CHICAGO, May 16, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) member and
Alabama general dentist
Gordon R. Isbell III, DMD, MAGD,
testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education,
Labor and Pensions (HELP) today, and discussed access to and issues
facing the delivery of oral health care in the U.S. Isbell's
testimony comes just days before the AGD will host members from
across the country on Capitol Hill during its annual Hill Day.
"Research continues to highlight the importance of dental care
to overall well-being, but also shows the inequities in access to
dental care," said Isbell to the committee. "The AGD is committed
to addressing these inequities by leveraging the abilities of
private practice general dentists. I recognize that the Committee
has a broad jurisdiction with many important issues to focus on,
and so I applaud you for your focus on oral health care. However,
let me be clear, we must ensure that the private practice of
dentistry is protected and that in our efforts to find solutions to
common problems, we do not diminish the care we provide, make it
harder to enter into and survive in private dental practice, or
dilute the level of services that only fully trained and licensed
dentists can and should provide." (Read Isbell's full
testimony.)
During his testimony, Isbell also addressed the need to ensure
access to dental health care and strengthen the private practice of
dentistry. His testimony highlighted the connection between oral
and systemic health. He explained that AGD is prepared to
collaborate on ways to bring awareness to the many challenges
facing dentistry, dental patients, and oral health overall.
While addressing these topics, Isbell addressed the four
priority areas of importance that the AGD is encouraging Congress
to act on:
- Supporting increased workforce in dentistry (Action on Dental
Health Act)
- Promoting equitable relationships between dentists and insures
(Dental and Optometric Care (DOC) Access Act
- Including the AGD as an approved provider of opioid training
under the Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act
- Promoting oral health literacy (Oral Health Literacy
Act)
Illnesses related to oral health result in 6.1 million days of
bed disability, 12.7 million days of restricted activity, and 20.5
million lost workdays each year.
Isbell is a practicing general dentist from Gadsden, Alabama with over 43 years of
experience. He and his son, Ross
Isbell, DMD, MAGD, have two practices with over 20
employees. He has spent considerable time advocating on behalf of
oral health care and working with legislators and regulators at the
local and national levels. In addition, he has held numerous
leadership positions with the AGD and the American Dental
Association (ADA). In 2023, he received the AGD's Dr. Mark S. Ritz
Advocate for Dentistry Award, and previously received the AGD's
Distinguished Service Award. Isbell has also been active with the
ADA, including serving as co-chairman from 2012 to 2014 of the
ADA's American Dental Political Action Committee (ADPAC). In 2015,
he received the ADPAC's Jack Wilson
Award for Advocacy.
About the Academy of General Dentistry
The Academy of
General Dentistry (AGD) is a professional association of more than
40,000 general dentists dedicated to providing quality dental care
and oral health education to the public. Founded in 1952, AGD is
the largest association for general dentists in the world and
serves the needs and represents the interests of general dentists.
For more information about AGD, visit, www.agd.org.
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SOURCE Academy of General Dentistry