
	Team dentist for Major League Baseball’s Cincinnati Reds and the East Coast Hockey League’s Cincinnati Cyclones

	Imagine your patients walking into your practice to find a local professional athlete sitting in your waiting room.

	As the team dentist for the Cincinnati Reds and the Cincinnati Cyclones, that actually happens in Dr. Alexander Della Bella’s office. And that, he said, is a great practice builder.

	Start small. But Dr. Della Bella didn’t start his career in sports dentistry as a team dentist for professional athletes. He got his start by volunteering to make custom-fit mouthguards for local high school teams and by making himself available to treat any traumatic dental injuries that happened during their games. He also took the time to meet parents and educate them about the importance of wearing a mouthguard and why a custom-fit guard is the best option. Working with the teams got him out in front of the community and also enabled him to expand his practice to treat patients suffering from other traumatic dental injuries, including car crash victims.

	Going professional. As a hockey fan, Dr. Della Bella was thrilled when he first heard a professional team was coming to Cincinnati. So thrilled, in fact, he immediately called team management and offered to be the Cyclones’ dentist. That was in the early 1990s, and since then he’s also added the Cincinnati Reds to his list of professional teams he treats.

	What it entails. Every year during spring training, Dr. Della Bella goes down to the Reds’ spring training facility to perform a comprehensive exam for all the baseball players. This includes an oral cancer check-something most people don’t associate with sports dentists, but with the use of spit tobacco products, they should. During the year, he may go to the games or is on-call in case he’s needed. Because the dental injuries can be more severe, he’s on site for most of the hockey games and said in the course of a year he probably sees six significant dental-related injuries.

	Why you should try it. Over the years, Dr. Della Bella has found sports dentistry to be a great practice builder, from expanding what he can treat in his practice to happy parents who love that he cares enough to donate his time to help protect their children from a sports injury.

	“It’s what has kept me going for 26 years,” he said. “Try to find different things along the way that catch your interest and make it exciting to be a dentist. For me, with my love of sports, combining the two has been a way to keep me invigorated and to keep me excited about the dentistry that I do.”


	Co-founder, ORA Dental Studio and ORA Oral Surgery & Implant Studio, Eco-Dentistry Association Gold Certified Charter Practices

DPR: What made you decide you wanted to open green practices?

All of the co-founders-myself, my partner Dr. Goran Kralj, Dr. Mladen Kralj and Dr. Reggie Thurston-we were all classmates and we were all employing eco-friendly practices in our personal lives and we wanted to extend that into our workplace. We decided from the onset that we were going to build practices, from the ground up, that were sustainably designed and also would function in an eco-friendly, green fashion. I’m a physician as well, and many hospitals now are being constructed via LEED [Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design] protocols but there was never any focus on private practice, which is where we wanted to make a difference and stand out, as well as hopefully set an example for the next generation of practices to come. As a business model, we wanted to demonstrate this could be a ‘win-win situation’ for everyone, for patients, for the community and for the practicing doctors. We’ve enjoyed an enormous amount of success, being able to open four offices in two years, and we’re in the planning stages for a fifth one.

DPR: Why would you encourage other dentists to take steps toward making their practice more environmentally friendly?

Well the most critical thing is it’s doing the right thing. It benefits the team and the community and the patient and, lastly, it also will really benefit the provider’s bottom line. For a few small investments there can be big financial gains and savings. This streamlines a practice and its efficiency. For example, eliminating single-use items and using metal sterilizable, autoclavable substitutes. That’s a money saver right there. Also becoming a digital practice. Digital radiography and digital patient charting saves a tremendous amount of resources, time and money.

DPR: How does a green practice benefit the patient?

Our paramount tenet is simple-what’s good for the environment is good for the patient and vice versa. But our focus is to give patients the most comprehensive, positive experience available for their oral health, and that includes incorporating state-of-the-art technology, but at the same time ensuring the technology employed is both minimally invasive to the patient and minimally invasive for the environment.

Dr. Brett Beckman, DVM, FAVD, DAVDC, DAAPM


	Immediate past president of the American Veterinary Dental Society

	His patients may be a little different than yours, but relieving their pain is just as rewarding.

	Dr. Brett Beckman’s dental patients can’t tell him what hurts, and often when their owners bring them into his veterinary practice, it isn’t because they think their pet is in pain. The family dog might be sleeping a lot more than he used to, or is leaving food in his bowl at dinner time-something he never did before. Both are signs the animal is dealing with a dental problem, maybe it’s periodontal disease or a fractured tooth. Regardless of what the problem is, once it’s fixed the beloved pet leaves his office with renewed energy, something both he and the owner love to see.

	Dr. Beckman went to school to become a veterinarian and while he said he never had an interest in working in “human mouths,” he’s always had an interest in veterinary dentistry. He performed procedures here and there early in his career, but after completing a program designed specifically for veterinary dentists, he now has an office that exclusively treats pet dental issues. He even travels to other states to treat pets suffering from dental-related pain.

	How it’s different from what you do. Dr. Beckman works with everything from guinea pigs to cats to dogs to gorillas, so he has to know a variety of different anatomies. And on any given animal, it’s not just general dentistry he’s performing. Instead, he’s thrown into everything that the whole scope of human dentistry encompasses, without any help from specialists. 

	“There is so much diversity in the anatomy of the oral cavity and so much diversity in the diseases that affect those different species, so it is very challenging from an equipment adaptation standpoint. We as veterinary dentist also are veterinary endodontists, we’re also oral surgeons. We also do orthodontics and restorative dentistry. So we do anything from removing jaws for cancer patients to root canals to periodontal regenerative therapy to teeth cleaning. We spread the gamut.” 

	
	At first glance, the treatment rooms at Zen Diego Dental Arts look more like comfortable living rooms than a place where patients come for dentistry.

	The rooms are at least twice the size of the treatment rooms most patients are used to, and the sofa and love seat add an element of comfort that most practices just don’t have. But a more cozy treatment room isn’t all this new dental spa has to offer. The office also has a European-trained master esthetician, an acupuncturist with a masters degree in Chinese medicine, and a holistic health practitioner who performs 30 different types of massage techniques.

	Dr. Chris Walinski, who is originally from the East Coast, opened the San Diego-based practice in June, and said he already has more than 400 patients. And when those patients walk in, they don’t feel like they’re walking into a dental office. It smells different, it looks different, it feels different. Patients are offered bottled water and hot tea while they wait. Relaxing music plays in the background. Family members can sit on an outside balcony and relax with a good book while they’re waiting for a loved one who’s getting treatment. The panoramic view from the 7th floor office is amazing, and just another feature that makes this dental practice stand out. 

	“Patients don’t get these types of things elsewhere. It’s how I’ve always wanted to have a practice, but I felt like I got a lot resistance when I tried on the East Coast. Here it’s very welcome. Patients say this is what I’ve always wanted, I’ve never been treated like this. It’s a lot about the patient experience and giving them that whole ‘wow’ experience.” 

Registered Dental Hygienist in Alternative Practice (RDHAP)

	
	A flyer changed Kimberly Farrell’s life.

	When she first saw the flyer advertising the Registered Dental Hygienist in Alternative Practice program at the University of the Pacific, she was working full-time as a hygienist. But she was ready for a change, and loved what finishing the program meant. Not only would it give her independence and the opportunity to run her own business, but it also would enable her to care for special-needs patients who may otherwise go without the dental treatments they so desperately need.

	Through Smiles on the Run, Farrell goes into nursing homes and hospitals to treat patients who simply can’t get to a dental practice, or who would have to be put under anesthetic even if they could get there. She puts them at ease, gets to know them and takes the time to educate their caregivers. In the about six years since she opened Smiles on the Run, Farrell has seen so many of her patients’ mouths transform from horrific to healthy, and she’s seen a change in how they view dentistry. They’re excited to see her, and some even fight over who gets to sit in the chair first.

	“I feel like it’s kind of made my life complete,” she said. “I loved being a hygienist and loved being in a dental office, but when I started doing this I thought, ‘Oh my goodness, I found my true calling in life.’ ”

Articles

 Sports Dentistry  Dr. Alexander Della Bella Team dentist for Major League Baseball’s Cincinnati Reds and the East Coast Hockey League’s Cincinnati Cyclones    Imagine your patients walking into your practice to find a local professional athlete sitting in your waiting room.

Taking a different approach

Jason Wesco
	Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas

Without going to school to learn dentistry, you might wonder if someone like Jason Wesco understands the ins and outs of running practices and providing high-quality dental care.
	But once you learn a little about Wesco, the Chief Operations Officer for the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas (CHC/SEK), it becomes clear that he knows plenty and that his hard-working staff not only knows how to deliver great care, but is determined to do so every day, even for those patients who can’t afford to go somewhere else for treatment.

	The federally qualified patient-centered health center is the state’s largest safety net dental clinic and is dedicated to providing quality health care to all regardless of their ability to pay.

	“Our goal is to fill the gaps in the health care system,” said Wesco, describing the four clinic sites in Allen, Crawford and Cherokee counties that serve an economically challenged population. “That means largely that we take care of people who have very little resources, but we take care of everybody regardless of their ability to pay.”

	Southeast Kansas consists of some of the least healthy counties in the state, which means the clinics’ staffs are working with populations struggling with low income, low education levels and also many patients with instances of heart disease and cancer.

	“Southeast Kansas historically has been incredibly underserved and incredibly unhealthy,” said Wesco, who has six full-time dentists and nine full-time hygienists working out of the four very busy clinics. “That’s the reason why we exist. To help people get better.”

	The great need for dental care in the areas served by CHC/SEK has brought on tremendous growth for the organization. In 2003, the first year it received federal funding, CHC/SEK saw 3,000 patients who visited about 6,000 times. This year, Wesco expects the clinics to see 25,000 patients some 80,000 times.

	“It’s been explosive, and I think it’s been a couple of things,” he said. “One there’s a lot of need in our part of the world and two, I believe we deliver high-quality services to our patients. “While they may not be able to go somewhere else and get a dental visit for $35 or a medical visit for $10, they can choose to not go at all. They’re coming back to us, so I think we’re doing something right.”

	Medicare, Medicaid, HealthWave and private insurance are all accepted, but Wesco believes the best thing about his clinics is indeed its quality of care. It takes a special type of person to work so hard with so many difficult cases, he said. That’s why the 35-40 dental staff members-that includes billers, front desk and dental assistants-are really what make the clinics so special.

	“The kind of work we do is very difficult because people have gone without for so long,” said Wesco, who got his start in dentistry when he took a job as the director of a non-profit clinic in Lawrence, Kan., 10 years ago. “You’re dealing not only with bad oral health, but you’re dealing with a lack of education and with developmental disabilities.

	“So these guys (on the dental staff), in my estimation, are heroes. We have a lot of special people on this staff.”

	Wesco admits that attracting staff members to the Pittsburgh, Kan., area may seem like a hurdle to some, but there are a number of things working in his favor. The facilities feature great technology and equipment including digital radiography, a number of clinicians have a calling to help needy patients, and there are programs such as the National Health Service Corps Scholars that assist dental students with education finances if they in turn agree to serve areas of high need.

	“We really believe our patients deserve the best, and our staff deserve the best. To a certain extent, the work that we do and the way that we do it attracts people,” he said of his ability to bring in great staff.

	Now Wesco consults with most of the safety net dental clinics in Kansas on program development and recruitment. The clinics also are very involved in the schools and in other programs designed to teach the importance of good oral health.

	“It’s not easy work. The staff works real hard, and I’m very proud of them,” he said. “Obviously, when you walk through our facilities you see all the need here and it gives you a sense of urgency about the work that we do. We’ve got almost 20,000 people getting dental care that weren’t getting it five years ago. That’s staggering to think about.”

	Henry Schein cares, and so does Jason Krause.

	That’s why Krause, the Denver-based Regional Manager for Henry Schein Dental, is such a great fit for outreach programs sponsored by Henry Schein Cares, the company’s social responsibility division.

	Krause and co-founder Dr. Bill Busch recently helped TeamSmile celebrate its fifth anniversary with an inaugural Board of Directors meeting at TeamSmile’s new headquarters next to Dr. Busch’s North Kansas City practice and another successful event that same weekend involving the Kansas City Chiefs.

	“It was awesome. Chiefs punter Dustin Colquitt and Coach (Todd) Haley talked about oral health at practice and then (quarterback) Matt Cassel and several players came out the next day (for the TeamSmile outreach event) to Arrowhead Stadium,” said Krause, who first got involved in outreach programs through Mission of Mercy (MOM) events along with Henry Schein’s and the ADA’s

	“Tomorrow’s Dental Office-Today” (TDOT), an interactive traveling dental clinic featuring a large truck equipped with operatories to provide care at selected cities and even at TeamSmile’s first event in October 2006 at Arrowhead Stadium.

	TeamSmile has grown to include multiple football and baseball stops, three Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open PGA events, and this month will expand into the NBA with a Denver Nuggets dental outreach program. Three hundred kids were treated at the recent Chiefs event and more than 100 volunteers were involved, including undergrad dental students from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. By Krause’s accounts, TeamSmile has now treated more than 12,500 children and many more have been provided care through TDOT, MOM and Give Kids a Smile programs in which he has worked at in 26 different states.

	“Dr. Busch had said if we could get TDOT to come to Kansas City that he’d try and get the Chiefs partnered up,” Krause said. “That’s how it all started. Henry Schein has been 100 percent behind TeamSmile, and Dr. Busch and I just hit it off.”

	Organizing big events with big-time professional athletes and teams-not to mention recruiting volunteers-is quite an undertaking. But Krause said helping children in need makes it all worthwhile.

	“It’s amazing,” said Krause, who oversees a team of 40 people in his full-time role as regional manager for Henry Schein. “It (outreach service) is so rewarding from an emotional standpoint, a professional standpoint and then from a spiritual standpoint. It’s very rewarding and it’s worth all the time and energy expended.”

	But Krause, who recently was elected vice president to the Colorado Mission of Mercy Board of Directors as well as being elected to the National Foundation of Dentistry for the Handicapped Board of Directors, is quick to praise the contributions of numerous volunteers and manufacturers such as Henry Schein, Colgate, DEXIS and Midmark.

	“It goes way beyond myself, which is why this is so exciting,” he said. “I feel like TeamSmile will be here long after I’m retired and I’m gone. Giving back is something I want to be remembered for.”

	Rene Louchart, RDH
	Traverse Health Clinic

	Rene Louchart, RDH, is passionate about helping people, and she’s passionate about good oral heath.

	Her work with the Traverse Health Clinic allows her to combine those two loves, and everyone involved loves the results. Louchart, the dental health director at the Traverse Health Clinic in Traverse City, Mich., helps make it possible for hundreds of underserved people to get proper oral care and to educate thousands of children and adults on the importance of proper oral care.

	Louchart, a hygienist with 25 years of chairside experience in both public health and private practice, joined the staff at the Traverse Health Clinic in 2006 determined to do whatever it took to make sure all patients got the necessary care for their mouths, even though most are people in need. The dental staff, which consists of Louchart and one assistant, screens the more than 500 patients in the program and then refers them out to the close to 40 dentists who donate their services.

	“Last month, we saw 90 new patients throughout our four weeks. It averages 50-90 patients a month needing care. And these are people of poverty, below the 200 percent federal poverty level,” she said. “We have local dentists that donate services, and it’s awesome. Last year, they donated about $190,000 worth of treatment on our patients.”

	Originally limited to a light and a mirror, the clinic now has an intraoral camera and monitor to help with the diagnoses and to help educate patients. “This is a unique opportunity for a hygienist to be employed by a non-profit clinic,” she said. “Our clinic is totally committed to the oral health of our patients, and knowing that the oral health of a person is totally connected to the overall health is such a key to this.”

	About two years ago, the clinic developed a Commitment to Care program, which includes patient education classes, as well as a unique opportunity for patients to “earn” dental treatment in exchange for giving back to the community by agreeing to volunteer at a local non-profit or church, such as volunteering hours at a food bank or the local women’s resource center. “We know some of them can’t pay, but we pay for them to go to a dentist for a full exam and treatment plan and based on that treatment plan we determine how many hours we’re going to ask them to volunteer,” she said.

	The program has been a win for all parties involved. “It’s actually rewarding for the dentist because they understand the patient is investing in themselves and it’s extremely rewarding for the patients because they are now socially out there again and relating to the community.”

	Louchart said some patients have continued to volunteer after their “requirement” has been fulfilled and some have even turned their experiences into jobs. Of course the non-profit groups also benefit from the donated hours.

	The clinic is a community-based, non-profit organization that provides access to adult health service programs in Benzie, Grand Traverse and Leelanau counties. The dental access program provides oral health assessments, referrals to the volunteer dentists for donated care and oral hygiene education to people enrolled in CHAP (the Coalition Health Access Program).

	The volunteer dentists can only donate so much of their services, and this part of Michigan in particular has a great need for dental care. According to Louchart, in Grand Traverse County, 15.1 percent of people are medically uninsured, but the number of people who lack insurance or proper access to dental care is 2.5 times greater than the number of people without health insurance.
	Because of this, the clinic is looking into working with one of the state’s dental schools to come up with additional volunteer staff members, and the clinic also will gladly accept financial donations to help immediately provide dental services. For more information, visit the clinic’s website at traversehealthclinic.org.

	In addition to services, the dental program encourages oral health education as well. Patients that come into the Traverse Health Clinic are taught the importance of brushing and flossing, and thanks to the intraoral camera, are given close-up looks inside their mouths.

	Louchart said the clinic’s patient education school program has taught 18,000 kids in the last four years, and a number of other community events are designed to help spread the good word on good oral health to children, their parents and to other adults.

	“It’s totally rewarding. The stories we have, the appreciation we’ve gotten. It’s all great.”

	Dr. Byron Duvall
	Gateway to Oral Health Foundation

	In the early 1990s, the state of Missouri set out to establish a dental sealant program in the city of St. Louis public school system. They recruited Drs. Byron DuVall, Derrick Frye and Joseph Erondu among others to work with them during their spare time. Several years later, the state decided to discontinue the administration of the dental sealant program even though there were federal grant dollars available.

	It was in 1996 when these three dentists, realizing there was an acute need for dental care in the urban city, came together to form a company named The Gateway Preventive Group.
	This school-based program was set up to serve the same school system that had produced these three dentists. Additionally, the late Dr. Erondu at the time was married to a principal of a one of the city’s public schools.

	“These commonalities made our decision to administer the dental sealant program through The Gateway Preventive Group,” said Dr. DuVall, who serves as President of the Board of Directors for the Gateway to Oral Health Foundation. “Drawing on our extensive experiences gained in our private practices, Gateway Preventive flourished and grew.”

	Today, Gateway serves seven school districts and has 30 employees. More than 15,000 children in low-income areas receive preventive care and personal hygiene instructions along with toothbrushes, toothpaste and floss free of charge.

	One of the biggest challenges for Gateway Preventive is the students’ continuation of proper dental care. “We started noticing that each year after preventive care was rendered and dental report cards were sent home to parents encouraging them to take their child to their family dentist for restorative care, we found the advice and recommendations were seldom followed,” Dr. DuVall said. “In most cases, the following year when the child was re-examined, the number of cavities had increased.”

	In 2006, Gateway Preventive ended its for-profit status and became The Gateway to Oral Health Foundation, a non-profit organization. With the change of its status Gateway also made a decision to add a restorative component to the services offered.

	Today, nearly 4,000 children receive restorative services annually, in addition to the 15,000 who receive preventive care. As a 5013(c) foundation, all of Gateway services are available to any child in the school districts served free of cost to them. All children are given access to 24-hour emergency care, and no one is refused services. “We’ve added a state-of-the-art mobile dental van and advanced portable equipment to assist Gateway in expanding their mission,” he said. “We would like to see all children caries free and thus increase the number of children receiving restorative care.” 

 Jason Wesco Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas

Special people delivering special care

	Designed to improve case acceptance, DDS GP is the first member of the Dental Demo Suite package (orthodontic, oral/maxillofacial surgery and endodontic specialty apps will be added early in 2011, as well as a general package download). The interactive app for iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch features more than 200 demonstrations of diagnoses and procedures, in 6 languages, designed to help with patient understanding. Users can add to, delete from and sequence the plan from the app then e-mail customized treatment plans with pictures and video to remind patients what they saw and encourage case acceptance. Users soon will be able to add digital pictures directly to the app without any other interface, and an intraoral camera function also will be integrated into the app. Built on the Apple platform, the app provides free, automatic updates every 2 to 3 weeks.

Lares Research
	Lares Laser Video Library

	Lares Research has added an extensive library of more than 30 live-patient clinical laser videos to its website for viewing by prospective laser owners. The videos feature both hard- and soft-tissue laser treatments, including cavity preparation, root canal therapy using PIPS™ (Photon Induced Photoacoustic Streaming™), and periodontal disease therapy using WPT™ (Wavelength-optimized Periodontal Therapy™). Both Er:YAG and Nd:YAG laser wavelengths available in the Lares PowerLase® AT laser are included in the videos. The videos were created by experienced laser clinicians from the providers of PowerLase AT user training-the Masters of Laser Dentistry, The Montana Center for Laser Dentistry, and the Arizona Center for Laser Dentistry.

	Compatible with iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch, Android, BlackBerry, Palm OS and Windows Mobile platforms, the Lexi-DENTAL COMPLETE comprehensive dental application includes Lexi-Comp’s full dental library, plus complementary resources. The apps feature the color images, charts and appendices from Lexi-Comp’s print titles, all the clinical information you need for fast diagnosis and treatment conveniently at your fingertips. Lexi-DENTAL COMPLETE is continually updated, providing the timeliest information available with a comprehensive dental pharmacology database; color images, charts, and appendices from Lexi-Comp’s print titles; more than 160 high-quality radiographs, 1,000 full-color photographs and images and 5,000 full-color medication images; diagnostic and patient education resources; and complementary licensed content. A variety of subscription packages are available.

	Designed to allow dental practices to attract new patients more effectively, retain existing patients, reduce no shows and measure patient satisfaction, the Web-based Demandforce D3 application offers enhanced functionality and features, including: two-way text message capabilities for patients to receive and confirm appointment reminders; intelligent newsletters that enable practices to segment and target the patient list based on demographic data; and a digital consultant that automatically displays critical practice health metrics against aggregate data across the Demandforce network, highlighting areas for improvement. The system integrates with all major practice management software to determine which communications have been sent to patients. A data integration agreement with Google allows active patients to submit Web reviews to populate the practice’s Google Places profile with the reviews. The mobile component allows practices to access their Demandforce portal from a smartphone to view read-only patient information, contact information, and online reviews.

The TryKaVo.com test-drive program is designed to allow practices to use select KaVo air-driven, electric and hygiene handpieces in the operatory with no obligations. They simply go online, select the handpiece to try, use it free for 5 days, and return it in the pre-paid shipping package if they decide not to purchase. Clinicians can choose from GENTLEsilence LUX 6500BR, GENTLEmini 4500BR, SUPERtorque 659BR or Mira LUX 3 635BR air-driven handpieces; the electric ET-TLC Package with ELECTROtorque controller and GENTLEpower attachments or the COMFORTdrive 200XDR model; and the PROPHYflex 3 air polisher, the DIAGNOdent caries detection aid or the PROPHYwiz hygiene handpiece.

Top online and mobile apps

	The first of its kind, OraVerse is an anesthetic reversal agent. It requires a second injection; however, the we found in evaluation were that patients loved the results. The reversal agent reduces the time a patient has to wait to return to normal eating and chewing habits, and in most cases, results were seen in less than an hour.
	
	


	This highspeed Electric Handpiece has the lightness of an air-driven handpiece, but the power of an electric. Consultants unanimously voted this to be the best innovation in handpieces for the year. 100% of evaluators would recommend this handpiece to a colleague due to the no-stall feature, which consultants found extremely useful.


	This flowable composite isn’t your typical flowable. Surefil SDR flow is designed for bulk filling in posterior Class I and II restorations. The material comes in compules and has a self-leveling feature, which consultants found to be excellent. Not only does the material flow well, it adapts well to cavity walls and preparations.
	
	

	This new innovation in caries detection offers a “Doppler radar” type screen to detect caries, using contrasting colors in the software. Consultants appreciated the ability to show patients the areas of concern, and found the camera easy to use. The camera requires no calibration and is easy to integrate into daily routine.

	Stay tuned to dentaladvisor.com on January 1, 2011, for a complete list of Product Awards and the 2011 Preferred Products!

 Top Innovative Product  OraVerse, Novalar Pharmaceuticals  

The Benchmark: Year in review

	December 2010 | dentalproductsreport.com
	outside-the-industry insights

	Dr. Bob Russell
	I-Smile Dental Home
	With a mission to protect the health and wellness of every Iowan through the prevention and early detection of dental disease and through the promotion of optimal oral health, the Oral Health Bureau of the Iowa Department of Public Health developed the I-Smile Dental Home initiative to help Iowa’s children connect with dental services.

	The initiative was created in response to legislation requiring Medicaid-enrolled children age 12 and younger to have a dental home.

	The legislation for the I-Smile program states that by Dec. 31, 2010, every recipient of medical assistance who is a child 12 years of age or younger shall have a designated dental home and shall be provided with dental screenings and preventive services, diagnostic services, treatment services, and emergency services.

	“I-Smile was put into legislation in 2005 and became a working program in late 2006,” said Dr. Bob Russell, Iowa Public Health Dental Director.

	According to Dr. Russell, the program continues to see uphill movement and this year’s report, which comes out in January, will show major promise.

	“With the 24 coordinators existing across the state and acting as a liaison between the dental and medical practices, children are being evaluated and referred to dental offices,” Dr. Russell said. “We are getting the most out of the providers who are willing. The fielding coordinators are performing risk assessments among children under the age of three.”

	As far as education and creating more awareness among families goes, the coordinators also are facilitating school-based events.

	“In Iowa, entrant screenings are mandatory for students to register for school,” Dr. Russell said. “The coordinators set up programs in the schools.”

	According to the program’s update report from January 2009, more children are receiving early dental care as a result of the I-Smile initiative. Data shows that since the first year of implementation in 2005, 61% more children are receiving exams from dentists.

	Other states are looking at similar models in efforts to create successful programs like I-Smile.

	Rep. Peter Koutoujian
	State Legislator
	Massachusetts legislator Peter Koutoujian concentrated on several public safety and public health issues this session.
	Koutoujian filed a bill that would increase the number of dental hygienists on the Board of Registration in Dentistry from one to three.

	Renee Pietrangelo
	Special Needs
	Renee Pietrangelo is the CEO of a small nonprofit association that represents community service providers who support people with disabilities.

	John Buse, MD, PhD
	Physician
	John Buse, MD, PhD, is the director for the Diabetes Care Center at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine.

	Sarah Phillips
	Patient
	Sarah Phillips, a 31-year-old resident of Baltimore, Md., talks about her process of finding a new dentist in her area-what surprised her and what has changed her approach to dentists forever.

 December 2010 | dentalproductsreport.com outside-the-industry insights  Outside looking in  by Natalie Hasselbacher, Web Editor    December 2010 | dentalproductsreport.com outside-the-industry insights  Outside looking in  by Natalie Hasselbacher, Web Editor

Outside looking in

Kim Foster Del Percio, Ultradent Products

	Ultradent’s Kim Foster Del Percio is a people person. Her personality allows her to “facilitate cohesiveness,” and this allows her to help both customers and co-workers excel.

	“My role is multifaceted, which allows me to interact with a variety of people, including my customers, teammates and home office,” she said. “As a consultant to my customers, I am able to assess their needs and offer practical solutions. In a recent team-building exercise, my co-workers stated that I facilitate the cohesiveness of our team.”

	Caring about her customers also makes it easy to want to help them get the most out of their practices and to deliver optimal patient care.

	“I consider my customers an extension of the ‘Ultradent family.’ My goal is to translate our mission statement and values of Ultradent, by providing minimally invasive dentistry through high-quality products.”

	Foster Del Percio credits her employer with providing the resources to help her best serve her customers. “Ultradent provides weekly ‘trench talks’ and product reviews on the ever-changing dental products,” she said. “I then take that information and provide lunch-and-learns, hygiene meetings and appointments to my customers.”

	Aimee Roberts Rock has fit right in with Patterson’s family from the very beginning. “I have worked for Patterson Dental for almost 8 years now, and I will never forget my first day with the company,” she said. “I looked around the room and realized that there were numerous sales reps that had been with the company for 20+ years. I knew from that moment on this was not just a ‘job’ it was a ‘career.’”

	With a goal to take the best possible care of her customers, she has made plenty of friends along the way. “I can honestly say that this career has been a blessing for me, and every day I am grateful to have such wonderful clients who have become my friends,” Roberts Rock said. “Patterson has instilled in me that the most important thing we can do is ‘take care of the customer.’ I go to work every day with this mind-set.”

	Achieving this ultimate care for the customers can mean different things. “First, it means being the most knowledgeable rep with regards to all aspects of dentistry. Not only product knowledge, but understanding clinically the challenges they face and how I can help minimize their everyday stress,” she said. “It is my responsibility to educate myself.”

	She does this by taking classes at dental conventions and attending local lectures, meeting with manufacturer reps to be updated on new products, and reading trade journals/magazines. “Second, working every day within my integrity and doing what is right,” she added. “It’s like the old saying ‘treat others the way you want to be treated’ and this can be applied to the most simplest of tasks we face daily like ‘follow-up,’ the most difficult to manage at times!”

	Before joining the dental industry, Ben Waldman spent 20 years working in national government and political campaigns-most of which was for President Reagan including two stints on the White House staff. After President Reagan left office, he ran for Congress from West Virginia twice, but came up short. Now, the father of four adult children who has been married for 27 years, spends his time educating dentists about the benefits of digital radiography.

	“The best thing about working for DEXIS is the ethic of customer service that pervades the company. I view myself less as a sales representative and more as a customer representative who is tasked with product education and service delivery,” Waldman said. “Having the premiere product in our product category helps, too, since we can spend less time ‘persuading’ and more time educating and advising.”

	He thrives with working in a high-tech arena where product innovation and rapid change are constant. “I enjoy working with doctors who are committed to improving their practice and the standard of care for their patients,” Waldman said. “Since buying digital radiography is often the first big technology step for a practice, it brings me great satisfaction to see doctors elevate their offices to a new level of professionalism and care delivery.”

	Because the technology in this field is so dynamic and constantly changing, he is committed to offering “a steady diet of education and training to the 3,500 dental offices in my territory.” This includes online webinars, podcasts, articles and CE courses. In the past three years, Waldman has presented more than 60 seminars on subjects ranging from digital radiography to strategies for paperless offices. Last month, DEXIS sponsored five events in his territory alone.

	“I also get to work with hundreds of dentists each year who provide pro bono dental services to many thousands of needy dental patients at the Mission of Mercy projects (MOM) in Virginia, Maryland and West Virginia,” he added.

	“As a Field Sales Consultant for Henry Schein Dental, I consider any obstacle that one of my customers faces to be one of my problems,” Dave Sprague said. “This could include anything from low production, lack of new patients, team harmony issues, OSHA recertification, to marketing the practice to set them apart from the other dentists in their area.”

	He attributes his success to good listening skills and understanding customers. “At the end of a day, if I can reflect back and think of a way that I have helped just one of my customers overcome some obstacle to their achieving their personal or professional goals, then I love the idea that I was a part of their success and I can’t wait for tomorrow,” he said.

	That listening skill helps make this all possible. “I think that if you were to survey my customers, or any of my fellow Team Schein Members, they would tell you that over the past 12 years I have become a very good listener,” he said. “I have found that many of the day-to-day problems that my customers face are due to the way we communicate with each other. I also think my background in dental equipment service has given me credibility with my customers so when I look them in the eye and tell them it is time to replace something, they know it isn’t just because I am trying to make a sale. I really do have their best interests at heart.”

	Sprague said his job is made easier because Henry Schein is so devoted to customer service as well as education. “Ten years ago, Henry Schein Dental started their Career Development program as part of that strong customer service. It has enabled me to assist dentists to become more profitable within their business, even in tough economic times,” he explained. “Career Development taught me to do things that nobody else has offered my customers such as the ability to really dive into their Profit and Loss statements to help them understand where their money is going, assess the ‘health’ of their Hygiene Department, especially their soft-tissue management programs, even teach Team Harmony Seminars for their staff or offer complimentary OSHA recertification classes. I believe this is what has enabled me to earn the right to be considered a partner, or even fellow member of that dental team, and not just an ‘order taker’ who pops in to see what supplies they are running low on. This is what I find most gratifying about my career.”

	Sprague encourages his offices to place their orders through the electronic resources Henry Schein Dental provides such as Aruba or the HSD website. When he finds something that he really thinks will interest a specific office, he arranges “Lunch and Learns” with the manufacturer’s rep.

	“I am proud to be a part of an organization that has an entire department within their company, Henry Schein Cares, dedicated to philanthropic efforts such as partnering with the ADA for Give Kids a Smile. I can’t believe how fortunate I am to work in an industry that allows me to make a good living for my family and at the end of every day, look myself in the mirror and know that what I do makes a difference in the life of not just my customer, but every patient that dental office saw that day.”

	Phil Cole, a Territory Consultant for Benco Dental, prides himself as a “business consultant” who concentrates 100% on the business practices of the dental office. “My love of this job is to visit and help make a practice be more productive, save money, and be more efficient with their time,” he said.

	“The dental industry is constantly evolving, and I have to continually prepare for these changes. I accomplish this by being an active part of the Seattle Study Club, whose focus is always to promote and learn the highest techniques and procedures.”

	Cole also stays very integrated with Transitions Group North America to always learn the changes of the business aspects of the dental practice. After Hours Seminars continue to update him on the most up-to-date information on products and equipment. “It is important to share that same information to my doctors through hi-tech and opinion education seminars and business reviews,” Cole said.

	“Benco Dental has amazing programs and systems that allow me to be the most prepared consultant in the industry. In addition, Benco’s Success Partners allow me to be able to confidently provide the same type of services to my doctors as I would appreciate from a dental company.”

 Kim Foster Del Percio, Ultradent Products    Ultradent’s Kim Foster Del Percio is a people person. Her personality allows her to “facilitate cohesiveness,” and this allows her to help both customers and co-workers excel.

Serving, selling what's best for dentists, patients


	A new dimension to visual presentations

	Last January, the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas turned into a giant coming out party for 3D television. Coming on the heals of the massive theatrical success of the 3D movie Avatar and with the commercial launch of 3D Blu-Ray players, it’s clear 3D viewing is a big part of the future of video.

	Of course, working in three-dimensions is nothing new for the dental industry. 3D cone beam imaging and 3D treatment planning are growing more common as clinical tools, but 3D video can offer even more when it comes to patient education and entertainment, not to mention allowing clinicians the prospect of interacting with three-dimensional patient data in a virtual environment.

	“3D is a great way to get the point across, but even more so will set the practice apart by demonstrating a technology that few have even yet experienced. Providing this in an environment where the patients can watch 3D computer-generated dental education drives home the point that the practice is committed to state of the art in all aspects,” DPR Technology Editor Dr. John Flucke said.

	Currently, commercialized 3D video technologies require viewers to wear special glasses that can intrude on the experience, but glasses-free 3D is not too far off. Similar to the way HD TV slowly became the standard, many experts believe 3D TV will do the same. For a practice this means immersive patient education, and possibly virtual tours allowing patients to get inside case presentations to see all angles on how restorative solutions will work.

	“In the treatment area, 3D simply helps tell the story better and in more detail,” Dr. Flucke added.

	If any cutting-edge technology came into its own this past year it was the ultra-portable, touchscreen-capable computers in the smartphone and tablet categories. This was the year Apple’s iPhone finally faced some stiff competition from a chorus of devices running Google’s Android operating system, while the company’s iPad got a jump on everyone else’s tablets with an epic spring launch that has other computer manufacturers racing to get their own slate machines out to the public.

	These devices offer mobility, portability and in-depth access to a range of information and content, and they’re most definitely not being overlooked by the dental industry. Practice management company’s have moved into the smartphone and tablet arenas with Dentrix, Curve Hero, MacPractice, PracticeWorks and others creating apps to let dentists and staff members access their practice and patient information from their smartphones. The iPad and other tablets are set to offer even greater mobile computing versatility as more services are available for that computer form factor.

	“The iPad has increasingly become the go-to technology for me,” said Dr. Fred Peck who runs a cosmetics-focused practice in Cincinnati and uses both his iPhone and iPad for work purposes.

	When he travels, Dr. Peck usually brings only his iPad and he puts it to use as an e-reader, a way to watch CE podcasts and even to hold his presentation slides when he lectures. He sees the tablet as a great tool for training, whether that’s watching videos of new procedures or helping new staff members get up to speed at his practice.

	The iPad (and likely the coming wave of competing tablets) can be put to use as a portable check in kiosk so patients can fill out digital forms without having to stand at the front desk. In the operatory, the tablets are great for showing patients educational videos and treatment images in a high-tech, interactive way.

	“Henry Schein’s GURU runs on this, and I can use a drawing app to explain something to patients,” Dr. Peck said.

	Tablets and smartphones are making it easier than ever before for dentists and their practices to be informed, responsive and active from anywhere.

	Communications are an increasingly important part of practicing dentistry, whether it’s collaborating with a referring partner on planning a complex implant case or discussing the parameters of a restoration with your dental lab technician. Long the cutting edge in communications methods, video conferencing is now becoming mainstream via free Web-based services such as Skype, Apple’s FaceTime and numerous instant messenger-based video chat services.

	Picking up the phone or sending an e-mail have always been viable options, and smartphones make them accessible from anywhere, but face-to-face conversations tend to cut down on misunderstandings. Video conferencing makes those possible while collaborating with partners down the street or on the other side of the planet. All it takes is for both parties to have an Internet-connected computer, laptop, tablet or smartphone equipped with a webcam, something many systems now include right out of the box.

	Not only does video conferencing bring you and your partners closer together, but it makes digital collaboration incredibly simple, whether you’re working with digitized patient information, 3D case planning or even simple digital photos. Most of the Web conferencing services allow users to share their computer screen with the person on the other end of the chat, so everyone can see the information you have on your computer screen at the same time, allowing in-depth cooperation and immediate resolutions to questions and concerns.

	Innovations in the way people control their computers often fly under the radar, but some of the latest developments have the potential to make a great impact on the dental profession. Interacting with computers via a keyboard and mouse has been the way to go for several decades, but this is another area that could be changing rapidly.

	Smartphones are really pocket-sized computers, and most of them have no keyboard and few physical buttons. Yet users have little trouble tasking these devices to amazing and important jobs. This has not gone unnoticed by computer manufacturers, and a range of new touch devices are now available or are making their way to the market.

	Devices such as Wacom’s Bamboo tablets and Apple’s Magic Trackpad aim to replace the mouse with what in effect are laptop trackpads, expanded for desktop use. They let your fingers handle moving a cursor, clicking on items and moving anything around on screen, plus multi-touch capabilities make scrolling, zooming and manipulating objects in 3-dimensions easier than ever. A completely keyless keyboard also is reality with similar touch-enabled capabilities making typing a simple, albeit slightly less tactile, experience.

	As blank slates with no or few buttons, these devices are far easier to keep clean and hygienic than traditional keyboards and mice. Taking that concept even further is the Topo Jojo Touchless Mouse from Qualstar Corp. This device takes the hygienic input concept to its limits by providing a trackpad that requires no contact to operate. Simply manipulate within the device’s active area and a cursor can be controlled without any fears of cross-contamination. This new generation of touch and touchless input devices are making control of computers and their content easier, more intuitive and far more powerful than ever before.

	Both film and digital photography have long been beneficial in a dental practice as tool to document cases and educate patients, and digital camera technology just continues to get better and easier to use.

	Point-and-shoot digital cameras can provide high-quality images for both display on large computer monitors and printing, but digital SLR cameras provide the best images, and the latest models such as the pictured Canon eos 60D can even shoot high-quality HD video.

	“The DSLR offers the greatest flexibility and best image quality,” periodontist and photographer Dr. Peter O. Cabrera said. “There is also a steeper learning curve when compared to the lesser cameras, but the effort is well worth it.”

	A well-equipped practice will have a digital photography kit optimized for shooting small objects with great detail, which means the camera body, a macro lens and a ring flash that provides lighting but minimizes shadows. Dr. Cabrera said such a kit can be put to numerous uses in a practice, and because it’s digital it provides instant feedback rather than the “shoot and hope” approach with film.

	“A significant portion of what is written in a patient’s charts is really a description of visual findings. This is where photography really shines,” he said. “You can spend a significant amount of time writing several paragraphs describing what an oral lesion looks like or simply refer to the photo.”

	Those photos can track the progress of a case, or promote the quality of work a practice provides to patients. Dr. Cabrera also uses his images to educate patients about their oral health. The way he sees it, digital photography can be put to use in any practice.

 3D Video A new dimension to visual presentations    Last January, the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas turned into a giant coming out party for 3D television. Coming on the heals of the massive theatrical success of the 3D movie Avatar and with the commercial launch of 3D Blu-Ray players, it’s clear 3D viewing is a big part of the future of video.

Consumer technologies

8 years with the company, worked on the GXS-700™ digital sensor

	From the time an idea begins to take shape until the day the product is launched, Filippo Impieri is there. He gets to help transform the initial idea into something dentists will use to provide their patients with better care, what he describes as a position he’s privileged to be in. As the product manager responsible for the digital sensor and intraoral x-ray business at Gendex, he spent a lot of time and effort getting the GXS-700 digital sensor to market.

	Product development is an exhilarating process, he said, but nothing beats that last stage. Bringing the product to market and watching how it benefits the industry, that’s truly the most rewarding part of his job.

	“There’s really nothing better than that. Seeing the reaction of clinicians across the world to this sensor has been a terrific experience,” he said. “Bringing a product to market and seeing how it makes a difference in the daily lives of thousands of practitioners around the world is the best part of product development. I think it’s just priceless.”

	Plans for the GXS-700 began right after Gendex’s previous generation of the sensor was released. From the market research findings, Impieri said the team decided it was best to focus on image quality, improving diagnostic ability, portability and patient comfort. And that team is a large one made up of individuals with different specialties, something Impieri said is critical to a new product’s success.  

	“We have to make sure no aspect of the product is neglected during the development phases. We focus on things that matter the most,” he said. “It is truly a cross functional and global effort. In the case of Gendex, we have resources and contributors from across the country and overseas. All parts of the organization were involved from marketing to engineering. There’s no department in the company that was left out. It truly is the result of the hard work of every single Gendex employee.”

8 years with the company, worked on the Kodak 1500 intraoral camera

	It’s all about giving you what you want.

	As a product line manager for the Kodak 1500 intraoral camera, that is Wes Newsom’s top priority-to find out what you need to have in an intraoral camera and to make it happen.
	What’s one of the best ways to do that? To actually watch dentists use their intraoral camera of choice in their practice, Newsom said.

	“We stand in the shadows and watch how they do things. We look at what is clumsy and what frustrates them in the workflow,” Newsom said. “We see people with older generation and competitor cameras and find out what they like and what they don’t like about the cameras. We watch the workflow without interrupting, and that seems to give us good information on how to make the product better.”

	When working on a product like the Kodak 1500 camera, Newsom visits between 10 to 20 offices, with most having one or two dentists and five to seven staff members to observe and talk with them about what they need in an intraoral camera to provide their patients with the best care possible. But that’s not the only feedback Newsom and the rest of the product team use in the development process. They talk with key opinion leaders, set up focus groups and involve a variety of people throughout the company, from sales support to engineers, to get their opinions on how to improve the product. All told, there are hundreds of people from inside and outside the company who have a hand in creating and updating products at Carestream Dental.

	And it doesn’t end after the product is released. This intraoral camera originally was released with a docking station. Now it has wireless and direct-to-USB versions to help make the product even more user friendly.

	“Once we actually have the final product working like we wanted it to work, we get it out to larger quantities of dentists and get feedback,” Newsom said. “They say it’d be nice to have this or that, and we work as quickly as we can to get those features put in. We do what we can to make the product fit their needs as quickly as we can and to make sure it’s really the right feature to put into the product.”

Phillip Pasit, Global Product Manager of Clinical Dentistry


	15 months with the company, worked on Nuance

Tell me about your involvement with Nuance. What was your role in its development?

	As you may already know, the composite market has many different players. As Discus prepared to introduce its new composite, we wanted to showcase not only a composite that delivers exceptional esthetic results, but a unique delivery system that is innovative and functional for the user. With any development process, it’s important to acquire Voice-of-the-Customer feedback. This research ensures your feature sets offer true benefits to your audience. I reached out to several Luminaries, well-known for restorative dentistry, to confirm value in our delivery system, and seek a positive response on our nano-hybrid universal composite. In turn, Voice-of-the-Customer research allowed me to develop a solid positioning statement and meaningful messaging that addresses true pain points to the target audience.
	
	

What all goes into the development of a product like this?

	Product Managers are the hub in a new product development cycle. We are in charge of managing not only the product, but also providing guidance to the other stakeholders involved in making Nuance a successful launch. Teamwork with cross-functional departments is essential, and it’s my goal to make sure everyone is singing the same tune in unison. There are many moving parts in a product launch, from designing and engineering, filing regulatory requirements, manufacturing, and quality control, to developing marketing material and communications, advertising, and enabling our sales reps to be solution providers. Teamwork is key, and Nuance was humming on all cylinders when it was released in the marketplace.
	
	

What do you think dentists would be most surprised to learn about the behind the scenes of product development?

	How much impact their voice has in the product development cycle. As manufacturers strive to develop products that differentiate the company from the competition, it’s very easy to get carried away with too many “bells and whistles.” As with many other products (not only in dental) customers frequently ask, “Why did they add that feature, I’m never going to use it?” As Discus develops products, we want to integrate features that are meaningful to our customers. Clinicians may not know there are impromptu market research focus groups that Discus holds. Qualified clinicians can be part of this study, to have their voice heard and further impact the development of dentistry.


	13 years with the company, worked on the BlueView line of transparent matrices


	
	Stacey Buckner typically is the one selling the products Garrison Dental launches.

	This time, she was the driving force behind a product’s development. From coordinating pre-market evaluations with dentists to making sure they had everything needed in house to manufacture the product, she was involved in just about every aspect of the BlueView cervical matrix system’s development. And it all happened because her boss asked her to take a phone call. That phone call led to others, and eventually Buckner was immersed in a different side of the business, something that gave her an even deeper appreciation for the products she sells.
	She loved being part of all the different pieces that go into product development. In particular Buckner enjoyed helping the company capitalize on its leadership position in Class II sectional matrix materials and expand into new innovative materials for Class III, IV and Vs. Her extensive pre-market testing of all the BlueView products gave her confidence that they would fulfill that goal. So far they have, she said.

	And when it comes to product development, Garrison is always open to new ideas to expand the company’s offerings, Buckner said, whether those ideas come from within the company or are from the dental community. 


	3 years with the company, worked on the MultiLED

	That’s how this senior product manager sees product development-you identify a need in the market and you develop a product to fill that need. So what need does the MultiLED fill? It upgrades the ubiquitous six-pin MULTIflex coupler from a halogen bulb to an LED without buying a brand-new LED coupler. The market needed a clean white light in the oral cavity for dental applications, Kher said, which is what this upgrade provides-at a price that’s affordable for existing users of the MULTIflex couplers who want to upgrade.

	Kher and the others on the development team spent about 14 months on this product from start to finish, Kher said. During that time the focus was on innovation, and taking an existing successful product and making it even more user friendly.

	“The whole process from the ideation to commercialization is pretty exciting stuff. In my role, you see the customers’ needs and then you figure out what you can do to solve those needs,” Kher said. “Being a 100-year-old company that has always been on the cutting edge of innovation, it is very important for us to make sure the product is comparable with an existing product and yet brings us a really new technology that can solve an existing problem.”

Laurent Zenou, Product Manager for SOPROLIFE


	21 years with the company, worked on SOPROLIFE

 Gendex Dental Systems Filippo Impieri, Global Product Manager 8 years with the company, worked on the GXS-700™ digital sensor  

Dental Products Report-2010-12-01