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.

The ADA, along with a large group of other dental organizations, told the U.S. Department of Labor that they are concerned about provisions in HR 6201, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act as related to family and medical leave and paid sick leave.

As Congress works on a third legislation package in response to the coronavirus pandemic, the ADA is asking lawmakers to include provisions on how to assist dental practices and other small businesses facing economic burdens.

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.

As the Senate works to pass a stimulus package aimed at granting relief to the millions of Americans affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the ADA is thanking dentists across the nation for making their voices heard in Washington on that same legislation.

The extension comes after it was announced the program will now be held Oct. 22-23 in Atlanta due to concerns over COVID-19. LEAP was originally set for May 7-8.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

ADA Member Advantage announced April 1 it ended its endorsement relationship with Chase for credit card processing.

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 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.

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.

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.

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 American Dental Association is seeking qualified individuals to join a canvass committee to consider approval of the 2020 revision of the Systemized Nomenclature of Dentistry.

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.

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 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 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 ADA is thanking Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Mich., for introducing legislation to assist health care workers serving on the front lines of COVID-19.

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.

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

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 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.

The deadline for dental offices to install amalgam separators remains intact but the Environmental Protection Agency announced March 26 that it will be initiating “a new temporary enforcement discretion policy” during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Two of the authors of the American Dental Association's antibiotics guideline will discuss C. diff infections and antibiotic stewardship in dentistry April 21 as part of a free, online conference organized by the Peggy Lillis Foundation.

Oregon Dental Association dentists, volunteers donate more than 600,000 pieces of PPE to help emergency relief efforts

The ADA, Organized Dentistry Coalition, and many state dental associations are asking the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to release funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act Provider Relief Fund to assist dental Medicaid providers.

The U.S. Department of Labor announced April 20 that it is ending the temporary period of non-enforcement of paid leave protections under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act.

Association staff and members of the ADA Advisory Task Force on Dental Practice Recovery are aware and working diligently in addressing members’ concerns over the limited availability of certain personal protective equipment items.

The American College of Emergency Physicians has endorsed the American Dental Association's clinical practice guideline on the use of antibiotics for the management of pulpal- and periapical-related pain and swelling.

The ADA is urging third-party payers to alter their fees to account for the increasing cost of personal protective equipment that dentists are using to protect themselves, their staff and patients.

A recorded webinar will stream April 27 outlining the Association’s interim recommendation for personal protective equipment in dental settings as some states consider loosening social distancing mandates.

A $484 billion coronavirus relief bill passed Congress April 23, and will provide additional funds to the Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loans as well as the Economic Injury Disaster loan advances.

The ADA's Advisory Task Force on Dental Practice Recovery has developed a toolkit to help dentists return to more normal practice operations while taking precautions to protect staff, patients and themselves from COVID-19 as some states reopen.

Two additional Delta Dental member companies announced details April 27-28 of programs that will provide economic assistance and post-COVID-19 pandemic relief for members of its independent provider networks across 16 states and the District of Columbia.