Real achievement unlocked: The 2022-23 ADA Annual Report

It’s often noted that time flies and that has never seemed truer than over the twelve extremely busy and productive months covered by the 2022-23 ADA Annual Report. 

Taking in the financial year from 1 July 2022, through to 30 June 2023, the Annual Report, which might seem like dry reading, actually gives every member a vibrant snapshot of everything achieved by their Association in a challenging professional landscape. 

The ADA’s current annual report encompasses a period which the ADA President, Dr Stephen Liew at the time of the report’s publication, says witnessed “a return to something approaching business as usual … following the highly disruptive two-year period that marked the height of the COVID pandemic, and the [successive] year of rebuilding.”  

One of the key achievements of the year noted by Dr Liew was the ADA’s close involvement with the Senate Inquiry into the Provision of and Access to Dental Service in Australia initiated by Greens Senator Steele-John.  In addition to making a lengthy detailed submission on behalf of the profession, the ADA also encouraged members to share their personal experiences of delivering dental service in Australia. This major advocacy achievement, which culminated in December 2023 with the release of a final report incorporating many of the ADA’s recommendations, is proof positive of what can happen when the profession speaks as a powerful whole on matters directly affecting it. 

But what else has the ADA done in a very busy year? 

Quite a bit, as it turns out. Some key achievements this year included: 
 

LAUNCH OF MOB SMILES 
 

In response to the sobering fact that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and adults continue to have poorer oral health than non-Indigenous Australians, the ADA, beginning in 2021 but completing the work this year, developed a culturally appropriate oral health education resources known as Mob Smiles. , With the financial investment by the ADA and with the support of a dedicated working group of health and community members all of whom identified as First Nation, led by Ms. Kirrily Phillips, a proud Gumbaynggirr woman, and oral health therapist. The, a suite of oral health resources were developed consisting of posters, flyers and factsheets for various ages including toddlers, teenagers, pregnant women and the elderly, with an emphasis on caring for oral health and details on hygiene, diet and scheduling dental visits. The Mob Smiles resources were launched on World Oral Health Day on 20 March 2023, with the release following consumer input by people of Indigenous and non-Indigenous backgrounds. 
 

SELF-ASSESSMENT TOOL FOR INFECTION CONTROL  
 

The release of this key publication in December 2022 further added to the ADA’s range of infection control resources designed to assist them in fully complying with their regulatory obligations in this area. The practical Self-Assessment Tool, best used in conjunction with the ADA’s Guidelines for Infection Prevention and Control, was developed by the Infection Control Committee, to help dental practitioners identify issues around infection control within their practice. 
 

PEER 
 

The ADA’s online community was launched in October 2021 and almost immediately became a hit with members. Latest figures show that popularity continuing unabated with 7,751 members are now active users of Peer, generating up to 3,362 logins per day. The success of Peer, which has been promoted as a safe member-only community where people can connect, discuss, share and debate a range of professional and personal issues, continued this year, with the platform becoming the primary way members receive information on a number of ADA initiatives and campaigns and how they can access educational opportunities such as webinars. Peer is regularly promoted through a range of the ADA’s print and online channels to build awareness and many services for members such as HR, Schedule and Glossary and infection control are provided through the platform, negating the need for members to call or email. 
 

DENTAL HEALTH WEEK 2022 
 

The ADA’s oral health flagship event, held from 1-7 August 2022, focused on asking Australians to “love their teeth” by employing a range of measures such as brushing, flossing, visits to the dentist and health eating to improve their oral health. The event was assisted by a range of collateral created by the ADA and Colgate-Palmolive who gave away their Bright Smiles, Bright Futures oral health education kits to practices that applied, DHW involved a significant number of media appearances by ADA spokespeople such as then-President Dr Mark Hutton and the ADA’s Oral Health Coordinator Dr Mikaela Chinotti, an awareness campaign on social media, and community promotional efforts by all ADA Branches. The increase in media activity is particularly noteworthy with 527% increase year-on-year for radio stories and a 352% increase in other media such as print and TV, reflecting the increasing prominence of the ADA public commentary on oral health matters. 

The following two pages visually outline the highlights for the year, and we would encourage you to take some time to take in this snapshot of the work done on your behalf from 2022 into 2023. Beyond that, it is worth taking some time to go through the entire annual report at ada.org.au/resources/reports because this document, far from being a dry, legalistic document, gives you a vital and up-to-date look at your organisation and how it is working hard to make your professional lives better.