TRUSTEE REPORT
Dr. GAYLE GLENN
May 5th was my first official AAO Board of Trustees meeting as your new SWSO Trustee. Dr. Mel DeSoto is now President-elect of the AAO, after serving as Trustee for the past eight years. The AAO Board is composed of very dedicated orthodontists, with none more dedicated than Dr. DeSoto. I look forward to his continued leadership in our organization.
The 2004 AAO Annual Session in Orlando, Florida was a "Universal Celebration of Smiles". Over 5300 doctors from 90 countries were among the 20,000 attendees. Dr. James Caveney announced that this was the largest number of countries represented at a convention in Orlando since 9/11.
During the Annual Session, the House of Delegates voted to modify the "House" meeting schedule beginning in 2006. The modified schedule will have the first constituent caucus and the first meeting of the House to meet on day one of the Annual Session. The second caucus and the second meeting of the House will meet on day four. This new schedule will leave days two and three open, so that the delegates can participate in other activities associated with the Annual Session.
A resolution passed to waive the AAO Annual Session registration fees for delegates, alternate delegates, AAO Council Chairs, AJO/DO Editor, and any other AAO members required to be in attendance at the House of Delegates. Membership dues for the U.S. members will remain the same for the second consecutive year.
Corporate sponsorship of post-graduate orthodontic programs continues to be a serious concern. The University of Colorado has applied for initial accreditation, and the Commission on Dental Accreditation will act upon their application in July. The AAO will request the Commission on Dental Accreditation to adhere to all aspects of the Standards for the Accreditation of Advanced Programs in Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics. The AAO is committed to working with the CDA, the ADA, and the U.S. Department of Education to protect the integrity of our orthodontic residency programs.
The definition of Evidence-Based Practice and its application in orthodontics was discussed heavily in Orlando. There were several resolutions that would introduce standards for scientific presentations at future AAO meetings. These resolutions were referred to the Council on Education, the Council on Orthodontic Practice, and the Council on Scientific Affairs for further study. Evidence-Based Dentistry has been a "hot" topic in dental publications this past year, including issues of JADA and the Texas Dental JOURNAL.
After debate, the House of Delegates passed a resolution to discontinue the Dental Benefits Advisory Service. Millions of dollars have been invested in the Direct Reimbursement program over the past 22 years, but the promotion of DR by Third Party Administrators under DBAS has not met the goals set by the business plan. The AAO will continue to support the concept of DR and interested parties will be referred to the ADA.
Thank you for the honor and privilege of serving as the SWSO Trustee. I hope to be a valuable contributor to the Board of Trustees. If you have suggestions, concerns, questions or comments, please contact me at 972-296-3349 (work) or 214-520-2481 (home). My new email address is gayleglenn@earthlink.net.