Spring is in the air (although lately it feels like summer is already here), and that means it’s festival time in the Crescent City.  Coinciding with the 2012 New Orleans Dental Conference and LDA Annual Session will be this year’s French Quarter Festival.  Together these events are a great reason to come into the city for fantastic food, music and continuing education.  You can learn all about the speakers and events planned for this year’s Conference and register online at www.nodc.org.  I hope to see you there.

 The LDA is gearing up for Dentists’ Day at the Legislature on March 28^th.  This will be the first time I am attending this event and will let you know how it went next month.  It is important for the membership to know about the legislative efforts of the LDA on our behalf.  One such push is to increase funding for Dental Medicaid / EPSDT Program.  Any increase in funds is a positive step toward enticing dentists back into the Medicaid program, and ensuring that dentists can cover their costs and helping to improve utilization. 

The LDA is also opposed to any efforts to limit the expansion of community water fluoridation in order to protect the dental health of citizens in our state.  Higher education is on the chopping block again this year, and we are opposing any efforts to cut funding to the LSUHSC School of Dentistry.  We are recommending that the Legislature allocate sufficient funding to ensure that the Dental Lifeline Network (formerly Donated Dental Services) can continue these services in 2012 and beyond. 

 For over two decades, Dr. Jamie Manders has volunteered to lead the council that would work with and monitor dentists with drug and alcohol addiction problems.  She is retiring from this position and suggesting that the state consider utilizing the services of a private foundation in lieu of the LDA’s current volunteer-based Dentist Well-Being Advisory Committee, as is done in other states and by Louisiana physicians.  We are recommending support to amendments of the Dental Practice Act that would allow the LSBD to charge a minimal fee for this service and indemnification of the contracting case management provider.

 For those who attended the March 24^th President’s Installation Banquet, I would like to thank you for being there on that special evening.  Thanks to the LDA and NODA staff for their help in making that a night to remember.  And a special thank you Dr. Martello for being the Master of Ceremonies.

 Best wishes to all of our members.

New Orleans Dental Association, Inc.
2121 North Causeway Blvd., Suite 153, Metairie, LA 70001
Phone:  504-834-6449
Fax:  504-838-6909
E-mail:  nodental@bellsouth.net