Page 8

NEW DENTIST LABORATORY .-.. _ 1/11

••• 1:811 •• 111 ,.,.emium 11111

N ~ILABLE

CE R T i f iE D

American Dental Association

Dentistry's Finest Partial Dental Alloy

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Ticonium's newest brochure outlines in detail the many strong features of its Premium 100 Partial Denture Alloy_ Such topics as yield strength, distortion, elongation, modulus of elasticity, hardness and specific gravity are discussed in a meaningful, easy-to-read format. Premium 1 ~O's specifications are illustrated in clear, concise charts designed for quick reference. A more thorough understanding of Ticonium's Premium 100 Partial Denture Alloy is assured with this new brochure. For your free copy contact Ticonium Company by calling their Nationwide Toll-Free Number 1-800-888-5868 or write:

Ticonium Company P.O. Box 350 Albany, NY 12201 ATTN: Publication Dept.

P. S. Additional copies are available to Ticonium Franchises at $12.50 per 100 brochures. It makes a great promotional mailer.

Contacts April-May 1988

ntsets a Ticonoum publicat - 4~th ye r

Vol. 49, No.3

A Look At '88

MACHINE RUNS DOWN

The U.S. economy is likely to gener­ate no more than 1.5 million new jobs in 1988, down sharply from about 3 million in 1987, according to a Con­ference Board analysis.

More than 85% of all the new jobs created during this year will be in the service industries, with only 15% in manufacturing or other goods­producing areas. About half of all the new jobs spawned in 1988 will be part­time, temporary or other "contingent" positions.

"America's great job-generation ma­chine will run out of steam in 1988," declares Richard Belous, a laborecon­omist at The Conference Board. "The number of Americans seeking work will grow at a faster pace than the number of employment opportunities."

The Conference Board estimates that this country's 120 million labor force now includes about 30 million contingent workers. These employees include part-time and temporary workers and a wide mix of jobs rang­ing from subcontractors to conSUltants.

"Unlike core workers," says Belous, "contingent employees are not part of -the so-called corporate family: they receive no long-term promises, and thus give management greater flexibil­ity in reducing employment during downturns."

The corporate response to the next economic dip is likely to be more swift than in past slumps. Companies will not hesitate to use downsizing, staff restructu ring, early retirements and hiring freezes if their companies face economic danger this year, the analy­sis notes.

April-May 1988

April - May 1988

THE WORDS WE USE

By Ed Brenner

Most people take communications for granted. The feeling seems to be that once we learn to speak and write, the process of transferring thoughts from one mind to another is-or should be-automatic.

We know, however, that really clear communication is rare. We realize how many times our own anxieties and frustrations have been the result of not clearly understanding what someone meant to convey to us, or not being able to convey our own thoughts to someone else.

So let's look at a few of the reasons why good communication is so compli­cated . We'll also consider a few guidelines to help us carefully selectthe words we use to get our messages across to each individual with whom we communicate.

A major flaw with much that has been written about communications skills is that it focuses only on techn iques a reader can use to get a message across. In other words, it looks at only one side of the communication process.

NEEDS A RECEIVER

But communication, no matter what form it takes, involves a sender and one or more receivers. If you consider communication from only the "sending" side, you can create barriers that interfere with the thought-transfer process.

Every person in a given communication situation brings with him a summation of his entire life experiences and interests. The things we say and the things we hear provoke images of those experiences and interests. And to complicate communication further, these images are modified by our plans and expectations . . . and are frequently interrupted by numerous distractions. It's sort of amazing that good communication can ever take place.

One factor that helps permit effective communication is that everyone filters out those things in his immediate environment that are least important to him. In the process, he focuses on the part of the things he sees and hears that are of immediate concern . Many sociologists and psycholog ists refer to this as "cogni­tive mapping" or "selective perception."

Visualize, for example, the front of a typical grocery supermarket. Different people looking at the same store will not see the same thing:

A stranger looking for a grocery store will most likely notice the sign bearing the store's name; a three-year-old will probably see the coin-operated pony ride in front of the store; someone who is bargain shopping will be most apt to see the price posters in the store's windows; the person who's late for an appointment will undoubtedly single out the clock near the front entrance.

'(Continued on Page 2)

Contacts Page 1

Coordinating FI

By Markus Ring

A golden opportunity to construct a superior removab le partial denture occurs when the proposed abutments are to be crowned. In such instance, the dental technician has absolute control over the size and shape of the restored tooth and thus the ability to create the "perfect" abutment.

hat

I

hould

The perfect abutment may be de­scribed as a tooth whose contours provide support, stability, reciproca­tion, and retention without endanger­ing the health of the remaining natural teeth and tissues. Therefore, the rest seat must transfer occlusal loads along the long axis of the tooth, and the

c asp channels

gu ding planes

re t preparations

clasping must not torque the abut­ment during any movement of the removable partial denture.

Over the years, I have developed a "Wish list" of conditions I want when

ave re ention/reciprocation

designing a partial denture using teeth in their natural state as abutments. This is illustrated above.

In carving the wax pattern for the

The ideal occlusal rest has an angle of less than 90° between the minor connector and the occlusal portion; the base of the occlusal portion is described as "spoon shaped" to permit rotational movement of the prosthesis during func­tion; the angle overthe marginal ridge and the minor connec­tor must be heavy enough to prevent a fracture; and the border is blended into the remainder of the occlusal surface. A box-like rest seat is contra-indicated.

abutment crowns, the dental tech­nician is now able to incorporate all the desirable features to make the per­fect abutment.

Where inadequate tooth preparation causes a rest seat to slope at greater than 90°, satisfactory support can be obtained by a second occlusal rest on the opposite side of the tooth. This configuration will offset the ang les and direct the occlusal forces parallel to the long axis of the abutment.

Page 4 Contacts April-May 1988

A well-planned combination restoration, utilizing a Ceka attachment on the right cuspid to avoid the display of a clasp. Both cuspids have cingulum rests and both molar abutments have deep, spoon-shaped rest seats. There will be no clasp on the left cuspid since the rest on the right molar and double clasping of the molars will prevent dropping of the left denture base. (Note fulcrum line between right cuspid and left molar.)

Lateral view showing the guiding plane carved on the mesial of the molar crown. The model clamp has been tightened to keep the same orientation of the model for carving the wax crowns on the other side.

Lateral view of left side. With the model locked in position, the guiding planes were carved parallel to the right side. Note channel between the molar crowns for a crib-type clasp. The deep. channel will permit enough bulk of metal across the occlusal without compromising the occlusal plane.

These crowns were made by a C&B laboratory to my specifications. I checked the wax patterns and, at this stage, I am surveying the crowns to check the final contour. The right bicuspid has a deep mesial rest, a distal guide plane, and .001 undercut for an I-bar clasp. On the left side, the lingual arms will be inset to provide true reciprocation as well as tongue comfort. The channel was deepened to provide additional room for the clasps.

The deep channel results in a clasp that is adequately strong and yet does not rise above the occlusal plane. This is the master model.

The TICONIUM casting seated on a duplicate stone model ready for articulation and completion.

April-May 1988 Contacts

(Continued on Page 7)

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New Limits On '/i To Fire Em 10 ees Suppose that your company hires

Bill Smith for an indefinite period. Bill has no formal contract and he isn 't covered by a collective bargaining agreement.

How free are you to dismiss him? Until quite recently, you had nearly

complete freedom to do so. The law regarded Bill as having an "employ­mentat will." You could dismiss Bill for any reason-or for no reason at all.

About the only Ii mitations were those created by federal or state statutes. For example, legislation has prohibited an employer from firing a worker on the bases of race, sex or religion. And there are laws which bar an employer from dismissing someone because of union membersh ip or activit ies , or because the employee missed work to serve on a jury. But except for these and similar statutory limitations, the employer hasn't had to worry about legal problems in dismissing an employee.

In large measure, you're still free to fire people without fear of legal reper­cussions. However, there's a growing tendency for courts to chip away atlhe traditional perogatives of the em­ployer.

Consider these cases: John Novosel worked for his com­

pany for 15 years. During that time, he was never reprimanded or subjected to disciplinary action. A problem arose when his employer asked him to lobby for an insurance reform bill pending in the state legislature. Specifically, Novosel's employer instructed him to gather signatures on petitions being sent to the state capitol. Novosel re­fused because he opposed the com­pany's political stand. Shortly after­wards, he was fired.

He sued his employer, claiming that he had been wrongfully discharged as a result of his refusal to join the com­pany's political efforts. The court said if Novosel could prove that that was why he was fired , he could collect damages from his former employer. The court said that an employee's freedom of political expression must be protected.

In another case, Charles Toussaint was fired and sued his former em­ployer. He claimed a breach of con­tract. However, Toussaint didn't have a formal written contract. Instead he

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By Fred S. Steingold based his case on statements in a per­sonnel manual and a pamphlet of employee guidelines handed to him right after he was hired. The manual and pamphlet said that it was com­pany policy to release employees "for just cause only."

The jury found that the employer didn 't have "just cause" for discharg­ing Toussaint. It returned a verdict of $72,835 in his favor. The state supreme court upheld the verdict. The court said that the company's printed publica­tions-as well as some oral assur­ances of job security- gave Toussaint the legal protection he had claimed. An employer's policy statements, the court sa id, can create " legitimate ex­pectations" that an employee won't be fired without just cause.

These cases are typical of a legal trend that is sweeping the country. Courts in at least three-fourths of the states have already placed significant restraints on an employer's abi lity to dismiss employees.

These restraints are based mainly on two legal theories. The first is that the employer's action has violated some principle of publ ic pol icy. Using this theory, courts have said it's im­proper to fire an employee for filing a workers compensation claim; for re­fusing to take a lie detector test; for refusing to manipu late data in offic ial air pollution reports; or for complain­ing that the employer had overcharged customers. "Public policy"-based on the U.S. Constitution-was the reason the court gave for protecting John Novosel 's right to refuse to go along with his employer's lobbying program.

The second legal theory is that there was an "implied contract" that the employer would dismiss an employee for cause only. This theory was used in Charles Toussaint's c"se involving the personnel manual. It also played a role in a case started by Wayne Pugh who was fired after working for a candy company for 32 years. He had worked his way up from dishwasher to vice president in charge of production. The court said ajury properly could find an implicit promise that the company would refrai n from arbitrarily firing Pugh .

The court said that the implied promise could be created by such facts as these: the duration of Pugh's

Contacts

employment; the commendations and promotions he received ; the apparent lack of any direct criticism of his work; the assurances he was given; and the employer's acknowledged policies.

While most cases favoring the em­ployee have been based on public pol­icy or an implied contract, courts have occasionally applied novel theories such as "negligent evaluation" in hold­ing an employer liable for wrongful discharge.

For example, take the case of John Chamberlain , whom the court ac­knowledged was not doing a very good job before he was fired . Cham­berlain received periodic performance reviews. During these reviews, Cham­berlain's employer told him he was doing a good or at least adequate job. Nothing was said in these reviews to tip off Chamberlain that his job was in jeop­ardy because of poor performance.

The judge ruled that a reasonable person would have told Chamberlain that discharge was being considered unless Chamberlain drastically im­proved on the job. Because the com­pany was negligent in conducting its performance reviews, the judge ordered that it pay $61,354 to Cham­berlain .

What steps can your own business take to reduce the chances of an adverse legal decision? Here are a few suggestions:

1. Remember that poor perform­ance is still a valid reason for firing an employee. Let your employees know what is expected of them, and give them fair warning if their performance declines. Be prepared to document your claims.

2. In job application forms, em­ployee handbooks, and letters of em­ployment, make it clear that your com­pany retains the right to terminate the employment at any time.

3. Consider having each new em­ployee sign a statement like this one: " I understand that I have the right to ter­minate my employment at any time, and that XYZ Company has the same right. " (Be aware, however, that while such a signed statement may afford a measure of legal protection, it can also dampen employee morale.)

4. Be cautious about what you tell your non-contractual employees

(Continued on Page 7)

April-May 1988

A Sen ice F

NEW "800" NUMBER

In the interest of continuing to offer the highest quality of service to its valued laboratory network, calling Ticonium Company is as easy as dial ing 1-800-888-5868.

This "toil-free" number is available nationwide (including New York State!) and will assure your laboratory of a fast positive link with Ticonium.

Our customer service personnel are eagerly awaiting your calls between the hours of 8:00 AM and 4:30 PM, Monday thru Friday, EST. Whether to place an order or ask advice on a technical problem, our customer service department will make every effort to rapidly expedite your request.

words real ly mean what the other person interprets them to mean, our communi­cation task is more complicated.

What can you do to help transfer your thoughts properly? You've already taken the first step. By knowing that communication is a process, by having at least some idea of how that extremely complicated process works, and by recognizing some of the pitfalls in using words, you are likely to become more aware of the words you use and to choose those words a bit more carefully.

In your search for better words to sharpen your communication skills, there are a lot of hazards awaiting you. Here are a few of the more common ones that have garbled a lot of messages:

1. Be aware of and beware of trade jargon. Every industry or profession has developed its own specialized vocabulary and phraseology that may be incom­prehensible to someone not familiar with it. Many people use this trade jargon routinely without realizing that such use may have several perils.

One of the more important is the fact that the person with whom you are communicating may have on ly a smattering of knowledge about the industry. If you give him the full trade-jargon treatment, he may not comprehend your message because he simply doesn't understand your esoteric vocabulary.

Another peril may be in your assumption that the trade jargon commonly used among your associates is used universally. It probably is not.

2. Be aware of and beware of offensive words. There's a long list of words that are offensive to many people. These include such words as swear words, words that reflect racial or ethnic slurs, or just uncouth language. The surprising thing is that many people who routinely use these offensive words themselves may be offended when other people voice them . Many words that a few years ago were considered offensive have now become "acceptable" ... at least among some, but not all, groups of people.

You can seldom be sure of how your listener or reader may feel about your use of offensive words, but one thing is certain: There are very , very few people who might take offense if you don't use such words. The lesson is clear: Weed offensive or potentially offensive words out of your vocabulary.

3. Be aware of and beware of slang. Slang words can sometimes be wonder­fully expressive and convey a thought or concept more meaningfully than any other "legitimate" words. But more often than not, slang words have vague meanings.

Use slang carefully when you use it at all. Don't fall into the habit of using any old word just because it takes a little effort to think of the exact word to help you convey your message.

(Continued on Page 7)

April-May 1988 Contacts

BeWa

chased list of persons who subscribe to particular magazines. And asking the caller to send you a written expla­nation of the investment that can be reviewed by your attorney. accoun­tant, or investment advisor can effec­tively turn-off a swindler. Most crooks are reluctantlo put anything in writing that might cause them to run afoul of postal authorities. Also, swindlers don't want you to do anything that takes time. They want your money now. Finally, they certainly don't want to provide materials to your financial advisors that, at some point, might become evidence in a fraud trial.

In many ways, an investor is not simply a consumer but a party to a contract. The Investor's Bill of Rights is designed to assist you in making an informed decision before committing your funds . Your rights are:

• To seek and obtain information about the investment, firm and sales­person;

• To know where your money is and the current value of your account;

• To receive responsible advice by having an investment professional take your financial situation , needs and investment objectives into considera­tion ; and

• Time to make an informed an well-considered decision.

Before you invest any money, care­ful ly check out the person and firm you would be dealing with through the local Better Business Bureau or state and federal regulators.

You earned your money. You have the right to decide for yourself how you want to invest it. Just remember, if the deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Contacts is published bimonthly by the Ticonium Company, Division of eM? Industries. Inc. 413 North Pearl Street, Albany, New York 12207. Copyright, 1988, T iconium Company.

George Yamin, Editor Richard C. Adamson, Managing Editor

John Monteiro, Technical Editor

Opinions expressed by contribu tors to Contacts do not necessaril y express the views of the publishers.

Send editorial contributions and corre­spondence to George Yamin , 17 Myrtle Avenue, Troy, New York 12180.

Page 3

It can happen:

OF B LKED

People lose an estimated $10 billion a year because of investment fraud. That's more money than the combined annual profits of GM, Ford and Chrys­ler. And if you are absolutely certain that you could never fall for an invest­ment scam, the swindler starts with a big advantage. Investment fraud gen­erally happens to people who think it cou ldn 't happen to them. However, you can help protect yourself by know­ing what to look for, what questions to ask, and what your rights as an inves­tor are.

There is no typical profile for a swindler. He may attempt to gain your trust by mimicking the sales ap­proaches of legitimate investment firms, whether they be through phone and mail solicitations, or advertise­ments placed in popular magazines and newspapers. But most investment fraud is carried out over the phone.

Reputable investment firms encour­age you to ask questions and be entirely comfortable with your invest­ment decision. A swind ler only wants your money. He wi II try to keep you from ask ing questions by asking ques­tions himself. And they will be de­signed to make you say "yes", such as "You'd be interested in hearing about a fantastic investment opportu nity , wouldn't you?" You can turn off an investment swindler by making sure you ask questions yourself, such as: "Where did you get my name?" and "Will you send me written information on the investment?" The caller may claim that you were chosen from a "select list of intelligent and prudent investors." In fact, the "select list" may be the telephone directory or a pur-

(Continued on Page 3)

Page 2

Once the individuals are inside the store, their initial focus seldom completely disappears unless it is resolved or replaced by another, more immediate, concern. The three-year-old , for example, may forget about the pony ride after he spots a gumball machine when he gets inside the store.

O.K., so what does this business of "selective perception" mean to you? It means that if your receiver is not focusing on what you are saying, your message isn't going to be transferred properly. It means that you often should not begin delivering your message until you take a moment to discover your receiver's current concerns and try to refocus them onto the subject you want to discuss. It also means you must recognize that the best time to transmit an important m~age may not be at the time it is most convenient for you.

We said earlier that every party to a communication si tuation brings with him a summation of his entire life experiences and interests. As a communicator, that's an important thing to keep in mind. No two people will have the same reaction to the same experience.

Did you ever, as a youngster, sit with your friends on a summer day trying to discern familiar shapes in the white clouds overhead? One cloud may have looked to you like an elephant, while one friend saw a sailing ship in the same cloud , and another saw a castle. One cloud; three people; three interpretations.

In some respects, communicating your thoughts to another person is like trying to make him see that elephant-in-the-cloud you tried to describe to your friends many years ago. To do it well takes skillful use of all the communication tools at your disposal.

Keep in mind that a communicator's tool box contains more than words. Humans communicate every day using three principal techniques:

1. Physical touch: A touch can convey deep meaning to another person . A caress, a pat on the back, a slap on the hand, a punch in the nose - all say something to the recipient. Without a word being said, such physical touches convey a thought from one mind to another.

2. Physical signals: We all use physical signals to help us communicate - a smile, a scowl, a shrug, a wink. These and other gestures may convey meaning by themselves, or they may help us clarify our communications.

Our tone of voice and speaking volume also convey more meaning sometimes than the words themselves. The field of body language - those unconscious mannerisms and movements that some people believe reveal our innermost feelings - is also a part of this physical-signals communications method.

3. Symbols: The words we use are really symbols for what they represent. But "symbols" go beyond written or spoken words. They include pictures, diagrams, charts, samples - the whole range of so-called "visual aids" that so many good communicators use with such advantage.

Because we're concentrating on "The Words We Use," let's look at some of the pitfalls of using the symbols we call "words." Again, because everyone interprets meaning on the basis of his or her own experiences and interests, the same word will not mean the same thing to everyone.

You might think that any word shown in a dictionary is apt to have universal meaning . Not so. There are two major problems with this line of thinking : First of all, not many people are students of the dictionary. Secondly, the question arises: "Which definition are you talking about?"

A quick glance through a dictionary will reveal few words with less than two definitions. And some words almost defy pinning down. In one d ictionary, the word "face" has 35 definitions; "rap" has 11; "belt" has 13; "off" has 30!

Gee whiz! It's a wonder any communication can take place! You and I use a word in the sense of definition #3, but our listener hears it in the sense of definition #22! Of course it isn't really that bad, since our grammatical structure and the context in which we use a word tends to limit the possible definitions of what we mean. But that still leaves a vast area in which misunderstanding can take place.

If our listeners and readers always understood our words to mean what we mean them to mean, our communication task would be easier. But since our

(Continued on Page 3)

Contacts April-May 1988

Dental Technology Today (Continued fro Page 5)

The ceramist built a beautiful molar crown here. Unfortunately, she over­built the mesial-occlusal area which then covered almost one-fourth of the Ceka. The photograph shows my re­duction of the mesial to uncover the enti re attach ment.

Th is is a well planned restoration, replacing a partial denture wi th the mid-line off center to accommodate three anteriors on the right side. Be­fore the abutment teeth were pre­pared, the shade and mold were selected and the anterior teeth ar­ranged on a base plate for a prelimi­nary try- in. Moving the mid-line to its normal position required severe nar­rowing of the cuspid. But since the

4. Be aware of and beware of assuming the other person knows more about a subject than he actually does. This can be tricky because your reader or listener may resent a too-basic explanation of a subject with which he is already familiar. On the other hand , if he's not very familiar with a subject, your too-technical words may go over his head.

It would be easier if we could ask the other person whether he is familiar with the subject. But we can't depend on the answer to such a question. Many people will hesitate to reveal their ignorance. Perhaps the best way to solve this dilemma is to probe frequently as we transmit our message. Ask the kinds of questions that will confirm whether our message is getting through.

5. Be aware of and beware of fine shades of word meanings. Many times, several different words are commonly used to mean the same thing. There are hundreds of examples such as height/altitude, verbal/oral , or box/carton. In most instances, either word would get the message across, but not always!

A man may refer routinely to the hours after sundown as "evening" or as "night." Yet a completely different message may come through to that man's wife depend­ing upon whether he suggests she slip into an "evening" gown or a "night" gown .

There are a wealth of word choices avai lable to help you express your thoughts and images. And the words you choose should always depend upon the circum­stances and the people involved.

I'm reminded of the clergyman who had stopped his car at a stopl ight. As he waited for the light to change, his car was rammed by another car. The other driver got out of his car and began to berate the clergyman, using the coarsest, vilest language you can imagine.

The clergyman sat grimly as he listened to the tirade. Finally, the other driver said , "Well, don't you have anything to say?"

"Yes," replied the clergyman. "Because of my profession, friend , I cannot reply to you in the kind of language you're using . So, sir, the only th ing I have to say is that I hope when you get home tonight, your mother runs out from under the porch and bites you."

Apri l-May 1988 Contacts

bicuspids were being crowned, plans were made to reduce the mesio-buc­cal of the first bicuspid more than usual which, in turn , permitted the final crown to be narrower. This pro­vided an additional 2mm of width for the cuspid.

The patient was highly complimen­tary about the natural feel of the lin­gual surfaces and the lack of bulk in the same area.

Fil J" ,.

The lack of interdental space on the mesial of the right first bicuspid pre­cl uded the use of any type of attach­ment. Note the reduced mesio-buccal angle of the bicuspid crown.

age 6)

about job security. 5. If you have a program of per­

formance reviews, don't pull any punches: let the employee know where he or she stands so that a firing doesn't come as a surprise.

6. If you have a probationary period for employees, let them know that at the end of the period they can become a "regular" employee; avoid talking about "permanent" employment.

7. Consider an agreement that em­ployment-related disputes will bearbi­trated . This avoids the peri ls of a jury trial in wh ich the "underdog" (here, the employee) often has a distinct advan­tage.

8. Check with your lawyer to learn the public policy grounds that can lead to legal trouble in your state.

Fred S. Steingold is a partner in the Ann Arbor, Michigan law firm of Fahrner & Steingold. He is president of the Business Enterprise Institute and author of Legal Master Guide for Small Business (Prentice-Hall , Inc., 1983) .

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