CAGD Presents Dr. M. Weisenfeld on Risk Management
by Dr. William Lawley, editor, CAGD
Dr. Ausrine Schneider and Dr. Mike Weisenfeld
On March 15, 2013 forty-three dentists, two staff, and one student gathered at Maggianos Little Italy in Schaumburg, IL. to listen to Dr. Mike Weisenfeld lecture on Dental Risk Management.
After practicing dentistry in Michigan for 24 years, Dr. Weisenfeld joined the faculty at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry. In 1986, he was appointed Assistant Professor (Adjunct). In 1989, Dr. Weisenfeld became a consultant for a major insurance company handling dental indemnity claims. In 1997, bringing his experience as a practitioner, Dr. Weisenfeld served as a Senior Claim Examiner and Expert Consultant for dental malpractice for an insurance company. There, he worked with company attorneys to develop defense strategies and risk management procedures.
Currently, he continues to consult with Dental Insurance Companies concerning claim review. Dr. Weisenfeld is a member and Past President of the Academy of General Dentistry. Presently, Dr. Weisenfeld is a member of the AADC(American Association of Dental Consultants) Board of Directors, and serves as Chair of the Policies and Positions Committee and Chair of the Constitution and Bylaws Committee.
The CAGD would like to thank our three sponsors for this seminar:
- BISCO, represented by Norma Gilich, RDH and Dr. Doug Brown, who raffled off a DuoLink Universal Kit.
- PNC Bank, represented by Marcus Treadwell and Jose Prado, who raffled off a Kuerig Machine
- Hiossen Implant Systems, represented by Jimmy Shim and Harrison Song, who raffled off a $3500.00 4 day AIC Implant Training Course and an $800.00 one day Extraction and Socket Preservation Course.
Dr. Bill Blatchford and Dr. Cheryl Mora
The goal of maximizing the team’s efforts and efficiency is to strive for a 120 day work year – allowing more vacation time, less burn-out, and creation of a positive attitude. In order to maintain a vibrant practice we will need to replace the 20% of patients per year that will be lost to attrition – death, relocation, etc. In a pathologic-growth practice, where that is not happening, we may want to ask ourselves what we are doing to turn prospective patients away. Dr. Blatchford is a strong proponent of reading books on sales techniques. He maintains that our communication skills are as important as our technical skills. This was an enlightening seminar for the students who are first embarking on their journey in dentistry as well as the dentists in the twilight of their career.
During one of the breaks, our outgoing IAGD President, Dr. Robert Kozelka, received a plaque from current IAGD President, Dr. Randy Ashton. Congratulations Bob for a great job!
President of the Academy of General Dentistry, Dr. Jeffrey Cole, addressed the attendees with an update on the state of the Academy. He discussed the purchase of property at 560 W Lake Street in Chicago that will be the new home of the National AGD. We were also introduced to John Thorner, the new Executive Director of AGD.
The IAGD would like to thank our sponsors:
- ADM Dental Marketing, represented by Danny Bobrow, MBA, who raffled off an On Hold Message Machine worth $500.
- BISCO, represented by Norma Gilich, RDH and Dr. Douglas Brown, who raffled off a 4-pack of Theracal and an All-Bond Universal Kit.
- PNC Bank, represented by Jose Prado and Marcus Treadwell, who raffled off a Kuerig Machine.
- Ultra Light Optics, represented by Jenni Bui and Nicole Lee.
- Velscope, represented by Ebon Turner
- Philips Sonicare
- Illinois AGD raffled off 2 sets of IAGD scrubs
Without our sponsors it would be very difficult to present our high level of continuing education, so please give them your support.
Please be aware of the next Chicago AGD seminar:
- May 10, 2013 – The Marriage of Esthetics, Occlusion, and Comprehensive Dentistry with Dr. Gary Alex at Bisco Institute in Schaumburg, IL. This course will focus on the systematic approach to comprehensive cases from veneers to full mouth reconstructions to achieve predictable results.
Mark your calendars now and join us for the final two seminars of the season before summer break!
April is National Oral Cancer Awareness Month, a time when the dental community rallies together to fight against a serious disease. While some may think this cancer is rare, nearly 42,000 Americans will be diagnosed with oral or pharyngeal cancer this year, according to the Oral Cancer Foundation. It will kill roughly one person per hour, every hour of the day.
Early Detection is Key
When found early, oral cancers have an 80 to 90 percent survival rate. Unfortunately, most oral cancer is discovered at later stages, resulting in the unnecessarily high death rate.
You may not realize that oral cancer screenings are a routine part of a more extensive exam you receive during your regular appointment with Midwest Dental. Visiting your dentist regularly is one way to ensure that any abnormal lesions could be discovered early.
The Signs of Oral Cancer
The symptoms of oral cancer include:
- Sores in the mouth that bleed easily or do not heal
- A thick or hard spot or lump
- A roughened or crusted area
- Numbness, pain or tenderness
- A change in the way your teeth fit together when you bite down
Make sure to talk to your dentist immediately if you notice the above symptoms in yourself or a loved one.
Risk Factors
There are two main risk factors for oral cancer.
- Smoking and tobacco use are long-term historic causes of oral cancer.
- The HPV-16 virus, a sexually-transmitted disease, is resulting in the fastest growing segment of oral cancer patients being young, healthy, nonsmoking individuals.
It’s more important than ever for all adults to have an oral cancer screening. Please make your patients aware of this information.
This article was taken from a Midwest Dental newsletter.
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Northern Illinois Component “All You Wanted to Know About Endodontics But Were Afraid to Ask”
Earn 7 Participation CE credits, on Friday April 26, 2013. At the Hootman Lab in Rockford, IL .Contact: Dr. Stephen Petras for more information. [email protected]
MasterTrack Two Day Implant
Mentor Program with Dr. Russell Baer, May 17-18, 2013. Hootman Lab Rockford, IL. Contact: Dr. Sy Wachtenheim for more information. [email protected]
Register for the AGD 2013 Annual Meeting and Exhibits June 27 to June 30, 2013 in Nashville. Register by April 26 to secure Early Bird Rates.
Constituent Contest
Heads up, there’s a constituent contest going on, the constituent in each membership category (IL is category 1 over 800 members) that has the most dentist and dental team registrations will win $500!