Impressions
My Membership by Dr . Stephen T . Radack III , Editor
Welcome to this special edition of the award-winning Pennsylvania Dental Journal . As you will see reading through this issue , we have focused it on MEMBERSHIP and touched on some of the many benefits of belonging to organized dentistry . I hope you find out something you were not aware of and maybe take advantage of that previously unknown benefit . A warm welcome also to the non-member dentists across Pennsylvania . This issue is being sent electronically to the dentists who are currently not members of PDA . You may be a former member who decided not to continue your membership for one reason or another , or maybe you just never joined . It is our hope after reading all that WE do , you may reconsider and become a part of our PDA family .
As I started to think about membership , I know MY membership may not be the same as yours . I recently received my Life Membership pin from the ADA in the mail , and it caused me to pause and reflect back over the last 36 years ( 40 if you include ASDA for the 4 years in dental school ) of being a member and how that has changed over the course of my career . I remember when I first came back to Erie after graduating from Pitt and purchasing my dental practice . The retiring dentist , Dr . Gil Steg , took me to my first Erie County Dental Association meeting that October . At that meeting he introduced me to his colleagues , and they all gave me a warm welcome to town . I also had that chance to meet other newer colleagues who were in the same stage of the career as me . What I also recall vividly about my first meeting is that Dr . Steg was given the 35-year plaque from the Ninth District Dental Society . This signified 35 years of membership in the ADA . Last year at our Ninth District annual meeting , I was the one who received the 35-year plaque ! I guess time really flies .
As the time in our careers goes by , what we need from our membership changes . What a new dentist who is a recent graduate needs is not the same as a seasoned dentist who is now at the twilight of his or her career . Can our ADA , PDA and component dental societies be all things to all members ? I don ’ t know , but I do know that we offer benefits that can make your professional life better and more fulfilled no matter where you are in your career . I know that the opportunity as a new dentist to come to a local or district dental meeting was invaluable to not only meet my colleagues of all ages , including the specialists in my area , but to form lifelong friendships . It was also the first time I was able to hear what was going on locally , at the state level and nationally in organized dentistry . The additional bonus was getting a continuing education presentation during the meetings .
There are so many benefits to belonging that are part of this issue , and I will not take the time to list them here , but I will note a few that I have found and many of our colleagues have found most beneficial . A couple that may not appear to show any obvious “ return on investment ,” but always show up at the top of membership surveys are advocacy and camaraderie . I have already touched on the latter above . And in this issue you can learn more about the power of mentorship and the impact of our Connections program on both mentors and mentees ( page 16 ).
Many of our members know the ADA , PDA and even component dental societies are always watching our back and working to not only improve our profession but the dental health of the public . Obviously , the most recent examples have come during the last two years during the COVID-19 pandemic . ADA and PDA were constantly advocating for dentistry , whether it was to make sure we had the same access to PPE as other health care providers or ensuring we were a priority when it came to eligibility for the vaccine . PDA has also spent many years advocating for Assignment of Benefits legislation in our state legislature . It would seem like a no brainer , but not when we are up against the insurance lobby . Even locally here in my district , in the last several years both the Erie County Dental Association and Crawford County Dental Society have advocated to fluoridate the municipal water systems in the cities of Erie and Meadville .
Speaking of the pandemic , organized dentistry was not only your advocate every single day during that turbulent time , but since then has been providing resources to help dental team members who struggle with mental health issues , many that were exacerbated by the stress and anxiety that consumed much of 2020 and 2021 . So many have endured so much , and it is crucial to know that help is out there . ADA ’ s New Dentist Committee has collaborated with Hope for the Day in this vital effort . You can read about that in this issue and also learn from PDA ’ s New Dentist Committee chair , Dr . Roopali Kulkarni , how “ being present ” has changed her life . ( pp . 18-24 )
One benefit I know was one of the main reasons so many folks joined and stayed a member was the ADA ’ s Protective Insurance ( formerly Great West Life and Annuity ). As we started our career , it was the lowest cost way to get good coverage . I still have the same policy I have had since 1986 . Both the ADA and PDA
SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2022 | PENNSYLVANIA DENTAL JOURNAL 5