The ADA Seal of Acceptance may look a little different the next time you see it on a tube of toothpaste or one of the hundreds of other products that have earned it since the Seal program began in 1931.
The Seal’s appearance, the ADA logo accompanied by a paragraph laying out which product claims the ADA has accepted as scientifically valid, will have changed. The paragraph will be reduced to consumer friendly bullet points beginning this year.
“The idea behind the bullet points was to make it more clear and obvious to the consumer specifically which benefits of the product have met the ADA Seal of Acceptance requirements for safety and efficacy,” said Dr. John Dmytryk, chair of the Seal subcommittee of the ADA Council on Scientific Affairs.
The consumer dental products that earn the Seal will still have undergone ADA scrutiny, with extensive review of data from clinical and/or laboratory studies to ensure the company’s therapeutic claims are legitimate. But starting in 2017, the products that earn the Seal will be accepted according to updated requirements as set by the ADA Council on Scientific Affairs.
 Sealed by science: Examples here of the updated Seal show how the product claims that the ADA has accepted as scientifically valid will be shared with consumers. |
The council revised Seal requirements to be consistent with current ADA and American National Standards Institute-approved standards. The new requirements also help to ensure data submitted by companies reflects current scientific knowledge and study design, said Dr. Dmytryk.
“The overarching goal was for data submission requirements across all product categories to be consistent, valid and reflect current science,” said Dr. Dmytryk. “The revised requirements will enable manufacturers to achieve product acceptance in a more timely and efficient manner.”
The ADA’s Seal of Acceptance program launched in 1931, one year after the ADA adopted guidelines to evaluate dental products for safety and efficacy. In 1984, the Seal program earned commendation from President Ronald Reagan for “outstanding self-regulatory efforts.”
Today, consumers can choose from more than 200 over-the-counter dental products that have earned the Seal, including toothbrushes, toothpastes, mouth rinses, floss and other interdental cleaners, sugar free chewing gums and denture products.
article from the American Dental Association by Michelle Manchir
https://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2017-archive/march/take-a-peek-at-ada-seal-of-acceptance-in-2017
