- Feb. 22: ADA President Daniel Klemmedson, MD, DDS, and Executive Director Kathleen O’Loughlin, DMD, wrote a letter to Congress requesting several changes to the Paycheck Protection Program in the next COVID-19 relief package.
- March 4: The ADA and ADA Member Advantage selected Compliancy Group as the HIPAA compliance management platform recommended for all members.
- April 28: The ADA’s Council on Ethics, Bylaws and Judicial Affairs published a whitepaper providing guidance on the ethical and professional obligations of vaccinations.
- May 12: The organization named Raymond Cohlmia, DDS, executive director.
- May 19: The ADA launched JADA Foundational Science, an online open-access journal covering biology, chemistry, engineering, materials science, computer science and informatics, and technology.
- May 19: The ADA issued guidance for member dentists on the CDC’s mask recommendations for fully vaccinated people.
- June 30: The ADA’s Council on Dental Education and Licensure released new sedation guidelines for teaching of pediatric pain control to dentists and dental students.
- July 14: The ADA released updated pandemic procedures for dental offices to mitigate risks of COVID-19.
- July 21: The Arizona Republic reported that the ADA ended financial support of Rep. Paul Gosar, DDS, R-Ariz.
- July 22: The ADA wrote a letter to CMS in July asking for changes to credentialing and auditing processes that would encourage more dentists to participate in Medicaid and Medicare.
- July 29: The dental association urged dental staff to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
- Aug. 13: ADA President Daniel Klemmedson, DDS, MD, wrote a letter to Congress advocating for an alternative program to provide dental coverage to low-income Medicare seniors.
- Aug. 18: The American Dental Association appointed Elizabeth Shapiro, DDS, as chief of governance and strategy management.
- Aug. 27: The ADA’s Science & Research Institute and a group of collaborators received a $3.5 million grant from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative to map out cells in respiratory tissues from adolescence to adulthood.
- Aug. 31: The ADA’s Council on Dental Benefits Programs created a task force dedicated to enhancing its Code on Dental Procedures and Nomenclature to ensure it meets the current needs of dental practices.
- Sept. 9: The ADA requested that its member dentists contact members of Congress to oppose dental benefits being considered under Medicare Part B.
16 ADA updates so far in 2021
From advocacy to new programs, here are 16 updates by the American Dental Association so far this year:
