JULY 2014
CONTENTS
VOLUME 15, ISSUE 7
AVAILABLE ON TDA.ORG
TSBDE Rule Update
This recurring section is designed to help TDA members keep up with important Texas State Board of Dental Examiners (TSBDE) rules, other regulations, and state law affecting their practices.
• President’s Post
• Member Spotlight
- Jerry J. Hopson, DDS, Bonham
• DENPAC • TDA Perks • Alliance of the TDA • TDA Smiles Foundation • Meet Your Staff
- Donna Cortez, Program Manager
July Texas Dental Journal Differences between reported and actual restored caries lesion depths: Results from The Dental PBRN Immediate dentures in an HIV positive patient
Around the State
August 1-2 Dentists Who Care Conference South Padre Island August 1-2 Texas Mission of Mercy Williamson County August 8 Texas State Board of Dental Examiners Austin
TSBDE Adopts New Rules The Texas State Board of Dental Examiners (TSBDE) recently published 2 new rules and 2 rule changes, all with an effective date of June 11, 2014.
Dental Treatment of Sleep Disorders The new rule authorizes dentists to screen dental patients for identification of benign snoring and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and to identify contraindications of dental treatment of benign snoring and obstructive sleep apnea. Screening tools include validated objective measures and subjective measures such as home sleep tests. However, if the dentist orders a sleep study (eg, polysomnography), the results must be interpreted by a Texas licensed physician. If the patient’s screening results indicate OSA, the dentist must refer the patient to a Texaslicensed physician to confirm or rule out OSA. The rule prohibits dentists from diagnosing or ruling out OSA. Dentists may not treat or monitor OSA without collaborating with a Texas-licensed physician. This means that dentists may only fabricate an oral appliance to treat OSA under the prescription of a physician and that the physician must perform all clinical follow-up and further treatment decisions for patients with OSA. This protocol does not prevent dentists from independently diagnosing, treating, and monitoring any dental comorbidity related to OSA. Dental comorbidities include periodontal disease, bruxism, and temporomandibular joint disorders. The rule does allow dentists to independently treat and monitor benign snoring with an oral appliance as long as no apneic episodes are discovered and the dentist considered referral to
a Texas-licensed physician in accordance with the standard of care. Oral appliances must be fabricated by a Texas-licensed dentist or under the prescription of the dentist. Yearly, treating dentists must adequately monitor the orthotics, stability and health of occlusion and orofacial musculoskeletal system. Dentists wishing to treat or monitor benign snoring or OSA must complete 12 hours of minimum basic education, a combination of didactic and clinical, in sleep-disordered breathing for the first year, with 3 hours of continuing education in sleep-disordered breathing for each subsequent year that the dentist treats or monitors benign snoring or OSA. Treating dentists must comply with the Dental Practice Act and board rules including provisions relating to records, standard of care, and business promotion.
Pediatric and Special Needs Case Management and Protective Stabilization The new rule defines the scope of practice by a dentist in the treatment of pediatric and special needs patients. The new rule is based upon the “Guideline on Protective Stabilization for Pediatric Dental Patients” published by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. The goals of patient management are, in part, to establish communication, alleviate fear and anxiety, and deliver quality dental care. Depending upon the situation, patient management may need to include protective stabilization. Protective stabilization is an advanced behavior guidance technique in dentistry using any manual method, physical
TDA Holds Leadership Conference More than 70 representatives attended the TDA Leadership Conference on Friday, June 13, 2014, in Austin. TDA President Dr David H. McCarley facilitated the 1-day conference, hosted by TDA Financial Services, Inc. (TDA Perks).
August 9 TDA Board of Directors meeting Austin August 22 South Central States Meeting Dallas
The conference combined meetings of the TDA New Board Members Orientation, TDA Component Executive Directors, TDA Component Presidents Committee, and TDA Council/ Committee Training.
August 23-24 ADA 15th Trustee District Delegation Dallas
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Continued on page 4
Component society executives met with Jeanine Pekkarinen, manager of ADA Membership Recruitment, Retention and Outreach, at the TDA Component Executive Directors meeting at the TDA Leadership Conference in June 2014 in Austin. Pictured are (L-R) Pekkarinen, 10th District ED Nancy Nisbett of Austin, 20th District ED Linda Shafer of San Antonio, 3rd District ED Tiffany Groothuis of Tyler, and 5th District ED Jane Evans of Dallas.
presentation, conference attendees donated approximately $5,000 to DENPAC.
Attendees heard presentations from TDA Perks, the TDA Smiles Foundation, and TDA legal counsel, and they received a legislative update from Dr Richard Black, chair of the TDA Council on Legislative and Regulatory Affairs. Dr Lisa A. Heinrich-Null of Victoria, chair of DENPAC, reported on the current activities of DENPAC and the necessity for donations. Following her
In the afternoon, Dr McCarley held a break-out session for new council and committee chairs and members and discussed their roles and duties. TDA President-elect Dr Craig Armstrong conducted a roundtable discussion with the TDA Component Society Presidents Committee.
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