The American Dental Association is pushing state dental boards to remove stigmatizing questions related to mental health and substance use disorders from licensure applications.
The ADA recently sent letters to each board to share best practices and resources. The letters also noted several states that have removed stigmatizing mental health questions from licensure applications that may deter dentists from seeking care, according to an Aug. 27 news release.
The states that updated their licensure applications, Idaho and North Carolina, were honored as Wellbeing First Champions by the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation. The foundation seeks to reduce burnout among healthcare workers, and was established in honor of a doctor who died by suicide during the COVID-19 pandemic.
