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.

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.

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 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.

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 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 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 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.

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.

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.

The ADA is urging dentists to be cautious about using novel coronavirus diagnostic tests before they have been properly evaluated and made available for dentists.

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.

Wisconsin dentists have answered the call for personal protective equipment by organizing drives and donating their surplus supplies to hospitals and urgent care facilities treating patients with COVID-19.

“To aid dentists who may be reopening their practices when state mandates are lifted,” the ADA issued an updated statement and interim guidance April 18 on the personal protective equipment recommended in order to practice during this pandemic and minimize the risk of virus transmission.

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 American Dental Association and Florida Dental Association have postponed registration for the ADA FDC Annual Meeting from April 22 to early summer, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Senate passed new coronavirus relief legislation April 21 calling for much-needed funding for depleted federal loan programs that could help businesses nationwide, including dentists and dental practices, recover from the economic fallout of the pandemic.

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.

Overfill of medication or obturation materials in endodontic treatment can cause permanent neurologic injury, and there are steps clinicians can take to help prevent that, according to an article published in the May issue of The Journal of the American Dental Association.

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 House of Representatives passed a new coronavirus relief bill April 23 that calls for additional funding for federal loan programs to help businesses nationwide, including dental practices, recover from the economic fallout of the pandemic.

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.

If this were a typical day, and if these were typical times, LaShonda would be in her pediatrics competency exam, fresh off a cup of coffee, before heading to a three-hour simulation lab.

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.

The U.S. Department of Labor said April 28 that it is extending the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 filing deadlines for certain notice and disclosure requirements in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

ADA Member Advantage announced May 1 that it has selected Best Card as its exclusively endorsed credit card processing solution for Association members.

There is no playbook for a pandemic. The global COVID-19 crisis is unlike anything we have seen in our lifetimes. There are very few, if any, practical models for us to follow. Now, more than ever, each of us is acutely attuned to the plight of our neighbors and communities.

D 1975, An Act to Facilitate Dental Treatment for Children, enacted on March 17, enables children with private dental insurance to receive care without having to wait up to several months for coverage to start.

In the face of economic challenges, the ADA has released two online guides relating to third-party payment programs available at ADA.org/virus that are intended to help smooth the path of reopening practices: Handling Contract Negotiations and Handling Eligibility Verification

A manuscript authored by the American Dental Association Science & Research Institute and Council on Scientific Affairs won the 2020 William J. Gies Award in clinical research from the American and International Associations for Dental Research.

The ADA announced May 1 the creation and launch of the PracticeUpdate Clinical Dentistry Channel, which delivers free evidence-based clinical content in general dentistry and specialty topics curated by a world-renowned editorial and advisory board.

A team of researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Dentistry has developed a nanoparticle that could improve treatment for bone defects.

The Department of Labor released an FAQ April 27 that addresses common questions about work search and job refusal when an individual receives Pandemic Unemployment Assistance.

A federal judge on May 4 granted 3M, the maker of N95 masks, an injunction against a New Jersey-based company accused of using 3M’s trademarks and deliberately inflating the price of the face masks.

The American Dental Association is urging the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to “quickly provide guidance” on how to safely reopen dental practices during the deceleration phase of the COVID-19 outbreak.

The Organized Dentistry Coalition is asking Congress for flexibility in the Paycheck Protection Program to allow dentists to purchase personal protective equipment as states begin the reopening phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The American Dental Association has created a tip sheet with guidance from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health group at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to help health care professionals avoid buying or using counterfeit N95 respirators, which are often simply referred to as masks.

Some 30 companies including Dow, Total and other big makers of plastic raised $1 billion to contribute to cleaner ocean waters.

Oil prices fell early Wednesday, likely a result of lower-than-expected draws in an API with traders awaiting official EIA inventory data later in the day.