Tooth Talk

The ADA Foundation is the charitable arm of the American Dental Association who's vision -- "Investing in better oral health for all. Together." -- has been helping them to do good across the country and world. Through their flagship Give Kids A Smile program, which helps to treat and improve the oral health of over 5 million underserved children a year due to cutting-edge research that helps to improve oral health technologies. On this episode of Tooth Talk, Sarah and Peter sit down with Dr. Bill Calnon, the President and Interim Executive Director of the ADA Foundation, to discuss all the good the ADA Foundation is doing.

In this second season opener of Tooth Talk, Sarah and Peter sit down with Dr. Jeffrey M. Cole (@potada155), 155th President of the American Dental Association, to discuss his vision for his term, which began in October. Dr. Cole highlights the significance of advocacy to the profession, the value a new generation of dentists is bringing to dentistry, what he sees as future ADA priorities, and on a personal note, reveals what cartoon character he likens himself to.

On this episode of Tooth Talk, Sarah and Peter share interviews from the ADA's Annual Meeting in Hawaii. This special episode includes chats with Dr. David Watson, Chair-Elect of ADPAC, about how he found his way into dentistry; Dr. Nipa Thakkar, Chair of the New Dentist Committee about the role the committee plays in advocacy and the ADA; and Dr. Bill Calnon, President of the ADA Foundation, for a special preview of our upcoming episode with him where we discuss the role of the ADA Foundation.

A practicing general dentist for almost 40 years, Dr. Tommy Harrison works hard to ensure that his home community of Katy, Texas has access to quality dental care. As a member of the ADA and the chair of ADPAC, he understands the importance of dentists speaking with one voice united in Washington and around the country to advocate for dentistry and America's oral health. This episode of Tooth Talk provides a special inside look at the ADA, ADPAC, and competitive races around Texas.

Lobbying often gets a bad rap. However, in this episode of Tooth Talk, Sarah and Peter pull back the curtain to show how lobbying is a vital and transparent part of the ADA's efforts to support dentists and oral health. Joined by Megan Mortimer and Natalie Hales, two Congressional Lobbyists in the ADA Washington, D.C. office, they explore how lobbying works, recent wins for dentistry, and how current events could shape the future of the ADA's lobbying efforts. Perhaps most importantly, Megan and Natalie share how dentists can lobby their own members of Congress in their home districts and in Washington, D.C.

On this episode of Tooth Talk, Sarah and Peter help make sense of the regulatory and legislative frameworks that impact dentistry. Navigating everything from the EPA to HHS, they sit down with the ADA's Director of Legislative and Regulatory Policy, Janice Kupiec, to understand how laws are enacted through federal regulatory agencies. Also serving as the Director of the Council on Government Affairs, Janice shares how ADA members can have their voice heard in the regulatory process and how to share issues that impact their practices and patients.

On this special extended episode of Tooth Talk, Sarah and Peter dig into the midterm elections and what may happen on Election Day. Providing an insider's look into ADPAC supported races and contested House and Senate races, this is one episode you won't want to miss as you head to the polls!

For the first episode of Tooth Talk, hosts Sarah Milligan and Peter Aiello sit down with the ADA's Senior Vice President of Government and Public Affairs, Mike Graham. As one of the nation's leading health care organizations, the ADA plays an important role in shaping the future of the nation's oral health, supporting dentists, and representing dentistry as a whole. The ADA's Washington, D.C. staff share how they work to advocate for oral health through legislation and lobbying efforts and how dentists can help speak with one voice, united in Washington.

Coming soon from ADPAC and the American Dental Association - Tooth Talk. Discussing everything from molars to Medicaid, bicuspids to bipartisanship, and canines to the campaign trail, Tooth Talk covers the most important dental news in Washington, D.C. and around the country.