ADA Becomes First Dental Organization to Join the Choosing Wisely Campaign
CHICAGO, July 21, 2016 — The American Dental Association announced today that it has become the first dental organization to join the Choosing Wisely campaign. An initiative of the ABIM Foundation and Consumer Reports, Choosing Wisely encourages clinicians and patients to engage in conversations about avoiding unnecessary medical tests and treatments, and to make informed, smart choices about their health care.
“Our overriding goal in participating in Choosing Wisely is to help people be more educated,” said Cesar R. Sabates, DDS, chair of the ADA Council on Access, Prevention and Interprofessional Relations. “We see participating in Choosing Wisely as an important opportunity to help foster informed conversations between patients and their dentists.”
Choosing Wisely supports conversations between clinicians and patients about care they may not need by publishing lists of scientific and evidence-based recommendations from more than 70 national specialty societies, including the ADA. Consumer Reports supports these conversations by creating and disseminating patient-friendly materials through a bevy of consumer and employer groups such as AARP and the National Business Group on Health.
“Conversations about what care patients truly need is a shared responsibility among all members of the health care team,” said Richard J. Baron, MD, president and CEO of the ABIM Foundation. “ADA’s Choosing Wisely list will help dentists across the country engage their patients in a dialogue about what care is best for them, and what we can do to reduce waste and overuse in our health care system.”
The ADA’s participation in Choosing Wisely was funded by a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
“Becoming the first dental organization to partner with Choosing Wisely reinforces the ADA’s commitment to being the leading advocate of oral health and the premier source for trusted dental information,” said Dr. Sabates.
Dentists and patients can learn more about the ADA’s participation in Choosing Wisely at ADA.org/ChoosingWisely. The following are the Choosing Wisely statements for clinicians and patients:
|
Statements for Clinicians |
Statements for Patients |
| Don’t recommend non-fluoride toothpaste for infants and children. | Use toothpaste with fluoride for children and infants. |
| Avoid restorative treatment as a first line of treatment in incipient (non-cavitated) occlusal caries without first considering sealant use. | Consider sealants to prevent decay or treat surface cavities. |
| Avoid protective stabilization, sedation or general anesthesia in pediatric patients without consideration of all options with the legal guardian. | Talk about all the options for calming your child during dental procedures. |
| Avoid routinely using irreversible surgical procedures such as braces, occlusal equilibration and restorations as the first treatment of choice in the management of temporomandibular joint disorders. | For jaw pain, try conservative treatments first. |
| Don’t replace restorations just because they are old. | Don’t replace fillings just because they’re old. |
Editor’s Note: Reporters are invited to follow the ADA on Twitter @AmerDentalAssn
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About the American Dental Association
The not-for-profit ADA is the nation’s largest dental association, representing more than 158,000 dentist members. The premier source of oral health information, the ADA has advocated for the public’s health and promoted the art and science of dentistry since 1859. The ADA’s state-of-the-art research facilities develop and test dental products and materials that have advanced the practice of dentistry and made the patient experience more positive. The ADA Seal of Acceptance long has been a valuable and respected guide to consumer dental care products. The monthly The Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA) is the ADA’s flagship publication and the best-read scientific journal in dentistry. For more information about the ADA, visit ada.org. For more information on oral health, including prevention, care and treatment of dental disease, visit the ADA’s consumer website MouthHealthy.org.
About the ABIM Foundation
The mission of the ABIM Foundation is to advance medical professionalism to improve the health care system. We achieve this by collaborating with physicians and physician leaders, medical trainees, health care delivery systems, payers, policy makers, consumer organizations and patients to foster a shared understanding of professionalism and how they can adopt the tenets of professionalism in practice. To learn more about the ABIM Foundation, visit www.abimfoundation.org, connect with us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
About Consumer Reports
Consumers Reports is an expert, independent, nonprofit organization whose mission is to work for a fair, just, and safe marketplace for all consumers and to empower consumers to protect themselves. As consumers become increasingly involved in their own health decisions, they need unbiased, accurate, evidence-based information to compare their options and to make appropriate choices for themselves and their families. For more information about Consumer Reports Health go to www.ConsumerHealthChoices.org.
