District Business:

Attention:  Proposed Bylaws change to be voted on at May 13th meeting.

The new bylaws will read...
"Annual Roll-up of Delegates:  Each member of the delegation, other than the chairman, moves up one slot annually so that one alternate delegate is added to the delegation each year.  Upon a delegate's or alternate delegate's annual re-election he or she shall roll up one place on the delegation for a maximum of (delete seven) NINE years.  Following a delegation roll up, and after serving the maximum number of terms as Chairman, a member must not serve as an alternate or a delegate for one year."
 
This is a "housekeeping" change that is necessitated because we have increased our GDA Delegate count from 8 to 10.

The delegation roll up will be as follows:
2010-11
Alternates
Don Spillers
Amy Loden
Lindsay Holliday
Mike Loden
Deena Smith
 
Delegates
Paul Fraysure  (rolls off Feb 2014)
Craig McCroba (rolls off Feb 2013)
Shirley Fisher  (rolls off Feb 2012)
Roy Lehrman (rolls off Feb 2011)
 
Chair  Kendrick Mathews  is serving his last term as chairman. 
The Executive Council  will elect a new chair in Feb (2012??) ??

We had a great turnout of over 30 Central District dentists for our Law Day on March 3.  Since the Legislative Session was in recess, we had a discussion of dental issues led by Martha Phillips and 2 talks by Rep. Larry O'Neal and Sen Greg Goggans.  We all learned of the tough challenges our profession and state may face over the next few years. With all of the political change affecting our nation, state, communities and profession, we all MUST become and stay involved if we have any chance of keeping our profession one of if not the greatest . 

I would like to thank all of you for your support over the years ( you will probably be happy that I will not be calling you as much) but I believe in what we in the Central District have tried to do, and I hope and think we have made a difference. At this time I will ask that you support Dr Amber Lawson as she becomes the Chair of the Governmental Affairs committee.  Dr Lawson is very excited about leading this committee, and she will do a great job----but she must have your continued support, both with your time and participation as well as your occasional financial support.  I look forward to watching the Central District continue to help steer and lead the Georgia Dental Assoc as we tackle each and every challenge we face.

While this is an old phrase, it was probably made for all of us who watched Clint Eastwood in “Dirty Harry” into a statement that we will never think of in the same old way.  Harry was hoping that some despicable bad guy would give him the excuse to end his criminal ways.  For you and me it can take on a different connotation.  Many times we will ride to work thinking, who (which patient) will make my day today.  You know the reasons, there are many.  The end result is that in most circumstances the complaints are designed to have us take responsibility for problems that are the patient’s and not ours.  So, who will it be today?  Sometimes it all comes down to what do they think of us?
    Now, who is “THEY”?  Sometimes they is the patient in the Blue Room, sometimes “they” is someone that you never heard of or never even met before.  The following quote comes from a part of a report from the Pew Foundation.  It tells you what they think of dentists and what they think dentists do.  To me, this qualities the Pew Foundation as “THEY”also. 

“Dentists are business owners and leaders of their dental teams, but they do not deliver all dental services.  They rely on other providers and referrals to other dentists.  Most discussions about workforce begin with an assumption that dentists can do anything that their patients require, and can do it better than any non-dentist could.  But in other countries, the two-year dental therapist or nurse program includes 760 hours of clinical training on treating children.  By comparison, dental students have much less experience with children, receiving an average of only 171 hours in pediatric dentistry.

Dental schools teach students how to do root canals, periodontal surgery, and orthodontics, yet few general dentists perform them, preferring instead to refer to patients to specialists.  Further, while dentists are trained to clean teeth, 77 percent of general practitioners and 88 percent of periodontists prefer to hire hygienists to clean their patient’s teeth.  According to the American Dental Association (ADA), 43 percent of patient visits are for hygiene services.  That means in today’s private practices, the first provider who does a diagnosis and provides treatment (in this case cleaning) is usually the hygienist.  Ultimately, new oral health professionals will become a major source of patient visits via referral, and will allow clinics and private dental practices to see more patients, improve efficiency and devote more time to more complex procedures.

There are many research studies from other countries, and the United States, that show that providers other than dentists can be taught in short periods to pull teeth and fill cavities with quality and consistency that is equal to that of dentists.  The question about scope of services is what are the needs for underserved patients who are not served by private practices?  If you can teach students who become dentists to perform those services safely, then you can teach students who become dental therapists or oral health practitioners to perform them safely.”

    From this, one can guess that the Pew Foundation doesn't hold the average reader of this newsletter in very HIGH regard.  If you read other Pew Statements, they state that 80% OF WHAT THE GENERAL DENTISTS CAN DO CAN BE PERFORMED BY THERAPISTS TYPE ENTITIES.  So why did we go to school?  The Pew Foundation with its $2.88 Billion dollars is linking up with a host of other foundations (Kellogg, Macy, Rasmussen, etc) to seek to provide access to care to everyone by dumbing down the best dental delivery system on the planet.  The value of dentists and dentistry is lost on them.  Their poster child for the Dental Therapists model is the New Zealand Dental Health Nurse.  It has been in existence since the 1920’s.  I have already stated to you before that the incidence of edentulous patients at age 35 in the US vs. NZ on a percentage basis is higher in New Zealand.  Does that fact bother anyone?  Without asking what the consequences are, a lot of people are looking for ways to cut the cost of dentistry and your scope of practice is their target.  (Remember, without the piece of paper from the State of Georgia, you don't even have a scope of practice.)  Also remember, that anyone that the State of Georgia gives that same piece of paper can do what you can do.  It doesn't have anything to do with your diploma.

    Once again, the question is what can you do?  Well, do something.  It is time to stop thinking that because Jay Harrington will be the next President of the GDA, that he can solve all of your problems and concerns.  The GDA is working hard on this issue.  I know this because I am on the committee.  But, I would suggest that over the next month that you call one friend each week in some other state preferably outside of the 5th district       (GA, AL, and MS) and tell them about this article. (That is four phone calls for your future.) See if they know anything or if they care.  Maybe you can wake them up because; I assure you that the Central District is one of the best informed districts in the ADA.  Let them know that the ADA needs a kick to help us and tell them to call their Trustee.  You can write your Trustee at seagod@ada.org .  Remember, he is your guy, you can tell him what you found out in your phone call.  You don't need to beat him up. However, he needs your help for when he goes to the ADA Board room. It is some of the other trustees that need waking up.  If you want to know more about what the Pew Foundation thinks and I suggest that you learn some more before you make your calls, try http://www.pewtrusts.org. Of course you always know where to find me.  I have told you before.  Don't wait a year or two or until the kids are out of high school.  The ADA network is your only chance to try to insure that you can afford college for the kids or retirement for yourself.  In my opinion, next year is too late.
 
    MAKE MY DAY, call someone now. 
   

Balance Brought Forward                                    3,199.02

Withdrawals
Macon Letter Svc. Feb.Mailout                                670.62
Horizon's Officer's Club,Mtg/Meal                          1,277.30
Caucus Breakfast Mtg. Jan.HOD Mtg                        458.08
Maintenance Fee/Deposit Correction                          26.00

Deposits
Feb.Mtg Reciepts                                                1,320.00
CDDS/GDA Dues allocation                                12,077.25
Deposit Correction                                                    20.00

Balance                                                              14,184.27

Money Market Account                                          4,919.40

Total Assets of CDDS                                            19,103.67

- notes from the ByLaws - - -
(webposted Constitution and Bylaws are here - Click-on)

Nominating Committee -
It shall be a policy of the CDDS that the Nominating Committee shall consist of the following:
1. Immediate Past President of the CDDS
2. Chairman of the CDDS Delegation to GDA House of Delegates
3. The Senior ADA Delegate or Alternate ADA Delegate
4. Two members at large from the CDDS. (These members will be elected at the September meeting of this Society. Nomination will be accepted from the floor

The Nominating Committee will present its slate of candidates for current CDDS elected positions at the February meeting of this Society.

Election of Officers and Delegate positions will be held at the CDDS February meeting.