After being notified the last week of February that the Missouri Dental Board would be meeting on March 3, 2010 to consider arduous changes to their sedation rules, MO AGD leaders jumped into action. Leaders wrote letters and made phone calls to object to the rules. The AGD sent a letter to the Dental Board explaining that the new rules, which restrict the maximum recommended dose for minimal and moderate sedation, would cause undue hardship on patients who avoid dental care because of fear of pain. A final ruling has not been made.

Alabama Medicaid Commissioner Carol Steckel announced at the end of February that no cuts will be made in the Medicaid Dental Program in fiscal years 2010 or 2011. She also announced that she would appoint a subcommittee of dentists to look at ways in which Medicaid and the dental community can accomplish the goals of high quality care, access to services and efficient management of the program. The subcommittee, comprised of dentists representing a diverse group of specialties and settings, will be responsible for developing recommendations to be presented to the Agency’s Dental Task Force. AGD member Dr. Eddie Lindsey will be a member of this task force.

The Maryland Department of Environment had adopted rules to implement fines on dental offices that had X-ray violations, without giving the offender a chance to correct the situation. After surveying other state’s rules, MD AGD leaders discovered that most states do conduct inspections but give time for corrections of violations that are found. Armed with this information, MD AGD President Charles Doring, DDS, FAGD, testified last week in front of the legislature to reinstate grace periods to fix violations.

For what may have been anticipated as a light legislative year in Tennessee, the TN AGD leadership and lobbyist, in conjunction with the Tennessee Dental Association (TDA), has their plate full. The legislative agenda is in fact so complex that for the first time they have had to prioritize their objectives and handle bills sequentially and with focus. AGD lobbyist, Mark Greene, has been working with TDA lobbyist, Jack Fosbinder, tag teaming the issues and sometimes dividing them so that they can cover all issues adequately. A bill introduced by the TDA would require that municipalities that discontinue placing fluoride in their water systems must notify the Department of Health in writing of this action. And, at the request of the Board of Dentistry, the TN AGD has introduced a bill that would change the format of the coronal polishing examination. The language of the bill would allow course directors to administer the coronal polishing examination as opposed to the board members themselves having to proctor the exam.