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8U M KC S C H O O L O F D E N T I S T RY A LU M N I N E W S«D E N T I S T RY. U M KC . E D U

At the beginning of the 2019Midwest Dental Conference,Dr. Rick Padley (DDS ’79) wasobviously happy when he ran into hislongtime friend and mentor, Dr. HughBruner (DDS ’61).“The weather was tough this winter,”Dr. Bruner said, “so we haven’t seeneach other in a while. The conferencealways provides a good chance to seecolleagues.”Dr. Padley agreed: “We’ve kept closeover the years, and we always haveinteresting, wide-ranging discussions.In fact, this is what the conference is allabout — the relationships, personal andprofessional.”Every year the Midwest DentalConference, presented by the UMKCDental and Dental Hygienists’ AlumniAssociations, provides a forum forthousands of such meetings, wherecolleagues and classmates findfellowship and share their passion forthe dental professions.The conference also displays sweepinginstitutional scope, offering dozens ofcarefully planned continuing educationlectures, class reunions and officialbusiness sessions. The 2019 conferencedrew more than 3,400 alumni and otherdental professionals from 33 states.And for nearly a century, the vasttransfer of knowledge and renewal ofrelationships have made the MidwestDental Conference a lasting andimportant part of the dental professionsin the region and beyond.then, besides commiserating and doingassociation business, the meeting had aserious educational component.“There were three lectures thatafternoon,” Dr. Carr wrote. “Believe me,I thought it was great to sit there andlisten to those big men.”Over the years the meetings grew andmoved to downtown hotels such as theMuehlebach and then to Crown Centerafter it opened in 1971. The DentalHygienists’ Alumni Association grew,too, and eventually synched its annualmeeting and reunions with the DentalAlumni Association’s. The school’s 1992annual report boasted: “An averageof 2,800 alumni and students attendthe annual alumni meeting each year,making it the largest gathering of itskind in the world.”In the early 1990s, the conference wasrenamed. Some of its growth stemmedfrom its appeal to non-alumni dentistsand dental hygienists in the region,who had come to know the value of its“We’re pleased to open the doors of ourhighly successful annual conventionto dental professionals from across theMidwest!”Conferring great knowledgeJust as the materials used forrestorations have evolved over the years,so have the conference’s educationalofferings. The conference has increasedboth the number of continuing educationcredits available and the breadth ofsubjects covered. That has helped allmembers of dental practice teams keepup with breakthroughs, improvementsand best practices — somethingattendees appreciate.The 2019 amalgam of courses rangedfrom specialty sessions for periodontics,pediatric dentistry, prosthodontics,and oral and maxillofacial surgeryto more general office- and businessmanagement topics such as disasterpreparedness and insurancecoordination.How long has this been going on?Though the Midwest DentalConference name is a quarter-centuryold, a combination alumni-andeducational gathering in Kansas Citydates back at least to 1923, when theDental Alumni Association first met.Though no association records werepreserved till after World War II,Dr. Leonard E. Carr did write manyyears later about his memories of theassociation’s second meeting in springof 1924. That meeting, he said, washeld in a 150-seat lecture room in theKansas City-Western Dental Collegeat 10th Street and Troost Avenue. EvenThe Sheraton lobby was full of classmates and colleagues catching up.continuing education offerings.In 1993, the conference was promotedas the Wild West Dental Roundup: AMidwest Dental Conference. And in1994 it became simply the MidwestDental Conference. Promotionalmaterials touted its “69 total hours ofcontinuing education credits” and said,Dr. Alan Stoll (DDS ’82) saidhe regularly made the trip acrossMissouri from Hannibal, where hehas practiced since 1986, to catch theconference’s specialty lecture in oral andmaxillofacial surgery. Stoll said Dr. BrettFerguson (DDS ’81), chair of the school’sDepartment of Oral and MaxillofacialSUMMER 2019»E X P LO R E R9

Surgery and Hospital Dentistry, anda past president of the AmericanAssociation of Oral and MaxillofacialSurgeons, routinely lines up vitalspeakers.“Many times I’ve incorporated whatI learned in the talks. I take it right backto the office and start using it,” Dr. Stollsaid. “The speakers are usually programdirectors and on the cutting edge ofwhat’s being practiced. I love being ableto listen and hear the latest.”This year, Dr. Stoll heard Dr. StuartLieblich, DMD, a past presidentof the American Dental Society ofAnesthesiology, speak on anesthesiaissues for special patient populations.Dr. Leiblich, who has had his ownpractice for decades and isa clinical professor at the Universityof Connecticut, said, “I had a greattime presenting at the Midwest DentalConference. The conference offereda great variety of excellent programs,well thought out by the organizingcommittee.”Like Dr. Stoll, Dr. Kelley Thompson(DDS ’94) makes it to the conferencemost years, especially for the lecture inher specialty, periodontics, which shepractices in Prairie Village, Kansas.Her classmate Dr. Lisa Thurlow (DDS’94), who practices general dentistrywith her husband in Overland Park,Kansas, said, “MDC consistently bringshigh-quality speakers who appeal togeneral dentists, specialists and teammembers.”Dr. Thurlow is the clinical directorfor the dental hygiene program at a localcareer college and brings her students tothe conference whenever possible.“The conference generously allowsstudents from any school to attendat no cost,” she said. “This is a greatway for local students to see what anoutstanding opportunity we have for CEin Kansas City after they graduate.”A third classmate, Melanie Huckabee(DDS ’94), whose practice is in easternKansas City, Missouri, often bringsher staff to the conference. Twopopular 2019 sessions aimed at dentalstaffs, on customer service and officecommunication, were presented by Judy10Chance meetings and photo memories were plentiful at the conference.Kay Mausolf, an award-winning speaker.Her sessions were lively — and full.“Everyone was so engaged andinterested in learning, and so genuine,”Mausolf said. “I absolutely love thepeople I meet in the dental industry.”Keeping memories alive —and making new onesFor all the history the MidwestDental Conference holds and up-to-dateknowledge it imparts, many attendeessay it’s the relationships — withclassmates, colleagues and mentors —that keep them coming back.On Friday evening this year, at their25th reunion event, Drs. Thompson,Thurlow and Huckabee were among thefirst to arrive, and grateful for a chanceto catch up with one another on theirpractices, classmates and families. Allthree married other School of Dentistryalumni: Dr. Doug Thompson (DDS ’93),Dr. Todd Thurlow (DDS ’94) and Dr.Sam Huckabee (DDS ’95). And theywere very involved with their class, Dr.Huckabee as class president and Dr.Thurlow as class secretary.“Though we live in the area, wedon’t get to see each other that often,”Huckabee said. Thompson finished thethought: “Because we’re so busy withour families and our practices. Theconference is always a good chance tosee each other.”U M KC S C H O O L O F D E N T I S T RY A LU M N I N E W S«D E N T I S T RY. U M KC . E D UDr. Thurlow said having a milestonereunion this year was especiallynice, bringing together two-dozenclassmates from states nearby and faraway, from Arkansas and Oklahomato Arizona and California. “Wehadn’t seen some of them since dentalschool,” she said, “so that was great!”The conference also has manyofferings tailored for dental hygienists.Many alumni come every year to gaincontinuing education credits — and tosee their classmates.Kim Gillam and Mary Lu Day,both DH ’79, were back for their 40threunion. “But we come almost everyyear anyway,” said Gillam, who hasretired from practice but still drivesin from Salina, Kansas. “Our class wasreally close — all 36 of us! We’d doanything for each other.”The conference also helped themstay in touch over the years, and topick up a year’s worth of continuingeducation credits in one weekend.“And we had so much fun,” Day said.“We still do!”Day, who lives in the Kansas Cityarea, said, “It has been a perfectcareer for me, and the conferencehas always been something to lookforward to. We love our profession,and it showed in the care we gave.”Members of the DDS Class of 1969,back to celebrate their 50th reunion,

Kim Gillam (DH ’79) and Mary Lu Day (DH ’79) found their class composite photo.echoed the hygienists’ dedication andcamaraderie, and their sense that theschool and their careers had giventhem the chance to live rewardinglives. Class members on Saturday — atbreakfast, at dinner and at a hospitalitysuite in between — swapped storiesabout their school days and theprofession they love.Dr. Ronald Ingram practiced formany years in Pratt, Kansas, and stillhelps occasionally with free checkupsat area schools. He keeps occupiednow with a farm he bought near town,where he raises wheat, corn and milo.“It’s good pheasant hunting land,too,” said Dr. Ingram, who plays hostto classmates each November duringhunting season.Like some of his classmates, he hadanother career before dental school,teaching junior high and coaching.“I enjoy helping others, but Ialso was always curious and likedlearning,” he said. “After dentalschool the conference was a regularpart of that, allowing my practice tostay up to date. I’ve had a good ride.”Dr. Dean Mason may, at age 91, beregarded as the dean of the class. “Icame to dental school late, at age 39,”he said, after serving in the Pacificin World War II and then workingfor Boeing. “But I still had time topractice for a long time — 33 years inWichita — and retire at age 75.”If Dr. Mason is the dean of the class,Dr. Kenneth Cox is the ringleader.He has practiced for decades in theKansas City area and always pullstogether class events.“I told them I wasn’t going toorganize any more reunions, butthey wouldn’t let me quit!” he said.“Seriously, it’s always great to seeeveryone. We’re all lucky men, happyfor our dental education and thecareers we’ve had. What else couldwe have done that would have helpedpeople more? And most of us are stilltrying to help our communities andour younger dentists.”Dr. Harry “Ed” Martin summed upwhat several of his classmates said:“Dental school was like going intobattle together and living to tell thetale! We learned that if we workedhard, kept our mouths shut and helpedeach other, we’d make it. And we did.”He continued: “The dental schoolwas good to us, and we don’t forgetthat. It’s great to come back and seethat so many of us are still aroundand doing well. I hope more recentgraduates will support the school, too,and join the alumni association andkeep it and the annual conference aliveand thriving.” The DDS Class of 1969 turned out in force for its members' 50th Class Reunion.SUMMER 2019»E X P LO R E R11

Startingwith aSmile12U M KC S C H O O L O F D E N T I S T RY A LU M N I N E W S«D E N T I S T RY. U M KC . E D UCelebrating 70 yearsof care for KC kidsBy BRYCE PUNTENNEY

ELeft: The Lowry Clinic programprovides community care andgives dental students such asJamandeep Kaur (DDS Class of2020) experience in caring forpediatric patients.Right: The program director,Dr. Brenda Bohaty, reviewspatient data with anotherstudent, Mansoor Safder (DDSClass of 2020).very February the AmericanDental Association celebratesChildren’s Dental HealthMonth. The goal is to encouragedentists to devote a day to providefree dental care to children in theirarea. Through the UMKC School ofDentistry’s Lowry Clinic program, thateffort takes place year-round.The Lowry program, which usesthe school's pediatric clinic facilities,is committed to expanding children’saccess to dental care in the Kansas Cityarea. It provides oral health care tounderserved populations who wouldn’totherwise receive the care they need.The Lowry program is also working tobreak down as many barriers to dentalcare as it can, in particular by providingtransportation to and from school forthese young patients.For Neena Patel (DDS ’13), the timeshe spent in the Lowry program whileattending UMKC was eye opening.“Before this program, I was unaware ofhow many kids don’t have access to thecare they need,” said Patel. “Now in mypractice, I have witnessed first-handthe need for dental care with childrenand how it can often go overlooked. TheLowry Clinic serves as a great meansfor children to get the care they need.”Another barrier the program worksto break down is the fear that can beassociated with going to the dentist.The students who staff the program arekeenly aware of their young patients’trepidations and are encouraged tobring cheer to their dental chair.Supervised by faculty members,third- and fourth-year dental studentshelp provide care in the program. Theycan be heard gently and encouraginglytelling their young patients: “Goodjob.” “You might feel a little pinch.”“We’re almost finished.” “You’ve beenso patient.” “Let’s go get a prize.” Thestudents are able to give their youngpatients positive experiences that canstay with them for a lifetime, so theyknow a visit to the dentist doesn’t haveto be scary or painful.Besides preventive services, theprogram provides comprehensive care,including much needed restorativework. This is unusual for universitybased pediatric clinics, as manyare limited to providing preventiveservices.Through the Lowry progam, 150 to200 students are seen each academicyear. Free or reduced fees are availableto families who cannot afford the care.The school estimates that the donatedcare is worth up to 60,000 a year.Besides providing invaluable careto children, the Lowry program givesUMKC students needed pediatricdentistry experience. That experiencecan be difficult to come by in dentaleducation, but the school's brightlypainted, kid-friendly pediatric clinic isSUMMER 2019»E X P LO R E R13

a great draw for children in the area.Dentistry student Ronnie Marquez(DDS ’19) said his experience in theclinic has been extremely valuable andrewarding.“The value in treating a child fromstart to finish cannot be overstated,especially when you are beginning tolearn how to treat the pediatric patient,”said Marquez. “The most rewardingaspect has been our ability to treat thosein need while also having the opportunityto cultivate relationships and gain thetrust of our pediatric patients.”The chair of the school's Departmentof Pediatric Dentistry, Dr. BrendaBohaty (DDS, MS, PhD ’09), interviewsgraduates of dental schools nationwidefor the Advanced Program in PediatricDentistry. In those interviews thegraduates describe their experience inpediatric dentistry, and they rarely comeclose to the comprehensive experiencethe students receive at UMKC.“We send our students out incrediblywell prepared in pediatric dentistry,” saidDr. Bohaty, “particularly when comparedwith other schools across the nation thatmay not offer such a robust experience.”Providing care for more than 70years, the program is named afterDr. Howard S. Lowry, who providedschools in the Kansas City urban core.Since its start, loyalty to the program bythe school’s faculty has helped sustainthe program all these years.These days, the program worksdirectly with principals and schoolnurses from all over Kansas City,while focusing within the urban core.The program transports elementarystudents with a school staff memberfour mornings a week during the fallsemester and then five mornings a weekduring the spring semester. The school'spediatric clinic also accepts patientsfrom the public.According to Dr. Bohaty, the programis most successful when the schoolhas a champion who understands theimportance of good oral health.The program's faculty coordinator,Dr. Eileen Cocjin (DDS ’05), worksdiligently to identify schools that areenthusiastic about their students’ oralhealth needs.Dr. Cocjin performs outreachefforts in area schools — includingpresentations at the schools — toseek those that have such oral healthchampions.The clinic also collaborates with areahealth organizations to help identifyschools in need."The value in treating a child from startto finish cannot be overstated, especiallywhen you are beginning to learn how totreat the pediatric patient."– RONNIE MARQUEZ (DDS ’19)some of the money to get the effortstarted. Dr. Bohaty has been a partof the program in some capacity herentire tenure at UMKC, starting in 1987.Before her, longtime faculty memberDr. John Haynes (DDS ’60) oversaw theclinic for nearly half a century.When the program was conceived, itwas designed to serve the dental needsof first- and second-graders at four14The comprehensive care catering tochildren is what keeps parent MariaFlores coming back with her fourchildren. When she was expectingher first child, her family doctorsteered her toward UMKC's pediatricclinic. The American Academy ofPediatric Dentistry recommends thatchildren receive their first dentalcheck-up as soon as the first toothU M KC S C H O O L O F D E N T I S T RY A LU M N I N E W S«D E N T I S T RY. U M KC . E D Uerupts and no later than at 12 monthsof age.Flores says the care has alwaysbeen good and affordable. So as herfamily has grown, she has returnedregularly. “My doctor told mehow important it is to take care ofchildren’s teeth,” she said duringtheir visit in February. “I have fourchildren now — 13, 11, 5 and 2 — andI bring them all here. My insurancecovers their checkups, twice a year.”According to Dr. Bohaty, much haschanged in dental care in her timeat UMKC, but there has been oneconstant — the continuing presence ofpreventable dental decay.“We stress that dental cavities areone of the leading reasons that kidsmiss school,” Dr. Bohaty said. “Itcontinues to be a problem, and we’retrying to help schools out because if

Jamandeep Kaur (D

UMKC School of Dentistry. Office of Alumni and Development 650 E. 25th St. Kansas City, MO 64108 816-235-2060 Fax: 816-235-5892. Relay Missouri (TTY): 800-735-2966 Email: explorer@umkc.edu. Web: dentistry.umkc.edu SOCIAL MEDIA. Facebook: UMKC School of Dentistry and UMKC Dental Alumni. LinkedIn: UMKC Dental Alumni Instagram: @UMKCDentalAlumni