeting is great because it allows students who are new to dental school to find out what national ASDA is all about. It is also great to be able to talk with students at other schools.

The remainder of the fall has been, as usual, comparatively very quiet, although not exactly what you would call laid back. The students’ focus goes to finals and, in the case of the fourth years, taking Part Two of the National Boards. We will also be getting ready for a number of events which occur pretty early in the spring semester. Sometime in January we will be doing a “mentor mingler”, where our students can go to dinner and sit with the MDA dentists who sponsored their first year of ASDA membership. Also coming up is Give Kids a Smile Day, which the School is looking to hold Saturday, February 2.  We will also be getting ready for our G.V. Black Tie formal dance. This year it will be held February 15 at the Grand Hotel in downtown Saint Paul.

So that’s it, that’s all, as they say. Until my next report, happy holidays from the Student District.

BA