President’s Message

Chewon this

Bye, 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

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 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

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.”

Pictured at the Rio Grande Valley Society meeting are TDA President Dr Debrah Worsham, Rio Grande Valley President Dr Melissa Uriegas, and TDA Past President Dr Joey Cazares.

on a well-deserved win! Insurance reform bills were introduced to help dentists and patients alike.

HB 3459 prohibits certain state-regulated insurers from requiring dentists to obtain preauthorization if they meet specific criteria. SB 199, relating to purchase and maintenance of automatic external defibrillators, was amended to assure dentists remain able to purchase and maintain AEDs for their practices without unnecessary physician oversight and intrusion! These are just a few accomplishments which your TDA team fought for during this most recent and very abnormal legislative session.

As we venture off into 2022, your Texas Dental Association staff and leaders will continue focusing on members’ needs, and the TDA will adapt and change as necessary to meet them. Although there will be no TDA Meeting in San Antonio in 2022 due to the ADA meeting in Houston in October, the TDA Meeting Task Force is looking at ways to bring you continuing education in new and relevant formats. Stay tuned for these updates.

Component leaders from across the state will assemble in Austin on February 4 and 5 for the 2022 TDA-hosted Leadership Conference. We will discuss common challenges and needs affecting components of varying sizes. It will be a great venue for exchange of ideas and networking opportunities with like minded folks. With focus group discussion on matters specific to your component group, the goal is to leave the conference with a greater understanding of membership trends, TDA’s new Dental Concierge, TDA and ADA initiatives and priorities, TDA Perks program, TDA central office support available to members and component societies, and Advocacy and Regulatory Affairs.

TDA staff will continue to provide quality service to each member of the Association, whether a new graduate or a seasoned member nearing retirement. TDA’s success is largely dependent on each member and their promotion of all the association has to offer. Let’s stay engaged, let’s stay informed, and let’s stay relevant! TDA President Debrah J. Worsham, DDS

The Rio Grande Valley Dental Society met in January in Corpus Christi. Local society meetings are great ways to meet peers and discover network opportunities.