4 New Mexico Dental Journal, Fall 2020 President’s Message Charting the Future, Rising to the Challenge, Together I was discussing our current COVID-19 crisis and health care in general on a hike in the east mountains with my wife, Garen, and a non-dental friend named Mark, recently. I told my friend that I believe dentists have an invaluable perspective that is vital to solving our challenges in health care. As it relates to COVID-19 , dentists aremaking a contribution to our society during this time of crisis. I think back to early in the springwhen the NewYork Times placed dentists and dental hygienists at the highest end of potential expo- sure to the virus. This predictably led to a great deal of concern and required leadership from dentists and our association tomitigate and put this risk in context. In online forums, a few dentists, as well as many concerned dental assistants and hygienists, were unsure if it was even safe to restart non-emergency dental care. They wondered if dental care should just be postponed indefinitely. Leaders throughout our field saw that this was not aworkable solu- tion and suggested that we could protect both our public and teams fromCOVID-19 transmis- sion (flattening the COVID-19 curve) while also providing dental care. This would also flatten the “dental curve” to prevent a secondwave of severe dental disease, which would have occurred froman indefinite periodwithout den- tal care. I amexceedingly proud of howwe dentists have respondedwith courage, com- passion, skill, and intellect. Dentists, our ADA and NMDA, and our profes- sion and teams have been extraordinarily responsible and successful over the past sev- eral months in leading in the COVID-19 era. We have held true to our values providing for the wellness of our teams and patients and delivering a high degree of safety in our offices. We have also been steadfast in pro- viding oral health care including routine care and maintenance, which is also vital to the public well-being. We have stood for the understanding that withholding this care would be detrimental to those we have the trust and privilege to serve, while taking on some additional risk to ourselves. We are leaders in infection control. Dentists, with the help of our associations like the NMDA, have a strong scientific knowledge and outlook that scans the journals and research and a thorough educational back- ground in physiology, pathology, pharmacol- ogy, and infectious diseases which allows us to be proactive when confronted with change. This was proven historically with many novel pathogens, most notably with HIV and respi- ratory pathogens in the last few decades. Our ADA and NMDA have been invaluable at sup- porting clinicians hard at work chairside treat- ing patients with the latest scientific understandings, research, and data. We dentists have invested heavily in retrain- ing our dental teams in new infection control science and procedures. We have changed our offices both with new infection control methods as well as engineering controls and enhanced equipment and put in place suc- cessful ways of dealing with this novel patho- gen. Our NMDA has also helped us by creating guidance and forums like townhalls to support dental offices. Beyond COVID , our health care system has been a real source of concern, especially in recent years. While we should be incredibly proudof the carewe provide, toomany lack the ability toget this care due to numerous barriers. While we as dentists don’t have all the answers, we have a very important role to play in solving the deficiencies in our health care system. Dentists know how chronic, untreated disease and lack of prevention leads to overwhelming our ability to provide care. We understand in a way that many out- side of health care do not, that barriers to care (like finances, fear, lack of dental educa- tion of patients, and lack of regular, preven- tive care) are largely responsible for the current epidemic of dental disease and poor oral health. We know well that poor oral health has serious systemic consequences to overall health. We accumulate more and more dental research showing how oral dis- ease makes us sick overall. Dentists understand that Americans must share a commonmission that all people have a path to achieve health. A vision like this should challenge, inspire, and stretch us. This is the beginning of creating a better future. Next, wemust stand in this future and, looking back- wards, see what is required to get us there. This future requires that we stand together collectively to have our voices heard. Through our membership and support of effective pro- fessional advocacy organizations we will impact and improve shortfalls in our health care system. United, we are far more effective than we are as individual dentists. While many organizations like AGD, Spear, and others pro- vide value to our profession; the ADA and NMDA are the leaders in advocacy and the natural home for all dentists. We have an opportunity to continue outreach to all den- tists in our state to expand membership in the NMDA and bring vital necessary impact to our health care system. Our new membership director, Susan Pate, is going to be a great asset to dentists throughout our state along with our member-generated NMDA 2.0 plan. If you don’t yet know Susan, I invite you to reach out and introduce yourself to her! Our NMDA vision created bymember dentists is “An Empowered Dental Profession that Achieves OptimumHealth for All NewMexicans.” What a vision! I am so proud to be a part of NewMex- ico dentistry and I am truly excited for our future. We have a great culture of dentistry in this state, and the NMDA is working hard to empower New Mexico dentists. We look for- ward toworking smart and diligently together, with the selfless, talented staff and volunteers at our NMDAwho are definitely up to the task. I thank you for all your past support and for your enthusiastic partnership in this collective vision and the work we do creating a great future for all NewMexicans. Respectfully Yours, Michael Sparks NMDA President 2020–2021 office 505-291-9000
[email protected] Michael Sparks