April 2026 President's Letter
With the arrival of Spring one is often left with a feeling of rejuvenation but more importantly wanting to shake off those “winter blues”. At the Society we are working hard to create those rejuvenating opportunities that provide growth and collaboration as we are stronger together. Continued advocacy also remains at the forefront. Our dedicated dental professionals continue to keep our issues relevant as we all share a passion for our community and our future.
Mark Your Calendar!
The next upcoming monthly meeting will take place Thursday, April 16th 5:45 – 8:15 PM. This will be a virtual ONLY event and the topic is entitled A Crash Course in CBCT Interpretation. We are thrilled to have presenter Barett Andreason DDS from Radiodontics who will provide a practical approach to CBCT interpretation for clinicians of all experience levels, covering the topics of image manipulation, interpretation strategies and key radiographic principles to help clinicians make better use of 3D imaging. This will prove to be invaluable information so plan to attend. I would also like to extend a special thanks to Dr. Dana Marzocco for her insightful presentation last month on “Implant Complications and Preventative Strategies from a Restorative Point of View.” Please take the time view her lecture on demand.
Advocacy for DC Dentists
- We are calling for a new pathway to be licensed as a dental hygienist for internationally trained dentists and internationally trained dental hygienists.
- We support legislation before the DC Council to create a new program to train high school students to become Level II Dental Assistants upon graduation.
- We oppose a proposal under consideration by the Board of Dentistry to limit who can perform cleaning, disinfecting and sterilizing functions in your practice. The letter we sent to the Board last week provides more details. Help strengthen our voice by joining the April 15th Board of Dentistry meeting virtually.
- We support legislation before the DC Council to extend a federal tax benefit to DC taxes through the establishment of a Pass-Through Entity Tax. According to ADA data, nearly 200 dental practices in the District are S-corps or partnerships, so the establishment of this tax structure would improve the financial standing of a significant proportion of DC dentists.
To get involved or learn more about these and other public policy issues, visit the Advocacy section of the DCDS website or write to us at info@dcdental.org.
Out in the Community
As many of you are aware April is oral cancer awareness month. Various events will be taking place with intent to help educate the public on risk factors as well as draw attention to the need for early detection. On April 25th the Oral Cancer Foundation is sponsoring the DMV Oral Cancer 5K walk in Silver Spring MD. This is a fun event and a chance to connect with colleagues in the surrounding area as well as those from the District of Columbia. If interested more information can be found at: https://ocf.donordrive.com/dmv
As always, thank you for your continued dedication to our profession and commitment to serving our community. Together, we can make a meaningful difference in the lives of those we serve. If you would like to get involved consider volunteering your time with one of the handful of the society’s committees. Please feel free to reach out to me directly or contact the society office at 202 367 1163.
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." Margaret Mead, anthropologist.
Sincerely,
