'This is why our work matters'
ADA President Linda J. Edgar, D.D.S., addresses ADA House of Delegates
Earlier this year, ADA President Linda J. Edgar, D.D.S., received a phone call from a third-year dental student who was being expelled.
“She was devastated and sounded like she might take her own life,” Dr. Edgar recalled with emotion Oct. 19 during her address to the ADA House of Delegates in New Orleans. “Right after her call, we connected her with one of our Wellness Ambassadors, and I made it a point to talk to her every day for two weeks — just to listen and to show her that I cared.”
Dr. Edgar shared her own struggles during her first year of dental school, where as an older student at 37 years old, she was also juggling an 11-year-old son, a long commute and being only one of 11 women in her class.
“What I’ve learned is that we all have those moments — moments when we feel out of place, when everything feels overwhelming and when we question whether we’re on the right path,” Dr. Edgar said. “I received an email from that same student a few weeks ago. She is reapplying to dental school and is much more positive about her future.”
Dr. Edgar, of Federal Way, Washington, detailed a year of transformation for the ADA, highlighting a list of accomplishments for the Association during her year as president, including:
•Launching the ADA Forsyth Institute, which merged the ADA Science & Research Institute and the Forsyth Institute.
•Holding the largest ADA Dentist and Student Lobby Day in Washington, D.C. More than 1,200 students and dentists advocated on Capitol Hill.
•Partnering with the Children’s Oral Health Institute by sponsoring 20,000 lunch boxes as part of the Lessons in a Lunchbox program, bringing oral health literacy and toothbrushing to life for second- and third-graders nationwide.
•Pushing for more transparency in premiums through dental loss ratio legislation and lobbying for ERISA reforms to stop insurers from ignoring state patient protection laws.
•Boosting the dental workforce and improving access to care by providing over $700,000 in grants and expanding the Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact to 10 states and counting, making it easier for dental professionals to serve where they’re needed most.
•Tackling student debt by advocating for legislative relief, and starting a task force to explore reducing dental school tuition.
Because of all of these examples of how the ADA “has your back,” Dr. Edgar encouraged House members to invite their nonmember colleagues to become ADA members.
“Our new dentists need to understand that the ADA protects their investments and freedoms to treat their patients as they want them to be treated,” Dr. Edgar said.
Dr. Edgar’s presidency will come to an end Oct. 22 when Brett Kessler, D.D.S., is installed as president. She said she plans to take a trip to Daytona Beach with her husband, son and daughter-in-law and grandchildren and spend more time with her dog, Kona.
“As I approach the end of this presidency and the later part of my life, I’ve come to realize, trophies and accomplishments are nice, but what really matters is making a difference and helping someone when they need you the most,” Dr. Edgar said. “This is why every one of us does what we do. This is why our work matters.”
