CE and Speaker Information

Eirrion Timmons - Keynote Speaker

 Eirrion Timmons just completed his first year of Dental School at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine in Boston, Massachusetts. He serves as Vice President of the Practice Management Club. Mr. Timmons also served as the Keynote Speaker at the Massachusetts Dental Society wherein he presented - Behind the Mask and displayed an emotional triumph testimony evolved around mental health, overcoming adversity and having an optimistic and growth mindset. His powerful speech caught the ear of Liberty Dental Conference Chair, Dr. Nipa Thakkar, who knew we had to have him speak at our conference in September. Mr. Timmons graciously agreed and we are highly anticipating his engaging speech!

Mr. Timmons will present, "Growing While You're Going - The Ergonomics of Life," at the Liberty Dental Conference, on Friday, September 22, 2023 in the morning. 

1 CE Credit
AGD Course Code: 770 Self-Improvement
Course Objectives:

• Explain how to overcome personal obstacles that will undoubtedly affect your productivity and challenge your success in the dental profession.

Dr. Nipa Thakkar - Airway and Sleep Dentistry

Dr. Nipa Thakkar, a second-generation dentist and New York native, is a Summa Cum Laude graduate of Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry. She holds a BS in Biology from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, and Masters in Biomedical Sciences with a concentration in Oral Biology from UMDNJ. She completed her General Practice Residency at St. Joseph Medical Center in Reading, PA. Dr. Thakkar volunteers as a Big Sister with Big Brothers Big Sisters in the Philadelphia area. In addition to learning the Pankey philosophy for clinical excellence in dentistry, Dr. Thakkar is the current Chair of the American Dental Association's Council on Membership. She is also on the Board of Directors of Eastern Dental Insurance Company. She completed the ADA Diversity Leadership program in 2014 and was the inaugural recipient to the ADA Henry Schein Cares Dr. David Whiston Leadership Award in 2015. Dr. Thakkar graduated dental school as a member of the Omicrom Kappa Upsilon National Dental Honor Society and the recipient of the American Association of Public Health Dentistry's Community Dentistry Award. 

Dr. Thakkar is a diplomate with the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine and is the owner of Sleep Better Solutions, a partnered endeavor with a sleep physician group in West Chester, PA to pursue patient alternatives to CPAP therapy.

Dr. Thakkar will be presenting, "The Science of Airway and Sleep Dentistry" at the Liberty Dental Conference on Friday, September 22, 2023 in the morning.

1 CE Credit
AGD Course Code: 730 Oral Medicine, Oral Diagnosis, Oral Pathology

Obstructive sleep apnea is a prevalent condition in our society. Although the treatment for this condition is usually through C-PAP, many patients and physicians look to an alternative and oral appliance therapy can be a good option for these patients. Oral appliance therapy to manage obstructive sleep apnea and primary snoring is a growing field that incorporates knowledge from both the medical and dental perspectives. This lecture provides an overview of the current concepts on dental sleep medicine.

Course Objectives:

• Participants will learn about the pathophysiology of obstructive sleep apnea, and the role that a dentist can play in the management of obstructive sleep apnea as part of a multidisciplinary team approach.

Dr. Marc Levin - Airway and Sleep Dentistry

Dr. Marc A. Levin is a 1981 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, where he also served on the faculty as a clinical instructor in oral medicine for six years. He was awarded a fellowship in the Academy of General Dentistry in 1989. He currently provides comprehensive dental care to the residents of Philadelphia, PA and the surrounding areas.
Dr. Levin is a member of the American Dental Association and the Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine. He is a past president of the Eastern Dental Society.
He is the founder and CEO of EOS Dental Sleep, treating patients in the Philadelphia area suffering from Sleep Apnea and snoring. Dr. Levin also serves as dental director of EOS Sleep treating those same patients in Manhattan and the greater New York City area.

Dr. Levin will be presenting, "The Practice of Airway and Sleep Dentistry," at the Liberty Dental Conference on Friday, September 22, 2023 in the morning.

1 CE Credit
AGD Course Code: 730 Oral Medicine, Oral Diagnosis, Oral Pathology

The use of oral appliance therapy to treat obstructive sleep apnea.

Objectives:

• Explain the etiology of sleep related breathing disorders
• Discuss the role of dentists in diagnosing and managing the disease process of sleep apnea

Dr. Allen Finkelstein - Medicaid Bootcamp 

Dr. Finkelstein is the Chief Executive Office of Bedford HealthCare Solutions and was the former Chief Dental Officer of AmeriChoice/United Health Group.
Dr. Finkelstein is an undergrad from the University of Pittsburgh and obtained his graduate degree from Temple University School of Dentistry in Philadelphia. In 2009, Dr. Finkelstein was awarded a Doctor of Humane Letters degree from the A.T. Still Strusser Memorial Award from New York University, College of Dentistry. Dr. Finkelstein is a member of the American Dental Association, the Essex County Dental Association and the dental associations of the States of New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island.
He is a longtime proponent of Integrated Dental and Medical Care and has lectured at dental and medical schools and conferences on the subject of Early Childhood Caries and the need for Medical/Dental Integration to achieve the establishment of a quality outcome based Health Home.
Dr. Finkelstein has passed the National Dental Boards, North East Regional Boards, and is licensed to practice dentistry in New York and New Jersey. He currently maintains a dental practice, specializing in Periodontic Prothesis located in Great Neck, New York. In addition, Dr. Finkelstein has been active in many community activities both philanthropies and dental outreach programs for the underserved.

Dr. Sidney Whitman - Medicaid Bootcamp

Dr. Whitman received his Bachelor's degree from Rutgers University (where he was star baseball player), his dental degree is from NYU and his pediatric specialty training is from Temple University. 
He is a member of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, American Dental Association, and American Society of Dentistry for Children. He is a Fellow of the International College of Dentists and the American College of Dentistry.
He is past President of the Mercer Dental Society and presently a Delegate to the American Dental Association. He is Chairman of the Department of Pediatric Dentistry at the Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, Chairman of the Oral Health Coalition of NJ and President of Dental Lifeline Network. 
Dr. Whitman lives in Princeton with his wife, has two grown sons and is an avid tennis player.

Dr. Finkelstein and Dr. Whitman will be presenting a, "Managing Medicaid in an Era of Accountability," at the Liberty Dental Conference on Friday, September 22, 2023 in the morning.

1 CE Credit
AGD Course Code: 550 Practice Management, Insurance management/coding

Despite misconceptions and fears associated with being a Medicaid provider, treating this population can be rewarding and not cut adversely into your bottom line. Speakers will share insights, opportunities and challenges regarding program integrity, compliance and advocacy while providing care to this growing population in an era of increased accountability and scrutiny. Recruiting other Medicaid providers through positive experiences and success stories is the goal.
Course Objectives:

• Provide a better understanding of what "medically necessary care" entails
• Review methods on correct documentation for the dental practitioner.
• Provide an overview of how forward thinking and business minded practitioners take Medicaid and make it work!

Timothy Reynolds - Director of Operations, Dental Ceramics Inc.

Mr. Timothy Reynolds received his undergraduate degree in Sustainable Energy Management from the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. After entering the workforce and pursuing a career in Sustainable Construction, he made the decision to transition to the dental field. He began working for Dental Ceramics, Inc. in 2019 and currently serves as the Directory of Operations for the lab. Tim has completed core curriculum for both the Pankey Institute and the Dawson academy and specializes in digital workflows. In his tenure at Dental Ceramics, Tim has become the de facto expert on digital comprehensive case planning and technical communication. Time enjoys a busy life as a avid snowboarder, cyclist and chef with a love of sailing.

Mr. Reynolds will be presenting, "Lab Communication and Digital Case Planning," at the Liberty Dental Conference, on Friday, September 22, 2023 in the afternoon. 

1.5 CE Credits
AGD Course Code:610 Fixed Prosthodontics
Course Objectives:

• Provide an overview of technology assisted processes related to laboratory arts
• Suggest effective communication to insure ideal laboratory outcomes
• Review methods to overcome obstacles with laboratory selection and relationships

Dr. Roopali Kulkarni - Oral Medicine

Dr. Roopali Kulkarni is a board-certified oral medicine specialist. She serves as an Assistant Professor of Oral Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine and as an Assistant Director of the postdoctoral oral medicine residency program. She treats patients with oral mucosal diseases, salivary gland dysfunction, temporomandibular joint disorders, orofacial pain conditions, and oral manifestations of systemic diseases. In addition to patient care, she teaches predoctoral and postdoctoral students clinically and didactically. Her scholarly activity focuses on research within oral medicine and public health. 
The Philadelphia County Dental Society is lucky to have Dr. Kulkarni serving as a Board Member!

Dr. Kulkarni will be presenting, "Diagnostic Dilemma: Differential Diagnoses of the Oral Cavity," at the Liberty Dental Conference, on Friday, September 22, 2023 in the afternoon.

2 CE Credits
AGD Course Code: 730 Oral Medicine, Oral Diagnosis, Oral Pathology
Course Objectives:

• Participants will review the most common mucosal lesions and diseases
• Participants will create their own style for developing differential diagnoses, and
• Participants will understand the connection between oral and general health.

Dr. Bruce Terry - Endodontics

Dr. Bruce Terry was born in Los Angeles, CA and moved to New Jersey at age 15.
Bruce attended Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania and then Temple University School of Dentistry. He continued at Temple with a post-doctoral residency in Endodontics and graduated in 1988. Dr. Terry has practices in Wayne and Phoenixville and continues to teach at the Dental School one day per week.
Bruce has always been one to volunteer. He has been editor and president of the local, regional and state dental associations for more than 30 years combined. He has been recognized with national journalism awards for his writing. Since 1990, Bruce teaches in the Post Graduate Endodontic Department at Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry. He also works one day per month at Community Volunteers in Medicine of West Chester where he provides endodontic care and brings dental students with him. He is one of the original board members and facility chairperson for MOM (Mission of Mercy), a dental non-profit that provides two days of free care to 2000 patients each year at different locations across Pennsylvania. He has also been an active member in Scouting. He is an Eagle Scout and former Scoutmaster for Gladwyne Troop 181.
When Dr. Terry is not treating patients, teaching or providing free dental services, he trains so that he can mountain climb. In 2004 he climbed Mt. Rainier. From 2006 until May of 2019, he climbed the world's seven summits. He finished with Mt. Everest on May 23, 2019.
He enjoys traveling with his wife Susan. His daughter Caroline will be completing her orthodontic residency this August and his son Henry is spending his junior year abroad in Prague this semester.

Dr. Bruce Terry will be presenting, "Endodontics: Past, Present and Future," at the Liberty Dental Conference on Saturday, September 23, 2023 in the morning.

1.5 CE Credits
AGD Course Code: 070 Endodontics
Objectives:

• Learn a history of Endodontics and why it matters
• Diagnosis - Understand new ways to discover the problem
• Treatment - Explain current methods of access, instrumentation, shaping and filling canals
• Emerging Technologies - Identify new technologies - CBCT, Lasers, Guided CBCT access

Supervisory Special Agent, Joseph S. Parker, Jr. - FBI Dental Fraud

Supervisory Special Agent Parker has been employed with the Federal Bureau of Investigation for the past eighteen years. Currently, SSA Parker is a Program Manager within the FBI's Health Care Fraud Unit. Prior to his promotion to FBI Headquarters, SSA Parker was assigned to a health care fraud squad in the Washington Field Office, Northern Virginia Resident Agency, concentrating on complex health care fraud cases.

Special Agent Parker will be presenting, "Dental Fraud Investigations," at the Liberty Dental Conference on Saturday, September 23, 2023 in the morning.

CE Credits: 1.5
AGD Course Code: 550 Practice Management & Human Relations 
This presentation will provide an overview of the FBI/s Health Care Fraud Unit and how healthcare fraud investigations are conducted, specifically dental fraud investigations. The presentation will use actual case examples and discuss investigative methods to demonstrate different types of dental fraud. The case examples will include the use of claims data, x-rays and interviews, and will discuss the advantages of these tools. The presenter will also explain how dental fraud cases are developed, how law enforcement receives and uses information from the SIU's, and the importance of the SIU's and law enforcement working together to conduct dental fraud investigations.
Objectives:

• Participants will review case studies to highlight incidents of FBI investigated dental fraud
• Discuss lessons learned and best practices to avoid fraud allegations and/or being the victim of fraud in your practice.

Senior VP, Government and Public Affairs - Michael Graham - ADA

Michael Graham has fought on Capitol Hill for issues important to organized dentistry for 28 years - serving in various positions in the American Dental Association's (ADA) Washington Office. Currently, he is the ADA's Senior Vice President of Government and Public Affairs, representing over 160,000 ADA dentist members.
In total, he has 44 years of government affairs experience in the Federal and state legislative arenas. He has represented two other Associations; served as a gubernatorial appointee for two Maryland governors; worked for a U.S. Senator from Maryland, a Maryland Congressman and a Maryland state representative. Mike has a Masters Degree in Public Policy from the University of Maryland Baltimore County, and a B.A. from The Catholic University of America. Mike retired as a Commander in the United States Navy, following his service in Iraq in 2008.

Michael Graham will be presenting, "Advocacy Involvement: Driving Dentistry's Priorities," at the Liberty Dental Conference on Saturday, September 23, 2023 in the afternoon.

1 CE Credit
AGD Course Code: 550 Practice Management & Human Relations
Driving change in the advocacy arena requires involvement of many individuals and organizations on many levels. Change also needs to be managed. The speaker will discuss the ADA's advocacy priorities - why they are critical for dentistry, their practice and patients and why you need to get involved.
Objectives:

• Review regulatory and legislative updates related to Pennsylvania and the practice of dentistry
• Identify opportunities for members to engage in advocacy by collaborating with legislators to improve our profession
• Discuss the role of the American Dental Political Action Committee

Dr. Lauren Yap - Pediatrics

Dr. Lauren Yap is a board-eligible pediatric dentist and a clinical associate in the Department of Restorative Dentistry, Division of Pediatric Dentistry at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine. After receiving her DMD, MPH from Temple University-Kornberg School of Dentistry/Temple College of Public Health, Dr. Yap moved to Hawaii to complete an Advanced Education in General Dentistry Certificate with NYU-Langhorne, serving the community of the Big Island. She then received her Certificate of Pediatric Dentistry from Geisinger Medical Center where she received advanced training in comprehensive preventative and therapeutic oral healthcare for infants, children and adolescents, including those with special healthcare needs. 
Dr. Yap currently lives in Philadelphia and enjoys trying new foods, checking out Broadway/musical theater shows, snorkeling and taking care of her many houseplants.

Dr. Yap will be presenting, "How to Keep Your Cool and Seem Cool to Today's Pediatric Patient," at the Liberty Dental Conference on Saturday, September 23, 2023 in the afternoon.

1 CE Credit
AGD Course Code:430 Pediatric Dentistry
This one hour long presentation will provide a quick update on the most recent Pediatric Dentistry Practices and Guidelines that can be helpful for the general practitioner.
Objectives:

• Discuss updates to dental materials used in Pediatric Dentistry today
• Review management of the developing dentition and malocclusion
• Review dental trauma guidelines for pediatric patients

Dr. Wael Isleem - Digital Dentistry

Dr. Wael Isleem received his DDS degree from the University of Aleppo, Faculty of Dentistry in 2011. Later, Dr. Isleem completed his dental education at the University of Pennsylvania where he earned his DMD with clinical honors. Dr. Isleem then continued his post graduate residency training at University of Pennsylvania where he earned his Certificate of Periodontology, Periodontal Prosthesis and a Master of Science in Oral Biology. Dr. Isleem feels dentistry is a perfect mix between art and science. As a dual specialist dental provider, he strives to provide the most comprehensive treatment for patients. Dr. Isleem provides patient specific care to treat and prevent oral disease to provide a better quality of life for all his patients. Dr. Isleem is passionate about digital dental technology to improve overall outcomes in the most progressive and efficient manner. Dr. Isleem's focus is on multidisciplinary approaches to treating complex dental problems and the use of digital technology to aid in dental implant and esthetic dental design dentistry. Dr. Isleem has been involved during his post graduate training in developing digital workflows that provide precision in treatment from start to finish and provide a more comfortable painless experience. Dr. Isleem has expertise in Digital Facial Driven Full Mouth Reconstructions which creates the harmony needed between facial and dental esthetics to provide an optimal outcome in the most complex cases.

Dr. Isleem will be presenting, "Facially Driven Digital Workflow for Full Mouth Rehabilitation from 2D to 3D," at the Liberty Dental Conference on Saturday, September 23, 2023 in the afternoon.

2 CE Credits
AGD Course Code 610 Fixed Prosthodontics

The conversion of the edentulous to an implant supported fixed restoration involves many layers of planning and treatment. Beginning with implant positional planning, proceeding to the immediate load restoration, and ultimately the definitive restoration, each step of the process can be enhanced by 2D/3D virtual treatment planning. This presentation will demonstrate the increased predictability and efficiency of digitally planning and treating full mouth reconstruction cases enhanced by incorporating facial data of the patient.

Objectives:

• Show the importance of planning fun, complex cases
• Show the benefits of digital workflow
• Introduce the concept of virtual patient
• Understand workflow for implant supported full mouth reconstructions
• Be able to compare digital workflow to conventional workflow
• Understand the integration of Facial/Dental information