The FDA has proposed taking pediatric ingestible fluoride supplement drug products off the market - a decision that would eliminate access to fluoride tablets and drops used to prevent tooth decay in children without adequate fluoride in their drinking water. These products are clinically supported and vital for vulnerable children, yet the FDA is acting on inconclusive evidence and public pressure to eliminate them. The ADA is submitting official comments and strongly urges all members of the profession to speak out.

Here’s how you can help:

1. Submit your comment by filling out the form here to submit our prewritten language to comment on this regulation. Or please feel free to personalize your comment.
2. Register for FDA’s Public Meeting: Attend in person or online on July 23 to hear perspectives and voice support. Meeting Registration.

We need the profession to act now—before these fluoride supplements are lost to regulatory overreach.

The 2025 ODA Regional Event is November 7th & 8th, and this year we are heading to Salishan in Lincoln City. Join us for family-friendly social activities, 6 hours of continuing education from leading experts, and relationship strengthening with industry suppliers. Registration is now open. Find out all the details here.

Kick off your regional event weekend with an inspiring two-hour leadership session led by the dynamic Lou Radja. "Leadership Requires No Titles" will be held from 2pm - 4 pm on Friday November 7th at Pelican Brewery - Siletz Bay, which is conveniently located just 5 minutes down the street from Salishan Coastal Lodge. This event is included with the price of your Regional Event registration (see above) but space is limited, and advance registration is required to attend!

The 2025 ODA House of Delegates will be held on October 11th and will be 100% virtual. We encourage all members to be engaged and represent their local component society as a delegate! Register here.

Are you someone who enjoys interacting with peers, loves to come up with innovative and fun ideas, and understands the need for organized dentistry? Then this volunteer role is perfect for you! The ODA Membership Council is looking for New Member Outreach Volunteers from each local component to help welcome new members, assist with event coordination, and coordinate new member communication and resources. If you’re ready to step in and make a difference in your local component, please contact Heather Langdon at hlangdon@oregondental.org.

The newly redesigned ADA Find-a-Dentist® makes it easier for patients in your area to find you. With enhanced search features, patients can now search by address or zip code and filter results by specialty, languages spoken, insurance accepted, and travel distance.

This powerful marketing tool is included in your member benefits. Increase your visibility and stand out by keeping your profile updated. Log in to your My ADA account portal to update your profile and check the “Include in Find-a-Dentist” box to appear in search results.

Are you passionate about mental health and supporting others? Join us on August 6th at 6 PM PST for a special training session with Hope For The Day and take the first step in becoming a Wellness Ambassador! Wellness Ambassadors are vital in offering a compassionate ear and guiding colleagues through life’s challenges—whether it’s stress, mental health, financial struggles, or more. If you're ready to be a source of support and hope, complete the Wellness Ambassador interest form today and be part of a movement that truly matters. Email Heather at hlangdon@oregondental.org and complete the Wellness Ambassador interest form.

New workforce resources have been added as a webpage to the ODA website. The intention is to create a place for members to access workforce resources and information. This is just the start, please provide feedback to ODA’s Director of Government and Regulatory Affairs Brett Hamilton at bhamilton@oregondental.org.

Did you see ODA President Caroline Zeller and ODA President-Elect Amberena Fairlee’s letters to the editor? Dr. Zeller's appeared in the Oregonian and Dr. Fairlee's in The Bulletin. Dr. Fairlee wrote, “As a dentist working with low-income and underserved populations in Bend and the President-Elect of the Oregon Dental Association, I am deeply concerned by recent federal efforts to dismantle dental public health infrastructure, specifically community water fluoridation.” Read the letter here. Dr. Zeller shared, "I provide dentistry to vulnerable populations throughout Oregon. I am saddened knowing that fluoride benefits vulnerable populations the most. Increasing dental disease by removing fluoride from patients’ water means more trips to the operating room, more teeth lost, and more challenges eating, resulting in a decreased quality of life.” Read the letter here.

We’ve received recent reports of a phone scam that has been targeting dentists in our community. Scammers are impersonating representatives from the Oregon Board of Dentistry, attempting to collect personal and financial information under false pretenses. Please be aware that the Oregon Board of Dentistry will never request sensitive information over the phone. If you receive such a call, we urge you not to provide any personal or financial details and hang up immediately. We encourage you to remain vigilant and share this information with your colleagues to help prevent any potential scams. Find more information on the Board of Dentistry website.

The 2025 Legislative Session continues to move at a rapid pace. As attention shifts away from policy bills, most eyes in Salem are moving to the budget and other outstanding issues that have yet to be addressed, such as whether a major transportation package will pass this session as once expected. With a challenging revenue forecast released earlier this month, legislators have spent significant time and effort tempering expectations about the availability of state funding for state programs and budget requests. Amid this challenging landscape, our ODA advocacy team has been hard at work in Salem, both proactively advocating for dental legislation and fighting back against harmful bills that have the potential to significantly impact our members. Read a full report here.

The ADA is collecting patient and provider stories to help advocate for protecting oral health in Medicaid programs. As we continue to advocate for dental services in state programs for low-income families and adults, personal experiences will demonstrate what dentists and dental professionals are doing to improve oral health. Some things we want to know:

• What impact has their dental care had on their lives? Any specific patients come to mind that would not have been able to get by without Medicaid dental coverage?
• Do you treat adults, and does your state have an adult dental benefit?
• What would happen if your state cut adult dental benefits due to loss of funding from the federal government?

Share your story with the ADA here to help advocacy efforts.

While the ODA team is busy in Salem and Washington, D.C., there is no substitute for the voices of those working with patients and running dental offices every day and who can advocate for patients’ rights. The ODA is building its team of dental advocates, and we need YOU to get involved in the legislative process!

Advocacy can take many forms, depending on your comfort level, experience and expertise. As a member of the ODA Legislative Action Team, you may be invited to write a letter to legislators, attend Dental Day at the Capitol, or write an op-ed for a local publication, among other opportunities.

Sign up HERE or email ODA’s Director of Government and Regulatory Affairs Brett Hamilton at bhamilton@oregondental.org and express your interest directly.

Talkspace Go, a self-directed therapy app, is now available to all members and dental students as part of membership. Talkspace Go is designed to support mental well-being through personalized, science-backed courses on topics ranging from work stress to relationships through therapist-led live workshops, daily journaling, and more.

To get started, members and dental students must visit //ADA.org/TalkspaceGo and use their ADA login to receive an exclusive access code. Once they have the access code, they can download the Talkspace Go app to start their own well-being journeys.

It’s important for members to understand their insurance provider contracts before signing so that they can decide what is best for the members and their patients, as well as to avoid unpleasant surprises in the future. The ADA offers a free contract analysis service that provides members with a plain-language explanation of the insurance provider contract terms to allow them to make informed and independent decisions on the merits of the contract. The analysis is not a substitute for legal advice. The service also provides analysis of certain dental management service organization agreements. Members can utilize the service at no charge by submitting an unsigned contract and an analysis request through their state dental society. To learn more about the Contract Analysis Service and for other dental insurance contract resources, go to the Support on Dental Insurance Contract Issues page on ADA's website.

The ADA also offers resources to help members navigate employment-related contracts, such as an e-book on employment agreements and articles on getting the contract you deserve, compensation basics, negotiating your salary, and general negotiating tips. Further resources related to DSO contracts are also available.

If you have any questions regarding the Contract Analysis Service, please reach out to Maria Reyes at reyesm@ada.org.

Tap into a pool of top talent: Post your open positions on ODA’s Dental Career Center Connect and gain access to a vast pool of talented dental professionals actively seeking new opportunities. Our platform is the go-to destination for the brightest minds in dentistry. Looking for a change in your career? Discover a world of possibilities with our extensive job listings catering to every aspect of the dental field. Whether you’re a seasoned dentist, a passionate dental hygienist, or an aspiring dental assistant, find your perfect match with just a click. Visit the career center at https://careers.oregondental.org/.

Catch up on the latest ADA webinars and on-demand video learning opportunities on your own schedule. From managing your practice to caring for your staff or your own mental health, new events are added regularly. See all digital events here. Many CE opportunities are free of charge.

SmileCon® 2025 is bringing the whole dental team together in Washington, D.C., Oct. 23-25! With curated CE for dentists, hygienists, office staff, and more, there’s something for everyone. Explore future-ready dentistry, discover new innovations in Dental Central, and connect at fun team events. This isn’t just another meeting; it’s a celebration of every role in dentistry. Register today at SmileCon.org and bring your whole crew!

Mark your calendars for next year's conference, April 9-11, 2026! In the meantime, be sure to enter your course completion codes online at https://www.prereg.net/2025/odc or the ODC mobile app to claim your 2025 ODC CE certificate. See you next year!

The ADA Board of Trustees emailed all members on July 10 about the state of the Association’s finances and technology upgrades. They provided details on the current state of the ADA’s reserve fund and the status of the association management system. “The Board acknowledges its responsibility — despite acting purposefully with the best available information at the time — and recognizes that we owe all ADA members a deeper explanation of the ‘why’ behind these changes, the associated spending, and what we are doing going forward to help build a strong future for you, our Association, profession, and patients,” board members wrote. (Council members also received this message in a special issue of the ADA Leader Reader.)

On Friday, July 4th, President Trump signed H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, into law. The final bill included full restoration of the Pass-Through Entity Tax (PTET) deduction, avoiding a nearly 5 percent tax increase on dental practices and preserving tax parity for small business dentists.

1. The ADA’s lobbying team mobilized to protect dentistry from this targeted and discriminatory tax hike. The comprehensive grassroots lobbying effort leveraged key relationships and resulted in more than 11,000 letters sent to Capitol Hill urging the restoration of PTET. 
2. In addition to the PTET success, the final version of the legislation included other important tax provisions that will benefit dentists and dental practices, including a permanent 20 percent Small Business Income Deduction, restoration of 100 percent Bonus Depreciation, new domestic research tax incentives, the preservation of a 21 percent corporate tax rate, and a $40,000 individual SALT deduction.

While we celebrate these wins, components of this Act will have a negative impact on the dental workforce and access to care.
 
The ADA remains concerned about the regressive student loan provisions that eliminate the GradPLUS loan program and cap lifetime financial aid amounts for undergraduate and professional school students.
 
The Act also includes provisions that may force states to reduce or eliminate adult dental benefits. The ADA remains fully committed to addressing these challenges, working alongside our state dental associations to protect Medicaid adult dental benefits, safeguard dental education affordability, and ensure that every community has access to the dental care it needs.

For more information, here’s a video from Dr. Kessler posted on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

In the latest episode of Dental Sound Bites™, Dr. James Purvis digs into the details of dental dilemmas in this next installment of our fan-favorite Sticky Situations series! Listen in the ADA Member App, on YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.

The ADA has released its latest edition of “Fluoridation Facts” to help combat fluoride misinformation. The e-book, which is free to ADA members, highlights 80 years of research and practical experience that support community water fluoridation. With a Q&A format, the guide details effectiveness, safety, fluoridation practice, public policy, and cost to help dentists, policymakers, and the general public make informed decisions about fluoridation.

Following Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt's ‘Make Oklahoma Healthy Again’ initiative, many public health experts are weighing in on the importance of community water fluoridation. Through the initiative, Gov. Stitt is directing the Oklahoma State Department of Health to stop recommending fluoride in public water systems, a move dentists are speaking out against. Tamara Berg, D.D.S., vice president of the American Dental Association and past president of the Oklahoma Dental Association, said removing fluoride from the water will result in more cavities, especially in rural and low-income populations.