The Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) is pleased to announce that Congress passed
the Omnibus Appropriation Bill in late December 2022.  The bill appropriates $300,000 to fund the AGD-supported oral health awareness and education program currently being developed by HRSA (Health Resources and Services Administration).

As a leading advocate for this campaign, the AGD supported the legislation that passed the U.S. House of Representatives in 2021 with bipartisan support. The original legislation called for funding the oral health literacy campaign at a level of $750,000 per year for five years.

“The AGD is extremely pleased with the passing of the appropriation bill and the allocation of $300,000 toward Oral Health and Literacy Awareness,” said Hans Guter, DDS, FAGD, AGD President. “As the leading advocate for this campaign, we will continue to work toward the allocation for more dollars in an effort to increase resources for a more widespread and comprehensive oral health literacy awareness and educational program.”

The campaign aims to “identify oral health literacy strategies that are evidence-based and focused on oral health care prevention and education, including prevention of oral diseases 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 staff has been in contact with both the House and Senate sponsors who intend to reintroduce the bill in the current Congress.

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