Inside this issue:

ASDA Annual Session continued 2

A Busy Day Capitol 2 ADPAC Legislation Affecting Dentistry Making a Difference with Dental Degree Corporate Dentistry GKAS 3 5 5 6 7

April 2013

The Lingual Groove

MLPs, State Dental Associations and Lobbying: ASDAs Annual Session

One of the greatest aspects of attending ASDA Annual Session is that, through the breakout sessions, you can tailor your experience to your personal interests and goals. For me this meant attending the sessions that dealt with legislative issues and how to better advocate for them. The first breakout session I attended was titled Advocacy for the Next generation of Dentists. The goal of this meeting was to explain the importance of the American Dental Political Action Committee (ADPAC). Dr. Gordon Isbell, a Board Member of ADPAC, spoke to the group about the power of organized dentistry and the impact that dentistry, as a collective unit, can make in benefiting our profession. Dr. Isbell keyed in on the recent impacts ADPAC has made in Washington, DC. Through lobbying efforts and establishing strong rela-

tionships with the lawmakers in Washington, ADPAC has successfully blocked a number of detriments to dentistry that fell under the Affordable Care Act. This included blocking Mid-Level Providers, as well as blocking the 2.3% tax on fillings, crowns and implants. Other issues that ADPAC is currently fighting for include student debt, student loan repayment, insurance reimbursements, and tax issues affecting small Continued on the next page businesses. Dr. Isbell stressed how important being a member of ADPAC is, even as a dental student. By joining ADPAC as a student, you get involved and invested early in your career, which may pay dividends down the road. The next meeting I attended focused on building a relationship with your state dental association. Organized

dentistry is an amazing entity to be involved with on any level, strength in numbers is a powerful thing. By establishing a relationship with ones state dental association as a student, you are able to gain insight from more experienced dentists on issues spanning from practice management to what political actions are affecting our profession. In turn, by being involved as a student member of state dental associations, we can provide our perspective as students.

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MLPs, State Dental Associations and Lobbying: ASDAs Annual Session continued
ing our chapter at ASDOH reach this ideal situation. Finally, I attended a breakout session on one of the hottest topics in dentistry today: Mid-Level Providers. From everything I had been exposed to prior on this issue, this was by far the most complete and well put together presentation on MidLevel Providers I have seen. It was well orchestrated, showed all the different sides of the issue, provided the audience with significant data and facilitated a discussion that spilled into the hallway after the session had concluded. The presentation examined the different models of Mid-Level Providers: Alaskas Dental Health Aid Therapists, Minnesotas Dental Therapists, New Zealands Dental Therapists and Community Dental Health Coordinators. The point of the session was to highlight the American Dental Associations stance on Mid-Level Providers. The ADA feels that breaking down the barriers for all Americans is the main issue at hand. Through prevention, literacy, education and instilling values in oral health is how this is accomplished, not by creating a new provider. By attending the various sessions that interested me most I received a sense of empowerment and enthusiasm for how to make our chapter at ASDOH better. Attending Annual Session provided me with education, ideas, energy, and new networking outlets. I am confident, that upon utilization of what was gained from Annual Session, our chapter can and will become greater than it already is! ~ Jordan Janis ASDOH 2016

The session provided such ideas as inviting the state dental associations to campus to give presentations, and also attempting to connect out of state students with their home state dental association (especially if that state does not have a dental school). The session concluded by explaining what an ideal situation of involvement would be with a state dental association as a dental student: having a voting member on each committee with alternations, voting members on house of delegates floor and a student member on the board of trustees. I look forward to help-

A Busy Day at the Capitol

Its a busy day at the capitol Representative Heather Carter, the Chair of the Committee on Health begins during a committee hearing in the Arizona House of Representatives. She continues to introduce us dental students and the dentists who represent the Arizona Dental Association supporting several oral health initiatives on Dental Lobby Day which took place February 13th, 2013. It was thrilling to see the process, if only for a day. It sparked an even greater interest in me for dental advoPage 2

cacy. It was inspiring to see local dentists persuasively lobby for Medicaid expansion for Arizonans and the bill, HB 2513, which would enable the Board of Dental Examiners to take disciplinary action against business entities (ie. dental corporations) that interfere with a dentists clinical judgment. Arizona is one of the few states in the nation that permit nonlicensee ownership of dental practices. In fact during our visit, HB 2513 was scheduled for a hearing before the House Health Committee. Dr.

Allison House, treasurer of the Arizona Dental Association (AzDA) and Kevin Earle, executive director of the AzDA, testified sharing their stories and explaining the dental communitys perspective as to why this bill should pass. This bill would give the Board of Dental Examiners the ability to charge a registered business entity with unethical conduct, and thus permit disciplinary action to be taken. Continued on next page

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A Busy Day at the Capitol continued

Dr. House shared her personal experiences from previous work in a corporate office. A year out of dental school, Dr. House worked as an employee dentist for a corporate entity. One day she came to work and found her usual assistant assigned to do a full day of cleanings, although the assistant was not licensed or qualified to do cleanings. Another day, Dr. House was met by a treatment plan of tooth extractions and a denture delivery. The chart was very unclear, so she investigated the case. She found that not only did an assistant make the denture, but the patient was never even seen by any of the other dentists working in the office. Dr. House refused to do the work and was fired later that week. She asks that the business entities be held to the same standard as dentists by the Board of Dental Examiners. In a unanimous vote, with do pass recommendation the bill was moved out of the house Health Committee to continue on in the legislative process. To become a law this bill must next pass through the majority and minority caucuses, then the House floor, next to the Senate Health Committee, get passed by the full the Senate, and finally to the Governor. The Governor can then sign the bill, making it law. In Arizona, new laws take effect 90 days after the Legislature adjourns for the session. Getting engaged in legislative advocacy on behalf of organized dentistry is a great way to have a greater impact on our profession and our communities. It empowers us to have influence beyond the patients we see on a day to day basis. It enables us to help as many people as we can. We must find our voice and engage in pertinent issues to help mold the future of our profession. We need to prevent others from undermining our autonomy as oral health care providers and support laws that improve the health of our patients. I encourage you to come out for next years Dental Lobby Day! It was time very well spent. ~ Jessi Giles ASDOH 2016

It would help ensure a dentist can remain autonomous in ones decision making. It is a concern that some dental corporations may push treatment that is unnecessary to gain a profit. HB 2513 also eliminates the age restriction in the Dental Practice Act for a dentist to obtain a retired license, which had been arbitrarily set at 65 years of age. Lets examine the first part of this bill in light of the hearing. While I was not in person during the entirety of the hearing, I found the recording online and am able to report on the proceedings of the hearing by using this resource on the State Legislatures website at www.azleg.gov. First, Mr. Earle provided some background information about the necessity of the bill. Then,

The American Dental Political Action Committee: Why Schools Need to do a Better Job Making Students Aware of Their Importance
Wow, another day of emails upon emails sent to us by our school or people that are affiliated with our school. Sound familiar? Deep down I know that each and every single one of these emails is important to me in some way or another, but alas, I do not have the time to read and respond to them all. Does that
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also sound familiar? I feel especially helpless reading emails asking for a sincere donation to whatever causes a group or individual may be raising money for. Unfortunately, with the heavy burden of student loans, we dont have much money to donate. In response, we prioritize to whom we give our money to each

year. This year, and every year after, dental schools and students across the country need to do a better job of making sure that the American Dental Political Action Committee (ADPAC) is at the top of everyones list. Continued on next page

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The American Dental Political Action Committee: Why Schools Need to do a Better Job Making Students Aware of Their Importance continued
fession as a whole at serious risk! Keeping our water fluoridated Oral health assessments for school children Access to oral care for underserved populations Oral health Research A stop on certain taxes and fees on dental equipment I had heard the name ADPAC maybe once or twice, and probably received a few emails about the groups fundraising events or learning seminars. Unfortunately, like many students, taking the time to learn about and eventually making a donation to ADPAC was not high on my priority list. This type of apathy towards such a crucial organization that is fighting for our futures as dentists is simply unacceptable. Asking every dental school to make a mandatory $5 contribution per student wont work because this is a political action committeeand as we all know, anything that deals with politics is simply a gray area. Even mandatory ASDOH membership isnt at every dental school (something that immediately needs to be changed!). To offer an analogy, people dont get to opt out of paying for services such as having police officers and firefighters if they are qualified to pay for it. These services in turn help keep communities safe in case if something goes wrong. ADPAC also offers a service that helps keep its members, patients, and the field of oral health safe. Their actions are for the wellbeing of all its students, whether they know it or not. This is why I feel that we must do more at our schools to educate our classmates and incoming students on its importance. By increasing awareness about ADPAC we can not only help raise more money, but we can also inspire individuals in our field to become more in touch with how politics directly affects the field of dentistry. I would ask that Deans of dental schools across the country add a brief but informative presentation to their incoming student orientations (when student attention is probably at its highest) explaining ADPACs significance. Current student dentists and members of ADPAC can take part in a student led presentation at the beginning of every year while students havent yet used up money on things they dont really need. Along with giving students a website or shooting them an email reminding them to donate, we should hand out donation cards/slips which can be collected in a box kept in front of the room. These are only a few ideas! Im aware that the membership in ADPAC varies at different schools just the same as it does in ASDA. However, just like with ASDA membership, we should find creative new ways to educate students on the importance of ADPAC and how their involvement can help make it an even stronger organization. ~Amol Amin ASDOH 2016

I was honored to be a first time attendee to the 2013 Annual Session hosted by the American Student Dental Association in Atlanta, Georgia. Everywhere I looked, the best student leaders in the country surrounded me. One of the opening presentations that we were very fortunate to see was one on ADPAC. ADPAC is singlehandedly the most important political action committee in the field of dentistry. Its main goal is to preserve the integrity of our discipline as well as to educate people about the link between oral care and overall health. This is accomplished by making sure that we lobby our congress to pass bills that will help our profession and communities as a whole, and oppose bills that will not. As someone who considers himself very politically charged, I was almost embarrassed that I had not taken an interest in ADPAC earlier. Among so much more, ADPAC has advocated and continues to advocate for: Front line discussions on midlevel providers. Midlevel providers may put patients and the dental proPage 4

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Legislation Affecting Dentistry

Medicaid Expansion for Low-Income Adults Reinstatement of Adult Emergency Dental Benefit Abolish Use Tax on Clear Aligner products Business Entities: Unethical Conduct Reinstatement of Adult ER Benefits
Reinstatement will put over $20 million back into dentists offices and community clinics where patients can get proper care instead of going to hospital emergency rooms.

Business Entities: Unethical Conduct Give Arizona State Board of Dental Examiners (BODEX) the authority to charge a business entity for interfering in the professional judgment of licensed dentists. This addresses

~ Elizabeth Rivers ASDOH 2015

How Can YOU Make a Difference With That Dental Degree?

The U.S. Public Health Service is for those who want to gain life experience living in different places while working as a dentist in underserved communities. Entering the service offers a massive amount of career options that are dynamic and fulfilling. The mission of U.S. PHS is simple, but profound to protect, promote and advance the health of the nation. This organization emphasizes an overall approach to health care. This philosophy surely resonates with ASDOH students.
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The U.S. PHS is made of over 6,500 officers of different health professions with a total of 300 dentists in commission corps and about 1000 dentists in civil service. There are small (1 dentist) or large clinics (~40 dentists!) available to work in. Other benefits of the U.S. PHS include: flexibility in where you live, loan repayment options (when working with IHS $24,000 a year), loads of experience in the clinics, 30 days paid vacation + 10 federal holi-

day vacations, housing compensation, paid maternity leave, free health & dental care, malpractice coverage, retirement (after 20 years service, retire at 50% of base pay and after 30 years service, retire at 75% of base pay), savings plans, humanitarian mission trips, and more! Continued on next page

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How Can YOU Make a Difference With That Dental Degree? continued
Another exciting aspect of joining the U.S. PHS is to work on many nation-wide projects to improve oral health such as surveillance of caries, sealants, tooth retention, implementing Health People 2020 and the Oral Health Initiative 2010 and improving health literacy. Your impact with this organization would be far reaching, needless to say. With one license, you can work at any duty station in the U.S. (except if you are a tribal hire, in which case you must be licensed in that state). How do you get your assignment? You CHOOSE. You FIND a job opening and apply there. The availabilities are posted online. And how early should you apply? One year in advance. Its competitive, keep that in mind! For more information, visit usphs.gov. Please note the information in this article ficer of the U.S. Public Health Serwas gathered from the ASDA Annu- vice. al Session workshop presented by William Bailey, Chief Dental Of~ Jessi Giles ASDOH 2016

Is Corporate Dentistry the Solution to the Access to Care Issue?

Why is there an access issue in the first place? Simply put, dental care is too expensive for a majority of people. It has been proposed that corporate chains of dental offices can offer the much needed care to those who are presently without access.

Whats

the profession doing to work on the access to care issue? asked Dr. Greg Loeben to a classroom full of ASDOH students during the last monthly Student Professionalism and Ethics Committee Continued on next page (SPEC) meeting. 50% of our nations kids depend on Medicaid. Is corporate dentistry a solution to the access to care issue? It is a question for you to consider.
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Is Corporate Dentistry the Solution to the Access to Care Issue? continued

of a dentist to gain a profit. The potential problems of this arrangement begin when the dentistpatient relationship is attacked and treatment plans become motivated by increasing profits of the investors and not by the patients best interests. For example, Dr. Loeben informed us Medicaid reimburses twice as much for a crown over a filling. In too few words, corporate dentistry may result in a conflict of Corporate dentistry is when an exinterests. ternal source of money builds a When considering which corporate business and then employs dentists business to join, Dr. Loeben sugto continue that business. There is gested reflecting on which structure nothing wrong with the employment is one where your morals wont be compromised. Studies have shown people tend to be more compliant to authority than we think. It is important to note that there are a lot of people who have received excellent care from corporate offices and these people dont speak up about their care. SPEC would love to hear your thoughts on this topic! Feel free to email me, Sam Bona or Scott Howell. Please join us for our next SPEC meeting on April 24th during the lunch hour in Flagstaff. ~ Jessi Giles ASDOH 2016

8th Annual Give Kids a Smile

This year Arizona School of Dentistry and Oral Health (ASDOH) held its 8th annual Give Kids a Smile day (GKAS). The event, held on Friday February 15th, hosted children from elementary schools throughout the Phoenix area. This years turnout was the largest Give Kids a Smile site in the state with alumni, students and faculty coming together to provide 364 children with the dental care they needed. Every student at ASDOH proved an integral part of the operation, from loading and unloading the buses, taking radiographs, providing treatments, helping run the clinics, as well as entertaining children in the waiting room and post-operatively. receive treatments ranging from cleanings, extractions, operative restorations, endodontic work and stainless steel crowns. Post-treatment, the children were led outside to a fun filled, fair-like arena. There, they were met year, the with games, music, face-painting, event prizes and volunteers ready to quell grows any dental fears. stronger The incredible success of this years with larger numbers event was due to hard-work and dedication demonstrated from all the of volunteers and higher numbers of children being treated. Therefore, it students, volunteers, faculty and staff. The compassion for communi- is exciting to see what the upcoming ty healthcare was extremely evident years of GKAS will bring.

School buses started arriving at 8:30 through the enthusiasm and efforts am and by 9:00 the clinics were filled with young patients waiting to set forth by all the participants. Each ~ Masha Raykhman ASDOH 2015
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Who Says Dental School Cant Be Fun???