Advocates for dental education and research participated in the 2009 American Association for Dental Research-American Dental Education Association (AADR-ADEA) Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, this week, according to a press release.
Representatives from dental schools visited 36 members of Congress to advocate for universal coverage and access to oral healthcare in U.S. healthcare system reform.
AADR-ADEA advocates urged Congress to make needed investments in dental education to ensure a robust, diverse health professions workforce. They also urged congressional leaders to support a 10% increase in the fiscal 2010 budget for the National Institutes of Health and the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research.
"Grassroots advocacy by our members is an essential component of ADEA's legislative efforts," said Ronald Hunt, D.D.S., president of the ADEA. "Raising the profile on Capitol Hill of dental education and research while healthcare reform is a priority on the agenda of national lawmakers is key to improving access to oral healthcare."
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