Jul 30, 2025
How does the One Big Beautiful Bill affect dentists?
The ADA is outlining the budget reconciliation bill’s impacts on dentists through tax policy, student loans and state Medicaid provisions.
Jul 30, 2025
The ADA is outlining the budget reconciliation bill’s impacts on dentists through tax policy, student loans and state Medicaid provisions.
Jul 28, 2025
Five new documents are available for review and comment from the ADA Standards Program by Aug. 31.
Jul 25, 2025
The ADA is making it easier than ever to access and adopt its informatics standards.
Jul 25, 2025
Five new documents are available for review and comment from the ADA Standards Program by Aug. 31.
Jul 25, 2025
ADA News is providing a roundup of happenings in government you may have missed this week.
Jul 25, 2025
SmileCon 2025 will equip dentists and their teams with skills and strategies to thrive in an evolving industry.
Jul 25, 2025
The ADA filed an amicus brief in support of the EPA’s appeal of a court order directing it to further regulate community water fluoridation.
Jul 25, 2025
JADA’s impact factor has risen from 3.1 to 3.5. Impact factors are based on the number of times a journal’s articles are cited.
Jul 24, 2025
The FDA held a meeting to gather input on the clinical use and safety concerns associated with fluoride supplements.
Jul 24, 2025
ADA Member Advantage announced that BaseKamp Design is the newest addition to the endorsement program
Jul 23, 2025
The ADA urged the DEA to revise a rule requiring separate registrations for each location a practitioner prescribes controlled substances.
Jul 23, 2025
The ADA called for targeted reforms to ensure that seniors enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans receive meaningful access to dental care.
Jul 22, 2025
An ADA-supported bill introduced in Congress July 21 aims to strengthen the scientific basis behind federal water fluoridation guidelines.
Jul 18, 2025
ADA Forsyth Institute scientists describe how host cells potentially fight back against the common oral bacterium Fusobacterium nucleatum.
Jul 18, 2025
ADA News is providing a roundup of happenings in government that you may have missed this week.
Jul 17, 2025
The ADA submitted formal recommendations to DHHS in response to its request for information on reducing regulatory burdens in health care.
Jul 16, 2025
The new HPI report, “The State of the U.S. Dental Economy — Q2 2025,” reveals a noticeable decline in dentists’ economic confidence.
Jul 16, 2025
The ADA is expressing support for a proposed rule by the FDA that would require front-of-package nutrition labeling on prepackaged foods.
Jul 16, 2025
This ADA News series shares fun facts about U.S. dental schools.
Jul 16, 2025
ADA leaders are urging lawmakers to reauthorize and invest in federal dental workforce programs.
In light of Governor JB Pritzker’s press conference this morning, and subsequent Executive Order, announcing changes to vaccination requirements and face coverings, we wish to keep members apprised of how this impacts the profession of dentistry in Illinois.
In short, the intent of the Governor’s Executive Order, which carries the force of law, appears to be a mandate for all Health Care Workers to be fully vaccinated with the COVID-19 vaccine. Dental offices and the significant majority of personnel (for example: owners, employees, associates) will meet the definition of a Health Care Worker under this Executive Order.
More detailed information:
Health Care Worker Vaccinations (see definition at bottom)
All Health Care Workers must have the first dose of a two-dose COVID-19 vaccine series (for example: Moderna or Pfizer) or a single dose COVID-19 vaccine (for example: Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen) within 10 days of August 26th and then fully vaccinated against COVID-19 within 30 days following administration of the first dose in a two-dose vaccination series. This means the first dose must be received before September 6th and the second dose before October 6th (of a two-dose COVID-19 vaccine series).
Proof of Vaccination: Health Care Workers must provide proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 to the Health Care Facility (this specifically includes dental offices). In terms of a dental office, this would generally mean providing proof to the employer.
Such proof may include:
Testing for COVID-19 (until fully vaccinated)
Health Care Workers who are not yet fully vaccinated against COVID-19 must be tested for COVID-19 weekly, at a minimum. The Health Care Facility (for example: employer) must obtain proof or confirmation from the Health Care Worker of a negative test result until the individual is fully vaccinated by the dates listed above. No-cost testing is available at local health centers and select pharmacies, please click here to locate such a testing site.
Health Care Facilities (again, which include dental offices) shall exclude Health Care Workers who are not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 from the premises unless they comply with the testing requirements in the interim period.
Exemption: Individuals are exempt from the requirement to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 if they demonstrate they are exempt due to:
Individuals with a medical or religious exemption shall undergo, at a minimum, weekly testing for COVID-19 and provide proof of negative test result to the Health Care Facility.
Face Coverings
Face covering rules will not have changed for dental practices – all individuals entering or working within dental practices are still required to continue wearing a face covering.
Abbreviated Definitions from Executive Order 2021-20 (Executive Order 2021-20):
Health Care Workers – employed by, volunteers for, or is contracted to provide services for a Health Care Facility, or is employed by an entity that is contracted to provide services to a Health Care Facility AND is in close contact (fewer than 6 feet) with others persons in the facility for more than 15 minutes at least once a week on a regular basis as determined by the Health Care Facility.
Term Health Care Worker does not include any person who is present at the Health Care Facility for only a short period of time and whose moments of close physical proximity to others on site (for example: deliveries).
Health Care Facility – any institution, building, or agency, or portion of an institution, building, or agency, whether public or private (for-profit or nonprofit), that is used, operated or designed to provide health services, medical treatment or nursing, or rehabilitative or preventative care to any person or persons. This specifically includes dental offices. Please reference the attached Executive Order under Section 2, a. ii for the full listing of health care facilities.
Fully vaccinated against COVID-19 – an individual is fully vaccinated against COVID-19 two weeks after receiving the second dose in a two-dose series of a COVID-19 vaccine authorized for emergency use, licensed, or otherwise approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), or two weeks after receiving a single-dose COVID-19 vaccine authorized for emergency use, licensed, or otherwise approved by the FDA.