The American Dental Association, along with 75 organizations, is urging Congress to support legislation to regulate vaping devices and liquids in the same manner the Food and Drug Administration regulates cigarettes and other tobacco products.

Dental spending reached $136 billion in 2018 — 3.7% of all health spending — and what the ADA Health Policy Institute is calling a “historic high” in the new HPI Industry Report released Feb. 4.

The American Dental Association’s Give Kids A Smile program will bring free oral health services to hundreds of thousands of children across the U.S. beginning Feb. 7.

Global Dental Relief, a nonprofit organization that has delivered free dental care to children around the globe since 2001, is seeking clinical volunteers for upcoming humanitarian missions in Nepal and Guatemala.

In light of the “emerging, rapidly evolving” outbreak of the novel coronavirus 2019-nCoV, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reminding clinicians to use standard precautions consistently and advising they isolate patients who show signs and symptoms of the virus.

Indianapolis -- Seven-year-old Jordan Randle made a big promise after visiting Give Kids A Smile for the first time during the national kickoff event Feb. 7 in Indianapolis.

PBHS, Inc. announced in January the launch of Consult Mode, an addition to ADA TV that enables dental providers to demonstrate 3D procedural animations, videos and tutorials chairside via tablets, iPads and other hand-held devices.

Dr. Bettie R. McKaig, who served as the Association’s first vice president from 1998-99, died Feb. 3. She was 70.

Of the more than 3 million profile views, the program found that 17% resulted in action, which include potential patients visiting a dentist’s website, calling or emailing the practice and sharing their profile. Industry average for similar sites is only 1-4%, so patients are nearly six times more likely to contact an ADA dentist through Find-a-Dentist.

Dr. Per Äke Zillen, executive director of the FDI World Dental Federation from 1989-2001, died Jan. 19 following a battle with cancer.

It was a Give Kids A Smile event not only for the children of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians but also no fewer than 117 Indian Health Service dental programs across 24 states that were participating in GKAS with the events alone estimated to involve 14,000 American Indian/Alaska Native children.

A new California law is requiring dental benefit companies to be more transparent about the leasing of dental networks, making California the 20th state to pass or amend such legislation.

Results from a NYU College of Dentistry study suggest how excess fluoride exposure affects the cells forming tooth enamel — possibly explaining how dental fluorosis arises.

The handout covers strategies for helping prevent the transmission of suspected respiratory disease in the dental health care setting and answers frequently asked questions related to the virus, based on guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Health Resources and Services Administration is hosting a virtual job fair March 4 from 6:45-10:15 p.m. ET. In addition, HRSA’s National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program is now accepting applications for 2020 through April 23.

Dr. David P. Cappelli, Ph.D., acknowledges that as providers, we don’t often understand difficulties that some patients face to receive needed dental care.

The ADA Standards Committee on Dental Informatics has approved the technical report for circulation and comment.

The Food and Drug Administration has approved the first over-the-counter ibuprofen and acetaminophen combination drug for the U.S.

The U.S. House of Representatives Feb. 28 passed a comprehensive bill designed to address the youth tobacco epidemic.

The American Dental Association's Standards Committee on Dental Products and Standards Committee on Dental Informatics are looking for volunteers to help in the development of new projects.

Titled “Compendium of Innovations in Oral Health Service Delivery,” the 64-page digital booklet features organizations from across the country that have found success through varied measures in expanding oral care to underserved populations.

Results from a University of Iowa College of Dentistry study suggest that mild and moderate dental fluorosis is generally less noticeable over time, validating the beliefs of some supporters of community water fluoridation that there have been overestimates of fluorosis prevalence made by anti-fluoridation activists.

The ADA and the Wisconsin Dental Association are partnering up with other fluoridated water proponents to address February anti-fluoridation movements in three Wisconsin municipalities: Lake Delton, Berlin and Hayward.

Ogden, Utah — The Office for Civil Rights announced March 3 that it had reached a settlement with Dr. Steven A. Porter’s medical practice to settle a potential violation of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act security rule.

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine announced March 5 that it does not find that the National Toxicology Program adequately supported its conclusion that fluoride is “presumed” to be a cognitive neurodevelopmental hazard to humans.

The American Dental Education Association announced March 9 it has cancelled its annual session due to the coronavirus disease, now named COVID-19.

The Connecticut Foundation for Dental Outreach has postponed the Connecticut Mission of Mercy Free Dental Clinic scheduled for March 20-21 in Danbury, Connecticut, "out of abundant caution" amid the coronavirus disease outbreak.

The International Association for Dental Research and American Association for Dental Research have canceled their general session scheduled for March 18-21 in Washington, D.C., in light of the coronavirus disease outbreak.

With the coronavirus disease now deemed a pandemic by the World Health Organization, the American Dental Association updated its webpage on the disease March 11 to include a link to frequently asked questions from member dentists covering topics such as personal protective equipment and patient communications.

The American Dental Association is urging Congress to include oral health care providers and their patients in any legislation proposed to confront the coronavirus disease outbreak.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued new guidance for health care providers to prepare workplaces for COVID-19.

The Association is asking member dentists and their dental teams to increase their vigilance over phishing emails as a result of the coronavirus, known as COVID-19.
Attackers often use emergencies as an opportunity to send fake emails tailored to that situation, the association said.

The ADA is recommending that dentists nationwide postpone elective procedures in response to the spread of the coronavirus, COVID-19, across the country.

As Congress works on legislation in response to the coronavirus disease outbreak, the ADA is working to ensure that those bills include provisions that are beneficial to dentists — particularly dental practice owners — and their patients.

The ADA is partnering with the Organization for Safety, Asepsis and Prevention in providing a free on-demand webinar on Friday, March 20, with content for the program based on questions the ADA has received from members looking for guidance while navigating the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The ADA provided its members and their patients detailed guidance on March 18 on what to consider dental emergencies and nonemergencies dental care as part of an effort to curb the spread of the coronavirus disease, COVID-19, and alleviate the burden on hospital and emergency departments.

The ADA is sharing with members the CDC guidelines on the use of personal protective equipment on its website dedicated to COVID-19.

The Senate and House have passed a coronavirus legislation package that includes three issues important to dentistry that will next head to the White House where President Donald Trump is expected to sign it into law.

On March 20, the ADA will release an on-demand webinar offering answers to frequently asked questions about infection control protocol and procedures related to COVID-19.

The ADA is releasing a guide intended to help dental offices navigate issues related to coding and billing for virtual check-ins in the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak.

The ADA and nearly 100 other organizations are asking Congress and the White House to help businesses survive the coronavirus crisis by reducing their costs and increasing their cash flow as much as possible in the coming weeks.

The ADA posted an on-demand webinar March 20 offering answers to frequently asked questions about infection control in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Health Resources and Services Administration says it is working to keep health centers and health center program partners updated on the latest information regarding COVID-19.

The American Dental Association is urging the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to provide immediate guidance on the best way to protect dental patients and staff from the transmission of COVID-19 during emergency and urgent care situations.

During these uncertain times, there is a lot of anxiety and understandably some of that comes in the form of financial worries. ADA Member Advantage-endorsed companies that provide financial services have offered information for their customers and ADA members.

Given recent school cancellations and state orders to shelter in place, some households may be experiencing the strain of sharing family computers. ADA Member Advantage states that members are eligible for savings of up to 46% on select items from their endorsed technology provider, Lenovo, during a special sale on computers.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced March 24 that it is alerting health care professionals, patients and caregivers of EpiPen autoinjector errors related to device malfunctions and user administration.

Washington — The Environmental Protection Agency announced March 13 that it was adding nearly 200 additional products that have qualified for use against SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus that causes the disease COVID-19.

The ADA is presenting two free webinars March 27, aiming to help dentists financially weather the economic downturn during the COVID-19 outbreak and illustrate how ADA advocacy has helped turn the tide.

The U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division released new guidance March 26 to help workers and employers understand provisions included in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.