Back row, L-R: Dr. Nava Fathi, Shadi Kanaan, Drs. Kayhan Mashouf, Vu Tran, Kevin Kai, Robert Shorey, Steven Beveridge, Mamta Desai, Dhruva Gurjar, Student Delegates Shriya Ravindra Singi (UCLA), Resha Shah (UOP) and Dr. Tiffany Hsu. Front, L-R: Drs. Monica Wu, Kay Rha, Nima Massomi, Hieu Dang, John Pisicane, Nick Nguyen, and Victoria Furman
This year’s CDA House of Delegates concluded nine months of work by your SCCDS delegation. Hieu Dang and Robert Shorey led the delegation, which included John Pisicane, Steve Beveridge, Nima Massomi, Nick Nguyen, Monica Wu, Kayhan Mashouf, Mamta Desai, Victoria Furman, Tiffany Hsu, Kay Rha, and new delegates Dhruva Gurjar and Vu Tran. We were also pleased to welcome our student delegates, Shriya Ravindra Singi (UCLA) and Resha Shah (UOP).
The term for our CDA/ADA Trustee was up for renewal. Outgoing Trustee Dr. Karin Irani will be running for ADA President. Two candidates, Dr. Richard Barnes and Dr. Ariane Terlet ran for the trustee position, and Dr. Terlet was elected by the House.
A major focus of this year’s House was the completion of CDA’s three-year plan for incremental dues increases. These increases were designed to help offset declining non-dues revenue, particularly from CDA’s CE programs. Most recently, the Fall Sessions were discontinued due to reduced attendance and diminished vendor participation. The House approved the final installment of this plan: $50 dues increase needed to help maintain a balanced CDA budget. Although the plan has been in place for several years, many questions were raised and answered by Dr. Scott Kim regarding ongoing operational costs and financial pressures on the association.
Delegates expressed strong concerns on behalf of members and particularly younger dentists regarding rising student debt, increasing office overhead, stagnant insurance reimbursements, and continued inflation. The House made it clear that CDA must continue to deliver meaningful value, especially for early-career dentists.
CDA also presented samples of an advertising campaign currently running in the Sacramento area, aimed at legislators and lobbyists. The campaign highlights how dental insurance is failing both dentists and the patients we serve. These ads can be viewed at fixourdentalinsurance.com.
Several significant resolutions were passed by the House, including:
- Consolidation of the San Mateo and Mid-Peninsula Dental Societies into a single component with approximately 900 members.
- Increased funding for component grants to support local efforts to recruit new members.
- A resolution addressing the accuracy of insurance portals, calling for stricter requirements to ensure reliable information for providers.
More resolutions were discussed but these are considered the most significant ones that passed.
At the opening session, CDA announced the launch of a major project that originated from recommendations by your SCCDS leadership. Throughout 2025, your SCCDS Board of Directors and Delegates successfully elevated member concerns surrounding stagnant insurance reimbursements, staffing challenges, rising dental education costs, inflation-driven overhead, and rapid technological change in the profession. In response, CDA will be forming a large task force to study and address these issues. The initiative being launched is called “The Future of Dentistry Workgroup”
If you want to know more about this initiative, follow this link Leadership | CDA (California Dental Association)
Those members interested in being part of this taskforce or contributing to this important effort are encouraged to apply as soon as possible via this link Future of Dentistry Workgroup Interest Form