ADA Practice Management Resources

DID YOU KNOW?

The American Dental Association (ADA) offers a wealth of free and member- exclusive resources to help you strengthen your practice, support your team, and enhance patient care. Explore some of the most popular tools here:

  • Dental Staff: Access expert guidance on hiring, leadership, team building, and compliance to help you create and maintain a thriving dental team. Access online courses covering training, coding, workflow, and communication for you and your staff.
  • Patients: Discover proven strategies for attracting new patients, building loyalty, and improving the patient experience through effective communication and service excellence.
  • Policy Manuals: Learn how to develop a comprehensive office policy manual tailored to your practice’s operations, culture, and compliance requirements.
  • Risk Management: Find practical tools to help protect your practice from liability and reduce risk through proper documentation, communication, and patient management protocols.
  • Practice Management Guides: Explore ADA-published books and e-guides on topics such as operations, staffing, office design, and legal issues that are available for purchase or download through the ADA Store.
  • Student Loan Consolidation & Refinancing: Combine or refinance your student loans into one convenient payment, lock in potentially lower interest rates, and simplify your repayment plan through the ADA’s exclusive partnership with Laurel Road.
  • Dental Insurance and Medicare Support: Access comprehensive resources including webinars, guidebooks, and the free Third-Party Payer Concierge to navigate provider contracts, claim filing, credentialing, and in-office alternatives to traditional dental insurance and Medicare participation.
  • Marketing and Advertising: Discover ADA tools and guidance to help you attract new patients, strengthen retention, and promote your practice effectively while maintaining compliance with professional, state, and federal advertising regulations.
  • Practice Transition Roadmap: Access a free eBook that guides you through every stage of selling or transitioning your dental practice. Learn how to set goals, choose the right transition model, prepare financials, assemble your advisory team, and navigate negotiations for a smooth and successful sale.

PRACTICE MANAGEMENT UPDATES

New Virginia Pay Transparency Rules Take Effect July 1

Virginia dentists and other employers should be aware of new hiring-related requirements taking effect July 1, 2026, under Senate Bill 215, which amends the Virginia Wage Payment Act. The new law prohibits employers from asking job applicants about prior wages or compensation history. If an applicant voluntarily shares that information, it may only be used to verify the disclosure or support offering a higher wage, not to justify a lower one.

The law also requires all public and internal job postings to include a good-faith salary or wage range reflecting what the employer reasonably expects to offer for the position. General references to “competitive compensation” will no longer be sufficient. In addition, employers may not retaliate against applicants or employees for requesting wage information or exercising their rights under the law.

Violations may expose employers to legal action, including damages of $1,000 to $10,000 per violation, plus attorney fees and court costs. Employers have a 15-business-day opportunity to correct job posting violations after receiving notice, but that cure period does not apply to salary history or retaliation claims.

Virginia employers should review hiring applications, interview practices, job postings, and related policies before the law takes effect.

https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title40.1/chapter3/section40.1-28.7:9/

Digital Accessibility Compliance Deadline Extended

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced a deadline extension for practices that receive federal financial assistance to ensure websites and other digital resources are accessible for people with disabilities. The deadline was moved from May 2026  to May 2027.

According to the ADA, “The rule applies to any entity that receives federal financial assistance from HHS, either directly or indirectly. This includes dental practices and dental clinics affiliated with hospitals or health systems; dental schools and academic dental programs; Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program dental providers; community health centers with dental services; dental specialists; and dental researchers or companies receiving federal research funding.”

The ADA has published a Digital Accessibility Guide to help dental practices comply with the rule. The Guide applies to all patient-facing digital tools, including practice websites and mobile apps; patient portals; online intake, consent and medical history forms, and online payment and billing systems.

A one-page accessibility essentials tip sheet is also available for practices to download.