ADA Becomes First Dental Organization to Join the Choosing Wisely Campaign
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
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
# # #
