Over 75 people attended the Workman School of Dental Medicine’s first Advocacy Academy and Mock Lobby Day event in May. In preparation for the North Carolina State Lobby Day, students learned about key legislative issues impacting dentistry from a panel of students and leaders in organized dentistry. 

Storytelling is key to successful lobbying for all dental students. Participants engaged in mock lobbying breakout sessions to practice communication and build confidence before Lobby Day. 

This event was supported by ASDA’s Legislative Grassroots Network (LGN) Event Grant. Learn more here. 

Starting July 1, federal student loan interest rates are set to increase for the 2026-27 academic year. Direct Unsubsidized Loans will increase from 7.94% to 8.04%, and Grad PLUS Loans will go up from 8.94% to 9.07%. These higher interest rates will only apply to new loans taken out on or after July 1. With new student loans regulations going into effect July 1, students’ eligibility for these loans may vary. Read more from Newsweek.

In May, a Congressional Review Act (CRA) failed to advance in the Senate regarding Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) restrictions. CRAs allow Congress to block executive regulations and order an agency to propose new rules to implement a law or policy. The May 20 CRA sought to overturn a policy that would grant the Secretary of Education broad discretion in determining which non-profit or public service employers have programs with a “substantial illegal purpose.” Employees of these organizations would be ineligible for PSLF.

PSLF can be an important tool for dentists working in public service to repay their student loans. ASDA will continue to monitor and inform members of updates to PSLF eligibility decisions.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit overturned a lower court decision that would have required the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to more strictly regulate fluoride. The original case, decided in 2024, sided with a group of petitioners that alleged fluoride negatively affected cognitive ability. The appellate court opinion wrote that the lower court judgment had relied on an unpublished study of fluoride that was not presented as evidence in the case.

More than 80 years of research support fluoride as a safe and effective measure to prevent tooth decay. ASDA will continue to update members on legal challenges to fluoride regulations, including any potential appeals to this appellate decision.

DeForest, Wisconsin, will resume adding fluoride to its community water supply, reversing a 2025 decision to discontinue fluoridation. The DeForest Village Board had stopped the practice after citing articles that questioned fluoride’s safety, but faced significant public backlash from residents who said their input was not considered.

DeForest will apply for funding from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services to reinstate the equipment needed. Community advocates, presenting scientific research supporting the health and economic benefits of water fluoridation, were instrumental in the policy change.

On June 2, the New York Senate passed S.8283A, which would require all local governing bodies to give residents a 90-day notice before removing fluoride from their public water systems. A press release from State Senator Christopher J. Ryan, the bill’s sponsor, reiterated the effectiveness of fluoride in reducing tooth decay and its importance to overall public health, ranking it among the greatest public health initiatives of the 20th century according to the CDC.

The bill was also passed by the New York Assembly and has been sent to the governor’s desk for final approval.