Dental hygienists play a critical role in delivering preventive oral health care, helping patients maintain good oral health and preventing more serious and costly dental problems. Yet in many states, laws and regulations governing the dental hygiene profession can limit … Read More
The American Dental Association and American Association of Dental Editors and Journalists honored David Foe of the Michigan Dental Association with the 2026 Distinguished Dental Editor Award during the AADEJ Annual Conference . Presented Oct. 2 in San Antonio by … Read More
Delta Dental announced the five 2026 Delta Dental Future Workforce Fund awardees, with funding committed for the next three years. The nearly $3 million in funding will help these organizations expand, evaluate, and sustain programs that introduce young people to … Read More
The number of graduates from dental hygiene programs has increased 5.9% since 2015, according to data from the American Dental Association. The ADA recently released new data on dental hygiene and assisting programs in the U.S. Here is how the … Read More
Researchers at The University of Texas at San Antonio Health Science Center are investigating how the body forms dentin, the hard tissue beneath tooth enamel, and how understanding this natural process could one day help regenerate dental tissue and repair … Read More
The U.S. dentist workforce is growing, getting younger and becoming more female, while new dental schools are expanding the pipeline of graduates, according to a new report from the American Dental Association’s Health Policy Institute. “The U.S. Dentist Workforce” draws … Read More
Becoming a dentist has never cost more, and the gap between total debt and the salary payoff is reshaping the question: Is the degree still worth it? Average first-year resident tuition at U.S. dental schools reached $62,239 in the 2025-26 … Read More
Dentists are facing financial difficulties this year amid rising operating costs, inflation and stagnant reimbursement rates. Here are seven statistics showing the dental industry’s new economic reality: 1. The cost of dental equipment and supplies increased by 23% since January … Read More
AUSTIN, Texas — Eleven Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas have sent letters to federal and state health officials demanding immediate intervention to fix a ballooning backlog of Medicaid and SNAP (food stamp) applications that has … Read More
John Gonzales, a Marine Corps veteran who said he has not smiled in years, is scheduled to get a new smile within the next few months through “Smiles for Soldiers,” a program created by Dr. Robert Ioppolo. Ioppolo is an … Read More
Active Dental, a family and emergency dental practice with five locations across the Dallas-Fort Worth area, is bringing back its holiday toy drive, the Smiles for Medical City Children’s Toy Drive, to benefit Medical City Children’s Hospital. From Monday, Nov. … Read More
The American Dental Association is supporting legislation that would expand access to dental care for veterans enrolled in the Department of Veterans Affairs, or VA, health care system while emphasizing the need for adequate funding, staffing and infrastructure to support … Read More
As the ADA Foundation Give Kids A Smile program prepares to celebrate its 25th anniversary next year, program managers are asked to register their 2027 events by Nov. 15. Organizers can request free product kits when registering their events by … Read More
The Association of Dental Supports Organizations has named AJ Acierno, DDS, its next executive director. Dr. Acierno is the co-founder of DecisionOne Dental Partners, which merged with Smile Brands in 2019. He continued to serve in a variety of leadership … Read More
Here are five updates showing how the dental hygiene field is evolving: 1. Employment of dental hygienists is projected to grow much faster than the average rate for all other occupations, according to data from the Bureau of Labor statistics. … Read More
The Delta Dental Community Care Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Delta Dental of California and its affiliates, announced $16.3 million in Access to Care Grant funding, continuing its longstanding commitment to partnering with nonprofits that provide essential oral health services … Read More
Many oral health leaders are optimistic that the incoming Congress will bring improvements to patient care and accessibility. Here is how the results could impact dental care, and what providers and executives want to see next: The midterm results Democrats … Read More
Dental practices are facing complex hiring challenges as salary expectations increase and retention issues persist. Here are six statistics and trends pointing to shifts in the dental workforce and recruitment strategies of employers: 1. One-fifth of dentists stated that hygienist … Read More
Gov. Mike DeWine announced Nov. 2 that Ohio will invest more than $17 million to launch OhioDENTAL, a program that will bring dental services directly into schools. The dental funding is part of more than $55 million in federal Rural … Read More
Under the GOP’s “Big Beautiful Bill” passed last summer, adults who receive Medicaid through the Affordable Care Act’s expansion have to log at least 80 hours of work, volunteering or schooling each month to stay eligible for the safety-net insurance … Read More
RICHMOND, Va. – Attorney General Jones secured a decision by the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts finding the Trump Administration’s implementation of new Medicaid work requirements under the Big Beautiful Bill Act unlawful. In a lawsuit filed … Read More
Let’s Smile Inc. is gearing up for its eighth annual Let’s Smile, Giggle & Laugh Comedy Night Fundraiser next month at the Little Theatre of Owatonna, 560 Dunnell Drive. “It is a phenomenal night,” said Let’s Smile Founder and Director … Read More
Dentists are facing compounding factors fueling financial troubles for their practices this year. Three statistics to know from 2026: 1. Dental payer reimbursement rates continue to lag behind inflation, according to the American Dental Association’s “State of the U.S. Dental … Read More
The American Dental Association is urging the House Energy and Commerce Committee to account for the needs of small dental practices as it reviews a Senate-passed healthcare cybersecurity bill. Seven notes: In an Oct. 22 letter, the ADA said S. … Read More
The majority of graduates from allied dental programs were inspired to join the field by their personal experiences, according to the American Dental Education Association’s 2026 U.S. Allied Dental Graduating Student Survey. To create the report, released this month, the … Read More
U.S. dental hygiene programs graduated 7,447 people in 2025, the most in at least a decade, according to data from the American Dental Association. Dental leaders say the shortage is getting worse nonetheless. About one-third of dentists were actively recruiting … Read More
Today, somewhere in the U.S., a dentist is using a high-speed handpiece to restore a tooth. The bur in that handpiece is rotating at 300,000-400,000 revolutions per minute, and yet, the dentist is not concerned about the bur flying out … Read More
Rising labor costs combined with a higher cost of capital are placing a greater financial squeeze on dental practices and DSOs, according to one executive. Drew Tedlock, the director of payer relations at Effingham, Ill.-based Heartland Dental, recently joined Becker’s … Read More
Macroeconomic challenges combined with low payer reimbursements have led to a new level of financial strain that the dental industry may not have ever experienced before. Two dental leaders recently joined Becker’s Future of Dentistry Roundtable to discuss how dental … Read More
More than 50 high schoolers gathered Oct. 10 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, ready to explore the careers that could await them in dentistry. Hosted by the American Dental Association during the ADA 2026 Scientific Session, the Planet … Read More
State health officials are racing to implement sweeping new Medicaid work requirements mandated by federal law, navigating complex reporting systems and warnings of widespread coverage losses among vulnerable populations. Following provisions in the 2025 federal reconciliation law, states must enforce … Read More
our states have passed healthcare oversight laws so far this year, according to the Private Equity Stakeholder Project’s “2026 State Healthcare Policy Review” report. The healthcare policy report includes a dashboard that tracks bills introduced or enacted in the U.S. … Read More
Minh Phuong Dong, MD, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow at Loma Linda (Calif.) University School of Dentistry, received an award from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research to develop a way to predict how patients with oral cancer will … Read More
AUSTIN – Governor Greg Abbott announced that the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) plans to award $8 million in Rural Texas Strong grants to 28 rural healthcare providers throughout the state. “Your address should not determine the quality … Read More
The ADA Community Dental Health Coordinator Program is now available to dental hygienists and assistants as a fully online, asynchronous course. While some dental hygiene or dental assisting programs continue to offer the community dental health coordinator recognition by incorporating … Read More
The U.S. now has 8,033 dental professional shortage areas, according to the latest data from the Health Resources and Services Administration. The HRSA updates its dashboard showing data on health workforce shortage areas Oct. 20. The dashboard shows that 13,211 … Read More
Here are six recent updates that have led to optimism and skepticism in the dental industry: Good news Graduation rates increase The total number of dental school graduates has increased by 20.7% since 2015, according to data from the American … Read More
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced $51 million in funding to 28 health centers to improve access to dental care for children with neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy and intellectual disabilities. The … Read More
One-fifth of dentists stated that hygienist positions had been open for more than six months before being filled, according to the American Dental Association’s “State of the U.S. Dental Economy” report for the third quarter of 2026. The report shows … Read More
Utilization among seniors with a Medicare Advantage dental benefit increased to 61% in 2024 from 53% in 2023, according to a report from the American Dental Association’s Health Policy Institute. The September 2026 report, “National Trends in Dental Care Use, … Read More
