holidays – Beyond the Bite

Receiving Emergency Dental Care Over the Holidays

by Florida Dental AssociationNovember 24, 2022October 26, 2022Leave a comment

With the holidays fast approaching, we wanted to remind you that you are required, either personally or through another Florida licensed dentist, or through a reciprocal agreement with another group, to provide 24-hour emergency care for all patients under your continuing care. If you do not provide this emergency care, then you are subject to discipline by the Board of Dentistry (BOD). Emergency care is also listed in the ADA’s Dental Patient Rights and Responsibilities Statement. It states a patient has the right to reasonable arrangements for dental care and emergency treatment. The full list of patient’s rights and responsibilities can be found at www.ada.org.

Unfortunately, I cannot give you any clear-cut parameters on what will be enough to satisfy this rule. For example, is a 24-hour number for patients to call you enough; do you have to be available to have patients come into your office 24 hours a day, 7 days a week? Instead, the reasonableness standard will apply here. Ask yourself is the access to emergency care you are providing to your patients reasonable under the circumstances.

The BOD Rule on this is 64B5-17.004, Emergency Care: It is the responsibility of every dentist practicing in this State to provide, either personally, through another licensed dentist, or through a reciprocal agreement with another agency, reasonable twenty-four (24) hour emergency services for all patients under his continuing care.

An Early Bite with Dr. John Paul: “What Candy is Good for Teeth?”

by Florida Dental AssociationNovember 1, 2017Leave a comment

By Dr. John Paul, FDA Editor

One of my favorite patients was preparing for the holidays and since Halloween was yesterday, she called with a serious question. “My grandchildren got a bunch of candy trick-or-treating last night. What candy can they eat that will be good for their teeth?”

I said, “Now Mrs. Gruntbuns, there is no candy that anyone should have unlimited access to. No candy is good for your teeth, but what’s the point of having teeth if you don’t get to eat things that you enjoy?

“So, let the kids, young and old, enjoy the bounty they collected on All Hallows’ Eve — in moderation — but clean their teeth regularly. Clean both the parts they can see and in between where you have to make an effort to reach.

“Your teeth are supposed to last your whole life so until your dying day, far in the future, you can eat something you enjoy.”

Have a question you have a tough time answering? Send it to Dr. Paul at jpaul@bot.floridadental.org.

FDA Staff Helps Make the Holidays Brighter

by Florida Dental AssociationDecember 24, 2015May 19, 2017Leave a comment

By Drew Eason, FDA Executive Director

The Florida Dental Association’s (FDA) staff is made up of a team of very caring folks. Several staff members got together and asked if the FDA staff could (voluntarily) “adopt” a family in need for the holidays, which is something they’ve done many times in the past. I thought it was a great idea and the team took it from there. They worked with a charity called Christmas Connection, which strives to meet the wishes and basic needs of underprivileged families from all religions, races and ethnic backgrounds in northwest Florida.

Here’s a little more information on our “adopted” family: They were brought to our attention from school guidance counselors. After receiving a phone call from a concerned neighbor, we learned that a 70-year-old grandmother in our community had just taken in her three grandchildren. It appears the father is in jail and the mother is unable to care for the boys. We understood that the grandmother lives in a mobile home and has given up her bed for the boys, so she now is sleeping on the floor. We called the grandmother and learned that the three boys have moved in with various family members over the years, as their parents came in and out of their lives. She said that she could not see the boys move around anymore and didn’t want them separated and placed in foster care, which was sure to happen. The boys came to her with nothing but the clothing on their backs. She is a retired school bus driver and lives on a small retirement and Social Security. She is doing the best that she can, but feeding and clothing three growing boys is depleting her financial resources. The school helped get clothing for the boys, which she was incredibly grateful for. She did, however, report that with limited income, there is little left for extras. Christmas would not be a possibility for the boys and it was breaking her heart. She is a sweet, soft-spoken lady with the goal of keeping this family together. She says that they didn’t ask for any of this, but have shown resiliency given the chaos in their life. She says that with God’s help, the boys have come a long way.

FDA staff stepped up to buy gifts the family requested, and anything left on the list was paid for via our “Dress Down for Charity” program. Simply put, most of the staff paid $20 to dress casually during December — and it certainly brought in a lot of extra money to put toward gifts for the family! The staff was able to do a great deal for the family, as you can see in some of the pictures! They bought a bike, clothes, toys, a comforter and much, much more! Our hope is that this will be a Christmas they will remember.