By Kelsi Matylewicz/ Benco Dental Social Media Intern

And according to the ADA, in 2010, more than 2.1 million people had to visit the emergency room due to unaddressed dental pain.

In order to address these concerns, The American Dental Association is focused on the Action for Dental Health (ADH) Campaign.

This bill supports two federal grant programs:

The first grant would help fund programs where dentists can directly provide care to those who are suffering from lack of dental care today (Give Kids A Smile® and Missions of Mercy).

• These programs, along with the free and discounted care that individual dentists provide every day, add up to an estimated $2.6 billion per year.

The second grant would fund “Action for Dental Health” initiatives designed to deliver care to people already suffering with dental disease. It also aims to bring dental health education and disease prevention into under-served communities.

• Reduce the number of people who visit the emergency room for a dental condition
• Expand access to care for the vulnerable elderly in nursing homes.
• Fight for increased funding and simplified administration under Medicaid
• Ensure more Americans have access to fluoridated drinking water.
• Increase the number of Community Dental Health Coordinators.

The ADH Campaign is a community-based approach that aims to:

• Provide care now to people who suffer from untreated dental disease
• Strengthen and expand the public/private safety net
• Bring disease prevention and education into communities

The ADA states: “To support this effort, we are asking members of Congress to cosponsor the Action for Dental Health Act, H.R. 539. This legislation supports key initiatives of the ADH Campaign that will both reduce barriers to care and address the dental health crisis in America.”

To learn more: https://www.ada.org/en/public-programs/action-for-dental-health/action-for-dental-health-bill-hr-4395