General Membership Information

To join the American Dental Association, the Louisiana Dental Association, and your local component dental society in one simple step, simply go to the ADA website and download an applicable membership application or click here.

This application will enroll you in the "tripartite" system made up of

1. Your local component dental society in your area, which provides camaraderie and local support.

2. The Louisiana Dental Association (LDA), which promotes your services, represents your needs and provides support services on a state level.

3. The American Dental Association (ADA), which provides even more support, services and education.

There are nine component societies covering each major area of the state. Each holds organized meetings, special events and seminars. Click here for component contact information. 

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Local Component Society Benefits

• Community Service - Cancer screenings, charitable fundraisers, legislative appreciation dinners, and much more! 

• Continuing Education - Both local and statewide, including the state's largest, "The New Orleans Dental Conference," presented by the NODA component every September. 

• Public Relations - Area-wide public relations and professional advertisement to help your practice grow. 

• Networking - Meet other dentists in your area and exchange ideas with your colleagues. 

LDA Benefits and Services

• LDA/LDS Endorsed Products and Services

• Continuing Education - Several events each year, including a winter ski conference and summer resort conference.

• Donated Dental Services - Support provided to this program providing free dental services to the needy.

• Insurance - Extensive line of coverage options specifically designed for dentists through the LDA’s carriers at excellent rates for members and staff.  Available coverage includes: major medical, disability income, term life, and business overhead expense.  To speak with a representative, call Gilsbar, Inc. at 1-800-445-7227, ext 672.
  
  
   

• LDA Relief Fund - Temporary assistance to member dentists facing extreme financial difficulties due to illness, disability, or natural disaster. 

• Endorsed Products and Services

• Legislative - Both statewide and national advocacy. As new issues arise, alerts are communicated to keep members informed. Members can use the LDA's innovative Grassroots Action Center online to convey timely and targeted messages to their elected officials.

• Peer Review and Mediation - An invaluable means for the dentist, patient and/or third party payers to resolve differences saving you time, money and time in court.

• Publications - The LDA Journal and Louisiana Dental News keep you informed of news and events affecting you.

• Well-Being Committee - Assisting members with chemical dependency or substance abuse problems.

LDA/LDS Endorsed Products and Services

Louisiana Dental Services, Inc. (LDS) is the for-profit subsidiary of the LDA. Through LDS, the LDA endorses many high-quality products and services that provide revenue to the association EVERY TIME you use them.

LDA members rarely experience an increase in their annual dues, yet the quality of member services has increased. LDS revenue, generated through your use of the following endorsed products and services, makes that possible.

Do you want to do business with quality vendors? Do you want to save on your operating expenses? The LDS Ready Reference binder is the key to easy use of all the endorsed products and services that are available to you as an LDA member. If you don’t have a copy, call 800-388-6642 or 225-926-1986 or e-mail info@ladental.org, and we will send one to you right away at no charge to you. Watch your mail for updates from our endorsed companies and remember to update your binder.

If you're not already doing so, please consider signing up for one of the following, high-quality endorsed products and/or services and support your Association!

Acadian Ambulance Service, Medical Products Division - Acadian Ambulance provides Medtronic-brand Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs) and accessories, professional training and support, as well as various medical supplies, including emergency response bags and first aid kits.  Contact Wayne Savoy at (866) 209-6254 or (337) 288-5700 for an assessment of what products will be most effective at increasing the safety of your environment.

Amalgaway - Amalgam disposal service. Protect yourself and the environment. Mailing containers meet all U.S.P.S. requirements, and you receive written, dated verification of proper disposal. 800-267-1467. 

Banc of America Practice Solutions, Inc. (formerly MBNA Practice Solutions, Inc.) - For more than 20 years, Banc of America Practice Solutions has served the needs of dentists by offering financial products and services to the dental community.  Whether you own a practice or are just getting started, we can provide customized financial solutions for your short-term needs and long-term aspirations:    

Purchase & Start-up	Growth & Restructuring
Practice Sales & Purchases	Improvement and Expansion Financing
New Practice Start-ups	Equipment Financing
Commercial Real Estate Products	Practice Equity Loan Program

 Banc of America Practice Solutions offers some of the most flexible and competitive terms and benefits in the industry today, backed with the dedicated focus on customer satisfaction for which Bank of America is known worldwide.  If you are interested in learning more about how Bank of America can assist you with the management and growth of your practice, and how you can get reduced loan administration fees as a member of the State Association, please call us toll free at (800) 497-6076, Monday through Friday, 8a.m. to 8p.m., Eastern Time and mention code 1D7F3 or schedule a phone consultation through our secure Web site.

Bank of America Financial Services (formerly MBNA America Financial Services) - The only credit card that benefits LDA members every time you use it! No annual fee, credit line up to $100,000, air miles option available. Also: credit accounts, consumer loans, CDs and money markets with competitive rates and special, value-added features. 800-457-3714.

CareCredit - CareCredit's patient financing program offers a variety of payment plan options, including 3, 6, 12, & 18 Month No Interest and 24, 36, 48, & 60 Month Extended Payment Plans with a 9.9% Patient Interest Rate. CareCredit increases treatment acceptance and provides payment at the time of treatment with no responsibility, even if the patient delays payment or defaults.  Applications for CareCredit are easy to submit by phone, fax, online or now from your computer desktop.  For more information on CareCredit, visit our website at  http://www.carecredit.com/jumppage/lds or call 800-300-3046, ext. 4519 (new enrollment) or 800-859-9975 (already enrolled).
 

CARECREDIT OFFERS FREE CD BY DR. ROGER P. LEVIN

Exclusively endorsed by (association/affiliate name here), CareCredit Patient Payment Plans provide No Interest and Low Interest plans to help your patients get the care they want and need.  Over the last 20 years, dentistry has changed dramatically and now patients are visiting their dentist for both routine hygiene and beautiful smiles.  And, because paying over time is convenient and easy, patients may prefer a monthly payment option, In fact, today, with more than 70,000 practices across the country offering CareCredit, every minute of every day 7 patients request the option of low, monthly payments.

 LDA MEMBERS SAVE $200 OFF through 4/30/07! Save $200 off CareCredit’s one-time set up fee (a 50% savings) and delay payment off this fee until 4 months after enrollment.  Just for calling, receive your FREE 60-minuted educational audio CD titled “Revitalize and Realize Your Full Potential” featuring leading dental consultant Dr. Roger P. Levin, Founder and CEO of Levin Group.  Call (866) 246-9227 by April 30, 2007, to take advantage of this special member discount and receive your free CD, exclusively available from CareCredit. (If your practice is already enrolled, call 800-859-9975 for your free educational audio CD by Dr. Levin.)

Chase Cabinet Makers - Designing and building quality cabinets specifically for dental professionals. (985) 867-4737

The Dental Record - Top-quality dental record keeping system created by dentists for dentists. Easy to use; easy to merge with existing records. Increase productivity and profits; Select the system that's right for you! 800-243-4675.

Dexcomm - Message experts offering flexible options for your telephone answering needs. 877-339-2666.

D-MMEX EasyRefine - Maximize your precious scrap metal return. For a free shipping kit or more information, please contact the LDA at 800-388-6642. Visit D-MMEX on the web at www.easyrefine.com.

EBSCO - EBSCO Reception Room Subscription Services, the country's largest subscription provider allows professionals one-stop shopping for reception room subscriptions.  EBSCO guarantees convenience, selection and savings.  Receive only one invoice and one renewal for all your subscriptions. EBSCO offers a selection of over 200,000 titles.  Sandie Braswell, 1-800-327-2625.

ENSERV (formerly Medical Waste Services of America) - Collection, transportation, tracking, treatment and disposal of medical waste. Dedicated to meeting all customer needs with consistent, on-time performance. Offering a higher standard of materials handling and sharps processing with DOT-approved Safe-Cart System and Sharps Exchange Program.

• In North Louisiana, call 866-339-4621.

• In Baton Rouge and New Orleans, call 800-287-1726.

• In Lake Charles and Lafayette, call 877-870-7463. 

Fortress Insurance Company - A professional liability company created by dentists, for dentists. To learn more about how Fortress can protect you and your practice, call Stormy Blair at Robert Ellis & Associates at 985-674-3886 or 1-888-503-5547,  Ext. 3886, or sblair@ellis4u.com. The professionals at Robert Ellis & Associates, the LDA endorsed professional liability insurance marketing agency, have been serving the insurance needs of dentists throughout the South for over 25 years. Located in Mandeville, La., the REA staff combines prompt, professional service with the personal care their clients deserve.

IMEP created the Emergency Response System (ERS) to efficiently and effectively assist you in preparing your office for a medical emergency. ERS uses a comprehensive, systematic team approach for medical emergency preparedness and allows you to easily integrate new staff into the team. (866) 729-7333, for special pricing, use promotional code LDA.

Meridian One (DHL) - Offers a full suite of domestic and international shipping services, covering over 220 countries and territories around the globe. Members are eligible for preferred DHL association member pricing. To find out more about your DHL benefits and set up your account, or if you have questions regarding your current account, please contact the dedicated association hotline at 1-800-MEMBERS (1-800-636-2377, 8 am – 7 pm, ET) or log onto www.1800members.com/lda.

New Line Medical, Inc. - Lowest prices on top dental products! Plus an extensive line of infection control, evacuation, prophy and other dental-related products. Items ship the same day you place your order! Excellent customer service from a Louisiana company. 800-452-8909. 

NOVA Information Systems - Credit Card & Electronic Check Processing, improve your bottom line and your receivables, Barbara Martin, 800-725-1243, ext. 8519, or e-mail barbara.martin@novainfo.com. Click here for more information on the NOVA Information Systems Security Announcement!

Office Depot - office products: to participate in the supply program to receive discounts below store pricing, request an enrollment form from Kim Evans, (800) 568-0333, ext. 520, fax (800) 342-1062, or e-mail: kevans@officedepot.com. Endorsement discount does not include electronics. For special pricing on furniture or any other questions, call Christy Copeland at (225) 673-9697. You can click on the link above after you have set up your account. To simply view Office Depot products, go to www.officedepot.com.

Paychex, Inc. - Any business owner with employees knows the headaches that go along with calculating payrolls, keeping records, and providing employee benefits. They are never-ending tasks that can become more and more overwhelming as a business grows. To ease this burden, many businesses like yours look at outsourcing their payroll, human resources and benefits administration.  

Paychex is the solution:

• You can save countless hours of preparing payroll while avoiding costly penalties;
• Our Taxpay^® service eliminates compliance worries related to federal, state, and most local payroll tax filing requirements;
• Our Flexible Pay Package provides you with different options to deliver pay to your employees;
• Paychex offers a full spectrum of retirement plan options, no matter the size of your business;

In the times of rising health care costs, you can help your employees stretch their salaries and reduce your payroll taxes at the same time by signing up for Paychex Flexible Spending Account services.

Every business needs to handle payroll and payroll taxes – you can’t avoid it. Paychex makes automated payroll efficient and cost-effective for your business, and delivers a variety of human resource services.  Members of the LDA receive special discounts from Paychex. To begin saving, call (800) 729-2439, and mention a promotional code 5659, or go to the Paychex Web site at www.paychex.com.

RelyAid - has expanded, carrying a full line of disposables, infection control products, instruments, personalized toothbrushes, prophy paste, take-home bleaching products, and Aloetouch Ease left/right fitted gloves.  Aloetouch Ease is currently available in latex both and nitrile. As a member benefit,  RelyAid will reimburse all members 8% on all purchases made with RelyAid each year.  The rebate applies to all of our products…Not just gloves!!

Here is a summary of the program:

• 8% Rebate on all purchases beginning on the date of enrollment.  The Dues Rebate Program begins December 1^st-November 30^th, each year (excludes returns, unpaid invoices, taxes, and shipping/handling)
• Additional $250 bonus for all members that purchase over $10,000 in products
• No maximum rebate amount, minimum of $1,000 to qualify
• No cost to members
• Checks processed each December
• Enrollment is fast and easy over the telephone, call 1-800-775-6412 or go to www.relyaid.com

Robert Ellis & Associates - Business Property Insurance Specialists:  Can review current property and contents coverage on the practice, provide alternative quotes from multiple carriers, and prepare a detailed comparison for dentists’ analysis and selection. Stormy Blair, 985-674-3886 or 1-888-503-5547,  Ext. 3886, or sblair@ellis4u.com. (Due to repercussions from the hurricanes, REA had to change their phone numbers. Please pay special note to the new number listed above.)


Student Loan Consolidation Consolidate your Federal Student Loans. Lock in a low fixed-interest rate.

LDA has partnered with SelectChoice Loans, to offer LDA members and their spouses a loan consolidation program to help manage student loan debt. This program was designed exclusively for dental association members and their spouses.
Choose from two exclusive member only borrower benefits: receive up to a 2.75% immediate principal reduction, depending on the outstanding principal balance; or, receive a .5% interest rate reduction after 12 months of consecutive, on-time payments, plus an additional .5% interest rate reduction after 24 months of consecutive on-time payments.
Contact SelectChoice Loans : (866) 378-0879 



SolmeteX - A water treatment company providing a series of amalgamseparators systems and scrap amalgam recycling to the dental community.  SolmeteX is the number one selling separator in the US.  Designed for ease of use, these systems are virtually maintenance free.  Recycling is done easily and efficiently.  For additional information, contact your local dealer or SolmeteX directly, 800-216-5505.


Transworld Systems, Inc. (TSI) - Accounts receivable management and profit recovery.  Call Melissa Manix at 504-828-8815. For more information and an informational presentation, click here.

Xspedius - Local and long distance telephone service at substantial savings over competitors' rates. High speed internet service availability, subject to geographic restrictions. Call for an individual quote. Casey Cagle, (800) 673-7737 or (337) 769-3950.

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Professional Dental Plans/Crescent Dental Plans®

Crescent Dental Plans® is the only group dental benefit program endorsed by the LDA through its subsidiary, Professional Dental Plans, Inc. Any LDA member licensed to practice in Louisiana is automatically a member of Crescent Dental Plans®, which allows subscribers to choose exactly the kind of quality program of benefits that's right for them. Plan features include: