The ADA has recently issued two alerts that are well worth the time to read:

 

The first report was the Pew Report on ER use for dental problems.

 

The Pew Center on the States' Children's Dental Campaign issued a report earlier this week on the cost and ineffectiveness of patients seeking care for dental pain in hospital emergency departments. The report cites numerous sources to shore up what the ADA has long maintained-that although most emergency departments can provide such palliative measures as antibiotics and pain relief, they cannot treat the underlying problem. Several major news outlets, including the AP, NPR and USA Today covered the story.

 

While much of the Pew report echoes longstanding ADA positions, it unfortunately calls for midlevel providers as one way to break down the barriers to care that drive people to emergency rooms. The ADA released this statement to the media and has so far fielded inquiries from the online arms of CBS News, the Wall Street Journal, and Kaiser Health News. The ADA statement explains that patients with dental emergencies should not be relegated to midlevel providers, refutes Pew's claim that the dental workforce is shrinking and emphasizes the need for Medicaid reforms and a much greater emphasis on disease prevention.

 

The second alert was the Senate Subcommittee Hearing Testimony on Access to Dental Care. Click here for the full details.

 

The SCDA has planned its fourth DAD Project. The project will be held at the State Fairgrounds in conjunction with the Hospital Association. To volunteer click here!