[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 7]
[Senate]
[Pages 10123-10124]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 SENATE RESOLUTION 182--CONGRATULATING THE AMERICAN DENTAL HYGIENISTS' 
   ASSOCIATION ON THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE PROFESSION OF DENTAL 
   HYGIENE AND COMMENDING ITS WORK TO IMPROVE THE ORAL HEALTH OF THE 
                      PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES

  Mr. CARDIN (for himself, Ms. Collins, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Franken, Mr. 
Harkin, Mr. King, and Mr. Brown) submitted the following resolution; 
which was considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 182

       Whereas the first dental hygiene education program was 
     established in 1913 and early graduates worked in schools 
     providing direct access to oral health care to school 
     children;
       Whereas the American Dental Hygienists' Association is the 
     largest national organization representing the more than 
     150,000 licensed dental hygienists in the United States;
       Whereas, in order to become licensed as a dental hygienist, 
     an individual must graduate from one of the 335 accredited 
     dental hygiene education programs in the United States and 
     successfully complete a national written exam and a State or 
     regional clinical exam;
       Whereas, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the 
     dental hygiene profession is one of the fastest growing 
     health care professions, with employment of dental hygienists 
     expected to grow 38 percent between 2010 and 2020;
       Whereas dental hygienists are prevention specialists who 
     understand how the connection between oral health and total 
     health can prevent disease, treat problems while they are 
     still manageable, conserve critical health care dollars, and 
     save lives;
       Whereas new research continues to demonstrate that oral 
     health is a vital element of overall health;
       Whereas dental caries (more commonly known as tooth decay) 
     are the single most common chronic disease of childhood, 5 
     times more common than asthma;

[[Page 10124]]

       Whereas nearly 48,000,000 people in the United States live 
     in areas without enough dental practitioners;
       Whereas less than 40 percent of children enrolled in 
     Medicaid receive at least one preventive dental service each 
     year and this percentage varies widely among the States;
       Whereas the Department of Health and Human Services 
     estimates that more than 9,000 new dental practitioners are 
     needed to address the dental workforce shortage in 
     underserved areas;
       Whereas the American Dental Hygienists' Association 
     represents, empowers, develops, and supports dental 
     hygienists;
       Whereas the American Dental Hygienists' Association works 
     to improve access to oral health care services, which are 
     essential to the health of the people of the United States;
       Whereas the Center for Lifelong Learning of the American 
     Dental Hygienists' Association seeks to advance the study of 
     dental hygiene through educational opportunities; and
       Whereas the American Dental Hygienists' Association 
     advocates in support of Federal oral health programs, 
     expanding access to care for underserved populations, 
     optimizing the dental workforce, and maximizing coverage for 
     oral health services: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) congratulates the American Dental Hygienists' 
     Association on the 100th anniversary of the profession of 
     dental hygiene;
       (2) commends the American Dental Hygienists' Association 
     for its work to improve the oral health of the people of the 
     United States, a fundamental part of overall health and well-
     being;
       (3) recognizes dental hygienists across the United States 
     who volunteer their time and resources to further their 
     profession and to increase access to oral health care 
     services; and
       (4) commends the dental hygiene profession on its 
     centennial celebration.

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