This year’s FDI World Dental Congress, scheduled for September in Shanghai, China, is canceled due to the global COVID-19 outbreak, according to a March 26 news release.

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.

Noting that we’re living through a time of uncertainty and it’s normal to feel stressed and anxious, the Center for Professional Success today posted free resources on stress management to help dentists navigate this time of uncertainty amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The University of Minnesota School of Dentistry announced March 19 that it named Dr. Keith A. Mays, Ph.D, as its interim dean for two years beginning May 15.

The University of Washington School of Dentistry announced March 26 that Dr. Gary Chiodo, its interim dean since August 2018, will now serve a full five-year term as dean.

The House passed a $2 trillion stimulus package March 27 aimed at helping the people, states and businesses nationwide devastated by the coronavirus pandemic that was later signed into law by President Donald Trump.

The ADA and other health care organizations signed a public statement March 27 saying they “strongly” support emergency efforts at the federal level to dramatically increase the production and distribution of personal protective equipment (PPE) and other necessary medical equipment and supplies during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ADA Board of Trustees has authorized the searches for the next editor of The Journal of the American Dental Association and the founding editor of JADA Open, a new peer-reviewed, open-access journal spanning basic and clinical sciences to advance research in oral health.

Dr. Michael Glick, professor in oral diagnostic sciences at the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine, is stepping down as editor of The Journal of the American Dental Association effective March 31.

The ADA is calling on third-party payers to support dental practices in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ADA Health Policy Institute launched an ongoing biweekly poll the week of March 23 that shows 76% of dentists surveyed had closed their offices to all but emergency patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Another 19% indicated their offices are closed completely.

As part of its ongoing efforts to support dentists during the COVID-19 pandemic, the ADA is offering members two free e-books the week of April 1-7: “Managing Professional Risks: Best Practices” and “The ADA Practical Guide to OSHA Training: Compliance for Dental Professionals.”

The Internal Revenue Service has published an FAQ on the Employee Retention Credit in regards to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.

Employers with fewer than 50 employees, including dental practices, may be exempt from a provision in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act that requires them to provide emergency paid sick leave and expanded medical leave to employees in certain COVID-19 circumstances, the Department of Labor said April 1.

The American Dental Association has released interim guidance for dentists on how to minimize the risk of COVID-19 transmission before, during and after treating dental emergencies.

In a statement issued April 1, the ADA issued an interim recommendation that “dentists keep their offices closed to all but urgent and emergency procedures until April 30 at the earliest.”

On the heels of the ADA’s December interim policy on vaping comes a new CDT code that references counseling services about high-risk substance use including vaping.

An essay on community water fluoridation yielded a Harvard University dental student a first-place win in the annual American Dental Association’s Health Literacy in Dentistry essay contest.

Kansas City University announced March 30 that it named Dr. Linda C. Niessen as its founding dean of the KCU College of Dental Medicine, which is slated to open in fall 2022 on its Joplin, Missouri, campus.

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Federal Student Aid has published an extensive FAQ addressing student loans, including answered questions that cover several new provisions from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act.

The Association is waiting for clear guidance from the Small Business Administration on the best way to help dentists considering applying for Paycheck Protection Program 7(a) loans.

Dentists’ comfort levels and perceived roles in discussing and administering the human papillomavirus vaccine appear to vary, according to the results of an American Dental Association Clinical Evaluators Panel survey published in The Journal of the American Dental Association.

The Association continues to wait for clear guidance from the U.S. Department of Treasury and Small Business Administration on the best way to help dentists considering applying for Paycheck Protection Program 7(a) loans and Economic Injury Disaster Loans.

The Dental Licensure Objective Structured Clinical Examination, or DLOSCE, is expected to launch in June, the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations announced April 2.

Dentists can apply for both Economic Injury Disaster Loans and Paycheck Protection Program 7(a) loans, the Small Business Administration told the American Dental Association on April 6.

As part of its ongoing efforts to support dentists during the COVID-19 pandemic, the ADA is offering members two free e-books the week of April 8-14: “Managing Finances: Best Practices” and “The ADA Practical Guide to HIPAA Training.”

The Commission on Dental Accreditation announced April 3 that it directed all CODA-accredited dental programs to submit a report by May 15 on their use of distance learning, enhanced activities and other educational modalities in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Commission on Dental Accreditation announced April 3 that it will reschedule all postponed and remaining site visits this year, including regular/reaccreditation and special focused site visits, to 2021 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

A panel of ADA experts answered members’ questions in a video released April 8 regarding the Association’s interim guidance for minimizing the risk of COVID-19 transmission while performing emergency and urgent dental care.

The ADA Council on Ethics, Bylaws and Judicial Affairs’ ethics subcommittee authored an online essay as part of its Ethical Moment series in the May issue of The Journal of the American Dental Association, affirming that the ADA Principles of Ethics and Code of Professional Conduct is just as important as ever when making the difficult decisions they encounter on a daily basis.

In a time when teledentistry is gaining more attention during the COVID-19 pandemic, the ADA will stream a free webinar in May that takes a close look at the different types of images needed for diagnosis, treatment planning and operative procedures.

The American Dental Association sent a letter to third-party payers urging that administrators of dental benefit plans adjust and adapt reimbursement procedures important to dentists and patients — including coverage for temporary procedures and adjusting fee schedules to account for cost of increasing infection control procedures ¬— in the midst of the “unprecedented and extraordinary circumstances dentists and their patients face” during the pandemic.

Dr. Leo M. Sreebny, Ph.D., who had a long and distinguished career in academia as a professor of dentistry and researcher, particularly in issues related to saliva and dry mouth, died April 5 from complications of COVID-19 at age 98.

The ADA webinar, Small Business Administration Loans: Understanding the Options for Dentist Owners, is available online.

As the source of dental procedure codes, the ADA has created a new online training course to ensure that dentists and their team members confidently understand CDT codes and how to use them correctly.

The second round of results from the ADA Health Policy Institute poll on the impact of COVID-19 on dental practices showed significant financial impact, with collections for the vast majority of dentists less than 5% of what is typical in their practice.

The ADA Board of Trustees traditionally holds six meetings a year at Association Headquarters in Chicago, but this year, for the first time, the Board held its April meeting via Zoom — an all digital meeting.

The ADA is streaming a free webinar April 14 intended to help dentists jump-start their recovery process during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ADA is urging Congress to continue supporting small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic by increasing funding and streamlining the application process for Small Business Administration loans.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued an alert April 8 warning that cybercriminals are increasingly exploiting the COVID-19 pandemic to target individuals, small and medium businesses and large organizations.

The ADA is calling on Congress to help ensure there is appropriate personal protective equipment available to all health care providers — including dentists — who continue to provide emergency care during the 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.

A North Carolina oral health coalition, in collaboration with multiple state partners, has developed an interactive map to help guide the public to sites where emergency dental services are available throughout the Tar Heel State both during and after the COVID-19 outbreak.

“Dentistry is very resilient to any obstacles put in front of the profession. It’s a great profession and if I have to do it over again, I would again want to be a dentist.” Those were the words of ADA President Chad P. Gehani in a candid interview about the Association’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The ADA has received updated information from the Small Business Administration regarding grant advances on Economic Injury Disaster Loans during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite the ADA Council on Dental Benefits’ efforts, the practice of using automated electronic means for verifying eligibility and benefits, checking claim status or receiving and reconciling payment remains underutilized by many dental providers according to an index, said Dr. Randall Markarian, council chair.

Traveling with purpose is what has led Nevada City, California-based general dentist Dr. Jean Creasey to a rural district in the southwestern region of Uganda over the past 15 years as a member of the Kellermann Foundation, treating and helping educate the villagers on the importance of good oral health as a way to a better future.

The Chicago Dental Society and its members donated thousands of personal protective equipment to front-line health care workers in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Small Business Administration said that as of April 16, the agency is unable to accept any new applications for the Paycheck Protection Program or the Economic Injury Disaster Loans due to a lack of funding.