Dr. Prabu Raman CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15

Another lesson was that just because a consultant recommends something, do not do it if it felt ‘icky’ in my gut. I did not feel comfortable with the $1 coupon, but did it anyway because I was told that is the way to bring in new patients. I stopped being their client soon after that.

In your opinion, what is the state of our Association and the profession of dentistry? The state of our association is strong and robust. The MDA has earned the respect of the public and policy makers and the envy of other health care professions.

What do you feel is dentistry’s greatest op- portunity today? Greatest threat? The greatest threat within the profession is complacency. I am reminded of the disclaimers found on investment vehicles: “past performance is no guarantee of future results.” Our continued vigilance and diligence are needed to prevent any erosion of its place. Member involvement is the key. The greatest external threat is commod-

itizing of dentistry. This is rooted in a lack of appreciation of dentistry’s important role in the overall health of a person. Efforts to implement a lesser trained dental provider as a solution to barriers to care and unsustain- ably low reimbursements for dental services are a direct result of this knowledge gap. We need to acknowledge that such com- moditizing of dentistry only happens with the dentists’ permission. The opportunity, then, is in increasing the knowledge level of the public and policy makers. Such an effort is not just the responsibility of the dental association but that of every dentist in their everyday interactions with their patients and the public at large.

What is something you want members to know about your vision for your term of service as President? Increase value perception of MDA membership and increase member involve- ment.

What do you believe are the best opportuni- ties for positive growth and change within the MDA in the next year? Periodic surveys of

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What keeps you motivated as you juggle your practice, these leadership and volunteer roles and just life in general? The realization that life is very fragile. I need to make sure that every day counts.

Dr. Raman addresses the 2016 MDA House of Delegates after his installation.

members to learn what is important for them and then deliver that. Inform the members of the many valuable benefits that the ADA and the Power of Three provides for their membership. Problems avoided seldom get noticed, even though it is better to avoid problems than to solve them after the fact. Complacency is an insidious problem that is best combated through constant communi- cation. Communication is a two-way process, both listening and telling.

How did you first become active in (invited to) organized dentistry? What’s the reason you have stayed involved? As a new member of an esteemed profession, I believed that I needed to be an ADA member. I knew that there is strength in numbers. The ADA has looked out for the members in regulatory relief, preventing onerous rules and legislative ad- vocacy. I would not feel right to benefit from that without paying my membership and staying involved. That is the least I could do to pay back to the profession that has done so much for me and my family.

What advice or comments do you have to those members who are beginning their prac- tices and families, who don’t feel they have the time to become involved or maybe don’t know how to get started? Each one of us has the same 1,440 minutes per day; no more, no less. It is a challenge to make the dental as- sociation involvement a priority. But if each one of us don’t do our part, who will? Can we all rely on the “other guy?” There are new dentist committee events that encourage ca- maraderie. Start with that and ramp up your involvement as situations change. Remem- ber: “United we stand, divided we fall.”

If I asked your patients why they keep coming back to your practice, what would they tell me? We are a high-tech practice that is known for its high touch. Our patients have answered that question through online reviews. They can be humbling such as this recent Google review: “I have had one headache that pretty much lasted for almost 10 months and awful ear pain in one ear and ear pain that comes and goes in another ear, along with tinnitus … I am now about 75 percent pain free … Raman is a beacon of hope in a dark tunnel of pain!”

If you decided to abandon dentistry tomorrow to pursue a different ‘dream’ what would that be? Write a book about Physiologic Neuro Muscular Dentistry for TMD/CCMD suffer- ers. Most of them don’t even know that the symptoms that are bedeviling them could be from poorly aligned jaws. This has been on my wish list for several years now. Once that is done, travel the world, and learn about the history and the culture of different parts of the world. Perhaps write travel books.

What is something readers would be surprised to learn about you? We take power Yoga classes 6 days a week. I was a card-carrying member of the Sheet Metal Workers Union AFL-CIO.

How do you relax and have fun? Target shoot at the gun range or ride my motorcycle.

If you have favorites in these categories, will you share what they are? • Food: Spicy foods, Korean, Thai, Indian • Song: Any song by Adelle • Movie: Action thrillers—Mission Impos- sible series

• Book: Younger Next Year by Chris Crowley

• Vacation spot: Santorini, Greece and St. Petersburg, Russia

• Sports/Team: Sporting KC (soccer), KC Royals (baseball) f

Members may contact Dr. Raman at president@modental. org or call 816-436-4422 (office) or 816-419-5049 (Cell).