ADA to testify on national oral health policy

Washington鈥擳he Association will testify March 4 on access to care and “workforce capacity” as the National Academies’ Institute of Medicine launches a two-part study of national oral health policy.

“The objectives of this project mirror those that the ADA has been working on for decades,” says ADA testimony prepared for an IOM hearing on access to care. “Improving access to oral health services for underserved members of our society has been a primary goal of the ADA for many years.

“While the current dental delivery system serves most Americans well, we must work together to extend that system to the most vulnerable among us, who are at the greatest risk for developing oral disease. The ADA believes that the most effective ways to do this are to increase funding for the public health infrastructure and safety-net programs including Medicaid, increase community-based prevention programs and improve oral health literacy.”

Before the hearing, the committee will meet to discuss the panel membership. The Association has objected to a lack of private practice dentist representation.

The IOM access committee’s first meeting is scheduled for March 4-5 at the National Academy of Sciences Building, 2101 Constitution Ave. N.W., Washington, D.C. Advance registration is required. The IOM Web site says the committee will assess the current oral health system of care, explore its strengths, weaknesses and future challenges, describe a desired vision for the oral health care system and recommend strategies to achieve that vision.

A separate IOM ad hoc consensus committee will explore ways to increase public awareness of the relationship and importance of good oral health to good physical health, promote prevention and improve oral health literacy to health providers and the public, and recommend ways to improve access to oral health care www.iom.edu. The panel’s first meeting is set for March 31-April 1.