Dr. Brett Kessler, President, American Dental Association, offers insights into the ADA symposium, “Dentistry’s Role in Complete Health” and how dentists can have the opportunity to elevate and redefine their roles in patients’ primary care.
American Dental Association June Symposium to Explore ‘Dentistry’s Role in Complete Health’
by Dr. Brett Kessler, President, American Dental Association
In late 2022, I sat in a room of fellow American Dental Association (ADA) Trustees as we sought to answer one question: Why? We were considering why we — as leaders in that moment; as clinicians, researchers, and educators in other moments — did the work that we do every day on behalf of our profession, in service to public health, and in the lives of our patients, students, and the communities where we lived and worked. Amid the many ways and reasons we served, beyond the ADA’s mission and vision, we all arrived at a simple answer: We make people healthy.
The Board adopted this phrase as its strategic why statement, and personally, I was excited about what would come from such a clear declaration of our purpose. Because I’ve always believed that dentistry is essential to a healthy society.
During my general practice residency at a large hospital system in Chicago, I learned first-hand about the integral role oral health plays in overall health. I also saw how the collaborative care of medical and dental professionals improved patient outcomes. In my clinical career, I emphasized whole-body health as part of my care philosophy. Though our profession knows that oral health is health, for too long, the two have been treated as separate within the greater health care landscape. Today, as ADA President, I recognize dentistry’s opportunity to elevate and redefine its role in primary care.
A critical element of this is interdisciplinary collaboration, which is the focus of the ADA’s “Dentistry’s Role in Complete Health” symposium, to be held June 13-14 in Chicago. This two-day event is back for its second year, building upon the inaugural symposium’s exploration of dentistry’s role in combatting chronic disease.
Attendees will hear from the foremost experts on such topics as children’s oral health and metabolic syndrome; disease screening and testing; lifestyle-focused medicine and dentistry; periodontal research; and much more. For professionals in sleep medicine, a focus on airway health and its ties to conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease makes this symposium particularly relevant.
The symposium will be a call-to-action for all dentists, physicians, and other professionals to rethink their role in overall care, while examining integrative approaches that strengthen the health care ecosystem and improve patient wellbeing. It will also be a step toward a new era in dentistry — one where all of us are empowered to lead what my mentor and the symposium presenter Dr. DeWitt Wilkerson calls a significant shift from sick care to proactive wellness care.
Dentists should be partners in their patients’ health journeys, especially as patients tend to see dentists more frequently than their physicians. While caries management will always be part of our work, it’s time for dentistry to move in a direction where providers administer health screenings and manage chronic conditions. (It’s time that our benefit models properly reimburse dentists for these services too.) Additionally, building relationships with patients’ physicians allows for a well-rounded care team that puts patients and their needs at the center.
A lot of this change is already underway. Beyond medical-dental collaborations in federally qualified health centers, dentists are broadening their scope to include airway screening and treatment, tackling issues like obstructive sleep apnea, and offering solutions such as oral appliances and orthognathic surgery.
I believe this is just a hint of what’s to come. The future of healthcare is collaborative, and dentists have a unique opportunity to lead the charge.
“Dentistry’s Role in Complete Health 2025” is designed for every member of the dental team, and I invite you to join us as we engage on fresh perspectives, make valuable connections, and learn how we can change the trajectory of public health. By working together, we can make people healthy — one patient at a time.
To learn more or to register for Dentistry’s Role in Complete Health: We Make People Healthy, scan the QR code to the right or visit ADA.org/CE. The event offers 15 Continuing Education credits.
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Dentistry’s role in complete health starts with the youngest patients. Read about Sharon Moore’s sleep research on “sleep wrecked kids” and how dentists can ensure that children get the sleep they need. https://dentalsleeppractice.com/pediatric-sleep-research-update-for-sleep-wrecked-kids-2023/
Dr. Brett Kessler, a general dentist in Denver, is President of the American Dental Association. He has served in numerous leadership roles, including Colorado Dental Association President (2014-2015) and ADA delegate (2008-2019). Dr. Kessler played a key role in establishing Colorado’s adult Medicaid dental benefit and earned the ADA’s Golden Apple Award for leadership in mentoring. A national speaker on well-being and leadership, he has served on the Council on Dental Wellbeing Advisory Committee and testified before Congress to advance oral health. A graduate of the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry, he is also an endurance athlete, husband, and father of four.