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CONTRIBUTING

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THE ADA/UDA IS FIGHTING FOR YOU

Dear Dr. Butler,

Thank you for your inquiry into my article in the January/February 2023 edition of the UDA Action, “We Need You!” I appreciate you caring enough to reach out on this important topic, and welcome the opportunity to respond. Undoubtedly, these same questions are on the minds of many dentists. You justifiably ask why? From your letter, let’s take your questions one-by-one:

1. What is the ADA/UDA doing to fight for what keeps us in business?

A. In 2017, the UDA was a major player in the passage of legislation that prohibited Utah state regulated dental insurance carriers from setting fees for dental procedures not covered under their plan.

B. In 2020, the UDA advocated for language in HB 37 that allowed dentists to opt out of virtual credit card payment methods utilized by some insurance companies. As with any credit card transaction, these virtual credit cards tacked on an additional discount to the fee charged by the dentist. With UDA support, this bill passed and was signed into law. This provision only applies to Utah regulated dental insurance carriers.

C. In 2020 and 2021, the ADA played a pivotal role in legislation that overturned parts of the longstanding McCarran-Ferguson Act, specifically to remove the federal antitrust exemption for health and dental insurance companies. In other words, largely because of ADA efforts, no longer do insurance companies enjoy the unfair advantage of not having interstate competition. This alone is a huge victory for dentists and all consumers of healthcare.

D. In 2022, the ADA successfully lobbied congress to exempt dentists from some of the federally mandated training required for DEA licensure renewal. Without the ADA’s efforts to stay on top of this type of legislation, the MATE (Medication Access and Training Expansion) Act would have sailed through congress requiring you and I to complete 3 additional, irrelevant hours of training specific to prescribing buprenorphine, a medication completely outside the practice of dentistry.

E. In 2022, the ADA helped defeat a congressional proposal to add a dental benefit to the Medicare Part B program. The ADA maintains that if dentistry is ever forced to be a part of Medicare, that it be accomplished through a separate program, and provide for comprehensive dental care. More to come on this one.

F. The ADA advocated for the Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act (ELSA), which would require that all private group and individual health plans cover medically necessary services resulting from a congenital anomaly or birth defect. The

services covered under ELSA would include inpatient and outpatient care and reconstructive services and procedures, as well as adjunctive dental, orthodontic, or prosthodontic support. This bill is still working its way through the legislative process, but in April of 2022, ELSA passed the House of Representatives with 310 votes.

G. In 2022, the ADA worked with Massachusetts Dental Society to secure a win on “Question 2,” which establishes an 83% medical loss ratio for dental plans along with a rebate if dental plans do not meet that stipulation. The ADA staff was fully engaged in the campaign, and closely supervised the ADA’s $5.5 million investment in support of the resolution. The UDA is committed to following Massachusetts with similar legislation. But, efforts like this come with a cost, another reason why “We Need You” and every other dentist in this state. Twenty-two state dental societies received State Public Affairs (SPA) funding to engage in third party payer issues on the state level. To date, there are 11 new laws in five states enacted in 2022 that improve the position of dentists and/or patients with regard to dental insurance.

H. During the 2023 legislative session that just ended in Utah, SB 237 was introduced by Senator Michael McKell. This bill was heavily supported by the Utah Dental Hygienists’ Association. In its original language, it would have basically given hygienists the ability to practice independently in Utah, without the supervision of a licensed dentist. However, due to the efforts of the UDA, the language of this bill was changed significantly. In its final version, this bill actually improved DOPL’s ability to regulate and oversee any departure from the practice of dental hygiene not under the direct supervision of a licensed dentist.

2. Is the ADA helping dentists in litigation efforts against dental insurance companies?

From a November 5th, 2021 article in the ADA News, ADA’s class action lawsuit against Delta Dental ongoing: “The ADA’s lawsuit alleges that Delta violated federal antitrust laws by allocating territories of operation and dividing the national market in order to restrict competition and reduce reimbursement amounts.

The complaint goes on to allege that Delta’s allegedly anticompetitive acts hurt both dentists and their patients by limiting the choices of dental care available to patients and making it more difficult for dentists to deliver the care that patients need and want.

Numerous individual dentists also filed class action complaints against Delta, and the allegations in the various complaints have since been combined into a single consolidated complaint.”

Yes, the ADA is in the trenches and working side-by-side with the dentists that are going up against this, and other insurance behemoths! This class action lawsuit is ongoing, but unfortunately due to the nature of class action lawsuits, will probably not go to trial until 2024 or later.

3. Is the ADA working to stop insurance companies from bundling services?

A. In 2021, HB 359 was passed and later signed into Utah law. Because of the UDA’s efforts, language was included which prevents an insurance carrier from offering a plan that, uses bundling in a manner where a procedure code is labeled as non-billable to the patient, unless under generally accepted practice standards, the procedure code is for a procedure that may be provided in conjunction with another procedure. While this does not completely preclude the unethical practice of bundling by insurance companies, it is a step in the right direction, and represents many hours of effort on the part of the UDA working alongside My Practice My Business.

B. The practice of downcoding was also addressed in that same piece of legislation. Consequently, insurance carriers are now unable to downcode in a manner that prevents a dental provider from collecting the fee from the carrier or the patient for the actual service provided. Again, this law will not prevent every attempt by an insurance carrier to 1) either reduce the patient’s benefit or 2) attempt to make the dentist look bad. Some of that comes from the minutia written into each specific insurance contract. Again, dentist beware! Each dentist needs to be wise in how they deal with insurance and which insurance companies they agree to contract with in their practice.

4. Is the ADA working to help dentists provide the best care without insurance companies undermining our efforts? Is the ADA going to fight for me? And, if not the ADA,will the UDA?

A. Please allow me to respond to these questions together, as they are all closely related: Both the ADA and the UDA are fighting for you, and every other dentist in this state. Even our colleagues who are not members are benefiting from the efforts of organized dentistry. While the ADA/UDA can legislatively act to improve insurance company transparency and limit their ability to take unfair advantage of us and our patients, the ADA/UDA cannot violate antitrust laws, nor can it supersede contract law when it acts to represent us. There is an insurance contract analysis service (another benefit) that is available to UDA/ADA members; but that service does not preclude a dentist from making a poor business

decision when they sign up with some insurance carriers. Some contracts will severely tie the hands of the dentist and significantly limit benefits for the patient. At the end of the day, that contract is the responsibility of the individual dentist. And, we should “just say no” to some contracts.

B. The ADA’s Department of State Government Affairs (DSGA) provides technical assistance and resources for state dental societies. In 2022, at least 16 states sought DSGA’s feedback and advice on a number of dental insurance reform bills. Almost half of these bills became law. Some of the issues in the bills were non-covered services, prior authorization, medical loss ratio/rebates, and virtual credit cards.

I have just touched upon the issues that relate more to dental insurance and the business of dentistry. There are more examples, many more. But, in the interest of brevity, I will conclude. Yes Dr. Butler, organized dentistry, the ADA and the UDA, are doing much to not only keep us in business, but to help us thrive in business. We need you, and we need your colleagues. Dentists like you, who care enough to take the time to reach out, ask questions, and keep us accountable are just who we need. I hope this helps to answer your thoughtful questions. Thank you again for asking them!

Dr Mark R. Taylor UDA President

MISINFORMATION AND DISINFORMATION IN THE AGE OF INSTANT “INFORMATION"

When I was in college I had the wonderful opportunity of working with a dentist who lived in my neighborhood. He allowed me to come into his office and work as an unpaid volunteer assistant in order to gain additional knowledge about dentistry in general. I remember one afternoon I picked up a copy of the Journal of the American Dental Association and began to thumb through some of the articles. I found that even though I was reaching the end of my undergraduate college education, it was very much like trying to read an article in a foreign language. I was amazed at how little I was able to understand out of the articles that were proffered and frankly I was worried that I would ever be able to obtain an education on the level that would allow me to understand the scientific articles. Like most undergraduate pre-dental or pre-medical student I wondered how often I would really use my degree in biology and minor in chemistry in providing care for patients. I certainly wondered if I could ever use calculus. I have since come to appreciate that our basic education should really be designed to teach us how to approach and solve problems, to work out the “truth” and hence guide our steps. A recent guest editorial published in the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial surgery by Charles N Bertolami, DDS, DMedSc is the source of much of the following information and I strongly recommend it to all.

We now live in an age of “misinformation” which is defined as false information shared with no intent to harm and “disinformation” which is defined as false information shared with an intent to harm. Both involve false information with the only difference being that of intent. We live in an age when many people now turn to science as the final arbiter of truth. They fail to understand the following statement. “In science all questions are valid and all answers are tentative.” The general public is simply uninformed as to how science really works. They think that you go from hypothesis to discovery in a linear fashion guided by method and logic. While these play a role, intuition and creative insight are just as important and it has been stated that the “origin of discovery is protoscience.” They fail to understand that much of the published scientific literature is simply not true and can therefore be categorized as misinformation. This applies to simply not true and can therefore be categorized as misinformation. This applies to articles published in peer-reviewed well-respected scientific journals. It has been found that somewhere between 65 and 75% of studies cannot be duplicated as reported. It has also been reported that the greater the “financial and other interests and prejudices in a scientific field, the less likely the research findings are to be true”. Conflicts of interest in biomedical research can be financial or simply the prejudice of the investigators themselves. Maybe they need the research to obtain tenure or promotion. When a phenomenon is investigated by someone who believes in it they are more likely to find the desired result. In other words you find what you’re looking for regardless of the actual truth.

Disinformation is now mingled with misinformation and it is difficult to separate the two. For example a letter published in the Lancet on March 7th 2020 expressed support of the medical professionals in China combating COVID-19. The real intent of the letter, however, was to state a natural origin and not a laboratory based origin of the COVID-19 virus. Many of the signatories of this letter has obvious conflicts of interest with potential ties to the Wuhan Laboratory. The article invited readers to add their support to this statement by signing an affirmatory letter online. The implication is that if enough people agree then it must be true. This is not how scientific literature is supposed to work but it is how social media works. The laboratory origin is now favored in many circles as additional information has come to light.

People that “follow the science” perpetuate an enduring myth that science is a consistent, compact, institutionally guaranteed body of knowledge without a separate interest or agenda. The actual operation of science is contingent and tentative and messy. Now add in artificial intelligence such as Chap GPT and it becomes very difficult to differentiate truth from innocent misinformation and from malicious disinformation. A quote attributed to Joseph Goebbels must be remembered “Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it and eventually they will believe it.” Lies that may be repeated by artificial intelligence are still lies but now repeated billions of times a day. Unpopular research findings can be deplatformed and dissenters delegitimized and disciplined simply because it doesn’t conform with the “popular truth.”

I now have the opportunity to work with young men and women who want to be part of Dentistry and Medicine in the future. I remind them that the reason they take calculus, physics, biology and other science classes is to try to teach them how to approach problems and how to think and hence to be able to make correct decisions by learning to question and pursue the truth no matter where it leads. Hopefully we as practitioners are sophisticated consumers of the published research meaning that we can tell what is likely true from what is likely not true and be able to apply it to proper care of our patients.

Dr Ken Baldwin ADA Delegate

Photo: Image licensed by Ingram Image

IN OUR OWN BACKYARD

In 1990, Dr. Ralph B. Montgomery founded the non-profit Salt Lake Donated Dental Services (SLDDS). Its mission is to relieve dental pain and suffering while preserving oral health through preventative education and comprehensive treatment for those with no other access to dental care. Having lost his own teeth in his youth due to living in poverty, he dedicated his energy and expertise to providing extraordinary dental care to the under-served. Thus ensuring others would not have to suffer as he did. After multiple humanitarian trips to the Philippines, Dr. Montgomery realized that he need not travel the world to promote oral health. A critical need existed in his own Utah backyard.

SLDDS was the first place I participated in humanitarian dental service. I chose it because SLDDS focused on preserving the oral integrity of its patients and treating them with the same high-quality care expected in a private dental office. Soon after opening my practice in Manti I would bring my entire staff to the SLDDS clinic on a quarterly basis. At that time it was located on Fourth South and Fourth West in Salt Lake City. We all loved it, especially my dental assistants. It allowed them to donate their skills in a way that was meaningful and affordable. Working as a team brought us closer together and increased morale back in our own clinic. There is just something special about serving in a different location and working on people in real need of your skills.

Sasha Harvey has been the Executive Director of SLDDS since early 2019. She is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the clinic. Her duties include ensuring financial stability and compliance of SLDDS programs, governing the Board and serving as primary spokesperson to the public. Prior to this position she served as Treasurer on the Board of Directors for two years and worked in the areas of compliance and administration of public and private welfare and retirement plans. With degrees in Political Science and International Relations, she brings a wealth of experience and enthusiasm to her position.

While the majority of dental diseases are preventable, they remain quite common among low-income populations. With approximately 100,000 people in Salt Lake County and 23,000 people in Davis County currently living in poverty, free services and early intervention are critical. Every dollar spent on preventative care, can save up to $50 in restorative and emergency treatment. SLDDS volunteers provide free comprehensive care for the homeless and those with incomes below the Federal Poverty Level.

The two offices of SLDDS offer a tremendous opportunity to give back to the communities we live in. The Salt Lake County Clinic has five operatories and the Davis County clinic offers a ten operatory, state-of-the-art facility, both with modern equipment and materials available. The dental offices are well

organized, clean and efficient. Staff are service oriented and passionate about dentistry. Harvey says “Volunteering has never been easier! Dentists and hygienists are welcome to use the experienced dental assistants on staff or bring their own team. The clinic will schedule patients, provide equipment and materials and maintain patient records. All you have to do is show up!” She goes on to say that, “SLDDS is dedicated to working with the volunteers’ schedules and offers flexible hours, with morning or afternoon shifts available.” Volunteer dental professionals are eligible to fulfill 15% of their continuing education requirements, up to 4.5 credits per year, with hours spent volunteering. Providers can receive one hour of CE credit for every 4 hours of volunteer work. (Utah Code Ann. 58-13-3(8)).

Ms. Harvey goes on to say, “SLDDS is incredibly grateful for the generous support of our volunteers. You change lives in more ways than you can ever imagine! For you, it might just be a routine check-up, but for a patient it is a sense of pride for taking ownership of their health. For you, it might just be a simple extraction, for a patient it is a relief from immense pain they have been experiencing for years. For you, it might just be a set of dentures, for a patient it is the courage to ask someone special on a date. For you, it might just be a filling, for a patient it is a belly laugh with a co-worker without having to cover their mouth. For you, it might just be scaling and root planing, for a patient it is the confidence to attend their children’s parent teacher conference for the very first time. These are the stories of real individuals in our neighborhoods. But to see the difference on a larger scale, we need more intention, more compassion, and more dedication. We need you.”

If you are looking for ways to begin doing humanitarian work for yourself or your staff, SLDDS is a great place to start. We are so fortunate to have compassionate and giving individuals like Dr. Montgomery and Ms. Harvey who make it possible for us to donate our knowledge and skills to the poor and dispossessed in our own backyard.

For more information about the opportunity and to schedule your next volunteer day, please contact Sasha Harvey, SLDDS Executive Director, at volunteer@donateddental.org or 801-972-2747.

Dr Len Aste UDA President Elect

TALES ALONG THE CQI TRAIL

Of course many of you were not practicing dentistry or even out of Kindergarten when CQI started in 1997. I was privileged to be the first CQI speaker on malpractice issues back then since quality is a major component of dentistry, and the lack thereof in a few cases was the impetus for the UDA asking me to be the major speaker for a number of years.

Even before CQI and before many of you were even born I wrote a series called “Tales Along the Trail” which covered various hikes I had done from the late 1980s onward with the intent to give dentists some ideas for their own scenic adventures. That column ceased around the time CQI began but I thought it would be a fun hike down the memory lane trail to recollect some unique adventures and memories from days long gone by.

Dr. Steve Morgan was a UDA officer back in 1998 and we all rode in his Suburban in early November to get to Vernal for the CQI held at the 7-11 Ranch Restaurant and adjudicated by the Jolley Brothers, who still rule the dental roost in the Uintah Basin. Dr. Norm Rounds (may he rest in peace after passing away on September 27, 2022) and I decided to play golf in Vernal as the weather forecast called for unusually nice weather. Indeed it was in the 70s and we had a great time playing golf in our summer attire. The CQI meeting was held after a delicious dinner and the famous scones 7-11 Ranch Restaurant is famous for, but near the end of the meeting we got word that U.S. Highway 40 through Daniels Summit was closed due to a fast moving cold front and blizzard. I urged the group to get motel rooms and just stay in Vernal that night but Dr. Morgan had patients scheduled the next morning and insisted that we drive home that evening. So we drove south via U.S. 191 through what Steve called “Indian Canyon” to U.S. 6 just west of Price and got home around 1:30AM. But Norm and I marveled how we could play golf one minute and be almost stuck in a blizzard the next!

I was privileged to be part of the CQI team in 1999 with Monte Thompson and Drs. Norm Rounds, Brian Lundberg, Jerald Boseman and James Ence. That year we gave out Century of Service Awards to various dentists responsible for raising the profession to significant heights in their various districts. We started out in early September in the Weber District at a restaurant called Joanies in Ogden, somewhat of a throwback to an earlier age and orchestrated by Dr. Glenn McMillan and honored John Starley and Mike Burdett with the awards. It was our first CQI presentation that year so it was a little rough but the dentists were kind in their review of our performance.

The next stop was the Box Elder District where we ate a delicious dinner at Maddox Ranch House in Perry where we had an intimate but great group with a mix of old and new dentists and honored Drs. Al Warren, Pete Knudson, Wynn Anderson, and Bill Knudson. Then we were off to Logan to have a golf outing with Dr. Brian Thornley at the Logan Country Club. I drove up with Dr. Norm Rounds and those of us who knew him well remembered how laid back he often was. He was supposed to meet me after lunch so

we could drive up there in plenty of time but he was late and then informed me we had to stop on the way to pick up the award plaque for Dr. Thornley. I worried that we would never make our tee time and I set a record getting to Logan in 65 minutes from Salt Lake without getting a ticket, even driving through the Mantua speed trap. We met Brian Thornley at the course, had a great round, and then enjoyed the emotional presentation of the award as we kept it secret from Brian and he had no idea it was coming.

Next was the Southern Utah Swing. Monte, Norm and I drove down together through hard rain to St. George and enjoyed dinner at a very nice setting – Andelin’s Gable House. Dr. James Ott organized the event and a good group from St. George and Cedar City attended. This meeting was the debut of Dr. Ence as a UDA officer but he was received well, unlike the usual “prophet in his own land.” There was a lively discussion about dealing with the overcrowded 1/900 ratio of dentists to population in that area dealing with a few “snowbirds with an attitude” down there. We were pleased to present the awards to Drs. Rodney Brown and Robert Prince.

After staying in St. George for the evening Norm and I played golf at Sky Mountain, a fun course with beautiful views while Monte did research in the Hurricane library nearby. From there we enjoyed the interesting drive through the mountain range to Richfield for the South Central District presentation organized well by a young but up and coming Dr. Len Aste. The award was presented to Dr. Wayne Chisholm.

Next time we had a lunch meeting in Bountiful which reminded me of my time spent in the Sugar House Rotary Club for lunch at Chuck-a-rama in Sugar House. Of course that restaurant is now gone along with the one where we had the South Davis District meeting, Christopher’s, organized by Dr. Roger Jones. The awards went to Drs. Max Conley, Tom A. Page and Chris Simonsen, the “Mr. Rogers” of Utah pediatric dentistry still going strong in private practice.

After a month hiatus to enable the UDA officers to get ready for and attend the ADA Convention, we were back on the road to attend the Uintah Basin CQI at, once again, the 7-11 Ranch Restaurant in Vernal. The Jolley brothers arranged for a large group to attend, including spouses and a lively meeting ensued. The awards went to Drs. John Shimmin and Dale Larsen.

The next day, joined by Jim Ence and Monte Thompson, Norm and I enjoyed an early morning walk and then breakfast in a throwback mode to days gone by, and then Norm and I made the interesting drive through Colorado and amazing scenery along the Colorado River from the Uinitah Basin to Moab where we had a rousing golf match at the Moab Golf Club ending in a tie on the last hole thanks to the best score ever from me, and then we had a great CQI session at the Sunset Grill at the top of the bluff overlooking Moab organized by the up and coming Jon Fuller. Moab was getting too green, though due to the plethora of Colorado license plates of that color.

Getting near the end, we gave our presentation in my backyard, the Salt Lake District, where several of my peers remembered me as a fellow practicing dentist. We gave probably one of our most polished, best presentations to an excellent turnout to what started out as a rather skeptical but then thoughtful and respectful group of dentists. The awards were presented to Mel Malmstrom, John Gerritsen, Wally Brown and Jerry Summerhays. We wrapped up the CQI sessions for 1999 in Provo, where we had a large turnout for our last presentation and the largest batch of awards to hand out. These went to Drs. John Chambers, Neal Evans, Gordon Christensen, Rella Christensen, and Kipp Robins. Now, fast forward to CQI 2022. After a long hiatus, I was asked to give a brief report on dental ethics pertaining to malpractice lawsuits and court appearances. I was joined by my colleagues at PIE, CEO Dr. David Alvord who took over for me there and PIE’s in-house counsel Chris Rogers. The other live presenters were UDA Executive Director Dr. Val Radmall, UDA President Kay Christensen, President-Elect Mark Taylor, and Dean Rory Hume and Assistant Dean Jim Bekker from the U. of Utah School of Dentistry. So what was different about CQI 25 years after its origin?

1. CQI is not longer required by the state or DOPL but it is highly recommended and does keep dentists from having to take an ethics course which would otherwise be required by DOPL. Several other professions have ethics as part of their required continuing education for licensure. Ethics is now a major component of CQI and topics under that subject were presented by me along with current UDA President Kay Christensen.

2. The numbers of dentists attending were down a little bit but

not bad. It helped that the majority of the presentations were part of a dinner meeting and most of the meals, particularly the one at Steve’s Steakhouse in Richfield, were delicious!

3. The composition of the UDA has changed dramatically with a relatively new but effective Executive Director Dr. Val Radmall. His presentations were incisive and informative and he doesn’t mince words. I did not recognize a lot of the faces in attendance which was great since the younger dentists made an excellent showing.

4. Monthly District meetings have gone by the wayside. For most of the districts, the CQI session was the only meeting of the year which is an unfortunate change but the way things are these days. Kudos to the dentists willing to step forward and lead these less active districts along with efforts to generate camaraderie and educational opportunities.

5. There are now two dental schools in Utah and for a few years at CQI, the Deans alternated participation. This year we were privileged to hear from Dean Rory Hume who has done a fantastic job leading the University of Utah School of Dentistry. He is a great asset to the entire Utah dental community and gave one of the best lectures I have ever heard on cariology at the 2022 UDA Annual Meeting. He is also a world champion team rower.

So, that is my CQI report in a nutshell. I hope some of you enjoyed this stroll down memory lane and that others will feel good about the UDA and opportunities it brings twenty-five years from now in 2047! I hope I am still around!

Dr Richard C. Engar UDA member since 1981

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� Dr. David Chamberlain

A PLEA FOR SERVICE TO THE YOUNGER DENTISTS

If you look at the world around you today, you will likely notice that the world is in short supply of volunteers. Whether that is with youth sports, rotary programs, schools, or even professional societies, we are in desperate need of more people that are willing to step up and help. We are busier as a society than we have ever been before, and it’s easy to rationalize that we don’t have time to volunteer. Believe me when I say that I get it. I am a solo practicing dentist. I have 6 kids between the ages of 12 and 19, and I am involved with multiple organizations outside of work too. Life is busy. Very busy.

So why should we consider volunteering when we are so busy? My simple answer is this- beyond the obvious benefits our service gives to society, we should step up and serve because we receive far more from our service than we give. It’s a paradox, for sure. But it’s true. And it’s been proven to me time and again. If we were to look at it like it were a financial investment, giving of our time would deliver a very good return on investment. The ROI is much higher than most people even realize. It’s such a huge ROI that we would actually be foolish to turn down the opportunity to serve.

In my own life, I’ve been blessed so much from my service. When I was 34 years old, I was asked to run in the house of delegates to be an officer on the Utah Dental Association board. I was really young, but I wanted to give back to a profession that has been so good to me. It ended up being a huge blessing that I didn’t even know I needed. Being surrounded by so many brilliant, successful, and wise dentists on the board helped me during an incredibly challenging time in my life. Shortly after I was elected to be secretary, my wife was diagnosed with a brain tumor. We battled through 3 separate tumors over the course of four years until the cancer took her at far too young of an age. When she passed away, I had four kids between the ages of 5 and 10, and I was trying to run my dental practice at the same time. Receiving the camaraderie and support of the other dentists on the board was a huge benefit to me. They encouraged me, helped me, guided me, and cheered me on as I fought to pick up the pieces as a young widower. That’s not a connection or support group you can easily find outside of service opportunities.

I get that many young dentists reading this will likely never be faced with a situation like that, and I hope you never are. But there is a situation that most every young dentist will face, and that’s a scenario where you are trying to figure out how to be a better dentist or how to run your practice so that it is more profitable. Quality mentors are hard to find these days. Guess where you can find some amazing mentors? In organized den-

tistry. Whether you are serving at your local district level or even at the state level, you will easily find some incredible mentors that you can lean on.

If you’ll allow me to be vulnerable for a bit, I’d like to share a specific example of how my peers on the UDA board helped me with my dental practice. Back in 2016 I had just finished up our meetings at the ADA convention. I was sitting in the airport with the other members of the UDA board. I had grown to trust and respect them quite a bit from our time together over the previous 2 years. I felt like I could let my guard down, be honest and open with them, and ask them for some help and advice. I had reached a plateau with my dental practice and couldn’t overcome it. I was struggling financially and wasn’t happy with my lack of financial success. These amazing dentists were gracious and very helpful. They didn’t judge me or mock me for my struggles. In fact, many of them had been through it before too. Some had to learn the hard way over a long time. These successful dentists started to ask questions about my practice, the numbers, the key performance indicators, and what I was currently doing. They dug into the nitty gritty aspects of my office and were able to get an idea of what was holding me back, and they gave me some advice and some direction. After returning home, I put in action some of the things they mentioned to me. Over the course of the 3-4 years after that moment in the airport, I was able to increase the collections of my dental practice by about 60%, and I was able to double my take home pay. I will forever be grateful to them for their advice and help. It was a game changer for me.

Are you a younger dentist that is wanting some direction? Are you wanting to surround yourself with some successful mentors? Are you struggling and feeling like you don’t know where to go or how to take the next step forward in your career? Then please reach out to either the UDA office or your local district and offer to serve. Serving at the district level is really easy. It will only require about a half a dozen meetings a year. Serving at the state level isn’t really even that big of a burden either. Especially when you look at it like an investment. An investment of several hours a year on my part turned into a huge financial boon for my dental practice. It allowed me to make some great friendships that I am still close with today. And it opened my eyes on how crucial organized dentistry is for the future of our profession. The Utah Dental Association could really benefit from your service, so please reach out and become part of this great dental community.

Dr Cody Calderwood 2024 UDA Convention Scientific Chair

Photo: Image licensed by Ingram Image

HELP ALONG THE WAY

My dental journey started when I was 9 years old. I was riding shotgun as my Mom drove home from her cousin Dr Jack Rasmussen’s dental office. An hour earlier I received two amalgam restorations on the lingual surfaces of my maxillary lateral incisors (to this day are the only restorations in my mouth). I don’t remember much about the appointment, but I do remember two things: 1) How funny my lip felt, and 2) my Mom suggesting that I think of changing my career ambitions from a garbage man to becoming a dentist. Dr Rasmussen must have made a good impression on me that day because from that day on. I knew I wanted to be a dentist.

Fast forward to 1996 while at BYU, my friend and study partner, Jeremy White and I were applying to dental schools at the same time I had applied to about 10 different schools throughout the country and had mixed responses from a lot of them. Jeremy had been accepted by Virginia Commonwealth University (Medical College of Virginia) and suggested that I should apply there as well. I was poor and didn’t know if I could afford the application fee, but he was persistent, and I filled out the application. Little did I know that my second cousin, David Chamberlain, was on the admissions committee. When he saw the last name on the application, he reached out to me to see if I could fly out to Richmond for an interview. I had never met David before flying out, but long story short, he championed my cause and was able to pull some strings to get me accepted to the perfect dental school for me.

After dental school I was accepted to a pediatric residency at New York University where I received a wonderful diverse training. After my first year of residency, I started to look around for a place to practice and I came back to my childhood home of Utah County. I called up all five Pediatric Dentists in the valley and all of them were gracious enough to me let me observe their practices. I will never forget the two days I spent observing Dr Kevin Markham. I learned more in those two days than I learned to that point in my first year of residency. What made a bigger impact was how encouraging he was of me coming out to the valley and practicing right down the street in Springville. I’ll never forget when he told me “Darren, there are plenty of kids in this valley. You’re always welcome.”

I took Kevin up on his offer and decided to hang up a shingle (or an obnoxious orange fluorescent sign) over a strip mall just off the freeway in Springville. My first few months were busy. Kevin was right, there are plenty of kids in Utah County. I was so busy. I didn’t know if I could handle the headache of running an office. Luckily, it was right about then that I got a phone call from Dr Brian Trapnell, the local orthodontist, and President of the Provo District Dental Society (PDDS). He invited me to a local district meeting. I don’t remember anything about the meeting, but what I do remember was rubbing shoulders with colleagues who reassured me that I was going to be okay. I took the

advice I received from them in that meeting and applied it into my practice the next day. The stress didn’t completely go away, but thing became more manageable, and I knew that I had a support group to reach out to if I had any questions or concerns.

As I got more involved in the PDDS, I was asked to run for an officer position. My wife says I have a hard time saying “no” so of course the answer was “sure!” This is one of those times that I’m glad I accepted the offer. It allowed me to meet one of my most cherished mentors, Dr Eric Vogel. I was able to serve two years in the presidency with Eric, and they made more of an impact on my life than any relationship ever has. Dr Vogel gave everything he had to the profession. Not only was he in leadership of the PDDS, but he was part-time faculty at BYU where he taught a pre-dental class. He also founded the Share-a-smile foundation which ran a pro-bono dental clinic at the Food and Care Coalition in Provo. He also organized several dental missions throughout the world. Unfortunately, Eric was diagnosed with cancer way too early in life and the profession lost one of its best advocates. From him I learned that stability comes from 3 pillars, Family, God and the Profession. If we dedicate ourselves to each of these three things, our life will be balanced. After my time in the PDDS leadership, Dr Gary Wiest approached me to run for an opening in the Utah Dental Association (UDA). This time, I didn’t say yes right away. When I approached my wife with the request she asked, “can you make a difference?” When I discussed the ways, I thought I could make some changes for the better she said “well then you’d better run.” This was another time when I’m glad I said yes. It allowed me to interact with some of the highest caliber in our profession. When I sat down in the UDA boardroom I was amazed by the insights and passion of everyone around the table. These were people that just wanted what was best for the profession. Last month, I was lucky enough to be elected as an ADA delegate position that was held by Dr Brent Larson and before him, AJ Smith. I don’t take this nomination lightly. I look to each of them as pillars of the profession. They have been mentors to me, and I look to them as the wise sages of the UDA Leadership. I’m humbled to serve in a similar capacity to them and I hope that I live up to their standard of excellence.

I wish I had the space to thank the dozens of colleagues who have helped me become the person I am. I am truly grateful for the direction they have given me on this journey. The point of this story is this . . .Don’t give up an opportunity to reach out and make a difference in a colleague’s life. My interactions with dental friends and mentors are something that I can never replace. I’m a better clinician, small business owner, and man because others have dispelled their knowledge to me. Put your arm around a new dentist, invite him/her to a study group or a dental society meeting. Call them up and invite them to lunch. You never know what that phone call might do, it could change a life.

Darren Chamberlain, DDS ADA Delegate

A SHORT MESSAGE FROM YOUR LOCAL, FRIENDLY UDPAC CHAIR

I recently returned from the Annual “ADA Dentist and Student Lobby Day” in Washington D.C. I had the privilege of attending this meeting with Dr. Val Radmall, our UDA Executive Director, Dr. Darren Chamberlain, and six students from the University of Utah and Roseman Dental Schools. Our purpose was to be educated on the ADA’s national legislative agenda and then meet with our Senators and Representatives to share this information with them and seek their support. There were three pieces of legislation we were advocating this year. The first you may be familiar with from our state legislative efforts several years ago. It is called the Dental and Optometric Care Access Act or “DOC Access Act” for short. This act parallels the work we, and over 40 other states, have done in passing “Non-Covered Services” legislation on a state level. By passing a national law, we will effectively be closing the loophole that many insurance companies have used to circumvent the intention of state legislation by requiring plans that fall under ERISA exemptions to honor these laws. The Second Piece of legislation we lobbied for was the Medicaid Dental Benefits Act. The purpose of this Act is to expand coverage nationally to all eligible adults, and importantly, reduce the administrative burdens for participating dentists such as audits and credentialing. Over the past several years, Utah has been expanding access to adult benefits in great part due to the efforts from the U of U Dental School’s leadership and creative funding plan. This has been a resounding success for those who have benefited from this care

and has significantly improved the quality of their lives, but as is the case in most states, the majority Utah’s adult Medicaid beneficiaries simply have no coverage available to them. This often means they postpone care, live with pain, and/or end up in an emergency room. By making an investment to secure care for these patients we will ultimately save money while offering a much better quality of life to these patients. It is estimated that this legislation could save our national health system nearly $2.7 billion annually by getting people to more appropriate and cost-effective settings (our dental offices) for care, as opposed to relying on emergency departments to relieve dental pain.

The third and final piece of legislation we advocated for was the Resident Education Deferred Interest Act (REDI Act). While the ADA is advocating for numerous federal loan repayment options, this Act in particular, would allow dental and medical students to defer interest and payments while they are in their residency programs. This bill is bipartisan and bicameral, meaning it has support from both of our major political parties and is sponsored in both the House and the Senate. If enacted this could result in savings of tens of thousands of dollars for our graduating dental students. Having our dental students with us and sharing their personal stories was extremely impactful during our meetings. I wish to acknowledge and thank each of them for the time they took away from their studies to help with our advocacy efforts.

Dr Glenn A Zeh UDPAC chair

ATTENDING THE AMERICAN DENTAL ASSOCIATION’S LOBBY DAY IN WASHINGTON D.C.

My name is Kendall Block and I am a second-year dental student at the University of Utah. I serve as the President of the American Student Dental Association’s chapter at Utah. Over March 4th-7th I had the privilege of attending the American Dental Association’s Lobby Day in Washington D.C.

Over 700 students and dentists across the nation attended this event. Together we dug into the legislation we wanted to get passed on behalf of our profession and patients. The acts we lobbied for this year were the Dental and Optometric Act, the Residency Education Deferred Interest Act, and the Medicaid Dental Care Access Act. Working together with students and dentists from Utah, we presented our cases to each House Rrepresentative and Senator of Utah.

I was originally interested in attending this event because I love the passion and thought that goes into passing a bill into legislation. Part of the reason why I became interested in dentistry was because I loved knowing that I have the ability

to not only help my local patients but to help all patients on a national level through advocacy.

It was thrilling getting to be on the Hill and to be listened to by the people who make our nation’s decisions. Getting to attend this event made me realize that we are a part of something much bigger than our own individual practices. I am elated to be part of organized dentistry and determined to spread that joy with my colleagues.

One of my favorite quotes I have found was on the American Dental Association website. It goes “Lawmakers are going to make decisions that affect your patients and your practice. It’s a certainty. And you have a choice: you can sit on the sidelines or you can help shape the outcome”. No one understands oral health better than dentists. It is extremely important for us to work together in order to protect our profession and patients.

Kendall Block U of U Dental Student

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT NEW DEA TRAINING

1. Does this new DEA training requirement affect me?

Likely. The requirement applies to all DEA registration submissions (Schedules II, III, IV, and V)—regardless of whether it is an initial registration or a renewal registration—beginning on or after June 27, 2023. The only exceptions are veterinarians and those who will not be obtaining or renewing a DEA registration.

2. What am I required to do?

At the time of your next scheduled DEA registration submission (but not before June 27, 2023), registrants must:

• Have completed eight hours of qualified training on safe controlled substance prescribing, with certificates of completion.

• Check a box on their registration submission affirming they have completed the training.

• Retain copies of all certificates of completion. This applies regardless of whether a registrant is completing their initial registration application or renewing their registration. It also applies to all drug schedules (Schedules II, III, IV, and V).

Some important items to note:

• Certificates of completion are required, but formal continuing education credit is not.

• Qualified coursework completed before the law’s passage is eligible.

• Qualified coursework completed in dental school is eligible for those less than five years out of dental school.

3. How much time do I have to comply?

Compliance is required by the time of your next scheduled DEA registration submission—regardless of whether it is an initial registration or a renewal registration—but not before June 27, 2023. For example, if you renew on June 26, 2023, compliance is not required until your next renewal.

4. Does DEA plan to extend the compliance deadline(s)?

DEA is aware that prescribers and training providers may have difficulty complying with the new training requirement in the time Congress allowed. The agency is considering whether and how it can grant additional time within the scope of its statutory authority. Until a decision is announced, however, those subject to the requirement should be prepared to comply by the congressionally established timeline.

Note that compliance is not required until the time of your next scheduled DEA registration submission—regardless of whether it is an initial registration or a renewal registration—but not before June 27, 2023.

5. Will I have to complete the eight hours of training on a cyclical basis?

No. Additional training is not required after the one-time, 8-hour requirement has been satisfied. Sec. 1263 specifically states, “The Attorney General shall not require any qualified practitioner to complete the training...more than once.”

6. How will I know what courses will satisfy the requirement?

To qualify, the coursework must meet three criteria:

• The course must be an approved topic.

• The course must be conducted through an approved medium.

• The course must be delivered by a designated training provider

First, the course must cover some aspect of the safe pharmacological management of dental pain and screening, brief intervention, and referral for appropriate treatment of patients with or at risk of developing opioid and other substance use disorders. The subject matter is broadly defined.

Second, the training may take the form of classroom situations, seminars at professional society meetings, electronic communications, or otherwise. The ADA is seeking clarification about whether reading a journal article for continuing education credit would count toward the requirement.

Finally, the course(s) must be delivered by a designated training provider. The ADA, the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS), and ADA CERP providers are designated training providers. Click here for the complete list.

Some important items to note:

• Certificates of completion are required, but formal continuing education credit is not.

• Qualified coursework completed before the law’s passage is eligible.

• Qualified coursework completed in dental school is eligible for those less than five years out of dental school.

7. How will DEA enforce this requirement?

DEA has indicated it does not plan to audit or investigate prescribers based solely on compliance with this training requirement. However, the agency may check for certificates of completion when investigating a prescriber for some other infraction.

8. How do I demonstrate compliance?

Registrants will need to check a box on their DEA registration submission—regardless of whether it is an initial registration or a renewal registration—affirming they have completed the required training.

Prescribers should retain copies of all certificates of completion. Recent graduates should contact their dental school for completion certificates. Recent graduates will also need to take supplemental training if their qualifying dental school courses total less than eight hours.

DEA currently has no plans to create a platform that will allow prescribers to upload and store certificates of completion.

9. Does the ADA offer eligible training on safe controlled substance prescribing?

Yes. Both the ADA and ADA CERP providers are among the designated training organizations that offer educational courses on the safe pharmacological management of dental pain and screening, brief intervention, and referral for appropriate treatment of patients with or at risk of developing opioid and other substance use disorders.

The DEA appears to be relying on the law’s designated training organizations to make good faith determinations about what courses will satisfy the new training requirement.

The following one-hour webinars are hosted by the ADA and include CE credit. All the courses are free for ADA members; some are free for non-members. The ADA is a designated training provider.

Course

The Dental Hygienist’s Role in Supporting Patients with Substance Use Disorder

What You Need to Know About Pain Management as the Opioid Overdose Crisis Evolves Opioids, Dentistry and Addiction: The Dentist’s Role in Treating Pain

The Impact of COVID-19 on the Addiction Field: A Call to Dentists

Integrating Controlled Substance Risk Assessment and Management into Dental Practice

Credit Type

Certificate of Completion (ADA/PCSS)

Certificate of Completion (ADA/PCSS)

Certificate of Completion (ADA/PCSS)

Certificate of Completion (ADA/PCSS)

Certificate of Completion (ADA/PCSS)

Again, the DEA appears to be relying on the law’s designated training organizations to make good faith determinations about what courses will satisfy the new training requirement.

IMPORTANT

Before taking new courses, note that past trainings from recognized groups can be used to satisfy requirement. In other words, if you received a relevant training from one of the recognized groups—prior to the enactment of this new training obligation on December 29, 2022—that training counts towards the eight- hour requirement.

DEA has confirmed there is no statute of limitations for past coursework to qualify. Also note that relevant dental school coursework counts toward the federally required training for those who are less than five years out of dental school.

10. Do recent dental school graduates have to complete this additional training?

Likely. The requirement applies to all DEA registration submissions—regardless of whether it is an initial registration or a renewal registration—beginning on or after June 27, 2023. If you do not intend to apply for a DEA registration, you are not affected.

Note that the law permits relevant dental school coursework to count toward the training requirement for those who are less than five years out of dental school. DEA has stated it is relying on dental schools to hand out certificates documenting completion of any qualifying coursework.

Course

Credit Type

11. Do the trainings have to be for continuing education credit?

Special

Considerations

of Pain Management and Opioid Use in Older Adults

Emergency Department Referral Model in Action: Addressing Dental Access Opioid Prevention and Pain Management

Clinical Practice Guideline for Management of Acute Dental Pain

CE Credit (ADA CERP)

CE Credit (ADA CERP)

No. Certificates of completion are required, but formal continuing education credit is not.

12. I have multiple DEA registrations. Do I have to complete eight hours of training for each one?

No. The same eight hours of training can be recycled for multiple DEA registrations.

Course Credit Type

The following one-hour ADA webinars are hosted by the ADA through the Providers Clinical Support System. The courses are free and include a certificate of completion. The ADA is an approved training provider.

13. Do I have to use specific training providers? Will ADA CERP credits count?

Yes. The course(s) must be provided only by the organizations listed in the statute. The recognized organizations are:

• American Dental Association

• American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons

• ADA CERP-recognized providers (i.e., any organization recognized by the Commission for Continuing Education Provider Recognition, or CCEPR)

and/or

• American Society of Addiction Medicine

• American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry

• American Medical Association

• American Osteopathic Association

• American Psychiatric Association

• Any organization accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME)

• Any organization accredited by a state medical society accreditor that is recognized by the ACCME or the CCEPR

• Any organization accredited by the American Osteopathic Association to provide continuing education

• Any organization approved by the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, the ACCME, or the CCEPR

If a state dental society is a recognized ADA CERP provider—or recognized by one of the other designated training providers— its courses should satisfy the requirement.

14. Is my state dental society a recognized training provider?

Possibly. If your state dental society is a recognized ADA CERP provider—or recognized by one of the other designated training providers—its qualifying courses should satisfy the requirement.

15. Will training completed prior to the law’s passage count toward the new requirement?

Yes. Past trainings from designated training organizations can count towards a practitioner meeting this requirement. In other words, if you received an eligible training from one of the designated training organizations—prior to the enactment of this new requirement on December 29, 2022—that training counts towards the eight-hour requirement. A certificate of completion is required.

There is no statute of limitations on past trainings being used to satisfy the requirement, except for relevant training in dental school. Dental school training may only be used by those who are less than five years out of dental school.

16. Does the eight hours of training have to occur in one session?

No. The training does not have to occur in one session. It can be cumulative across multiple sessions that equal eight hours of training.

17. Do courses have to be taken in one-hour blocks?

No. There are no minimum time restrictions on individual courses. However, certificates of completion must be obtained.

18. Will training credits accepted for state licensure count toward the new DEA requirement?

Yes. Training hours accepted for state licensure may be recycled to satisfy the DEA training requirement. Sec. 1263 specifically states, “Nothing in this subsection shall be construed...to preclude the use...of training...to satisfy registration requirements of a State or for some other lawful purpose.”

19. Can my state impose additional training requirements?

Yes. The federal requirement is a floor, not ceiling. Your state may impose additional training requirements. Sec. 1263 specifically states, “Nothing in this subsection shall be construed...to preempt any additional requirements by a State related to the dispensing of controlled substances under schedule II, III, IV, or V.”

20. Am I required to complete training on controlled substance topics that are outside of my scope of practice?

No. Dental prescribers are not required to complete coursework on controlled substance prescribing topics that are outside their scope of practice (e.g., medication-assisted treatment).

21. What is the ADA’s position on this new requirement?

In 2018, the ADA became the only major health professional organization to support mandatory continuing education on the safe prescribing of controlled substances. As a result, lawmakers viewed the ADA as an honest broker on the subject and made several accommodations to address some early concerns.

Unlike the original version, lawmakers:

• Removed requirements for dentists to complete coursework on topics outside their scope of practice (e.g., prescribing buprenorphine).

• Allowed state-required training to count toward the new federal training requirement.

• Allowed dental school courses to count toward the federally required training for those less than five years out of dental school.

• Permitted training offered by ADA CERP training providers to count toward the federal training requirement.

22. Where can I find additional information?

Dentists and dental professionals may email the Member Service Center at msc@ada.org, or call 312-440-2500. Staff are available 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM Central Time.

For official answers from the DEA, please email your questions to the Diversion Control Division

Policy Section at ODLP@dea.gov, or call 571-362-3260. The website is deadiversion.usdoj.gov.

Additional information is available on ADA.org.

ADA MEMBERS CAN SHARE VOLVO DISCOUNT WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS

industry in safety innovations, including the invention of the rear-facing child seat and child booster cushion, the side impact protection system, whiplash protection system, pedestrian detection with full auto brake and a speed cap.

This year choose a vehicle that is luxurious, safe and sustainable while receiving a generous discount, thanks to the Utah Dental Association endorsement of Volvo Cars.

UDA members are eligible to receive an exclusive $1,0001 discount off the purchase or lease of any vehicle, including pure electric, plug-in hybrid or mild hybrid Volvo crossovers, SUVs, sedans and wagons. And now they can share this offer with up to three family members or friends per year.

A leader in safety advancements since its invention of the threepoint safety seat belt in 1959, Volvo has continued to lead the

To access your discount, sign up at ADA.org/Volvo to log in and fill out a short form to request a pin number. Members must have their ADA member number handy to log in and request a pin number. On the form, choose “Myself (Family/Household)” if you are requesting a pin for yourself or choose “Friends/Family” if you are requesting a pin for a friend or family member. Members are allowed two pin numbers per year, as well as three more for family and friends to use.

Are you a Costco member? Get even more savings by combining your ADA offer with this limited-time special from Costco. 2 Now through July 31, you could get up to $3,500 off by taking advantage of both deals!

1Restrictions apply. For active members of the American Dental Association with an address in a U.S. state. See ADA.org/Volvo for full details.

2Registration required. Must be a member by May 1, 2023. Take delivery by July 31, 2023. Click for full restrictions, eligibility and details.

MANAGING EFFECTIVE TEAM MEETINGS

Do you meet with your dental team on a regular basis? You should consider doing so as team meetings serve several important purposes. They are an effective way to open up the communication lines, bring your office into sync and keep everyone on the same page. Every day you impact lives. Regular staff meetings help you focus on this purpose.

Celebration (10 minutes)

Meetings are serious business, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make them fun. Kickoff your team meeting by recognizing special events: birthdays, holidays and/or accomplishments. When you consistently begin your meeting with fun and food, staff will look forward to the occasion. Be sure to acknowledge and celebrate the successes of your team and practice.

Continuing Education (40 minutes)

The bulk of your meeting should focus on improving your practice through education and training. This is your opportunity to teach. It’s also the time to share new ideas, review scripts and rehearse/role play the most critical patient interactions involving scheduling and financial matters. Review your numbers and share your insights: gross production, net production, collections, net collections and new patient flow. How does the performance match up to your goals? How can each member of your team contribute to increased productivity and efficiency? When your team tracks and analyzes this information together, it creates

a collective focus that almost always results in improvement.

Correction (5 minutes)

The conclusion of your meeting should focus on making a specific correction to a behavior or approach that is having a negative impact on patient care and/or the growth of your practice. This isn’t about improving a behavior—it’s about changing it. This should be a team discussion, addressing such things as patient complaints or interpersonal communication skills. If one of your employees needs a special correction, it’s best to meet with that person in private.

Regardless of your chosen meeting format, you want to be consistent. Team meetings should be held on a regular basis, on an established day and time. Make them mandatory and have an agenda. Be prepared and thorough. If you don’t take your meetings seriously, it’s doubtful that your employees will. Meetings are critical for team development and task management. However, meetings can easily fail without adequate direction and leadership. Lastly, create an environment in which all members of your team have input. Don’t be a team in name only.

This information is based on “Effective Team Meetings: Your Agenda for Growth” by Ken Runkle, President of Paragon Management Associates, Inc. and was provided courtesy of CareCredit, an endorsed company of ADA Business Enterprises, Inc. Learn more about CareCredit here or calling 1.800.800.5110

Photo: Image licensed by Ingram Image

FEBRUARY

Courtesy of Visit Salt Lake

ASSOCIATION

ACTIVE VACATIONS HELP YOU CONNECT WITH THE WORLD

Utah Dental Association members can save on immersive small-group adventures

Looking for a vacation experience that goes beyond a beach and a book? UDA and its endorsed partner, AHI Further, are offering three unique adventures in 2023 with several departure dates to choose from that will engage your body, stimulate your curiosity and immerse you in deep cultural experiences.

These active tours offer travelers opportunities to explore their destinations by hiking, biking, kayaking, paddle boarding, waterfall rappelling, snorkeling or zip-lining and to become immersed in new cultures and hands-on educational experiences. All programs are led by an experienced Travel Director so travelers can relax and enjoy every minute of their trip. Travelers can choose from three destinations – Thailand, Costa Rica and Galapagos Islands.

“AHI’s unique Further tours are designed for the curious, active traveler who desires a spot-on mix of adrenaline-fueled activities, must-see highlights, deep cultural experiences and the freedom to do your own thing,” said Mike Hull, Senior Vice President, AHI Further. “Join a small group of like-minded travelers who, like you, crave flexible, fresh and fun adventures in exotic locations. The best part? AHI Further’s active adventures get you closer to each destination by letting you hike, bike, kayak and snorkel your way through it. They provide the equipment, the experts and the opportunity. You provide the energy.”

Many adventures await, including one of the seven wonders of the world; an excursion to the famous Bridge over the River Kwai, the Thailand-Burma Railway Museum and war cemetery in Thailand; zip-lining high about Monteverde Costa Rica’s cloud forest canopy where you might spot monkeys, sloths, toucans or other exotic birds; or snorkeling in the waters around the Galapagos Islands with reef sharks, turtles and stingrays. Tours offer opportunities for cultural, culinary and hands-on educational experiences as well as outdoor adventures. UDA

members who book a trip through AHI Further save $100 per traveler. Bring your friends and everyone saves $100. For complete itineraries on each of these adventures and additional options for outdoor physical activities, visit these links:

• Explore Thailand

https://adafr.ahitravel.com/destinations/1777A?schoolId=688

• Explore Costa Rica

https://adafr.ahitravel.com/destinations/1775A?schoolId=688

• Explore Galapagos

https://adafr.ahitravel.com/destinations/1776A?schoolId=688

ADA News March 6, 2023

Santa Cruz Island

Costa Rica waterfall

THE MEMBERS OF THE DENTAL TEAM: POSITION OVERVIEWS Guidelines for Practice Success | Managing the Dental Team

Every practice should have job descriptions that outline the education, qualifications and specific duties for each member of the team. Developing this information up-front has two main benefits: first, it makes it more likely that your practice will hire qualified individuals for each role; and second, it lets each employee know what is required to satisfactorily fulfill the requirements of the job. Creating accurate job descriptions takes time and thought but you’ll reap the rewards of those efforts every time you hire, coach, evaluate, or terminate staff. While it’s doubtful that most dentists enjoy conducting these non-clinical activities, they are necessary components of leading the team and managing the practice.

Think of job descriptions as a form of communication that ensures that anyone – and everyone – working in the practice understands their responsibilities and knows exactly what’s expected. They’re also helpful when recruiting staff to fill new or vacant positions and when planning programs to update staff training. Well-written job descriptions can also provide language to use when recruiting staff and also be valuable documentation when it’s time to provide coaching, redirect work assignments, improve poor performance, and even when it’s time to terminate someone on the team.

Make sure you consult your state’s dental practice act for guidance in defining which duties can be performed by different members of the dental team, under what level of supervision, and any education or exams that must be completed, or any state or national credentials that must be held before specific duties can be delegated to clinical staff members. Your state dental association may also have resources that can help. Finally, always make sure that employees and job applicants are properly licensed to work in the state where your practice is located, if that’s required for the position.

There are many resources that can provide sample job descriptions for positions common to most dental practices. While templates and other samples can be good starting points, it’s likely that some changes will be necessary to make sure the position fills the needs of your practice. Consider asking members of the team for input on the position description for their roles. Just remember that it’s up to you to decide which suggestions to incorporate and which to disregard.

Resources: Position descriptions for dental assistants, dental hygienists, and dental office managers provided courtesy of The ADA Practical Guide to Creating and Updating an Employee Policy Manual

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS OF THE UDA BOARD

Dr Darren Chamberlain, Dr Rich Fisher and Dr Laura Kadillak

Mark Taylor, DDS President

Len Aste, DDS President Elect

Rodney Thornell, DMD Treasurer

Rich Fisher, DMD Secretary

Kay Christensen, DDS Immediate Past President

Ken Baldwin, DDS ADA Delegate

Scott Theurer, DMD ADA Delegate

Darren Chamberlain, DDS ADA Delegate

Laura Kadillak, DDS ADA Alternate Delegate

AVOID THE TOP 10 HIRING MISTAKES

Whether this is your first hire or you’re a seasoned veteran, hiring will always be more of an art than a science. However, there is a lot you can do to improve the chances that you hire someone likely to be successful in your practice, your culture and on your team. Do your homework to identify the ability, skill and attitude you need in your practice; be most concerned about hiring the willing personality and train the skill if necessary. Make no mistake about it, this is business and it’s personal.

Here’s my top 10 list of what NOT to do:

1. Do NOT do what everyone else is doing. Don’t let your ad blend in with all the rest of the no-name ads. Whether seasoned or a startup, you are offering a unique and exciting opportunity. Tell a bit of your story, share your dream, include your name and website. You’ll attract someone who wants to help you build that dream.

2. Do NOT bring everyone in for a personal interview. The recruitment process can quickly start to feel like a fulltime job if you’re not giving applicants an opportunity to qualify themselves early on. Throw down a challenge in your ad to have applicants visit your website and send a cover letter sharing how they can be an asset to you in the practice. Only those who pass the challenge and then pass the telephone interview should get invited for an interview. You’ll save time and be fresher and more focused for the best applicants.

3. Do NOT wing interviews. A Google search can provide you with the top 10 or 20 interview questions you can ask at both the telephone and personal interviews. Your applicants can just as easily do a Google search for the best interview answers and come prepared to ace the interview. They talk the talk, but will they be able to walk the walk? Be prepared to ask questions that flush out the values, traits and qualifications you are seeking.

4. Do NOT neglect employment law. Know both the state and federal laws that impact your hiring process. Be prepared with a complete job description for the position, a current legal job application and reference release forms. Know what you can legally ask an applicant. Know how best to pay this new hire. Do they qualify as an independent contractor or as an exempt or nonexempt employee?

5. Do NOT forget that the interview begins when the applicant arrives. Pay close attention to how the applicant greets staff at the front desk, if he or she interacts with folks in the reception area or instead focuses on a cell phone. Take every opportunity to see your applicant when they don’t know you’re looking and are just being who they really are.

6. Do NOT allow a bias to color the entire interview. You may not prefer body ink, but the reality is that nearly 40 percent of the workforce under the age of 30 has a tattoo. Your applicant may be well qualified and willing to keep a tattoo covered during work hours.

7. Do NOT do the majority of the talking. As my Dad always told me, you can’t learn anything while your lips are moving. Ask great questions that you have prepared in advance, listen with the intention of understanding the candidate’s answers and then score that applicant on your own scale so you remember how you felt about his or her response. Don’t worry about writing down everything the applicant says; just be sure to score the applicant so you know how you felt about their comments.

8. Do NOT compare applicants to each other. You don’t want to hire the best of the bunch, but rather the best person for the job. Your intent should be to compare each applicant to the position for which you are hiring. That is why you have prepared a job description and identified the values, traits and qualifications you are seeking. It may take several rounds of interviews, but if you score applicants against the position, the top candidates will rise to the top, as the cream always does.

9. Do NOT hire anyone without doing your due diligence. No matter how excited you are, do not hire anyone without checking references. Remember, anyone can talk a good game, but past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior. Scrutinize the candidates’ history. Verify the career timeline. Don’t take the phone numbers from the resume, but Google the names and phone numbers of past employers to speak with them directly for references. It’s also a best practice to do an online hiring assessment to gain insight into your candidates’ behavioral tendencies, emotional intelligence and core competencies.

10. Do NOT rationalize red flags because you like a particular candidate or because you are tired of being short-handed. The joy of making a hire will quickly fade once you realize you’ve been too hasty and made a mistake. The only thing harder than being short-handed is the first three weeks after you hire since you’ll be training. You and your team will essentially be doing double duty for this time period. Realizing you’ve made a mistake but settling is a recipe for mediocrity. Having to let someone go and start over again is tough and it’s demoralizing. Take your time and hire right the first time.

Ginny Hegarty, SPHR