Greetings, everyone—we’re coming to you outside of our normal morning edition to share some major political news impacting the dental industry in the past few days.
On April 1, the Trump administration made sweeping cuts to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention staff, eliminating virtually all staff in the CDC’s Oral Health Division. The department was an advocate for fluoridation in public water supplies, which the Trump administration opposes.
The division has also provided data monitoring on oral health, as well as guidance on dental infection control and school sealant programs. Both the ADA and the ADHA have spoken out against the layoffs, saying they’ll negatively impact the oral health of Americans.
On April 2, after much back and forth since January, the Trump administration announced new duties on most U.S. trading partners. In March, the ADA and other medical groups formally expressed their opposition to new tariffs, arguing it would negatively affect the medical supply chain. So far, the administration has not made any specific exceptions for medical equipment.
On April 3, the American stock market experienced their steepest declines since 2020 in response to the tariffs, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Tariffs haven’t been used so broadly in US economic strategy for decades, and there’s widespread uncertainty about how this strategy will play out. Economic uncertainty impacts discretionary spending among patients, who will often postpone elective procedures. Practices may delay investments they were planning on making in equipment.
Also breaking today was the confirmation of Dr. Mehmet Oz to lead the CMS, which administers Medicare and Medicaid. There has been growing support for wider access to dental benefits in these programs, but it’s unclear if it’s a priority in the current administration’s focus on cost cutting.
Below we’re sharing some of our most recent stories on tariffs, public health, and predictions for dentistry this year.
—Amelia Williamson DeStefano, editorial director
