Dr. Brett Kessler, ADA president-elect, and Dr. Hans P. Guter, AGD past president, discuss the importance of mental health and finding support during times of struggle. Kessler talks openly about his own battle with substance abuse and how he uses the strength and resiliency he found in recovery to help others.

AGD Impact columnist Wesley W. Lyon II, CPA, CFA, delves into the dual role of life insurance as both family protection and an investment tool. Explore the benefits and pitfalls of using insurance as an investment, the impact of fees and commissions, and whether life insurance can be a tax-free advantage or a potential tax trap.

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

Registration for the 2024 Fall Fellowship Review Course and Exam ends next Tuesday, Oct. 1. If you’re working toward the AGD Fellowship Award, this is your chance to earn 16 CE credits during the two-day review course and take the exam the next day.

AGD Impact columnist Clayton Sorrells, DDS, provides an update on his first year as a dental practice owner: “I have learned a lot about business, teeth and people in the first year of ownership.”

AGD Impact’s popular cover story, “10 Dentists to Watch,” will return in 2025. Nominations for this honor are open to all AGD members! Do you know a talented young dentist who’s doing extraordinary things and deserves some recognition? Let us know!

AGD Impact regularly features a Testing the Tools column with practical reviews of some of the latest dental products. This month, reviewer Ross Isbell, DMD, MBA, a general dentist in Gadsden, Alabama, tested mints for dry mouth, dental pods and a cleaning paste for bonding surfaces. Stay informed on equipment that helps you and your practice by checking out his reviews.

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. Instead, learn how you can mesh smartphone-based facial data with high-resolution intraoral scans.

Earn CE credits anywhere with the AGD Online Learning Center. Choose from 160+ on-demand webinars on various dental topics. AGD members get access to 13 free webinars in the Free CE Library. Plus, earn credits with Self-Instruction exercises based on AGD’s award-winning publications.

The AGD website now allows previous members to reinstate their membership and buy back up to five years of past membership! Know any past members who have been itching to return to AGD for Fellowship, automatic CE tracking and more?

AGD members have been working on a change to our current governance model. Register for an upcoming town hall meeting to discuss the new models, learn more about the development process, and hear about next steps. Meetings are scheduled through Sept. 19.

Since dental procedures pose bleeding risks, it is important for oral healthcare providers to stay up to date regarding the best management of anticoagulant drugs and the usage of newer medications with potential effects on hemostasis.

Don’t miss today's free live webinar, “Healthy People 2030”! This engaging and informative session will cover the latest advancements in detection, diagnosis and biopsy techniques of oral lesions. You should leave this session with the tools you need for early and effective treatment of oral lesions.

Tools that help healthcare clinicians sort through information are valuable and perhaps essential from an efficiency standpoint. Currently, physicians have tools that use various types of artificial intelligence that assist electronic health record systems in summarizing information, allowing physicians to have a more cohesive picture of patients. This is not common in the dental field at this time, but it is rapidly growing in medicine.

Tax legislation promises to be a major focus next year because many individual tax provisions from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act are set to expire Dec. 31, 2025, automatically raising income taxes for most taxpayers. The expiration of the act will force both political parties to negotiate or face backlash from the general public, as neither side plans to increase taxes on the middle class.

As autumn approaches, it’s time to leverage your referral prowess. Earn $50 in Referral Rewards per new member you recruit to AGD, which you can use for your own membership renewal costs. New members save 50% on dues if they join by Sept. 30.

This is your last chance to secure the AGD special hotel rate for the 2024 Fall Fellowship Review Course and Exam at AGD’s headquarters in Chicago. Take this important step toward attaining AGD Fellowship while earning 16 hours of CE during the Review Course Oct. 4–5.

Apply to receive your Fellowship, Mastership, or Lifelong Learning and Service Recognition at AGD2025 in historic Montréal, Quebec! Applications are due Dec. 31, 2024. Show your dedication, and apply today! Need help achieving the required CE? Search the AGD CE Directory, or browse the Online Learning Center.

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

AGD members are invited to register for an upcoming town hall meeting to discuss the new proposed governance models, learn more about the development process and hear about next steps. Meetings are scheduled through Sept. 19.