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Spread the word that it’s the perfect time to become an AGD member. If your colleagues join before Sept. 30, they will pay only half of 2022 headquarters dues. Plus, you’ll both earn $50 in Referral Rewards once they join.

Named for the founding father of AGD, the Dr. Thaddeus V. Weclew Award is presented annually to a dedicated educator who embodies the spirit of comprehensive dental care. This recipient is a professional role model whose activities exemplify a commitment to the profession of dentistry and the principles and goals of AGD. This year, there were two recipients.

Self-reflection is the process of learning more about yourself so that you can adjust when necessary and improve. Through self-reflection, you can begin to learn what is important to you.

For pediatric patients, factors that may increase the risk of caries in specific teeth often affect each side of the oral cavity symmetrically around the midline. A new study in General Dentistry assesses the symmetry of carious lesions in order to help with prevention.

National Nonprofit Day (Aug. 17) recognizes nonprofit organizations’ ongoing efforts to serve their communities. You can commemorate the AGD Foundation’s work toward increasing oral and oropharyngeal cancer awareness by making a gift this Wednesday on National Nonprofit Day.

With an interest in dentistry that first sparked during childhood, Arlene O’Brien, DMD, FAGD, now serves the profession through her roles as president of the New Jersey AGD and as a member of the national AGD’s Dental Practice Council. She shared what motivates her to support her fellow general dentists.

AGD is working to address the most pressing issues faced by our members as we advocate to government entities for general dentists.

While bioactive materials are not new to dentistry, they are commanding more attention. What separates bioactive materials from conventional materials? How can these materials be used in different specialties today? Should dentists be integrating bioactive materials into their practices now — or should they wait?

Dental care during pregnancy is out of reach for many because of barriers to access, which include patients’ misconceptions or dentists’ feelings of incompetence to provide specialized care. To assess these barriers, a survey of Alabama AGD members was conducted.

AGD will host the 2022 Fall Fellowship Review Course Sept. 30 and Oct. 1 at the Andaz San Diego Hotel. Attendees can register to take the Fellowship Exam Oct. 2, immediately following the review course.

H.R.4555, the Oral Health Literacy and Awareness Act, overwhelmingly passed the House by a 369-58 vote last year, but the Senate has yet to take up this important public health legislation.

On July 15th, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra renewed the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) citing an uptick in coronavirus infections and deaths caused by the Omicron BA.5 subvariant.

AGD joined Tobacco Free Kids and over 100 other health, medical, education, and community organizations in comments to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) supporting proposed rules that would prohibit characterizing flavors in cigars and the use of menthol as a characterizing flavor in cigarettes.

AGD’s Exclusive Benefits program provides dental practice owners savings on a variety of insurance products, financial services, practice management tools and more. See all the deals you receive with membership.

AGD Fellowship and Mastership awards are prestigious symbols of the continuous educational journey toward improvement and progress in dentistry. This Saturday, AGD celebrated over 450 members who achieved these distinctions in 2022, as well as some who did so in 2020, during a special Convocation Ceremony.

AGD’s associate dentists can let their financial worries drift away with special offers on personal finance and insurance services, as well as deals on entertainment, online shopping and more through the Exclusive Benefits program.

In the July/August issue of General Dentistry, Public Health columnist Larry Williams, DDS, MPH, discusses how to offer accommodating care for patients with special needs, which can range from significant developmental issues to more common occurrences that may alter dental treatment, like limited mobility, mental illness, diabetes and more.

Plan to attend AGD’s three live webinars in August. “Everyday CBCT,” presented by Jacob Dunn, DMD, MS, and sponsored by Dentsply Sirona, will take place this Thursday, Aug. 4, and is free to all attendees.