Welcome to our newest members! Please reach out to these new members and welcome them into the ODA community.

• Grant Beyer, DMD - Clackamas County Dental Society
• Antonio Diaz, DDS - Multnomah Dental Society
• Catherine Kim, DMD - Multnomah Dental Society
• Linda Le, DDS - Marion and Polk Dental Society
• Loan Nguyen, DMD - Washington County Dental Society
• Andrew Toms, DDS - Central Oregon Dental Society

The ODA House of Delegates (HOD) took place virtually on Saturday, September 25th. Thank you to the 71 delegates from all around the state who participated in the meeting, discussing and voting on important issues that will guide the association moving forward.

A special shout out to Clackamas County Dental Society, Klamath County Dental Society, Multnomah Dental Society and Umpqua Dental Society for maximizing their component representation, with full delegation participation at the 2021 HOD.

The following seven resolutions were considered by the HOD: 

• Resolution BOT-1-21: Dues Streamlining: Life Active PASSED
• Resolution BOT-2-21: Dues Streamlining: New Graduates PASSED
• Resolution BOT-3-21: Life Membership Eligibility PASSED
• Resolution BOT-4-21: Cost of Living Increase PASSED
• Resolution HODTF-1-21: House of Delegates Format & Budget PASSED
• Resolution HODTF-2-21: Policy Setting Authority FAILED
• Resolution HODTF-3-21: HOD Handbook PASSED

For more information on these resolutions and a full HOD recap, be sure to check out the next issue of Membership Matters.

The following individuals were elected by the House of Delegates to serve on the Board of Trustees, Leadership Development Committee, as Editor, and as ADA Delegate at Large.

Board Members (4-year term):

• Todd Beck, DMD: Multnomah Dental Society
• Bryan Guthrie, DMD: Clackamas County Dental Society
• Helen Zagorodny: OHSU Student Member

Editor (3-year term):

• Alayna Schoblaske, DMD

ADA Delegate at Large (3-year term):

• Caroline Zeller, DDS

Leadership Development Committee (3-year term):

• Jordan Anderson, DDS
• Bruce Burton, DMD
• Brad Hester, DMD
• Deborah Struckmeier, DMD 

Calie Roa, DMD, was installed as the 129th President of the Oregon Dental Association. Watch her incoming address here. Mark Miller, DMD, is the 2021-2022 President-Elect.

Congratulations on your appointments and thank you for your service! 

Thank you to those who came together as a community to learn, share, and be inspired on September 28th at the virtual town hall with ADA leadership. As a member, you’re a part of something bigger.

As Congress looks at expanding the Medicare program to include dental care, the ADA News interviewed ADA President Daniel J. Klemmedson, D.D.S., M.D., to discuss what this could potentially mean for dentists and their patients. Explore this new digital Q&A to learn more about the ADA's alternative proposal, the ADA's policy on Medicare, and more.

The Oregon Dental Association (ODA) has partnered with Permanente Dental Associates (PDA) and the Oregon Wellness Program (OWP) to expand free access to well-being resources to all licensed Oregon dentists. This expansion was made possible by a generous 3-year grant from PDA.

The Oregon Wellness Program promotes Oregon Healthcare Professionals’ well-being through education, coordinated regional counseling services, telemedicine services, and research. Access to OWP program benefits are the latest addition to the ODA’s Wellness Initiative prioritizing the physical and mental health of Oregon dentists and dental students. Learn more here.

Fall is here and it’s time to break out your ODA Molar Movement scarf! We would like to encourage you to show us your ODA community spirit by posting pictures of yourself and other members wearing your scarves in your community. Tag the ODA on Facebook and Instagram posts and use the hashtags: #MOLARMOVEMENT, #TOOTHPARTY, #FIGHTENAMELCRUELTY. You may see yourself reshared on ODA social media or in an upcoming issue of Membership Matters. This is a great way to stay connected as a community when we can’t all be together!

We’re living through a time of uncertainty, and it’s normal to feel stressed and anxious. We have many challenges that lie ahead, and if you feel the need to reach out to someone, we are here and you are not alone. The ODA's Wellness Program offers a robust network of compassionate Wellness Ambassadors, armed with resources to help support ​colleagues. The wellness program is open to all members, non-members, and dental students. If you need help or know of someone that needs help, please request support.

Are you interested in serving your state, drafting and interpreting rules by which practitioners are held accountable, and making positive change for your peers? Serving on the Board of Dentistry, while time-consuming, is an incredible opportunity to directly affect how dentistry is practiced in Oregon.

There will be two open general dentist seats on the Oregon Board of Dentistry with 4-year terms beginning April of 2022. Statute affords the Oregon Dental Association the opportunity to submit recommendations to the governor for her consideration. ODA's Leadership Development Committee (LDC) will conduct interviews with interested candidates in order to form that recommendation. Diverse applicants and individuals living in rural areas of the state are encouraged to apply.

Please contact ODA Government Affairs Director, Jen Lewis-Goff at jlewis-goff@oregondental.org for more information and to express your interest.

ODA continues to update the COVID-19 Resources page on our website. Click here to access resources from ODA, ADA, OHA, CDC, and more.

All dentists who hold an active DEA license must register with the Oregon Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP). If you have not already registered, please access the registration portal here.

Fall into Savings with FREE DELIVERY on orders over $299 and additional savings on select appliances.* Plus, take advantage of special financing options, while supplies last. Check out our new small appliances, too! Visit www.ada.org/ge to shop sales, plus take advantage of special financing options, while supplies last.

Looking to acquire a practice? Bank of America Practice Solutions has financing options to set you up for success. Learn more here!

Catch up on the latest COVID-19 webinars and on-demand video learning opportunities on your own schedule. From managing your practice during this crisis to caring for your staff or your own mental health, new events are added regularly. See all digital events here. Many CE opportunities are free of charge to members.

ODA Member Connection, a members-only, private Facebook group, is designed to connect members throughout the state and provide you with a platform to share and collaborate. Join the conversation here!

In this free, one-hour webinar, you’ll dive into a discussion of wellness, individual self care and community care with NAMI Chicago’s Kasey Franco and Robyn Rabicke. Learn about self care strategies you can use (or share with others) and build your own wellness plan to help manage stress. This event is brought to you in part through a generous grant from Crest + Oral-B. Register today.

Wednesday, November 10 | 12–1 p.m. CT  | 1 CE credit
Wilson Compton, M.D., M.P.E., is a nationally known expert on the causes and prevention of drug abuse and is the Deputy Director, National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). During this webinar, he will present a comprehensive overview of the state of the opioid crisis amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and the various initiatives at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to combat that crisis as well as COVID-19. Dr. Compton’s presentation will include a review of multiple NIH collaborative efforts to address interdisciplinary challenges associated with the pandemic and the “Helping to End Addiction Long-Term (HEAL) Initiative:” a trans-agency effort to speed scientific solutions to curb the opioid public health crisis. Additionally, he will summarize the science and tools available to dentists as they are addressing substance use issues in their clinical practices. Register today.

Tuesday, October 26 | Noon CT | 1 CE credit

Coordination of benefits (COB) is a common source of frustration for dental offices as dentists often have trouble determining which plan is primary and what fee can be charged – primary or secondary, in addition to many other concerns. You will get the answers to these questions and much more in this free webinar at noon CT on October 26. You will also hear why plans must coordinate benefits, gain an understanding of how COB works and how it may affect your front office staff. Register today!