Dr. Brett Kessler, D.D.S., concluded a turbulent year as the American Dental Association’s 161st president on Oct. 28 after overseeing major policy fights and internal reforms.
In the early hours of Oct. 24, Kessler ran to the Lincoln Memorial to watch the sun rise over the Washington Monument and reflect on Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1963 “I Have a Dream” speech. He told the ADA House of Delegates on Oct. 25 that such visits “recharge” and “inspire” him to be “a catalyst for positive change.”
A centerpiece of Kessler’s presidency was defending community water fluoridation. He argued that removing fluoridation would harm children and raise treatment costs, quoting his Journal of the American Medical Association Health Forum editorial: “We will see 25 million more children with caries, at a cost of nearly $10 billion in added treatment costs within five years.” He also testified before the Food and Drug Administration to protect fluoride supplements for families without fluoridated water.
Kessler said reconnecting oral health to overall health was his administration’s first pillar. The ADA emphasized community water fluoridation, infection control, public oral-health infrastructure and NIH research funding while defending the CDC Division of Oral Health.
The association faced internal challenges during his term, including the resignation of former executive director Raymond A. Cohlmia, D.D.S. Kessler said the ADA had to repair its association management system and shore up financial stability, noting that he stepped in to course-correct business operations early in his tenure.
“As your ADA president, I garnered both support and scrutiny,” Kessler said. He added that he ran “to drive the profession of dentistry forward” rather than manage day-to-day operations, but acted decisively when governance and finances faltered.
Wellness was the second pillar of his agenda. Citing his own recovery from addiction, Kessler described how community resources helped him choose sobriety 27 years ago. He pushed the ADA to expand free wellness resources for members, teams and students and to advocate for licensing and credentialing changes that treat clinicians in recovery more supportively.
“Several states have already shifted from punitive to supportive approaches,” he said, noting increased conversation and reduced stigma around clinician wellness.
Richard J. Rosato, D.M.D., is set to be installed as the ADA’s 162nd president on Oct. 27. Kessler leaves office having positioned the ADA to continue its advocacy on fluoridation, public oral health, clinician wellness and the broader connection between oral and systemic health.