2010 News Archive

Washington—Provisions of historic tobacco control legislation—designed to prevent youth tobacco use and regulate packaging to better inform consumers—became effective last month.

San Diego—The U.S. Public Health Service scientific and training symposium May 25 featured presentation of the 2010 USPHS dental award honorees. These commissioned officers and civil servants include federally employed dentists, several of whom are on assignments or in positions at agencies that interface with the Association and ADA councils.

Washington—Though dentistry has little involvement with Medicare, Medicare may be coming to a dental practice near you, in one way or another, depending.

Healthy Smiles, Healthy Children (the Foundation of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry) is accepting applications for three grant programs.

Jefferson City, Mo.—In the Show-Me State, "Your Mouth Is Talking. Are You Listening?" www.YourMouthIsTalking.org.

Hyattsville, Md.—Three of four persons under age 65 with private health insurance had some type of dental coverage in 2008, says a National Center for Health Statistics report on access to dental care.

Dentists in the ADA Institute for Diversity in Leadership receive guidance and mentoring as they conduct leadership projects that address a civic or professional issue of personal importance. The ADA News occasionally summarizes Institute members' projects, and those reports are included here.

Manchester, Maine—Maine could be the first state in the nation to lift the restrictions on the age children can be enrolled in a dental insurance plan.

Washington—An organized dentistry coalition's nine organizations told Rep. Daniel Lungren (R-Calif.) they "enthusiastically support" his bill to repeal a health reform tax provision "that greatly expands the conditions under which businesses are required to file 1099 tax forms.

There is chatter among physicians, dentists and others in the health care community that the federal government will require health records to be electronic by 2014. The ADA is working hard to keep members updated on developments and to streamline the process. As chair of the Board of Trustees' Electronic Health Record Workgroup, Dr. Robert Faiella, ADA 1st District trustee, has been monitoring the issue and working to keep members informed. Below is a Q&A with Dr. Faiella about the EHR.

The ADA resource Transitions: Navigating Sales, Associateships, and Partnerships in Your Dental Practice covers all of the most cutting-edge strategies, including delayed sales, fractional sales, mergers and partnerships.

You've thought about it, weighed the pros and cons and made the decision to offer a financing program to your patients. Now what? How do you choose which one to make available?

MetLife has hired consultants in India to review U.S. dental claims, angering some dentists who believe that the claims should be handled domestically.

Orlando, Fla.—It's easy for annual session goers to choose continuing education courses to meet specific interests or needs by taking advantage of the educational tracks offered during this year's annual session, Oct. 9-12 in Orlando.

Orlando, Fla.—There's still time to make plans to be a part of the ADA annual session by entering the Education Exchange Competition, sponsored by Cleankeys Inc. The deadline for submitting an entry is July 31.

Orlando, Fla.—Real-time, live-patient learning will again take center stage at the ADA annual session Oct. 9-12 during six Education in the Round courses.

Springfield, Va.—Mentoring and determination were the keys to success for an ADA member who developed a continuing education program with a hands-on clinic designed to help dentists treat more patients with special health needs.

Bloomington, Ill.—When the doors of the Interstate Center opened at 6 a.m. June 11, hundreds of dental patients had been in line for hours, hoping for the chance to receive free dental care.

The Ritz-Carlton Chicago, which offers special rates for ADA members, has completed its lobby renovation and its new "deca restaurant + bar" is now open. ADA members can receive discounted room rates at the Ritz.

The ADA Standards Committee on Dental Informatics has approved for circulation for review and comment Proposed ADA Technical Report No. 1048 for Attachment of DICOM Datasets Using E-mail in Dentistry.

New York—Some 300 seniors in New York City and 50 or so dental, dental hygiene and nursing students at New York University are working together to focus more attention on the importance of oral health care for older adults and to break through access to care barriers.