President's Message
Hello Dentist Colleagues,
Welcome to the 2017-18 season of the Upper Pinellas County Dental Association! The UPCDA can help you navigate your dental career journey. We offer quality education, decades of practice experience, access to a revised FDA website, camaraderie, family trips and fun socials.
Let me introduce you to our 2017-2018 UPCDA Board
Dr. Tim Doerner, President-Elect
Dr. Jeremy Albert, 1st Vice President & Program Chair
Dr. Jose Lazaro, Secretary
Dr. Kristin Carazola-Burch, Treasurer
Dr. Philip Hedger, Council at Large and Membership Chairperson
The Board Members and I will greet you at our first meeting on September 20th at Bon Appetit Restaurant in Dunedin, the social hour starts at 6:00 p.m. Save the dates for all our upcoming meetings as we have a great lineup of topics including implants and periodontics, advanced prosthodontics, holistic dentistry, cosmetic dentistry, and a special lecture by long-time member Dr. Mark Davis.
New legislation is changing how we practice dentistry. Do you want to stay informed on mercury scavenging, paperless records, and dental volunteering? Listen to our very own Dr. William Kochenour while he is serving his second term on the Board of Dentistry. You will hear updates on laws affecting dental practice at our meetings.
Want to learn how to deal effectively with disgruntled patients? Dr. Mark Obman serves as UPCDA's Peer Review Chairman. He and his committee attend our meetings, and are able to offer advice on how to handle complaints.
One of our new initiatives is to encourage UPCDA members to post volunteer efforts on social media. We will be driving en masse to Fort Myers on March 9-10, 2018, to volunteer at the FL Mission of Mercy (MOM) event. Millions of dollars of free dentistry will be provided by Florida dentists and staff. In addition, we encourage you to continue volunteering at local charity clinics, such as Community Dental Clinic, and post pictures on Facebook or your own websites. Let's show Florida legislators that we can aid those in need! Many people desperately need our help!
Do any of you enjoy socials and staying in touch with classmates from dental school? This year we will be returning to Bellini's in December for a holiday happy hour and the end-of-year May Social will return to Clearwater Beach. Social hours before our monthly meetings are great for sharing stories. We might entertain ideas for a sports event night for UPCDA dentists, too.
In summary, the Upper Pinellas County Dental Association provides strong organization to keep you informed and comfortable within your dental practice. We mix in a little fun, so tell your colleagues, your classmates, new and experienced, private and corporate office, to sail with the UPCDA. See you on September 20th at Bon Appetit!
Sincerely yours,
George Kostakis, DDS
President
|
|
UPCDA CE Meeting
Wednesday, September 20th
Speaker: Dr. Matt Waite
Seminar: Updates in Periodontology for Comprehensive
Patient Management, 1C
EU
Time: 6:00pm Social, 7:00pm Lecture
RSVP By September 11th: Please call 727-449-1232 or email [email protected]
, be sure to include your meal selection (
Chicken, Fish or Veggie). Those that do not specify meal will receive chicken.
Updates in Periodontology for Comprehensive
Patient Management
In the past, a referral to the periodontist meant that your patient came back (if they returned) with "no gums and no money"... Now, periodontist are working collaboratively with the dental team to achieve results functionally and esthetically that allow for everyone to succeed. This seminar intends to connect the members of the dental team and demonstrate how we can work together to achieve excellent results.
About the Speaker
Dr. Matthew Waite is a native Floridian that has been in the field of dentistry for nearly 25 years. He earned his Bachelors' degree from the University of South Florida and Dental Degree from the Louisiana State University School of Dentistry, graduating near the top of his class. He then attended the University of Florida, where he was chief resident for two years, and obtained his Masters' Degree and Specialty Certificate in Periodontics. He is past president of the Hillsborough County Dental Association.
Dr. Waite's practice is on Davis Islands, Florida and focuses on comprehensive treatment planning with the dental team to achieve function and esthetics for patients. www.southtampaperio.com [email protected]
|
|
Is Your UPCDA Dental Office Listed? 
The Upper Pinellas County Dental Association's website has been updated to feature its members in a "find a dentist" tool.
A member advertising campaign will launched August 1st, which promotes UPCDA member dentists to the public through internet marketing and social media. Please make sure your practice and contact information on the website is correct www.upcda.org. Email your practice website
address, a 375 x 375 pixel profile picture and any corrections
to [email protected].
All members will be listed unless you choose to opt out. UPCDA 2017-2018 must be current in order to be included. If you have any questions feel free to contact UPCDA at 727-449-1232 or [email protected].
|
|
A Message from Gulf Coast Dental Outreach 
We Are Looking for Doctors for Our New Virtual Clinic!
I am excited to tell you about Gulf Coast Dental Outreach's new Virtual Clinic! As you may know, we have been working from a much smaller dental facility since early 2016; and we see the Virtual Clinic as a way to continue to see the number of patients that are in need of our services. At the same time, the Virtual Clinic allows doctors who wish to volunteer a way to give back to the profession in their own offices and within a schedule that is amenable to them.
Essentially we are asking that you agree to see one or two (or more!) Gulf Coast Dental Outreach patients in your office each year. The selected patients would first be screened by us for financial need; they would pay the administrative fee directly to us; and they would report to your office for treatment. You would see the patient from the initial examination through to the end of his/her treatment; and that treatment would be according to the parameters outlined in the Guidelines for Scope of Care. You would continue to have Sovereign Immunity through the State of Florida and would receive CEs as with our on-site clinic. Gulf Coast Dental Outreach will pay for all lab work you prescribe through one of the labs with which we have agreements. Those labs are C&C Dental Lab (dentures), Crawford Dental Lab (crowns) and Knight Dental Group (crowns). We also ask that you notify us of the patient's upcoming appointments so that we can collect the fees far enough in advance to give you three days' notice if the patient will be unable to keep his/her appointment.
We hope you will consider signing on as a Virtual Clinic doctor. Of course, we are always delighted if you can volunteer at the clinic, but believe this will provide a way for you and our other volunteers to make a difference within a framework that may work better for you.
I hope you will call me at 727-421-3206 or email me at
[email protected]
to find out more!
Harry Gross, Executive Director
|
|
Volunteers Needed - Support our Local Clinics
Community Dental Clinic
We are blessed in our area to have many options to give back to our community through volunteering our skills as dentists. A brand new venue is opening in northern Pinellas County. The name is Community Dental Clinic and is located in Clearwater. Volunteer dentists and hygienists are needed to work 4 hour shifts starting on Fridays (expanding to other days soon). If you would like to volunteer for any upcoming days please contact the Director, Allison Sapiega at 727-216-6155 or email [email protected]
Gulf Coast Dental Outreach
Homeless Emergency Project
Volunteer information: The "on site" person handling paperwork is: Teresa White, phone number - 727-442-9041 ext. 134, email [email protected].
For information regarding the clinical service aspect - contact: Dr. Patrick Lepeak. Cell # 727-424-3559. All phases of dentistry are needed and appreciated. An active Florida dental license is required. Hygienist services are also very much needed.
Healthy Teeth Clinic, Department of Health, Largo
Dentist Volunteers Needed!
Want to be part of something great that will really make a difference? Volunteer your time and talents to the Healthy Teeth Clinic. Work with awesome assistants and grateful patients in a beautiful office. We work hard to make sure you have a great experience. Tell us the hours and dates that will work for you and the services you're happy to provide and we will take care of the rest. Call or E-Mail Christina Vongsyprasom at 727-824-6966 and [email protected]
for more information or to set up a volunteer date.
|
|
| |
|
| Mark Your Calendar
UPCDA Meetings
2017
September 20th - Dr. Matt Waite, Updates in Periodontology for Comprehensive Patient Management
Bon Appetit Restaurant, Dunedin
October 25th - Mariel Kagan, Prevention of Dental Errors & Peer Review Update
Countryside Country Club
November 8th - Dr. Ross Efinger, Dentistry's Digital Revolution - Joint meeting with Pinellas, Belleair Country Club
2018
January 17th - Dr. Mark Davis, Lessons Learned in 45 years of Dental Practice - The Most Important Things!
Belleair Country Club
February 23rd - Countryside Country Club
April 18th - Dr. DeWitt Wilkerson, Personal Health and Nutrition for Dental Patients - Staff Welcome
Bon Appétit Restaurant, Dunedin
Other Important Dates
|
|
February 2, 2018
WCDDA Annual Meeting
CAMLS, Tampa
Dr. Stanley Malamed, 10 Minutes to Save a Life: Emergency Medicine in Dentistry
Larry Guzzardo, Now What Do I Say? & Unravel the Mystery of Treatment Acceptance: A Dental Team's Guide
Registration is open
Click here for details
February 6, 2018
FDA Dentists' Day on The Hill
March 9-10, 2018
FDA Mission of Mercy
Fort Myers, FL
April 21-28, 2018
WCDDA President's Trip
Scotland -
click here for more info
June 21-23, 2018
FDA's Dental Convention
Gaylord Palms, Orlando
July 20-22, 2018
WCDDA Summer Meeting
JW Marriott Marco Island
|
WELCOME NEW UPCDA MEMBERS
Kenneth Anderson, III, DDS
Oral Surgeon
Palm Harbor & Trinity
Manik Bedi, DDS
Oral Surgeon
Dunedin
Lindsey Pikos Rosati, DDS
Periodontist
Palm Harbor & Trinity
Shaun Young, DMD
Oral Surgeon
Clearwater & New Port Richey
Invite your non member colleague to a UPCDA meeting at no cost. Contact UPCDA (727) 449-1232.
UPCDA Membership Application
|
Dr. Maggie Davis, Palm
Harbor
pediatric dentist,
is pleased to
welcome Dr. Lorielle Alter to her
practice
.
Dr.
Lorielle is
originally from South
Fl and
completed her
un
dergraduate at
Vanderbilt Univ.
She
went on to
complete her dental training and
residency in Pediatrics at
UF. She has
been in
private practice for 3 yrs.
in Sarasota and is excited to
make the transition to Palm
Harbor.
|
Reminder
Dues are due!
If you have not paid your dues or have not seen an invoice please contact UPCDA
(727) 449-1232
|
Your Dental Association Success
We are proud to share the Florida Dental Association's (FDA) new membership video, which celebrates the recent successes and growth of the FDA and organized dentistry in Florida. From championing policy that supports your profession and ability to serve patients to building public awareness of the FDA and the importance of oral health and preventive care, your passion and support have helped make a significant impact in improving oral health in our state.
|
UPCDA
Executive Board
Dr. George Kostakis
President
Dr. James Doerner
President-Elect
Dr. Jeremy Albert
1st Vice President &
Program Chairman
Dr. Jose Lazaro
Secretary
Dr. Philip Hedger
Council At-Large &
Membership Chairman
Dr. Kristin Burch
Treasurer
Delegates
Dr. Kristen Burch
Dr. James Carazola
Dr. Oscar Menendez
Alternate Delegates
Dr. William Kochenour
Peer Review Chairman
Dr. Mark Obman
|
|
