ADA applauds health care workforce bill, highlights importance of accreditation
ADA leaders have voiced support for a newly introduced bill that aims to strengthen the health care pipeline — including dentistry — through new federal grant programs.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., introduced the bill, Health Care Workforce Expansion Act of 2025, S.2954. In an Oct. 10 letter to Sen. Sanders, ADA President Brett Kessler, D.D.S., and Interim Executive Director Elizabeth Shapiro, D.D.S., J.D., emphasized the legislation’s potential to address persistent dental workforce shortages, especially in underserved areas.
A recent study by the ADA Health Policy Institute highlighted a widening rural-urban divide in access to dental care, with rural areas seeing only 32.7 dentists per 100,000 people compared to 64.7 per 100,000 in urban areas.
Drs. Kessler and Shapiro also pointed to ongoing difficulties in hiring dental hygienists. According to HPI’s most recent quarterly data, 91.7% of practices seeking hygienists found the process “very” or “extremely” challenging, which is an issue that has persisted for years.
“We are committed to working with you to ensure that Americans of all socioeconomic backgrounds can freely choose dentistry as a profession without the cost of education being prohibitive,” they wrote. “While we believe that this legislation will make a real difference, we welcome the opportunity to collaborate with your office to further strengthen its impact and advance our shared goals.”
While applauding the bill, Drs. Kessler and Shapiro urged two key refinements. First, they recommended that dental and dental hygiene programs be explicitly accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation, the only U.S. Department of Education-recognized accrediting body for dental education. This follows recent efforts by six states to form a separate, unrecognized accrediting agency.
Second, they proposed that the bill use the health professional shortage area designation, rather than just “rural,” to define underserved areas. The dentists said this designation is a broader and federally recognized standard that better serves diverse patient populations.
“We applaud your leadership and commitment to improving the dental workforce through this legislation and look forward to continuing to work with your office as it advances to ensure the programs most effectively strengthen the dental workforce,” the letter concluded.
