Dear Colleagues

It is with great pleasure and honor that I am writing to you in my first newsletter as president of the DCDS. There is a handful of goals I hope to accomplish this year, including supporting those initiatives taken on by our previous president, executive board, and our hard-working support staff. 

We continue to advocate for DC dentists. Next week we will testify before the DC Council Committee on Health for its oversight hearing on the Board of Dentistry. DCDS works to foster a positive relationship with the Board of Dentistry. We share a common goal of supporting the health of the public. DCDS also advocates for policies that make it easier to practice in DC as a dentist. In our testimony we will address several issues under consideration by the Board of Dentistry:

-DCDS opposes a proposal to add cleaning, sanitizing and sterilizing functions to the scope of practice for dental assistants. If approved by the Board, only registered or licensed staff would be permitted to perform those functions. Requiring licensure for auxillary staff working in sterilization or similar tasks and who are not involved in direct patient contact makes no sense and would hamper the ability of dental practices to function.

- Authorizing dentists to use Botox and other FDA approved neurotoxins for dental and cosmetic purposes. 

DC dentists can sign up to testify during the hearing and are encouraged to attend the next Board of Dentistry meeting, which will be held  virtually on Wednesday, February 18th. During the meeting the Board is expected to discuss a letter DCDS sent to it in January addressing many of the issues listed above.

Much is in the works to create an all-day symposium later this year. This effort has been in collaboration with the Northern Virginia Dental Association. A number of productive meetings have taken place with the intent of creating an educational event that encourages a more progressive format. Given that the last annual ADA SmileCon was held in DC last year, we feel that this the opportune time to pivot and re-invent a regional meeting that will eventually draw in surrounding states. Stay tuned for more information as this takes shape. 

Thank you to all who renewed their membership for 2026. It isn’t too late to be a part of our community, by renewing your membership or joining today.

The DCDS board and executive teams are kicking off another year that promises to be full of exciting events, engaging activities, and great education. Mark your calendar for February 24th as we will be hosting a networking social with the intent of connecting both general and dental specialists. Help us to grow our society and consider bringing a non-member dentist as your guest. Then on March 5th we will be kicking off our regular calendar of free-to-members CE events by hosting Dr. Dana Marzocco. She will be speaking on managing and preventing implant complications and materials from a restorative point of view. 

And finally, I would encourage you to consider getting involved with one of our handful of committees. Serving on a committee provides a wonderful opportunity to interact with other dedicated and enthusiastic members of the DCDS while helping to shape the future of our association. Please don’t hesitate to reach out by writing to info@dcdental.org. Thank you for your trust and support. I look forward to working with you all in this upcoming year. 

Sincerely,

Kim Menhinick, DDS, MS