CDS establishes new DEI committee
The Chicago Dental Society's Board of Directors has established a new standing committee focused on
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.

Kenwood/Hyde Park Branch Director Dr. Lori Lightfoot will be the committee's liaison to the board.

We look forward to the involvement of our members!
Watch for more information as an open call for volunteers will be coming soon.
Still need CPR for license renewal?
If you still need to complete the BLS/CPR course to renew your license this year, CDS has you covered.

Popular Midwinter Meeting instructor Vickie Onesti will present this training on Friday, May 31. Choose a morning session or afternoon session.

Attendees will learn how to recognize a cardiac arrest, know when and how to call for assistance, provide effective compressions and rescue breathing, properly use an AED machine, and successfully handle choking emergencies in order to save the lives of adults, children and infants.  

  • Times: 9 a.m. – noon.; 1 – 4 p.m. 
  • Where: Hyatt Schaumburg, 1800 E. Golf Rd., Schaumburg
  • Credits: 3 CE per session
  • Cost: $80 per person
Take a look at the CDS Member Advantage program

To enhance the value of your membership, CDS has broadened the number and scope of our business partners. Our five partners are poised with an array of options to save you money and protect yourself and your business.

This year, CDS added dental products and supplies companies Safco Dental Supply and Torch Dental as Member Advantage partners. They join Amazon Business for office goods ordering, and insurance brokers Treloar & Heisel (disability, business overhead and long-term care insurance) and Southpoint Insurance (workers compensation).

Learn more about all our great partners here.
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Join us for June 14
Regional Meeting webinar

Time: Friday, 9  – 11 a.m. (CST)

Topic: Survival of the Fittest: Navigating the Next Decade's Economic Landscape

Speaker: Richard Huot, DDS

Credit: 2 CE hours

Cost: Free to registered CDS members. You must register to be able to join the Zoom meeting.
A fee of $75 is charged to nonmember dentists. The fee may be applied to membership for the current year. 
Illinois has big turnout for ADA Lobby Days
CDS President Dr. David Lewis (second from right) joined many Chicago-area dental students and dentists in Washington, D.C., last week for the 7th annual ADA Dentist and Student Lobby Days.

Dentists and dental students take part to learn more about issues and policies that affect the nation’s oral health.

Kudos to students at Illinois' three dental schools for their interest and undertanding of the power of advocacy. See more photos here.
Survey shows online reviews influential in dentist selection
Do you wonder about the impact of online reviews in driving prospective patients to your care and practice?

According to a research study conducted by Dentaly, a consumer-facing dental website, 83% of surveyed Americans use online reviews as their first step in selecting a new dentist.

Some of the findings:
  • Patients tend to not trust offices with little public feedback, with 52% saying they’d only consider a dentist with at least 10 reviews.
  • Three out of 10 participants were willing to consider an office outside their insurance network if the practice was highly reviewed.
  • Most online reviews (91%) left by patients were positive.
  • Consumers are turning to social media to judge a practice’s reputation, but social media can also do more harm than good: 42% said seeing a dentist promote their services on platforms such as TikTok lowered their trust.
  • For the vast majority of patients (95%), seeing negative online reviews caused them to reevaluate contacting a practice.
  • Most dentists are failing to respond appropriately to negative online reviews.

To read more about the study, including its methodology, access the original report here.