A coalition of dental organizations has advocated for Congress to reject the fiscal 2026 budget proposal for HHS, according to a May 9 news release from the American Dental Association.
Here are four things to know:
- The groups claim the proposed budget would cut investments in oral health research, prevention and workforce infrastructure.
- Federally supported research previously established connections between oral disease and systemic health conditions, including cardiovascular disease, HIV/AIDS and oral and throat cancer.
- The National Institutes of Health, the CDC’s Division of Oral Health, the Health Resources and Services Administration and the Indian Health Service Dental Program are at risk from the potential budget cuts.
- Oral health has an annual economic impact of nearly $500 billion on the U.S. economy, according to the coalition.
