This Week at AGD

Sign up for AGD’s two live webinars in March. On March 14, “Adhesive Dentistry: A Primer for Dentin Bonding” will review dental bonding agents. On March 30, “Four-Handed Dentistry: A Team Sport that Develops a Rhythm” will teach you how to work efficiently and effectively with dental assistants.

AGD fact sheets provide your patients with all the information they need to maintain their oral health. Fact sheets on more than 25 oral health topics are available online for downloading and can be customized to include your name and practice information.

Read the latest issue for new research across subject areas, including a special focus on oral cancer to coincide with Oral Cancer Awareness month in April. Topics include case reports on secretory carcinoma of the salivary glands, mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the palate, adenoid cystic carcinoma and other important research.

On behalf of AGD, thank you for the ways you support good oral and overall health. I am pleased to share this day with so many of my colleagues in dentistry who work to make smiles brighter every day.

New Jersey dentist and AGD Scientific Meeting Council Chair George J. Schmidt, DMD, FAGD, has been named the new AGD Podcast Series host. He replaces Wes Blakeslee, DMD, FAGD, who retired from this role earlier this year.

Undeniably, electronic devices have completely changed our lives. AGD Impact columnists Eric S. Studley, DDS, and Ivy D. Peltz, DDS, MSEd, PhD, MAGD, talk about why we should take our eyes off our devices as they share some benefits of decreasing screen time.

AGD recently welcomed a new lobbyist to support the organization’s legislative efforts. James “J.P.” Paluskiewicz, MA, with the Washington, D.C.-based law firm Alston & Bird, has been retained on behalf of AGD.

General Dentistry’s latest Pharmacology column refreshes readers on the concept of synergism — the effect of two or more agents working in combination being greater than the additive effect of either drug alone — as a tactic for curtailing opioid prescription and utilizing effective combinations of NSAIDs where applicable.

With over 82 courses (33 of which are hands-on), AGD2023 offers some of the finest dental CE in the world. Premium Plus members receive FREE registration, and Premium members receive discounted pricing before May 1, so you can save money while attending the premier meeting for general dentistry.

Are you a student nearing the end of your dental school career and feeling overwhelmed by the number of decisions you need to make before you leave? Student Perspectives columnist Clayton Sorrells shares how he uses checklists to help break tasks into manageable chunks and offers one to help you organize the massive task of planning your future after graduation.

This Thursday, Feb. 23, is your last chance to register for the March 9 live virtual hands-on workshop Class IV Composites: Layering Techniques for Predictability and Success and earn 2 CE credits from home. Attendance is limited to the first 100 registrants.

AGD is now accepting nominations for our 2023 Senior Student Dental Award. Constituent leaders, dental school deans and/or faculty members can nominate up to two senior dental students. The deadline is March 1.

It's never too early to pursue AGD Fellowship and Mastership awards or Lifelong Learning and Service Recognition. Check out AGD’s Online Learning Center, and attend AGD2023 for some of the industry’s top hands-on and lecture courses.

AGD provides new dentists and residents with complimentary malpractice coverage from our Exclusive Benefits provider Dentist’s Advantage. As part of AGD membership, qualifying members can get up to 12 months of professional liability insurance at no cost. Protect the career you worked hard to earn!

AGD applauds the efforts of Reps. Tony Cárdenas and Gus Bilirakis and Sens. Ben Ray Luján, Ben Cardin and Susan Collins for reintroducing important oral health literacy legislation in Congress. This legislation will have a significant effect on programs that improve oral health throughout the United States.

AGD will be returning to the Chicago Midwinter Dental Meeting, Feb. 23–25. Stop by booth #2001 and ask how you can receive a FREE AGD backpack and a chance to win one of two $100 gift cards.

Cyber criminals are relentlessly targeting the healthcare industry. The number of data breaches impacting 500 or more records more than tripled from 2012 to 2022, with more than 40 million patient records compromised in 2021 alone. Because of the growing number and complexity of these threats, dentists need to stay abreast of the latest cybersecurity best practices.

Register for the March 9 live virtual hands-on workshop, "Class IV Composites: Layering Techniques for Predictability," to learn a step-by-step application of direct resin for fractures. Registration closes Feb. 23, and attendance is limited to the first 100 registrants.

Dental students, residents and recent graduates are invited to submit their clinical or basic research for the AGD2023 Scientific e-Poster Session. The deadline to submit is Friday, March 24, at 11:59 p.m. CDT.

Dentistry is experiencing a staffing crisis at a level never before seen. We have lost many dental hygienists and other staff members from the workforce, and this dynamic is now beginning to have a significant impact on practice productivity, efficiency and, for some practices, office hour availability.