The ADA has launched a new In District Lobby Day webpage designed to help dentists, dental students and dental schools strengthen relationships with federal lawmakers by inviting members of Congress to visit dental practices and campuses in their home districts. 

These online resources complement the Association's annual Lobby Day in Washington, D.C., offering year-round guidance for members interested in hosting lawmakers at dental practices and schools to advance oral health in their home districts. 

"When policymakers see firsthand how dental teams are trained and how care is delivered, the importance of oral health becomes real," the webpage states. "These in-office visits highlight the challenges you face, the innovations you're advancing, and the critical role dentistry plays in overall health helping drive smarter, more informed decisions in Congress." 

The new resource includes separate sections for hosting members of Congress at dental schools, dental practices, and at community events along with downloadable toolkits, sample invitation letters, a congressional calendar identifying district work periods, a recorded webinar and frequently asked questions. 

The Dental Office Visit Toolkit walks dentists through planning and hosting a successful congressional visit, from extending an invitation to following up afterward. It encourages participants to focus on personal experiences and examples from their own practices rather than relying heavily on scripted messages or formal data.. 

"Use your professional experience to help illustrate the importance of oral health and provide real-world examples of the challenges and successes patients and providers encounter," the toolkit reads. "Focus on your personal perspective and experiences rather than memorizing data and statistics. Your firsthand insights are often the most compelling part of the conversation." 

For dental schools, the webpage provides similar planning resources, including guidance on engaging students and coordinating with organizations such as the American Student Dental Association and the American Dental Education Association. It also offers recommendations for working with congressional staff, coordinating communications and determining advocacy topics with input from state dental associations and ADA Government Affairs staff. 

The dental office toolkit emphasizes that congressional visits are intended to build long-term relationships between dentists and lawmakers. 

Following a visit, the toolkit recommends thanking the member of Congress, providing any promised information, sharing photos with the lawmaker and ADA Government Affairs staff, and reporting the visit to the ADA Washington office and state and local dental societies. 

"You are not simply sharing your experience as a health care provider and small business owner; you are also helping shape the policies that affect your profession, your patients, and your practice," the toolkit states. 

For more information, visit ADA.org/advocacy/ada-lobby-day/in-district-lobby-day.