The ADA is getting tough on DIY orthodontics . . . and they need your help
DIY dentistry is getting out of hand, and the ADA is doing something about it. Dentists can help with the effort, starting with protecting their patients' health.
Last week, American Dental Association president Jeffrey M. Cole, DDS, MBA, emailed ADA dentists and rallied them in the fight to protect patients from unsupervised orthodontics. At-home clear aligner therapy, which has also fallen under the umbrella term “DIY dentistry,” has become big business.
And so, the ADA is responding. On February 25, they filed a citizen petition with the FDA. This petition is the first step in directing the US government to make changes to existing health-care policies.
While the petition is still being created, the ADA is urging dentists and their patients to file their complaints individually using the FDA’s MedWatch Voluntary Reporting Form.
This will likely be a long battle. We should not get frustrated by slow progress. What we should do is follow the advice of our leaders in organized dentistry and begin sharing our patients’ challenges with unsupervised orthodontics. We are the defenders of our patients’ oral health and it’s time to act.
Chris Salierno, DDS, is the chief editor of Dental Economics and the editorial director of the Principles of Practice Management and Group Practice and DSO Digest e-newsletters. He is also a contributing author for DentistryIQ and Perio-Implant Advisory. He lectures and writes about practice management and clinical dentistry. He maintains a blog to answer patient questions at ToothQuest. Dr. Salierno maintains a private general practice in Melville, New York. You may contact him at [email protected].
