Ortho Tribune U.S.

Miniscrews: a focal point in practice (Part 2 of 6 - entry) / Some thoughts on expertise and wisdom in practice / News / Miniscrews: a focal point in practice (Part 2 of 6) / Makeover: one system at a time / Advice for landing that perfect opportunity / Weak economy increases amount of employee theft (part1) / Weak economy increases amount of employee theft (part2) / Michigan bound / A new type of meeting / Upcoming Events / Industry

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ORTHO TRIBUNE

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EC

The World’s Orthodontic Newspaper · U.S. Edition

June & July 2010

www.ortho-tribune.com

Vol. 5, Nos. 6 & 7

Opportunity awaits

Calling all residents

All about education

Tips for landing the
perfect associate job

How to get Wired
For Success next year

New clinics change the
way practices operate

uPage

Michigan
bound
GORP brings residents,
orthodontists and
exhibitors together
By Kristine Colker, Managing Editor

he 22nd annual Graduate Orthodontic Residents Program
(GORP) is heading back to the
University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
From Aug. 6–8, orthodontic residents from across the United States
and Canada will gather together to
attend the yearly event.
More than 400 students are
expected to attend this year’s meeting, which will feature three days of
sessions from such speakers as Dr.
James A. McNamara, Dr. Vincent
G. Kokich and Dr. John Graham,
g OT page 16

uPage

Miniscrews: a focal
point in practice
Fig. 1a:
Distalization of
the upper molars.
Mesial positioning
of teeth #16 and
#26, showing
clear displacement
of the canines.

Part 2 of 6:
Clinical examples
By Dr. Björn Ludwig, Dr. Bettina Glasl,
Dr. Thomas Lietz and Prof. Jörg A. Lisson

Horizontal tooth
displacement
Lack of space is one of the main
reasons for the oblique positioning
of teeth. One way to solve this problem is to create the necessary space.
Conversely, premature loss of
teeth or anatomical abnormalities may result in gaps that require
modification for various reasons.
For the correction of horizontal
tooth displacement, miniscrews can
be used as these produce no undesirable reactive effects.

Distalization
The first case (Figs. 1a–c)
presented involves a frequently encountered problem: the
patient’s molars had migrated in
a mesial direction. This resulted
in a marked loss of space in the
region of the canines.
The two treatment options in
such a case are extraction or distalization. In this case, distalization

Dental Tribune America
213 West 35th Street
Suite #801
New York, NY 10001

The University of Michigan Campus
in Ann Arbor. (Photos/University of
Michigan)

was a viable option and extraction
was unnecessary.
Conventional techniques for distalization (apart from the use of
headgear) require support from
other groups of teeth. Creating
anchorage in this way has negative
reactive effects.
In the example under consideration, it is highly probable that protrusion of the anterior teeth would
have resulted should a conventional
method for distalization have been

employed. Such negative results can
be avoided by the use of miniscrews
Miniscrews can be inserted in the
vestibular and — as in this example
— palatinal areas. Vestibular insertion of a miniscrew (e.g., between
the premolars) is always associated
with the miniscrew’s eventual interference with tooth migration. When
this occurs, the miniscrew must be
extracted and a conventional form
g OT page 4
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[2] =>

From the Editor

Ortho Tribune | June & July 2010

Some thoughts on expertise
and wisdom in practice
By Dennis J. Tartakow, DMD, MEd, PhD,
Editor in Chief

“I

may not always do everything
right, but I always try to do
the right thing!” This was
an extraordinary thought that Dr.
Arlene Sack shared with me many
years ago. It forever became the
guiding principle throughout my
years in practice, a set of values
to conduct myself, and it always
proved to be appropriate.
With this in mind, here are some
doctor skills and guiding concepts
to consider.

Doctor skills
• Always make eye contact with your
patients, be friendly and smile.
It doesn’t matter if you see 50
patients or 150 patients per day;
make each and every patient feel
he or she is special to you.
• Always talk to your patients.
Patients must also be reminded
about what you are doing for them.
If an impacted maxillary cuspid is
brought down into occlusion with
simple mechanics, tell the patient
that you did it without the need
for surgery — and that you saved
him or her lots of money. Beforeand-after photographs are effective reminders because they tell
the story.
• Are you defensive? If the patient
complains that a fee is too high,
you might respond by saying,
“Yes, our fee is higher than other
orthodontists, and here’s why we
are higher ...” When an issue is
openly acknowledged, individuals
are often more receptive to your
message.
• Are you prepared for unexpected
questions that patients may ask?
Have you and your staff worked
on answering such familiar questions and statements as: “Why
must I come in for appointments
so often?” “My child can only
come in after school for appointments.” “Why are your fees so
high?” “We’re divorced. Can you
speak to my ex-husband about
your fee?” “My insurance has
changed. Can you recommend
a dentist on my company’s list?”
“Will I be in pain?” Your answers
to these predictable questions
can make or break your schedule

and, indeed, your entire practice.
• Are you sure the office telephone is
answered properly? The phone is
an exceptional office tool — poor
communication skills from an
office staff member may turn
someone away who could have
been your new patient. Most of
us aren’t great at “winging it.”
Scripting dialog is about preparing a few key words and short
phrases that can instill understanding for both you and your
staff members and which may
instill even greater understanding
and confidence in your patients.
• We all assume we say the right
things at the right times and have
the right answers for our patients.
However, how many of us listen to
what we say to our patients? Too
often we forget to say the simple things such as: “Thank you!”
or “What problems are you having today?” or “How can I help
you?” or, especially, “I appreciate
your confidence.” Consider taperecording some of your conversations with patients to get an idea of
the dialogue. This can be a great
learning technique for your staff
members: What are they saying
and what are patients hearing?

Guiding concepts
• Trust without accountability is
really blind faith. Does your office
have a system of accountability?
Does each staff member know
that he or she is accountable and
that you have clear expectations
of everyone? Do you monitor
results or hear what is being told
to your patient?
• Train your team to recognize
unusual or improper behavior
from either fellow staff or patients.
Let them know that it is their job
to report any and all improprieties. Staff members see and hear
more than you do, and it is essential for you to be knowledgeable
about your practice.
• Let all employees know your embezzlement policy. Define embezzlement and make it known in
your employee manual that you
will prosecute. Such a statement
by itself may deter a potential
embezzler. Preventing embezzlement helps protect not only you
but honest staff members as well.
Trustworthy team members take
pride in following ethical and
moral business procedures.
• We never get a second chance to
make a good first impression.
Sometimes we take ourselves, or
our work, too seriously. Patients
look to us for reassurance every
day; they want to believe what we
say and do are in their best interest. They are attracted to success
— show them you are successful!
• Real leadership is about telling
the truth; it is visible to every-

one — staff and patients alike.
We have one chance to make
a good impression. Our word is
our character, and we rarely get
a second chance to redeem ourselves. Treat all patients, children
or adults, the way you would want
to be treated. Success, therefore,
begins with you, in and out of
your office!
• Never criticize other orthodontists
or other professionals. When we
criticize our colleagues, especially
without knowing all the facts, we
are telling our patients, “Doctors
cannot be trusted.” As in every
profession, there are individuals
who cannot be trusted. However,
most doctors are caring and committed, and that is the message
we should be sending. Think of
the “Eleventh Commandment”:
Thou shall not speak ill of our fellow colleagues!
• Act with diligence; practice with
courage, conviction, tenacity and,
above all, attention to details.
Finally, keep in mind the five “A”
principles: aware, alert, anticipate,
action and avoid. These words may
prove beneficial.
“The Greeks didn’t write obituaries. They only asked one question after a man died: ‘Did he have
passion?’” (“Serendipity,” Miramax,
2001).
Do you have the passion needed
for success in your practice? OT

Corrections

FORESTADENT was spelled incorrectly in a headline on Page 10 of Ortho
Tribune, AAO Daily (Special Edition).
Ortho Tribune regrets the error.
Ortho Tribune strives to maintain
the utmost accuracy in its news and
clinical reports. If you find a factual error or content that requires
clarification, please report the details
to Managing Editor Kristine Colker at
k.colker@dental-tribune.com.

Image courtesy of Dr. Earl Broker.

ORTHO TRIBUNE
The World’s Orthodontic Newspaper · U.S. Edition

Publisher & Chairman
Torsten Oemus, t.oemus@dental-tribune.com
Vice President Global Sales
Peter Witteczek
p.witteczek@dental-tribune.com
Chief Operating Officer
Eric Seid, e.seid@dental-tribune.com
Group Editor & Designer
Robin Goodman
r.goodman@dental-tribune.com
Editor in Chief Ortho Tribune
Prof. Dennis Tartakow
d.tartakow@dental-tribune.com
International Editor Ortho Tribune
Dr. Reiner Oemus
r.oemus@dental-tribune.com
Managing Editor/Designer
Ortho Tribune & Show Dailies
Kristine Colker, k.colker@dental-tribune.com
Managing Editor/Designer
Implant, Lab & Endo Tribunes
Sierra Rendon, s.rendon@dental-tribune.com
Online Editor
Fred Michmershuizen
f.michmershuizen@dental-tribune.com
Account Manager
Humberto Estrada
h.estrada@dental-tribune.com
Account Manager
Mark Eisen, m.eisen@dental-tribune.com
Account Manager
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g.willinger@dental-tribune.com
Marketing Manager
Anna Wlodarczyk
a.wlodarczyk@dental-tribune.com
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Dental Tribune America, LLC
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New York, NY 10001
Phone: (212) 244-7181, Fax: (212) 244-7185

Published by Dental Tribune America
© 2010, Dental Tribune International
All rights reserved.
Dental Tribune makes every effort to report
clinical information and manufacturer’s
product news accurately, but cannot assume
responsibility for the validity of product claims,
or for typographical errors. The publishers
also do not assume responsibility for product names or claims, or statements made by
advertisers. Opinions expressed by authors are
their own and may not reflect those of Dental
Tribune International.

OT Editorial Advisory Board
Jay Bowman, DMD, MSD
(Journalism & Education)
Robert Boyd, DDS, MEd
(Periodontics & Education)
Earl Broker, DDS
(T.M.D. & Orofacial Pain)
Tarek El-Baily, BDS, MS, MS, PhD
(Research, Bioengineering & Education)
Donald Giddon, DMD, PhD
(Psychology & Education)
Donald Machen, DMD, MSD, MD, JD, MBA
(Medicine, Law & Business)
James Mah, DDS, MSc, MRCD, DMSc
(Craniofacial Imaging & Education)
Richard Masella, DMD (Education)
Malcolm Meister, DDS, MSM, JD
(Law & Education)
Harold Middleberg, DDS
(Practice Management)
Elliott Moskowitz, DDS, MSd
(Journalism & Education)
James Mulick, DDS, MSD
(Craniofacial Research & Education)
Ravindra Nanda, BDS, MDS, PhD
(Biomechanics & Education)
Edward O’Neil, MD (Internal Medicine)
Donald Picard, DDS, MS (Accounting)
Howard Sacks, DMD (Orthodontics)
Glenn Sameshima, DDS, PhD
(Research & Education)
Daniel Sarya, DDS, MPH (Public Health)
Keith Sherwood, DDS (Oral Surgery)
James Souers, DDS (Orthodontics)
Gregg Tartakow, DMD (Orthodontics)
& Ortho Tribune Associate Editor

[3] =>

News

Ortho Tribune | June & July 2010

Watch the ‘This Is Your Mouth’
video and help support NCOHF

AAO
elects
“T
new
officers

By Fred Michmershuizen, Online Editor

Dr. Lee W. Graber
of Illinois takes
over as president
The AAO House of Delegates
met on April 30 and May 3 during the AAO Annual Session in
Washington, D.C. Items of business included election of officers
for 2010–11 and the installation
of a new member of the board of
trustees.
Officers are: Lee W. Graber,
DDS, MS, PhD, of Vernon Hills,
Ill. — president; Michael B. Rogers, DDS, of Augusta, Ga. — president-elect; and John F. Buzzatto,
DMD, MDS, of Allison Park, Pa.
— secretary-treasurer.
Buzzatto also represents
the Great Lakes Association of
Orthodontists on the board of
trustees.
DeWayne B. McCamish, DDS,
MS, of Chattanooga, Tenn., was
installed as the new trustee
on the board. He succeeds Rogers as the representative of the
Southern Association of Orthodontists.
In addition to Graber, Rogers, Buzzatto and McCamish, the
AAO Board of Trustees includes:
Gayle Glenn, DDS, MSD, Southwestern Society of Orthodontists;
Brent E. Larson, DDS, MS, Midwestern Society of Orthodontists;
Nahid Maleki, DDS, MS, Middle
Atlantic Society of Orthodontists;
Hugh R. Phillis, DMD, Northeastern Society of Orthodontists;
Morris N. Poole, DDS, Rocky
Mountain Society of Orthodontists; and Robert E. Varner, DMD,
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists.
Also on the AAO Board of
Trustees are Robert James Bray,
DDS, MS, of Somers Point, N.J.,
immediate past president; David
L. Turpin, DDS, MSD, of Federal
Way, Wash., editor in chief of the
American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics;
Keith Levin, DMD, MS, of Winnipeg, Manitoba, speaker of the
AAO House of Delegates; and
Vincent G. Kokich Sr., DDS, MSD
of Tacoma, Wash., editor-designate of the American Journal
of Orthodontics and Dentofacial
Orthopedics.
(Source: AAO)

his Is Your Mouth,” a new
video from Johnson & Johnson Healthcare Products
that is narrated by Neil Patrick Harris, takes a closer look at the potential effects of rapidly multiplying
bacteria in the mouth and illustrates
how LISTERINE Antiseptic destroys
the millions of germs that are left
behind from brushing alone.
Each time the documentary is
viewed, a $1 donation will go from
Johnson & Johnson to the National
Children’s Oral Health Foundation:
America’s Toothfairy.

A screenshot of www.listerine.com/
yourmouth.
“I never realized how much
goes on ‘behind the scenes’ in our
mouths, and that brushing and
flossing alone isn’t enough to keep
germs at bay,” said Neil Patrick Har-

ris, announcing the new video.
In the video, which blends pop
culture with science and a good
dose of humor, dental professionals
and scientists explain how bacteria
multiply and collect in the mouth
to form a thick layer called plaque
biofilm, which is more harmful
than free-flowing bacteria and may
increase the potential for bad breath
and gingivitis.
The video also depicts when LISTERINE Antiseptic was first formulated in 1879 and offers rare
glimpses of retro advertisements.
The video may be viewed at
www.listerine.com/yourmouth. OT
AD

[4] =>

Trends

Ortho Tribune | June & July 2010

f OT page 1

of anchorage/blocking (e.g., a ligature) must then be used.
In this case, the presence of the
primary molars represented a contraindication for insertion on the
vestibular side of the premolar
region.
The paramedian insertion of two
miniscrews has several advantages. Firstly, the miniscrews provide
a very solid basis for anchorage
of the distalization appliance.
Secondly, they will never impede
the movement of the lateral teeth.
Even after successful molar distalization, they can be used to stabilize the situation achieved for the
remainder of the treatment.
Thirdly, there is no risk of dam
aging other teeth because of an
unfavorable spatial situation and/or
incorrect insertion.
One disadvantage of the coupling necessary between the Walde
Frog Appliance used (FORESTADENT) and the miniscrews (see
Figs. 1a–c) is that cleaning becomes
difficult. As large areas of the
mucous membrane are covered,
there is the risk of the development
of peri-mucositis. If this develops
further into peri-implantitis, premature loss of the miniscrews could
result.
A possible future alternative
could be the use of “laboratory abutments” (Figs. 2a–d), which contain
no plastics and can be used to couple
the appliance with the miniscrews
hygienically.

Mesialization
One of the most problematic
areas of orthodontic therapy is

Figs. 1b, 1c: Walde Frog Appliance (FORESTADENT) anchored to two miniscrews (b). Distalization by approximately
6 mm after three months’ treatment, providing sufficient space for the correct repositioning of the canines (c).
the correction of the anterior displacement of teeth and particularly
of jaw segments. It might seem
that the availability of miniscrews
means that conventional appliances
no longer need to be used at all.
However, depending on the
baseline situation and the nature
of the required correction, the use
of a combination of devices and
appliances is recommended. This
is often advisable and may even
be necessary for biomechanical
reasons, such as in a Class III situation.
In the case shown in figures
3a–c, forced transverse expansion
of the palatine suture was used in
combination with mesial traction,
applied by means of a Delaire facial
mask. The support provided by two
miniscrews inserted in the paramedian region redirected the forces of
sagittal and transverse movements
almost entirely onto the bones.
Dental side effects were markedly
reduced.

Figs. 2a–d: Distalization of the upper laterals. Miniscrews were inserted in
the paramedian region (OrthoEasy, FORESTADENT) (a). OrthoEasy with
attached laboratory abutments (b). The Frog Appliance was lashed to the
laboratory abutments (c). Lateral X-ray showing the ideal positioning of
miniscrews, laboratory abutments and Frog Appliance (d).

Figs. 3a–c: Mesialization of the upper molars. Miniscrews inserted in the paramedian region with laboratory abutments (FORESTADENT) and transverse screw
with hook for a Delaire facial mask (a). Status after transverse expansion and formation of a median diastema (b). Extra-oral view of the appliance with a
Delaire mask (c).

Figs. 4a–c: Space closure in the region of the upper anterior teeth. Diagram showing the anchorage principle (a). Baseline situation: The central frontal teeth
were held in place using a steel arch (19 x 25) fixed to a miniscrew with additional frontal dental torque (b). After nine months, the anchorage is stable (c).

[5] =>

Trends

Ortho Tribune | June & July 2010

Figs. 5a–c: Space closure in the region of the upper anterior teeth. En masse retraction with the aid of miniscrews and a Power Arm (FORESTADENT), which has been
crimped here (a). Status after extraction of the premolars, showing OrthoEasy miniscrew (b). The Power Arm is used as a sliding mechanism, in order to distalize the
canine further (c).

Space closure
Owing to the availability of miniscrews, new therapeutic techniques
can now be used, particularly for the
management of the partially edentulous situation that obviates the need
for compensatory extractions and
the problem of the loss of stability
of the units used for anchorage support.
It is here the effect of Newton’s
Third Law is particularly apparent,
and the interception of the opposing forces is a major consideration
within the therapeutic strategy. The
orthopedic closure of dental spaces
using miniscrews is highly recommended if:
• there are no alternative, viable
conventional methods and/or
there is insufficient certainty that
these will be effective;
• the extensive use of braces is to
be avoided for cosmetic or functional reasons;
• a short-term treatment or partial treatment is required that
does not involve correction and
realignment of the basic dental
arch;
• asymmetrical treatments are
associated with the risk of midline displacement and the possibility of compensatory extraction;
• or a suitable dental baseline situation is to be created for preprosthetic treatments.
It is important to note that in
cases in which space closure treatment is proposed, it must be ensured
the patient is aware of not only the
costs and risks of the treatment,
but also of the available alternative
options, such as the use of bridges
or implants.
There are three types of space
closure.
• Anterior space closure (e.g., in
displacement of the lateral incisors).
Orthodontic space closure is frequently indicated if there is a gap
in the anterior row of teeth, particularly in the region of the lateral
incisors.
The undesirable effects of conventional therapeutic techniques
are the displacement of the midline
and/or negative inclination of the
anterior teeth.
If miniscrews are used for the
stabilization of the median incisors
(Figs. 4a–c), such effects can be
avoided. A stable, rigid steel arch
with a size of at least 0.48 mm by
0.64 mm attached to two miniscrews inserted in the median or
paramedian region can be used to

stabilize the anterior teeth.
Using the standard vestibular
mechanical techniques, the gap can
be closed without altering the position of the incisors.
• En masse or canine retraction
(e.g., where the premolars are miss-

ing). Miniscrews can also be used
as an aid in this form of treatment
(Figs. 5a–c). In contrast with the
conventional appliances, there is
no loss of anchorage but rather
a biomechanical benefit in terms of
more favorable direction of forces.

If the miniscrew and the fitting
for the active element (traction
spring or elastic chain) are positioned at the same level as the resistance center of the canines, physical
g OT page 6
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[6] =>

Trends

Ortho Tribune | June & July 2010

f OT page 5

movement of the tooth (or teeth) is
possible.
• Space closure in the molar region
(e.g., to avoid the need for prosthetic
measures). Premature loss of the
primary molars has not yet been
eradicated despite all the advances
made in prophylactic treatments.
There may be a need for appropriate therapy, particularly in cases
in which the adjacent teeth are not
carious (Fig. 6a–c).
What should the patient be
offered: implants, bridges or space
closure treatment? With a view to
the realistic long-term prognosis for
the anchorage teeth, conservation
of the surviving natural teeth and
the minimization of the effects on
the existing materials, a prosthetic
solution would not appear to be
appropriate.
The basic concept of restorative
dentistry — first destroy, in order to
reconstruct — is frequently not the
best solution.
Let us assume that the strategy
adopted is to mesialize tooth #27,
in order to compensate — using
a natural method — for the loss.
The skeletal anchorage means
that undesirable side effects,
such as reciprocal space closure,
are avoided. Only a few elements
(brackets, springs, etc.) are needed
to support the mesial movement.
The treatment remains invisible
to the casual observer, while in
comparison with the stated alternatives, it is very cost-effective and
provides for a high level of conservation of the natural elements.
The prognosis for the long-term
preservation of the natural teeth is
very good.

Figs. 6a–c: Space closure in the region of the upper laterals. Baseline situation: Teeth #25 and #27 are free of caries
(a). Using miniscrews (OrthoEasy, FORESTADENT), it is possible to provide ‘invisible’ treatment (b). Very few elements are required for mesialization (c).

Figs. 7a–c: Extrusion of a single tooth. Viable lateral incisor following intrusion due to trauma (a). Miniscrew with
indirect anchoring of the canine and straight arch technique, in order to extrude tooth #22 (b). Status after three
months (c).

Figs. 8a, b: Extrusion in order to close an open bite caused by tongue thrust, with deterioration of the upper jaw. The
aim was to extrude the upper frontals over the miniscrew in the lower jaw (a). Status after 12 months (b).

Vertical tooth displacement
Any displacement of the teeth along
the vertical axis can present a cosmetic and/or functional problem.
The solution is extrusion or intrusion using skeletal anchorage. This
technique is very simple to implement and very cost-effective.

Extrusion
Extrusion
using
miniscrews
may be used for single teeth
(Figs. 7a–c) and for groups of
teeth (Figs. 8a, b). Trauma had
caused the intrusion of tooth #22
(Figs. 7a–c). The tooth was returned
to its original position within three
months by means of the indirect
anchorage of tooth #23 to a miniscrew using a straight wire appliance.
In the case of a bite that exposed
tongue and bone (Figs. 8a, b), the
approach adopted was to provide
transverse expansion and extrusion
of the anterior teeth. Intermaxillary
rubber traction braces connected to
miniscrews in the lower jaw were
used.
If the braces had been connected
to the lower anterior teeth, undesirable extrusion of these would have
resulted (every action has an equal
and opposite reaction). Because of
the small root surface, this process
would have occurred in a much

Figs. 9a, b: Intrusion in order to close a tongue and skeletal open bite. Intrusion of the molars was effected using a
Titanol Uprighting Spring (FORESTADENT) (a). Status after six months (b).
shorter space of time than in the
case of the upper anterior teeth.
The opposing bone in the lower jaw
prevented this undesirable reactive
effect.

correction of the positioning of the
first molars on both sides after five
months’ intrusion, resulting in closure of the frontal bite.

Intrusion

It may be necessary for therapists to
overcome logistical and emotional
barriers before they can begin to
employ miniscrews, but it is only
when they are used that their versatility becomes apparent.
Miniscrews make our routine
work that much simpler. They
enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of many dental appliances,
resulting in an overall improvement
in treatment quality. OT

This open bite with extrusion of the
tongue (Figs. 9a, b) was treated by
means of intrusion of the molars
and consequent caudal rotation
of the maxilla. Miniscrews were
inserted in the first and second
quadrants in each case between the
canine and the first premolar.
A Titanol Uprighting Spring
(FORESTADENT) was attached
to the capstan of the miniscrew,
and the screw was set to intrusion. There was even some over-

Conclusions

(Editorial note: A complete list

of references is available from the
publisher. This article first appeared
in Dental Tribune Asia Pacific, Vol.
7, No. 4, 2009. The next edition of
Ortho Tribune will feature “Part IV
— More clinical examples.” All photos were provided by the authors.)

OT About the author
Dr. Björn Ludwig
Am Bahnhof 54
56841 Traben-Trarbach
Germany
Phone: +49 (654) 181-8381
Fax: +49 (654) 181-8394
E-mail:
bludwig@kieferorthopaedie-mosel.de

[7] =>

[8] =>

Practice Matters

Ortho Tribune | June & July 2010

Makeover: one system at a time
This is the second
article in the Levin
Group Total Ortho
Success Practice
Makeover series

To celebrate its 15th anniversary, the practice will host an open
house this summer for referring
dentists and their teams. Strengthening relationships with referring
dentists is key to maintaining practice growth.

Leading the practice

By Jennifer Van Gramins and Cheri Bleyer

practice transformation doesn’t
occur overnight. Instead, it’s
a series of small steps consistently implemented that yield huge
gains in terms of efficiency, referrals and production, while reducing
stress and increasing professional
satisfaction.
In a few short months, Dr.
Michelle Gonzalez and her team
have made huge strides in streamlining practice operations, but they
realize they still have a ways to go
to reach their full practice potential.
“We’ve made some progress …
small changes can make a big difference. We are dedicated to making the practice the best it can be,”
said Gonzales, the winner of the
second Levin Group Total Ortho
Success™ Practice Makeover.

Dr. Michelle Gonzales, clockwise from bottom left, and her team: Kris, Mary,
Laurie and Irene. (Photo/Bruce Cook Photography, San Rafael, Calif.)

The consulting experience
Earlier this year, we conducted the
first phase of the yearlong consulting program — two days of teaching,
breakout sessions and interactive
learning, where we met Gonzalez
and her experienced team, whose
four full-time members are:
• Laurie, RDA
• Irene, RDA
• Mary, financial coordinator
• Kris, scheduling coordinator
Combined, they have 33 years
working with Gonzalez, who started
the practice in 1995.
“A strong team is a critical asset
in moving the practice forward,”
said Dr. Roger P. Levin, chairman
and CEO of Levin Group. “When
your team ‘buys in’ to the consulting
process, your practice is poised for
extraordinary success.”
During the two-day training, we
focused on improved systems and
processes in the following areas:
• Scheduling
• Practice communication
• Referral marketing
The schedule has the largest
impact on daily operations. A more
efficient schedule sets the stage for
major practice improvements in the
areas of customer service, team
stress and morale, and scheduling
capacity.
After redesigning their schedules,
most practices can increase scheduling capacity, which allows the
orthodontist to see more patients
and increase production.
Practice communication keeps
everyone on the same page. In a
busy ortho practice, strong practice

communication ensures everyone
is working toward the same goals.
Miscommunication has negative
repercussions for customer service
and team stress.
Referral marketing determines
the practice’s ability to grow. A
structured referral marketing program generates a steady stream
of referrals from referring dentists
and patients, expands the number
of referrers and leads to increased
starts and production.
Gonzalez’s practice had been
growing for a number of years but
had recently experienced a decline
in the number of new patients being
seen. Focusing on these three areas
would put in the missing structure
that would allow the practice to
start growing again.

Change is under way
Gonzalez and her team have
embraced the mantra of practice improvement. In scheduling
patients, the practice is now using
PowerScripting™ to direct patients to
available slots. Previously, patients
often would set their own appointments, which led to overbooking at
times.
In addition, the practice is conducting time studies of its top procedures. This information will be used
to devise a more accurate schedule.
With the advent of new technologies, Levin Group recommends
practices perform procedural time
studies every two years.

The team implemented several changes that have resulted
in improved communication and
customer service. The front desk
worked with Ortho II to better utilize the capabilities of its scheduling software. Using “the reason for
visit” function has given clinical
staff more information about visits
by emergency patients.
In addition, the clinical staff is
using a written routing slip to keep
the front desk team better informed
about the patient’s next visit. Previously, the practice relied on verbal
communication, which wasn’t as
effective.
Gonzalez hired LeAnn as a parttime practice coordinator (what
Levin Group calls a professional
relations coordinator, or PRC), a
position that will handle the practice’s referral marketing activities.
“Having a dedicated staff person
will help us more consistently market our practice,” Gonzalez said.

With the help of her team, Gonzalez
is working to create the practice’s
mission and vision statements.
These are two critical documents
that set the tone and direction of the
practice.
A vision statement is about looking ahead three to five years or
even farther. A vision statement is
not where you are today or even
where you will be in the near future.
Instead, it is focused on where the
practice will be some years down
the road.
The mission statement explains
the purpose of the practice. While
the vision statement is about where
the practice will be in the future,
the mission statement is focused on
where the practice is today. Having
and sharing them with the team are
key stepping stones for the practice
to achieve its goals.

Conclusion
Gonzalez and her team are on their
way to making over the practice.
Success starts by revamping current
systems, which sets the foundation
for greater success. Persistence is
paying off for their team.
“We’re excited about what we’ve
accomplished, but we’re even
more excited by what we can still
achieve,” Gonzalez said.
To jumpstart your own Total Success Ortho Practice Makeover, come
experience Dr. Roger Levin’s next
Total Ortho Success Seminar being
held Oct. 28–29 in Orlando. Ortho
Tribune readers are entitled to receive
a 20 percent courtesy. To receive this
courtesy, call (888) 973-0000 and
mention “Ortho Tribune” or e-mail
customerservice@levingroup.com
with “Ortho Tribune Courtesy” in the
subject line. OT

OT About the authors
Cheri Bleyer, Levin Group senior
consultant
Bleyer joined Levin Group in
2003 as a Levin Group orthodontic management and marketing
consultant. As a senior consultant,
Bleyer has played a key role in
the development of Levin Group’s
ever-expanding marketing program, and she regularly lectures
at the Levin Advanced Learning
Institute.

Cheri Bleyer, left, and Jen Van Gramins

Jen Van Gramins, Levin Group
consultant
Van Gramins has spent the last four
years working as a Levin Group orthodontic management consultant. Prior
to that, she managed medical and dental practices for 12 years. She served as
practice manager for the Oral Health

Clinic at Loyola University Medical
Center in Maywood, Ill.
Visit Levin Group on the Web at www.
levingrouportho.com. Levin Group also
can be reached at (888) 973-0000 and
customerservice@levingroup.com.

[9] =>

[10] =>

Practice Matters

Ortho Tribune | June & July 2010

Advice for landing that
perfect opportunity
fit works both ways. You want to be
sure you’ll be happy in this position.
Put your best foot forward, but also
be yourself. It’s almost like a marriage, and neither you nor the practice owner want to suffer through a
messy divorce a year later.
• Don’t forget the staff. Practice
owners have loyal staff members
whose opinions they trust. You want
to make sure they perceive you feel
they are an important part of the
practice and your decision. Prepare
questions for them and remember that their vote on whether you
should be hired carries significant
weight.

By David Marks, President and CEO
of OrthoSynetics

our search for the perfect associate position is finally over.
You have managed to find
the perfect opportunity: excellent
location, a busy practice poised for
growth, great compensation and
bonus plan and the ability to partner
in three years or less.
Your future would be all set.
Accept the offer.
Well, not so fast.
There is no guarantee an offer
is coming your way. It’s competitive out there. There is a surplus
of qualified candidates who are all
applying for the same great jobs.
This glut of orthodontists looking
for associate positions is a result of
the difficulty in securing practice
financing to start your own private
practice.
Landing that perfect job takes
preparation and finesse. Don’t
sweat the small stuff and negotiate

Contract negotiations

(Photo/stock.xchng)
your way out of your ideal opportunity. Here are some tips to ensure
better success.

The basics
• Prepare for the interview. During
the last 30 years of recruiting and
hiring hundreds of practitioners, I
perceived one constant recurring
theme: Residents interviewing for
opportunities don’t often come prepared. So stand out from the crowd
by doing your homework.
Thoroughly review the practice’s website and find out everything you can about the practice, its
clinicans(s) and market. Once you’ve
gathered all information, develop a
list of questions you want to ask the
owner and bring it with you.
Not many things impress a practice owner more than a candidate
who took the time to educate himself or herself about the practice
and is prepared to discuss his or her
findings.
• Personality plus is key. During your interview, exhibit confidence in your clinical skills, but
also remember that you have a lot
to learn. In actuality, your skills are
secondary during the interview. The
practice owner already suspects you
have the clinical skills necessary to
be a quality orthodontist. It’s why
you were called in. He or she now
wants to know if your personality
and ambitions fit into the practice’s.
Explain why you want to live and
practice in the area (this is key),
why you are attracted to this particular practice and what your professional goals are. Of course, the right

Congratulations! You’ve impressed
the practice owner who now wants
to bring you on board. But as the
saying goes, “The devil is in the
details.” Time to hammer out the
particulars, but don’t hammer yourself out of a job.
Most clauses in the contract will
be standard boilerplate, but a handful of provisions require your close
attention. Hire an attorney to represent your interests; the owner has
one representing his. Fees should
run $1,000 or less. It may seem like
a lot of money, but this investment
in your career will pay off in the
long run. And lastly, only negotiate
those matters of importance to you.
• Employee vs. independent contractor. The practice owner may
wish to sign you up as a direct
employee. You’ll receive a salary,
benefits and a retirement plan such
as a 401(k). Basically, it’s similar
to being an employee of any other
business.
Alternatively, your status may be
that of an independent contractor.
In this situation, instead of a salary
you’ll receive a stipend, most likely
at a higher dollar figure. But you’ll
have to cover your own personal
insurance costs and retirement plan
contributions (in an IRA for example). Taxes are not automatically
withheld. Instead, you will have
to file quarterly taxes and pay into
Social Security and Medicaid yourself. Malpractice insurance, which
is a required part of your profession,
may be provided by the practice.
In the end, which arrangement is
better — employee or independent
contractor? Each has its plusses and
minuses. A CPA familiar with the
practice’s state law can help you
navigate your choices.
• Compensation/benefits. Whatever your status, the contract should
spell out specific terms under which
you will be paid. It should include
the total annual compensation for
each year of the agreement, how

[11] =>

Ortho Tribune | June & July 2010
often salary or stipend payments are
made, the hours and days you are
expected to work, and detailed information about any bonuses. In addition, the agreement should outline
insurance coverage (health, life, disability and malpractice), relocation
costs, professional dues and other
benefits if any are provided.
• Full time or part time. If the
agreement limits the number of
hours or days you work, you may
propose to remove from the contract
any restrictions that prevent you
from working at another practice.
In response, the practice owner will
probably make concessions to bring
you on full time or accept that you
need to supplement your income
elsewhere.
• Term of agreement. During
negotiations, you may wish to push
for a contract that locks you in for
three years or more. While a longterm agreement may appeal to your
desire for security, in the end, it will
not matter much. Most agreements
include a section stating that either
party may terminate the agreement
without any cause whatsoever as
long as written notice is provided to
the other party 90 days in advance.

OT About the author

David Marks is the president and
CEO for OrthoSynetics, Inc. (OSI),
a business service company in the
orthodontic industry that assists
orthodontic practices by utilizing a
full-service, turnkey management
approach to address all non-clinical practice functions to gain better
efficiencies and profitability. He has
more than 30 years experience in the
health-care industry including the
recruitment and hiring of health-care
professionals.
The OrthoSynetics’ recruitment
department has assisted a countless
number of orthodontists with locating
their ideal practice opportunity. For
more information on available opportunities with OSI client practices, call
Rhonda Autrey, recruitment manager, at (817) 416-7408, ext. 1122, or
visit the “Practice Opportunities” listings at www.orthoopportunity.com.

Make sure whatever terms are
outlined in the contract are equivalent for both parties. For you, a situation that looked great at the outset
may sour. You will want the option
to end the relationship as well.
• Restrictive covenant. The practice owner may include a restrictive
covenant section in the contract that
limits your options about where you
can practice if your relationship
ends. It will prevent you from working for typically one to three years
within a certain radius from your
former employer.
Contrary to what you may have
heard, restrictive covenant clauses
can indeed be legally enforced. Ask
a lawyer to help you understand the
particulars. Keep in mind, however,
that by including a restrictive covenant section, practice owners are
simply trying to protect the busi-

Practice Matters 11
nesses that they have spent so much
time and effort building.
• Future equity. Are you on a
track to move up from associate to
partner or even full owner? While
the contract may include a clause
addressing partnership potential, it
will most likely be vague and noncommittal.
That’s OK. Your first several years
as an associate should be spent
proving yourself worthy of becoming a partner; nothing is a given.
But if your negotiations raise the
expectation of an eventual partnership, it is reasonable that you be
kept apprised of your status. One
suggestion is to ask for the contract to include an obligation for the
practice owner to notify you at least
six months prior to the scheduled
termination date of your contract
as to whether an ownership interest

is in the cards. That way, you will
have plenty of time to negotiate a
deal or make a decision to move on.

Have options
It may take a little time to find the
position that’s right for you. Because
of the recession, many older orthodontists are retiring later than they
planned, making it harder for new
ones to establish themselves. And
you’re competing with a glut of
other young, hungry orthodontists
also looking for associate positions.
Many want to live in the same metropolitan areas, making competition there even more fierce.
But if you keep an open mind
about where you want to practice
and the terms of your position,
you’ll be straightening teeth and
improving smiles soon enough.
Good luck! OT
AD

[12] =>

Practice Matters

Ortho Tribune | June & July 2010

Weak economy increases
amount of employee theft
By Sally McKenzie, CEO

he stories read like popular fiction. Unfortunately, they are
true. The outwardly stable,
unquestionably loyal employee
commits a crime no one would
have expected, least of all her/his
employer.
More puzzling is the fact that
often this member of the staff
doesn’t have a criminal record. In
fact, according to the Association of
Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE)
in a 2008 report, only 7 percent of
those committing fraud have prior
convictions and a mere 12 percent have been fired by a former
employer as a result of fraud-related conduct.
But what is perhaps most disconcerting is that many of the characteristics that make up this person’s
profile would also be the sketch for
your “ideal” team member: dedicated, takes very little time off, first
in the office and last to leave, will
take work home, is very particular
about how things get done.
Some say she/he’s controlling
while others contend it’s commitment. Working her/his fingers to
the bone, this devoted employee is
quietly slipping thousands of dollars under the table and into her/
his pocket.
According to the ACFE’s most
recent report, U.S. businesses lose
an estimated $994 billion in annual
revenues to fraud, despite increased
emphasis on anti-fraud controls and
recent legislation to combat it.
If that weren’t troubling enough,
the U.S. Chamber of Commerce
estimates 75 percent of all employees steal at least once and that half
of these steal again and again.

Who are the thieves?
Fraudsters represent all walks of
life: CEOs, bank tellers, firefighters, payroll clerks, senators, even
Catholic priests. And, in some cases,
they are shamelessly brazen. One
reported case involved an employee who routinely crossed out the
employer’s name on checks written
from customers and inserted his
own.
No white out, no fancy chemical concoction to erase the ink,
just strike through the name on
the check and make it payable to
himself.
And you probably thought the
bank would catch something so blatant. But banks process literally tens
of thousands of checks per minute.
In the recent case of the parish
priest, he embezzled more than $1
million from two churches. The
crime wasn’t exposed until a donor

Do you know where all your money is going? (Photo/stock.xchng)
requested a receipt for tax purposes
from the church dioceses, which
had no record of the donation. However, the contributor had his canceled check. This led to the arrest
and conviction of the priest.
No organization or business is
immune to employee theft, and
health-care businesses, such as
dental offices, are among the top
three businesses to be victimized by
dishonest employees. With the average loss per fraud case among small
businesses at $200,000, that kind of
financial hit can be huge for small
practices, many of which operate
very close to the margin.
In this economy, any increase in
expenses or reduction in revenue
could be catastrophic. More problematic yet, lenders are less likely to
extend additional credit these days
to cover such a shortfall.

They can steal insurance checks
or sign checks using a signature
stamp.
In a multitude of other cases,
the trusted employee accepts payment from the patient or customer, deletes the transaction on the
computer and keeps the payment.
Many patients no longer get their
cancelled checks, let alone actually
look at them.
Then there are the fraudulent
billing schemes. These take a bit
more effort than your typical check
fraud. One small employer was
building a new office only to discover by accident that a trusted
employee, who just happened to be
in charge of paying the bills, had set
up a fictitious painting business and
was billing the employer for work
never done.

How do they steal?

But what is it that makes the otherwise stellar employee turn to crime?
Research indicates there are several inducements that can influence
someone’s decision to embezzle,
but three factors must be present.
This is known as the “fraud triangle.” The employee must have the
incentive, the opportunity and the
rationalization.
Incentive may be a gambling
problem, alcohol or drug addiction
or shopping addiction. It can also
be motivated by financial struggles
through an economic downturn
such as we are experiencing now.
The person may be disgruntled
or is stretched beyond his/her financial means. The employee may be
experiencing personal crisis such as
a divorce, serious illness or a death
in the family. He becomes desper-

Dishonest employees are fraudulently writing company checks,
skimming revenues and engaging in fraudulent billing. In small
operations, such as dental practices,
internal controls tend to be lax and
accountability slim, providing the
ideal environment for employee
theft.
Checks, in particular, present a
veritable smorgasbord of opportunities for the small-business embezzler. As another thief discovered,
it was a relatively simple exercise
to write company checks to herself and then destroy the cancelled
checks.
Countless fraudsters have discovered the ease of ordering new
checks in the business’ name and
making them out to themselves.

Motivation to steal

ate, angry and disillusioned, all of
which provide incentive to commit
the crime.
The opportunity typically comes
in the form of lax internal controls. One person has total control
of practice revenues. There are few,
if any, checks and balances and a
near total lack of supervision over
that highly trusted employee who
seemingly can do no wrong.
Then there’s rationalization. The
employee tells herself that she will
just take a little loan and will pay it
back. Then she takes a little more
the next time.
Or the employee hasn’t received
a raise and contends he works harder than anyone, so he deserves the
money.
Or perhaps her addiction is taking over her life. Maybe medical
bills have skyrocketed, a spouse has
lost her job or he thinks the orthodontist makes so much money the
orthodontist will never notice.
Whatever form the rationalization
takes, oftentimes, in the employee’s
mind, he or she is simply correcting
a perceived wrong.
So who’s most likely to be pilfering from your practice? Fraud
experts refer to it as the 10-10-80
rule: 10 percent of people will never
steal, another 10 percent will steal
at any opportunity and the other 80
percent will go either way depending on how they rationalize a particular opportunity.
The good news is that for those
in the 80 percent category, if they
believe they will get caught, they
won’t take the chance.

Don’t be an easy target
Small businesses, such as dental
practices, are prime targets for
fraud and embezzlement.
Why?
Practice owners can be very
naïve and far too trusting, giving
near total financial control to the
employee. In some cases, orthodontists don’t even know how or where
to access their financial reports.
Also, there is often a close relationship between clinicians/owners
and employees. They become trusted friends, and this, sadly, encourages a dishonest employee to take
advantage of them.
As the ACFE reports, the most
common small-business scheme
is check tampering. It frequently
occurs when one individual has
access to the company’s checkbook and also has responsibility
for recording payments and/or reconciling the company bank statement.
g OT page 15

[13] =>

[14] =>

[15] =>

Ortho Tribune | June & July 2010
f OT page 12

Therefore, the first order of business in protecting practice finances
is to divvy up the financial duties.
The orthodontist may want to do
only the orthodontics, but this attitude is inviting disaster.
As one Wisconsin clinician discovered not long ago, his trusted
employee of 28 years who had “total
run of the practice’s financial operations” was accused of stealing at
least $41,000 and that was believed
to be just the tip of the iceberg.
Separating billing, collections
and delinquent account responsibilities is critical. The employee
making the bank deposit should not
be the same employee responsible
for checking the deposit slip that is
returned from the bank.
Consider rotating the responsibility for making bank deposits
among employees and monitor
deposits for unexplained increases
or decreases.
Look at the reports daily. In particular, examine the day sheet and

OT About the author

Sally McKenzie, certified management consultant, is a nationally known lecturer and author. She
is CEO of McKenzie Management,
which provides highly successful and
proven management services to dentistry and has since 1980. McKenzie Management offers a full line of
educational and management products that are available on its website,
www.mckenziemgmt.com.
In addition, the company offers
a vast array of practice enrichment programs and team training.
McKenzie is the editor of the e-Management newsletter and The Dentist’s Network newsletter sent complimentary to practices nationwide. To
subscribe, visit www.mckenziemgmt
.com and www.thedentistsnetwork.
net. McKenzie can be reached toll
free at (877) 777-6151 or at sallymck@
mckenziemgmt.com.

the deposit. Investigate any adjustments made on the day sheet.
Pay close attention to increases in
refunds or write-offs, large adjustments or missing documents.
Print and review an audit trail
report daily. It reflects every transaction that has transpired in the
office since the last printed audit
trail.
In addition, generate a monthly
report that lists all patients who
have had changes made to their
accounts. This helps to identify a
recurring problem or detect a discrepancy. Routinely conduct random checks of different accounts.
In practices with small staffs,
the orthodontist must take a much
more active role in monitoring the
financials. Ideally, the orthodontist
should write all the checks and do
his/ her own accounts payable.

Practice Matters 15
The orthodontist should reconcile the bank statement monthly
and cancelled checks should be
sent, along with the bank statement,
to the orthodontist’s home.
In addition, monthly credit card
statements should be received
unopened and compared with
original receipts of purchases. This
enables the orthodontist to know
exactly where the money is going.
Checks received should be immediately stamped on the back with
the practice’s bank deposit endorsement stamp. Periodically check the
account number to ensure it is the
practice’s account. Do not use signature stamps.
All employees should be required
to take at least one week’s vacation every year, particularly those
in charge of practice finances. And,
most importantly, don’t let the work

pile up. During that time, the vacationing employee’s duties should be
carried out by someone else.
Pay attention to key red flags.
According to the ACFE report:
“Fraud perpetrators often display
behavioral traits that serve as indicators of possible illegal behavior.
The most commonly cited behavioral red flags were perpetrators
living beyond their apparent means
(39 percent of cases) or experiencing financial difficulties at the time
of the frauds (34 percent).”
Finally, take complaints seriously. If patients claim that they’ve paid
but didn’t receive credit, investigate
it. If an employee tips you off that
something isn’t right, check it out. If
you sense things just aren’t adding
up, don’t dismiss it.
Ignorance could cost you thousands, if not millions, of dollars. OT
AD

[16] =>

GORP Preview

Ortho Tribune | June & July 2010

f OT page 1

as well as a golf game or a canoe
trip and a chance to visit with some
orthodontics companies to get a
firsthand look at new products and
technology.
The idea for GORP began in 1989
as a means of bringing the orthodontists of the future together for
a summer meeting, while at the
same time creating an environment
to foster professional growth and
interpersonal relationships among
colleagues and representatives of
orthodontic manufacturers. During
the past 20 years, the meeting has
grown substantially.
The meeting is held every other
year at the University of Michigan, with the alternate years at
other institutions. Past meetings
have been held at Harvard University, University of Texas at Houston,
University of Illinois at Chicago,
Ohio State University, University
of Toronto, University of Kentucky,
University of North Carolina, University of Washington and Saint
Louis University.
The program is unique in that it
is the first meeting to bring together
residents in a dental or medical
specialty program. The meeting is
sponsored by donations from orthodontic exhibitors and by the American Board of Orthodontics and its
constituent associations and the
American Association of Orthodontists Foundation.

The speakers
During the course of three days,
residents will hear from a variety
of speakers. Here is a look at who
those speakers are and what they
will be speaking about.
• Dr. James A. McNamara will
be the guest speaker at a dinner on
Friday night. He is a graduate of the
University of California Berkeley,
and received his dental and orthodontic education at the University
of California, San Francisco, and a
doctorate in anatomy from the University of Michigan. He maintains a
private practice in Ann Arbor.
• Dr. Vincent G. Kokich will speak
Sunday on “Orthodontic Finishing!
Art or Science?” He is a professor
in the Department of Orthodontics
at the University of Washington in
Seattle and maintains a private orthodontic practice in Tacoma, Wash.
In his session, he will discuss
some of the questions that commonly arise in the mind of a clinician who is striving to establish his
or her reputation: What is acceptable and unacceptable in the final
result? How does an orthodontist
know when to remove the orthodontic appliances?
As a former director of the American Board of Orthodontics, Kokich
has had the opportunity to evaluate
many cases that have been presented for board certification. In
this presentation, he will examine
the various aspects of orthodontic
finishing to determine if these principles are simply artistic ideals or
if there is scientific evidence that
achieving an ideal result is benefi-

Day-by-day
Thursday, Aug. 5
• Noon–11 p.m.: Check in
Friday, Aug. 6
• 8:30 a.m.–1:30 p.m.: Dale B.
Wade Memorial Golf Outing
• 10 a.m.–12:30 p.m.: Canoe trip
down the Huron River
• 5:30–7 p.m.: University of Michigan Art Museum for cocktail
hour. Sponsored by Treloar &
Heisel and Medical Protective
• 7–9 p.m.: Michigan Union for
dinner and program featuring
Dr. James A. McNamara

The University of Michigan Campus in Ann Arbor is the site of the 22nd
annual Graduate Orthodontic Residents Program.
cial to the patient.
• Dr. John Graham will speak
Saturday on “Miniscrews in Modern
Practice.” He received his dental
degree from Baylor College of Dentistry in Dallas and then received
his medical degree from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School. After medical school,
Graham completed an internship in
general surgery at Parkland Memorial Hospital, followed by training
in oral and maxillofacial surgery.
Following his surgical training,
Graham received his certificate in
orthodontics from the University of
Rochester/Eastman Dental Center
in Rochester, N.Y. He is the only
orthodontist in Arizona, and one of
only a handful in the United States,
who is also a physician.
In his session, Graham will discuss how skeletal anchorage in
orthodontics has expanded treatment possibilities, allowing clinicians to offer patients more options
and infusing the profession with
a fresh spirit of scientific inquiry.
Graham will discuss the literature,
explain the techniques and show
the results of miniscrew-assisted
orthodontics that have positively
impacted his private practice.
• Dr. Aaron Molen will present
his session, “The 3-D Paradigm
Shift: Establish a Practice That
Has Your Name All Over It,” on
Saturday. Molen received his DDS
from Loma Linda University where
he did his research using the first
cone-beam computed tomography
(CBCT) scanner installed in the
United States. Molen continued his
CBCT research at UCLA where he
received his MS in oral biology and
a certificate in orthodontics.
His session will discuss how
there is a paradigm shift in the
diagnosis and treatment planning
of orthodontic patients. Cone-beam
computed tomography has opened

OT Contact
For more information, visit the
Web site at www.gorportho.com.

OT Get Ortho Tribune!
Kick off your career on a good
note by staying on top of all the industry news, trends and events! For a
complimentary subscription to Ortho
Tribune, simply e-mail your name
and mailing address to database@
dental-tribune.com or call our office
at (212) 244-7181.

up the third dimension and, with it,
has increased the diagnostic information available. Molen will review
the past, present and future of 3-D
orthodontics while also reviewing
3-D diagnostic techniques and how
they can affect image quality.
• Dr. Robert P. Scholz’s Saturday
session is entitled, “Would You Like
to Have a Job When You Graduate?”
Scholz completed his orthodontic
certification at the University of California, San Francisco, in 1963. After
spending two-plus years in Athens,
Greece, practicing orthodontics for
the Air Force, he returned to the Bay
Area and began a part-time private
practice. He maintained an appointment at UCSF for 20 years, departing
as clinical professor in 1987. He is an
adjunct professor at the University
of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and
at Temple University in Philadelphia
and is the editor of Techno Bytes, the
technology section of the American
Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics..
In his presentation, he will discuss issues that must be addressed
early and during your residency
including: “What are the pros and
cons of the seven possible employment opportunities?,” “When should
you start working on this project?,”

Saturday, Aug. 7
• 8–9 a.m.: Breakfast/exhibitor
time
• 9–10 a.m.: Dr. John Graham,
“Miniscrews in Modern Practice”
• 10–10:15 a.m.: Dr. Fred Garrett, AAOF
• 10:15–10:45 a.m.: Coffee break/
exhibitor time
• 10–11 a.m.: Dr. Lee Graber,
AAO president
• 11 a.m.–noon: Dr. Aaron Molen,
“The 3-D Paradigm Shift”
• Noon–2 p.m.: Lunch/exhibitor
time
• 2–2:15 p.m.: Dr. Russell Sandman, Council on New and
Younger Members
• 2:15–2:30 p.m.: Dr. Jeryl D.
English, ABO president
• 2:30–3:30 p.m.: Dr. Robert
Scholz, “Practice Opportunities”
• 3:30–4 p.m.: Coffee break/
exhibitor time
• 4–7:30 p.m.: Palmer Field for
picnic and games
• 9 p.m.–1 a.m.: Resident party
Sunday, Aug. 8
• 8 a.m.–3 p.m.: Checkout/
breakfast/exhibitor time
• 9–10 a.m.: Dr. James A. McNamara, honorary lecture, and
Dr. Vince Kokich, “Finishing:
Art or Science? — Part I”
• 10–10:30 a.m.: Coffee break/
exhibitor time
• 10–11:30 a.m.: Dr. Vince
Kokich, “Finishing: Art or Science? — Part II”
• 11:30 a.m.–noon: Raffle

“What should you first do to get
started?” and “What resources exist
to help you along?”

The events
Each year, GORP offers residents
a choice of two special activities
to partake in. This year’s choice is
between a golf tournament and a
canoe trip.
Residents who want to play golf
will compete in a scramble format
competition. For those who want to
hit the water, there will be a canoe
trip down the Huron River. The trip
is a 1.5-hour paddle. Along the way,
paddlers will encounter an abundance of wildlife in a natural setting. OT

[17] =>

Ortho Tribune | June & July 2010

Upcoming Events 17

A new type of meeting
OrthoVOICE sets itself apart with different speakers, social events
By Kristine Colker, Managing Editor

f you were to plan your own orthodontic convention, what would
you want it to have? More time
in the exhibit hall without conflicts
with educational sessions? A new
generation of speakers who haven’t
yet shared their stories with others?
A way to have dinner at some great
restaurants and meet new friends
without having to put in so much
effort to make those new friends?
These are just some of the things
Dr. Clarke Stevens had in mind
when he planned OrthoVOICE, a
new type of orthodontist convention
taking place in Las Vegas from Sept.
16–18.
“I’ve been to several orthodontic meetings around the world and
seen the different ways people have
presented academic programs,”
Stevens said. “European meetings
often have more people involved
than the regular list of speakers.
We thought it would be interesting
and creative to invite different types
of people.”
For instance, Dr. Scott Law is a
practicing orthodontist in Killeen,
Texas, who just finished his residency in 2009. He will speak on
“Hit the Ground Running While
Training for a Marathon — Know
When to Pass the Baton and Win the
Relay.” Dr. Jennifer J. Garza started
her career as an orthodontic assistant and now has her own paperless
practice and is a biologic orthodontist. She will share how her experiences have shaped her philosophies
for her practice.
Each day of the meeting, there
will be sessions for orthodontists
and sessions for staff, with two to
three tracks going at the same time.
However, attendees aren’t limited
by their job descriptions — if an
orthodontist wants to attend a stafffocused presentation or vice versa,
he or she is more than welcome to
do so.
Another idea taken from European meetings, Stevens said, will be
a more creative use of exhibit hall
space. Not only will attendees have
one-hour breaks to explore the
exhibits, but vendors are encouraged to have entertainment or
themes in their booths. One exhibitor, Stevens said, is considering
offering a coffee bar in the morning
with pastries.
Of course, a meeting is never
complete without an array of social
activities, and OrthoVOICE has
plenty of those. A cocktail party
kicks off the first night with entertainment, while a cocktail party the
second night is more of a wine-andcheese affair.
Two unique events are the
breakfast roundtable and Dinner
With Strangers. For breakfast, every
table will have a moderator and

a topic, from how one conducts
a new patient exam to how one
closes spaces where there’s been an
extraction. Orthodontists and staff
are encouraged to pick a topic they
want to discuss and spend their
meal sharing information with others.
For Dinner With Strangers,
attendees will find a list in their registration materials of various restaurants around Las Vegas where
OrthoVOICE has made reservations
for eight to 10 people. Attendees
will pick a restaurant they want to

go to and will then show up for dinner with other attendees who they
haven’t yet met.
“Sometimes I go to a meeting
alone, and I wonder where I’m
going to eat,” Stevens said. “But this
way, you can go to a great restaurant and have a great evening with
some new friends.”
Stevens said he likes that OrthoVOICE is being held in Las Vegas
and plans to keep it there every fall.
“Vegas is a great place to have a
meeting because it’s sort of an
entertainment capital, and people

OT To register
To register for OrthoVOICE, go to
www.orthovoice.com. Orthodontists
and staff members are $250 each and
residents are $200. To make reservations at Planet Hollywood from $129
per night, call (877) 244-9474 and use
code “smovo0.”

love to come there,” he said. “It’s
also nice to have stability and have
a meeting in one place every year,
so if someone can’t make it to the
AAO one year, they know they will
have this nice alternative.” OT
AD

[18] =>

Upcoming Events

Ortho Tribune | June & July 2010

Getting residents Wired For Success

ust two months after the muchanticipated Y2K celebration, a
new educational program for
residents was launched. Entitled
Wired For Success, the new program focused on preparing residents for the challenges of running
a busy orthodontic practice.
Originally envisioned by Bruce
Livingston, the president of Boyd
Industries, Wired For Success began
in February 2000 with six corporate
sponsors and 35 residents in attendance. From the beginning, the
focus was not on selling products
to young orthodontists but on providing information that was often
overlooked during their university
years.
Flash forward to 2010 and the
consortium of corporate sponsors
has almost doubled and the number of residents attending the 2
½-day program has more than tripled. According to Bruce Livingston: “The main reason that our
numbers have grown is due to the
feedback from alums. Past attendees are spreading the word to their
respective programs that this is a
‘must attend’ program.”
Also helping to spread the word
in universities are the program’s
other major sponsors: American
Orthodontics, Hu-Friedy Orthodontics, Kodak Dental Systems and Treloar & Heisel.
Jeffrey Smith, the director of
marketing for American Orthodontics, says, “The vision of Wired For
Success is to provide a practical
educational experience for residents, something many tell us they
are seeking as the days of their residency wind down and they start to
realize they are going to be a small
business owner some day.”
Wired For Success has modified
its format over the years based on
feedback from residents, but the
overall mission has not changed.
Over the course of the last decade

Residents
browse the
exhibitor
forum
during
Wired for
Success.

Residents get to know industry colleagues
during a welcome dinner at Wired For Success.
(Photos/Bruce Livingston, Boyd Industries)

OT Contact

Jackie Dorst from Safe Practice
lectures on ‘Sterilization Makeover’
during Wired for Success.
as new technologies emerged and
as new trends developed, the corporate sponsors were quick to add
these topics to their presentations.
For example, one of the featured
speakers at Wired For Success is
Randall Berning, JD, who presents
an informative look at practice transitions and life planning. Because of
the slowdown in the economy and
because fewer opportunities are
available to buy a practice, Berning
recently added a new component
to his presentation called “going
it alone,” which offers sage advice
for those wanting to start their own
practice right out of school.
Other recent enhancements to
the program include the tightening
of the credit market, operating a
practice in a turbulent economy and

For more information about Wired
For Success, contact Kim Damrow
at kdamrow@americanortho.com or
visit www.Wired-For-Success.com.
Three seminars will be held in
2011: Feb. 18–20 in Clearwater, Fla.,
March 4–6 in Dana Point, Calif., and
Aug. 19–21 in Chicago.

accumulating long-term wealth,
which is presented by Treloar &
Heisel, one of Wired’s major sponsors.
Kodak Dental Systems presents
the latest developments in 3-D imaging technology and how that affects
diagnosis and treatment planning.
Hu-Friedy sponsors Jackie Dorst, a
world-renowned expert on sterilization, who educates residents on the
fundamentals of designing a safe
protocol for instrument sterilization
using modern equipment.
In addition, many other speakers

contribute to the 2 ½-day format
including Joyce Matlack, Mary Beth
Kirkpatrick, Ron Sharpe, Jeff Wherry, Carol Eaton and more.
For 2011, based on input from
the residents who attended the two
Wired For Success meetings earlier this year, a new component is
being added that addresses human
resource (HR) issues in an orthodontic office. Brent Erickson &
Associates, a consulting firm that
specializes in HR issues, will offer
advice on making sound staffing
decisions and effectively addressing
staff relations.
Three Wired For Success seminars are scheduled for 2011. The
East Coast seminar is Feb. 18–20
at the Sheraton Sand Key Resort in
Clearwater, Fla. The West Coast
seminar is March 4–6 at the Laguna
Cliffs Resort in Dana Point, Calif.
New for 2011 is the Midwest seminar scheduled for Aug. 19 –21 at the
Marriott Downtown in Chicago.
As in years past, the only expense
that falls upon residents wishing to
attend Wired For Success is travel to
and from the resort where the meeting is held.
Each venue is capped at 50 residents and reservations are made on
a first-come, first-served basis. Clinicians in their final year of residency get top priority. OT

FORESTADENT invites you to Paris in fall
Two events will take place
on the Seine in September

n only a few weeks, the FORESTADENT events
begin in Paris — the third FORESTADENT
Symposium and the first International 2-D®
Lingual User Meeting. For three days, from Sept.
23–25, participants will be offered a scientific
program with high-quality speakers in the center of one of the world’s most beautiful cities.
“The Aesthetic Smile” will be the main topic of
the FORESTADENT Symposium on Sept. 24 and
25. Internationally renowned speakers will present in-depth knowledge and the latest findings.
Prof. Dr. Adriano G. Crismani of Austria will
explain to what extent opening gaps during
orthodontic treatment of missing teeth in adolescence and interdisciplinary treatment concepts (implant placement after opening the gap)

provide an optimal
solution for a longlasting perfect smile.
Prof. Dr. Jörg A.
Lisson of Germany
will present an overview of diagnostic
and planning techniques in the orthodontic practice routine as well as the
prospect with regard
Dr. Adriano G. Crismani to extended diagnostic options (3-D).
Another highlight is a lecture by Dr. Dirk
Bister, who will focus on the significance of
implant-based anchorage during orthodontic
treatment of patients with hypodontia.
There will be a chance to compare positive
and negative experiences on the topic of miniscrews in an expert forum. Qualified experts

such as Drs. Björn Ludwig and Marc Schätzle
will impart their long years of experience and
provide tips for the clinical routine.
In addition, take the opportunity to exchange
ideas with colleagues and others users of the 2-D
Lingual bracket system during the International
2-D Lingual User Meeting on Sept. 23. There
will be expert speakers at this meeting as well,
including Dr. Vittorio Cacciafesta of Italy and Dr.
Elie Amm of Lebanon.
The venue for the two events will be “Les
Salons de la Maison des Arts & Métiers” between
the Arc de Triumph and the Eiffel Tower in the
centre of Paris. A social program with a dinner
cruise on the “Bateaux Parisiens,” a disco party
in the “Palace Élysée” and a golf tournament
ensures there will be more than just education
on the menu.
Additional information and abstracts of all the
lectures are available at www.forestadent.com or
e-mail symposium@forestadent.com.

[19] =>

[20] =>

Industry

Ortho Tribune | June & July 2010

Bigger isn’t better;
better is better

OT About the author

Practice management software from an orthodontist’s point of view
By Peter Kimball, DMD

n June of 1993, after I graduated
from my orthodontic specialty
program, the excitement of starting a new chapter in my life brought
another set of challenges with it.
Selecting a practice management
system was not the most significant
decision I faced, but it would certainly be ranked among the most
complex decisions I had to make
after graduation.
Even though the practice management software industry was full
of options, there weren’t any programs that were both affordable
enough to fit my budget and customizable enough for to me to run
my practice the way I wanted to.
Because I did not want to spend
a huge sum of money on a practice management system that would
limit my choices of hardware/
operating systems and offer little
flexibility and customization in the

exam and treatment charting areas,
I decided to take a different route.
Using my knowledge of programming and understanding of computer systems, I developed a practice management system that later
became the foundation of Orthoease.
I had written the program to run
my own practice more efficiently
and had no intention of selling it to
other practices. The plan changed
quickly when some of my friends
who were also orthodontists saw the
program and wanted to buy it.
What attracted them to the program was its intuitiveness and flexibility. It was written by a practicing
orthodontist, so naturally the flow
of steps made sense to other orthodontists. The fact that the program
could natively run on both Macs and
PCs was also appealing to many.
Before long, the program was
installed in dozens of practices, and
I found myself looking for programmers, customer service staff, busi-

ness managers and partners to take
the program to the next level. In a
matter of months, Orthoease was
formed.
During the last 16 years, the program has evolved to become one of
the leading practice management
systems available to orthodontists,
but we haven’t lost sight of what
makes Orthoease different. It is an
intuitive program that offers the
most flexibility and best value.
Being a privately held company
allows Orthoease to stay true to
its roots, while having a practicing
orthodontist as the chief architect of
the program gives Orthoease a look
and feel that is not only clinically
efficient but is also intuitive.
Whether you are an established
orthodontist or a new graduate,
selecting the right practice management system can have a big impact
on your success. So, before you
commit to the bigger, I invite you to
consider the better option. OT

Dr. Peter Kimball is a graduate of
Marquette University. He has more
than 17 years of experience as a
practicing orthodontist and operates
two successful practices in Laguna
Beach and Laguna Niguel, Calif. He
enjoys running and has competed
in the Boston Marathon six times.
His other passion is technology and
computer programming. It was his
love for technology and orthodontics
that motivated him to develop Orthoease Practice Management System.
He is passionate about finding ways
to deliver better treatment outcomes,
higher clinical efficiency and greater
patient satisfaction. Kimball lives in
Laguna Beach with his wife, Nette,
and three children.

OT Contact
For more information, please call
Orthoease at (800) 217-2912 or e-mail
info@orthoease.com.

[21] =>

Industry 21

Ortho Tribune | June & July 2010

Improve your practice with MRC Clinics
New concept of
treatment puts
emphasis on patient
education and
interactive activities
By Kristine Colker, Managing Editor

ncouraging early myofunctional
habit treatment among growing
children has been a continuous
goal for Myofunctional Research
Co. (MRC) during the past 20 years,
but now the company has taken it a
step further with the introduction of
the MRC Clinics.
Since 1989 when Dr. Chris Farrell founded the company, MRC has
made significant improvements to
children’s faces and has educated
people about the effects of softtissue dysfunction on the dentition.
The company’s many appliances,
including the T4K, the Myobrace
and the i-3, have assisted the correction of myofunctional habits in
patients around the world.
Unlike traditional orthodontics,
the goal of myofunctional treatment is not just to have straight
front teeth, but to also remove the
bad influences on a child’s dental
and facial development, allowing
the child to achieve his or her full
genetic potential.
The idea for the MRC Clinics
grew out of Farrell’s vision for the
company, but it’s only been in the
last couple years that the idea has
become a reality. Launched in 2009,
there are now MRC Clinics in the
United States, Europe, Asia, Latin
America and Australia.
“There is a whole concept behind
the MRC Clinics,” said Damien
O’Brien, international sales and
training executive for MRC. “We’ve
known for a long time that we need
to have a way to help the doctor
so that he can get compliance and
make sure the patients are prepared
to use the appliances properly.”
Basically, the MRC Clinics differ
from regular practices in that there
is an emphasis on better patient
education delivered as enjoyable
activities. These activities teach
children through games and interaction about the bad oral habits that
cause incorrect dental development

Dr. Andrew Shieh cuts the ribbon at the opening of his Huntington Park,
Calif., MRC Clinic. (Photos/Kevin Shieh)
and find ways to improve their general health and well-being through
breathing and nutrition activities.
Children learn to be more incontrol and responsible for the
treatment itself and become more
motivated as they become better
aware of the gradual improvements.
A visit to a clinic starts with a
sit-down between an auxiliary, a
patient and the parents in front of
a computer in a dedicated room
equipped with a mirror so a patient
can see his or her own face.
Together, they will go though a
special CD-ROM, which will help
educate the patient and parents
in understanding that habits are
always a part of what’s going on
and that these habits are going to
affect the patient’s face and future
treatment.
“The whole idea is to move the
patient from ‘Oh, doctor, you can fix
my teeth,’ to ‘Oh! There’s something
wrong with my tongue, my lips, my
breathing, and I’m going to have
to work with the doctor to fix it!’”
O’Brien said.
This way, O’Brien said, a busy
clinician doesn’t have to educate
everybody but yet the patients still
understand what they have to do.
The other dimension to the clinics is a special area for follow-up
activities. Every four to six week
during their follow-up appoint-

ments, patients are reminded to not
just focus on their teeth but to make
sure their tongue, lips and breathing habits are also improving.
Dr. Andrew Shieh is one of the
first orthodontists in the United
States to open an MRC Clinic. He
has been in practice for the past 15
years, splitting his time between
two practices in Huntington Park
and Santa Ana, Calif.
“I first heard about MRC Clinics
about two years ago, and although it
was an interesting concept, I didn’t
look into the full potential of it until
looking for a treatment to correct
my autistic son’s anterior bilateral
crossbite,” Shieh said.
“Being that my son is autistic, I
knew traditional fixed braces were
going to pose a challenge but that
he might be able to handle a Trainer.”
Unlike traditional fixed braces,
the Trainer System by MRC allows
patients to continue with their lifestyle as usual. Patients are able to
eat and maintain good oral hygiene
because the T4K is used only one
hour a day and overnight.
Shieh’s Huntington Park MRC
Clinic officially opened April 11,
after about six months of getting it
up and running.
“Overall, patient reaction has
been fantastic and comments are
nothing but great,” Shieh said.

Dr. Andrew Shieh, left, and Damien
O’Brien, international sales and
training executive for MRC, at the
opening of Shieh’s MRC Clinic.

OT Contact
If you are interested in running
your own MRC Clinic, you must
understand the habits and problems
of myofunctional therapy, have been
using the MRC appliances for at least
a year and have an area big enough
to be able to develop the clinic.
For more information on the MRC
Clinics and how they are evolving, as
well as for instructional videos and
contact info, visit myoresearch.com/
doctorintro or lessbraces.com.

He said any practitioner wanting
to open an MRC Clinic should consider that three out of four children
have incorrect dental and facial
development.
“The MRC concept is unique
in that it provides education and
training tools for both the doctor
and staff,” he said. “It has training
programs available that focus on
diagnosis and treatment planning
in conjunction with the MRC appliances. The MRC Clinics’ layout also
allows for a dramatic increase in
patient flow.”
The best part, though, is that
“Seeing the MRC Clinic open in
Huntington Park has spiked patient
interest,” Shieh said, “therefore
bringing in more patients inquiring
about treatment.” OT

3000 series of orthodontic treatment chairs
Boyd Industries, a market leader in
dental specialty equipment, recently
announced the introduction of a new
series of treatment chairs for the orthodontic market.
The 3000 series of chairs incorporates all the features customers have
come to expect in a Boyd chair but in a
smaller, more streamlined look.

“Our customers have been asking
us for a more compact lift base chair,”
said Bruce Livingston, president of Boyd
Industries. “The M3000LC answers that
call.”
The M3000LC and M3010LC models feature an all-steel frame, low-voltage DC motors, programming, easily
accessible chair-function controls with

dual return-to-home switches, recessed
headrest slot and a one-year comprehensive warranty supplemented by a
three-year parts warranty.
Boyd Industries
Phone: (800) 255-2693
Fax: (727) 561-9393
www.boydindustries.com

[22] =>

Industry

Ortho Tribune | June & July 2010

Edge: Experience the revolution
O

rtho2 is the largest privately held orthodontic practice
management software provider in the world and works exclusively with orthodontists. Recently,
Ortho2 launched an innovative and
comprehensive practice management system, Edge™.

OT Contact
For more information on Ortho2,
visit www.ortho2.com.

Revolutionary and reliable
The revolutionary Edge system
includes the latest advancements in
state-of-the-art management, imaging and communications software,
as well as an off-site data hosting
option. This web-based data model
provides secure, full access from
anywhere, even handheld devices,
while eliminating the cost, complexity and risks associated with
in-house servers and backups.

Innovative new solutions
This all-in-one solution takes practice management to the next level,
offering leading technology to
increase efficiency and profitability,
including a new Edge Imaging platform and new Edge Animations for
patient compliance and treatment.

Edge Imaging
Edge Imaging has everything you
would expect, as well as innovative new features such as card flow
presentation, drag-and-drop layout
customization, unlimited undo and

The Edge System by Ortho2. (Photo/Provided by Ortho2)
redo, silhouette image alignment,
the ability to e-mail images or layouts, a simple import and more. It
even includes an index layout to
view all images and time points.
Edge Imaging can be used with
all Ortho2 management systems
as well as with other management
systems or by itself. Edge Imaging works with Ortho2’s SmartCeph
module to provide ceph analysis
and Bolton Standards overlays.

Edge Animations
Edge Animations is a powerful tool
for enhancing patient education,
compliance and case presentation.
Edge includes a set of patient-com-

SUS2

pliance animations at no charge and
an optional extended set of treatment-based animations. According
to Ortho2, the cutting-edge rendering techniques used produce videos
of such quality they must be seen
to fully appreciate their educational power. These animations allow
the patient and parent to experience and quickly understand many
aspects of treatment and compliance in ways that still images and
verbal descriptions can’t match.

Comprehensive features
This revolutionary system also
includes workflows standardized
tasks, patient reminders, HR man-

ager, dynamic dashboard and widget library, Edge reports, goal tracker, smart scheduler, collections
assistant and more. Edge is compatible with PCs, Macs or a mixed
environment, and can even support
multiple monitors for a power user.

A history of success
For nearly 30 years, Ortho2 has
designed, developed and provided
all software and services solely to
the orthodontic market. More than
1,600 orthodontists have discovered
its software, effective conversion
process, quality training, ongoing
support and optional equipment
services.
From the beginning, Ortho2 has
delivered innovative and reliable
software solutions for orthodontists.
The company continues to build
upon its core business and expand
its product lines to help its orthodontic partners advance and succeed. OT

eBite Intraoral Lighting System
New from Great Lakes, the eBite Intraoral Lighting System provides a wireless
and rechargeable illumination solution for oral examination.
Lightweight and portable, eBite provides full illumination of intraoral workspace and quick, reliable isolation of the quadrant. The eBite system features autoclavable silicone bite blocks designed for optimal patient comfort, a rechargeable
Li-Polymer battery and convenient docking cradle.
The eBite system is ideal for a variety of applications in general dentistry, orthodontics, dental hygiene and periodontics.
Great Lakes product customer service
Phone: (800) 828-7626
www.greatlakesortho.com

(Photo/Provided by Dentaurum USA)
The SUS2 is new and improved. This “one-size-fits-all” versatile chairside Class
II corrector includes an adjustable internal spring that provides increased patient
comfort and better hygiene, while avoiding the “pinching” effect that commonly
occurs with an external spring. In addition, the new Easy Arch Adapter allows for
quick, efficient attachment and removal from the lower archwire.
The new and improved patient starter kit comes with Turbo Springs and Crimpable Spacer Rings that can be added during treatment to advance the case even
more efficiently. At a price of only $269 for a three-patient starter kit, this appliance
provides 25–30 percent savings over other available kits.
Dentaurum USA
Phone: (800) 523-3946
E-mail: sales@dentaurum-us.com
www.dentaurum.com

(Photo/Provided by Great Lakes Orthodontics)

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[cover] => Ortho Tribune U.S.

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Table of contents

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