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. Chapters: 0:00 Intro 1:05 Back from the AIDA Aspire event in Tulum 3:05 Our booth at the Chicago Midwinter Meeting 6:36 When should a sick doctor stay home? 12:05 News: Visa and Mastercard settlement deadline 14:12 News: fluoride, RFK Jr. and the JAMA study 18:25 News: the federal funding freeze and the ADA's letter 22:43 Welcome back, ADA President Dr. Brett Kessler 23:50 His priorities as ADA president 24:46 The science on community water fluoridation 28:11 The ADA's Washington Post editorial 30:19 Fluoride varnish at the pediatrician's office 34:01 What's wrong with the JAMA fluoride study 37:08 RFK Jr., sugar and chronic disease 39:20 The tooth that matched the heart valve infection 41:52 Lead aprons and thyroid collars: what the ADA says 45:13 How ADA standards are made 48:34 The 2030 push to end amalgam 49:44 The ADA's investments in Pearl and Overjet 51:50 Is that a conflict of interest? 56:11 Industry and the standards process 58:05 The hygienist shortage and workforce solutions 1:05:13 The ADA and insurance companies 1:07:08 Closing 🎧 Listen to the podcast: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dentists-in-the-know/id1543254763 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2Elfj6LX0hCUyp0AgdTsij 📺 Make sure you subscribe to catch new episodes live every Wednesday at 8pm ET! https://www.youtube.com/@dentistsintheknow 🌟 Stay up to date on all the latest dental trends when you follow the DINKs: https://fanflet.com/dinks/social-2