Prevention and education
February 15, 2024 — Coalition letter to Congress expressing support for H.R. 7153, the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Reauthorization Act (PDF).
February 5, 2024 — Letter expressing support for S. 3597, the Promoting Dental Health Act. This bill would reauthorize the oral health promotion and disease prevention activities of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention through 2028 (PDF).
March 6, 2023 — Coalition Letter supporting legislation to make facilities of the Veterans Health Administration completely smoke free (PDF).
October 11, 2022 — Letter from the Organized Dentistry Coalition (ODC) to the Senate in support of the Oral Health Literacy and Awareness Act (PDF).
September 23, 2022 — Letter to the House Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member on access to oral health care for people with disabilities (PDF).
September 20, 2022 — Letter to the House Energy and Commerce Committee in support of H.R. 5141, the MOBILE Health Care act, which would give community health centers more flexibility in using New Access Points grants for mobile health care units. (PDF)
December 10, 2021 — Letter urging the Senate leadership to bring the PREVENT HPV Act up for a vote. (PDF) This bill would authorize a public service campaign on HPV vaccination.
The ADA works closely with state and local dental societies to promote the community water fluoridation of municipal water supplies at recommended levels. The ADA also supports capacity-building grants to help communities establish, upgrade, and maintain an effective public water fluoridation infrastructure.
The ADA is working with lawmakers, public health leaders, and others to encourage consumers to maintain balanced, nutritious diets that contribute to sound oral health.
July 24, 2023 — Letter to the White House pledging to take several actions in response to the White House Challenge to End Hunger and Build Healthy Communities. (PDF)
July 17, 2023 — Comments on the food labeling study the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is proposing. (PDF)
May 16, 2023 — Comments in support of the Food and Nutrition Service’s proposal to reduce the amount of added sugar consumed in federal school meal programs. (PDF)
February 21, 2023 — ADA comments on a USDA proposal to reduce the WIC program’s reliance on juice as a nutrient delivery method. (PDF)
Tobacco use is causally associated with higher rates of tooth decay, receding gums, periodontal disease, mucosal lesions, bone damage, tooth loss, jaw bone loss and more. That is why the ADA is working with dentists, educators, public health officials, lawmakers and the public to prevent and, hopefully, eliminate the use of all tobacco products.
While the oral health effects of vaping are not fully studied, there is some evidence that vaping increases the likelihood that tobacco users will not be able to quit. There have also been anecdotal reports of orofacial damage when these devices have suddenly overheated, sometimes to the point of exploding.
Aside from the intended use of FDA-approved nicotine cessation products, the ADA discourages the use of all nicotine products made or derived from tobacco.
In Congress
August 2, 2022—Coalition letter urging FDA to prohibit characterizing flavors from being added to cigars. (PDF)
August 2, 2022—Coalition letter urging FDA to prohibit menthol from being used as a characterizing flavor in cigarettes. (PDF)
March 7, 2022—Coalition letter urging House and Senate leaders to advance legislation authorizing the FDA to regulate synthetic nicotine. (PDF)
June 30, 2021—Coalition letter urging House appropriators to reject any amendments to weaken FDA's authority to regulate cigars or any other tobacco products. (PDF)
June 7, 2021—Coalition letter expressing support for H.R. 3883, which would make Veterans Health Administration (VHA) facilities fully smoke-free. (PDF)
June 7, 2021—Coalition letter expressing support for S. 2043, which would make Veterans Health Administration (VHA) facilities fully smoke-free. (PDF)
Federal agencies
September 12, 2022—Coalition Letter in support of FDA issuing a proposed rule to reduce the nicotine levels in cigarettes and other combustible tobacco products to minimally or non-addictive levels. (PDF)
November 9, 2020—Coalition letter urging the FDA to proceed with its rule characterizing menthol as an added flavor in tobacco products. (PDF)
October 15, 2019—Coalition comments on a FDA proposed rule governing the health warnings and color images required on cigarette packages and advertisements. (PDF)
September 24, 2019—Coalition letter supporting the White House proposal to remove flavored e-cigarettes from the market. (PDF)
The American Dental Association creates evidence-based resources for providers and the public to promote oral disease prevention.
Dental Sealants and Disease Prevention (PDF)
July 5, 2023—ADA and AAPD comments to HRSA in response to their information collection request on Title V maternal and child health grants. The information collection request included a proposal to change the oral health national performance measure to a state performance measure, which would deprioritize oral health for mothers and children. (PDF)