Dental Abuse Seen Driven by Private Equity Investments
Bloomberg News - May 16, 2012

Isaac Gagnon stepped off the school bus sobbing last October and opened his mouth to show his mother where it hurt.

She saw steel crowns on two of the 4-year-old’s back teeth. A dentist’s statement in his backpack showed he had received two pulpotomies, or baby root canals, along with the crowns and 10 X-rays -- all while he was at school. Isaac, who suffers from seizures from a brain injury in infancy, didn’t need the work, according to his mother, Stacey Gagnon.

Dentists up in arms over WDS CEO comments
By Donna Domino, Features Editor

May 17, 2012 -- Washington Dental Service's (WDS) CEO James Dwyer has offered a qualified apology for saying that dentists should work more to make up for deep reimbursement cuts the company made last year to some 4,000 dentists in the plan's network.

Dwyer, who earns $1.2 million a year, made the controversial comments during an interview with television station King 5, where he suggested that dentists could make up lost revenue by working harder.

The text of the story is included below. Click here to go the King 5 page.

The CEO of the state’s largest dental insurer offered an apology to the more than 4,000 dentists in his dental plan’s network.

“I can certainly understand my comments have upset some member dentists,” said James Dwyer in a post on Washington Dental Service’s Facebook page.

The apology was posted the day after a KING 5 Investigators report about rising executive salaries at Washington Dental Service in the face of deep cutbacks that affect nearly every dentist in the state. Washington Dental Services cut the reimbursement fees it pays to dentists by 15 percent last year for all procedures.

Dwyer, who earns $1.2 million a year, suggested that dentists could make up revenue by working harder. “Number one, they could start working five days a week,” said the CEO.

The comment touched off an angry reaction from dentists on blogs, Facebook posts, and in emails to KING 5 News.

It’s a “slap to the face of a recent

Message from Jim Dwyer, CEO:
You may have seen the KING TV news report on May 10, 2012 about Washington Dental Service. I can certainly understand that my comments may have upset some member dentists. Please know that the clips of me were taken from a highly edited interview. Working more hours is one of many strategies dentists are employing to cope with a changing market place and the depressed economy.
I respect and value our member dentists, and I know they are dedicated to providing quality care for their patients. I apologize for the context of the statement.

On behalf of its member dentists, WSDA posted the following comment on King 5's page referencing this story:

Mr. Dwyer’s comments that dentists should “start working five days a week” to make up for the reduction in reimbursement were outrageous and  disrespectful, displaying ignorance

The text of the story is included below. Click here to go the King 5 page.

Executive pay soars as one of Washington state's largest non-profits makes cuts.
King 5 Investigative Report - May 10, 2012

Many dentists in Washington are still reeling from big cuts in payments to providers made last year by the state's largest dental insurer. To make up, dentists say they've had to increase the number of patients they see each day to make up for the losses.

"It's the patient that loses," said longtime north Seattle dentist Dr. Chris Pickel. "We basically have to see more patients. It's something we don't like to do. We want to spend time with people. We like to spend time educating them."
Last year, Washington Dental Service, part of the nationwide Delta Dental network, made across-the-board 15 percent cuts to the fees it pays to dentists for all procedures. WDS said the cuts allowed it to reduce the premiums it charges employers for dental insurance, a move that makes its service more competitive in the marketplace.
 
All Smiles for Top Executives

Click here to watch a preview of the piece. The entire story will be posted on the blog once it is made available.

Dr. Derrick Wang won the Grand Prize in the PNDC "Like Us" contest! He and a guest will be spending two nights at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel during the PNDC — and having dinner on us, too!

DentPAC and grassroots dentists invite you to attend a fundraiser for gubernatorial candidate Rob McKenna tonight at 6:30 pm. Here are the event dentails:

Staff Appreciation Luncheon and Fashion Show · Thursday, June 14 • 11:45 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Ballroom 6A, Washington State Convention Center · Tickets: $50, Limit 300 

Resources should be redirected

The Kellogg Foundation is wrong to spend $20 million nationwide to promote a new practitioner that is not a solution. [“Report: Dental therapists worldwide give safe care,” seattletimes.com, April 10.]

As experts on oral health care, dentists understand the real barriers to optimal oral health. We cannot drill and fill our way to a solution. Instead, we must focus on prevention and education because fewer than 30 percent of people follow their dentist’s advice to brush and floss twice a day. Dental disease is nearly 100 percent preventable yet 40 percent of all Washingtonians with dental insurance don’t regularly visit a dentist. More practitioners will not change this, but education can.

Dentists work throughout the state in clinics, schools and community centers to educate people about the importance of oral health. Education about oral health and its importance to overall health needs to happen outside of the dental clinic and be reinforced by parents, teachers and the community. Only when we address issues like fear, cultural and language barriers, and lack of knowledge can we begin to address poor oral health.

Olympia has dramatically cut funding for dental care for low-income people. Our limited resources and those of large foundations should be directed toward proven solutions that address the real barriers to care.

— Rod Wentworth, DDS, Seattle

Click here to go to the Seattle Times page

• Division of Duties
• Four Scheduling Tips
• Dealing With Broken Appointments
• Recall and Reactivation

To view the webinar recording and/or register for our next complimentary webinar, visit www.wsda.org/webinars.

For years, dental professionals have been constrained by the limitations of their own work environment and the negative effect on their bodies while paying a high price physically. The concept of caring for our most important instrument, our body, is invaluable and often ignored. Does your fitness affect your function? Can a little chairside prevention enhance your career?

In this hands-on workshop, participants will be lead through a simple series of exercises on an exercise ball designed specifically for dental professionals in order to help combat the muscle imbalances that typically plague seated workers. Join us for this fun and powerful workout that will reeducate your core, improve your spinal alignment and your posture. All participants will receive their very own Evolution Chair, valued at $149!

Learning Objectives

• Learn chair side operatory exercises for daily prevention
• Learn the concept of dynamic sitting & incorporating the concept into the dental work day
• Explore home exercise programs to supplement work stretching for the busy dental professional
• Identify options for counter acting musculoskeletal fatigue and discomfort with regular exercise
• Identify the physiological benefits of regular exercise
• Get on the ball!

Friday, June 15 from 8:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Code 14
Friday, June 15 from 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Code 15 (repeat)
CDE Credit: 3 hours
Fee: $145

Space is limited! Click here to register.

On March 7, Governor Gregoire signed Senate Bill 5620, requiring the certification of dental anesthesia assistants. Here are the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions.

For more information contact Michael Walsh at michael@wsda.org.

Q: When will this law take effect?

A: The Dental Quality Assurance Commission (DQAC) has begun the rule making process. This process will take approximately one year.

Q: What do you have to do to become certified?

A: To become certified as a CDAA, applicants must complete a DQAC-approved dental anesthesia assistant training course, and providing proof that the office where the CDAA will work possesses a valid general anesthesia permit.