Volume 62 • Number 4 • August 2009 • San Francisco Dental Society • Organized 1869

MISSION STATEMENTThe mission of the

San Francisco Dental Society is to serve the needs of its

members, advance the art and science of dentistry,

and promote the improvement of the health of the public.

IN THIS ISSUE...Presidential Perspective . . . . . . . 2

Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Executive Perspective . . . . . . . . .5

On Your Behalf . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Updated Member Listing . . . . . . .7

And More! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(Continued on page 4)

“Power Up Your San Francisco Smile”was the theme of this year’s poster con-test, open to all San Francisco publicand private kindergarten through 5thgrade students. Among an estimated3000 entries, 60 winners were chosenand presented with awards at a ceremo-ny held on Friday, April 17th at theArthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry.

Dressed in their best outfits and ontheir best behaviors, one couldn’tignore the loud giggles and feel the con-scious anticipation of hundreds of chil-dren, teachers, and family memberspacked into the large auditorium. Afterspending an evening looking with aweat these amazingly colorful and intelli-gently crafted posters, I was excited tomeet these pint-sized artists.

America tickets, $50 cash, and an Oral Bbattery toothbrush.

Kristen’s fellow winners were presentedwith award prizes by SFDS President,Dr. David Ehsan, Ms. Deborah Elam,SFDS Executive Director, Ms. PaulaBaum, SFUSD Nurse, and me as repre-sentative of SFDS Community DentalHealth Committee, with assistancefrom our constant supporting force,Ms. Wendy Shinbori. The SFDSextends a special thank-you to JohnDraper of the Audiovisual Departmentof UOP who acted as our official pho-tographer. Many of the winning posterswill be displayed at the Main PublicLibrary and the San FranciscoInternational Airport Children’sMuseum.

The Dental Poster Contest, held everyFebruary during National Children’s

34th Annual San Francisco Elementary SchoolDental Poster Contest Katherine Vo, D.D.S.

The evening started with openingremarks from our ever comedic Dr.Dennis Shinbori, chair of the event,who was also the Master ofCeremonies; followed with welcomegreetings from Dr. Patrick Ferrillo,Dean of UOP School of Dentistry, andDr. David Ehsan, President of SanFrancisco Dental Society. We werethen honored to have California StateSenator Leland Yee, who presented thegrand-prize winner, her teacher andprincipal with Proclamations from theState Senate.

This year’s grand prize winner, KristenLeung, a fifth grader from LawtonAlternative, was presented with aweekend hotel package at the HiltonSanta Clara, Paramount’s Great

Dr. Patrick J Ferrillo, Dean; Senator Dr. Leeland Yee; Grand Prize Winner Ms. Kristen Leung; and Poster Contest Chair, Dr. Dennis Shinbori.

photo by John Draper

San Francisco Dental Society • Page 2

2009 SAN FRANCISCO DENTAL SOCIETY OFFICERS AND

BOARD OF DIRECTORSTHE BRIDGE Editor

David Rothman, DDS

2009 Executive CommitteePresident

David Ehsan, DDS MD

President-Elect Sima Salimi, DDS

Immediate Past-President Irene Hilton, DDS MPH

Vice PresidentCourtney Fitzpatrick, DDS

SecretaryWayne Del Carlo, DDS

TreasurerGail Duffala, DDS

CDA TrusteesCurtis Raff, DDS

Natasha Lee, DDS

Executive DirectorDeborah A. Elam, MS CAE

DirectorsJoseph Gabany, DMD MSD

Carlos Nogueiro, DDSAnnie Yuen, DDSEric Salmon, DDS

Dennis Song, DDS MDPeter Lee, DDS MS

Paul Weller, DDS MSLauren Hebel, DMD

William Lee, DDSFrank Grimaldi, DDSMatthew Young, DDS

2009 Committee ChairsBylaws - Wayne Del Carlo, DDS Community Dental Health -

Jeffrey Jang, DDSEthics - Sima Salimi, DDS

Executive - David Ehsan, DDS MDFinance - Gail H. Duffala, DDS

Legislative - Irene Hilton, DDS MPHMembership - Courtney Fitzpatrick DDSNew Dentist - Dennis Song, DDS MD

Peer Review - Michael A. Ramsay, DDSPolicy - William L. Gallagher, DDS

Poster Contest - Dennis D. Shinbori, DDS & Stafford J. Duhn, DDSProgram - Sima Salimi, DDS

Well-Being - Bruce Hiura, DDS(Confidential assistance to professionals,

spouse and staff for drug and alcohol abuse, call (415) 776-5855)

SFDS StaffRonnica Merritt—Membership &

CE Programs AdministratorAlfonso Estera, Jr – Administrative &

Advertising Assistant

PRESIDENTIAL PERSPECTIVEDavid Ehsan, DDS MD

Status Report I am proud to report that the status ofSan Francisco Dental Society is strong.Your volunteer leaders and administra-tive staff have being working hard onyour behalf to promote our mission toserve the needs of its members, advance theart and science of dentistry and promote theimprovement of the health of the public.Despite the economic uncertainty ourmembership continues to remain veryhigh. The San Francisco Dental Societyhas a high membership rate as com-pared to some other CDA componentsocieties.

At the beginning of the year the boardof directors of the dental society had atwo-day meeting and brainstorming ses-sion to develop an annual strategic planfor the organization. At that gatheringwe outlined the vision and values forthe dental society.

Vision:

The San Francisco Dental Society is theunited voice of dentists and oral healthcare in the community

Values:

❖ Driven and Responsive of Members’Needs (Service)

❖ Anticipates Practice and CommunityNeeds with a Future Focus (FutureOriented)

❖ Inclusive or People, Perspectives, andPractices (Diversity)

❖ Strategically Guided by Integrity andEthics (Sincere)

Based on our mission, vision, and valueswe have developed goals and strategies.Our diligent committees have puttogether work-plan outlines that we willfollow to achieve the desired objectives.

We would welcome your participation ina committee or on our board to promoteand execute our strategic plan—in serviceto our members and the profession. ❖

Unless commitment is made, there are onlypromises and hopes; but no plans. Peter F. Drucker

UCSF—2009 Recognition Banquet hosted by the School of Dentistry and the UCSFDental Alumni Association, June 1, 2009 at Marines’ Memorial Club, San Francisco.Congratulations to Maria Del Socorro Gonzalez, recipient of the San FranciscoDental Society Ethics and Professionalism Award. …

UOP—2009 Alumni/Graduate Banquet honoring the class of 2009, June 12, 2009 atthe Ritz Carlton Hotel, San Francisco. Congratulations to Ben Yount and MangusYang, recipients of the San Francisco Dental Society Ethics and ProfessionalismAward.

CAMPUS NOTES

San Francisco Dental Society • Page 3

These last few months have pro-vided a bottomless well of top-ics for editorials much to the

joy of editors and pundits everywhere.Everything from Obama’s healthcareplan and his upcoming battle with thesenate to California’s never endingbattle of the budget and the state’sloss of adult DentiCal to the SF“Green Police” checking to seewhether I’ve composted properly andhaving the ability to issue fines. Butinstead my mind wanders to a bookI’ve recently read entitled “Galileo’sDaughter; a Historical Memoir ofScience, Faith and Love” by DavaSobel. [This is where I give a plug forthe San Francisco Public Library sys-tem; there has never been a book orvideo I’ve wanted that I couldn’t getfrom them. Please continue to sup-port public libraries!] Galileo was putin jail and his writings bannedbecause he had the audacity to chal-lenge the Church’s view of the geocen-tricity of the world. He reiterated andproved Copernicus’ theory of theheliocentricity of the universe using atelescope that he designed allowinghim to prove his theory. He shared histelescope with other scientiststhroughout Europe and with enlight-ened clergy who validated his find-ings. The Church’s error leading to hisimprisonment and censure was thatdespite proof that was accepted by its

diets and even longer life. Rarely dothe authors acknowledge before theirstudies become common knowledgethat many of the associations are notcausation but are due to the groupbeing tested or observed having alifestyle or socioeconomic class differ-ent from others. Controls are veryhard to develop and maintain overlong periods of time. Even thosethings that are proven, including ciga-rette smoke and tar with cancer, aresubject to reinterpretation.Oftentimes, the interpretation ofthese articles is shallow and prone tomisinterpretation because they con-fuse association with causation. Oldwives’ tales are the perfect example ofcommon culture which has for yearsignored this issue. In dentistry, wehave the myth of teething and thepurported concurrent problemscaused by erupting teeth or the needfor third molar extractions becausethey cause lower anterior crowding orthe use of fluoride to decrease cariesrates. (By the way, have we ever hearda challenge to adding iodine to salt toprevent a single disease, goiter?)Using evidence based medicine we areable to determine if our treatmentstrategies make any sense at all or fallin the realm of the absurd. We need to

EDITORIALDavid Rothman, DDS

The Lessons of Galileo

(Continued on page 8)

own theocracy, the rigorous confinesof church teaching did not allow achallenge to an existing model whichseemed to work well; they confusedscience with religion, myth and exist-ing beliefs.

The prime error any observer makestoday, just as back then, is mistakingcausation with association; in otherwords, two events occurring concur-rently versus one event directly linkedto causing the other. Every day we arebombarded with articles about healthand nutrition that purport to link“something” with a disease state. Weread about links between mercury invaccines and autism, fluoride withcancer or Acai berries with long life.We hear about the Mediterranean dietand long life, red wine and longer (aswell as happier) life and in the samejournal, read about semi-starvation

“The prime error any

observer makes today,

just as back then, is

mistaking causation

with association...”

San Francisco Dental Society • Page 4

34th Annual San Francisco Elementary School Dental Poster Contest (Continued from page 1)

Dental Health Month, raises awarenessabout the importance of oral healththrough artistic means of inspiration.The San Francisco Dental Society pro-motes dental health and educationthough numerous programs and volun-teer efforts, including those of ourDental Health Committee. If you areinterested in serving your communityand working on one of the Dental

Health Committee’s many programs,please give us a call.

Last but not least, we would like toacknowledge the following donors, who,without their generous donations thiscontest would not be able to take place:

Auxiliary to the SFDSArthur A. Dugoni School of DentistryBraun Oral B.

Great America Theme ParkDr. Michael Y.ChanDr. Antonio Cucalon IIIDr. David RothmanEducational ExchangeSan Francisco Public LibraryHilton Hotel Santa Clara

Mitchell & Mitchell Insurance AgencySan Francisco International Airport

Children’s Museum ❖

At a recent meeting, as an ice-break-er, all attendees were asked toshare the “worst” gift they had

ever received. With my birthday justaround the corner, and closing in fast, Istarted thinking about the best gifts Ihave received over the years. I don'tknow about you, but I can pretty easilymake a top five, and even a top-ten, listof gifts I've received for my birthday.Some things stand out for their useful-ness, some for the thought that wasbehind them and some just because theywere cool, like the hot-air balloon ride, orthe helicopter tour of the city, or the 3-day trip to Maui (yes, I’ve been blessed).And while I have enjoyed all the gifts onmy top five immensely, there is an entire-ly different top-five list that exceedsthem all:

Being listened to... It happens so rarely.Yes, I am blessed with wonderful peoplein all parts of my life, and many are greatlisteners. It isn't that they never listen;it's that when they focus on what I amsaying and on my ideas, I feel more confi-dent, smarter, and even valued. It seemslike such a simple act, and yet we all for-get too frequently to really listen, whichmakes this gift all the more powerful.

Being trusted…This is a silent, yet suchvalued gift. While people rarely say, “Itrust you”, I can tell when they do. Andwhen I sense their trust it urges me to doeverything I can to continue to earn it -which has the side benefit of creating astrong sense of loyalty.

Being supported...This is a multifacetedgift because it can come in so many wrap-pings (including with the other gifts men-tioned). I want to know that someone hasmy back…that they believe in me. Thatthey want me to succeed, that they havemy best interests at heart, and that theywill recognize my contributions andefforts. This doesn't mean that I am

absolving myself of responsibilities; it'sjust that when I have the support of oth-ers it makes my life easier, more enjoyable,and wanting to be a part of the whole.

Being included…Like everyone, I wantto belong, to be asked to join (so do you).Whether it's a gathering for a small fewor to join the group, we all like to feelwanted, and we all need to be a part of a

community. I won't always say yes, butthat doesn't mean I don't appreciate thegift of being asked, of being included. Asa membership organization, we need tobe asking others to be a part of our SFDScommunity, so they too receive the giftof being included.

Being appreciated…You can use theword “care” or “respect”, or the like.These are wonderful gifts, and they're inthe same class as love. But love is thebottom line - and the greatest gift of all.We all want and need this in our lives.

These gifts are more meaningful andlonger lasting than even the biggest ormost expensive material gifts. They aregifts given with action rather than withother resources. These are valued gifts,regardless of age, race, volunteer or jobfunction. How often do you give thesegifts to those around you? Is it as often

as it could be, at work and in your per-sonal life? How would “giving thesegifts” positively impact the people youlead as well as impact their performance?The gifts we most value receiving deeplyare the same gifts we can choose to givemore freely. When we give these giftsfreely and with sincerity we will improveour relationships and our lives, as well asthe lives of others. The cliché is true. Itis better to give than receive.

Speaking of giving...the SFDS commu-nity seeks a writer-leader-editor to suc-ceed our able editor of over four years,Dr. David Rothman, who is focusing onhis role as a CSPD officer. You will workclosely with SFDS staff and other leadersto publish six issues of The Bridge eachyear. Do you posses the technical skillsof a wordsmith plus the tangibles of agood writer? Will you serve as a resourcefor ideas? Will you consistently makedeadlines? Do you want to influenceyour profession and serve on the Boardof Directors? Borrowing from PeterJacobi on what makes a great editor; youare bold, energetic, assured, self-starting,part diplomat, part crusader, part lawyer,part psychologist, part sociologist, parthistorian, part fortune teller, partRepublican, part Democrat, part non-partisan and part human and, above all,have a passion for your profession. Giveus a call for an application today!

SFDS Referral Service: One of the ben-efits of your membership is a listing inthe Society’s referral database. Wereceive over 250 calls a month frompatients seeking dental services; we pro-vide referrals based on patient criteriaand neighborhood. Want to make sureyou are in the referral database? CallAlfonso at (415) 928-7337. ❖

EXECUTIVE PERSPECTIVEDeborah Elam, CAEExecutive Director

My Best Birthday Gifts

San Francisco Dental Society • Page 5

“As a membership

organization, we need

to be asking others to

be a part of our SFDS

community, so they

too receive the gift

of being included. ”

ON YOUR BEHALF –LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

By Donna B. Hurowitz, DDS,Legislative Committee Member

By Peter Rengstorff, DDS, Member,Legislative Committee & Resident of

District 9

Supervisor David Campos was elected November 4, 2008,over six other candidates to represent District 9, whichincludes the Mission, Bernal Heights, and Portola neigh-

borhoods. The district's previous Supervisor, Tom Ammiano,was elected to the state’s District 13 Assembly Seat leaving avacancy on the Board of Supervisors. Supervisor Campos’term will run until 2013.

David Campos was born in Guatemala and came to the U.S.with his family when he was 14 years of age. At the time hespoke only Spanish and was an undocumented immigrant.He grew up in the Maywood neighborhood of Los Angeleswhere he excelled in class, earned scholarships to StanfordUniversity and Harvard Law School. He has remained true tohis roots; because he found opportunity in his own lifethrough education he is a strong public school advocate andhas served as General Counsel to the Unified School Districtin San Francisco.

Prior to his election as Supervisor, Campos was appointed to athree-year term on the Police Commission. There he advocat-ed for more community foot patrols, public disciplinary hear-ings for police officers, implementation of medical marijuanalaws and protection of immigrant rights. He now chairs theBoard of Supervisor’s Public Safety Committee which overseesall matters of public safety, which includes not only the police,but also community-based violence prevention programs,after school programs and tattoo removal.

Perhaps as an acknowledgement of David's interest in publicsafety, the Ingleside Police Precinct which serves District 9 wasselected to implement the pilot program for SFPD’s newlyimplemented vision. Objectives of the program includeexpanding youth/police involvement, new officer training,

Supervisor David Campos

San Francisco Dental Society • Page 6

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors and MayorGavin Newsom finally agreed on a $6.6 billion budgetfor 2009-2010 on July l, 2009. The final negotiations

required agreeing to allocate $44 million on social programswithout laying off police or firefighters. The city deficit hadranged from $400 to $500 million.

Will there be higher taxes for business or individuals? Not yet,although voters may be asked to approve higher sales taxesand a parcel tax in November. We could also be subject tohigher taxes or further cuts depending on how much state leg-islators in Sacramento decide to slash local funding.California has still not agreed on a budget.

Supervisor Carmen Chu has served on the BOS sinceSeptember 2007, representing the Sunset/Parkside district.Prior to joining the Board of Supervisors, Chu completed athree-year tenure at the Mayor’s Office of Public Policy andFinance. Carmen Chu has two degrees in public policy: a B.A.from Occidental College and a Master’s degree from UCBerkeley’s Goldman School of Public Policy.

During a telephone interview, Chu explained to me howreaching agreement on the budget can be such a difficult,complex project. Each of the eleven (11) supervisors, as wellas the mayor, can bring a different set of priorities to thetable. In addition, about half of our budget is either alreadydedicated to specific departments or is a set-aside alreadyrestricted to specific programs. Chu believes the city wouldbe better served if more flexibility were possible when settingthe budget.

Supervisor Chu is determined to safeguard the city’s credit rat-ing by maintaining our general fund reserves and our rainyday fund at healthy levels. Chu says, “I am not happy that

Reflections on the CityBudget with SupervisorCarmen Chu

(Continued on page 10)(Continued on page 11)

San Francisco Dental Society • Page 7

SFDS DIRECTORYUPDATES

Melanie S. Asnani, DDS2525 Merced StSan Leandro, CA 94577

Colin K. Au, DDS2460 Mission St, Ste 109San Francisco, CA 94110

Michael Y Chan, DDS219 Clement StSan Francisco, CA 94118

William C. Chan, DDS219 Clement StSan Francisco, CA 94118

Katrina Chen, DDS2001 Union St, Ste 240San Francisco, CA 94123

Yvonne Y. Chen, DMD129 Sacramento StSan Francisco, CA 94111

Calvin Dang, DDS1651 10th AveSan Francisco, CA 94122

Ameir A. Eltom, DDS3451 E 12th StOakland, CA 94601

Alexander Farr, DDS535 Miller AveMill Valley, CA 94941*Secondary PracticeAddress:2250 Union StSan Francisco, CA 94123

Fred J. Fendler, DDS2155 Webster StSan Francisco, CA 94115

Lucinda Fenn, DDS21672 Granada AveCupertino, CA 95014

Hamed H. Javadi, DDS, MS666 3rd St, Ste 280San Rafael, CA 94901*Secondary PracticeAddress:1615 Hill Rd, Ste ANovato, CA 94947

Laila Kafi, DMD2827 Franklin StSan Francisco, CA 94123

Alexander A. Kogan, DDS255 King St, Ste ASan Francisco, CA 94107

Benjamin I. Laudig, DDS1024 Leavenworth StSan Francisco, CA 94109

Kam-Wan Lee, DDS44601 Highland PlFremont, CA 94539

Sheila L. Leffall, DDS655 H Ave, Bldg 442San Francisco, CA 94130

Philip M. Livingood, DDS490 Post St, Ste 1516San Francisco, CA 94102

Anna Liviz, DDS324 N San Mateo Dr, Ste 2San Mateo, CA 94401

Peter M. Loomer, DDS521 Parnassus Ave C628,Box 0650San Francisco, CA 94143

Robert H. Lyford, DDS490 Post St, Ste 1038San Francisco, CA 94102

Bruce D. Marcucci, DDS490 Post St, Ste 1124San Francisco, CA 94102

George K. Merijohn, DDS2269 Chestnut St, # 893San Francisco, CA 94123Jerilyn V. Negvesky, DDS450 Sutter St, Rm 1519San Francisco, CA 94108

Irina V. Olmezova, DDS1860 Alcatraz StBerkeley, CA 94703*Secondary PracticeAddress:302 Silver StSan Francisco, CA 94118

Polly D. Rivas, DDS260 Stockton St, Fl 5San Francisco, CA 94108

Macario D. Soliman, DDS323 South Lincoln Blvd.,Pediatric DepartmentVenice, CA 90291

Wai Kin H. Tong, DDS771 Sacramento StSan Francisco, CA 94108

Ann Wei, DDS707 Parnassus Ave, D4000San Francisco, CA 94143

Yuan-zheng Xiao, DDS296 21st AveSan Francisco, CA 94121

Hongyu Yang, DDS2440 Mission StSan Francisco, CA 94110

Lynn K. Yoshimura, DDS9482 Baseline RdAlta Loma, CA 91701

Please clip out the listing below and insert in your current directory.

New Radiation FormsRequirements

The state Dept of PublicHealth Radiological HealthBranch (RHB) has steppedup x-ray machine inspec-tions and mailed new radia-tion machine registrationforms to many facilitieswith x-ray machines. TheSFDS has received severalqueries about the newrequirements to provide,with the registration form,a copy of their RadiationProtection and SafetyProgram if the x-raymachine is capable of goingabove 500kVp.

Dental offices do not haveto send in a copy of theirRadiation Protection andSafety Program with theregistration form becauseno dental x-ray machinecan go above 500 kVp. Thedentist can check the thirdbox in Section C of theform.

If there are no changes tothe radiation machine regis-tration -- no addresschange, name change, serialnumber -- and it hasn'tbeen transferred, sold, ordisposed, the form doesnot have to be completed.

The Radiation Protectionand Safety Program, howev-er, must be available toRHB inspectors uponrequest.

6

66 6

San Francisco Dental Society • Page 8

Dr. Gurminder Sidhu provided members with an overview of3-D imaging, a rapidly developing new standard of care indentistry. Attendees learned about Cone Beam CT and itsuses including when to refer patients for advanced imaging,what type of image to request, systematic evaluation of CTvolumes, how to decipher what the radiologist is saying and areview of the potentiallegal liabilities of thisnew technology.

June 4th General Membership Meeting at Patio Espanol

be cognizant of this when we reviewarticles or review our beliefs.

Even research that we depend on toguide our life may be wrong or misin-terpreted or just downright incorrect.We know Galileo was right on therotation of the earth but he waswrong on currents and tides beingcaused by the earth spinning on its

axis. Mendel, the first geneticist, couldnot have gotten the results he pub-lished except by divine intervention inthe small sample he used. He had tohave stacked the deck in his favor andignored findings that didn’t matchwhat he thought he should see.

My challenge to you as we move fromlab bench and clinical research to evi-

dence based research and interpreta-tion, is to remember that the review-er’s bias and our bias enters the pic-ture preventing us from testing thelimits of our beliefs. Remember thatevidence based results may be aboutassociation, not necessarily causation.What would the world be like now ifGalileo was wrong? ❖

EDITORIAL (Continued from page 3)

San Francisco Dental Society • Page 9

COMMUNITY CORNERIf you are a dentist who believes in thepower of a healthy smile to improve apatient’s self-confidence, please considerdonating your services, or dental equipment, to one or more of many worthy causes:

• Delancey Street continues to look fordentists to provide dental services to par-ticipants. This would include cleanings,general prophylactic, restorative and pros-thetic services. The gift of self-confidenceto men and women who are looking toenhance their lives would be the spring-board for their success in life. Please con-tact the Delancey Street Foundation at(415) 512-5118 if you are interested incontributing to this endeavor.

• SafeHouse, a clean and sober living com-munity for women, seeks the services ofgeneral practitioners who will each pro-vide service to one of their clients. Pleasecontact SafeHouse, Susan Biancalana at(415) 643-7861.

• Success Through Education ---StudentsRising Above is dedicated to providing

educational resources to high school stu-dents who are overcoming staggeringobstacles to pursue their education andtheir dreams for a better life. Many of thestudents in this program do not have adentist. The organization is building adatabase of dentists who are willing toprovide services to these students on a probono or reduced fee basis. If you wouldlike to assist these students please contactLynne Martin or Barb Hendricks at (415)333-4222. For more information pleasevisit the website at www.stu-dentsrisingabove.org.

• UCSF Student-Run Community DentalClinic—seeks volunteer dentists for stu-dent-run community clinic in order toincrease the number of patients served.SFDS members would be expected to vol-unteer 1-2 times a quarter (10 weeks) andwould require faculty appointments. Thefaculty appointment process can take afew months and requires references. Therole of member volunteers is to supervisethe students as they treat pre-screened

PBjpatients from homeless shelters and rehabprograms like Seton Hall and Glide. Formore information, contact Andrew Weeks,Director, Community Dental Clinic, UCSFSchool of Dentistry atAndrew.Weeks@ucsf.edu•

• One Smile at a Time—seeks volunteers,dental equipment and funds. SFDSretired members, Dr. Jon Opper, is build-ing a dental clinic in Nicaragua in associa-tion with the International HumanityCenter and seeks used dental equipmentand instruments, funding and volunteers.For more information, you can contact Dr.Opper at zorropper@comcast.net or byphone at (415) 497-5278. To learn moreabout One Smile at a Time, visit the web-site athttp://ihcenter.org/groups/onesmileata-time.html.

If you know of or participate in an organiza-tion that has needs for the underserved,developmentally or physically challenged,please contact the SFDS and we will includethe request in our next newsletter. ❖

Chinatown Health Center celebrates 40 years. The ground breaking for the Chinatown Health Center located at 1490 Mason Street was May 28,1969. Prior to this datethe Heath Center for Chinatown had several temporary locations in Chinatown and it finally found a permanent homeatop the Broadway Tunnel. It serves the local community including outreach programs, prevention, nutrition counseling,cancer support groups, medical and children's dental clinics. CONGRATULATIONS!

Taking it to D.C. Drs. Natasha Lee and Dan Davidson, CDA Treasurer, descended on Washington DC as part ofthe California Delegation visiting Capitol Hill during the annual ADA Washington LeadershipConference where they and other CDA leaders met with members of congress to discuss currentissues facing dentistry, including insurance anti-trust laws, funding for public oral health care pro-grams, and small business challenges such as the Red Flag Rule.

Giving Back…Thank you Dr. Ivy Chan for donating your services to treat four patients from Safe House. Tolearn more about Dr. Chan’s positive experience working with Safe House, give her a ring. For a listof organizations seeking services, please see our Community Corner in this issue of The Bridge.

Moved…Drs. Michael Y. Chan and William C. Chan recently relocated their OMFS practice to 219 Clement Street, www.sforal-surgery.com (415) 776-6710. We wish them the best in their new location… Please update your membership directories.

San Francisco Dental Society • Page 10

Did you know that how a doctorhandles interactions withpatients and staff directly

affects the outcome of potential claims?Recent analysis of policyholder claimsfrom The Dentists Insurance Company(TDIC) supports this to be true.Findings show that those who practicedspecific methods when interacting withpatients and staff were better able tomitigate potential claims, or avoid themaltogether.

You can learn what these methods areand how you can apply them in yourpractice by attending the current TDICrisk management course series, RM12:Framework for Positive and EffectiveInteractions. Using actual claims asexamples, RM12 gives attendees thetools to:

❖ Establish and implement an officepregnancy policy to avoid discrimina-tion and wrongful termination allega-tions.

❖ Incorporate corrective action practicesto improve employee performance.

In addition to the value of the coursecontent, current TDIC policyholderswho complete this seminar will earn atwo-year, 5 percent discount on theirTDIC professional liability premium.Non-policyholders who complete a fall2009 seminar or self-study course andare accepted for TDIC coverage beforeJuly 1, 2010, will also be eligible for thisdiscount.

This course qualifies for 3.0 continuingeducation units, as well as 3.0 ADACERP and 3.0 Academy of GeneralDentistry credits.

If you can’t make any of the above semi-nar dates, you can still complete thecourse. TDIC offers its risk manage-ment course series in two convenientself-study options (booklet or online),both of which make you eligible toreceive the same discount and credits asattending a seminar. ❖

❖ Institute protocols when treatingpatients with language barriers tosecure their understanding of treat-ment.

❖ Understand the importance of ensur-ing staff practice within the scope oftheir licenses.

❖ Communicate untoward results with-out admitting liability.

Reserve your space at an upcomingseminar near you:

September 12 and 13 - San Francisco,CA (during CDA Presents)

September 30 - Honolulu, HI (duringADA Annual Session)

October 14 - Chicago, IL

October 30 - Las Vegas, NV

November 20 - Monterey, CA

December 4 - Pasadena, CA

December 18 - Riverside, CA

Acquire Skills to Improve Interactions with Patients and Staff

Reflections on the City Budget withSupervisor Carmen Chu (Continued from page 6)

some capital improvements we need had to be delayed.Our sewer and water systems are safe because they havetheir own capitalization funded by different sources,but our capital projects availability in our general fundis not good.”

Chu assures me that our Recreation and Parks are stillfunded from previous bond money, and that routineroad repair of pot holes still have some money available.Chu feels that the best feature of the budget is that welargely preserved public safety. And the biggest worrynow for the City of San Francisco is the uncertainimpact of state funding.

Currently, Supervisor Chu serves on the Board ofSupervisors’ Budget and Finance Committee, RulesCommittee, Golden Gate Bridge Board, and is Chair ofthe Transportation Authority’s Plans & ProgramsCommittee.

Editor’s Note: Once again, we, as small business ownersin SF, even if we don’t live here, must remain cognizantof changes to our business environment. ❖

San Francisco Dental Society • Page 11

Board Highlights

Supervisor David Campos(Continued from page 6)

analysis of hours and areas of greater orlesser criminal activity, and increasedfoot patrols and community policing.

David Campos is a member of the RulesCommittee which vets all ballot proposi-tions, and of the Budget and FinanceCommittee. Of all the Supervisors,Campos is assigned to the most commit-tees. He is also a member of the LocalAgency Formation Commission(LAFCo), a state-mandated agency pres-ent in every county, whose efforts aredirected toward seeing that governmentservices are provided efficiently and eco-nomically while agricultural and open-space lands are protected. He is a

On a lighter note, when asked about hisown dental experiences, SupervisorCampos said his mom always told himto brush his teeth, but he was never toogood about it. That is, until age 8 or 10when he got his first toothache and wentto the dentist for the first time. However,it was a successful, positive first visit.Since then, he has not had serious dentalproblems.

We welcome Supervisor Campos andlook forward to working with him toimprove the oral health of San Franciscoresidents. He can be reached at hisoffice, 415-554-5144 or by e-mailDavid.Campos@sfgov.org. ❖

Transportation Authority member and amember of the Golden Gate Bridge,Highway and Transportation District.Each Friday Supervisor Campos andmembers of his staff are in the communi-ty visiting the merchants, a park, or sim-ply taking a stroll.

Supervisor Campos’ education, bilingualskills, and sense of justice is representa-tive of District 9, which has a long histo-ry of providing residence to generationsof recent immigrants and working classindividuals who have bought energy andvitality to the district. Gentrification anddisplacement in recent years have causedhardships to many long time residentsand created additional burdens on localsmall businesses.

February 2009

❖ Ratified Executive CommitteeActions of January 2009 to partici-pate in Oakland A’s GKASComponent Collaboration and tosupport SFDHP syphilis outreachefforts

❖ Agreed to provide ongoingCommunity Dental HealthCommittee support for ProjectHomeless Connect

❖ Formulated SFDS Vision, Values and2009-2010 Strategic Plan

April 2009

❖ Considered request from CSM andSMCDS to help fund salary of CSMHygiene Program Director. Deferredto June 2009 Board meeting

❖ Agreed to participate in the CDAFoundation/Star Refining Program

❖ Agreed to provide letter of supportfor CDA Grant by the SF DPH.

❖ Committees’ Workplans presenteddemonstrating execution of the 2009-2010 Strategic Plan

❖ Agreed to withdraw consideration offinancial support for CSM HygieneProgram Director’s salary ❖

❖ Approved biennial strategic planningprocess with annual review

❖ Agreed to partner in the DentalEducation: Our Legacy-Our Futureproject

❖ Approved enhancing the SFDS JobBank

❖ Nominated Dr. Curtis Raff for a sec-ond Trustee term

June 2009

❖ Ratified 2009 SFDS Policies

❖ There being no additional candidatesby petition for the office of Trustee, inaccordance with SFDS Bylaws,Secretary Del Carlo, by direction ofthe members cast the ballot for CurtisRaff, DDS as presented to the mem-bership. President Ehsan declaredCurtis Raff DDS elected to the posi-tion of SFDS Trustee to CDA, term11/2009 – 11/2012.

❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖

San Francisco Dental Society • Page 12

Just one person can affect a change sogreat that it continues to ripple like asingle drop of water that can create a

wave that spreads and grows in strengthand size.

Special Olympics is more than just asporting event, it is a movement thathelps to bring awareness to the publicthat people with special healthcare needsare a vital part of the community andthat they have a spirit and a heart. Boise,Idaho was the venue for the 2009 WinterWorld games of the over 200 countriesand over 2000 athletes. The competi-tions were thrilling and the camaraderiewas exceptional. But like all athletes,they can only compete well when theyare at their optimal health. SpecialOlympics emphasizes the healthy athleteconcept and the story behind the genesisof Special Olympics and HealthyAthletes program is quite interesting.

What started as a vision by Mrs. EuniceKennedy Shriver in the 1960’s to givedignity to people with special needs hasevolved into the world’s largest volunteerorganization, Special OlympicsInternational. The impetus of thisendeavor was borne out of the love andrespect of her sister Rosemary Kennedyborn with a developmental disability.Mrs. Shriver started a simple summercamp in their backyard to allowRosemary’s friends to enjoy the activitiesof sports and friendly competition. Theactivities were successful and the SpecialOlympics were borne and modeled afterthe Olympics. The motto was “Let me

masks were donated by generous donorssuch as Patterson, Sultan, and Colgate.The optometry program was named theOpening Eyes program and also gath-ered data, provided sunglasses and madecustom glasses for those needing them.These two programs started up theHealthy Athletes program that expandedto podiatry, nutrition, medical festival,audiology, physical therapy and move-ment. An athlete that cannot chew wellor has dental infections cannot functionwell in sports, and if they cannot see wellthey cannot properly aim or have accura-cy. In other words when an athlete is notin good health, their performance andtheir lifestyle suffers.

We have now screened over tens of thou-sands of athletes and have one of thelargest data base collections of anygroup of individuals. The commonnumbers continue to emerge, twenty tothirty percent have dental caries or prob-lems that need treatment and slightlymore have periodontal concerns. At theIdaho World Games we were able toinstitute CAMBRA (Caries Managementby Risk Assessment) to over 550 Athletesand found that indeed the caries risk ismuch higher than normal population bymultiple folds. With dental healthcareaccess getting worse, the dental commu-nity must step up the prevention empha-sis. Most patients with special needs canbe seen in a routine environment if notfor just a visual screening and put on aprevention regime such as high fluoridetoothpaste or antimicrobials for gingivalconcerns at a minimum.

As one of the International VolunteerDentists and Dental Trainers for SpecialOlympics International, I had the oppor-tunity to work with more than 35 den-tists from around the world with morethan150 dentists/ hygienist in the Idahoarea to teach them CAMBRA andemphasize prevention. The event gener-

Win; but if I CANNOT win, Let me beBrave in the attempt”. The mantraspread like wildfire and has grown intohundreds of countries and still growing.Sporting competitions were modeledafter the Olympics in terms of qualifyingfor events on a local, regional, andnational level.

So how does dentistry play a role in thisprogram? The key is Rosemary Kennedyagain in 1990’s. When she needed dentalwork, she saw a dentist who believedthat all of Rosemary’s teeth needed tocome out. Her sister Eunice would notallow such drastic treatment andsearched for another dentist’s opinion.Her quest led her to Dr. Steve Perlmanwho determined that due to Rosemary’shealth and dental condition that hospi-tal dentistry was necessary to rehabilitateher mouth. Following her treatment, afollow up meeting with Mrs. EuniceKennedy Shriver and Dr. Perlman result-ed in a dialogue with respect to theaccess to care issue.

Having a huge challenge in getting carefor Rosemary highlighted the access tocare issue. The problem of access to careis that there was no data to identify theneed. Dr. Perlman suggested incorporat-ing dental screenings into the existingSpecial Olympics program and wasimmediately adopted. At the same timeoptometry was also a focus and a similarscreening was being created. The SpecialSmiles program for dental screeningswas meant to help gain data, teach ath-letes proper care and give communitydentists, dental students, dental hygien-ist/ students and healthcare team theexperiential education that they may nothave received in formal training. Theprogram was adopted by Academy ofGeneral Dentistry to allow continuingeducation credit for those helping inSpecial Olympics while products such astoothbrushes, floss, mouth guards, var-nishes and supplies like gloves and

Special Olympics World Games Idaho 2009A dentist’s perspective: by Allen Wong, DDS, FACD, DABSCDSFDS Community Dental Health Committee Member

(Continued on page 13)

San Francisco Dental Society • Page 13

ated a huge awareness in the Idaho com-munity. The community of Idaho inpreparation for hosting the SpecialOlympics wanted to make sure that theAthletes were kept warm and felt theirhospitality. The campaign to makehandmade scarves for each Athlete wasborn. The goal was to have about 2000scarves made; the outpouring of senti-ment from sewing circles, service clubs,youth clubs and individuals from notonly the Idaho area but throughout thestates yield over 60,000 scarves.

One person can make the difference,Eunice Kennedy Shriver who createdSpecial Olympics, Dr. Steve Perlman whodeveloped Special Smiles program, Dr.Paul Berman who developed OpeningEyes program, the individual whothought of the Scarves. As mentionedbefore, the motto for Special Olympics is“Let me win but if I cannot win, let me

be brave in the attempt”. The goal is totry your best and be engaged. As a den-tal community we need to adopt a simi-lar motto “Let us treat but if we cannottreat, let us be brave in the attempt”.Anything that you do, even oral hygieneinstruction is a huge benefit for thepatients. At the World Games inNagano, Japan about 5 years ago, thetheme was Change attitudes; Change theworld. We can change our communitiesby awareness and create a ripple effectalong the way. ❖

Editor’s note: many thanks to Alan Wong forhis continued efforts on behalf of the specialneeds community in SF and around the coun-try. He embodies the true sense of unselfishvolunteerism by reaching out to patients inneed. Thank you, Alan. And for the rest ofthe SFDS community, please visit our sectionof this Bulletin and note the increase of socialprograms in need of dental volunteers.Working together, we can improve the healthof vulnerable populations.

Bike Commute Hotline ..................585-BIKECars – Abandoned ..........................781-JUNK

Abandoned.Auto@sfgov.orgCars-Blocking Sidewalk ..................553-1200

www.sfmta.comCars-Parking Citations....................553-9888

services.sfgov.org/dptpark/Cars—Towed Vehicles ......................553-1235

www.autoreturn.comCity Trees ............................................665-2162

www.sfgov.org/dpwCurb Painting Requests ..................554-2336

www.sfmta.com/cms/pcurb/13450.htmlDPW.....................................................554-6219

www.sfgov.org/dpwDumping (illegal) .............................695-2017

www.sfgov.org/dpwGraffiti Removal............................241-WASH

www.sfgov.org/dpwMayor’s Office ...................................554-6141

gavin.newsom@sfgov.orgNoise Abatement ..............................554-5815

www.hrcsf.org/noise_issues.htmlOLSE – Health Care.........................554-7892OLSE – Paid Leave............................554-6271OLSE – Minimum Wage.................554-6292Police—Anonymous Tip Line ........614-3451Police- Emergency (anon.)..............553-8090Police-Non-Emergency....................552-0123

Street Cleaning..................................695-2017www.sfgov.org/dpw

Street Light Repair ...........................554-0730www.sfgov.org/dpw

Supervisors - 1 Dr. Carlton B. GoodlettPlace, Room 244, San Francisco, CA94102-4689

D-1 Eric Mar ...............................554-7410Eric.L.Mar@sfgov.orgD-2 Michela Alioto-Pier ...........554-7752Michela.Alioto-Pier@sfgov.orgD-3 David Chiu .........................554-7450David.Chiu@sfgov.org D-4 Carmen Chu .......................554-7460Carmen.Chu@sfgov.orgD-5 Ross Mirkarimi ..................554-7630Ross.Mirkarimi@sfgov.orgD-6 Chris Daly............................554-7970Chris.Daly@sfgov.orgD-7 Sean Elsbernd ...................554-6516Sean.Elsbernd@sfgov.orgD-8 Bevan Dufty ........................554-6968Bevan.Dufty@sfgov.orgD-9 David Campos ...................554-5144David.Campos@sfgov.org

R

D-10 Sophie Maxwell .................554-7670Sophie.Maxwell@sfgov.orgD-11 John Avalos .........................554-6975John.Avalos@sfgov.org

Additional Toll Free Numbers

ADA...........................................(800) 621-8099CDA...........................................(800) 736-8702TDIC .........................................(800) 733-0634TDIC Ins. Solutions .............(800) 287-8237Denti-Cal Referral .................(800) 322-6384HMO Consumer Complaint Hotline................(800) 400-0815

SOME IMPORTANT NUMBERS:

A STANDINGOVATION…TO OUR

NEWEST SFDSMEMBERS:

Christina Y. Chang, DDS; General Practice; SUNY-Buffalo 2004; 500 Spruce St, Ste 100

Garrett Criswell, DDS; General Practice, UCSF 2008, Orthodontics UCSF 2011; 1515 Irving St

Philip M. Livingood, DDS; Endodontics, VA Med-Long Beach2008; 490 Post St, Ste 1516

Doina M. Panaite, DDS, MS; Periodontics UCLA 2006; 450 Sutter St, Ste 2336

(Continued from page 12)

San Francisco Dental Society • Page 14

San Francisco Dental Society • Page 15

ClassifiedsPublished by the San Francisco Dental Society2143 Lombard Street • San Francisco, CA 94123

415.928.7337 • Fax 415.928.5297 • Email: exec@sfds.orgLayout/Design - Nova Graphic Services

Printing - Sundance Press

Advertising rates and information sent upon request. Acceptance of advertisingin The Bridge in no way constitutes approval or endorsement by the San FranciscoDental Society of products or services advertised. The SFDS reserves the right toreject any advertisement. Opinions expressed by authors are their own, and notnecessarily those of the SFDS or The Bridge editorial board. The SFDS reservesthe right to edit all contributions for clarity and length, as well as reject any

material submitted. The Bridge is published bi-monthly by the SFDS, 2143 Lombard Street, San Francisco, CA 94123, 415.928.7337.

Subscriptions are $45 per year for SFDS/$50per issue for non-members.

� 2009, San Francisco Dental Society. All rights reserved. Deadline for October 2009

publication is: September, 2009

For Sublease: 2 dental chairs inSOMA San Francisco or SanMateo/Burlingame. Both officesare 3-5 years new. Contact Dr.Ronald Leong (415)385-2287.

In - House Periodontist/ImplantSurgeon Available In the GreaterSan Francisco Bay Area—Perio Surgery/RegenerativeTherapy/Implant Surgery/3rdmolar extractions. Call (617) 869-1442 or bayareaperio@gmail.com.

SAN FRANCISCODENTAL SOCIETY

MEMBERSHIP STATUS REPORT

Active/Recent 660

Life Active 66

Life Retired 95

Retired/Disabled/Hardship 48

Faculty 45

Post Grad 66

Charitable 0

Provisional 92

Dual/Affiliate 2

Pending Applications 6

TOTAL 1,080

2143 Lombard St., San Francisco, CA 94123

SEPTEMBER 097 Labor Day

Office Closed

10- CDA Presents - San Francisco13 Moscone Convention Center

14 Peer ReviewLocation TBA

15 Finance CommitteeSFDS, 2143 Lombard6:30-8:30 PM

18 Social HourPacific Catch, 1200 9th Ave.6:00 PM

22 New Dentist Seminar Series SFDS, 2143 Lombard6:30-8:30 PM

23 CPR Renewal SFDS, 2143 Lombard6 – 9:30 PM

24 Executive Committee SFDS, 2143 Lombard6:30 PM

26 CPR BLS SFDS, 2143 Lombard8:30 AM – 4:30 PM

30 ADA Annual SessionHonolulu

OCTOBER 091-6 ADA Annual Session

Honolulu Hawaii

5 Peer ReviewLocation TBA

10 CDA Board of TrusteesSacramento

12 Columbus Day Office Closed

16 Dental Practice Insurance Claims ProcessingHotel Kabuki8:30 AM – 12 Noon

22 SFDS Board of DirectorsLocation TBA

24 New Dentist Seminar Series SFDS, 2143 Lombard Street6:30 PM

27 Membership CommitteeSFDS, 2143 Lombard Street6:30 PM

28 CPR Renewal SFDS, 2143 Lombard6 – 9:30 PM

31 Halloween

NOVEMBER 092 Peer Review

Location TBA

3 Election Day

6 Infection ControlBBP/HazComSFDS, 2143 Lombard8 AM – 12 Noon

6 Cal Dental Practice Act SFDS, 2143 Lombard1:00 PM -3:00 PM

9 SFDS HOD CaucusLocation TBA, 6:30 PM

12- CDA House of Delegates 15 Hyatt Regency, Sacramento

18 CPR Renewal SFDS, 2143 Lombard6 – 9:30 PM

19 Executive Committee SFDS, 2143 Lombard6:30 PM

26- Thanksgiving27 Office Closed

SAVE THE DATES...SFDS UPCOMING EVENTS