Two separate delegations from University of Maryland School of Dentistry (UMSOD) traveled to Washington, DC, on February 26 to participate in an advocacy day for their respective fields.
Abraham Schneider, DDS, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Oncology and Diagnostic Sciences visited the congressional offices of Maryland Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin to lobby for increasing appropriations for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and, in particular, the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR). Vivek Thumbigere-Math, BDS, PhD, assistant professor in the Division of Periodontics, accompanied Schneider on behalf of UMSOD. They were among 100 attendees, spanning 22 states, visiting on behalf of the American Association for Dental Research (AADR)’s Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill.
“We informed them that oral health is not just preventing caries or periodontal disease, but also linked to prevention of diabetes, heart disease, pancreatic cancer, and stroke,” says Schneider.
Schneider, who has actively participated in Advocacy Day in the past as member of the AADR Government Affairs Committee, believes this year is particularly important due to an impending 2020 report on oral health from the United States Surgeon General.
“The last time the Surgeon General commissioned a report was 2000. This year represents an important opportunity to highlight and keep raising awareness about oral health, as people have become more concerned and interested,” he says.
Oral, dental and craniofacial research is critical for studying the link between the opioid crisis effect and oral health, as well as other prominent conditions including oral cancer and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders, according to Schneider.
“Even regular tooth decay is an essential issue,” he says. “Many times an infection associated with dental caries impairs normal daily functions like eating and drinking.”
Several residents and faculty from Department of Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry visited Capitol Hill the same day to advocate on a variety of issues, from increased Medicaid funding to student loan restructuring, on behalf of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD).
In particular, representatives from UMSOD lobbied for laws requiring that Medicaid audits be performed by Pediatric dentists.
“It’s an issue in the Midwest, where audits are frequently performed by non-dentists,” says Jorden Virden, chief resident in the Division of Pediatric Dentistry. “A non-dentist might review the treatment plan created by a pediatric dentist and determine them to be unnecessary.”
In addition to lobbying for greater coverage for the underserved, the UMSOD delegation advocated for the implementation of interest-free loans for dental and medical residents, which will mitigate the debt-load for post-doctoral students looking to get additional education.
For Virden, the experience made her optimistic that direct advocacy could bring positive changes for the profession.
“A lot of representatives were open to what we had to say. You might think you can’t influence people, but you can speak out to the legislature and make a difference,” she said.
Drs. Abraham Schneider and Vivek Thumbigere-Math lobbied for dental research on Capitol Hill
Several residents and faculty from Department of Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry visited Capitol Hill the same day to advocate on a variety of issues, from increased Medicaid funding to student loan restructuring, on behalf of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD).
In particular, representatives from UMSOD lobbied for laws requiring that Medicaid audits be performed by Pediatric dentists.
“It’s an issue in the Midwest, where audits are frequently performed by non-dentists,” says Jorden Virden, chief resident in the Division of Pediatric Dentistry. “A non-dentist might review the treatment plan created by a pediatric dentist and determine them to be unnecessary.”
In addition to lobbying for greater coverage for the underserved, the UMSOD delegation advocated for the implementation of interest-free loans for dental and medical residents, which will mitigate the debt-load for post-doctoral students looking to get additional education.
For Virden, the experience made her optimistic that direct advocacy could bring positive changes for the profession.
“A lot of representatives were open to what we had to say. You might think you can’t influence people, but you can speak out to the legislature and make a difference,” she said.