President-Elect Trump Appoints Cabinet Nominees

As the White House prepares to transition from the Biden to Trump administration, President-Elect Donald Trump continues to select his cabinet nominees. All nominees will be subject to Senate approval after Inauguration Day, January 20. 

Health and Human Services: Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. 

Last month, President-Elect Donald Trump announced his nomination of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. as the head of the Department of Health and Human Services. The son of Attorney General Robert Kennedy and nephew of President John Kennedy, RFK Jr. has become a renowned environmental attorney and activist. Kennedy announced his intention to remove fluoride from all public water systems, in direct conflict with years of scientific research suggesting fluoride’s transformative improvement on public oral health. ASDA encourages the fluoridation of community water supplies at optimal levels, according to I-1 of its Current Statement of Position or Policy. 

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services: Dr. Mehmet Oz 

President-Elect Trump also named Dr. Mehmet Oz, star of the popular television program Dr. Oz and 2022 Republican candidate for Pennsylvania’s seat in the U.S. Senate, to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).  

Dr. Oz’s resume includes degrees from Harvard and Penn, as well as being an attending surgeon and later director of a complementary medicine program at New York–Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center, and teaching as a professor of surgery at Columbia University.

Department of Education: Linda McMahon 

Linda McMahon, Chair of the Center for the American Worker of the America First Policy Institute, was named as President-Elect Trump’s pick for Secretary of Education. McMahon served as the Administrator of the Small Business Administration during Trump’s first term and is the former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). McMahon currently co-chairs Trump’s transition team. 

ASDA will continue to monitor President-elect Trump’s nominees and the potential implications if nominees are confirmed.  

Surgeon General Report: Health Disparities Linked to Tobacco Use

A new report from U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, M.D., found that when it comes to reducing the number of smokers, progress has not been the same across all populations.  

The report finds that tobacco use is dependent on a number of demographic factors, including race and ethnicity, income, education, sexual orientation, occupation, geographic location, and behavioral health status. Public health campaigns, policies, and programs have collectively reduced smoking by over 70% since the 1960s, but have not been as effective among certain populations. Dr. Murthy identifies poverty as the overarching factor that contributes to slower reduction rates of tobacco use. 

Read more about the report from the ADA here. ASDA discourages the use of tobacco, as well as vaping products and other alternatives, as written in Section I-4 of its Current Statements of Position or Policy. 

Florida Surgeon General Opposes Fluoridation

Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo stated his recommendation against community water fluoridation in the state of Florida because of what he calls the “neuropsychiatric risk associated with fluoride exposure,” citing misleading research that suggests water fluoridation causes lower IQ. 

Fluoridation at the recommended levels- 0.7 parts per million- has been proven to help reduce tooth decay by 25% and is widely considered to be one of the most effective public health achievements of the 20th century. In its opposition statement, the ADA also notes that 65 out of the 67 Florida counties are considered to have an insufficient number of dental care providers. 

Nevada Board of Dental Examiners Adopts Regulations for Dental Therapists

At the beginning of November, the Board of Dental Examiners of Nevada adopted new regulations governing dental therapists. A 2019 law previously restricted dental therapists in Nevada from practicing in public health facilities or settings where over half of patients are underserved. 

The new policies require dental therapist applicants to pass a simulated clinical examination in dental therapy to obtain licensure and specify the procedures dental therapists are certified to perform both before and after authorized dental examinations. 

The Board also created a new definition of “direct supervision” as it applies to dental therapists who have not yet obtained enough clinical hours to practice independently. This new definition establishes requirements for documentation and requires the supervising dentist to perform a patient examination in person or virtually and instruct the dental therapist on how to treat the patient before the dental therapist performs any procedures or treatments. 

Read more of the new regulations here.