2009 News Archive

New Orleans—The Family Violence Prevention Fund will hold its fifth National Conference on Health and Domestic Violence Oct. 9-10 at the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel.

It's a source of education. It's a source of pride. It's a celebration of the American Dental Association. "150 Years of the American Dental Association: A Pictorial History," is a coffee table-style book that will commemorate the 150th anniversary of the ADA.

Baltimore—Rosemary Fetter, the National Museum of Dentistry's executive director during its formative years, announced her retirement effective June 30, 2009.

Washington—Faster tax write-offs may be available this year for certain capital expenditures for your dental practice, says an Internal Revenue Service small business advisory.

Washington—An ADA-convened coalition of 29 health care and business organizations urged Congress to exempt small health care practices from FTC's Red Flags Rule.

Washington—The U.S. Small Business Administration will start guaranteeing economic stimulus loans to cash-strapped small businesses June 15. Loans will be available through Sept. 30, 2010, or as long as funding is available.

Great-West Life and the ADA are celebrating a milestone anniversary in 2009—a business relationship in its 75th year, and counting.

St. Paul, Minn.—The legislative battle over what have come to be known as "midlevel providers" in Minnesota has come to a close.

Boston—Massachusetts dentists may see changes in reimbursements in response to an April 14 order from the Massachusetts Division of Insurance.

In response to the recession, more dentists are pursuing changes in the way they market their practices than are changing anything else, according to the 3rd ADA Survey of Economic Confidence.

Washington—The U.S. Congress passed House Resolution 204 congratulating the American Dental Association for its 150 years of service May 13 during the Washington Leadership Conference.

Boston—An issue brief released April 29 reports that only 42 percent of farm and ranch operators in seven Great Plains states have dental insurance and their average dental and vision care out-of-pocket expense exceeded the average amount spent out-of-pocket on prescription medications in 2007.

St. Paul, Minn.—The Minnesota Dental Association, with public affairs assistance from the ADA, was able to affect key changes in the final legislation to help ensure safe care for patients.

ADA CE Online has more than 100 courses available right now, with several convenient no-cost options, not only for dentists but the entire dental team.

The ADA has received calls from members concerned about what to tell patients regarding the safety of denture creams. The calls came on the heels of a recent "Good Morning America" story and television commercials seeking plaintiffs for a potential lawsuit against manufacturers of the products Fixodent and Poli-Grip denture creams.

Sacramento, Calif.—Since early February, volunteers from the Sacramento District Dental Society and its Foundation have been helping thousands of kids smile through their Give Kids A Smile—Smiles for Kids 2009 program.

Minneapolis—Dr. Patrick M. Lloyd, dean of the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry, is well aware of the gravity associated with educating the first group of individuals in the nation to perform procedures that up to now were provided only by licensed dentists.

Columbia, Md.—"The changes that I have seen in dentistry over the course of my career are quite unbelievable," Dr. Gordon H. Rovelstad wrote in the year before his April 13, 2009, death.

Dr. Joseph P. Cappuccio, a past ADA president celebrated by all who knew him for his passion for dentistry and his love of life, died May 23 after an apparent heart attack.

Grim news about the global financial crisis dominates headlines. This ADA News series will feature first-hand reports about what dentists from around the country are being confronted with and how they are navigating through difficult times.