This fall, ADA will introduce a new login process to make it easier to access your account online. You will no longer use your ADA member number for login. Instead, your email address and password will grant you access to your ADA account across a variety of web properties, including ADA.org, the ADA Member App and JADA. Starting September 10, you will need to reset your password to access ADA properties. Learn more at ADA.org/LoginFAQ.

Thank you to those who served as delegates on September 28 at the 2024 ODA House of Delegates and represented your components. Please take a few minutes to fill out the post event survey - Your voice matters!

You're invited to ODA's Regional Event: CE on the Ranch! Taking place November 1-2, 2024, in beautiful Central Oregon. Join us at Brasada Ranch in Powell Butte, OR, for 5 hours of continuing education, social events, and relationship building with sponsors and exhibitors. Events include a Friday Night Trivia welcome kick-off and a Saturday night Boots & Bling party featuring country western music & line dancing. Event schedule, registration, speaker information are all available here.

 Come for the CE – Stay for the boot scootin' good time!

ODA Executive Director, Barry Taylor would like to visit your study club to talk about the value ODA membership and our plans for 2025. If you are a member of a study club, please reach out to Barry at btaylor@oregondental.org to make arrangements for a visit. We are looking forward to a great 2025, and we want to increase membership engagement.

Our team has been hard at work developing our 2025 legislative agenda, in partnership with the ODA’s Regulatory Advisory Council (RAC). The Board of Trustees approved the agenda, which includes insurance reform, a multi-state dental compact, and improving reimbursement rates. As our members know, advocating for the dental profession and oral health care is one of the primary functions and one of the valued benefits of the Oregon Dental Association. Read September’s issue of Membership Matters to learn more. 

Dr. Rachel Meek recently shared her unique experience as a recent dental graduate working for the Confederate Tribes of the Siletz Indians and the important role that native dentists play in building trust with their patients. Dr. Meek has brought that perspective to the Oregon Dental Association, serving on the ODA’s Regulatory Advisory Council and Legislative Task Force. Not only does the ODA offer an opportunity for Dr. Meek to influence policies and legislation impacting dentistry, but it also provides a valuable resource for connection and learning that she may not otherwise have due to her geographic location. https://www.oregondental.org/members-in-action/dr.-rachel-meek

While the ODA team is busy in Salem and Washington, D.C., there is no substitute for the voices of those working with patients and running dental offices every day and who can advocate for patients’ rights. The ODA is building its team of dental advocates, and we need YOU to get involved in the legislative process!

Advocacy can take many forms, depending on your comfort level, experience, and expertise. As a member of the ODA Legislative Action Team, you may be invited to write a letter to legislators, attend Dental Day at the Capitol, or write an op-ed for a local publication, among other opportunities.

Sign up HERE or email ODA’s Director of Government and Regulatory Affairs Brett Hamilton at bhamilton@oregondental.org and express your interest directly.

As a reminder, beginning Jan. 1, 2024, dental insurers in Oregon are required to allow providers to opt in to receiving payment reimbursements via credit card, rather than having to opt out. Thanks to ODA’s advocacy team, this new law will save dentists thousands in unexpectedly low reimbursement rates.

To provide clarification regarding the law, you may access a new FAQ, here.

The law applies to all new contracts, renewed, or extended contracts entered into or contracts that had significant changes made after January 1, 2024. If you renewed your contract before January 1, 2024, the new law does not yet apply to your contract. Contact your provider networks to learn more.

Effective July 1, 2024, the Oregon Wellness Program (OWP) will reduce the number of free counseling sessions available to medical and dental professionals from eight annually to three visits. Learn more on the ODA website here.

You can access the ADA’s wellness resources 24/7! If you haven’t yet, take one minute to assess your mental wellness with the Well-Being Index designed by Mayo Clinic. Check out this video to learn more about how this tool can help you monitor and support your mental health.

If you missed our Instagram Live on mental health awareness, you can watch the recap here. Don’t forget to also tune into the latest Dental Sound Bites episode on mental wellness and suicide prevention in dentistry.

 The ADA Member App also has new audio-guided ergonomic stretches to help you maintain your physical health.

 Find these resources and more at ADA.org/wellness.

A new rule added optional additional functions for Dental Therapists including intravenous access, phlebotomy, and blood draw with successful completion of a Board-approved course effective May 1, 2024. There were also 10 other rules amended including dental implant training requirements, nitrous oxide permitting, minimal sedation, and additional functions for dental hygienists and dental assistants. More information about these rule changes can be found on the OBD home page: https://www.oregon.gov/dentistry/pages/index.aspx.

Starting in 2025, the Oregon Health Plan (OHP), Oregon’s Medicaid program, plans to roll out a set of Incentive Payments for dental providers, pending CMS approval. The incentives will reward for preventative care and increasing access for Medicaid members. The following two options will be available in 2025:

• Preventative and Minimally Invasive Bundle: If a provider completes a set of preventive services for a Medicaid member in six months, an addition payment of $30 for a pediatric member and $50 for adult member will be paid on top of normal reimbursement for those services.
• Provider Incentive: Two incentive structures will exists for new providers (less than 25 members served in recent past) and existing providers (more than 25 members served). The bonuses range from $3,500 to $15,000 for dental providers depending on their service volume and members served.

OHA will host webinars this fall/winter on these incentives. Please watch for more details in the coming months! If you have questions or feedback, please contact OHA at Actuarial.Services@odhsoha.oregon.gov.

Hertz LIMITED TIME: ADA Members save up to 30% off the base rate when using CDP discount code 42371 and combinable Promotional Code 211561 (Discount applies to Pay Later base rate only. Taxes, fees, & options are excluded). Additional terms & exclusions apply. Rentals booked September 15, 2024, through October 31, 2024, with rental pick-up by November 15, 2024. Book now.

Save up to 20% off Dollar and Thrifty Car Rentals (Discount applies to Pay Later base rate only. Taxes, fees, & options are excluded. Additional terms & exclusions apply).

Dollar makes sense. Peace of mind you have a great deal. We focus on the everyday deal with great base rates on car rentals. Book now.

Spend less on your next adventure with Thrifty - just the right ride to get you to your destination. Book now.

Tap into a pool of top talent: Post your open positions on ODA’s Dental Career Center Connect and gain access to a vast pool of talented dental professionals actively seeking new opportunities. Our platform is the go-to destination for the brightest minds in dentistry. Looking for a change in your career? Discover a world of possibilities with our extensive job listings catering to every aspect of the dental field. Whether you’re a seasoned dentist, a passionate dental hygienist, or an aspiring dental assistant, find your perfect match with just a click. Visit the career center at https://careers.oregondental.org/.

Catch up on the latest ADA webinars and on-demand video learning opportunities on your own schedule. From managing your practice 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.

The ODAA is excited to announce that we will be joining the Oregon Association of Dental Laboratories OADL 2024 Conference. We will be offering many valuable continuing education courses and would love to have you join us on October 18th and 19th at the Sheraton Portland Airport Hotel.

Communities are at their strongest when their individuals are at their best – when they’re growing, energized, and thriving. So, come to SmileCon® and learn a new skill, mingle with colleagues, and have a little fun along the way … because when you reach new heights, you cultivate what makes dentistry great. Register today at SmileCon.org!

Help drive change in dentistry and be supported to excel in your career by joining one of our New Dentist Learning Networks. Crafted by new dentists and leading experts, these study groups will help you fulfill licensure CE requirements, take your clinical skills to the next level and connect with other dentists like you from around the globe. Earn 12 CE credits. Networks begin in January 2025. Register today.