While I am pleased that the ADA (after 5 years of pushing them) has finally acknowledged what the science clearly has shown, this statement did not occur in a vacuum. Mark Lingen the oral pathologist/researcher who sits on the ADA science council is also a member of the OCF science advisory board, and a personal friend. He has been working with OCF to get the ADA off it's butt for more than two years related to this. The ADA is much like the Queen Mary..... you can't turn it on a dime, and the amount of effort to get it to change direction is significant. I guess the more important point in this, is now that they have finally acknowledged this, will any behaviors in their membership take place?

(Please note that my difficulty in working with the dental association/ADA has no reflection on the very enlightened dentist and major contributor to change in dentistry -our own Dr W, OCF friend and member, tireless OC advocate, and one of three dental professional OC survivors in the US)

http://oralcancernews.org/wp/2009/06/council-on-scientific-affairs-issues-statement/

Brian, stage 4 oral cancer survivor. OCF Founder and Director. The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant.