Links

Issues & Advocacy

• ADA Proposed Sedation Guidelines Revision

  In October 2016, the American Dental Association (ADA) House of Delegates (HOD) will consider revisions to the ADA Guidelines for the Use of Sedation and General Anesthesia by Dentists and the ADA Guidelines for Teaching Pain Control and Sedation to Dentists and Dental Students (the “Guidelines”).

• FDA Issues New Labeling Requirements

  On August 31, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a safety communication about the combined use of opioid medications and benzodiazepines or other drugs that suppress the central nervous system (CNS). After a review of all available data, the FDA issued its strongest warning—a black boxed warning— on opioids and benzodiazepines to alert health professionals that these drugs work in a synergistic manner. Patients taking these drugs together have experienced serious side effects, including suppressed and slowed breathing and deaths have been reported.

• Dental Boards

  State Dental Board Information.

• Insurance

  About 173 million Americans utilize dental insurance to get the oral health care they need

• Midlevel Providers

  Independent midlevel providers are dental auxiliaries who work outside the dental team and without dentist supervision, accepting responsibility for patient diagnosis, treatment, and coordination of dental services.

• Oral Health Literacy

  The AGD offers the following model for implementing an oral health literacy program in schools

• Student Debt

  The level of a health professional’s student loan debt affects his or her future practice options, and the growing amount of debt in dentistry affects access to oral health care in underserved areas.