The American Dental Association has expressed its concerns with the directive by the Trump administration to pause certain federal assistance programs, according to a Jan. 29 news release from the ADA.
Here are five notes per the release for dentists:
1. The directive has created uncertainty surrounding programs for advancing oral health, education, research and care delivery.
2. ADA leaders said that federal funding from the National Institutes of Health, Health Resources and Services Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are important for the improvement of oral and dental health in the U.S. and that a pause could carry "grave risks."
3. Potentially impacted areas include the National Institutes of Health and National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research grants, which had more than $300 million in grants for projects at institutes in 2022, as well as Health Resources and Services Administration oral health programs, which received more than $18 million in grants in 2023.
4. The pause could also have an indirect impact on the dental industry, as funding for public health infrastructure, disaster relief for dental practices and workforce development programs are all affected.
5. A federal judge blocked the directive to freeze all federal aid through at least Feb. 3.