Oral Health Literacy and Awareness Act passes House

Washington - The Oral Health Literacy and Awareness Act of 2021 passed the House of Representatives on Dec. 8.

The ADA and Organized Dentistry Coalition supported this legislation, which authorizes the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration to develop and test evidence-based oral health literacy strategies to provide oral disease prevention education through a five-year oral health literacy campaign.

"As dentists, we believe oral health literacy is the foundation of a lifetime of wellness," the groups wrote in an October 2021 letter. "Most oral health ailments can be avoided by increasing oral health literacy among all populations, with an emphasis on children toensure they develop and maintain healthy habits into adulthood. Additionally, oral health literacy must be a cornerstone of improving the utilization of care by underserved populations."

The bill now moves to the Senate for consideration.

Follow all of the ADA's advocacy efforts at ADA.org/advocacy .