Fluoride, Lead Aprons & the Hygienist Shortage | ADA President Dr. Brett Kessler

Is community water fluoride safe, do your patients still need a lead apron, and how will dentistry fix the hygienist shortage? ADA President Dr. Brett Kessler answers our questions on fluoride and RFK Jr., X-ray shielding, the ADA's investments in dental AI, and the workforce crisis.

In this episode:

- The science behind community water fluoridation, and what's wrong with the JAMA study

- Fluoride varnish at the pediatrician's office: how much is too much?

- The ADA's Washington Post editorial and letter to the new administration

- The tooth infection that matched a patient's heart valve infection

- Lead aprons and thyroid collars: what the ADA recommends and why

- How ADA standards are made, and the 2030 push to end amalgam

- The ADA's investments in Pearl and Overjet: is it a conflict of interest?

- The hygienist shortage and the ADA's fast-track workforce policies

Plus dental news from early 2025: the Visa and Mastercard settlement, fluoride, and the federal funding freeze.

Dr. Brett Kessler served as president of the American Dental Association (2024–2025). He has practiced general dentistry in Colorado for nearly 30 years and completed a general practice residency at Northwestern Memorial Hospital

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