On Friday, Dec. 23, 2022, the U.S. Congress passed the Omnibus Appropriation Bill. Included in the Omnibus was an appropriation of $300,000 to fund the oral health awareness and education campaign that is being developed by Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). AGD is a leading advocate for this campaign.

An AGD-backed bill to fund the oral health literacy campaign at a level of $750,000 for five years passed the House of Representatives in a bipartisan vote last year and was introduced in the Senate in November. 

The aim of the campaign is to “identify oral health literacy strategies that are evidence-based and focused on oral health care prevention and education, including prevention of oral disease such as early childhood and other caries, periodontal disease, and oral cancer.” The campaign will “communicate directly with specific populations, including children, pregnant women, parents, the elderly, individuals with disabilities, and ethnic and racial minority populations, including Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians, in a culturally- and linguistically-appropriate manner.”

This funding will allow HRSA to continue the development of the oral health literacy campaign and increases the momentum for the campaign in Washington, D.C. AGD will continue to advocate for the full five-year appropriation for the oral health literacy campaign in the new Congress.

AGD is proud to be an advocate for a campaign to educate the public on the importance of oral health.