TDA news
Members First
ADA Programs Aimed at Your Needs
by Dr. William H. Gerlach
Texas Dental Association Board of Directors, Northeast Division Vice President
ou often hear the phrase, “organized dentistry,” but what
does it mean? Organized dentistry is the combined tripartite of the national, state, and local dental organizations
that work together for dentistry, and represent YOU as a member
dentist. Call it by any name – American Dental Association, Texas
Dental Association, or “my local dental society,” it’s all for the
benefit of dentists and the patients for whom we care and treat
every day.
Y
Recently, the American Dental Association (ADA) held its annual
meeting in Washington, D.C., which was a gathering of over
20,000 attendees, of which over 6,800 were dentists, plus several
hundred dental students. This meeting is big on many dimensions, and it brings together the latest in technology, classes,
workshops, and networking on a grand scale.
Another part of the meeting is the ADA House of Delegates, where
we deliberate issues that affect not only the underlying ethics of
dental practice, but how we will help future dentists. The Texas
delegation attending the ADA represents the third largest delegation in the nation, and in many cases was the leading voice on critical issues facing the practice of dentistry.
Here is a re-cap of a few of the issues:
Student Loan Debt Consolidation and Practice
Management (Member Only Resources)
The American Dental Association exclusively endorses Darien
Rowayton Bank (DRB) for student loan consolidation or refinancing.
ADA members can refinance existing federal and private undergraduate and graduate school loans at a 0.25% lower rate than
DRB’s already low rates.
i
For more information, go to student.drbank.com/ADA.
14 NORTH TEXAS DENTISTRY | www.northtexasdentistry.com
Managing Patients
Following the November House of Delegates (HOD), the ADA
released its first set of practice guidelines —“Managing
Patients”— a new member-value for dentists.
The ADA’s Council on Dental Practice developed the concept
for the guidelines and created the first guideline in consultation
with dental practice management consultants and content
authorities.
Each module gives members comprehensive and easy to understand topic-specific practice resources to help them succeed.
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For more information, go to Success.ADA.org/gps.
Student Debt Refinancing
To bring a little friendly competition to the mix, the TDA also provides a student debt refinancing option through TDA Perks and
its endorsed vendor, SoFi Lending.
SoFi is a leader in marketplace lending and the largest provider
of student loan refinancing, with more than $3.5 billion in loans
issued and more than 50,000 borrowers.
n Refinance private and federal student loans at lower rates.
The average savings is $40,000 over the life of a loan.
n
No application or origination fees, no pre-payment penalty
n Available to friends and family
n There is a 0.125% rate discount when you apply through
sofi.com/tdaperks.
ADA Budget
The House approved a 2016 operating budget of $126.4MM and
did not seek a dues increase.