The American Dental Association launched the new ADA Science & Research Institute LLC on Jan. 1, bringing together the Science Institute in Chicago and research group in Gaithersburg, Maryland, that previously reported to the ADA Foundation.

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 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.

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, 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 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 ADA on March 20 sent out a Legislative Issues Alert to dentists, assuring them that the Association continues to lobby on their behalf in response to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act.

The ADA is calling on dentists everywhere to contact their legislators today ahead of the Senate’s vote on the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act.

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.

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.

Posterior multiunit zirconia-ceramic restorations are slightly more susceptible to chipping of the veneering ceramic than metal-ceramic restorations, but they are considered a reliable treatment in the medium term, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis published in the April issue of The Journal of the American Dental Association.

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.

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.

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 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.”

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 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.

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 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.

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.

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