On Feb. 12, 2018, President Trump sent his second annual budget to Congress, outlining the Administration’s priorities for fiscal year (FY) 2019. To offer a complete picture of how the President’s budget would impact programs relating to oral health and dentistry, individual congressional justifications by agency are needed. At the time of this writing, not all of them have been made available. Based on existing information, however, the AGD can report that the White House budget proposal calls for the elimination of all funding for Oral Health Training Programs administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and cuts funding to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research by more than $105 million over current levels. Additionally, $17 million was requested for oral health programs administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a decrease of $1 million over current levels.

Impact on General Dentistry: The AGD is troubled by the potential impact the Administration’s proposed cuts could have on oral health access, research, and dental training programs. While the President’s budget is expected to undergo numerous changes, the AGD will continue to engage policymakers on Capitol Hill and in the federal agencies on the key role oral health plays in the overall health of both children and adults and on the importance of maintaining funding for programs that improve the status of our nation’s oral health.