President's Message
Florida Association of Periodontists
James W. Antoon, D.M.D., M.S., 2008-2009 President
Email: antoon1@aol.com

February 9, 2008—FAP General Business Meeting—Orlando, Florida

Dr. Mark Forrest gave us two successful and fun meetings, excellent speakers, and six years of great volunteer service. We have been fortunate in having exceptional leaders over the past several years. We also have a top notch Executive Director. Those of you who attended FAP meetings over the past few years know how important these individuals have been to the success of our organization. Thank you!

On Saturday, August 9, 2008, Dr. Leon Chen will discuss techniques for root coverage, ridge augmentation and implant complications. Members are encouraged to invite one or two non-member dentists to this meeting. Guests must be registered with an FAP member. On Saturday, February 14, 2009, we will have a three-speaker presentation on the potential uses of LASERS in periodontics. A review course will take place on Friday afternoon, Feb 13th as well as our annual presentation by residents from UF and NSU. Location for both meetings will be the Airport Renaissance in Orlando.

We listened to your Survey Responses. While most were pleased with past speakers and locations, some requested more traditional courses on periodontal disease and tissue engineering. Meetings are contracted two years ahead, however we have already incorporated your requests in future plans.

You may have heard about proposed legislation designed to improve “public health” dental care. As Periodontists, access to dental care, especially for children, may not be on our front burner. However, it should be, because nearly every imposed solution will affect how we practice.
We have all heard; if dentistry does not offer policies, that create real change, Tallahassee will impose their own plans and we won’t like them. Well, they did and we don’t like them.

The Florida Dental Association is responding, this week, to a proposed bill that creates new avenues for licensure, places two public health dentists on the Board of Dentistry, expands the scope of hygiene duties and allows unsupervised practice for hygienists in public health settings. Our FDA leaders studied the issues and proposed policy changes.

What can we do?

We must counter with solutions that place the patients’ welfare first, but also preserve the dental team, with only the dentist providing diagnosis and all irreversible treatment. The FDA has a professional and effective lobby. But, they need our input and support.

We must contribute to FLADPAC and attend Dentists Day on the Hill, (April 1&2) and express our concern that a bill that significantly affects our profession was created without the participation of organized dentistry.

We must place FAP members on committees and in leadership positions.

We must teach our students and young dentist colleagues, that preventing or treating disease is at least as important as restoring missing teeth caused by disease.

Finally we must offer practical solutions on matters related to access to basic dental care. We will need to change in order to preserve our profession and the FAP and FDA must be proactive and influence that change.