Here are six federal updates from the last 30 days that dental leaders should know:
1. Removing fluoride from U.S. public water systems would lead to a 7.5% increase in tooth decay and cost at least $9.8 billion over five years, according to a study published May 30 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
2. The American Dental Association urged the Department of Justice to enforce regulation that improves competition among insurers.
3. The American Dental Association wrote an open letter to third-party insurers, Medicaid agencies and employer groups urging them to cover preventive dental services.
4. The American Dental Association and the American Dental Hygienists’ Association reaffirmed its support of fluoride supplements after the HHS Department announced that the FDA would move to remove certain products from the market.
5. A healthcare executive warned that cuts to Medicaid funding from the federal government could lead states to roll back their dental coverage.
6. More than 300 staff members across the National Institutes of Health’s 27 institutes sent a letter to the agency’s director June 9, condemning disruptions to medical research and cuts to essential staff in recent months.
