Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Fall 2013 - (Page 16)

SE ASON E D Practitioner’s Corner S EA SO NED Practitioner’s Corner DR. TERRY MCDONALD INTERVIEWS DR. DOUGLAS KLEIN ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ORTHODONTISTS, PATIENTS, AND ORTHODONTIC MANUFACTURERS, WITH THOUGHTS REGARDING DR. VINCE KOKICH TERRY MCDONALD (TM): Doug, I know you were a student of Vince’s at UW. Do you have anything to say about him? Dr. McDonald interviewee for this issue of the Bulletin. A large portion of the interview was done in person. As we began that part of the interview, Dr. Klein shared with me an e-mail he had received from Dr. Greg Huang, University of Washington Orthodontic Department Chair, informing him of Dr. Kokich’s passing: T 16 “It is with great sorrow that I pass along some very sad news. Vince Kokich, Sr., has passed away from a heart attack. It happened early this morning while Vince was at his home in Gig Harbor, a place he loved to be. The world has lost one of its finest people, and the orthodontic profession has lost one of its greatest talents. We have all lost a friend and colleague—someone who inspired us to dream big, to strive for excellence in all our endeavors, and through his life, led by example. Please keep his family in your thoughts and prayers.” Dr. Klein DOUG KLEIN (DK): I’m absolutely heartbroken at the news of Vince’s passing. His impact on our specialty is almost beyond my comprehension. I am extremely fortunate to have attended the UW Orthodontic Department when Vince was on the faculty. Imagine having Vince as one of your weekly instructors for two years. He was an incredible teacher and mentor throughout my career, and I feel so very honored to have known him. I trust his family knows that we are with them in mourning his loss. he orthodontic world is painfully aware of the recent passing of Dr. Vince Kokich, a renowned contributor to our specialty. By coincidence one of Dr. Kokich's former students, Dr. Doug Klein, was chosen to be the TM: Doug, you are a second generation orthodontist. Your father, Dr. Paul Klein, worked in conjunction with Dr. Roland Anderson to develop, for profit, several items for use in clinical orthodontics. How has that experience impacted your presentday thinking regarding the relationship between orthodontists and vendors who supply products— especially when vendors promote products directly to the consumer? DK: Yes, I am a second generation orthodontist. I had the great pleasure of practicing with my father for about 10 years prior to his retirement. He was a very inquisitive man with a remarkable ability to examine mechanical devices and formulate ideas for improving them. He partnered with Dr. Rollie Anderson to develop AlastiK (“A” from Anderson and “K” from Klein) elastomeric ligature products, which were originally sold by Unitek. These common ligature ties, continuous chains and other elastomeric auxiliaries are still used around the world. The break-away safety modules used on headgear straps are also one of my father’s products. He had many other ideas along the way, but these were the most successful. He and Rollie patented their ideas, built a plant to manufacture their products, and set up licensing agreements to have the products marketed and sold to orthodontists. This was a very successful enterprise, but it required a significant effort on their part. There are many interesting stories regarding this endeavor, but they will have to wait for another day. At this time, the patents have expired, the plant has been sold, and there are no current relationships between my family and any manufacturers. I’d like to mention one other family member and then try and answer your questions. My sister is P C S O B u l l e t i n • F A l l 2 0 1 3

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Fall 2013

An Editor's Journey
A Sense of Belonging
To Meet Member Needs, You Have to Know Members
Stronger, More Efficient, More Focused
Service Behavior
Class II, Division 2 Malocclusions, Part II
Dr. Terry McDonald Interviews Dr. Douglas Klein
Mark Douglas, DDS
Vincent G. Kokich, Sr., DDS, MSD
Elastic Wear Tips
AAOF
PCSO Business
Component
PCSO at a Glance
Case Report Pre-Treatment
Case Report Post-Treatment

Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Fall 2013