ADA sends funding request letter for fiscal year 2026
Addresses oral health programs, training
The ADA is signing onto a March 26 coalition letter requesting that Congress support dental and oral health-related programs in Fiscal Year 2026. The coalition calls for support of various oral health programs and training within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division of Oral Health, Health Resources and Services Administration, and the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research.
The coalition also consists of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, the American Dental Education Association and the American Association for Dental, Oral and Craniofacial Research. In the letter, the group said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division of Oral Health supports states and territorial health programs, oral disease surveillance, school-based preventative care, medical-dental integration, infection prevention and control guidelines for dental settings and workforce training in public health.
“Its significance investment in oral health infrastructure has helped to reduce the incidence of oral disease in underserved communities,” the group said.
The Health Resources and Services Administration Title VII programs that provide training in general, pediatric and public health dentistry and dental hygiene play a vital role in delivering primary oral health care services, according to the letter. Through advanced training opportunities, the coalition said, these programs equip the dental workforce to address the evolving health care needs of the nation while increasing access to care in remote or underserved communities.
Additionally, the coalition expressed support for the existing structure of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research’s National Institutes of Health, which currently has 27 institutes and centers that are each able to conduct targeted, focused research in its area of expertise. The institute is currently considering consolidating the institutes and centers.
“It is vital that the NIDCR remain an independent entity that is improving oral and overall health and eradicating oral diseases. While we welcome the opportunity to discuss the responsible stewardship of federal research funds, advancing cost-cutting measures in isolation, such as imposing arbitrarily determined caps on facilities and administrative (indirect) costs, threatens scientific progress and endangers America’s global leadership in [research and development,” the group said.
