ADA advocates for dental programs in appropriations request letter

The American Dental Association signed a joint coalition letter to the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies requesting consideration for programs vital to dentistry and oral health in fiscal year 2025 appropriations. 

In the conference letter addressed to the House and Senate chairs and ranking members of the subcommittee, the coalition outlined several priorities: the Centers for Disease Control Division of Oral Health, the Health Resources and Services Administration Title VII Oral Health Training Programs, Title VII Health Careers Opportunity Program, Ryan White Part F Dental and the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. It was signed by the ADA, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, the American Dental Education Association and the American Association for Dental, Oral and Craniofacial Research. 

For FY 2025, the coalition expressed support for no less than the House recommendation of $22,250,000 for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Division of Oral Health to “help strengthen the nation’s oral health infrastructure.”

The group applauded Congress for including funding for HRSA Title VII primary care dental training, noting the importance of these programs’ impact on medically underserved communities. For FY 2025, the letter encouraged no less than the House recommendation of $43,673,000, which includes an allocation of $13.5 million each for pediatric and general dentistry programs, and $15 million for state oral health workforce grants. 

Additionally, the letter requested $16 million in funding for the Health Resources and Service Administration’s Health Careers and Opportunity Program, citing the integral role pathway initiatives play in promoting diversity and supporting people from disadvantaged backgrounds in health professions. 

“Dental practice difficulties limit the number of patients dentists can see and this problem is especially acute in underserved areas, which underscores the need for pathway programs to ensure the future strength and diversity of our nation’s oral health workforce,” reads the letter.  

The coalition commented on the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, which is the nation’s largest federal program funded exclusively for low-income, under- or uninsured people living with HIV/AIDS. The Dental Reimbursement Program aims to reduce unmet dental needs in the HIV/AIDS population, but according to the letter, has not kept up with demand. For FY 2025, the coalition expressed support for no less than the Senate’s recommendation of $13,620,000 for the Dental Reimbursement Program. 

The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, which researches ways to improve dental, oral and craniofacial health for all, is one of 27 institutes and centers of the National Institutes of Health. The House Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies subcommittee has proposed to consolidate the National Institutes of Health’s 27 institutes and centers into 15 newly renamed centers — a move the coalition strongly opposes. 

The letter expressed support for no less than the Senate recommendation of $520,163,000 for the advancement of research at the NIDCR as a “separate and unique institute.”

“A restructuring of this scale would dilute the specialized focus that allows each IC to conduct targeted, effective research in its area of expertise, potentially leading to a loss of the deep specialization that drives progress in health research and, by extension, product innovations. Any broad structural changes to NIH must be evidence-based and informed by scientific expertise,” the letter reads, advocating for an open and transparent process that includes input from stakeholders. 

Follow all of the ADA’s advocacy efforts at ADA.org/Advocacy.