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American Dental Education Association


Volume 3, No. 77, April 16, 2025

CDC Will No Longer Recommend Fluoride in Drinking Water
 
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is instructing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to reassess its recommendation for community water fluoridation. This directive has raised concerns among public health experts and dentists who argue that fluoridation is essential in preventing tooth decay. Kennedy, however, has long criticized the practice, suggesting that fluoride may pose risks to brain development and bone health. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced it is reconvening a task force to review fluoride’s potential effects and update its recommendations accordingly.
 
Kennedy’s stance on fluoridation was reinforced in a recent news conference [ [link removed] ] in Salt Lake City, where he revealed plans to direct the CDC to stop recommending water fluoridation. Additionally, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin announced [ [link removed] ] that his agency would be reevaluating the research on fluoride’s potential risks. Fluoridation has been widely adopted across the United States, with 62.8% of the population receiving fluoridated water [ [link removed] ] as of 2022. The CDC has historically regarded it as one of the most significant public health achievements of the 20th century.
 
While the federal government does not mandate fluoridation or oversee local water systems, several states have passed laws requiring it. In areas without a mandate, communities can voluntarily choose to add fluoride to their water supply.
 
On April 9 ADEA issued a statement, “ADEA’s Support for Community Water Fluoridation” [ [link removed] ] in response.

The Dental Loan Repayment Assistance Act Reintroduced
 
The Dental Loan Repayment Assistance Act of 2025 was reintroduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by sponsors U.S. Reps. Jeff Van Drew (R-N.J.) and Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.) (H.R. 1758 [ [link removed] ] ) and in the U.S. Senate by U.S. Sens. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) (S. 1080 [ [link removed] ] ). The legislation would allow full-time dental faculty members participating in the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Dental Faculty Loan Repayment Program (DFLRP) to exclude from personal income the amount of loan assistance they receive from their federal income taxes.
 
The purpose of the Dental Faculty Loan Repayment Program (DFLRP) is to encourage dental professionals to pursue careers in dental education by offering financial assistance to help pay off their student loans. This program is designed to address the shortage of dental faculty at academic institutions, which can limit the ability to train future generations of dentists. By providing loan repayment incentives, the DFLRP aims to attract qualified dental professionals to teaching positions at accredited U.S. dental schools.
 
In exchange for receiving loan repayment assistance, participants in the DFLRP are required to serve as full-time faculty members at a dental school for a specified period. This initiative not only helps reduce the burden of student loan debt but also strengthens dental education and ensures that the dental workforce is well-equipped to meet future demands.

Congress Sets Stage for Reconciliation
 
The U.S. House of Representatives and Senate have adopted a final version of the H. Con. Res. 14 [ [link removed] ] , the “concurrent resolution establishing the congressional budget for the federal government for fiscal year 2025 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2026 through 2034.’’ This action now sets the stage for the two Houses to produce Reconciliation legislation which will include tax provisions and various legislative provisions to alter government programs to either increase or decrease the federal deficit.
 
In the areas of interest to oral health education, the measure contains provisions that require committees with jurisdiction over higher education and health care to reduce the deficit:
 • The House Committee on Energy and Commerce—the Committee with jurisdiction over almost all health care and biomedical research programs, other than Medicare—also has jurisdiction over the energy, telecommunications, environmental and trade sectors. Therefore, its instructions to cut $880 billion in spending over the next 10 years will not fall entirely on health care-related programs. However, there is concern that some savings may be directed toward the Medicaid program and could affect oral health education and training programs that fund pre- and post-doctoral programs as well as the Dental Faculty Loan Repayment program.
 • The House Committee on Education and Workforce was instructed to reduce the deficit by $330 billion over ten years. These reductions will not all fall on higher education, but we can expect much scrutiny of student financial aid programs during the Committee’s deliberations.
 • In the Senate, the Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP) encompasses the jurisdiction of both health care (except for Medicare) and higher education. Its instructions call for it to reduce the deficit by $1 billion over the next decade.

The next step is for each of the House and Senate committees to produce legislation fulfilling its instructions and send these bills to each Houses’ respective Budget Committee by Friday, May 9. The Budget committees will then assemble them into a single bill to present to their House of Congress. The House and the Senate will pass separate bills, which will then have to be reconciled into one final version which will be presented to the President for signature. Then, it will become law.
 
The goal is to complete this process by the end of July. ADEA Advocacy and Government Relations will be closely monitoring this activity and will keep you informed.

Maryland General Assembly Wraps Up 2025 Session
 
Before adjourning sine die for their 2025 regular session, the Maryland General Assembly sent several bills of interest to oral health educators, practitioners and students to Gov. Wes Moore (D) for his consideration.
 
The bills Gov. Moore has signed into law include the following:
 • HB 573 [ [link removed] ] /SB 792 [ [link removed] ] , which expands options to qualify for a an expanded function dental assistant EFDA certification by allowing the State Board of Dental Examiners to approve courses that are offered by the Dale Foundation [ [link removed] ] and courses for an orthodontic dental assisting course or program offered by the Trapezio Orthodontic Assistant Training Solutions. [ [link removed] ] Additionally, the bill requires that a course of study for initial dental assistant certification includes at least 35 hours of both in-person and online instruction. The Board also must adopt regulations specifying the required number of hours for in-person and online instruction and clinical, hands-on training. Finally, the bill also establishes minimum requirements for the Board to reinstate an expired EFDA certification.
 • HB 723 [ [link removed] ] /SB 749 [ [link removed] ] is legislation that requires the State Board of Dental Examiners to issue a license or certification to applicants who meet requirements for licensure by credentials within 15 business days after receiving the completed application. The bill also establishes a requirement for the Board to issue a certification to dental radiation technologist certified in another state who meets minimum qualifications established in the bill. Finally, the bill requires the Maryland Department of Health to develop a plan for temporary or permanent authorization to practice a health occupation for individuals who hold a license in another jurisdiction and who left federal employment after Jan. 20, 2025.

The bills still under review by Gov. Moore include:
 • HB 783 [ [link removed] ] , which is a bill that requires applicants renewing a health occupations license to attest to completing an implicit bias and structural racism training program, rather than an implicit bias training program. Eligible courses must be approved by the Cultural and Linguistic Health Care Professional Competency Program.
 • HB 265 [ [link removed] ] /SB 456 [ [link removed] ] is legislation that would alter the eligibility criteria for Higher Education Loan Assistance Grants under the Maryland Dent-Care Loan Assistance Repayment Program [ [link removed] ] to include part-time employment. The program currently provides student loan repayment assistance to dentists who are employed full-time and whose patient population is comprised of at least 30% of recipients from the Maryland Medical Assistance Program (MMAP). Part-time dentists and part-time dental hygienists would be eligible for a prorated higher education loan assistance grant.
 • HB 1143 [ [link removed] ] establishes the Maryland Collaborative to Improve Children’s Oral Health Through School-Based Programs to study and make recommendations on ways to improve school-based dental programs. The Collaborative is required to submit an interim report by Dec. 1, 2025, and a final report on its findings and recommendations by Oct. 1, 2026.

Arkansas Sends Bill to Governor Requiring Reimbursement for Some High Complexity Oral Health Care Treatment-related Costs
 
The Arkansas State Legislature sent a bill [ [link removed] ] to Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) that, if signed, would require the state’s Medicaid Program to reimburse accredited dental schools and academic medical centers for dental and anesthesia costs for some individuals with high complexity oral health care. These individuals would be 18 years of age or older and require sedation dentistry. Reimbursement would be capped at $3,750 per episode of care with an annual cap of $5,000 per individual.

First-of-its-Kind Faculty Licensure Compilation of State Laws and Regulations Now Available
 
ADEA is pleased to announce the release of a compilation of state faculty licensure statutes and regulations. This new, first-of-its-kind resource [ [link removed] ] compiles state laws and regulations that are relevant to faculty licensure, including those that address requirements to qualify for a faculty license, practice restrictions and required documentation.
 
Additionally, this new resource includes three charts that compare common state faculty licensure policies. This chart can be used as a companion to the compilations and as a quick reference tool for those seeking a brief overview or comparison of faculty licensure policies in each state.

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ADEA Advocacy in Action
This appears weekly in the ADEA Advocate to summarize and provide direct links to recent advocacy actions taken by ADEA. Please let us know what you think and how we might improve its usefulness.
 
Issues and Resources
 • ADEA report [ [link removed] ] on teledentistry
 • ADEA report [ [link removed] ] on the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on U.S. Dental Schools
 • ADEA policy brief [ [link removed] ] regarding overprescription of antibiotics
 • For a full list of ADEA memos, briefs and letters click here [ [link removed] ] .

Key Federal Issues [ [link removed] ]

ADEA U.S. Interactive Legislative and Regulatory Tracking Map [ [link removed] ]

Key State Issues [ [link removed] ]

The ADEA Advocate [ [link removed] ] is published weekly. Its purpose is to keep ADEA members abreast of federal and state issues and events of interest to the academic dentistry and the dental and research communities.
 
©2025
American Dental Education Association
655 K Street, NW, Suite 800
Washington, DC 20001
Tel: 202-289-7201
Website: www.adea.org [ [link removed] ]

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B. Timothy Leeth, CPA
ADEA Chief Advocacy Officer
 
Bridgette DeHart, J.D.
ADEA Director of Federal Relations and Advocacy
 
Phillip Mauller, M.P.S.
ADEA Senior Director of State Relations and Advocacy
 
Contact Us:
[email protected] [ mailto:[email protected] ]

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