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Happy National Flossing Day! 🎉 As dental experts, we know the power of flossing in maintaining healthy gums and preventing decay. Today’s a perfect opportunity to remind our patients that brushing only cleans 60% of their teeth—flossing takes care of the rest!

This Thanksgiving we’re grateful for the opportunity to improve lives through oral health, and for the trust our patients place in us. While enjoying your holiday feast, remind patients to brush and floss after those sticky sweets! Wishing you all a happy, healthy, and smile-filled Thanksgiving!

This Veteran’s Day, let’s honor the brave men and women who have served our country with gratitude—and a commitment to their health. As dentists, we can support our veterans by ensuring they receive the compassionate dental care they deserve.

Happy National Brush Day, dental pros! 🦷 As dentists, we know the foundation of good oral health starts with effective brushing habits. Today is a great reminder to empower our patients—young and old—to brush for 2 minutes, twice a day.

November is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month, and as dental professionals, we play a key role in supporting patients with cognitive decline. Let’s raise awareness and remember that compassionate care extends beyond oral health.

The November issue of AGD Impact is now available! In it, you can learn about nonclinical career paths in dentistry, both for new graduates and for experienced dentists. Also featured is an in-depth look at the U.S. Air Force’s International Health Specialist program. Learn more in the latest issue of AGD Impact.

Read the latest issue for new research across subject areas. Highlights include a refresher on enteral sedation regulations across the country, a guide to handling opioid overdose emergencies in the dental office, a review of chocolate’s effects on the oral microbiota and more.

On October 18, 2024, Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden (D-OR) sent a letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure and Deputy Administrator Dan Tsai urging the agency to address the critical shortage of addiction medicine specialists in the U.S. to improve access to substance use disorder (SUD) services for Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) patients, particularly in rural and underserved areas.

On October 30, 2024, the AGD sent a letter to House and Senate Leadership of the Appropriations Subcommittees on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies, including House Subcommittee Chair Robert Aderholt (R-AL), Senate Subcommittee Chair Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), House Subcommittee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), and Senate Subcommittee Ranking Member Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV).

AGD leadership recently met with Dr. Adam Barefoot, chief dental officer at the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), for its quarterly meeting to discuss oral health initiatives. AGD continues to be a chief advocate in Congress for HRSA’s oral health literacy program, A Healthy Mouth for Every Body.

By using digital marketing to showcase your practice’s personality and humanize the doctor, building relationships through engaging content, and being authentic, you create an image that will resonate with more patients. Marketing columnist Jackie Ulasewich Cullen highlights this approach to marketing your practice.

The Constituent Recognition Program recognizes successes throughout the year and highlights the great initiative of our constituent leaders through meetings, newsletters, events and other platforms. Recently, Maj. Austin Fluke and Dr. Matthew R. Serbousek were honored.

Join AGD Nov. 15 for an exclusive hands-on CE experience at its Chicago headquarters. Enhance your skills and revolutionize your approach to diagnosing and treating temporomandibular joint conditions related to occlusion. With only 25 spots available, don’t miss this chance.

Many dentists have experienced prolonged shutdowns due to Hurricanes Helene and Milton. With operations shut down, dentists need to turn to their insurance coverage, specifically their business interruption coverage.

Asheville dentist Dr. Rebekkah A. Merrell describes how she and other general dentists in the North Carolina region are dealing with the devastation from Hurricane Helene. She provides a personal example of the importance of having business interruption insurance.

The Importance of Waterline Maintenance

On November 15, AGD will host a hands-on course at its Chicago headquarters, focusing on the dentist’s role in diagnosing and treating TMJ conditions related to occlusion. Learn vital delivery and adjustment protocols to enhance conservative TMD treatment. Don’t miss this opportunity—only 25 spots available.

Knowing more about patients and relating to them on a universal level can open a window into understanding why they get sick and how dentists’ proposed treatments can best be presented. In this month’s cover story, AGD Impact Wellness columnist Dr. Maggie Augustyn encourages dentists to understand the impact of the human connection they have with each other and their patients.

As digital technology and 3D intraoral scanners become more prevalent, effective digital communication of the relationships between the teeth and the face becomes essential. But expensive intraoral scanners and additional face scanners are not a feasible investment for many. Learn techniques for meshing smartphone-based facial data with intraoral scans in a new article in General Dentistry.

Thank you to all members who provided input on the Project Governance models and attended one of the town hall meetings. The responses from the membership survey regarding the restructuring of AGD’s governance consultants are being analyzed.