[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 49 (Wednesday, March 20, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2475-S2476]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 605--RECOGNIZING THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE NATIONAL 
INSTITUTE OF DENTAL AND CRANIOFACIAL RESEARCH AND ITS CRITICAL ROLE IN 
   IMPROVING THE DENTAL, ORAL, AND CRANIOFACIAL HEALTH OF THE UNITED 
  STATES THROUGH RESEARCH, TRAINING, AND THE DISSEMINATION OF HEALTH 
                              INFORMATION

  Mr. CARDIN (for himself and Mr. Braun) submitted the following 
resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 605

       Whereas, in 1948, Congress and President Harry S. Truman 
     created the National Institute of Dental Research as a 
     component of the National Institutes of Health (referred to 
     in this preamble as ``NIH''), in response to an epidemic of 
     tooth decay that adversely affected the oral health, overall 
     health, and military readiness of the United States;
       Whereas, on October 21, 1998, Congress changed the name of 
     the National Institute of Dental Research to the National 
     Institute

[[Page S2476]]

     of Dental and Craniofacial Research (referred to in this 
     preamble as ``NIDCR'') to accurately reflect the support of 
     NIDCR for both dental and craniofacial research;
       Whereas NIDCR is the primary dental, oral, and craniofacial 
     biomedical and behavioral research and research training 
     organization in the United States, advancing fundamental 
     knowledge about dental, oral, and craniofacial health and 
     disease, disease prevention, early detection, and treatment 
     strategies to improve overall health for all individuals and 
     communities across the lifespan;
       Whereas NIDCR is recognized by Congress, the NIH, oral 
     health stakeholders, and the biomedical research community as 
     a leader of the oral health research enterprise of the United 
     States that supports research funding, management, and 
     scientific training across the United States;
       Whereas NIDCR performs interdisciplinary research and 
     translates results from the laboratory to the clinic, by 
     means of scientific excellence in laboratory, clinical, 
     behavioral, translational, and population-based programs in 
     support of the mission of the NIH, which is the premier 
     biomedical research agency in the world;
       Whereas NIDCR responds urgently to critical public health 
     needs such as the COVID-19 pandemic, providing over 
     $4,000,000 in fiscal year 2020 in grant supplements to study 
     SARS-CoV-2, develop novel viral detection systems, and 
     address critical needs of patients and oral health 
     practitioners;
       Whereas NIDCR collaborates with academic institutions, 
     industry partners, and government agencies to disseminate 
     information about discoveries to the public;
       Whereas the researchers at NIDCR pioneered the use of 
     epidemiology and preventive approaches to demonstrate that 
     dental caries is an epidemic disease and community water 
     fluoridation is a safe, effective, and economical way to 
     prevent and reduce tooth decay;
       Whereas NIDCR established--
       (1) the Laboratory of Oral Medicine and the Laboratory of 
     Microbiology and Immunology to conduct research on the 
     causes, prevention, and treatment of periodontitis and other 
     diseases of the soft tissues of the oral cavity;
       (2) the Laboratory of Oral Biology and Physiology to 
     conduct research on the cell biology of secretory tissues and 
     proteins;
       (3) the Mineralized Tissue Research Branch to investigate 
     skeletal development and disorders;
       (4) the Center for Integrative Biology and Infectious 
     Diseases to investigate pain, tissue regeneration, oral 
     cancers, autoimmune illnesses, salivary gland biology, and 
     oral microbiota;
       (5) the Center for Clinical Research to conduct clinical 
     trials and practice-based research and to investigate 
     clinical technologies, oral health disparities, and oral 
     health for those with HIV/AIDS; and
       (6) the National Oral Health Information Clearinghouse as a 
     centralized public resource on oral health topics;
       Whereas, in 2000, NIDCR established the NIDCR Patient 
     Advocates Forum to enhance communication among patient groups 
     and incorporate patient perspectives in research planning, 
     and continues to maintain active engagement with the group;
       Whereas NIDCR--
       (1) launched the National Caries Program to prevent and 
     reduce dental caries;
       (2) created the Epidemiology and Oral Disease Prevention 
     Program to investigate the national distribution of dental 
     caries, periodontal diseases, and other oral diseases and 
     disorders;
       (3) launched the Research and Action Program to Improve the 
     Oral Health of Older Americans and Other Adults at High Risk;
       (4) established the first regional Dental Practice-Based 
     Research Network, to investigate pressing clinical issues, 
     including the association between bisphosphonates and 
     osteonecrosis of the jaw, and methods for treating cracked 
     teeth and tooth hypersensitivity; and
       (5) launched the FaceBase Consortium to compile the 
     biological instructions to build the human face and define 
     the genetics underlying developmental disorders such as cleft 
     lip and palate;
       Whereas NIDCR--
       (1) opened the first multidisciplinary pain clinic devoted 
     exclusively to research;
       (2) established major initiatives to support cutting-edge 
     research on temporomandibular disorders (referred to in this 
     preamble as ``TMDs'');
       (3) sponsored a technology assessment conference on the 
     management of TMDs;
       (4) launched the Orofacial Pain: Prospective Evaluation and 
     Risk Assessment clinical study to examine risk factors that 
     contribute to the development of TMDs;
       (5) cosponsored the consensus study entitled 
     ``Temporomandibular Disorders: Priorities for Research and 
     Care'' to help inform approaches to advancing TMDs research 
     and guide the development of evidence-based treatment and 
     clinical management of patients with TMDs;
       (6) established a TMD Multi-Council Working Group to 
     develop a roadmap to strengthen the understanding of TMDs; 
     and
       (7) launched the national TMD Collaborative for Improving 
     Patient-Centered Translational Research to advance research, 
     training, and improved clinical care;
       Whereas NIDCR sponsored a variety of scientific 
     conferences, including Face of a Child, the first national, 
     multidisciplinary meeting on children and oral health, and a 
     consensus development conference, Dental Implants--Benefit 
     and Risk, to examine available data, suggest future research, 
     and draft guidelines for implant therapy;
       Whereas NIDCR has made strategic investments in all areas 
     of dental, oral, and craniofacial research, which has led to 
     many scientific advances, including development of novel 
     nanocomposites and self-healing dental restorative materials, 
     the Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Tissue Regenerative 
     Consortium, which was launched to develop methods for 
     regenerating functional tissues of the human dental, oral, 
     and craniofacial complex, and a NIDCR-sponsored symposium 
     focusing on the Science and Development of Autotherapies;
       Whereas, in 1999, NIDCR introduced its Strategic Plan to 
     Reduce Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, supporting 
     research to end oral health disparities and increase research 
     and clinical workforce diversity, then funded 5 Centers for 
     Research to Reduce Oral Health Disparities, which were among 
     the first NIH centers focused on reducing health disparities;
       Whereas, in collaboration with the Office of the Surgeon 
     General, NIDCR supported the 2000 Oral Health In America: A 
     Report of the Surgeon General, the first Surgeon General 
     report dedicated solely to oral health, and, in 2021, 
     released the Oral Health in America: Advances and Challenges 
     report, examining progress on the oral health of the United 
     States and serving as a national call to action;
       Whereas NIDCR released the NIDCR Strategic Plan: 2021-2026, 
     which--
       (1) articulates the vision of the NIH and identifies 
     investments designed to diminish disparities and yield the 
     greatest impact for those with dental and oral diseases;
       (2) expanded collaborations and partnerships to accelerate 
     new discoveries, including examining the nerves in the jaw 
     and temporomandibular joint as part of the Restoring Joint 
     Health and Function to Reduce Pain Consortium;
       (3) launched the Practice-based Research Integrating 
     Multidisciplinary Experiences in Dental Schools, to expand 
     research training into dental school clinics equipping future 
     oral health practitioners with the knowledge to carry out 
     research; and
       (4) released the Advancement of Head and Neck Cancer Early 
     Detection Research initiative to develop biomarkers and novel 
     technologies for early detection of malignant cells in order 
     to halt oral cancer progression; and
       Whereas NIDCR looks to the future of biomedical science by 
     continuing to support, discover, and develop cutting-edge 
     approaches to improve the dental, oral, craniofacial, and 
     overall health of all people of the United States: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) celebrates the 75th anniversary of the founding of the 
     National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research 
     (referred to in this resolution as ``NIDCR'') and the 
     critical role of NIDCR in advancing biomedical and behavioral 
     research and the mission of the National Institutes of 
     Health, the premier biomedical research agency in the world;
       (2) commends NIDCR for its work to address the COVID-19 
     pandemic by investigating the transmissibility of SARS-CoV-2 
     in dental settings, studying oral viral entry and infection, 
     methods to prevent transmission, replication, and shedding, 
     and supporting the development of the most promising 
     treatments and vaccines; and
       (3) declares that NIDCR is a vital, venerable, and 
     essential component of the National Institutes of Health and 
     the overall public health and science strategy of the United 
     States.

                          ____________________