The final group of wellness ambassadors completed their work in 2025. State and local dental societies are encouraged to use the best practices of the national program to develop their own programs to prioritize the mental and physical health of dental professionals, team members, and students.
Developing an ADA Wellness Ambassador Program
State and local dental societies could use the ADA’s Getting Started Guide to develop their own program.
See steps on how to develop a wellness ambassador program at your state or local society.
Download
Resource from the ADA and American Foundation for Suicide Prevention to help after a suicide.
Download
Summary of information shared by panelists at the ADA Health and Well-Being Summit.
Download
ADA News article summarizing the ADA Health and Well-Being Summit held Sept. 8, 2023.
Article
Guest psychologist Dr. Diana Dill explains how to make your well-being a top priority.
Podcast
Interview with Sheela Raja, Ph.D. about how to overcome trauma and improve wellness.
Topic page
Karen Diane Foster, DDS writes about the ethics of an unexpected loss of a practitioner.
Article
- Dr. Maria Ambrosio – New Jersey (District 4)
- Dr. Katie Clark – District of Columbia (District 4)
- Dr. Sherry Gwin – Mississippi (District 5)
- Dr. Jarod Johnson – Iowa (District 10)
- Dr. Chris Kammer – Wisconsin (District 9)
- Dr. Shawn Kerby – Iowa (District 10)
- Dr. Mike Kurkowski – Minnesota (District 10)
- Dr. Blake Ridgway – South Dakota (District 10)
- Dr. Sharon Siegel – Florida (District 17)
- Dr. Katie Stuchlik – Texas (District 15)
- Dr. Rosabel Tobar – Connecticut (District 1)
- Dr. Mina Ghorbanifarajzadeh – Florida (District 17)
- Dr. Parul Dua Makkar – New York (District 2)
- LTC (Dr.) Demarcio Reed – Virginia (FDS/District 4)
- Sue Hadnot – Montana, Alliance of the ADA
- Dr. Pooja Gangwani – Pennsylvania (District 3)
- Dr. Stephanie Ganter – Texas (District 15)
- Dr. Britni Skoda – Ohio (District 7)
- Dr. Darshika Shah – Michigan (District 9)
- Dr. Catherine Murphy – Indiana (District 7)
- *Dr. Erick Block – not pictured, Massachusetts (District 1)
- Mrs. Anne Morrison – Nebraska (District 10) President, Alliance of the ADA
- Dr. Cathy Hung – New Jersey (District 4)
- Dr. William Hamel III – Illinois (District 8)
- Dr. Amisha Singh – Colorado (District 14)
- Dr. David Lesansky – North Carolina (District 16)
- Dr. Julie Spaniel – Oregon (District 11)
- Dr. Joel Collins – Georgia (District 5)
- *Dr. Karen Foster – not pictured, Colorado (District 14)
Articles and Publications
Are We Well? A Reflection on the Health of the Dental Profession | Metro Denver Dental Society
Are we well? A post-pandemic snapshot of dental educator wellness, well-being and fulfillment
Feeling burned out? You’re not alone
North Dakota Dental Association Newsletter article titled Seeking Wellness for Dentists and Family Members (pages 9-10)
“The Ethics of the Unexpected Loss of a Practitioner” (JADA): https://jada.ada.org/article/S0002-8177(23)00106-X/fulltext
Indiana Dental Association Journal wellness article (LinkedIn)
The women breaking barriers in dentistry | American Dental Association
Army Dentistry article Protecting Your Mental Health
State well-being programs provide a lifeline for dentists struggling with mental health obstacles
ADA Trustee District 11 Wellness Ambassador Program
American Dental Association and State Dental Association CE Courses
Workplace Violence in the Dental Office
Several wellness CE courses were offered or integrated into state society meetings or component society meetings.
American Dental Association Dental Sound Bites Episodes
American Dental Association Dental Sound Bites - The Power of Connection
ADA Dental Sound Bites episode Mental Wellness and Suicide in Dentistry
ADA Dental Sound Bites episode Let's Talk about Perfectionism and Mental Wellness
ADA Dental Sound Bites episode Sticky Office Situations
ADA Dental Sound Bites episode Imposter Syndrome
Ergonomics Resources
Voice-guided ergo stretches in ADA Member App video (YouTube)
Get Stretching with ADA Member App
ADA Ergonomic Stretches (PDF)
Licensure Reform Advocacy
Oregon passes dental licensure reform that removes stigmatizing mental health questions
New Wellness Committees at State Dental Associations
The District of Columbia, Florida, and New Jersey Dental Associations have all created a wellness committee or task force as part of their governance structure. The Minnesota Dental Association formed a Mental Wellness task force and created both a mission and vision statement to assist its direction and purpose.
Presentations
Many ADA Wellness Ambassadors delivered health and well-being presentations to ASDA student chapters, and to specialty societies.
State Dental Association Wellness Website Resources
New Jersey Dental Association Wellness Resources
Substance Use Disorders (SUDs) Resource for Dental Professionals
Helping Dental Professionals Identify and Support Patients with Substance Use Disorders (PDF)
Suicide Postvention Toolkit – For Dental Organizations that Experience an Unanticipated Loss of a Practitioner
American Dental Association After a Suicide Postvention Toolkit (PDF)