Regrouping and rebuilding: The ADA 2021-2022 Annual Report overview

This article was first published in the ADA's News Bulletin, February 2023.

Our lives, both personal and professional, are made up of a series of small, intimate moments and we don’t always have the time to step back and take in the wider scope of what we’re doing or what we’re involved in.

While annual reports may not immediately spring to mind as a way to make this happen, they provide you with a big picture of what your professional association is doing, shining a spotlight on the professional association to which you belong, while comprehensively outlining a whole range of activities it’s undertaking on your behalf and that of the profession as a whole.

The ADA’s current annual report, which covers the period from 1 July 2021 through to 30 June 2022, encompasses a period of ‘regrouping and rebuilding’ following the most disruptive years of the COVID pandemic (though clearly the first six months of the annual report’s timeline was marked by lockdowns and disruption). In the first half of 2022, the Australian dental profession was able to return to something approaching normal activity, a shift which was noted in the opening annual report remarks of ADA President, Dr Mark Hutton, who hailed the resumption of the core work of the ADA.

“This relatively clear air, which follows a turbulent couple of years for the dental profession, and society generally, has allowed the ADA to forge ahead on a range of key initiatives while it continues its work in advocacy, and the promotion of both oral health and the greater interests of the dental profession,” he said.

One of the key initiatives that Dr Hutton addressed was the launch of Peer which addressed in part the social dislocation of the pandemic and the loss of face-to-face contact it engendered by giving members a safe and secure online community in which they can connect, discuss, share and debate with fellow dentists. Its uptake has been significant by members across the boards and as it grows into a robust community of members, Dr Hutton expressed the hope that it would draw members closer and build further bonds within the profession.
 

BUT WHAT ELSE HAS THE ADA DONE IN A VERY BUSY YEAR?

Quite a bit, as it turns out.

Whether it was the release of the fourth edition of the ADA’s Guidelines for Infection Prevention and Control, or launching the Stop the Rot campaign in the lead up to the May Federal election, the ADA has worked hard to ensure members are well equipped, well informed and that their interests are protected and advanced wherever possible.

Some key achievements this year included:
 

ADVOCACY WINS FY21-22

The benefits of ADA membership were clearly shown during this year when ADA successfully managed to reverse a decision of the Therapeutic Goods Administration to amend the definition of a medical device that would have significant cost and regulatory implications for dentists. It was a good example of how the ‘power of the collective’ is critical in the lobbying process. Also, after 10 years of lobbying, the ADA successfully convinced the Commonwealth Government to recognise Oral Surgeons for the purpose of providing Medicare rebates for patients undergoing Cone Beam Computed Tomography. This process is a good example of how long advocacy can sometimes take to reach an outcome for our members but it also demonstrates the tenacity of our staff to the issues that are important to our members.
 

THE LAUNCH OF TEETH.ORG.AU

Launched by the ADA on World Cavity-Free Future Day (14 October 2021), Teeth.org.au is a consumer-facing website which provides oral health information to everyday Australians. Forming a key part of fulfilling one of the ADA’s three core objectives – “To encourage the improvement of the oral and general health of the public” – the site contains thoroughly researched, peer-reviewed information and resources in the form of written articles which give members use of a valuable patient resource which they can use with existing patients or to steer new people to their practice.
 

13TH EDITION OF THE SCHEDULE & GLOSSARY

The culmination of two years of hard work by the Schedule & Third-Party Committee, the 13th Edition of the Australian Schedule of Dental Services and Glossary was released in print with the May 2022 issue of the News Bulletin and via digital online, with an effective date of 1 July 2022. Including over 100 new, amended and deleted item numbers with which members and allied dental professionals needed to become familiar, the release of the Schedule was accompanied by an extensive promotion campaign that included a Peer-first approach.
 

ADA FDI 2021 WORLD DENTAL CONGRESS – SPECIAL EDITION

Along with a great many other events affected by the COVID pandemic, the ADA FDI 2021 World Dental Congress was forced to move to a virtual form becoming a live, on-demand event that featured more than 200 scientific sessions from dentists, dental academics and oral health experts from around the globe, with 2054 delegates in virtual attendance via an innovative new platform, all of whom enjoyed 150-plus hours of CPD, and 87 exhibitors, including ADA Branches and 13 sponsors encountering great interest across the board. Following the event, the world-class content was made available in an on-demand format, with high take- up, reflecting the excellent quality of the materials and its relevance to dental professionals around the world.

The following two pages outline a raft of highlights for the year, and we would encourage you to take some time to read them to get a snapshot of the work being done on your behalf. Beyond that, it is worth putting aside one or two moments to go through the entire annual report 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.