[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 123 (Monday, October 4, 2004)]
[House]
[Pages H7974-H7976]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




CONGRATULATING AMERICAN DENTAL ASSOCIATION FOR SPONSORING SECOND ANNUAL 
                     ``GIVE KIDS A SMILE'' PROGRAM

  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the resolution (H. Res. 567) congratulating the American Dental 
Association for sponsoring the second annual ``Give Kids a Smile'' 
program which emphasizes the need to improve access to dental care for 
children, and thanking dentists for volunteering their time to help 
provided needed dental care.

[[Page H7975]]

  The Clerk read as follows:

                              H. Res. 567

       Whereas access to dental care for children is a vital 
     element of overall health care and development;
       Whereas dental caries--more commonly known as tooth decay--
     is the most common chronic childhood disease;
       Whereas untreated tooth decay in children results in 
     thousands of children experiencing poor eating and sleeping 
     patterns, suffering decreased attention spans at school, and 
     being unable to smile;
       Whereas due to a confluence of factors, children eligible 
     for Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance 
     Program are three to five times more likely than other 
     children to experience and suffer from untreated tooth decay;
       Whereas dentists provide an estimated $1.7 billion annually 
     in non-reimbursed dental care;
       Whereas the participation of dentists in the second annual 
     ``Give Kids a Smile'' program, established and sponsored by 
     the American Dental Association and held this year on 
     February 6, 2004, serves to remind people in the United 
     States about the need to end untreated childhood dental 
     disease;
       Whereas the generous support of numerous corporations, such 
     as Crest Healthy Smiles 2010, Sullivan-Schein Dental, DEXIS 
     Digital X-ray Systems, and Ivoclar Vivadent Inc., helped make 
     this year's ``Give Kids a Smile'' program a success; and
       Whereas more than 37,000 volunteers, including more than 
     15,000 dentists, provided free education, screening, and care 
     services to an estimated one million children at more than 
     2,500 sites in all 50 States and the District of Columbia 
     during this year's ``Give Kids a Smile'' program: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) congratulates the American Dental Association for 
     establishing and continuing its sponsorship of the ``Give 
     Kids a Smile'' program;
       (2) emphasizes the need to improve access to dental care 
     for children;
       (3) thanks the thousands of dentists, dental hygienists, 
     dental assistants, and others who volunteered their time to 
     bring a smile to the faces of an estimated one million 
     children as part of the ``Give Kids a Smile'' program; and
       (4) thanks Crest Healthy Smiles 2010, Sullivan-Schein 
     Dental, DEXIS Digital X-ray Systems, and Ivoclar Vivadent 
     Inc. for their generous support which helped make this year's 
     ``Give Kids a Smile'' program a success.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Bilirakis) and the gentlewoman from the Virgin Islands 
(Mrs. Christensen) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis).


                             General Leave

  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their 
remarks on this legislation and to insert extraneous material on the 
bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Florida?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I rise today in support of H. Res. 567, introduced by the 
distinguished gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Cantor). The resolution 
congratulates the American Dental Association for establishing the 
``Give Kids a Smile'' program and thanks the thousands of dentists who 
volunteered their time to treat an estimated 1 million children on 
February 21 of last year, 2003.
  Giving children access to dental care is crucial. Dental decay is one 
of the most common chronic infectious diseases among U.S. children. 
This preventable health problem begins early, and among low-income 
children, almost 50 percent of tooth decay remains untreated and may 
result in pain, dysfunction, underweight and poor appearance, problems 
that can greatly reduce a child's capacity to succeed in the 
educational environment.
  The ``Give Kids a Smile'' program provides a much-needed service to 
our community by emphasizing the need to improve access to dental care 
for children. The program began in 2002 by a group of dentists in the 
Greater St. Louis Dental Society. Since then the program has grown, and 
in 2004 events took place at approximately 2,500 locations across the 
Nation, with about 36,000 dental team volunteers, including over 14,000 
dentists, to provide free services to underserved children. The ADA has 
been crucial in implementing and expanding this program, and they 
deserve to be commended for their efforts.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this piece of 
legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  (Mrs. CHRISTENSEN asked and was given permission to revise and extend 
her remarks.)
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution 
which congratulates the American Dental Association for sponsoring the 
``Give Kids a Smile'' program.
  I want to say that the participation of dentists in the second annual 
``Give Kids a Smile'' program, which was established and sponsored by 
them, the American Dental Association, and held this year on February 
6, 2004, serves as a reminder to people in the United States about the 
need to end untreated childhood dental disease and, in doing so, also 
prevent adult dental disease.
  This activity was participated in by more than 37,000 volunteers, 
including more than 15,000 dentists who provided free education, 
screening and care services to an estimated 1 million children. We want 
to thank the American Dental Association for doing this and thank the 
National Dental Association for their support.
  This bill was favorably reported by the Committee on Energy and 
Commerce last week by a voice vote.
  Mr. BURTON of Indiana. Mr. Speaker, while I support the goals of the 
``Give Kids a Smile'' program, and I commend the American Dental 
Association for establishing and continuing its sponsorship of the 
``Give Kids a Smile'' program, and thank the thousands of dentists, 
dental hygienists, dental assistants, and others who volunteered their 
time to this program, I remain deeply concerned about the dental 
profession's continued reliance on mercury-containing dental amalgams.
  The amalgam fillings the American Dental Association so wrongly calls 
``silver'' are mainly mercury, not silver at all. Mercury is the single 
largest ingredient in each filling, representing about 45 to 50 percent 
of the mercury by weight, or about one-half a gram per filling. That is 
a colossal amount of mercury in scientific terms--as much as is in an 
old fashioned thermometer. For example, a young child with six amalgam 
fillings has the equivalent of six mercury thermometers worth of 
mercury in their mouth.
  No one has ever identified a positive health benefit to mercury in 
the human body. Thus, it was sound public health policy to eliminate 
mercury from thermometers, blood pressure gauges, light switches, 
cosmetics, teething powder, horse liniment, hat-making materials, 
smokestack emission, and mining operations. In fact, virtually ever 
industry has either reduced or banned the use of mercury, with the 
exception of dentistry.
   I have repeatedly called upon the dental establishment to ban the 
use of this highly toxic substance but regrettably, the dental 
establishment continues to hold to the scientific fiction that a 
material that is hazardous before it goes into the mouth, and hazardous 
after it comes back out of the mouth, is somehow perfectly safe while 
contained in the mouth, and they have repeatedly attempted to block 
every effort to ban mercury-amalgams.
   According to the resolution, one of the underlying reasons behind 
the ``Give Kids a Smile'' program is that access to dental care for 
children is a vital element of overall health care and development. 
Yet, the developing neurological systems of fetuses and young children 
are especially susceptible to damage by even the slightest trace 
amounts of mercury. And an increasing body of scientific evidence 
points to mercury toxicity as a source of neurological problems 
including, but not limited to, modest declines in intelligence quotient 
(IQ), tremors, attention deficit disorder (ADD), attention deficit 
hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Alzheimer's disease and autism.
   I hope that one day soon, the American Dental Association will truly 
live up to the promise and intent of the ``Give Kids a Smile'' program 
and stop using mercury-based amalgam fillings for good.
  Mr. CANTOR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Nation's 
dentists who provide free oral health care services to thousands of 
low-income children across the country. One day each year dentists take 
time out of their busy schedules and away from their practices to 
provide important dental care to children who do not have access to 
that kind of care.
  I have seen first-hand the tremendous generosity of dentists and the 
excitement of the children when Give Kids A Smile day came to Richmond, 
VA. A local museum was turned into a full-service dentists' office, 
with children being provided much-needed dental work. The children were 
excited, and I think the dentists and dental hygienists got an ever 
bigger kick out of it.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that this resolution has come to the floor 
today, as over

[[Page H7976]]

40,000 members of the American Dental Association are together this 
week at their annual session. I know they must take pride in their 
generosity and knowing that they have provided so many children with 
access to important dental care that they otherwise would not receive. 
I am pleased that Give Kids A Smile day will keep kids smiling.
  Mrs. CHRISTENSEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 567.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of 
those present have voted in the affirmative.
  Mr. BILIRAKIS. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

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