Reintroducing Oral Health Literacy in Congress
On February 14, 2023, Senators Ben Cardin (D-MD), Ray Luján (D-NM) and Susan Collins (R-ME), along with Representatives Tony Cárdenas (CA-29) and Gus Bilirakis (FL-12), reintroduced the bipartisan Oral Health Literacy and Awareness Act of 2023. This bill requires the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to conduct a public education campaign to increase oral health literacy and awareness, particularly among underserved communities. Specifically, the campaign must focus on increasing oral health literacy among children, pregnant women, parents, older adults, people with disabilities, and racial and ethnic minorities.
Impact on General Dentistry: The AGD has proudly endorsed this legislation. The AGD strongly believes that educating the public about the importance of maintaining good oral health should be a top concern — as oral disease left untreated can result in pain, disfigurement, loss of school and workdays, nutrition problems, expensive emergency room use for preventable dental conditions and even death.
Impact on General Dentistry: The AGD has proudly endorsed this legislation. The AGD strongly believes that educating the public about the importance of maintaining good oral health should be a top concern — as oral disease left untreated can result in pain, disfigurement, loss of school and workdays, nutrition problems, expensive emergency room use for preventable dental conditions and even death.