AGD has a long history of representing the needs, concerns and goals of dentistry generally and general dentistry specifically. AGD has maintained relationships with various legislators, regulators and other policymakers. Our lobbyist in Washington, D.C., has routinely opened doors for us, and we have spent much time there conducting face-to-face meetings. (Check out a full list of advocacy efforts.)

The ways AGD engages with our policymakers has all changed with the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic. For the time being, face-to-face meetings and extended travel are pretty much out of the question, but our issues are still present. The need to hear directly from general dentists has not changed, and we must still be prepared to deal with the ongoing challenges we are facing. (Stay apprised of COVID-19 advocacy work.)

Today, our profession faces an enormous number of issues. How do we keep our advocacy efforts front and center while dealing with the everyday grind in our own lives as well as new issues related to COVID-19? How do we possibly find the time to do it?  AGD’s volunteer leaders and staff have clearly stepped up. The new normal is Zoom meetings as well as much more written correspondence. At the beginning of the pandemic, I would average one COVID-19-related Zoom call a day and sometimes two or three a day. Now I average about three a week. 

The entities are the same, with legislators, regulators, and other policymakers such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Health Resources and Services Administration, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and various state and national public health agencies. But the topics are different, and the ways we are handling them are different.  

In the beginning, our efforts were mainly to convince opinionmakers that dentistry is essential, that we needed support for personal protective equipment (PPE) as much as other healthcare providers did, and that dentistry has a superlative record regarding infection control. Once we established that mindset, the focus became the availability of PPE, which was difficult. When the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans became available, our focus was to make the application process dentist friendly and the terms more equitable. We lobbied Congress to extend the payback time for PPP loans. Today we are lobbying to get liability protection for dental offices in cases where patients feel they contracted the virus at the dental office. Tax credits when purchasing PPE and related items as well as pushing for the new COVID-19 Relief Package are also on our active advocacy agenda.

Most importantly, we spend a great deal of time attempting to persuade policymakers to base their recommendations on science and not emotion — to not come out with egregious, onerous requirements and guidelines. Most often, we are successful, but sometimes we are not.  

Most recently, the World Health Organization irresponsibly recommended that people should delay routine dental care until more is known about the virus. This elicited immediate appropriate negative responses from most dental organizations, including AGD. Also recently, the concept of “mask mouth” — meaning that wearing a mask will cause cavities, gum disease and halitosis — became mainstream when two dentists in New York and a councilwoman in California espoused this theory. Again, AGD responded, but this example illustrates how the issues change frequently and how our advocacy efforts, which by necessity have greatly increased in volume, must be flexible.

Advocacy during COVID-19 often appears to me to be like the California wildfires as of late. As soon as one fire is put out, another one starts. Many times, two or even three fires are active at the same time, and fighting them uses an enormous amount of resources. These unexpected and unprecedented activities are clearly gamechangers for our organization. Your AGD is doing a yeoman’s job in being flexible and staying on top of the issues as they develop.

Being part of a professional group like AGD is now more important than ever. The voice of general dentists is essential to these discussions, and we must work to continue to keep our needs at the forefront. We are advocating for you every day.

I don't believe this will be over soon. Your AGD leadership is on full alert. New issues and concerns will most assuredly develop. Know that your AGD will be there, putting out the fires to the best of its ability.

Myron J. Bromberg, DDS, is the AGD Congressional Liaison; chair, Professional Relations Council; member, Dental Practice Council; and consultant, Legislative and Government Affairs Council.