August 1, 2022 C.O.D.N.

• CONTENTS OF NEWSLETTER:
  • Upcoming Central Oregon Meetings & Events
  • Central Oregon Dental News
  • Volunteer Opportunities
  • Classified Ads
  • Regional CE Calendar
  • More Info.
  • Editorials / Commentary
  • Dear Dr. Rupert

UPCOMING  CENTRAL  OREGON  MEETINGS  &   EVENTS

(Please email or send any dental related events or courses that you would like posted on this calendar.)

August 12, 2022 (Fri.) Medical Teams International Meet & Greet

September 15, 2022 (Thurs.) Central Oregon Dental Society Business / Dinner Meeting

• 6:00 p.m.
• Riverhouse Convention Center (Bend, Oregon)
• Speaker: TBD

September 24, 2022 (Sat.) ODA House of Delegates

The 2022 ODA House of Delegates will take place virtually on Saturday, September 24, 2022. Mark your calendars and plan to serve as a delegate.

December 9, 2022 (Fri.) Central Oregon Dental Society Holiday Party

• 6:00 p.m.
• Riverhouse Convention Center (Bend, Oregon)

CENTRAL  OREGON  DENTAL NEWS

Drs. Schock & Azari Welcome Dr. Garrett Welch to their Oral Surgery Practice

Drs. Azari and Schock welcome Dr. Welch finally home again! It is an honor to have him join as a partner and continue his characteristic delivery of compassionate care, now in the region’s longest-established Oral Surgery practice. We congratulate him on his persistence and achievement of Board Certification.  While he needs no reintroduction to most of us, suffice it to say that he is beloved by staff and patients for his soft demeanor, sincere interest in people, and uncompromising ethics. 

Garrett completed Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery training at Augusta University, and like most of us, sought out Central Oregon for the trails and snow. When he’s not treating patients, he is likely building airplanes or cultivating a bit of forest where he and his wife are raising their twin sons. 

News From the ODA

OED Healthcare Webinar on PFML The Paid Family & Medical Leave program launch is just around the corner — employers will start collecting PFMLI contributions January 1, 2023. Employees will be able to access benefits starting September 1, 2023. The official Contribution Rate for 2023 has been set. It will be 1% of employee wages up to a maximum of $132,900, with 60% of the rate set by employees and 40% set by employers.

Questions? Join us for a healthcare-specific webinar, hosted by ODA and the Oregon Employment Department on August 24th, 12:30-2 p.m. You can access the webinar here. Can’t make the scheduled time? The webinar will also be recorded for later viewing.

News From the Oregon Board of Dentistry

Oregon Board of Dentistry: Dental Implant Rules Updates The Oregon Board of Dentistry voted to delay the implementation of the new CE requirements for providers placing implants until January 1, 2024. Providers are encouraged to use this time to take any additional training to ensure compliancy beginning on that date. Read the original rules and FAQ here, and watch more additional information forthcoming soon.

Medical Teams International Looking for More Dental Personnel

Medical Teams International is looking for more dentists, dental assistants, and hygienists to join our volunteer team! The needs are greater than they have ever been, and we are committed to reaching clients with urgent health and dental needs! Our vans are equipped with two full dental operatories and we provide urgent dental care (primarily fillings and extractions) to patients in need. We also provide some basic medical screenings and referrals to help ensure patients are connected to the services they need.

Volunteers can choose their hours and commitments. You can join us monthly, quarterly or annually – whatever works best for you. Every contribution matters to patients experiencing dental pain.

If you are interested in volunteering with our mobile dental program, please email our volunteer coordinator (rcorazza@medicalteams.org)  or submit an online application here and our team will reach out to you with instructions and to help connect you with a clinic: https://www.cognitoforms.com/MedicalTeamsInternational1/VolunteerApplication. We look forward to serving the community with you!

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

• Please go to the ‘VOLUNTEER‘ page on the menu bar for contact and additional information about the following Central Oregon organizations seeking dental volunteers:
  • Central Oregon Community College Friday Clinic
  • Medical Teams International Mobile Dental Van
  • Donated Dental Service (DDS) Program
  • Healthy Beginnings  
  • Smile Central Oregon
  • Central Oregon Community College Dental Assisting Program
  • Volunteers in Medicine Clinic

 REGIONAL  CE  CALENDAR

CLASSIFIED ADS

For Sale Dental Training Equipment

My name is Cathy Taylor my background is in dental education. I owned a business that traveled around the state of Oregon on the weekends to teach and prepare assistants to take their board exams.

The following equipment has been well taken care of and is for sale:

• Columbia Dentoform Manikins with SM-PVR 860 Model Assembled on M-1R-3 Chair Mount.  with extra prepped teeth. Quantity =9 (Photo shown).

Please contact me for pricing and specific questions, also please feel free to share with anyone that you feel might be interested.

Contact Information:

• Cathy Taylor
• 541-905-3010
• cathydevillers518@gmail.com

MORE    INFO

Searching for a Dental Hygienist?

You might want to email the High Desert Dental Hygienists’ Association (CODHAinfo@gmail.com) and tell them about your need. They are very helpful and have a great database of Central Oregon Dental Hygienists and will email information about your opening to their members.

Announcements, Articles or Classifieds for the Newsletter

Article submissions for the Central Oregon Dental Community are encouraged and welcomed.  You can email your content to Dr. Mehdi Salari (bendsalari@gmail.com). The deadline to contribute articles or request the posting of information in the Newsletter is 5:00 pm PST on the last day of each month.  The Newsletter is typically sent out on the first or second day of each month. 

Advertising or Content for Future Newsletters

Please contact Dr. Mehdi Salari (bendsalari@gmail.com) if you would like to post a classified or advertisement in future issues of the Central Oregon Dental Newsletter.  The Central Oregon Dental Newsletter is available & sent to all practicing and retired Dentists, Specialists in Bend, Redmond, Prineville, Madras, Sisters, La Pine, Sunriver, Warm Springs & Powell Butte & Mitchell. The deadline to update or post an advertisement in the Newsletter is 5:00 pm PST on the last day of the each month.

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Everything above the Red Line is put together as a service to the Central Oregon Dental Community and is the nonpartisan news and events of this Newsletter.

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The Red Line

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The Red Line

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Everything below the Red Line is either for entertainment purposes or to stimulate conversation or debate. It’s personal, opinion based, has a conservative slant and is not meant to offend or upset … only to stimulate discussion. Reader discretion is advised.

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EDITORIALS / COMMENTARY

DISCLAIMER / WARNING: The opinions or comments expressed ARE NOT those of the Central Oregon Dental Society, Oregon Dental Association, American Dental Association or any of the Advertisers or Business Partners. Editorials and commentaries are OPINIONS ONLY and are simply meant to encourage discussion or dialogue. Readers are welcome and encouraged to contribute editorials or comments for inclusion in future issues.

Please Consider Contributing an Editorial or Column For Future Newsletters

This Newsletter is a forum for the Central Oregon Dental Community to stay in touch and connected and a place to have your voice heard. Your opinion columns, thoughts and feedback are encouraged and welcome.

Everyone Has an Opinion . Mehdi Salari

I was watching a Netflix Comedy Special the other night. After an hour of insulting, crude and divisive commentary and jokes, the veteran Comedian said that he wanted to try and bring the audience and room together and end his show with something that everybody could agree on and feel good about as they left his show. He then smiled and announced that his final topic for the night was going to be Abortion!

I laughed throughout his show as did everybody else in the audience, because like any other good comedian; his material had an element of truth that the audience could relate and agree with. The Comedian paraphrased his thoughts and beliefs on Abortion by saying that he was on the fence and had a weird take on everything. He summarized his feelings on abortion by saying, “… of course I believe 100% in a woman’s right to choose what she does with her body, but I still think someone is killing a baby.”

He told a funny analogy and asked what would happen if a person poured the batter for a cake into a pan and then put the pan in the oven to bake for 50 minutes in order to make a birthday cake. What if someone came along and took the pan out of oven and threw the pan and batter into the garbage? The folks who were going to enjoy that cake would naturally be upset that someone had ruined their cake; but the person who threw the pan into the garbage would argue that it really wasn’t a cake yet! The comedian then exploded the audience with laughter with his comment that “… well … it would have been if you hadn’t taken it out of the oven!”

For whatever dark reason, I appreciated and thoroughly enjoyed the laughter and lighthearted commentary on abortion, because of all the recent threatening and dark controversy that’s surrounded that topic this past month. The corrupt and divisive media and politicians continue pouring fuel over the topic to perpetually divide the nation and people; as they do with all other subjects. For reasons that I can only speculate on, the politicians and media want Americans fighting, arguing, protesting and do everything they can to drive a continual wedge between us; instead of working to unite and bring the masses together. Somehow, that Comedian was able to take one of the most controversial and upsetting topics and make the audience laugh and enjoy themselves by sitting on the fence and acknowledging and making fun of both sides of the debate.

It really is OK and it is a woman or person’s right to choose what they do with their body … just as it is another person’s right to bear arms … but wait … what? … there is tremendous disagreement over that statement as well. Can it be argued that everyone values their personal freedoms differently? It seems that a large portion of people who want the right to choose what they do with their bodies, wish to deny other people the choice and right to bear arms … which doesn’t really make sense if a person is touting the importance of the right to choose and their personal freedoms. In both instances, lives are lost because of some of the choices made by some of the people. Both sides of the aisle are outraged when lives are lost because of the choices of people on the other side of the aisle; but turn a blind eye to the lives that are lost as a result of the choices made by people on their side of the fence.

How long will these controversies go on? Forever probably. We all have a right to our own opinions and beliefs, and government only divides and enrages the populace when they try and meddle, control or legislate these matters. No matter how much legislation gets passed or overturned on abortion, those who want an abortion will still find a way to have one; and no matter how much legislation gets passed to control or limit firearms, those who want the firearms will find a way to get their weapons.

My take on both of those subjects is to sit on the fence, and let folks choose and decide for themselves what they want to do with their bodies, or what they want to buy at the store. It’s not a perfect system … it never will be … but it’s the most equitable and fair thing to do. And that’s all the latest Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe vs. Wade really did. It didn’t outlaw or ban Abortions like the corrupt and divisive media and unscrupulous politicians ignorantly and continuously report. It simply said that the Federal Governement doesn’t have the authority to mandate such a thing and left it up to each individual state to decide for themselves. Again, it’s not perfect, but it lets individual states and individuals decide for themselves and it’s more equitable than telling everyone to do it one way.

Dear Dr. Rupert

August 2022

Dear Dr. Rupert,

We have a rather embarrassing situation and question regarding our boss and Dentist.  He doesn’t seem to be aware of the fact that his ‘faucet’ has a small leak or drip.  For example, after he has used the bathroom and returns to the operatory, there is often a very small, but obvious wet spot in the front of his scrub pants which is hard to ignore or miss.  It’s similar to when people perspire and raise their arm and you see that wet spot under their armpits, except it’s a wet spot on the front of his light blue scrub pants.

This causes a small distraction for us Assistants as he sits down to work.  Sometimes I even notice the patient’s eyes directed at our Doctor’s wet pants as our Doctor walks into the room, and one can only imagine what the patient might be thinking?

Do you have any ideas or suggestions for us and our Dentist?

Signed, Grossed Out and Distracted by Wet Spot

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Dear Grossed Out and Distracted by Wet Spot,

Before I talk about potential solutions to your quandary, I must ask you to refrain from using the following language.  I noticed you wrote, “… faucet has a small leak or drip …” and also “… small but obvious wet spot …”.  It is somewhat insensitive and cruel of you to use the adjective ‘small’ in both of your references to this faucet problem of your dentist.  No man wants the word ‘small’ used in reference to this particular issue or area.  This is an embarrassing situation for the Doctor and you could lessen the embarrassment for him by removing the word ‘small’ from your question, or perhaps even inserting the word ‘big’ in its place to lessen the impact. 

Now that you have had your sensitivity training for the day, let’s dive into the solutions.  I’m sure your Doctor isn’t 30 years old, or we obviously wouldn’t be having this conversation.  I’m guessing he’s 50 or older, in which case this problem is only going to get worse over time.  There are a few different solutions which will solve this problem.

The easiest solution is to order and buy him some navy blue, black or dark brown scrub pants.  The darker the pants, the less obvious the wet spots are going to be.  Unfortunately, we’re not going to stop that faucet from dripping (especially if he sneezes, coughs or laughs real hard), so you might as well mask the drip with a dark color.

Another solution is to discuss or propose your Doctor use a sock or handkerchief inside his pants.  You can easily fool your Dentist by saying that OSHA and the CDC are both recommending Dentists wearing some sort of padding or protection in that area to prevent accidental needle sticks or instruments from falling or landing on their family jewels.  Let your Doctor know that there have been several recent work-related accidents or injuries to that part of the body in other offices and that wearing a sock or cup inside the pants has drastically reduced these injuries, as well as enhanced the physical machismo of the individual.  

Another viable solution is for you to use your air/water syringe to quickly squirt some water in and around your Doctor’s upper pants area as soon as he sits down to work and in essence cover up or mask the one or two small wet spots with twelve or fifteen bigger wet spots.  You will have essentially erased the one wet spot, with so many new and additional wet spots and give everyone the illusion that the wet pants were actually a manifestation of some splash from the sink and not an incontinence problem.    

The final solution is to force your Doctor to wear a long lab coat or gown, which covers up the front of their pants.  With the summer months coming and the likelihood that your Doctor will be too hot to wear an additional layer, you might also have to adjust your office thermostat down to 64 degrees.

I am pretty confident that one of the four solutions I have proposed above will solve your Dentist wet spot problem. 

Glad I could help,

Dr. Rupert