From the 2026 Spring Journal of the Colorado Dental Association by Casey Rhines, D.D.S., CDA Editor Standing at 5’5”, Dr. Ron Brown and I see eye-to-eye, literally and figuratively. Despite exactly 50 years between our graduations, we have become friends who share Chinese takeout recommendations (we maintain that Hong Kong Station is the best in Denver) and anecdotes about our …
CDA Advocacy Ushers in Insurance Reform Legislation
After vigorous advocacy by the CDA and its members, Gov. Polis signed HB-1070 into law April 13. This bill addresses network leasing practices by dental insurance plans, making it required that dentists opt-in to leased networks rather than their services being leased by insurance companies without their knowledge or consent. Colorado’s network lease law will be the strongest and most …
You Deserve to Be Here: Imposter Syndrome in the Dental Profession
From the Spring 2026 Journal of the Colorado Dental Association By Casey Rhines, D.D.S., CDA Editor I recently gave a lecture on imposter syndrome at an American Student Dental Association conference and noted that this experience is not isolated to dental students. In fact, new dentists are especially and uniquely vulnerable to experiencing imposter syndrome. Many of us, even …
Legislative Update April 1, 2026
Someone is always watching, listening, observing and calculating the next move. That someone is the CDA. The CDA works behind the scenes and in front of the curtain, yet few members truly know what the CDA does every week to protect their practices and advocate for their futures. Second only to our battles at the state Capitol and in regulatory …
Understanding Non-Covered Services
In 2017, the Colorado legislature passed SB17 190, a bill that required dental plans to stop dictating fees for services they do not cover. This practice can disrupt patient choice of dental services and the patient-provider relationships. It also can also interfere in fair delivery of dental services for patients, creating cost shifting and barriers to care. SB17 190 prohibits …
Dental Hygiene Programs in Colorado
While Colorado continues to expand dental hygiene education, there remains a shortage in the field. That said, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, job growth in dental hygiene will increase by more than 7% over the next nine years, which is much faster than the average job growth.[1] The shortage has caused an inflation in salaries as well with …
Compliance Check–Have You Filed Your One-Time Compliance Report to Reduce Mercury Discharges into a Publicly Owned Treatment Works?
The EPA has promulgated Pretreatment Standards to reduce mercury discharges from dental offices into publicly owned treatment works (POTWs). These Pretreatment Standards are in a regulation codified at 40 Code of Federal Regulations Part 441 and titled Dental Office Point Source Category (the “Dental Rule”). The Dental Rule became effective on July 14, 2017. If your Colorado dental practice places …
MRONJ – What You Need to Know
By Boyd Tomasetti, D.M.D., Malachi Zeitner, D.D.S., Ayrton Sanguino, D.M.D., Sara Anderson, D.D.S., M.D. From the Winter 2026 Journal of the Colorado Dental Association Medication-Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaw (MRONJ) is a rare and serious condition that occurs in patients taking medications prescribed for the treatment of cancer and osteoporosis. It is characterized by necrosis of mandibular or maxillary bone …
Volunteer Dentist Donates a Smile
By Dental Lifeline Network from the Winter 2026 Journal of the Colorado Dental Association Dental care access is an ongoing issue across the U.S., especially for our veterans and former service members whose benefits are limited to service-related incidents. Dental Lifeline Network’s (DLN) Donated Dental Services (DDS) program works to bridge this gap for patients like George. George, 70, is …
Professional Development Through Teaching
By Jillian Stacey, D.D.S., CDA President from the Winter 2026 Journal of the Colorado Dental Association The dental field continues to face workforce shortages both nationwide and in Colorado. Finding hygienists, assistants, and other team members can put a strain not only on dentists and practices, but also for patients to access care. In Colorado Springs, a new hygiene program …
