The Florida Dental Association is not a regulatory or disciplinary agency. The dental profession is licensed and regulated by the Florida Board of Dentistry, a state-government agency that meets several times a year throughout Florida. The FDA sponsors numerous services and programs that encourage good dental health habits among people of all ages. PDC, which has 23 affiliated clinics, is part of the Florida Department of Health's Volunteer Health Care Provider Program. The FDA's Peer Review Mediation Program is voluntary and designed to resolve problems between dentists and patients in a manner that is quick, efficient and cost-effective for both parties.
Cases involving problems with treatment and procedures are eligible for mediation.
Look for more information in the future about this important topic. Children's Dental Health Month is held each February. The FDA and its members help teach parents and their children the importance of taking good care of their teeth. Senior Dental Health Awareness Week, held each November, offers Florida's elderly residents an opportunity to learn about special oral-health needs they may have as they grow older. Before the 2000 Legislature, only dentists and, unfortunately, many unsuspecting patients recognized the illegal practice of dentistry as a problem and a threat to public health.