Dental Hygienists and ADHA Advocate for the Nation’s Oral Health on Capitol Hill

Chicago–March 28, 2006–More than 170 members and students of the American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) met on Capitol Hill March 21 to educate lawmakers about how dental hygienists save lives and to ask legislators to support the exploration of the Advanced Dental Hygiene Practitioner (ADHP)—a new mid-level oral health care provider who will address access to oral health care in underserved communities.

Last December, President Bush signed the Department of Health and Human Services fiscal year 2006 funding bill that was accompanied by a Senate Appropriations Committee report including language encouraging the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to explore the creation of the ADHP. ADHA is hopeful that lawmakers will write HRSA in support of this effort.

Similar to how the nurse practitioner was created, public need is the momentum behind the ADHP. Addressing the access to oral health care crisis in this country, particularly for rural or inner city residents, homebound or nursing home patients, the ADHP will provide traditional preventive dental hygiene services as well as basic restorative services. Dental hygienists are on the frontline of defense against oral disease as prevention specialists. Government research reveals that periodontal (gum) disease is a possible risk factor for numerous life-threatening diseases responsible for millions of deaths each year in the U.S. Dental hygienists save lives through this connection between oral health and systemic diseases.

“We were thrilled with the contribution of our members during Lobby Day. The personal interaction between dental hygienists and legislators raised the level of understanding about our role with the public’s health and conveyed the potential contribution we could make in increasing access to oral health care to so many unserved people in this country,” said Katie L. Dawson, RDH, BS, ADHA president. “Inclusion of this language in the Senate Appropriations Committee report is key to the success of the proposed ADHP concept. Since it is an exceedingly tight fiscal environment, we will not see HRSA action on the ADHP without significant congressional interest. The purpose of our legislative visits was to stimulate that interest. The bottom line is this is a tremendous victory for dental hygiene and the unserved Americans who will be directly impacted by the ADHP.”

Jill Harrelson, legislative correspondent from Sen. Jeff Bingaman’s (D-N.M.) office addressed the dental hygienists and students representing more than 30 states at a morning briefing hosted by ADHA. As the top two oral health advocates of the U.S. Congress, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Sen. Bingaman received awards from ADHA in appreciation for their commitment to improving the oral health of the countless underserved Americans.

Sen. Collins shared remarks during the closing reception in the afternoon. “I am encouraged to see grassroots dental hygienists and students advocating for the nation’s oral health—an estimated 25 million Americans who live in areas lacking dental services. While oral health has improved dramatically over the last 50 years, these improvements have not occurred evenly across all sectors of our population, particularly among low-income individuals and families,” said Sen. Collins. “I am honored to receive recognition from the American Dental Hygienists’ Association for my work to improve access to dental services, particularly in our nation’s rural and underserved communities.”

ADHA is the largest national organization representing the professional interests of the more than 120,000 dental hygienists across the country. Dental hygienists are preventive oral health professionals, licensed in dental hygiene, who provide educational, clinical and therapeutic services that support total health through the promotion of optimal oral health. For more information about ADHA, dental hygiene or the link between oral health and general health, visit ADHA at http://www.adha.org.

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