ADA News Archive

Las Vegas—The 2011 ADA House of Delegates Oct. 14 approved a 2012 operating budget of $120,139,667 million in expenses and $120,512,074 million in anticipated revenue and called for a $7 increase in membership dues.

Dr. William R. Calnon, a general dentist from Rochester, N.Y., was installed today as the 148th president of the American Dental Association. Dr. Calnon and other new or returning ADA officers and trustees were installed during proceedings of the 2011 House of Delegates, meeting this week at the 152nd ADA Annual Session in Las Vegas.

Dr. Robert  A. Faiella of Osterville, Mass., was elected ADA president-elect for 2011-12 in balloting today at the House of Delegates, meeting this week in Las Vegas.In two other races, Dr. Kenneth J. Versman of Aurora, Colo., was elected second vice president, and Dr. J. Thomas Soliday of Gaithersburg, Md., was re-elected speaker of the House, a post he has held since first elected in 2002.

Despite the problems caused to dentists by the timing of cuts to reimbursement rates, Delta Dental of Idaho is moving forward.

Washington—A National Labor Relations Board regulation requiring private sector employers, including some dental offices, to display a new employee rights poster has been postponed by more than two months.

Seattle – Research described as “the first study to characterize MRSA from dental clinic surfaces and dental students” is reported in the October 2011 issue of the American Journal of Infection Control.

Information concerning electronic health records is available on the Dental Practice Hub.

Many patients want brighter smiles but they may not understand the limitations or risks of treatment.

Baltimore—ADA President Ray Gist received a Legend Award during the National Dental Association’s 98th Annual Convention this year.

It’s easier than ever for ADA members to save time and money with FedEx.

A poster for ADA members describing the “safe, sensible way” to whiten teeth was mailed with the Oct. 3 issue of the ADA News.

The front office staff at a dental practice is often on the front line. They’re communicating with patients, educating them on their benefits and helping them understand all of their options. These integral tasks make it important for dental office staff to be informed on what they’re telling patients.

San Francisco—Get a jump on planning a trip to the ADA’s 2012 Annual Session in the City by the Bay by logging on to ada.org/session.

A new resource developed by the ADA Council on Access, Prevention and Interprofessional Relations offers dental professionals, state and county Medicaid caseworkers and nursing home residents and their representatives information on how to use the incurred medical expense mechanism—or IME—to cover dental care costs.

San Juan, Puerto Rico—The Puerto Rico College of Dental Surgeons (the Colegio) has filed a $150 million class action lawsuit against most of the insurance companies in Puerto Rico, alleging that dentists have been paid late or not at all, were not paid interest and that services were downcoded or bundled, among other allegations.

The proceedings and recommendations from the ADA’s National Coalition Consensus Conference: Oral Health of Vulnerable Older Adults and Persons with Disabilities, released in a Sept. 29 webinar, are available to watch by logging on to ada.org/nccc.

Dr. L. Jackson Brown, just “Jack” to all who know him, is a soft-spoken dental research scientist who weighs his words carefully and never overstates his case. When he writes a paper or delivers a speech, his approach is always deliberate, direct, as unpretentious as his taste in neckties.

What are business associates and how do they fit into a dental practice?

Washington—The health insurance exchanges scheduled to open for business in 2014 should maximize competition among dental plans and assure transparency in benefits information, a coalition of national dental organizations will tell the Obama administration, which is writing rules for employers, insurers and the states.

The 2010 House of Delegates resolved to encourage certified dental technicians to attend ADA continuing education seminars, including as presenters.