The final group of wellness ambassadors completed their work in 2025. State and local dental societies are encouraged to use the best practices of the national program to develop their own programs to prioritize the mental and physical health of dental professionals, team members, and students.
Developing an ¸£Àû¼§ÊÓƵWellness Ambassador Program
State and local dental societies could use the ADA’s Getting Started Guide to develop their own program.
See steps on how to develop a wellness ambassador program at your state or local society.
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Download
Resource from the ¸£Àû¼§ÊÓƵand American Foundation for Suicide Prevention to help after a suicide.
Download
Summary of information shared by panelists at the ¸£Àû¼§ÊÓƵHealth and Well-Being Summit.
Download
¸£Àû¼§ÊÓƵNews article summarizing the ¸£Àû¼§ÊÓƵHealth and Well-Being Summit held Sept. 8, 2023.
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Article
Guest psychologist Dr. Diana Dill explains how to make your well-being a top priority.
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Podcast
Interview with Sheela Raja, Ph.D. about how to overcome trauma and improve wellness.
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Topic page
Karen Diane Foster, DDS writes about the ethics of an unexpected loss of a practitioner.
Article
- Dr. Maria Ambrosio – New Jersey (District 4)
- Dr. Katie Clark – District of Columbia (District 4)
- Dr. Sherry Gwin – Mississippi (District 5)
- Dr. Jarod Johnson – Iowa (District 10)
- Dr. Chris Kammer – Wisconsin (District 9)
- Dr. Shawn Kerby – Iowa (District 10)
- Dr. Mike Kurkowski – Minnesota (District 10)
- Dr. Blake Ridgway – South Dakota (District 10)
- Dr. Sharon Siegel – Florida (District 17)
- Dr. Katie Stuchlik – Texas (District 15)
- Dr. Rosabel Tobar – Connecticut (District 1)
- Dr. Mina Ghorbanifarajzadeh – Florida (District 17)
- Dr. Parul Dua Makkar – New York (District 2)
- LTC (Dr.) Demarcio Reed – Virginia (FDS/District 4)
- Sue Hadnot – Montana, Alliance of the ADA
- Dr. Pooja Gangwani – Pennsylvania (District 3)
- Dr. Stephanie Ganter – Texas (District 15)
- Dr. Britni Skoda – Ohio (District 7)
- Dr. Darshika Shah – Michigan (District 9)
- Dr. Catherine Murphy – Indiana (District 7)
- *Dr. Erick Block – not pictured, Massachusetts (District 1)
- Mrs. Anne Morrison – Nebraska (District 10) President, Alliance of the ADA 
- Dr. Cathy Hung – New Jersey (District 4)
- Dr. William Hamel III – Illinois (District 8)
- Dr. Amisha Singh – Colorado (District 14)
- Dr. David Lesansky – North Carolina (District 16)
- Dr. Julie Spaniel – Oregon (District 11)
- Dr. Joel Collins – Georgia (District 5)
- *Dr. Karen Foster – not pictured, Colorado (District 14)
Articles and Publications
(pages 9-10)
“The Ethics of the Unexpected Loss of a Practitioner” (JADA):
(LinkedIn)
¸£Àû¼§ÊÓƵ and State Dental Association CE Courses
Several wellness CE courses were offered or integrated into state society meetings or component society meetings.
¸£Àû¼§ÊÓƵ Dental Sound Bites Episodes
¸£Àû¼§ÊÓƵ Dental Sound Bites - The Power of Connection
¸£Àû¼§ÊÓƵDental Sound Bites episode Mental Wellness and Suicide in Dentistry
¸£Àû¼§ÊÓƵDental Sound Bites episode Let's Talk about Perfectionism and Mental Wellness
¸£Àû¼§ÊÓƵDental Sound Bites episode Sticky Office Situations
¸£Àû¼§ÊÓƵDental Sound Bites episode Imposter Syndrome
Ergonomics Resources
(YouTube)
¸£Àû¼§ÊÓƵErgonomic Stretches (PDF)
Licensure Reform Advocacy
New Wellness Committees at State Dental Associations
The District of Columbia, Florida, and New Jersey Dental Associations have all created a wellness committee or task force as part of their governance structure. The Minnesota Dental Association formed a Mental Wellness task force and created both a mission and vision statement to assist its direction and purpose.
Presentations
Many ¸£Àû¼§ÊÓƵWellness Ambassadors delivered health and well-being presentations to ASDA student chapters, and to specialty societies.
State Dental Association Wellness Website Resources
Substance Use Disorders (SUDs) Resource for Dental Professionals
Helping Dental Professionals Identify and Support Patients with Substance Use Disorders (PDF)
Suicide Postvention Toolkit – For Dental Organizations that Experience an Unanticipated Loss of a Practitioner
¸£Àû¼§ÊÓƵ After a Suicide Postvention Toolkit (PDF)