Washington — The American Dental Association and two other dental groups March 24 urged Congress to revisit student debt when it considers reauthorizing federal student loan programs later this year, according to ADA News. In a letter to House Committee on Education and Workforce Chair Virginia Fox, R-N.C., and Ranking Member Robert C. Scott, D-Va., the ADA, along… Read More »
Washington — Assign roles. Develop your talking points. Share personal stories. In an effort to educate members of Congress on the importance of three dental and health care-related proposals, hundreds gathered for a March 27 morning session to kick off the ADA Dentist and Student Lobby Day. This is the first year the ADA is holding its annual advocacy… Read More »
The abuse and misuse of opioid pain relievers has become an epidemic the government and medical professionals are paying close attention to. Since 1999, opioid prescriptions have quadrupled, and over 183,000 people have died from prescription opioids, according to the Centers for Disease Control. The federal government, organized dentistry and state agencies are trying to educate on the… Read More »
Washington — From working with federal agencies to educating members of Congress on dentalrelated issues, advocacy has become an integral part of the dental profession’s activities. But when you’re a full-time practitioner with a full-time life outside of dentistry, who has time to monitor every single issue? Here are some of the key advocacy issues for new dentists… Read More »
When public utility officials in Porter County, Indiana, were considering in 2014 whether to continue adding fluoride to its water supply to combat tooth decay, Dr. Isaac Zeckel stepped up to help them make the decision. The dental director at the county’s public health center, Dr. Zeckel said he felt he was in a unique position to help… Read More »
Pain Killers. Opioids. Drugs. Are they on your mind today? Because they’re on mine. With every walk-in. With every extraction. With every patient who looks me in the eye and says: “Doc, can I get a little something for pain?” “Sure,” I say. And then I walk back to my computer, stare at my screen, and wonder what… Read More »