Curious how dentistry shapes national policy? Join Peter, Sarah, and special guest Dr. Steve Brown as they dive into dental advocacy, fluoride debates, convention insights, and how legislation like the “Big Beautiful Bill” impacts practices. Learn how you can take action to protect your profession and patients—plus, hear a few laughs about pig suits and Basset hounds along the way!

With special guest:

Dr. Steve Brown

Do you know how student loan reform is affecting dentistry and the oral health workforce? ADA advocates are working on several bills to address workforce shortages and student loan reform, like debt cancellation, refinancing, and interest deferments. Congressional Lobbyist Megan Mortimer and the New Dentist Committee's Dr. Sean Aiken, talk about how these programs are impacting the decisions of students and new dentists, and what the future of student loan reform looks like. Tune in to Tooth Talk and join the conversation!

With special guests:

Dr. Sean Aiken, New Dentist Committee and Megan Mortimer, ADA Congressional Lobbyist

On this episode of Tooth Talk, Sarah and Peter sit down with Chad Olson, Director of State Government Affairs at the American Dental Association, to discuss the recent surge of MLR legislation in State Houses.

How does MLR fit into the 50 Labs of Democracy? MLR, or Medical Loss Ratio, refers to the percentage of your insurance premiums that are mandated to go to care rather than administrative costs. In the medical field, MLR is governed by the Affordable Care Act. Chad helps explain the reasons that it is important that this be extended to include dental insurance.

With special guest:

Chad Olson; Director, State Government Affairs, American Dental Association