Registration Fees
Dentists: Full Meeting
Note: Single Day and Virtual Options are available. Conference registration includes annual membership in SAID.
Non-Dentists
Note: Single Day and Virtual Options are available. Conference registration includes annual membership in SAID.
Students
Note: Single Day and Virtual Options are available. Conference registration includes annual membership in SAID.
$310
$175
$100
Dentist Membership Fee
$50
Only pay membership dues if you are not attending this year's meeting.
Non Dentist Membership Fee
$25
Only pay membership dues if you are not attending this year's meeting.
Speakers
Jacob Dent
DDS
Dr. Jacob Dent is an outside the box general dentist and speaker. In practice for 21 years and a multi practice owner, Dr. Dent has built a successful career treating patients of all ages and disabilities in a nonconventional way using desensitization. Dr. Dent is a fellow of Academy of Dentistry Intern-ational, clinical director for Special Olympics Special Smiles, adjunct faculty at UTSD-Houston, and Co-founder of the Dental Desensitization System. Dr. Dent is married to his wife Jennifer, father to his daughter Jayden, and son Ethan, who has Autism. As a professional speaker, Dr. Dent has given presentations and workshops around the country for the past 8 years to dental professionals, health care providers, dental students, and families.
Equipping Yourself to Care for Patients with
Special Needs
Dawn Houston
CCC-SLP
Ms. Houston has specialized in the field of Intellectual / Developmental Disabilities for over 25 years. She has worked as a Speech-Language Pathologist in the school system, nursing home setting, and within the State of Louisiana Office for Citizens with Developmental Disabilities system. She began working at Hammond Developmental Center / Northlake Supports and Services Center in 1999 until the facility was privatized in 2012. Following privatization, she began working with the Northlake Resource Center / OCDD Resource Center where she was given the opportunity to her expand her service area and provide services to many individuals with Intellectual / Developmental Disabilities across multiple regions within the state. Ms. Houston lends her expertise while working with an interdisciplinary team including Speech Language Pathologists, Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, Dietitians, Nurses, Social Workers, and Psychologists providing consultative services in the community to individuals with Intellectual / Developmental Disabilities as the OCDD Resource Center Speech-Language Pathologist Supervisor. The OCDD Resource Centers provides integrated services to support individuals with Intellectual / Developmental Disabilities and assist them in achieving their goals and accessing needed supports to live as independently and successfully as possible in the community. Ms. Houston provides assessment, consultation, and training services to promote a person-centered approach to intervention in the areas of communication and swallowing disorders. She also offers training and consultation services for professionals working with individuals with Intellectual / Developmental Disabilities regarding specific issues related to Speech-Language Pathology. She also guest lectures at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center and Southeastern Louisiana University to assist students in learning more about provision of quality services for people with Intellectual / Developmental Disabilities.
Dysphagia, Aspiration, and Oral Hygiene Strategies for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
Arnold James
MPH, PhD
Dr. Arnold H. James is a licensed Clinical Psychologist in Home Base Primary Care at Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System in New Orleans. He received his education from The University of South Carolina: a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, a Master of Public Health in Health Education and Promotion, and his Doctor of Philosophy in Clinical-Community Psychology. He was affiliated with the Tulane School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences for over 20 years as an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, in the Psychology Section. He has specialized in diagnosing and treating mental disorders. Currently, he treats outpatients in his private practice. Dr. James has completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy from the New Orleans-Birmingham Psychoanalytic Institute, and was awarded DIPLOMATE status in the International Academy of Behavior Medicine, Counseling and Psychotherapy in Psychotherapy. Dr. James has recently been selected as a Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar for the 2020-2023 cohort.
Trauma Informed Care
Alfred "Fred" McMullen
DDS
Fred McMullen graduated from the LSUHSC- Dental in 1987 with a DDS. He completed the Endodontic Residency program in 1989and earned Diplomate status from the American Board of Endodontics in 1993.He was as a solo endodontic practitioner for 25 years in Monroe, LA. While duck hunting in Mexico, he suffered a traumatic injury to the head/neck region that eventually forced him out of practice due to physical disabilities. In 2014 he began teaching part-time in the LSU Endodontic Department and has been the Post-Graduate Director of Endodontics since 2020. He is a member of the AAE, the College of Diplomates of the ABE, the American College of Dentists, the ADA, the LDA, and NODA. He was awarded the New Dentist Award by the LDA in 1997, Alumnus of the Year by the LSU School of Dentistry in 2006, and the Distinguished Service Award by the LDA in 2013. Married to his high-school sweetheart, Joanna, for 40 years, they have 2 daughters, Mary(CPA) and Anna (attorney) who live and practice their professions in Houston Texas. Anna and her husband, JD, welcomed their first grandson, Max, into the world on July the Fourth this year.
After the Trauma...What's Next
Haley Kessler
DDS
Dr. Kessler began her career as a dental hygienist before earning her DDS from the University of Utah School of Dentistry in 2022. After dental school, she practiced general dentistry in California for a year. She is now a second-year endodontic resident at LSU, where she delves into the intricacies of root canal therapy, managing dental trauma cases and finding accurate diagnoses for patients.
After the Trauma...What's Next
Cheryl Knight
PhD
In 1994, Cheryl L. Knight earned her PhD in Clinical Psychology at Western Michigan University where there was a strong emphasis on behavior analysis. Since her pre-doctoral internship at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, MD, she increasingly worked for individuals diagnosed with intellectual and developmental conditions, including autism or autistics. Joining the Office for Citizens with Developmental Disabilities at the Louisiana Department of Health in 2008, she maintains active contact with applied research and shares science-based information in webinars, presentations, formal meetings, and in everyday contact with colleagues, clinicians, administrators, and individuals and their families.
Application and Benefits of
Applied Behavior Analysis in Dentistry
Robert Rada
DDS, MBA
Dr. Rada is a Clinical Professor in the Department of Oral Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences at the University of Illinois College of Dentistry. He also maintains a private practice in LaGrange Illinois focusing on patients with special needs. Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities of all ages are cared for in his practice. Advanced behavior management, anesthesia care and hospital dentistry are all part of his practice. Dr. Rada has facilitated many live patient courses to assist dentists and dental students in their learning to care for dental patients with special needs. He teaches in the Group Practice Clinics and currently has dental students rotate through his private practice and directs the Special Care Dentistry Track at UIC.
Challenges in Special Care Denstistry
David Itzkoff
DDS
Dr. David Itzkoff has been the Supervising Dentist at Shapiro Center, a 500-bed residential facility for adults with IDD operated by the State of Illinois in Kankakee for over 30 years. He is a graduate of NYU School of Dentistry. He is a senior fellow of National Academies of Practice where he serves as Chair of the Dental Academy and is a Diplomate and immediate past president of the American Board of Special Care Dentistry. He has been a proud member of SAID for 30 years and hasn’t missed a meeting yet.
Pearls, Perils & Parables
Wednesday, Nov 6th, CST
5:00pm - 7:30pm
SAID Strategic Planning Meeting
All Members Welcome
Thursday, Nov 7th, CST
7:00am - 8:00am
Registration and Check-in
8:00am - 8:30am
Welcome & Conference Overview
8:30am - 10:30am
Keynote: Equipping Yourself For Patients With Special Health Care Needs
Jacob Dent, DDS
Course Description: This course will focus on treating patients with special needs in dentistry. Providing oral care of such patients often requires deviating from typical dental practices. We will explore the best equipment, materials, and techniques for effectively treating patients of all ages with special needs. The most common disabilities seen in general dental practice will be reviewed and how individualize care plans can be implemented. Course Objectives: 1. Review the most common disabilities seen in the dental office. 2. Discuss the best techniques for delivering dental care. 3. Learn what materials and equipment are available to best serve patients with special needs.
10:30am - 11:00am
11:00am - 12:30pm
Exhibitors & Vitality Break
Dysphagia, Aspiration, & OH Strategies for Individuals w/ IDD
Dawn Houston, CCC-SLP
Course Description: People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities may show signs and symptoms of dysphagia and could have a high risk of aspiration during dental treatment. Often there are barriers to care due to funding or other resources. This course will discuss how to identify and recognize symptoms of dysphagia and aspiration. Providing dental care will require modifications to reduce the risk of aspiration. Positioning guidelines, sensory considerations and visual supports will be reviewed. Strategies to help promote better oral hygiene for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, while providing independence and ensuring safety during oral care will be explored. Course Objectives: 1. Identify signs and symptoms of dysphagia and aspiration associated with dentistry. 2. Understand the importance of positioning to reduce aspiration during oral care. 3. Explore strategies to promote increased patient participation and independence, and ensuring safety during oral care.
12:30pm - 2:00pm
2:00pm - 4:00pm
Lunch & SAID General Business Meeting
Included with Registration
Trauma Informed Care
Arnold James, MPH, Ph.D.
Course Description: This course will deepen the participants’ understanding of trauma. Participants will gain knowledge of the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) to give more context to childhood trauma. Participant will be presented cursory information on trauma influence on the brain and expected symptoms of trauma. The highlight of the course presentation will be increasing an understanding of trauma-informed spaces, in general and specifically for individuals with developmental disorders in dental spaces. Course Objectives: 1. To deepen and understanding of trauma. 2. To introduce trauma-informed care. 3. To present practical trauma-informed care in dentistry with IDD.
4:00pm - 4:30pm
6:00pm - 8:00pm
Exhibitors
President's Reception
Included with Registration
Hosted By Monica Roberts, RDH, MAT, 2024 SAID President
Friday, Nov 8th, CST
7:00am - 8:30am
7:30am - 8:30am
8:30am - 10:00am
Registration, Check-in & Exhibitors
Continental Breakfast
Included with Registration
After The Trauma...What's Next
Alfred "Fred" McMullen, DDS and Haley Kessler, DDS
Course Description: The lecture focuses on the evaluation, treatment options & recall protocol secondary to dental trauma. Course Objectives: 1. Attendees should learn the 3P’s and a V of endodontic evaluation. 2. Attendees learn treatment options and prognosis of the various types of dental trauma. 3. Attendees will learn about recommended splinting techniques secondary to dental trauma.
10:00am - 11:30am
Benefits and Application of Applied Behavior Analysis in Dentistry
Cheryl Knight, Ph.D.
Course Description: Applied behavior analysis (ABA) has a long history of promoting the medical and dental health of individuals diagnosed with intellectual and developmental disabilities. However, the peer-reviewed literature supporting its use in dental settings is limited. This presentation reviews a selection of ABA-based assessment and intervention strategies that may benefit individuals who actively avoid daily dental healthcare, office visits and routine or complex dental procedures. These examples highlight the potential benefits of ABA as an adjunct to dental healthcare, or when possible, inclusion of ABA in an interdisciplinary dental practice. The presentation ends by sharing a recently published ABA conceptualization of “choice” & asks whether what we routinely perceive as “compliance” may sometimes be extreme fear. Course Objectives: 1. Describe two or more ways that applied behavior analysis (ABA) contributes to routine, daily dental care. 2. Discuss ways ABA can be included as part of a dental practice and can contribute to office-based visits/procedures. 3. Describe an ABA conceptualization of “fight, flight, or freeze.”
11:30am - 12:00pm
12:00pm - 1:00pm
Exhibitors & Vitality Break
Challenges with Special Care Dentistry
Robert Rada, DDS, MBA
Course Description: Caring for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) involves navigating a complex landscape of legal, ethical, and behavioral challenges. This program will use real-life case presentations to illustrate these challenges and provide insight into best practices for addressing them. Ethical Challenges with regard to balancing respect for individual choices and safe delivery of care, risk management to minimize harm, and ensuring equitable access to resources will be considered. Behavioral Challenges will be discussed by how implementing behavior management strategies that are respectful, effective, and tailored to the individual’s needs along with developing effective communication methods and tools and ensuring that communication supports are provided and understanding and integrating cultural considerations into behavioral interventions and care planning. Addressing the legal, ethical, and behavioral challenges in caring for individuals with IDD requires a nuanced understanding of the complexities involved. By examining real-life case presentations, caregivers and professionals can better navigate these challenges and develop more effective and compassionate care strategies. Course Objectives: 1. Understand potential liability concerns in caring for patients with IDD. 2. Be able to articulate consent issues in caring for patients with IDD. 3. Review and learn techniques to manage challenging behaviors for people with IDD.
1:00pm - 2:00pm
Pearls, Perils & Parables
David Itzkoff, DDS, Moderator
Course Description: An open forum hosted by SAID member David “I Man” Itzkoff where members of the audience share a 2-5 minute talk on something new that they have tried, something old that has been revived, or ideas that have yet to be realized. Both wisdom and new insight will be the focus of this fun and interactive presentation. Come prepared or be spontaneous! Course Objectives: 1. Encourage group participation to share what works & didn’t work for successful dental care of special needs patients. 2. Share knowledge of experience with fellow professionals of new and innovative tips and tricks of the trade. 3. Update the audience of new projects that have been undertaken within the last year.
Closing & Wrap Up
Monica Roberts, RDH, MAT, 2024 SAID President
Accommodations
Hotel Tonnelle
2203 St. Charles Avenue,
New Orleans, Louisiana 70130
The SAID Room Rate from Wednesday, November 6th through Friday, November 8th is $209/night.
The room rates will be available until October 6th.
If you wish to extend you stay, please contact
Hotel Tonnelle at 504-522-3650 or visit their website for more information.
Virtual Information
Our 59th Annual Session offers a virtual option held on Zoom. You'll receive a zoom link via email to attend during schedule session times.
To download Zoom for your device, click here
What about technical difficulties?
If technical issues arise, we’ll be recording several speaker presentations for later viewing. These recordings will be available the following week for a 10-day period, with details sent as soon as they're accessible.
Will I be able to socialize with in-person attendees?
During speaker presentations, Zoom participants will be muted. However, feel free to stay on during breaks to catch up with colleagues! We’ll unmute Zoom and encourage in-person attendees to join in as well.
Can I attend the strategic planning meeting virtually?
Yes! Virtual attendees are invited to attend the Strategic Planning Meeting (Wednesday, Nov 6 at 5:00 pm CST) and the General Business Meeting (Thursday, Nov 7, from 12:30 pm to 2:00 pm CST) via Zoom.
Pearls, Perils, Parables
A message from David Itzkoff, Pearls Moderator:
Colleagues and fellow SAID Members/Attendees,
The “Pearls" session has been a staple and feature of SAID meetings since our organization’s inception. It is a chance for us to all learn from each other.
Presentations can be about anything that you think fellow attendees would find interesting or informative. They can be an interesting clinical case, an instrument you find particularly helpful, pharmaceuticals or medical issues, a technique you use that works well (or doesn’t), a problem you have faced that you’ve solved or are soliciting advice about….. really anything. We usually limit these to under 5 minutes, but we may be able to accommodate a longer presentation if you let me know in advance. Short ones that last just a few seconds are also encouraged. (example pearls session below)
I have had the honor of moderating Pearls for many years and will again this year. We will hold it on Friday of our upcoming meeting in NOLA. I URGE every attendee to consider something they can share with the group. It is a wonderful way to interact with your colleagues and teach as well as learn. Please contact me so I can place you on the list. We will have a good time.
Looking forward to seeing you in New Orleans!
I Man (David)
About Pearls, Perils and Parables
Pearls is an open forum moderated by SAID member David “I Man” Itzkoff where members of the audience share a 30-second to 5-minute talk on something new that they have tried, something old that has been revived, or ideas that have yet to be realized. Both wisdom and new insight will be the focus of this fun and interactive presentation. Come prepared or be spontaneous!
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