This Week at AGD

In 2018, AGD member Lt. Col. Douglas N. Grabowski participated in an innovative readiness training (IRT) on Maui, Hawaii, in a community that was devastated five years later by the August 2023 wildfires. He shared his experience and how it impacted him.

Join AGD’s free two half-day Virtual Advocacy Conference to gain insights into the legislative and regulatory landscape affecting your practice. Hear from AGD members on key issues, and discover how you can make a difference at both the state and federal levels. Don’t miss this opportunity to engage!

The U.S. Air Force International Health Specialist Program plays a crucial role in extending the operational reach of the Joint Forces. These highly trained health professionals possess diverse international skills and knowledge in both military and civilian health disciplines, including dentistry. Their vision is to be the Department of Defense’s go-to global health resource.

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

Read the latest issue for new research across subject areas. Highlights include a refresher on enteral sedation regulations across the country, a guide to handling opioid overdose emergencies in the dental office, a review of chocolate’s effects on the oral microbiota and more.

The November issue of AGD Impact is now available! In it, you can learn about nonclinical career paths in dentistry, both for new graduates and for experienced dentists. Also featured is an in-depth look at the U.S. Air Force’s International Health Specialist program.

Earn 6.75 FREE CE hours at this two half-day virtual event, Dec. 20–21, 2024! Explore the current legislative landscape and its impact on your practice. Learn about AGD’s advocacy efforts and how you can influence legislative and regulatory discussions at both state and federal levels.

Get ready to feast on unlimited $50 Referral Rewards by referring your colleagues to AGD. When your colleagues join now for 2025, they’ll savor the rest of 2024 free. Dig in, and start sharing the benefits of AGD today. Get started, and watch your rewards roll in!

Next Tuesday, Nov. 12, is your last chance to register for the hands-on course at AGD’s Chicago headquarters! This unique opportunity will teach you essential delivery and adjustment protocols to enhance your conservative temporomandibular disorder treatment skills while earning 6 hands-on CE credits. Don’t let this opportunity slip away.

AGD leadership recently met with Dr. Adam Barefoot, chief dental officer at the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), for its quarterly meeting to discuss oral health initiatives. AGD continues to be a chief advocate in Congress for HRSA’s oral health literacy program, A Healthy Mouth for Every Body.

By using digital marketing to showcase your practice’s personality and humanize the doctor, building relationships through engaging content, and being authentic, you create an image that will resonate with more patients. Marketing columnist Jackie Ulasewich Cullen highlights this approach to marketing your practice.

The Constituent Recognition Program recognizes successes throughout the year and highlights the great initiative of our constituent leaders through meetings, newsletters, events and other platforms. Recently, Maj. Austin Fluke and Dr. Matthew R. Serbousek were honored.

Join AGD Nov. 15 for an exclusive hands-on CE experience at its Chicago headquarters. Enhance your skills and revolutionize your approach to diagnosing and treating temporomandibular joint conditions related to occlusion. With only 25 spots available, don’t miss this chance.

Many dentists have experienced prolonged shutdowns due to Hurricanes Helene and Milton. With operations shut down, dentists need to turn to their insurance coverage, specifically their business interruption coverage.

Asheville dentist Dr. Rebekkah A. Merrell describes how she and other general dentists in the North Carolina region are dealing with the devastation from Hurricane Helene. She provides a personal example of the importance of having business interruption insurance.

On November 15, AGD will host a hands-on course at its Chicago headquarters, focusing on the dentist’s role in diagnosing and treating TMJ conditions related to occlusion. Learn vital delivery and adjustment protocols to enhance conservative TMD treatment. Don’t miss this opportunity—only 25 spots available.

Knowing more about patients and relating to them on a universal level can open a window into understanding why they get sick and how dentists’ proposed treatments can best be presented. In this month’s cover story, AGD Impact Wellness columnist Dr. Maggie Augustyn encourages dentists to understand the impact of the human connection they have with each other and their patients.

As digital technology and 3D intraoral scanners become more prevalent, effective digital communication of the relationships between the teeth and the face becomes essential. But expensive intraoral scanners and additional face scanners are not a feasible investment for many. Learn techniques for meshing smartphone-based facial data with intraoral scans in a new article in General Dentistry.

Thank you to all members who provided input on the Project Governance models and attended one of the town hall meetings. The responses from the membership survey regarding the restructuring of AGD’s governance consultants are being analyzed.

Experience the honor of walking before family and peers at the AGD2025 Convocation Ceremony in Montréal, Quebec. To receive AGD’s highest honors, complete all requirements and submit your application by Dec. 31, 2024. Don’t miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be recognized for your hard work!