[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 165 (Thursday, November 5, 2015)]
[House]
[Page H8139]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         ACTION FOR DENTAL HEALTH: DENTISTS MAKING A DIFFERENCE

  (Mr. SIMPSON asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. SIMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of creating access 
to oral health care and to raise awareness for initiatives that deliver 
important dental services to underserved communities.
  This year, more than 75 million Americans won't visit a dentist, even 
though nearly half of the people over 30 suffer from some form of gum 
disease and an estimated 25 percent of children under the age of 5 
already have cavities.
  It is time to take action.
  That is why the American Dental Association launched Action for 
Dental Health: Dentists Making a Difference. This initiative is a 
nationwide, community-based movement that is focused on delivering care 
to people who are already suffering from dental disease, and on 
bringing dental health education and disease prevention into 
underserved communities.
  This Sunday, the American Dental Association will transform the 
Walter E. Washington Convention Center into a Mission of Mercy--a 100-
chair dental clinic--in order to treat 1,000 adults and children who 
don't receive regular dental care.
  We can grow support for initiatives like these through H.R. 539, the 
Action for Dental Health Act, which will help dentists and others 
improve the health of Americans who need it most but without requiring 
any additional tax dollars. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 539.

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