Welcome to our newest members! Please reach out to these new members and welcome them into the ODA community.

• Beau Kapp, DMD – Central Oregon Dental Society
• Kaitlyn Traynor, DMD - Central Oregon Dental Society
• Elizabeth Burgstahler, DMD, MS – Multnomah Dental Society

Do you have an associate or colleague who may be interested in joining the ODA? There’s a current campaign which allows qualifying non-members the ability to lock in their 2024 membership at 2023 rates by enrolling in the 12-month auto-renew program. In addition to locking in 2023 rates, the non-member receives complimentary membership for the last quarter of 2023. This is a great way to understand the tangible benefits (wellness, finance, career, and CE) of membership as well as experience the tripartite community by attending local fall events. Use this link to sign-up for membership. Promotion ends December 10. Together We Thrive!

Your membership is an investment in your success, our profession, and public health. This investment also fuels our efforts in legislative advocacy, helps you elevate your skills, and assists you in cultivating invaluable connections to broaden your network and engage with our community. Discover how your member benefits can propel your life and career forward; check out the ADA brand new member value sheets, available for you to download and learn more here. Dues invoices have been mailed. Please remit payment or pay online by December 31. Let’s thrive onward together! We look forward to serving you and Oral Health in Oregon in 2024!

Let the Oregon Dental Association guide you on your journey in continued excellence and leadership growth. This program provides you with a unique backstage pass to ODA offerings and experiences, while developing and enhancing your leadership and interpersonal skills. Customized to each participant, depending upon area(s) of interest, the Academy guarantees a deeper understanding and growth where it matters most to you! Nominate yourself or a colleague to join our 2024 class! Find out more information, here.

We have 40 speakers slated to speak in person at the 2024 Oregon Dental Conference, and we need your help! Speaker hosts receive complimentary conference registration and can spend some one-on-one time with their favorite speakers! The speaker host dinner and training will be on January 18, 2024, from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. at the ODA Building in Wilsonville and will be streamed live via Zoom for those who cannot attend in person! Reach out to Alisha Santoyo at asantoyo@oregondental.org to register!

Dentists regularly rate dental insurance issues among the most important concerns facing the profession today. The good news: Many reform measures that improve how patients and dentists experience and use dental insurance have passed in recent years, and these reforms shift the balance of power from insurance companies back to the dental office — which, in turn, strengthens doctor-patient relationships. Read more here.

The 2023 Legislative Session concluded with a big win for ODA members. Developed by ODA members, HB 3008, which was signed by the Governor in August and goes into effect January 1, 2024, requires dental plans to obtain a provider’s consent before selling or leasing out provider panels, along with advance approval to receive reimbursement payments via electronic credit cards rather than checks. Insurers are also required to communicate about payment processing fees associated with these electronic reimbursements. For one ODA member, third-party credit card processing fees have added up to $11,000 a year. Read all about this bill, ODA’s workforce package, and others that ODA worked, tracked and advocated on this year in our End of Session Report.

The Oregon Dental Association is continuously developing ways to enhance member, and reader benefits through the association's communication program. To help us achieve this, we'd appreciate your feedback. By completing a short readership survey, you will provide us with a better understanding of your interests and concerns, enabling us to better serve you through ODA’s print and digital communications. By participating in this survey, you will be entered into the drawing for a $50 Amazon gift card.

This survey should take approximately 5 minutes to complete. Responses are anonymous and will remain confidential. Click here to take the survey.

We’re living through a time of uncertainty, and it’s normal to feel stressed and anxious. We have many challenges that lie ahead, and if you feel the need to reach out to someone, we are here, and you are not alone. The ODA's Wellness Program offers a robust network of compassionate Wellness Ambassadors, armed with resources to help support colleagues. The wellness program is open to all members, non-members, and dental students. If you need help or know of someone that needs help, please request support. Find ODA website wellness resources here.

Class of 2023 dental school graduates get two years of free unlimited CE courses through ADA CE Online. Encourage recent graduates you know to Level Up their membership from students to dentists and keep honing their skills with cutting-edge CE. Contact ddouglas@oregondental.org to level up your membership.

Tune in to the newest episode of the “Dental Sound Bites™” podcast for real talk about one of the most dreaded phrases in dentistry: student debt. We’ve brought in an expert to explain the return of student loan payments, the SAVE plan, repayment and refinancing options and more. No matter how much debt you have, there is hope!

Listen now wherever you get your podcasts or in the ADA Member App (where you get access to exclusive bonus content!).  

With so many career options in dentistry, how do dental students and dentists find their fit? Introducing…the new career path quiz in the ADA Member App. The new career path quiz takes about five minutes to complete and provides members with their top career recommendations based on their interests and aspirations Learn more at ADA.org/App or search “ADA Member App” in the App Store or Google Play to download now.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently issued a Health Alert Network (HAN) Health Advisory regarding dental waterlines because of recent outbreaks of Nontuberculous Mycobacteria. In addition to the recommendations listed in the CDC HAN notification, Oregon health care providers and clinical laboratories are required by law to report all cases and test results indicative of and specific for extrapulmonary NTM within one working day to their local public health authority.

Section 1263 of the spending bill passed by the U.S. Congress in December 2022 requires prescribers of controlled substances to complete eight hours of one-time training on safe controlled substance prescribing to receive or renew their registration with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The statutory language was taken from a separate bill called the Medication Access and Training Expansion Act (or MATE Act). Here are questions and answers to assist dentists in complying with continuing education requirements for DEA registration.

ODA Member Connection, a members-only, private Facebook group, is designed to connect members throughout the state and provide you with a platform to share and collaborate. Join the conversation here!

The 2024 Oregon Dental Conference is just around the corner! Join the ODA at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, OR April 4-6, 2024 for exceptional CE courses, the chance to shop the exhibit hall, and to catch up with your fellow dental professionals! Please check our Oregon Dental Conference website regularly for new developments and updates. http://www.oregondentalconference.org

Personal finance is personal. In this Town Hall, the New Dentist Committee will interview financial experts from ADA endorsed programs Equitable Advisors and Laurel Road/GradFin to answer your burning financial questions. We will cover questions on student debt management, student loan refinancing, investment, taxes, budgeting, savings, and more. NDC members will share their tips, tools, fails and flops when it comes to personal finance. Don’t miss this unfiltered look at finances designed with the new dentist in mind. Join us on December 6, 2023 from 7 – 8 p.m. CT.

Register Today