ADEA members take concerns about access and funding to Capitol Hill

American Dental Education Association (ADEA) members from 25 states visited more than 90 Congressional offices last month to educate members of Congress and their staff about issues affecting access to oral healthcare and funding for dental and craniofacial research.

These activities were part of the annual AADR-ADEA Advocacy Day, hosted jointly by the American Association for Dental Research (AADR) and the American Dental Education Association. The event was attended by more than 50 representatives from academic dental institutions, dental research groups, and patient advocate groups.

"AADR-ADEA Advocacy Day has become an effective way for dental institutions to have a voice on issues affecting dental education and demonstrate how the community is working to improve access to and delivery of oral healthcare in the United States," said ADEA President Charles N. Bertolami, D.D.S., D.Med.Sc. "No dental school can do on its own what ADEA can do for us collectively through events such as Advocacy Day."

Specific issues that members discussed with their representatives were the Deamonte Driver Dental Care Access Improvement Act of 2008, funding for the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, and legislation to prevent the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services from implementing several directives that would reduce funding and impede access to Medicaid and SCHIP.