Michigan and Oregon have signed and agreed to settlements allowing dentists with certain credentials from the American Academy of Implant Dentistry (AAID) and the American Board of Oral Implantology/Implant Dentistry (ABOI/ID) to advertise their expertise publicly.
The settlements were made in June, according to a July 13 press release from the AAID. The agreement applies to fellows and associate fellows of the AAID and diplomates of the ABOI/ID.
The settlement follows lawsuits that were filed in March 2020 and August 2021 by the AAID and several named dentists. In both instances, the AAID and fellow plaintiffs alleged that the states' dental boards violated the First Amendment's freedom of speech clause, the 14th Amendment's equal protection clause, and the 14th Amendment's due process clause.
As part of the Michigan settlement agreement, dentists are permitted to accurately advertise their qualifications using "the insignia, titles, letters, or phrases as granted to the individual by an authorized educational program or institution or professional organization or professional association for the purpose of identifying the individual as having completed or attained specific training."
Similarly, the Oregon settlement agreement states that executives of the Oregon Board of Dentistry and board members are not to enforce specialty advertising restrictions outlined in the Oregon Revised Statues 679.546 against the plaintiffs or members of AAID.
The AAID is currently engaging in similar activities in multiple other states and has successfully enacted changes in Texas, California, Florida, Iowa, and Indiana, according to an AAID press release. The association is also taking grassroots action to allow credentialed implant dentists to be recognized as specialists.
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