CHICAGO, June 6, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- "The ADA is pleased that Senator Sanders' bill recognizes that the barriers that impede too many Americans from attaining good oral health are numerous, and that addressing only one or a few of them will not appreciably improve what all agree is an unacceptable situation. The ADA has written to Sen. Sanders to express support for much of the bill and to offer suggestions intended to strengthen some provisions, but also to express the Association's continued opposition to expending precious federal dollars on unproven and, we believe, unnecessary programs to expand the use of so-called midlevel dental providers. 

"We hope that our few areas of disagreement do not obscure our welcoming Sen. Sanders to this fight.  His bill aims high, and that has long been needed.  We fully support his intent, to help extend good oral health to all Americans, and we applaud his leveraging his influence as a United States senator in pursuit of that goal."

Links:

• ADA letter to Sen. Sanders;
  

   

• ADA position papers on the roles of the dental workforce, the oral health safety net and financing oral health care in improving oral health disparities.

About the American Dental Association

The not-for-profit ADA is the nation's largest dental association, representing more than 157,000 dentist members. The premier source of oral health information, the ADA has advocated for the public's health and promoted the art and science of dentistry since 1859. The ADA's state-of-the-art research facilities develop and test dental products and materials that have advanced the practice of dentistry and made the patient experience more positive. The ADA Seal of Acceptance long has been a valuable and respected guide to consumer dental care products. The monthly The Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA) is the ADA's flagship publication and the best-read scientific journal in dentistry. For more information about the ADA, visit the Association's website at www.ada.org

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