Archives 2004
October 2004
BURNSVILLE, MINNESOTA, DENTIST TO LEAD AMERICAN DENTAL ASSOCIATION
ORLANDO -- Robert M. Brandjord, D.D.S., who practices the dental specialty of oral and maxillofacial; surgery in Burnsville, Minnesota, was installed today as president-elect of the American Dental Association. Dr. Brandjord's installation took place at the ADA's 145th Annual Session in Orlando.
Dr. Brandjord will assume the ADA presidency in October 2005 and lead the149,000-member organization's efforts to protect and improve the public's oral health and promote advances in dentistry.
Dr. Brandjord has just completed a four-year term on the ADA Board as the trustee from the Tenth District, which includes Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota District. As a trustee, he served on key committees and task forces, including a task force on accreditation of international dental schools and an audit committee, and as Board liaison to major ADA councils.
He is a past president of the Minnesota Dental Association (MDA) and served as chairman of the MDA University Relations Committee and an Ad Hoc Committee on Health Care. He is also a past president of the Minnesota Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons.
Dr. Brandjord's hospital staff affiliations include serving as Department of Surgery Chief at Fairview Ridges Hospital, Burnsville. He has taught at the University of Minnesota Dental School (UMDS), where he was named Outstanding Clinical Instructor for 1971, and in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. He has presented professional papers and lectured widely.
Dr. Brandjord received his dental degree from UMDS and completed his training in oral and maxillofacial surgery at Detroit-Macomb Hspitals and the Children's Hospital of Michigan in Detroit.
Dr. Brandjord and his wife Pamela reside in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.
June 2004
MINNESOTA DENTISTS REASSURE PATIENTS ON DENTAL AMALGAM SAFETY AND CONSUMER CHOICE
ST. PAUL, Minnesota – The Minnesota Dental Association today emphasized that its members routinely inform patients of the various choices available for filling cavities or dental restoration. The MDA also reiterated its confidence in the proven safety of dental amalgam, a pliable and resilient metal alloy used successfully by American dentists on over 100 million people for over a century. The announcement was made in conjunction with a public meeting of the Minnesota Board of Dentistry on restorative dental materials.
"Our members have been informing their patients – both verbally and in print – about the various issues surrounding amalgam for nearly a decade," said Kimberly Harms, D.D.S., ADA consumer advisor and a former MDA president from Farmington. "There's no sound, scientific evidence to support a link between amalgam fillings and chronic illness, a fact that all major U.S. health protection agencies have concurred with," she said.
Dr. Harms said the MDA fully supports the 'informed consent' concept and that such rules in Minnesota are well established, which has put the state at the forefront of this issue. "We believe every patient has the right to make up his or her own mind about their dental care. Excellent brochures and other print materials about amalgam are already widely available and distributed. But additional state mandates for new material on this topic is unwarranted, wasteful and redundant." Harms says the use of newer compounds has already surpassed amalgam, primarily for cosmetic reasons, but that amalgam remains a viable, inexpensive option that should remain available to dentists and patients.
Good dental care, said Harms, rests on a foundation of clear and open communication between doctor and patient. "We encourage patients to ask questions and we defend the right of dentists to freely discuss all aspects of dental care with their patients. But the information shared must be evidence-based and consistent with accepted scientific research," said Harms. Anecdotal incidents that suggest a link between amalgam and disease, she said, are based on faulty science and perpetuated by unfounded conjecture and irrational fear. "If a problem truly existed, dentists would be the first to reject its use for our patients," she said.
Obtaining a patient's informed consent is not new to Minnesota dentists. In 1996, the MDA approved a "Dental Patient Bill of Rights" that informs patients they have the right "to be informed about treatment alternatives and to be told in easily understood language about the advantages and disadvantages of each."
Patient education materials are already available in Minnesota and include a brochure from the American Dental Association, "Restoring Your Smile: Dental Filling Choices".
Dedicated to preventive and cost-effective dentistry, the Minnesota Dental Association provides continuing dental education and information to promote dental awareness and to improve the health of the public. The Minnesota Dental Association represents approximately 85% of all practicing dentists in Minnesota.
May 2004
DISTINGUISHED ORTHODONTIST & EDUCATOR HONORED BY MINNESOTA DENTAL ASSOCIATION
PAST PRESIDENT, DR. ARNOLD J. HILL, JR., SELECTED AS 2004 GUEST OF HONOR FOR ANNUAL CONVENTION
ST. PAUL, MN – Dr. Arnold J. Hill, Jr. of Rochester was selected as the 2004 Minnesota Dental Association (MDA) guest of honor at the profession's annual convention, the Star of the North Meeting at St. Paul's RiverCentre, where he was honored by 9,200 peers in attendance. Dr. Hill is a highly regarded orthodontist and Mayo dental educator whose active dedication to his profession kept him continually on the road between Rochester and Minneapolis during his 30-year career.
"Dr. Hill's contributions on the local, state and national levels of the dental profession are most impressive," said MDA President Tim Langguth, who practices in Duluth. "Dr. Hill has inspired many of his peers through his exceptional leadership and pursuit of excellence in dental education, his dedication to organized dentistry and orthodontics and commitment to his community. His inspiration and leadership are the embodiment of leadership," Langguth said.
Dr. Hill has been actively involved in his profession, serving in leadership positions for numerous community, state, and national organizations. He is past president of the Minnesota Dental Association and of the Midwestern Society of Orthodontics. A fellow of the American College of Dentists, Dr. Hill was the 2003 recipient of both the Roger J. Fredsall Distinguished Service Award, from the Minnesota Association of Orthodontists, and the James E. Brophy Distinguished Service Award, the highest honor given by the American Association of Orthodontists, for which he continues to serve as Midwest liaison to the AAO's House of Delegates.
Outside of his profession, Dr. Hill has also served as Rochester's police commissioner and as a deputy county sheriff.
A former president of the Minnesota Board of Dentistry, Dr. Hill received his undergraduate, D.D.S. and Masters in orthodontics degrees from the University of Minnesota.
Dedicated to preventive and cost-effective dentistry, the Minnesota Dental Association provides continuing dental education and information to promote dental awareness and to improve the health of the public. The Minnesota Dental Association represents more than 80 percent of all practicing dentists in Minnesota.
May 2004
CLASSIC 'COUNTRY DOCTOR' HONORED BY MINNESOTA DENTAL ASSOCIATION
DR. JOYCE C. HOLLINSHEAD RECEIVES 2004 NEW DENTIST LEADERSHIP AWARD AT ANNUAL CONVENTION
ST. PAUL, MN – Dr. Joyce C. Hollinshead of Halstad, Minnesota is the 2004 recipient of the Minnesota Dental Association's (MDA) New Dentist Leadership Award. Dr. Hollinshead was honored by 9,200 of her peers in attendance at the profession's annual state convention, the Star of the North Meeting at St. Paul's RiverCentre. Dr. Hollinshead is a general dentist whose practice is located in Halstad, in northwestern Minnesota.
The New Dentist Leadership Award is presented annually to a dentist who has been in practice for 10 years or less and is based on the dentist's contributions to the people and dental community of Minnesota.
"Dr. Joy has shown herself to be the quintessential country doctor," said MDA Northwestern District President, Dr. Anita S. Whalen. "She leads by example and has shown that young dentists can make a life, make a living and make a difference," she said.
Dr. Hollinshead's involvement as president of the MDA's Northwestern District for 2002-03 contributed greatly to her profession. She has also immersed herself in local community activities and endeavors.
Dedicated to preventive and cost-effective dentistry, the Minnesota Dental Association provides continuing dental education and information to promote dental awareness and to improve the health of the public. The Minnesota Dental Association represents more than 80 percent of all practicing dentists in Minnesota.
May 2004
CONCERN FOR INTERNATIONAL HEALTH GAIN HONOR FOR EAGAN DENTIST
DR. LOREN TAPLE NAMED MDA 2004 HUMANITARIAN AWARD WINNER
ST. PAUL, MN – Dr. Loren Taple of Eagan, Minnesota was selected as the 2004 recipient of the Minnesota Dental Association's Humanitarian Award for his vision, leadership and recognition of the importance of dental care in patients' overall health and well-being.
Dr. Taple provided non-profit mobile dentistry service for ten years to about 40 long term care facilities throughout the Twin Cities metropolitan community and has since continued to provide on-site care to residents of the St. Anthony Care Center in St. Paul. Dr. Taple has also been involved internationally, serving the University of Minnesota's Jamaica Dental Mission, for which he is the current director.
In addition, Dr. Taple's dream of a Cuban dental mission was realized in March 2003 with the first dental educational exchange between the U-of-M and the University of Havana.
Dedicated to preventive and cost-effective dentistry, the Minnesota Dental Association provides continuing dental education and information to promote dental awareness and to improve the health of the public. The Minnesota Dental Association represents more than 80 percent of all practicing dentists in Minnesota.
March 2004
BROAD, DIVERSE COALITION FORMED TO SUPPORT LEGISLATION PROMOTING HEALTHY CHOICES IN MINNESOTA SCHOOL VENDING MACHINES
ST. PAUL, Minnesota – (March 3, 2004) – A broad coalition of Minnesota dentists, physicians, health care organizations, child advocates, farmers and businesses have joined together in support of legislation designed to strengthen current guidelines and improve the overall nutritional quality of foods and beverages dispensed in school vending machines. The bill scheduled for introduction in the Minnesota House of Representatives is sponsored by Representative Gene Pelowski (DFL-Winona). The legislation is a companion to S.F. 2167, sponsored by Senator Becky Lourey (DFL-Kerrick).
The legislation is based in large part on a new policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics (APA) which is now recommending its members work to eliminate sweetened drinks in schools. The legislation follows APA recommendations, for example, to redefine "nutritional beverage" as one of three non-carbonated drinks, such as skim or low-fat milk (including flavored milk); fruit drinks containing no less than 50 percent fruit juice with no added sweeteners, and bottled water. The bill would also require public schools to turn off vending machines containing snack foods or drinks with minimal nutritional value during school lunch hours. These items would also be prohibited within the school lunch program. It would also ban the sale of sweetened beverages at elementary schools during school hours.
Supporters of the bill say reducing the excessive and discretionary sugars and fat in children's diets is an important step in trying to address the national epidemic of obesity among Americans. Today, nearly 1-in-3 kids are at risk for becoming overweight and 1 of every 6 is already considered overweight. "School vending machines should offer healthy choices, not beverages with excess calories and sugar," said Paul C. Matson, M.D., president of the Minnesota Medical Association. "Obesity has reached a dangerous level. It leads to heart disease, some types of cancers, degenerative joint disease and type 2 diabetes."
Of additional concern are osteoporosis (thinning bones is of great concern, as nearly 40% of an individual's peak bone mass is accumulated during adolescence) and tooth decay (sugar, and acid from sugar-free pop, are the primary causes of weakening tooth enamel). The Minnesota Dental Association has an on-going public education campaign called "Sip All Day, Get Decay", that provides parents, educators and kids some hard facts about the effects of soft drinks. "We want schools to offer healthy vending choices and to educate children about the damage to teeth that excessive soft drink consumption can do," said MDA member Bob Marolt, D.D.S.
The initial legislation was introduced in 2001 and supported by the Minnesota Dental Association, but support for the effort has grown each year. Current members of the Healthy Vending Coalition include: the Minnesota Dental Association, the Minnesota Milk Producers Association, the American Heart Association, the Minnesota Farmers Union, the Children's Defense Fund of Minnesota, the Minnesota Medical Association, the Minnesota Dietetic Association, Ramsey Medical Society, Hennepin Medical Society, and the Minnesota Chiropractic Association.
"We have a responsibility to our children. This legislation will help to improve their future through healthier vending choices in schools," said George Bakeberg, dairy producer and President of the Minnesota Milk Producers Association.
BURNSVILLE, MINNESOTA, DENTIST TO LEAD AMERICAN DENTAL ASSOCIATION
ORLANDO -- Robert M. Brandjord, D.D.S., who practices the dental specialty of oral and maxillofacial; surgery in Burnsville, Minnesota, was installed today as president-elect of the American Dental Association. Dr. Brandjord's installation took place at the ADA's 145th Annual Session in Orlando.
Dr. Brandjord will assume the ADA presidency in October 2005 and lead the149,000-member organization's efforts to protect and improve the public's oral health and promote advances in dentistry.
Dr. Brandjord has just completed a four-year term on the ADA Board as the trustee from the Tenth District, which includes Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota District. As a trustee, he served on key committees and task forces, including a task force on accreditation of international dental schools and an audit committee, and as Board liaison to major ADA councils.
He is a past president of the Minnesota Dental Association (MDA) and served as chairman of the MDA University Relations Committee and an Ad Hoc Committee on Health Care. He is also a past president of the Minnesota Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons.
Dr. Brandjord's hospital staff affiliations include serving as Department of Surgery Chief at Fairview Ridges Hospital, Burnsville. He has taught at the University of Minnesota Dental School (UMDS), where he was named Outstanding Clinical Instructor for 1971, and in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. He has presented professional papers and lectured widely.
Dr. Brandjord received his dental degree from UMDS and completed his training in oral and maxillofacial surgery at Detroit-Macomb Hspitals and the Children's Hospital of Michigan in Detroit.
Dr. Brandjord and his wife Pamela reside in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.
June 2004
MINNESOTA DENTISTS REASSURE PATIENTS ON DENTAL AMALGAM SAFETY AND CONSUMER CHOICE
ST. PAUL, Minnesota – The Minnesota Dental Association today emphasized that its members routinely inform patients of the various choices available for filling cavities or dental restoration. The MDA also reiterated its confidence in the proven safety of dental amalgam, a pliable and resilient metal alloy used successfully by American dentists on over 100 million people for over a century. The announcement was made in conjunction with a public meeting of the Minnesota Board of Dentistry on restorative dental materials.
"Our members have been informing their patients – both verbally and in print – about the various issues surrounding amalgam for nearly a decade," said Kimberly Harms, D.D.S., ADA consumer advisor and a former MDA president from Farmington. "There's no sound, scientific evidence to support a link between amalgam fillings and chronic illness, a fact that all major U.S. health protection agencies have concurred with," she said.
Dr. Harms said the MDA fully supports the 'informed consent' concept and that such rules in Minnesota are well established, which has put the state at the forefront of this issue. "We believe every patient has the right to make up his or her own mind about their dental care. Excellent brochures and other print materials about amalgam are already widely available and distributed. But additional state mandates for new material on this topic is unwarranted, wasteful and redundant." Harms says the use of newer compounds has already surpassed amalgam, primarily for cosmetic reasons, but that amalgam remains a viable, inexpensive option that should remain available to dentists and patients.
Good dental care, said Harms, rests on a foundation of clear and open communication between doctor and patient. "We encourage patients to ask questions and we defend the right of dentists to freely discuss all aspects of dental care with their patients. But the information shared must be evidence-based and consistent with accepted scientific research," said Harms. Anecdotal incidents that suggest a link between amalgam and disease, she said, are based on faulty science and perpetuated by unfounded conjecture and irrational fear. "If a problem truly existed, dentists would be the first to reject its use for our patients," she said.
Obtaining a patient's informed consent is not new to Minnesota dentists. In 1996, the MDA approved a "Dental Patient Bill of Rights" that informs patients they have the right "to be informed about treatment alternatives and to be told in easily understood language about the advantages and disadvantages of each."
Patient education materials are already available in Minnesota and include a brochure from the American Dental Association, "Restoring Your Smile: Dental Filling Choices".
Dedicated to preventive and cost-effective dentistry, the Minnesota Dental Association provides continuing dental education and information to promote dental awareness and to improve the health of the public. The Minnesota Dental Association represents approximately 85% of all practicing dentists in Minnesota.
1. U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), Centers for Disease Control (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO)
May 2004
DISTINGUISHED ORTHODONTIST & EDUCATOR HONORED BY MINNESOTA DENTAL ASSOCIATION
PAST PRESIDENT, DR. ARNOLD J. HILL, JR., SELECTED AS 2004 GUEST OF HONOR FOR ANNUAL CONVENTION
ST. PAUL, MN – Dr. Arnold J. Hill, Jr. of Rochester was selected as the 2004 Minnesota Dental Association (MDA) guest of honor at the profession's annual convention, the Star of the North Meeting at St. Paul's RiverCentre, where he was honored by 9,200 peers in attendance. Dr. Hill is a highly regarded orthodontist and Mayo dental educator whose active dedication to his profession kept him continually on the road between Rochester and Minneapolis during his 30-year career.
"Dr. Hill's contributions on the local, state and national levels of the dental profession are most impressive," said MDA President Tim Langguth, who practices in Duluth. "Dr. Hill has inspired many of his peers through his exceptional leadership and pursuit of excellence in dental education, his dedication to organized dentistry and orthodontics and commitment to his community. His inspiration and leadership are the embodiment of leadership," Langguth said.
Dr. Hill has been actively involved in his profession, serving in leadership positions for numerous community, state, and national organizations. He is past president of the Minnesota Dental Association and of the Midwestern Society of Orthodontics. A fellow of the American College of Dentists, Dr. Hill was the 2003 recipient of both the Roger J. Fredsall Distinguished Service Award, from the Minnesota Association of Orthodontists, and the James E. Brophy Distinguished Service Award, the highest honor given by the American Association of Orthodontists, for which he continues to serve as Midwest liaison to the AAO's House of Delegates.
Outside of his profession, Dr. Hill has also served as Rochester's police commissioner and as a deputy county sheriff.
A former president of the Minnesota Board of Dentistry, Dr. Hill received his undergraduate, D.D.S. and Masters in orthodontics degrees from the University of Minnesota.
Dedicated to preventive and cost-effective dentistry, the Minnesota Dental Association provides continuing dental education and information to promote dental awareness and to improve the health of the public. The Minnesota Dental Association represents more than 80 percent of all practicing dentists in Minnesota.
May 2004
CLASSIC 'COUNTRY DOCTOR' HONORED BY MINNESOTA DENTAL ASSOCIATION
DR. JOYCE C. HOLLINSHEAD RECEIVES 2004 NEW DENTIST LEADERSHIP AWARD AT ANNUAL CONVENTION
ST. PAUL, MN – Dr. Joyce C. Hollinshead of Halstad, Minnesota is the 2004 recipient of the Minnesota Dental Association's (MDA) New Dentist Leadership Award. Dr. Hollinshead was honored by 9,200 of her peers in attendance at the profession's annual state convention, the Star of the North Meeting at St. Paul's RiverCentre. Dr. Hollinshead is a general dentist whose practice is located in Halstad, in northwestern Minnesota.
The New Dentist Leadership Award is presented annually to a dentist who has been in practice for 10 years or less and is based on the dentist's contributions to the people and dental community of Minnesota.
"Dr. Joy has shown herself to be the quintessential country doctor," said MDA Northwestern District President, Dr. Anita S. Whalen. "She leads by example and has shown that young dentists can make a life, make a living and make a difference," she said.
Dr. Hollinshead's involvement as president of the MDA's Northwestern District for 2002-03 contributed greatly to her profession. She has also immersed herself in local community activities and endeavors.
Dedicated to preventive and cost-effective dentistry, the Minnesota Dental Association provides continuing dental education and information to promote dental awareness and to improve the health of the public. The Minnesota Dental Association represents more than 80 percent of all practicing dentists in Minnesota.
May 2004
CONCERN FOR INTERNATIONAL HEALTH GAIN HONOR FOR EAGAN DENTIST
DR. LOREN TAPLE NAMED MDA 2004 HUMANITARIAN AWARD WINNER
ST. PAUL, MN – Dr. Loren Taple of Eagan, Minnesota was selected as the 2004 recipient of the Minnesota Dental Association's Humanitarian Award for his vision, leadership and recognition of the importance of dental care in patients' overall health and well-being.
Dr. Taple provided non-profit mobile dentistry service for ten years to about 40 long term care facilities throughout the Twin Cities metropolitan community and has since continued to provide on-site care to residents of the St. Anthony Care Center in St. Paul. Dr. Taple has also been involved internationally, serving the University of Minnesota's Jamaica Dental Mission, for which he is the current director.
In addition, Dr. Taple's dream of a Cuban dental mission was realized in March 2003 with the first dental educational exchange between the U-of-M and the University of Havana.
Dedicated to preventive and cost-effective dentistry, the Minnesota Dental Association provides continuing dental education and information to promote dental awareness and to improve the health of the public. The Minnesota Dental Association represents more than 80 percent of all practicing dentists in Minnesota.
March 2004
BROAD, DIVERSE COALITION FORMED TO SUPPORT LEGISLATION PROMOTING HEALTHY CHOICES IN MINNESOTA SCHOOL VENDING MACHINES
ST. PAUL, Minnesota – (March 3, 2004) – A broad coalition of Minnesota dentists, physicians, health care organizations, child advocates, farmers and businesses have joined together in support of legislation designed to strengthen current guidelines and improve the overall nutritional quality of foods and beverages dispensed in school vending machines. The bill scheduled for introduction in the Minnesota House of Representatives is sponsored by Representative Gene Pelowski (DFL-Winona). The legislation is a companion to S.F. 2167, sponsored by Senator Becky Lourey (DFL-Kerrick).
The legislation is based in large part on a new policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics (APA) which is now recommending its members work to eliminate sweetened drinks in schools. The legislation follows APA recommendations, for example, to redefine "nutritional beverage" as one of three non-carbonated drinks, such as skim or low-fat milk (including flavored milk); fruit drinks containing no less than 50 percent fruit juice with no added sweeteners, and bottled water. The bill would also require public schools to turn off vending machines containing snack foods or drinks with minimal nutritional value during school lunch hours. These items would also be prohibited within the school lunch program. It would also ban the sale of sweetened beverages at elementary schools during school hours.
Supporters of the bill say reducing the excessive and discretionary sugars and fat in children's diets is an important step in trying to address the national epidemic of obesity among Americans. Today, nearly 1-in-3 kids are at risk for becoming overweight and 1 of every 6 is already considered overweight. "School vending machines should offer healthy choices, not beverages with excess calories and sugar," said Paul C. Matson, M.D., president of the Minnesota Medical Association. "Obesity has reached a dangerous level. It leads to heart disease, some types of cancers, degenerative joint disease and type 2 diabetes."
Of additional concern are osteoporosis (thinning bones is of great concern, as nearly 40% of an individual's peak bone mass is accumulated during adolescence) and tooth decay (sugar, and acid from sugar-free pop, are the primary causes of weakening tooth enamel). The Minnesota Dental Association has an on-going public education campaign called "Sip All Day, Get Decay", that provides parents, educators and kids some hard facts about the effects of soft drinks. "We want schools to offer healthy vending choices and to educate children about the damage to teeth that excessive soft drink consumption can do," said MDA member Bob Marolt, D.D.S.
The initial legislation was introduced in 2001 and supported by the Minnesota Dental Association, but support for the effort has grown each year. Current members of the Healthy Vending Coalition include: the Minnesota Dental Association, the Minnesota Milk Producers Association, the American Heart Association, the Minnesota Farmers Union, the Children's Defense Fund of Minnesota, the Minnesota Medical Association, the Minnesota Dietetic Association, Ramsey Medical Society, Hennepin Medical Society, and the Minnesota Chiropractic Association.
"We have a responsibility to our children. This legislation will help to improve their future through healthier vending choices in schools," said George Bakeberg, dairy producer and President of the Minnesota Milk Producers Association.