The Association for Dental Safety (ADS) has established a new nonprofit organization, the ADS Institute for Dental Safety and Science, following the April 1, 2025, closure of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division of Oral Health. According to the association, the new institute will assume the primary national role for developing, updating, and disseminating dental infection control guidelines and best practices.
The institute will be chaired by Eve Cuny, who has served for decades in dental safety leadership roles and is a longtime board member of the ADS Foundation. According to ADS, Cuny brings extensive experience across both public and private sectors in infection control and patient safety.
“We believe that everyone should be able to visit their oral healthcare provider without having to worry about getting sick in the process,” Cuny said. “It’s crucial that we meet this moment with resilience and ensure that providers maintain access to updated guidelines and tools based on evidence and the best available science for safe oral healthcare.”
For over 40 years, the organization now known as ADS has been active in the field of dental infection prevention and patient safety. Formerly called the Organization for Safety, Asepsis and Prevention (OSAP), the nonprofit has worked with agencies including the CDC and the American Dental Association to promote safe oral health practices through science-based standards. According to the association, its membership includes clinicians, researchers, educators, consultants, compliance directors, and policymakers.
According to ADS, its prior work has already influenced national dental safety standards and practices. In both Georgia and California, investigations found that children contracted serious systemic infections due to contaminated dental unit waterlines. These incidents led to hospitalizations and surgeries. In response, ADS issued a white paper with clear protocols for waterline treatment and testing. The CDC’s Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC) later referenced this document in its waterline guidance updates prior to HICPAC’s elimination in May 2025.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the American Dental Association invited ADS to provide webinars focused on respiratory protection for dental professionals. These expert-led webinars were viewed more than 150,000 times, according to the association, and served as a national resource during the early phases of the public health crisis.
According to ADS, one of the new institute’s first actions will be to convene an advisory committee to oversee the process of updating the Guidelines for Infection Control in Dental Health-Care Settings. These guidelines, which were last updated by the CDC in 2003, establish national industry standards for infection control in dentistry.
Future projects under consideration by the institute include the development of educational content, tools for risk assessment, training for state and local health agencies, expanded guidelines methodologies, and new position papers.
“Our commitment is clear,” said Michelle Lee, executive director of the Association for Dental Safety, during the group’s annual conference in June. “ADS will lead with purpose, integrity, and innovation — ensuring that dental professionals across the country and around the world have the trusted infection control guidance they need to keep their patients and teams safe. We're confident in our ability to deliver on this important work under Eve’s strong leadership, and we’re grateful for the support we've received as we take this next step for the future of our field.”
According to the association, leaders from more than 18 national organizations in dentistry and public health have expressed support for the new institute’s formation, its leadership, and its mission.
“Oral health is a cornerstone of overall well-being and a vital pillar in the health of our nation. Grounded in evidence and driven by a steadfast commitment to safety, the new ADS Institute for Dental Safety and Science will continue to support our profession's capacity to deliver safe, high-quality care to every community,” said ADA president Brett Kessler, DDS. “At a time when the importance of oral health has never been clearer, the American Dental Association congratulates ADS’s transformative step forward with its deep commitment to preserving a culture of safety in dentistry.”
“The Association for Dental Safety (ADS) is the nation’s biggest ally in promoting safe dental care,” said Nicole Johnson, MPH, former associate director in the CDC’s Division of Oral Health. “Without a doubt, ADS is the best choice to continue oversight of dental infection prevention and control guidelines, ensuring recommendations are current, scientifically sound, translated into lay terms and disseminated to those who need them on a daily basis.”
The ADS Institute will also invite national associations to participate in the advisory process as non-voting liaisons.
The ADS was originally founded in 1984 as OSAP and is the only dental membership association dedicated exclusively to infection prevention and safety in oral healthcare. The organization supports dental professionals by offering educational resources and working to translate laws, regulations, and scientific guidance into practical tools for everyday use in dental settings.
Cuny, chair of the newly formed institute, is professor emerita at the University of the Pacific, Dugoni School of Dentistry in San Francisco, California. Her career includes leadership in global infection control programs and service on multiple advisory bodies, including as a liaison to the CDC’s former Healthcare Infection Control and Prevention Advisory Committee and as a consultant to the ADA.
Additional information about the ADS Institute for Dental Safety and Science is available at www.myads.org.
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