ADA urges dentists, dental students to lobby Congress on loan reform

The ADA is urging dentists and dental students to lobby the U.S. Congress on student loan reform.

The association has released a video that features dentists discussing the issue of student debt as well as sending an alert to its members. It is also calling on dentists and dental students to ask congressional representatives to support existing legislation that addresses the issue of student debt, including the following:

• HR 4631, the Protecting Our Students by Terminating Graduate Rates that Add to Debt Act
• HR 4122/S 3658, the Resident Education Deferred Interest Act
• HR 2160, the Student Loan Refinancing Act
• HR 1918, the Student Loan Refinancing and Recalculation Act
• HR 4726, the Student Loan Interest Deduction Act
• HR 7539/S 2874, the Indian Health Service Health Professions Tax Fairness Act
• HR 1285/S 449, the Dental Loan Repayment Assistance Act
• HR 2295, the HIV Epidemic Loan-Repayment Program Act

New dentists often start their careers with up to $300,000 in student debt, which can "impact a new dentist's future career choices such as pursuing an associateship or corporate career, pooling resources to purchase a dental practice, or practicing in underserved areas," the ADA said.

Dentists and dental students can contact their congressional representatives via the ADA's action center.