[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 129 (Thursday, October 6, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2044]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            THE EROSION OF AMERICAN DENTAL HEALTH STANDARDS

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. CHARLIE NORWOOD

                               of georgia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 6, 2005

  Mr. NORWOOD. Mr. Speaker, when this House passed CAFTA, I objected to 
provisions that overturn the state licensing standards of doctors and 
dentists.
  I was told that my fears--and those of the American Dental 
Association--were unfounded.
  This, in spite of the fact CAFTA contains clauses that allow foreign 
dentists to challenge U.S. licensing standards in international 
tribunals.
  Then according to the September 16 San Antonio Express, we had the 
CDC ``working feverishly'' to allow Mexican dentists to practice in 
Texas without a Texas Dental license, as part of Hurricane relief 
efforts. That is so easy to do under NAFTA.
  Everyone realizes disaster relief is a unique situation. We must also 
realize that a precedent is now set--the U.S. Government stating that 
Mexican health care providers be allowed to circumvent our state 
licensing standards.
  We can fully expect this precedent to be cited in future cases by 
those CAFTA tribunals.
  Now we also have U.S. citizens without dental licenses, without even 
dental degrees, being allowed to circumvent the state licensing process 
in Alaska.
  The Federal government has decided to overrule the Alaska Board of 
Dental Examiners, and to instead create a new federal license--a Dental 
Health Aide license.
  According to the September 10 Anchorage Daily News, the Alaska 
Attorney General has ruled that these new federal regulations preempt 
state health licensing laws.
  This allows dental health aides to practice in Native Health Clinics 
with licenses granted by the federal Community Health Aide 
Certification Board instead of the State of Alaska.
  We again recognize a unique situation of remote Native villages.
  However, as a licensed Dental Surgeon, I can testify to my colleagues 
that many of the procedures performed by dentists are surgical 
procedures, which should be performed only by someone who has graduated 
from an accredited dental school and is licensed to do so by their 
state.
  There is a real need for dental health aides in remote locations for 
disease prevention and detection services, and coordinating necessary 
surgical care with a licensed dentist when needed.
  The ADA and the Alaska Board of Dental Examiners have supported an 
expanded role for dental health aides in this limited and properly 
coordinated capacity.
  But once again the Federal government has chosen to disagree and set 
a new precedent that undermines our historic dental licensing 
standards.
  Mr. Speaker, dental health care quality is now on a very slippery 
slope as a result of these federal actions.
  We need look no further than our southern border to see where this 
downhill slide will lead if we continue.
  In the Mexican border towns, dental care costs less than half of what 
we pay here in the United States.
  But according to travel industry warnings, 60% of those performing 
dental services are not properly licensed or trained, even by Mexican 
standards.
  Accessing quality care under these eroded licensing conditions is 
simply a matter of luck of the draw.
  In spite of the need to improve the overall American health care 
system, there is one thing we can all be proud of--we have the highest 
quality health care in the world.
  And here is an awesome fact to consider as to the origins of these 
unparalleled quality standards.
  The Federal government didn't have one darn thing to do with them.
  They came entirely from the minds and hearts of physicians and 
dentists, who wanted to improve the quality of health care delivery and 
their professions.
  They did so in the most appropriate way--through the states.
  The licenses to practice medicine and dentistry throughout our 
Nation's history have been granted virtually exclusively by the States, 
not the Federal government.
  Now the Federal government, which has convoluted and corrupted public 
health policy in countless instances, wants to slither into licensing--
then share the spoils in trade agreements and international tribunals.
  No one can doubt that there will be continuing harmonization of 
standards across many industries with our international trading 
partners.
  But this body needs to resolve that at least in health care, the 
United States will lead that process, rather than follow.
  We should export our standards--the highest, the toughest, the 
noblest in the world--rather than import incompetence, charlatanism, 
infection, and death.
  Mr. Speaker, we don't need unqualified dental health aides cutting 
into people in Alaska.
  We don't need to accept Mexican and Guatemalan dental licenses in 
Texas or Georgia, licenses highly likely to have been issued from the 
nearest false document mill spawned by illegal immigration.
  Ironically, this body doesn't really need to do anything, other than 
keep the bureaucrats of the Federal government and the New World Order 
out of the way of our 50 sovereign States.
  And it's past time we started doing just that.