Chewon this B
ye, 2021! Can’t say you will be missed! You weren’t much better than your older sister, 2020!
Hello, 2022! Wonder what surprises you have in store for us? I’m sure we will adapt to whatever you throw our way, as we have been made to do these last couple years. After all, we Texans are a resilient bunch! Although I despise and refuse to make resolutions, a recent poll revealed these rank among the top 5: 1. Taking steps to improve physical health 2. Improve finances 3. Pursue a professional aspiration 4. Invest in relationships 5. Take care of mental health
and your team to grow professionally. By attending your local component society meeting, you are investing in relationships which are essential to your mental health and well-being. The camaraderie and networking opportunities available through this one avenue are priceless. Although 2021 wasn’t back up to pre-pandemic standards, your Texas Dental Association was still at work for you. The Texas Dental Association assisted 17 dentists with relief funds as a result of damage from winter storm Uri. TDA staff offered individualized help to more than 50 dentist offices facing third-party payor issues, and hundreds
of dentists were helped with personalized regulatory compliance assistance. The TDA Smiles Foundation provided 1,148 Texans with almost $1,000,000 in charitable dental care. Your TDA lobby team and staff, along with help from you, the TDA members, worked with legislators during the 87th legislative session to pass the teledentistry bill, while maintaining the current standard of care. This project was over 3 years in the works, and it required significant effort involving stakeholders, lawmakers, and legislative staff. This successful effort has now shifted from the legislative arena to the regulatory arena (rule-writing phase). Congratulations to all of us
All of these relate back to benefits available to you as a member of the Texas Dental Association. As 2020 and 2021 took their toll on us, the ADA launched a Health and Wellness series free to all members. TDA Perks offers multiple services to help with your finances and practice management issues. The TDA Meeting offers opportunities for you
TDA President Dr Debrah Worsham addresses the attendees at the Rio Grande Valley Society. The meeting was set up as a talk show called “Chew On This—A Talk Show With the TDA President.”
8 Texas TexasDental DentalJournal Journal | |Vol Vol 139 139| No. | No. 1 1
