Wyoming is the Right-to-Work State. When I was working for Meadow Gold in Cheyenne back in 86 and 87 I remember I had the choice of joining the Teamsters Union because Wyoming was the Right-to-work State. Does anyone have any idea what it means and where it's definition is located.
There is another Union called, the Wyoming Dental Board, that is regulated under Wyoming statute, 33-15-101 thru 33-15-131. It clearly states the definition of "dentistry" (33-15-128) as the healing arts practiced by dentist. Under the rules and regulations it clearly states in Chapter 1, section 2, the definition of the dental boards jurisdiction. None of the definitions uses the word denturist or prosthetist and denturist do not practice the healing arts.
After reading the Wyoming Dental Practice Act and knowing that a licensed denturist would not be under the dental boards jurisdiction, I decided to come back to Wyoming after graduating from the Oregon Denturist College in 1992. I passed the Oregon State Denturist Board and was licensed as a denturist by Oregon. I have continued to meet the requirements of that license each year with the required continuing education.
I come back to Wyoming in 1992 after graduation and started to practice as a denturist. Wyoming had no form of licensing or regulations for a prosthetist or denturist. Both provide a removable prosthesis directly to the patient.
I continued to work thru the years as a denturist in Basin, Wyoming, and decided to open an auxillary office in Worland in 8/05, due to the number of Worland people coming to Basin for denture service. When the dentist found out they filed an injuction against me in 9/05 and it was enforced by district court 10/06.
In 1/07 my attorney Keith Goody, of Alpine, Wyoming, appealed the injunction to the Wyoming State Supreme Court. We are waiting to hear the ruling. I'm a single, hard working dad and this has put such a hardship on my family.
My kids and I have worked together to write legislators and have writen an initiative and we are currently gaining the necessary signatures so we can put the issue on the Nov. 2008 general election ballot. It is called the Wyoming Denturism Act and it not only provides licensing and regulation for the denturist profession but also provides freedom of choice for the denture or partial wearer. It removes the denture monopoly by the dentist. It invites competition and drives down prices.
The road to getting back to work in what I'm educated and experienced in as a denturist, is long and enduring. It is difficult, with time and expenses hurting us as a family. We are a special family of adopted children, seven still at home. I'm a Vietnam Vet and was a dental technician in the Navy. I have always worked hard to serve people. Wyoming is the Right to Work State and I could find no legal grounds of being under the Wyoming Dental Boards jurisdiction.
This is unjust and I really need to get back to work people. I need my job back. I have a list of people that are waiting for the affordable denture care service I provide. Will you please help? I am fighting this thing to the end. I Am Not Leaving Wyoming. I already turned down a denturist position in Montana working with a top notch denturist in a new clinic. Thank you for your consideration.
In His service---
Gary W.Vollan
vollan@tctwest.net
P.O.Box 332
Basin, Wyoming 82410
307-568-2047
www.wysda.org
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2 comments:
I don't understand why the ADA is so concerned. They do shoddy work on dentures anyway. I would prefer a denturist over a dentist any day. Keep fighting it we the people need the freedom of choice.
Thank you for your comment. As you know dentures take time. Most successful dentist would rather spend their chairtime doing restorative and cosmetic dentistry. If the procedures for doing dentures were as predictable as other dental procedures more dentist would be interested in dentures. The most unpredictable procedure in denture service is the patient procedure due to the many veritables in each denture procedure. A denture patient needs to be walked through the denture procedures. No wonder one of the highest paid professions is a prosthodontist at $154,000 year. The only thing is not to many of the people I do dentures for can afford the prices a prosthodontist charges for dentures. There are a few good denture dentist out there. The rest of the dentist doing dentures should refer the dentures out to the prosthodontist or denturist. In His service---gary
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