Ep 53: Workforce Shortages, Hygiene Autonomy, and ADA's Vision for the Future

Straight Up With Steph

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In this episode of Straight Up With Steph, Dr. Brett Kessler, president of the American Dental Association, returns to the podcast to dive headfirst into a conversation about the complex and contentious state of our industry. Our goal today was to clear up common misconceptions, answer pressing questions, and open up an honest, balanced dialogue about the future of our profession.

Dr. Kessler sheds light on hot-button issues affecting dentistry, like the national hygienist shortage, shifting practice models, and controversial initiatives aimed at expanding the hygiene workforce. Brett also shares his vision for the future of dentistry, placing a strong emphasis on reconnecting the mouth to the body and evolving away from a purely surgical model of care toward comprehensive chronic disease management—roles he sees hygienists ideally positioned to fill.

Beyond hygiene workforce issues, this episode dives into everything from the ongoing fight surrounding fluoride, the critical need for improved insurance reimbursement, and the changing relationship between the ADA and ADHA. There is no question that dentistry is changing and in the next 5-10 years, we can expect it to look very different from what it does now. Transparent conversations like this one are the first step in getting prepared.

About Dr. Brett Kessler:

Brett Kessler, DDS, is currently serving as the president-elect of the ADA.
He has been practicing esthetic, functional, and reconstructive dentistry since 1995. He has been published in multiple national and local periodicals and news outlets on various subjects with respect to cosmetic dentistry and well-being issues. In 2015, Dr. Kessler was featured by the Denver Post as the only dentist in Colorado with its inaugural “Strength in Health” award. He has been recognized by his peers as a “Top Dentist” in 5280 (fifty-two-eighty) Magazine every year since its inception in 2005. Dr. Kessler is a past president of the Colorado Dental Association.

Connect with Dr. Brett Kessler:

Email: [email protected]

Instagram

Links Mentioned In This Episode:

Ep 15: Wellness, Leadership, and Recovery: With ADA President-Elect Dr. Brett Kessler

Ep 51: The Oral Preventive Assistant Debate: What Dental Assistants Actually Want

Ep 35: How ADA’s Dental Access Model Act Will Impact Dentistry

To watch on YouTube, click here!
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by guests on this podcast are the

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Chapters

1. Workforce Shortages, Hygiene Autonomy, and ADA's Vision for the Future (00:00:00)

2. Issues the ADA is Currently Facing (00:06:38)

3. The Future of Dentistry Regarding Dental Hygienists (00:09:58)

4. Dental Insurance Reform is a Must (00:14:43)

5. Solutions for the Hygiene Shortage (00:16:39)

6. How to Retain Hygienists (00:21:21)

7. Issues with Training Hygienists (00:23:11)

8. Friction Between the ADHA and ADA (00:30:23)

9. Increasing The Number of Hygienists (00:34:58)

10. Hygiene Autonomy (00:36:16)

11. How Dentists and Hygienists Can Work Together (00:38:04)

12. Insights Into Production and Overhead (00:45:25)

13. Foreign Trained Dentists, Students, and Assistants Doing Hygiene (00:49:18)

14. Breaking Down the Fluoride Controversy (00:52:03)

15. Connect with Dr. Brett Kessler (00:55:52)