Volume 95 Number 1 winter 2010

A Publication of the Kansas Dental Association Www.ksdental.org

KDA Bill (SB 389) to Prohibit Insurance Bills to Set

Fees on Non Covered Services Moving Forward
Senate Bill (SB) 389 has cleared signifi-
cant hurdles through the first half of the
90-day Kansas legislative session. At the
writing of this article, our bill to prohibit
insurance companies from setting fees
in provider contract for non covered
services has been passed by the Senate
40-0. A hearing is now pending in the
House Committee on Insurance. Pas-
sage is needed by both the Senate and
House before the Governor signature is
needed for the bill to become law.
Please continue to contact members of
the House of Representatives on this
important issue affecting dentistry. The
KDA will keep its members updated on
the progress of this and other important
legislative issues via the KDA enews that allows Delta to control what dentists charge, even
and the KDA Video Minute. If you are for services Delta DOES NOT cover.
not receiving these important informa- • This new national trend will interfere with the basic free
tion resources, please contact the KDA market model of supply and demand and set caps on
office to verify your email contact infor- dentists’ fees for services not covered by the insurance
mation is correct in your records. plan.
Use the following talking points on SB
• Dentists do not “negotiate” contract provision with
389 to help you discuss this issue with insurance companies. Dentists are simply given the
your member of the Kansas House.
option to take-it-or-leave-it. “Leaving it” is not a viable
Background and Talking Points: SB option for dentists as existing patients may already be
389 – Prohibiting Caps on Non Covered continued on page 5
Services
• Delta Dental (national) has ad-
opted as a national policy and is
MANDATING its state plans (like
Delta Dental Plan of Kansas) to
amend provider contracts in a way

Dr . Roufs Serves on Legislative

Health Provider Roundtable
Dr. Brett Roufs represented dentistry and participated in a free-
flowing roundtable discussion of the House Committee on Health
and Human Services
In This Issue...
KDA Bill SB 389 Moving Forward 1
President’s Message
Dental Board News
KDA Dental Day Wrap Up
Mid-Level Activity in Kansas
From the Office
KDCF Update
Classified Advertisements
The Kansas Dental Association will host the 2010 Real World
KDA President Transition Brunch
Dr. Brett Roufs
(Newton) served in conjunction with the Midwest Dental Conference on
alongside his March 19, 2010.
healthcare pro- This is the second year for this event which provides the op-
vider peers from portunity for dental students and currently practicing den-
across the state on tists to network and discuss joining or purchasing a practice
Friday, February upon graduation.
12. Meeting in a Dentists and professionals in the industry will be present to
newly restored answer students’ questions as they prepare to transition to
committee room the “Real World”.
at the Kansas We are pleased to have professionals representing the fields
Statehouse, the of practice financing, insurance, KDA membership, tran-
House Commit- sition specialists, the Wichita State University Advanced
tee on Health and
Education in General Dentistry program, public health, and
Human Services financial management.
Provider Round-
table included one or more physician, Kansas dentists are invited to attend to meet UMKC, Univer-
sity of Nebraska, and Creighton University dental students
optometrist, psychiatrist, chiroprac-
as they explore their practice options. We thank our spon-
tor, nurse practitioner, pharmacist and
sors for the event: Guardian Insurance, Banc of America
dentist. The free-flowing roundtable
format discussed a variety of issues
Practice Financing, and Tax Favored Benefits. Please visit
our website ksdental.org or call the KDA office at 785-272-
such as health insurance coverage’s and
7360 and ask for Jennifer, Membership Coordinator, for
practices, patient responsibility, HIPAA,
more information.
prescription drugs, cost containment,
care to underserved populations/Med-
2
icaid, evidence-based healthcare and
transparency.
3
Dr. Roufs did an admirable job of
interjecting dentistry’s perspective and
4
ideas on HIPAA and some other topics
of the discussion dominated mostly by
5 a few on the panel. The several topics
discussed were informational in nature
6 and designed to educate the legislative
members of the Health Committee on
8 the variety of issues affecting healthcare
today. Earlier roundtable topics cov-
11 ered the issues of insurance and hos-
pitals. No legislation is expected as a Registration is available online at
result of the discussions. www.ksdentalfoundation.org
1

President’s Message
Welcome to the spring edition of the
JKDA 2010. The start of this year has
been very busy for your KDA staff and
executive committee. As usual the New
Year brings another opportunity to look
at the finances of the KDA. After get-
ting through the issues of the bank clos-
ing that the KDA used, our finances are
in good shape thanks to the staff.
The start of 2010 has brought about
the opportunity to work with our state
legislature to protect our practices from
further intrusion by insurance com-
panies. The KDA introduced Senate
bill 389 and at the time of this writing
everything was going well in the Senate
and we are looking forward to SB 389
moving on to the House and eventually
to the Governor. Our original bill was
written and presented to keep insurance
companies from setting fees on services
that they do not cover. While this is not
an issue at this time it is something that
a major dental insurance company in
Kansas is going to implement January 1,
2011 if this legislation does not pass. If
you have not contacted your legislators
PLEASE do so as soon as possible. If
you need your legislators information
contact the KDA office. A big Thank
You goes out to KDA dentists who
testified before the Senate Committee:
Drs. Ted Mason, David Hamel, and Hal
2
Hale. We all appreciate their time and effort in helping get
our bill out of committee and on to the full Senate.
Other issues your KDA is staying involved with are the ever-
present access to care, health care reform, and mid-level pro-
viders. I was recently invited to join a round-table discussion
on health care with members of the House of Representatives
and many other health care providers from chiropractors, to
pharmacists, to orthopedic surgeons. From this discussion,
it is very apparent that very little consideration is given to
dentistry in the overall health care reform picture. We can
consider this both a good and bad thing but will keep you
abreast of anything the KDA hears about. The access issue
keeps coming up but there doesn’t seem to be an agreeable
definition of what we mean by access to care and there are no
solid ideas on how to solve any of the issues without funding
of projects from somewhere.
On the mid-level front; there are organizations out there that
want mid-level providers in Kansas. The KDA and other
states in our region will be getting together in March to dis-
cuss and hopefully develop strategies to prevent these mid-
level providers from becoming a viable option to answer the
KDA Dues Increase Recommended for 2011
The KDA Council on Finance and Budget met on Wednes-
day, February 3 and began the process of preparing the
2010-11 KDA Budget. The Council is recommending that
2011 full active membership dues be increased for the first
time in four years from $460 to $510. This $50 increase
represents a very modest 2.3%/year. The Board of Delegates
Dr. Brett A. Roufs
KDA President
so called access
to care issue. The
KDA does not
support this idea
and will work
to ensure that the dentist is always the
leader of the dental team and providing
dental homes for the people of Kansas.
In closing I hope that all is well in your
practices and look forward to seeing
everyone at the Mid-West Dental Con-
ference, March 18-21. Plan on attend-
ing some continuing education and the
Board of Delegates meeting that week-
end in Kansas City. Don’t forget to mark
your calendars for KMOM Indepen-
dence, April 16-17 and the LAST Heart of
America Dental Symposium in Branson
at the Chateau on the Lake, June 24-27. I
thank everyone for the support and work
you do for your association.
will review the 2010-11 budget at its
meeting on March 19 before the entire
General Assembly ultimately reviews
and takes final action on it during the
Annual Meeting in Branson, Missouri
on June 27.
Kansas’ Ranking in Pew Executive Committee
KDA Office
Oral Health Report Card February 3, 2010
On February 23,
2010, the Pew
• Approved the Agenda as pre- Minute
sented
Children’s Den-
tal Campaign
• Approved the Minutes of the Oc-
tober 28, 2010 Meeting
Briefs
released a report
card on dental • Recommended to the Board of
policies in each of Delegates that the Executive
the 50 states. Pew Director Agreement between
rated the states on Mr. Kevin J. Robertson and the
eight topics, including water fluoridation, Medicaid coverage Kansas Dental Association be 30, 2011 with an increase in salary
of and payment for dental services, and school dental sealant extended from July 1, 2010 to June of 3%
programs. Kansas received a grade of C, primarily based on
too few school sealant programs, inadequate water fluorida- sas. This further erosion of rates will Services waivers. In January of this year,
tion and low Medicaid rates for dental services. limit access severely to the few people those services were eliminated as part of
The KDA sees this report card as an opportunity to shine who still have some access to Medicaid the state’s budget cutting efforts. Ad-
light on some of the issues we have been fighting for dur- dental services. Three years ago the ditionally, all provider Medicaid rates
ing the past few years. In particular, more effort needs to state Legislature provided funding for were cut by 10% on January 1, 2010 and
be placed on ensuring people who are on Medicaid receive dental services for Kansas seniors and no raise is expected until July 1, 2011 at
access to dental services. The Pew report accurately points people with disabilities who are on the the earliest.
out the already low Medicaid dental services rates in Kan- Medicaid Home and Community-Based

Hamel’s Pilot Project Could Save State Money

A test group of Kansas dentist are looking at an alternative can on a given day and settle for a daily process would be more efficient, saving
approach to providing dental care to Medicaid eligible chil- fee for those services.” the State of Kansas millions of dollars.
dren through a pilot project headed by KDA President-Elect That is the ultimate goal Hamel and “If we can save a substantial amount of
Dr. Dave Hamel. others hope to demonstrate during this money, we can potentially expand the
The model might look similar to the Give Kids a Smile proj- pilot project. program to adults who aren’t currently
ect, but it is intended to be an ongoing effort to provide den- “We won’t be receiving any compensa- covered.”
tal care through a coordinated local effort. tion during the pilot. Instead we will The dentists will provide dental care
“We would work with our local community to identify those track the procedures we perform and to Medicaid eligible children in the last
children who need dental care and who are eligible for Med- come up with a total.” few weeks of February and do a day
icaid,” Dr. Hamel said. “Rather than treat them and bill Med- Hamel believes the total of the services of follow up care in March. Once they
icaid for each procedure, we think it would be more economi- he would bill under Medicaid would evaluate this pilot project, they hope to
cal for us to treat actually be more than the daily com- do another pilot before asking the state
as many patients pensation he would seek under his to grant a waiver for an expanded state-
as we reasonably proposal. In exchange, he believes the wide pilot.

J K DA Dental Board News

Journal of the Kansas Dental Association
The Kansas Dental Board made dental DDS, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon, and we thank him for
ISSN# 08887063
history in Kansas on Friday, February his service this past three years as our President. Two of our
PUBLISHED QUARTERLY BY
12, 2010 when it elected Denise Maus, newest members were also elected into officer positions. Dr.
Kansas Dental Association RDH, BS, a dental hygiene member of Glenn Hemberger, DDS, a pediatric dentist, was elected vice
5200 SW Huntoon the board, as President. This is the first president; and Dr. Michael Milford, DDS, an oral and maxil-
Topeka, KS 66604-2398 time in Kansas that a dental hygien- lofacial surgeon, was elected secretary of the board.
EDITOR ist has served as board President! Ms. The board also approved the new sedation regulations with a
Eugene F. McGill, D.D.S. Maus has served on the board since very minor change.
MANAGING EDITOR July 15, 2004; she has held the position
Kevin J. Robertson, CAE of secretary for 3 years, since February Future board meeting dates are: in Topeka
2007. She succeeds Dr. Richard Darnall, April 23 - 1:00 pm, August 20 - 9:00 am, November 5 - 9:00 am
PRINTING
Jostens
4000 SE Adams
Topeka, KS 66609
PRODUCTION March
Niki Gustafson
5-6 Access Summit, Austin, TX
KDA Executive Committee
18-20 UMKC Midwest Dental Conference, Kansas City, MO
PRESIDENT 18 Assorted KDA Council Meetings, Kansas City, MO
Dr. Brett Roufs 19 New Member Orientation, Kansas City, MO
19 Real World Transition Brunch, Kansas City, MO
PRESIDENT-ELECT
19 KDA Board of Delegates Meeting, Kansas City, MO
Dr. David Hamel
KDA
Calendar April
VICE PRESIDENT
Dr. Hal Hale

SECRETARY 12-14 ADA Washington Leadership Conference, Wash. D.C.

Dr. Jason Wagle of Events 16-17 KMOM-Independence
TREASURER
Dr. Craig Herre
May
IMM. PAST PRESIDENT
Dr. Robert Herwig 14-15 South Central States Meeting, Little Rock, AR
Although the KDA publishes authoratative news,
committee reports, articles and essays, it is in no
respect responsible for contents or opinions of the
June
writers. Advertising rates and circulation data will be
furnished by request. 24-27 Heart of America Dental Symposium, Branson, MO
Annual subscription price is $5.00 for member den-
tists, $25.00 for non-members, and $40.00 for Canada
and foreign mailings. Single issue price is $10.00.
July
19-23 ADA Management Conference, Chicago, IL

3
 A group of dedicated dentists attended
Dental Day 2010, the KDA’s legislative ADPAC Offers Education
Dental day in Topeka, on Thursday, Febru-
ary 4. The 35-40 dentists that attended
Seminars on Politics
Day
the day-long event were interested in a
variety of dental issues including restor- If your association or component society wants to learn
ing the recent 10% cuts to dental Med- more about politics and what members can do to get in-
icaid, dental access and establish recent

2010
volved and influence the process, considering hosting a
insurance activity to amend provider grassroots education seminar put on by American Dental
contracts to set fees on non covered Political Action Committee (ADPAC.) These half-day or
services. The day began with a briefing
full-day seminars educate membership on why it’s impor-
on legislative and dental issues before
tant to be involved politically, and give them the tools to be
attending the actual hearing in the Sen-
players in our political system. For more information, con-
ate Committee on Financial Institutions and Insurance on the KDA’s bill (SB 389) to
prohibit insurance companies from setting fees in provider contracts on non cov- tact Brian Sodergren in the American Dental Association’s
ered services. The support of the dentists in attendance was well received and felt Washington Office at 202-789-5168.
strongly by the members of the committee and others in attendance. The strong
turnout bolstered the testimony of Drs. Dave Hamel, Hal Hale and Ted Mason who
all made excellent points in their prepared statements to the committee.
Following the hearing, the KDA hosted a buffet luncheon for all Legislators. Un-
fortunately, another luncheon held down attendance as many of the 90 legislators
that had previously RSVP’d were unable to attend. Members did have the oppor-
tunity for significant one-on-one time with legislators to discuss the KDA’s many
legislative issues and all in attendance were quite satisfied with the day’s activities.
On Wednesday evening, February 3, the KDA Executive Committee hosted mem-
bers of the House and Senate health and insurance committees for an intimate
dinner experience as part of the Dental Day activities.
Below are the main issues the KDA is focusing on this session.
PROHIBITING INSURANCE COMPANIES FROM CAPPING FEES FOR
NON-COVERED SERVICES
Issue: Delta Dental (national) has adopted as a national policy and is MANDAT- About 40 dentists attended Dental Day which started at the Senate
ING its state plans (like Delta Dental Plan of Kansas) to amend provider contracts Suites in Topeka with a briefing before going to the capital
in a way that allows Delta to control what dentists charge, even for services Delta
DOES NOT cover.
KDA Position: This new national policy will interfere with the basic free market
model of supply and demand and set caps on dentists’ fees for services not covered
by the insurance plan. The KDA SUPPORTS SB 389 which would prohibit an in-
surance company from capping the fees a provider dentist can charge a patient for
a non-covered service. Patient care will be hindered as provider dentists may opt
not to provide care for these artificially discounted prices causing patients to seek
care elsewhere.
RESTORE 10% MEDICAID CUT
Issue: FY 2010 Medicaid rates were slashed by 10% on January 1.
KDA Position: The 10% Medicaid cut will impact the dental health of Kansans.
Dentists that provide significant Medicaid in their offices are being forced to scale After member dentists visited with their legislators at the capital,
the KDA hosted a luncheon for them at the Dillon House
continued on page 7

4
KDA Bill SB 389 Moving Forward
continued from page 1
covered by the insurance program in question with a long estab-
Mid-Level Activity in Kansas
lished dentist-patient relationship. Three consumer advocate organizations - The Kansas Action for
• Under anti-trust laws, dentists cannot organize to collectively Children, Kansas Association of Medically Underserved and the
fight or complain against such contract provisions. Legislation is Kansas Health Consumer Coalition – have together received a three-
the only remedy. year grant estimated at $450,000 from the Kellogg Foundation to
• Delta Dental Plan of Kansas actually voted in opposition to this develop and implement at dental mid-level in Kansas. As reported
national policy, and as such asked for and received an extension in the in the last issue of JKDA, Kansas is one of six state targeted
from Delta (national) to hold off implementation of this policy for by the Kellogg Foundation for such a workforce grant. The KDA
its Kansas providers until January 1, 2011. Though Delta Dental has learned that several of the state’s major health foundations have
of Kansas is not actively supporting SB 389, the KDA worked pledged some $247,500 to assist in this effort as well.
with Delta Dental of Kansas during the drafting of the bill and
they are neutral or have “no position” on SB 389. At this time the advocate organizations are beginning their plan-
ning and fact finding regarding a dental mid-level….it is common
• SB 389 is not a mandate as it does not require an insurance carrier
to cover any certain type of claim, condition, illness, etc. It pro- knowledge that the Kellogg Foundation grant specifications closely
hibits certain language in insurer-provider contracts. It is pre- describe a dental health aide therapist (DHAT) as their preferred
sumed that other insurers will soon follow Delta’s (national) lead model. The Kansas Dental Association (KDA) is not privy or even
unless the playing field can be leveled for all insurance companies been asked to participate in any of the mid-level activities or discus-
by SB 389. sions at this time.
• Those representing the insurance companies argue that this
policy will reduce costs to dental patients, but will it? Reducing
the amount allowed to be charged is an erroneous method to re-
ducing costs. This is the simple zero-sum theory that we learn in Need a break from
high school economics…. costs are simply passed on; they do not
evaporate. Artificially reducing the cost of a product or service
most certainly has an economic impact, but at whose expense?
Your practice?
Reducing the maximum allowable charge is not a logical and
proper method to reduce ACTUAL costs.
• The KDA does not believe it is appropriate for a third party Licensed dentist with
insurer to minimize financial barriers when the very same third
party has no participation in sharing in the real cost. They accept 32 years of private practice
no financial participation—but certainly enjoy the benefits of the
marketing at no expense to them. This potential new policy is a
Experience available
marketing tool that is financed solely upon the backs of the pri- For
vate practitioner/small business owner or private consumer/pa-
tients. The employer providing jobs in the community is forced Temporary fill-in assignments
to put their private fees on permanent “sale” and find some way
to make up for the loss in revenue. As the legislature is only too
aware this can only come from reducing costs (possible dental of-
fice staff layoffs) or increasing income on others’ services.
References available upon request.
• According to the study, “The Economic Impact of Dentistry,”
published in the Journal of the American Dental Association in
2004, the average dental office contributes $1.2 million annually to
James K. Ruse, D.D.S.
a local community’s economy through salaries, purchases, etc. 913-406-5930
• The ability to compete and attract dentists into Kansas is a real jruse@rusedental.com
issue. With ZERO dentists actually educated in Kansas, we must
continued on page 11

5
 Kevin Robertson, CAE
KDA Executive Director

From The Office

At the writing of this editorial, SB 389
has been passed by the Senate Com-
mittee on Financial institutions and the
Full Senate by UNANIMOUS vote. This
certainly is good news for Kansas dentists and the KDA that
our message is being heard and understood by legislators
on this important issue. Drs. Dave Hamel, Hale Hale and
Ted Mason all did a fantastic job with their comments before
the Senate Committee. Most importantly, we were able to
explain to the Senators that provider-insurance contracts are
NOT openly negotiated contracts that give dentists any say or
choice. Insurance companies present provider agreements as
take-it-or-leave it propositions and “leaving it” for a dentist
means abandoning many long-time patients and interrupt-
ing the continuity of care. Of course many other issues were
discussed as well.
KDA members must now remain vigilant in their support
of SB 389. The significant majority in the votes in the Sen-
ate could leave some to think “that was
easy” and “no problem getting through
the House.” This thinking can kill SB
389 as surely as the insurance lobbyist
lining up to oppose it. As you know
a bill must pass both Houses of the
Legislature. Passage by one House and
the total vote count is often ignored as
it moves to the next Chamber. There
are a variety of maneuvers that can be
employed to kill a bill and a single op-
ponent Legislator can sometimes even
make that happen.
As we reach the halfway point in the
Kansas Legislature, we should take time
to applaud the fact that SB 389 is on a
track that could lead to ultimate passage
and maybe even pat ourselves on the
back for the many Legislative contacts
that the membership has had regard-
ing this bill. Be warned, the insurance
lobby is powerful, they don’t like to lose
and they are reforming a new line of
defense in the House.
KDA Members NEED to keep calling
their House members and make them
aware of this issue. This is especially
important in the 125 member House
because it’s hard for your KDA staff and
legislative consultants to talk one-on-
one to that many people.
Bottom line….be happy, but stay fo-
cused and keep fighting so we can
celebrate an ultimate victory on this
important issue for Kansas dentistry.

When Real Budget Cuts Hurt Real People - REALLY!

By Charles F. Squire, DDS, President
Kansas Foundation of Dentistry for the Handicapped
555 N Carriage Parkway Wichita, KS 67208
877 683-2535 - cfsquire@aol.com - www.nfdh.org
The lack of state funding for certain programs do in fact hurt real people
as an example, when they can’t access dental health care.
Since 1996 many Kansas dentists and dental laboratories have gener-
ously collaborated quietly by participating in the Kansas Donated Dental
Services Program (DDS Program). The DDS Program provides compre-
hensive dental care in the offices of private practice dentists to the el-
derly, the physically and mentally disabled and medically compromised
individuals who would otherwise fall through the cracks of eligibility for
other government/private assistance programs. These are the invisible,
most vulnerable people in our society who live on subsistence payments
of only a few hundred dollars per month and have no other financial
resources to secure even the most basic dental care.
Since its inception in 1996 the DDS Program has been wisely and gra-
ciously funded by the Kansas Health Policy Authority (KHPA). That
funding has assisted Kansas dentists and dental laboratories in provid-
ing more than $6 million worth of totally donated dental care. During
the first half of the current fiscal year, volunteers contributed $13.94
worth of care for every administrative dollar spent – one of the high-
est rations of all 40 DDS Programs nationwide! The total administrative
operating budget this fiscal year is less than $70,000 for the Kansas DDS
Program!
Unfortunately the KHPA was forced to cut its funding in half for the cur-
rent fiscal year and has totally eliminated all funding for the proposed
coming fiscal year.
The DDS Program was honored that the United Methodist Health Min-
istry Fund (UMHMF) agreed to provide “bridge” funding for the second
half of this current fiscal year.
Due to the lack of funding from the state of Kansas, this wonderful co-
operative program may be forced to cease operations. In all states where
state funding has been withdrawn totally, the
programs were never able to resume caring for the
most vulnerable individuals in our society.
The board of directors of the foundation that ad-
ministers the Kansas DDS Program can only hope
that the wisdom and compassion of the members
of the Kansas House and Senate will prevail and
provide enough additional supplemental funding
(only $35,000) directly to the KHPA for support
of at least half of the administrative budget of the
Kansas DDS Program for the coming state fiscal
budget. The directors are well aware of and sym-
pathetic to the fiscal crisis facing the state of Kansas and don’t want to
supersede the efforts of the KHPA but respectively ask where else in the
State budget can a program be found that returns almost $14 in real ben-
efits for every dollar used only for administration of the DDS Program.
Kansas Budget Dominates Session
State Legislators are grappling this session with an ongoing budget
shortfall in the state’s general fund. Simply put, the state must fill a
$400 million dollar gap between expected income and expenses for
the FY 2011 budget. The Governor has recommended a number of
revenue enhancements (aka taxes) to make up this revenue shortfall
including a 1% sales tax increase and an increase in the tobacco tax.
At this point in the session there are as many ideas floating around
as there are legislators (165) on how this significant state issue will
be resolved. The KDA is very interested in this as restoring the 10%
provider Medicaid cut, funding of Donated Dental Services and some
adult dental programs are at stake. On the revenue (tax) side, propos-
als such as removing exemptions taxing services and sweeping money
from fee Boards like the Kansas Dental Board have all been suggested.
All which could impact dental office overhead.

6
 KS Dental AD 12.16.09.pdf 12/16/09 7:09:06 AM

Dental Day 2010

continued from page 4
back the amount of care they provide as the reimbursement on services does not meet their
Because Money does not
actual costs. This could significantly reduce the strides that have been made over the past few grow on trees...
years in increasing the number of dentists accepting Medicaid. Unfortunately, this will be
another reason mentioned as a barrier to more dentists accepting Medicaid.
FUNDING FOR THE DONATED DENTAL SERVICES PROGRAM
Issue: Funding from the Kansas Health Policy Authority for the Donated Dental Service
(DDS) program provides free dental care to disabled and elderly Kansans has been cut.
Through a modest $70,000 expense Kansas dentists have been providing approximately
$850,000/year in dental care to the state’s most vulnerable citizens. The United Methodist
Health Ministry Fund (UMHMF) stepped forward and provided funding for the latter half
of FY 2010 after funding was cut on January 1.
KDA Position: UMHMF has agreed to provide another half-year “bridge” grant, however,
a $35,000 allocation is needed by January 1, 2011 or the entire DDS program may be in jeop-
ardy of ending, leaving many without dental care.
ACCESS TO A DENTIST FOR KANSANS Trust the Professionals
Issue: All Kansans should have access to dental care by a licensed DENTIST.
KDA Position: Providing access to a dentist for all Kansans is a significant and ongoing ef- Over 40 years
fort of the KDA. Advocating for a loan bridging program in underserved areas, encouraging
dentistry as a profession to high school children, promoting an increase in the class size at
of combined experience in the
UMKC School of Dentistry to include more Kansas students, working with the UNMC Col- collection industry
lege of Dentistry on dental rural access issues, advocating for more dental seats for Kansans
at schools other than UMKC, supporting efforts to establish the WSU Advanced Education in
General Dentistry program, and undertaking one of the largest ongoing dental clinics in the Call us for all your
world – the Kansas Mission of Mercy – are some of the many efforts promoted by the Kansas collection needs
Dental Association to assist all Kansans to receive appropriate dental care!
FEE FUND SWEEPS (888) 702-6444
Issue: The Kansas Legislature has made a habit of raiding fee funded professional licensing
boards (including at times the Kansas Dental Board) by sweeping their funds into the state
CNC@balaw.org
general fund.
KDA Position: This activity should stop. Sweeping fee funds is simply an added tax on
licensed professionals.
KANSAS MISSION OF MERCY CHARITY DENTAL CLINIC
The KDA’s Kansas Dental Charitable Foundation will hold its ninth Kansas Mission of 3706 S. Topeka Blvd.
Mercy (KMOM) charity dental clinic on April 16-17 in Independence, Kansas. Over 900 total Suite 300
volunteers (including 150 dentists) are expected to provide around $800,000 in dental care Topeka, KS 66609
to approximately 1,500 patients during the two-day event. In all, the eight previous KMOM
events have provided $7.4 million in free dental care to 16,325 Kansans.

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• offer optional prior-acts (tail) coverage to facilitate the move from claims-made to our occurrence
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You can also feel confident knowing that Cincinnati is rated A++ by A.M. Best Co., the highest
financial strength rating available earned by less than 2 percent of all property casualty insurer
groups.

For more information, please contact your local independent insurance agent representing The
Cincinnati Insurance Companies. Visit www.cinfin.com, or call Mike Terrell at 800-769-0548, to
locate an agency near you.

ENDORSED BY THE KANSAS DENTAL ASSOCIATION

7
 Greg Hill, JD
KDCF Executive Director

KDCF Update
Share those KMOM Photos with Us and Help
Create a Unique Photographic Experience
During the Kansas Mission of Mercy project in Indepen-
dence, we encourage you to snap away with your camera.
Snap photos of your work area, the clinic, and anything you
find interesting throughout the event. Then when you are
done, send those photos to us.
NEW MEMBERS
NW / GB District
Dr. Charles Abbick, Salina
We are hoping that with these hun-
dreds of photos, we can “stitch” them
together and create a single 3D viewing
experience of the 2010 Kansas Mission
of Mercy dental project. This image will
probably be unlike anything you have
seen before. This image will allow us to
construct a photographic virtual clinic
floor from hundreds of vantage points.
To accomplish this, we will utilize the
Microsoft Photosynth program (http://
Deceased
www.photosynth.
net). Photsynth
will examine each
photo for simi-
larities to others
and then will recreate the space and
construct a virtual canvas to display and
for you to navigate through the photos.
The more photos we have, the greater
the detail the image will become. When
complete, you should be able to virtual-
ly move through the clinic floor, seeing
it as if you were standing any place on
the floor.
Once completed, we will place the

Topeka District
Dentists KMOM Independence “Synth” on the
KDCF website for you to see. The best
way for you to participate in this proj-
Dr. Shabnam Amin, Topeka
ect will be for you to take “scene” type
12/15/09
photos, rather than photos of patients
Do you know of a new dentist in your community, a recent Dr. Richard M. Haun in your chair. We will also include our
graduate, or even a new colleague in your practice who is
Lawrence, KS photos in this project. We hope that
not on this list? Please contact the KDA at 785.272.7360 so
First District this crowdsourced project will create a
we can invite them to become a member.
media-rich viewing experience of the
KMOM 2010 event.

Is Your Front Desk

Working for You? The government solution to a problem is
usually as bad as the problem.
Many dentists invest a lot of time and money promoting their services, Milton Friedman
but fail to consider the impression their office makes the first time a
patient calls or visits, and this can be a critical mistake, writes marketing
expert Julie Johnstone in the winter issue of Dental Practice Manage-
ment. The best way to make a good first impression, Johnstone writes, is
to consider the front desk a kind of marketing tool.
“The front desk has revenue generating potential on its own,” she
writes. “Even more, as part of the whole office team, integrated into an
end-to-end patient strategy, it can not only be a dynamic contributor to
the bottom line, I believe the front desk is the most critical marketing
tool in any dental practice.”
Johnstone lists four things a dentist should incorporate in a plan to reju-
venate his or her reception strategy.
PARAGON consultants have closed

1 Forgo using an automated phone system. Most people

who call a dental office want to talk to a real person.
An automated response system offers no opportunity
to focus on a caller’s needs.

Train your staff on answering the phone. What most of

us take for granted is most effective when planned and
well-designed. Greeting incoming callers creates that all-
important first impression. 2
thousands of transactions for our clients.

Let us help you reach your professional

goals, whether it be purchasing, selling or
evaluating your practice.

3 Have a sufficient number of front desk staff. You

want your staff to be able to greet visitors and callers
promptly and with due attention.

Train your front desk staff to address critical needs, like

how long you want patients to wait in the reception
area, or whether follow-up appointments should be
booked before they leave.
4
It is important, Johnstone says, to make sure your front desk staff mem-
bers are not overworked. If they are too busy concentrating on the next
task, they may be curt with customers or at the very least may fail to
take the necessary time to provide callers with the information they
need to make a decision regarding treatment. This could cause lost
opportunities for your practice.
When hiring front desk staff, ask references about how they treated pa-
tients. For that critical position you want to bring on friendly, outgoing
Call 866.898.1867 or visit
people—you can always train them on office skills later. WWW.PARAGON.US.COM
8
2010 K D A D i r ec tory is NOW AVA IL ABLE !
The KDA Membership Directory is an important front office resource packed with a variety of information with extreme
importance to dentists practicing in Kansas such as member dentists’ office information, specialists listing, association
policies and bylaws, district boundaries and helpful information such as key government phone numbers. The Member-
ship Directory is the only directory of its kind in Kansas. It is produced once a year and distributed to the members of the
Kansas Dental Association.
The 2010 KDA Directory is now available to KDA members only via traditional printed version, and internet access. The
KDA office will be sending out a request form in the mail and by email for you to RETURN indicating your preference.
The internet access on www.ksdental.org features an interactive contents link that takes the user directly to the area of
interest.

Get competitive dental malpractice insurance coverage

with protection you can trust from “A” (Excellent) rated*
Professional Solutions Insurance Company.

To learn more, call 1-800-718-1007, ext. 9191, INSURANCE

or visit www.profsolutions.com. COMPANY

* Malpractice insurance is underwritten by Professional Solutions Insurance Company, 14001 University Ave., Clive, IA 50325. Professional Solutions Insurance
Company is rated “A” (Excellent) by A.M. Best for financial strength and operating performance. A.M. Best ratings range from A++ to S. ©2009 PSIC NFL 9191 ALL

9
Volunteer to Be a Part of Dental Club!
Have you ever wanted to be a mentor to young people that
are interested in dentistry? The Kansas Department of
Health and Environment’s Bureau of Oral Health is looking
for dentists and dental hygienists who are willing to spend a
little time with local high school students to be a part of the
KDHE Dental Club program. Dental Club is one piece of a
comprehensive Dental Recruitment Program that is being
developed at the Bureau of Oral Health. The Dental Recruit-
ment Program’s objective is to strengthen the Kansas Dental
Workforce with programs that were recommended by last
year’s Oral Health Workforce Assessment. The KDHE Dental
Recruitment Program includes dentist and hygienist recruit-
ment assistance, more funds for student loan re-payment, free
continuing dental education and Dental Club - the promotion
of dental careers to middle and high school students.
Last year’s dental workforce survey indicated that Kansas
dentists and hygienists tend to be Kansas natives and those
who grew up in rural areas are more likely to return to non-
urban communities to start their dental careers. To insure
that Kansans living in rural and underserved communities
have access to dental professionals, the state needs to encour-
age more Kansas middle and high school students to look
at dentistry as a possible career. That is the purpose of the
Kansas Dental Club. The club will target students who are
interested in health professions and give them information
and hands on experiences about dental careers. Dental camp
activities will include presentations from local dentists and
hygienists, job shadowing, internships
at dental offices, tours of dental and
dental hygiene schools, and student
coaching and pre-admission counsel-
ing. If you would like to participate
in any of these activities, please con-
tact Ashley Streeter at 785-296-5116 or
astreeter@kdheks.gov.
The highlight of the Dental Club will
be its summer program, Dental Camp.
This multi-day educational experience
will allow a high school student to come
to Wichita State University and visit the
new Advanced Education in General
Dentistry program to work with the
dental residents and faculty. Both clini-
cal and educational programs are being
planned for the summer of 2011. Dental
Camp is supported by the Delta Dental
Foundation and Wichita State Univer-
sity. More information about Dental
Club is available on the KDHE website,
http://www.kdheks.gov/ohi/dental_club.
htm, or become a fan of Dental Club on
Facebook.
In the first months of this project Dental
Club staff has contacted 68 schools in
12 counties. In the current school year
the Bureau is starting with pilot sites in
Wichita and rural Douglas County, but
the project will be expanded in the 2010-
11 school year to include more counties
around the state. If there are specific
schools or areas that you feel would
benefit from Dental Club please contact
us and let us know. In the next month
Dental Club staff will be exhibiting at
the Innovations in Technical Career
Education Conference, presenting for
health and science technical education
teachers, and giving presentations in pi-
lot site schools and career fairs. A rep-
resentative of the Dental Recruitment
Program will be present at the Midwest
Dental Conference in Kansas City. Feel
free to drop by and meet our project
staff at the KDA Real World Transition
Brunch.

Educational
Levels Could
Indicate
Susceptibility to
Flu According
to Study
KANSAS DENTAL LABORATORY ASSOCIATION According to new research,
people who did not earn a high
school diploma could be more
susceptible to the H1N1 flu virus
AMERICAN DENTAL ARTS, INC (D/P) *MIDWEST ORTHODONTIC LAB, CDL (O) STEVE’S PRECISION DENTAL LAB (F) and the vaccine might be less
3015 N St. Clair 4567 W Central 5755 Foxridge Dr effective in them than in people
Wichita, KS 67204 Wichita, KS 67212 PO Box 2731 who earned their diploma.
(316) 838-5533 (316) 942-8703 Shawnee Mission, KS 66202 An article published in the Feb-
Jerry C. Anderson, CDT (913) 432-6951
ruary issue of the Journal of the
ARIES DENTAL PROSTHETICS LLC (F) Kent Nye Stephen C. Hansen, CDT
Michigan Dental Association
2930 SW Wanamaker Dr
discusses the study by the Univer-
PO Box 4476 MODERN METHODS DENTAL LAB (C) SUNFLOWER DENTAL STUDIO (C)
sity of Michigan’s School of Public
Topeka, KS 66614 PO Box 2925 1527 NW Tyler
Wichita, KS 67202 PO Box 8032 Health that suggests that lower
(785) 272-6703
(800) 279-1761 (316) 686-6391 Topeka, KS 66608 socioeconomic status, reflected by
James L. Eddy, CDT Rick Capps (785) 354-1981 educational attainment, may make
Ron Hoffman it tougher for adults of all ages to
DENTEK, INC. (C/B) MYRON’S DENTAL LAB, INC (F) Aaron Hoffman fight new infections.
8056 Reeder 200 N 6th St Troy Gooden By examining the effects on
Lenexa, KS 66214 Kansas City, KS 66101 Eric Gooden patients of the latent cytomega-
(913) 599-3361 (913) 281-5552 lovirus (CMV), thought to be the
Alex Sokolovsky Timothy J. Sigler, CDT *TOPEKA DENTAL LAB, CDL (F) prime culprit in breaking down
10144 NW 46th St the immune system as we age,
JADLOW DENTAL LAB (C) RON’S DENTAL LAB, CDT (F) Silver Lake, KS 66539 researchers believe that income
7501 Mission Rd 106 S Ozark (785) 582-4760 and education are good indicators
Prairie Village, KS 66208 Girard, KS 66743 James A. Thompson of an individual’s likely ability to
(913) 649-1522 (620) 724-6108 fight off infections like influenza.
E. Vic Jadlow, CDT Ron Layden YOUVAN DENTAL LAB (C) According to one of the study’s
700 N Highway 69 authors, Jennifer Dowd, the re-
MEDALLION DENTAL LAB, INC (C/D) *ROOT LABORATORY, CDL (F) Pittsburg, KS 66762 search showed that a person with
4650 W 90th Terrace 5201 College Blvd (800) 835-0604 less than a high school education
Prairie Village, KS 66207 Leawood, KS 66211 Charles F. Youvan, CDT
had the same level of immune
(913) 642-0039 (913) 491-3555
control as someone 15 to 20 years
Michael Finley Dan Root, CDT
older with more than a high
Sharon Finley
LEGEND school education.
C=Crown, Bridge & Ceramics “The study points out that cer-
D=Dentures
F=Full Service
tain groups are potentially more
O=Orthodontic susceptible and it’s not just people
P=Partials with existing chronic illness,”
*Certified Dental Lab Dowd said.
The study, “Socioeconomic Dif-
ferentials in Immune Response,”
Dedicated to serving the dentists of the State of Kansas will appear in an upcoming issue
of the journal Epidemiology.
10
KDA Bill SB 389 Moving Forward
continued from page 5
continually work to maintain relations and “resell” Kansas to
dental students who have left our state to be educated. According
to the 2009 Dental Workforce study by the KDHE Bureau of Oral
Health, 54% of dentists practicing in Frontier communities plan
to retire within the next five years. As the KDA, KDHE Bureau of
Oral Health and other public and private entities look for incen-
tives to attract new dentists to these communities, the passage of
SB 389 could be a decided advantage as practice environment is a
factor in dental students’ practice location selection.
• In 2000, the US Surgeon General aptly stated that you are not
healthy without good oral health; an important key to overall
health is through oral health. The fact that millions of productive
hours are lost (for students and workers) each year due to oral
health conditions, helps prove the importance of oral health care.
Financing oral health is an important part of insuring access to care
and dentists have a record of donating billions of dollars in free or
discounted care each year. Insurers and dental benefit plans are an
important part of the preventive and treatment process.
• Presumably the reduced fees will help insurers attract customers
and improve the insurer’s bottom line. Dentists will solely bare
the financial burden of this marketing approach and assume all the
financial risk as the insurer pays out nothing to the covered insurer
for these procedures high or low utilization is not an issue.
• Such contract policies will likely result in watered-down dental
benefits to employees whereby a small dental benefit program is
wrapped around a dental discount program that essentially pays
nothing to the covered insured/employee.
• Dentists will have difficult decisions to make when faced with a
contract amendment that caps the non-covered fees. Patient dis-
ruption can ensue. Small dental practices who object to being the
primary payers for Delta’s marketing approach have two choices:
1) accept the contract amendment or 2) end their contractual re-
lationship with Delta. It is a private business choice for dentists.
Patients could, then, lose the benefit provided by Delta and either
have to pay more to stay with their dental home, or seek care from
another practitioner. Disruption to treatment should be a concern.
• According to Delta Dental Plan of Kansas, 91% of Kansas dentists
are in their provider network. This near monopoly of dental pro-
viders makes it impossible for a dentist to simply cancel their Delta
contract, especially with the current economics in some areas of
our state.
• Limiting fees on non-covered services could have a troubling im-
pact on the viability of some practices—particularly those that ac-
cept a high proportion of Medicaid patients and those that practice
in low-income and underserved areas.
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dental
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This one day course will introduce clinicians to craniofacial pain,
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11
 Prsrtd Std
U.S. Postage
PAID
Consolidated
Mailing Corp
5200 SW HUNTOON
TOPEKA, KS 66604-2398

12