Brett Kessler, D.D.S., addresses House of Delegates

Brett Kessler, D.D.S., spent the early hours of Oct. 24 on a run to the Lincoln Memorial to watch the sun rise over the Washington Monument.

He took time to think about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream Speech,” which he gave from the Lincoln Memorial in 1963.

“Every visit recharges me and inspires me. It inspires me to be courageous. To stand for what I believe in and to live in my why, which is to be a catalyst for positive change in this world,” Dr. Kessler told the ADA House of Delegates Oct 25 during his presidential address. “This year, I needed that reminder time and time again. It was a year of constant challenges, which forced me to grow. I was humbled, stretched and inspired in ways I could never have predicted.”

Dr. Kessler concludes his term as the ADA’s 161st president on Oct. 28 after overseeing a year of unprecedented challenges. ADA leaders faced a new U.S. presidential administration and questions over the safety and effectiveness of fluoride, among other attacks on health care and science.

“We underscored the importance of community water fluoridation, infection control, public oral health infrastructure and NIH research funding. We fought to protect the mission of the CDC Division of Oral Health,” Dr. Kessler said. “Our message was clear: oral health is health. That was the first pillar of my presidency — reconnecting the mouth to the body.”

Emphasizing the importance of fluoride and community water fluoridation was a main focus of Dr. Kessler’s presidency. He wrote an editorial in the Journal of the American Medical Association Health Forum, highlighting the concerning costs of eliminating community water fluoridation. He testified before the Food and Drug Administration to keep fluoride supplements available for families without fluoridated water.

“‘We will see 25 million more children with caries, at a cost of nearly $10 billion in added treatment costs within five years,’” Dr. Kessler quoted from the editorial. “The science is clear: remove fluoridation, and people suffer — especially our children. At times, it felt like my presidency was to be defined by this fight. And as a dentist and a dad of four, I knew the fight was worth it. We had to stand up for science — one of our core values.”

The Association had its own challenges: the resignation of former executive director Raymond A. Cohlmia, D.D.S., repairing its association management system and ensuring the financial stability of the ADA.

“As your ADA president, I garnered both support and scrutiny from my peers.

 I didn’t run for this position to manage the day-to-day business operations of the ADA.

I ran for office to drive the profession of dentistry forward,” Dr. Kessler said. “When we saw that the business operations were not heading in a good direction, we course corrected three months into my term. Being a changemaker is hard because change is hard.”

Dr. Kessler detailed his road to sobriety, something he’s been very open about during his term.

“Twenty-seven years ago, I was at rock bottom in my addiction. I didn’t know if I wanted to live, let alone be a dentist,” Dr. Kessler said. “But through the gift of grace, I chose sobriety. And it was this community — through the resources and support of the tripartite — that set me on a path to recovery.”

Dr. Kessler’s previous struggles led him to focus on wellness, another pillar of his presidency. He expressed his gratitude for the resources that were available to him during his time of need and a desire for others to have the same support.

“This year we changed the narrative and culture around clinician wellness. We elevated our wellness resources to members, dental teams, and students at no cost. We worked to change licensing and credentialing, so individuals in recovery — or those who have suffered other mental or physical health challenges — don’t face unfair barriers,” Dr. Kessler said. “Several states have already shifted from punitive to supportive approaches — and I want to thank those states. Because I'm seeing a shift. We are having More conversations around wellness. And I am seeing more colleagues supporting each other. The stigma is beginning to lift.”

Richard J. Rosato, D.M.D., will be installed as the ADA’s 162nd president on Oct. 27.