The Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) has offered to develop solutions for better access to dental care in response to U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders' (I-VT) proposed Comprehensive Dental Reform Act of 2012.
Sanders introduced the new legislation on June 7.
The AGD commended Sanders for his efforts to develop a comprehensive approach to improving oral healthcare in the U.S., but opposed the legislation's inference that the existing oral health workforce and delivery system have failed to provide oral healthcare to the poor and underserved populations, according to an AGD press release.
The AGD and the ADA assert that oral healthcare should be performed only by licensed dentists or by providers who are directly supervised by dentists.
According to a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' report, illnesses related to oral health results in 6.1 million days of disabilities that require bed rest, 12.7 million days of restricted activity, and 20.5 million lost workdays each year, the AGD noted.
These numbers could be reduced significantly by addressing barriers that prevent patients from utilizing dental care services that are already available within their communities, including programs funded by the federal and state governments, the AGD said.
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