Senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT) held a press conference Thursday to announce the introduction of The Comprehensive Dental Reform Act of 2012. This piece of legislation, if passed, would build upon the numerous oral health provisions in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and aims to further improve access to and quality of oral health care for all Americans. The bill seeks to expand dental coverage to America's most vulnerable families by including comprehensive dental benefits in Medicare and Medicaid as well as the health benefits offered to VA beneficiaries, enhance access by providing funding to safety net clinics and programs, and address provider shortages by improving dental workforce and training efforts. CDHP founder Dr. Burton Edelstein spoke at Wednesday's event, noting the importance of legislative efforts such as this to ensure that oral health remains a national priority. For more information on The Comprehensive Dental Reform Act of 2012, please visit Senator Sanders' website.

As we move into the summer and you prepare your final summer vacation plans, CDHP would like to take this opportunity to update you on our recent work on improving the state of children's oral health.

In April, the Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors (ASTDD), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the American Association of Public Health Dentistry (AAPHD) held the 2012 National Oral Health Conference in Milwaukee. Among those presenting at the conference were five CDHP staff members, sharing their expertise on a variety of important issues ranging from oral health in federal legislation and tools that can be used to advance oral health policy initiatives to quality improvement strategies in oral health care.  

CDHP founder Dr. Burton Edelstein addressed oral health in health care reform, examining recent controversies and actions taken to address them. All CDHP presentations are available online here.  

The National Maternal and Child Oral Health Policy Center which is funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and housed at CDHP, recently released the fifth issue of TrendNotes, a publication aimed at focusing policymakers' attention on emerging trends in oral health. The May issue of TrendNotes focuses on the numerous efforts and opportunities to improve quality in the dental care delivery system with the goal of improving health outcomes of children and families. Download TrendNotes on the Policy Center website, here.

Founded in 1997, the Children's Dental Health Project is a national non-profit organization with the vision of achieving oral health for all children to ensure that they reach their full potential. Children's Dental Health Project (CDHP) designs and advances research-driven policies and innovative solutions by engaging a broad base of partners committed to children and oral health, including professionals, communities, policymakers and parents.