NEWSROOM

The House Ways & Means Committee and the House Energy & Commerce Committee voted on September 10 and 15 to pass portions of the Democrats' $3.5 trillion "human infrastructure" Budget Reconciliation package, the Build Back Better Act. These two Committees included a proposal to expand Medicare to include dental, vision, and hearing benefits in their portions of the package.

In July 2020, Zaneta Hamlin, DDS, FAGD, put out a call to action to organized dentistry to encourage diversity within leadership to promote inclusivity and represent all voices within dentistry. She recently spoke with AGD Impact about her motivation for becoming a dentist and her vision for her upcoming practice.

With the increasing incidence of HPV-related oral and oropharyngeal cancers, the work of the AGD Foundation is critical. By investing in the AGD Foundation, you help grow its cornerstone programs and expand its reach.

Topical anesthetics are useful for a variety of purposes: numbing tissues for procedures such as scaling and root planing, reducing local anesthetic injection pain, treating tooth pain, and more.

Registration ends Sept. 24 for the 2021 Fall Fellowship Review Course at the Capital Hilton in Washington, D.C., Oct. 1–2. The course will be followed by the Fellowship Exam Oct. 3. Stand out among your peers by becoming an AGD Fellow, and register for both today!

Obesity is a chronic disease associated with increased fatty deposition that leads to metabolic, biomechanical and psychosocial consequences and can be associated with frequent relapses. It is a serious condition that continues to be on the rise in the United States.

In between studying and socializing, enjoy some you time without having to break the bank. Find deals while doing online shopping or looking for entertainment tickets as well as offers on practical must-haves like renters insurance, auto insurance and more.

The endocrown combines a ceramic core and crown in a single restoration for severely compromised teeth. In the latest issue of General Dentistry, Andy M. Janiga, DMD, reports on three cases that illustrate the principles of this useful restoration.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced the closures of dental offices for months, some completely while others were only open for emergency procedures. While reopening meant a return to work, human resources leaders in the dental industry have been inundated with a slew of questions. What role is HR playing in handling the pandemic and guiding the industry forward?

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

As the pandemic continues and practices reopen, many dentists are facing additional difficult questions regarding their teams: “How should I deal with a valuable team member who refuses to be vaccinated? What do I do after discussions and even incentives fail to persuade this team member to be vaccinated?”

“By recruiting colleagues to join AGD, I’ve not only lowered my membership renewal cost, I’m also helping my fellow dentists,” says AGD member Filippo Marchello, DDS, MAGD. Let colleagues know they can join for half off headquarters dues until Sept. 30.

The issue includes a review of several formulations of topical anesthetics, an analysis of growth factors and cell differentiation in PRF membranes and an assessment of the diagnostic accuracy of digital periapical radiography.

AGD signed on to an Organized Dentistry Coalition (ODC) letter that was sent to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) in support of H.R.1550, the Promoting Resources to Expand Vaccination, Education and New Treatments for (PREVENT) HPV Cancers Act. The letter called for the PREVENT HPV Cancers Act to be brought to the House floor for a vote and communicated the ODC’s strong support for the legislation.

On August 30, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that Dr. Natalia Chalmers, D.D.S., would be its first-ever Chief Dental Officer (CDO) in the Office of the Administrator.

On September 1, a group of 11 allied dental organizations, including AGD, ADA, and AAOMS, sent a letter to the leadership of the U.S. House and Senate, as well as relevant Congressional Committees, urging them to reconsider legislative proposals that would expand Medicare to include a dental benefit.

AGD’s President, Dr. Bruce Cassis, D.D.S., MAGD, sent a letter to every member of the U.S. House and Senate on September 7, asking them to consider the unforeseen and significant consequences of expanding Medicare to include dental benefits.

It is critical for you to register your opposition NOW with your elected officials. Urge them to consider the unforeseen and significant consequences for patients and providers that enacting an unsound policy to expand Medicare to include dental benefits may yield.

Issue covers topics on human resources quandaries, tactics to increase value of your practice and considering obesity in patients.

The AGD Foundation is excited to announce that applications for its 2022 grant funding cycle are now open. The Foundation’s grant program offers support to AGD constituencies and nonprofit community-based outreach programs in the United States and Canada that provide free oral cancer screenings and education to the public.