Advocacy in Action, Milestones in Motion: AAE Kicks Off 2025 with Purpose
Happy New Year, AAE! As we step into 2025, it’s already shaping up to be an action-packed year for endodontics. Just one week into the new year, we’re facing key challenges and celebrating major milestones.
The new year started off with a bang on the AAE advocacy front. AAE members and staff have been actively engaged in developments in Ohio, where the Ohio State Dental Board proposed revisions to specialty advertising laws that would allow virtually any organization to designate dentists as “specialists”. If enacted, this proposed rule would jeopardize patient safety, compromise public trust, and set a dangerous precedent for other states.
The AAE swiftly opposed the proposal with a multipronged approach, and has been leading a coalition of national dental specialty organizations against the measure. We authored written testimony opposing the legislation and rallied 8 national dental specialty organizations to sign-on ahead of a tight January 2 deadline. We are proud that 71 AAE and Ohio Association of Endodontists members signed a separate AAE letter of opposition to the Board. In addition, our advocacy staff have conducted meetings with the Governor’s office and will attend an upcoming meeting to testify against and provide an alternative solution to the proposed advertising laws.
We’re fortunate to have the Ohio Association of Endodontists and the Ohio Dental Association as partners in opposition, with Ohio endodontists like Drs. Philip Jensen, Steven Katz, Steven Klayman, Ben Kushnir, Christopher Space, and Najia Usman playing instrumental roles in our advocacy efforts.
Since this proposal would allow a dentist to advertise as a specialist after as little as a weekend or online course, it would have grave impact for endodontists and the public. Stay tuned for developments in this ongoing advocacy initiative.
On a celebratory note, we are thrilled to mark the 50th anniversary of the Journal of Endodontics! The inaugural issue of the JOE was published in January 1975 under the leadership of Editor Dr. Worth B. Gregory.
To commemorate this milestone, look for a special insert with your January JOE. It features a Q&A with longtime Editor Dr. Ken Hargreaves, prolific author Dr. Ove Peters, and Editorial Board members Drs. Linda Levin, Ariadne Letra, and Anita Aminoshariae. These insightful interviews offer various perspectives of the evolution and future of the JOE.
The celebration doesn’t end there – we’ll continue to honor the golden anniversary at AAE25 during the Scientific Advisory Board & JOE Award ceremony. We also invite you to peruse AAE’s robust digital archive of early JOE issues, found via the AAE website or jendodon.com. Whether researching a specific topic or indulging your history buff curiosities, the archive is a treasured resource for endodontic clinicians and scientists.
As we reflect on 50 years of JOE, consider how far we have come as a specialty. We have faced challenges, persevered, and flourished. Looking ahead to 2025, we will continue to face challenges – such as the ongoing events in Ohio – but we will endure and thrive. Cheers to an incredible 50 years and to the next 50!
I wish you a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2025!