ADA Commons (American Dental Association)
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Staff Matters: Adding Background Checks and Drug Testing to the Hiring Process
No full textThis article advises dental practices on legally and carefully implementing pre-employment background checks and drug testing. It emphasizes ensuring non-discriminatory practices by consistently applying policies and clearly defining screening criteria. Practices must obtain written applicant authorization and provide notification of Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) rights before conducting checks. When evaluating results, relevance to the job and timing of convictions should be considered, avoiding blanket bans. For drug testing, transparency is key. Given Michigan\u27s recreational marijuana legality, a positive THC test does not automatically indicate impairment, requiring practices to define their approach. Using a reputable third-party provider for both screenings is strongly recommended
WATER FLUORIDATION: A Personal Perspective on the Effectiveness of Community Water Fluoridation
No full textThis article offers Dr. William R. Chase\u27s personal insights into community water fluoridation, emphasizing its effectiveness in preventing dental caries. It traces the discovery of fluoride\u27s benefits back to Frederick McKay\u27s 1901 observations and highlights the pivotal 1945 Grand Rapids Study, which demonstrated significant caries reduction, especially in younger age groups. Despite long-standing support from the American Dental Association, controversies regarding fluoride\u27s safety persist, leading to recent state-level bans. Dr. Chase\u27s experiences in countries without fluoridated water, where he observed severe decay and life-threatening cellulitis, underscore his belief in fluoride as a miracle supplement when properly utilized. The Michigan Dental Association (MDA) is actively involved in advocating for its continued use
J Mich Dent Assoc September 2025
No full textEach month, The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association provides news, information, and features about Michigan dentistry to our state\u27s oral health community and the MDA\u27s 6,200+ members. It stands as the primary publication reaching Michigan dentists.
The September issue marks the return to a hybrid publishing schedule, with print issues published bimonthly in January, March, May, July, September, and November, and online-only digital issues in February, April, June, August, October, and December. This return to print follows a suspension in May due to association-wide financial issues, with the MDA Board of Trustees approving changes in the 2025 budget to allow for resumption of printing in June. Digital versions will also be available online even in months when print issues are published.
This issue includes: A cover feature on Practice Analytics: Your New Best Friend, detailing how dentists can use analytics to achieve their goals and ensure a healthy, profitable practice. The article emphasizes that while financial success is a necessary component, analytics can be tailored to individual practice goals, such as doubling practice size or maintaining profitability while reducing workdays. It outlines key metrics to track, including active patients, collection numbers, the ratio between doctor and hygiene collections, collection per active patient per year, profit, and various overhead expenses. A feature on Practice Acquisition: 6 Ways MDA-Endorsed Companies Can Smooth the Way, highlighting how MDA-endorsed vendors can assist members with practice valuations, acquisition loans, transitioning insurance credentials, establishing safe financial procedures, dental gas services, and staffing needs. The Dean\u27s Report from Detroit Mercy Dental, by Dean Mert N. Aksu, DDS, JD, MHSA, Cert. DPH, discusses how dental schools safeguard the future of oral health by preparing students as clinicians, leaders, and public health advocates. It covers the importance of community water fluoridation and HPV vaccination, monitoring Medicaid dental program changes, meeting workforce needs through education, educating culturally competent providers, community-based dental education, mobile and school-based programs, community outreach, student-run clinics, and advancing research and innovation. The report also addresses the impact of proposed federal student loan program changes on future dental students and the responsible integration of AI into dental education. The Dean\u27s Report from the U-M School of Dentistry, by Dean Jacques Nör, DDS, MS, PhD, celebrates the school\u27s 150-year tradition of excellence and its future plans. It notes the MDA\u27s role in establishing the school in 1875 and highlights the legacy of its first dean, Dr. Jonathan Taft. The report also covers the current DDS class demographics, faculty achievements in research (such as enhancing fluoride efficacy and pain management studies), and the school\u27s commitment to advancing dentistry through education, patient care, and scientific research.
Regular Departments: New Dentist Column: What New and Associate Dentists Need to Know about AI, discusses how artificial intelligence is transforming dentistry, from radiographic analysis and treatment planning to administrative tasks. It advises new dentists to view AI as augmentative, not authoritative, and to be aware of data privacy and security. MDA Services: This section includes the feature Practice Acquisition: 6 Ways MDA-Endorsed Companies Can Smooth the Way . It also highlights that the MDA is a resource for members regarding various benefits and questions, including human resources, licensure, dental benefits, HIPAA/OSHA, and legal issues. Dentistry and the Law: We Forgot to Renew Our Employment Agreement — Now What? addresses the implications when an employment agreement terminates without renewal, noting that it often becomes an oral agreement with the same terms, and discusses the impact on provisions like non-compete clauses. Staff Matters: Can I Google Someone Before I Decide to Hire Them? advises caution when using Google searches for job applicants due to potential discrimination based on protected classifications. It recommends conducting such searches after an initial screening interview and obtaining a signed release from the applicant. MDA Insurance: This section features information on Understanding Open Enrollment and How MDA Insurance Can Help, providing key dates for 2026 health insurance plans and detailing the advantages of working with MDA Insurance for personalized plan comparisons and support. It also promotes Underutilized Auto and Home Insurance Member Discounts, encouraging members to get quotes to control rising insurance costs
FIRE! It took a brush with catastrophe to get me to focus on the need to be prepared to prevent and manage a fire emergency in the office.
No full textBacking up your office computer data and encompassing your practice management software, your imaging software and everything your office needs to treat patients and do business are essential, for you never know when a disaster might strike, making it crucial to have daily backups of electronic records and office data, preferably both cloud and physical storage. One very prudent recommendation offered to me by the New York City Small Business Service grant program after Hurricane Sandy destroyed my office 13 years ago was to have a battery backup system in my newly built office. This would improve resiliency during a power outage, I was told
Subcutaneous Facial Emphysema and Pneumomediastinum Following a Class V Dental Restoration: A Case Report
No full textCervicofacial subcutaneous emphysema is an uncommon but potentially life-threatening complication of dental procedures. While classically associated with surgical extractions performed with dental high-speed handpieces instead of surgical rear-exhaust handpieces, it has been documented following other dental procedures, including restorative and endodontic treatments. As cervicofacial air emphysema spreads, it may reach the retropharyngeal space, which connects to the mediastinum, leading to pneumomediastinum and a risk for mediastinitis, which carries a high mortality rate. We present a case of cervicofacial subcutaneous emphysema leading to pneumomediastinum following a Class V restoration on tooth #28 to highlight the importance of recognizing this underdiagnosed complication
SFDDA Newsletter Summer 2025
No full textSFDDA Newsletter includes regular columns with regional news impacting the South Florida District membership including: columns from the President and editor, feature articles relating to the field of dentistry, association events and upcoming activities, component news, continuing education opportunities, and classifieds
The American Dental Association – The Good, The Bad and Why You Can’t Live Without it.
No full textJoining us today is the Executive Director of the Florida Dental Association, Drew Eason. Listen to this frank discussion on the American Dental Association’s challenge to stay relevant and why its existence is necessary
Ethical Dilemmas Surrounding Community Water Fluoridation
No full textSince the 1950s, community water fluoridation (CWF) has stood as a cornerstone of dental public health. However, a growing amount of public scrutiny necessitates reflection on the ethical basis for coming to a firm position on the topic. Aside from CWF, fluoride in the form of ingestible supplements has recently been identified as a concern by the US Food and Drug Administration. Indeed, it is challenging to wade through the facts, opinions, misinformation, and policy shifts. This article examines the ethical dilemmas that surround CWF through the lens of the American Dental Association (ADA) Principles of Ethics and Code of Professional Conduct (ADA Code)— autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, justice, and veracity—and contemporary science, highlighting tensions between individual rights and the collective good. Additionally, the manuscript considers educational, clinical, and policy implications to equip dental professionals and educators with critical tools to engage ethically and effectively in public health discourse and ethical decision-making
J Am Coll Dent 2020 87 1
No full textThe Journal of the American College of Dentists (JACD) publishes scholarly articles, editorials, essays, and reflections addressing the ethical, professional, and social dimensions of dentistry. The Journal serves as a forum for advancing ethics, professionalism, leadership, and excellence within the dental community. By fostering dialogue across disciplines and perspectives, JACD provides readers with insights that encourage ethical, professional practice, lifelong learning, and service to the public, reinforcing dentistry’s commitment to advancing oral healthcare and the common good