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Your team is your biggest asset, and when you care and nurture that asset, it will grow beyond what you thought was possible. Don Deems, DDS, FAGD, PCC, known as The Dentist’s Coach®, shares his favorite approaches to achieving your goals.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced last week that Paroex® Chlorhexidine Gluconate Oral Rinse USP, 0.12% by Sunstar Americas has been recalled due to microbial contamination. Dentists in possession of these products should stop using and dispensing immediately.

In the latest issue of AGD Impact, we asked dentists of varying backgrounds to weigh in on setting new goals.

Spokespeople serve as subject matter experts on behalf of AGD

AGD Members- Before reading this week's Capitol Connections, please take a moment to review the following information regarding a product recall alert:

The U.S. Senate recently voted on December 22 to pass the Competitive Health Insurance Reform Act (H.R. 1418), a bill to repeal the antiquated McCarran-Ferguson antitrust exemption granted to the health insurance industry decades ago.

On December 28, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC provided updated examples of its definition of "healthcare personnel (HCP)" that it recommends be among those offered the first doses of COVID-19 vaccines.

The 117th Congress officially began on January 3, which will reset the legislative docket and entail members of Congress introducing new legislation and reintroducing many bills that were not enacted into law over the last two years.

AGD is working to address the most pressing issues faced by our members as we advocate to government entities for general dentists.

The latest issue of AGD's peer-reviewed journal is now available online. The issue includes an analysis of fluoride levels in commercially available tea in the United States, a discussion about prescribing prophylactic antibiotics for third molar surgery, a study of the impact social media may have on oral hygiene habits and much more.

AGD Executive Director Max Moses, JD, CPA, MBA, announced his retirement from AGD earlier this year. He has served as executive director since early 2018, and he leaves full-time employment at the end of this year. Moses led the organization during COVID-19 challenges, maintaining the organization’s focus during closures, regulatory changes and virtual meetings.

Resource page details state distribution protocols and state-by-by distribution details.

Letter petitions for COVID-19 relief

Congress passed a $1.4 trillion "omnibus" government funding package for fiscal year (FY) 2021 on December 21, after several delays due to pending negotiations on the latest COVID-19 relief bill.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced on December 16 that the next round of Provider Relief Fund distributions was starting, as it had completed reviews of Phase 3 applications.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently announced the first emergency use authorization (EUA) for a vaccine for the prevention of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in individuals 16 years of age and older.

Following months of negotiations and the passage of several short-term funding extensions to prevent a government shutdown, Congressional leaders finally reached a deal on December 20 to provide additional pandemic relief for Americans and U.S. economy through a $900 billion legislative package.

Ten new subject matter experts have been selected to serve as AGD spokespeople. These AGD members were recently trained to speak on behalf of AGD and general dentistry in ways that enhance the image of the profession and provide clarity around issues impacting access to oral healthcare.

The newest issue of AGD Impact includes a three-part story on how dentists can set realistic goals for the coming year that not only set them up for success in 2021 but in subsequent years as well.

As dental health professionals, we can't let the detection and diagnosis of oral cancer be delayed. Help raise awareness by supporting the mission of the AGD Foundation. As you renew your AGD membership, please include a tax-deductible donation to the AGD Foundation, or make a tax-deductible donation online today.