2019 Washington State Society of Orthodontists
Doctor and Team Annual Meeting

We are excited for this year's WSSO meeting at the Meydenbauer Center in Bellevue on Friday, February 8, 2019.

See below for more details on each course offering.

Register today!!!

Register Now! 

Speakers for the day:

Doctors only
Ben Pliska - morning speaker - Sleep Disordered Breathing and Orthodontics: Separating Fact from Fiction
Greg Huang  - morning speaker  - Evidence in Every Day Practice
Sean Murphy - afternoon speaker - Common Misadventures for the Orthodontic Specialist

Clinical/Administrative Team Members

Straight Wire Consulting - Tracy Martin and Scott Caldwell - morning (team lecture) - Avengers Assemble! - A Team Approach to the New Patient Experience 
Straight Wire Consulting - Tracy Martin and Scott Caldwell- afternoon (Front desk/Treatment Coordinators) -  The Dynamic Duo:  TCs & OMs Leading in Alignment 
Geoff Greenlee - afternoon (clinical team members) - Debond!  How to safely remove brackets, bands, and bonding resin from tooth surfaces 

Course Topic Specifics:

Morning speaker for Doctors only
Sleep Disordered Breathing and Orthodontics: Separating Fact from Fiction with Benjamin Pliska, DDS, MS, FRCD(C)

As recent studies have highlighted the importance of the interdisciplinary management of sleep disordered breathing, the role orthodontists can play in the management of this disease has become better defined. This presentation will re-examine the relationship between sleep disordered breathing and craniofacial growth and development, as well as the current evidence related to orthodontic treatment effects on obstructive sleep apnea and the airway.

For adults, oral appliances have become an accepted first line of treatment for a wide range of patients suffering from obstructive sleep apnea. As specialists in dentofacial orthopaedics, orthodontists are ideally suited to deliver this increasingly popular OSA treatment modality and should be well aware of both the associated benefits and complications. This presentation will also discuss the latest evidence regarding the effectiveness of oral appliance treatment of OSA, as well as review the management of the most common side effects.

________________________________________

Morning speaker for Doctors only
Evidence in Every Day Practice with Greg Huang, DMD, MSD, MPH

It has been about 20 years since the ADA first defined evidence-based dentistry.  Good evidence was scarce 20 years ago, but today, we have more than 300 orthodontic systematic reviews, and the quality of the recent reviews is much improved.  Additionally, evidence is readily available on the web.  Dr. Huang will discuss how to quickly access evidence, and he will review the evidence for several current topics, including TADs, vibration, and sleep apnea.

________________________________________

 

Afternoon speaker for Doctors only
Common Misadventures for the Orthodontic Specialist with Sean Murphy, Associate General Counsel, AAO

The lecture will cover some of the legal topics that arise with orthodontics.  The lecture will provide insight on how to recognize and protect yourself from legal pitfalls, as well as how to minimize your liability.

______________________________________

Morning speaker for Team Members 
Avengers Assemble! - A Team Approach to the New Patient Experience with Tracy Martin and Scott Caldwell

 

________________________________________

Afternoon speaker for Front Desk and Treatment Coordinators
The Dynamic Duo:  TCs & OMs Leading in Alignment with Tracy Martin and Scott Caldwell

A successful orthodontic practice is usually marked by two key characteristics: a driven, empowered Treatment Coordinator, and a strong, committed Office Manager. Like yin and yang, these two posses very different, sometimes opposing traits, but they work in harmony to lead the two sides of the practice. In this afternoon session, Straight Wire Consulting will deconstruct what this successful partnership looks like, how they support the doc in tandem, and the critical role this relationship plays in creating a thriving practice!

_______________________________________

Afternoon speaker for Clinical Team Members
Debond!  How to safely remove brackets, bands, and bonding resin from tooth surfaces with Geoff Greenlee, DDS, MSD, MPH

This session is designed to provide the necessary background information to prepare orthodontic dental assistants to:

• Safely remove fixed orthodontic appliances
• Understand the evidence about patient comfort and enamel safety during bracket removal
• Safely remove bonding composite resin and polish enamel
• Understand and use a dental handpiece and rotary instruments
• Recognize risks and pitfalls during appliance removal

Part of this session will be dedicated to hands-on training in safe appliance debonding and composite resin removal with a dental handpiece. Attendees will gain knowledge and skills preparing them to progress on to supervised training on patients with a licensed orthodontist at their office.

 Course Presenters

Dr. Benjamin Pliska is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Orthodontics at the University Faculty of Dentistry, an Orthodontic Consultant at BC Children’s Hospital and a Certified Specialist in Orthodontics practising in Vancouver. He is an affiliate member of the Northwest Component of the Edward H. Angle Society, and an Orthodontic Fellow of the Royal College of Dentists of Canada, where he also serves as an Examiner. Dr. Pliska obtained his DDS from the University of Western Ontario, and is a graduate of the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry where he obtained his orthodontic training and M.S. degree. Author of two book chapters and 20 articles, Dr. Pliska also frequently lectures on the intersection of Orthodontics and Sleep Medicine.

Dr. Huang attended dental school at the University of Florida, and received his certificate in orthodontics and MSD from the University of Washington. He also earned an MPH in epidemiology from UW. He practiced full-time for 10 years before starting his academic career.  For the past 10 years, he has been the Chair of the Department of Orthodontics at the University of Washington.  He also has conducted many clinical studies, and is well-known as a proponent for evidence-based Orthodontics.  Dr. Huang has published more than 50 peer-reviewed articles, and has co-edited two textbooks.  He is a Diplomate of the ABO, and a member of the Angle Society.

Sean Murphy has been practicing law for the last 10 years, and since January 2016 has been the AAO’s In-House Counsel.  In that role, Sean oversees the AAO’s Political Action Committee and government affairs, provides advice and counsel to the AAO and its related entities, and discusses legal issues with countless AAO members.  Sean’s experience with orthodontic legal issues comes from hundreds of AAO member calls, in which an assortment of legal issues and challenges have been discussed.

With a black belt in orthodontics and a game-changing conversionrate, Tracy has mastered the art of providing the highest level ofpatient care while creating a rhythm the team can dance to.Growing up in orthodontics over the past 15 years, in offices rangingfrom start-ups to multi-practice/multi-doctor, Tracy has developed amethod for increasing case acceptance, improving office efficiency,and introducing standout marketing strategies.Passionate about the business of orthodontics, and having heldevery position in a practice, she is a firm believer in the team behindthe doc. Much of her focus is spent working with docs, treatmentcoordinators, patient coordinators, and clinical assistants to boostthe “New Patient Experience” and enhance the practice’s mark inthe community.As the Founder of Straight Wire, Tracy’s mission is to put amillennial twist on traditional practice consulting, and lead thedevelopment of next generation orthodontic teams.

Scott has been selling for over half of his life. From his first jobpushing CDs and VHS tapes at Best Buy, to a career with VectorMarketing and hundreds of thousands of dollars of Cutco Cutlery, tothe world’s largest vacation club, “sales” is in his blood.But at the end of the day, his love of sales comes down to his love ofpeople. Building relationships is his passion, and it’s why he’s alsospent most of his career cultivating social media networks andhelping companies improve their marketing communications.Whether designing social media campaigns, developing marketingstrategies, or producing online videos watched by thousands, Scottthrives on helping people connect. And although he may be new toortho, he brings a fresh perspective on our changing industry!As Creative Director for Straight Wire, Scott focuses on helping ourclients find their voice, improve their messaging, and connect withpatients. Turns out, the English major pays off after all.

Dr. Geoff Greenlee completed his undergraduate and dental training at the University of Michigan, and then completed a Masters degree and clinical residency in orthodontics at the University of Washington.  An interest in cleft lip/palate and craniofacial anomalies led Dr. Greenlee to do a fellowship in this subspecialty at Seattle Children's Hospital where he remains on faculty and provides clinical care.  Geoff finished a Master of Public Health degree in epidemiology in 2009 and remains very interested in public health services and policy as well as study design and data analysis.  Currently, Dr. Greenlee is Clinical Associate Professor and Director of the Graduate Orthodontics Clinic at the University of Washington in Seattle where he teaches, practices, and does research.  His research interests include evidence-based care, CLP and craniofacial anomalies, access to care for underserved populations, and quality of life.  Dr. Greenlee is a Diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics.