Press Releases

The American Dental Association (ADA) is rallying its membership to join a Mission of Mercy (MOM) charity dental clinic on Sunday, Nov. 3, in New Orleans, the site of its 2013 Annual Session.

The nation’s leading organization of dentists today announced a nationwide campaign aimed at boldly addressing the dental health crisis in the U.S. The American Dental Association (ADA) campaign – Action for Dental Health: Dentists Making a Difference – aims to reduce the numbers of adults and children with untreated dental disease, through oral health education, prevention and providing treatment now to people in need of care.

When it comes to access to routine dental care – a major determinant of oral health – the Affordable Care Act (ACA) falls well short in its goals of lowering costs, increasing access and improving health outcomes, according to new analysis by the American Dental Association.  But in a series of three new research briefs, the association’s Health Policy Resources Center (HPRC) also reports that state governments have the ability to pick up where the ACA left off, by employing critical policy levers at their disposal.

In discussions of workforce issues and the media, New Zealand is frequently hailed as proof that dental therapists are the key to improving the oral health of underserved populations in the US.  The latest example is a brief published by the Pew Children’s Dental Campaign, “Dental Therapists in New Zealand:  What the Evidence Shows.”  But that report contains a significant error, one that undermines Pew’s overall premise. As it turns out, New Zealand and the United States have identical levels of untreated tooth decay in school age children. 

Parents should be aware that bacteria that cause dental decay can be transmitted from adult to child by sharing eating utensils, or by the parent sucking on a baby’s pacifier to clean it. A study recently published in Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, about the immunological benefits of adult saliva is limited in scope and does not take into consideration that adult saliva may also contain a variety of microorganisms which may be harmful to health, according to the American Dental Association (ADA).

The ADA Center for Professional Success, a web-based member resource launching this fall, will feature The University of Florida College of Dentistry Executive Practice Management Certificate Program for Dentists intended to help dentists increase their executive-level practice management skills.

U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Regina Benjamin today officially endorsed community water fluoridation as “one of the most effective choices communities can make to prevent health problems while actually improving the oral health of their citizens.”

New analysis released by the American Dental Association indicates that overall spending on dental care has remained flat in recent years, despite the fact that per patient dental spending by Baby Boomers and seniors increased.

As the nation prepares to observe the 14th Annual Oral Cancer Awareness Month this April, the American Academy of Oral & Maxillofacial Pathology (AAOMP), American Academy of Periodontology (AAP), the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS) and the American Dental Association (ADA) have joined the Oral Cancer Foundation (OCF) in its campaign to remind everyone that regular oral cancer examinations from your dental professional are the best methods to detect oral cancer in its early stages.

The American Dental Association (ADA) Institute for Diversity in Leadership is accepting applications for its 2013 – 2014 class. 

April is National Facial Protection Month and the Academy for Sports Dentistry (ASD), the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD), the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS), the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO), and the American Dental Association (ADA) are teaming up to remind parents, coaches and athletes to play it safe as they prepare to suit up for recreational and organized sports.

In light of recent news reports concerning a Tulsa, Okla.-based dental practice, the American Dental Association (ADA) understands that there may be heightened interest in infection control procedures. Regulations for dental office inspections are determined on a state by state basis by the state dental board. 

The American Dental Association (ADA) strongly objects to the recent segment about dental amalgam, broadcast on a March 28 segment of "The Dr. Oz Show" and its reliance on sensationalism while ignoring sound science.

Adults’ dental visits have declined while children’s increased during the period between 2000 and 2010, according to new research briefs released by the American Dental Association’s Health Policy Resources Center (HPRC). Surprisingly, the trend in reduced adult utilization predates the economic downturn that began in 2007. 

Increases in Indian Health Service (IHS) funding and dentist recruitment efforts  have led to demonstrable improvements in the oral health of Native children, said Dr. Henry Fields, chairman of the American Dental Association Council on Government Affairs, speaking before members of the House of Representatives today. “In the 1990s the budget for the IHS Division of Oral Health was $65 million; today it is more than $159 million,” he said. He noted that funding has resulted in improvements in oral health care but added, “We also know more needs to be done.”

President Obama last night signed into law language clarifying that dentists may be considered disaster response public health responders to disasters or other public health emergencies. The president’s action brings to a close a two-year effort by the American Dental Association to include the language in the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Reauthorization Act (PAHPA). The law also clarifies that dental schools are eligible to receive federal funds to train public health and medical response workers.

Jane S. Grover, D.D.S., M.P.H., has accepted the position of Director, Council on Access, Prevention and Interprofessional Relations (CAPIR) in the division of Government/Public Affairs at the American Dental Association (ADA).

Michael Springer, who has served as the American Dental Association’s Managing Vice President for Publishing since 2010, has been appointed to the position of Senior Vice President for Business and Publishing.

The American Dental Association (ADA) will welcome President Bill Clinton to the 154th Annual Session and World Marketplace Exhibition for the 2013 Opening General Session and Distinguished Speaker Series Thursday, Oct. 31 at the New Orleans  Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.