Alumni from the University of Connecticut, School of Dental Medicine
Spotlights at AAO 2010 Annual Session 

“The Promise of Digital Technology:  Quality by Design, Evidence and Collaboration
Join Dr. Rohit Sachdeva at the 110th AAO Annual Session on May 3, 2010 from 9:40 a.m. – 10:25 a.m. at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, 1207 9th Street Northwest, Washington, DC 20001.

On Monday, May 3rd, Dr. Sachdeva will host a scientific lecture you won’t want to miss. Dr. Sachdeva will present “The Promise of Digital Technology: Quality by Design, Evidence and Collaboration.” A major focus of his presentation will be to use clinical patient histories to demonstrate how the quality of orthodontic care can be improved through the application of 3-D imaging technology, decision support and simulation systems and targeted therapeutics, all within a framework of a proactive care model.
Research findings from the use of these technologies and strategies will be discussed.

Dr. Rohit Sachdeva is Chief Clinical Officer, OraMetrix Inc.  Prior to his arrival at OraMetrix,
Dr. Sachdeva was a professor of orthodontics at Baylor College of Dentistry and Texas A&M University, Dallas. He also served on the faculties of the Universities of Connecticut and Manitoba, and has held numerous visiting faculty positions at internationally recognized universities. He is internationally recognized for his contributions in the field of orthodontics, especially in the areas of bioengineering and material sciences. He is the developer of copper nickel titanium, titanium niobium orthodontic alloys and titanium brackets, and holds more than a dozen patents in the medical and dental fields.

Dr. Sachdeva received his dental degree from the University of Nairobi, Kenya in 1978. In 1983, he earned his Certificate in Orthodontics and Masters in Dental Science at the University of Connecticut. He is a diplomate of the American Board of Orthodontics and the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including the Japanese Society of Promotion of Science Fellowship Award.  Dr. Sachdeva is a Clinical
Professor in the Department of Orthodontics at the University of Connecticut.

Respectfully submitted,

Ravindra Nanda, Chair
Department of Orthodontics

Click for more information on AAO Annual Session

Report of the American Board of Orthodontics

Northeastern Society of Orthodontists News
March 21, 2010

Physical Facility

The ABO is increasing the area of our leased space at AAO headquarters from 1,800 square feet to over 5,000 square feet to include administrative offices as well as examination rooms. We anticipate that, once completed, all future clinical examination will take place in St. Louis. We are doing this in order to accommodate the expected large increase in the number of orthodontists taking the clinical examination in the future.

ABO Clinical Examination

The ABO Clinical Exam was held February 19-26 with approximately 300 examinees scheduled.  These large numbers required as many as four examinations per day utilizing the effort of 75 examiners. Both the ICE candidates (newly graduated orthodontists) and the Gateway candidates performed very well this year with a relatively high pass rate. The Board anticipates nearly 500 candidates to take the clinical examination in 2011. 

ABO Written Examination

The 2010 ABO Written Examination will be conducted during the week of April 19-23 at Pearson-VUE Computer Centers across the United States and Canada.  There are currently more than 375 examinees registered for that exam.

ICE (Initial Certification Examination)

The ABO is proposing a variation of the requirements for initial certification of newly graduated residents. A system of banking cases is being proposed. Residents will be able to present as few as three cases and as many as six cases at their initial examination session. Cases which pass the will be banked for the resident. The resident will then return with the balance of the required cases in order to complete the requirements. The ABO believes that this new concept of “banking” will level the playing field for all residents in orthodontic programs across the United States. The Board feels that this will eliminate the perceived advantage that three year programs have over the two year programs.

Monitoring ABO Certification as part of the Accreditation Process

The ABO is pleased with the decision of the Commission on Accreditation to require orthodontics programs to track the number of graduates who achieve Board certification as an outcomes assessment measure. The Board believes that this policy will encourage programs to train their residents to become Board Certification.

Respectfully Submitted

Dr. Barry Briss
Director/Secretary-Treasurer

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Rhode Island Association of Orthodontists
Health Care Accessibility and Quality Assurance Act 

It is with great pride that the Rhode Island General Assembly has voted unanimously to pass H5454.  This landmark bill states that, “no contract between a dental plan of a health care entity and a dentist for the provision of services to patients may require that a dentist provide services to its subscribers at a fee set by the health care entity unless said services are covered services under the applicable subscriber agreement.”

In plain English, this prevents insurance companies from setting fees for non-covered services.  This bill was made possible because of a huge grassroots effort from the dental community and our lobbyist, Patrick Quinlan.  All of us here in Rhode Island owe him a huge debt of gratitude.   He has also been hired to consult with the ADAPAC as 27 other states have now entered similar legislation to prevent this unfair practice from taking effect in their states.

Submitted by:

Matthew Almeida, DMD

University of Connecticut, School of Dental Medicine
Faculty and Alumni Present at AAO 110th Annual Session

Dear Friends:

This year we have eight members of our Faculty and Alumni who will be presenting at the AAO Annual Session in Washington, DC.  The dates, time and titles of their presentations are listed below:  (If we have missed any, please let me know.)

Try not to miss their presentations!!!!  See you there.

Ravindra Nanda, Chair
Department of Orthodontics

Click for more information on AAO Annual Session

AAOF Gala in Washington, DC

At the Annual Session in Washington D.C., the AAOF has scheduled the Foundation Gala in the Great Hall in the Thomas Jefferson Building, United States Library of Congress, the evening of Saturday May 1st .  This black-tie suggested event will include an open bar reception at 7:00 p.m., featuring hot and cold hor d’oeuvres, and dinner at 7:45 p.m. with wine, followed by a tour of the facility.  Reservation are offered at $250 each or $2,500 for a table of ten, with the evening to promote the AAOF Craniofacial Growth Legacy Collection Project. 

Reservations may be secured through the Annual Session registration process and on site during the course of the meeting through Saturday noon.   

If, however, you have already registered for the Annual Session and now would like to secure reservations, then click on http://www.eshow2000.com/aao/annual/2010/registration_update.cfm and proceed as follows:

• The page will open on the “Attendee Service Center”
• Login with your last name and password (You have this in your “Annual Session Registration Confirmation.”)
•  On the left-hand side of the page, click on the link titled “Add/Modify Lectures or Special Events.”
•  Scroll down to add sessions or special events tickets.  (At this point in the process, you may add more than 10 tickets for the event, if you like.)
• Once you’ve added all your sessions/special events, scroll to the bottom of the page and “submit changes” to proceed to payment page.

College of Diplomates (CDABO)

The College of Diplomates Announces New Officers and Councilors

The College of Diplomates of the American Board of Orthodontics installed new officers and a new councilor during its Annual Meeting held July 17-21, 2009 at The American Club Resort in Kohler, Wisconsin.

The College installed Dr. Philip Markin of Columbia, Maryland as president; Dr. Dorothy Whalen of Glen Cove, New York as president-elect; Dr. Jim Morrow of McKinney, Texas as secretary; Dr. Rodney Hyduk of Troy, Michigan as treasurer; Dr. Robert Moss of Albany, Georgia as senior councilor and Dr. Kenneth M. Hrechka of Oxon Hill, Maryland as junior councilor. Dr. Kimsey Anderson of Albuquerque, New Mexico and Dr. Michael Guess of El Dorado Hills, California will continue to serve on the College Council. Dr. Tucker Haltom of Albuquerque, New Mexico was honored for his contributions as 2008-2009 president and will continue to serve on the council as the immediate past president.

Dr. Richard Ridgley of Asheville, North Carolina received the Award of Merit for his outstanding contributions to the College of Diplomates’ education program to prepare students and orthodontists for board certification.

Dr. Walter Buchsieb of New Albany, Ohio was named honorary chair of the 2009 Annual Meeting for his dedication and leadership example to the College.

The College dedicated the 2009 Annual Meeting to Dr. Richard “Wick” Alexander of Arlington, Texas, one of the specialty’s great teachers and innovators in orthodontics.

The 2010 College of Diplomates’ Annual Meeting will be July 14-18, 2010 at the Samoset Resort in Rockport, Maine.  Registration materials will be mailed to members next spring.

The College of Diplomates was founded in 1979 to stimulate improvement among orthodontists, to encourage orthodontists to become board-certified and to educate the public and the dental profession on the benefits of board certification.

For additional information, please contact the College by phone at 636-922-5551,
e-mail at cdabo@charter.net or by visiting the College’s Web site at www.cdabo.org.