ODA leadership is excited to announce that the ODA House of Delegates is moving to a one-day format in 2018!  A social event will be held on Friday, September 7th, with the formal business of the House being held on Saturday, September 8th at Sunriver Resort. Interested in participating as a delegate? Contact leadership@oregondental.org.

The ADA will be holding a webinar this Thursday, July 19th, focusing on the current state of the opioid crisis and steps being taken to address the crisis. The discussion will include the role of the FDA and state Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs, recent publications on appropriate prescribing as related to dentistry and safe disposal of unused medication to decrease the risk of diversion and abuse.

As 2018 zips by, have you taken the courses you need? If not, don't worry — we know life is busy. That's why the ADA is offering exclusive discounts until July 31 on any topic with promo code JULY50 at check out. You can even sign up now and complete courses any time before the end of the year. Explore new and popular subjects and courses: 

•   Pharmacology and Pain Management
•   Managing Sedation Complications 2018
•   Emergencies in the Dental Office
•   JADA CE Online

In the effort to learn more about our members each month, we will include a poll question in the ODA Insider. Share your thoughts on the question and find out the member results in the next ODA Insider and upcoming Membership Matters issues. Complete the poll below and stay tuned for the results! Check out June's poll results here. 

The Oregon Dental Association's Annual Meeting Council (AMC) invites you to submit a speaker proposal to be part of the 3rd annual ODA Expert Express Lecture Series (OEELS) at the 2019 ODC, April 4-6. OEELS provides a 90-minute platform for ODA members to share their knowledge and expertise with more than 5,000 ODC attendees.  Proposals will only be accepted electronically, through this online application. The proposal deadline is August 1, 2018. Questions? Please contact Christine Vaughan, Education and Events Administrator, by e-mail or 503-218-2010.

Prevention goes a long way when it comes to reducing or eliminating computer hacking of business and personal computers that are used at your practice. Review the ADA’s Tips to Safeguard Your Practice from Computer Hackers.

Are you a provider serving Medicaid patients? Make sure you are enrolled with OHA by August 31, 2018, to ensure prescriptions for your patients can be filled and paid for seamlessly. OHA will only pay for pharmacy claims when they include the National Provider Identifier of an OHA-enrolled prescriber. Verify your enrollment and learn more here.

House Bill 4143, passed during the 2018 Legislative Session, was targeted at the opioid epidemic in Oregon. As part of that bill, all prescribers with an active United States Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) were required to be registered by July 1, 2018. Learn more information and access the registration portal.

The ODA is committed to improving access across the state to ensure that every Oregonian has access to a high-quality, licensed provider regardless of race, income, or location. See updates and members in the news.

Save the date to join your ODA colleagues in a day of advocacy at the state capitol educating yourself, legislators and their staff on critical issues impacting dentistry, including oral health care policy and funding, workforce, education and training.

The 2019 Oregon Dental Conference® is the 127th Annual Session of the Oregon Dental Association (ODA) and marks the association's ​22nd year at the Oregon Convention Center. The conference is the concurrent meeting of the ODA, the Oregon Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (OSOMS), the Oregon State Association of Endodontists (OSAE), the Oregon Society of Periodontists (OSP), the Oregon Academy of General Dentistry (OAGD), the Oregon Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (OAPD), the Oregon Dental Assistants Association (ODAA), The Oregon Dental Executives' Association (ODEA), the Oregon Dental Hygienists' Association (ODHA), ​and the Oregon Association of Dental Laboratories (OADL).