WHAT THE UDA DOES FOR ME

The primary reason to participate in the UDA is to work effectively with other dentists to accomplish good purposes. Only other dentists understand the concerns you have and can work with you to effectively improve dental concerns in the public arena, such as in the legislature, in the community, and in our practices.

Membership is Essential

Membership is Critical for Success! United We Stand! Never before in the history of Dentistry has membership in the Association been so necessary and important for all dentists and their teams. During the Pandemic of 2020, the UDA worked continuously with state and national leaders to establish guidelines and parameters that would allow us to “Return to Work”. Through these efforts, Utah was the first in the Nation to put the “Return to Work” guidelines into action. These Guidelines were distributed to all dentists and the benefits were felt regardless of membership. Governor Herbert even publicly expressed gratitude to the UDA for our key role in the Return to Work efforts.

The UDA was also to provide much needed PPE to those struggling to find adequate supply. The UDA worked with state officials to get PPE available state-wide, free for dental offices on a continuing basis. The ADA also offered PPE for only shipping costs. This was another effort that shows the UDA and ADA are there when you need them.

The ADA and UDA are also offering many hours of CE. There are more than 20 hours of free CE available to members on the UDA website. With more to come.

During the Pandemic, there has never been more done for our profession, than the ADA and UDA accomplished for dentistry. Be proud to be a member!

Financial Rewards

UDA opposes all unreasonable proposals, saving you significant money on an on-going:
* Successfully lobbied the Utah legislature to reduce required pain meds CE from 4 to 2 hours per licensing period, saving over $300 per year
* Successfully lobbied our Utah legislature to eliminate sales taxes on prosthetic
       appliances, saving dentists $4,000-$6,000 per year
* Recently worked with the Utah State Tax Commission to eliminate the sales tax on nitrous oxide, saving $50-$100 every year
* Successfully lobbied to pass the Utah Non-Covered services Bill that prevents insurers from setting insufficient fees for non-covered dental services
* Prevented a laundry list of duties, educational programs and certifications for dental assistants and dental hygienists, $1000 per year
* Provides voluntary, free mediation saving members money when patients raise concerns, $300-$5,000 per case. Telephone mediation alone helps defuse 200 complaints yearly. 
* CE convention and seminars with top quality speakers and topics at very low cost to members and their employees, $1000-$6000 per year
* Helped standardize and provide free required employee posters, $200 plus updates
* Prevented the regulation of nitrous oxide and annual inspections and fees, $300 per year
* Worked to retain very low Utah dentist license fees, $300-$600 per two years
* Prevented a mandate for defibrillators in dental offices, $1200 purchase plus annual maintenance and inspection fees
* Dental assistants do not need to be licensed, $63 per year plus continuing education costs
* Prevented required training and certification of dental office X-ray personnel, $1000-$5000 per year
* Prevented mandatory pick-up of solid dental waste, $800 plus per year
* Prevented mandatory pick-up of liquid fixer, $800 plus per year
* Greatly simplified OSHA requirements for the office exposure control
       plan and the hazardous communication program, $700 plus per office
* Reduced X-ray inspections from annually to every five years, and reduced the inspection charge by $300 per visit
* Defeated a fire department proposal that would have required annual registration and inspection of nitrous oxide equipment, $300 per year
* Have the lowest annual association dues of the fifty states – best bargain in the US

Networking

* Get together Rub shoulders and share experiences with dentists
* Sharing Valuable tips learned in practice
* Mentoring Practical coaching for new dentists
* Ethics Promotes high ethical standards
* Websites Comprehensive websites of ADA and UDA
* UDA Action Free publications six times a year
* ADA News Free newsletters twice a month
* Classified ads           Online, free for members
* Member directory Online, free, current
* Volunteer opportunities Members serve in many areas
* Media relations Represents dentistry in all public arenas including TV,
       papers, radio
* Well-being support Helps dentists overcome chemical dependencies and
       serious related concerns
       

Advocacy

* Legislature Advocates continually to help the public
       understand the impact of proposed dental laws.
                                 Reviews some 800 legislative bills each year
* State/local agencies Meets with and influences state agencies about
       dentistry’s concerns
* Connections Has face-to-face relationships with many legislators
       government employees, and local government officers
* Lobbyists State and national lobbyists advocate dental
   interests to Utah legislators and U.S. congressmen
* PAC Our political action committee contributes to  some Utah legislators’ campaigns

The UDA has a solid, on-going relationship with these groups:

* Utah Legislature
* Advocates in the Senate and House of Representatives
* Governor, Lt. Governor, Utah Attorney General
* Utah Department of Health
* Supports fluoridation in over 60 percent of Utah’s drinking water
* Actively participates in the Utah Oral Health Coalition
* Works with all 13 local health departments
* Supports the safety net for the needy, poor, disabled, refugees
* Coordinates local Give Kids a Smile programs 
* Encourages and works to provide treatment for all needy Utahns
* Works to make dentistry available in long-term healthcare facilities and nursing homes
* Provides guidance about disabled patients and hearing impaired patients
* Utah Department of Insurance
* Advocates to keep with dental benefit plans responsible
* Works to have dental benefit plans play fair
* Clarifies the coordination of benefits rule
* Encourages self-funded dental plans
* Utah Department of Commerce
* Working to reduce the risk of prescribed pain medications
* Constantly attends meetings of and works closely with the DOPL Dental Advisory Board
* Helped create and improve the valuable Utah Controlled Substance Database
* Works to prevent false and misleading dental advertising
* Works to create clear, simple anesthesia permits and rules
* Works to maintain a simple, inexpensive CE tracking process
* Utah Department of Labor
* Works against costly over-regulation by OSHA
* Utah Department of Environmental Quality
* Reduced X-ray equipment inspections and fees
* Created simple, inexpensive rules for dental liquid and solid waste disposal
* Works with water conservancy districts
* Influenced landfill guidelines
* Utah Department of Workforce Services
* Provides guidance on hiring and discharging employees
* Provides guidance on workers compensation in dental offices
* Utah State Tax Commission
* Passed sales tax exemptions for dental prosthetics and nitrous
* Passed provision for no sales tax on supplies in offices

Practice Resources

 UDA provides current, helpful information to members about:
* CE requirements
* Coordination of benefits
* Dental clinics and safety net resources
* Dentist advertising laws
* Dermal fillers and Botox
* Disposing of solid waste and Fixer disposal
* Duties of dental assistants
* Employees who quit or are discharged
* Gifts and referrals
* Hepatitis vaccine declined
* HIPAA
* How to minimize embezzlement
* Interpreters for the hearing-impaired
* Needle-sticks
* OSHA guidelines
* Ownership of patient records
* Social couponing
* Supervision of dental hygienists

Education

* UDA convention UDA offers many quality seminars, low registration                         
   fees, and our own Utah dental store (exhibits).
 UDA has one of the top four state conventions in the U.S.
* Continuous Quality Risk prevention and update seminars presented
  Improvement seminars in the local UDA districts throughout Utah
* ADA annual session $100 for four days of CE
* Success resources success.ada.org
* Required opioids CE Works to provide relevant, affordable courses
* JADA ADA monthly journal
* Contract analysis ADA analyzes dental benefit plans
* Public Great resources for patients, public and schools

That’s 25 years of no increase!