Statement by ADA President John S. Findley on the Dental Emergency Responder Act Introduced Today by Reps. Stupak and Miller

Washington, D.C., Feb. 5, 2009—"The American Dental Association commends Reps. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) and Candice Miller (R-Mich.) for introducing the 'Dental Emergency Responder Act' (H.R. 903), a bill that would bolster America's capacity to respond to natural disasters or terrorist attacks by taking advantage of the extensive education, training and professionalism of the nation's dentists.

"This legislation, which calls for no new federal spending, would incorporate dentistry by name into federal and state disaster response frameworks, improving the nation's first-response infrastructure by deploying dentists during a natural or man-made disaster.

"Dentists receive a sound general medical background during their professional education. With proper preparatory training in disaster response, their knowledge and experience can make them valuable assets in the community response to man-made and natural disasters.

"Our nation's capacity to respond to emergencies depends a great deal on mobilizing health professionals at a moment's notice to triage and treat victims. This means utilizing all qualified health care personnel."

About the American Dental Association

Celebrating its 150th anniversary, the not-for-profit ADA is the nation's largest dental association, representing more than 157,000 dentist members. The premier source of oral health information, the ADA has advocated for the public's health and promoted the art and science of dentistry since 1859. The ADA's state-of-the-art research facilities develop and test dental products and materials that have advanced the practice of dentistry and made the patient experience more positive. The ADA Seal of Acceptance long has been a valuable and respected guide to consumer dental care products. The monthly Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA) is the best-read scientific journal in dentistry. For more information about the ADA, visit the Association's Web site at www.ada.org

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