AAE Supports Dental and Public Health Initiatives

The AAE signed on to comments filed Oct. 26 by the Organized Dentistry Coalition highlighting several dental health-related issues and public health initiatives it believes should be prioritized in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ 2018-22 strategic plan, which aims to “reform, strengthen and modernize the nation’s health care system.”

The AAE joined the American Dental Association, Academy of General Dentistry, American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, American Association of Orthodontists, and American College of Prosthodontists in recommending that HHS prioritize the use of Community Dental Health Coordinators to improve access to affordable dental care. The ODC also recommended the following actions:

• Enhance access by providing more incentives, such as additional National Health Service Corps loan repayments programs, tax credits for serving in underserved areas and improving the Medicaid program.
• Include reducing emergency room visits in its goals.
• Ensure underserved children and adults have access to affordable dental coverage.

In addition, the coalition also expressed its support for the ADA’s Action for Dental Health, a nationwide, community-based movement aimed at ending the nation’s dental health crisis.