2008 annual session program clinical pearls research

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2008 Annual Session Program Clinical Pearls

Research AbstractsPractice Management

MASO Journal 1 Autumn 2008

Autumn 2008

MASO Journal is the official publication of the Middle Atlantic Society of Orthodontists, 17 South High Street,Columbus, OH 43215, phone: 1-866-748-MASO(6276), e-mail: [email protected], and website:www.MASO.org

Advertising rates are available from, and all advertising materials and correspondence should be sent toStickles Associates, P.O. Box 219, Bath, PA 18014. The Middle Atlantic Society of Orthodontists reserves theright to refuse any advertisements for any reason. All ads must comply with the “AAO Advertising Guidelines.”

Email is preferred for receipt of items submitted for publication in the MASO Journal. Articles and photosmay be emailed directly to Robert E. Williams, DMD, MA at [email protected]. If an item must be mailed,send it to Dr. Williams at 110 West 39th Street; Baltimore, MD 21210. Or contact him by phone: 410-366-3323or fax: 410-366-3324.

The Journal is published two times a year: Spring & Autumn. The opinions expressed in the Journal arethose of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Society, nor does the appearance ofadvertisements imply endorsement by the Society.

8-9…Research Abstracts

10-13…Practice ManagementTax Considerations with an Orthodontic Practice Sale

by Dr. Gary WiserComputer System Security and Backup Procedures

by Joretta BeanlandUse Staff to Help Prevent Malpractice Claims

by Elizabeth FranklinFend off Reimbursement Coding Woes

AAO Staff

14-16 2008 Annual Session

18-25 AAO BusinessTrustee’s ReportAAO Council VacanciesCouncil ReportsAAOFAAOSIABO

26 MASO BusinessNominating Committee Report

27 Component News

28-29 Graduate Program News

27 Index to Advertisers

DEPARTMENTS

ON THE COVER: You’ll jump into paradise the moment you arrive in Puerto Rico, and the Gran Meliå resort will provide the perfectbackdrop for the 2008 MASO/GLAO Joint Annual Session. Details on pages 14,15, & 16.

EDITORS Editor: Dr. Robert E. Williams

[email protected] • Phone: 410.366.3323

Interim Advertising Editor: Dr. Akash [email protected] • Phone: (410) 451-7202

Research Editor:: Dr. Yvonne [email protected] • Phone: 410.825.7588

Case Presentation Editor:: Dr. Tarun [email protected] • Phone: 410.730.1255

OFFICERSPresident: Dr. Robert Seebold


President-Elect: Dr. Robert E. [email protected] • Phone: 973.972.4729

Secretary: Dr. Luis A. Toro, [email protected] • Phone: 787.860.7943

Treasurer: Dr. Constance [email protected] • Phone: 302.475.4102

Immediate Past President: Dr. George W. [email protected] • Phone: 732.671.5700

DIRECTORSDr. Doug S. Harte

[email protected] • Phone: 973.992.7558Dr. Ali Husain

[email protected] • Phone: 302.838.1400Dr. Natalie M. Parisi

[email protected] • Phone: 610.374.4097Dr. Steven Siegel

[email protected] • Phone: 410.761.6960Dr. Stephanie Steckel

[email protected] • Phone: 302.672.7776 Dr. Lawrence Wang


MASO COMMITTEE CHAIRSEducation/ResearchDr. Stuart D. Josell


Government AffairsDr. Andrew Orchin


Membership/Ethics/Practice TransitionDr. Philip J. Tighe


NominatingDr. Dr. Mario Polo


COMPONENT PRESIDENTSDelaware State Society of Orthodontists

Dr. Stephanie Steckel

District of Columbia Society of OrthodontistsDr. Ashur Chavoor

Maryland State Society of OrthodontistsDr. Barbara Halpern

New Jersey Association of OrthodontistsDr. Robert Loeb

Pennsylvania Association of OrthodontistsDr. Matt Stacey

Puerto Rican Orthodontic SocietyDr. Ruben Colon-Badillo

DELEGATES TO AAOChairman

Dr. Richard H. [email protected] • Phone: 717.786.1399

DelegatesDr. Normand Boucher, Dr. Jaime De Jesus-Vinas,

Dr. Henry DiLorenzo, Dr. Nahid Maleki,Dr. Tanya Stavisky, Dr. Frederic C. Sterritt

Alternate DelegatesDr. Kristin Albright Thiry, Dr. M. Marie Dang,

Dr. Robert Seebold

AAO VICE PRESIDENT Dr. Robert James Bray

AAO TRUSTEEDr. Nahid Maleki

EXECUTIVE DIRECTORMs. Anita L. Field

2008 ANNUAL SESSIONDr. Robert Seebold


FEATURES

2…Editorialby Dr. Robert E. Williams

2…Special Editorialby Dr. Robert E. Williams

4…President’s Messageby Dr. Robert Seebold

4…Special FeatureAAOSI’s new Association Management Services

program by Dr. Leo SinnaAAOSI’s Expertise and Past Financial Experience

by Dr. Williams

7…Clinical PearlsThings I thought everyone knew

by Dr. Frederick PreisAdapting an old close-up lens to a new camera

by Drs. Ruben Colon-Badillo & Jame DeJesús-Viñas

JUMP INTO PARADISE!

2008 MASO/GLAO JOINT ANNUAL SESSION


Welcome to the late summer edition of yourMASO Journal. We have greatly expanded

the number and size of the articles for this issuewith the desire to keep you, the members, betterinformed about the activities of your

organization, and the educational programs within our geographicarea. In addition to the “Practice Pearls” submitted by two of ourdistinguished clinicians, we have several abstracts of thesespresented by graduating residents from the programs at New Jerseyand Maryland. Don’t miss the articles on practice management

EDITORIALBY DR. ROBERT E. WILLIAMS Email: [email protected] • Phone: 410.366.3323

relating to the sale of a practice, computer security, insurance coding,and risk management. We have also expanded the AAO Councilreports in an attempt to keep you abreast of the latest “doings” at thenational level, and the educational program reports to keep youupdated on more local happenings. I particularly call your attention tothe two articles relating to AAOSI and their assumption of additionalmanagement responsibilities. Don’t miss the information about thejoint MASO/GLAO Annual Session, and come prepared to attend thegeneral membership meeting to vote for your favorite MASOcandidates. ‘looking forward to seeing you in Puerto Rico! n

SPECIAL EDITORIALAre you prepared to meet your maker?BY DR. ROBERT E. WILLIAMS

On the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, the wife of our nextdoor neighbor (and my wife’s best friend) died suddenly from a

pulmonary thrombosis. In May of this year a 39 year-old felloworthodontist, Kevin Lawyer, died in a head-on automobile accidentleaving a wife and six children behind, and in 1993, my father, whoalso was an orthodontist, committed suicide while I was serving in theUS Army on Okinawa. None of our three families was prepared todeal with the immediate aftermath of those tragedies. When we areyoung, we all feel that we’re “ten feet tall and made of steel”. As weget older, we realize that while we may not live forever, our time isstill a long way off. Besides, who wants to consider their own demise?

Practice consultants have advised us to set up practice coveragearrangements in the event of disability or death. Our attorneys have en-couraged us to draft a will, advanced directives, and a medical powerof attorney to insure that our requests can be fulfilled. Our insuranceagents can help to insure that there are adequate financial resources tosupport our survivors; and hopefully, you have already addressed allthese issues. BTW: If you haven’t reviewed your insurance coverageduring the past five years, it may be appropriate. Many companies willnot write additional insurance coverage if you are older than 55, or ifyou have had a “medical event” regardless of your age.

Unfortunately, no one talks about the decisions that must bemade in the first few days after the death of a family member. Whiledifferent religious faiths have differing standards and traditions, someof the following decisions must be addressed by all of us:

Will an autopsy be required or requested? Depending on thecircumstances of the death and state law, an autopsy may berequired. If not, and the cause of death is uncertain, the family maydesire to know the cause.

Are you/do you wish to be an organ donor? Depending on yourown feelings about this final contribution to your fellow humanbeings, it may make less sense for an older person who has moremedical problems or is taking various medications than one who isyounger. At least in the State of Maryland, if you agree to adonation, the grieving spouse or children should be prepared for a45 minute interview seeking answers to the most personalquestions imaginable about the deceased. Visualize the questionsyou have to answer when you donate blood, and multiply this be afactor of ten.

Who will notify the family and friends? Where are the telephone

numbers kept? If no one answers the call, what kind of message willbe left? Who will notify the family doctor or clergy? Willmedication be available to aid sleep or reduce anxiety?

Who will stay with the bereaved during this time?Do you want to be buried or cremated? What do you want done

with the casket or urn? Have you purchased a grave site or columbiumniche? What type of plaque or stone is required/desired? What will itsay? Do you want a graveside ceremony? If so, will it be just for theimmediate family, or for all those who attend the funeral service?

Will you have a viewing, or just a visitation? Will the casket bepresent or not? Will the casket be open or closed? Should flowers besent, or do you prefer a donation be made to a favorite charity?Which one? Will photographs of the deceased be displayed? Whereare they kept? Who will prepare the display?

Will there be a funeral or memorial service? Where will theceremony take place, at a funeral home or your house of worship?If a funeral home, have you selected one? Will the body be present?What music and/or readings will be part of the service? Who will beasked to do these?

Will there be a reception after the ceremony? Where will it takeplace? Will food or beverages be served? Who will make thearrangements? Will additional service personnel be necessary?Where will they come from? Who will pay for them? Who will dothe setup/cleanup? Who will provide the refreshments?

If people are coming from out of town, where will they stay?How will they get to the various activities?

Who will stay at the home while the family is attending thevisits/services?

Who will stay with the bereaved after the services are over? Forhow long?

How much ongoing support will be required for the bereaved?Who will provide it?

While the foregoing list may not be exhaustive, it will give youa place to begin discussions with your spouse of loved ones. Putyour desires/requests in writing and let the appropriate people knowwhere they may be found. We never know what today (or tomorrow)my bring, and as we have seen, it can all end in a flash. A lingeringdeath at least provides for a more orderly transition, the opportunityfor the deceased to make their wishes known, and the appropriatearrangements made. A sudden death, like the examples above,forces the survivors to make these decisions at the worst possibletime and under the most adverse circumstances. While these aredifficult questions to address, it’s always better to be prepared, ifonly to spare those who will be left behind. Why not start today?For some of us, tomorrow may never come. n


As my term as MASO president winds down,I cannot believe how fast the past year has

gone bye. It seems like only yesterday we wereplanning our Spring CE Event in Philadelphia, and now our AnnualSession is right around the corner.

Hopefully, you were able to make it to our Spring CE Eventwhich featured Dr. Peter Ngan and Dr. Tim Tremont from theDepartment of Orthodontics at West Virginia University’s Schoolof Dentistry. They presented material based on their research on thesurgical and non-surgical treatment of Class III Malocclusions. Itwas one of the best attended CE Events in recent times.

We will join with GLAO in Puerto Rico for this year’s AnnualSession at the beautiful Gran Melia Resort, October 10-13. Theresort is all inclusive in a beautiful Caribbean setting featuringpools, beach, golf, and many off-site activities. If you have notalready registered, please go to our website, www.MASO.org andcheck out the outstanding program that we have planned andregister now.

Many thanks to Doctors Steve Siegel, Luis Toro, Jr., MarioPolo and Stephanie Steckel for their service on this year’sAnnual Session planning committee. As always our ExecutiveDirector, Ms. Anita Field, did a fantastic job orchestrating thewhole thing. It promises to be a very exciting meeting that youwill not want to miss.

At our Annual Session, MASO will present the prestigiousGerald A. Devlin Distinguished Service Award to honor one ofour members for their service to MASO. The list of previousDevlin Award winners is a who’s who of MASO membership.This year’s Devlin Award will be presented to a most deservingDr. George Scott. As MASO’s former Treasurer and ImmediatePast President, he has contributed greatly to the economic well-being MASO now enjoys and has been a tremendous help to meduring my Presidency. I am looking forward to honoring Georgeat our Annual Session.

This year Dr. Robert Bray was elected President-elect of theAAO, and Dr. Nahid Malaki was elected as MASO’s new Trustee.Their contributions to MASO and the AAO are endless.Congratulations and best wishes to both on their new positions.

Doctors Ted Berkinshaw and Tanya Stavisky have completedtheir terms as AAO council representatives and Doctors NormBoucher, Dick Albright and Henry DiLorenzo have completedtheir terms as our MASO delegates to the AAO House of Delegateswith Dr. Albright serving superbly as head of the MASOdelegation.

On behalf of MASO, I would like to thank each of the abovementioned individuals for all of their hard work and the countlesshours they have devoted to MASO representing us all.

It has indeed been a privilege to have served as your presidentand an honor for me to have worked with a great Executive Board.I look forward to welcoming you this fall to the fabulous GranMelia Resort in Puerto Rico for our 2008 Annual Session. n

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGEDR. ROBERT SEEBOLD

Email: [email protected]: 570.387.1243

What is AAOSI’s Mission?To increase the benefits of products/services for members by

strengthening our connection with subsidiary companies andorganizations to include quality products/services for AAO members.

What is AAOSI?The American Association of Orthodontists Services, Inc.

(AAOSI) is a wholly-owned “for-profit” subsidiary of theAmerican Association of Orthodontists (AAO) which was formedin 1995. The AAO, like many non-profit organizations, formedsubsidiaries such as AAOSI in order to receive royalty income fromendorsed programs without having to pay taxes. The AAO can“endorse” a product such as our insurance programs in exchangefor a royalty. However, the AAO cannot do anything actionablesuch as marketing the program as the royalty would becometaxable to the AAO. Therefore, AAOSI “markets” the products andAAO “receives” the royalty. This royalty provides non-duesrevenue to the AAO which benefits all members.

What is AAO’s role with respect to oversight of AAOSI?• AAOSI is a wholly-owned, for-profit subsidiary of the AAO. As such,

it is a separate entity from the AAO and all other related organizations.• Since the HOD is part of the AAO, AAOSI is separate from the HOD.• However, AAOSI is a “wholly-owned” subsidiary of the AAO,

and as such, the AAO appoints all members to the AAOSI Boardof Directors.

• The AAOSI Board manages the operations of AAOSI.• AAOSI’s CEO manages the staff• The AAO’s (and HOD’s) power over AAOSI is limited to the

ability of the AAO to appoint AAOSI Board members.• In any issue subject to the decision-making authority of AAOSI,

the AAO “requests” that AAOSI take the desired action. This isfor the technical reasons noted above.

AAOSI and the AAO Insurance CompanyThe AAO Insurance Company (AAOIC) was also formed in 1995.

The AAO decided to form a Risk Retention Group (AAOIC) in orderto have the ability to self-insure for malpractice insurance. AAOSIwas contracted to provide claims management, administration andunderwriting services. Some of the AAOIC employees are specialistsand others share duties for both AAOSI administration and for AAOCouncils. AAOSI continues to perform these functions and has acontract with AAOIC through December 31, 2009.

AAOSI holds the letter of credit for the AAOIC (required by theState of Vermont, where the company is domiciled). While it holdsthe letter of credit, AAOSI has the ability to appoint two directorsto the AAOIC’s Board of Directors.

Future PlansAAOSI continues to fulfill its mission by providing and

managing endorsed programs that provide cost savings to members. • The AOA program continues to grow and will be the basis of a

SPECIAL FEATUREAAOSI’s New Association Management Services programBY DR. LEO SINNA, CHAIR, AAOSIEmail: [email protected]


was created. As with any new venture, adjustments were made basedon the areas that needed support over the first few months. Thisincluded moving or reducing AAO team members from the programand replacing them with freelance service providers (Editors italics).Again, AAOSI planned and budgeted accordingly in advance.

Contracts were signed with PCSO, CAO and NESO for a (3)year term with services to begin on January 1, 2008.

Comments about the Business Plan and DutiesIt should be noted that AAOSI’s business plan only provides

services for (3) organizations (based on the interest expressed byonly three organizations). AAOSI’s board has made a commitment toevaluate the services over the (3) year period in order to determineits level of success. AAOSI’s board also made the commitment thatit will not actively seek business from other AAO constituentorganizations, but would provide a bid for services upon request. AAO Staff Involvement

The team approach allows for staff to provide the requestedservices utilizing only a percentage of time of several AAO andAAOSI staff members. Accounting, administration andmembership services are handled by separate individuals. Graphicdesign, newsletters, annual meeting promotional materials, etc.are handled by a free lance service provider. The meeting planninglogistics, speaker support, committee liaison support, hotelcontracts, food and beverage planning, DSM coordination,audio/visual coordination is all handled by a free lance serviceprovider. For the time being, trade show coordination is handledby AAO’s exhibit’s manager. Fall programs fit very well into thisschedule. Staff meets regularly to determine workload and toanalyze any potential impact on AAO duties. How is the AAO reimbursed by AAOSI for staffing?

AAOSI has a cost sharing agreement with the AAO. Theagreement is similar to that of the WFO, AAOIC and the AAOF.AAO staff that work on association management projects are paiddirectly, including 401K contributions, by AAOSI.

continued on next page

business plan being written to provide a voluntary staffcertification program managed by AAOSI and endorsed by AAO.

• A formal marketing program developed by AAOSI will belaunched in July using all available resources to promotebeneficial endorsed programs for AAO members.

• A business plan is being put together to bring all marketing in housefor the endorsed insurance programs which will bring in around$1million to the AAO that can be used to reduce member premiums.

AAOSI and Association Management Services In May 2007, AAOSI was approached to provide Association

Management Services for the Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists(PCSO), the California Association of Orthodontists (CAO) and theNortheastern Society of Orthodontists (NESO). The AAO BOTapproved the concept of AAOSI moving into this business at theMay BOT post Annual Session meeting and reviewed thesubsequent business plan presented at the August 2007 BOTmeeting. AAOSI competed with other association managementfirms and was successful in securing all three organizations.

A business plan was developed using a shared services “team”approach that included funding should additional staff need to behired. This team approach is quite different from the associationmanagement model used by constituent organizations as thecontracted duties are spread out among the team. PCSO/CAOshares a staff team and NESO has a staff team. Each team includesAAO employees, AAOSI employees and free lance workers thatshare the duties to be delivered, using expertise based staff to handleindividual administrative areas.

It should be noted that this model is the same as already used byAAOSI to provide administrative services to the AAO InsuranceCompany as well as financial, technological and administrativeservices to the AAOF and to some extend the WFO.

Before moving forward, AAOSI’s CEO met with staff that wouldbe involved in order to gage their interest. Staff saw this as a way toprovide service to the members and just as important, for professionalgrowth. After receiving an enthusiastic response, the business plan

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• Serving the orthodontic profession for 47 years.

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AAOSI’s Expertise and Past Financial ExperienceBY DR. ROBERT WILLIAMS

continued from page 5Is AAOSI providing the same level and type of service toPCSO/NESO/CAO that they were previously receiving?

This question needs to be put to the participating organizations.The only service that some ED’s may provide that the AAOSI teamdoes not and will not is to get involved in the political aspects. Thiswas made clear to all during the RFP process. Is the same level of service being provided at a comparable fee ascompared to the previous provider?

We do not know what other constituent organizations are charging,so we cannot nor should we provide a comparison of fees. However,AAOSI’s mission is to enhance member programs and services.AAOSI can charge for services that provide cost savings to AAOmembers, thus fulfilling its mission. For example, the AAOSI providesservices for AAOIC. The services are provided at a cost that allowsAAOSI to continue to upgrade its infrastructure and provide continuingeducation for staff, but not to the extent that an independent company

may. Cost savings are passed on to the AAO member by keepingpremiums at a competitive rate. If AAOSI can provide managementservices and save organizations money, it can be used to enhancemember programs and services, thus fulfilling AAOSI’s mission. Because of the working arrangement, how can PCSO and NESOnot receive advantages or information before the other constituents?

All constituent and component organizations have equal access toall AAO information and always have. All information is disseminatedto the component and constituent organizations at the same time.

Evaluating the ProgramAAOSI has an oversight committee that works with the CEO to

continually evaluate the program. As noted above, changes over thefirst three months have been implemented. Involved staff meets ona regularly basis to discuss work levels and other concerns to ensurethat they are happy within their positions and that the AAO is notnegatively impacted. n

In light of AAOSI’s assuming the additional duties of anassociation management company for the CAO, PCSO and

NESO, it is important to review their current staffing, and thefinancial success of this organization and its endeavors in the past.The current members serving on the AAOSI Board are as follows:

Chairman............................................Dr. Leo C. SinnaVice Chairman ...................................Dr. Robert J. BraySecretary ............................................Dr. Morris N. PooleDirector ..............................................Dr. Jeffrey L. GilmoreDirector ..............................................Dr. Michael A. FuchsDirector ..............................................Dr. Norman J. NagelDirector ..............................................Dr. Perry OpinAAOSI Chief Executive Officer ........Mr. Christopher P. Vranas

Staffing:AAOSI has nine full-time employees holding the following positions:• Claims Manager• Claims Representative• Claims Technician• Professional Liability Underwriting Manager• Professional Liability Underwriter (2)• Underwriting Technician• Underwriting Service Representative• AAOSI Coordinator

As you can see, the current staff has expertise in the field ofinsurance underwriting, not association management. It would seemobvious that if AAOSI is to assume new management functions, itwill be necessary to hire additional staff at an additional cost or tapunderutilized AAO staff members. If no additional staff is necessaryto assume management duties for two of the largest components, andone of the largest constituents of the AAO, it would appear that theyhave been over staffed up to this point in time.

Financial Management: A for-profit entity?Going back at least 20 years, the AAO funded marketing

programs to support the concept of direct reimbursement. Theconcept was to increase the number of covered lives under directreimbursement plans. At some point, the AAO board and HOD

decided that it would continue to market the concept of directreimbursement and offer a third party administrator service (TPA)for companies that chose to offer a dental direct reimbursement plan.The program was originally part of a Board of Trustees project underthe supervision of the Council on Orthodontic Healthcare.

The business plan developed at that time had two objectives: (1) tocontinue to market the benefits of direct reimbursement by growingthe number of covered lives and (2) to develop a profitable TPAcompany. Objective number one included helping competitors to theTPA grow which, in hindsight, turned out to be a weakness of thebusiness plan. At the time the program was launched, the BOT thoughtthat the program would be profitable after the 5 year business plan wascompleted, and should be under AAOSI.

During the establishment of this program, several million dollars wastransferred from the AAO to the TPA, and the TPA never met the goalsof the business plan, financially or otherwise. In addition, a key employeewho was charged with operating the TPA setup false accounts andcommitted other acts of fraud. Once this was discovered, the employeewas discharged and it was determined to end the TPA business.Lawsuits involving two of the TPA’s accounts which claimed that theirprograms were losing money due to a faulty proposal by the AAOTPAwere settled out of court. A third lawsuit involved the company towhich the AAO sold the TPA, which was also settled out of court.The following was taken from AAOSI’s financial statement for 2007:Year 2004 2005 2006 2007Revenue $1,254,667 $1,009,729 $863,478 1,022,797Expenses 1,736,649 1,116,469 1,123,990 1,015,688Net Income (481,982) (106,740) (260,512) 7,109

Since 2005, AAOSI was involved in three lawsuits stemming fromthe TPA program and its subsequent sale. Therefore, the deficit in years2005 and 2006 is mostly due to case settlement and legal fees. Inaddition, prior to 2006,AAOSI received a flat royalty income from OFP.

In view of the lack of success with the various ventures in whichAAOSI has engaged in the past, members of MASO who haveconcerns about AAOSI’s newest venture are encouraged to contactour AAOSI liaison, Dr. Gary Wiser; our Trustee, Dr. Nahid Malaki;and/or the members of the AAOSI Board. n

While I was in private practice, I took for grantedthat everyone was aware of common techniquesthat make orthodontics pleasurable. Now aftersix years at the University of Marylandorthodontic department, working with both theresidents and pre-doctoral students, I have

become aware that certain things maybe just come with age. Impression taking is central to our orthodontic records procedure,

and establishing correct centric relation is critical. Yet how manytimes have I heard the clinician say to “bite down” when getting CR.To the patient, to bite is to incise as we would “bite a sandwich”which is a protrusive movement. This is exactly what we don’t wantthe patient to do. Instead, I suggest that you place your thumb andindex finger on the buccal of the first molars and say, “ close gentlyon my fingers until the first point of contact” to obtain your data. Ifound it best to do this from a reclined position of 45-60 degrees, andto do a run-through with the patient first to identify the CR.

Another mystery to me is why patients are told to “breathethrough your nose” while taking the upper impression. Try it. It’scounter intuitive. It’s like rubbing your stomach and patting yourhead at the same time. Runners run with their mouths open for areason. So here you are telling the patient to open their mouths anddon’t let the air into that most convenient portal. Your directiveconfuses the patient and increases anxiety.

I offer you this technique to minimize problems: From the sameposition as before, select a tray that extends over the front teeth tothe hamular notch. This can easily be measured with a tongueblade. Too often I have seen too short a tray being used, which

CLINICAL PEARLS

Things I thought everyone knew: Musings on Clinical Procedures DR. FREDERICK PREIS

prevents full seating of the tray and is uncomfortable to the patient,because a short tray is also narrower.

Place one piece of tray wax around the back and up both sidesextending to the bicuspid region. No need for anterior wax becauseyou will place alginate under the lip prior to tray insertion. Do notpinch the wax since it should provide an undercut, soften the borderof the tray, act as a post-dam in the back, and substitute for theimpression material itself. Place the tray back in the mouth, let it sitthere, and ask the patient if it feels OK. Have the patient remove it.This is reassuring to them.

Your alginate mix should be made with room temperature waterand have no flow. Now here is the important part, do not fill the traycompletely. One half to two-thirds is usually sufficient and leaves theback of the center void of material. With a high palate place somematerial directly in the palate as you did under the lip. Seat the backof the tray first then the front, and as you do, the material will fill thecenter, the least important part of the impression. While waiting forthe set, which takes about 20 seconds, distract the patient with non-related conversation. Tell them what to expect as you beginremoving it - a count down is good to establish an end-point.

For the lower don’t place any wax on the lingual of the tray as itprevents the tongue from rising.

Remember you control the variables: the time of the appointment,the environment, the amount of alginate, the temperature and amountof the water, the fill and patient position. If you will try theserecommendations and train your staff to do likewise your life willimprove and your children will be above average. n

Digital photography has become thestandard for orthodontic practicesaround the world. The ease with whichdigital photos can be viewed, shared,transported and archived has been the key consideration in theiradoption by the profession. However, the continually changingtechnology is such that all too often we find that our choice isalmost obsolete soon after the purchase. For this reason, manyorthodontists end up with more than one camera, and a collectionof attachments as well.

After many years of faithful service, our Olympus C2500L, oneof the more popular camera setups on the orthodontic market(purchased through American Orthodontics) needed to be replaced.This 2.5 megapixel single lens reflex camera has a fixed lens, andwas sold with a close up attachment that screwed on the lens forconvenience and ease of use (Fig.1). The main advantages of thiscamera were the short focusing distance and the diffuser that

Adapting an old close-up lens to a new camera DRS. RUBÉN COLON-BADILLO AND JAIME DE JESÚS VIÑAS

provided a soft, warm illumination. After looking very carefully at both the budget and the

marketplace, we selected a 6 MP resolution Sony DSC-H2 ($195).There is a macro photography ring light available from Sony, modelHVL-RLA, but the price ($300) exceeded the cost of the camera!However, the camera could be fitted with an extension tube ($10) towhich the close up lens and flash diffuser from the OlympusC2500L could be adapted (Fig.2). The technical part of theconversion was finding an adapter ring to bridge both parts, sincethe Sony camera has a 58mm thread while the close up lens/diffuserhas a 55mm thread. A standard 58 to 55 mm step-down ring did thejob nicely and at $10 was a great deal! In case you were wondering,the quality of the intraoral photos is excellent. (Fig.3) n


Figure 1

Colon-Badillo DeJesus-Vinas

Figure 2 Figure 3


RESEARCHResearch Abstracts

Introduction: This study investigated the effect of incisor step betweenthe maxillary central and lateral incisors on the perceived attractivenessof the smile as determined by laypersons and by orthodontists.Methods: 52 Orthodontists and 50 laypeople evaluated a series of colorphotographs of a male and female subject’s smile. The photographswere digitally altered so that 7 different levels of incisor step wereproduced. The steps were altered in 0.5 mm increments ranging from aposition of the lateral incisor 1 mm below the central incisor to a

position 2 mm above the central incisor. The judges rated theattractiveness of the smiles on a visual analog scale. Results: There was no difference in attractiveness ratings as recordedby orthodontists and laypeople for the female smile. For the malesmile, laypeople rated the smile more attractive than orthodontists.The male smile was rated as more attractive than the female smilewhen the lateral incisor was positioned below or at the same level asthe central incisor. The female smile was rated as more attractive whenthe lateral incisor was positioned 1mm above the central incisor.Conclusions: Orthodontists were more critical of changes in incisorstep than laypeople when viewing the male photographs.Esthetically, it is more acceptable for men to have a straightarrangement of incisal edges and for women to have a step betweenthe central and lateral incisors. n

Assessment of dental appearance byorthodontists and lay people following changesin maxillary lateral incisor vertical position.BY DR. COREY TURK (Department of Orthodontics, Univ. ofMed. and Dent. of New Jersey (UMDNJ) Newark, NJ

Introduction: The objective of this investigation was to use threedifferent laboratory analyses to evaluate the mechanical propertiesof Nickel-Titanium alloys used in the fabrication of orthodonticarchwires. The results may assist in the selection of orthodonticarchwires for specific force applications.Methods: The Storage Modulus (mechanical stiffness) of sixorthodontic archwire alloys: .016”X.025” ORMCO-CuNiTi(DCuNiTi), .016”X.022” GAC Neo Sentalloy (GN), .016”X.022”GAC- Lowland (GL), .016”X.025” ORMCO- Stainless steel (OSS),.016”X.022”Unitek-TMA (UTMA), .016”X.025” ORMCO-Super-elastic NiTi (OSE), were investigated at temperatures of 0°C, 25°C,37°C, and 60°C in tension mode with Dynamic Mechanical Analysis.Martensitic to austenitic phase transitional temperatures, and the super-elastic profiles of the six alloys were also investigated with DirectScanning Calorimetry and Mechanical Deformation testing respectively. Results: The results of the One Way ANOVA were found to besignificant for all SM the Tukey HSD Post Hoc test was performed todetermine the significant difference for multiple comparisons. Multiple

comparisons repeated ANOVA measures showed statistically significantdifferences in means of storage modulus (stiffness) among the fourtemperatures 0°C, 25°C, 37°C, 60°C. Repeated measures ANOVA alsoshowed statistically significant pattern changes of Storage Modulusvalues (stiffness) over the temperatures 0°C25°C, 37°C, 60°Cdepending on the groups. No temperature transitions were observed forstainless steel or beta-titanium alloy with DSC. The four nickel titaniumalloys showed a martensitic-austenic transition on heating, and a reversetransformation on cooling with DSC. Austenic finish temperatures of thefour NiTi alloys ranged from 30°C-50°C. Mechanical deformationtesting at 25°C in tension mode showed superelastic behavior of OrmcoCuNiTi only, and incomplete superelastic behavior during unloading ofthe GAC Neo Sentalloy alloy.Conclusions: The nickel-titanium and TMA alloys exhibitedcomplicated and unexpected properties under DMA and mechanicaldeformation testing. Based on our research, at oral temperatures(37°C), the four nickel titanium archwires, and the TMA archwirehad similar stiffness values, thereby questioning the justification for5 similar alloys. It was unexpected to find the stiffness of TMA andNiTi to be of similar value. Only one of the four NiTi alloys(ORMCO CuNiTi) showed superelastic behavior at 25°C. It ispossible that the other NiTi alloys also have superelastic behavior, athigher temperatures or at higher mechanical loads. Further testing isneeded to clarify mechanical properties of nickel-titanium alloys. n

Dynamic, Mechanical, and Thermal Behaviorof Nickel Titanium, Stainless Steel, and Beta-Titanium Orthodontic ArchwiresBY DR. IRINA LOVINESCU (Department of Orthodontics, Univ.of Med. and Dent. of New Jersey (UMDNJ) Newark, NJ)

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to compare theeffectiveness of acetaminophen and ibuprofen for controllingorthodontic pain, and to determine if and to what extent theseanalgesic medications have on the amount of tooth movementduring orthodontic therapy in humans.Methods: 84 subjects with a mean age of 25.0 years had separatorsplaced mesial and distal to the maxillary 1st molars for one week.Each patient received either ibuprofen 400 mg, acetaminophen 1000mg, or placebo 1 hour before separator placement, followed by apostoperative dosing regimen of 200 mg ibuprofen, 500 mg

acetaminophen, or placebo every 6 hours for the first 48 hoursfollowing the placement of separators. The subjects were asked toevaluate their level of discomfort on a Gracely pain scale and theamount of tooth separation achieved was measured using stainlesssteel feeler gauges. Results: Based on a univariate analysis of variance and repeatedmeasures ANOVA, there was no statistically significant differencein pain scores among the three groups over time. There was nosignificant difference between the three groups in terms of toothmovement at day 3. However, on day 7 statistically significantdifferences could be seen between the control group and theibuprofen group. An incidental finding of this study was that womenhad significantly more tooth movement than men.Conclusions: Diminished tooth movement can be expected inpatients who resort to using pain medications for alleviatingdiscomfort caused by orthodontic treatment. n

Comparative effect of ibuprofen andacetaminophen on tooth movement and pain following orthodontic separator placement.BY DR. TANIA SAINT AMAND (Department of Orthodontics,Univ. of Med. and Dent. of New Jersey (UMDNJ) Newark, NJ)


RESEARCH

Introduction: The ABO introduced the Discrepancy Index (DI) as ameasure of Case Complexity in 2004 to help facilitate patient selectionfor the clinical examination. In addition to DI requirements, theclinical board examination also has requirements based on the type ofmalocclusion and treatment modality. The aim of this study was toevaluate the distribution of the Class II patients that would satisfy theBoard requirements, and evaluate the distribution of patients based oncase complexity as defined by the DI for the students of the Class of

2008 at UMDNJ’s postgraduate Orthodontic program.Methods: The DI was measured for all cases that were treated withcomprehensive orthodontics for the four residents of the Class of 2008.Analysis of Variance and Chi-Square statistical tests were used toevaluate the distribution of patients based on the ABO DI Categories forthe clinical examination and for the Class II board cases. Results: The mean DI for all patients was 21.33. The resident’spatient population was not statistically significantly different fromthe overall population based on overlap of the 95% confidenceintervals. Random distribution of patients resulted in no statisticallysignificant difference in the distribution of patients based on DI(p = 0.059) and based on CL II Board Cases (p = 0.72). Conclusions: Random Distribution of patients provides each residentwith a sufficient patient population to treat while in the orthodonticresidency, and it will also provide each resident an equal chance toqualify to take the board examination upon graduation. n

Case Complexity and Case Distribution Among Orthodontic Residents at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey’sPostgraduate Orthodontic ProgramBY DR. DAVID J. CAGGIANO (Department of Orthodontics,Univ. of Med. and Dent. of New Jersey (UMDNJ) Newark, NJ)

Introduction: Since its introduction in 1987, the Goslon Yardstickhas proven to be a reliable and reproducible means of evaluatingdental arch relationships in patients with unilateral cleft lip and palateand has been repeatedly used to compare treatment outcomesbetween cleft centers. The recently-developed Revised BauruYardstick (RBY) is fundamentally similar to the Goslon Yardstick andcategorizes dental arch relationships of patients with bilateral cleft lipand palate (BCLP) into five groups based on treatment difficulty.Objectives: 1) To evaluate the reliability of RBY, 2) to appraiseRBY validity by comparing yardstick scores to well-establishedlateral cephalometric measurements, and 3) to apply RBY fortreatment outcome assessment. Design: Mixed-dentition casts of 35 patients from one cleft center(Center 1) and 33 from another center (Center 2) were each scored

twice using RBY by six individuals with orthodontic training.Lateral cephalograms were available for 28 patients from Center 1;these were used for validity testing.Results: Intra-rater and inter-rater weighted kappa scores toevaluate RBY reliability, correlation coefficients between RBYscores and well-established cephalometric measurements forvalidity assessment, and RBY score comparisons between Centers1 and 2 via independent sample t tests for outcome assessment.Results: Weighted kappa scores ranged from 0.907 to 0.990 for intra-rater and 0.748 to 0.929 for inter-rater reliability. No significant differ-ence in scoring was found based on raters’ previous experience usingyardsticks. Treatment outcomes for Center 2 were found to be signifi-cantly better than for Center 1 patients by an average yardstick scoreof 1 point (out of 5). Poorer results for patients treated at Center 1could not be attributed to the use of primary alveolar bone grafting.Significant correlations with yardstick scores were found for theangular cephalometric measurements SNA, ANB, and U1-NA and forthe linear measurement L1-APo. Conclusions: These results suggest that the Revised Bauru Yardstickis a reliable, reproducible, and valid means of assessing the dentalarch relationships of children with BCLP. n

The Revised Bauru Yardstick for BilateralClefts: Evaluation and Initial Application for Intercenter Outcome AssessmentBY DR. JASON L. SHOE (Department of Orthodontics, BCDSDental School, Univ. of Maryland, Baltimore, MD)

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects ofmouthrinses on the color and rate of force decay of elastomeric chains.Material: Six brands of elastomeric chain were tested, AmericanOrthodontics (AO), GAC, Masel, Rocky Mountain Orthodontics(RMO), Ormco and Unitek. Twelve mouth rinses were tested (ACTKids, ACT restoring, Agent Cool Blue, Cepacol, Chlorhexidine,Colgate Phos-Flur, Crest Pro-Health, Firefly Mouthswoosh, ListerineOriginal, Listerine Cool Mint, Scope, Tom’s Natural Cleansing). Methods: Elastomeric chains were cut into segments of varying lengthsso that each produced 300 grams of force when stretched to a distance of28mm. Gray, clear, silver and black chains of each brand in both the shortconnector and continuous loop type were tested, except for RMO forwhich only gray and clear were tested. The combinations produced 28different elastomeric chain groups. The segments were stretched andmounted on a jig that held the segments at an extension of 28mm, with 6

specimens placed per jig. The segments were soaked in the control liquid(distilled water) for 24 hours, and then placed in the mouthrinses for 30minutes. After soaking in the mouthrinses, the segments were placed at afixed distance of 28mm on the Instron-Satec T5000 tensometer and theresidual force (gm) was recorded. Force decay and percent extension ofthe segments were calculated, and force decay curves were produced foreach elastomeric chain type. The total force decay and residual forcewere compared using a One Way ANOVA with post hoc Scheffé tests.Results: There were no statistically significant differences in totalforce decay or residual force due to exposure to any of themouthrinses (p< 0.05). The percent of extension required to produce300 grams of force at a distance of 28 mm varied from 31-126%. Thetotal force decay after 24 hours ranged from 24-49%. Graycontinuous segments did not statistically differ from gray shortconnector segments in force decay (except for RMO and Unitekchains). In general, black and silver chains exhibited statisticallysignificant greater force decay than their clear and gray counterparts,although there was significant variation between brands.Conclusions: Mouthrinses do not affect the force decay of elastomericchains. Force decay did not differ between continuous and short connec-tor segments. Colored chains exhibit the highest rate of force decay. n

The Effects of Mouthrinses on the Properties of Elastomeric ChainsBY DR. CHRISTINE FERRELL (Department of Orthodontics,BCDS Dental School, Univ. of Maryland, Baltimore, MD)

Unfortunately, when selling a practice there aretwo very divergent points of view regarding assetallocation. The Buyer wants to deduct all ofhis/her payments as soon as possible, while theSeller wants to pay at a 15% capital gains tax rateversus an ordinary income rate of 40 - 50%.

Federal Tax RateHighest stated rate (+$307,050) = 35.0%Surtax over $275,000 income = 3.6%Medicare; Unlimited Amount = 2.9%Phase out Itemized Deductions = 1.0%Phase out Personal Deductions = 2.0%

44.5% + State Income Taxes???Asset Allocation

Asset Allocation is purely a tax issue which determines theamount of tax paid by the Seller on the proceeds of the sale, and thedeductibility of the purchase price by the Buyer. The taxes can bedivided into Capital Gains, and Ordinary or Regular Income. Thedeductibility period for the Buyer is determined by the type ofpractice asset being sold; either Tangible or Intangible.

Tangible Assets = equipment, furniture, furnishings, supplies,and instruments.

Intangible Assets = Goodwill, patients records, covenant not tocompete, stock certificates when your practice is incorporated.

Tangible Assets Allocation1. Equipment, Furniture, Furnishings - deductible to Buyer;

depreciated in 2 - 7 years. Taxable to Seller at the ordinary incomerate to the extent the sale value is greater than the nondepreciated“book” value. Your accountant will call this “depreciation recapture”.There is NO tax paid by the Seller on the amount of nondepreciatedequipment if present. Any dollar value allocated to the sale of theequipment above its historical cost is taxed at the Capital Gains rate.

2. Supplies and Instruments - supplies are deductible to Buyer aspaid. Instruments have a relatively rapid depreciation of 2 - 5 years.Taxable at ordinary income rates for the Seller.

Intangible Assets Allocation1. Goodwill and Patient Records - the 1993 tax law made intan-

gible assets fully deductible to the Buyer, on a straight line basis (equalannual deductions) over a 15 year period. The amount allocated for thiscategory is taxed at the capital gains rate to the Seller. Typically 65 -75% of the total practice price is represented in intangible asset value.

2. Covenant Not to Compete - is deductible to the Buyer on astraight line basis (equal annual deductions) over a 15 year period.The amount assigned to the Restrictive Covenant portion of the saleprice is taxed at the Ordinary Income rate of the Seller.

3. Corporate Stock Purchase - NO deduction for the Buyer, andis taxed at the capital gains rate for the Seller.

Both parties must agree to file identical asset allocation forms tothe IRS #8594 after the practice sale.

Tax Structure A - Unincorporated Sole Practitioner or the Sole Shareholder of a Subchapter S Corporation or an LLC.

These groups of sole proprietors are treated similarly by the IRSif the Subchapter S corporation meets one of the following threetests; (1) the corporation has been an “S” corporation from itsinception; (2) the “S” election was made prior to 1989, or (3) after10 years of “S” status, if either of the first two tests aren’t met.

The practice valuation is usually very accurate when establishing

PRACTICE MANAGEMENT

Tax Considerations of an Orthodontic Practice SaleDR. GARY WISER Email: [email protected]

the tangible asset values. The Buyer will want to have the value atthe high end of the range for quicker deductibility and the Sellerwants the value placed lower to limit the amount of regular incometax to be paid. The balance of the practice cost will be allocated togoodwill and/or patient records to give the Seller favorable capitalgain tax treatment. A Covenant Not to Compete from the Sellershould be in the contract, but a very low value should be assigned toit because it results in additional regular income tax to the Seller,with no change in the 15 year deductibility term for the Buyer.

Tax Structure B - Sole practitioner practicing as a regular or “C” Corporation.

This is much more complex because of the “double tax”problem. The corporation sells its assets and pays 35% corporatetax on the gain, then liquidates, and passes the funds to thedoctor/stockholder who now must pay a second tax on theremaining 65% at the capital gains rate of 15%. You must reviewthese issues with an attorney and an accountant well-versed incorporate practice sales and their special tax considerations.

Possible approaches to reduce the double tax problem can bedescribed, but there is no assurance the IRS will agree. The firststep is to allocate a substantial portion of the sale proceeds to thedoctor PERSONALLY, minimizing the amount of practice saleproceeds payable to the doctor’s corporation! The vast majority ofthe intangible value of the practice rests with the doctor, not thecorporation. Personal allocation can be done four (4) ways;

1. Consulting agreement2. Deferred compensation agreement 3. Purchase corporate stock 4. Personal covenant not to compete

1. Consulting agreement - avoids double tax but has drawbacks;money paid to Seller is taxed at regular income rates, subject to payrolltaxes, and constitutes earned income. Buyers favor consultingagreements because the write-off is short, 3 - 5 years, much better thanthe customary 15 year write-off for other intangible assets.2. Deferred compensation agreement - works best in grouppractices, but could be considerd when the Seller is continues topractice for a considerable number of years. Payments are subjectto regular taxes similar to #1 above.3. Purchase of Stock - no tax deductions for the Buyer makes thisunpopular. Funds received by the Seller for stock repurchase istaxed at the lower capital gains rate.4. Personal covenant not to compete - these hold up very well to IRSscrutiny when the Seller poses a reasonable threat of competition at thetime of the sale. If the Orthodontist were to sell the practice and thengo across the street in competition with the Buyer, the value of thepractice being sold would be severely reduced; probably to little morethan the tangible assets owned by the corporation; the equipment,furniture, furnishings, supplies and instruments.

a. Money received for a covenant not to compete can be taxed ascapital gains, and is not subject to payroll taxes.

b. 60-75 % of the total purchase price can be allocated to a covenantnot to compete but the Buyer must accept a 15 year write-off asa result of the 1993 tax laws. This can be made more palatableby a much lower risk of IRS attack. Please research RevenueRuling 65-180, 1965-2 C.B. 279, treating the covenant not tocompete and the allocation for goodwill together as capitalassets, and thereby qualifying for capital gains treatment. n



Today’s orthodontic practices are well awarethat computer system security and backupprocedures play key roles in HIPAA

compliance. While no practice management software providesHIPAA compliance by itself, a good system will make it easy foryou and your staff to comply with privacy and security standards -assuming that everyone follows appropriate procedures, of course!

The following tips and guidelines address many of the commonquestions regarding practice management system security andbackup procedures.

SecurityNo security system is absolutely foolproof. However, multiple layers

of security will prevent any casual attempt at unauthorized access.Logins and passwords. Each employee must have a unique

private login name and password. From there, a good practicemanagement software package should allow you to set up accesspermissions specific to each employee’s job function both by area- such as accounts and scheduling, vs. scheduling only - and bylevel, e.g., no access, read-only access (no changes), or read-writeaccess (changes allowed).

Here’s just one reason this unique access is so important. If yoursoftware program processes automatic payments, you will bestoring bank and credit card information, and only certainemployees should be able to access this information. Of theseemployees, some may be permitted to access the ledger but not addnew transactions. Others may be permitted to add transactions(charges/payments) but not make adjustments without a password.The same applies to scheduling, treatment cards, or any otherprogram component.

Your system should have a “hot key” that locks down the systemwhen an employee leaves their station. For instance, an employeemight press the F12 key as they leave. The next employee to access thatstation must then use his or her own login to gain access to the system.

You should also set your screensaver to allow login/passwordaccess only.

As for the logins and passwords themselves, here are a fewguidelines:• use a minimum of eight characters• mix numbers and letters (don’t use all numbers or all letters)• never use common words, birthdates, names, etc. • do not allow employees to store passwords on sticky notes

beneath keyboards, in wallets, etc.• do not use the same combination for both the login and password• change logins and passwords frequently

Physical location of data. If your server is located in a closet, orbetter yet, behind a locked door, it is far safer than at the front desk. Ifa break-in occurs, a thief is more likely to grab visible, easily accessiblecomputers versus one they can’t see. When/if you take a backup orsystem off premises, do not under any circumstances leave it in your caror otherwise unattended. All backup files should be password protected.

Other considerations. The type of database your softwarepackage uses to store information is important. Some are moreeasily hacked than others. Ask for detailed information from your

software package provider. Every server should have a firewall in place. With several layers of

security in place - a solid firewall, Windows passwords, and additionalpasswords for your practice management software - you have the equiv-alent of a brick wall versus a picket fence around your sensitive data.Most hackers will pass by your “brick wall” in favor of easier prey.

Backups No matter what kind of backup system you choose for your

practice, always do a complete backup and not an “incremental”backup. Incremental backups only back up files that were changedsince the last backup. What if you needed to restore? With incrementalbackups, you would have to start with the original backup and restoreeach backup to the present. This is never a good idea.

For those working with older operating systems, a goodprocedure is to close all applications on each workstation whenleaving for the day and before a backup is done. Why? Because onolder systems, backups will skip over any open files. This is not anissue with MS 2003 Server or XP Pro.

Next, find out if your software utilizes “internal” backups. If not,you need to determine “what” you need to back up. How big is it?Certain backup methods may be better than others, depending onyour particular variables.

Backup methods. My top recommendation and personal preferencefor backups is to use a professional offsite backup company that willdo your backups for you automatically. (For one example, seeSubterranean Data Services, http://www.trueevaulting.com.)

With offsite backup companies, you have true peace of mind inthat your data is secure and protected even from physical threatssuch as theft or accidents. In addition, you don’t have to“remember” to do a backup, which is a lot less hassle for you andyour staff. However, offsite backups do require an internetconnection and involves ongoing fees, versus physical backupmedia purchases.

External hard drives will back up your data in original formatand hold more data than CDs, tapes, or flash drives. However, theyare portable and easily subject to threat or accident, and require stafftime/responsibility.

CDs are simple to burn but are limited in capacity and require abackup application and CD burner (as well as stafftime/responsibility). Furthermore, they are extremely portable andvery easily subject to theft or accident. Tapes offer similar restrictions,are typically slow, and are best used for after-hours backups. Flashdrives are also slow, and can lose or degrade data in addition to theproblems of limited storage capacity, portability, and staff time.

Conclusion As we can see, no software package in and of itself can make an

office “HIPAA compliant”. And as always, it is the ultimateresponsibility of the practice to ensure that all standards are met.However, a good practice management system will certainly makecompliance easier for both doctors and staff alike. n

New Horizons Software, Inc., a provider of orthodontic practice management softwaresolutions, has provided comprehensive practice management software and personalized trainingand support to the orthodontic community since 1988. For more information, contact NHS at 1-800-543-5999 or visit www.NHSoftware.com

Computer System Security and Backup Procedures: Tips and GuidelinesBY JORETTA BEANLAND, FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT, NEW HORIZONS SOFTWAREWeb address: www.NHSoftware.com

PRACTICE MANAGEMENT


PRACTICE MANAGEMENT

Practicing orthodontists are busy; they have myriadresponsibilities, such as office management, staffing, and patienttreatment planning and treatment management, just to name a few.It is often challenging for doctors to find the time and energy tofocus on managing all practice risks to protect themselves frommalpractice allegations. Orthodontists can maximize their riskmanagement efforts by the effective use of staff. Patient satisfaction is key to precluding malpractice allegations.Despite treatment outcomes, if patients feel they have a goodexperience, they are less likely to file claims or complaints with thestate dental board. Staff has a large impact on that “satisfactionquotient.” Staff generally establish office atmosphere, performmyriad administrative duties, provide some treatment activity, andcommunicate with all patients. In many offices, staff does more,sees more, and hears more than the doctors. If the doctor and staffwork as a team, many problems, and claims, can be averted.Office atmosphere is generally the result of staff demeanor andbehavior. The friendliness and attention that patients receive beginsand continues throughout treatment by interaction with the orthodon-tic staff. If staff set a negative tone, patients will feel uncomfortable.Administrative Duties: Staff also handle a number of administrativeduties that have an impact on patient relations. Some of these routineactivities include appointing, handling fees and general money issues,managing orthodontic records and making referrals.

Reasonable efforts to satisfy patents/parents regardingappointments are important. If people are frequently unhappy withtheir appointment times, or they encounter excessive waiting time,the result is dissatisfaction. It is impossible to please everyone, buteffective communication and creative problem-solving willminimize complaints. Another important staff activity is handlingmissed appointments-noting them in the patient record, andfollowing up to reappoint. Patient compliance is often the basis forproblems that result in malpractice claims; and it is critical to createa written trail of evidence regarding missed appointments andattempts made by the office to encourage attendance.

Handling fees and collections are another opportunity to preventdissatisfaction. All contracts should be clearly explained to thepatient/parent before the treatment begins. Any extra charges, suchas for repairs of broken brackets, records, treatment phases, etc.must be delineated. In order to minimize allegations of unfairnessand discrimination, it is best to adhere to contractual conditionsrelated to extra charges. Small issues become large when related tomoney and can lead to dissatisfaction and claims.

The office should have a policy about non-payment of fees, andit is advisable to make every effort to encourage regular payment.If fee agreements are changed, be sure that both the doctor and staffunderstand the changes; confusion between “the right and lefthands” when it comes to payment of fees will create dissatisfaction.

Staff members manage all patient records, and propermanagement is essential, not only to patient care, but to defense of

Use Staff to Help PreventMalpractice Claims BY ELIZABETH FRANKLIN,CLAIMS MANAGER, AAO SERVICES, INCEmail: [email protected]

malpractice allegations. Improper labeling of x-rays, for example,can have serious treatment consequences which can result inmalpractice allegations. Misfiling or losing records will not onlydelay treatment, and possibly cause improper treatment, but alsoexpose the doctor to allegations of records spoliation, if there is aneed to produce them in a legal proceeding. Staff can ensure thathistory forms are completed in full so that the doctor has access tocritical medical information. Written informed consent documentsmust be in the records to document the patient’s consent.

Orthodontists often refer their patients to other specialists fortreatment or evaluation, and it is usually staff members who makethe telephone calls and write the referral documents. Accuracy iscritical, as is follow-up. If, for example, the patient is referred to aperiodontist for coordinated treatment, verify that the specialist hasseen the patient and performed any treatment necessary. Iforthodontic treatment begins and problems develop, the resultingmalpractice claim is difficult to defend. Patient Treatment: Staff members have a number of duties relatedto individual patient treatment. Taking records is one such task.When staff members perform any treatment activity, the recordsmust be documented and signed. In some offices, staff memberscomplete records for doctors. Again, thoroughness, clarity andaccuracy are critical. High quality orthodontic records can preventclaims and also defend doctors who have claims made against them.

Patient instructions and treatment directions are often given by staffmembers. In many offices, providing oral hygiene instructions is a staffresponsibility. Sometimes doctors delegate other treatment relatedinstructions, such as manipulation of palatal expanders. Once again,attention to detail and clarity are required to accurately impart theinformation so that no mistakes result in malpractice claims. Regularmeetings are a good way to educate staff about attention to detail.Communication: There is probably no activity in which staff canbe more supportive to the doctor than through communication withpatients/parents. There are generally more staff members thandoctors in an office; on that basis alone, staff has more opportunityto communicate. Treatment usually takes place over a long periodof time, and good communication will keep misunderstandings anddissatisfaction to a minimum.

Good listening skills are invaluable. Listen to all patients,children and adults alike. Listen to parents. Listen for likes anddislikes, objections and complaints. Are there feelings about thedoctor or treatment that have not been expressed to the doctor?Patients might be more comfortable talking to staff.

Listen also for personal issues with patients that will impact thetreatment. Is the patient/parent having financial difficulties that willmake payment of fees a problem? Are there other issues, such asillness, loss of job, or even divorce with which the patient isdealing? All of these will impact the treatment and in many casespatients are more likely to share them with staff than with a busydoctor. If staff becomes aware of this information, it must be sharedwith the doctor and solutions discussed that will keep problemsfrom impacting the treatment if possible.

The doctor’s office must not only listen, but also talk. Patientsexpect to be told about their treatment and any issues relatedthereto. They want to know about changes, problems and solutions,treatment delays, as well as successes. Talk as much as possible sothat they understand what is taking place. Observation: Significant information is learned from observation.

13 Autumn 2008

If you are encountering problems with third-party payers or havecoding and practice-management questions, call on the AAO’sDental Benefits Advisory Service Hotline for assistance. TheDental Benefits Advisory Service Hotline is sponsored by theCouncil on Orthodontic Health Care (COHC) and is administeredby staff members that have more than 20 years of experience indealing with insurance payers, clinical aspects of orthodonticpractice and office management. Hotline staff will discuss the issuewith your office to determine the nature and extent of the problem.If the matter is easily resolved, hotline staff will offer strategies tohandle the situation. If your issue is more complex or has becomea chronic problem, you may be requested to complete an AAOMember Third-Party Payer Complaint Form. If the issue is critical,hotline staff will contact the payer for immediate relief.

AAO’s Council on Orthodontic Health Care has identified thatthe majority of calls received by the Hotline are related to dentalcoding issues. As a service to AAO members, the council developedthe AAO At-A-Glance Guide (AAG) to CDT-2007 VersionOrthodontic Codes. This sheet has extracted the most routinely usedcodes in an orthodontic practice from the complete CDT Manual,and the AAG is a quick reference tool for your coding staff.

Callers often need help locating codes for submitting dentalprocedures to medical insurance payers. The Hotline staff hasaccess to and can provide you with the ICD-9 and CPT codes thatare required for medical claims filing.

Hotline staff must stay abreast of dental industry trends and areable to offer information on current topics of interest, such as therecently mandated National Provider Identifier (NPI) initiative, andtechnological issues, such as Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) orelectronic claims filing. You may download the AAO Third-PartyPayer Complaint Form or the AAO At-A-Glance Guide atwww.AAOmembers.org. > Practice Resources > OfficeManagement > AAO Member Third-Party Complaint Form orAAO At-A-Glance Guide.

Contact the HotlineFor help with payer issues, contact Ann Sebaugh at 800-424-

2841, ext. 582, or send an e-mail to [email protected]. n

Fend off reimbursement, coding woes: AAO can help you resolve issues with third-party payers ANN SEBAUGH Email: [email protected]

Physical and behavioral changes may be indications of issues thatwill eventually impact the treatment. Closely observing andaddressing relevant issues may not only make the patient feelimportant, but may also provide information that will allow thedoctor and staff to preclude potential treatment problems.Orthodontic staff help prevent malpractice claims: The well-runorthodontic office operates as a team. Staff members are integral to thework that is done and the final outcome. Staff have many opportunitiesto see and hear critical information; to provide or find answers topatient questions; and to support the orthodontist’s work in a way thatenhances patient satisfaction. Satisfied patients are usually less likelyto make dental board complaints or malpractice claims. n

Iwould like to take this opportunity toinvite you to “Jump Into Paradise”this fall for a stimulating combination of

orthodontic education and tropical relaxation.The lovely Gran Meliá in Puerto Rico will beoffering our attendees an all-inclusive package.

Why not organize a reunion of yourorthodontic class here? Or, reward your top-notch staff with a trip they’ll always

remember? Many airlines fly into San Juan, and nopassports are necessary for US residents.

Dr. Gene Roberts (GLAO) has arranged an outstandingdoctors’ scientific program, including presentations by Drs.Birte Melsen, Robert Vanarsdall, Michael Williams,Christian Sander, and Frank Cordray. The staff programorganized by Dr. Steve Siegel (MASO) features Ms. DebbieBest, Lori Garland Parker, Tina Byrne and Dr. ChristianSander. New this year, following the doctor sessions, will bea panel discussion with questions from the attendees. Thescientific and staff programs will conclude by earlyafternoon, and you’ll be free to lie on the beach, relax bythe pool, or golf at the adjacent Trump International GolfClub, site of the first Puerto Rico Open and part of the 2008PGA Tour! You may also choose to add a trip to snorkel inthe ocean, visit the rain forest, explore Old San Juan, gohorseback riding, or ride ATV’s.

Thanks to our many exhibitors and sponsors, who willupdate you on their latest products. Visit their booths andget ready to win fabulous raffle prizes!

The Gran Meliá is offering their all-inclusive packageonly to our attendees. You must make your reservationsthrough the resort’s Group Reservations service to get theall-inclusive package, which includes all meals, alcoholicbeverages, tax, gratuity, and service charge, and theGLAO/MASO evening parties! Additional informationand registration information can be found atwww.MASO.org. Online registration is now open!

Please bring along your family and staff and join us forwhat promises to be an educational and fun-filled weekendat the beautiful Gran Meliá Resort in Puerto Rico!

Friday October 10th11:00 am - 8:00 pm ..... Registration / Exhibitor Set up

12:00 pm - 6:00 pm ..... GLAO/MASO Golf Outing

Saturday October 11th7:30 am - 2:00 pm ..... Registration / Exhibits Open

8:00 am - Noon ..... STAFF SESSIONS

8:00 am - 12:30 pm...... DOCTOR SESSIONS

12:45 pm - 1:45 pm ..... ABO/College of Diplomates Luncheon

2:00 pm - 5:30 pm ..... GLAO & MASO Board Meetings

6:30 pm - 7:30 pm .... PRESIDENTS’ WELCOME RECEPTIONENTERTAINMENT SPONSORED IN PART BY THEPUERTO RICO SOCIETY OF ORTHODONTISTS

Sunday October 12th7:00 am - 8:00 am ..... GLAO & MASO Business Meetings

7:30 am - 2:00 pm ..... Registration / Exhibits Open

8:00 am - Noon ..... STAFF SESSIONS

8:30 am - 12:30 pm...... DOCTOR SESSIONS

1:30 pm - .................... Raffle Prize Drawings in Exhibit Hall

(MUST BE PRESENT TO WIN)

2:30 pm - 3:30 pm ..... MASO Committee Meetings

5:45 pm - 6:45 pm ..... New and Younger Member Reception

7:00 pm - 10:00 pm...... BEACH PARTY - SPONSORED BY 3M UNITEK

Monday October 13th6:30 am - 7:30 am ..... Fun Run

7:45 am - 8:45 am ..... MASO Board Meeting

9:00 am - Noon ..... DOCTOR/STAFF SESSIONS


Schedule AT A GlanceSchedule AT A GlanceDR. ROBERT SEEBOLDPRESIDENT, MASO

Greetings!Greetings!

2008 MASO/GLAO Joint Annual Session, Oct. 10-13, Gran Meliá, Puerto Rico2008 MASO/GLAO Joint Annual Session, Oct. 10-13, Gran Meliá, Puerto Rico


Session by DaySession by DaySaturday October 11th 8:00 am - Noon ...........Tina Byrne

Team Smarts…. Does Your Staff Have It?SPONSORED BY ORTHO II COMPUTER SYSTEMS, INC.

8:30 am - 9:15 am .....Dr. Frank E. CordrayA three-dimensional analysis of models articulated inthe SCP/CR Port II: A comparison of deprogrammedasymptomatic and symptomatic populations:A prospective study.

9:15 am - 9:45 am .....Dr. W. Eugene RobertsA 25 year Perspective on TADs: Back to the Future?

10:15 am - 11:00 am....Dr. Birte MelsenMini Screws Benefits, Risks and Failures SPONSORED BY AMERICAN ORTHODONTICS

11:00 am - 11:45 am....Dr. Robert VanarsdallThe Periodontal Perspective of TADs

11:45 am - 12:30 pm....PANEL DISCUSSIONQ & A featuring Drs. Cordray, Roberts, Melsenand Vanarsdall

Sunday October 12th 8:00 am - 9:30 am .....Lori Garland Parker

Embracing the Challenge

8:30 am - 9:15 am .....Dr. Michael WilliamsOrthodontic Expansion in Non-Growing PatientsCO-SPONSORED BY DYNAFLEX

9:15 am - 10:00 am......Dr. Robert VanarsdallPeriodontal Concerns with Maxillary Expansion

10:00 am - Noon .........Debbie BestThe Numbers game

10:30 am - 11:15 am....Dr. Birte MelsenSutural Response to Maxillary Expansion In AdultsSPONSORED BY AMERICAN ORTHODONTICS

11:15 am - 11:45 am....Dr. Michael WilliamsClass III correction in Children and AdultsCO-SPONSORED BY DYNAFLEX

11:45 am - 12:30 pm....PANEL DISCUSSIONQ & A featuring Drs. Williams, Vanarsdall, and Melsen

Monday October 13th9:00 am - 10:30 am......Lori Garland Parker & Debbie Best

Bridging the Front & Back Divide

11:00 am - Noon .........Dr. Christian SanderBiomechanics: the Team PerspectiveSPONSORED BY FORESTADENT USA

TINA BYRNE

DR. FRANK E. CORDRAY

DR. W. EUGENE ROBERTS

DR. ROBERT VANARSDALL

LORI GARLAND PARKER

DR. MICHAEL WILLIAMS

DEBBIE BEST

DR. CHRISTIAN SANDER

Meliá, Puerto RicoMeliá, Puerto Rico Register On-line AT www.MASO.orgRegister On-line AT www.MASO.org

CHECKLIST for the GLAO/MASO Annual Session in Puerto Rico:CHECKLIST for the GLAO/MASO Annual Session in Puerto Rico:o Meeting Registration: Submit your on-line registration andpayment by September 10th to receive the discounted rate.Confirmation will come to you via e-mail. Your name badge can bepicked up at the registration desk in Puerto Rico, and must be worn forentrance to all events. MEETING REGISTRATION INCLUDES: admissionto doctor and staff sessions, panel discussions, Presidents’ WelcomeReception, admission to exhibit hall, and beverage breaks in the exhibithall. GLAO/MASO Gran Meliá all-inclusive guests also receive thefollowing at no additional cost: Admission to the Sunday evening BeachParty, all meals, and house alcoholic beverages.

o Hotel: Make your hotel reservations by September 1st to receivethe all-inclusive group rate! Visit www.GLAO.org or www.MASO.orgfor the Hotel Room Reservation form. Reserve room(s) with the GranMeliá by completing the hotel form and faxing it to 787/657-1055.Obtain a confirmation number directly from the hotel before arriving. Ifyou have questions, call 787/657-1040 or 787/657-1026 and ask for

group reservations. Tell them you’re with GLAO/MASO!!

o Activity/Tour Registration: Visit www.GLAO.org orwww.MASO.org for the activity/tour reservation form. Reserve tours bySeptember 19th. GLAO/MASO has worked with “DestinationPuerto Rico” to offer catamaran, snorkeling, shopping, rainforest, andbioluminescent bay tours. Sign-up for tours directly with DestinationPuerto Rico, and they will send confirmation directly to you. E-mailquestions to [email protected].

o Travel: Make your travel arrangements! Most airlines fly into SanJuan - the airport code is SJU (San Juan), Luis Marin InternationalAirport. Gran Meliá is 22 miles southwest of the airport. The GranMeliá airport shuttle is recommended for travel to the resort and thesearrangements can be made on the hotel reservation form.

o Passport: A U.S. Passport is NOT required for U.S. residents.However, a passport is required for all non-U.S. residents.


2008 MASO/GLAO Joint Annual Session2008 MASO/GLAO Joint Annual Session2008 Annual Session Exhibitors

(AS OF JULY 23, 2008)

3M UnitekAmerican OrthodonticsAOABenco DentalBoyd Industries, Inc.Dental MarketersDentsply GAC InternationalDolphin Imaging & Management SolutionsDynaFlexFamilia Tuccini Orthodontic LabForestadent USAGreat Lakes Orthodontics, LtdImaging Sciences International: i-CATIMS Specialty Systems Inc.InvisalignLittle Big Microimplant Corp.MASELNational Precision InstrumentsOpal OrthodonticsOrmco

Ortho IIOrtho TechnologyORTHOBANCOrthobyte Digital TechnologyOrthopli CorporationOrthoSynetics, Inc.Orthotrac/PracticeWorks Inc.Paradise Dental SuppliesPlanmeca, Inc.Reliance Orthodontic Products, Inc.RMO, Inc.Sesame CommunicationSirona Dental SystemsSPEED System™Springstone Patient FinancingTeleVoxThe Ortho Club/Honeysuckle CreationstopsXtreme SoftwareTP Orthodontics, Inc.

Thanks to Our Sponsors(AS OF 6/1/08)

PLATINUM LEVEL 3M Unitek

SILVER LEVEL Ormco

BRONZE LEVEL Dentsply GAC International, Inc.

Rocky Mountain Orthodontics, Inc.Orthotrac/PracticeWorks, Inc.

BYLAWS AMENDMENTS

Members will vote on several amendments to the MASOBylaws during the General Membership meeting on Sunday,October 12th. A draft of the proposed revisions is availableat www.MASO.org. Please review these changes and comeprepared to vote.

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AAO BUSINESS

Serving the American Association of Ortho-dontists is an honor and a privilege. I thank

you for providing me with the opportunity.I attended the AAO Board of Trustees Pre-

Annual Session Meeting in Colorado Springs on May 12-14,2008, as well as the Planning Session on July 10-13, 2008 inQuebec City, Canada. The Board of Trustees approved thefollowing items during these meetings:• Working with AAOMS (oral surgeons) and AAP (periodontists)

on having the Joint Commission on National Dental Examina-tions reconsider its adoption of a pass/fail standard with respectto National Board Exams, and to instead retain its existingquantitative approach. The Board further approved that theAAO consider a resolution to the ADA House of Delegates toencourage the Commission to retain the existing quantitativeapproach and that this resolution be submitted as a jointresolution;

• Hiring Alton Brown as the celebrity chef for NationalOrthodontic Health Month in 2008;

• Translating five specific orthodontic consumer/patienteducation brochures into Spanish (i.e., “All AboutOrthodontics”; “Looking Good, Feeling Good”, “TheImportance of Clean Teeth”, “Your Child’s First OrthodonticCheck-up”; and “Adult Orthodontics”);

• Implementing new guidelines for AAO members’ use of AAOmarketing materials, thereby effectively facilitating the use ofsuch marketing materials by constituents, components andindividual members;

• Using video conferencing in lieu of face-to-face councilmeetings, but only if the council meets face-to-face at leastonce each year and specifically approves video conferences.

• Appropriating $500,000 in Unrestricted Net Assets as a self-insurance fund in the event that an Annual Session is canceledfor any reason;

• Confirming Dr. Bill Northway to speak as AAO’s representativeto the 2008 ADA Annual Session in San Antonio, Texas;

• Establishing an ad hoc committee comprised of the twoimmediate past presidents to review the Annual SessionOperations Manual; and

• Establishing a committee to recommend the most effectivemethod of safeguarding AAO volunteer leaders from ethicscomplaints for work rendered on behalf of the AAO.

The AAO’s 108th Annual Session was held in Denver,Colorado, and the House of Delegates approved the budget forFiscal Year 2008-09. The House of Delegates also approved anassessment to support an AAO Consumer Awareness Campaignthat will continue for the next three years at $550 per year for allU.S. active and affiliate members.

The House of Delegates also approved support for orthodonticeducation through two sources: $300,000 to augment the salaries ofup to 10 new junior orthodontic faculty hired in 2008-09; and$600,000 for the Full-Time Faculty Teaching Fellowship Program.

Please mark your calendars for the AAO LeadershipConference on February 5, 2009 in Orlando, Florida. Theprimary objectives for the Leadership Conference includeproviding an orientation for the AAO for constituent, componentand council leaders; discussing major issues that are of concernto dentistry in general and to orthodontists in particular;providing information regarding organizational and managementskills for leaders; providing training in communications skills forpurposes of representing the AAO before the profession and thepublic; and providing a beneficial and enjoyable educationalexperience in an environment that promotes fostering newrelationships with AAO colleagues.

This meeting will be followed by a Joint Conferencesponsored by the American Academy of Periodontology and theAAO, entitled “Two Specialties, One Goal”, on February 6-8,2009 at the JW Marriott Grande Lakes in Orlando, Florida.

Please also mark your calendars for the AAO ProfessionalAdvocacy Conference on January 27-28, 2009 in Washington,D.C., as well as the “Orthodontist as CEO” Regional Conferencein New York on November 14-15, 2008. n

Trustee’s ReportDr. Nahid [email protected]

AAO COUNCIL VACANCIES

MASO extends its appreciation to Dr. M. Marie Dang who iscurrently serving as MASO’s Interim representative to the AAOCouncil on Membership (COM) since Dr. Elizabeth Spannhake hastransferred to the Council on Communications. As a result, MASOis now seeking individuals who would be interested in serving onthe COM. In addition, after many years of faithful and diligentservice, Dr. David Paolini (Council on Orthodontic Practice) and Dr.Gary Wiser’s (Council on Orthodontic Health Care) terms will expirein 2009. MASO is also seeking individuals who have an interest inserving on these AAO Councils. Those interested should forwardtheir CV to our Executive Director, Anita Field [email protected]. These will be reviewed by the appropriateselection committees. n

See You inPuerto Rico!

MASO/GLAO2008 Joint

AnnualSession

Oct. 10-13, 2008See pages 14-16.

The 2008 Federal Legislative Agenda:Focus One: Quality Orthodontic and Dental Health Care for Patients

SCHIP Reauthorization - The AAO supports continuingSCHIP’s focus on providing healthcare for children whose familiesearn less than 200% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), Congressshould not expand the scope of children served by SCHIP untilvirtually all children under 200% FPL are covered.

Indian Health Services and Dental Care - Native Americansdeserve access to quality dental care regardless of where they live,but this access to care should not compromise the quality of careprovided. The AAO supports this goal, and believes that thisstandard of care for irreversible dental procedures can only beperformed by dentists or dental specialists.

Increased Health Care Options for Small Businesses - The AAOsupports Association Health Plans, Small Business Health Plans,and other ideas that would allow small businesses to pool resourcesfor the purpose of securing lower healthcare costs for their

continued on next page


Council on Governmental AffairsDr. Lawrence S. Harte l [email protected]

The council meeting was held in Washington,D.C. on June 23 - 25, 2008. The next meetingwill be held in Washington, D.C. on January28 - 29, 2009.

The following issues will be discussed:

Critical Issues of AAO:• Consumer Education• Volunteer Leadership Development • Recruitment and Retention of Orthodontic Educators• Building and Maintaining Alliances with the ADA and other

Health-care Organizations:• International orthodontic issues - accreditation, certification and

education/research• Advocacy - i.e. Government Affairs, Access to Care

Council on CommunicationDr. Elizabeth B. [email protected]

I think it is important to review in this issue of ourjournal the duties of the COC and the currentprojects the COC is involved with in light of therecent AAO assessment of our members. The dutyof the COC is to encourage and support public and

patient education in orthodontics; to assist members in their publicrelations programs; to enhance intra-professional relations for theimprovement of the oral health of the public; and to inform membersof available AAO services, materials, and benefits. Basically, theefforts of the COC are directed toward three audiences: the public,dentists/other healthcare professionals, and AAO members.

The COC’s Public Outreach and Education programs include:• A Consumer Awareness Campaign - More than a Smile. The

objective is to generate awareness of a key message - thatorthodontists receive an additional two to three years ofspecialized education beyond dental school to learn the properway to align and straighten teeth, and to drive people interested inorthodontic treatment to braces.org. On the national levelmarketing targets mothers 25 to 54 years of age with children 7 to15 years old. In addition AAO members are encouraged to use theAAO designed advertisements and media materials which may becustomized for local usage

• TV public service announcements (provide a TV presence whenpaid messages are not running on TV)

• The Public Web site, which will undergo revision during the nextyear

• Brochures, many of which have been updated in the last year• Videos (SWAT Team, A Smile That’s Good for Life)• The “Your Smile” free PowerPoint presentation• During the summer of 2008 a “Band Together” campaign will be

initiated, tying into the summer games in Beijing. The AAO is

AAO COUNCIL REPORTS

working with U.S. figure skater, and orthodontic patient, RachaelFlatt, to encourage people with braces to ask their orthodontistsfor red, white and blue ligature/bands to support team USA. Thisinitiative will involve radio news releases, radio interviews withRachael and her orthodontist (an AAO member), a campaign todrive people to braces.org to learn more about orthodontic care,trends, and to find an orthodontist.

• National Orthodontic Health Month Campaign. The program givesthe AAO a reason to reach out to the media and public with radionews releases, radio interviews with an AAO spokesperson, TVinterviews with AAO spokespersons in larger markets, an Internetpress kit for media, and a “Mom” page on braces.org

• National Facial Protection Month. The campaign focuses on theimportance of wearing a mouth guard, through radio news releases,radio interviews with AAO spokespersons, and TV interviews withAAO spokespersons in larger local markets

• The “Problems to Watch for in Growing Children” - an educationalflyer demonstrating common orthodontic problems in children -things orthodontists prefer to see earlier rather than later

• Meetings in New York City with key editors/producers to sharegood news about orthodontic treatment. The June 2008 meetingshave already generated two articles: one in Family Circle and theother in the Associated Press

In addition the COC continues to develop educational materialsand flyers like “Professionally Speaking”, and “MoreProfessionally Speaking”, “Problems to watch for in Seven YearOlds” and “Problems to watch for in Adults”. In addition the COChas developed a free PPT (Orthodontic Problems in the Seven YearOld Patient) which has been designed for our members to share withdentists/hygienists.

To assist members in how to use materials such as “More than aSmile”, webinars are being scheduled for our members. In additionthe COC is also working on a How-to guide for NationalOrthodontic Health Month and for National Facial ProtectionMonth to assist members in marketing these programs. n

AAO BUSINESS


Council on Information TechnologyDr. Lawrence Wang l [email protected]

COIT will be holding a video conference call inAugust 2008. The following are the technologyinitiatives that the Council is currentlyundertaking or is planning to develop.1) Two COIT projects have been incorporatedinto the AAO Communications Action Plan,

which recommends the redesign of the AAO member web site.These projects include adding a public layer to AAOmembers.organd increasing personalization of services to target content tospecific member demographics.

2) Addition of a Google Search Appliance for 2009. This is a smallserver running Google Search technology. The server willprovide the ability to search across multiple systems (e.g.CommonSpot, SharePoint, iMIS, email, etc.) and networksproviding members and staff a single search field.

3) Implemented a PodCast system that can support audio and videofiles. Any council that has content available may requestplacement on the system. Dr. David Turpin is currentlyevaluating content to add to the system.

4) After testing and approval by COIT, the AAO is now makingavailable to internal entities such as councils a video conferencingsystem (E/pop Web Conferencing by WiredRed Software) thatwill display video of all members on a conference call, as well asany supporting documents that may be necessary to conduct themeeting. The video conferencing system is hosted and can beturned on or off on a monthly basis so that the AAO will only payfor it when it is needed.

5) Two additional COIT members were appointed as AAOrepresentatives on the ADA Working Group 11.6 Integration ofOrthodontic Standards and ADA Working Group 12.1/DICOMWorking Group 22. Currently the two groups are collaboratingto finalize the first orthodontic specific standard:standardization of 2D and 3D cephalograms forinteroperability. The standard is expected to be completed inFall 2008 and will:1. Improve comparison of images and analyses made using

different systems2. Improve the usefulness of the existing archived films by

allowing extrapolation of growth or treatment outcomes3. Superimpose 3D coordinates from oriented studies using 2D

detectors on 3D x-ray data and vice-versa.

continued from page 19employees. Such options are essential to protecting and increasingaccess to medical care.Focus Two: Sustain the Growth of American Small Business

Economic Stimulus and Small Business - The AAO encouragesCongress to pass an economic stimulus package that helps all smallbusinesses. This includes increasing the value/amount of equipmentthat can be expensed in the year of purchase, and acceleration of thedepreciation schedule for large capital purchases.

Reform or Abolish the Alternative Minimum Tax - Many of theAAO’s members are caught in the annual trap of the AlternativeMinimum Tax, and the cost of the tax reduces the capital they haveto reinvest and expand their small business operations. Congressmust fix the AMT problem for good.

Streamline Taxation of Small Business - The AAO advocates forlegislation that would reduce the tax burden on small, community-based businesses, such as the typical local orthodontic practice.

Raise the Statutory Threshold for Application of the Estate Tax -Successful small business owners should not be subject to oneroustaxes upon their death. Congress should raise the estate tax statutoryexemption to at least $5 million and index the threshold for inflation.Focus Three:Preserve the Future of Orthodontists as Medical Professionals

Student Loan Interest Deduction - The high cost of anorthodontic education effectively prevents many current graduatesfrom opening practices in lower socio-economic or underservedcommunities in need of these dental specialty services. Congressshould change tax laws to allow all professionals who incursignificant student loan debt to deduct the interest costs for thoseloans, regardless of the individual’s income level.

Graduate Medical Education (GME) Funding - Congress mustcontinue to provide Graduate Medical Education funds for dentalstudents fulfilling residency requirements in hospital settings. Theseresidents often provide significant low cost dental health coveragefor local under-served communities.

Accreditation - The AAO believes reauthorization of the HigherEducation Act is appropriate forum for Congress to provide clearerguidance on how accrediting agencies should handle potentialconflicts of interest in the accreditation process.

Math and Science Education - Science and math are theeducational base for tomorrow’s healthcare professionals. The AAOsupports efforts to facilitate better math and teaching in elementaryand secondary schools.The 2009 Professional Advocacy Conference;

The AAO will host the First Professional Advocacy Conference onJanuary 27-28, 2009 in Washington, DC. The general schedule of theConference will largely resemble that of the 2008 Governmental AffairsConference that is, COGA and AAOPAC will each meet for one-halfday on Monday, January 26. The Conference will feature Members ofCongress and other guest speakers on Tuesday, as well as training forCapital Hill visits. Wednesday, from 8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. will be re-served for Capitol Hill visits, which again will be set up by Patton Boggs.

The main difference from past meetings is that the attendees willbe selected largely on the basis of their congressional district. AAOstaff, working with Kevin O’Neill of our lobby group, will identifythe most relevant Members of Congress to the AAO’s expectedlegislative agenda for the next Congress prior to September, Oncethat is complete, we will work with constituent leadership in orderto identify AAO members in those congressional districts whowould be most interested and effective in communicating the AAO’sposition on issues to their legislators. Since the AAO has budgetedfor a total attendance of 100, there may be a number of attendeesselected based solely upon their desire to learn more about theGovernment Relations Program and their willingness to attend.

The AAO has begun promoting this Conference, with severalarticles in the Bulletin and Straight off the Wire as well as publicityduring the Annual Session. As congressional districts are identified,AAO Staff will coordinate efforts with COOA members, Boardmembers, and appropriate constituent officers to finalize the invitationlist. A final agenda will be developed after the November elections. n

AAO BUSINESS


Other projects currently being addressed by the ADA Ortho-dontic Working Group include:

• Surveying stakeholders outside of the ADA SCDI regardingUse Cases for the orthodontic electronic patient record

• Initiating a standard for 3D study models• Planning an archiving project to preserve historically

important collections of cephalogramsIt has come time for the Council to do an in-depth strategic plan for

the AAO’s future technology needs. The council has done muchto implement the current website and other technology platformsthroughout the Association, but with members’ and theAssociation’s needs changing, it is necessary to update theTechnology Action Plan which was last revised in 2002.

COIT works under the principle that “technology should be viewedas an investment in our association’s future and as insurance forour continued prosperity.” n

Council on InsuranceDr. Luis A. Toro l [email protected]

On Sunday May 18th at the AAO AnnualSession, the AAO Insurance Company(AAOIC) and the AAO Council on Insurancepresented a mock malpractice trial withoutusing a script or rehearsal. Denver defenseattorney, Steven Michalek, directed the program

and acted as the defense attorney. His partner, Paul Scott, served asthe plaintiff’s attorney, and a female associate was the plaintiff. Dr.Terry Pracht (AAO Past President) was the defendant, and JudgeDennis Graham served as the trial Judge. Two Denver areaorthodontists were expert witnesses, and the entire audience servedas jury. The only preparation for this event consisted of meetingsand interviews between lawyers, clients, and expert witnesses.Directives from the judge were spontaneous. The “actors” allhandled their roles well and the final result was a program that notonly entertained, but taught some excellent lessons.

The case was planned to be favorable to the plaintiff. Theorthodontist’s records were inadequate, he failed to obtain approvalfrom a periodontist before beginning treatment, he failed to have thepatient sign an informed consent document, and his communicationskills were lacking. All of these deficiencies were evident intestimony. Other issues were allegations of Consumer Protection Actviolations, and liability exposure from an inadequate review of a conebeam scan. The examinations and crosses were realistic andoccasionally harsh. The plaintiff’s attorney attacked the doctor and hisexpert witness like a pit bull, and the audience had a first-hand viewof the discomfort orthodontists feel when confronted with malpractice

claims. This trial was an excellent vehicle with which to encouragedoctors to make some changes to protect themselves.

The entire 2008 Doctor’s Risk Management Program wasrecorded, and the DVD will be ready by the end of summer or earlyfall. All AAOIC insured members are required to take at least one riskmanagement course per year in order to qualify for the premiumdiscount. Access to the program is either thru attendance at the annualsession programs, or purchase of the DVD and return of the completedexamination. The Risk Management Program DVD’s are not includedin any Distance Learning classes (a quality control issue).

All AAO insurance plans are undergoing a comprehensive audit,which is expected to finish sometime early fall 2008. So far, the resultsof the audit are very encouraging and the expected improvements willbe profound. Communication with New York Life Insurance Company(NYLIC) has been excellent, and the future ability of our insuranceproducts to deliver as promised will only get better. At the end of theaudit we expect that a new contract will be drafted between NYLICand the AAO.

If you are interested in applying for any of the AAO Insuranceproducts please contact the AAO Insurance Office at 1-800-622-0344or fax them at 1-800-527-8930.• Long Term Disability Income Plan• Member Health Insurance Plans• Term Life Insurance Plans• Professional Overhead Expense Plan• Professional Liability Insurance• Business Office Package (BOP)• Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI)

For any other questions, please email me at: [email protected] orcall me at 787-860-7943. n

The Council on Membership, Ethics & Judicial Concerns has focusedits efforts on a number of issues this past year:• The decline in the number of active members for the first time may be

an indication of a change for the future. Issues concerning the impactof dues and assessments on membership include evaluating flexiblepayment options, as well as the issue of waivers of due/assessments asit affects all classes of membership.

• A major issue is the levels of membership in the AAO. Onerecurrent and important issue is the review of the relationshipbetween the membership requirements in the AAO constituentswith membership requirements in the AAO components.

• Efforts are being made to continually evaluate the categories ofmembership to make them relevant to today.

• The ADA membership requirements may have a significant impacton younger members; therefore, this an issue addressed jointly with

CONYM. The ADA dues requirement may deter a student memberfrom becoming an active member. In addition, currently practicingorthodontists may be reluctant to join the ADA, and therefore, are notable to join the AAO.

• Informing residents of the advantages and benefits of belonging tothe AAO is crucial to promoting membership. COMEJC understandsthe importance of providing the residents with materials andpresentations that are current and relevant, and feel this is a projectconducive to working with CONYM and/or COC.

• There has been a steady decline of international membership since2005. COMEJC has been addressing this category of membershipand needs to continue to do so in order to maintain our position asthe preeminent orthodontic association in the world.

• Once again, it is recommended that all AAO members review theAAO’s Principles of Ethics and Code of Professional Conduct (theCode). All members should familiarize themselves with the Code,which in turn, helps to reduce the significant time commitment andefforts involved in the ethical investigation/hearings. n

Council on Membership, Ethics & Judicial ConcernsDr. M. Marie Dang, Interim representative l [email protected]

AAO BUSINESS


Council on EducationDr. Robert E. Binder, [email protected]

The Council on Orthodontic Education heldits most recent face-to-face meeting onSunday March 30, 2008 in conjunction withthe American Dental Education Associationmeeting in Dallas Texas. The COE alsosponsored its annual educator’s conference at

the AAO Meeting in Denver. This report is a summary of thesetwo meetings. 2008 T.M. Graber Education Leadership Conference

Educational mentoring was the theme for the 2008 T.M.Graber Education Leadership Conference featuring Dr. RobinHarvan from the University of Colorado Health EducationCenter. The program opened with a tribute to Dr. T.M. Graber byDr. Lee Graber, followed by presentation by the AAOF and theABO. Dr. Harvan spoke exclusively on mentoring and ledinteractive group exercises. The afternoon concluded with aCODA Open Hearing and a reception.2009 Bob Isaacson Education Leadership Conference

Next years Educator’s Conference, to be held at the AAO inBoston, will honor Dr, Robert Issacson. The suggested conferencetopic is funding orthodontic graduate education, current status andfuture forecast. Dr. Issacson will be invited as the featured speaker. Craniofacial Anomalies and Special Care CODA Application

Dr. Catherine Horan of CODA participated in a review of theapplication and discussed revisions with the council. Educators Exit and Entrance Surveys

Drs. Rossouw, Hall, and English agreed the exit responses ofthose leaving faculty positions indicate funding concerns. This is tobe an ongoing study, and repeated again in 2009. Surveys were sentvia email. Dr. Rossouw indicated that people exited for a variety ofreasons, and that some reasons, including illness; do not indicate alack of job satisfaction. The Council would like to follow up withthose that did not participate. Dr. Rossouw will provide a briefsummary of the results, including response rates, at the MayEducation Leadership Conference. Orthodontic Faculty Career Bank

A web site is in development by AAO staff and is pendingBOT review. CODA Report

Drs. English and Briss reported that there is a recommendationto add another orthodontist to the review committee. New terms:Evidence-based Orthodontics (EBO): The integration of the bestresearch evidence with clinician expertise and patient values. • Best research evidence refers to relevant research from basic and

applied sciences including clinical, in vivo animal, or in vitrolaboratory trials.

• Clinician expertise refers to the clinical skills and past experiencethat allows efficient and accurate assessment of the risks andbenefits of potential interventions.

• Patient values refer to the unique preferences, concerns andexpectations of each patient, which must be integrated intoclinical decisions.

PROGRAM DIRECTOR AND TEACHING STAFF 2-1 The program must be directed by a single responsible individual.

Besides maintaining clinical skills, the director must haveteaching experience in orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics, fora minimum of five (5) years in an academic orthodonticdepartmental setting, after January 1, 2009.

FACILITIES AND RESOURCES 3-1 Adequate space must be designated specifically for the

advanced specialty education program in orthodontics anddentofacial orthopedics, including a minimum of one (1) chair perstudent/resident.

3-9 Digital radiography equipment must be available within thefacility and readily accessible to the orthodontic clinic so that highquality panoramic and cephalometric images can be provided topatients. Cone-beam computed tomography images of the dentition,face and temporomandibular joints are acceptable if the equipmentis readily available.

CURRICULUM AND PROGRAM DURATION Orthodontic treatment must be evidence-based.

Craniofacial Anomalies and Special care FellowshipsCOE recommend the BOT consider directly funding three

Craniofacial Anomalies and Special Care Fellowships a year atappropriate accredited institutions offering extensive CFA&SCservices. The salary and benefits will be equivalent to a seniororthodontics hospital-based resident at the GME Fellow level.

NEW BUSINESSMajor actions on the Joint Commission on National Dental

Examinations will take effect in 2010.Selected actions of concern include:

1. The approval of reporting National Board examinationperformance as simply pass/fail effective in 2010, excepting thatmore detailed information will be provided to failing candidates.

2. The approval of a change in eligibility requirements such thatcandidates who pass the National Board examinations cannotretake the examination unless requested or required by alicensing jurisdiction.

3. Suggested that the appropriate agency or organization develop analternative testing instrument for use in the admission process foradvanced dental education programs.

Match and PASSThere are 11 U.S. programs that do not participate in the Match

including: Wilford Hall which is a military program. The programsare Loma Linda, Arizona, Colorado, UCLA, Jacksonville, BostonUniversity, UNLV, Maimonides Medical Center, and Puerto Rico.

Orthodontic graduate programs that do not participate in PASS:Loma Linda, Washington Hospital Center, Medical College ofVirginia, University of Iowa, Louisiana State University, HarvardSchool of Dental Medicine (may have recently joined), Universityof Minnesota, University of Missouri-Kansas City, St. LouisUniversity, Columbia University, Montefoire Medical Center,University of Rochester, University of Oklahoma, Albert EinsteinUniversity, University of Tennessee, Vanderbilt University MedicalCenter, Baylor College of Dentistry, Wilford Hall Medical Center,and Marquette University.

A list of Suggestions for PASS Application Changes wasdistributed and discussed, and it was recommended that thesuggestions be included in a letter to PASS.

Staff members were asked to investigate how the medicalMATCH is enforced and what percentage of programs participate.

AAO BUSINESS


Full-time Faculty Teaching FellowshipsThis is a multi-year award that requires several activities

including four education courses from among six content areas:meeting monthly with a mentor, conducting a research project,teaching in small group settings, etc. Fellowships are for two -five years of experience for a comparable pay back period and a15% penalty for early withdrawal. The sub-committee sought tomake awards to those perceived to have the greatest potential forsuccess and who were at the level of assistant professor or lower.Twelve awards were recommended for faculty members for eithertwo or three years for individuals representing 12 orthodonticgraduate programs.Strategic Plan

The COE has requested that the BOT form a Task Force to lookat ways to help orthodontic graduate students deal with financialdebt incurred during their training program. Distance Learning Reviewers

The second phase of the distance learning project needsvolunteer practicing orthodontics to view three lectures, electronicinteractive sessions, read articles and provide follow-up. Dr. Proffithas requested COE to suggest 3 practicing orthodontists from areasoutside of North Carolina prior to the AAO Annual Session. Sendrecommendations to Dr. Proffit at [email protected] Meeting

The next COE meeting is Saturday, November 1, 2008, inconjunction with the ABO Symposium in St. Louis. n

Council on Orthodontic Health CareDr. Gary Wiser, [email protected]

The AAO’s endorsement of the Virginia BrownCommunity Orthodontic Partnership SmilesChange Lives (SCL) Program continues. As theresult of COHC’s review of program financialstatements, the program has made several keysuggested operational business changes.

COHC received BOT approval for AAO representatives toattend the American Association of Dental Consultants (AADC)Spring Workshop which was held in Scottsdale, AZ on May 8-10,2008 and host a pre-conference roundtable discussion andreception with payers.

The Dental Benefits Member Advisory Hotline continues to besponsored by COHC. Hotline callers are assisted with third partyreimbursement issues, limited practice management issues, andCDT coding questions. The council has continued to work jointlywith the ADA, utilizing the ADA Insurance Payer Complaint form.The Council has developed and implemented an AAO version of acomplaint form that allows the AAO to log member complaintsagainst payers. In addition to AAO use, the form will be submittedto the ADA for action as well. Both the AAO and ADA versions ofthe form are used for reporting payer problems to any otherappropriate entities and as talking points during face-to-facediscussions with payers.

The Council identified that the majority of Hotline calls relateto coding issues. Orthodontic staff members repeatedly expressthe desire for code related educational opportunities. The

Council, in conjunction with COOP, presented AAO first webinarentitled Navigating the World of Insurance Coding on March 27and April 1, 2008.

The Council will continue to identify viable opportunities forAAO members to actively participate in quality access to careinitiatives and will work to spotlight access to care efforts alreadybeing undertaken by AAO members to serve as examples for ourAAO members. A comprehensive guide outlining access to careopportunities has been prepared, is undergoing minor revisionsand will be presented to the AAO BOT for approval and websitedistribution.

The council has submitted a request to the AAO FoundationPlanning and Awards Review Committee (PARC) that a Call forProposal (CFP) be issued to address suggested access to caresolutions in conjunction with their Biomedical Research Award.

COHC is working to identify ways to better quantify andmeasure the amounts and types of pro bono work being done byAAO members.

COHC representatives will be working within the AAO to helpaddress orthodontic lifetime maximum benefits issues, denial ofpayments from secondary insurers (coordination of benefits), Payfor Performance, electronic filing of patient’s records and to revisethe Clinical Practice Guidelines published by AAO.

COHC met July 19, 2008 in steamy St. Louis at AAOheadquarters. The agenda has been quite full as you can see. Thenext meeting is scheduled for January 10, 2009. Please contact mewith your comments, suggestions, or concerns @ (609) 259 - 8850or send an email to [email protected]. n

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AAO BUSINESS


Council on Scientific AffairsDr. Hyun-Duck Nah, [email protected]

The Council on Scientific Affairs (COSA) metvia videoconference on January 4, 2008 anddetermined the following AAO Research Awards:

Milo Hellman Research Award to Dr.Carmen Briceno from Baylor College ofDentistry for research titled Healing of the

Root and Surrounding Structures Following Intentional Damagewith a Miniscrew Implant.

Harry Sicher Research Award to Dr. Basma Fallah-Yamout fromUniversity of the Pacific for research titled Polymorphisms of theMTHFR Gene in Mothers of Children Affected with Cleft Lip and Palate.

Thomas M. Graber Award of Special Merit to Dr. Zehra Pradhanfrom the University of Connecticut for research titled CytokineRegulation of Osteoclast Formation in a Murine Macrophage CellLine and to Dr. Zachary Mellion from Saint Louis University forresearch titled The Pattern of Facial Skeletal Growth and ItsRelationship to Various Common Indices of Maturation.

For the 2008 Annual meeting in Denver, Colorado, COSA

accepted 28 Oral Research applications, 170 Posterboardapplications and 25 Table Clinic applications to be presented at the2008 AAO Annual Session. New at Annual Session this year wasElectronic Posters (E-Posters).

COSA continues to be involved with evidence based orthodonticresearch. Article citations are being added to the evidence basedorthodontic research web site every month. The web site is found onthe aaomembers.org web site.

In 2008, COSA will publish in the AJODO a summary statementof evidence-based research on Long term Stability of MaxillaryExpansion. Dr. Steve Marshall, University of Iowa, took the lead onthe article with COSA members adding input to the article.

COSA has been adding article citations to the Bisphosphonatewebsite. Article citations focus on clinical studies, systematicreviews and evidence-based guidelines. The web site is found on theaaomembers.org web site.

COSA reviewed the AAO Strategic Plan concentrating onsections that are COSA’s responsibility. This input was sent to theExecutive Director’s office. COSA also reviewed the work thatCOOP has done on the House of Delegates Environmentally-SoundRecommendation (49-07H). n

AAOFDR. ANTHONY [email protected]

2008 Awards: The Directors approved anaggregate of $585,000, with the funding to befor Center Award/Planning Grant OrthodonticCollections and support of Junior Faculty

through Post-Doctoral Fellowship Awards, Orthodontic FacultyDevelopment Fellowship Awards, and Biomedical ResearchAwards. The total amount also includes a restricted gift from theAAO for Orthodontic Faculty Development Fellowship Awards.

The deadline for 2008 Awards has come and gone, and theFoundation received 35 proposals, requesting a total of $1.4 million.The process calls for these proposals to be reviewed by the membersof the Foundation’s Planning and Awards Review Committee(PARC), and their recommendations to be considered by theDirectors at our meeting in early March, with announcements tofollow shortly thereafter. Of the proposals submitted, the Directorsapproved one Post-doctoral Fellowship Award (PDFA), 18Orthodontic Faculty Development Fellowship Awards (OFDFA),three Biomedical Research Awards (BRA), and one CenterAward/Planning Grant: Collections (CA/PGC). In MASO, AntonioSecchi of the University of Pennsylvania was granted an OFDFA.2009 Awards: The AAOF BOD approved an aggregate of $450,000,which includes support for junior faculty through Post-doctoralFellowship Awards, Orthodontic Faculty Development FellowshipAwards, and Biomedical Research Awards, as well as continuedfunding for the Collections project and a special Call for Proposals fora study on Access to Care issues. Awards Materials for 2009 are nowavailable on the Foundation’s web site (www.aaofoundation.net), andthe proposal deadline is Monday, December 15, 2008 at 5:30 p.m. CST.

Since 1994, the AAO Foundation Awards Program hascontributed to orthodontic education and research as follows:• $6.9 million in funding, primarily in support of Junior Faculty, including:

- 123 Fellowship Awards- 144 Research Awards- Over 1,000 Gifts in Support of orthodontic residencies.

• At the 67 graduate orthodontic residency programs in the US and Canada,there are 15 Department Chairs and/or Program Directors who have beendirectly supported by the AAOF early in their academic careers.

• 80% of Junior Faculty supported by the AAOF remain in full-timeacademics after five years.

• On the AAOF web site, there are Final Reports from more than200 peer-reviewed, funded proposals.

Endowment Campaign: As of July 1, 2008, the AAOF EndowmentCampaign, A CASE FOR THE FUTURE, realized $31.6 millionin pledges, of which $22.1 million has already been redeemed. Thecampaign has seen numerous pledges from Constituent andComponent Societies, AAOF Corporate Partners, Friends of theSpecialty (including AAO and constituent society staff), but the vastmajority of all funds pledged have come from AAO members.

The focus of the campaign is three-fold, i.e., Participation,Regents, and Planned Giving. • Participation - one-third of all AAO members have pledged A

CASE FOR THE FUTURE, i.e., the amount of a full treatmentcase, usually redeemed over three to five years. This includesalmost 1,000 members of the Foundation’s Vanguard Society, i.e.,those individuals who pledge while orthodontic residents.

• Regents - AAOF Regents are those persons who pledge a minimum of$25,000 over as much as ten years, i.e., the equivalent of about a full-treatment case every other year. While representing only eight percentof all pledges, the 501 AAOF Regents account for more than 40 per-cent of all dollars pledged, and these individuals, perhaps especially,demonstrate a continued commitment to the success of the specialty.

• Planned Giving - AAO members are asked to consider includingorthodontics in general and the AAO Foundation in particular in theirestate plans. Those individuals who inform the Foundation that theyhave made this commitment are considered members of the AAOFKeystone Society, of which there are currently 219 persons.

Professional Courtesy/Grateful Patient: Many AAO members findthat they can redeem their pledges by means of a GratefulPatient/Professional Courtesy donation made in their honor perhapsby someone to whom they have extended professional courtesy,e.g., a referring dentist or a family friend. In this scenario,orthodontic treatment is offered in the usual fashion, and the check,which is made payable to the AAO Foundation by the grateful

AAO BUSINESS


AAOSIDR. GARY WISER, [email protected]

AAOSI has been very involved with interviewing, selecting, andrequesting that the AAO Board of Trustees endorse two excellentorthodontic staff training programs. The initial endorsement was forAOA, the Academy of Orthodontic Assisting, founded and owned byDr. Douglas Depew of Atlanta, Georgia. Many AAO members havealready enlisted the programs of AOA to train their staff with out-standing results. We have received a very satisfactory revenue flowto date from this relationship that is passed on tax free to the AAO.

Very recently we have obtained endorsement by the AAO Boardof Trustees for a second outstanding staff training program, theInternational Training Institute (ITI), founded and owned by Dr.Rebecca Poling of Anchorage, Alaska. The Directors of AAOSI arelooking forward to an equally rewarding relationship with ITI as themembers of the AAO become oriented to ITI’s ability to train ourstaff at very high levels.

Our current work in progress is to draft a workable business planthat creates a voluntary certification program for orthodonticassistants. The key word is voluntary, but the Directors believe acertification program will have very beneficial future merits.

An AAOSI conference call to discuss these issues was scheduledfor Friday, August 8th. If any MASO members want to contact me,please call (609) 259 -8850 or email @ [email protected]. n

ABODR. PETER M. [email protected]

The American Board of Orthodontics haswelcomed over 3100 new diplomates via theGateway offer. As a result, approximately 52% ofall AAO orthodontists are diplomates of the ABO.

In its 79 years of existence, the ABO has not exceeded 28% of AAOorthodontists and has averaged approximately 24%. All GatewayDiplomates must present six cases (comprising the First Recerti-fication Examination) within five years to maintain Diplomate status.

The ABO encourages these diplomates to take the FirstRecertification Examination as soon as possible. It is important tonote that prompt completion of this examination will not reduce theterm of a diplomate’s certification. There were 26 orthodontists whopassed the First Recertification Examination in February.

If an educationally qualified orthodontist passes the writtenexamination but does not take the Initial Certification Examination (ICE)at the completion of his/her orthodontic residency, he/she may take theclinical examination at any of the February examination sessions. Theexam is referred to as the Beginning Certification Examination andinvolves the same criteria as the First Recertification Examination.

Please consult the ABO web site at www.americanboardortho.comfor further details. n

patient, is sent to the AAOF. (The orthodontists and the gratefulpatient should discuss the tax aspects of this form of payment withtheir financial advisors.) For more information, go to the AAOFWeb Site (www.aaofoundation.net) and link to “EndowmentCampaign” and then to “Grateful Patient/Professional Courtesy”. Research & Marketing Plan: In early 2007, the AAOF Directors andan equal number of non-Directors met for the purposes of revising thefundraising portion of the Foundation’s overall Strategic Long RangePlan (SLRP). One of the outcomes of this process was the call for thecreation of a new Research and Marketing Plan that would ultimatelylead to re-focusing/re-branding the current campaign, A CASE FORTHE FUTURE. The Board is scheduled to receive a preliminaryreport on this at our meeting in July, with full implementationexpected by this fall’s round of Constituent Society meetings. Donor Advised Fund: The Board has taken steps to create a donoradvised fund to primarily benefit the specialty of orthodontics andthe profession of dentistry, similar in design and function to acommunity foundation, i.e., this planned giving alternative allows adonor to take an immediate charitable deduction for the amount ofthe funds provided for the establishment of such a fund and yet overtime has some considerable say in which direction the actualdistributions are made. A brief presentation on this new offering wasdelivered at the Foundation Breakfast at the AAO Annual Session inDenver Annual Session, and more information will be available atthe joint GLAO/ MASO meeting in Puerto Rico this fall. AAO Foundation Benefit Golf Tournament: The 2009 AAO FoundationBenefit Golf Tournament Register is scheduled for The International,near Boston, on Friday, May 1st. Look for information on this eventto be on the AAOF web site (www.aaofoundation.net) soon.

If you should have any questions, please call Robert Hazel,AAOF EVP, at 800-424-2841, #ext. 546, or me at your convenience.The Good and BAD NewsAs of June 1st the AAOF has realized $31.6 million in pledges ofwhich $22.1 million has been redeemed. From endowment earnings

the Foundation has funded $ 6.9 million in awards. The Foundationcontinues to support education and research while focusing onsupporting our junior faculty since they will be the ones whoguarantee the future of our profession.

Of the eight constituent societies, the Southwest is number onein support for the Foundation. MASO lags back in the 7th position.The Southwestern constituent has 1,055 members; to date 491 or47% have contributed to the Foundation. The Middle AtlanticSociety with 1,120 has 290 members or 26% who have pledged.The Southwestern has 124 Regents, the Middle Atlantic 49.

Why is it that so many MASO orthodontists have not stepped upto ensure the future of our specialty? We are the only ones who canguarantee that orthodontics will remain strong in the future.Without the support of all of us our specialty will wither over time.

We cannot depend on Washington or for that matter any governmentagency to support our educational system. If you have not pledged toyour Foundation, please do so by contacting Mr. Robert Hazel at 800-424-2841. The gift of one case ($5,000) to be paid over a 3-5 period wasnot too much to ask of any practicing orthodontist. Please join those ofyour colleagues who have made a commitment to our profession’s future.

J. Anthony Quinn (MASO/PA will complete his second and finalfour-year term as a member of the AAO Foundation Board ofDirectors upon the adjournment of the 2009 AAO Annual Session inBoston. Dr. Quinn has been generous with his time and energies andhas been a dedicated advocate for the activities of the AAOFoundation throughout his tenure on our board. Of the thousands ofAAO members who have pledged A CASE FOR THE FUTURE tothe AAO Foundation Endowment Campaign, he is one of only 40who has pledged at the Fellow ($50,000) level and one of only 217members of the Foundation’s Keystone Society, composed of thosepersons who have made a commitment to include the Foundation intheir estate plans. He served as President of the Board of Directors in2003-2004 and currently serves on the Foundation’s ExecutiveCommittee as Chair of the Finance and Investment Committee. n

AAO BUSINESS

SOME GOOD NEWS

There will be no increase in MASO dues for 2008-09! Current rates are as follows:

ACTIVE (FULL) ................................................$165.00

ACTIVE (2nd year out of school).......................$25.00

ACTIVE (3rd year out of school) .......................$50.00

ACTIVE (LIFE)....................................................$80.00

ACTIVE (ACADEMIC - SENIOR).........................$80.00

ACTIVE (ACADEMIC - JUNIOR).........................$40.00

AFFILIATE ........................................................$165.00

FOREIGN-TRAINED ACADEMIC.......................$165.00

SERVICE...................................................................$0

Nominating CommitteeReportDR. MARIO POLOEmail: [email protected] l Office: 787.754.7658

Nominating Slate 2008

Elections will be held at the Annual Session during the GeneralMembership meeting. (Term year: Annual Session to Annual Session)

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEEPresident:Dr. Robert Binder (NJ) ................................................................2008-09

President Elect:Dr. Constance Greeley (DE) (Nominee) .........................................2008-09

Secretary:Dr. Luis Toro, Jr. (PR) (Nominee - 2nd term) ....................................2008-10

Treasurer:Dr. Steven Siegel (MD) (Nominee) ................................................2008-10

Trustee:Dr. Nahid Maleki (DC) .................................................................2008-10

Immediate Past President:Dr. Robert Seebold (PA)..............................................................2008-09

DIRECTORSSix directors serve 2-year terms. A Director may not serve more than three (3)

consecutive terms

1. Dr. Natalie M. Parisi (PA) ........................................................2007-09Dr. Parisi completed the final year of Dr. Bhavna Schroff’s term in 2002. She is now

completing the first year of her third 2-year term.

2. Dr. Larry Wang (MD) ..............................................................2007-09Dr. Wang is completing the first year of his second 2-year term.

3. Dr. Ali Husain (DE) (Nominee) ..................................................2008-10Dr. Husain has completed the final year of Dr. Toro’s first two year term. He is now

beginning his first 2-year term.

4. Dr. Stephanie Steckel (DE) (Nominee - 2nd term) ..............................2008-10Dr. Steckel is completing the second year of her first 2-year term.

5. Dr. Doug Harte (NJ) ................................................................2007-09Dr. Harte is completing the first year of his first 2-year term.

6. Dr. Jean Asmar (DC) (Nominee) ................................................2008-10


MASO BUSINESSDELEGATES

Seven (7) delegates are elected to the AAO for a two-year term; no more than three (3)consecutive terms may be served; past delegates are required to wait four (4) years

before being re-nominated.

1. Dr. Jamie DeJesus (PR) (Nominee - 2nd term).............................2008-10Dr. DeJesus is completing the second year of his second 2-year term.

2. Dr. Tanya Stavisky (NJ) ..........................................................2007-09Dr. Stavisky is completing the first year of her first 2-year term.

3. Dr. Mario Polo (PR (Nominee) ..................................................2008-104. Dr. Robert T. Scott (MD) (Nominee) .........................................2008-105. Dr. George Scott (NJ) (Nominee) ..............................................2008-106. Dr. David Paolini (PA) (Nominee) ..............................................2008-107. Dr. Mark Rarrick (PA) (Nominee) ..............................................2008-10

ALTERNATE DELEGATESThree (3) alternate delegates are elected to serve one year terms; there is no limit on

the number of terms one may serve; the MASO President serves as the First Alternate ifnot currently seated as a Delegate.

1. Dr. Robert Binder (NJ)..................................................................................2008-092. Dr. Kristin Albright Thiry (PA) (Nominee) ..................................2008-093. Dr. Lawrence Siegel (PA) (Nominee)..........................................2008-09

COMMITTEESCommunications/Publications

Consists of the MASO Editor and three (3) at-large members elected for a two-year term.

1. Dr. Robert Williams (MD) Chair/Editor....................................2008-102. Dr. Tarun Saini (MD) (Nominee - 2nd term) ..................................2008-103. Dr. Mary Elizabeth Morrone (NJ) (Nominee)..............................2008-104. Dr. Akash Pandya (MD) (Nominee) ............................................2008-10

Education/ResearchConsists of three (3) members elected for a 3-year term.

1. Dr. Jazmin Oliva (PR)........................................................................2006-092. Dr. George (Rusty) Bullock (PA).......................................................2007-103. Dr. Robert Penna (DE) (Nominee) ......................................................2008-11

Government AffairsConsists of six (6) members, two to be elected each year, for a 3-year term.

1. Dr. Edwin Alvarez (PR)............................................................2006-092. Dr. Steve Siegel (MD) ............................................................2007-103. Dr. Philip Tighe, Jr. (PA) (Nominee) ...........................................2007-10

(to complete term of Dr. Jean Asmar (DC))

4. Dr. Edgardo Olivencia (PR) (Nominee) .....................................2008-115. Dr. Maxine Clark (MD) (Nominee).............................................2008-116. Dr. Darrell Clark (MD) (Nominee) .............................................2008-11

Membership/Ethics/Practice/TransitionConsists of five (5) members elected to a five-year term

1. Dr. Sal Carcara (NJ) (replaced Dr. Doug Harte (NJ))......................2004-092. Dr. Roberto Hernandez (PR) ..................................................2005-103. Dr. Mark Rarrick (PA) (Nominee) (replaced Dr. Marie Dang (NJ)) ....2005-114. Dr. Chris Liang (MD)..............................................................2007-125. Dr. Mike Poleck (DE) (Nominee) ...............................................2008-13

Nominating CommitteeConsists of eight (8) members: The Immediate Past-President, the prior immediate pastpresident, and six members, one from each MASO component. The President of eachMASO component, or a designee, is given preference for this position. The senior Past

President is Chairperson of the Committee. Each is to serve for one year..

1. Dr. George Scott (NJ), Chair.............(prior immediate Past President)2. Dr. Robert Seebold (PA) ............................(immediate Past President)3. PA President ..................................................................................TBD4. MD President .................................................................................TBD5. DE President ..................................................................................TBD6. DC President..................................................................................TBD7. NJ President ..................................................................................TBD8. PR President..................................................................................TBD

Pennsylvania Association of OrthodontistsDr. Matt Stacy, President, Email: [email protected]

The 2008-2009 PAO Board of Directors was elected June 15th at the41st annual meeting at the Atlantic Sands Hotel and ConferenceCenter in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. The 2009 Annual meeting willbe held April 2 - 5, 2009 at the Jupiter Beach Resort and Spa inJupiter, Florida. Located just 25 minutes from West Palm Beachairport, this area offers warm temps and beautiful beaches, golf,tennis, fishing, great shopping and more. 3M Unitek, Masel andPractice Works will sponsor 3 days of scientific lectures and hands onsessions. More information to follow, or visit, www.pao-ortho.org. n


COMPONENT NEWSDelaware State Orthodontic SocietyDr. Stephanie Steckel, PresidentEmail: [email protected]: 302.672.7776

The Delaware State Orthodontic Society By-Laws are in the process of being updated tobetter reflect the present functions of the society.We are preparing a new state website which willinclude a search directory and other informa-

tional features to support our members and prospective orthodonticpatients. Support will be requested from MASO for this long-termpromotional effort. The members are encouraged to record their pro-bono care and manage their CE credits at the AAO website. n

New Jersey Association of OrthodontistsDr. Robert Loeb, President, Email: [email protected]

This coming year promises to bring some interesting changes tothe NJAO. We are working on a revision of our Bylaws to reflect thecurrent needs of our membership. We are also investigating a newand interactive website, one which will include a directory andbulletin board for member participation, and become a vehicle for thedissemination of information to the public. Our treasury has beenreorganized and the surplus of funds has allowed a significantreduction in the fees charged for our continuing education programs.

This year’s CE programs will feature three outstandingpresentations. Dr. Mark Yanosky will discuss the use of “Soft TissueLasers in Orthodontic Practice”. Dr. David Ostreicher will present alecture on “ Invisalign Mechanics”. Finally, our annual session fordoctors and their staff will be a full day program to “ Create AnUltimate Staff Driven Practice”, with Mr. Michael Massotto. n

District of Columbia Society ofOrthodontistsDr. Ashur Chavoor, PresidentPhone: 703.538.7030

Our next meeting will be held prior to MASO’s55th Annual Session in Puerto Rico. The exactlocation and time will be announced. n

Maryland State Society of OrthodontistsDr. Barbara Halpern, President Email: [email protected] - Phone: 410.997.0707

No report for this issue. n

Puerto Rico Society of OrthodontistsDr. Ruben Colón-Badillo, President Email: [email protected]: 787.765.0704

After a recess from the Holidays, our firstactivity of the year was a fine lecture by Dr. BillThomas on self-ligating appliances. On April 19we received Charlene White for a great day oflectures: in the morning our staff and doctors

were together for a “Team Power” presentation. The afternoonsession was specifically for doctors. Both lectures were very wellattended by doctors as well as by our office staff. Finally in October10-13 we can’t wait to welcome everybody to the 2008GLAO/MASO Joint Annual Session here in Puerto Rico. n

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If you have questionsor can not register online

please call 866-748-6276.


GRADUATE PROGRAM REPORTS

an AAO grant that was offered nationwide to all orthodontic programsas an incentive to aid and assist individuals to commit to a full-timecareer in academics. Dr. Schader received his D.D.S. degree fromTemple University School of Dentistry in 1981. He completed histhree-year specialty training at the University of Florida in 2001 re-ceiving a Masters of Science degree. While in his graduate program, heserved as Chief Resident. Dr. Schader is a Diplomate of the AmericanBoard of Orthodontics. Between the years he graduated dental schooluntil he entered the graduate orthodontic program at the University ofFlorida, he practiced general dentistry in center city Philadelphia.

Appreciation Extended to Dr. Gul LalwaniDr. Gul Lalwani recently decided to discontinue his active

clinical teaching commitment for personal and professional reasons.He has been a highly dedicated, devoted and well-respected memberof the faculty. He joined the faculty over 30 years ago and regularlycontributed to the success of our resident education processes. HisThursday afternoon sessions were eagerly awaited by residents.Gul’s contributions at our Wednesday morning case conferencesalways were succinct and with resident benefit in mind. The programprevailed upon him to offer a sampling of his American Board ofOrthodontic cases for use in the second and third year Mock Boardexams as “unknowns”. Gul continues to be a member of the EinsteinMedical Staff. We at Einstein thank Dr. Gul Lalwani for all he hasdone to benefit resident education. n

Resident ActivitiesOn June 19th, we celebrated the graduation of

the class of 2008, Drs. Jacob Chartier, AudraKiefer and Cary Leizer. They performedadmirably during the past three years and we areespecially proud of their accomplishments. The

research findings of the three residents were presented viaposterboards at the AAO Annual meeting in Denver. They alsosubmitted their research papers to the faculty in the spring. Jacob andAudra were involved in research projects mentored by facultymember, Dr. Rusty Long. Jacob’s research project was, “Compar-ison of Treatment Outcomes for Patients with Unilateral Cleft Lip andPalate from the Same Center: An Internal Audit of Surgical Resultsvia Cephalometric Analysis.” Audra’s project was, “Comparison ofTreatment Outcomes for Patients with Cleft Lip and Palate from theSame Center: An Internal Audit of Bone Graft Results.” Cary’s projectwas “Efficacy of a Filled Resin Sealant in the Prevention ofDecalcification during Orthodontic Treatment, an In Vivo Study”.

Dr. Randolph Schader Now Full-timeI am pleased to announce that at the end of May, Dr. Randolph

(Randy) Schader became academic full-time (4 days per week). Sincejoining the department two years ago as a half-time Associate ProgramDirector, Randy has shown an ever-increasing desire to transition tofull-time teaching. This recent change was partially made possible by

Albert Einstein Medical Center (AEMC), Orthodontic Residency ProgramDr. Alan J. Borislow, Chairman and Program Director l [email protected]

Once again the New Jersey Dental School,Department of Orthodontics has had a fruitfulyear. Our continuing success is a result of amagical brew of excellent students, outstandingdedicated faculty and a great staff.Awards: Each year, the graduating class chooses

one faculty member who has impacted them most significantly andto whom they wish to recognize for their dedication.

Drs. Robert Montemurno and Frank Bogdan were awarded the“Master Educator in Orthodontics” by the class of 2008. These educatorsproudly join the previous winners: Dr. Issac Post (2007), Dr. JeffCooper (2006), Dr. George Langer (2005), and Dr. Rene Johe (2004).Class of 2011: Our four new postgraduate students hail from fourdifferent locales. Svetlana Lekht is a NJDS graduate and has beenin a GPR for the past year. The other three were be recent dentalschool graduates; Lori Watkins from UCLA, Rachel Rosen fromUniversity of Kentucky, and Jennifer Morrison from NYU.News and Notes

The Department of Orthodontics has created a newsletter underthe impetus of Rene Johe, the new Director of the PostgraduateProgram in Orthodontics and Deb Nuber, Department Admin-istrator. We hope to be able to use this vehicle to draw all of thosetouched by the NJDS PG Program a little closer together. Before theend of summer, the department is projected to move all of itsclinically related activity to an area where we will have access to anadditional four chairs and larger dispensary space. We may then beable to increase our incoming class size from 4 to 5.

We are planning to hold an Alumnae Reception at the AAOmeeting in Boston in the Spring and hope that as many of the NJDS

alumnae as possible will be able to attend to reminisce about thepast, brag about the present and plan for the future.Class of 2008 Research Projects

Dr. Corey Turk: “Assessment of dental appearance byorthodontists and lay people following changes in maxillary lateralincisor vertical position.”

Dr. David Caggiano: “Case Complexity and Case Distributionamong Orthodontic Residents at UMDNJ Using the ABODiscrepancy Index.”

Dr. Tania Saint-Amand: “Comparative effect of ibuprofen andacetaminophen on tooth movement and pain following orthodonticseparator placement.”

Dr. Irina Lovinescu: “The objective of this investigation is tocharacterize the deformation characteristics of superelastic andthermoelastic nickel-titanium alloys.”Class of 2008- Post graduation.

All four of our third year graduates received their certificates from thedepartment during the NJDS Convocation held on Sunday May 18, 2008and two; Drs. Lovinescu and Saint-Amand received Masters Degreesat the UMDNJ graduation held on Wednesday May 21, 2008. Three ofthe four graduates are practicing or seeking practice opportunities in NewJersey. Dr. Saint-Amand has returned to Florida, her native state.emBRACE THE FUTURE Fund

The Department of Orthodontics is continuing its efforts in fundraising in conjunction with the UMDNJ Foundation to help in theconstruction of a new 24 to 30 chair clinical facility along with all ofthe appropriate support area. Contributions for the William Joule/Harry Bull Memorial Library or for any other designation are beingactively solicited as a part of the emBRACE the Future Fund.n

University of Medicine and Dentistry New JerseyDr. Robert Binder, Chair, Department of Orthodontics l Email: [email protected]


We have had a busy year at Penn with severalvisiting lecturers and have a full schedule for thesummer as well. Dr. Lesley Will, Professor andDirector of Postdoctoral Orthodontics at Tuftspresented on “Psychological Problems in Ortho-dontic Patients” in April, Dr. Ted Freeland,

Professor of Orthodontics at Detroit Mercy presented a two-day courseon “Orthodontic Diagnosis and Straight Wire Orthodontic Mechanics”in May. Dr. Gary Weinberger from Pennsylvania presented a courseon “A 21st Century Approach in Utilizing Self-Ligation” in June.

Our 55th Annual Alumni Meeting will be held at the Universityof Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology onSeptember 26 and one of our most distinguished alumni, Dr.Kazumi Ikeda (Class of 1981) from Tokyo, will present on“Etiology and Definition of Temporomandibular Joint Disordersand Future Directions.” The day before will be our 28th AnnualClinic Day in which Dr. Kevin G. Murphy will present on“Accelerated Osteogenic Orthodontics and Guided TissueRegeneration.” Special thanks go out to Drs. J. Henry O’Hernand Peter Greco who serve as the Alumni Association’s Co-Chairs

for their continued work and dedication in acquiring suchoutstanding speakers. Alumni wishing to attend these events shouldcontact Mrs. Barbara Del Regino at 215-898-5910.

Congratulations to our Class of 2008. Dr. Kimberly ForwoodChristie, Dr. Michaela McCormick, Dr. Serban Nicolaescu, Dr.Ryan Tamburrino and Dr. Lyndon Wong, who participated in theOrthodontic graduation ceremony which was held at the Hilton Innat Penn on June 6th. Also receiving their Orthodontic certificates atthat time were Dr. Vanessa Yu and Dr. Martin Poon whocompleted the three year Orthodontic/Masters in Oral Biologyprogram and Dr. Daniel Fishel who received dual Certificates inOrthodontics and Periodontics. We are happy to report that Dr.Vanessa Yu is the recipient of the 2008 David C. HamiltonOrthodontic Research Award presented by the PennsylvaniaAssociation of Orthodontists.

Beginning in August a new Visiting Scholar, Dr. K-D Kim fromSeoul, Korea will be doing research and participating in seminarsfor one year.

Again, on behalf of the Department, we would be happy to haveyou visit with us at Penn! n

University of PennsylvaniaDr. Robert L. Vanarsdall, Professor and Chairman, Department of Orthodontics l Email: [email protected]

Our residents continue to produce good research data with thefocus on the future of the specialty. Much of the knowledge generatedin the past year is being incorporated into treatment planning andmechanics of treatment in our clinic. A portion of these findings werepublished and also presented at the AAO meeting in Denver. Thegraduate program offers education and training in sculpture, 3Dtechnology, scientific writing, patents and intellectual property,business and marketing, and many other higher-level learning experi-ences. Our focus remains on educating the residents for a practice inthe future rather than just today. We continue to be impressed with thecompetence, devotion, and cheerfulness of our current and incomingresidents. By all accounts Temple is the place to be today. n

In this 50th anniversary year the Departmentlooks forward to staying the course as afrontrunner of advancements in the specialty oforthodontics. Temple University has awardedthe contract to CIVITAS Architects ofPhiladelphia to design the new department

space. The design development phase is scheduled for completionin July or August, and following demolition, construction willbegin. We hope to occupy the new space in early 2009. As with allconstruction projects this one too, is delayed. But when finished,we hope to have achieved our design goal to be the mosttechnologically advanced orthodontic department in the nation.

Temple UniversityDr. Orhan C. Tuncay, Professor & Chairman l Email: [email protected]

Congratulations to our most recent graduates,Drs. Christine Ferrell, Brandon Martin andJason Shoe. Drs. Ferrell and Shoe will be practicingin the MASO region, while Dr. Martin is returningto California. Their Masters Research theses wereDr. Ferrell: “The Effects of Mouthrinses on the

Properties of Elastomeric Chains”, Dr. Martin: “Working TimeEvaluation of Visible Light Cure Adhesives (an in vitro study) and Dr.Shoe: “The Revised Bauru Yardstick for Bilateral Clefts: Evaluation andInitial Application for Intercenter Outcome Assessment”.

This past spring, our four second year residents, Dr. ErikHigginbottom, Dr. Daniel Hoffacker, Dr. Lisa Russell and Dr.Philip Vahab were all successful in passing the written ABOexamination. In May, all of our residents were able to travel toDenver to attend this year’s AAO Annual meeting, thanks to thegenerous support of our alumni and friends.

On June 20, 2008 the Advanced Specialty Education Program inOrthodontics and the Maryland Orthodontic Alumni and FriendsOrganization co-hosted an all-day CE event featuring Dr. RichardMcLaughlin. The event was huge success with proceeds going tothe department’s endowed chair campaign. This was our sixthannual event and plans are underway for number seven.

Long-time faculty and MASO member, Dr. Edgar Swerencontinues to chair the fund raising drive to establish an endowed chairin the Department of Orthodontics. A successful campaign will estab-lish the first endowed chair at The Baltimore College of Dental Surgery,Dental School, University of Maryland-Baltimore. We are past the half-way point in this campaign and anyone interested in contributing to thecampaign may contact Dr. Sweren at [email protected] .

On July 1st we welcomed our newest residents, the class of 2011:Dr. David Beebe (UNC), Dr. Amanda Gallagher (Temple U),Dr. Justin Jergensen (UCSF) and Dr. Julie Mikhail (Nova). n

University of MarylandDr. Stuart D. Josell, Chair, Department of Orthodontics l Email: [email protected]

GRADUATE PROGRAM REPORTS

MASO JournalMASO JournalMIDDLE ATLANTIC SOCIETYOF ORTHODONTISTSDr. Robert E. Williams, EditorMs. Anita Field, MASO Executive Director17 South High St. – Suite 200Columbus, OH 43215

October 10-13, 2008MASO/GLAO Joint Annual Session

GRAN MELIA RESORTPUERTO RICO

November 3-6, 2009MASO Annual Session

BORGATAATLANTIC CITY, NEW JERSEY

September 29-October 2, 2010MASO/GLAO Joint Annual Session

BREAKERS HOTELPALM BEACH, FLORIDA

May 1-5, 2009AAO Annual Session

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS

April 30 - May 4, 2010AAO Annual Session

WASHINGTON, DC

September 15-18, 2011MASO/GLAO Joint Annual Session

HILTON HOTELPITTSBURGH, PA

UPCOMING EVENTS

2008 annual session program clinical pearls research

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