The Annual Session of the American
Dental Association was held in late September in San Francisco, California,
a great time of year to be in this part of the country. Those attending enjoyed
wonderful weather, great entertainment, and the latest updates in dental
research, clinical practice, and technological advances. Delegates and
alternates, of course, also attended the ADA House of Delegates, where sessions
included presentations from candidates for ADA officers, review of the budget and
setting the annual dues, attending a “mega-session” on universal health
coverage, participating in numerous caucuses and references committees, and
voting on resolutions. Your new ADA president is John Findley from Texas,
and your new vice-president is Andy Elliott from Kentucky.
The Tenth District has contributed
many members to ADA
councils and commissions who were also in attendance. Two of them, Ken
McDougall and Clark Stanford, are now retiring from their respective councils.
Ken was Chair of the Council on ADA Sessions, and had an excellent year of
planning and organizing the San
Francisco meeting. Clark
was Chair of the Council on Scientific Affairs, which means a busy and productive
year almost by definition. The Tenth District can take pride in the work of its
entire delegation, most of whom have served our states and districts for many
years. Please join me in thanking them for all their efforts on our behalf.
Many of the states and districts
as well as the ADA Board of Trustees and Association councils submitted
resolutions to the House to be debated and decided upon. The budget was passed
with a dues increase of nine dollars, in accordance with the Association’s
long-term financial strategy of dues stabilization. The House accepted many
reports, including those on or from:
• the Public Affairs Campaign
• the Strategic Communications
plan of the ADA
• Alaska
• the ADA Foundation
• strategies to address oral
health issues of vulnerable elders
• the Give Kids a Smile program
• an update on dental tourism
• the ADA Foundation’s Paffenbarger Research Center
• activities to improve oral
health literacy
• reports from the Joint
Commission on National Dental Examinations and the Commission on Dental
Accreditation, and
• an update on the Task Force
Study of the Commission on Dental Accreditation.
Resolutions passed included the
new “Guidelines for the Use of Sedation and General Anesthesia by Dentists and
Guidelines for Teaching Pain Control and Sedation to Dentists and Dental
Students”. Many of our state boards use these guidelines, which will now be
based on level of sedation. The method and types of educational requirements
have also changed. Dentists performing sedation should check with their state
boards for any changes in regulations affected by this new document. The ADA is committed to the
safe and effective use of administration of sedation and general anesthesia in
dental practice.
Other resolutions passed include
certain changes in categories of ADA
membership. A resolution supporting the Workforce Models National Coordination
and Development Committee to continue the Community Dental Healthcare
Coordinator project was approved, along with funding allocated to select and
develop pilot programs. The ADA Commission on Dental Accreditation was also
urged to reconsider and revise the Accreditation Standards for Dental Hygiene
Education Programs with language to more accurately reflect the scope of the
training and licensure of the dental hygienist in the process of providing
dental care to patients. A proposal to hold an Access to Care Summit was
approved. Also passed was development of a new brochure on dental restorative
materials and an amendment to the policy “ADA Action Plan on Amalgam in Dental
Office Wastewater” to include amalgam separators as a part of best management
practices.
It was a very busy time at the
House, and one that will keep the ADA Board very busy over the next year.
Please feel free to call or send an e-mail if you have any questions or
concerns. As always, it has been a pleasure serving our district.
Please feel free to contact me at
the following numbers.
(563) 355-6626 (office)
(563) 355-7637 (fax)
kellk@ada.org (e-mail)
*Dr.
Kathryn Kell is the Trustee to
the Tenth District of the American
Dental Association, representing Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota,
and South Dakota.
