Alaska
The Alaska State Society of Ortho-dontists (ASSO) had a successful March meeting. Including doctors and staff, over 70 people attended; this was a record number for the ASSO! Dr. Anil Idiculla’s lecture gave us relevant and innovative ideas. Drs. Kurt Stormberg and Warren Libby updated the ASSO on the latest news from PCSO. During the ASSO business meeting that fol-lowed, there were changes in leadership, with Dr. John Murray assuming the role of president, Dr. Brent Tingey as president-elect, and Dr. Devin Johnson as secretary-treasurer. Dr. Jeff Symonds is our immediate past-president. The ASSO is poised for a successful coming year. We thank Dr. Stormberg for his help in arranging our continu-ing education event and for attending our busi-ness meeting. We also want to thank Dr. Idiculla for making the trip to Anchorage on short notice.
Dr. Warren Libby
Alaska Director to PCSO, Anchorage, AK
Alberta
The 2018 Alberta Society of Ortho-dontists (ASO) meeting was held in the lovely Rimrock Hotel in Banff on April 6 and 7; the annual general meeting (AGM) took place on the 7th. The meeting had a great mixture of lecture top-ics this year. The keynote speakers were Dr. Donna Galante (sponsored by Align Technology), Dr. Budi Kusnoto (sponsored by RMO), Dr. Duncan Brown (sponsored by Ortho Classic), and Moe Razavi (sponsored by 3M). In addition, we invited PCSO guests Drs. Kam Olfert and Robert Meister to attend and deliver a message on behalf of PCSO. Both attended the general session as well as the ASO business meeting and AGM. Drs. Ryan Edwards and Robert Meister delivered the PCSO PowerPoint presentation to roughly 20 members at the general session and answered questions related to PCSO. We took the opportunity to encourage the group to renew their member-ships and promoted attendance at the upcoming Annual Session in Monterey, CA.
Some of the main topics of discussion within the ASO are:
• The Alberta Dental Association & College
(ADA&C) announced late last year that a Specialist Fee Guide will be in place moving forward, despite varying lack of support from both the ASO and CAO. This issue is ongoing and more information will arise from further discussions in the upcoming year.
• Direct-to-consumer (DIY) orthodontic suppli-ers have demonstrated significant develop-ment over the past year in the United States. As a result, the ASO and Canadian Association of Orthodontists have reached out to the provincial ADA&C regarding this matter and will be following up in the near future.
• ASO membership numbers have been drop-ping over the past few years, and the current leadership has made it their priority to investigate and strategize methods of increasing membership.
The 2019 ASO Annual Meeting will take place in April at the historic Fairmont Hotel in Banff. We hope to have another great meeting.
The ASO executive now consists of:
Dr. Greg Barnett, President
Dr. Andrew Chen, Vice-President
Dr. Sunny Leong, Secretary-Treasurer
Dr. Tarek El-Bialy, Past President
Dr. Ryan Edwards
Alberta Director to PCSO, Red Deer, AB
Arizona
Dr. Jae Park, our esteemed PCSO Bulletin editor and ABO director, gave an outstanding presentation at the Annual Session in Washington, D.C., entitled “Key Factors in Anterior Open Bite Correction: Where to Start and How to Fin-ish.” For those of you who missed it, his handout is available online.
Planning is underway for our Annual Meeting in December. We are doing something a little dif-ferent this year. Watch your email inboxes this summer for more details. Registration informa-tion will still come via snail mail this year, but we are looking to start the digital transition.
Dr. Alyssa Levin
President, Phoenix, AZ
British Columbia
The British Columbia Society of Orthodontists (BCSO) continues to focus on public awareness of our specialty. The Consumer Awareness Campaign (CAP) is now in its fourth year. This year’s focus is on digital media. The overall concept is to use video-based content to drive online ads and social media. Prospective patients will be directed to our British Columbia doctor locator, so it’s very important that all members update their profile on our BC website.
The BCSO hosted Dr. Luis Carriere at its most recent meeting. His lecture focused on the “Sagittal First” concept and he showed many well-treated, difficult cases. The BCSO AGM was June 8 at UBC Golf Club in Vancouver. Our speaker was Dr. Young Tze Kuah, a dually-trained orthodontic and pediatric specialist. His topic was “Orthodontic Considerations in the Management of Compromised and Malformed First Permanent Molars.” His presentation was similar to the one he gave at the AAO-AAPD conference this winter.
Dr. Lucien Bellamy
President, Nanaimo, BC
California
Member Advocacy
The California Association of Orthodontists (CAO) Board of Directors is committed to advocating for our members and working to make prac-tices safe and successful. In addition to our ongoing consumer awareness initiative, we are also working to keep members informed of regu-latory issues that may affect their practices. CAO recently sent an e-blast containing information on the resumption of licensure renewal for RDAs, plus information on a new requirement for OAP student course completion certificates. Keep watching your inbox for important information!
Registration Is Open!
CAO is pleased to announce that we will once again sponsor a staff training event in conjunction with the PCSO Annual Session in Monterey. Tracy Moawad will be offering a presentation entitled “Embracing Change: From Survive to Thrive,” which will provide doctors and staff with helpful and refreshing strategies for navigating— and even finding joy in — changes that take place in their offices. Registration is now open, and more information will be coming your way. Mark your calendars for Thursday, October 11, and plan to attend!
CAO Brochures
CAO is pleased to announce the development of our brochures on sleep-disordered breathing in children and in adults. More orthodontic prac-tices are seeing and treating patients of all ages who have sleep disorders. CAO has developed these brochures as a helpful informational resource that you can provide to your patients, parents, and referring colleagues.
The brochures provide information on the following:
• Signs, symptoms, and physical characteristics that may indicate a sleep disorder
• Risk factors for development of sleep-disordered breathing
• Treatment options for management of sleep apnea
• Resources for finding a sleep specialist in your area
CAO also offers “You and Your Orthodontist” brochures — which are a popular version of informed consent — as well as “Smile. . . Now Let’s See Your Bite,” formerly the “Bite Down Early” brochure. Smile brochures are a great resource for parents, offering guidance on what to watch for as their child’s dentition develops. Find more information on these brochures and how to order them online.
Orthodontic Peer Review Calibration
CAO will once again sponsor an annual ortho-dontic Peer Review calibration workshop for members wishing to serve on review panels when complaints arise with orthodontic col-leagues. These workshops afford orthodontists who experience dental board complaints the privilege of being reviewed by peers rather than general dentists (who are not familiar with stan-dard orthodontic practices). The session will be held on Friday, November 2 at the Tri-County Den-tal Society in Riverside. Email Ann Sebaugh with questions, or to register for the session.
Dr. Susan Zand
President, Foothill Ranch, CA
Idaho
On June 15, the Idaho State Ortho-dontic Society (ISOS) was proud to host lecturer Dr. Bill Dischinger at the Idaho State Dental Association Annual Session in Boise. The number of attend-ing orthodontists is up from recent years, which is encouraging! Outreach for membership involvement and AAOPAC contributions has con-tinued, as we are striving for a bright future. President Layne McCord (RMSO), President-Elect Justin Ward (RMSO), and Secretary-Treasurer Travis Tingey (PCSO) continued with their two-year terms in office.
Dr. Scott D. Alexander
Idaho Director to PCSO, Boise, ID
Nevada
The Nevada State Orthodontic Society (NSOS) hosted its Annual Meeting on March 2 in Las Vegas. We had a fantastic meeting, with around 60 orthodontists in attendance, including residents from University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and Roseman. Dr. Lisa Alvetro was our speaker and gave an exciting presentation on 3-D print-ing, Class II correction using the Forsus appliance, and practice management. We were also treated to a presentation about PCSO activities by our PCSO Past-President Dr. Paul Kasrovi.
At our business meeting, we said goodbye to our outgoing president, Dr. Jahnavi Rao. We were for-tunate to have her leadership over the past two years and are excited that she will be continuing to represent us as a delegate to the AAO. Our incoming president is Dr. Arnie Pitts from Reno —we look forward to his tenure as president. At the meeting we discussed the benefits Nevada has seen from recent CAP changes, with over 38,000 new users being exposed to advertising and information coming from the AAO. The leader-ship is going to look into matching CAP funds to see if there is more Nevada would like to do to promote the specialty in our state. We also had a discussion of recent AAO litigation, and consid-ered the ways in which our society can help sup-port the AAO through identification of cases or legislation that could affect orthodontists.
Nevada is also excited to be the host component for next year’s PCSO spring meeting. The General Chair for the meeting is our very own Dr. John Griffiths. He and his team are working to make it an exciting event with a strong curriculum, combined with all of the fun that Las Vegas has to offer. We look forward to seeing everyone next spring!
Dr. Adam Welmerink
Nevada Director to PCSO , Sparks, NV
Oregon
It is a quiet time for the Oregon State Society of Orthodontists (OSSO) as we wait for summer to arrive in the Pacific Northwest. Our winter meeting will be on Friday, November 30, and will again feature a presentation from Dr. Erik Richmond entitled, “Medical Emergencies in the Dental Office.” This presentation will fulfill the Oregon state dental licensure requirement for those in attendance. We will also hear mas-ter’s research presentations from the OHSU third-year residents. Detailed information will be available at our website.
The annual Hixon lecture, sponsored by the Ore-gon Health & Science University Orthodontics Alumni Association (OOAA), was held in April and featured Dr. John Kanysik, who gave an excellent presentation on a variety of clinical topics includ-ing autotransplantation, current controversies in orthodontics, interceptive orthodontics, and relapse and retention.
Our desire for increased participation in organ-ized orthodontics at the state level continues! If you are interested in joining our board, we would love to hear from you! The time commitment is very manageable, and you would be doing impor-tant work for our profession. Please contact one of the current officers through the website if you are interested.
Dr. Howard Freedman
President-Elect, Canby, OR
Saskatchewan
The Saskatchewan Society of Orthodontists (SSO) held its Annual Meeting on June 1 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Regina. In conjunction with the meeting, we had our seventh annual day of continuing education, with over 56 attendees (including orthodontists and team members). Invisalign was the generous sponsor of the event, and for the first time, sepa-rate speakers were brought in for both doctor and team lectures. Dr. David Walt gave the doctor presentation, and Ms. Shelby Cook gave the team member presentation about Invisalign treatment.
We recognize and thank Dr. Brian Phee for organ-izing the event and speakers. Our next annual meeting will be in spring 2019 in Saskatoon. We are looking forward to another great event!
This year marks the term of the first PCSO presi-dent from the Saskatchewan component: Dr. Kam Olfert. We have enjoyed working with Dr. Olfert thus far during his term.
Dr. Dean Heinrichs
Saskatchewan Director to PCSO, Saskatoon, SK
Washington
The Washington State Society
of Orthodontists (WSSO) currently has 235 active members, 120 retired members, and 21 lifetime members.
The WSSO board leadership team consists of Dr. Blake Davis, president; Dr. Tori Matthys, president-elect; Dr. Christopher Riolo, treasurer; Dr. Mohammad Mainayar, secretary; Dr. Tom Merrill, PCSO director; Dr. Rooz Khosravi, communications chair; Dr. Patra Alatsis, membership chair; Dr. Aaron Molen, orthodontic practices chair; Dr. Wei Tian, legislative chair; Dr. Bryan Williams, peer review chair; Dr. Geoff Greenlee, board member at large; and Sally Gee, administrator.
The WSSO board will undergo changes for the next cycle and will include Dr. Tori Matthys as president; Dr. Mohammad Mainayar, president-elect; Dr. Christopher Riolo, treasurer; Dr. Wei Tian, secretary; Dr. Rooz Khosravi, communications chair; Dr. Patra Alatsis, membership chair; Dr. Aaron Molen, orthodontic practices chair; Dr. Bryan Williams, peer review chair; Dr. Geoff Greenlee, board member at large; and Sally Gee, administrator.
The WSSO has been working to add two new board members as the PCSO director and legislative chair. Special thanks go to Drs. Merrill and Tian for their extraordinary work as the current chairs.
The WSSO is finalizing the speakers for the 2019 Annual Meeting, which will take place Friday, February 8, at the Meydenbauer Center in Belle-vue. Stay tuned for updates.
The AAO is working with the Washington State Dental Quality Assurance Commission (DQAC) to set clear rules on specialty education or training requirements for dentists who claim to be specialists in our state. A DQAC subcommittee has been created to evaluate this issue. The WSSO is monitoring the progress on proposed rule changes regarding dentist continuing education requirements, dentist suicide prevention education, and the Prescription Monitoring Program.
Dr. Rooz Khosravi
Communications Chair, Seattle, WA