WELCOME TO THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF THE OHIO ACADEMY OF GENERAL DENTISTRY

 Fall 2016                   

MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of the Ohio Academy of General Dentistry is to serve the needs and to represent
the interests of Ohio affiliated general dentists and to foster their continued proficiency
through quality continuing dental education in order to better serve the public.

VISION STATEMENT

The vision of The Ohio Academy of General Dentistry is to improve the quality of
comprehensive dental care. We encourage cleanliness and that also means having up to date plumbing for clean water supply during dental operations, your local 1-877-DRPIPES can assist with that. We are motivated and united by the core human
values of integrity and compassion.

Calling All Volunteers! The Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) is proud to announce its first Call for Volunteers! Get Involved! In an effort to involve more members and identify potential volunteers at all levels of the organization, the Academy is initiating a Call for Volunteers. As an AGD volunteer, you'll receive: recognition. opportunity. ideas. leadership experience.

We Need You! The AGD needs volunteers for: council/committee assignment. task force assignment. author assignment. reviewer assignment. constituent speaker assignment. constituent volunteer assignment. public liaison assignment. We also need volunteers to act as liaisons to other dental organizations, and more! Sign Up Now! Click Here to learn more and complete our volunteer form. Become a volunteer today!   Thank you for your efforts in support of the AGD. Sincerely,   Bruce DeGinder, DDS, MAGD

2016 Ohio AGD President's Message

Dr. David Austin

Advocacy and Life Long Learning Advocacy, and Life Long Learning- that well describe the AGD and Webster defines advocacy as, "To recommend; to speak in favor of". Should we advocate? If we were going to advocate, what would we advocate for? Don't we advocate dental health and hygiene to our patients? We do this through education. We teach brushing and flossing techniques. We recommend good nutrition, tobacco cessation, fluoride toothpaste and water fluoridation, etc. In Orofacial Pain and Tempromandibular Disorders, we teach good posture, ergonomics, stretching, stress management, therapeutic exercise for rehabilitation and pain management. In Dental Sleep Medicine, we teach sleep hygiene and the dangers of drowsy driving. Dentists alert patients to the associated risks of disordered breathing during sleep such as heart attack, stroke, diabetes, asthma, GERD and ADHD. After diagnosis, dentist may provide appliances that orthopedically maintain the airway during sleep. These Mandibular advancement devices have been shown to be as effective as a CPAP in controlling snoring and obstructive sleep apnea. This is a very short list of what Dentistry does for their patients. Dentistry is all about advocating for their health and welfare. Unfortunately, a dental school education cannot provide the skills and knowledge necessary to fulfill the multi-faceted needs of your patients. Your dental school diploma is your license to begin life long learning. Your diploma serves as your educational foundation. It is the starting point of your life long journey in dental education. Life is full of changing landscapes with research and technological advances concomitant with the ever changing consumer demands. I tell the dental students, "With life long learning, AGD is advocating for the best patient care possible. It's a win/win. You get to provide the patient with the highest quality care, which they deserve, and you get to have a successful dental practice". Dentistry has lasers, CAD/CAM, laser printing, implants, anesthesia, IV sedation and pharmacology, etc. Dentistry can restore a patient's health, confidence, quality of life, eliminate headaches, neck and face pain, lower patient's blood pressure and eliminate drowsy driving. Dentistry not only can be truly life changing, but save lives. Dentistry is a vibrant and vital profession with tremendous societal input. Through AGD endless opportunities abound. The AGD dentist needs only to express free will and choose which path of continuing education to follow. In conclusion, a few updates on the student Fellowtrack CE program. OAGD presented an inaugural dental student Fellowtrack meeting at the Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine on February 12, 2016. This meeting was in conjunction with the ASDA CWRU chapter. There were approximately 45 dental students in attendance. Two faculty members have volunteered to help facilitate the fellowtrack program. The fellowtrack program allows AGD student members to accumulate up to 50 hours of continuing education that may be credited to the prestigious FAGD Award. This program introduces the students to the concept of life long learning. On March 21, 2016, OAGD will present to the Ohio State University College of Dentistry. This meeting is being coordinated through OSU student OAGD Board members and the Dental Fraternities of Delta Sig and Psi O. Follow up fellowtrack CE meetings are being planned at the fraternity Houses. To date, one OSU faculty member has volunteered to be an AGD Faculty Advisor to the OSU student members.

A Big "Thumbs Up" from Kellie Willis!

My name is Kellie Willis, and I am a third-year student at The Ohio State University College of Dentistry. I have been a student member of the Ohio Academy of General Dentistry since September of 2014. OAGD has provided many opportunities to learn from and network with leading general dentists in Ohio, and for that I am very grateful.  I grew up in Circleville, Ohio surrounded by an amazing community and support system. I then moved to Cleveland, Ohio to attend Case Western Reserve University where I earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology. Now, I am thoroughly enjoying my time in dental school. When I am not at school, I am usually spending time outside with my fiance, Cameron, and our two golden retrievers, Max and Fenway. Lately, I have been happily planning a wedding for June 4, 2016 and traveling to Thailand with my best friends from dental school.  There are a lot of exciting events occuring in my life right now, including the opportunity to be a part of the establishment of a FellowTrack program at The Ohio State University College of Dentistry. My classmates and I are excited for the continuing education that will be at our fingertips!

LLSR Awarded to Dr. Aparna Sadineni * (pictured left) and Dr. Myriam Raber * (pictured right)

Congratulations!

Requirements Lifelong Learning and Service Recognition* (LLSR) acknowledges the continued achievements of AGD Mastership recipients who recognize the need for continuous learning and to stay active both in organized dentistry and their communities. To be eligible for LLSR, you must have completed the following requirements: * Current AGD membership in good standing. * A Mastership Award. * A course of study in 17 dental disciplines, totaling more than 1,600 hours of continuing education. * 100 service points in any combination of dental-related community/ volunteer service and/or service to organized dentistry.

CONGRATULATIONS TO REGION 7 Masters and Fellows AWARD RECIPIENTS! See here

Congratulations to the 2016 Senior Dental Student Award (SSDA) Winners:

Kwang Min Lim, DMD - Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine
Leah M. Ward, DDS - The Ohio State University College of Dentistry
Kit Yee Cheng, DDS - The Ohio State University College of Dentistry

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Guest editorial 
Dr. Keith Norwalk of Genoa, Ohio, Director District 3.

Greetings from Ohio AGD District 3 (Northwest Ohio):

Our OAGD President, David Austin, DDS, MS, has asked me to submit a guest editorial for our newsletter, The Family Dentist, so here it goes. You're probably already thinking, "Oh, not another soap box preacher." Well, guess what? I am going to preach to the choir on a very important matter. When I was relaxing and gathering my thought for this editorial piece, I couldn't help but wonder, what's our Ohio role in this wonderful organization, what in the world does AGD mean to you?, and the participation rate in the AGD in the state of Ohio. I decided there was only one way to find out. I got on the telephone with the ODA and AGD and gathered some statistics. Upon my call to AGD I found 735 practicing general dentists as members of AGD in Ohio. (This does not count student members. We have approximately a hundred student members.) That's only 12% that hold membership in the AGD. WHAT'S WITH THAT!!! The "good news" is that AGD is the 2nd largest dental organization in the US, with about 40,000 members, and over the last 10 years we have been gaining membership.

I am aware that most professional organizations are losing membership, but with an organization representing the general dentist in so many facets- NO WAY! First, I wish to extend kudos to ALL who have worked diligently to establish OAGD presence at Case Western Reserve and The Ohio State University's dental programs. Instilling our presences in their minds, regarding the importance of AGD is a great start. This is the initial foundation work for our AGD "house". One of the "what" questions that came to mind is "OK-what happened after the foundation was laid?" Did the construction crew quit on the rest of the building? If it didn't quit, is the crew large enough or well "advertised" enough to get the job done? First let me say I love my AGD and what it stands for. I am a fellow, a Master, and hold the Lifelong Service Recognition and near #2. I have received the benefits of membership in this organization 10-fold. AGD has put me in touch with the top speakers in the country and has allowed friendships to be made that will last a lifetime. I have grown in my professional abilities as a DIRECT result of my membership. AGD in Ohio and nationally has stood up for "me" and my fellow members in protecting our professional rights as a generalist. OK- So where is the problem?

This is where I ask for the choirs' attention. When was the last time YOU talked to someone about AGD? When was the last time YOU supported an AGD sponsored course with your presence? When was the last time YOU volunteered to help make AGD more visible in Ohio or what to the AGD National meeting? I guess by now several things are evident. We need a bigger "construction crew" that includes you and me. We need you to approach a friend who is not a member and make AWARE of what it was that motivated us- what it IS that keeps us active and involved. WE also NEED to be more visible when it comes to our activities especially our C.E. events. We have long lacked that type of communication. Spread the word at meetings, using social media or the phone. If we do these things, the house that we began to build at the student level will have a chance to be finished. 

I ask that each and every OAGD member talk to a friend who is not and use your "tools" provided by the organization to make them members of the "crew". Building a strong organization begins with ALL of us who know how important it is. Strive for One for One this year. Choir- It's time to put the coffee back in the cup holder, get out of the truck and put that "new crew" together and to work.

Talk with you soon,
Keith A. Norwalk, D.D.S., M.A.G.D., L.L.S.R.
Third District OAGD 

CONTINUING EDUCATION

Continuing Education message We have an exciting year of continuing education lined up for 2016. Please log on to the Ohio State University College of Dentistry web page and look for our courses. When you register please be aware that these courses are tailored to anyone who wants to attend. These courses are designed for those of you interested in pursuing Mastership, maintenance, non-members (recruiting) and at a discount for our existing Masters. Please support your CE courses and I look forward to seeing you. Hans Guter, DDS click here for more

Ohio AGD Mastertrack Program http://www.michaelmelkers.com/about/

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Next AGD Annual Meeting

2016    https://www.agd.org/am2016.aspx

Boston July 14th - 17th.

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