The U.S.-based International Medical Relief is sponsoring outreach trips to Puerto Rico in response to the earthquakes that have devastated the region.

The American Dental Association Standards Committee on Dental Products has approved the document for circulation and comment.

Average educational indebtedness of graduating students from U.S. dental schools has increased an average of 3.5% annually between 2000 and 2018 after adjusting for inflation.

From courses on burnout, vaping and more to golf and a low-country boil, the Alliance of the American Dental Association's upcoming Conference 2020 in Charleston, South Carolina, will offer a variety of educational and entertainment opportunities.

The Central Arizona Dental Society hosted a Mission of Mercy event Dec. 13-14 at the Arizona State Fairgrounds in Phoenix, providing treatment to 1,785 patients totaling just over $2 million in free dental service.

The Association’s Washington office covered a wide range of advocacy issues in 2019 — from vaping to student loan reform to making sure dentistry was exempt from the U.S. Mexico-Tourism Act.

In an effort to advance the Association’s diversity and inclusion efforts, the ADA House of Delegates voted at its meeting in September to rescind the policy titled “The Dentist’s Prayer,” used by some state and local dental societies during their meetings, and amend its policy on recognition of religious diversity.

It’s a conviction that was published in the November issue of The Journal of the American Dental Association and the basis for the October 2019 forum that Dr. Francisco Ramos-Gomez fostered, where dentists, physicians, nurses and public health and public policy experts proposed, discussed and recommended solutions for preventing early childhood caries through the lens of social justice, health equity and human rights.

The Duluth Dental Forum in northeastern Minnesota celebrated its 75th anniversary in late 2019, stating that it was the second-oldest study club of its kind in the United States.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will provide interim guidance to clinicians regarding the coronavirus outbreak during a webinar at 2 p.m. EST Jan. 31.

International dental school graduates in U.S. dental schools

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.

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.

Circulating levels of perfluorodecanoic acid, a type of perfluoroalkyl acid, may be associated with dental caries in children, according to a study published in the fall 2019 issue of the Journal of Public Health Dentistry.

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

Dr. Emily Mattingly, chair, New Dentist Committee, 6th District, shares her experience as a new dentist in a rural Missouri town. Three other NDC members also shared new dentist perspectives.

The ADA Foundation will award up to three scholarships worth at least $11,000 each to dental students in 2020.

Advanced dental education program enrollment by gender

The deadline for abstracts for the upcoming National Summit on Smokeless Tobacco Prevention is Feb. 29.

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.

ADA Practice Transitions, a service offered by the ADA focused on helping dentists make the process of joining or leaving a practice successful, is offering a free three-month trial.

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

The National Commission on Recognition of Dental Specialties and Certifying Boards announced March 4 it recognizes the American Dental Board of Anesthesiology as the national certifying board for dental anesthesiology.

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.

The American Dental Association is applauding the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ decision to appoint a chief dental officer at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid but would like to confirm the position is exclusive to CMS.

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.

Allied dental vs predoctoral dental graduates

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.

Beginning March 25, the ADA is offering members two free e-books a week. Until March 31, members can access “Managing the Regulatory Environment: Best Practices” and “A Dentist’s Guide to the Law: 228 Things Every Dentist Should Know” free of charge.

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.

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 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.

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.”

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.

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 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 ADA announced April 6 the recipients of its third annual 10 Under 10 Awards, which recognizes 10 new dentists who demonstrate excellence early in their careers.

Washington — The Office for Civil Rights released a statement April 3 warning of an individual posing as an OCR investigator. The imposter has been calling entities covered by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 in an attempt to get patient information.

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.”

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.

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.