I am proud to start November’s newsletter with some promising advocacy news. On October 19^th Councilmember Christina Henderson introduced the Dental Hygienist Licensing Amendment Act of 2026. If enacted this bill will help implement one of DCDS recommendations which would be to establish a pathway for internationally trained dentists to practice as hygienists. This legislation has the potential to ease the workforce shortage as well as putting us in a more competitive position with our neighboring states. This is not the end but only the beginning so please stay tuned as we will need as much support as possible to continue moving this bill forward. Huge thank you Councilmember Henderson!

October also brought with it our first annual Tooth Talks Mid-Atlantic Dental Symposium. The event was well attended and the feedback positive from both DCDS and NVDA members. A valiant effort was put forth by members of DCDS to take home the coveted “Mid-Atlantic Cup”. Unfortunately, NVDA managed to rally and in sudden death overtime overtook us. We are already making plans to retake the trophy as well as the consideration to hold next year’s Symposium.  

Last, but certainly not least, I would like to acknowledge Drs. Pat Grogan, Katie Clark, Aliya Kassam, Sally Cram and Kurt Gallagher for their recent participation at the House of Delegates meeting in Indianapolis. This was my first time attending and didn’t know what to expect.  What I witnessed over the four days opened my eyes to so many different issues organized dentistry is faced with today. By the end of the meeting I could not have been prouder of our small but mighty group that showed up to represent in full force.  Thank you for your time and service to our Society. 

Please make plans to attend the following events as they offer both educational as well as social opportunities!

November 05 CE Event: From Impact to Recovery: Management of Dental Trauma  6:00 - 8:15 PM 
Presentation by Mohamed Attia, DDS, MAGD, DABOI, of Alexandria Center of Dentistry

November 10 Event: Welcome Home Social Event 5:00 - 7:00 PM