Dental Tribune U.S. Edition

www.dental-tribune.com PRSRTSTD U.S.Postage PAID SanAntonio,TX Permit#1396 DentalTribuneAmerica 116West23rdStreet Suite#500 NewYork,N.Y.10011 DENTAL TRIBUNE The World’s Dental Newspaper · U.S. Edition XXXXXXXXX ICOI symposium in San Diego B1 Oral surgery and cardiac patients B1 Crises and cleft palate treatment B2 Trinon Collegium Practicum B5 AAP meeting review B8 How to clean implants C1 Latest ‘Pros in the Profession’ C1 New disposable prophy angle C2 January 2012 — Vol. 7, no. 1 New device streNgtheNs filliNgs Prototype plasma brush uses a ‘cool flame’ to strengthen bond between tooth and filling. ” page A3 News a1–a3 Stopping dental practice fraud practice matters a4 HR 101: Tees and tats cliNical a6 Internal root resorption meetiNgs a7–a11 Yankee Dental courses filling up Live dentistry back at PDC AAIP: Implant courses in Jamaica AACD: 'Outside the Lines' JDIQ expects record attendance iNdustry News a12–a16 staff member too tattooed? Be prepared for a staff member whose edgy appearance starts going over the edge. ” page A4 all about implaNts success The International Congress of Oral Implantologists invites you to the San Diego Bay in February. ” page B1 www.dental-tribune.com PRSRTSTD U.S.Postage PAID SanAntonio,TX Permit#1396 DentalTribuneAmerica 116West23rdStreet Suite#500 NewYork,N.Y.10011 DENTAL TRIBUNE The World’s Dental Newspaper · U.S. Edition yaNkeedeNtaleditioN Ad The potential for embezzlement and theft is a problem no business is immune to. And research shows that smaller busi- nesses are more likely to experience problems than larger ones. For dental practice owners, it’s not just being small that increases risk. The typical dental of- fice management structure is inherently vulnerable to fraud, according to dental- practice fraud expert David Harris. Add- ing to the challenge, Harris said, detec- tion can be trickier in a dental practice compared with other small businesses. And the bad news continues: Harris, who has 20 years of experience in dental- practice fraud investigation, puts little stock in deterrence. Instead he empha- sizes early detection as the only viable defense. He shared those thoughts and more with Dental Tribune. What is the likelihood of a dental office experiencing fraud? There have been several studies by the American Dental Association and others. Collectively they suggest that the prob- ability of a dentist being a fraud victim in his or her career is between 50 and 60 percent. However, such statistics are nec- essarily low because there is an unquan- tifiable amount of fraud that is never de- tected or is detected but not disclosed. Are there any reasons why dental practices wouldbemorelikelyorlesslikelythanother types of small businesses to experience fraud? Two main points influence the prevalence of fraud in dentistry. First, the clinical responsibilities carried by dentists effec- tively reduce them to being absentee own- ers in their own businesses. Second, the fact that so much of dentistry is paid for by third parties removes one of the most basic controls that businesses depend on. Is there a difference in potential for fraud in a three- or four-person office compared with a practice with 20 or more? Intuitively, one would think that a larger practice should be able to have tighter con- trols through increased separation of du- ties. But many group practices are essen- tially several solo practices sharing space, thus offering no particular administrative synergy. When a group practice is run as a single unit, the dentists owning the clinic tend to delegate oversight of the adminis- trative functions to a single dentist. Given that there are many thefts perpetrated against a solo dentist, imagine the fraud possibilities when one dentist is oversee- ing a much larger business activity. Lagoon Bridge in Public Garden is among the countless Boston attractions awaiting those attending the Yankee Dental Congress, Jan. 25–29, where you‘ll find nearly 28,000 fellow dental professionals, 450+ exhibitors and 300+ courses, lectures, workshops and live-dentistry sessions. Photo/Brandon Goad, www.dreamstime.com Yankee Dental Congress beacons Most dental practices will encounter fraud An interview with licensed private investigator and Prosperident President David Harris By Robert Selleck, Managing Editor ” Continue on page A2 David Harris Photo/Prosperident ” See page A7