delta-sierra dental digest - sjds dental society · delta-sierra dental digest in this issue

Delta-Sierra Dental DigestDelta-Sierra Dental Digest

In this issue ...

President’s Message

Rommel Bal, DDS, President

T h e

Delta Sierra

D i g e s t

brings an-

other infor-

m a t i v e

newsle t te r

to our mem-

b e r s h i p .

L y n d o n

Low, Kathy

White and

Colleen Lee

put in extra

effort and

love into

this via media.

By the time this newsletter is pub-

lished you will have enjoyed some of the

benefits of membership with SJDS.

The Shred event has been on our an-

nual calendar for the last few years and is

always a smashing hit with our members

who’d like to take care of their records

and other documents along with Fire ex-

tinguisher check and E-waste recycle. The

added bonus is the free lunch and a tour of

our newly remodeled condominium.

Hopefully, most of you took advantage of

this event. If not, then please mark your

calendar for the next year, tentatively for

the first weekend of May.

A great big THANK YOU to those

who donated whole heartedly toward the

long overdue condo remodel and expan-

sion efforts. The dental society now has

optimum space in the conference room to

host various meetings and CPR classes

along with ample storage space. The gen-

erous donations by our members to the

dental society are much appreciated.

The members of SJDS

time and again prove that

SJDS is small but mighty.

With combined efforts of

all the volunteer time and

monetary contributions,

we have been able to

complete this office con-

dominium expansion pro-

ject.

An enormous effort on behalf of the

SJDS is underway as we prepare for the

October 9th Golf Tournament. The funds

raised at this Tournament go towards the

Dental Health Committee’s efforts to take

care of the dental needs of the community

through various local activities, including

the CDA Cares coming in October of

2016. The details for this event are avail-

able on the website at www.sjds.org or

call the SJDS office and register early.

Maximum participation in this event is en-

couraged. Not only is it a good place to

meet and spend some quality time with

friends and colleagues, the funds collected

are utilized to care for those who can’t af-

ford their dental health needs. It’s the

thought that matters when it comes to big

and small contributions that are made by

you all. Thank you!!

SJDS - Small But Mighty

2015 ProgramsMark Your

Calendar

General Membership Meeting

Thursday, May 28, 2015Extended Program

2:00 - 9:00 PM

Wine & Roses Hotel2505 W. Turner Rd., Lodi

7 Hrs. CE (Core)


Thursday, September 24, 2015

University Plaza Hotel110 W. Fremont St., Stockton, CA

5:30-9:00 PM

2.5 Hrs. CE (Core)

Course Outline

Patient History

Clinical examination

Review of Pulpal Diagnosis

Review of Periradicular Diagnosis

Non-odontogenic etiology of pain

Richard C. Wittenauer, D.D.S. is a graduate fromthe University of Missouri, Kansas City, School ofDentistry in 1988. He practiced general dentistry for15 years in Lawrence, Kansas. He was AssistantFaculty Member – Dawson Academy, St. Peters-burg, Florida from 2000-2013. His residency in En-dodontics was at the University of Southern Califor-nia from 2003–2005. He has been in private prac-tice of Endodontics in Newport Beach, CA since2005. Dr. Wittenauer is a Diplomate of the Ameri-can Board of Endodontics since 2012.

This program will be teleconferenced

for regional members.

Richard Wittenauer, DDS, Speaker


Thursday, October 22, 2015

Hutchins Street Square125 S. Hutchins St., Lodi, CA

5:30-9:00 PM

2 Hrs. CE (20%)

Staff Appreciation Night

Continued - Page 4

This program will be teleconferenced for

regional members and their staff.


Thursday, November 19, 2015

Stockton Golf & Country Club3800 Country Club Blvd., Stockton, CA

4:00-9:00 PM

California DentalPractice Act*2 Hrs. CE (Core)

Infection Control*2 Hrs. CE (Core)

*Mandatory courses for license

renewal.

2015 Board of Directors

OFFICERS

Dr. Rommel Bal ......................... PresidentDr. Maria Stefan ............... President-ElectDr. Pankaj Patel ........................ TreasurerDr. John Reed ............................ SecretaryDr. Tom Bianchi ............... Immediate Past

President

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

CDA Trustee:Dr. John Hall

Dr. Mircea MituDr. David NealDr. Chris ParkerDr. Lita RodriquezDr. Bruce Toy

Deadline to Submit Articlesfor the Next Issue - 7/24/15

EDITORIAL BOARD -SJDS Board of Directors

EDITORIAL STAFF

Lyndon Low, DDS, EditorKathy White, Managing Editor

Colleen Lee, Executive DirectorLaura Lomba, Secretary

Delta-Sierra

Dental Digest

Published by theSan Joaquin Dental Society

7849 N. Pershing Ave.

Stockton, CA 95207

Phone (209) 951-1311FAX (209) 951-1321

Website: www.sjds.orge-mail: [email protected]

Dr. Charles FeldmanDr. Jim GrabowDr. Kate LomenDr. Jennifer LowDr. Lyndon LowDr. Michael Moreno

A Warm Welcometo Our New SJDSMembers

General MembershipMeeting

Thursday, October 22, 2015

Staff Appreciation Night

-- Continued from Page 3

Yusuke (Clark) Suzuki, DMDGeneral Dentist

Affiliate Member

2002 Graduate, Nova Southeastern

University

801 S. Ham Lane, Suite L

Lodi, CA 95242

209-334-0630

Michael Buchler, DMDGeneral Dentist

Transferring from Stanislaus Dental

Society

2004 Graduate, Oregon Health

Sciences University

1220 La Mesa St.

Escalon, CA 95320

209-838-7191

Anisha Ranchhod, DDSPediatric Dentist

Transferring from Santa Clara

Dental Society

2006 Graduate, UOP

2012 Graduate, Loma Linda

University

1361 S. Lower Sacramento Rd.,

Suite 601

Lodi, CA 95242

209-957-4386

The 2015-16 Employment Poster sets

for your office are enclosed with this

newsletter. Each member office is en-

titled to one set as a member benefit

at no charge and are neatly bound,

compliments of CDA and SJDS. As in

the past, the poster set is in a compact

calendar format designed to occupy a

OSHA/Employment

Poster Sets

minimal amount of space in your of-

fice. The poster set is complete as of

the date on the poster, 1/1/15.

Hurray for our side! U.S. News and

World Report 1 named dentistry the #1 best

job of 2015. They correctly perceived our

“marathon of training and testing.”

Pediatric specialists invest at least

two additional competitive years of time,

effort and money into our education. We

aim our expertise and skills at improving

the oral health of California’s children.

Many of us want to work as long as pos-

sible. Our brains tell us, “Go, go, go!”

But, if we’re not prudent, our bodies

could signal “No.” The above article ne-

glects to mention the heavy toll multiple

repetitive hand movements and prolonged

awkward sitting postures take on wet-

gloved dental surgeons.

So, what’s the best way to care for

our physical health? The Earl of Darby

(1799-1869) inspires us to keep active

with, “Those who do not find time for ex-

ercise, sooner or later will have to find

time for illness.”

Most would agree and think swim-

ming a mile almost every day a week for

twenty years would have kept me at the

chair forever. However, an underlying

skeletal brittleness surfaced when I ven-

tured out of my league.

About fifteen years ago, I started

working out with a friend who was a na-

tionally ranked triathlete. With no running

or cycling in my background, we began

Guest Editorial

Quit Running Like A Dentist!Jeff Huston, DDS, MS, FAAPD, FACD

training for an

Olympic triathlon. A

few months later, my

right hip started act-

ing up. My buddy

counseled, “No pain,

no gain. If it’s not

killing you, it’s mak-

ing you stronger.”

Jumping into

the pool a few weeks

later, the heel of my

right foot slammed

into the concrete.

Flipping at the end

of the lane, some-

thing snapped deep in my rear.

Instantaneously, an

excruciating electric

shock zapped my entire

nervous system.

Looking at the X-ray on the emer-

gency room view box, the on-call ortho-

pedist grimly prognosticated, “Sorry,

you’ll never run again.” He diagnosed a

stress fracture of my acetabulum and a se-

verely torn gluteus minimus muscle. Ap-

parently, the cumulative musculoskeletal

impact (actually, lack of impact) of prac-

ticing pediatric dentistry, swimming, no

resistance training and not routinely

stretching weakened my pelvic bone.

Since I ignored my body’s not so

subtle pain messages, it shut me down.

The hospital admission forced me to take

time to read the proverbial writing on the

wall. During three long days lying in the

unfamiliar bed counting little dots in the

ceiling paneling, training errors preoccu-

pied my mind.

Recovery started with crutches, slow

walking and then Tai Chi. After six

months of weekly teaching, the master

stepped in front of me, tilted my chin

down, pushed my head back, gently judo

chopped my shoulders and said, “Jeff,

you’re way too tight. You don’t need Tai

Chi, you need yoga.”

Shortly afterwards, I found an excel-

lent article2 targeted at improving dentists’

flexibility and range of motion. It de-

scribed a morning ritual I still follow. To-

gether with basic push-ups and crunches,

the well-illustrated yoga-like stretching

moves reverse the deleterious effects of

excessive sitting.

Long walks gradually turned into

slow jogs. Still aching to figure out crucial

elements which factor into a dentist’s ideal

fitness equation, I became a certified per-

sonal trainer. My client base totaled two,

my son and me.

After several years, I participated in

a few sprint triathlons always dreading my

weakest link, the ending run segment. In

due course, I completed an Olympic

triathlon including jogging the entire 10K.

November of 2012, I finished the Big Sur

13.1 marathon without stopping. Pain in

my calves indicated persistent poor bio-

mechanics and spurred on further tech-

nique research.

The book “Run Less Run Faster”3

mentioned a runner’s retreat at Furman In-

stitute of Running and Scientific Training.

I signed up and flew to Greenville, SC.

The last thing I expected hearing at the

pricey program was a PhD physical thera-

pist yelling, “QUIT RUNNING LIKE A

DENTIST!” A million questions raced

through my mind: “What did he mean by

that? Was I… hunched over? shoulders up

to my ears? leaning too far forward?

clenching my teeth? stomach flaccid? not

tightening my glutes? hands and forearms

too tense? elbows sticking out or not at 90

degrees? neck bent? stiff? squinting? head

bobbling? looking down? breathing too

fast? too slow? not at all? What did den-

Continued - Page 6

tistry have to do with the ergonomics of

running?”

After in-depth gait video inspection

and range of motion measurements, the

PT doc strongly recommended focusing

on three things, “core, core, core.” An-

other expert at gait analysis prescribed a

detailed strengthening program which pre-

cisely ad-

dressed my

weak spots.

Our office

m a n a g e r

posted one of

these recom-

m e n d a t i o n s

on Facebook4

as the “Best

oral health tip

of the year!”

It’s a pic of

me brushing

my teeth on

one leg. Suf-

fice it to say,

k n o w l e d g e

reaped from

studying ki-

netics benefits our practices in numerous

ways.

Although noticing most everyone

else in class could do it, I had never seri-

ously contemplated my clumsiness while

attempting to perform yoga’s tree pose

(one leg stance). In hindsight, this sign-

posted an unstable core and foreshadowed

the cracked hip and torn glute.

Flamingo style brushing and one-

legged track drills exemplify applying

functional strengthening of specific body

parts used in an athlete’s chosen sport.

Unlike walking, running is a one-legged

endeavor. To run fast and without injuries

each leg must stand on its own. “Chi Run-

ning”5 and “Running Revolution” provide

additional thought provoking postural and

biomechanical concepts.

The necessity of coping with

dentistry’s physical challenges will persist

as long as we’re sitting behind the chair. A

one-size fits all generic workout won’t

satisfy every dentist’s unique fitness re-

quirements. Bottom-line, there’s no best

way. Personally, decreasing race times

provide some credence to my on-going re-

habilitation approach. It’s a process.

My quest for translating

sports wisdom into every

day dental practice con-

tinues. I strive to listen

acutely and respond

timely to my body’s mes-

sages.

Regardless of age, worthwhile activi-

ties include consistently performing bal-

anced anti-sitting routines, daily static and

dynamic stretching, bilateral movement

cross-training and enhancing core stabili-

zation.

These words haven’t touched upon

other significant quality of life issues like

nutrition, sleep or psychological, emo-

tional and spiritual well-being. Indeed,

they barely scratch the surface of how to

preserve our musculoskeletal systems.

Hopefully, they remind us to move

smarter and allow us to play the intense

game of dentistry a little longer. The chil-

dren of California need us to stay healthy

and keep smiling!

1. http://money.usnews.com/careers/best-

jobs/rankings/the-100-best-jobs

2. http://www.cda.org/Portals/0/journal/

journal_022002.pdf (page 170)

3. http://www.furman.edu/sites/first/Pages/

RunningRetreat%28Adult%29.aspx

4. h t t p s : / / w w w . f a c e b o o k . c o m /

LodiKidsDentistry?ref=hl

5. ht tp: / /www.chirunning.com/what- is-

chirunning

6. https://posemethod.com

Previously published in the Califor-

nia Society of Pediatric Dentistry Bulle-

tin, Vol. XLII, No. 4. Winter 2015.

- Continued from Page 5

Quit Running Like A Dentist!

Jeff Huston, DDS, MS is in private

practice in Lodi, CA. He is a Diplomate

of the American Board of Pediatric Den-

tistry and a Fellow of the American

Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Dr.

Huston is a member of the Board of Di-

rectors of the California Society of Pedi-

atric Dentists and a Fellow of the Ameri-

can College of Dentists. He is also Ad-

junct Assistant Professor in Pediatric

Dentistry at the Arthur A. Dugoni School

of Dentistry in San Francisco. Dr.

Huston lives in Lodi with his wife and

has three grown children.

Jeff and I became friends while vol-

unteering for Su Salud in Stockton. He’s

still spreading our mutual belief in very

early prevention.

He was a facilitator of CDA

Foundation’s First Smile program teach-

ing everyone from general dentists to

midwives about evidence-based fluoride

varnish application starting before age

one. Jeff developed most of the presenta-

tions for the American Academy of

Pediatric’s’ CATOOH national program,

training pediatrician oral health champi-

ons. The live, early prevention segments

of CDAF’s POHAP training were created

and given throughout California by Jeff.

These focused on helping general den-

tists excel in pediatric dentistry.

I had a unique encounter with Jeff

early in my career. Back when I was

“pounding the pavement” trying to meet

dentists and introduce myself as a new

specialist, I called Jeff and asked him to

lunch. He said, “I would much rather

swim, would you like to join me?” So

one day, instead of a lunch, I packed up

my swim trunks and spent an hour at

Twin Arbors in Lodi, swimming laps with

my friend Jeff ! LOL.

Sounds like Jeff learned the hard

way in regards to the deleterious physi-

cal impact of dentistry. We all might

want to consider early prevention strate-

gies mentioned in his article.

Lyndon Low, DDS

Dr. Huston’s flamingo-

style brushing demon-

strated by agile patient

Editor’s Note:

In Memory of

Jose F. L. Galvez, DMD

December 3, 1943 – April 3, 2015

Jose F. L.

Galvez, DMD,

passed away on

Good Friday,

April 3, 2015 in

Stockton, Califor-

nia. He is sur-

vived by his wife

of 45 years,

Corazon A.

Galvez, DMD,

his three children, Bernard Galvez, DMD

(Cristina, DMD), Francis Galvez

(Abigail) and Inez Marie Galvez. Sur-

vived also by five grandchildren, Isabella,

Zachary, Noah, Logan and Oliver. Jose

practiced dentistry for 39 years in the

Philippines and United States. He also

taught Natural Science at the Lee Univer-

sity. Kit had a passion for tennis, golf,

bowling and poker. He was a member of

the Presentation choir and traveled inter-

nationally performing in various churches

and cathedrals.

Jose’s life was celebrated on Thurs-

day, April 9, 2015 at St. Michaels Catholic

Church, 5882 N. Ashley Lane, Stockton,

California. Committal took place at the

San Joaquin Catholic Cemetery.

Donations may be made to the

Trinitarians of Mary Sisters, 3009 E.

Cameron Ave. West Covina, CA 91791.

The U.S. Department of Health and

Human Services (HHS) has determined

0.7 milligrams of fluoride per liter of wa-

ter is the optimal fluoride level in drinking

water to prevent tooth decay.

This recommendation, released April

27, updates and replaces the previous rec-

ommended range (0.7 to 1.2 milligrams

per liter) issued in 1962.

CDA applauds this decision by HHS.

“We have known that HHS has been

working on this for the last four years and

are glad to see the final

recommendations re-

leased. Community water

fluoridation continues to

be one of the most effec-

tive and safe ways to en-

sure that children and

adults receive the decay-

fighting benefits of fluo-

ride, and the new recom-

mendation will provide the

optimal level,” said CDA

President Walt Weber,

DDS.

The HHS stated that

the various ways in which people in the

U.S. now receive fluoride is the reason the

change was made.

“The change was recommended be-

cause Americans now have access to more

sources of fluoride, such as toothpaste and

mouth rinses, than they did when water

fluoridation was first introduced in the

United States,” HHS said in a statement

(http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2015pres/

04/20150427a.html0/)/.

U.S. Deputy Surgeon General Rear

Admiral Boris D. Lushniak, MD, MPH,

cautioned that despite the fact that the op-

timal fluoride level decreased, there is still

work to be done to make sure more people

receive fluoridated water.

“While additional sources of fluoride

are more widely used than they were in

1962, the need for community water fluo-

ridation still continues,” Lushniak said.

“Community water fluoridation continues

to reduce tooth decay in children and

adults beyond that provided by using only

toothpaste and other fluoride-containing

products.”

New Optimal Fluoride Level in

Drinking Water Released

CDA and the CDA Foundation have

a long history of supporting community

water fluoridation. Before CDA-spon-

sored legislation in the early 1990s requir-

ing water systems with 10,000 or more

service connections to fluoridate their wa-

ter supply when funding becomes avail-

able, only 17 percent of California’s

population benefitted from fluoridated

water. By 2012, the number of Califor-

nians receiving fluoridated water had

nearly quadrupled to the point that 62.7

percent of the state’s popu-

lation was receiving the

benefits of fluoride.

The U.S. Centers for

Disease Control and Pre-

vention (CDC) has listed

fluoridation of drinking

water as one of the top 10

greatest public health

achievements between

1990 and 1999 (http://

www.cdc.gov/mmwr/pre-

v i e w / m m w r h t m l /

mm4850bx.htm) due to the

dramatic decline in tooth

decay across the country. According to the

CDC, drinking water with the optimal

level of fluoride keeps the tooth strong

and solid and reduces decay by approxi-

mately 25 percent in children and adults.

Community water fluoridation has been

recommended by nearly all public health,

medical and dental organizations includ-

ing the American Dental Association,

American Academy of Pediatrics, U.S.

Public Health Service and World Health

Organization.

The ADA recommends (http://

www.ada.org/en/home-ada/public-pro-

grams/advocating-for-the-public/fluoride-

and-fluoridation/ada-applauds-hhs-final-

recommendation-on-optimal-fluoride-

level-in-drinking-water) that communities

continue to fluoride water at optimal lev-

els and that those who live in non-fluori-

dated communities help educate elected

officials about the need to fluoridate. In

addition, the ADA recommends patients

talk to their dentists to make sure they are

receiving the optimal level of fluoride.

Continued - Page 21

In Memory of

Edward Toy, DDS

November 12, 1930 – April 9, 2015

Edward Toy,

DDS, was a 1960

Graduate, Northwest-

ern University and a

1962 Graduate,

Loyola University –

Orthodontics. Ed

had an Orthodontic

Practice in Stockton

for 26 years.

* * *

Dentists should always report their

full fee for the procedure code on the

claim form, regardless of what the benefit

amount is. The full fee represents the

costs of providing the service and the

value of the dentist’s professional judg-

ment in providing the service. As dentists

determine their fees for services rendered,

the full fee could be any amount, begin-

ning with zero dollars (i.e., $0.00). A

$0.00 report on a claim form is a valid en-

try.

A contractual relationship with any

payer does not change the dentist’s full

fee. For example, dentists in a payers’ net-

work agree to offer a discount and some-

times agree to additional processing poli-

cies that might stipulate a “least alterna-

tive benefit” or “bundling” that a service

might be benefitted against. A common

policy includes combining separate DO

and MO restorations on a single tooth and

paying for a single MOD. This is simply

the payers’ benefit policy and should not

influence your treatment plan. When this

occurs the payer’s EOB must clearly ex-

plain how the dental benefit plan’s provi-

sions affected the payment amount. The

explanation must not suggest to a patient

that the treatment was somehow incorrect

or unnecessary. Patient education prior to

treatment in such instances is key to prac-

tice success.

It is likewise important that the

dentist does not report a full fee that is ar-

tificially inflated over what she usually ex-

pects to collect, when no benefit is in-

volved. If the fee collected for a given

procedure is never more than $90, then

the dentist should not report a full fee of

$100. The ADA Code of Ethics says that

“The fee for a patient without dental ben-

efits shall be considered a dentist’s full

fee. This is the fee that should be repre-

sented to all benefit carriers regardless of

any negotiated fee discount.”

Over time, fees reported to the plan

on claim forms are used to monitor trends

and serve as the basis for the payer setting

allowable amounts for the area. These

analyses will not reflect the true market

trends if the dentists in that area aren’t

submitting their full fee. Coordination of

Dental Benefit Snippet from ADA:

Always Report Your Full Fee on Claims

benefits is also dependent upon the fee re-

ported on the claim form.

A dental plan administers a “ben-

efit” to the patient and is not intended to

cover all charges. If you bill your full fee

the patient will receive the maximum ben-

efit from their plan.

CDT Code and claim submission

assistance is available from the ADA.

Please call 800-621-8099 or send an email

to [email protected]. Assistance is also

available when there are issues with a

third-party payer. Please call 800-621-

8099 or send an email to dentalbenefits@

ada.org.

Member Get a Member

Recruit a new member, get $200

www.projectsandsolutions.com

SJDS Condo Expansion Fund Drive

Thanks to the following SJDS members for their pledges:

YOU could make the difference! We

are only $1,397 away from our $60,000

goal! Perhaps you’ve thought about it and

then put it aside only to forget about it.

Act now and send in your donation while

it’s on your mind! Anything received be-

yond our goal will be used to replace

worn out items in the condo. A big thank

you to all the SJDS members below who

contributed. A commemorative plaque is

just about completed and will hang in the

newly remodeled condo. Why not add

your name to this list? Call SJDS for

more information (209) 951-1318.

A pledge form is enclosed

with this newsletter.

An injured patient may be the last

thing dentists want to think about. How-

ever, in reality, patients can be injured

during dental treatment or as the result of

an incident such as a slip and fall in the

office. Treatment-related injuries can run

the gamut and include burns, lacerations,

swallowed objects and allergic reactions,

according to The Dentists Insurance Com-

pany.

TDIC recommends a few essential

actions in the event of an injury to help

keep the situation in check. First and fore-

most, stop and assess the injured indi-

vidual, even if the injury appears insignifi-

cant.

TDIC Claims Representative Dina

Martin said burns and cuts are common

treatment-related injuries. While an inci-

dent may be minor, communication and

follow-up are important.

“An injury can happen even if the

dentist is very careful. Issues often de-

velop with the management afterward,”

said Martin, who has reviewed thousands

of claims during her 29-year career. “I

have had cases where the dentist mini-

mized the situation and that made the pa-

tient even more upset. The dentist failed

to recognize and acknowledge how the pa-

tient was feeling.”

Martin emphasized the importance of

communication and compassion in han-

dling a patient injury. “Sometimes the

dentist thinks showing compassion is ad-

mitting guilt. We can never stress enough

to communicate with patients, make refer-

rals if appropriate and follow up to see

how they are doing.” Often what a patient

wants is for the dentist to care and ac-

knowledge the injury, she added. “For

some patients, it is not always about the

money.”

Prior to making any representations

to pay for or reimburse a bill, call the

TDIC Advice Line. Risk Management

analysts can help dentists navigate patient

demands to alleviate uncomfortable situa-

tions. However, if the analyst believes the

Risk Management

Smart and Simple Steps to Manage Patient InjuriesBy TDIC Risk Management Staff

situation could develop into more than a

simple refund, he or she may recommend

the dentist speak with a claims representa-

tive.

One of the common incidents for

both general dentists and specialists oc-

curs when a patient swallows an object.

This requires the dentist to provide addi-

tional care and follow-up. TDIC advises

dentists to strongly recommend patients

check with their physician to receive di-

rection on how he or she should manage

the event. TDIC’s Professional Liability

policy provides coverage up to $10,000

under the medical payments provision for

medical expenses related to dental treat-

ment. The insured must submit the medi-

cal bill to TDIC in order to receive con-

sideration of the associated medical ex-

penses such as radiographs.

Allergic reactions are another area to

be aware of when considering patient in-

jury. They are not as common as other pa-

tient injuries, but can be significant, ac-

cording to TDIC. A patient’s health his-

tory form is the essential tool in prevent-

ing this type of injury. TDIC recommends

reviewing and updating the health history

form at every appointment. Make sure the

form is legible and fill out a new form

when there are changes to medications.

Keep previous health history forms on

file.

An incident report is crucial if a pa-

tient is injured, and it can help mitigate

your liability. Complete the incident re-

port once the event is over, but no later

than the following day. Briefly and factu-

ally describe the incident. Remain objec-

tive and avoid judgment about the cause

or extent of the injury. Be sure to include

the date, time and location of the incident

and names and contact information of wit-

nesses. Note actions taken by you and

your staff, and document any emergency

medical treatment delivered, where and by

whom. Also, note if medical treatment was

offered and denied by the patient. Be sure

to list devices, such as a walker, cane or

crutches, that the patient was using at the

time of the incident in the instance of a

slip and fall. If it is appropriate, photo-

graph the injury to document the appear-

ance and extent on the actual date of the

injury.

If a patient is injured in your dental

practice, a calm, caring attitude and clear

communication can make a considerable

difference. Combined with the following

steps, dentists could prevent an incident

from becoming a claim. Essential actions

to manage patient injuries:

Stop and carefully assess the situa-

tion.

Call 911 if immediate medical atten-

tion is necessary.

Focus on the patient and provide ba-

sic first aid.

Communicate with the patient and ac-

knowledge the patient’s perspective.

Keep treatment for the injury within

your scope of practice.

Stabilize the patient and reschedule

any incomplete treatments.

Refer the patient to a physician as

needed.

Document the injury (including a

photo if possible) and note any wit-

nesses with their contact information.

Follow up with the patient to check

on his or her recovery.

Contact your insurance carrier to file

an incident report.

TDIC’s Risk Management Advice Line can

be reached at 800.733.0634.

There is nothing more important to

Dr. Antonio Arredondo than family. Any-

one who knows Tony or has spent signifi-

cant time with him will attest to this fact.

When Dr. Arredondo speaks about them,

his face lights up. He loves to talk about

his four children and his loving wife, Lilly,

whom he describes as the CEO of the fam-

ily.

I had the opportunity to sit down

with Dr. Arredondo recently and spoke

with him about a variety of subjects. I

came away with a new perspective on how

fortunate we are as a dental community to

have caring, competent, and altruistic den-

tists who deeply care about quality, com-

munity, and family.

Dr. Arredondo was born and raised

along the Central Coast of California in

the San Luis Obispo area. After complet-

ing an oral and maxillofacial surgery resi-

dency program at UCLA in 2002, Dr.

Arredondo was introduced to Dr. Nicolas

Veaco. They struck up a friendship that

led Dr. Arredondo to move to Stockton

and begin his oral surgery career. Dr.

Arredondo states he was impressed with

Dr. Veaco’s skills and vision for a full

scope oral and maxillofacial practice and

Member Profile

Antonio Arredondo, DDS

Interviewed by Dr. Lyndon Low

eventually became a part-

ner. I am pleased to share

with our dental society a

portion of our time we had

together.

Tell me a little aboutyour family and wheredo you like to vaca-tion?

My wife has a Masters in

nursing and she is an ex-

cellent homemaker. She

and I met during my resi-

dency where she was a

trauma/charge nurse at

Harbor UCLA Medical

Center. After I met her, I

continued to visit the ER!

We have four beautiful

children, Evan (10) who is athletic, kind,

and a humble young boy. Isaac (8) who is

smart, friendly and loving, and we have 3

year old twins, Rebecca, who is our

“Mother Hen” and takes care of everybody

along with her sister, Lauren, who is quiet,

gentle, and loves attention. We love to va-

cation and my children love to stay in ho-

tels. Our favorite place so far has been

Hawaii.

What advice would you have for adental student considering Oral andMaxillofacial surgery?

I would tell them that OMFS is a

very rewarding job and incredibly fulfill-

ing. There is a great deal of satisfaction

that comes from being able to change

someone’s health outcome or even esthetic

needs. More practically, I would tell the

student to look at the trends in health care

to determine where the career will be in

five and even ten years. I would tell him/

her to assess his age and the lifestyle he

wants for him and his family and how long

he wants to work. I would ask him to con-

sider that if he/she will be a small business

owner or sole practitioner and to consider

when they get vacation or who covers

their office when they are sick. The ca-

reer is extremely demanding because of

emergencies and hospital calls and will

make for many hours away from their

family. On the other hand, the career al-

lows you to meet and develop friendships

with many interesting people including

dental colleagues and physicians.

What activities or organizations areyou involved with outside of yourprofessional activities?

Outside of my professional life, I

enjoy spending time with family. I am in-

volved in Little League, and enjoy being

part of my children’s after school activi-

ties. For many years, I volunteered my

time to Thousand Smiles Foundation, a

non-profit organization made up of volun-

teers who do cleft lip and palate surgery in

Mexico. After the birth of my twin girls, I

now try to spend as much time as I can

with my family. On occasion, I still love

to fly planes.

How would you describe a perfectday at the office?

I find I get great fulfillment from

meeting my day’s work with a happy pa-

tient/family experience, whether that be a

small child or a 90 year old plus patient.

It brings me satisfaction to give someone

relief from debilitating pain and or infec-

tion or just being able to calm them down

by reassurance. Oral Surgery emergencies

do not give warning, so a typical day can

turn into a fast paced, highly stressful, and

drawn out day of work. Provided I’m not

the on call doctor, I can head for home.

Otherwise, I am available for dental office

and hospital emergencies. I have also

provided emergency help for St. Raphael’s

Dental Clinic. I guess a perfect day at the

office would be one where you are able to

finish the day successfully with no disas-

ters and you were able to fulfill your refer-

ring doctors’, patients’, staffs’ requests.

The ADA New Dentist Commit-

tee is pleased to announce that for the

first time, the New Dentist Conference

will coincide with the ADA annual

meeting in Washington, D.C. Novem-

ber 5-8. I hope you will join me in

D.C. and experience all that the New

Dentist Conference and ADA 2015

has to offer.

Registration for the New Dentist

Conference at ADA 2015 will open on

May 13 - a full week earlier than

general registration!

Hear Daymond John, Entre-

preneur, Founder and CEO of

FUBU and Shark Tank co-star,

speaker.

Take advantage of the new

dentist CE

track - de-

signed just

for you -

f e a t u r i n g

new tech-

nology al-

lowing you

to interact

with the

presenters

in real

time.

The

New Den-

tist Con-

ference provides a unique opportu-

nity for you to network with leader-

ship, including a roundtable discus-

sion with ADA leaders, a panel of

dentist members of Congress, an

awards luncheon and more.

Back and better than ever, the

New Dentist Reception will be held

at one of D.C.’s hottest spots, Penn

Social. The New Dentist Conference

package includes your ticket to the re-

ception, as well as exclusive access to

an all-new lounge conveniently lo-

cated right in the convention center.

Save money and enjoy all the

benefits of being in the center of the

action with your discounted rate at

the official new dentist hotel, the Re-

naissance Washington D.C. Down-

town. Only New Dentist Conference

participants get access to a special

$239 rate - a $100/night savings.

Join your colleagues from

across the country in bringing free

dental care to our nation’s capital.

The ADA and D.C. Dental Society

will host the 3rd ADA Mission of

Mercy (MOM), a free dental clinic to

treat local residents without regular

access to care, in conjunction with the

annual meeting. Sign up when regis-

tration opens in May.

And, take advantage of all that

ADA 2015 has to offer, including an

all-new Welcome Reception to be

held at two Smithsonian museums,

Eleanor Clift and Charles

Krauthammer featured in the Distin-

guished Speaker Series*, over 300

cutting-edge educational opportuni-

ties and more.

*The 2015 Distinguished Speaker Series

is presented by Church & Dwight, the

makers of ARM & HAMMER®,

Spinbrush® and ORAJEL® oral care

products

Registration for the New Dentist

Conference at ADA 2015 opens on

May 13, 2015.

For more information, visit

ADA.org/NDC.

Have you been out of dental school for 10 years or less?

Attend the New Dentist Conference at ADA 2015

November 5-8, 2015 - Washington, DC

New Member Feature

New SJDS member Richard “Riley”

Edwards considers the favorite part of his

career to be the fact that he can go to

work every day, be honest and help

people, while having fun and be paid for

doing it.

Dr. Edwards

joined SJDS late

last year, having

completed his

education at Yuba

College, Gulf

Coast College

(microbiology),

Univers i ty o f

Florida, Gaines-

v i l l e , UCLA

School of Dentistry and UC Irvine/VA

Long Beach, Endodontics.

He chose to practice in San Joaquin

County because of a great opportunity to

practice at Delta Endodontics that pro-

vides high quality care in a group setting.

He hails from Yuba City, so having nearby

family and friends is a big plus for him,

too.

A few of his goals include teaching,

private practice and Board certification.

Welcome, Dr. Edwards!

Are you ready for CDA

Cares when it comes

to Stockton?

Save the dates:

October 15 and 16, 2016

The goal of CDA Cares is to relieve

pain, eliminate infection and educate the

public and policymakers about the impor-

tance of good oral health and the need for

an adequately funded dental safety net, in-

cluding a state dental director who can de-

velop programs to improve the oral health

of Californians. Since 2012, the CDA

Cares volunteer dental program has pro-

vided $11.2 million in care to nearly

14,000 patients.

Several of our SJDS members have

already volunteered for CDA Cares across

the state. Here are a few pictures from the

last event in Sacramento. There is also a

great video of the event in Sacramento:

h t t p s : / / w w w . y o u t u b e . c o m /

watch?v=ZkkkyC7o8wQ

The CDA Foundation will need vari-

ous volunteer types to sign up, specifically,

dentists, including oral surgeons and pedi-

atric dentists, dental assistants, administra-

tive volunteers and lab technicians. Volun-

teer to be on the local SJDS committee as

preparations begin or volunteer for the

event when it arrives.

Be ready when CDA Cares comes to

Stockton in 2016!

CDA Cares Stockton - October 15-16, 2016

Dr. Charles McKelvey (Sonora) and his wife,

Gloria, RDH at CDA Cares Sacramento.CDA Cares Sacramento

Drs. Mark Romanelli, Janice Scott and

Charles McKelvey at CDA Cares Sacramento.

Dental assistant and Dr. Maria

Stefan at CDA Cares

Sacramento.

Class of 1986 Loma Linda University - all

volunteered at CDA Cares SacramentoDr. Janice Scott, happy patient

and Eric Wright.

Save the

dates -

Oct. 15-16,

2016

The Dental PPA ... A Better WayThe Mission of the Dental PPA is to provide quality dental care for a reasonable reimbursement, to provide

our patients with the freedom to choose their own practitioner, and to accomplish these objectives at a cost

savings to the employer whenever possible.

The Dental PPA is very proud tonow be partnering with one of thethree largest brokerage firms inCalifornia, Dibudo and Difendis,which has over eighty brokers upand down the valley. The DentalPPA was developed from a group offar sighted dentists both in Butte-Si-erra and San Joaquin counties overfifteen years ago, and combinedwith dentists in Sacramento, to forman alliance of over 1500 dentistsrepresenting every specialty. Asprivate dentists, our primary mis-sion has always been to providequality care for a reasonable reim-bursement, giving our patients thefreedom to choose their own practi-tioner at a very significant cost sav-

ings to the employer. Unfortunatelyafter all these years, we were un-successful in getting the messageout as to what a great product wehave to offer. Fortunately, in thesevery difficult economic times, wewill now have over eighty brokersup and down the valley who will beworking with us to get the messageout to employers and employees.The good news can now be pro-claimed much more adequatelythat The Dental PPA can offer aself-ensured plan at a 10-20% costsavings while maintaining the trustinvolved with the extremely impor-tant doctor/patient relationship. Belooking for press releases as weget the word out over the wire ser-

vices to cover targeted regions upand down the valley. We are alsolooking for representation in localchambers of commerce, so if youare a member, please notify Kelliat The Dental PPA. Please notifyus of any employers looking for abetter choice by calling 1-866-241-6646, or email [email protected]. Also, please checkout our website at www.thedentalppa.org. We truly appre-ciate your continued support as weface these upcoming financialchallenges together.

The Dental PPA

Save the Dates

Banner Island Ballpark404 W. Fremont St., Stockton

Fireworks

Tickets: $11/person

Deadline to Register: Friday, June 19, 2015Tickets mailed: Week of June 22

Register form is on the website: www.sjds.org (Events)

Friday

October 9, 2015

Brookside Country ClubStockton, CA

San Joaquin Dental SocietyGolf Tournament

Registration: 10:30 AM -12:00 PMTee Time: 12:00 PM

Entry Fee Includes:Green Fees/Cart Tee Prizes, Boxed Lunch One Mulligan On Course Refreshments

Post Awards Dinner with Wine

Register form is on the website:www.sjds.org (Home Page)

Your practice will experiment with

several forms of marketing over the years.

Some of these marketing efforts will de-

liver the results you hope for, while other

forms of marketing will underperform. To

find the best fit for your practice, it’s ideal

to search for cur-

rent marketing op-

portunities, as new

ones are constantly

arriving. Your first

priority, of course,

is reaching out to

your existing pa-

tients for referrals!

Looking for new

patients is second,

with social media

and web design

leading the way in

effectiveness.

To help your website reach out to the

customers in your area, it’s essential to

add Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to

your marketing mix. Without SEO, you

have little guarantee that your website will

ever be seen by potential patients. To give

your practice the greatest chance of suc-

cess with SEO, here are a few tips and

strategies to keep in mind:

Keyword Analysis is ImportantOne of the most critical things to

learn about search engine optimization is

that taking time to locate keywords related

to your practice’s preferred procedures

will pay off with big search engine im-

provements. During the process of key-

word analysis, your online marketing com-

pany produces multiple iterations of a key-

word list that you collectively brainstorm.

They should uncover many “hidden gem”

keywords as your analysis process goes

deeper. Your final list will be extensive,

yet also contain what is referred to as

“high-converting” and “hyper-targeted”

consumer-oriented keywords, concentrated

on your practice niche (general dentistry

or a dental specialty), the preferred words

for describing your location and search

terms used to find your specific offerings

Social Media & SEO

The New Gold RushBy: Robin Besotes and Ashkan Alizadeh, DDS, MAGD, FAGD

Reprinted with Permission, Santa Clara Dental Society

(as examples: family practice, cosmetic

dentist, full mouth reconstruction). Key-

words like “teeth whitening techniques”

might be deemphasized in favor of more

specific keywords such as “teeth whiten-

ing and [your location].”

Decisions on keyword priority are

based on creating commercial results for

your practice. For example, what if some-

one needs a filling — what keywords will

they use to find a local dentist? If they

want a composite instead of amalgam fill-

ing, they might type in “tooth colored fill-

ing” or “white fillings,” but probably not

“composites,” since that’s an industry

term, not a consumer-oriented word. To

get search engine results, your website

needs to focus on the right keywords used

by people in your demographic.

By loading your page content with a

lot of hyper-targeted keywords, describing

your exact niche and services, you will re-

ceive more targeted inquiries that convert

to new patients at a higher rate. Your

online marketing company can spend a

considerable amount of time on keyword

analysis, and if you don’t already have an

online marketing company, maybe it’s

time to consider using one. Keyword

analysis is an important basis for all sub-

sequent search engine optimization work,

and building upon a solid foundation is

critical.

Content is KeyGoogle ranks individual website

pages, not whole websites; therefore, the

more content you have on your site, the

more opportunities you have to rank well

with the search engines. Do not, however,

add content just for the sake of adding

content; high quality content is key. Each

page should have a legitimate reason for

its existence and ideally is tied to a spe-

cific service offered by your practice.

Listing your different services and creat-

ing a page for each is essential. Proce-

dures that are more complicated, or that

you want to emphasize for your practice,

should receive multiple pages of informa-

tional material.

You also want to ensure that the qual-

ity of writing and presentation of the

pages is such that the reader lingers on the

page and your site. Google measures user

“time on page” as an indicator of the qual-

ity of your site content versus the

competition’s. The better the “time on

page” stats, the better the individual

website pages are going to rank versus

competitors over time. In effect, Google

infers that your pages offer better informa-

tion if readers spend more time with them.

Sounds logical, right?

Whether you write the pages person-

ally or hire a content writer to create them,

it is very important that they are not just

copied straight from some other source.

Google charts the creation of page text

and gives precedence to the “first author.”

If your pages and articles consist of “bor-

rowed” or standardized content found on

other websites, your rankings will likely

suffer.

Adding a blog to your website and

regularly updating it with new articles is

also a smart addition that attracts web re-

sults and leads to additional contacts. Ar-

ticles should often focus on specific pro-

cedures offered by your practice and link

to the appropriate page content to draw

the reader deeper into your website. An

active website with consistent updates is

essential for search engine optimization,

and the regular blog post is one way of ac-

complishing this. It forms the perfect con-

nection between your social media pages

and your website. Articles may be auto-

matically connected to your social media

accounts, further informing your existing

clients of new information on your main

website and providing a gateway to your

practice for social media customers.

Social Media to Promote Your Prac-tice

A 2012 survey reported that two-

thirds of dentists reported having a

Continued - Page 16

Robin Besotes

Co-Author

Facebook business page for their practice.

Although dentists are now on Facebook,

oftentimes the marketing power of those

pages is underused due to a lack of con-

tent and minimal “fans.” The pages are

outdated and often don’t show daily or

even weekly posts. If you manage your

Facebook page in-house, make sure your

staff are properly trained to use it. There’s

no day-to-day manual on how to use

Facebook–the company sets their own

rules and changes them as they please. It’s

best to keep abreast or hire an expert to

manage it for you, or at least to train your

team.

A Facebook business page can’t help

grow your dental practice if no one is

there to see it. Begin by building up an au-

dience for the page. It’s easier than many

practices think, and in most instances is

achieved merely by asking existing pa-

tients to “like” the page.

Brand all materials with your social

media avenues. Hand out business or mar-

keting cards with your Facebook page

URL and include the message “How to

Find Us Online” with your brochures, ap-

pointment reminders, recall cards, your

walk-out and monthly statements. Mention

your Facebook page at the front desk as

patients check-in, especially if your dental

practice provides free Wi-Fi. Many pa-

tients will “like” your page right at the

front desk, using their mobile device.

Keep marketing materials around your re-

ception area encouraging individuals to

“like” your Facebook page. If staff mem-

bers need assistance delivering the mes-

sage, supply them with a script:

“Did you know our practice has a

Facebook page? Dr. Johnson posts special

whitening promotions and dental care tips

only available to our fans on Facebook.

Take a moment to “like” our Facebook

page. Here is the address: Facebook.com/

DrJohnson”

Claim your practice’s vanity name.

Your vanity name is your practice’s cus-

tom Facebook URL. Keep in mind you

don’t want the URL too long. Make it

easy for patients to type and remember.

If the page “likes” aren’t growing as

quickly as you’d like, think about hosting

a contest. For instance, have individuals

provide a comment, on a specific page

post, about their most memorable vacation

Social Media & SEO - The New Gold Rush -- Continued from Page 15

spot for an opportunity to win a whitening

treatment. Use an automatic contest picker

to choose a winner. There are Facebook

contest rules to be followed and one of the

most current changes with Facebook is

you cannot request a “like” for a con-

sumer to enter a contest.

Using Your Social MediaAs you boost your social media fan

base, here are three ways you can use your

Facebook business page:

Build Relationships: Posts on

Facebook provide

a chance to en-

gage existing pa-

tients and pro-

spective clients in

a 2-way conversa-

tion. With rel-

evant, interesting

content — regu-

larly posted —

patients engage

with the office in

a more personal

way that builds

loyalty to your practice. For good results,

offer a mixture of oral health-associated

posts, local dental news, what’s happening

day-to-day in your practice, staff birth-

days, CE courses recently taken and, best

of all, dental trivia! General quotes about

dentistry are good and take questions from

readers too. Bear in mind the interests of

the audience and add details on upcoming

events you may be having as well as com-

munity topics. When a practice “likes” or

replies to any patient comment, they cre-

ate a relationship. Relationships are what

social media is all about. Creating and

maintaining them requires daily, minimum

weekly, visits to Facebook to read what

your clients are posting on your page.

Generate Referrals: An average user

on Facebook has 150 friends. As a fan en-

gages with your page, their friends are

able to see this interaction, generating free

marketing for your practice. Social media

relationships help keep your practice in

the forefront of your patients’ minds. As a

result, if a Facebook friend is searching

for a dentist, happy patients quickly rec-

ommend you, creating a hyperlink to your

practice by “tagging” your practice’s

Facebook page. No search procedure is

necessary—their friend finds your page

and likely makes an online request for an

appointment.

Attract New Patients: Facebook

boosting and advertising campaigns may

assist you in increasing the audience of

your page, developing a pool of potential

new patients from people new to your area

or looking for a new dentist. Targeted

Facebook advertising is directed to a de-

sired demographic to attract qualified

prospects.

Boosted Posts Versus Page PostAds

In the world of social media, one of

the biggest sources of confusion is the dif-

ference between boosted (promoted) posts

and page post ads. Boosting is basically

just a canned option available on your

page after you create a post. It allows for

a few limited targeting options. Cost is a

flat fee.

An advertisement is much more pow-

erful, has several more options for fine

tuning to your preferred marketing demo-

graphics and you can create them in both

Ads Manager and Power Editor. The po-

tential for results is much higher, although

the cost comes on a “pay-for-click” basis.

Before creating any boosted posts or

page post ads, remember that Facebook

has a 20% text rule on these images. It’s

not uncommon for your promoted post or

ad to be approved today, and tomorrow

you see it’s not accepted. Facebook offers

a free grid tool checker allowing an image

to be uploaded and easily verified for

compliance. I highly recommend utilizing

it to save time and effort!

Branding and Social MediaGraphics

Use consistent branding with all of

your marketing avenues. Brand all graph-

ics and images with your practice’s vanity

name (custom Facebook URL), practice

or Doctor’s name and logo. Ideally, you

should have a transparent logo, to show

the image underneath as much as possible.

Continued - Page 17

Dr. Ashkan Alizadeh

Co-Author

If space allows, add your website and con-

tact information.

The reason I recommend branding all

graphics, images, quotes, etc. is the “shar-

ing” feature. If one of your followers

shares your image, you’ll get exposure. If

there’s no branding on the object and they

share or copy it to repost, you won’t re-

ceive exposure for it. Ideally, brand all

“before and after” case images too. It will

take a bit more time, but you can integrate

your practice’s brand colors and font on

all images. It all depends on the feel you’d

like for your social media marketing.

Don’t Forget Review WebsitesIt would also be a huge mistake to

pay little attention to review sites like

yelp.com. You want to take charge of your

presence on such websites by using their

profile functions to clearly identify your

business and provide an appropriate logo

and pictures. As with your other social

media pages, a staff member or online

marketing company should be dedicated

to checking these sites regularly for nega-

tive reviews. A certain segment of your

market will rely on strangers to create an

opinion of your practice. Dealing with

customer complaints promptly, so that

they can modify their negative view of

your services, is essential to preserving a

good internet image. At the same time,

promote positive reviews by encouraging

satisfied patients to post their opinion of

your dental practice on the review sites of

their choice.

Reviewing Your Social MediaMarketing

Assessing the effectiveness of each

social media activity is crucial, so review

your efforts and results regularly. Look at

details such as fan engagement (shares

and comments), the amount of “likes,”

conversion of a fan to a patient and con-

tent quality and quantity. Engaging con-

tent is vital to increasing page “likes.” It

is good practice to track referrals. Make

sure “preferred social media” is a tracking

question on your new patient forms or

gathered from the front desk as part of

their new patient intake questions over the

phone.

The more engagement there is with a

certain post, the more fans may see it.

Without consistent and creative posts, a

Facebook page really is a waste. If your

dental practice does not have time to com-

mit to regular content updates, think about

outsourcing the creation of content or

management of the entire page to some-

one with a dental background and experi-

ence with social media. It’s a shame to see

a Facebook page, or any social media out-

lets created by a practice, with the last

post dated the previous year or no posts at

all! It creates consumer doubt–”Are they

still in business?”

Finding the Right MixUltimately, the success of your mar-

keting efforts depends on the goals of

your practice, the effort and expertise you

bring to the endeavor and the nature of

your competition. If your office is in a

small town with little internet competition,

traditional marketing with a token online

presence may suffice to keep your practice

busy. If you practice in a large city, a few

postcard campaigns and a generic website

will not get the job done. Staying ahead of

your competitors in the forum of online

marketing requires the skilled application

of SEO to the style of your content and

the vigorous use of social media outlines

to find and keep new patients for your

practice. Using your marketing budget

wisely, with the help of capable profes-

sionals in the fields of SEO and social me-

dia, results in significant improvements

for your search engine rankings, increased

requests for appointments and long-term

relationships with clients who actively

promote your practice for you via online

“word of mouth.” Apply the principles

mentioned in this article and social media

marketing with search engine optimization

can be a gold rush for your dental prac-

tice.

About The Authors

Social Media & SEO - The New Gold Rush -- Continued from Page 16

A Hearty Thanksto Our

St. Raphael’sDental ClinicVolunteers

Our thanks to the following mem-ber volunteers who gave of theirtime and talents in April and May2015 at St. Raphael’s DentalClinic:

You can’t change the world in four

hours, but volunteering 4 hours

per month or every other month

at St. Raphael’s Dental Clinic is a

start. Call Mary Ann at the clinic

to sign up (467-0703). For ques-

tions call Dr. Lester Low (474-

3333).

Legislative Update

From the Desk of Peter DuBois, CDA Executive Director

Volunteers Needed!

E f f e c t i v e

Jan. 1, 2016,

prescribers

of controlled

subs tances

are required

to register to

access the

state’s Pre-

s c r i p t i o n

Drug Moni-

toring Pro-

gram.

When a registered dental assis-

tant in extended functions, a reg-

istered dental hygienist or a reg-

istered dental hygienist in alter-

native practice treats a patient,

pursuant to the diagnosis and

treatment plan authorized by a

supervising dentist, at a location

other than the dentist’s practice

location, the dentist must provide

to the patient or patient’s repre-

sentative written notification that

the care is provided at the direc-

tion of the authorizing dentist.

The notification must include the

authorizing dentist’s name, prac-

tice location address and tele-

phone number.

CDA Updates Guide To

Dental Practice Act

CDA’s guide summarizes por-

tions of the Dental Practice Act and

organizes information in alphabetical

order by subject. Citations are pro-

vided to the appropriate Business and

Professions code, Health and Safety

code, and to the California Code of

Regulations Title 16 sections.

For details on license and permit

requirements, educational require-

ments, fees, timelines, citations, li-

cense suspension or revocations, dis-

ciplinary guidelines, descriptions of

disciplinary actions, appeals process

and exact language of the law, please

refer to the website of the Dental

Board of California and the Dental

Hygiene Committee of California.

CDA provides a guide to its members that is intended

for use by dentists and allied dental health professionals to

assist them in complying with the California Dental

Practice Act. Some of the changes in the 2015 edition of

Your Guide to California Dental Practice Act

Compliance are listed below. (Member access required)

Practice

Management

Brett L. Tholborn, CPA

Hopefully, you

recently filed your

2014 tax return. At

the present time,

you probably want

to forget about

taxes. Instead, per-

haps you should

take advantage of

your current famil-

iarity with your fi-

nancial situation.

By acting now, you can make next year’s

return less taxing.

Here are suggestions.

Check your withholding for 2015.

The best indicator that you need to

change your withholding is the bot-

tom line on your 2014 tax return. A

large refund means you have given

the government an interest-free loan

— money you could have invested

yourself or used to pay down debt. A

large balance due often results in

paying penalty and interest charges

on top of your regular tax liability.

To change your withholding, give

your employer an updated Form W-

4. If you are retired or have income

not covered by withholding, you may

need to start making quarterly esti-

mated tax payments.

Maximize the benefit you get from

tax-deductible contributions to a re-

tirement plan by making your 2015

contribution as early in the year as

possible. This extends the time your

account can grow tax-deferred.

Establish your long-term tax plan-

ning strategies. Possibilities to con-

sider: a salary-deferral arrangement

with your employer, investing in as-

sets that will appreciate rather than

produce current income, shifting in-

come among family members to take

advantage of lower tax brackets, and

structuring your borrowing to maxi-

mize interest deductions.

Get your tax and financial records

organized. A simple system to track

and store electronic or paper records

After Filing Your Tax Return

will save you from the last-minute

scramble to pull your information to-

gether. An added benefit: you will

be less likely to miss available de-

ductions.

Regarding tax and financial records,

keeping records is vital for tax purposes.

One reason: if the government questions

your returns and you cannot provide “sub-

stantiation,” your deductions may be disal-

lowed. Another incentive: if you are an

entrepreneur, evaluating your business op-

erations will be virtually impossible with-

out adequate records. Also, without

records, you will be unable to prepare

meaningful financial statements, which are

necessary for obtaining credit, loans, and

business insurance.

For your business, records start with

original documents such as invoices, reg-

ister data, credit card charges, and check

register detail. You should keep all data

that supports tax deductions, business ex-

penses, or big-ticket transactions. Do re-

tain bank and credit card statements, com-

puter records, and legal documents such

as loan agreements and sale or lease con-

tracts. You will also need to maintain

electronic or printed journals and ledgers

to categorize and summarize your transac-

tions.

For your personal return, keep

records of all significant income transac-

tions. These include interest and divi-

dends earned, proceeds from sales of as-

sets such as houses, vehicles, and invest-

ments, and miscellaneous receipts such as

insurance settlements and loan proceeds.

You will need to retain support for your

tax deductions as well. Remember that

some deductions such as auto expenses

and charitable contributions require addi-

tional recordkeeping. Finally, keep

records for nondeductible acquisitions in

case you later sell these items at a gain or

lose them to casualty or theft.

How long should you hang on to

your tax records? The general rule is to

keep them as long as you will need to sub-

stantiate the income or deductions on fed-

eral or state tax returns. Depending on the

document and the applicable law, that

time period could range from three years

to twenty or more in the case of a long-

lived asset. Some records, such as birth

certificates, social security cards, and cor-

porate operating agreements should be

kept permanently.

As long as your records adequately

reflect your activities, no particular type

of recordkeeping system is specified un-

der current tax law, so you can tailor your

records management to your preference.

Calling your Certified Public Accountant

may be a good choice for determining

what to keep and for how long.

Brett L. Tholborn, CPA

Brett L. Tholborn is a managing partner at

Tholborn, Ostrowski & Crane, LLP. These

Accountants and Consultants are located at

4525 Quail Lakes Drive, Suite B, Stockton,

CA 95207. If you have any questions or com-

ments, please call Brett at 209-474-3375 or e-

mail him at [email protected].

Life After Dentistry?Call Jay - cell 209-406-6314, ore-mail [email protected] is LIFE AFTER DENTISTRY!

Jay M. Hislop, DDS, Esq.

Attorney at Law

SJDS is Saving Paper and $$!

No More Newsletter InsertsEffective with this issue of the

newsletter, SJDS will no longer be in-

serting registration forms or other forms

with the newsletter. In the future, the

below Registration and Forms Directory

will be included with each issue of the

newsletter.

The directory will be located on the

back page of each newsleter issue. To

obtain a registration form or other form,

go to the website at www.sjds.org and

you can easily search for them.

If you have any questions, or can’t

remember your website password, con-

tact Executive Director, Colleen Lee at

[email protected] or by phone at

209-951-1318.

For more information on the new

recommendation, visit http://www.

p u b l i c h e a l t h r e p o r t s . o r g /

fluorideguidelines.cfm). For information

for health care providers and individuals

on how to prevent tooth decay and reduce

the chance of developing dental fluorosis,

-- Continued from Page 7

New Optimal Fluoride Level in Drinking Water Released

visit cdc.gov (http://www.cdc.gov/fluori-

dation).

For information on the CDA

Foundation’s efforts on fluoridation, visit

cdafoundation.org (cdafoundation.org/

fluoride).

Classified Ads

June 2015

July 2015

August 2015

September 2015

October 2015

November 2015

December 2015

SJDS Activity Calendar

CDA Presents(Formerly CDA Scientific Sessions)

August 20-22, 2015 ........... San FranciscoMay 12-14, 2016 ......................... AnaheimSeptember 8-10, 2016 ....... San Francisco

ADA Annual MeetingsNovember 5-8, 2015 ..... Washington, DCOctober 20-23, 2016 ..................... DenverOctober 19-22, 2017 ..................... AtlantaSeptember 27-30, 2018 ...San Francisco

Need New orAddiditonal Staff?

San Joaquin Dental Society

Delta-Sierra Dental Digest7849 N. Pershing Ave.

Stockton, CA 95207

Low Group Rates on

Credit Card Processing

San Joaquin Dental Society

Endorsed Program

Why pay individual, retail rates?

Evaluate Our Programand Credentials!

SJDS members have been usingthis program since 1994

Bonus: Our exclusive practice

management program is included

Our goal is to have every patient pay

at the time of treatment with our

exclusive practice financial

management techniques.

Increase payment at the time of

treatment by 75% Guaranteed!

RETRIEVER MEDICAL / DENTAL

PAYMENTS INC.

Our SJDS Mission ...

The mission of the San JoaquinDental Society, an organizationof local dental professionals, isto provide professional develop-ment and advancement for itsmembers. The Society is com-mitted to improving the commun-ity’s oral health through informa-tion, education and service whilemaintaining the highest stan-dards of ethics.

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