MEMBERS New Members


The MDA welcomes these new or reinstated members (up to July 15):


GREATER KANSAS CITY David Britt, Blue Springs (UMKC 08)


GREATER ST LOUIS


Christina Lapen, Alton, Illinois (Southern Illinois Univ 11)


Hugh Montgomery, St Charles (Washington Univ 90)


Kathryn Reuther, St Louis (Marquette Univ 09)


Jaclyn Scroggins, Glen Carbon, Illinois (Southern Illinois Univ 11) Chet Welker, St Louis (umkc 12)


Deceased Members


The MDA expresses appreciation for years of membership as well as sympathy for the loss of the following members (up to July 15):


CENTRAL


George H Bailey, Dixon (UMKC 74) passed May 29


GREATER ST LOUIS


Eugene J McCabe Jr, Chesterfield (St. Louis Univ 46) passed June 3


NORTHWEST George T Hopkins Jr, St. Joseph (Univ of Kansas City 53 & CA Veteran Affairs Medical Center/Loma Linda 53) passed May 31


Student Members


THE NEW DENTAL SCHOOL YEAR IS BEGINNING! Don’t miss your chance for free Food for Thought lunches and other benefits of membership … all for just $10 a year. Go online to learn more and pay your dues at www.modental.org/students. Contact Mandy Lewis at the MDA with any questions (mandy@modental.org).


Did You Know?


That to have a monthly income of $10,000 for 30 years after retirement …


Your amount needed in savings is $2,121,501? Let MDIS assist you in developing a plan for an enjoyable retirement.


The above sum assumes your portfolio will earn a 6% annualized return during the course of your retirement and endure 2% annual inflation erosion.


Honest Answers. Practical Solutions. Personal Service. For more than 20 Years!


800-944-7550 // MDIS4DDS.COM ISSUE 4 | JUL/AUG 2013 | focus 7


many private practice dentists charge for an exam and extraction. It will be difficult to treat patients at the hospital without operating at a loss on extractions alone and with limited scheduling times available during limited days of the week. In order to remain solvent and busy, the hospital clinics will have to start marketing to people who would otherwise go to a private dental office (people with money or dental insurance) for treatment or offer additional treatment other than extractions to include comprehensive dental care. In a worst-case scenario, this could be the opening needed to bring all dental care inside the hospitals and swallow another part of the private practice world.


Creating a dental clinic inside a hospital to treat dental pain patients who go to an emergency department would not be an ef- fective treatment modality because there are not enough patients going to ERs for dental pain on a daily basis, not enough of them come during the normal work day and not enough of them have money for treatment. If patients can wait until a different day, then


what is the benefit of going to the hospital for treatment versus a dental office?


Another thing to consider is the anecdotal evidence that many dental patients in ERs go seeking prescription pain pills instead of treatment. An ER nurse who is a patient of mine told me that very few toothaches come into the ER that are not drug seekers. An ER physician I talked with guessed approxi- mately 35 percent of all dental pain patients they see are just looking for drugs. Yet, we cannot make decisions assuming people attempt fraudulent claims. We often have to give individuals the benefit of doubt when trying to help those in real pain. While it may be more or less of a problem in other regions of the state, prescription pain pill abuse and addiction is a major problem in southwest Missouri, where access to alternative down- ers such as heroine is limited. Any solution addressing ER patients must be ready to address this serious issue, as well. f


CONTACT DR. NAIL with your questions or comments at editor@modental.org.


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