The American Dental Association applauded Congress' inclusion of oral health initiatives in its Cures 2.0 Act and voiced its support for several others to be added.
The Cures 2.0 Act would expand medical research and patient access to new treatments. It was introduced Nov. 15 by Reps. Diana DeGette and Fred Upton.
In a March 17 letter, the ADA thanked the representatives for introducing the bill and for including oral health initiatives. However, it offered additional ways for the bill to incorporate oral health.
The dental agency urged lawmakers to include dentistry while developing a plan to prepare for the next pandemic. For example, the group wants dentists to be recognized as professionals able to administer vaccines.
Other recommendations include requiring oral healthcare training for caregivers, consultation with the ADA on the development of standards for electronic prescribing, and asking the CDC to include information on prophylactic antibiotics prior to dental procedures in a report on the medications, which the CDC is charged with releasing as part of the bill.