President’s message

At the end of our annual conference, as we transition to our next Academy president, Dr. Evan Roundy, I must say what a pleasure it has been to work with him and the other great leaders on our executive committee team. We feel like we have seen much growth in the Academy for many reasons. One real blessing was to have Scott Harris (program administrator at BYU Conferences and Workshops) join us on the executive committee. You probably have noticed the quality of the August conferences and the publications that their group has helped with.

Our part-time executive director has helped to coordinate and develop the newsletters, the monthly e-mailed Academy Headlines, and our Facebook page. He has taken on much of the daily commu-niqués and follow-up, which has enhanced the efficiency of our organization.

We have seen continued growth in the areas of education, service, and fellowship. Our annual conference continues to be one of the greatest values in postgraduate education, along with the complete family experience that includes programs for our spouses and children. Many times our clinicians comment that it is one of the most unique settings, formats, and CE experiences they have attended. A few of them have come back on their own, even bringing their spouses, just to experience the feeling of camaraderie and service that they observed while here with us.

Our humanitarian service continues to expand to more areas of the world, where many of you have made a difference by providing dental service and sharing the principles of our culture along the way. After hearing our Saturday luncheon pre-sentations on service, some of our guest clinicians have told us they would really like to participate in some of those projects when their schedule allows. A couple of them have even given us their PowerPoint presentations (allowing us to translate it if necessary) so our members and dental missionaries can use it to teach the foreign groups they are asked to instruct.

We hope the friendships you have developed over the years have been enhanced as you have participated in our CE confer-ence or gone on one of the service expeditions with some of your new friends.

In this issue, we are including a short report from a few of the groups that have been actively performing humanitarian den-tal service in various areas. Many more will be shared at our conference.

Our dues, as well as any residual revenues from the annual conference, are used to help in various humanitarian service projects. Even though dues-paying members do have discounted fees for our August conference, please don’t think that you only should pay the dues if you are able to attend. Besides helping to pay for humanitarian service needs, the dues help pro-vide scholarships for some of our student members. At the August conference, please see our special table display about the scholarships you have helped facilitate with your dues payment.

Over the past three years, we have had Academy student chapters formed in 37 dental schools. Being a registered student member allows an LDS dental student to apply for one of the scholarships we offer to dental and hygiene students.

You have probably all received a copy of our conference brochure. It was designed to share information about the great pro-grams we have planned for the dentists, their spouses and their children. Please invite some of your dental friends to attend the conference with you. It would enhance your enjoyment of the experience and introduce them to one of the most unique and beneficial events in dentistry.

Hope to see you there,

John A. Gerritsen, DDS 2010–2012 President Academy of LDS Dentists

T H E A C A D E M Y O F L D S D E N T I S T S N E W S L E T T E R • S u M M E R 2 0 1 2

Academy Examiner

2010–12 academy councilPresident: John A. GerritsenVice President: Evan Roundy

Secretary/Treasurer: Laurence PalmerPast President: David Geddes

Founder: Gordon Christensen

Address Service Requested

Brigham Young UniversityConferences and Workshops115 Harman Continuing Education BuildingProvo, Utah 84602

NONPROFITORGANIZATIONU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDPROVO, UTAHPERMIT NO. 49

Academy ExaminerVisit the academy’s updated website for valuable resources:

• Annual conference informa-tion and registration

• Dental student resources• Classified ads: Buy/sell a practice Associate/partner

opportunities • News, recent and archived

newsletters• Membership dues renewal • Humanitarian service

opportunities• Other valuable items

Visit our Website

We want to send you our monthly electronic newsletter, Academy Headlines. To do so, we need your current e-mail address if we don’t have it already. Please go to the web page and click on “Join,” then “Update Your Info.” Your e-mail address will not be shared with anyone else.

Follow us on Facebook • Website: AcademyofLDSDentists.com

1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8 9 10 11

12 13 14 15 16 17 18

19 20 21 22 23 24 25

26 27 28 29 30 31

august 2012

Mark your calendars now to attend the 35th Annual Dental Conference of the Academy of LDS Dentists, August 10-11, 2012, at the Brigham Young University Conference Center in Provo, Utah.

sPeakers and toPics: Friday, August 10, 2012Gary Takacs, Takacs Consulting (Practice Management)Samuel B. Low, DDS, MS, MEd (Periodontics and Implants)Terence E. Donovan, DDS (Fixed and Removable Prosthodontics)

Saturday, August 11, 2012Jeffrey P. Okeson, DMD (Occlusion)Charles Blair, DDS (Insurance and Coding with Confidence)Peter L. Jacobsen, PhD, DDS (Pharmacology)Gordon J. Christensen, DDS, MSD, PhD (What’s New—2012)Additional Optional Session: Providing Service in Developing CountriesWe’ll see you there!

35th Annual Academy of LDS Dentists Annual Conference “This conference is ideal for Dental Specialists and all dental professionals. Camaraderie, programs for the entire family, professionals with similar values—it’s a great value. The information is up to date—an excellent format where participants can receive 14 CE hours from an approved PACE program provider through the Academy of General Dentistry.”—John A. Gerritsen, Academy President

HumAnitAriAn SErvicE opportunitiES

2

HumAnitAriAn SErvicE opportunitiES

CHINA

By Dr. Karl Koerner, the Academy’s Area Service Coordinator for China/Asiamailto: karlrkoerner@comcast.net

In April this year, two humanitarian proj-ects in China were led by members of the Academy of LDS Dentists. They were held during the same period of time (April 20–30), included about the same number of people (18–20), and were similar in the type of dental work that was done. Many hundreds of dental procedures were per-formed, along with participating in other activities as mentioned below.

The type of dental work performed ran the gamut—restorative, oral surgery, biopsy, endodontics, scaling and root planing, and oral hygiene instruction. We also scheduled time to go to local high schools and univer-sities to speak to students on dentistry and oral hygiene. In Xi’an, participants had a chance to work with about 50 handicapped orphans in the Starfish Foster Home run by Amanda Delange, an LDS Church mem-ber from South Africa.

Xi’an is a city in the center of China with a population of about 8 million and is home to the Terracotta Warriors.

The other trip was to a small town called Suqian, closer to Shanghai and Nanjing. Each group consisted of eight dentists, two hygienists, and other support personnel. The group in Suqian included a plastic surgeon who did cleft lip and palate repair. We have been to Suqian three other times and to Xi’an once before. Dr. Delmar Gray of Boise, Idaho, and Dr. James Shu, an LDS prosthodontist who practices in Beijing, China, led the trip to Xi’an. Dr. Karl Koerner from Draper, Utah, and Dr. Scott Stucki from St. George, Utah, led the one to Suqian. It is likely that trips to these

same cities will be held again next year (May 2013), possibly with the addition of Guilin.

The model we use is to find a private dental clinic or hospital with 15–30 den-tal operatories. We arrange to use six of those units to work on indigents in the city, mostly children ages 8–18 (many are orphans) and the elderly from retirement homes. Cleft palate patients are nearly always infants. We negotiate to use their facilities for free. What they get in return are a large amount of leftover donated dental supplies and the opportunity to ex-change treatment methods and ideas with their American counterparts. Our clinicians generally give seminars to local dentists. While there, we usually also take supplies and cash to orphanages and institutions for

the handi-capped. We have always been warmly re-ceived and strongly welcomed to return.

In our luggage, we took well over 1,000 oral hygiene kits; thousands of dollars’ worth of dental supplies; toys for children; and blankets, caps, and clothes for orphans of all ages.

It is not required for participants to speak Chinese, but many do. Mandarin-speaking LDS returned-missionary dentists have gone, along with non-LDS Mandarin-speaking dentists. Many participants have been on these trips multiple times. Some who are new to the Chinese language have learned to speak enough Chinese to be fluent at chairside and in other situations. This year we had a waiting list of dentists who wanted to go. At the end of the trips there were two days of sightseeing, one group going to Beijing (Great Wall, Forbidden City, etc.) and one group to Guilin. The total cost for this experience is about $2,100 per person, not including visa and immunizations.

samoa By Roger and Julie Roth, service volunteers: dentist and hygienistmailto: JulCottage@aol.com

We love it here!

I graduated from dental school in 1972, and my wife, Julie, from dental hygiene school in 1971, so we are both in our fourth decade of dentistry. We are called as service volunteers in Samoa and not set apart as missionaries.

We have enjoyed our dental careers, but our experience here has far exceeded in satisfaction and enjoyment anything we have previously experienced. “It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to, than I have ever known” (Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities). This is how we feel!

There are other LDS dentists from our area who are interested in coming here, and there is room for anyone who is in-terested. Just coordinate with Dr. Wayne Chisholm (e-mail: mailto:wchisholm@live.com). We love it here so much; they may need to bury us here! Christina Robbins, BSDH, from Ogden, Utah, came in June for two weeks. Providing clean-ings and education, in our opinion, is one of the biggest needs the people here have. We need more hygienists.

Most adult patients have accumulated a lifetime buildup of calculus (we call it coral here) and moderate to severe periodontal disease. They have not been taught about oral hygiene or the effects of neglecting their teeth and gums. When we discuss it, they are amazed at the information and excited to try to change the condition of their mouths. Habits are hard to break or begin, but it is a move in the right direc-tion. There is so much potential to do some good here.

We do exams, cleanings, restorative, extractions, endo (mostly anterior and bicuspids) and some interim partials or flippers (which usually turn out to be per-manent!). We have four or five Samoan

volunteers, who are indispensible help as assistants at the clinic. They translate when needed and help us enjoy the culture of the country as well. Julie and I have come with the attitude of only looking for the good, and we have found it beyond measure.

We have portable den-tal equipment to take to adjacent islands, where little dental care is available. We assisted the Public Affairs mis-sionaries as they pro-duced a DVD on oral health and good den-

tal nutrition in Samoan and English, which will be presented to the Minister of Health by President Hamula, the Area President. We have worked hard to have a good re-lationship with the few Samoan dentists at the National Hospital by meeting with them weekly. I think we have achieved that.

The patients are wonderful! We have treat-ed many, from the poorest economically to the highest of government officials. The people are grateful and appreciative. They have no attitude of entitlement, but do have very high pain thresholds. Most small children, gums swollen and in pain, never cry when I anesthetize them and remove an abscessed tooth or teeth. Many hug us after the procedure.

We see a steady stream of pre-missionaries in preparation for the submission of their papers. We have treated and cared for many of the young missionaries, the senior missionaries, and temple workers serving here. So many non-LDS people have been served as well and are indeed grateful to be able to utilize such a wonderful facility without the worry of payment.

The Church experience is phenom-enal. President Leota refers to the other islands as the “other side of heaven,” and Samoa as “heaven.” We have been able to participate in the English-speaking ward and enjoy frequent sessions in the Samoan Temple. Many of the General Authorities pass through Apia and often take time to visit the clinic or contact us. We sense from them that they feel the work being done at the clinic is truly helping the missionary ef-forts here in Samoa.

I hope you feel our love for Samoa and our Heavenly Father’s children here. This expe-rience is changing our lives, and we are so grateful to be here.

guatemala dental clinic By Elders Rich and LeeAnn Call, Richard and AnnaLee Johnsonmailto:call_rich@msn.com

Expansion of orphanage childcare program

While the additional three programs for children are not technically orphanages, they are for the children of single parents. The parent has to work, and the chil-dren are left “homeless” on the streets of Guatemala. The program is under the pa-tronage of the Alcalde Arzu’ and his wife, and includes the following three programs:

Municipalidad Los Patitos, for ages 2–7.

These were the most loving children of the three we started screening. Their response to Sister Johnson

on the first day of screening when she knelt to meet them was overwhelming. They just engulfed her with their love.

When we started the screening, they were a little more reserved. So we started again at their level and immediately had them ex-ploring our special glasses and responding to our questions about who brought their teeth with them to school today and where were they keeping them, and are they cleaning them all every day…and all the other inane techniques we use to entertain children in the dental setting.

Unfortunately we found tremendous need, with all the teeth of some three-year-olds destroyed to the gumline with decay.

Our plan, in addition to providing emer-gency care and the restorative care to all 220 from this program, is to host a dental educa-tion program with one of our Guatemalan volunteer dentists and then implement a fluoride varnish program with donations I’ve requested from my former supplier in Denver. My son Dave brought 700 treat-ments on June 13, and I bought another 1,500 toothbrushes for the occasion.

Of interest on this screening day, the policewoman guarding the door was a delightful active LDS Church member, a single parent herself, struggling with how she was going to get her son and daughter ready to serve missions. We gave her our card and will be facilitating all the dental care for them in the next few months. Just another one of the countless little miracles we see daily.

Municipalidad Las Rosas, serving girls 7–14.

Again we found tremendous need, and more so as this age has perma-nent teeth that are being lost to decay. Rapid intervention will be the key to success with these kids. So far in the office they have done well. They have been receptive to care and on time with their appointments. They send a teacher who has been a great help.

Municipalidad Los Cedros, boys age 7–14.

These children too were more reserved, but they still re-sponded to well to some private chats. We’ll start care on them with the same concerns about losing permanent teeth. Between the three new programs, we’ve added about 540 new children to our care program.

We expect to have most of the crisis care done in the next three months, then basic restorative care. Eventually we will main-tain them on regular recall visits to keep them healthy.

Elder/Dr. Wayne Wilcox and Sister DeeDee Wilcox have recently arrived at our clinic. They will be a real benefit to us here.

In summary: As always, we feel highly pro-ductive in our callings and feel we are mov-ing the work forward with each full-time missionary or future missionary we see. We feel the Lord’s hand on ours daily, and have come to trust those quiet feelings that prompt us to take certain X-rays or follow

up on certain tests. It is a re-curring witness of the validity of this work.

Dr. Eric Anderton teaching at chairside

Dr. Yin Hsu from Boston doing triage

Break Time Sister AnnaLee Johnson at the First Day of Screening

Getting down to their level

Assisted with DVD produced by LDS Public Affairs missionaries

Inquisitive young girls

One-on-one time

Working with 2 of our 540 new children

Li River in Guilin

Spending time with severely autistic children

HumAnitAriAn SErvicE opportunitiES

2

HumAnitAriAn SErvicE opportunitiES

CHINA

By Dr. Karl Koerner, the Academy’s Area Service Coordinator for China/Asiamailto: karlrkoerner@comcast.net

In April this year, two humanitarian proj-ects in China were led by members of the Academy of LDS Dentists. They were held during the same period of time (April 20–30), included about the same number of people (18–20), and were similar in the type of dental work that was done. Many hundreds of dental procedures were per-formed, along with participating in other activities as mentioned below.

The type of dental work performed ran the gamut—restorative, oral surgery, biopsy, endodontics, scaling and root planing, and oral hygiene instruction. We also scheduled time to go to local high schools and univer-sities to speak to students on dentistry and oral hygiene. In Xi’an, participants had a chance to work with about 50 handicapped orphans in the Starfish Foster Home run by Amanda Delange, an LDS Church mem-ber from South Africa.

Xi’an is a city in the center of China with a population of about 8 million and is home to the Terracotta Warriors.

The other trip was to a small town called Suqian, closer to Shanghai and Nanjing. Each group consisted of eight dentists, two hygienists, and other support personnel. The group in Suqian included a plastic surgeon who did cleft lip and palate repair. We have been to Suqian three other times and to Xi’an once before. Dr. Delmar Gray of Boise, Idaho, and Dr. James Shu, an LDS prosthodontist who practices in Beijing, China, led the trip to Xi’an. Dr. Karl Koerner from Draper, Utah, and Dr. Scott Stucki from St. George, Utah, led the one to Suqian. It is likely that trips to these

same cities will be held again next year (May 2013), possibly with the addition of Guilin.

The model we use is to find a private dental clinic or hospital with 15–30 den-tal operatories. We arrange to use six of those units to work on indigents in the city, mostly children ages 8–18 (many are orphans) and the elderly from retirement homes. Cleft palate patients are nearly always infants. We negotiate to use their facilities for free. What they get in return are a large amount of leftover donated dental supplies and the opportunity to ex-change treatment methods and ideas with their American counterparts. Our clinicians generally give seminars to local dentists. While there, we usually also take supplies and cash to orphanages and institutions for

the handi-capped. We have always been warmly re-ceived and strongly welcomed to return.

In our luggage, we took well over 1,000 oral hygiene kits; thousands of dollars’ worth of dental supplies; toys for children; and blankets, caps, and clothes for orphans of all ages.

It is not required for participants to speak Chinese, but many do. Mandarin-speaking LDS returned-missionary dentists have gone, along with non-LDS Mandarin-speaking dentists. Many participants have been on these trips multiple times. Some who are new to the Chinese language have learned to speak enough Chinese to be fluent at chairside and in other situations. This year we had a waiting list of dentists who wanted to go. At the end of the trips there were two days of sightseeing, one group going to Beijing (Great Wall, Forbidden City, etc.) and one group to Guilin. The total cost for this experience is about $2,100 per person, not including visa and immunizations.

samoa By Roger and Julie Roth, service volunteers: dentist and hygienistmailto: JulCottage@aol.com

We love it here!

I graduated from dental school in 1972, and my wife, Julie, from dental hygiene school in 1971, so we are both in our fourth decade of dentistry. We are called as service volunteers in Samoa and not set apart as missionaries.

We have enjoyed our dental careers, but our experience here has far exceeded in satisfaction and enjoyment anything we have previously experienced. “It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to, than I have ever known” (Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities). This is how we feel!

There are other LDS dentists from our area who are interested in coming here, and there is room for anyone who is in-terested. Just coordinate with Dr. Wayne Chisholm (e-mail: mailto:wchisholm@live.com). We love it here so much; they may need to bury us here! Christina Robbins, BSDH, from Ogden, Utah, came in June for two weeks. Providing clean-ings and education, in our opinion, is one of the biggest needs the people here have. We need more hygienists.

Most adult patients have accumulated a lifetime buildup of calculus (we call it coral here) and moderate to severe periodontal disease. They have not been taught about oral hygiene or the effects of neglecting their teeth and gums. When we discuss it, they are amazed at the information and excited to try to change the condition of their mouths. Habits are hard to break or begin, but it is a move in the right direc-tion. There is so much potential to do some good here.

We do exams, cleanings, restorative, extractions, endo (mostly anterior and bicuspids) and some interim partials or flippers (which usually turn out to be per-manent!). We have four or five Samoan

volunteers, who are indispensible help as assistants at the clinic. They translate when needed and help us enjoy the culture of the country as well. Julie and I have come with the attitude of only looking for the good, and we have found it beyond measure.

We have portable den-tal equipment to take to adjacent islands, where little dental care is available. We assisted the Public Affairs mis-sionaries as they pro-duced a DVD on oral health and good den-

tal nutrition in Samoan and English, which will be presented to the Minister of Health by President Hamula, the Area President. We have worked hard to have a good re-lationship with the few Samoan dentists at the National Hospital by meeting with them weekly. I think we have achieved that.

The patients are wonderful! We have treat-ed many, from the poorest economically to the highest of government officials. The people are grateful and appreciative. They have no attitude of entitlement, but do have very high pain thresholds. Most small children, gums swollen and in pain, never cry when I anesthetize them and remove an abscessed tooth or teeth. Many hug us after the procedure.

We see a steady stream of pre-missionaries in preparation for the submission of their papers. We have treated and cared for many of the young missionaries, the senior missionaries, and temple workers serving here. So many non-LDS people have been served as well and are indeed grateful to be able to utilize such a wonderful facility without the worry of payment.

The Church experience is phenom-enal. President Leota refers to the other islands as the “other side of heaven,” and Samoa as “heaven.” We have been able to participate in the English-speaking ward and enjoy frequent sessions in the Samoan Temple. Many of the General Authorities pass through Apia and often take time to visit the clinic or contact us. We sense from them that they feel the work being done at the clinic is truly helping the missionary ef-forts here in Samoa.

I hope you feel our love for Samoa and our Heavenly Father’s children here. This expe-rience is changing our lives, and we are so grateful to be here.

guatemala dental clinic By Elders Rich and LeeAnn Call, Richard and AnnaLee Johnsonmailto:call_rich@msn.com

Expansion of orphanage childcare program

While the additional three programs for children are not technically orphanages, they are for the children of single parents. The parent has to work, and the chil-dren are left “homeless” on the streets of Guatemala. The program is under the pa-tronage of the Alcalde Arzu’ and his wife, and includes the following three programs:

Municipalidad Los Patitos, for ages 2–7.

These were the most loving children of the three we started screening. Their response to Sister Johnson

on the first day of screening when she knelt to meet them was overwhelming. They just engulfed her with their love.

When we started the screening, they were a little more reserved. So we started again at their level and immediately had them ex-ploring our special glasses and responding to our questions about who brought their teeth with them to school today and where were they keeping them, and are they cleaning them all every day…and all the other inane techniques we use to entertain children in the dental setting.

Unfortunately we found tremendous need, with all the teeth of some three-year-olds destroyed to the gumline with decay.

Our plan, in addition to providing emer-gency care and the restorative care to all 220 from this program, is to host a dental educa-tion program with one of our Guatemalan volunteer dentists and then implement a fluoride varnish program with donations I’ve requested from my former supplier in Denver. My son Dave brought 700 treat-ments on June 13, and I bought another 1,500 toothbrushes for the occasion.

Of interest on this screening day, the policewoman guarding the door was a delightful active LDS Church member, a single parent herself, struggling with how she was going to get her son and daughter ready to serve missions. We gave her our card and will be facilitating all the dental care for them in the next few months. Just another one of the countless little miracles we see daily.

Municipalidad Las Rosas, serving girls 7–14.

Again we found tremendous need, and more so as this age has perma-nent teeth that are being lost to decay. Rapid intervention will be the key to success with these kids. So far in the office they have done well. They have been receptive to care and on time with their appointments. They send a teacher who has been a great help.

Municipalidad Los Cedros, boys age 7–14.

These children too were more reserved, but they still re-sponded to well to some private chats. We’ll start care on them with the same concerns about losing permanent teeth. Between the three new programs, we’ve added about 540 new children to our care program.

We expect to have most of the crisis care done in the next three months, then basic restorative care. Eventually we will main-tain them on regular recall visits to keep them healthy.

Elder/Dr. Wayne Wilcox and Sister DeeDee Wilcox have recently arrived at our clinic. They will be a real benefit to us here.

In summary: As always, we feel highly pro-ductive in our callings and feel we are mov-ing the work forward with each full-time missionary or future missionary we see. We feel the Lord’s hand on ours daily, and have come to trust those quiet feelings that prompt us to take certain X-rays or follow

up on certain tests. It is a re-curring witness of the validity of this work.

Dr. Eric Anderton teaching at chairside

Dr. Yin Hsu from Boston doing triage

Break Time Sister AnnaLee Johnson at the First Day of Screening

Getting down to their level

Assisted with DVD produced by LDS Public Affairs missionaries

Inquisitive young girls

One-on-one time

Working with 2 of our 540 new children

Li River in Guilin

Spending time with severely autistic children

President’s message

At the end of our annual conference, as we transition to our next Academy president, Dr. Evan Roundy, I must say what a pleasure it has been to work with him and the other great leaders on our executive committee team. We feel like we have seen much growth in the Academy for many reasons. One real blessing was to have Scott Harris (program administrator at BYU Conferences and Workshops) join us on the executive committee. You probably have noticed the quality of the August conferences and the publications that their group has helped with.

Our part-time executive director has helped to coordinate and develop the newsletters, the monthly e-mailed Academy Headlines, and our Facebook page. He has taken on much of the daily commu-niqués and follow-up, which has enhanced the efficiency of our organization.

We have seen continued growth in the areas of education, service, and fellowship. Our annual conference continues to be one of the greatest values in postgraduate education, along with the complete family experience that includes programs for our spouses and children. Many times our clinicians comment that it is one of the most unique settings, formats, and CE experiences they have attended. A few of them have come back on their own, even bringing their spouses, just to experience the feeling of camaraderie and service that they observed while here with us.

Our humanitarian service continues to expand to more areas of the world, where many of you have made a difference by providing dental service and sharing the principles of our culture along the way. After hearing our Saturday luncheon pre-sentations on service, some of our guest clinicians have told us they would really like to participate in some of those projects when their schedule allows. A couple of them have even given us their PowerPoint presentations (allowing us to translate it if necessary) so our members and dental missionaries can use it to teach the foreign groups they are asked to instruct.

We hope the friendships you have developed over the years have been enhanced as you have participated in our CE confer-ence or gone on one of the service expeditions with some of your new friends.

In this issue, we are including a short report from a few of the groups that have been actively performing humanitarian den-tal service in various areas. Many more will be shared at our conference.

Our dues, as well as any residual revenues from the annual conference, are used to help in various humanitarian service projects. Even though dues-paying members do have discounted fees for our August conference, please don’t think that you only should pay the dues if you are able to attend. Besides helping to pay for humanitarian service needs, the dues help pro-vide scholarships for some of our student members. At the August conference, please see our special table display about the scholarships you have helped facilitate with your dues payment.

Over the past three years, we have had Academy student chapters formed in 37 dental schools. Being a registered student member allows an LDS dental student to apply for one of the scholarships we offer to dental and hygiene students.

You have probably all received a copy of our conference brochure. It was designed to share information about the great pro-grams we have planned for the dentists, their spouses and their children. Please invite some of your dental friends to attend the conference with you. It would enhance your enjoyment of the experience and introduce them to one of the most unique and beneficial events in dentistry.

Hope to see you there,

John A. Gerritsen, DDS 2010–2012 President Academy of LDS Dentists

T H E A C A D E M Y O F L D S D E N T I S T S N E W S L E T T E R • S u M M E R 2 0 1 2

Academy Examiner

2010–12 academy councilPresident: John A. GerritsenVice President: Evan Roundy

Secretary/Treasurer: Laurence PalmerPast President: David Geddes

Founder: Gordon Christensen

Address Service Requested

Brigham Young UniversityConferences and Workshops115 Harman Continuing Education BuildingProvo, Utah 84602

NONPROFITORGANIZATIONU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDPROVO, UTAHPERMIT NO. 49

Academy ExaminerVisit the academy’s updated website for valuable resources:

• Annual conference informa-tion and registration

• Dental student resources• Classified ads: Buy/sell a practice Associate/partner

opportunities • News, recent and archived

newsletters• Membership dues renewal • Humanitarian service

opportunities• Other valuable items

Visit our Website

We want to send you our monthly electronic newsletter, Academy Headlines. To do so, we need your current e-mail address if we don’t have it already. Please go to the web page and click on “Join,” then “Update Your Info.” Your e-mail address will not be shared with anyone else.

Follow us on Facebook • Website: AcademyofLDSDentists.com

1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8 9 10 11

12 13 14 15 16 17 18

19 20 21 22 23 24 25

26 27 28 29 30 31

august 2012

Mark your calendars now to attend the 35th Annual Dental Conference of the Academy of LDS Dentists, August 10-11, 2012, at the Brigham Young University Conference Center in Provo, Utah.

sPeakers and toPics: Friday, August 10, 2012Gary Takacs, Takacs Consulting (Practice Management)Samuel B. Low, DDS, MS, MEd (Periodontics and Implants)Terence E. Donovan, DDS (Fixed and Removable Prosthodontics)

Saturday, August 11, 2012Jeffrey P. Okeson, DMD (Occlusion)Charles Blair, DDS (Insurance and Coding with Confidence)Peter L. Jacobsen, PhD, DDS (Pharmacology)Gordon J. Christensen, DDS, MSD, PhD (What’s New—2012)Additional Optional Session: Providing Service in Developing CountriesWe’ll see you there!

35th Annual Academy of LDS Dentists Annual Conference “This conference is ideal for Dental Specialists and all dental professionals. Camaraderie, programs for the entire family, professionals with similar values—it’s a great value. The information is up to date—an excellent format where participants can receive 14 CE hours from an approved PACE program provider through the Academy of General Dentistry.”—John A. Gerritsen, Academy President