CDT 2027 Update – Members Only Webinar

July 28, 2026 

1:00pm – 2:00pm CT

FREE

With 67 changes to CDT 2027, hear from leadership of the NADP Codes Subworkgroup (SWG) and attendees at the March 13, 2026 Codes Maintenance Committee (CMC) meeting, outlining the changes that will be effective January 1, 2026.  Please join presenters Drs. Katie Deffke (United Concordia) and Dr. Cherag Sarkari (LIBERTY Dental), Co-Chairs of the SWG and representatives to the CMC, as they share discussions from the CMC meeting and expectations of how CDT 2027 changes may impact dental benefit plans and claim processing. Attendees of this complimentary members-only briefing will have the opportunity to ask questions during the webinar and will receive the NADP CDT 2027 Change Document prior to the broadcast.

Dr. Katie Deffke

Eastern Dental Director,  United Concordia Dental

Katie Deffke, DDS, Eastern Dental Director, supports United Concordia Dental’s oral and overall health efforts with a focus on the development of clinical standards that ensure consistency, efficiency, and quality of clinical review, and the integration of dental technology in the claim experience.

Dr. Deffke joined United Concordia Dental in 2021, after previously serving as the Senior Dental Director of Clinical Quality Management for Guardian for 3 years and served as the Dental Clinical Trainer & Analyst for Dentaquest for 7 years, where she developed clinical review guidelines, developed training and auditing programs for reviewing dentists, and led the clinical implementation of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning into Guardian’s claims processing system. She has extensive experience in claims operations, data analytics of claim data, and state and federal regulations as they relate to dental benefit determination.

Prior to engaging in the dental benefits space, Dr. Deffke practiced as a general dentist, with a significant focus in pediatric dentistry, for 10 years.

Dr. Deffke holds a Bachelor of Science in Molecular Biology from University of Wisconsin-Madison and a a Doctor of Dental Surgery Marquette University.  She is licensed to practice dentistry in Wisconsin, Texas, New Jersey, Missouri, and holds a limited license in New Jersey.  She is a member of the American Dental Association, the Wisconsin Dental Association, and The American Academy of Dental Consultants.  She has been part of the National Association of Dental Plans for 5 years and currently serves as a Co-Chair for the Codes Workgroup.

Dr. Cherag Sarkari

Chief Dental Officer, LIBERTY Dental

Dr. Sarkari joined LIBERTY Dental Plan in 2020 as the Dental Director of California, and was promoted to National Dental Director for Quality Improvement and Clinical Innovation in 2023, before ntly he assumed his current role of Chief Dental Officer of LIBERTY Dental Plan.   He is responsible for clinical oversight of  all of LIBERTY Dental Plan’s quality improvement activities and clinical innovations to improve member outcomes and experiences, in addition to providing clinical oversight, policy, and quality management leadership. He brings 27 years of experience in the dental industry as a provider, academic, administrator, and C-suite leadership.

Accomplishments:

• Recognized as a contributor and opinion leader on value based care, nationally having presented on the topic at the ADA, AADCCR, NOHC, DQA & National Academy of Sciences Engineering and Medicine Workshop Convened (November 18-19, 2024) on Advancing Oral Health Across the Lifespan (Washington DC)
• Co-Chairs Codes Maintenance Committee at the NADP
• Taught California Law and Ethics and the Dental Practice Act at the University De LaSalle in Mexico and served previously as Associate Professor of Prosthodontics
• Served as CCO of a multi-state DSO with 65 locations 2013-2019
• Headed DSO affiliated Professional Corporation overseeing 175+ providers
• Served on QM Committee as Dental Director of a Knox-Keene dental plan
• Member of the California Association of Dental Plans (CADP) QMC
• Received the Star Award from the NADP for contributions to the SNOMED/ICD
• Served as Chair of the Peer Review Committee at SDDS 2019-2020
• Served on the Oral Health task force for the Sacramento District Dental Society

Dr. Sarkari holds a Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS), a Master of Dental Surgery (MDS) in Prosthodontics and was conferred a Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) by the Dental Board of California in 2003. He also received a Master’s in Oral Laser Applications at the University of Vienna.