Benefits of Membership
Access to continuing education, leadership opportunities, research grants, discounts, and more!
Membership Benefits
In addition to all of the resources available to members through the AAO, the SSO provides members with the following benefits. Click on each benefit to learn more.
Member Communications
We keep you informed about events and news in our organization with the SSO News, which is printed and mailed to members three times per year. You will also receive a monthly newsletter by email and occasional email blasts about important issues related to organization and our advocacy efforts.
SSO News | Summer 2024
Welcome to issue number ONE of the SSO News! This commemorative cover with photos of members celebrates this time in our history when the Southern Association of Orthodontists and the Southwestern Society of Orthodontists began operating as ONE.
SAO News | Spring 2024
AAO Political Action Committee Report, 2024 SAO/SWSO Leadership Development Class, How Would YOU Treat This Patient?…and more!
SAO News | Winter 2023/2024
SAO Delegation Report Fall 2023, AAO’s Trustee Report, 2023 Resident Grant Summary, Sunshine and Smiles SAO/SWSO Annual Session Photos…and more!
Past Issues
Continuing Education
Our Annual Session provides excellent continuing education lectures, exhibits and networking/teambuilding activities for you and your team.
Leadership Development Class
This program is a great way to develop your leadership skills. Visit our Leadership Development Page to learn more and meet the 2024 Leadership Development Class.
New and Young
We create networking events targeted specifically to new and young orthodontists looking to network with fellow residents, recent grads, and doctors looking to add an associate or sell their practice.
Grants for Research
We dedicate $15,000 annually for scientific research grants and table clinics/posters for orthodontic residency programs within our region.
Component Support
In addition to serving as the liaison between national (AAO) and component (state) organizations, the SSO provides the components with access to services to aid in their marketing and operations.
Discount on Merchant Cost Consulting
SSO Members can save money with Merchant Cost Consulting. If your practice accepts credit cards through a provider such as TSYS, Global Payments, Open Edge, Card Connect, or Breeze (amongst many others), you’ve most likely been hit with a substantial rate increase.
Our partner, Merchant Cost Consulting (MCC), is here to help you resolve this issue and ensure something like this never happens again. MCC is able to leverage their industry connections, knowledge of merchant accounts, and data/analytics team to renegotiate your rates to the bottom line without you having to change anything. Your practice can seamlessly save money on monthly fees while continuing to use your provider and practice management software. MCC only makes money IF they can save you money, so it’s 100% risk-free.
The average SSO member who partners with MCC saves over $1,000 per month.
If you are interested in learning more, or would like a free evaluation of your merchant statement to see if you were impacted by this rate increase, please reach out to our client advocate Jim Adams at 617-306-2578; jim@merchantcostconsulting.com or upload your statement to their site here!
