Since 2021, the JKDA has been a digital-only quarterly publication, with each issue sent directly to all KDA members, WSU AEGD students, UMKC School of Dentistry students, and other organizations via email, and available for viewing at ksdental.org.

However, you might have noticed a few changes. Notably, the JKDA will be viewed in email format rather than a magazine mockup. This is due in part to make viewing easier with the ability to zoom in! Additionally, viewers can scroll down rather than clicking through fake digital pages. The Council on Communications hopes you enjoy the new format.

If you have any questions or would like to submit content for the JKDA, please contact KDA Communications Coordinator, Sandra Romero-Girard, at sandra@ksdental.org.

Onward!

This is my last President's letter for my year term, to say that it has flown by is an understatement! Please continue to be involved in the Kansas Dental Association as a member and even think about being more involved as an officer or committee member. As someone who started out my career paying dues every year but not really knowing what the KDA or ADA was about, I am so glad that I took that leap and now have such a better understanding. 

No matter what age you are, where you are in your career, what kind of practice you have, the KDA and ADA are fighting for you. Laws, regulations, insurance matters, the list goes on and on—all for dentists' benefit. There is no other group that can or will do this for us; no expensive CE, no consultant, no mastermind group. I have the same message every time, because it's disappointing to see on social media, dentists not getting it! Not understanding the importance. The comments I see are upsetting when you know there are such amazing people working hard to fight for the profession. 

What's been amazing to see lately is for every disparaging comment, there is someone that has thoughtfully defended the ADA stating the facts about everything they do. The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. It has been an honor to be your president and I thank you for your trust in my leadership. 

Thanks to all our KDA members that contacted legislators regarding important dental legislation so far this session. At this point most of our “calls to action” requests have dealt with the 20% rule (SB 31) and increased funding for dental Medicaid. Members who attended Dental Day also were directed to contact certain committee members about the dental insurance reform issues the KDA is pursuing. We know form our conversations with legislators that they were hearing from our members … THANKS!

If you have not received a Legislative Alert from the KDA it is probably because we do not have your cell phone number in your member profile! The KDA’s Legislative Alert system has evolved to a brief text “Legislative Alert” to our member which then provides a website link to more information including issue talking points, legislative contacts, etc. If you’d like to be receive Legislative Alerts via text you can update your ADA member profile yourself at MYACCOUNT.ADA.ORG or simply email your cell phone information to melissa@ksdental.org and we can update the information for you. 

Please note that KDA Legislative Alerts will only be texted to you at critical times when action as needed and are the only texts you will receive from the KDA.

A special “thank you” also for the 25 or so KDA members who attended Dental Day on Thurs., February 6 in Topeka. I certainly know it is not easy to give up a day of production in your dental practice to come to Topeka! Attendance has been down in recent years, but even so, 25 dentists meeting with 3-4 legislators on Dental Day can reach half of the legislators to get the KDA message out! 

Thanks to everyone pulling together!

by: Kevin J. Robertson, CAE, KDA Executive Director

The KDA is pleased to have the opportunity to work with Dr. Allen Reavis, past president of the KDA, and current ADA District 12 Trustee, as the new Representative to the 63^rd district (Atchison Area) of the Kansas House. Representative Reavis quickly became an important ally as a member of the House Committee on Health and Human Services and the House Committee on Social Services Budget as both committees often see legislation and issues of interest to dentistry. Rep. Reavis was elected to a two-year term in House this past November and will serve through 2026 but we will be encouraging him to seek reelection at that time! There may have been a dentist who served in the Kansas Legislature sometime previously in the 154-year history of our state, the KDA can find no record of dentist serving for at least the past 50 years! 

Get to know your trustee and fellow KDA member!

What was your experience graduating during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic?

I had been keeping up with the news headlines and WHO data during the early months of 2020 and I had a feeling that our school year might be impacted. Obviously much more than school was impacted when it was all said and done. My wife and I had our first child who was just over a year old when UMKC shut down for the semester. I stayed at home with him at our house in Kansas City and we got to spend a lot of time together. I saw this as a silver lining amidst the chaos. Meanwhile my wife, Molly, was working as a nurse practitioner at the St. Lukes pulmonary clinic. She was involved with many of the early testing sites and helped setup the isolation units at several hospitals. I was fortunate enough to graduate on time while several other classmates had to return in the fall due to the shutdown.

What do you want KDA members to know about you?

I am a father of two girls and one boy. My wife and I chose to move back to our hometown in rural Kansas after graduating dental school. We love to spend our free time outdoors either at the lake or on the golf course.

Why dentistry? In another life what would be your profession?

I chose dentistry after going through some dental complications as an adolescent. This sparked my interest, and I began shadowing offices in my hometown. I worked for a great dentist in Frontenac, KS while attending Pittsburg State University which reinforced that I was making the right decision. If I had to choose another profession I would have gone to law school. I have several attorneys in my family and the law has always been an interest of mine.

What was your journey like starting or acquiring your private practice.

As I mentioned before, we moved back to our hometown following graduation. I was working a locum job in Newton, KS three to four days a week when my dentist called me about purchasing his practice. It was an office I was very familiar with as I had been a patient for many years. In November of 2020 I began working at his office when I wasn’t in Newton. Our family attorney helped me navigate the purchase which was completed June 1, 2021.

What about your practice brings it to the 21^st century?

There is always new technology in every field and dentistry is no exception. When it comes to new tech for the office, I consider whether it will make the office more efficient and provide a better experience for patients. There is a lot out there that isn’t necessary for most offices. One of the first major hurdles was transitioning the practice away from paper charts to all electronic. We also use a 3D scanner for most of our fixed cases and a 3D printer for models. 

The Kansas Legislature is at the halfway point and there are still significant issues regarding dentistry making their way through the Legislative Process. The KDA has been excited to have the opportunity to work with Dr. Allen Reavis who is now serving as the 63^rd District Representative in the Kansas House of Representatives. 

• $4 million ($10 million all funds) increase in KanCare dental reimbursement rates.
• $750,000 increase ($1.9 million all funds) in sedation dentistry KanCare reimbursement rates.
• $55,000 increase in support of the Donated Dental Services program.  

In addition,

• A bill to eliminate the 20% rule (SB 31) was killed in the House
• An exploratory discussion about community water fluoridation has been held with no negative action.
• The KDA has also had the opportunity to present to committees regarding the “state of dentistry“ this session. 

Of note, funding for a feasibility study regarding a school of dentistry at Wichita State University was reduced from its original $5 million request to $750,000 and then eliminated completely. There is the possibility that some amount of funding could be added back into the budget later for the study.

Though it appeared the KDA and our partners were making significant headway with bills regarding dental loss ratio, disallow and virtual credit card fixes they are currently inactive as the Legislative timeline did not allow them time to be heard in committee.  

by: Kevin J. Robertson, CAE, KDA Executive Director