 |
|
| Archive | Subscribe | Send to a Friend | Membership Matters | www.oregondental.org | |
Member News
Welcome to our newest members! Please reach out to these new members and welcome them into the ODA community.
Your membership is an investment in your success, our profession, and public health. This investment also fuels our efforts in legislative advocacy, helps you elevate your skills, and assists you in cultivating invaluable connections to broaden your network and engage with our community. Dues statements have been mailed. Please remit payment or pay online. As a reminder, ADA introduced 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, including ADA.org. If this is your first time signing on, you will need to reset your password by choosing the forgot password option. Learn more at ADA.org/LoginFAQ. We look forward to serving you in 2025! Due to the change in systems monthly payment receipts will only be emailed with the first payment. To access your receipts please visit ada.org and sign in to your ADA portal. Join thousands of dental professionals at Oregon's premiere dental conference, April 3-5, at the Oregon Convention Center. At ODC you can earn high-quality dental CE, shop for all things dentistry in the two-day exhibit hall, and enjoy special events such as the Friday night ODC Party: Casino Royale. Learn more at www.oregondentalconference.com. Book before February 21st to receive the best rates with early bird pricing! The Winter Webinar Series for ODA member dentists is in full swing. Join us for our last webinar on Saturday, March 15 from 8 a.m. -12 p.m. to receive your required CE before the Oregon Board of Dentistry deadline for licensure of March 31st. Registration for our third webinar, "Medical Emergencies in the Dental Office - Update 2025” is open – register here. 
Wellness Ambassadors play an essential role in offering a compassionate ear and guiding colleagues through challenges related to stress, mental health, debt, and other life obstacles. Whether through personal experience or a passion for helping others, these dedicated individuals provide invaluable peer-to-peer support. Hope For The Day will be providing training this year, so if you're interested in becoming a Wellness Ambassador and making a meaningful impact, please complete the Wellness Ambassador interest form today! Do you know someone who should be considered for the 2024 Tom Tucker Humanitarian Award? Please send all nominations to btaylor@oregondental.org. We can’t wait to celebrate this his year's recipient at the 2025 Oregon Dental Conference. Find out more information including award criteria and see past winners on the ODA website, here. Do you know a new dentist who’s making an impact in the profession? The ODA Membership Council (previously New Dentist Council) is excited to present the ODA New Dentist Award. This new ODA award recognizes one amazing ODA member dentist who graduated from dental school less than 10 years ago. We’re celebrating new dentists who demonstrate excellence and inspire others in science, research & education, practice excellence, philanthropy, leadership, and advocacy. Nominate a colleague today! Nominations close March 1, 2025. 
Compliance & Legislative Corner
While the 2024 general election saw the country swing toward the right at the federal level, the balance of power in both chambers of Oregon’s legislature remained nearly unchanged. All statewide offices in Oregon will continue to be held by Democrats, and five of Oregon’s six congressional districts will send members of the same party back to D.C. The one congressional seat that saw a change this year was the election of Democrat Janelle Bynum, who unseated incumbent Republican Lori Chavez-DeRemer in CD-5. The ODA was pleased to see that the two dentists who currently serve in the legislature, Rep. Hai Pham and Rep. Cyrus Javadi, were reelected to their seats. Two of the three statewide ballot measures passed, including Measure 115, which allows the legislature to impeach elected state executives. Measure 118, which proposed a three percent increase in the corporate minimum tax with revenue distributed as direct payments to Oregon residents, failed, as did Measure 117, which would have established ranked choice voting for federal and state offices in Oregon. Both local municipality fluoride measures, one in Hillsboro and another in Lebanon, failed. The ODA was disappointed to see voters reject these measures, given the extensive, science-based data that shows how unfluoridated water supplies can lead to unnecessary cavities, pain, and dental infections. We know that the issue of fluoride is become a larger issue at the national level, and the ADA is closely monitoring those conversations and the developing narrative around fluoride. The ADA has developed talking points on fluoride that may be helpful for those who are receiving questions about the safety and efficacy of water fluoridation. If you receive inquiries from media about fluoridation, please reach out to Brett Hamilton (bhamilton@oregondental.com) so our team can help provide talking points and resources for responding to growing misinformation about this issue. The 2025 Legislative Session began on January 21st. ODA is busy implementing our Legislative Agenda, and we need your engagement. Although it might sound like a broken record, 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! Remember, this is your association and you can have some control of your destiny. 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. Join ODA’s Legislative Advocacy Team! Dr. Kurt Ferre has never been one to let “the way things are done” get in the way of his passions. From entering dental school before finishing his undergraduate degree, to his volunteer dental work, to his advocacy for community water fluoridation, Dr. Ferre fully commits to everything he does. Even with the ongoing and increasing opposition to community water fluoridation, Dr. Ferre has not backed down, and believes that his efforts are more important today than ever before. Learn more about Dr. Ferre here: https://www.oregondental.org/members-in-action/dr.-kurt-ferre 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. A 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. As of January 1, 2025, the Board can issue a Local Anesthesia Functions Certificate (LAFC) to a dental assistant who holds an Oregon EFDA Certificate and has successfully completed a Board-approved curriculum from a program accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association or other course of instruction approved by the Board. A dental assistant will be able to administer local anesthetic agents and local anesthetic reversal agents under the indirect supervision of a licensed dentist. Local anesthetic reversal agents shall not be used on children less than six years of age or weighing less than 33 pounds. Pending CMS Approval, starting in 2025, the Oregon Health Plan (OHP), Oregon’s Medicaid program, plans to roll out a set of Direct Payment Incentives for dental providers. The incentives will reward for preventative care and increasing access for Medicaid members. The following two options will be available in 2025:
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. 
ODA Member Perks
Talkspace Go, a self-directed therapy app, is now available to all members and dental students as part of membership. Talkspace Go is designed to support mental well-being through personalized, science-backed courses on topics ranging from work stress to relationships through therapist-led live workshops, daily journaling and more. What destinations are on your travel bucket list? Book a trip with AHI before 2/25/25 and enjoy significant savings of up to $1,700 per couple ($850/person)* off the regular price of selected trips using code SAVE225. If you book before the trip brochure mails, you'll enjoy AHI’s limited-time Paperless Savings on selected trips in addition to existing discounts on the trip you're dreaming of! Land journeys, immersive city stays, safaris, coastal voyages, and exclusively chartered river cruises...where will you go next? *This is a limited-time offer available only on new bookings. To qualify for this offer you must make a new reservation on a qualifying departure and pay in full at time of booking. This offer cannot be combined with any other discounts, offers or promotions. The world moves fast – and your ADA UPS® Savings Program has the tools you need to help your dental practice move even faster. They’re here to help you push envelopes and ride the edge of what’s possible. They’ll be right by your side with everything you need to keep blazing forward. Let UPS® help make your practice unstoppable. Members enjoy the following savings every time you ship:
Sign up for a new account or enroll your existing account. Already have an ADA UPS® Savings Program account? Re-enroll by calling 1-800Members (1-800-636-2377) and give them your association Acronym, ADA. Ask for Greg Brown, our dedicated Member Benefits Consultant (if possible). 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. Dental Community News and Events
The 2025 Oregon Dental Conference is just around the corner! Join the ODA at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, OR April 3-5, 2025, for exceptional CE courses, the chance to shop the exhibit hall, and to catch up with your fellow dental professionals! Please check our Oregon Dental Conference website regularly for new developments and updates. https://www.oregondental.org/meetings-events/oregon-dental-conference Join the DFO for their 19th Annual golf tournament happening Thursday, May 29 at Rock Creek Country Club. 7:45 a.m. shotgun start. Awards luncheon immediately follows play. Register as a player or sponsor today, with early bird pricing still available! https://www.smileonoregon.org/events/chip-for-teeth-golf-tournament-2025 ADA NEWS
In a letter to the Senate Finance Committee, the ADA reiterated that community water fluoridation has been a cornerstone of public health since 1945, reducing tooth decay by 25% and benefiting underserved communities. The letter was sent prior to the committee’s vote on whether to move Robert F. Kennedy Jr. forward in the confirmation process to be the secretary of health and human services. After nearly 18 months of advocacy efforts, dental licensure applications in Oregon will no longer include stigmatizing questions related to mental health. The Oregon Board of Dentistry voted to remove “have you ever” questions related to receiving counseling, therapy, or treatment for mental health issues, including substance misuse, from initial and renewal licensure applications. These changes align with updated language already used by the Oregon Medical Board for physicians. Catch the latest episode of Dental Sound Bites with Dr. Loria Nahatis. In this episode, Dr. Nahatis explains what dentists can do to help children (and their parents!) get better-quality sleep. Get specific, actionable tips you can use right away and learn which ADA resources can help. Listen in the ADA Member App, on YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. The ADA Foundation’s 2025 Give Kids A Smile program kicked off February 7 at Meharry Medical College School of Dentistry in Nashville, TN. The event included free pediatric dental services such as dental exams, cleanings, X-rays, fillings, sealants and fun activities for kids. Volunteers from programs across the country have provided oral health services and education to more than 9.5 million underserved children. For more information about Give Kids A Smile, visit ADAFoundation.org/GKAS. The American Dental Association is outlining its priorities on small business tax policy. In a Feb. 5 letter to the Ways and Means Committee, the Association provided input on policies it said would affect oral health, health care access, and the broader health care system. In its letter, the ADA urged Congress to renew tax policies that “are essential to supporting small business dental practices.” Drs. Kessler and Cohlmia also encouraged Congress to exempt loan repayment programs from taxable income, such as the Indian Health Service Loan Repayment and Scholarship Program and the Dental Faculty Loan Repayment Program. The Washington State Dental Association is campaigning for dental insurance reform in support of state bills that aim to prohibit unfair and deceptive practices by dental insurance companies and prioritize patient choice. Key provisions in the bills include mandating that a certain amount of premium dollars be spent directly on care, allowing patients to request independent reviews of denied claims, and addressing various inequities in system. Read more here. 
|
|
|
|
|
