Dear AGD Members,

In October 2009, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) called for nominations for members to serve on two new study committees that would focus on the current status and the future of oral health services in the United States. The Academy of General Dentistry officially submitted the names of past presidents Vincent C. Mayher, DMD, MAGD, and Paula S. Jones, DDS, FAGD, to the IOM.

The IOM recently released the names of the provisional committee appointees; neither committee has a practicing dentist as a member. The only non-academic doctor is a pediatrician. The AGD has expressed disappointment with the selection of the provisional appointees and is gravely concerned that the proposed composition is an indication that the IOM has predetermined the outcome of these studies, particularly in regard to midlevel dental providers. (Read AGD’s comment to IOM)

There are only a few days left to submit feedback to the IOM on these provisional appointees. The IOM has an e-mail comment option; click on the links below to review the biographies of the proposed committee members and then scroll to the bottom to enter your feedback for each of the study committees:

Study on an Oral Health Initiative

Study on Oral Health Access to Services

It is critical that the IOM committees include the perspective of general dentists who have practiced dentistry. If any of the policy recommendations arising from these IOM committees are to be relevant to policymakers, they must reflect the realities of our nation’s oral health care delivery system.

Please tell the IOM to rethink its selection of appointees and to allow for discussion and debate, and not to merely release a predetermined opinion about midlevel dental providers.

We need your help to support the AGD’s voice for general dentistry! Thank you for your advocacy efforts.

Sincerely,

David F. Halpern, DMD, FAGD
AGD President