Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Winter 2022 - 5

PCSO News and Events
President's Report
President's Message
It is an honor to represent the PCSO during the
next year as president of this storied organization.
There is an amazing list of leaders who
have gone before me to improve and further our
specialty and our organization; there will be an
amazing group of leaders who will come after
me. I am thankful for the opportunity to work for
all our membership to advance our organization
to benefit our members.
Dr. Tom Merrill
PCSO President 2021-2022
The past almost two years have provided us with
challenges we likely never imagined. Many of our
members have felt alone and isolated, and many
members have longed for personal interactions
with PCSO friends and colleagues. Just recently I
was finally able to see some of my PCSO friends at
our first in-person meeting in almost two years.
We all are more than ready for this pandemic to
be over and to move forward.
If I could use one word to highlight what PCSO
will work toward during the next year, it would
be relevance. I would like to highlight a few ways
PCSO is working to increase our relevance to our
members. There are challenges we are facing, and
PCSO is working to meet these challenges.
Direct-to-Consumer Lawsuits
Recently, Smile Direct Club filed lawsuits against
the Alabama, California, and Georgia dental
boards for trying to regulate their state teledentistry
environments. In Alabama, the dental board
passed a rule that auxiliaries doing intraoral
scanning for orthodontic appliances must be
under direct supervision by the doctor (which is,
of course, a delegation and scope-of-practice type
of rule that exists in every state in the country).
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) investigated
the Alabama dental board to see if it committed
antitrust violations in passing the intraoral scanning
rule. At the conclusion of the investigation,
the FTC proposed a settlement in the matter.
Among other provisions, the proposed settlement
order prohibits the Alabama dental board from
passing any regulation regarding teledentistry
for the next 10 years, and the board is required to
notify the FTC before it takes any action (rulemaking
or enforcement) that affects teledentistry in
Alabama in any way. PCSO signed onto a letter to
the FTC expressing concerns that the proposed
FTC order wrongly ignores the FTC's duty to protect
consumers and inappropriately restricts the
Alabama dental board's ability to ensure patient
safety. Knowing the litigious nature of some businesses
in this arena, I suspect there will be further
challenges.
Difficulty in Finding and Retaining Team Members
Many orthodontists and teams in PCSO are finding
it difficult to find and retain team members
in our current employment environment. On
March 4-5, 2022, in Las Vegas, there will be a
fantastic opportunity to learn from instructors at
The Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center. In addition,
other great presentations will describe how to
create a team culture within our practices. Such
a culture not only benefits our patients but also
creates a workplace that will attract new team
members and retain existing team members.
Don't miss this opportunity-it's an event for you
and your whole team! This meeting is a bargain
considering what engaging with The Ritz-Carlton
Leadership Center typically costs. Attendance is
limited, so register with your teams soon before
it fills up.
Return to In-Person Continuing Education
Who doesn't love a good continuing education
(CE) meeting from the comfort of your bed and
pajamas? Me!
Zoom and other online communication tools
have been a blessing for many of us during the
pandemic. Although these tools provide a great
way to get exposure to CE and ideas, there is
something missing with a virtual CE experience.
Reviewing products in an exhibit hall, socializing
with friends and colleagues to share challenges
and ideas, and even just getting out of our homes
are all things I have heard our members say they
miss. The Western Orthodontic Conference (WOCON)
Annual Session will be in sunny San Diego
Winter 2022 PCSO Bulletin
5
Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Winter 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Winter 2022
