‘Our responsibility goes beyond caring for our patients’
ADA President Brett Kessler, D.D.S., addresses House of Delegates
Wellness. Respect. Mouth/body connection.
ADA President Brett Kessler, D.D.S., was specific in his priorities for his presidency when he addressed the House of Delegates Oct. 22 in New Orleans. It’s the platform he campaigned on in 2023 and the torch he says he’ll carry into 2025.
Dr. Kessler has been open about his journey to sobriety, telling the House that as of Oct. 21, he’s been sober 9,496 days: 26 years. His focus on his own wellness has inspired him to share that passion with his patients and peers.
“As dentists, our responsibility goes beyond caring for our patients. We need to care for each other and, most importantly, we need to take care of ourselves,” Dr. Kessler said. “In sobriety, I learned about persistence, about resilience and how to focus on what’s important. I learned true gratitude and love. And learned my purpose. I am a catalyst for positive change in the world. And I align all my actions with this purpose. I do it in my recovery. I do it in my athletics. I do it as a dentist.”
Dr. Kessler also discussed the changing face of dentistry and how one of his goals is to foster a culture of respect among dentists. The workforce is not only younger and more diverse, but there are different practice modalities that should be embraced, he said.
“Our mission is deeply rooted in ensuring that every dentist succeeds, no matter their gender, age, ethnicity, career stage, sexual orientation or how they choose to practice,” Dr. Kessler said. “This commitment extends to every career path — from private practice and large-group settings, DSOs to education, public health and beyond — wherever quality care is delivered. Quality care exists across all practice modalities. Generalizations that suggest otherwise alienate our colleagues who work in diverse environments and make them feel excluded for their personal career choices. We need to stop it.”
More dentists are choosing to practice in large groups with different practice ownership models, making it that much more important for them to feel represented by their association, he said.
“Representation matters because it strengthens our profession, improves access to care and better reflects the diverse communities we serve,” Dr. Kessler said. “And if we're serious about tackling health disparities, we have to support all dentists and all pathways that lead to greater access. To truly achieve this, we must provide support so that every dentist can bring their full and best selves to the work they love and the patients they serve.”
To best serve those patients, it’s important to integrate oral health within primary care, with the ADA leading the charge, Dr. Kessler said.
“For too long, oral health has been treated as separate from overall health. But we all know that oral health is health, and it’s up to us to elevate it as such and redefine dentistry’s role in primary care,” Dr. Kessler said.
He discussed how over the past year, the ADA has ramped up its dental insurance reform efforts.
“As we see the expansion occurring in Medicare’s coverage of medically necessary dental care, and as we push for a comprehensive adult dental Medicaid benefit, we’re also driving reforms in the private benefits sector,” Dr. Kessler said. “To get there, we must rethink the outdated benefit models that no longer serve us. We need to champion a whole-health philosophy because dentistry isn’t just about teeth. It’s about the overall well-being of our patients.”
