Provider Recognition — Through this resolu- tion, the ADA urged all state dental boards to recognize the Commission for Continu- ing Dental Education Provider Recognition (CERP) as a national agency responsible for the approval of continuing dental education providers, and to accept for licensure renewal purposes dentists’ participation in continu- ing education courses offered by providers approved by CERP (apparently not all state dental boards recognize CERP).
Specialty Recognition — This resolution amended the ADA bylaws to create the ADA National Commission on Recognition of Dental Specialties and Certifying Boards. This means a separate commission was cre- ated to recognize dental specialties, whereas this used to be a function of the ADA Council on Dental Education and Licensure (CDEL), which set the standards by which a new specialty was determined appropri- ate for the dental profession. Once those standards were determined to be met, the action was turned over to the ADA House for a vote. At different times, potential special- ties have met the standards, yet in the ADA House a passionate debate occurred and the potential specialty was voted down. Because some potential specialties were continuing to be denied recognition by the ADA House for this reason, a new specialty recogni- tion body, the American Board of Dental Specialties (ABDS), was formed outside and totally separate from the ADA and had begun to recognize several specialties. However, these specialties still are not recognized by the ADA. This conflict over the body that has authority to recognize specialties of dentistry meant that state boards were faced with what specialties to recognize, and the poten- tial for legal challenge against state boards has arisen. This legal challenge has placed the ADA at risk also. To abate this risk, a new Commission on Dental Specialty Recognition was created at the 2017 ADA House. This Commission will be a part but separate (at arm’s length) from the ADA and may act on its own. In the future, dental specialty recog- nition will be voted by the Commission and not the ADA House; however, the House still will have input by controlling the standards by which CDEL judges the necessity of a new specialty. Learn more at
bit.ly/2yoIICA.
Over-the-Counter Product Labeling of pH — Through this resolution, the ADA stated its support and encouragement of manufactur- ers to provide product labeling to include information on pH level for over-the-counter anti-caries and fluoride rinses. There was a lot of discussion on this resolution, which ultimately was referred to the appropriate ADA council as there is already work being done related to this.
LEGISLATIVE, HEALTH, GOVERNANCE & RELATED MATTERS
Membership Eligibility — The resolution amended the ADA Bylaws for the definition of Active Membership to state that any per- son holding a DDS, DMD or equivalent de- gree shall be eligible to be an active member of this Association if he or she meets specific qualifications. The term “equivalent degree” means a dental degree that the jurisdiction involved deems sufficient to allow the degree holder to sit for a full and complete dental licensure examination for a dentist’s license in the jurisdiction without any additional train- ing. This change means that new
dental school graduates or residents may join the Tripartite before completing the licensure process.
New Dentist Liaison Voting Privileges on Councils — This resolution instructed all ADA councils to add one voting member: a new dentist who is recommended by the ADA New Dentist Committee and nominat- ed by the Board of Trustees. Previously, ADA councils and ADPAC composition included one new dentist serving either in a liaison or designated consultant role, yet without voting privileges. As well as adding a new dentist member who may vote, the resolu- tion outlines that new dentist members of councils may serve up to four one-year terms. Other members in ADA councils serve one term of four years. New dentists represent 26 percent of the ADA membership but have three percent leadership representation on ADA councils and two percent at the House of Delegates. These changes helps ensure new dentists have a more meaningful repre- sentation in ADA governance and enable the ADA to be more relevant to the soon-to-be majority of millennial members. f
Dr. Steven Wolff, Debbie Wolff, Dr. Brad Babcock
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ADS-MidAmerica.com ISSUE 6 | NOV/DEC 2017 | focus 21 ®
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