There are many reasons to be part of organized dentistry as a student and clinician. As a student, you help cultivate ideas and aspire dentists to act upon legislature that help benefit dental students of the future. When practicing, labor laws change, state dental regulations change, and standards of care change. As a practicing dentist, you can help make these changes and help sculpt the profession for today and the future. Many of the claims EDIC receives each year emanate from a lack of knowledge of changes such as these. State dental societies and other organized dentistry groups make you aware of these changes. Practicing alone in an office, not attending dental society meetings, and not participating in organized dentistry, increases isolation from valuable resources to facilitate a responsible dental practice. Association with fellow professionals empowers you. With our various educational and timely risk management programs, EDIC seeks to support you and help you to succeed in your profession and protect you from the many untoward events which dentists potentially face. EDIC encourages our younger dentists to thoroughly evaluate the concept of strength in numbers, and realize the tremendous value that organized dentistry can help in maintaining and promoting the highest standards of dentistry. EDIC is widely recognized as the only “By Dentists, For Dentists”® company and this is one of many great examples of the value of organized dentistry that is available to you today as a future dentist colleague.
Here is an abbreviated list of organizations that could benefit every dentist:
National, State and local Dental Societies
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_dental_organizations_in_the_United_States
https://ncrdscb.ada.org/educational-resources
Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) http://www.agd.org/membership.aspx
The Student National Dental Association (SNDA) www.sndanet.org
Specialty Study Groups through Dental Schools and Society Districts
Student Dental Mission Groups such as Operation Smile http://operationsmile.org/
https://www.adafoundation.org/
Local community Outreach programs providing dental services
International Dentists Groups
Women in Dentistry Groups
American Association of Women Dentists (AAWD)
American Association of Public Health Dentistry
Specialty Dental Societies
American Dental Education Association (ADEA) www.adea.com
Smaller dental organization groups within your dental school
Smaller leadership committees created through your state dental society
(New Dentists Group, Ethics, Public Affairs, District Leadership, Membership)
Lobby Day – State and National
Dental Blogs and Online Opportunities for Peer Leadership ie: igniteDDS, Dental Economics www.dentaleconomics.com
