Innovations: New Community Water Fluoridation System is ‘Game-Changer,’ Advocates Say

Editor’s note: The “Innovations” series highlights and features leaps forward in science-based technology that can provide benefits to dentists, their patients and the public. A new community water fluoridation system that is the first advancement in water fluoridation technology in decades has received a coveted approval that primes it for immediate deployment all over the … Read more

Alliance For a Cavity Free Future Now Receiving Applications for 2020-21 Grants

The Canada-U.S. chapter of the Alliance for a Cavity Free Future is now accepting applications for grants to help fund interprofessional projects that positively impact the oral health of pregnant women and children under 6. The annual grant program, backed by the Colgate-Palmolive Company, will allocate a total of up to $20,000 to eligible and selected projects … Read more

SmileCon 2021 to Give Dentists Reason to Smile

ADA introduces reimagined annual meeting during ADA FDC 2020 opening session The American Dental Association invites dentists to meet, play, learn and smile during SmileCon, its reimagined annual meeting scheduled for Oct. 10-13, 2021, at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. The ADA announced the new meeting Oct. 15 during the opening session … Read more

American Dental Association Responds to World Health Organization Recommendation: Dentistry is Essential Health Care

The American Dental Association (ADA) respectfully yet strongly disagrees with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommendation to delay “routine” dental care in certain situations due to COVID-19. “Oral health is integral to overall health. Dentistry is essential health care,” states ADA President Chad P. Gehani, D.D.S. “Dentistry is essential health care because of its role in … Read more

ADA Receives Masks From National Stockpile

The ADA has received 350,000 3M-made KN95 masks from the national stockpile that the Association is distributing to dentists working in states where personal protective equipment is in low supply. To secure the masks, ADA staff met with officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the … Read more

CDC Guidance for Dental Settings Echoes ADA Guidance

The American Dental Association (ADA) welcomes the release of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s recently updated Guidance for Dental Settings, noting it is very similar to science-based guidance issued a month ago by the ADA. Both guidances describe how dental professionals, building upon existing infection control measures, can help protect patients … Read more

Nebraska Pediatric Dentist Shares Experiences of Reopening Practice After Pandemic Spurred Closure

Pediatric dentist Dr. Jessica Meeske and her family were on their way to a basketball tournament when she found out about her state’s stay-at-home order that would force her to close her thriving practice on March 17. “My daughter was a college senior at Hastings College and they were having the season of their life,” … Read more

Products Marketed to Sanitize, Reduce Dental Aerosols May Lack Research to Support Efficacy

Dentists returning to work during the COVID-19 pandemic may be thinking about purchasing items to help sanitize or reduce dental aerosols, but many products currently lack research demonstrating they are effective. For instance, information is limited on how best to manage air flow in dental settings to mitigate risk. “All we can say is that … Read more

US Dentists Want Coronavirus Testing Kits Before Reopening

Dentists are calling on the Trump administration to provide them with coronavirus tests before reopening, arguing that conditions in dental offices make patients and staff more susceptible to exposure. The American Dental Association (ADA), which has more than 163,000 members, wants the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to supply testing kits to dentists … Read more

ADA, Recovery Task Force Seek to Address PPE Shortages

Association staff and members of the ADA Advisory Task Force on Dental Practice Recovery are aware and working diligently in addressing members’ concerns over the limited availability of certain personal protective equipment items. As dentists and their staff begin plans to reopen beyond emergency procedures — as some states ease stay-at-home orders in the coming … Read more

ADA Offers Interim Guidance as Some American States Consider Reopening

“To aid dentists who may be reopening their practices when state mandates are lifted,” the ADA issued an updated statement and interim guidance April 18 on the personal protective equipment recommended in order to practice during this pandemic and minimize the risk of virus transmission. “In states that are considering reopening, the ADA believes dentists should exercise professional judgment … Read more

ADA President Appoints Task Force for Dental Practice Recovery After COVID-19 Pandemic

American Dental Association President Chad P. Gehani has assembled an advisory task force to oversee the ADA’s development of tools for dentists as they bounce back from the effects of practice restrictions and closures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. “The COVID-19 crisis has had a challenging impact on our dental community. Yet, the strength of … Read more

ADA Accelerator Series Seeks to Speed Up Dentists’ Success

The Association is launching in March a new online, on-demand program specifically designed to provide information — from parental leave to financial support — that is tailored to the early-career dentist’s unique work-life balance needs. Aptly called the ADA Accelerator Series, the program’s goal is simple: position dentists for a faster road to success, said … Read more

Henry Schein to Open Nasdaq in Celebration of 18th Annual Give Kids A Smile® Program

CEO Stanley M. Bergman to Ring the Nasdaq Opening Bell With ADA President Dr. Chad Gehani Henry Schein, Inc. (Nasdaq: HSIC) announced that it will ring the Nasdaq Stock Market Opening Bell tomorrow in celebration of Give Kids A Smile (GKAS), an American Dental Association (ADA) initiative that provides free oral health care to children … Read more

The American Dental Association Announces Promotion of Robert Quashie to Senior Vice President, Operations

The American Dental Association (ADA) announced today that Robert Quashie has been promoted to senior vice president of operations. In his new role, Quashie will manage the team that’s responsible for advancing the growth, sustainability and capacity of the ADA’s new strategic plan. He most recently served as vice president, business operations and strategy. “I’m … Read more

ADA Council Tasked With Fostering Prioritization of Safety in Dentistry

Dr. Jessica Meeske, a pediatric dentist in Nebraska, believes that the dental community may have fallen behind the medical community in addressing the issue of safety for providers, their dental staff and, importantly, patients. The private-practice owner has said she has first-hand experience seeing the gap, for one day a week she treats and operates … Read more

ADA Scrutinizes Proposed Fluoride Hazard Rating

The ADA affirmed its support of the safety of community water fluoridation by sending comments Nov. 19 to National Toxicology Program officials about the draft monograph from the federal agency that postulates that fluoride is “presumed to be a cognitive neurodevelopmental hazard to humans.” The Association’s letter, signed by Dr. Chad P. Gehani, ADA president, and Dr. … Read more

AAE Applauds New ADA Guidelines For Antibiotics

The American Association of Endodontists (AAE), a global membership organization of specialized dentists who provide root canal treatment, applauds the American Dental Association for updating its guidelines on using antibiotics to treat tooth pain. ‘The AAE is a worldwide leader and long-time advocate for endodontists, the dental specialty and patient care,” AAE President Dr. Keith … Read more

ADA’s Tiny Smiles Program Unveils New Physician Resources

The American Dental Association has released a collection of new tools and resources promoting the importance of oral health in infants and young children as part of its Tiny Smiles dental program. Family physicians are invited to use these resources — which are offered in both English and Spanish — to educate patients and their … Read more

Use FDA MedWatch To Report Poor Clinical Outcomes From DIY Plastic Teeth Aligners

The ADA reminds dentists of the Food and Drug Administration’s MedWatch voluntary reporting form to report poor clinical outcomes associated with the use of medical devices, including direct-to-consumer plastic teeth aligners offered by several companies. This resource provides important data to the FDA concerning the public health and safety of medical devices under the agency’s jurisdiction. To … Read more