ADA President Dr. Linda Edgar shares a message expressing appreciation for her ADA member colleagues and excitement for the possibilities that await our profession in the coming year.
Hello, Colleagues:
On the heels of a heartfelt Thanksgiving holiday, I find myself grateful for many blessings and excited for the possibilities that await our profession in the coming year.
First and foremost, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for this incredible opportunity to work alongside you as the 160th President of the American Dental Association—the
fifth woman in ADA history to lead this esteemed organization. It is truly an honor and a privilege.
I am especially thankful for all of you—our dedicated members—for your encouragement, support, and shared commitment to making our profession stronger. We are stronger together!
And I am grateful for the camaraderie and collaborative spirit that abounds within our dental community. Unity—among our local components, our states, and ADA national—will allow us to accomplish almost anything as we build a brighter tomorrow for our profession.
As we move forward together, I firmly believe that genuine
connections, collaboration, and effective communication will be the cornerstones of our innovation and progress.
In 2023, we’ve seen great proof of this with — for example — the formation
of the ADA Forsyth Institute, which brings together unparalleled talent, visionary research opportunities, and dynamic innovation prospects… all in the name of advancing oral and overall health.
Additionally, we continue to
shift the balance of power on dental insurance reform, putting the power back in the hands of dentists and patients. Together, the ADA, state dental societies, and the dental profession at large have made strides toward a benefits system that is truly beneficial for dentists and patients.
With the help of the ADA’s State Public Affairs program, state dental societies have successfully advocated for 149 new laws in the last five years. In 2024, our
advocacy continues on this and other topics like
ERISA.
In the spirit of collaboration, I am proud that the ADA is a sponsor of this Sweet 16 Cycle of the
Lessons in a Lunch Box: Healthy Teeth Essentials & Facts About Snacks® program, like many others both in organized dentistry and the dental industry. This program was created by Dr. Winifred J. Booker, and has been shared across the entire dental profession through The Children’s Oral Health Institute since being introduced in 2008. I am excited that the outreach of the Lessons in a Lunch Box initiative will continue to help advance oral health literacy among 2nd and 3rd graders around the country in 2024. If you’d like to learn about the program, or you have interest in registering an elementary school for the program, please visit The Children’s Oral Health Institute at
www.mycohi.org/lunchbox for more information.
Our journey ahead is one of growth, and I am excited about what is in store.
To build connections across our profession, the ADA is kicking off a membership recruitment contest starting January 1, 2024, where current ADA members can win a seven-day inter-island Hawaiian cruise for two, among other quarterly prizes, if you refer your friends and colleagues to join the ADA. Stay tuned for more information soon and start thinking of the lucky people you’d like to invite to the ADA family.
When it comes to communication, we’re looking forward to new ways of fostering dialogue among colleagues and with your ADA. This includes ongoing enhancements on the reimagined
ADA Member App and a stronger presence on our social media channels. But I find that the best way to communicate (and connect) is one on one. Please share your feedback, concerns, and ideas with me at
edgarl@ada.org.
There’s a lot to be energized about as we look ahead to 2024 and move the ADA and our profession into the future. Anything is possible when we remove the words "Can't" and "Impossible" from our vocabularies.
Thank you for your dedication, support, and entrusting me with the honor of serving as the ADA’s 160th President. I often like to say that there is a lion within me, ready to lead with you and protect our profession.
Let's amplify our impact, uplift each other, and make our voices roar.
In the spirit of the season, I extend my warmest wishes to you and your loved ones. May this joyous season bring happiness, health, renewed inspiration, and a transformative new year ahead.
Sincerely,
Linda J Edgar, DDS, MEd
President, American Dental Association