[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 47 (Wednesday, March 11, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E293]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SAVE YOUR TOOTH MONTH

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                        HON. RAJA KRISHNAMOORTHI

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 11, 2020

  Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI. Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the 
month of May 2020 as Save Your Tooth Month, and beginning on May 3, 
2020, the 13th annual observance of Root Canal Awareness week, as we 
recognize our nation's highly skilled endodontists and their work to 
preserve their patients' natural teeth.
   There was a time when state-of-the-art dental care meant having a 
painful tooth pulled by a barber, blacksmith or wig maker. Modern 
dentistry ushered in the use of anesthesia, radiography, sterile 
technique, and increasingly sophisticated methods to address pain 
caused by an infected or broken tooth. But despite incredible advances 
in restorative dentistry, peer-reviewed studies continue to demonstrate 
that the best solution to preserve a patient's quality of life still 
lies in saving the natural tooth whenever possible.
   Modern endodontic treatment is devoted to preserving our natural 
teeth when decay, trauma, a failed crown or repeated procedures to 
treat dental caries lead to inflammation or an infection of a tooth's 
root pulp. Using the latest techniques and skills acquired after 
completing years of advanced training, skilled endodontists can often 
save a painful tooth and spare their patients the discomfort and 
expense of additional treatment required to fill the gap caused by an 
extraction.
   Like their colleagues who specialize in general dentistry, through 
organizations including the American Association of Endodontists and 
the American Board of Endodontics, our nations' endodontists devote 
thousands of hours to professional development, funding research on 
advancing the standard of care, fundraising to support clinics that 
provide free dental care to the underserved, and educating the general 
population about the importance of practicing good oral hygiene and 
preserving one's natural teeth.
   Madam Speaker, on behalf of the thousands of patients who have had 
their teeth and their smiles preserved by our nation's skilled 
endodontic practitioners, I salute the skills, years of training, and 
dedication of our nation's endodontists, and the more than 350 
endodontists practicing in my home state of Illinois.

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